artsy musings of a bibliophile

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Top Ten Tuesday: Best Book to Movie Adaptations

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Today’s post is kind of so-so for me because I’ve haven’t that many (epic) book to movie adaptations. Yet, I did my best and cheated by adding a fairy tale and a comic. *looks innocent*

I only managed to overcome my nervousness to read The Hunger Games trilogy last December and I totally fell in love with the brilliant creation of Suzzane Collins. I was not going to miss its movie adaptation for the world. My only regret is that I couldn’t watch it in the cinema. As far as movie adaptations go, this one is pretty satisfying. Also, it’s JLaw.


I read and watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower back to back and let me just say, Logan Lerman played Charlie’s character perfectly. Stephen Chbosky was involved throughout the movie and suffice it to say that while the movie’s plot did veer from the book’s, the characters made up for it.                    

Silver Linings Playbook is epic. ‘Nuff said. (Haven’t read the book, though…)
Confessions of a Shopaholic is a lighthearted, fun movie and Isla Fisher was perfect as The Girl in the Green Scarf. There could have been some improvements but then I (mostly) enjoyed it.
I still remember when I first watched Great Expectations. I was bored out of my mind studying for O’ Levels and turned on the TV around 3 a.m. The movie was playing on HBO and I started watching it on a whim. I fell in love with it. Granted, I haven’t read the book’s unabridged version as yet. However, as a movie alone, it’s just fantastic.
Yes, this might be cheating but it’s still an adaptation so this counts. I just cannot leave out my favorite princess and fairy tale. Sigh.
I didn’t even know that Freaky Friday is a movie adaptation! This is such a laugh out loud funny that I also want to read its book. Oh yes.
Kick-Ass is awesome and I sometimes still laugh to myself whenever Mr. Bitey comes to mind. That scene is so ridiculously funny!
      
One day I’m going to read the series but I don’t think I can imagine a better Jason Bourne than Matt Damon. The trilogy is so freaking awesome!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The Notebook is my all-time favorite, go-to romance movie. It’s classic, it’s swoon-worthy and it has Ryan Gosling. Do I even need to go on?!

Encore
I totally forgot about these two! I freakin’ love Life of Pi (visually stunning!) and while, Slumdog Millionaire is different from it’s book version (so I’ve heard), I’m pretty much okay with it.

So this is it, I really thought I would fail at compiling a list. Phew.

What do you think about my list? What adaptations are on your list. Are they good or meh? Leave a link, I want to know!

(93) Days of Summer

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Ever since summer started this year, I’ve been drifting more towards YA contemporaries when it comes to reading. Attracted towards YA, I read three YA contemporaries back to back and then I read Renae’s post about her Summer 2013 Reading Project. A similar idea formed in my head.
From 21st June 2013 to 21st September 2013, I’ll gorge on as much YA contemporary books as I can. I’ll probably try to switch it up between a latest read and a classic contemporary like right now I’m reading both: OCD Love Story and The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight which is why these are in different columns below. I’ve chosen 36 books for reading in summer (eep!) however, I might add some bonus reads if I happen to buy them or the mood struck.

Phew. But I’m more excited than daunted by the random books I just took from Goodreads and my to-read list. Also, I want to tackle that Goodreads Challenge; it mocks me every single day. As a bonus, this also gives me an excuse to buy MOAR books (nom nom).
So is this a good idea or am I going to turn into a Crazy Contemp Lady by the time I’m finished (err…)? I want to know!

Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

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KSTDBU

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
young adult contemporary published by HarperTeen on July 2nd, 2013

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she’s beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Most Intimidating Books

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To me, even the word ‘intimidate’ itself is intimidating so there ought to be books that are intimidating as well, right? If I start browsing books thoroughly, I’ll soon be pretty busy compiling a very long list. Thus, the following list is pretty much top-of-the-head random. And I really, really want to read these. Ugh, the complications in life!

I went ahead and bought Delirium and Pandemonium back in December but I’ve only gotten so far as to stare at the series from time to time. Now I wait for the day I will actually dare to read it. Sigh. 
The whole Adam-Warner thing and then the it’s-garbage-slash-I-lurrrv-it reviews have gotten me so confused that I had to distance myself from the Shatter Me series for a while.
The whole reason of wanting to read Hush, Hush is the curiosity which is boiling over the pan even right now. But then I hardly ever like angels in YA fiction so it ends up intimidating me instead.
Shiver. Maggie Stiefvater. Intimidating and intimidating. ‘Nuff said.

Heist Society series is so overly hyped that while I’m sure I’ll like it I just don’t want the option of not liking it.  So I wait for it to go away.
I know I’ll read Just One Day before I read If I Stay and that’s mainly because of the intimidating factor. So there.
I try to not read genuinely fun books like Anna and the French Kiss because once I read it, the anticipation will be over. (You can go ahead and call me crazy now).

This Barney Stinson inspired category for intimidating books is perfect. The Book Thief is YA and it intimidates just like The Perks of Being a Wallflower did. There’s history involved.
The Iron King is so very popular and Julie Kagawa is so famous in the publishing world that I just can’t help feeling intimidated. So just… okay?
Vampire Academy is here because of well, vampires. I’ve become wary of any vampire characters not belonging to The Vampire Diaries or the Angel Creek series.

What books are on your list? Leave a link!

Review: Uprising by Jessica Therrien Blog Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK
Uprising by Jessica Therrien

Click the image for
the blog tour schedule.

yound adult fantasy published by ZOVA on 28 May 2013 

second book in the Children of the Gods series

Elyse has done everything she can to protect her friends from The Council’s reach. As long as they believe she’s dead, she has time to rest and train for war. And war is inevitable. 

When Kara arrives with the news that Anna and Chloe have been captured, Elyse is faced with the realization that no one is safe until The Council is stopped and Christoph is destroyed. She doesn’t need a prophecy to tell her to lead an army. Christoph has done the one thing that ensures she’ll fight to the death. He’s threatened the people she loves. 
It will take more than the words of an oracle to help them fight against the most powerful Descendant alive. To break The Council’s oppression and rise up against a plot so many years in the making, Elyse will need to get dangerously close to her enemy. So close, in fact, she may not survive.

THE RATING
THE REVIEW
Being one of the most anticipated books of 2013, I wanted Uprising to blow me away. And it definitely did. Jessica Therrien’s talent of weaving Greek mythology into Elyse’s story is so enchanting that I couldn’t stop reading. The book is a little short of going over 400 pages and so a lot of things happen. The plot was unpredictable and dangerous if I say so and so I never knew how it it would all turn out. In the end, that what made Uprising such an enjoyable read for me.
Elyse is definitely one of those characters who changes gradually and to see her go from a shy and reserved person to a leader who will ultimately might be the most important is amazing. I liked her strong will and how she acted under all the pressure and expectations of the other Descendants. Her life isn’t made to be an easy one and it only goes on to show her strength and capacity to handle herself in the worst of times. And boy, what worst of times they were!
William is a solid rock for Elyse to lean on at all times but it is war and anything can happen. It was interesting to read about William’s strong will fight over his protective one. He definitely wants Elyse to be the leader but when it means that she could get hurt, it tortures him. But I have to admire his character the most, he has definitely grown since Oppression and I was relieved to know that he doesn’t fall into any cliched scenarios.
The war is inevitable and with Christoph determined to get his way, it is clear that he wants something from Elyse. As the story progresses, more and more of Christoph’s intentions are revealed and the whole picture is a true face of evil. It also weakens Elyse’s into thinking that it’s all a futile cause and she’ll end up either alone or dead. But there are people who want out of the oppression, people willing to help Elyse with her cause.
And so it goes. The story is action-packed and the secondary character play important roles especially Kara and Alex. It’s also interesting to read about the abilities of Descendants introduced in the book. The war, the new oracle, the betrayers all come together in this explosive continuation of Children of the Gods series. I loved it! Three kudos to Jessica Therrien! So cannot wait for book three, mythology for the win.
THE QUOTES

‘I don’t think his love is the kind of thing that just goes away.’

‘Every nerve seared with sharp unrelenting pain. My bones felt like they were splitting and splintering inside my body. I went into shock. I couldn’t stand or fall or breathe or cry.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jessica Therrien is the author of Oppression and Uprising, book one and two in her YA paranormal romance/adventure series, Children of the Gods. Oppression was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and Uprising was released in May of 2013.
Jessica is a graduate of San Diego State University. She lived in Taiwan for a year where she learned Chinese, but she lives in Chula Vista now, where everyone speaks Spanish instead. Although she spends most days in a cubicle at her day job, her alter ego is a writer, who loves the arts with a passion.
Jessica is currently writing book three in her Children of the Gods series.

Jessica Therrien can be found at
Buy Uprising (Children of the Gods, #2)
Thanks to Jessica Therrien and ZOVA for providing me a copy of Uprising for review.