Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday Movie Meme- Memorable Facial Hair

Feature Presentation...
MONDAY MOVIE MEME

Hosted by Molly of The Bumbles Blog!

1. Roger Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988): He's a rabbit so he's got facial hair! Just loved the movie.


2. Michael Gross and Fred Ward in Tremors (1990): The funniest horror movie ever!

yaboon.com


Movieactors.com

3. Tom Hanks in Cast Away (2000): I think Tom sports the beard well!


4. Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006): A good look for him...but I do like him clean-shaven. But the movie was amazing.


5. Jeremy Northam in An Ideal Husband (1999): He's yummy and this is one of my favorites!

Fanpix.net

Friday, April 15, 2011

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

goodreads.com
Genre: young adult, fantasy, supernatural
FTC Disclosure: bought from Amazon.com
Published: 2009
Pages: 563
Content: mild language and violence.


Garcia and Stohl really opened up a new world with this series. I've been looking for a fun series to really sink my teeth into and this one is it. It's not the greatest but it's fun and different and has a rich storyline.

The story is told from Ethan's point of view...a boy's voice. Definitely different but I honestly didn't notice so his voice as a boy wasn't really distinct! Anyway, he lives in a small Southern town called Gatlin where everybody knows everyone and outsiders are just not welcome. That's where Lena comes in. She's the niece of the local crazy "Boo Radley." He's a recluse and the town hates him and thus hate her. But Ethan can't get her out of his mind because she's the girl he's been dreaming about for the past year and 2, she literally is in his head...telepathically. Strange things happen when she's around and Ethan eventually realizes that she is a Caster/witch.

This was just a fun story. I enjoyed their budding relationship. I enjoyed the mythology of the Caster world. I liked that there weren't any love triangles. Those really bug me right now and neither was a "bad boy" who treated the one they love like sh**. So it had all those things going for it.

Some of the bad things...sometimes the story dragged on a bit too long. Also, the essence of the story is like every other paranormal teen novel. We have one person who's some kind of supernatural being who loves a mortal human and somehow they can't be together...sigh.

But overall, a fun story and looking forward to the next in the series.


Rating: 4/5 Stars 

Other Covers:
Bulgarian
Catalan
Dutch and Flemish
French
German
Serbian
 Quite a few covers for this one. I had no idea! I really like the Serbian cover and the German cover. They give it a more personal feel. The French one, I don't get. That pic doesn't really have anything to do with the story. The Dutch/Flemish version feels like a throwback to the 70s...just does, don't know why! The Catalan cover is more like the American version but more bland. The Bulgarian one is mysterious. I like that one too. But my faves are the Serbian and German covers. What about you?

All cover pics were taken from goodreads.com.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

One Line Movie Reviews

1. 127 Hours (2010): Beautiful story of never giving up and living life to the fullest!
Rating: A
2. Trekkies (1997): Documentary on those who love Star Trek so much they even make their dental assistants wear uniforms!
Rating: B
3. Tangled (2010): Wonderful story on being true to who you are and learning to think for yourself!

Rating: A

4. Monsters Vs. Aliens (2009): This is one funny and creative movie!

Rating: A-

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Room by Emma Donoghue

Genre: contemporary fiction,
FTC Disclosure: bought from Barnes and Noble
Published: 2010
Pages: 210
Content: abuse theme, psychological trauma


 There may be a spoiler or two in here! Sorry!

I went through a lot of emotions with this book, and I think that makes for a great book in the end. The whole story is told through the eyes of Jack, a five-year-old boy. His whole world is contained within a tiny room with only his mother for company. We soon learn that she was kidnapped at age 19 and has been held captive for seven years in this tiny room...after two years she had Jack.

The book goes through so many themes/ideas. One that struck me was this woman's relationship with her son Jack. She worked really hard to make his life as normal as possible given the circumstances...I kept thinking what I would have done in a situation like that. She said that Jack was her miracle. I think it was her way of being able to hold on and keep her own sanity. But that also got me thinking about what that really means...she had Jack for purely selfish reasons...and it shows after they escape and start to integrate into the real world. But that's what makes this book so intriguing. There are just so many emotions that run. I have no idea what I would really do in a situation like that, but I can tell you what I'd think I do. And isn't that what we always do when we here about other people's experiences and situations?

One thing I didn't like was the perspective of Jack. The storytelling was distracting from his point of view even though it also made it different. There were some inconsistencies as well in his dialogue...like he'd know a word at one time and then not know it later on. It was kind of weird. Also a few plot holes, too.

I thought the last half of the book really picked up after they try and reintegrate. We see how Jack's mother completely loses it after having kept it together soley for her son during their captivity. I liked how Jack was able to slowly start opening up to his other family aka grandparents, uncle, aunt, cousin. I'll admit, though, it was brutal to see how Jack's mother treats him after their escape. That's where the selfish part of her comes in. Since the book was written from Jack's perspective, he is the one character I truly care about. So I found myself really getting angry with his mother when she starts shutting down and not paying attention to him for a bit...but then I would think about what she went through...yeah, it's understandable.

Whew. Basically, this book made me think. I got really mad at times and then wondered why I was mad. I had to think from so many different perspectives...mine, mother, Jack, his grandparents. It's a journey that tears you down and then builds you back up.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Monday Movie Meme- Women Behind Bars

Feature Presentation...
MONDAY MOVIE MEME
hosted by Molly of The Bumbles Blog.

This week is all about women and the prison system, or being held captive.

1. Chicken Run (2000): OK, the chicken aren't technically women...but they are female and they are working hard at trying to fly the coup!


2. Women's Prison (2002): Documentary on women in prison in Iran.