Gone Girl

         Today we are going to veer a little off of the usual content and not review a movie that was initially a book. We are going to be talking about a book I recently read that is number six on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Can you guess which book I'm going to say? No. Its not one of the Fifty Shades trilogy. Get your head out of the gutter! Plus, I'm pretty sure that is like No. 1 on the NY Times Bestsellers list...

         Ok now that your head is out of the gutter, the book I read this past weekend was Gone Girl.

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         This book is messed up. It is twisted in about 500 ways. Amy and Nick Dunne are a married couple with no kids in their mid-thirties. Every marriage goes through ups and downs, but never in my life would I have guessed their marriage would have ended up the way it did. On another note, I thought the style of writing was very interesting. That was my favorite part of the book. Are you curious? Good. Go read it!

         My critiques will be vague because the book is still so new. The first critique is wow a whopping 415-page book that could have easily been told in 250.

         Next up, a mini-rant! The thing that bugged me the most was that the major discoveries in this novel kind of fizzled out. There were major discoveries, but they weren't highlighted in a BAM! kind of way. The story line kind of steam rolled right over them. 

        This book is definitely not a race to the finish. It is more of a marathon that you might pass out because it feels so long winded. There were times when I wanted to scream “OK I GET IT! GET ON WITH THE STORY!” Yes, all caps were necessary because I literally almost put the book away and I never, ever, ever leave a book unfinished. 

         As a reader, I crave a good impact and when major revelations fall short it kind of makes it impossible to keep my attention after that. At the half way point in the book, I felt like I was just reading it to have the chance of being interested. 

Overall, I would recommend it, but make sure you have a long attention span… You are going to need it. 

Heres hoping that the movie will be a little more thrilling! On IMBd.com it is classified as in development. There are also rumors circulating that Reece Witherspoon and Bradley Cooper are up for the lead rolls of Amy and Nick Dunne.

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P.S. I Love You

If you need a good cry, I mean a gut-wrenching sob, then this is the book for you. I have never felt more heartbroken than when I read P.S. I Love You. The first couple of chapters will devastate you. The second couple of chapters will lead you on with a dull ache inside. The third couple of chapters you’ll cry again and again sporadically. By the end of the book you don’t know where you are or how long you have been reading, but you just know that it was worth it.

Now that we have somewhat of a framework out of the way, I will tell you the book and the movie could not be more different in setting, characters, and general feeling.

The book is set in Ireland and the overall feeling of loneliness that Holly Kennedy, the main character has is more apparent and suffocating. There are moments in the book when you just have to put it down because if not you will surely die of a broken heart. I have never in all my years of reading cried, okay more like sobbed uncontrollably, than I have with P.S. I Love You.

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The movie is set in New York City and Holly Kennedy doesn’t seem as lonely. She has more of a support system that checks in on her and makes her go out of her apartment. The gut wrenching despair is still there. Believe me, my mom and I were a total wreck ten minutes in to watching it. I might have let out a really embarrassing gasp for air because I was crying so hard. Everyone in the theatre really enjoyed my uncontrollable crying…. not!

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The only thing I wonder is, what does an author have to go through to be able to convey such a raw emotion completely unhindered? This book will have you experiencing emotions you never thought possible. I definitely recommend both the book and the movie. Enjoy! Make sure you have a giant SAM’s club size box of tissues next to you! You are going to need it.

Pride & Prejudice

For the duration of this post I would like us all to read it in an English accent simply because it will make it super fun! Also if you have never read this book you should be shunned. No no no I'm kidding. Sort of. 

First disclaimer: If you haven't read the book or you haven't seen the movie, please come back and read this post after you do one of the aforementioned activities. There is no other way to talk about this book other than to lay it all/most of it on the line. 

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This book blows my mind. It is the ultimate love story. Girls all over the world dream of a love like Elizabeth's and Mr. Darcy's. Everyone loves a chase! Its just a fact of life! 

The gist of the story is there are different families with different ideals from different social/monetary classes, but in a perfect world love conquers all! Right?

Second disclaimer: I watched the movie before I read the book. I know! Shame on me! I have to say they were both equally lovely! 

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I am basing this review off of the movie adaption starring Keira Knightley. Personally, I think it is the best Pride and Prejudice film adaption. My best advice when watching the movie is that you will not understand two words that they are saying at first. I had to watch the movie twice before I could keep up with all the Old English chatter that goes on. Every time I watch the movie I learn something new! So give it more than one viewing before you place judgment. 

My biggest critique is that Lydia, Kitty, and Mrs. Bennett are the bane of my existence. I had to fight the urge to slap the television. Multiple times. They are just so annoying, superficial, and make everything so much harder for Jane and Elizabeth Bennett. 

Overall I loved the book and the movie. I can't pick which one I liked better! A book like this is a love in and of itself.  

Brava Jane Austen Brava :)

Pip Pip Cheerio!

Where It All Began…

That's right. You heard me. Today I will be comparing Twilight the book vs. Twilight the movie. Bring it on. 

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 Okay enough with the theatrics... Kristen Stewart's face throughout the first Twilight film is theatrical enough for this entire blog post. For those of you who would like a refresher on the first movie, I have embedded the trailer below. 

Before we dive in, first things first, please take a moment to declare which team you are going to be on: Team Edward or Team Jacob. As for myself, I am a flip flopper and can’t decide! What a dilemma!

Initially, I was not someone who read Twilight. I was a part of what I like to call "the resistance movement." I simply could not understand why on earth someone would want to read about a vampire who falls in love with a clumsy girl. It just didn't make sense to me. Then, my sister dragged me to the dollar theatre to see the first movie and I was hooked. When the credits rolled, I wanted more. I wanted to know every little detail that didn't make it into the movie. So, I booked it to the nearest Barnes & Noble. 

As for how the movie holds up when compared to the book... It was good, but I have a couple of complaints. For starters, why was everything tinted blue? We get it. Its rainy in Forks, Washington. Secondly, Rosalie is nothing like I pictured her. Not to mention, the worst blonde dye job I have ever seen. Lastly, as I mentioned before, Kristen Stewart's facial expressions were killing me the whole movie. 

I did however love the soundtrack. I loved it so much I made a Pandora station inspired by it. Don't get me wrong, I love the movie and the book. I think the director, Catherine Hardwicke, did an amazing job at capturing the essence of the book and it's story line. To warn you guys, I will almost always pick the book as my favorite over the movie. There is just something about the written word that speaks so much more to me than watching a movie on the screen.