Books into movies…

Ah yes I’ve never been a big fan of movies – there are some that are great and others that well just suck!  I have seen my fair share of those that were derived from books – when I was a teenager The Omen series were my favourite, but even then I loved the books so much more than the movies – that didn’t stop me from watching those movies though

Why am I talking about this today?  How many of us have read and then watched Harry Potter?  or Twilight series?  How many of us were disappointed by the movies?  I’ll admit I liked the first Twilight movie although there were bits that were missing….  And I just can’t imagine this next one Breaking Dawn?  How much content will REALLY be in that movie?  Who knows?  But not a movie that I’ll go out to seek.

Now…  the Hunger Games!  That’s one that definitely has my interest peeked!  I just watched the official trailer and it looks like it is going to be true to the book.  Of course I’ll  have to get over how I imagined the characters and how they will appear on the screen but it looks great so far.  See for yourself!  I’d love to see what you think as well

What U Lookin At? by Bea Turvey

I usually don’t read short stories – heck I didn’t realize this was a short story But it was a great one! The saying that comes to mind is: “Short, sweet and to the point!”  OK this story is far from sweet – but it was short and very much to the point.

I’m not going to summarize the story here – you can visit Smashwords to read it.  I just want to say it’s a poignant story and short enough to encourage teens to read it.  Will it affect them – I really don’t know – but on the chance that it will affect 1 or 2 in a class of 30 – it’s worth it.  It’s harsh in spots but it needs to be.

I definitely recommend this short story – but only to the older readers.  But then again…  when we’re dealing with the topic of bullying – what is old and young?

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Turvey, Bea. (2011). What U Lookin At?  Short Story.  Published by Bea Turvey at Smashwords

Author website: http://canwritewillwrite.com/Bea_Turvey.html

Teaser Tuesday (24)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Today’s teaser is from All You Desire by Kirsten Miller:

” Each wore the costume of a distant era.  There were Spanish court dresses embroidered with gold looted from Aztec temple, and nineteenth-century gowns with bustles that would have rendered a lady unable to sit.  A few of the mannequins posed for invisible cameras while others hid their faces behind hand-painted faces.”          p. 201

 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Eek! Oh am I ever glad I don’t have the whole book in my hands tonight else I’d still be reading it! Yup I knew it the moment I started reading the Sneak Peak I have that I NEED to have this book once it’s available.

I really love Maggie’s writing so it’s no wonder I liked this short piece. So….. With no further ado I will close this post with one thought and promise! I can’t wait to get this one and I’m looking forward to reading it as soon as I can!

Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire Series, Book 1 by Marc Johnson

What a great story! Not my usual read – but boy did I got hooked!! A great story about how a young lad from the poor countryside, destined for greater things in the land of Alexandria overcomes so much to reach his true destiny – to become a Wizard!

I was just contemplating why I really liked this story – and you know what I came up with?  It’s a fun and intriguing story – very much like the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series….  All three of these series share one thing in common:  magic – which I LOVE!  Yes deep down I’ve always believed there is some sort of magic out there – call me foolish – maybe it’s the kid in me still wanting to believe  Catalyst is such a wonderful and easy read about Hellsfire, how he was bullied as a young kid, really who wouldn’t be with a name like “Hellsfire”? …  how he discovered his power and how he overcame the odds to meet Master Stradus and Cynder.  It was refreshing and fun!  Yet…  I’ll have to admit that yes I cried my eyes out at the end – read it and you’ll figure out why…

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.  With 2 months to go – will Hellsfire reach his destination and what will become of the Princess???  Got me wondering

Highly recommended
Ages: 12 and up

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Favourite quote:

I had so much fun reading this that I didn’t keep a watch out for a quote…

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Johnson, Marc. (2011) Catalyst: The Passage of Hellsfire Series, Book 1. Smashwords Edition.

Author website:  http://www.marcanthonyjohnson.com/

In my Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.   (It was inspired by from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.)

AH yes….  I’m still around  It’s been a “fun” few months and I needed to take a break for a while but I’m trying to get back into the groove now ….  So this week I wanted some new books but wanted to keep the costs down – so I hunted on my regular eBooks store for the freebie ebooks  Turns out they’re all from Smashwords…  Here’s what I picked up:

When I Work Up I Knew I was Dead:  A Short Story by N. Primak

The Scorpio Races – Sneak Peak by Maggie Stiefvater

What U Lookin At?  by Bea Turvey

The Trinity Saga:  The Pocket Watch by Ronnell D. Porter

Lovely by Allison Liddellle

All About Eve by Caitlin McColl

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Oh this was a great book but very scary at the same time….  To think that this type of event could actually happen to us, now, anytime…  I think this is what really made it scary and so real!!  Ok I have to admit that I would pick up this book read it, fall in love with it, encounter a tough part and put it aside for a while until I could regroup and restart.  It was a great book, yet scary and ugly all at the same time.

So what was it all about?  Here’s the Summary from Goodreads – much better than I could say today  :

“An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.”

I just love the interactions between the 3 main characters and the situations they’ve created and found themselves in – how they truly pull together at times to survive  - and the world and its new societies play havoc on your sense of trust.

Here’s the first Interview with the author – where she talks about the heroine, Alex:

Highly recommeded
Ages: 16 and up

I know, I know – why am I saying 16 this time around – because I’m not convinced that the younger crowd would be able to appreciate and understand the meanings of this book.  Hmm…  what grade and how old were we when we had to read Lord of the Flies by William Golding?  Maybe the Mom in me is becoming too soft in my “old age”.

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Favourite quote:

Unfortunately I never captured any before my time ran out

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Bick, Ilsa J. (2011). Ashes. Advanced Reader’s e-proof from Net Galley.

Author website:  http://www.ilsajbick.com/

Silver and Stone (Bloodlines #1) by J.D. Thompson

Ah!  If it wasn’t for the workday – I would have read this in one sitting!  It was fantastic!  Kept me guessing until the very end – I had no idea what Alexi was or who Lucas really was until the very end of the book.  The anxiety of the story kept building and building and came to a great climax… and there were no give away moments that ruined the surprise for me.

Alexi is starting her senior year at Weatherford Preparatory School but has been playing hermit the entire summer because of her Mother’s death.  She’s scoffed at and ostracized by many of her “friends”…  Her whole world changed the day her Mom died… but now Lucas Alexander has stepped into her life and has re-awakened her heart.  But things are not always what they seem to be…..

Just to reiterate – I really enjoyed this story – it was easy to read and kept me guessing throughout the book.  The only drawback…  once the mystery was revealed to me I wondered whether I’d read something similar before..  After thinking about it a bit more – not the same but a bit similar…  however I still LOVED this story and am looking forward to the next installment, Blood and Champagne.

I also LOVE to read novels created by fellow Canadians

Highly recommended
Ages: 14 and up

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Favourite quote:

”  ’Unfortunately, the universe wasn’t built to grant wishes.  And as for God, well…  He doesn’t bother answering any personal requests.  All we have are a series of predetermined events handed to us like cards, summing up the buil of what we call life.’ ”     p.36

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Thompson, J.D. (2011). Silver and Stone (Bloodlines #1).  Smashwords Edition.  ebook.  Provided by the author.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!”

I’ve heard this saying many a times in my life but never really believed in it.  I’m here today to say YES!!!  I agree!  I’ve been absent for a while…  Life has thrown me what I’m calling 2 major curveballs and I’ve been working through them.  One was a direct hit and the other hit a close family member…

I’d like to say that reading has helped me but alas it wasn’t the first thing I went to.  I actually ended up playing mindless games on my iPad – yes I know…  Michelle you can learn and escape by reading…  but playing these games was what I needed.

My goal is to get back to my reading – feels like I’ve missed so…  much in the past 2 months!  So many new books out there that I’ve been waiting for and so many ebooks that I’ve promised I’d review that I haven’t gotten to yet.  If you’ve been waiting for one of these – my sincerest apologies.

So here’s to reading!!!

Dael and the Painted People by Allan Richard Shickman

Dael and the Painted People is the third installment in the Zan-Gah series and it continues to intrigue me. In this book we follow Dael as he leaves the Ba-Cora and goes out into the wild. Sparrow, feeling like an outcast in the Ba-Cora tribe, feels a need and a compulsion to follow Dael into the unknown. Throughout their travels they develop a relationship and find the Red Painted People.

I really liked this book because of all the different lessons that I caught throughout. Dael walks into this new community, is welcomed with open arms and struggles with the kindness they receive. Sparrow on the other hand feels like she’s home for the first time in her life. As they work together to become active and valued members of the community, Dael unknowingly creates a very powerful enemy, Schnurr, the local shaman, and finds love with Sparrow.

How the characters evolve is fantastic! I do wonder though, whether the demographic to whom this is directed will appreciate the characters and story as much as I did.

I want to thank Earthshaker Books for providing this book

Recommended

Ages: 12 and up

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Favourite quote(s):

“Maybe it was always so, she reflected. The person you loved would not love you back. Maybe the only love that mattered was the one that grew slowly, slowly took root, with neither mate caring too much at first.”        p. 5

“Seared by experience to a knowledge of the world and himself, he awaited events with no hint of his habitual ferocity. Formerly so certain that any path on which he set his foot was the right one, he was forced by the traumas he had sustained to reexamine things that once he was sure of.”        p. 28

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Shickman, Allan Richard. (2009).  Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country. St Louis, MO:  Earthshaker Books.

Author website:  http://www.earthshakerbooks.com/