Books To Movies

Welcome Back Bookworms

It's been quite some time since I posted and that is because I just haven't felt like reading in a while now. GASP! I know it's crazy isn't it; not reading despite running a book blog. But I was starting to feel bad for not updating this blog so I came up with a post idea and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

Books are often transformed from words on a page into visuals on the big screen. The transition from book to movie can either enhance a story or leave the things you enjoyed about it out of the picture. It's always a difficult decision about going to see a movie for a book you absolutely loved. So that poses the next question:

Do you see the movie before or after reading the novel?

I've gone both ways with this one and I'm still undecided as to which way is better. Let me break it down a little bit as to why that is. 

There are series I've read, such as The Hunger Games or Divergent, where I knew the story before seeing the directors depiction of said stories. In the first case, that of The Hunger Games, I was glad to have read the novels first because I had a greater understanding of the dynamics of the Districts and the Capitol; I felt as though I knew it was going on, which is something I wouldn't have achieved if I'd see the movies first. However, in the second case, that of the Divergent series, I was left at a loss because of changes to the original plot. In most cases they were minor details, but they were still deviations from what I was expecting, which made watching the movies more painful than enjoyable.

On the flip side, I've watched movies that I really enjoyed that I later discovered were based on books, so I of course went back and read them. One example of that is If I Stay which I absolutely loved, despite some people saying it was too cheesy or it moved at too quick of a pace initially with the development of their relationship. After watching the movie, I knew I needed to go back and read the original story, as well as the sequel. I loved falling in love with the characters again, but this time through words on a page and not pictures on a screen. I don't know if it would have gone so well the other way around. I also recently just watched Me Before You, a movie that I haven't yet read the book for (though it had been on my list to read). Having watched the movie now, which I thought was adorable, I'm not sure I want to read the book because the movie seemed so perfect. 

The Final Dilemma? 

Reading a book before the movie means you have more insight into what the author thinks about the characters or the plot, but this means you have higher expectations of the movie and become disappointed by mistakes. Watching the movie before reading the book means you have clear images of what the characters and places look like, but it can become frustrating if you later discovering something wasn't replicated correctly which ultimately ruins both the book AND the movie. 

So, I pose the following to you: which do you do first?

Rebellion Project (Sara Schoen)

Welcome to an extra special review! It's almost the middle of the week, which isn't my normal posting day, but this is part of a book tour. I was provided an ARC of today's book through Rock Your World Promotions in exchange for an honest review, and hopefully to get some more readers hyped about the book which is out today!

The Rebellion Project by Sara Schoen is a YA fiction novel that follows Lauren Scott's journey to find the person she has always wanted to be, and what better time than high school to do just that! Lauren is the stereotyped "geek" who skipped a couple grades and always follows the rules, no matter the cost to her social stature. However, the name calling begins to rub her the wrong way, especially when she catches her father - the king of rules - breaking everything he tells her to do. With this revelation, Lauren turns to her best friend Parker who tells her to seek the help of the one person who knows how to break the rules and bring her from drool to cool: Kayden Daniels. But is fraternizing with the enemy a good idea, or does it have bad written all over it? Perhaps it could be both?

Watch The Trailer

After reading this book in under two days I was left with only a few words: WOW, HOLY SMOKES, and AMAZING! It's been quite some time since I've read a YA fiction that wasn't science fiction or mystery and it made an incredible change. I don't even know where to start with this one, so I'm going to break it down a little bit:

Plot

There is definitely something for everyone in this and I have to say, I related to this more than I thought I would! There is romance, high school drama, rebellion (duh!), family values, heartache, and so much more. I definitely think most young readers will look at this plot and honestly say, "that's me" at some point.

Characters

It's funny how an author can create characters that each have a unique personality, but are recognizable in such a way that you can put someone you know into each one. The archetypes are familiar, yet also new. I fell in love with Kayden from the beginning and sometimes found myself internally shouting at my book for some of his stupidity. A+ work on characters!

Writing

This is the only part where the novel falters in my mind. I recognize I had an ARC but there were several typos or grammatical errors, which at times were distracting. That's just the type of reader I am. In addition, there were some passages of non-dialogue text that seemed to drag or become repetitive; it's hard to explain (perhaps personal taste?).

Overall, the book was pretty incredible and I definitely struggled to put it down to complete other things I needed to do in the day. To be honest, I didn't do too well with putting it down - I think I may have binged-read the novel. Good job Sara Schoen! As mentioned at the start, this review was part of a book tour so check out some of the other reviews.

Rating: 4.5/5

Reason: Both the plot and the characters were incredible! 

You can pick up a copy here

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!

A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

Visions Of My Heart (Garikai Nhongo)

Welcome back everyone! I'm excited to be back to posting reviews and I hope to be a little more consistent now that I have free time. This review is a little bit different because it's for poetry. You may recall when I reviewed The Great Repression last year, which was the first time I'd ever truly sat down and read a book of poems. So welcome to the second poetry book on this blog!

Vision Of My Heart: 101 Tales Told In Verse is a book of short poems by the author Garikai Nhongo. He reached out to me all the way back in February and kindly provided me with a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. The poems reflect the journey through love and heartbreak, as well as the overall journey of life.

When I first started the collection of poems, I did so with an open mind and tried to put my heart in the place of the author, since poetry is quite personal. Unfortunately, for me, I found it difficult to get through the poems for a few reasons. First, the poetry was done through rhyming verses which gave the pieces a lack of fluidity; some rhymes felt forced and others didn't rhyme correctly or at all. It made it difficult for me to immerse myself in the journey. Second, the poems began to feel oddly enough repetitive; I'm not sure why it felt that way to me, but it did.

For the sake of my honest review, I will let you know that I actually couldn't complete the book. It's rare for me to give up on a book because I understand the importance of the complete story and full picture. But, for the case of this book of poetry, I just didn't find that my heart was in it. Despite that, as I mention whenever I review something that didn't capture my interest, I always encourage you to give it a try since it may capture something in you.

Rating: 1/5

Reason: For me the rhyming held back the connection to the stories and at times were forced or not present. Also, I didn't finish the story so I can't rate it any higher.

You can try a copy here

 

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

 

 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!

 

A copy of the book was provided to me for honest review purposes.

In Real Life (Joey Graceffa)

It's May and the sun is shining! That makes me extremely happy because April was crazy with exams and trying to find a job for my co-op placement. Now that all of those responsibilities are done, and I've taken some time out for myself to regroup, I think I'm ready to exit the reading slump I've been in. Every term after exams, I'm left not wanting to read anything due to the fact that I just spent a month reading study notes. But I'm back, starting with a book I bought myself after Christmas!

In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World by Joey Graceffa is an autobiography about his childhood, family, and transition into a full-time YouTube position. For those who aren't followers of Joey, I'll give you a brief description. Joey Graceffa joined YouTube back in 2007 with his friend Brittany, before beginning his own channel in 2009. Through the success of his channel, with over 6 million subscribers, Joey has achieved many great successes and experienced some pretty amazing things - one of which was being on The Amazing Race... twice!

Being a fan of Joey, ever since I started following his channel about 4 years ago, I was really excited to read his autobiography to get a deeper glimpse into the world he already shares. I was surprised by how many of his stories I didn't know yet despite watching his daily vlogs on YouTube. For those who watch his vlogs, you know that he is extremely bubbly and positive throughout most of his video time, which is why this book was a nice change. Having the opportunity to learn more about the hardships he went through in childhood, made me look up to Joey even more than I already did. Joey inspires me to strive for full positivity despite any weights that try to pull you down.

There is a section of photos that has some
incredible throwbacks for the Joey fans

In Real Life is a nice breath of fresh air to realign your perspective on things, especially for the younger readers who might be reading this review. If you are in high school or elementary school, Joey fan or not, I do recommend reading his autobiography because he gives some great advice! To Joey, if by some crazy chance he sees this, thank you for sharing more of your life with your viewers and the lessons you've learned along the way.

Rating: 4/5

Reason: For me I would give it a perfect. But, in terms of readership, if you aren't already a fan of Joey I fear that this would be lacking something. Also, I would say it's a very narrow audience in terms of age - I would recommend ages 12 - 24.

Pick up a copy! 

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

 

 As always comment your thoughts and follow all of the associated pages (listed in the sidebar). I am not currently accepting requests as my list is quite long!

The War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells)

Time flies so quickly, doesn't it? I was hoping 2016 would show a continuation of the consistent posting that I had achieved towards the end of 2015. But sadly it did not and I'm sorry about that. It's so easy to forget how much time University actually takes up after being off and working for 4 months. Now that I am back in school, I guess that means I can't continue to expect my reviews to be posted bi-weekly. Saying that, however, I am taking that English course I mentioned and I have finished two of the books; one of which I am going to talk about in this review!

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. That's a pretty well-known and classic title in the world of science fiction. This novel is, as I learned in my course, the father of the genre; it is the first footprint made in a now wide-spread and fast-selling family of books. The War of the Worlds is a story of aliens vs. humans in an uneven battle of technology and lifestyle. As human beings, we see ourselves as advanced and merciful creatures; however, in the face of extraterrestrial beings, we are fearful and under equipped. The novel follows the journey of one man and his brother, experiencing the same terrors of alien threat but in different places in Europe. The aliens, mechanical creatures that reflect the image of a tripod, have unimaginable technologies that allow their domination over humanity. But these aliens are defeated by something they could not foresee and something the humans will forever be thankful for: microbiology.

I'm expecting quite a few people reading this to have either done one of the following: read the novel or watched the Tom Cruise movie. If you've done both, you'll know there is some disconnect between the two, so I shall leave the movie out of my review.

The War of the Worlds was originally published in 1898, so it's safe to say the literature and writing-style has aged considerably; but the story itself holds quite well. Being over 100 years old, the cultural context plays a significant role in the characters presented to the reader. H.G. Wells used archetypal writing to reflect his opinions and the world around him. For example, the Curate represented how the church and religious figures would react in the event of an invasion; the artilleryman represented the army and how they would react; his brother represented science and how their stable or open minds would give them an edge during invasion. H.G Wells was not only a science fiction writer, but he was an incredible executor of literary devices. I understand why Wells is so respected in the genre; he dreamed up these intelligent creatures and the concept of flying spacecraft. He had an imaginative mind.

The Many Covers of WOTW - http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/wotw.html

 

Stepping back from the analysis of Wells' writing, and his pure genius of genre creation, my overall opinion of the book is less idealistic. Though the concept of aliens vs. humans was new in 1898, the idea in our present day society is old and overindulged. As a reader of many science fiction books, it was as though I'd read the story already; of course that isn't Wells' fault. I just wish the story was timeless. If I were to also push this aside, I'm still left with the dry literature and the lack of character presence. Since the writing used archetypal characters, you don't bond with them or learn about them as you go: you already know them. Discovery of character is my favourite part of reading!

Overall I would rate The War of the Worlds 3/5 because I have to give H.G Wells credit for the incredible feat he conquered over 100 years ago. He created a genre of novel that is well respected today and my favourite one to fall back to. However, being published in 1898, the story and writing have aged which means the captivation is lost.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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12 Bookish Questions

Happy 2016 Everyone!

 To ring in the new year, I thought I'd give you some insight into my life, the books I've read, the books I plan to read and just a general behind-the-scenes of sorts. Enjoy :)

1. What was the first book you remember reading/being read?
   
   For someone with a terrible memory, this question becomes quite difficult to answer; however, I did used to have a drawer FULL with Dr. Seuss books such as "Green Egg & Ham" or "Oh The Places You'll Go" as well as some Disney ones. So I guess those would be the first ones I vaguely remember reading or being read.



2. What is your favorite book of all time?
   
   This is a tough question as well since I've gone through so many different phases with the books I read. I haven't always been a Science Fiction enthusiast - I used to read a lot of Romance before that. I guess I can always default to "Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban" but if I were to go with a different answer, it would have to be a fairly recent book: "Erobos: It's a Game. It Watches You"
   
   
3. Which book has left the most lasting impression on you?
   
   One book that definitely had a lasting impression on me, and still does to this day, is "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" as well as it's movie adaption. When I first read that book, I was in a rough place and related to Charlie so much - I felt like an outsider and as though I didn't have a place to fit in. But that book taught me to keep living because there is always a ray of sunshine and a rainbow after a storm.
   
   
4. What books are on your bedside table at the moment?
   
   I actually have quite a few right now due to Christmas and the upcoming school year (I'm taking an English course). For school I have: "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov, "War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells, and "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson. From Christmas I have: "In Real Life" by Joey Graceffa and "The Amazing Book is not on Fire" by Dan & Phil.
   
   
5. Name one book/author that you really can't stand?
   
   If you read the review then you know I truly cannot stand "Room" by Emma Donoghue. The writing style was awful and the plot line was both slow and predictable.
   
   
6. What type of books do you like reading most?
   
   Currently I am a hardcore Science Fiction lover - that's actually the English course that I am taking this term; I love it that much!
   
   
7. If you were given $30 to spend on a book today, what book would you buy?
   
   If I was given $30 to spend on a book today, it would be one of the textbooks I need for this term. Lame, I know - but it's the truth!
   
   
8. Where's your favorite place to read?
   
   When I can, I like to read outside in a comfy chair underneath the clouds with the sound of the birds in the trees. If I can't be outside, then I like to be curled up in some blankets on my bed underneath my fairy lights.
   
   
9. Which character in a book do you think is most like you?
   
   I've never really thought about this before - especially reading Science Fiction - but if I step out of that genre, I'd have to say Charlie from "Perks of Being a Wallflower." I'm still learning to be comfortable with the person that I am, and I'm still trying to find a good group of people, but I hope for his happy ending. Also, he's a student and I'm a student so there's that.
   
   
10. Which character in a book would you most like to be?
    
    I would love to be a low-level character from any "Harry Potter" book, but Luna Lovegood would be good. I love the wizarding world JK Rowling created and I wish it was a real place I could go to. Also, Luna Lovegood is such a whimsical person and I wish I had her outgoing and self-loving personality :)
    
    
11. What book do you plan to read next?
    
    Since I'm starting that Science Fiction course, I will be reading either of those 3 book I mentioned previously - the order will depending on the course outline I receive Monday night! But I will be reading Joey Graceffa's book hopefully along the way too.
    
    
12. Which literary character would you most like to have a 'significant relationship' with?
    
    This question is a little open ended, so I'm not sure if it is heading towards a romantic relationship or a strong friendship, so I shall cover both! For a romantic relationship, I would like to have one with Chael from "The Bodies We Wear" by Jeyn Roberts; he was so caring and only wanted the best for Faye. I want a relationship that is meaningful, trusting, and you know your significant other has your back. For a non-romantic relationship, I'd love to have a close friendship with Luna Lovegood because I feel like she would have so much insight and wisdom, both for the grounds/castle of Hogwarts and for life's problems in general; I would love to hear her advice to anything you might go through.

Well there we go! A little insight before 2016 really gets underway. As I mentioned in a couple of my answers, I'm back at school which means I'll be busy. I had hoped to read more over the holiday break to line some reviews up, but I didn't actually do that. That means there will be a delay, but I will be back to review the books I read for school, and probably Joey and Dan & Phil's books too.

 

Until next time,

Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

*questions came from HERE