Top Ten Tuesday #9

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is very funny, I love it. We are ought to pick characters who are fellow book nerds - love to read, write and so on. 





 Hermione from Harry Potter - That is an obvious one, isn't it? She is probably one of my favorite characters from the series. Many people think she is boring and she is only about books and brains, but she is so much more - a great friend, she is compassionate and brave.



 Cath from Fangirl - She is a shy girl, who loves to read books and write fan-fiction. I don't really connect to her other experience besides the writing, but she is still rather nerdy. (my review of the book)





 Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower - He is a shy and caring person who adores his friends and takes good care of them. Before he has them (and even after that) he is a wallflower. He prefers staying home and reading. Also, he narrates the story by writing letters to an anonymous person. I think he is very lovable.




 Tyrion from A Song of Ice and Fire - He is damn right, isn't he? Another favorite characters. I love how different he is and how that is the one thing that makes him stronger. Besides, he is funny and most of the time doesn't give a damn about what is happening.




 Hazel from The Fault in our Stars - She is the one person (okay, character...) that I have heard about who loves to re-read a single book like a million times. I do that all the time and I think it's great and also necessary. Do you?



 Mort Rainey from Secret Window, Secret Garden (by Stephen King)- Now, this one is crazy. He is a writer who loses his mind because he thinks someone is accusing him of stealing his work and then he realizes that he is the one doing it - does that make any sense? I guess no, so go read the book it's great.



( I am out of gifs :( )

 Scout from To Kill a Mocking bird - I suppose everyone has heard of her, but still - She is a girl who loves to read and has learnt to do it since she was very little. But when she goes to school they make her stop doing it so she could be in pace with all the other kids. How annoying is that?




 Scott Landon from Lisey's Story (Stephen King again) - It is a great novel about a writer and his wife and their misfortunes. He is, again like the previous one, kind of crazy in my opinion and really weird things happen to them. 


P.S - I used gifs from the films, because I thought it was funnier this way.
Feel free to post your links so I can check out your nerdy characters. 

If I Stay: Book vs. Film #1

           Are books better than films? Or vice versa? I am sure a true book lover wouldn’t agree with the latter and I am usually like that. But there are always exceptions and I will try to compare and contrast some novels and their adaptations is this rubric. The positive aspects of reading are painfully obvious – everything is let to your own imagination not controlled by the director. Films, on the other hand, bring whole worlds right before our eyes, breathing life into characters, you know how it works. Generally, films (their directors, in particular) tend to overlook some details and leave out some story or characters aspects (after what true book fans like to bitch about). But in the case of If I Stay there was something that surprised me, something that was omitted by the book, and not by the film.

      Firstly, let me say a few words of the novel. It is a quick and quite enjoyable read, I give it that. But that is as far as it goes. The characters are rather flat for such a heart-breaking, deep story. It is a fact. With its only 200-something pages they are not introduced to us in the needed depth. At least that is how I felt. This was supposed to be a sad read and this is coming from the biggest emotional wreck ever (I cry over EVERYTHING) and I did not shed a single tear while reading. Not one. As a said, not enough time (or pages) for me to be emotionally involved. Besides, it was quite cheese, yes, even for me. Simple example: when Mia, the main character, bring the bow of her cello and plays it on Adam’s body like an instrument. I mean, what is that? On the whole, the author fails to make the story interesting – all the plot happens in just one day which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case it simply does not work. She goes on and tries to fix it by adding numerous flashbacks of Mia’s life in order to introduce her to us as reader, but then again it seem inappropriate and not in balance with the story as a whole. In spite, it appears as scattered and confusing. 

             With that being said you are probably wondering, Then why on Earth did you decide to watch the film? Because I saw the trailer and it actually managed to make me cry. I thought that there is slight chance of it being better than the book. Chloe Grace Moretz seemed like an odd choice for Mia and I usually don’t even like her that much but in this case she performed wonderfully. There was great chemistry between her and Jamie Blackley, her co-star who plays Mia’s boyfriend – an element which was missing in the book. The film stayed true to the back and forth structure of the novel which, obviously for me, is better done on the big screen than on the pages of Forman’s work. It was king of awkward though, seeing Mia’s “ghost” hanging around her body and running widely around the hospital. As for the characters, they are brought to life perfectly. As I said, I could not connect with them through the book. But the actors seemed to click with one another and made the story (almost) exciting. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Mia’s parents – former rock n’ rollers who toned it down but preserved a sense of coolness in them. Besides that the film is a cliché just as much as the book. I feel myself nodding off as I write this.

       As a conclusion I would admit that this is probably the only case in history when I enjoyed the film adaptation better than the actual book itself. That would probably be the only time. But the film depicts the character so much more likable and it made me comprehend the story to full extend. There are still plenty of people who absolutely love the novel so I won’t forbid you the touch it. It is fine. But that is clearly not enough for me. The film I do recommend if you are wondering what to watch on a quiet night in, but I cannot tell the same to those frantic film lovers out there who cannot stand a little bit of cheesiness. You stay away. 

The Interview: Film Reviews #6

Kim Jong-Un: You know what’s more destructive than a nuclear bomb? Words!

          With all the surrounding hype when the movie opened in December 2014 I am shocked that more people didn’t go and see it. I mean, its release was defended by Obama himself, for Gods’ sake! Anyway, it is never too late to do the right thing and I am about to explain exactly why you need to go and see The Interview.

                From the very first scene of the movie where you see a cute little girl singing what appears to be the North Korean anthem (Our Beloved Leader is wise. He is gentle, kind and strong. We wish him joy. We wish him peace. We wish him love. And the one thing in our time, we wish more than this is for the United States to explode in a ball of fiery hell.) you are hooked! It is so unbelievably cute and fucked up at the same time that you cannot look away, even if you’re one of those stuck up people that might find that sort of thing offensive. With that in mind if you do happen to be easily offended – this movie is not for you. It is so random, politically incorrect, homophobic and racially discriminating that you might end up burning a copy of the DVD and soap-washing your eyes just to make yourself feel clean again. If, however you happen to be open-minded and look at things from their funny sides (which would happen to be the proper way to view any comedy, especially a Seth Rogen one) you are in for a treat! The movie is hilarious and at no point is it anti-climactic which is a rare thing nowadays. The chemistry between James Franco & Seth Rogen is as strong as always and most of the scenes between them are funny, even if all they do is give each other stupid looks. Now, when you add the hilarious and super nerdy dialogue you might find it hard to not pause the movie just so that you can laugh it off without missing a single line, because you never know when the next piece of brilliance might hit!(Sook: How many times can the U.S. make the same mistake? Aaron: As many times as it takes!)

                And for those who argue that this might be a comedy, but given that North Korea does hold a serious threat to world peace, it is not very appropriate and thus should be banned - all I have to say is that this movie jokes with and humiliates the USA in a much more grotesque manner than it does with Kim Jong-Un.  In fact, he is portrayed as by far superior intellectually than any American in the movie. In any way, nothing is done solely to offend – it is all just so funny! From James Franco singing Katy Perry’s Firework to Kim Jong-Un to Seth Rogen shoving what is later referred to as Robocop’s dick up his ass it just never seizes to amuse! So what you need to do is get that movie immediately, get some friends together (much funnier in company) and just have a nice and amusing evening! You will thank me for it!

                PS The movie ends with The Wind of Change as Rogen and Franco make their great escape! How cool is that!?

                Dave Skylark: They hate us because they ain't us!

To Kill a Mockingbird: Book Reviews #3

 

I really liked it

      I would never attempt to write a review on such a well-known and approved novel. I simply do not trust myself to be that elaborate in order to discuss great pieces of art. But this book just stuck right home and I have so many thoughts on it.

     Firstly, I would strongly recommend reading it during the summer. In the absolute heat that it is here in my home town, I can just so easily submerge into the setting of the book. The protagonist is girl who despises school, loves to read and has an immense imagination when it comes to summer games in the front yard. The first thing that caught my attention is a very distinctive quote: “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” It just made me stop reading for a second and think about all the things we take for absolute granted. Of course, there is no chance of someone stealing my opportunity to read but it still makes you distinguish the things you truly love. I must say that I came to this book with little to zero expectations – I had no idea what is it about, only that it is supposed to be really good. And I was intrigued.

     One of the reasons it really touched my heart was simple – it genuinely reminded me of the summer days when I was a child. It seemed like the days were endless and there was no limitation of what your mind could come up with next. Jem, Dill and Scout spent their summer inseparable and it immensely reminded me of my best friend and our constant games.  They love to playact different scripts and scenarios, reenacting the life of their next door neighbors. I found this extremely funny as well as strikingly familiar. Did we all have had the one spooky house in our neighborhoods that everyone was terrified of and made up insane stories about? Harper Lee just depicts childhood so accurately.

    The second part of the novel continued to impress and replicate my own personal experience. Soon enough everything in your childhood dream changes: people grow up, or you never see them again and you are forced to do boring adult things and grow up unwillingly. But a positive part of maturing is realizing how generous and hard-working your parents are and have always been. Lee created one of the greatest heroes of literature in the character of Atticus and it was part of Scout’s growing up to comprehend exactly how brave he is. She always knew he was smart and dedicated to his work, with his constant reading and long hours away from home. But it was only at the court hearing of the real mockingbird of the novel, that we see his real, serious aspect. Not only that he defended an innocent man, unfairly offended and abused, but he also did it against all his fellow-citizens.

     What I believe people savor most about To Kill a Mockingbird is the idea that you must not judge a book by its cover; or said otherwise – a person by his or hers looks/race/background/family. Name it how you want to but the message of the novel is the same (for me, anyway) – tolerate everyone and allow them the opportunity to prove themselves before judging.

Atticus: You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in.

Top Ten Tuesday #8

Today's top ten Tuesday topic is a little different, but I really enjoyed it (but was scared of it at first). I will feature books that celebrate diversities such as LGBTQIA, people of color, people with debilitates or neurotypical characters. 

       The Green Mile and To Kill a Mockingbird (which I read quite recently) are both heart-breaking novels that deal with racial minorities. They both show the harsh reality of how different colored men were treated (and sometimes still are) despite their innocence and good hearts. The Green Mile, in particular, is a book that will dry out your eyes.
      Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a book that, I admit, I haven't read. But I really want to and as far as a I am concerned it deals with people with different sexual orientation. The same goes for The Line of Beauty which is a great book that I read at university. It is about a twenty-something boy living in London during the 80s, struggling with drugs, money and finding himself and his sexual preferences. 
      The Perks of Being a Wallflower is probably a book most of you have read so I won't spend much time explaining myself. It really is one of my favorites and surprisingly, the film was brilliant as well.
      The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Blueeyed boy are both extraordinary novels written in first person, but not in quite the usual way. The first one, is written from the perspective of a boy with the Asperger's syndrome. We see his struggles and fears, most of which we can't comprehend because of his disorder. The latter, is mostly written in the form of  blog posts (how convenient) and it deals with a boy's loneliness and attempts to escape who he truly is. The plot twist at the end is crazy, and I highly recommend giving it a go as most people haven't heard of it.
      The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in another one my favorite. Lisabeth Salander, one of the main characters, is a misunderstood genius with some authority issues. She even seems a little autistic but, in fact, all of her problems come from a troubled and very dark past.
     Divergent is a novel everyone has read, and, I reckon, everyone has put in their list today? For obvious reasons, it was the first one that came to my mind. See, Tris is "different", she is Divergent and therefore destined to rebel and then help people. 

Make sure you post your own lists so I can check them out and tell me what you think of those novels.

True Detective Season 2, Episodes 3 & 4: Review

Eliot: You must have had hundreds of lives.

Ray: I don’t think I could handle another one.

 


        Well, after all my ranting about Ray being dead I kind of feel like a douche right now. Thanks for that Pizzolatto. Anyway I guess by now you know that Velcoro is alive and well. The thing is I’m not quite sure how to feel about it – on one hand, I’m glad that (for me personally) the best character stays on the show, but on the other hand I feel like I was fucked over by it. He was shot point blank with a shotgun TWICE and come the next episode it’s all good, turns out it was just riot bullets. What I personally think is that was just a cheap trick to get the neutral viewer to keep watching a bit more of the slow-paced action in the next episodes until the story finally gets its momentum going (which I believe finally happened in episode four). But let me start chronologically.

             Episode 3

                It all starts with kind of a purgatory scene where we see Ray talking to his father in a bar with a suspiciously flashy cowboys singing “The Rose” by Bette Midler. It’s kind of extremely trashy and touching at the same time. Before we are revealed what has actually happened to him we have to endure a good 60 seconds of intense screen time in which we are clearly shown what the show would miss if there in fact were real bullets in that shotgun. Anyway, I would rather be happy about Velcoro staying in the show than concentrate on the fact how clumsily the death/resurrection was done, because Colin Farrell is doing such a fantastic job with the character. And that goes as well for all of the lead actors to such an extent that I find myself recalling the names of their characters than of the performers themselves. And that is definitely saying something. Vaughn is outdoing himself with every scene he is in. In this particular episode he starts off a bit “limp” and ends up with a pocket full of golden teeth. And we love every second of it. As a second death, on Franks side of the table is revealed he is being pushed back into the dirty business that he had cleansed himself of in events prior to the pilot. It is very interesting watching his transformation as Vaughn does not necessarily have a threatening vibe about him, and seeing at the end of the episode exactly why everyone would rather not step on his toes is quite intense. And it also raises the question of who would be bold enough to be purposefully doing it by killing off his men and his finances. Kitsch and McAdams are also very impressive, especially with McAdams putting up more of a serious and respectable face, instead of her “I hate everything” attitude from the first episode. We also get a nice glimpse at Kitsch’s Paul Woodrugh inner demons, which surprisingly enough contain a gay war experience, wouldn’t you have guessed. Ani on the other hand continues to bond with Ray, which is yet another point in which the plot-line seems to thicken, as they are both being turned against each other by their respectful departments.

Episode 4

In this one we see Frank taking over some more of his old businesses in order to stabilize his financial situation. We are also let even further into his marital bed and get to know more about his relationship with his wife Jordan (Kelly Reilly). We have seen Frank’s “softer” side before in the show, but I hadn’t brought it up until now. It is obvious nothing means more to Frank than his beloved, but it is not something that makes him appear weak or too sensitive. It is more of a “you complete me” thing, but a little less romantic. What intrigues me more is the relationship between Frank and Ray – I still can’t wrap my head around it and the main reason is they seem to completely trust each other, which in their situation is a bit weird (not only being on opposite sides, but being a mobster and a dirty cop, neither of which is trustworthy on paper). I am looking forward to seeing a bit more about their past as a team, especially when it obviously has something to do with revenge for Velcoro’s wife (the bitch!). In the episode we also get a first real moment between Ray and Paul in which (for me – somewhat surprisingly) it is revealed that Velcoro actually has a lot of respect for his younger colleague. The thing is – I still feel like there is some connection between Ray, Ani and Frank and that somehow the killings are a part of something big that all three of them are tangled up in and Paul kind of just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Finally in this episode we get a lead suspect on the killing of Ben Caspere and that leads to the best part of the season so far – a brutal shooting between police forces that just leave you breathless in its savage and raw speed. It seems that the shit has finally hit the fan! And the next episode should hopefully reveal more on what exactly we were waiting for. All I can say is if the plot turns out to match the perfectly written living breathing personalities (the main characters are so good and believable that the word “character” is not exactly suitable to describe them) the writers have depicted and we, as viewers, are in for one hell of a ride. 

~G

Fangirl: Book Reviews #2

 - I really liked it

"Fangirl is a deliciously warm-hearted nerd power ballad destined for greatness."

     If you like gingerbread lattes, hilarious nerd references and Harry Potter, and you consider yourself as a nerd (even slightly), this one is for you. The main reason I enjoyed this book enormously is because I found absolutely everything in it relevant to my own personal experience. It is just crazy. It is the story of Cath, an eighteen years old girl who is terrified to go to university and hides her fears in writing, in expressing herself through the things she love. Writing is the one part of her life that makes sense. In one of her classes in college, her professor asks them Why do we write fiction?, and Cath thinks to herself To disappear. She is scared of everything - making friends, going to her classes, even eating in the dinning hall  so she does the one thing that makes her feel safe - writing fan-fiction about Simon Snow. It is a made up series that seriously resembles Harry Potter. I don't know if Rainbow Rowell had this in mind, in particular, and I don't care, but that is what it felt to me and I really enjoyed it.

     Another matter that I wanted to point out to, were the funny nerd references she made throughout the whole novel. They cracked me up so much. When I think about her coming here, she said, it is like that scene in the Fellowship of the Ring when the hobbits are hiding from the Nazgul. That is my personal favorite, really relevant (she is talking about the mother who left her when she was eight, coming to visit them). Everything in this book is built up with nerd power. That is the main idea that I enjoyed it so much. I have missed Harry Potter for a very long time, and at the same time, I love reading contemporary, everyday novels. But Fangirl is a great mixture of them two. On the one hand, you have the mundane problems that everyone can relate to and on the other, the magical world where you can escape. It is a brilliant idea, someone should have thought of it earlier. 
      As a whole, the characters were very believable and empathetic, most of them. I found Wren, Cath's twin sister, quite annoying and frankly stupid. Besides her, they were all lovable, especially Levi and Cath's father, Art. The connection she had with her father was sweet and loving and it made me all mushy and teary. The only irrelevant thing, for me anyway, were her boy problems. Cath was really inexperienced and I get that, but some of the things she thought and did were genuinely foolish. At first I thought she would go for Nick, her writing buddy, and was actually surprised by the turn of events. Also, her relationship with her roommate, Reagan, was hilarious. I love how bad-ass and down-to-earth she is. 
    Most importantly, this book thought me that pushing through your comfort zone is very important in life. I slightly already learned that myself by going through first year of university, but Cath also gave me a very valuable lesson. Her father was ill and she still pushed through university. She was so desperate, without any ideas about her story, but she did it anyway. It was four months late, with thousands excuses and delays, but she succeeded. And won. So, girls and boys, even if there seems to be no light in the tunnel, just keep pushing and you will triumph. 
~I.

Top Ten Tuesday #7

In today's Top Ten Tuesday I am featuring the last ten books that came into our possession (whether they were bought or taken from the library)  

Ilina's picks

1. Harry Potter box-set - When I finished uni this year and found more time to indulge in books so I decided that it is unforgivable that I do not own my favorite books of all time. I ordered the first one of the series - I wanted to re-read it immediately. Biggest mistake of my life - when I ordered the second and third ones, they were different editions. How unbelievably irritating is this?

2.  A Dance with Dragons is another book from my favorites that I did not own before. Not much more to explain, I just cannot stand the thought of not having one of my beloved books around.

3.  We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - review here where you will find the story behind its purchase.  

4. Sex and the City - Amazing TV show but not so brilliant book. Still I wanted to give it a go because I absolutely love the characters. Maybe I should write a review on it and the show?

5. The Name of the Rose - a rather spontaneous purchase. I did not know anything about the book, but have heard the title as it is famous. I was only 1 pound at a book sale and I thought 'why not, you can't go wrong with almost any book'. 

6. To Kill a Mockingbird - I have been dying to get a hold of this book for years. I seem to be the only living person to not have read it. I am currently on it and loving it so far, beware of a passionate review.

7. Fangirl - Just got it the other day and started reading it immediately. I have heard so much praise for it and I can understand it now - it is very heart-warming and the nerd references in it are making me laugh out load every time.

George's picks

8. Misery - Being the biggest Stephen King fan you will ever meet, it was fairly surprising that he hadn't read one of his most famous books. We bought it for him as a present and he loved it, maybe we will start a Book vs. Film series with this one.

9. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography - As the crazy football fan that he is, he couldn't resist the urge to peek into the mind of probably the best football manager there ever was.

10. The Hypnotist - I gave this one to him because I had the impression he like creepy, weird novels and this one is exactly the case. He did not go through with it though, but he is not the biggest book person.

Do you own any of these books and what do you think of them?

The Imitation Game: Film Reviews #5

Alan Turing: Was I God? No. Because God didn't win the war. We did.



        A calculated risk. What does that mean to you personally? Perhaps it is the point when you decide to to buy a 2$ lottery ticket because the chance of winning a huge pile of money (as slim as it is) completely outruns the investment you made. But would you be able to sacrifice 1 000 lives in order to safe 1 000 000? Would making that choice deprive you as a human being? Would you consider yourself a God?
        It may not seem like it, but deep down these are the questions that The Imitation Game implants in your brain, it forces you to consider if you have what it takes the be great. Are you paying attention? breathes Cumberbatch's character in the opening scene and you find that you can hardly do anything else but listen closely. The film is exceptionally gripping, especially in the beginning, and it makes you forget about the world around you.I am not going to dwell on the plot itself that much, it is merely a setting upon which Benedict Cumberbatch did the performance of a lifetime. He is so outstanding as the mathematician Alan Turing that it made me forget how much I hate his stupid name and how unbelievably irritating he was. The way he is able to play a person so deprived from most basic human emotions is simply out of this world. And by saying most emotions I should probably explain myself - the one he is not missing is love (not required, unfortunately) which adds an odd spin to the character and brings him closer  to the viewer. 
       The rest of the cast does a tremendous job as well, in particular Kiera Knightley, exceptionally depicting the friend or sort of love interest of Turing - Joan Clarke. Bringing much needed warmth and humor to the plot, she quickly wins the viewers' hearts as the only woman around her fellows, breaking the code faster than all of them. She is honest and direct and becomes the needed wall for Alan to bounce off his stupid ideas of - in the end of the day we all need someone to put some sense into us.he rest of the all-British ensemble fits together effortlessly and really breathes life into this WW II drama.
       In conclusion, I would strongly recommend this film to anyone who has a heart for it. It is an honestly touching story of a hero that was never recognized and praised in his time, but has directly played a role in saving millions of lives. It is unfair and frankly heart-breaking to come to grips with how brutal "different" men were treated when all they ever did was devote their lives to the country. In the end, all they got was misery and depression when in fact they should have been the ones to celebrate the most. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Joan Clarke: Do you know, this morning I was on a train that went through a city that wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you. I bought a ticket from a man who would likely be dead if it wasn't for you. Now, if you wish you could have been normal... I can promise you I do not.

Holiday Reads #2

The time has come for me to pack the suitcases, put on the heart-shaped sunglasses and take a ride to the seaside. Finally! Logically, it is time for another update on what I would enjoy reading while placidly chilling on the beach. (my first post - here) The books I will feature are rather girly so I apologize to every boy/man who comes across this (unless you enjoy sipping Cosmopolitans and reading chick flicks in which case I already love you and you should be my best friend). 

Now, I would never consider this kind of books my ultimate favorite but they are definitely quite refreshing when you are light-headed and need a bit of a break. If I have to be honest, I actually despise romantic novels, Nicholas Spaks' being the worst of them all, but I guess some of my picks would be the exception that proves the rule. I don't like being particularly engaged with a book while I am supposed to be resting as I usually don't spend that much time reading on a holiday. See, if I bring A Song of Ice and Fire book with me I would probably bring it around in restaurants and clubs (think I have actually already done that...). On the other hand, I always appreciate a well-written and entertaining novel and there is always a much higher chance to stumble upon a rather disappointing one if you pick it by the title and how girly it sounds.  
So, as you can probably tell, they are all stories about either love or clothes (shopping, in particular). I really don't have an enormous opinion on them as they are not very famous (except The Devil Wears Prada which everyone has heard of). There are some truly positive reviews on The Confessions of a Shopaholic and Anna and the French Kiss - book-tubers mainly say that they are both very funny and relatable which is all I really need on hot day near the pool. Can you tell that I am immensely excited about my holiday?
Are you going on one and do you know if all these books are suitable for my purpose as well as enjoyable? 

Top Ten Tuesday #6

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I really enjoyed today's topic because, like most normal people, I have a bigger 'to-read' list than 'read' or 'currently reading'. I can use this post as my future ultimate wish-list.

Ilina' s picks:

Watching book-tubers and reading book blogs is not always a good idea. I always end up spending way much more money than I usually do. "Fangirl" is probably the one I want to read most - as far as I know it has something to do with Harry Potter and as you probably know I am going through an obsession with it at the moment. "Gone Girl" I will probably never read as I've already seen the film. Although I know it is really good, I just cannot be bothered - I am pretty sure it is exactly the same as the film. "Percy Jackson" seems like a favorite series of everyone I come across to, but it seems a bit childish for me, I might be wrong though. "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Book Thief" are both books I have owned for ages but still haven't dug into them. I just know they are always there for me and can wait a little bit longer.

George's picks (which could easily be mine as well)

How many of these books have you read and do you think they are worth the hype?