Top Ten Tuesday #10

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful people at The Broke and the Bookish. Today we have to list ten authors we've read most books from. At first I thought, well this is quite easy. Turns out that I was wrong and I actually read books from lots of different authors. Please tell me I am not the only one with pathetic numbers from every author.

Stephen King (10) - he is one of the first authors that grabbed my interest when I first started reading. 

Joanne Harris (9) - I have actually written a blog post on her (here)

J. K. Rowling (8) - I can easily say that this woman is my all time favorite writer. She my ultimate inspiration in life.

 

 George R. R. Martin (6) - If I close my eyes for the fact that he stubbornly refuses to publish the next book of the series, I actually absolutely love him. Great narrative and grasping plot.

 

 John Green (5) - His books are quite entertaining and easy to read.

 Candace Bushnell (3) - "Jane Austen with a martini." - Not some great masterpieces but very fun to read.

Suzanne Collins (3) - I am not even sure if she has written any other books?

 Dan Brown (3) - I have absolutely no idea why I have read 3 whole Dan Brown novels but he is definitely not one of my favorite authors.

 Stieg Larsson (3) - One of my favorite trilogies of all time. If you haven't read it, you need to immediately. 

 No wonder I have no answer to the question "who is your favorite author?". Feel free to let me see yours Top ten Tuesday. 

Top Five Films by Paul Rudd

          So, with the recent release of Ant-Man, we will be unfolding a new rubric – Top 5 Movies by an actor of our choice. Each movie will have a brief review, with the number one being our personal favorite. Of course, this is solely by our opinion (which is generally indisputable), so feel free to disagree in the comments. We will try to match the lists with newly released movies featuring the actors we are talking about, so that if you like their performance you can check out some of their other works. Here goes:

5. Dinner for Schmucks (2010)

                Our number five spot is held by this comedy which also features Steve Carell as the upper mentioned schmuck. I have to say this is not as enjoyable as the trailer may lead you to believe - the dinner is a disaster of bad jokes and awkward situations that mostly fail to entertain. Still, there are a few laughs in this movie, but they are definitely not worth your while. Anyway, there had to be a number five spot on the list. 

4. I Love You, Man (2009)

                Here Rudd plays alongside Jason Segel and I have to say – there definitely is chemistry there! The film is about a guy who has no close friends so he starts going on man-dates in order to find a best man for his wedding. Things go too far when they bond too much and he starts ignoring his fiancé in order to spend time with Segel’s character. The movie is quite enjoyable.

3. This is 40 (2012)

                A satire about a couple going into their 40’s together and all the messed up thoughts and actions that come from spending the rest of their lives together as a mature couple. This movie gets too much shit from critics, but I find it quite entertaining and funny.

2. Knocked Up (2007)

                Rudd plays more of a supporting role in this one, but it is still a great. It actually is kind of connected to “This is 40”, as Leslie Mann and he are playing the same couple. This is the funnier movie of the two, though, with great moments throughout and a nice kind of “I would NOT want to be in their shoes” vibe to it. Like the previous movie on the list it makes you appreciate your own life.

1. Role Models (2008)

                I truly love this movie and find it to be one of the funniest and underrated comedy ever. It is pure fun and enjoyment with great laughs and hilarious nerdy situations. Oh and also loads of Kiss references. The entire movie has an easy-going tempo to it and will help you relax and have some fun as Rudd and Scott go from one absurd interaction with each other to another. Also, it might get you LARP-ing (google it, do I have to explain everything?)

~G.

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.