I was really excited to start reading The Princess Bride by William Goldman because I love the movie, and it seems a truth universally acknowledged that the books are always better than the movie.
In the case of The Princess Bride...I like the movie better in certain regards, and the book in certain regards, but all in all I prefer the movie to the book. Now, I'm not saying the book was a complete flop. There were many things I enjoyed about, but there were also some things that just didn't make it very enjoyable for me.
First off, I loved Inigo and Fezzik's relationship in the book. It's one of those things you see in the movie, but you really feel it in the book. And their background stories were wonderful to learn (yet also a bit depressing).
Secondly, Westly was more realistic, I suppose is the way to support it. The movie he was portrayed as perfect, and nothing really bothered him, but in the book you get a lot more depth from his personality. As to which version I prefer, if you could mix them it would be perfect, but as they are I prefer the movie Westly better. The same goes for Buttercup.
Thirdly, Westly and Buttercups relationship was fight after fight, going back to true love. Maybe it was the bitter undertones, or the 'satire' through out, but it wasn't good. And 'William Goldman' pops up throughout the book to narrate/explain certain parts, and the pokes and prods he makes at his wife and son were depressing and annoying after the first couple of times.
And let's not talk about the ending.
Now, I'm not saying it was a terrible read. It was enjoyable, I did like it. I just didn't like, like it. So I gave it a three out of five stars.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
I give The Prince Bride a rating of PG (suitable for ages 12+)
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Princess Bride a 3
Monday, February 3, 2014
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Whirligig
I first came across Whirligig by Paul Heischman while browsing the internet for some reads to add to my list. I thought the plot summary looked interesting enough to be put on my list. It wasn't until a week or two ago that I spotted it at my local library, and seeing that it was a short read, took it home with me. Under 150 pages long (my copy is 133), Whirligig follows the story of Brent Bishop as he travels to the four corners of the U.S. building and erecting whirligigs in the memory of Lea, who he had killed in a car crash while intoxicated.
The entire read is very simple, but the writing is unique in that it combines first person and third person. The chapters following Brent are written in third person, while four chapters are written in first person (Present tense, I believe, but far from the crappy present tense the popular YA books are written in today). These four chapters are about four different people who have some story to tell about Brent (And Lea's) whirligigs, how they affected their life in someway. These four chapters are what makes the book. I would read it again just for those four chapters.
Since the book is so short there's very little chance for any major character development to go on, or any development really. There is some, but if Paul felt the need to make the story longer, it would be even better.
Some of my favorite passages: (SPOILERS)
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
I give Whirligig a rating of PG (suitable for ages 13+)
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Whirligig a 3
The entire read is very simple, but the writing is unique in that it combines first person and third person. The chapters following Brent are written in third person, while four chapters are written in first person (Present tense, I believe, but far from the crappy present tense the popular YA books are written in today). These four chapters are about four different people who have some story to tell about Brent (And Lea's) whirligigs, how they affected their life in someway. These four chapters are what makes the book. I would read it again just for those four chapters.
Since the book is so short there's very little chance for any major character development to go on, or any development really. There is some, but if Paul felt the need to make the story longer, it would be even better.
Some of my favorite passages: (SPOILERS)
"The sun had long set. To the west, over the Pacific, the sky was still faintly blue, clinging to the memory of day. Brent moved to a seat across the aisle so as to scan the darker eastern sky, waited through a king stretch if trees, then thought he spotted it: Deneb, in the constellation Cygnus, the swan. He squinted at his book, then out the bus window. Now that they were out of Los Angeles, the... air was much clearer. He looked again and was amazed to make out the shape of a cross with Deneb at its head, just as in the book. He grinned in the darkness, unknown to those around him. He spoke the word Deneb in his mind and felt himself to be Adam, naming the new world around him."
"'Somebody,' she [a Holocaust survivor] said, 'I don't know who, said there shouldn't be laughing after Auschwitz. That nobody could ever want to laugh again after the things that happened there." She rotated her head toward me. "But I was there, kindelah. Yes, very terrible. What I saw you should never dream. But I can also tell you that all those that died want that we should have a life with laughing. Not sad all the time,...They want us to laugh all the laughs that were taken away from them."
"Amazing, and rare. The darkness swallows up most of us."
"Maine summers, like dawn colors, were brief. Darkness and winter predominated. Lea's life had been similarly short. But his clacking, flashing, jingling memorial would give off sound and color all year, holding back the tide of death. It was a kinetic gravestone, painted in ever-blooming greens and yellows and reads. Lea would not be swallowed up."
"He took off his pack. A few nights before, he'd come to the end of Two Years Before the Mast, the author's ship finally returning safely to Boston Harbor. He pulled out the book, felt linked with the writer and Emil and the others he'd met on the trip, and walked back inside the office. He placed it on the book exchange shelf, aware he was nudging and invisible gear forward. He wondered who would read it next. He scanned the titles and decided on The Strange Lives of Familiar Insects. Outside, a warm breeze ran ins fingers through the trees. He started reading while he walked down the road."(That last one...what a great way to end the book. Brent ended his journey with a new fire in life. One being a passion to learn.)
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
I give Whirligig a rating of PG (suitable for ages 13+)
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Whirligig a 3
Thursday, January 2, 2014
The Art of Tangled & The Art of Frozen
My first two books I read in 2014! The Art of Tangled and The Art of Frozen are essentially illustrated documentaries of the development of the movies. It contains sketches, drawings, some photos, all used for the concept and design of each of these two movies. While containing these beautiful drawings and photos, the books are separated into chapters that focus on different parts of designing the movie. The are worth your time if you enjoy the movies, or are interested in developing movies, or art.
The Art of Frozen is 160 pages long, with full colored drawings and concept art. It takes you through the process of designing the world of Frozen and the different characters. Did you know when they were originally starting Frozen, Elsa was going to be an evil snow queen with black hair? And she had a very different hairstyle when they switched it to blonde.
One thing I enjoyed about it was learning about developing Elsa and Anna's relationship. When they decided to have them be sisters, they had all the women in the studio with sisters come in and tell them what it was like, and that is how they developed the relationship!
And Elsa doesn't 'shoot snow from her hands', the magic comes from her body and affects the molecules and atoms in the air, changing them to become snow/ice/frost. And there is so much more in the book! But because I don't want to spoil the movie, that's all I will say. So be sure to read this after you see the movie if you don't want spoilers.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
The Art of Frozen is a CLEAN READ
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Art of Frozen a 3.5
Now, The Art of Tangled has a similar format as The Art of Frozen, however with Tangled the writing is done from a different author. The majority of the writing is still composed of interviews as it is in the Frozen book, but you can tell a difference with this different author. like The Art of Frozen, The Art of Tangled is 160 pages long with full color illustrations. Such an enjoyable read, and because I love love love Tangled, I had the songs going through my head anytime concept art for that song appeared and I just loved it. I enjoyed reading The Art of Tangled more than Frozen, but only by half a point. Tangled's art book had more art in it, and more detail in the development process.
I loved learning where they got inspiration for designing the world of Tangled. In Frozen it was Norway, with Tangled...well, it was interesting. Originally Tangled was going to be a comedic satire on fairytales, but then they went for a more serious direction and was heavily inspired by Rembrandt and his use of light. When that started to get to dark, they needed a new source of inspiration, and so they go to classic Disney. The inspiration for the world of Tangled ended up being Disney! They referenced many of the Disney Renaissance movies (Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella), and they sent a group to Disneyland to take pictures of anything that inspired them artistically. even before reading the book I could see hints of previous Disney movies in it, but now that I know how they took used those movies for Tangled, I can see it even more! Absolutely spectacular!
Not only that, I got to know Rapunzel's character even more, and that just made me so happy :D
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
The Art of Tangled is a clean read (one mention of 'damn', though that is it)
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Art of Tangled a 4
The Art of Frozen is 160 pages long, with full colored drawings and concept art. It takes you through the process of designing the world of Frozen and the different characters. Did you know when they were originally starting Frozen, Elsa was going to be an evil snow queen with black hair? And she had a very different hairstyle when they switched it to blonde.
One thing I enjoyed about it was learning about developing Elsa and Anna's relationship. When they decided to have them be sisters, they had all the women in the studio with sisters come in and tell them what it was like, and that is how they developed the relationship!
And Elsa doesn't 'shoot snow from her hands', the magic comes from her body and affects the molecules and atoms in the air, changing them to become snow/ice/frost. And there is so much more in the book! But because I don't want to spoil the movie, that's all I will say. So be sure to read this after you see the movie if you don't want spoilers.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
The Art of Frozen is a CLEAN READ
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Art of Frozen a 3.5
Now, The Art of Tangled has a similar format as The Art of Frozen, however with Tangled the writing is done from a different author. The majority of the writing is still composed of interviews as it is in the Frozen book, but you can tell a difference with this different author. like The Art of Frozen, The Art of Tangled is 160 pages long with full color illustrations. Such an enjoyable read, and because I love love love Tangled, I had the songs going through my head anytime concept art for that song appeared and I just loved it. I enjoyed reading The Art of Tangled more than Frozen, but only by half a point. Tangled's art book had more art in it, and more detail in the development process.
I loved learning where they got inspiration for designing the world of Tangled. In Frozen it was Norway, with Tangled...well, it was interesting. Originally Tangled was going to be a comedic satire on fairytales, but then they went for a more serious direction and was heavily inspired by Rembrandt and his use of light. When that started to get to dark, they needed a new source of inspiration, and so they go to classic Disney. The inspiration for the world of Tangled ended up being Disney! They referenced many of the Disney Renaissance movies (Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella), and they sent a group to Disneyland to take pictures of anything that inspired them artistically. even before reading the book I could see hints of previous Disney movies in it, but now that I know how they took used those movies for Tangled, I can see it even more! Absolutely spectacular!
Not only that, I got to know Rapunzel's character even more, and that just made me so happy :D
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
The Art of Tangled is a clean read (one mention of 'damn', though that is it)
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Art of Tangled a 4
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
A Kiss in Time
A Kiss in Time is a modern day fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I'm a sucker for fairytales and any kind of retelling. I was originally searching the Library for Beastly, but their copy was out at the time. Instead I grabbed A Kiss in Time to hold me off as I wait for Beastly to come back in.
The writing in the book was OK. It was in the first person present tense narrative, and you should already know I have a thing against that type of narrative. Alex put a twist on it though, and switched between Talia's (Sleeping Beauty) and Jack's (true love) point of view. That was different, and sometimes confusing if you didn't pay attention to the name at the top of the chapter in order to know who was speaking. I had to go back and look a couple of times to remember, but mostly I just figured it out for myself if I forgot to look at the name.
The pacing was nice. Not to fast, not to slow. Plot development was nice too. I liked how Alex Flinn used the concept of true love in this book. The true love prompted Jack to kiss Talia while she was asleep, but he refused to acknowledge it, saying it was because she was really beautiful. The story covered a week's time, and then the epilogue was a two years later deal, and I like how Alex concluded it. It was a nice retelling, and made me even more curious to read Beastly.
The characters were great. Not even Talia with her gifts from the fairies was perfect. And how Alex portrayed Malvolia (Maleficent for the Disney peeps out there) was also unique. Malvolia wasn't evil for the sake of evilness, she was a woman scorned, just not in a romantic way.
A Kiss in Time was a very easy and enjoyable read. It is a nice retelling of Sleeping Beauty and was enjoyable.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
I would give A Kiss in Time a rating of light PG. I would recommend it for teens. Drinking, partying, and some immodest dress.
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give A Kiss in Time a 3
The writing in the book was OK. It was in the first person present tense narrative, and you should already know I have a thing against that type of narrative. Alex put a twist on it though, and switched between Talia's (Sleeping Beauty) and Jack's (true love) point of view. That was different, and sometimes confusing if you didn't pay attention to the name at the top of the chapter in order to know who was speaking. I had to go back and look a couple of times to remember, but mostly I just figured it out for myself if I forgot to look at the name.
The pacing was nice. Not to fast, not to slow. Plot development was nice too. I liked how Alex Flinn used the concept of true love in this book. The true love prompted Jack to kiss Talia while she was asleep, but he refused to acknowledge it, saying it was because she was really beautiful. The story covered a week's time, and then the epilogue was a two years later deal, and I like how Alex concluded it. It was a nice retelling, and made me even more curious to read Beastly.
The characters were great. Not even Talia with her gifts from the fairies was perfect. And how Alex portrayed Malvolia (Maleficent for the Disney peeps out there) was also unique. Malvolia wasn't evil for the sake of evilness, she was a woman scorned, just not in a romantic way.
A Kiss in Time was a very easy and enjoyable read. It is a nice retelling of Sleeping Beauty and was enjoyable.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In my reviews I will give a rating and a reason for that rating.
I would give A Kiss in Time a rating of light PG. I would recommend it for teens. Drinking, partying, and some immodest dress.
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give A Kiss in Time a 3
Friday, December 6, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
The Fellowship of the Ring
I am going to begin by saying after attempting to physically read the book multiple times and stopping because it was just so much to read, I got the audio book and started listening to it. I would listen to it as I drove, plugging it into the radio, to make the thirty minute drive into town more enjoyable. And if I was cleaning the house I'd put my headphones on and listen to it with my ipod. Next I am going to get The Two Towers so I can start listening to that :)
I also need to say that I am biased. I love the Lord of the Rings movies. I never did read the books before seeing the movie (probably because I was a little girl when the movies came out). But I always intended to. I read the Hobbit twice before the movie came out (and not because I jumped on the bandwagon. A few years before for fun and the year before for school). I actually found the Hobbit a much easier read than the Fellowship of the Ring.
Back on topic, though. I'm biased mostly in how I picture the characters (Viggo Mortensen is the PERFECT Aragorn. Really, all the actors have become the characters to me I cannot imagine them a different way.) But I think the one thing that really struck me as different from the book and the movies is Legolas.
I disliked Legolas in the book! I was not expecting that. They way they portray Legolas in the movies is so different from the book, at least to me. In the movie Legolas is amazing. In the book, he is just 'eh'.
I loved how much more Legolas and Gimli's friendship is developed in the book though. The movie failed in that regard, and I always loved Legolas and Gimli's friendship in the movie. The book was great in that respect :)
And Boromir. Woooooow. You really really get his character more in the book than the movie.
I definitely found the book an enjoyable read and hope to read it again in the future. People seem to say you either love or hate the book, and although I won't go around saying I loved the book, I did really like it.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.
Themes:
fantasy, adventure, magic
Language:
None.
Sexual/Romantic Interaction
None
Violence
Nothing real objectionable. It is fantasy, so there are some darker themes throughout, but nothing I believe a teenager would have trouble dealing with.
I would give The Fellowship of the Ring a rating of mild PG
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Fellowship of the Ring a 4
I also need to say that I am biased. I love the Lord of the Rings movies. I never did read the books before seeing the movie (probably because I was a little girl when the movies came out). But I always intended to. I read the Hobbit twice before the movie came out (and not because I jumped on the bandwagon. A few years before for fun and the year before for school). I actually found the Hobbit a much easier read than the Fellowship of the Ring.
Back on topic, though. I'm biased mostly in how I picture the characters (Viggo Mortensen is the PERFECT Aragorn. Really, all the actors have become the characters to me I cannot imagine them a different way.) But I think the one thing that really struck me as different from the book and the movies is Legolas.
I disliked Legolas in the book! I was not expecting that. They way they portray Legolas in the movies is so different from the book, at least to me. In the movie Legolas is amazing. In the book, he is just 'eh'.
I loved how much more Legolas and Gimli's friendship is developed in the book though. The movie failed in that regard, and I always loved Legolas and Gimli's friendship in the movie. The book was great in that respect :)
And Boromir. Woooooow. You really really get his character more in the book than the movie.
I definitely found the book an enjoyable read and hope to read it again in the future. People seem to say you either love or hate the book, and although I won't go around saying I loved the book, I did really like it.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.
Themes:
fantasy, adventure, magic
Language:
None.
Sexual/Romantic Interaction
None
Violence
Nothing real objectionable. It is fantasy, so there are some darker themes throughout, but nothing I believe a teenager would have trouble dealing with.
I would give The Fellowship of the Ring a rating of mild PG
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give The Fellowship of the Ring a 4
Friday, November 29, 2013
Fangirl
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Seriously, how awesome of a name is that? Is it her pen name or her actual name? If it is her actual name her parents were brilliant.). I actually don't know how to talk about this book. In a way it is similar to The Fault in our Stars by John Green. In all seriousness, Cath (the main character) is practically me. I say that is all seriousness. I was browsing the book store when I spotted the book and read the first page. How Cath reacted was exactly how I would react, if I had had the guts to even live on campus.
Rainbow is a brilliant story teller and writer. She got the whole fangirl down to the molecule. And the fanfiction? Brilliant. This is a unique and one of a kind book. If you understand at all what it feels like to become so immersed in a series (Harry Potter anyone?), to plaster you walls with it, make constant references to it, wear clothing about it. Any of the above, you will get this book.
And seeing the ways in which Cath grew in the book, it made me wonder in what ways I will grow, and in what ways I have grown, since I am so much like Cath.
This book is going right up there with The Fault in Our Stars. It is going to stay with me, it touched me in a unique way. And I love books that do that.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.
Themes:
coming of age, college, fangirling, relationships
Language:
Cursing throughout. Multiple F-Bombs (Probably around fifty tops)
Sexual/Romantic Interaction
College, and no religious values. Multiple references to sex, virginity, homosexuality, bodies, etc.
Violence
Not so much violence as crazy life violence. Drunkenness, mental issues, parental failings, etc.
I would give Fangirl a rating of mild PG-13, but if you really dislike language then I would rate this as a heavy PG-13 to Light R
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Fangirl a 4.5
Rainbow is a brilliant story teller and writer. She got the whole fangirl down to the molecule. And the fanfiction? Brilliant. This is a unique and one of a kind book. If you understand at all what it feels like to become so immersed in a series (Harry Potter anyone?), to plaster you walls with it, make constant references to it, wear clothing about it. Any of the above, you will get this book.
And seeing the ways in which Cath grew in the book, it made me wonder in what ways I will grow, and in what ways I have grown, since I am so much like Cath.
This book is going right up there with The Fault in Our Stars. It is going to stay with me, it touched me in a unique way. And I love books that do that.
One of the goals for this blog is to provide information for parents and readers alike to find 'clean' reads suitable for their children or themselves. In all my reviews I will mention general themes from the book, language, sexual/romantic interaction, and violence.
Themes:
coming of age, college, fangirling, relationships
Language:
Cursing throughout. Multiple F-Bombs (Probably around fifty tops)
Sexual/Romantic Interaction
College, and no religious values. Multiple references to sex, virginity, homosexuality, bodies, etc.
Violence
Not so much violence as crazy life violence. Drunkenness, mental issues, parental failings, etc.
I would give Fangirl a rating of mild PG-13, but if you really dislike language then I would rate this as a heavy PG-13 to Light R
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = horrible, 2 = OK, 3 = I liked it, 4 = I really liked it, 5 = I loved it), I would give Fangirl a 4.5
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