SMILE - They Should Remake The Lord Of The Rings Like This...!

Source: themetapicture.com via Andrew on Pinterest

I have no idea who uploaded this onto Pinterest, but thank you whoever you are!

GoodRead - Undone

As you guys are probably aware, I am a a bit of a Cat Clarke fan. So, if you are expecting a non-bias review... er... you might want to go somewhere else.

Actually, I nearly didn't review Undone. Alice from Quercus tried to send me Undone several times before I got it (third times the charm!). I think either the previous parcel got lost in the post, the postman's a Cat Clarke fan too or my family and other half bribed the postman to "lose" my mail if it looks booky.

Anyway, Undone. Jem has been in love with her best friend, Kai, since she first met him. The fact he's gay makes things kinda difficult, but she's getting over that. And then something unspeakable happens: Kai's outed on the internet. And Kai kills himself.

Jem is beside herself. Her best friend died. She can't see a way forward. Until she decides to find out who posted that video, and make them pay in the cruelest way possible...

I feel like I've been saying this a lot about this book: this is Cat's most powerful book to date. She doesn't flinch away from the subject matter - grief, homophobia, bullying, discrimination, suicide, the damages of lies just to name a few - so if you don't like reading about these, stay away from this book. But Cat seems to get under Jem's skin while writing and, though she does things in her act of revenge I can't forgive for (not gonna spoil), you kinda understood what drove Jem to do the things she did in the extreme ways she did.

Jem's grief speaks volumes and when you get to read Kai's letters to Jem... I know book bloggers who have read this book and have sobbed while reading Kai's letters. I got kinda choked up over Kai's March and July. So, yeah... unless you have a heart made of stone or sold your emotions on eBay, you will probably cry or feel on the verge of crying. You have been warned.

There is something that might bother some of you guys (apart from the possible crying) is the language. While swear words don't bother me (and I think Cat gets wayward teens better than anyone - maybe Hollyoaks should hire her as head scriptwriter...), I sense it might bother some of you. So, if you have issues on swearing and underage sex (amongs other things), you might want to avoid.

While I guessed one twist early on, Cat nails it with the twists that follow at a stupid pace.

Unflinching, uncomfortable at times yet unputdownable. This is Cat Clarke's best novel to date.




PS - I don't normally do this, but as this book deals with issues that I think need addressing, I feel have to write this. So, if any of the issues in this book affect you, please contact one of the following as I think these are very helpful:

The Samaritians (UK) - http://www.samaritans.org/
Childline (UK) - http://www.childline.org.uk/
Stonewall (UK) - http://www.stonewall.org.uk/
The Trevor Project (US) - http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

GoodRead - Beautiful Creatures Movie Companion

You must think I'm a little weird, seeing as I've recently enjoy reading movie-related books. It's only been in the last few years that I've got into the "How is a movie made" (here are my reviews of Harry Potter: Page to Screen & The Art of the Avengers) and I have two more lurking in my stacks that I am SUPER excited to read as I ADORE THE MOVIES (am going to keep them secret but I have tweeted them so if you follow me on Twitter, you should know...)

Anyway, Beautiful Creatures: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion is basically what it says on the tin. This is the illustrated book, talking about how the movie (based on the novel by Kami Gracia and Margaret Stohl - and yes, I have read that and its sequel. Will be reading the third and fourth book in the series sometime this year!) was made. From design, make-up, editing and special effects. With quotes from both the authors, the director, the actors, and other people behind the screens.

And it was interesting. I am a geek to this side of movies so to read about how the authors felt when they walked onto site the first day and hearing from make-up and SFX team made the famous "Dining Room" and Casters Ball was interesting and fascinating.

Although, it was missing things. It missed how the actor who played Ethan, Alden Ehrenreich, got the role (the original actor couldn't get a visa for filming, if I remember) or how Alice Englert (Lena) actually refused the role a few times before accepting it. Or how the screenwriter decided what was going to be in the movie and what wouldn't. It's the little things, I know, but it would have been interesting to hear how/why this happened.

This is a fan book. If you are a fan of the Beautiful Creatures series or the movie, you are going to love this as this explains how the movie was created, this is gonna be perfect for you. If not, you might read this and find it a bit lacking.

Ok, I can talk about my reactions to the movie now as I saw it a few days ago (with my other half who I dragged and who had to watch me go "This movie!" while having an annoying couple whispering behind us and a couple several seats away eating VERY LOUD food). So, reactions: I am really surprised how much I enjoyed watching the movie. It was fun. It took the book and made a movie out of it. And you didn't have to have read the book before you watch the movie to get it. You could watch the movie without any knowledge and you would get what's going on. Things happened in the movie that didn't happen in the book and things happened in the book that wasn't in the movie, but these are two very different media. There are faults (the accents was one and a few things were a bit predictable), but it was fun and enjoyable. My opinion, but have you seen the movie? Do you agree or not? LET ME KNOW!!! 

SMILE - Was Giving Her A Library Such A Good Idea?

My thanks to the lovely SisterSpooky. Your tumblr rocks! 

Love is Magic...

To those in love, Happy Valentine's Day. To those who are single, Happy Me Day. 

The images are taken from **** Yes, Once Upon A Time tumblr.

Another Nightshade Book Alert!

I haven't even read Rift by Andrea Cremer yet and she goes and reveals that she's written a FOURTH book in the Nightshade series. That's right. A FOURTH! So, she's written a prequel series, this series and is going to write an erotica adult series. And then, just when we thought we were safe, she throws us this curveball (but I shouldn't be surprised. She hinted at this a while ago. I even blogged about it)! 

Anyway, the fourth book will be called Snakeroot and Andrea has revealed the following on Bookish: "Snakeroot focuses on Adne's struggles to adjust to the post-Witches War world of the Searchers. She's plagued by disturbing dreams and visions, all of which draw her to the gardens of Rowan Estate. The cover image perfectly depicts the way in which Adne has become entangled by her own turbulent emotions and an encroaching dark magic."

The cover she is talking about is the US cover, which was revealed at the same time of the news. And here it is for you US peeps out there! 

I'm gonna be honest here: this isn't how I imagined Adne. But then, I don't exactly like the US covers to this series. I much prefer the UK covers (And before you ask, I have just tweeted Atom and, hopefully, shall get a reply soon). 

So, my Nightshade fans! Reactions? Are you exited to go back into the world of Adne and see the aftermath of the Witches War? 

Infinityglass Cover Reveal!

As you guys are aware, I loved Hourglass by Myra McEntire and I am waiting for the PERFECT time to read its sequel, Timepiece. Yes, I am waiting for the perfect time and yes, I know this makes me sound weird. Anyway, on Wednesday, Myra unveiled the cover to the third book in the series, Infinityglass, and... here it is!

Doesn't it look creepy and yet, fit the series perfectly? I think it's her arms and back that creep me out!

No information has been revealed, to my knowledge. Not even who's point of view is telling the story (Emerson told Hourglass and Kaleb told Timepiece). All I know is that the book will be out on 9th July (thanks Emma!) and, as we still don't have a UK publisher for this series, I will be ordering it online in the next few days...

Here is the link to see Myra unveil the cover herself. So, guys, reactions?

GoodRead - The Essential Calvin And Hobbes

You can go and blame Laura (aka SisterSpooky) for my recent attack into the world that is Calvin and Hobbes. But, saying that, I really should be thanking her. Either way, let's chat about this beast.

Calvin and Hobbes are your average six year old and his toy tiger (aka best friend in the WHOLE world). While trying to make sense of life (and enjoying it!), they ask big moral questions such as "Is there life after death?", "How do you know if a girl likes you?", "How do I get out of bathtime?" and "How do I get out of eating vegetables at dinnertime?" (yes, THESE are the big questions in life!).

This is a collection of comic strips (well, they were published in newspapers but this treasury is two collections put together: Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed in Drooling) and, like this first collection I bought (It's a Magical World - review's here), I loved it. I FORCED myself to read this over the course of a week (while reading Fuse by Julianna Baggott - my ramblings is here) and everytime I picked it up, within a few minutes, I was either smiling, laughing, snorting into my hand or tweet pics, going "THAT'S ME!". Bill Watterson just "got" what it was like to be a carefree six year old with an overactive imagination where you would daydream about space battles, ask your parents awkward questions such as "Where do babies come from?" and getting an made-up answer but you believe them without a moment's hesitation. All the while, he pokes fun at the world around us.

This is an instant cheer-up book! Perfect for when you're down in the dumps. Even the raccoon strip near the end was sweet! This book was just made me happy when I was reading this!

Oh, Laura, if you are reading this, I might get another edition of Calvin and Hobbes in the coming months. Any suggestions on which one...?