TGIF - December 9, 2011

TGIF is a created by the awesome Ginger at GReads! Every Friday there is a new question to answer and new bloggers to meet.  You can also summarize the past week on your blog.  Ginger poses some really good questions, so hop aboard!

This week's question:

Book to Movie: Which book turn movie do you feel did the best adaptation? What about the worst?

This one didn't take very long for me to answer.  My absolute favorite movie inspired by a book is the 1995 BBC production of Pride & Prejudice, based on Jane Austen's work of the same title.

This is, by far, my favorite film adaptation ever.  Don't get me wrong.  There are others that I like, but this one is simply perfect.  Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle made for the perfect Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.

As for my least favorite film adaptation, I would definitely have to say that the adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire was the worst.

I

I read almost every single installment of The Vampire Chronicles as a teen, right up until the series petered out with Anne's departure from writing vampire novels.  I had ideas of how Louis and Lestat should look and act.  Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise did NOT meet my expectations.  I was especially disappointed with how they portrayed Armand (Anonio Banderes, while a fine-looking specimen, does not best represent a reddish-blond haired seventeen year old Russian boy).  The whole thing just came off as hokey, which definitely made me unhappy.

How about you?  What are the best and worst book to film adaptations in your opinion?

This Week at Starting the Next Chapter

In My Mailbox - December 4, 2011

Review - Touch of Power

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Childhood Faves

Waiting on Wednesday - December 7, 2011

TGIF: November 18, 2011

TGIF is a created by the awesome Ginger at GReads! Every Friday there is a new question to answer and new bloggers to meet.  You can also summarize the past week on your blog.  Ginger poses some really good questions, so hop aboard!

This week's question is:

Giving Thanks: Which books are you most thankful for receiving from other bloggers, friends, family members, or publishers?

I have a solid handful of books that I am most thankful for.  For simplicity's sake, I'll highlight my favorites from each type of giver.

The book I am most thankful for receiving from another blogger was won in a giveaway held by Bewitched Bookworms.  That book is a signed copy of Amy Plum's Die for Me, definitely one of my favorite books of the year.  

The books I'm most thankful for receiving from a friend is Lament and Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater.  My dear friend since childhood and ultimate book buddy, Nikki from Books Most Wanted, and her hubs bought these books for me at the Maggie Stiefvater signing we attended in August.  I had read Lament and loved it, but had yet to read Ballad.  I was able to get them signed along with my copy of Forever, and now I will be able to treasure them for years to come.

The book I am most grateful for receiving from a family member comes from my own hubby, who bought a copy of Fateful by Claudia Gray for me.  He has bought other books for me, but this one is particularly fantastic, and I am so glad he was thoughtful enough to purchase it for me. 

Finally, the book I am most thankful for receiving from a publisher comes from the wonderful folks at Scholastic.  They sent me a much exclaimed over ARC of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, which is now my favorite Stiefvater book to date.  I devoured this book and immediately wanted to read it over and over again.  I'll always be grateful that they gave me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This Week at Starting the Next Chapter

In My Mailbox - November 13, 2011

Review: Birthmarked

Top Ten Tuesday (1): Unread Books on My Shelf

Review: Prized

Waiting on Wednesday: November 16, 2011

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Review: Legend

TGIF: November 11, 2011

TGIF is a created by the awesome Ginger at GReads! Every Friday there is a new question to answer and new bloggers to meet.  You can also summarize the past week on your blog.  Ginger poses some really good questions, so hop aboard!

This week's question looks to be a lot of fun.  The question is:

Love-Hate Relationship: 

Which characters from a book do you love to hate?

 I have read a lot of books in my lifetime, but I'll take a crack at this question.  Most recently, I finished Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.  The villain, Warner, is absolutely despicable and a veritable sociopath.  He is written so well that it is impossible not to seethe when he does something horrible.  If we're talking classic literature, then I would definitely go with Mr. Brocklehurst from Jane Eyre.  That man is another example of an infuriating character.  I always get very happy when I read the following exchange between Jane and Mr. Brocklehurst:

“No sight so sad as that of a naughty child," he began, "especially a naughty little girl. Do you know where the wicked go after death?"

"They go to hell," was my ready and orthodox answer.

"And what is hell? Can you tell me that?"

"A pit full of fire."

"And should you like to fall into that pit, and to be burning there for ever?"

"No, sir."

"What must you do to avoid it?"

I deliberated a moment: my answer, when it did come was objectionable: "I must keep in good health and not die.”

Aside from those, there are way too many to mention here.  These are just the first two that came to mind.  What about you?  Who do you love to hate?

This Week at Starting the Next Chapter

In My Mailbox - November 6, 2011

It's Monday!  What are you reading? November 7, 2011

Review: Blood Red Road

Review: Beautiful Chaos

Waiting On Wednesday: November 9, 2011

Review: Shatter Me

TGIF - July 8, 2011

TGIF is a meme from Ginger at GReads! Every Friday there is a new question to answer and new bloggers to meet.

This week, the question is:

Blogger Confession: What's the last book you could not finish?

(or had a hard time finishing?)

I've actually had two books fall to the dreaded DNF list in recent weeks. There are also a few that I just couldn't get away from fast enough in the past year. These are the ones that come to mind (and please try to refrain from coming after me with pitchforks and torches ::runs for abandoned wind mill::)

The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma - I was really surprised that I didn't like this one. I had been so excited to read it up until I realized that it reminded me an awful lot of my most-hated book. You'll see what I mean in a moment.

Tithe by Holly Black - Believe me, I was just as shocked as you all may be. I love faerie fiction, so when I failed to get into this one, I was surprised. I gave it 100 pages, but it failed to hook me in.

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne - I loathe this book with every fiber of my being. There were so many digressions and a criss-crossing plot line, something I saw again in The Map of Time. It was assigned for a class but, luckily, my grade was dependent upon a review of an article that had to do with the book. Thank goodness. Otherwise, I probably would have wanted to knock myself out and claim to have been mugged (not too far-fetched on this campus) just to get out of reading it. Sorry Dr. N. I just couldn't do it. This is my dirty little secret.