10 Books I’d Like To See Made Into A Movie

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So, I’ve decided to do Top 10 Tuesday, which is hosted by the Broke And The Bookish.  I’ve seen it on a few blogs, and it always seems like fun!  Every Tuesday, book bloggers from all over the place make their own lists based on whatever the topic of the week.

This was a hard list for me to do, because a lot of the books I would have picked have already been made into a movie.  But I somehow managed to come up with 10, so here they are!

10 Books I’d Like To See Made Into A Movie

1- Divergent by Veronica Roth.  I would love to see Divergent on-screen.  I think the aptitude test and the simulations would be freaking amazing to see.

2- The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.  I love the Iron Fey series, and the nevernever!  I’d love to see someone else’s vision of the nevernever.  And Ash and Meghan?  One of my favorite romances ever.

3- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  This was such a magical book, and I’d love to see how the magical, dreamlike feel of the book translates to the big screen.  This is one circus I would love to see!

4- Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier would make a great movie!  I’d love to see this book made into a movie just for the setting and costumes alone.  I loved how I could picture everything in my mind, and to see it on a movie screen would be breathtaking.

5- Avielle Of Rhia by Dia Calhoun.  I wasn’t the biggest fan of the book, but like Wildwood Dancing, the setting and costumes would make it worth it.  I think the movie adaptation would be really interesting, especially with the Bretheren Of The Black Cloaks hanging around.  Oh, and Avielle hiding after her home is attacked would make for an interesting movie.  Come to think of it, it does have the possibility to be a better movie.

6- Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.  After my re-read of it last year, I realized it would be far better as a movie.  It is a pretty eventful book, and there’s something in it that would appeal to a lot of people.  It would be particularly interesting to see how it’s edited down to a 2 hour movies, but for some reason, I can’t see the author handing over the rights to turn it into a movie.

7- Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.  This would make an amazing movie!  Westerfeld sure knows how to world-build, and the book had a lot of adventure that would keep me riveted.

8- Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.  It’s about the end of the world, what’s not to like?  Seeing the asteroid hit the moon, and the crazy chaos that ensues…it might not be summer blockbuster material, but it would still be a cool movie.

9- Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.  This would make an awesome movie!  Hello, pink taser!  The IPCA, hunting down paranormal creatures, a shapeshifter- I could go on about the things I liked and how cool it would be to see what the IPCA building looks like.

10- The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine.  So what if I’ve read the 1st book in the series?  Just based off of the 1st book, and the summaries I’ve read of the other books, I think this would make a cool t.v. show.

Let’s Share Some Podcasts

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I can’t remember the last time I talked about podcasts, and since there’s quite a few new ones I’ve found, I figured it was time to share some of them!

I love YA, and decided to search for YA book related podcasts…and found a couple I think I’ll like.  One is Authors Are Rockstars, and it looks like they interview authors.  I’ve only listened to their most recent episode, in which they interviewed Elizabeth Norris.  Her book was already on my to-read list, and after listening to the interview, I think it’s moved up to one of the top spots.  The other is YA Literature Review, which also seems to focused on interviews.  But there seem to be quite a few reviews too, which is cool.

I’m also listening to The Grizzly Bear Egg Cafe, and they talk about comic books, movies, and anything pop culture.  I know nothing about comic books, but it’s still cool to listen to, and they talk about all kinds of stuff, so it’s not like I’m really confused or anything.  And even I can kind of keep up with the comic book talk.

The last couple I want to share are Jim Harold’s Campfire and the Paranormal Report.  I’m a big fan of Weird News Radio, and he’s mentioned his other podcasts a few times, so I thought I would give both of them a listen.  They’re both interesting, and I like hearing all of the ghost stories on the campfire.  Plus, I like hearing about different paranormal topics on the Paranormal Report.

There’s still a bunch of podcasts I’m not sure about, so if I decide I want to keep listening to them, I’ll definitely be sharing them!

Field Trip

Posted in 2012 Theme: Self-Love, General, Photos by

I went on a little field trip yesterday.  And it was fun!

After reading Night Walker, I definitely felt like going to the San Diego Mission.  Which I didn’t do…until yesterday!

It was pretty cool, especially since I had never been there before.  I totally thought I did, until I got there, and realized I had not been there.  I even took pictures!

First, we have the Casa De Los Padres.  So, there’s a replica of the mission back in the good ‘ole days.

Just ignore the fact that part of is cut out of the picture.  This was the best angle I could get.

This is what one of the rooms may have looked like.

Above is the only picture of the church I took.  There was going to be a wedding, so I just took a quick look around.  Besides, taking pictures in a church felt a little weird, like I shouldn’t be doing it.  So I didn’t.

I didn’t get to go in the sanctuary, because it was closed off, so I moved on to the garden.  The flowers were pretty and it felt very peaceful.  Plus, there were several statues.

This is the St Francis Of Assissi Fountain.  There’s also one of St. Joseph and Father Serra.  And one in the Pieta Garden.

I took a couple of pictures in the Father Jayme museum but there was a glare because of the glass case they were in.  It was pretty cool, because they had a lot of Kumeyaay artifacts, like baskets and vases.

From there, I went to the St Didacus Statue and the Pieta Sculpture.  You can see the Pieta Sculpture below.

After that, I saw a Kumeyaay hut.  The Kumeyaay are pretty important in both San Diego and California history.  Sadly, everything I’ve learned about them in elementary school is long-forgotten.  The Kumeyaay Hut can be seen below.

After that, I saw the Archaeological Site, which was pretty cool.  The thing that stuck out the most was the fact that they haven’t found any burial grounds at the Mission.  Apparently, there were pretty strict rules about where people could be buried, and they have yet to find any there.  You can see it below.

I definitely have more pictures, which I think I’ll share sometime this week.  It was really cool to see a part of San Diego I’ve never seen before, and considering it’s the 1st of the California missions, it’s a pretty historical place.  It was definitely worth the trip!

Up To No Good?

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I really haven’t been doing much, except for reading.  Well, I’ve clearly been reading a lot, which is perfectly fine with me.

But I thought I’d talk about what’s been going on, since I haven’t done that in a while.  I’ve done the usual book reading, and some blog reading.  Maybe it’s time to share more of my favorite blogs.  I just don’t want to leave any of them out- maybe it could be a very irregular feature or something.

I’ve been listening to my podcasts, and even found some new ones that are definitely keepers.  And some I’m not sure about.  Plus a bunch I still need to listen to.  I’ll have to share those on Monday.

I’m looking at bedspreads!  Well, kind of.  I really need a new one, because the one I have has a big hole in the middle.  And I’m keeping my sheets folded over it so I can hide the hole.  It’s been an irritating search, because all the really cute bedspreads don’t come in a twin size.  Maybe I need to go with a comforter set instead of a bedspread, but bedskirts are irritating, and I don’t want to get one if I can find a bedspread.

I’m also waiting for a bunch of pre-orders to become available.  I pre-ordered Carrie Underwood’s new album.  I also pre-ordered the new one from Norah Jones, so those reviews will be on their way next month.  Plus, I’m waiting for Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Destined by Aprilynne Pike and Endure by Carrie Jones.

I’m really liking my Nook, and with all the series I’m reading, it’ll be a godsend, because I won’t have stacks of series all over the place.  It really is convenient, and I’m glad I got it.

So, that’s all I can think for today, but I’ll be back tomorrow!

Glass Houses

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Book: Glass House by Rachel Caine

Book Info: Published by NAL Jam; 239 pages; read on my Nook

Goodreads Summary: Welcome to Morganville, Texas. Just don’t stay out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school’s social scene: somewhere less than zero.

When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don’t show many signs of life. But they’ll have Claire’s back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

I’ve been meaning to read this book for ages, and finally got around to reading it!  I’m glad I did, because I really liked it.

I really liked the plot.  Vampires running the town, and needing their protection in order to do anything worthwhile in town?  Definitely interesting.  The plot moved along really well, and just when you think you have things figured out, something would come up that would make you wonder why you thought you had things figured out.

Ass for the characters, I really liked Claire.  She did feel a little young, but she was a freshman in college at 16, so that might be why she seemed so young.  But I wanted her to be okay, and protect her.  Plus, I could definitely relate to Claire in a lot of ways.  Eve was cool, Shane is interesting and I’m ambivalent towards Michael.  Maybe Michael will grow on me as I continue to read the rest of the series.  I hated Monica, and she needs to go away.

I could picture Morganville so well, and I thought Caine put a lot of thought into the characters, the plot, and the world.  I can’t believe I’m only reading this series now, but the other 11 books will be keeping me busy!

I give it a 4 out of 5.  It was fun and enjoyable.

Paranormalcy

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Book: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Book Info: Published by HarperTeen; 335 pages; hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie’s dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

I really liked Paranormalcy, and it’s definitely one of the more interesting paranormal books I’ve read.

I liked the idea of a paranormal containment agency, and making sure the different paranormal creatures follow the rules of the treaty and do what they’re supposed to.

I didn’t like Reth, but I did love Evie.  She’s so fun, and yet there were times I wanted to hug her.  She just wants to be normal, which I think is something we can all relate to.

Her guardian, Raquel, was strange in the sense that she didn’t seem to care about Evie and what Evie needed and wanted.  Plus, the IPCA didn’t seem to give Evie a lot of information about the different creatures, which probably would have made Evie’s job a lot easier.

It was cute, fun, and definitely different from a lot of other books I’ve read.  It’s certainly an interesting take on the paranormal genre, and I like that you see werewolves, hags, vampires and fairies all in one novel.  Instead of just one…or two who are at odds with each other.

I really want to know more about the Empty Ones, and all of the creatures who have to abide by the treaty.  I’m curious as to how the IPCA will re-group, whether Reth will keep appearing, and whether Evie will get the normal life she so wants.

It gets a 4 out of 5 for being a fun and refreshing read.

Crossed

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Book: Crossed by Ally Condie

Book Info: Published by Dutton Juvenile; 367 pages; hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky–taken by the Society to his sure death–only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

Narrated from both Cassia’s and Ky’s point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.

I didn’t like Crossed.  At all.

It was pretty disappointing, and it felt like the whole book was filler.  I was so bored reading it, and I kept waiting for something to happen.  Matched was so promising, and I was hoping that a lot of the questions I had at the end of it would be answered.  Sadly, they weren’t.  In fact, I have even more questions.  I highly doubt any questions I have will be answered in the next book…which I might (or might not) read.

The poetry was irritating, and I kept waiting for it to stop.  Did Condie want us to know she really likes poetry by throwing it in a lot?

Not only that, I just couldn’t care about anything.  Xander’s secret?  Don’t care that he has one and that it’s not Ky’s place to reveal it to Cassia.  Why bother mentioning it if no one’s going to tell Cassia or if Xander isn’t around to mention it?

The narration didn’t work for me- it’s told by Ky and Cassia, who sound exactly the same.

I have to give it a 1 out of 5.  It was really disappointing, and it felt like Condie didn’t care about what happened to her characters.

Copper

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Copper is a band that I found randomly on iTunes.  And in my now-apparent quest to listen to a lot of music I don’t listen to very often, I thought I would turn the spotlight on Copper.

The Fragile Fall: I love By Now, Turn, and Need, but I really like a lot of the other songs too.  Why don’t I listen to them more?  I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot the last few Mondays.  But it’s really good, and I’m glad I came across them.

Take My Chances: I love this album!  I don’t love it as much as The Fragile Fall, but it’s still an album I really like.  I love Broken Sky, Take My Chances and Make You Mine.

There’s nothing else to add, so I’m sorry for such a short post.  But I’ll be back tomorrow with a (hopefully) longer post.

Illusions

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Book: Illusions by Aprilynne Pike

Book Info: Published by HarperCollins; 259 pages; read on my nook

Goodreads Summary: “I don’t do patrols, I don’t go hunting, I just stick close to you. You live your life. I’ll keep you safe,” Tamani said, sweeping a lock of hair from her face. “Or die trying.”

Laurel hasn’t seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life returns to normal, Laurel realizes that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

Illusions is the 3rd book in the Wings series, and I’m glad I finished it in time to read Destined, the next book in the series.

I really liked it, and so far, it’s my favorite book in the series.  There’s the mysterious Yuki, and David and Tamani still hate each other.  I still find Laurel’s relationships with the both of them really irritating.  And Tamani provoking David so Laurel will get mad at David and go running to Tamani…I have no idea why it’s so irritating, but it is.

I loved the introduction of Yuki, who seems so clueless.  And yet you can’t help but wonder throughout the novel what she knows.  Is she a pawn in Klea’s game or not?  It turns out she’s a powerful Winter Faerie.  And the thing with Shar and Tamani with Yuki at the end?  I can’t wait to see the consequences of that event.

I liked that we learned more about Avalon, and how it was created.  The divide between Seelie and Unseelie, and how some of the Seelie Court became a part of the Unseelie Court was interesting, and hopefully we’ll get a few more tidbits about Avalon and it’s future.

It gets a 4 out of 5!  It was fast-paced and kept me guessing.