Psst... Your family is WEIRD!

I nearly forgot to write about The Family Fang... finished over a week ago. That just about sums up what I took from the novel. I don't think there's really anything more I can add, other than what I wrote on my Goodreads review:

Starting out similarly to The Royal Tennenbaums, The Family Fang is a quirky read. I enjoyed it very much, but it was one of those books that takes a few chapters to really get into. I enjoyed the sense of humor, but I'm only rating this a 3/5 because I didn't much care for the ending and I can't help but feel like something is missing. I do, however, wish I could get my hands on one of those tiny paintings!

We SAW, We READ...

We CRITIQUE!

Point-blank, I probably would have rated The Hunger Games a bit lower had I not seen the movie first. I know: SHOCKER! I knew from the start I wouldn't be able to approach the book with FRESH eyes and an unbiased opinion because my visual to textual sensors had been compromised. It was actually the film which inspired the read in the first place, otherwise I doubt I would have ever picked it up. From that note, I rated the first book of the series a 4/5 due to emotional impact, quality of writing, the "gripping-ness" of the plot (sorry - short for words this evening.)

My emotional/feminine reaction to the ending of the book verses the movie was dramatically different. I have a different lean towards certain characters in the book. I also a better understanding of Katniss, with-whom I am quite sure I would have hated if it weren't for seeing the film first. She has a poor outlook on life in general, which I can't blame her for, but still negativity is a downer for me. Her attitude towards her mother reminds me very much of **whispers** one Bella Swan, from another un-mentionable series. These teen writers seem to have some bitter relationships with their mothers or something... yikes!

I like the plot and pace of the story very much. With the exception of that final killing, the author did a nice job of keeping the graphicness to a minimum, which I appreciate. I do have "Gore & Tension Rules" which I understand is kind of odd coming from someone with a morbid sense of humor. The Hunger Games was actually quite sensible and "clean" or rather "lacking in overly-embellished yuckies", which is surprising considering the books about teenagers killing one another. So "kudos" Suzanne Collins. I can hardly wait to start in on Catching Fire.

Mirror Mirror (film)

I'm glad Mirror Mirror (the film) wasn't a take-off on the Gregory Maguire novel. That was a disappointing, dull and slightly painful read. The FILM however, is very cute! CUTE and FUNNY, but not much more. I was a little nervous pre-viewing the film just because I was so distracted by Lily Collins' eyebrows. I know it is an odd thing to hone in on, but my mother and sister made the same comments, so I'm sure I wasn't the only gal out there thinking the same thing! Bet it would have done better in the box office if they considered trimming Snow White's brow a little thinner....

Though I was amused, I didn't feel thoroughly amused. Set up for a strong adorable family film, I would recommend this to families viewing with their young "princesses". Giving this film 3/5 stars because it's sweet, but once seen, I don't foresee myself desiring to re-see it again. I thought I would, but don't think this will be under consideration for one of those "guilty pleasure" movies.

The Hunger Games (Movie)

Yes, I have to distinguish whether I'm reading the book or watching the movie. Normally I'd like to read the story first, but The Hunger Games kinda crept up on me and I was in the middle of a bunch of other stories so that'll have to come later. I'm sure I wont be disappointed and hey, at least I can read the next two installments before the films hit the theaters!

Nowhere as gruesome as I thought it would be, I was really excited to see this film... in fact can hardly wait to see it again! 5/5 Stars.

Wonder and WONDER some more

Lately this is the book that seems to be "talked about" and with good reason. I thought long about my review of Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, but I think the book trailer inspires the read more than I could:

It's a book which needs to be read... by everyone. I think everyone will identify with the characters who build the story as well as enjoy a couple cries here and there. Yes - I wept a few times throughout my read. The ending is a little corny and reminds me very much of the end of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but it IS a middle grade book, so it's perfect for the audience and also touching for the adult reader. 5/5 Stars.

And now I want to go to the circus

Erin Morgenstern made a tough book to rate. I finally decided upon a 4-star rating just based on how I felt walking away from the story. Even listening on audio... that's a LOT of detail. My if I couldn't just sit there and resurrect the circus from hand! 

This novel will translate very well into film, as a matter of fact, everylast detail should be designed precisely from the shape of the wine glasses to the weaving of the fabric on any given character's costume. DETAIL! The color pallet was very interesting though: black, white and gray, but through the richness of the detail and layers upon LAYERS of texture, I get a sense of a full spectrum of color. 

I was hesitant about reading The Night Circusjust based upon previous reviews and that seeing it on every shelf at the bookstore, it looked a cookie cutter story. Shear curiosity and the fact that it was available at my public library made me pick it up anyway! I'm glad I did. It IS a LOT of detail. Parts may be dry/overwritten/redundant, but I did like the plot and I did find myself connecting to the characters, contrary to what others have said. 

Audio version criticism specific: I highly recommend the audio version if your as skeptical as I was. Jim Dale makes the story come to life and dance around your bedroom while you macramé a rug or drive into work... or whatever it is that you'll be doing whilst digesting the story. 4/5 Stars

Who DOESN'T want to read about a cyborg Cinderella?

That alone enticed me: cyborg Cinderella story. Cinder's cover art is pretty awesome too... don't need to explain passing by this cover everywhere I went, made it tough to NOT pick it up and peek into the summary flaps. The story is cute and familiar which I like, but it is just that - cute and familiar (predictable).

Other than the time period and the fact that "Cinderella" is a cyborg instead of a peasant, this novel is very similar to the movie Ever After. Instead of "Oh God, I hope the prince never finds out I'm not from a well-to-do family," Cinder's issue is "Oh God, I hope he doesn't realize I'm not human!" Cinder is a tomboy-esque, teenage mechanic who gets along with one of her step-sisters whereas Danielle is a tomboy-esque servant whom eventually gets along with one of her step sisters. Both characters make a scene at the ball.... you get the picture. The story does lead you out with a cliffhanger which is definitely changing things up a bit. In fact, I wish I didn't have to wait until next year for the next book!

I most certainly enjoyed Cinder and I'll be up for the read when the rest of Meyer's Lunar Chronicles hits the book stores. Sorry to down rate the book or make it seem like I hated it - it's adorable and charming and hey... CINDERELLA. I'm a sucker for the Cinderella story, and it's rare to find a NEW one. This one is a refreshing remodel, so I highly recommend it to other fairy tale lovers. As "Cinderellery" as this story is, there are 3 more novels lined up for this series (plus the prequel, which I still need to read,) so I see a lot of room for growing the story beyond just Cinderella. I can't wait to see where the story is going, but 3/5 stars for now.