dwell in possibility

Wow. I got distracted. Amazing how busy life can get. 

Day 18: A book that disappointed you.

This was actually fairly easy. The title goes to Ever by Gail Carson Levine. Ever since I was young I have loved her books; however, when I picked up and read this one I was largely underwhelmed. It was good, but nothing like the magical books I have read (and reread by her). The story seemed rushed and the characters were not as interesting. In general the story just felt flat. 

So...in case it isn't obvious. I have been busy and fun challenges were put aside for not so fun challenges. In any case, I am going to try to finish this out, even if it isn't in 30 days).

This one is particularly hard for me though. Because favorites haven't ever really been my thing, and additionally I just love so many quotes I can't see how to narrow this one down! So instead - because apparently I am not good at challenges - I'm going to give you a great quote from a great book. One that I haven't already mentioned, just because that is more fun (and more awesome books are put on the table).

So this is going to be from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern:

"We lead strange lives, chasing our dreams around from place to place."

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life” ~ Walt Disney

Note: To All Those Who Don't Want to Read a Long and Raving Review....watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iW9q-DS80g

I loved every page of Raven Boys, it was the kind of book that immediately upon reading a sentence, a paragraph, a page, a chapter, I wanted to go back and read it again, experience it again. I always deem how much I like a book by how much it makes me want to reread it and by how creative it makes me feel. A good book should instigate my imagination and make me want to create something and Raven Boys certainly was inspiring me.

I loved so many elements of the book! As usual I adored Maggie Stiefvater's writing style, something about how she uses her words, how she describes things draws me in and compels me to read more. And last, but certainly not least I loved how the story flowed, I wasn't sure what to expect when going in and was constantly surprised and excited by the elements she introduced or the twists she created.
I found the characters all delightfully unique. They were developed well and each had important elements to offer the book and their quest. I have, almost as a rule of thumb, always loved the characters Maggie Stiefvater creates, but I have been most wowed by them in Scorpio Races and Raven Boys. Even if I did not enjoy her writing, even if the books didn't make me feel as though I were standing write alongside the characters, if the story were boring or didn't go as I liked it I think I would still enjoy the book if only for the characters.

And the ending!!! I can't wait to read the next book!!!

Soundtrack: Here and Heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIVrCZ5sNwE

Premise - 5/5 
Characters - 5/5 
Writing Style - 5/5 
Story – 5/5 
Realistic(the plot made sense) - 4/5 
Enjoyment – 5/5

Average Rating - 4.8
My Rating - 5
Cover – I adore this cover, more than words can describe. It is so much better in person, the raven is positively mesmerizing to look at!

So I paired these mainly because they are both really hard challenges for me and I would rather get it done with now.

Favorite male and female characters.

I don't pick favorites. I thought I established this already! There are so many characters I love I can't just pick 'one' favorite! It is truly impossible. Therefore I am not even going to attempt this. Instead i am just going to name one random character I love of both genders. I will not explain why I love them because that would take too long as well....you will just have to read the books.

Male character I love: Keiro from Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Female character I love: Andi/Alexandrine from Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 

There. Done. That was hard.

Book turned movie and completely desecrated. 

Oh....this is a hard one. I have a few categories that I put book to movies.

1. Books that have miraculously been perfectly transferred to the movie. There are little to not changes in the plot, pace, characters, etc. If there are changes they are small additions that add to the story. This is rare to find, but in my opinion "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" (the newer one) achieved that to perfect.

2. Books that the movie ended up being much better. In this case the book was good but the movie better. In my opinion "The Princess Bride" is one of those cases. Another rare category.

3. Books that have been transferred to a movie well. The essence of the plot was captured, the 'feel' of the book present in the movie. In other words, the movie supplemented the book well. This is a slightly more common occurrence. In my opinion such movies include "The Lord of the Rings", "Hunger Games", and "Jane Eyre."

4. Books that have been transferred to a movie that is good but don't compare it to the book! This is probably one of the most common kinds of book to movie adaptions. The movie is good in and of itself but follows the plot of the book very loosely. Such adaptions include: "Percy Jackson" and "Prince Caspian"

5. Books that have been turned into movies that are terrible movies and terrible adaptions. "Eragon" and "Inkheart" are prime examples of this category.

6. Books turned into movies that...well make you wonder. This is the worst category in my opinion. It's ultimate example being "Ella Enchanted." Yes, the movie was good if you hadn't read the book (which is much better). But honestly...from an adaption point of view...we even call it an adaption? If a few names had been changed and the title changed it could hardly be connected. The two works were nothing alike except in a few critical aspects (basically the premise...). 

All of that said, because of my love for Ella Enchanted that would be the most completely desecrated adaption in my opinion, though the movie alone was not bad.

Your favorite writer.

Seriously. You can't just ask someone something like this! It's like asking what a favorite book is or something! Torture. Firstly, I tend to not attach myself to authors. I read books that I enjoy and don't always read other books by the same author. However, there are a few that stand out because they write books that I am interested in and I enjoy their style...so I shall list a few and call it done!

1. Melina Marchetta author of the Lumatare Chronicles, Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, Jellicoe Road, The Piper's Son, and The Gorgon in the Gully: Pocket Money Puffins. I started by reading Finnikin of the Rock and decided to try out one of her contemporary novels and was pleasantly surprised to find it equally good. Marchetta is a strong writer; she crafts intricate plot lines and realistic characters with beautiful, rich writing.

2. Maggie Stiefvater author of the Shiver Trilogy, Lament/Ballad, Scorpio Races, and Raven Boys. I started by reading Shiver and was intrigued but unimpressed. Her writing style took some getting used to (it is extremely poetic and lyrical) but I enjoyed it so when I had the chance to read Lament I took the opportunity. I found it even better than the first book and so I went on to read Ballad and found it better than Lament, from there I read Linger and then Scorpio Races and then Raven Boys. Each book I read was either better or equal to the one before it. Her characters are fascinating and the story line and settings are always intriguing and well crafted.

3. Scott Westerfeld author of the Leviathan Trilogy, Uglies Series, Peeps/The Last Days, Midnighters Trilogy, So Yesterday and...some others that I can't remember. So he has written a lot of books. I don't really know why I love his books so much. He is such a different writer than the first two authors I listed...but I love what he writes all the same and definitely count him as a favorite. 

4. Gail Carson Levine author of Ella Enchanted, Fairest, Two Princesses of Bamarre, The Wish, Dave at Night, The Princess Tales (Six novellas retelling different fairy tales), Betsy Who Cried Wolf, Ever, A Tale of Two Castles....and other stuff I don't remember. She was a childhood favorite author...I read everything she wrote and loved every book I read by her (with the exception of Ever...oh dear...). I love fairy tale retellings and Levine's take on the tales was always fun and heart warming.

A book that you hated and loved at the same time.

Yay! Another easy one! This was a no-brainer! Anything by Libba Bray really...but most specifically...

This whole trilogy was that way for me. But this book most of all. I was constantly frustrated because I couldn't decide if I loved it or hated it. I don't know what it is about Libba Bray's writing/plots/books that elicit this response from me, but every single thing I've read by her has resulted in that same sort of feeling of love/hate.

A book you hated:

Oh. Oh this is good. So easy.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

This book. Ugh. The cover is so gorgeous which is why I picked it up and why I haven't gotten rid of it yet. But seriously. This book. It killed me. I couldn't stand the characters, the plot barely existed and what plot there was was riddled with holes and inconsistencies. Even the bad guy was intolerable (and not in a good way). Seriously the most boring and annoying book I have ever read. 

This was another hard one for me...because I am not quite sure how to interpret it. So yeah....but I think I have figured out an answer for it and my answer is.....

The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

I feel like many of these challenges have me go back to books I loved as a child. Well, this book was probably in the top tier of my favorite books. I adored it and read it many many times as a child and I have fond memories of sitting in my room or in the kitchen reading this book. 

Quite a lot of them, so let's start!

Carrie

Author: Stephen King

Release Date: October 18th, 2013

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Horns

Author: Joe Hill

Release Date: October 11th, 2013

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The Hundred

Author: Kass Morgan

Release Date: Fall of 2013

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Under the Dome

Author: Stephen King

Release Date: Now 

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Ender's Game

Author: Orson Scott Card

Release Date: November 1st, 2013

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Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Release Date: March 21st, 2014

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The Futurological Congress/The Congress

Author: Stanislaw Lem

Release Date: It premiered at Cannes, but doesn't have an official release date yet

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The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Release Date: February 14th, 2014

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If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Release Date: No date yet

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Release Date: November 22nd, 2013

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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Release Date: August 21st, 2013

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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Author: Rick Riordan

Release Date: August 7th, 2013

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Winter's Tale

Author: Mark Helprin

Release Date: No date yet

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The Last Apprentice/ Seventh Son

Author: Joseph Delaney

Release Date: January 17th, 2014

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The Ocean at the end of the Lane

Author: The Neil Gaiman

Release Date: No date yet

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The Leftovers

Author: Tom Perrotta

Release Date: No date yet

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Outlander

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Release Date: No date yet

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Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

Release Date: February 14th, 2014

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Terror

Author: Dan Simmons

Release Date: No date yet

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Author: Susanna Clarke

Release Date: Possibly in 2013

More information can be found  here: http://io9.com/all-the-books-getting-turned-into-movies-tv-shows-ove-671133694

Disclosure: All screens and data come from http://io9.com/all-the-books-getting-turned-into-movies-tv-shows-ove-671133694

A book you thought you wouldn't like but ended up loving...

This is a hard one, mainly because I don't go into books thinking I will dislike it. There are plenty of books that I thought would be just 'okay' and read and loved, but not many that I actively thought I would dislike. So I am going to go more with that....so I narrowed it down to two books....

1. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

So I am not a huge fan of vampire books....generally I find them average and bleh....I don't mind vampires in the books I read but I prefer them to be just one of many paranormal species and not the main focus. However, when my best friend raved and raved about this book and told me that 'I had to read it' I set aside my worries of it being stupid and average and decided to read it. Boy am I glad I read it. I have read it three times since and each time I love it! Funny and sweet it was just what I look for in a book, it made fun of itself and vampires while still taking itself/vampires seriously enough to make an excellent story. With an intelligent heroine and a witty vampire this book more than made up for its title.

2. Nevermore by Kelly Creagy

So basically I decided to read this because it had to do with Edgar Allen Poe....whose stories I basically adore. I thought, "Well...it can't be so bad. If anything I'll at least enjoy the Poe reference." I thought it was going to be another bland high school story other than that....boy was I wrong. It was incredible. Just. Incredible. I can't even begin to describe how it blew away my expectations. The characters changed and grew the plot drew you in and kept you reading....and the end...AH! It was just so so so so so good! I even went and bought the book just so I could buy and read the second and third books when they came out. Just fantastic! 

Most overrated book:

This one is easy. 

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

While this book isn't bad it just isn't that good. I would say it is average. Mildly compelling with some interesting characters. My personal opinion aside (about Katsa, feminism, and such...) it was just bland. Felt like just another high fantasy novel, and I love high fantasy.