mommy reads in 2011

i wanted to read more in 2011- so i took on the page to screen challenge over at reading extensively.  the goal was to read books that were turned into movies/tv shows and if you chose, to watch the corresponding movie/show.  i thought i could do at least 5- i definitely passed my expectations. 

so many people say that once they have a baby, they don't have time to read anymore...  baloney.  if you like to read- read.  you probably have the time.  i didn't read 100 books this year, but i read a few...  i think i did pretty well.

in 2011 i read...

1. the lovely bones - alice sebold
2. carrie - stephen king
3. BUtterfield 8 - john o'hara
4. the virgin suicides - jeffery eugenides
5. the accidental billionaires - ben mezrich
6. twilight - stephanie meyer
7. eclipse - stephanie meyer
8. new moon - stephanie meyer
9.  breaking dawn - stephanie meyer
10. between a rock & a hard place - aron ralston
11. something borrowed - emily giffin
12. the help - kathryn sockett
13. eat, pray, love - elizabeth gilbert
14. push - sapphire
15. dear john - nicholas sparks
16. water for elephants - sara gruen

not book challenge related, but i also read:
17.  garden anywhere - alys fowler
18.  your first triathlon - joe friel

and started in 2011, but finished in 2012... (19.) shutter island.

so i finished 16 books for the challenge!!! (!!)  pdg.  want to know what i thought of the books i read in 2011?  you can find it all right here.  now it's on to 2012....

dressember week 4: (december 25-31)

i slacked a little the last couple weeks of dressember because of our traveling, but nevertheless, here's the last week of dressember.  lots of fun- but not good for midwest winters!  sorry it's up so late too...  we have family coming next week for ian's birthday and it's time we finish unpacking....

week 4:

day 16- december 25

sorry, we all slept in one room- messy!

cardigan- forever 21

dress- modcloth

tights- target

shoes- old navy

day 17: december 29

cardigan- forever 21
dress- modcloth
tights- target
flats- old navy

day 18: december 31

yep, i'm  in the bathroom... only place to escape in a house w\ 17 other people....
cardigan- target
dress- hale bob vintage via rue la la
tights- target
flats- loft

well, that was fun.  18 days out of 31 isn't bad when you're chasing a toddler around...  i'd prefer warmer weather for this though- my legs nearly froze!!

so, here's the wrap up...

mommy reads: water for elephants

water for elephants

i'm so glad i was able to end 2011 on a good note as far as reading goes.  there have definitely been some ups & downs this year, but this was definitely a high.  

jacob jankowski is a 23 year old vet student at cornell only days away from taking his finals and joining his father's practice.  however, his parents are tragically killed in a car accident and jacob learns that his father mortgaged their home (this is right after the stock market crash) to send jacob to school and he is left with nothing.  jacob is so overcome with grief, that he walks out on his exams and just starts walking- when a train comes by, he jumps it, not knowing how much his life is about to change.  jacob has jumped a train belonging to the benzini brothers circus.  he gets a permanent job by telling the ringmaster & animal trainer that he is a veterinarian.  trouble begins to brew though when jacob falls in love with marlena- the star of the show and wife of animal trainer august.  the story is told in flashbacks by jacob at the age of ninety, or ninety-three.  

sara gruen is a wonderful writer and the story kept me entertained from start to finish.  i also saw the movie and really enjoyed it.  it doesn't hurt that it stars rob pattinson- but i thought it was a good interpretation of the book.  a major character was morphed into another character, which took away from some of the story, but in the end was probably the best thing for the movie.  i'd recommend both.  charming story

book 4/5, movie 4/5.

mommy reads: dear john

dear john

i think i've reached my limit of nicholas sparks books. first i read the notebook- the 2 main characters die together at the end (sad, but happy b\c they loved each other so much), then i read a walk to remember- sad because the girl dies at the end when she's only 18.  then i read dear john.  surprisingly, no one died at the end, but i wanted to kill myself for reading another nicholas sparks book....  read on... unless you're going to read this at some point (which i've already advised you not to)... in which you shouldn't because... spoiler alert.

john tyree bad boy turned soldier meets savannah curtis while on r&r.  she's a college student building houses for habitat with a bunch of other college students, including her friend tim, who happens to be in love with her.  they immediately fall in love- but john's only home for 2 weeks.  savannah also meets john's reclusive, distant father, who she diagnoses with asperger's, much to john's dismay.  john happens to pay more attention to his father after this though and realizes savannah is probably right.  john's father is a big time coin collector, and he used to collect with his dad until they got into a huge fight about it.  after the 2 weeks john goes back to germany and they write letters to each other.  everything's going to work out though because john's time in the army is almost up- but did i mention they met in the summer of 2001?  oops.  well, john decides to reenlist after 9-11 adding another 2 years on- but him & savannah continue to write letters.  he comes home to visit again, and you can tell there is distance between him.  john gets sent to war (i swear i thought he would die, but he doesn't) and while he's gone he gets a real "dear john" letter- savannah is breaking up with him b\c she's in love with someone else.  john reenlists again, but is soon called home b\c his father is sick.  his father dies eventually and john comes home to settle his estate.  while at home he decides to pay savannah a visit, it's there he learns that she has married tim and they are the caretakers of tim's brother alan b\c tim's parent died in a car accident.  tim is no where to be found though... but wait... the next day savannah takes john to see tim- he has lymphoma and really needs expensive experimental treatment that insurance won't cover.  it's obvious that savannah is still in love with john, and we know john still loves savannah, but john leaves, sells his father's entire coin collection (except for one) and anonymously donates all of the money to tim.  in the end, we find out that tim took well to treatment and is going to live.  

seriously?!  all i could think about when she dumped him (in the middle of a war, no less) was that she was such a rotten b.  then, she halfway tries to seduce him, and then he sells his father's entire coin collection and donates it just so her husband will live.  the husband that she fell in love with while they were still together...  

the movie was a completely different story... literally.  it should have been entitled "dear john (very) loosely based on the book dear john."  i mean, some of the details were the same, but so much of it was different- if you don't like the details of a book- then don't make a movie "based" on it.  

disappointments, both of them.  

book 2/5, movie 1/5. 

mommy reads: push

push

i wanted to read the novel push by sapphire after hearing about the movie adaptation "precious" that came out in 2009.  i read the book once back in 2009, but just recently got around to seeing the movie- so i wanted to re-read the book to refresh me before viewing the film.  

precious jones is 16 years old, and pregnant with her 2nd child- by her own father.  she's illiterate, abused by her mother, and has just been kicked out of school for being pregnant.  her principal sets her up in an alternative school where her teacher sees precious not just as another casualty of harlem and the system, but as a person with an opportunity to become somebody. 

this book is a hard read.  it's written from the point of view of precious and i guess you could call that a ghetto dialect.  you must remember that although she has gone to school, that she is for the most part, uneducated.  if you can read through the dialect, then the book is a pretty "easy" read...  the novel is short (less than 200 pages).  you begin through precious's thoughts and dialogue with people around her, and by the end you are reading through her writing.  what makes this a tough read is the actual words and nature of the story.  precious explains her sexual, verbal and physical abuse in very graphic detail- it's hard to stomach, and hard to believe that people actually go through things like that in life.  that people are hurt by those they trust the most.  hurt by those who were put on this earth to be their protectors.  precious goes to show that despite your past, you can pick yourself back up and work to have a successful life, despite whatever plans the "system" may have for you.  so as painful as the book is to read, you're definitely cheering for precious to pick herself up and get her life together- and what's in store for precious will definitely have you cheering!

the movie is equally painful to watch in that you actually see the abuse with your eyes, but it can't touch the book in getting into the innermost thoughts of precious.  it also doesn't give you as deep of a look into precious's journey to literacy and her journaling with her teacher, blue rain.  

overall, i enjoyed both.  great read, despite the heavy subject matter.  award-winning film.  

book 4/5.  movie 4/5

mommy reads: eat pray love

eat pray love

as with any very popular novel there is a line drawn- people who love the book- and people who hate the book.  with me and epl- i would say i'm somewhere in the middle.  this is my 2nd time reading elizabeth gilbert's memoir chronicling her year long travels in italy, india & indonesia following her divorce.  the book begins with gilbert filing for divorce.  she never mentions the reasons behind her divorce (and they're no one's business but her own), but from the way she describes it, it definitely doesn't paint her in a good light.  she basically walks out of her marriage and into the arms of another man (that she meets after filing for divorce)- so basically she leaves her marriage without even trying to fix it, and rebounds into an even more tumultuous relationship.  basically, she's a walking disaster.  after her & her boyfriend split again, and she meets a medicine man while traveling for work in bali (who tells her she'll return one day)- she decides to take a year away from everything to travel- to italy to experience pleasure, to india to experience spiritual life and to indonesia to balance the two.  

gilbert is a wonderful writer- she's funny, self-depreciating, and she makes you feel like you're there with her experiencing everything.  her book is split into 3 books- italy, india, and indonesia, and each of those books is split into 36 stories.  in italy i'm dreaming of eating the pizza she eats and describes with such detail that you're drooling on the pages, in india, i'm feeling the frustration at reciting the gurugita, and in bali i'm falling in love.  gilbert really is a fabulous story teller, but sometimes you just sit there thinking "i don't feel sorry for you-  you got yourself into this mess."  other times you're thinking that gilbert must have the best luck in the entire world- and all the money to be able to travel (even though she was supposed to have lost it all).  the book is definitely worth the read for the story gilbert tells, but don't expect a life-changer.

the movie stars julia roberts as gilbert, james franco as david (her new boyfriend), richard jenkins as richard from texas, and javier bardem as felipe (her boyfriend/future husband).  felipe is actually in his 50's when he and gilbert meet (a father of grown children), yet bardem is younger than roberts...  the movie hit on some of the highlights of the book, but could never come close to telling all the stories.  it fell way short of the book, but not of my expectations b\c i honestly didn't expect much from it.

book 3.5/5.  movie 2/5

mommy reads: breaking dawn

since it's taking me for-ev-er to re-read epl, i thought i'd go ahead & do my review of breaking dawn since the movie just came out on friday.

i feel like it took me forever to read this book.  i enjoyed it, but it was really long, really, really long.  here's the rundown:  bella finally marries edward, they have sex, bella gets pregnant w\ a half-vampire.  vampire babies can't exist, the volturi comes to kill the vampire baby, there's a huge fight.  the end.  i enjoyed the book- long but solid.  good way to end it- you can't go on and do these forever.

dave & i saw breaking dawn part 1 at the midnight showing friday morning.  i know there are so many people who hate the books, movies, etc.  i look at it like this: there are books and movies you take seriously, and the rest are just for fun.  this is my just for fun.  i can read the book and feel like i'm on a little break for a couple hours a day.  i can watch the movie, enjoy it whilst laughing at the bad acting & silly dialogue.  do i enjoy the movies?  yes.  are they oscar-worthy?  never.

i really liked the movie.  dave hated it- that's to be expected.  it set things up perfectly for part 2 without leaving a cliffhanger that leaves you dying for the next year.  edward is a total hottie & bella's wedding dress is gorgeous.  this movie was basically a set-up for the final movie- and that's where the real stuff will happen.

did you see breaking dawn?

book 3/5.  movie 3/5.

mommy reads: the help

the help

sometimes after you have a baby you're a little late to the game of what is cool and what's not.  that was me and the help.  i had not even heard of the book until the movie came out, and i really didn't know much about the movie either.  dave & i were lucky enough to go on a movie date for our anniversary!  we weren't really impressed with anything that was playing, but we saw the help and dave said that was one that he thought he wouldn't mind seeing.  best choice ever.  so i saw the movie before i read the book- and i was in love with the movie.  my heart was just broken- i can't count how many times i cried, nor can i count how many times i laughed.  

the help takes place in segregated jackson, mississippi in 1962.  elizabeth, hilly & skeeter are the best of friends.  skeeter is home, fresh from ole miss with big plans for a career in journalism; while elizabeth & hilly left school early to marry & have babies.  they are now leading the "ideal" life of a southern woman.  aibileen & minny are maids for elizabeth & hilly's mother, respectively. after hilly comes up with the home help sanitation initiative, skeeter begins to grow uncomfortable with the way her friends treat their help.  she wonders how these women feel about working for white women while someone else raises their own children.  skeeter has the idea to write a book from the viewpoint of the help.  of course, this needs to be done in secret because of the times.  the book is split into stories from these 3 women, and each is told from their point of view.

all i can say is that you need to see the book, and the movie.  i know it's a fictionalized version of what was going on during the civil rights movement, but i'm sure there are elements of truth within it.  there are moments of sadness, and moments of joy.  just read it.

the movie is just as good.  there are little bits that are different, that were changed to make the movie flow better, but overall, it stays true to the book, and for that, i loved it.  

book 5/5.  movie 5/5.

mommy reads: something borrowed

i decided to read something borrowed again because i had just forced my way through between a rock & a hard place, and i needed an easy read.  that and the fact that we had the movie saved on our dvr from a bunch of expiring free ppv movies.  it wasn't really a movie i wanted to see, but we were out of options and time was running out.  i read this book and its sequel, something blue many years ago.  spoiler:  i liked something blue WAY more than i liked something borrowed...  here's the review...

rachel & darcy have been best friends since childhood.  shy, "plain" rachel busted her butt through law school and now hates her job as an attorney for a large firm in nyc.  boisterous and gorgeous darcy has skated by through life on her looks, has a fabulous job & a gorgeous fiancee.  on the eve of rachel's 30th bday, darcy throws her a surprise party, where rachel ends up sleeping with darcy's fiancee.  she thinks it's just a fling, but neither of them can forget... but the question rachel has for dex is will he or won't he call off his engagement to darcy to be with rachel.... 

i have a few problems.  the book is a good book, but the entire premise of it is a girl who basically steals her best friend's fiancee, and then spends the rest of the novel trying to justify it by remembering all the bad things darcy has ever done to her in  their lives and only seeing the negative personality traits of her supposed best friend.  sure, darcy is shallow, egotistical and self-centered, but does that mean that she deserves to be cheated on by the 2 people she trusts the most?  and yes, the ending does have a twist, which the "heroine" uses to further justify her case... but still.  no.  everyone in this novel needs a good, loud wake up call.  i mean, you find yourself cheering for rachel & dex- they're in love, they had a missed connection years ago when they attended law school together (it was rachel who introduced him to darcy in the first place), but just because you knew him first doesn't make a difference- it doesn't give you the right.  in the end, no one wins.  including me for reading it again.  so although the story has no moral value, but you can't help but kind of like it.  i'm torn.  but seriously, if you take time to read this book- read the sequel- it's definitely better.  hint:  darcy's the heroine.

the movie wasn't much better.  kate hudson plays darcy, which i can totally see- BUT i have a problem when actors don't even physically resemble the characters they're playing.  darcy was supposed to be a tanned brunette- and kate hudson is not that.  i also think kate hudson was pregnant when this was filmed- b\c she totally has pregnant face.  there were also characters missing, and total story changes.  john krasinski was a welcome addition to the movie although his character was a minor part of the novel (look for him more in the 2nd book (and film, apparently)).  also, i can't ever decide if i think ginnifer goodwin is cute, or annoys me to no end.  same with kate hudson.  skip it.

book:  2.5\5.  movie 1\5. 

sad times.  all our books have been packed for our move and i can't find them.  nooooooooooooo!

itasca's oktoberfast 2011 5k

as i'm sure you know, dave & i became triathletes this summer.  we've been training since february and did a race in july and another in august.  at the end of august we went to see my family in georgia.  we have been back for 3 weeks now and things at the gym haven't been going well.  we haven't been in the pool since we were at my grandparent's house, and we have only been to the gym together maybe twice in those 3 weeks.  luckily, dave rides his bike 2 nights a week from home, and i have been taking ian and going to the gym during the day.  we really hoped to squeeze in one more triathlon before the season ended, but the weather in illinois has not been above 70 since we've been home...  and this is the last weekend of triathlon season... so.... guess we'll start again next year!  

so.... i think it was me who had the brilliant idea... let's do a 5k!!!  it'll be SO fun!  i have ran 2 5ks in my entire life-  1.  sophomore year cheerleading camp.  2.  schaumburg triathlon.  both of these had similar results.  i'm not a runner.  i don't love it.  i don't get a "runner's high."  i don't like it.  but what will i be doing at 9 am saturday morning you ask?  running a 5k.  why?  why?  maybe it was the promise of free beer & brats after the race (wait, i don't even like beer!)  maybe it was the free goodies (those are always nice).  whatever it is, i'm crazy... and i'll be running a 5k saturday morning.  not sure if dave & i are running  together or not.  it is fun to have someone to run with, but i definitely would just be holding him back...  we'll see.  so please send luck, prayers, and well wishes this way.  i certainly need them!!!

results on monday?  yes!

mommy reads: between a rock and a hard place bka: 127 hours

i am not an outdoorsy person.  sure, i love sports, staying active, and being outside.  however, i do not really seem to care for outdoor activities.  i've never skied or snowboarded.  i don't go rock climbing (unless it's a wall), i don't hike or camp.  it's just not something that i enjoy.  lots of people love all these things- they thrive off of that kind of stuff.  this book is for you.  now, i'm not saying that i didn't love this book because i'm not the outdoor type- but it definitely pushed me toward enjoying it less.  

most people have seen 127 hours by now- if you  haven't, then you probably at least know the outcome- if you don't, well, it was national news once, so don't consider this a spoiler.  in the movie, aron ralston is canyoneering when he jars a rock loose, which tumbles down with him, pinning his arm to the wall and trapping him.  by a miracle of God, he manages to survive for 6 days with no sleep & hardly any food or water in a remote part of utah, before making the gut wrenching decision to cut his arm off, or die.  i loved this movie.  the movie is so realistic & really gets you.  highly recommended.  

the book on the other hand....  i'm not one to say this...  but the book is a case of aron ralston finally getting what was coming to him.  the book alternated between ralston's time stuck in the canyon & the experiences he had before the accident, and what led him to where he was.  he was an idiot.  although ralston was very good at and very experienced in what he did- he was egotistical - and it nearly cost him his life.  i just kept reading through chapter after chapter shaking my head saying "what an idiot!"  seriously, this guy is lucky to be alive, and unfortunately learned his lesson the hard way.  the book definitely takes away the sympathy you have after watching the movie.  it took me 2 attempts and over a month to read this book- a struggle.  i'll be going for any easy read next to cleanse my mind...

book: 1.5/5 stars.  movie 4/5 stars

mommy reads: the twilight saga- eclipse

i just finished eclipse heading into this weekend which puts me at 3 books in 3 weeks... and not just any 3 books, 3 somewhat long books.  i'm out of control... sorta like a newborn vampire- which is funny becaus eclipse starts off with seattle being hit by a string of murders- murders that the cullen clan believe are the results of newborns.  as far as the main characters go- eclipse picks up right where new moon left off.  edward has asked bella to marry him, but she's still torn between him (who she knows she really loves) and jacob.  i have to say, i wasn't really big on the love triangle aspect.  in fact, i'm pretty sure if i told my husband i loved him most and would pick him, but was still in love with someone else... i think he'd tell me to hit the road.  ijs.  so, i wasn't a big fan of that, but i did enjoy the further development of the story leading us closer to bella becoming a vampire- which included her high school graduation, and the ultimatum that she gives edward that finally brings them to an agreement over marrying/changing.  i ended up watching the movie before i started the book though, and i really enjoyed the movie as well.  is there a team jasper?  because, sign me up for that ish.  so overall, i loved both, but they just left me waiting on pins & needles for breaking dawn!  woot!

movie/book 3.5/5!

mommy reads: new moon

well, i am so relieved to know that i'm not the only 30 year old woman who is addicted to twilight in the movie & book form and drools over robert pattinson.  i mean, i could have a cardboard cutout of him in my guest bedroom, but i don't.... sadly.  ;)

i finished the 2nd book in the twilight saga- new moon in record time compared to the 1st.  i am averaging a book per week- and that is a record for me at this stage in my life.  i finished the 1st book, and immediately wanted to see the movie, and then i watched the 1st movie and wanted to see the next 2.  so i had a twilathon and then i started new moon.  i already knew new moon would be probably be my least favorite book b\c the movie is pretty depressing, because and robert pattinson isn't in the majority of it.  he's replaced in hotness by taylor lautner, but i'm definitely not team jacob, plus taylor lautner is still a teenager.  it just isn't the same.  so, i knew i had this to look forward to in the book....

new moon starts with bella swan crying doom & gloom over her 18th (omg, she's so old) birthday.  now she's officially 1 year older than her vampire boyfriend, edward cullen.  when she attends a party thrown for her by the cullens, she gets a paper cut while opening a gift and is almost attacked by edward's brother jasper, who is the newest to the vegetarian vampire lifestyle.  because of this, and his desire to protect her at all costs- edward lies to bella, telling her he doesn't love her anymore and that he has to leave with his family, and bella is just dumb enough to believe him.  bella becomes a walking ad for prozac, until she finally decides to become an adrenaline junkie with the help of her friend and soon to be werewolf, who happens to be in love with her, jacob black.  i'll leave it at that. 

i did enjoy the book, i just didn't enjoy it as much as the 1st.  it was a little slow-moving with poor bella being in her depressed state, and i was just thinking in my head the entire time- oh, just reunite with your true love edward already!  the book was a very dark time for bella- if you've had your heart broken, you may relate to how bella felt when edward left- especially if you think of it from the perspective of an 18 year old.  by the end, i was just ready to see bella (and edward) happy again and reunited.

regarding the movie.  you ask, how can you make a 2nd twilight movie with very little robert pattinson? well, taylor lautner finally sheds the horrible wig, shreds out some abs and loses most of his clothes when he joins the gang of jorts-wearing, shirtless werewolves.  his character helps carry the movie during the absence of rp.  overall, i enjoyed it, b\c i'm a twilight freak now.  le sigh.

book & movie: 3/5

have you entered my baby gourmet giveaway yet?  hop to it!

mommy reads: ::sigh:: twilight

yes, believe it or not, this is still melissa.  no one is holding my blog hostage in order to write an entry about twilight.  sadly, i read it myself.  if you know me very well, you know that i am not really into the science fiction/fantasy type stuff.  i am very anti- vampire/witch/wizard/zombie/your choice of scary entity here.  i have not read any henry porter books, nor do i want to.  i did not watch buffy.  i don't particularly care for lord of the rings.  nor do i see the appeal.  i have felt the same way about twilight from the get go.  laughing at it, and anyone else who liked it.  things were going so well in my twilightless life....

rewind back:  sunday, july 31, 2011.  dave & i had gone out the night before with friends for our birthdays.  ian stayed w\ dave's dad, so we stayed the night there too.  it was late when we got back, and didn't want to sneak into bed w\ ian sleeping in the pnp, so we decided to sleep in the basement.  dave had hockey practice the next morning, and the basement bedroom stays pitch black all day, so i was really shocked when dave called and it was after 10 and ian was still asleep.  we were going to meet dave's dad for breakfast, so i wanted ian to sleep as long as he could so he wouldn't be immediately hungry & cranky upon waking up.  i was bored and my phone doesn't have service on the nightstand.  there were a few books sitting there.  one happened to be twilight.  i picked it up and looked at it for a while, and thought, "i'll read this until dave gets here and then i'll hide it way and never touch it again."  so i read a chapter or 2 and dave was back.  i put the book down quickly, he comes in and this conversation ensues:

d:  what have you been doing
m:  nothing
d: what's that look for
m:  i've been reading twilight, and i like it, who am i?!

so, i read the book.  and i liked it.  and then i watched the 1st movie. and before you know it, it's thursday (today) and i've seen all 3 movies and have read 2 of the books.  seriously.  who am i?!  we've had this conversation every day this week.  have you ever had something that you really really loved, but you wanted to keep it a secret b\c you were embarrassed about it.  for me, that was nsync about 12 years ago....  now it's twilight.  gah.  you probably want a review at least... 

"i'm the world's best predator, aren't i?  everything about me invites you in- my voice, my face, even my smell.  as if i need any of that!  as if you could outrun me.  as if you could fight me off."

what can i really say about twilight?  the books aren't going to be winning a pulitzer for writing, obviously.  they are intended for young adults, and it's a story about young adults.  a romance story with suspense thrown in.  for me, i loved it, even if it hurts me to type that.  the story goes:  bella swan moves to forks, washington to live with her dad.  the first day of school she notices the most beautiful boy she's ever seen, but he seems totally put off by her.  she's intrigued.  they forge a reluctant (on his part) friendship and fall in love with each other.  one catch- he's a vampire, and she's "just his brand of heroin."  it sounds really silly typing it out, and it is, but i can't help it- the book was really enjoyable.  i enjoyed the book more in that it was detailed more than the movie, but i enjoyed the movie for its visual aspects.  i think you know what i mean (team edward).  this coming from someone who really doesn't find rob pattinson incredibly attractive. 

seriously, if i even say anything else, i'm going to need someone to slap me to make sure i'm still myself.  and that is a 30 year old with a kid.  not a 17 year old who is obsessed with vampires.  whatever.

4/5 stars.  only because i can't see edward when i'm reading the book.  same for the movie- only b\c it left out details and i kept having to stop & explain things to dave.  that's right.


*by the way, i get that twilight was cool like 5 years ago, so i'm way behind on that bandwagon...

mommy reads: the virgin suicides

i don't know what led me to want to read this book, but i'm glad i did.  i saw this movie back in college- but i fell asleep and i don't remember anything about it, so i guess i didn't see it...  

the virgin suicides is a story is narrated by an anonymous group of narrators- teenage boys, now adults who went to school and were neighbors of the lisbon family.  the story follows the year of the suicides among the lisbon girls and how their deaths affected their entire neighborhood.  

what i loved about this book is was the descriptive narration.  it really just made the book.  you actual felt like you were living in the neighborhood and apart of the tragedy.  i really enjoy it when you read a book and the book actually takes you there.  where you feel you're so much apart of the story that you can see the house the girls live in, and feel their silent pain.  

i'd definitely recommend this book.  it took me a little bit of time to get into, but i think that's mostly because we've been so busy around here.  i think anyone would enjoy it.  the book doesn't dwell too much on the morbidity of the suicides themselves, but there are still depressing aspects.  i can't imagine a person feeling so much pain that the only way out would be to end their own life, but it's obviously a way many people feel.  

4/5

have you entered my giveaway yet?  get on it!

mommy reads: carrie

go me.  i have finished yet another book.  which probably explains why i have had little time for anything else.  my email inbox is a mess, i haven't been reading my favorite blogs.  just books. 

carrie is probably my favorite horror movie.  i prefer my thriller/horror movies to be more on the side of creepy/funny rather than bloody/gutty.  and carrie has just enough unintentional humor for me to enjoy it.  

carrie was written in 1974 by stephen king- his first published novel.  it also is one of the most commonly banned books in school.  carrie was adapted into a movie in 1976- which is one of the most popularly watched movies by teens on halloween.   sissy spacek and piper laurie were both nominated for academy awards for their performances! 

ok, i'll say it now.  i enjoyed the movie better than the book on this one.  the book was a little hard to follow with its style of writing- which is written through narration + the use of book excerpts, magazine articles and interviews.  the movie stays pretty true to the book, but there are parts of the story that aren't included and new parts added in.  the biggest difference is in prom night.  surprisingly, the book is WAY more violent than the movie.  shocker.  i don't know if i didn't enjoy the book as much just b\c i already knew how much i loved the movie.  i guess it's scarier to see something than to read about it!  if you haven't read the book, you're probably fine either way, but you should definitely see the movie- even if you don't like scary movies!

book:  2.5/5.  movie 4.5/5

mommy reads: the lovely bones

i picked up this book to read in 2009 after we first moved up here.  i was bored and pregnant and needed something to do.  i really enjoyed the book and i've been wanting to see the movie since it came out- we rented it last weekend and i decided to reread the book.  in a week.  i'm impressed with myself.

susie salmon (like the fish) is raped and murdered by her creepy neighbor in december 1973.  with the exception of a little introduction, susie is basically dead for the entire story which makes for very interesting subject matter.  ever wonder how your friends and family would carry on after your death?  the rest of the book follows susie's friends, family and her killer as she looks down on all of them from her heaven.  her sister, forever living in susie's shadow, her brother too young to understand, her father overcome with grief, her mother pretending like nothing ever happened, her killer fooling everyone.  

i won't go too much into detail because i don't want to give away what happens.  i can image that a lot of people may not like this book based on the way it ends- i thought the ending was fitting though- ending any other way would have just dragged things out.  eventually everyone, even susie is able to move on from her death.  i know this review seems vague, but really- i just don't want to give too much away.

i also saw the movie.  definitely not as good as the book.  being that the majority of the book is looking down on earth from heaven- it's just kind of hard to portray in a movie.  plus, the book is almost 300 pages long- a lot of stuff just didn't make the cut.  i thought saoirse ronan was perfectly cast as susie, susan sarandon made a perfect grandma lynn, and stanley tucci made mr. harvey even creepier than i thought possible. 

if you're going to see the movie- you should definitely read the book.  much better.

book:  4/5

movie:  2.5/5

reading more

i haven't posted my "resolutions" post yet, but one of those is to read more...  

i'm going to participate in the page to screen reading challenge over @ reading-extensively.  thanks to little sprout growing for sharing this challenge. 

i'm going to start with level one- 5 books, i can do that- right?  i'll let you know when/if i'm ready to move on!

i haven't picked my books yet though- but i'll let you know when i do!