Books Into Movies Challenge Wrap-Up

I completed the Books Into Movies Challenge - although there were really on two books required, I set a goal of 10 and read 12. I like to read the book before watching the movie so this was quite easy for me. Here's my final list:

1 The Christmas Jars - Jason F. Wright (completed 1/01/09)
2 The Reader - Bernard Schlink (completed 1/02/09)
3 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts (completed 1/05/09)
4 Blindness - José Saramago (completed 1/11/09)
5 Confessions of a Shopoholic - Sophie Kinsella (completed 2/02/09)
6 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo (completed 3/06/09)
7 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne (completed 3/07/09)
8 Stardust - Neil Gaiman (completed 3/22/09)
9 The City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau (completed 4/13/09)
10 Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson (completed 6/08/09)
11 I Love You, Beth Cooper - Larry Doyle (completed 6/12/09)
12 Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (completed 6/14/09)

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. See Nick’s ex-girlfriend just walked into the club where Nick’s band is playing... with a new guy. So Nick thinks that if the girl sitting next to him at the bar (Norah) will just act like his girlfriend for a couple of minutes - he’ll be able to avoid that whole "I can’t live without you" scene with the ex. Nick was definitely not expecting Norah’s reaction to his question, since she grabs him and plants a big, juicy wet one on him. That one kiss is the beginning of their adventure that takes place throughout one crazy night in the Manhattan underground punk scene... a car that won’t start, writing a song while sitting on the curb, bar hopping, chasing Where’s Fluffy?, a jacket once owned by Salvatore, and eventually two kids who just wanna be themselves and be liked for who they are.

I know nothing about punk music, only a tad about Manhattan (since I’ve only been there once), yet I still managed to fall in love with this book. The writing is phenomenal - especially the dialogue - clever and witty, yet still touchingly real. It was funny and had depth and heart. You really felt for these two people and felt like you could know them in real life. Their mutual love for music is really explained and you feel it through the writing. The story is told in the first person switching back and forth each chapter between Nick and Norah's point of view. I found myself relating more to Nick than to Norah, he was more reserved and maybe even a little naive. Norah I found I couldn't really relate to so much, but she was still a very funny and likeable character.

I actually read this book before I saw the movie. If you’ve seen the movie and haven’t read the book because of this, you should definitely read the book. They are two different entities with some similarities. They are both good in their own way so this is one I’ll have to say: "Don’t judge a book by its movie."

All in all, I love the idea of this book. It is entertaining, funny and heartwarming. I can definitely see myself reading this over and over - and enjoying it the same, or more, every time.

I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

Denis Cooverman - class valedictorian, captain of the debate team and your all-around nerd is standing on stage, sweating profusely and giving his graduation speech when he decides to live on the edge and says:

"I love you, Beth Cooper."

Yep, in front of his 500+ classmates and their relatives.

Beth Cooper - head cheerleader, most popular and the hottest girl in school has only the vaguest idea of who Denis is. They’ve been in the same classes their whole lives but Denis has always sat behind her in class and never actually uttered a word to her. When Beth agrees to “maybe” make it to a graduation party Denis spontaneously decides to throw, little does he know that Beth has a very big, muscular boyfriend in town on furlough from the United States Army who is not very happy about his “creative” speech.

I was looking for a book that would make me laugh and was not serious whatsoever and definitely found it in "I Love You, Beth Cooper." This is the classic tale of the nerd loving the most beautiful girl in school - in a “day in the life of” scenario. It took me back and captured that high school surreal feeling of social status and angst. It's like Return of the Nerds, where the nerds become semi-cool, get the girl, and realize that there's more to life outside the world of high school and all its pettiness.

This is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. Any book that quotes characters from some of the funniest movies of all time has to be funny! And the comics were just hilarious. I will confess, I actually bought the book because I skimmed through it and was laughing at how funny the illustrations were.

If you’re in the mood for something fast-paced and highly-entertaining then this is definitely your book.

The movie comes out this summer - here's the trailer.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda Sordino starts her freshman year in high school as an outcast. She was just like any other kid in eighth grade, she was popular and had many friends, but there was a problem over the summer. While attending a party with some friends, Melinda ended up having to call the police. Now her friends won’t talk to her and most of the kids in her school know she’s the one who made the call so they shun her as well. The story takes place throughout Melinda’s school year as we see how her silence deteriorates her and eventually comes out at the end with redemption and the courage to speak the truth.

I thought it was neat how truly immersed in Melinda's mind you are but at the same time you still are not able to see the whole story at once. This is a powerful novel, and readers can enjoy both Melinda's wry humor and her heart-wrenching pain. The metaphors and symbolism add to the richness, but the primary attraction is Melinda herself - you become one with her and I found that I cared deeply for her and ached for her sadness. Although most girls will not be able to relate to Melinda directly, her tale is one that needs to be told. She is a survivor and a heroine and a voice that every young girl should learn from.

This was a very unique coming-of-age story but, more importantly, the author addresses issues that are difficult to discuss (I won’t go further into these issues as I don’t want to give any of the story away). If you enjoy books with a strong message, creative writing, and an intriguing plot than Speak will be the book for you.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Doon and Lina are two teenagers who live in a city called Ember. A city built by "The Builders" using an underground river to power their generator which runs all their lights and storerooms filled to the brim with all their daily necessities - light bulbs, clothes, canned goods, etc. - that should last them forever. Well, sadly forever is here and their generator keeps breaking down and causing flickering lights and blackouts through the city that last longer and longer each time. There are also scary rumors of their storerooms being empty.

As the residents of Ember start becoming aware of their city’s dire situation and the mayor’s lack of providing them with a solution, they all start to realize that it is only a matter of time before the city will go dark permanently. As the townfolk begin to worry, Lina finds a very intricate box in one of her closets but sadly her little sister, Poppy, has chewed up the paper that was inside. So it is up to Lina and Doon to decipher this message that is mysteriously written in the same handwriting used by "The Builders" when they provided the city with their books on rules to live by. Together they will piece clues to lead the population out of the dark and into the light.

I know I'm a little old to read this book, but maybe that is what makes this book stand out and get noticed. This tale was able to hold my attention almost two decades after middle school, which I believe is the focal age group for this book.

This book will make you hold your breath in anticipation every step of the way. You'll cheer for the main characters and good folk of Ember. Ms. DuPrau’s description of this world is brilliant and you can picture the crumbling city as you read the book.

The story is full of mystery, adventure, great characters, and vivid descriptions. It plays with themes of light and dark. A fun, easy read that pulls you in from the very first chapter and will keep you hooked until the very last page! This book is very well written and I whole-heartedly recommend it to young and old alike.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

When Tristran Thorn is sent on a quest to find a falling star by his ladylove Victoria Forrester, little did he know of the magical adventure that would ensue.

After falling in love with the film, and being acquainted with other Gaiman works over the past year, I had high expectations for this novel. But sadly, I must confess, I actually liked the film better - which was quite a surprise to me. Don’t take me wrong, I enjoyed this book immensely, but the film just left out some of the irrelevant characters (i.e. stepmother and sister storyline) and brought a more comedic side to some of the more obscure characters in the book (i.e. Captain Shakespeare, the dead brothers, etc.).

Mr. Gaiman’s writing style had a marvelous balance between melodic poetics and simplistic ease in his sentence structure and wordsmithery.

Stardust swept me away on a magical journey full of dark humor, love and adventure. It was a surprisingly modern and moving fairy tale about finding the missing part of ourselves hidden "behind the wall". Witches, pirates, and a love story... what more can you ask for in a fairytale. It just goes to show that fairytales are definitely not just for children.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

The story is told through the point-of-view of Bruno, a 9 year-old boy who is sadly naive to what the situation in his country is. When Bruno’s family moves from Berlin, he leaves behind his three best friends and his beautiful 5-story home, making him a very unhappy young man. Bruno detests his new home at Out-With (Auschwitz). At Out-With there are no other children to play with other than his older (12) sister "who is a lost case" and the house only has 3-stories and barely any windows, not to mention they are somewhere in the country and not in a big city like he is used to. His family has to move after The Fury (The Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler) comes to dinner at their Berlin house with a beautiful blonde lady (Eva Braun) to give his father a promotion. At Bruno's new house he can't see all the way across Berlin from his window (like he did in his old home) but he can see into a "farm" surrounded by a tall barbed wire fence with lots of boys milling about. He becomes jealous of these boys because they have lots of friends to play with, and he doesn't, and they get to wear striped pajamas all day, every day, while he has to wear all this fancy clothes all the time. All these are examples of how naive Bruno is, which is beautiful and so sad at the same time.

As any 9 year old would, Bruno loves to explore. So, to keep himself occupied he begins exploring through their backyard. Through these daily adventures he eventually comes to a fence where he meets a young Jewish boy named Schmuel. Although Schmuel is on the other side of the fence, this does not deter the grand friendship that ensues.

I found it a bit shocking how the author mixed innocence with violence in a very peculiar way. The writing style is simple, yet profound. A quick read; because you will not want to put it down, and a heart wrenching ending that will keep you thinking long after you've finished the book. 

On a side note: I also saw this movie about two weeks ago and it does not disappoint. It stayed true to the book on almost everything. It was a little different at the end but it still got its point across. It's a touching story and one that you shouldn't miss out on.

He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

He’s Just Not That Into You is mainly written by self-proclaimed "bad guy" Greg Behrendt who was a consultant on the show "Sex and the City". He bluntly explains why men act the way they do and how women should interpret their actions. We also get the female version through Liz Tuccillo’s words (also a consultant for SATC). What I liked most about this book is that the authors never make the reader feel as if they have to change who they are in order to snag a guy. This book is about learning how to deal with the men in your relationships and realizing when the time has come to cut your losses and just move on.

Overall, a great insight into the way a man’s mind works and also a hilariously funny read. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions!

Although this book is a self-help book (which did not really apply to me), I can say that I learned one thing from it and that was to realize how much my husband was really into me when we were dating and still is after 10 years.

Some parts that I thought were great:

"My favorite innocent words and phrases that can be used for evil:
1. " I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you"
2. " Fear of Intimacy"
3. " Busy"
4. " Im not ready"
5. "Call me''
True meaning: He does not really like you!"

" Women don't need to plot, scheme, and beg to get someone to ask us out. We are fantastic."

A definite must read for any single girl out there that could use a little inside information and a push in the right direction.

Confessions of a Shopoholic by Sophie Kinsella

I can’t wait for the movie! I was in the mood for something light and funny - just some mind candy. I was reading all these deep, thought-provoking books all last month that I thought I was in need of a break - and I couldn’t have chosen anything better than Confessions of a Shopoholic.

Rebecca Bloomwood is 25, a writer for a magazine called Successful Savings, lives in a fab flat in a ritzy neighborhood, has all the latest clothes and fantastic, loveable rich friends - what more can a girl ask for right? Well, this would all be merry if it weren’t for the fact that she is in debt trying to live a life that she just can’t afford. Her troubles begin when she starts getting harassed by her loan creditors for repayment. Everyday more and more letters arrive requesting repayment and she is just too much of a shopoholic to stop all her frivolous spending.

Mostly the book deals with Rebecca trying to control her spending habits, but really only getting deeper and deeper in the hole. She is bored to death with her job and feels that no one in her industry respects her. She’s a bit naive at times and the way she thought through her difficulties was rather irrational and unrealistic, I thought. But her scenarios and situations where just so fun to read about that none of that bothered me. I was literally sitting there laughing out loud at times. When she thinks she’s going to win the lottery or she has to come up with the excuse of her "fake" aunt’s death - were totally hilarious. And the letters from her creditors with all the excuses of why she can’t make payments (i.e.: a broken leg, her dog died, glandular fever) - were roll on the floor funny.

So, if you’re in the mood for something fun and light - this is a great choice. Total fluff but just what I needed at this point.

Blindness by José Saramago

Firstly, I want to start by saying that this was one of the scariest books that I have ever read.

A city is hit by an epidemic of "white blindness" which spares no one. Authorities begin by quarantining the blind to an empty mental hospital, but there the criminal element holds everyone captive, stealing food rations and raping women. There is one eyewitness to this nightmare who guides seven strangers. I really liked the way that nobody in the story had a name (i.e.: the doctor, the doctor’s wife, the girl with the dark glasses, the man with the black eyepatch, the thief, the first blind man, the boy with the squint, etc.)... a blind person doesn’t need a name they are only a voice.

The writing style was a bit hard for me at first - there is no use of quotations throughout the whole story so it was a bit difficult to distinguish who was speaking- but I caught on quickly enough.

Saramago has a profound way of getting into the depths of human psychology. I found it to be difficult at times, but very thought provoking. What would you do? The world can no longer function as we know it and we are down to living in the streets and scavenging for food. It is an amazing look at humanity, kindness, and pure despair. I was addicted!

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

Novalee Nation is seventeen and seven months pregnant when the father of her child abandons her at a Walmart halfway across the nation from anyone she knows. The story of Novalie's life is so beautiful - she overcomes so many obstacles (from being abandoned by her mother as a child to living and giving birth in a Walmart, etc.) yet always looks on the brighter side. She goes through the good, bad, and ugly. I laughed and I cried. It just goes to show that friends can be just as much your family as those who are blood-related to you, sometimes they are even more so. Through Novalee the reader is introduced to a variety of lovable and eccentric characters who teach her that home truly is Where the Heart Is.

The Reader by Bernard Schlink

The Reader is the story of a young man's association with an older woman. It is the story of how relationships can affect and eventually structure our lives. Michael Berg (15 y/o) meats Hanna (36 y/o) and has a short but life-changing affair with her. Years later, he is a witness to her trial for crimes commited during the Holocaust.

Not for the squeamish, this book hits hard and will stay with you later. To oversimplify it, it comes down to one step affecting the next and the subsequent deterioration of moral structure.

I like the way it ruminates on the mixed feelings of guilt, enlightenment, culpability and self-righteousness of Germany’s second generation following the generation that perpetrated the Holocaust.

Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright

Keep some tissues on hand for this one. This was such a beautiful, poignant story with such a heart-warming message. This is the story of Hope - Hope Saunders that is. Hope is a journalist with one goal - to get one of her stories on the front page of her newspaper. On one fateful Christmas Eve, her home is burglarized and through her grief and anger she finds a bit of happiness - someone has left a jar on her porch filled to the brim with money. And thus, the story commences.

It is amazing how we do not realize what an infinite effect we can have on other peoples lives with small random acts of kindness. This story was so inspiring that we now have our own Christmas Jar. This is a quick read that is life-altering. Don’t miss this one!

Books into Movies Challenge

Obviously, the goal would be to read 2+ books that were made into movies (and, if possible, watch the movie). This can be Shakespeare's plays, Austen's novels (I'm sure some of you know the wonderful BBC movies?), or newer movies like The Wedding Date (after Liz Young's Asking For Trouble)! Actually, even He's Just Not That Into You would count, now that it is being made into a movie...

When? The challenge will start January 1, 2009 and end December 31, 2009.

How? The goal is to read 2+ books made into a movie or books that relate to TV series (Murder She Wrote and the likes).

If you're up for a shorter time frame to complete the challenge and want to do this challenge later in the year check out Callista's blog - sometime in August 2009 she should have infos on her challenge up!