Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’d love to see made into a movie

What are the top ten books you’d like to see made into a movie?

1. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel – If this turned into a movie, it would be total eye candy. The beautiful Victorian clothing. The high-tech, steampunk inspired gadgets of the year 2195. The special effect makeup of the zombies. And with an amazing storyline to boot, why hasn’t this hit theaters yet?

2. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry – I’d love if Rot & Ruin were turned into a movie. I think it would be a nice contrast to the zombie flicks that are already on the market. The movies have the initial outbreak covered. We see the hysteria, the head shots, and the gore time and time again. But, to see a movie that shows what life is like after a society has been ravaged by monsters would be interesting! Plus, I’d love to see my two favorite characters, Lost Girl and Nix, brought to life on the big screen. Oh, and that villainous Motor City Hammer too.

3. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer – I’m actually kind of baffled this hasn’t been made into a movie yet. I mean, it’s an action packed, sci-fi/fantasy adventure. I read somewhere Colfer described his books as Die Hard with Fairies, which could totally be true if Bruce Willis’s character was a criminal mastermind instead of a police officer.

4. The Candidates The Talents (Delcroix Academy series) by Inara Scott – So, maybe Dancia isn’t a superhero yet, but I kind of get the feeling she’ll be using her powers more in the books that follow. Superhero movies have been popular lately, but how many of them have a female main character?

5. Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage – This was one of my favorite reads of 2011, so of course I’ve gotta add it to this list. I loved the world Annastaysia Savage created; it was both beautiful and full of creatures with unique personalities.

6. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor – The story itself is a unique twist on Alice in Wonderland. But, it’s the visuals that made me decide to put this book on the list. In the middle of my book there are illustrations of some of the characters in the book, and they are so beautiful. If the movie’s art inspiration were anything like the illustrations I saw, the movie would be stunning.

7. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson – I’ll be honest, this isn’t one of my favorite books, but I’d still love to see this as a movie. I mean, she treks across Europe for goodness sake! Whoever would land the role of playing Ginny would be one lucky gal.

8. Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger – Throughout high school, this was one of my all-time favorite books. The characters and the struggles they endured were real enough in the story, but I’d still love to see this in movie form.

9. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly – This is one part coming-of-age story and one part murder mystery. Unlike most books that made it on my list, this book won’t have special effects. But, it doesn’t need them because it’s just a good story all around.

10. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall – Do you remember those nostalgic feelings you got when you watched The Sandlot even if you didn’t grow up in the 1960s? I kind of get the feeling The Penderwicks would evoke those feelings of nostalgia too. Except without baseball. Between the unique characters and the summertime, cottage setting, The Penderwicks would be a sweet and feel-good, family film.

What do you think? What books would you love to see turn into movies?

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Teaview: A fiasco well worth it

First, a huge thank you to Sara @ Tea Happiness for hosting the Two Leaves and a Bud giveaway! I ended up winning the 18 sachet sampler. So you, B&T readers, can expect a handful of teaviews coming your way. Second, this post is actually less about the tea review and more about my experience with this tea.

I discovered my love for peppermint tea during my last semester at college. Every time I drank it, I felt calm and collected and suddenly inspired to write stories. Each time I brewed myself a cup of peppermint tea, I plopped down in front of my typewriter in front of my bedroom window and click-clacked away. But once I finished up my box of peppermint tea, I failed to buy myself more. Since then, I’ve moved on to a point in my life where caffeine content is the highest priority when it comes to purchasing beverages. As you may imagine, I was excited when I found a satchel of peppermint tea in my Two Leaves and Bud sampler.

The peppermint tea was the second tea I tried (the first being Earl Grey, which I ended up accidentally over-steeping that morning before work, so I won’t even go there). My attempts to prepare my peppermint tea ended up being a huge fiasco.

The Two Leaves and a Bud tea bags are really thin and delicate. For the most part, that’s good. The tea bags are environmentally friendly, and you don’t have to worry about the tea bags altering the flavor of your tea like you do with the paper tea bags. But, that’s also a bad thing for a klutz like me, because I ended up ripping the tea bag. I didn’t even notice until I had spilled half the bag’s contents on the counter and floor.

That’s fine, I thought. I can improvise! So, I snagged my mesh tea strainer (that I yoinked from my teapot), and I dumped the tea into that. Unfortunately, my mug was too big for the tea strainer, so I had to hold on to it while I poured in hot water and while the tea brewed. Can you see where this is going? I burned myself on almost boiling water, and I ended up dropping my strainer into my mug sending the loose tea leaves afloat in my beverage. Bah humbug!

I foolishly fished out the tea strainer with my fingers, and then I attempted to meticulously spoon out the loose leaves. I got most of the leaves out before giving up. I decided to drink the tea– leaves and all.

Now, here is where the story takes a turn for the better. My first few sips of Two Leaves and a Bud peppermint tea reminded me how much I love peppermint tea. The frustration as a result of my failed attempts at brewing bagged tea (bagged tea, folks!) just…melted away. Gone. Out the screened, back door. And then, I sat down and wrote for two hours. It felt so good to take pen to paper again.

The ingredients of Two Leaves and a Bud Peppermint tea: organic peppermint, of course!

Now, the actual review for this tea will be kind of really brief because what can I really say about peppermint tea? It tastes like peppermint! But, in all honesty, it was a really nice mug of peppermint. The mint wasn’t overwhelming. It was crisp. clean. cool.

Bottom Line, a nice cup of tea to help clear the mind! And, this was a good tea to infuse multiple times.

Any fellow fans of peppermint tea out there? Do you have a preferred brand? Tell me in the comments!

Stand up badgers!

In case you were wondering (you were wondering, weren’t you?), I was sorted into the Hufflepuff house on Pottermore! I think the placement is pretty spot on! As for the site, while the potion brewing and wizard dueling is pretty fun, what I love most is reading about Professor McGonagall’s backstory. She’s such an intriguing woman!

Teaview: What do you mean you’re not black tea?

Every so often I’ll dive into a cuppa tea without reading into what I’m drinking, and I’ll make some pretty rash assumptions. This happened recently when I was brewing myself a cup of Adagio’s Ooooh Darjeeling. (Did I type all the “O”s?) During my first few brews of Ooooh Darjeeling, I thought to myself “Wow, this is a really nice black tea”. It wasn’t until I read the back of the bag that I realized it was actually oolong tea and not black tea.

A foolish mistake, and yet an easy one to make since Darjeeling tea is usually sold/marketed as black tea. Sometimes I’m such a noob when it comes to tea.

The ingredients? Well…Oolong tea, of course.

The scent of the leaves is delicate to me– slightly sweet and earthy, but I didn’t really taste either of these once brewed. Ooooh Darjeeling is unlike any oolong tea I’ve had. It doesn’t have that earthy aroma like most oolong teas I have tried. Instead, it tasted more like a black tea but not as strong and without much of the astringency (hence why I jumped to the conclusion that this was a black tea). Ooooh Darjeeling had a subtle floral aroma that I found to be delightful. I think there was supposed to be some fruity aromas as well, but I did not pick up on those.

This tea tastes great both unsweetened and sweet. While I haven’t tried it, I think Ooooh Darjeeling would make a nice iced tea if rock sugar were added (or whatever your sweetener of choice is).

Bottom Line, I really enjoyed this tea! It’s not a breakfast brew for me since I prefer bolder tastes in the morning. But, it’s the perfect cup to enjoy while reading books on a sunny afternoon.

On a side note, Adagio notes that this tea is from China; however “Darjeeling” denotes a type of tea from the Darjeeling region in India. Quit playing mind games with me, Adagio!

Book Report: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Released: March 2010
Publisher: HarperCollings
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 470
Source: Christmas Present

From Goodreads
What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death–and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Thoughts
Maybe it’s too early in the year to tell, but Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver just might be my favorite read of 2012. Yeah, yeah, I realize it’s only four months into the year. But, Before I Fall is that good of a book!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver made me feel an array of emotions. Isn’t it amazing when books can do that? At first I was angry and annoyed with the main character, Sam Kingston. She seemed so much like the selfish and entitled brats that annoyed me when I was in high school. But, despite that I wouldn’t wish Sam Kingston’s fate on anyone– to live her last day on earth over and over again. As each day passed, Sam Kingston learns about herself, about her friends, and about the people she alienates. And, as each day passed, I found myself becoming more and more sympathetic to this girl I initially deemed shallow and mean. As each day passed, part of me started feeling angry and frustrated and sad about all of the obstacles Sam had to face– friends, family, the kids she alienated, love and heart-break, all of it! I just wanted Sam to find peace and happiness.

The tone of Before I Fall is very bittersweet. There were moments in the book that made me smile– like when Sam returns to her childhood secret spot, and she invites her little sister to tag along. It was an endearing moment, but considering the circumstances, I couldn’t help feeling sad. So sad, in fact, that Before I Fall will go down in my personal history as the second book ever to make me cry. (While the rest of my 6th grade class was weeping at the end of Where the Red Fern Grows, I was the only one with dry eyes. Even the boys cried! And, I didn’t even cry during any of the Harry Potter books.) And, Lauren Oliver’s writing was a perfect match for Sam Kingston’s story. It was beautiful and poetic (yet, Sam’s voice still seemed genuine), and that probably played a role in making my eyes tear up.

Overall,
Before I Fall was amazing. It’s a shame this was the second book I read of 2012. It sets a pretty high standard for the rest of the books I will read this year.

Cover Story:
Not that the cover is unattractive, but it doesn’t really do anything for me. In all honesty, if it weren’t for other bloggers raving about this book, I probably would have overlooked it. To me, the cover is just a generic close-up of a pretty girls face. Meh.

Read! Notice how I didn’t write “Read if”? That’s right, because this book is a must read! I don’t care how old you are. If you’re a teen girl in high school, read this book. If you’re an adult who remembers what it was like to be a teen girl in high school, read this book.

Book Report: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie
Released:November 2010
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 366
Source: Won from Ren @ Ren’s Rambles

From Goodreads
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate… until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My Thoughts
I was weary about reading Matched by Ally Condie (how many times have I started out my reviews like this?). For starters, I was very much aware of the hype surrounding the book– something that probably would have eluded me if it weren’t for fellow book bloggers. Don’t get me wrong, hype isn’t inherently bad, but it’s often hit and miss. I was also weary because based on the summary and other bloggers’ reviews, Matched revolved around a romance, and I’m always skeptical of romance in young adult books. (Then again, I’ve said that here, here, and here, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised each time. Maybe my tastes have evolved, and I shouldn’t be so quick to put my nose up.)

Matched by Ally Condie paints a bleak portrait of a Western society that a government has, at one point, deemed to be over saturated with culture. Now, the world Cassia knows has been reduced to just 100 paintings, 100 poems, 100 songs, etc. Also, there is little choice in Cassia’s world. Decisions are left to statistics and the Sorters who analyze them. An individual’s vocation, the type and amount of food they eat, the types of activities in which they can participate, where they live, and who they marry is predetermined by Officials. And yet, this society, built and maintained by officials and statistics is about to crumble. By doing the things we take for granted, like learning to write cursive, reciting [forbidden] poetry, and falling in love with someone [she wasn't matched with], Cassia is challenging the very foundations on which her society is built.

I really appreciated the way Ally Condie incorporate poetry into Matched. For example, “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas had a functional purpose in the prose. By just knowing the poem, Cassia risks her family’s well-being. The poem also has value among a cultural black market too. Then the poem is also symbolic of Cassia’s character, yet it doesn’t seem trite.

What I loved most about this book? Dare I say it? The love triangle. I never thought I’d see the day where those words were ever typed by my own fingers. The love triangle seemed natural; it did not seem forced– not like, there is a love triangle in this story for the sake of having a love triangle (see also: for the sake of all things trendy or for the sake of the ever lusty reader). The relationships made sense! Cassia loves Xander, her most handsome BFF4E. And, according to the statistics, they are each other’s perfect match; there should be no second guessing, right? Yet, when a glitch in the matching (or better yet a mistake) makes the ever mysterious Ky the apple of Cassia’s eye, things start to tumble out of control. He’s handsome and familiar like Xander, but he is also an anomaly. An anomaly– that’s not a good thing, by the way.

Perhaps my only complaint about the story is the vagueness of the geography and current events. I wish there was an illustrated map on the inside cover or something! What I wanted to know was where Cassia lived in reference to the war-torn Outer Provinces. Where is Cassia’s world in reference to our world? I’m also kind of confused about the war that’s going on. I have to assume that Ally Condie is only letting on as much information that Cassia’ would be aware of, but it’s frustrating because so little information was given that I kept forgetting about the war. That being said, I’m really interested to know why a perfect society would be at war.

Overall,
I loved this book, and I devoured it in three sittings. I thought the characters and the world were rich with development, and I though Cassia’s relationship with Xander and Ky was lovely and genuine.

Cover Story:
This book has the kind of cover that would NOT make me feel embarrassed to read this book in public. It’s simple and monochromatic, and I like it. That being said, I still left the cover at home when I read this book at work. I didn’t want it to slide off or get damaged. Honest!

Read if you’re a skeptic of love triangles! Maybe this book will demonstrate that they can actually be pivotal to the story as opposed to just being an overused and often sub-par plot device or a sad excuse for character development. Just sayin! Alternately, read if you’re a sucker for the arts or you’re a sucker for the dystopian genre. 

Blogger Confessions: Spoiler Alert!

Spoilers in reviews: Do you read them? Do you include them [in your reviews]? How do you describe (or avoid describing) spoilery parts of books ?

I think one of the biggest challenges of being a book blogger is deciding how much to include in the book reviews we write. There are so many times where I want to discuss a character’s deep, dark secret, or I want to gush about a certain character’s romance with another, or I want to explain how the ending totally caught me off guard. But, I refrain because I don’t want to spoil the story for other readers.

I find writing reviews about books but excluding spoilers is sometimes really difficult. This happened recently when I was writing the review for 13 Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman. I felt even the slightest bit of detail would spoil the entire book for anyone who hasn’t read it. I was too afraid to talk about the “super power” the teens use and what the power does because I thought it would spoil the story. I was too afraid to discuss who the power came from in the first place because that’s a huge twist in the story. And without discussing these two major points in the story, it was really difficult to explain anything else that happened! And, in conclusion I was left with a rather uninspiring two paragraph review…that took me nearly two hours to write because I couldn’t figure out what to say without revealing any spoilers!

I’ve often thought about including spoilers in my reviews, but “whiting out” the text. That way, I don’t actually spoil the story for people who haven’t read it yet. But, those who have already read the story can highlight the text to read my thoughts on the events. I think the latter can create some interesting, bookish discussion between those who have already read the books. What do you think of this technique? Useful or useless? I worry that my webpage doesn’t load the same way for each viewer, so what if the spoiler text accidentally shows up?

As for spoilers in other people’s reviews…sometimes I read them if they’re offered– especially if it’s a book I don’t think I’ll read. Sometimes I don’t read the spoilers because I know I will read the book, and I’m afraid the spoilers will ruin my reading experience. Sometimes reviewers will include spoilers in a review without realizing it, and honestly I’m not bothered by it. I won’t show up in their comments section with a pitchfork and sneering, “How dare you ruin the book for me!” Sometimes after accidentally reading a spoiler I’ll want to read the book even more! But, I guess it really depends on the book. Like, if it’s a book that’s super hyped up, I don’t want to read any spoilers. If it’s a book that’s flying low on the radar, I don’t mind a spoiler or two.

Blogger Confessions is a meme created by Tiger’s All Consuming Books and For What It’s Worth.

FF: How Many Books Do You Read At a Time?

Do you read one book at a time, or do you switch back and forth between two or more?

I am guilty of reading multiple books at once. I usually switch between three different books at any given time. The idea behind this is I have a specific book to read at a  specific place or time. For example, when I’m at home and about to crawl into bed, I usually read something on my Nook. When I’m at work I usually read one of my books that has a “neutral” cover. As opposed to when I’m at home and sitting by the lake while my boyfriend is fishing, I’ll read a book that has a super girly cover/kissy-face cover (you know the sort, I’m sure).

It may seem like I have book ADD, but despite all the book-switching I actually retain everything that I read. Then again, I’ve been a notorious book flip-flopper for years, so I’ve had a lot of practice. The worst thing about being a book flip-flopper is it takes me a while to finish up a book.

Right now I am reading:

Twilight: Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer – This is my “down by the lake” book.
The Demon King (Seven Realms series) by Cinda Williams Chima – This is my “lunch time at work” book
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson – This is a book that I apparently can only read on plane rides where I have zero distraction, which explains why it’s taking me so long to finish the book.
As for my bedtime book, I haven’t settled on what I want to read yet. I keep starting books, get through the first three pages, and decide I’m just not in the mood for that genre of book.

To make matters worse, I have Cinder by Marissa Meyer sitting on my bedside table. I so badly want to read it, but I’m trying to read responsibly. I don’t want to read too many books at once because then things will really get out of hand!

Follow Friday is a meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee’s View!

Waiting on Wednesday: The List

From Goodreads:
It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn’t matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up.

This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, “pretty” and “ugly.” And it’s also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.

I’m going to admit something here– I’ve not actually read a book by Siobhan Vivian even though she seems really popular amongst book bloggers. I will say, The List is the second book of hers that has really piqued my interest (The first being Not That Kind of Girl, and I don’t have any excuses for why I haven’t read it yet). The story itself seems like it’s going to be rather profound even though it dwells on something as superficial as appearance, and I think the story will resonate with many young women. I’m making an assumption based off the synopsis because I haven’t read anything about this book, but I get the feeling each girl affected by the list will have a chance to tell their own story. I’m a sucker for multiple points of view, so this is another reason why I’m eagerly awaiting this book.

The List by Siobhan Vivian
Expected Publication: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Push

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Book Report: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Released: October 2006
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 337
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads
Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all–hope–in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

My Thoughts
“Chilling” were my thoughts as I made it through the first fifty pages. The way Susan Beth Pfeffer writes about the events leading up to the apocalyptic event and the events that happen shortly after is absolutely chilling. I think this is because I could actually see people in reality acting the way they did in the book. Leading up to the asteroid crashing into the moon, people have a sort of morbid fascination with the event. All of Miranda’s homework revolves around the moon and, on the night of the event, everyone is throwing a party to marvel at the once in a lifetime sight. Unfortunately, nobody really knew what they were in for.

The story itself was written in a diary format. I think for readers, this can be pretty hit and miss. While it gives the reader insight into Miranda’s thoughts, it’s also kind of written matter-of-factly. Miranda doesn’t wax poetic about the apocalypse, and I was bummed that the descriptions about how the world looked were lacking. Descriptions of how Miranda’s physique changed over the year when she was essentially starving were also lacking.

The character interaction was really interesting in this book, but then what would you expect if you were cooped up in a house with no electricity with the same people day after day, and going outside means you may fear for your life? The relationship that really got to me was Miranda’s relationship with her friend Megan, who is very religious. Once the world starts coming to an end, Megan gets swept up by a cult, and Miranda slowly watches her friend disappear. This filled me with such sadness and disgust as Megan just wasted away.

My biggest complaint about this book was considering it’s the end of the world, the people in Miranda’s town had it easy. All the families just stayed to themselves, and I wasn’t buying that. If the world is coming to an end, I’m expecting violence, looters and robbers, and beggars, and those people just didn’t exist in Miranda’s world. Then again, maybe these situations will surface in the books that follow Life As We Knew It. This is another instance where I unknowingly picked up a book, thinking it was a stand-alone novel, only to find out it’s part of a series.

Overall,
Even though some aspects of this story were unbelievable, I still really enjoyed it. And even though I missed the vivid descriptions of the world, I appreciated the diary format of the book since it didn’t romanticize the end of the world.

Cover Story:
I love it! I love how the moon hangs heavy in the sky pressing down on the isolated, little home. It’s pretty creepy.

Read if you need motivation to become a Doomsday Prepper, or if you need a book to satiate your apocalyptic cravings. That’s why I bought the book, after all; I wanted to read a book about the apocalypse.