Twilight

So, I admit, I fell under Edwards spell as much as Bella did. :) Vampires just make me a little weak. It must be all that blood that they suck! Ha. Ok, seriously..the book was cute. The story was good and Stephanie Meyer sure knows love as much as Shakespeare did...(they just wrote about it differently). I do think it was a great great story, and I plan to read the sequels! One question though, how are we supposed to have a midnight party for this book??? Harry Potter? Easy! Vampires, not so much!

Unaccustomed Earth

All I can say is that this book is amazing. Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favourite writers. She just has a beautiful style and she really gets it. She understands humanity, and her insight is breathtaking!
I loved that last short story. It was longer than most and told in 3 parts...my heart ached for those characters in just a short amount of time. In all of her short stories, I immediately loved all her characters!!! Short stories hardly allow that to happen to me, yet all of hers did!

Special Topics in Calamity Physics

This book was really really bizarre. I don't think I could recommend it to anyone. There was a plethora of pop culture information that often took away from the storyline. Even though the main character was the one with all this pop culture knowledge, it felt more like it was directly coming from the author and not the character. I will admit that I got a kick out of all the references to books and movies , but it was often overwhelming when you look at it as a whole.
Ha, I did love the main character's father though, Gareth. I loved that he quoted poetry to his daughter, Byron's "She walks in beauty like the night,". And just his characters fascination with literature in general. See below:

Gareth, on travel: "There's no education superior to travel. Think of the
Motorcycle Diaries or what Montrose St. Millet wrote in Ages of
Exploration. 'To be still is to be stupid, to be stupid is to die' And
so we shall live"

Fantastic.

I did find it weird, however, that I just finished reading a book about Rebel without a Cause, and that movie was mentioned about 8 or 9 times in the book. It was all random. The girl had a James Dean poster on the 2nd page. Sal Mineo was also mentioned a bunch, as well as the movie itself. RKO pictures was mentioned, too. I mean, why is it that whenever I read a book where an era stands out, I can't escape stumbling upon it again and again without trying to for about 6 months. It happened with the 60's last year...and now again with the 50's.

Live Fast Die Young Part II

Wowsers! This book was amazing! I adored it oh so much. It gave me a new appreciation for filmmaking in the 50's. It also gave me a new appreciation for directors and what they have to go through to make a picture they are passionate about!
Best fact? I learned that I was on the sound stage that was used in the movie. And when I visited Warner Bros., it was a private tour so there wasn't anyone else on the sound stage and it was completely empty. (Sound stage 7) How amazing is that! Oh, If I had known Rebel Without a Cause was filmed there! Oh happiness and joy!!
I really highly recommened this book to anyone and everyone interested in film!

Livr Fast, Die Young Part I

WOW! I have had this book for a little more than a year! And wow, why have I NOT READ IT until now is beyond me. I have learned so much from this book, and even some more about James Dean! I have learned so much that 1 post will not be enough! Also, I am not yet finished with the book.
Fact 1: The word teenager wasn't used until 1941.
Fact 2: The Griffith Observatory was used as Jor-ELs Krypton Castle in the Superman Series. Also, The Griffith Observatory is named after miming Tycoon Col. Griffith J. Griffith. He once served jail time for shooting his wife! Woah!
Fact 3: Dr Seuss once wrote a screen play for the original Rebel without A Cause, when it was based on the bestselling book "Rebel Without a Cause: The Story of a Crimial Pyschopath" The studio later paid the author for use of the title only.

Read this book and find out:
Which "Rebel" star's Father once pucnhed Frank Sinatra?
Who was the actor who inspired the main character, Jim Stark?
How far did Natalie Wood have to go to get the part?
Who did Dennis Hopper threaten with a gun, only to find out the victim waasn't home that night?
Who was the main consultant for "Rebel" and why did the Studio think this was a bad idea?
How did Natalie Wood prepare for her 5 minute crying scene in the first few minutes of the movie?


This book is amazing because its SO much about the history of Hollywood. (Color movies, talkies, silent movies, juvenile delinquents, classic stars..wow! You don't have to actually LOVE the film this book is about, but having seen it helps. This book is SO amazing. So SO SO SO SO AMAZING.

Names also mentioned in this are:
Howard Hughes! Who doesn't love Howard Hughes?
Elia Kazan (of course)
Marilyn Monroe
Marlon Brando
Erol Flynn
George Stevens

BEST Name Mention EVER? Bob Dylan saw Rebel 4 times as a teenager and even bought a red jacket. *swoon* I am going to fall over from all this swooning!

Interview With the Vampire

I re-read this book because I really want to re-read the Vampire Lestat for a third time, but I had only read Interview with the Vampire once. And since its the first book in the Chronicles, I figured I would give it another go. Only so that I could understand Lestat better in the second one.
In Interview, you never really like Lestat. You sympathize more with Louis. He is just a likable vampire. In one part of the book he is traveling by ship *at night as vampires do* and he misses the blue of the ocean.
I also love that this book takes place in 1791, in New Orleans, then Europe.

"There was in me a great desire to see Europe and to know it, which comes not only from the reading of all the literature and the philosophy, but from the feeling of having been shaped by Europe more deeply and keenly than the rest if the Americans. I was a Creole who wanted to see where it had all begun."

And my favourite line, which Brad Pitt also perfected in the movie is "That morning, I was not yet a vampire and I saw my last sunrise. I remember it completely; yet I do not think I remember any other sunrise before it."

It makes me realise time and time again how much we really dont value whats important until you dont have it anymore. I try to see the beauty in things every day, but even some things I miss.

The Hobbit

A tale about a Dragon, a hobbit, some dwarves-and some jewels! My hearties, this is a tale of adventure that everyone needs to read!
This one is so completely different than the Lord of the Rings. I would almost say that this one is childlike. It's innocent. It's magical. It's wonderful!!!
My favourite thing about this was the Dragon, Smaug. I loved that Tolkien took you into his thoughts. That the Dragon regretted not closing up all the entrances to the mountains, and that he wanted to roast Bilbo. I mean, cmon! The Dragon had personality and he wore jewels. I need to meet this Dragon, Smaug! I cannot wait to be introduced to him in the motion picture, but I don't think he'll be as likable!