Tag: reading

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

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I really enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, so when I heard that HBO was making a show based on another one of her books I was definitely intrigued. I watched the show before reading the book and absolutely loved it. The acting was so good, and I was completely shocked with the ending. Of course, I had to read the book afterwards.

There were so many more details that helped explain things in the show. Meredith talking about Amma’s biting explained the teeth pulling so much better, and it was something I was curious about when the show was on.

I don’t think I realized that Amma was only 13. Maybe because the actress looks a lot older and I definitely wasn’t doing the things she was doing when I was 13. It’s pretty crazy to think a person that young is capable of doing the things that she did. I wonder how much of it was because of her mother and the way she was raised.

The book had so many more details in the ending, so I’m really glad that I did read it. The show had a few flashes at the end revealing Amma and her friends as the murderers, but the book really goes into detail about what happened after Camille figures it all out. It was definitely an enjoyable read.

Pretty sure I’m going to read Dark Places next. I saw that movie when it came out and wasn’t really interested in the story, but I’m thinking it may make more sense if I read the book. Plus Gillian Flynn is obviously a great storyteller and I kind of just want to get my hands on anything she writes at this point.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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I’m back again with some new posts! I really try to keep up with this blog and I’m constantly reading. It’s just always a struggle for me to motivate myself enough to log in and post reviews (so lazy, I know!). I’m not really sure anyone checks out this site, other than my Grandma and a few people who have mentioned seeing it to me here and there. I really appreciate any one who’s looked at any of my posts since I started this a few years ago.

Hopefully one day I’ll get myself into shape and have a schedule for posting regularly. I do have lots of plans for where I’d like to go with the posts and moving past just the reviews, so bear with me, we’ll get there eventually!

Anyway, back to the review! I read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes really, really fast. The dynamic between Will and Lou was really interesting and Jojo Moyes definitely did a good job creating chemistry between the two characters.

I had seen the movie before reading the book (sort of my thing, isn’t it?), so I knew how their story was going to end. Sometimes I really hate knowing how a book is going to end, but I also think that you know it’s a good book when you know the ending and you’re still really hoping that something will change. I definitely felt that way about this book. I really wanted a happy ending for Will and Lou.

It’s definitely interesting to read a story about assisted suicide. I can see how it could be a touchy subject, and I understand family and friends wanting to keep their loved ones alive. I just think that if someone really wants to die, assisted suicide is probably better than them doing it themselves and their family members having to find them that way. Especially if they’re in pain or their quality of life won’t ever be the same. I’m curious what other people think about this topic. Anyone want to share their opinion in the comments?

I really, really enjoyed reading this book and seeing how Lou and Will’s personalities mixed. I think there were two books after this that focus on what Lou did after Will’s death, but I read some reviews online and it seemed like the general consensus was that people didn’t like the other books as much as the first one. I’m not sure if I’ll read those or not. At this point I probably won’t, since there are so many other books that I want to read and it sounds like they’re not great anyway. If anyone disagrees and thinks they’re worth the read, let me know! Change my mind 🙂

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

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This is maybe the first time that I actually like the movie better than the book. The movie was so much better than the book, that I almost think they had to have read it and thought “I could do this and make it better” and that’s why a movie even exists at all.

I really hate when I don’t like a book that I’m reading and I hate to be negative, but there just wasn’t anything that I really liked. I didn’t like Pat, which is maybe why it was so bad. It’s possible that if I hadn’t seen the movie and known about what had happened between him and Nikki, I’d like it more, but I really can’t decide if that matters at all.

Is Pat supposed to come off as boring? He’s so uninteresting as a person and really doesn’t seem like he has anything going on in his brain other than being with Nikki. I understand being obsessed with something and your whole life revolving around it, but I feel like I know nothing about him other than that he’s a Eagles fan and he wanted to get back together with his wife.

His dad was always super distant and I feel like that’s something that could’ve been written about and resolved rather than this weird story about a dance competition and a woman who likes him. The whole dancing part was weird in the story. In the movie it was a major plot point, but in the book it was just something he did for awhile to be able to talk to Nikki and then it was over and done with.

The ending also happened really fast. It was like they had the dance competition, he ran into his friend Danny randomly, watched the wedding video and remembered Nikki cheating, saw her with kids, and then got over it and was ready to be with Tiffany. I have a hard time believing that if he was so convinced he was supposed to be with Nikki and had to improve himself for her, that he would so easily accept that she was happy with someone else and leave her alone. I don’t buy it at all.

It was pretty disappointing to read this and not like it. I had actually read so many things about this book being great and good for someone going through a break up. I don’t think this would resolve anything for me if I was in a relationship that had just ended. I was actually really happy that I wouldn’t have to read any more of it, as harsh as that sounds. Would not recommend.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

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I’ve been on a bit of a Zac Efron kick lately and this is probably one of my favorite movies that he’s starred in, so of course I decided to read the book.

This was actually a really nice break from some of the longer, more serious books that I’ve been reading lately. I actually read the first half of this book so fast that I really delayed finishing it because I didn’t want it to be over.

It was nice how there were little differences from the movie like Logan meeting Keith at the beginning. This was actually really interesting because it set up the hatred Keith had for Logan even before he was with Beth.

The different perspectives for each chapter really worked to tell the story from all sides. When authors do this in books a small part of me always thinks about how I had professors in my writing classes say that this is lazy storytelling. I don’t really care about it though or think that it’s lazy, Game of Thrones does it and that’s one of my favorite series. It’s almost necessary sometimes and helps to bring a story together from different points of view.

The end had me freaking out. I almost cried when Zeus was in the creek. I was seriously more worried about him that anyone else, and they made it seem like Logan died too! I was actually really angry that they would do this in the book and almost put it down. Super relieved when I kept reading and found out that he had survived.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

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I’ve been reading some pretty great stories written by women lately.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch hands down has some of the best writing and storytelling that I’ve ever read. It’s so lyrical and each line felt so purposeful and important to the story.

This is such a crazy story on the surface. A woman murdering her ex-lover and her child having to deal with the consequences and ending up in so many horrible situations completely out of her control.

I thought that the mother in The Glass Castle was terrible, but this mother really takes the cake. It’s really hard to accept that redemption Astrid gives her at the end, and makes you kind of sad for her.

This book really accurately shows the different dynamics between mothers and daughters with each of the women who come into her life. Her own mother seemed to think that she owned Astrid. That she was just another one of her creations that she could shape into whatever she wanted her to be, and was shocked when Astrid ended up as someone she didn’t recognize.

Starr showed how there can be jealousy with having another woman around a man who isn’t her father. Even though Astrid was a child, she was beautiful in a way that Starr felt challenged by and she couldn’t handle it. Astrid definitely didn’t do herself any favors sleeping with Ray, so she kind of asked for the trouble in this situation.

Claire was the real loving, overbearing, needy mother that Astrid ended up having to take care of. She was so fragile, but so nice in comparison to the women that Astrid had been with before.

Rena was probably the best at helping her realize that she didn’t need to hold on to all of these experiences and people. She could let go and live her own life and do what was best for her.

I really loved the interest in art and poetry throughout the entire story. Creative people always seem like they’re the most interesting, and I’ve always been attracted to that lifestyle, even though I know I could never actually live like that.

I had to keep reminding myself that this was a fictional story. I would never wish this life on anyone and I realize that there are probably so many children who go through situations way worst than this with their actual parents and in foster homes, but I kept thinking of Astrid as this real person who was able to grow and overcome so much, which is inspiring. I’m glad that she isn’t real and didn’t have to deal with this, but these situations are real and make me sad for the children that have to go through them. I hope that they are able to find peace with their lives like she did in this story.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

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What a book. What a story.

I wish that I could meet Rex Walls. He sounded like such an interesting person. He was so smart and had such an incredible mind. His alcoholism was really sad actually and it seemed like he had some deep-rooted issues with his upbringing. In a way it kind of makes the horrible things he did forgivable, and you don’t totally hate him by the end of the story.

I did, however, hate her mother. I do have to say that it was almost like a “love to hate” her feeling though. She made terrible decisions and was completely selfish, but you could kind of understand someone having that idgaf attitude. Just maybe she shouldn’t have been a mother.

Jeannette is such a good storyteller. I seriously loved reading her words and most nights felt like I didn’t want to put it down and go to sleep.

The lifestyle that her parents had would be such an interesting way to grow up. It’s maybe not the best way to raise your family, but she’s probably a more realistic and independent person because of it. I definitely wouldn’t want to drag my kids around like that, but learning to live off of nothing and being sort of “scrappy” is something that’s always been intriguing to me.

It sounds sort of great to just be able to pick up and leave everything behind sometimes, but it’s definitely a lot harder than it seems and you’d have to be okay with the struggle. If I was on my own the whole “minimalist” lifestyle would maybe work, but I wouldn’t want to force children to struggle with me.

This is really such a great story, and I’m really glad that by the end of it all of the Walls children seemed to have found their place in the world. It’s kind of funny that most of them ended up in New York out of everywhere they’d been. I feel like New York definitely has this sort of magic to it and it’s really a good place for new beginnings. Especially if you can afford it or figure out how to, and of course the Walls children figured it out.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

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Took a little break from Harry Potter before coming back to read the final book, but it felt so good to come back and all I have to say is WOW. This book was seriously sooooo good.

It’s definitely the best out of all of them. Seriously there was so much action from beginning to end, I’m not surprised at all that they decided to break it up into two movies.

I am so sad that so many characters had to die in the end. It was hard to read about the deaths of so many of them.

I really can’t believe I never read these books before now. I grew up with these books around constantly and I’m so sad that I missed out on the hype of the new books being released and the movies coming out, but I’m so glad that I’ve read them now. Better late than never, right?

Seriously this series is just so amazing and the writing is so good. Everyone should read these books. I can’t believe I’m done!

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

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This was one of those movies that I saw a while ago and reflected on while I was going through a rough patch with a guy. I felt like my feeling for him were consuming me and it made me feel like I was worthless because he wasn’t returning the same feelings.

I decided to read the book and I’m really glad that I did. This book and Cheryl’s story really helped me. I know that our stories weren’t the same at all and she had it much worse than I did, but I think that when you find something like this that helps you, it’s really special.

Things get better and life is going to be full of situations and issues that you’ll have to overcome. It’s important to work on yourself and to not blame yourself for the things that happen to you. Sometimes, it’s just completely out of your control.

I like that this book really made me feel like anything is possible and to never let yourself believe that you can’t do something. Cheryl wasn’t a hiker, she had hardly any experience on this trek and she did it, even though people doubted her and she doubted herself. She did it, and that’s so important.

I’d be lying if I said that i didn’t want to do a hike of my own after reading this book. It’s so inspiring and it just sounds so amazing to make that decision to change your life and do something for yourself.

If you haven’t read this book, I would highly recommend it. Seriously, it’s a good one.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

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Before I Fall was one of those movies that really makes you think about your life and the way that you treat people. There are things that I said and did in high school that I 100% regret and wish that I could take back, and in this story Sam got the chance to change how she treated the people in her life.

It’s one of those stories that really makes you realize that everything you say and do can affect someone in a way that you didn’t intentionally mean, and that you should do your best to be good to others and honest about your feelings because you never know when it will be your last day on this Earth.

Basically, I really like this movie and I loved the book even more.

Even though I knew how the story would end, while I was reading I couldn’t help but hope that it would be different and that somehow both Sam and Juliet could be saved.

It’s definitely a sad story and I’m not going to lie, it was hard to read about a girl killing herself over and over again. But it’s a good story and it has a good message.

Seriously, why are people so afraid to live their lives the way they want? We should be able to speak our mind and tell people how we really feel without worrying about being judged for it by others. Why do people care so much about what others do? It doesn’t make sense.

Live your life the way you want, tell the people that you love that you love them, be a good person, and read this book 🙂

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

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Here’s yet another book that I decided to read because I was obsessed with the movie. Don’t worry, I promise it won’t be the last 😉

When I decided to read Love, Rosie I had no idea that the entire book was made up of letters, emails, and instant messages. At first I was a little put off by it, but it actually made it a lot easier to read and it was a good way to show the personalities of all of the characters.

Man, this book was frustrating. They loved each other for SO long and it took SO long for them to finally be together. At least in the movie they were still pretty young when the ended up together.

I guess this story really resonates with me because I have a “friend” in my life right now who for awhile was someone I only communicated with through text messages. We seriously went for about 9 months texting every day before meeting and so love stories like this remind me of it. I hope that if I’m going to end up with this person, like Alex and Rosie *eventually* did, that it happens faster than it did for them.

I was glad that Alex’s kids were grown up by the time he finally ended up with Rosie. It would’ve felt wrong if Rosie had broken up his family so that they could be together.

I did have to re-watch the movie after I finished reading and I just have to say, it’s so crazy how much they sped the whole story up! I mean, I totally understand why they did it, it’s just insane how quickly they went through everything!