Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t

I wrote three substantial blog entries yesterday.  That means I totally fulfilled my 2012 Resolution to blog more.  One of those entries has had 50 views, and you'd think I was JK Rowling or something.  In other news, I can't believe I'm almost done with this challenge.  It's been super fun.



Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I've essentially been reading this book for about 2 years.  I bought it because... well, come on.  If you can't figure out why I'd want to read this, then we gots a lot more we need to discuss.  So, yeah, bought it, started it on a lunch break, left it in my desk drawer.  I've had an influx of books since then, and every time I'd finish one, another would arrive either due to it being a new book that I'd been waiting on or a swapped book I'd just gotten in the mail or I started reviewing with Susan, and so on.  This has now become just another book on my shelf, waiting to be discovered.  Maybe I'll take it with me on the Big International Trip I'm taking in May.  Long flights = lots of down time = There Will Be Reading.

My (non-spoilery) thoughts about The Hunger Games aka Why I Love the Movies

I'm having an incredibly hard time organizing my thoughts about the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games.  This isn't because I don't know how I feel about it, because I certainly know that.  In fact, I can tell you: I think this was one of the best book adaptations I've had the pleasure of seeing in a long time.  As someone who studied film adaptations before, I think it's very interesting to see how directors interpret certain books, especially a book of the magnitude of The Hunger Games.  The fans are rabid (I should know; I'm one of the rabid), and they don't want their very beloved characters to be shown incorrectly.

From what I saw at the screening last night, Gary Ross did an excellent job translating a first person narrative into a well-paced, well-acted, well-written piece of cinema.  He did a couple of things I wasn't excited about, but for every complaint, I have about a hundred moments I loved, so it more than balances out for me.  The new parts were actually some of the things I loved the most, and I'm so glad they were included.  Jennifer Lawrence was more incredible than I ever could have imagined (and I imagined she'd be perfect), and Josh Hutcherson was simply my perfect Peeta.  I'm so, so pleased and so proud to call myself a fan.  If I feel like this, I can only imagine how Suzanne Collins feels.

What my issue is in writing this "review" is something that I've seen all over the internet in the past day or so, and it pertains to the incredibly lovely experience I had last night.  I am a fan of the movies.  I love the movie-going experience, which is weird for me to say because I sort of hate crowds and the general public.  However, the theater experience can really help shape an opinion of a movie, and it can cause you to tip one way or the other regarding even the most frivolous film.  For example, my parents went to see one of my favorite films The Empire Strikes Back in the theater in 1980 when it was released (please note: I'm not saying that Empire is frivolous, but this is one of the best examples I have so bear with me).  They remember this event not just because they loved seeing one of the greatest sequels of all time as it was meant to be seen, but also because a member of the audience brought his young son with him, and he needlessly explained to his son what was happening during every scene.  The most memorable explanation came when it was decided to shut the base doors for the night on Hoth even though Luke and Han had not yet returned from their mission.  Chewy moaned a mournful Wookiee noise for his BPFF (best pilot friend forever), and the man said to his son, "Chewbacca is sad because his friend is stuck out in the cold."  32 years later, my parents still say, "Chewbacca is sad," whenever they see this particular scene.

To me, this silly tale of Wookiee woe means that the experience at the movie theater sticks with you, and it shapes your opinion of the film.  Last night at the screening, my experience is entirely what it should have been: personal to me yet perfectly shared.  We all laughed together, we all cried together (according to the sniffles I heard as I helplessly swiped my hand across my tear-and-mascara-stained cheeks).  During tense scenes, we gasped and cheered and applauded and shrieked as one unit.  I did not feel a bit of awkwardness when I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I pressed my hand to my mouth to stifle sobs because the girls next to me were also clinging to each other in solidarity.  No matter where we came from or what we were going home to, at that moment we were together in the audience, sharing this night and this moment.

That makes for one hell of a movie, in my opinion.

So, my point, and I swear I have one, is this: I do not want to put anything out into the ether that might take that experience away from you.  More than anything, I want you to have exactly what I did.  I want you to witness the agony of the arena for yourself, take the journey with Katniss Everdeen in your own way.  How I feel about the movie doesn't matter, especially if it influences you to form an opinion without getting the chance to see it for yourself.

Feel free to let me know what you think of the film once you have a chance to see it, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Day 22 – Favorite book you own

First, be prepared for my take on The Hunger Games movie, which will be entirely spoiler-free.  Also, today is my dad's birthday, so Happy Birthday to the nerdiest guy I know!  Third and finally, this was probably the easiest choice I've had thus far.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

That picture above is my actual copy, along with the ticket from the Tour de Nerdfighting event I attended in Bethesda, MD just days after this was released.  The event is why this book is my favorite book I own.  I'm fairly new to Nerdfighteria, and this book is part of the reason I joined that world.  I kept hearing all this buzz about it, and I'd heard John Green's name bandied about so many times in my YA community, so I decided to see what the fuss was about.  I read his debut novel Looking for Alaska, and it blew me away.  Then I started in on the vlogbrothers videos, and that, as they say, is history.

So why is this the favorite book I own?  First, the sticker of the front!  It's a signed copy.  If you go back through some older vlogbrothers videos, you'll see that John signed every copy of the first printing of TFiOS, and I got one of those J-Scribbles!

Isn't it pretty??  It's silver, which is one of my favorite colors of Sharpie, and it's slightly rare as far as TFiOS J-Scribble colors go.  When I picked up the book from Politics & Prose, they originally gave me an unsigned one, figuring I'd get it signed at the event later that week.  However, after seeing the Signing Madness John went through, I wanted a piece of his hard work.

But I still went to the signing.  And this happened:

Not only did I get it personalized to me, but I got it Hanklerfished too!!  I had a fun little chat with both  Green brothers, telling them how Hubs had texted me to send me best wishes for a fun signing and that he hoped I got "a Hankfish."  The Brothers Green and I agreed that, while there's no such thing as a Hankfish, the sentiment was very sweet.  I have a few pictures of the signing itself, but they are all either a- at home or b- blurry or c- look like John Green just saw The Ring.  Later, I'll add in the awesome one Sasha got me actually mid-conversation with them!!  (FYI, if you want to have an awesome line-waiting experience, you need peeps like Sarah Enni and Sash by your side!)

Hank, I'll see you on Friday.

Day 21 – Favorite book from your childhood

I already talked about this back in December, but here's a few more reasons why this book resonates with me.



Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

It's just really good.

Oh, you want more than that?  Okay.  It's really really good.

Seriously, this story enchanted me as a child, which is a weird thing to say about a book that tackles the subject of immortality and the consequences it brings.  That's something you never think of at that age.  You say you'd like to live forever... but what does "living forever" actually mean?  The Tucks know, and it's not so simple.  Things never are.  Like I said, I do love the bittersweet.

Also, I grew up in a house filled with comic books and sci-fi movies, but I always tended to read more "contemporary" books rather than fantasy books with supernatural elements (until Fear Street, that is).  I always thought Tuck Everlasting had the best mix of fantasy elements while still being grounded in a real environment.

Lastly, I just adore the title.  I'm really into words (um, duh), and I especially love the sounds and combinations of sounds of certain words.  Everlasting... it conjures the imagery before you even crack the spine.  Love.

Day 20 – Favorite romance book

There are many levels to my book choice today, but the romance aspect is definitely a major, major point of excellence.  Major.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

For the love of all that is holy, this book is incredible.  I recently wrote a review for it (that hasn't been posted yet) but the first note I wrote on it was: "I could read this book over and over for the rest of my life and never tire of it."  Every bit of that is true.  I wish I could go back in time and read it again for the first time.  The reading experience for this is unmatched.  It's like your heart is going to burst with every page, and the mystery is the emotion behind the heart-splosion.  Will it be from epic sadness?  Overwhelming love?  The gorgeous, graceful, delectable, eat-it-with-a-spoon writing?  How about ALL OF THOSE THINGS combined?

As far as the romance in this novel goes, let me just say that it is INTENSE.  Lennie is just barely coping with her sister's tragic and extremely sudden death when she meets the incomparable Joe Fontaine.  Joe and his Magnificent Eyelashes are a force to be reckoned with, and Lennie can't only hope to contain herself whenever Joe's around.  Unfortunately, Lennie chooses to cope with her sister's death by sharing many, shall we say, make-y-out-y moments with her sister's boyfriend Toby.  She has confusing, all-encompassing, wildly crazy feelings for both of them, but not in the same way.

In fact, that's a big reason why I think this book is so incredible.  It touches on an aspect of grief that often gets swept under the rug.  Everyone deals with grief in different ways.  Some of those ways are kind of inappropriate, but it's what that person needs to make themselves feel better, to help them get through the day.  This isn't to say that that makes it okay; it's just explaining why they're doing what they're doing.  So, even though I kept wanting to scream at Lennie, "STOP KISSING TOBY!  JOE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE!  HE IS WAY HOTTER AND WAY MORE AWESOME!" (and occasionally I did yell at the book in this manner), I can understand why she's acting the way she is.

Though she obviously should be with Joe "Bat.Bat.Bat" Fontaine.

This book makes my heart ache in the very best way.  Everyone should read it.  And then read it again.

Side note: Lennie plays clarinet, and she's really, really good.  Amazing that I would love that aspect of her, isn't it?

(sigh... some days, I actually miss it...)

HOLY CRAP.

I won advanced screening tickets to see The Hunger Games on Wednesday!

Basically, I feel like this:

The moral of this story is this: if you enter enough contests for advanced screening tickets of The Hunger Games, eventually you will win.
edit: Thanks to Erin Bowman for accurately supplying the gif of my feelings when I couldn't process them or function or think of anything but EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Day 19 – Favorite book turned into a movie

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Jessica in possession of a sadness, must be in want of a viewing of this movie.



Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

I love this movie more than should really be allowed.  I love the score, I love the cast, I love the cinematography, I love the directing.  It has bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love it.  I tend to watch this movie whenever I am sad, I am sick, I have nothing to do, I need inspiration... pretty much whenever my brain needs a break.

Jane Austen is a staple for any lady who reads, but this one in particular is a romantic favorite.  As much as I love Mr. Darcy, though, what really keeps me coming back to this is Elizabeth Bennet.  There's no one quite like her.  She's not afraid to speak her mind, even when it will come back to bite her in the ass.  I can sympathize with that, as I also have a hard time holding my tongue, especially in situations where people are being idiots.  She's a modern woman in a time when those kinds of opinions weren't valued, and I will always admire that.  Apparently, so will Mr. Darcy, even if it's against his better judgement.

My personal favorite scene is the first proposal in the rain.  It's a verbal sparring match for the ages.  I wish I could think that fast, react that way, speak words that sound perfect as they assail your ears.  Oh me.