Top Ten: Movies That Should Have Been Books

Have you ever read an overview of a movie and thought to yourself, "Well, that would be a really good book! But I don't think it sounds so great as a movie." I hope I'm not alone in this way of thinking. I've run into many movies with excellent synopses that would make for interesting reads, but as movies I probably wouldn't have the patience to view them or the director's view will ruin what I think it should be, whereas I'm rarely ever disappointed by a good read. So, for my Top Ten this week: Movies That Should Have Been Books.

1. Sunshine Cleaning (Dark Indie Comedy): Two sisters team up to make money for their son/nephew to go to a good school by cleaning up crime scenes and bio-hazard removal. I can see reading into their lives, feeling connected, laughing at their crazy life, loving the way it all fits into words.

2. Women in Trouble (Indie Comedy): One crazy day in the lives of ten different women. And then a book would bring it all mind-meltingly together so you would smile and wonder for weeks afterwards, in the back of your mind, if lives really DO fit together that way.

3. Read You Like a Book (Drama): A movie about a book found in a quirky bookstore that changes the lives of several who find it has mystical powers; allowing the reader to go back and fix past mistakes. It's a MOVIE about a BOOK.

4. TiMER (Sci-Fi): Bio-technical advances have made it easy to find your soul mate in that you literally have "biological clock" that ticks down to the time when you are supposed to meet him or her. But the main character, Oona, is concerned. She's nearly 30 and her TiMER hasn't started ticking yet.

5. The Ramen Girl (Comedy): When the main character is left high and dry in Tokyo by her boyfriend, she finds solace in a Japanese ramen house, where the chef, a grumpy old man, agrees to take her on as an apprentice and teach her the ways of the ramen.

6. Dreamcatcher (Supernatural Horror): Four friends perform a heroic act and are changed forever by the powers they gain. Years later, they become lost in a blizzard that harbors an ominous presence. Seriously, I can't see this as a good movie. But a book? Yep, I'd pick it up.

7. Ondine (Fantasy): An Irish fisherman unexpectedly catches a girl in his cast net who changes his small village with her presence. Though I will say, this movie has Colin Farrell, so um. . . I wouldn't mind seeing the movie. Lol.

8. Time Bandits (Fantasy): A boy escapes his gadget-nutty parents to go adventuring with time-travelling dwarves.

9.Riverworld (Sci-Fi): After being killed by an explosion, this main character and his fiance end up in different parts of the afterworld. The main character teams up with Mark Twain (!) and a female warrior to find his fiance. Admittedly, I've seen the movie. It was great. It would make a better book.

10. The Answer Man (Romance): A reclusive author, famous for having penned a self-help book a decade earlier, is in need of some spiritual healing. And I'll bet he finds just the woman to help!

So there you have it. You may have seen them. Or heard of them. They may be fantastic. But I could totally picture cuddling up with these movies in novel form. Just no novelizations. If these ideas were books before they were movies! Then we'd have ourselves a reading list!

Tuesday Top. . .Seven: Favorite Love Stories

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.

Hoping to beef up my rather sparse ramblings, I am going to try to participate in Julia's Top Ten Tuesdays every Tuesday. Wish me luck! And to start the list off!

1. Beauty and the Beast - I've only read a few (updated, modern) versions of this classic French fairy tale, but Belle is without a doubt my favorite Disney princess, and I adore the entire Disney movie. So, take your pick of which version you want to read, go out, and read it!

2. Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene - My mom told me that she read this book in middle school and that it was one of her favorites then. I, at the time, was also in middle school and may have been fishing for some new reads. Either way, I found this book then and read it. It is beautiful and fantastic; it goes far deeper than you would expect a YA novel to go. Beware, however, it is not a happy love story!

My next two aren't technically love stories, but the friendships are never the less beautiful, the stories have stayed in my heart for a lifetime, and no one ever said the reader can't use their imagination to think of a great future for the characters! ;)

3. The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgsen Burnett - I fell in love with a version of the movie before I actually read the book. This is not a normal occurrence for me, but I do tend to read a book when I find out a movie has been based upon it. I loved the description of the garden, the transformations the characters Mary and Colin make, and, to be honest, I had a bit of a crush on Dickon. Although they are much too young in my mind to be anything but great friends, I always liked to imagine that things could grow in the future.

4. Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery - I also read this book through recommendation by my mother when I was no more than ten. Of course my views have grown up since then in order to encompass the idea of a romance between Anne and her rival Gilbert Blithe. He grows up to be a fine young man, but the journey in this book is the most fun.

The next few I'm cheating on, or maybe it's just bias, but they are all by the same author, although "one of these is not like the others"

5. Son of the Shadows, by Juliet Marillier, part of what was once a trilogy and now seems to be an ongoing series, this novel is the second in the series, and was my favorite before I read another. But I thought they should be chronological. Take a strong, unusual man, with secrets he holds close, and have him kidnap a firecracker of a woman, et voila! A love story that shows exactly what true love can do. Marillier is always so brilliant in the telling of her stories, which makes them more than about love and yet all about it. Check out the series to see what I mean!

6. The Dark Mirror, Marillier - Another novel by Marillier from a different series, the Bridei Chronicles, tells of Tuala, a changling left on a doorstep. To save the baby from the bitter cold is accepting doom on the savior and his household, but one brave little boy, Bridei, cannot let her die. They grow up together, but their love is not an easy love.

7. Wildwood Dancing, by Marillier - This novel tells of two love stories, of two different sisters. It takes place in Transylvania, and seems to me to be a re-telling of an older fairy tale - The Twelve Dancing Princesses - but only on the surface. This is one of those love stories where you just want to shake some sense into the characters. So frustrating, but so satisfying when it becomes happily ever after.

OK, that is really all I can think of as far as my favorites go. I'm not usually a traditional romance reader, and a lot of times the "classic" romances aren't that romantic to me. I mean, Romeo and Juliet? C'mon! They only know each other for an extremely short period of time; before they met Romeo was madly in love with another girl! To top it off, they kill themselves in the end, which is just not healthy. If anything should be gained from that story it is that rivalries are pointless things. And although of read some Jane Austin. . .well, let me just leave it at that, lest I write something I may regret!

My Position on Snuggies

Mine is pink-n-brown plaid

We've all seen the extremely lame commercials advertising the wonders of Snuggies: the blanket that was invented to cover you and leave your arms free. Basically, the backwards bathrobe. I once wanted very badly a bed comforter with the same idea: cover me and my bed, but have little armholes so I can read in bed and not have to bundle under the covers with a flashlight when I'm cold (my bedroom gets poor ventilation; in the summer, it stays pretty warm and in the winter it gets dang cold). Anywho, after the general census was in (i.e., Snuggies are lame), I didn't really see myself as wanting one. And then Christmas came. My birthday came first at the beginning of December, and I received my Nook. It's as though my mother and mother-in-law talked, because for Christmas my mother-in-law presented me with a homemade Snuggie.

And like that, my opinion changed. I tried it on that day, and did not take it off. I wear it when I'm watching movies at my house; I wear it when I'm reading on the couch. I use it to cover myself when I take naps. It has become my all-purpose comfie blanket. Do I look weird? Probably. Would I "raise the roof" in it? Never. Will I defend its viability as a product? Yesiree-bob.

Morning Breakfast

Not my dog, but who can resist THAT FACE?

Tic-tack. . . tic-tack. . .tic-tack. . . tic-tack-tic-tack-tic-tack.

I was eating a sausage biscuit for breakfast this morning, when the above noise interrupted my e-mail checking/Google reading. My dog, Sophie, was slowly sneaking up on me, in the hopes of getting close enough to beg with big, brown puppy dog eyes for my breakfast. Unfortunately, her plans to do so ninja-style were thwarted by the fact that her nails make a distinctive staccato on my apartment's wooden floors. I caught her in the act of trying to get closer, and forcefully told her no. Sophie doesn't really take no for an answer. She usually blinks at me with her big ol' eyes until I give in. However, I don't feed my dog anything that is even mildly spicy because her stomach would not feel so good afterward, so I remained firm. Still, her antics made my morning.

Behind the Times, but Still Opinionated

I have "thing" for paranormal stuff, so when I heard that Paranormal Activity 2 was coming out, my first reaction was: "There's a first one?" After being told by many, many people that it was the "scariest movie" they ever saw, and seeing reviews about how terrifying the movie-watching experience was, my interest was peaked.

Browsing Netflix, I came across the movie, Paranormal Activity, streaming. Yay me! My husband is not at all into paranormal things or even horror movies and thrillers, but since I am currently home alone with an unnamed illness which I like to call "The Cold From Hell" or much more specifically, "The Cold That Gets Its Revenge When You Ignore It By Making You Run a Fever and Break Down Crying Because Everything Hurts," my husband had some things to do while I did nurse's orders (Hi, Mom!) and stayed in bed and on the couch, respectively, home alone. Perfect time to relax and watch a good movie.

Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. First off, if Mikah is supposed to be a likable character. . .he's not. At first, he just seemed kind of goofy, which then progressed to annoying, stupid, and lastly classic macho-control. When his girlfriend tells him to leave the "demon" alone, he antagonizes it. When she demands they leave the house, he tells her no, because nobody is going to mess with his house or his girlfriend. The three toed footsteps in the hallway in baby powder don't do it; the burnt picture of his girlfriend at eight-years-old which shouldn't have existed due to a fire that year that destroyed everything doesn't do it; the Ouija board, left to its own devices since his girlfriend got so angry that he let it be, conducting business all by itself and then inexplicably catching on fire doesn't do it. Nope, it takes his girlfriend being dragged from the bed and through the hallway by some unknown entity to convince him that they should leave.

Maybe things would have escalated anyway (you know, if the events were real), but I blame Micah. He didn't get what he deserved, in no way, shape, or form (I, personally, was waiting for the b*tich slap to end all b*tch slaps, to be honest).

Aside from the unlikable boyfriend character, the effects were lame. They would have been more believable with less obvious sound effects. When there's a loud boom that echoes through the house, both parties awake and freak, then discuss the possibilities of what the boom might have been. What I heard was an unholy shriek and then a boom, but neither character mentions it, so I just had to assume it was put in for a scarier effect. When footsteps are heard there's also a low rumbling, but I can't tell if it's the "demon", the sound being amplified for the audience, or sound effects added again. Pretty annoying.

Also, the psychic was not very good at pretending to be in a "real" situation.

All in all, three stars. Liked it, glad I watched it, but was not as happy with it as I'd hoped to be.

Zombie Apocalypse!

Created by Oatmeal

I actually don't believe this. For one thing, I'm pretty tough. Also, I'm knowledgeable about zombies and creatures related to zombies (anyone see 'The Invasion' with Nicole Kidman? Awesome movie!). The chances of me being bitten are pretty slim, considering that I wouldn't take half an hour to figure out that a head shot is what's really required given the situation. Also, I remember the rules of zombie survival a la 'Zombie-land'. (Double-tap! Cardio! Always wear a seat belt!).

The Arts

Lately, I've been feeling the Martha Stewart vibe, I suppose. It started with some paint-it-yourself figurines I bought at Hobby Lobby. The next thing I knew, I was mixing paints and perfecting my technique. They still look like crap, but my husband thinks I am now crafty. Then came the should-we-do-something-for-friends thing for Christmas. I suggested that I could make pumpkin bread from a recipe my mom has used ever since I've been around, and probably longer. Hubs agreed this was a great idea, and we got right on it. Not only was I being a domestic goddess in the kitchen, but I took pictures!

We get a bit messy when we cook. Lol.


Only a little messy, really. . .


I could honestly eat all of these loaves by myself, once they're finished.


The finished product, with home-made (read: crappy) tags I made to distinguish which family receives which loaf. MMMMMM.

And, to continue my creative-artsy-awesome streak, I just bought two plain shirts from Old Navy. At first, I didn't want them, because they were plain, crew-necked t-shirts. They weren't "cute". But Hubby mentioned that we could go buy stuff to make them better. So, off to Hobby Lobby, where I bought some stuff for silk screening one and an applique for another. Perhaps I'll take pictures and post that one next? Stay tuned. . .

Look, A Nook!

OK, so I got a Nook for my birthday. Yay, yay, yay! I haven't blogged about it yet, because (here comes the old college cheer) OMG FINALS WEEK. But now I am ready to gush about my Nook.

First of all, it came as a total surprise. Then there was the fun in figuring out how it works and all its features. I learn best when I just play with tech, and so I tapped screens and looked up books and checked out the Barnes and Noble top 100, not to mention the New York Times Best-sellers list, all provided on the home screen. And then I made a promise before my mother and my husband: I would only allow myself one purchase a month. A MONTH! Because I could easily spend a hundred dollars in one day, let alone a month. Of course, I completed the first book and am now currently reading (for free) Pride and Prejudice. My fist purchase was . . .

Masques, by Patricia Briggs. It was new and it was written by Briggs, need I say more as to why I purchased the novel? The plus side to only buying one book is that I can still visit my library, although I'm currently torn between a bizarre attachment to my Nook and a strong desire to smell a book and turn its pages. There was a certain sadness when I returned my last check-outs; I thought I'd never set foot in my library again. And I LOVE libraries. But then my husband made a fantastic point. If I'm only purchasing one book a month, I'm still going to need my library, for the times when I sit idle, having completed the novel I had just bought.

All in all, you can't really lose with a Nook. I love the user-friendly interface; the fact that I can browse just like I'm in the store; the slim size that weighs about as much as a childrens' paperback; the matte finish on the screen to prevent glare; the ultra-crisp quality of the wording done in E-ink; and the space it saves.

I love books, and I will by no means abandon them, but I love my Nook, and it is now a very important part of my own personal library.

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I went to the library today a little disappointed in myself. I hadn't finished my very last book. On the one hand, I should give myself a break. I can't read as much as I used to due to my job's stand against enjoying yourself and keeping good morale going, and on top of that I had a holiday to do and a paper to write before the holiday. Thank goodness I *did* write the paper when I did, because there was an awesome windstorm a-blowing on Thanksgiving, and the power kept going out, which would have sent me into a panic.

So, I went back to the library with every intention of rechecking The Devil in Green, since I'm already almost done with it, and finding one or two more. And here they are!

The Devil's Queen, by Jeanne Kalogridis.
You might recall that I checked out another book of hers last time: The Borgia Bride. I enjoyed this novel so much, I went and checked out the next one I saw on the shelves. I hope it's as good as the first one.
The Queen of Sinister, by Mark Chadbourne.
Chadbourne wrote The Devil in Green, which I am currently finishing, and I want to go ahead and give it five stars. I likable main character, with a cast of supporting characters that are all different, yet fit together so well. Witty, action-packed, thrilling. It's pretty awesome. When I saw that there were books 2 and 3 (I had to pace myself!), I had to check out the next one. Nothing better than reading a series through, all at once.

Library Loot

I was kind of optimistic about going to the library today, but I was a bit disappointed. When I told my husband I "only got three books," he found it quite amusing. "ONLY three, huh?" he replied. So, here is my loot, which took awhile to find, and which I am not at all sure about, as far as how good they will be. I guess that's the beauty of the library: I didn't buy any books I might not like, and I can give them right back.

The Borgia Bride, by Jeanne Kalogridis.I was definitely in the mood for another historical novel after The Mistress of Rome (great novel!), so I grabbed this one up. I plan on reading her Medici novel next.

The Devil in Green, by Mark Chadbourne.
It had me at "dark fantasy" and also "Tuatha de Danann." (Google it; it's great stuff.)

Darkborn, by Alison Sinclair.
I hope this one lives up to my expectations. The cover art is pretty awesome.

Your problems? Not Mine.

One of my coworkers called in sick today, so I had to man his department. I was actually really glad because I didn't have to worry about Miss-Tattle-Tale or Big-Boss-Lady popping into the office every hour or so unexpectedly and could happily read my book in peace (while, of course, getting the job done right.) I had a peanut butter Twix and a Dr. Pepper to keep the munchies away, and all was well.

Until SHE walked in.

I don't know what this person's issues are, but she has them. I asked if she had an ID with her. SP, I promise.

"It's in my car," she snapped.

"Well, you need an ID in order to continue."

"You want my to go get it?!" (Incredulity. How dare I suggest she follow the rules?)

"Yes, please."

Big, disgusted sigh.
I'm not sure why this was a big deal, but when she returned, she threw the ID down. I took it, gave it a look, set it in front of me, and told her what computer was available.

"Can I have my ID back," she snapped at me again.
Honestly, at this point, it was beyond tiring.

"Well, I keep it for you, and then when you sign out, you get it back." (Weird, I know, but SP, again. Usually.)

"I don't want to forget it."

"You won't. I'll hand it back; don't worry." (I may even have smiled!)
Then she stared at me incredulously.

So, we had a staring contest. I finally raised my eyebrows in the classic "What do you want?" look that is, I admit, pretty impertinent and tends to piss people off.
"They've never kept my ID before," she barked.
I couldn't very well tell her it's because the new worker is incompetent and doesn't bother with pesky rules, but instead I silently handed the ID back. Whatever. It was either comply, or lose it and tell her I was being paid to help her (she could, you know, go to the next closest place that offers our services, which is about 4 hours away), so she should probably treat me a little bit nicer. I'm NOT getting paid enough to put up with tantrums and drama queens.

Afterward, I asked the coworker who had called in, via text, whether this girl was usually rude. He tried to reply diplomatically but he confirmed she was, indeed, not nice. Brownie points to me for not telling her exactly what I thinking!

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Two weeks had gone by before I finished my last book from my last library trip. It's rare when that happens, but I had a bunch of school stuff to contend with. On the one hand, I'm aware that I'm probably stressing myself out way more than I need to, but on the other hand, I hate waiting until the last minute to complete an assignment and I have a desperate urge to stay way ahead of everything and do as much as I possibly can in order to get the best grade I can. But I can't give up my reading habit, so I do take time out to read, and thank goodness for my library.

Today's loot begins with Final Exam, by Maggie Barbieri, the last novel by Barbieri that I have seen on my local library shelves, and maybe even her last book? I'm not quite sure. If so, I've read her entire series.


Then comes Mob Rules, by Cameron Hayley. I was unsure about this book, but I decided to give it a try. Hopefully, it's worth the read.

Mistress of Rome, by Kate Quinn, was just too intriguing to pass up. I haven't read a historical novel in awhile, so maybe this is where I get back into the swing of really great historical fiction.

Last, and I hope not least, is The Barbary Pirates, by William Dietrich. I picked it up because of the title, but it seemed like a great adventure novel, so I threw it on top of my stack.

As you can see, a rather eclectic stash. I am excited because I can pick and choose what to read next according to my mood. Yay books!

Halloween, Have a Merry One

When I was younger, I wasn't too into the Halloween thing. The dressing up was meh, trick or treating was fun and candy was great, but it wasn't the best thing ever. But now that I'm older, I find that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the weather, perfect - getting cooler, smelling fresh - I love thinking up cute costumes I could try (so much more to choose from as an adult [get your mind out of the gutter, people, I think I just mean I'm more creative]) and just the festivity. The pumpkins and the smells, and the decorations.

It helps that there isn't this huge responsibility to get everyone the perfect gift because if you don't you're a horrible family member. Also, I like the eerie and strange, so this holiday works.

So, have a fun and safe Halloween!

P.S. How sweet is that book plate?!

Library Loot

After finishing both Rosie Dunne and The Pirate Bride (both so enjoyable; I loved Rosie Dunne. Her life was so real, and even though I have never been anywhere near in her shoes, I felt she was really relatable as a character) in the same day, I knew it was time to head to the library. At first, I tried to find the stuff on my list, but I came up continually disappointed. Only one from my list came home with me. However, before I go looking for what's on my list, I look through the new arrivals, and because of a book or two I caught a glimpse of, I was suddenly in the mood for something a bit darker than my usual. So, without further ado, my library loot!

First off, Maggie Barbieri makes another return to my bedside table with Quick Study. This time, Alison and her detective boyfriend discover that Alison's friend's nephew has gone missing, and been found washed up in the Hudson River. Ruled an accident by the guys in charge, Alison and her detective aren't so sure. And so begins another great, fun romp into crime with the awesome heroine who can't seem to stay out of trouble.
The next book I picked up was Blood Song, by Cat Adams, despite my misgivings. I mean, they used the phrase "badly wrong" in the summary on the back. *cringe* But it seems just up my alley, considering my mood for urban and dark fantasy. Celia Graves is a bodyguard that ends up waking up on a slab in a university to discover she is now an Abomination, no longer human and not quite vampire. Her master is hunting her to either finish her off or complete her change, and the cops think she's a murderer. Now, she has to trust a powerful mage, his brother, a werewolf, and a single cop that isn't trying to decide whether to stake her or throw her in the slammer.
Lastly comes Midwinter, by Matthew Sturges. Suffice to say, it's about a man who must save the Seelie Court from the Unseelie Court and its evil Queen Mab. It looked suitable for my reading mood, plus who can go wrong with Fae fantasy?

Two Books Down, Two to Go

I started with The Forest of Hands and Feet, by Carrie Ryan, because I didn't know what it was about, and it was a bit of a short read. I save my longer reads for last so I can savor them. I really enjoyed the book, finishing it in about a day and a half (work, school; I picked a crappy week to choose more books than two as I have homeworks, a quiz, a lab and a paper outline - which is turning into an actual paper - due within this next coming week. But I will get through!). While the book was disturbing and dark on many levels, the main charcter somehow always managed to stay positive and full of hope, which is what really pulled her - and me - through. Sometimes, I felt the book slowing down, and I would get impatient, but there never ceased to be something coming around the corner. When I try to sum up this book, I think Zombie Apocalypse meets M. Night Shymalan's The Village. I'm considering checking the next book out, just to see where it can take me, but there were parts that I was hoping could have been better fleshed out (ha, no pun intended).

Next came Extracurricular Activities, by Maggie Barbieri. I had high hopes for this book, and a good feeling I would get through it pretty quickly. Alison has to deal with crime in her little suburb, and she seems to be in the middle of it all, again. Her ex-husband is murdered, and she finds the body, sitting in her kitchen with all the signs of a mob murder. Then her neighbors leave quite unexpectantly, leaving her with their dog, and her suspicions about Peter Miceli, the mob boss, are being more and more validated with every kidnapping, break-in, and unexpected stop-by that he performs. The ending has a great twist or two, and she gets a lot closer with her detective friend. All in all, very satisfying.