Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show

Books and movies are interesting creatures;I usually prefer books but I do love me an entertaining movie. Good books can be adapted well (Harry Potter, for the most part, The Lord of the Rings -- again, for the most part) and can rarely improve on the book (How To Train Your Dragon, Stardust, Jurassic Park, Perks of Being a Wallflower). Most usually, they are pale imitations of the source material (Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, Never Let Me Go, The Golden Compass). These are ones I would love to see done for the silver screen --- if they are done right.

1. On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Why I Would Watch It: It's Melina Marchetta. She's directly involved. That can only mean good things.

Why I Would Be Wary: It's Melina Marchetta - how can a movie capture all that beauty and emotion in these characters?

Will It Happen: I can't find and IMDB page, but Melina says it is. So it is.

2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Why I Would Watch It: Epic love story with quirky characters in picturesque locations.

Why I Would Be Wary: I fear execs will hear "quirky, weird" and think Manic Pixie Dream Girl. That the storyline will be fucked up and become a trite romance. That the chimaera won't turn out right.

Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.

3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Why I Would Watch It: Have you seen the cover for this book? I want a movie that uses those same colors to great effect. Also, magic.

Why I Would Be Wary: A shortage of action makes me think the movie will try for a different path/ending and DO NOT WANT.

Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.

4. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Why I Would Watch It: Badass female assassin with a past! Great secondary and love interest characters.

Why I Would Be Wary: Some arrogant SOB would be cast for Chaol. That Celaena's hard edges would be smoothed over to appeal to a wider audience. Complicated characters are cool, yo

Will It Happen: Who knows. I can dream, right? CHAOOOOL.

5. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Why I Would Watch It: Dragons. Dragons that can turn into "people". Great charm and charisma in the book.

Why I Would Be Wary: I fear that moviepeople will trade emotion for a lot of CGI.

Will It Happen: I can only hope. DRAGONS THAT TURN INTO PEOPLE, EVERYONE.

6. Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness

Why I Would Watch It: Manchee. Well, and Todd. And YA scifi on the big screen? AWESOME.

Why I Would Be Wary: how would you effectively show Noise? YA scifi on the big screen.

Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.

7. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Why I Would Watch It: Mean Girls with a little twist.

Why I Would Be Wary: Mean Girls 2 was awful. It could become watered down to be like every other high school movie - aka - all about the romance.

Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.

8. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Why I Would Watch It: Fantasy story about people with super abilities? Why would I not?

Why I Would Be Wary: PO. If they don't get Po right, or Katsa, okay okay, the whole thing will be a wash.

Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.

9. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Why I Would Watch It: Unusual story, strong emotion...

Why I Would Be Wary: It's not a book with a lot of plot. How will a movie get nonreading viewers interested? I fear how the movie people will handle this.

Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.

10. Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Why I Would Watch It: The Darkling. I love me a good antihero/villain. Russian-esque culture. Magic. And if it does well, a live screen Stormhund would be on the way.

Why I Would Be Wary: The love triangle could become a real issue if producers try to push the Darkling as a real love interest.

Will It Happen: Reportedly in the works.

There are A LOT of YA movie adaptations headed our way, though some will probably never see the light of day (I bet Clare's movie deals are on hold!) but there are some good ones in there. This list is pretty comprehensive.

As a bonus: bookmovies in production that I do NOT want:

Wings (boring, overdone premise. Twilight with fairies.)

Wicked Lovely (see above.)

Uglies (Worst. Protagonist. Ever.)

The Trylle Trilogy (AWFUL WRITING SHOULD NOT BE REWARDED. Nor should trite storytelling.)

Monument 14 (REALLY?)

Shatter Me (how would they pull off the strikethroughs? Without the prose, what's the draw here?)

The House of Night series (enough with the vampires, everyone.)

The Immortal Rules (see above. Even in a dystopia --- no.)

All I know is The Book Thief had better be goddamn amazing or I WILL RIOT. All by myself if I have to.

Review: Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

Title: Cinnamon and Gunpowder
Author: Eli Brown
Genre: historical fiction, adventure
Series: none
Pages: 336
Published: June 4, 2013
Source: Publishers via NetGalley
Rating: 4.5/5

A gripping adventure, a seaborne romance, and a twist on the tale of Scheherazade—with the best food ever served aboard a pirate’s ship

The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot. He will be spared, she tells him, as long as he puts exquisite food in front of her every Sunday without fail.

To appease the red-haired captain, Wedgwood gets cracking with the meager supplies on board. His first triumph at sea is actual bread, made from a sourdough starter that he leavens in a tin under his shirt throughout a roaring battle, as men are cutlassed all around him. Soon he’s making tea-smoked eel and brewing pineapple-banana cider.

But Mabbot—who exerts a curious draw on the chef—is under siege. Hunted by a deadly privateer and plagued by a saboteur hidden on her ship, she pushes her crew past exhaustion in her search for the notorious Brass Fox. As Wedgwood begins to sense a method to Mabbot’s madness, he must rely on the bizarre crewmembers he once feared: Mr. Apples, the fearsome giant who loves to knit; Feng and Bai, martial arts masters sworn to defend their captain; and Joshua, the deaf cabin boy who becomes the son Wedgwood never had.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder is a swashbuckling epicure’s adventure simmered over a surprisingly touching love story—with a dash of the strangest, most delightful cookbook never written. Eli Brown has crafted a uniquely entertaining novel full of adventure: the Scheherazade story turned on its head, at sea, with food.

Reviewed by Danielle. 
Cinnamon and Gunpowder is a hard book to review because it’s a hard book to define. Part adventure, part food writing, and part romance, this epistolary novel is as complex as the dinners Wedge creates, as beautiful as the love that grows, and as bittersweet as the ending. Tears weren’t expected in a story about a chef creating new meals for a group of pirates every week, but they came all the same.

I was madly, head-over-heels in love with Hannah Mabbot from 2% into the book when she broke into a dinner party, stepped onto the dining table, and then delivered the greatest line in bookdom:

“Tell the devil to keep my tea hot. I’m running late." Then she fired point-blank, without mercy or provocation, into [Ramsey’s] defenseless body.

Done. Eli Brown now owns my heart.

Mabbot loots the house, taking Ramsey’s chef, Wedgwood, in the pillaging. She’s decided a captain should have some perks over the rest of a crew, starting with a gourmet Sunday dinner. This sets up a wonderful take on the traditional Scheherazade story, with Wedge tasked to cook a completely unique meal every week in exchange for his continued breathing.

The first quarter or so mostly revolves around Wedge’s desire to escape. It does a good job of setting the scene and introducing the crew, but I was left desperately longing for more Mabbot. Wedge is mostly alone and apart from the other crew members, though he does find himself teaching Joshua, the deaf cabin boy, to read. However, after an escape attempt leaves him in worse straits than before, and yet simultaneously in the captain’s confidence, he’s able to start, if not accepting, acclimating to a pirate’s life.

This is where the action really sets in and it’s quite exciting. Ship battles featuring solar death rays and horrific storms. Flayings, a saboteur, lost limbs, explosions, women disguised as men, long-lost relatives, prison-breaks... It really swashes the buckle. Mabbot, being chased by the late Ramsey’s hired hand, (hoping to catch and deliver her to England before his crew realizes their money went with the dead,) is on a very personal quest to catch the Brass Fox and destroy quite a lot of opium along the way. The circuitous journey; winding through England,West Africa, India, the South China sea, Macau, and out to the Americas; brings treasure and triumph, even a stove for Wedge, along with bloodshed and loss. The descriptions of the locales and locals, while not always politically correct by 21st century conventions, are not to be missed.

But it’s the love in between the action pieces that really sets Cinnamon and Gunpowder apart. The narrator describes every meal with utter reverence, somewhere between lust and religious devotion. If anything, I could have done with a few more meals just for the breathtaking way each layer of flavor is described, building on the last. The continued ingenuity of Wedge in the kitchen was almost more exciting than any pirate confrontation.

There’s romantic love, too, and familial, that evolves and builds and feels very natural. And like the love inside, the book is very bittersweet coming into the final confrontation. Without spoilers, I’ll say when it ended I was so happy with a great read, but I felt as if my heart was broken, too.

However, I don’t want to leave this review on a sad note, because Cinnamon and Gunpowder is more than a tearjerker. It’s also witty and vibrant and a little crude. Instead, I would like to leave you with Owen Wedgwood: Christian, widower, and overall goodly man’s advice on how to extricate yourself from an uncomfortable situation.

There is, no doubt, a proper and Christian response to such an offer, [to join a massive homosexual orgy,] but I was so shocked that my only thought was to excuse myself as quickly as possible. "Ah yes, right! Do go on without me. I have a sudden case of the shits.”

Another Book Haul Post!

First: MY HARRY POTTER SPECIAL EDITIONS ARRIVED. I'm sure you've all seen the covers, so here is an instagram I took of them all.

 

They are JUST SO GORGEOUS. I love them and probably will never actually read them (I own two other, older, used editions) but keep them as memorabilia.

Onto other books!

Sent:

The Nine Fold Heaven by Mingmei Yip (Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours)

Gracianna by Trini Amador (Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours)

I won't get to read either of those before October, but I am looking forward to both.

Bought:

I had to go out and socialize (with people) so my boyfriend agreed to buy me two books (which I turned into three) if I didn't... say... break out into Disney songs.

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley - not pictured because I'd read it and my sister really wanted to read it.

Fire with Fire (Burn for Burn #2) by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian 

A hardback in great condition for only $7? In a series I've been meaning to read? Sold.

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood

I had been all over this before the reviews came out. When they did I decided to wait, and getting it for $7 was a steal.

And then from Better World Books, when they had a great sale - 

The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket

I've slowly been accumulating this series so I jumped on finding a hardback for less than $3.

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

I read, loved, and was completely shocked by Jaffe's Ghost Flower, so I have high hopes for this.

Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

I was discussing this book the other day for this post and realized my copy was in poor shape. 

Gifted:

Paper Towns by John Green

I'm ehhh on Green - he can be hit or miss - but a friend gave this to me, so I will probably read it. Eventually.

eBooks Bought:

All Kindle buys this time, thanks to the Kindle Daily Deals.

Dairy Queen (Dairy Queen #1) by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Enclave (Razorland #1) by Anne Aguirre

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) by Ilona Andrews

15 Day Blogger Challenge - Tear Jerker Edition

I was late to know about this awesome challenge out together by Good Books and Good Wine, so when a friend wanted to start it late, I jumped it. There are several of us joining in - every Friday for 15 weeks, Christina of A Reader of Fictions, Lili of Lili's Reflections, Mickey of I'm A Book Shark and I will post our challenge answers. Stop by their blogs to see their answers! This week's topic is about tearjerkers.

I don't easily cry in real life, but I cry when I read books that get to me. I know I am supposed to pick only one, but that's pretty much impossible. 

The novels that have emotionally traumatized me the most are:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (YOU KNOW WHICH PARTS.)

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

and the ultimate tearkjerker....

Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

These will make you ugly cry, but you'll love them anyway.

Book Tour Review: Bait by J. Kent Messum

Title: Bait
Author: J. Kent Messum
Genre: thriller
Series: N/A
Pages: 288
Published: August 27 2013
Source: TLC Book Tours for review
Rating: 2.5/5

No one is coming to your aid. We have ensured this.

Six strangers wake up on a remote island in the Florida Keys with no memory of their arrival. They soon discover their common bond: all of them are heroin addicts. As the first excruciating pangs of withdrawal make themselves felt, the six notice a yacht anchored across open water. On it lurk four shadowy figures, protected by the hungry sharks that patrol the waves. So begins a dangerous game. The six must undertake the impossible—swim to the next island where a cache of heroin awaits, or die trying. When alliances form, betrayal is inevitable. As the fight to survive intensifies, the stakes reach terrifying heights—and their captors’ motives finally begin to emerge.

Plugged as Jaws meets Lord of the Flies meets Drugstore Cowboy, J. Kent Messum's Bait honestly reminded me of another classic -- The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell. While I can easily see the similarities to both Jaws and Lord of the Flies (I've never watched Drugstore Cowboy, so I can't venture an opinion on that one), what stood out to me in Bait was that people killed other people... for entertainment.

 If you can buy into the premise the book is selling, you're in for a nerve-wracking thriller that pits six desperate heroine junkies against man-eating sharks in the Florida Keys. If you're likely to love a plot-driven story, this might be a story for you. All I know is that I hated every character, and as a big character-reader, that constituted a large disconnect from the story. Honestly? I was rooting for the sharks -- at least they are supposed to be cold-blooded killers.

For a book with such a creative hook (fishing pun. Win!), it's surprising how much about Bait is predictable. The characters are stereotypes, the action is well-written but not original. There's a lot of tension between the six junkies, but I can't say I was ever surprised by how they acted amongst themselves. Some band together, some try on their own, and some betray their cohorts.... pretty much the generic layout for any survival story. I had expected more from the author -- Bait is a plot driven novel, and if the actual plot is less innovative than the concept behind it, there's a major problem.

Bait is a short book, and it's full of triggers. It can come across pretty offensively early in the narrative. I'm not one to knock stars off for vocabulary, but there were times when I was distinctly uncomfortable reading this -- and it had nothing to do with the gore. The numerous slurs tossed about by the characters do show how little they care about another person's feelings, but I don't even feel comfortable repeating them here. If you're put off by racial, sexual trigger words, I wouldn't and can't recommend this.

Bait is a shorter book, and it reads fast. It is a cutthroat novel, without any redeeming characters, and the tension is sky high from the start. For certain readers, I can see it being a big hit. I just happen to not be in that group. I can understand why others would enjoy it more than I did, especially if they are big fans of thrillers with animal antagonists. It may fail to live up to the originality of the premise, but Messum's debut is hardly boring.

Review: Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Title: Not A Drop to Drink
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Genre: young adult, post apocalyptic
Series: N/A
Pages: 320
Published: expected September 24 2013
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 3.75/5

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

Not A Drop to Drink is a strong, well-written, and evocative read. It smartly captures and portrays a world without easily-accessible water, and McGinnis ably spins her story of survival in desperate times. Main character Lynn is a striking protagonist and a memorable one as she grows up in this world where cholera is once again a deadly force and the thirsty dead roam free. With her third person narration and the story's creative spin on a post/near-apocalypse, Not A Drop to Drink is easily one of the better YA debuts for the latter half of 2013.

The premise itself is a clever one, and McGinnis explores it pretty well. There's not a lot of information immediately dispersed about the world Lynn and her mother live in, but details are slowly revealed through dialogue, conversation, and deed. The desperate atmosphere is palpable, the drama is intense, and above all, it's a believable scenario. Scarcity of drinkable water is something billions of people in the modern world already face, so it's easy to see the possibility in McGinnis's future. The author creates several clever ideas for her characters to be able to live and function in this world, so while Lynn and Laurel have done alright, they always live on the brink of disaster and dehydration.

Lynn is a more grown up, more mature character than a lot of YA protagonists out there. Her life is demanding and one of those demands is that she grow up fast and learn to defend what is hers, be it from other people or from the encroaching and increasingly bold wildlife. Threats come from all sides in McGinnis's world, and Lynn has been capable of killing to stay alive since she was nine years old. Her world is harsh, but Lynn isn't unlikeable. She isn't afraid to make hard choices and do what is necessary. I applaud that, and Lynn's pragmatic approach to survival. Going through the day-to-day chores Lynn performs to just stay alive is a refreshing change from how most authors would approach this kind of story. It makes for a quiter, less action-packed read, but it keeps everything realistic and fresh.

However, the characterization is the main reason I can't rate this book higher. There are more people than just Lynn and her mom in the novel, but none really came to life the way the first two did. Stebbs, a longtime neighbor, came closest, but the secondary cast needs some serious fleshing out. There is a love interest, but he was wooden and ill-defined. I wanted more from the charactets -- Lynn is a powerhouse, and everyone else just kind of fades away. None possess her level personality, logic, or strength. It's frustrating because there is definite potential being wasted for the characters of Neva and Eli especially. Lucy straddles the middle - she's neither as well-rounded as Lynn, but she is not as one-dimensional as her mom and uncle.

If you liked Hatchet, or are a fan of teenage survivalism and self-reliance, Not A Drop to Drink is your book. It's a smart look at a realistic apocalyptic event, told ably and well by a strong debut author. Lynn will remain memorable for me for a long time. While this is a standalone with plenty of resolution, I wouldn't be averse to a sequel, or a companion novel.

New Books and Monthly Planned Reads for September!

New month, new books! Also -- how is it September already? 2013 is just speeding by! 

I have a few more books on the way still (Special Edition Harry Potter! Perdition by Ann Aguirre! Rosebush by Michele Jaffe! The Wide Window by Lemony Snickey!) but here are the ones already in my clutches.

Book Tours/Gifted:

Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu from TLC Book Tours

Curtsies & Conspiracies - Finishing School Book the Second by Gail Carriger

From the lovely Ash from yAdult Review.

The Apothecary and The Apprentices by Maile Meloy

From the awesome Christina of Reader of Fictions

Bait by J. Kent Messum (from TLC Book Tours)

Almost True Confessions by Jane O'Connor (from TLC Book Tours)

Painted Hands by Jennifer Zobair (from TLC Book Tours)

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein (from the author)

Bought:

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

The Night Itself  (The Name of the Blade #1) by Zoe Marriott

East by Edith Pattou

Rot & Ruin (Benny Imura #1) by Jonathan Maberry

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1) by Diana Peterfreund

Gwenhwyfar by Mercedes Lackey

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

The Bone Season (The Bone Season #1) by Samantha Shannon

It's safe to say that I am pretty excited about all of these, but The Bone Season, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment, and Curtsies & Conspiracies have me the most excited. Any new books you're particularly eager to get this month? I plan on buying Fangirl, All Our Yesterdays, The Waking Dark, Steelheart, and Vicious --- at least!