Some Info

Dear Readers,
I know I just posted a review of a movie which is unlike me. And not matter what anyone says about the movie I still really really loved it. Going to rotten tomatoes and reading the rotten reviews was a bad idea, always remember that. If you like something you don't need other people to validate you liking it.
But besides saying that I forgot to tell you that November along with beside the month of no shaving is also National Novel Writing Month. So for the month of November I am doing a experiment. I am writing my own novel. I have joined the nanowrimo.com and I was sadly not be read for a month as I am going to attempt on finishing the 50k words goal. So wish me luck.
If you are a lover of the written word and have always wanted to try to write your own book I would highly recommend singing up and joining myself and thousands of other crazy people out there.
Here is a link to the site  http://www.nanowrimo.org/en. It will be fun and I would love it if some of my reads did it with me. Sorry I will not have any new posts about books until after November. I am also sorry that my last two posts were kinda a cop out. One about a movie and one about me writing my own novel. Sorry from the bottom of my heart I am sorry, and keep reading dear readers without me until I meet you on the other side of November with a book of my own.

Always, 

Lindsey 

Cloud Atlas

Dear Readers or Watchers,
I normally do not review movies on principle. Who needs to read when there is a movie over the book? That idea is completely false, but the movie is different. This movie nothing like I have ever read or seen before, and at the same time it reminds me of everything I have taken in in these short 18 years. How can that be? I am not really sure either. Some times dear readers you come across a film, book, person, place, etc. that complete changes you. That you connect to, and leaves you crying even after you leave.
What else can be said about this movie besides wow. I don't know how to describe it to you dear readers. It was like some of the best books I have read and better than many of the books I have read. I should have stayed in the theater and watched it all over again. It had great plots, a magnificent theme, and relatable and recurring characters. All of the traits I love in a book some how managed to show up in this movie.
If you read carefully you noticed I said plots. Yes, there are many many plots you have to keep track of in the movie. Six plots to be more exact. They jump from place to place that it almost makes you sick at sometime. The thing is they are all connected. They are all connected to one main plot. They all connect. Which not so coincidentally is also the main theme. It draws lines over time and space connecting the characters in their different eras and worlds. All of the characters end up in the movies sub plots in some way. Again they are all connected. I have seen and read stories with the same thing, but it has never been done quite as well as Cloud Atlas.
I really have nothing more to say then that if left me looking in the mirror after and wondering if someone sometime looked in the mirror and saw the same face and made all of the same mistakes I am making and felling love with all of the same people I love and hated all of the same people I hate. If left me crying even now, an hour after movie was over. It left me wondering what was real. It really left me thinking. Not just about the afterlife, but love and what life is about. What if the world is on a loop and the things happening now have happened before and will happen again? Can anything I do make a difference? Everything I do is essentially a drop in a very large ocean, and that makes all of my actions, accomplishments, and failures seem very small. But we must remember that the ocean is made out of many drops.
Lindsey

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Dear Readers,
I was bad I saw the movie before I read the books. Please forgive me, dear readers. I know that it is not acceptable. It is against every rule I live by. You read the book first then watch the movie and judge the movie because it can never compare with original. Well, I broke my rule. I was lured  by Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and the amazing music in the preview. And let me tell you the movie was great. I loved it!! It was awesome, and because I loved the movie so much I decided to by the book and read it. And I loved the book too!!
Like many other books I like, Perks of Being a Wallflower is told completely in letters. This creates a really good connection with the main character. He is telling what happened. We only hear his thoughts. Charlie the main character of this novel is an interesting person. He is definitely not the normal teenager by any standards. A year before the book starts Charlie's best friend committed suicide. Already having experiences with loved ones dying, Charlie goes off the deep end. He is forced to talk to doctors and was treated different by everyone.
As he is starting High School he like many others stupidly hopes for a restart. He hopes that this year he will fit in. Well, like most high school stories go Charlie doesn't. He isn't automatically inducted into the popular crowd. He really has no friends until "Nothing" a kid from his shop class befriends him. "Nothing" whose real name is Patrick is a senior. Patrick introduces Charlie to new things and people. Including Sam. The first time Charlie see her sparks fly. Sam is now the best person in his meager high school life.
Charlie's first year of high school is full of up and downs. He does way to much drugs, drinks way to much, has his first girl friend, his first kiss, and many many other firsts. He basically see the world. Sounds like a typical high school story right? A unpopular boy who really knows nothing about being cool finds a group of friends becomes happy and then everyone rides off into the sunset in the back of someones beat up pick up listening to some pop music. Hear it all before right?
Well I would be lying if I said The Perks of Being a Wallflower doesn't follow that loosely. It is a high school story. Charlie does meet new friends. They are all happy eventually. But the different thing about it is Charlie. He is not the typical teenager as I have said before. Charlie is different. Charlie thinks differently. Charlie is a wallflower. He sees and he understands.
The letters let the reader see into Charlie's world. The things he wouldn't say. The things he can't say.
I really can't say much else about this book besides read it. I know I should go into some in depth discussion on the language, writing style, and character development, but lie Mr. Chbosky I am going to keep it simple. You don't need to know what I got from the book, you need to read if for yourself and see.
Lindsey

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Dear Readers,
This book is the third book in the wonderful Heroes of Olympus series by Mr. Riordan. The series follows the characters of the Percy Jackson series after the defeated Kronos. Let me just say it pretty AWESOME!!! I feel in love with the characters, story, and writing style of the Percy Jackson series and I was extremely excited when Mr. Riordan decided to continue their story. Some character have been added and some of my favorite characters from the previous series do not show up except for mention, but you lose some you win some.
You really can't understand this book with out first reading the other two in the series. It would be best if you read the original Percy Jackson series first, but if you find it to kiddish you would no be completely lost starting with this series. The first two books in the series are The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune.
To understand my review I will give a very brief synopsis of the series. Two camps. One Roman. One Greek. Many Demi-Gods. Need to Cooperate to Fight Giants. Percy and Jason Switch. Make Sense?
No, not really? Okay I can go a little more in depth. Buckle your seats and be prepared for a mini history lesson. When the Romans took over Greece they adopted many of their major gods. They did however change their names and some aspects of the gods. Many people are more familiar with the Greek gods and goddess. For example Zesus, Hera, Athena, Hercules, Hades, Aphrodite, and Poseidon. Countless retelling of their stories are made into movies and books. Their names are common and so are many of the attributes. Roman gods however are not as commonly known. Roman gods? How are these Roman gods you speak of? I have never heard of them. Well yes you have you just didn't know they were the names of gods. Jupiter, Venus, Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Juno, Mercury, and Vulcan. Those aren't gods, those are the names of planets, capitals, elements, and something from the geeky show StarTrek, you says. Yup. You are correctly, but all of those things were conveniently named after Roman gods. See Greek and Roman gods are still part of our culture even today.
These gods also come with many legends. They each have their own story, although many of them are connected. It was said the gods would occasionally appear in human form and have relationships with humans. When these relationships happened demi-gods were born. A demi-god is someone who is half god half human. They usually have some sort of special power. If you know anything about mythology you know what I am talking about. Since each god has two aspects, Roman and Greek, there are two separate camps (at least in the books there are, we are know branching into the fiction part of this review). Romans and Greeks don't get along, so the different demi-gods have been separated.The first two books take place in each of the camps. A war is coming and both camps need to work together the keep the mortal world from being destroyed. Hera decides to take matters into her own hands and get these demi-gods to unite. She takes one hero from each camp, erases their memory and drops them in the opposite camp. Percy Jackson, a Greek demi-god in dropped into New Rome. Jason Grace, a Roman demi-god, is dropped in Camp Half-Blood. After their memory slowly comes back Jason and Percy are able to unite the camps, or so they think.
A flying ship from Camp Half-Blood flies to New Rome to discuss and pick up the other members of their crew for the quest. A prophesy of old said seven demi-gods from both camps would be needed to help defeat the earth goddess Geae. While the Greek ship hovers above New Rome the two camps meet and discuss the quest. unexpectedly missiles rain down from the ship. The two camps, which were at peace for a few hours, are now again at war. The three members destined of New Rome make it on to the ship with the Greek demi-gods and get out in enough time. The seven are now assembled. Percy, Jason, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Hazel, and Frank. This hodge-podge group of demi-gods set out to save the world.
I will not tell you the twists and turns of this book because then it would be no fun for you to read. I will tell you that it is really fun to read. Riordan not only has a wonderful plot, but amazing voice. Each chapter is narrated by a different character. They all have their different voices and quirks, but all of the chapters flow seamlessly. Another part I enjoyed was the use of popular culture. A younger reader may not be able to pick it out, but Riordan includes popular phrases and well known things into the book to make it more modern day.
This series is not only a wonderful piece of fiction, it also works great as a history lesson. You will learn more about Greek and Roman gods then ever wanted to, and have fun doing it! So pick it up and read it!!
Lindsey

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Dear Readers,
My past few weeks have been as close to hell on earth as my life has gotten. I won't go into to many details, but it was not fun. Because of that shit I haven't been reading much. I started reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes before the shit started, and I read it sporadically over the past three weeks. It was a very good escape. It was exactly the book I needed to read. Another great one by Chris Crutcher. It is really one of those books that makes you realize how wonderful your life is, and how hard some people have it.
The main man of the novel Eric, also called Moby, struggled with weight all of his life. He has never been the skinniest kid. He was really never accepted by anyone but Sarah Byrnes. Sarah Byrnes is a breed all her own. When she was younger a pot of boiling pasta supposedly fell onto to her face and left her horribly disfigured. Eric always felt comfortable around Sarah Byrnes. They both were rejected by the normal kids at school.
One day Sarah Byrnes stop talking in class. When the bell rings she doesn't move, doesn't said a word. She is sent to the hospital because no one knows what is wrong. Eric feels alone and confused without his partner in crime. As Eric visits his friend in the hospital he flashes back to better times. The Crispy Pork Rinds articles, the other mischief they got in to, and trying to stay fat for Sarah Byrnes.
It is basically a book about friendship, helping others, and confronting your troubles. It was a very consoling    book in my shitty weeks. It is bad to say the book showed me that others are worse off then me, but it really did. I am not a huge heifer, my face isn't burned, I have never had an abortion, and my parents really don't pressure me into anything. But along with showing me that I have it pretty good, it showed me not to underestimate other peoples problems. What I might not think is bad, might cause someone else to break. Everybody has problems. Everybody deserves kindness. Treating someone like crap because you don't like how they look, act, smell, think, or speak is not okay. So remember, dear readers, that you have it pretty good and that what you might think is okay might be hell to someone else.
Pick up this book. I liked it, so see for yourself. It is an easy read, but it isn't meaningless. The book like the other Chris Crutcher books I have read brings up very good points. So read it.
Lindsey