Okay

Hey Y’all,

So, originally the deal with the book review series is that I would post once a month. This doesn’t really work out for me because I’m finding that I’m reading books in less than a week which leaves quite a bit of time where I’m not reading anything. I want to always be reading something and always sharing information with you all about what I’m reading. To make a long story short, it looks like I’m going to be posting more book reviews than 1 per month. It will just depend on how busy I am that month and how good my book choices are. Anyway, this time I’m reviewing The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I’m going to try a new format that I think might be kind of fun. Hope you like it!

Brief Summary:

Hazel Grace Lancaster is 16 year old girl suffering from thyroid cancer that has spread into her lungs. She is terminal. Hazel reluctantly attends a cancer support group for adolescents in the Literal Heart of Jesus (Don’t get it? Read the book.) at the request of her mother. During one of the meetings she meets Augustus (Gus) Waters who catches her eye immediately. The Fault in Our Stars is the story of their “sick” romance and what it means to love and be loved while death is knocking on their doors.

I Read This Book In:

2 days…maybe closer to 36 hours

FavoriteQuotes:

1.) “I could not run or dance or eat foods rich in nitrogen, but in the city of freedom, I was among the most liberated of its residents.”           -Hazel Lancaster

2.) ‘ “All salvation is temporary.” Augustus shot back “I bought them a minute. Maybe that’s the minute that buys them an hour, which is         the hour that buys them a year. No one’s gonna buy them forever, Hazel Grace, but my life bought them a minute. And that’s not         nothing.” ‘ -Augustus Waters

3.) “I like a woman who says, you know, I’m going over to see a boy who is having a nervous breakdown, a boy whose connection to        the sense of sight itself is tenuous, and gosh dang it, I am going to wear a dress for him.” -Augustus Waters

4.) Hazel: “God, you’re the best.”

     Augustus Waters: “I bet you say that to all the boys who finance your international travel,”

     (I like this one because it reminds me of something Kevin would say)

Things I Love About This Book:

1.) The fact that it made me laugh and cry

2.) Augustus Waters

3.) That Augustus calls Hazel by her first and middle name

3.) It’s a LOVE story (naturally I’m a sucker)

4.) The fact that they set out on an international adventure

5.)The perspective – a little morbid but different

6.) It’s going to be a movie!

Things I Didn’t Love About This Book:

1.) Everything is a metaphor

2.) Peter Van Houten

3.) The pessimism – I’m an optimist by nature

4.) The Fact that John green Capitalizes Random Words throughout the Story.

My Favorite Scene Was:

Isaac, Augustus, and Hazel throwing eggs at Monica’s car.

If you haven’t guessed, one of the main themes in this story is death so have a box of tissues ready! On a positive note, this story is funny. I laughed, out loud I might add, more than I cried. It’s always the mark of a good story when it can make you do both, and feel all the emotions in between.

The movie is set to release June 6, 2014 (in the states). You know I won’t leave you hanging.

Here’s the movie trailer:

If you’ve read my past book reviews then you know this format is different. I’d love to hear what you, the reader, prefers. I am here to serve. So let me know!

Til next time!

-Camille

Divergent

Hey Y’all,

So, I missed my deadline, ONCE AGAIN, for my book review. Twice in a freaking row. That clearly means that the 15th of every month doesn’t work for me. Therefore, I have made the executive decision to do the book review the day of or day after I finish the book. This way I don’t have to deal with that nagging deadline. Unless someone wants to pay me for my opinion, I don’t need no stinkin’ deadline. Anyway, lets get down to business. This month I read Divergent by Veronica Roth.

I know what you’re thinking. “Um Camille, the movie ALREADY came out for this book.” Yes, I am aware…and slightly jealous. This is why I’m going to be super short in this review. Pretty much everyone knows what this book is about.

The book takes place in a dystopian future Chicago. The population is broken up into 5 factions: Dauntless, Erudite, Abnegation, Amity, and Candor. All the adolescents are tested to see in which faction they belong. If they fit into a different faction from which they came, they must decide to stay with their home faction or leave and earn a place in a new one. The story follows Beatrice (Tris) Potter through her decisions regarding her future and what that means for her and those around her.

Here’s a little Faction quiz for you:

(Stole this from the Divergent fan page, but lets pretend that I made it up)

TAKE A PIECE OF PAPER AND MARK YOUR ANSWERS

 

1. You most want your friends and family to see you as someone who…

• A. Is willing to make sacrifices and help anyone in need.
• B. Is liked by everyone.
• C. Is trustworthy.
• D. Will protect them no matter what happens.
• E. Offers wise advice.

2. When you are faced with a difficult problem, you react by…

• A. Doing whatever will be the best thing for the greatest number of people.
• B. Creating a work of art that expresses your feelings about the situation.
• C. Debating the issue with your friends.
• D. Facing it head-on. What else would you do?
• E. Making a list of pros and cons, and then choosing the option that the evidence best supports.

3. What activity would you most likely find yourself doing on the weekend or an unexpected day off?

• A. Volunteering.
• B. Painting, dancing, or writing poetry.
• C. Sharing opinions with your friends.
• D. Rock climbing or skydiving!
• E. Catching up on your homework or reading for pleasure.

4. If you had to select of of the following options as a profession, which would you choose?

• A. Humanitarian. 
• B. Farmer.
• C. Judge.
• D. Firefighter.
• E. Scientist.

5. When choosing you outfit for the day, you select…

• Whatever will attract the least amount of attention.
• B. Something comfortable, but interesting to look at.
• C. Something that’s simple but still expresses your personality.
• D. Whatever will attract the most attention.
• E. Something that will not distract or inhibit you from what you have to do that day.

6. If you discovered that a friend’s significant other was being unfaithful, you would…

• A. Tell your friend because you feel that it is unhealthy for him or her to continue in a relationship where such selfish behavior is present.
• B. Sit them both down so that you can act as a mediator when they talk it over.
• C. Tell your friend as soon as possible. You can’t imagine keeping that knowledge a secret.
• D. Confront the cheater! You might also take action by slashing the cheater’s tires or egging his or her house—all in the name of protecting your friend, of course.
• E. Keep it to yourself, statistics show that your friend will find out eventually.

7. What would you say is your highest priority right now?

• A. Serving those around you.
• B. Finding peace and happiness for yourself.
• C. Seeking truth in all things.
• D. Developing your strength of character.
• E. Success in work or school.

 

NOW COUNT HOW MANY OF EACH LETTER YOU HAVE. 

 

 

A is Abnegation

B is Amity

C is Candor

D is Dauntless

E is Erudite

Since I had 2 A’s, 2 B’s, 2 C’s, and 1 D I guess that would make me DIVERGENT!!!!!! I’m ok with that because “I don’t want to be just one thing. I want to be brave and selfless and intelligent and honest and kind.” Thank you Four you said that perfectly.

Anyway, the movie came out March 21, 2014. I don’t know when we will have it over here in good ole Germany, but hopefully its soon! It was a super fun and easy read. I read it in 3 days! So definitely go read and/or see it! Very entertaining!

 

MOVIE TRAILER!!!!

 

Ok, so I hope you guys all go out and grab a book (or E-book like me) or a movie ticket!

 

Next month I will be reviewing A Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I hear good things!

Til next time

-Camille

 

Labor Day

Hey Y’all,

So, I’m finally getting around to posting my second book review. I was supposed to post it on the 15th, but the 15th just happen to fall on Saturday smack dab in the middle of our 4-day for this month. I opted to spend the 4-day with my husband who works so hard during the week instead of tied to my computer. Sue me! Anyway, today I’m reviewing Labor Day by Joyce Maynard. I hope you’re excited!

This book is about a middle school aged boy (Henry) and his mother (Adele) who harbor a fugitive (Frank) on the run after his escape from prison. The story is written retrospectively from Henry’s point-of-view, explaining the 6-day time span in which Frank comes to hide out in their house. Adele suffers from Depression and borderline Agoraphobia which leaves Henry to do most of the errands, but in preparation for Labor Day weekend Henry and Adele make a trip to the local Pricemarket for a few items. Here, Henry and Frank meet. Frank gently insists that Adele take him home with her. From here the story unfolds. Unlikely bonds are made and lessons are learned for everyone involved.

Labor Day is very well written. Its an easy read, but with unique style and a strong voice. The plot is compelling but muted; there aren’t many cliff hangers. There are important themes such as sexual maturation, jealousy, and thinking for yourself. Because of the unique perspective, the reader comes to understand the situation at hand while also receiving insight into what Henry is thinking and feeling. It is very much worth the read but beware. There are sexual themes and subject matter so if you are not comfortable with that sort of thing then this may not be for you.

I read the entire book without knowing who the author was and I just assumed it was a man. I found it extremely interesting that a woman wrote from a boy/man’s perspective. Not that it can’t be done or hasn’t been done in the past, but when I was reading it was as if a grown man was telling me a story from his past. I think that is a mark of a very talented writer. There is a very interesting interview with Joyce Maynard about her reasoning behind picking this character that I’ll post below. If you are interested in reading this book you should definitely check it out.

http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/hammerandthump/

Just scroll down. Its just passed the Robocop entry.(Its a film review blog)

Anyway, I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars!

If you read my last book review post then you know that I’m reviewing books that are being made into movies this year. The difference about this book is that it has already been made into a movie. It was widely released January 31st, 2014. I have not seen it yet because we only get select movies and they get to us about a month later than in the states. Hopefully I’ll get to see it soon though!

Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin play the parts of Frank and Adele. I can’t really say that they are perfect for the role because they were all I knew. They were on the book cover so I had no choice but to insert them into my imagination. If you haven’t seen the trailer for the cinematic version of Labor Day wait no longer! The link is below!

I hope you have enjoyed the review and you are thoroughly convinced that you should read Labor Day by Joyce Maynard. Oh and watch the movie…after you read the book though 😉

Next month I will be reviewing Divergent. I am really really really excited about this! I have heard  GREAT things about it. The consensus is if you like the Hunger Games then you’ll love Divergent. I LOVE the Hunger Games trilogy so I’m pumped! Stay tuned for the Divergent review!!

Til next time!

-Camille

Gone Girl

Hey Y’all,

So, I’ve decided to review a book every month from now until I no longer have time to read a book per month. Other than this post I’ll be posting on the 15th of every month. I want to start doing this because I’ve barely read anything for pleasure in the past four and half years with college and work and blah blah blah. SO, this will be a way to hold myself accountable to reading things that I WANT to read, which is almost like a foreign concept to me at this point. I hope you guys will enjoy these posts in addition to my posts about travel, Germany, and the Army life.

I’m actually going to review the book that I read last month, this month. If you remember back to my very first blog post, I mentioned that I was reading the book “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn. [If you haven’t checked out my first blog post you should. Its totally worth it ;)] I’m going to attempt to describe this book without giving too much away. That way you guys can decide for yourselves whether or not you would like to read it.

“Gone Girl” is a dual perspective thriller about the disappearance of a somewhat prominent, beautiful, young woman.  With the tag line “Marriage can be a real killer” one can imagine where the plot takes you. If you’ve watched any type of crime show you know they say that 99% of the time the husband did it. Through a series of inappropriate reactions and odd behaviors, the focus of the investigation turns to Nick as the main suspect. The book pings back and forth between Nick and Amy’s perspectives in order to fully explain the dynamic of the relationship and the truth about the situation. The story begins on the morning of Nick and Amy’s 5th wedding anniversary, when Nick comes home to find the house in disarray and Amy gone. Upon further investigation, the police find a small silver box with a clue for Nick. Every year on their anniversary Amy sets up a scavenger hunt for Nick that recounts major events in their relationship. So, was this supposed to be the normal start to their scavenger hunt, will it lead to Amy, or is there something more in store for Nick? Through a series of twists and turns “Gone Girl” has you on the edge of your seat and one your toes all at once! It’ll surprise you at least once, guaranteed.

“Gone Girl” is most definitely worth the read. You won’t be sorry. Well that is if you like really interesting, suspenseful reads. If you like a  boring and predictable read then I would say that this one is not for you.

Oh and you have a little while to get started but I wouldn’t wait too long beeecccaaauuuusssseeeee………….

its being made into a movie!

Projected release date of October this year.

Yes, that IS Ben Affleck playing Nick Dunne and the beautiful, perfect-for-this-role Rosamund Pike as Amy. Actually, they both are extremely wise choices for the part of Nick and Amy (in my humble opinion). I find this picture very intriguing. Also, I read that there is some talk of changing the ending for the movie. Therefore, y’all better get to reading before the movie releases so you can meticulously pick through all the differences between the movie and the book, and say “Well it was pretty good, but the book was WAY better.” Isn’t that what we all do?

Speaking of turning books into movies. I’m sure almost everyone has seen the “16 Book to Read Before They Hit the Theaters This Year” list by buzzfeed.com. If you haven’t and have been residing beneath a boulder, don’t worry I’ll attach a link. Anyway, I may or may not be choosing books from this list. If you WANT me to choose exclusively from this list OR want me to complete this list (which would obviously result in more than one book review a month, but I’ll do it because I love you AND I kinda want to complete the list) so that you know whether or not you would  A.) read these books yourself  OR  2.) know if you would be interested in watching the movie LET ME KKKNNNOOOOOWWWW!!! Please. Don’t be shy. Leave a comment or tell me on Facebook (if you know me) and tell me your preference. If I get no responses then I’ll know that no one really cares and I’ll just review whatever the H-E-double hockey sticks I want to. Also, if you have any specific books you would like me to review just let me know. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this and are looking forward to more of these in the future!

P.S. ITS ALMOST THE WEEKEND. Power through everybody!

Buzzfeed link: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/books-to-read-before-they-hit-theaters-this-year

Happy Reading!