Of course Road Trip Wednesday is going to go all Halloween. So they're asking:
Halloween! What's your favorite scary book or movie?
This is a tough one because I don't like scary movies. Or books. Or anything scary at all. Yep, I'm a fraidy-cat. My overactive imagination takes even the least amounts of freaky and turns it into, what was that noise? Is someone pounding on my door? I can hear footsteps. I'm going to get slashed and murdered in my bed with a gigantic knife and there will be blood everywhere.
My imagination actually gets worse from there but I can't even write it down. When I was a teen, both Scream and Sleeping With the Enemy freaked the crap out of me. I don't think I've ever actually seen a horror movie (Scream would be the only one). And books? The scariest it gets is... nope, I can't think of one. I don't mind a little bit of freak-out, like Maureen Johnson's In The Name of the Star about a serial killer. And of course I love tension in my books. But as for horror? No way, no how, not happening.
So how's that for a non-answer?
What's your fave scary book or movie?
Actually, no, don't answer that. Because I'm not going to read/watch it anyway and I frankly don't even want to hear about it. Wait. Is something scratching at my window?
It's Teaser Tuesday time again, hosted by Miz B. of Should Be Reading. You can see the complete rules of the meme on her blog, but you basically open randomly to a page in your current read and choose a line or two- no spoilers!
Confession: I rarely pick a teaser at random. Usually, I use a line or small paragraph that I especially love or that conveys the tone of the book or the voice.
Right now I'm reading The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I am loving this book so far which isn't much of a surprise since I've loved everything she's written that I've read so far. She has so many great lines in this book that it should be easy to pick one. Of course, when I need to find a line I love, I can't. Go figure. So you'll have to settle for this:
"Death." Gansey read the bottom of the card. He didn't sound surprised or alarmed. He just read the word like he would read eggs or Cincinnati.
"Great job, Maura," Calla said. Her arms were crossed firmly over her chest. "You going to interpret that for the kid?" (page 151)
I am loving Taylor Swift's new album RED like crazy. I admire her so much. She's not the best singer in the world, but her song-writing skills are amazing. Some people have blasted her for singing about her exes, but I think it makes the songs that much more interesting. Her songs are very honest, and I like that.
I also love that my three daughters (aged 3,5, and 8) beg to listen to her. Yes, my 3-year-old does too. We all belt out We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together in the car. I've only listened through the CD a couple of times, but Stay Stay Stay,Red, and 22 are already favorites. This CD is definitely worth a listen if you haven't had a chance yet.
It isn't surprising that this month's Bookmobile selection, Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and
Bone, has sold film rights; the darkly magical world of the Shadow
Fold begs for an on-screen translation! But that got us wondering. We'd like to
know, in your opinion, what is it that makes some books seem ideal for a film
translation?
(An aside: I haven't read Shadow and Bone yet, I'm still waiting for it from the library.)
So, honestly? Any book. And I could really stop there.
The thing is, when I love a book, I automatically think, this would make a great movie, I wonder who'd play the leads?
In most cases of course, the book is way better than the movie. I've heard they optioned Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. I'd see that movie in a heartbeat, and yet anyone who's read it knows that a movie just won't hold a candle to this book. It's just not possible. A movie will lose all that's really great and special about the book.
When I was thinking about this question yesterday, my first thought was that contemporary books probably make the best movies. Earlier this month I read The Bachelorette Party which really SHOULD be a movie. In fact, I'm surprised it isn't yet. Same with Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married (which I did hear was made into a TV mini-series with Gerard Butler as Gus! I'd like to see that sometime).
But then I realized, contemporary doesn't always make a great movie. Take Speak for example. The movie was good but it doesn't compare to the book because we couldn't really get inside the main character's head. She doesn't speak, so with the movie it's impossible to really get it. I've heard Thirteen Reasons Why could also be a movie, and again, I doubt a movie version will have the same impact as the book.
I think the books most ideal for film translation are plot-driven and fast-paced. Books where we see the character development more through their actions than what's going on in their head. Of course, when I tried to think of an example, I couldn't really. (Because movies rarely are as good.)
The few cases where I enjoy a movie better than the book, are usually adaptations of classics. They cut out a lot of the long-winded description in the movie version and get straight to the point. *cough LOTR cough*
In conclusion... ha, just kidding. I've been long-winded and a bit rambly today (I probably should have stopped above). Browsing my shelves, what books would I love to see made into a movie? Juliet by Anne Fortier. The Gallagher Girls series or Heist Society books by Ally Carter. And Anna and the French Kiss, just because I love that book so much.
Speaking of books to movies, I'm super excited for this movie, coming out in February:
Yep, I'm reading it. The Casual Vacancy. J.K. Rowling's new book. I imagine I'll have a whole post about it when I'm done, but right now all I'm gonna say is...
Dobby, I don't think we're in Hogwarts anymore.
Naturally I'm pulling my Teaser Tuesday (hosted by Miz B from Should Be Reading) from this book. So without further adieu...
She could still see Howard and Maureen behind the counter, the one immense, the other scrawny, and in her mind's eye they were looking down at her from a height as they told her that her friend was dead. With an almost welcome gush of fury and hatred she thought, They're glad. They think they'll win now. (page 40)
Have you read The Casual Vacancy? I'm interested to hear others' thoughts on it.
How much do I love this show? Let me count the ways...
Okay, maybe I won't, but seriously, this is one of my favorite shows ever! Every week I'm anxious to see who they're going to spotlight, what new character they're going to introduce. I love the different takes they put on our favorite fairy tale characters. I love the how they intertwine the Storybrooke story and the Enchanted Forest story. I love the new direction they've taken it this season. I love love love the costumes.
So maybe I was starting to count the ways. This really is an awesome show and if you're not watching it, YOU MUST.
And if I was going to dress up for Halloween, I'd so want to be Mulan- I love her outfit and her crazy-long ponytail. Or maybe Snow White. Or even the Evil Queen. The costumes are awesome!!!
Today's Road Trip Wednesday hosted by YA Highway asks:
Are you doing NaNoWriMo, or have you ever? Does having a deadline inspire you?
No, I've never done NaNoWriMo. I first heard about it when I just barely started writing the first draft of Daze. My then 16-year-old niece was doing it. When I found out she wrote an entire book in a month... well, it lit a fire under my rear that's for sure. By the next February, I had finished my first manuscript.
I've sort of had the itch to do it this year, but the timing's off. I want to finish my Sway revisions and I've got an R&R for Daze. I'd really like to go back to my WIP and just get it finished. The idea is still floating around in the back of my head, begging to be written some more. But I've made a plan and I'm going to stick to it.
Oh, and do deadlines inspire me? Sure. I set them for myself. Of course, they're never as crazy as writing a novel in a month. Right now, I'd like to have my Sway revisions done by November 1st. I don't know if I'm going to make that deadline but I'm sure as heck gonna try.
What about you? Doing NaNo this year? Do you set yourself crazy deadlines?
