Read More Books

These books below are ones I chose to occupy my time while in Bali.. except the last one, I bought a week ago because I got sick of hearing about "Hunger Games".. and I wanted in on the secret.

This was a very quick read and I'm still not sure what I got out of it. I was reading it in Singapore off and on and it was really staggered because really it was only on subways I would get a few pages in. But I thought it was nice and well written.

Water for Elephants was a long overdue book. Over a year ago, my friend Halen and I started a book club (that has since died and we only did it maybe 5 months). This was one of the books we were supposed to read but no one had the time for it. So I finally went to Barnes & Noble and snagged the last original cover they had because all that was left was the movie cover! Score! I also have this thing where I can't see a movie that was made from a book, without reading the book first. It's sorta annoying that I'm so OCD about it because then I rush through books, or prolong seeing the movie because I can't find the time to get through a novel. 

Anyways, this book was AMAZING. The characters, the imagination it gave me, the plot, the passion Sara must of had and the time she put in the studying what the real circuses during the depression were like... all of it! I don't read books more than once but I think I would, even next year! I read it in a days time or a little more while laying on the beach or sitting on our balcony looking over the most amazing beach in Bali. The movie, so-so and very disappointed. I felt betrayed, like Sara Gruen's characters weren't given enough credit. And too many parts were watered down or not shown at all! Shame on you producers.

I love Emily Giffin books. Man am I just a novel junkie? I think so. I read two of Emily's novels when they first debuted on the shelves while I was in high school- "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue". I remember telling my best friend Brittney Bean how she should read these books (I think I gave them to her) because she writes just how any girl thinks. It was such an easy read because of it. So when the "Something Borrowed" movie came out in the theaters this last spring, I googled if she had any more books since, and she does! A lot more since my high school days. So I read Baby Proof on my flight home from Bali (30 hours!) It was a good read and I totally recommend it. It's really funny, depressing, uplifting and maddening all at the same time. Imagine that.

So I am hooked. I now know the secret. Suzanne Collins sucks you in as if you are in the woods, surviving yourself. For the first 120 pages, I was really upset. I couldn't imagine that this book would be all over and in every elementary kid's backpack. It's a brutal and violent book. But then for some reason, I think the book has so much purpose and merit that I just get it. I'm not quite done, maybe 50 pages to go and I really hope it's going to end the way I want it to. But that never seems to happen these days with the books I read or which reality stars are winning these stupid shows I watch. But I think this one will go in my favor. I guess I'll have to go run to the store pretty soon and pick up the other two! 

While googling for these images, I noticed Hunger Games had a movie poster. Okay Suzanne. The covers are so hideous and I feel like this is what I would have designed for the book when I was in middle school. I guess middle school readers were the target? I hate it. But then you to go and pick the worst movie poster? Fire and flames and a scary girl? Ugh. It was already hard enough for me to buy the book from the cover alone, now I have to see a movie with a terrible collage of images that are sorta false advertising? Whatever. I think I should find my way into some kinda career where I'm in charge of finding books that need to be big pictures, then make them as accurate as possible. 

Any of you have good reads? I'm thinking of reading UNBROKEN next- a crazy biography from a man in WWII. My sister-in-law and Dad are obsessed. And I think it's time I move away from my semi-chick-flick novels for a bit.