Leeches Suck

April 10, 2015 by Jessi

Stand By Me/The Body Book release: 1982 Movie release: 1986 Where to watch: In a treehouse with your best friends in between games of cards. Every time I’ve seen the part at the beginning of the movie which states that it was based on a Stephen King novella, I’ve said to myself, “I’m gonna to read that.” I’ve seen this movie countless times since it’s release date (which was a mere month after my birth, mind you). That’s a lot of “I’m gonna’s.” […]

Categories: Adaptations • Tags: adaptations, Film Fesrt Friday, Stand By Me, Stephen King, The Body

Girl, you gotta a fine glass…slipper-Film Fest Friday

March 13, 2015 by Jessi

Cinderella Book release: Let’s not get technical Movie release: 2015 Where to watch: At the movie theater unless your a naughty pirate (a naughty piracy pirate) Once upon a release date, Jessi went to see this movie all alone. …Could I have waited for some friend’s calendar to clear up? Yes, but I need to see this immediately. I’ve been waiting (more like squee!-ing) for this one since the first teaser. I love, just love, fairy tales and their many adaptations. (I’m NOT talking […]

Categories: Adaptations • Tags: adaptations, Cinderella, fairy tale, Film Fest Friday

Who Wrote It Better: February Edition

February 23, 2015 by Jessi

As embarrassing as it may be for one celebrity to be caught wearing the same thing as another, many of us common folk find true delight in comparing the two and declaring a winner. This fashion face-off of “Who Wore It Better?” has inspired a literary twist in the form of a bookish battle we call “Who Wrote It Better?” Shakespeare’s turn of phrase is better than Right Said Fred’s little turn on the catwalk. (Yeah, on the catwalk!) Why isn’t “February […]

Categories: Literary Style • Tags: Anna Wintour, February, Jenny Han, Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare, We'll Always Have Summer, Who Wrote It Better, William Shakespeare

More like The Okay-ders

February 10, 2015 by Jessi

Title: The Wonders Author: Paddy O’Reilly Published: February 10, 2015 Genre: Fiction Rating: ★★★☆☆ The premise sounded pretty promising. (Say that five times fast.) We meet three people with remarkable medical transformations: Leon, the story’s timid narrator, has a mechanical heart; buxom, perpetually naked Kathryn covered in black wool after a gene therapy cure for Huntington’s; and artist Christos who implanted metal wings into his back. Brash American, Rhonda, offers them work in her circus, though circus is more like a “glamorous” […]

Categories: Book Review • Tags: book reviews, fiction, Paddy O'Reilly

Hades, God of the Garbage Dump

January 29, 2015 by Jessi

Title: Hades Author: Candice Fox Published: January 27, 2015 Genre: Crime thriller Rating: ★★★★☆ I knew I was a fan of the book right from the last line of the book’s prologue. It was one of those lines that gave you the “oh, this is gonna be good” vibe, or, more specifically, the I-hope-I-don’t-need-to-participate-or-even-be-present-in-the-outside-world-so-I-can-read-this-thing kind of good. We first meet Hades Archer, The Lord of of the Underworld/runner of a garbage dump, in a situation that needs his special brand of fixing. […]

Categories: Book Review • Tags: Australian author, book reviews, Candice Fox, crime thriller, four star review

Who Wrote It Better?: Winter Edition

January 21, 2015 by Jessi

As embarrassing as it may be for one celebrity to be caught wearing the same thing as another, many of us common folk find true delight in comparing the two and declaring a winner. This fashion face-off of “Who Wore It Better?” has inspired a literary twist in the form of a bookish battle we like to call “Who Wrote It Better?” Like Coco Chanel, Hawthorne accessorizes perfectly, but instead of donning the iconic Chanel 2.55 handbag, Hawthorn uses personification […]

Categories: Literary Style • Tags: game of thrones, George R.R. Martin, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Who Wore It Better, Who Wrote It Better, Winter is Coming

Jessi’s Christmas Wish List-Top Five Books I Need From 2014

December 9, 2014 by Jessi

The Storied Life of A.J. Fiery, Gabrielle Zevin A grump, a bookstore, and a toddler that opens his heart. Well, this story sounds adorable. This sap may need a tissue box or two. My hope is that the characters are just as quirky and charming as I imagine they should be. Heroes of Olympus, Book Five: The Blood of Olympus, Rick Riordan Okay, you caught me! I own this book. I have been faithfully reading Rick Riordan’s series forever. However, there’s been a bit procrastinating with […]

Categories: Best Of • Tags: 2014 books, bj novak, books, caitlin moran, gabrielle zevin, heroes of olympus, rick riordan, top 5, wish list

Why, cello there…

August 22, 2014 by Jessi

Bingo Square: Book That is a Movie in 2014 Book: If I Stay, Gayle Forman Favorite Quote: Adam lay down on my bed, stretching his arms above his head. His whole face was grinning–eyes nose, mouth. “Play me,” he said. “What?” “I want you to play me like a cello.” …Aaaanndd it goes on from there. I’ve never giggled so hard in my life. Yikes. Main character, Mia Hall, and some baseball card type stats: Parents: Progressive, avid rock music […]

Categories: Book Review • Tags: book versus movie, contemporary YA, Film Fest Friday, Gayle Forman, If I Stay, literary bingo, teenage romance

I DO believe in fairies! I do! I do!

July 23, 2014 by Jessi

Bingo Squares: Book on Tape, YA Based on a Fairy Tale, Alliterative (errr, Assonontal) Title, Reread a Book I Loved as a Kid Book: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Favorite quote: “I had wanted to tell her about the afternoon I spent flying down the stair rails at home, never noticing the gradual shedding of my breeches.”–Prince Charmont You got it, folks, this kid hit four bingo squares with one book. [cue whatever is included in over the top celebrations (e.g. […]

Categories: Book Review • Tags: Ella Enchanted, Gail Levine, literary bingo