It's too bad I didn't pick this up last fall at a bookstore I'd stopped at - I would enjoy owning this (FYI, I did pick up Stargirl, SVH #3 Playing with Fire [the 2008 reissue], and The Veronicas' Hook Me Up).


On my copy, it says "scratch and sniff here" on the top of the cup. Unfortunately, I can't confirm the verity of that statement, since the cover is covered with plastic.

( Is love an STD? From what I've seen, it's harder to cure than herpes. )

Recently I was looking at EW.com's 40 Bad Romantic Comedies, not for the first time, and it got me thinking.  Now, I think I need to start trying to be more positive, but sometimes a good "Worst" list just helps you blow off some steam.  So in the interest of keeping the peace, I thought I'd do a little ditty about Some Romantic Comedies I Find Problematic.

You see, a lot of these are movies that I like to watch (maybe not pay moolah for them, but spend a couple hours watching them on TBS).  However, a part of my viewing pleasure comes from pointing out what I don't like - a plot twist, annoying characters, silly lines, or just plain predictability.  But I will acknowledge that there are people - in some cases, tons of them - who enjoy these movies and would rather not think about them too deeply.  Which is probably just as well.

Let's get it on:( There's 10 of them. It just worked out that way. )

This post's title is a slightly altered quote from one of my all-time favorites, Mansfield Park.  It's funny (well, not funny ha-ha) how well it describes the extreme non-events in this book.  However, I find myself confused as to how I feel about it.



Disclaimer: They didn't wear dresses like that in 1899.  But, oh my God, the marketing people they have are geniuses.

( In life, Elizabeth Holland was known not only for her loveliness but also for her moral character, so it was fair to say that in the afterlife she would occupy a lofty seat with an especially good view. )

I still can't believe I made myself do it, but I can't deny it now: Over the weekend, I watched The Clique, the movie based on Lisi Harrison.  What was I thinking?  Well, in the spirit of total honesty, there is something about teen movies that I find intriguing.  Hell, I watched Where The Boys Are, a 60s-era spring break movie, just a few days ago.  Even sub-par movies made on the cheap will spark my interest (for the first few minutes or so, and then I usually switch back to USA for a Monk marathon).  I know to expect the convoluted story, the bad acting, and the trying-too-hard "jokes," but that never stops me.  There's something fascinating(ly wrong) about the way Hollywood likes to portray high school life.  Of course, it's occasionally worth it if it's well-done and feels natural.



Feast your eyes, people.  Hatwear, multiple layers, leather gloves, knee-highs, and wavy locks.  These are the most stylish and sickeningly rich 12-year-olds at Octavian Country Day School.  That's their leader, Massie, in the foreground.  How can you tell she's their boss?  Her dog is a pit bull.  Or the leash represents her tight hold on her friends, constantly controlling where they go and what they do. 

Ha, no.  Symbolism in The Clique?  Not likely.

( Teleplay by Liz Tigelaar; directed by Micheal Lembeck; and, duh, based on the book series )

I've been having a very nice freebie of a day, so I thought I should continue the fabulous S.P. series.  Today, we're moving on to #3.


The glaring redhead on the cover?  Envy Adams, one-third of the popular "art rock" band Clash At Demonhead.  Scott's band, Sex Bob-Omb, has just opened for her at a concert.

( Most people just can't take it. It's a fact of science. The main thing to know is that I'm better than most people. )

This was a disappointingly short read.  For something based on one of the greatest books ever written, it's extraordinarily slight.


But don't worry, that's not all I have to say about this book.  It was actually very thought-provoking, not that I want to give the actual text too much credit.

( Read more... )

I just finished reading it today.


Originally, I wanted to go with a cover that had Clark Gable in all his opened-shirt glory, but then I saw this and thought it better reflected what I thought of the book.  Yes, there's a great whirlwind romance between two of the largest personalities to ever grace the pages of any novel, but the Civil War, its aftermath, and the political and cultural atmosphere it created are just as prominent. 

( Read more... all 1,038 pages if you dare. )

I don't have any books ready to review yet, having just started on King Dork and less than 100 pages to go on Gone with the Wind, so I thought this would be a nice change of pace. "Beers and Wiers" is the first, chronologically, of my favorite F&G episodes, and since I just watched it, I thought I'd recap it right here.


Life as a freak isn't usually this boring.

( Written by J. Elvis Weinstein and Judd Apatow; directed by Jake Kasdan )

I liked seeing Kate Brian at my library - it was like running into an old friend, almost.  This was written a few years before Fake Boyfriend.


I am slightly disappointed that I wasn't about to find a bigger image (what can I say?  I like consistency in size). 

Edit: I've found a nicer book cover, along with a new-ish title.  I like this one much better.  How cute are those dresses and legs?



I think I've figured out why I don't find Brian's books as memorable or as singular as others.

( Reach for the stars. Yeah. Eva couldn't even reach for the salt and pepper. )

I nearly peed my pants in excitement when I saw this, the second offering from David Levithan, perched on the shelf of my library's (rather old) YA section.  I knew without even cracking it open that I had to read it.



In other, somewhat related news, I just learned that he and Rachel Cohn are writing a third book together!  You can bet I'll have it shipped to my door as soon as it comes out.

( You think you know your possibilities./Then other people come into your life/and suddenly there are so many more. )

Soon to come: Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

So, I finally bit the bullet and decided to try one of the Clique novels, one of the more (financially) successful Gossip Girl knock-offs.  I want to smack Lisi Harrison's smug photo on the back of this book for writing what is essentially a massive advertisement for hot brand names with a bit of plot thrown in.


I asked my mom if the three girls on the cover looked like eighth-graders to her.  She said they looked 11, 13, and 15, going from left to right.  Can I add that I still can't believe this is meant for middle schoolers?

( Why was everyone so obsessed with boys these days? Wasn't Massie enough anymore? )

Again with the Meg Cabot.  But next time, I'll definitely stick to checking out her books from the library.


Clearly, this is a subject Meg knows a lot about, since she's still whipping out books that readers love ... to snark.

( I really have to get a new library card. )

I really should be working on my application to grad school, so of course I'm going to procrastinate by reviewing S.P. vs. the World for my own entertainment.


This is the first book in the series I read, and let me tell ya, I was pretty confused at first.  The hottie on the cover is Scott's cool new girlfriend, Ramona.  She is awesome, for many varied reasons.

 

( Look, Scott. I'm going to issue an ultimatum. )

It took me only a few days to finish this.  Warning: Do not read if you yourself have broken up with someone recently.  This writer knows exactly how a girl feels after a break-up, and it's almost depressingly realistic.


Who could not resist that cover?  However, it was the summary on the back that convinced me to pick it up.  Having been involved in my high school and college newspaper, I almost had to pick this up.

( The happiest dumpee on the block. )

Since I have no YA lit to review (currently reading: The Breakup Bible, Bergdorf Blondes, and Prep), I thought I'd dip into my supply of classics.  These include, naturally, all 6 of Jane Austen's novels, but there are one or two others that aren't as well known.  This one, however, deserves as much praise.


Think of it as the Pride and Prejudice of its time.  It was published in 1778, a somewhat different time than the 1810s, in which most of Austen's books were published.  But it deals with many of the same themes.

( Oh sir, shall I ever again involve myself in so foolish an embarrassment? I am sure that if I do, I shall deserve yet greater mortification. )

This is kind of the question, or at least one of many, that this books asks.


I picked this book up as soon as I saw it, and since then I've read it at least three times.  I'd definitely equate it to the nearly perfect Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and even suggest that Naomi and Ely goes above and beyond.  This is in no way a Nick and Norah copycat; it has a different story, different characters, and different lessons that each of them must learn.  Let's get into it.

( Somehow I think he's never looked more beautiful. Teary-eyed, splotchy-cheeked, runny-nosed, laughing and crying. My boy. )

Okay, class, settle down.  This session of Rachel Cohn's Library is now starting.


This is definitely one of the heavier YA novels I've read, as it deals with the aftermath of suicide and drug abuse.  But I trust Cohn, and of course I was ultimately satisfied with this.  A couple minor things about the covers: the one above is the hardback version, which is different from the paperback I have - however, both covers feature a pretty, slim blonde girl surrounded by nature.  This is not our protaganist, but rather the girl who committed suicide.

( She wishes the went-away girl was here now to play their old game, to help her invent a better ending. )

Another survivor from my booklist for Shakespeare & Children's Lit class last semester.


Flipping through it again, I don't remember why I kept it.  It's based on A Midsummer Night's Dream, although the actual plot of the play doesn't play out (no pun intended) until the very end, making for an odd adaptation.

( I do not pine, and I am not fond of lavender OR skirts, so I do not see how anyone could get us confused. )