Snapshot of Some Favorites - Books Part Two

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    I hope you have seen Part One, since this is the continuation.  I wished to give just a few more in order to complete the "Top 10" I promised some of my followers.  So here we are!

     ~ Bleak House by Charles Dickens
I cannot begin to describe how lovely I find Dickens writing to be.  I greatly enjoy the flowering sentences, and the in-depth description.  However, I know that americans are more about coffee, so it's okay if its not your cup of tea.  This book contains Esther Summerson.  She is my all time favorite female character.  Besides her lovely self, each character is intricately detailed, known, and highlighted.  This book also examines some interesting aspects of life which should be thought of more.  Some of these being what is true service, what is the essence of love, and what difference it makes if one is kind.

     ~ The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
What joy fills my heart when somebody mentions this book.  All of these books define different moments in my life, and realizations of some sort.  This book was my realization of childhood.  I was in a land of my own for a bit there... and this book speaks to that.  Light, yet heavy it follows the adventures of a lovely little mouse with ears that make him a social outcast.  Yet, he is full of hope, light, and love.  This book is simply delightful, and if you missed out on it during the first 12 years of life, I would highly recommend visiting it now.

     ~ The Giver by Lois Lowry
This book was originally meant as a stand alone, but has grown into a series.  I cannot say how it thrills me that there is more.  However, this book in of itself is simply wonderful.  It asks you to think about what defines humanity.  It calls into account things like the value of a human life.  Plus, it makes you wonder what would be lost if emotions were less.  Being a rather emotional person, I found it fascinating to think about what I would be if I felt less, and acted less.

     ~ The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak
I was honestly surprised by this book.  It is pure poetry.  When I say that... I mean that the phrasing is spectacular, the feelings are gifted, and the story pulled at my heart.  I think it redefines historical fiction.  It doesn't simply add a bit more understanding of the past.  This book wraps up emotions that we should learn to empathize with and gifts it to you in glowing lines of beauty.  Told from the perspective of death it was innovative, creative, refreshing, and yet had a strange feeling of deja vu.  I could praise the freshness of its antiquated feelings for many paragraphs yet.  So, I'll just leave it at that. 

     ~ Joan of Arc by Mark Twain
Later in his writing life, Mark Twain published this book.  "Mark Twain" had become a name that people would buy from simply because it was him.  Interestingly enough, this book wasn't published under that name.  He published it anonymously because he wished it to be judged because of it's quality, not because he wrote it.  Twain dedicated this work to his wife, and considered it one of his best works.  Honestly, I disagree with him.  It isn't "one of his best."  It is his best work.  Having read all of Mark Twain that I can lay my hands on, this is by far the most well done.

Snapshot of Some Favorites - Books Part One

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     My favorite books list is finding itself all to often revised.  So, for this moment, I would like to share them as the stand, right now.  Please, enjoy!

    Also, if you find yourself wanting to purchase any of them, click on the title!

     ~ Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis
As a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth this book hits harder then I think most would expect.  I find it fascinating due to the depth given to the characters, refreshing plot that is still true to the myth, and that the whole thing is poetic. Overall it has a great plot, yet at the same time becomes an interesting metaphor towards the end. Every time I re-read this book I gain something new.

     ~ Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card
Many have read Ender's Game.  Some have read the Ender's series. Perhaps not as many have gotten as far as the The Ender's Shadow Series. This book is the 2nd in that quartet.  I love it for the philosophical questions it poses, intriguing characters, quick paced plot, actions scenes, and the part science plays in it. Truly one to get to. Really only need to read Ender's Game, and Ender's Shadow to enjoy this book.

     ~ Anna Karenina by: Leo Tolstoy (Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky)
For a good while I would proclaim this book as my top favorite. Adults would be a little shocked, as it is about an out of marriage love affair. However, this book is about so much more.  It asks you to question, ponder, and re-define what love is and what it means to be faithful. Interestingly, very little physical contact is described (maybe a couple small kisses), yet it is one of the most romantic books I have ever read. It is a true raiser of questions and further thought.

     ~ The Foundation Trilogy by Issac Asimov
This is a classic set. I couldn't name a single one as they offer so many different things. This makes the list simply because Issac Asimov is a masterful writer. He puts life into his works.  These books explore different faucets of branches in philosophy and math.  Being that Asimov is a science fiction writer, they also explore how those branches intertwine with science. Sort of out there though, it makes for more of a philosophical series then a story set in a futuristic place. 


     ~ Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
I cannot begin to describe how hard I cried over this book. Unlike many books it wasn't just the ending. It pulls at your heart throughout the entirety of the novel. And since it is a rather big book, it leads to a lot of different points to cry. To many people skip the "boring history" part in the middle. Let me tell you, it adds so much more. This book is one that gives you food for thought every step of the way. Besides, it weaves a lovely and tragic tale that still manages to give you a sense of hope, and joy at the end. I also happened to love the movie, and learned to play many of the broadway musical numbers on the piano. Truly, this book is a book of emotions. 

     See Part Two for more!

The Book is Always Better Then the Movie...?

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     Ok, ok.  I agree making that statement into a question was just stupid.  However, I have to wonder just what people mean.  Are they trying to compare the two art forms?

    Its true, when you compare the book with the movie, the book will always be better.  It is inevitable.  You see, a movie cannot fit most of what the book has in it.  So really a movie is more like a summary of things that somebody might highlight.  Why should a summary be blamed for not being able to hold everything that the full work can, and does?

    See, if you want to experience the full amazingness of something, then READ THE BOOK! Movies are something more to enjoy.  They are like intricate visual book summaries.  Its unfair to the book and movie to compare the two very different art forms. 

     What people need to learn is to separate themselves from the book that a movie may be based off of, because if you don't... well you won't ever truly enjoy a movie that is based off of a book.

     People need to stop asking for better movies, cause the fact is that nobody wants to watch a 13 hour movie.  It wouldn't work for theaters, and it would take years longer for movies to come out.  Plus, acting and scene quality are the things you should be looking at.  Not how much of your favorite characters relationship the movie is showing.  You gotta give directors a break.  Enjoy the movie for what it is.  Embrace it, or just don't bother even watching it.

     That said.  I wish they had made Lightening thief into a better movie... but I mostly have a problem with the acting.  They choose to cut out the wrong characters, and they choose a weird cast.  It was a terrible movie.  Even worse when you compare it to the book.

     But in general, I advise all you peoples who read books and then watch the movies... separate them! Don't compare movies to books.  It is just a straight path to pure disappointment.

    The book is always better then the movie, but just stop comparing them.