From Books to Movies Part 1

 Title: The Princess Bride
                                  # of Pages: 464
                                 Author: William Goldman
                                 Previous Work ( Only the highlights, not including scripts):

                                 The Temple of Gold

                                  Soldier in the Rain

                                  No Way to Treat a Lady

                                  The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway


                                  Summary: William Golman has taken S. Morgenstern's
                                  classic tale of love and adventure and made it accessible to
                                  modern readers. The story is as follows.  When Buttercup's
                                  beloved Westley is killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts she vows
                                  never to love again. She becomes engaged to Prince
                                  Humperdink (whom she doesn't love) because it will be
                                  mutually beneficial. Unfortunately, before she can be married
                                  to him, she is kidnapped- not once but twice. Can Buttercup
                                  stay true to her heart or will she fall for the very man who killed
                                  her one true love?

                                  Rating: I'm honestly torn on my rating and I'll explain why in
                                  the opinion.
                                  Awards: There are no awards for the book, but the movie
                                  received The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation

                                  Opinion: I'm going to save you a lot of trouble and tell you to
                                  take this book with a bucket of salt- not a  grain, a bucket.
                                  There is no S. Morgenstern, nor an extended version of the book
                                  you can find. Mr. Goldman does not have a son or a horribly
                                  selfish ex-wife. Lastly there is no reunion scene (although if
                                  you ask for it you get a hilarious email) and there isn't and
                                  never will be, a full version of Buttercup's Baby. You will
                                  understand all of what I just said if you read the book. The book
                                  had a really good, interesting plot, but in itself was just a satire
                                  of the author's views. It was funny but frustrating, and left me
                                  torn as to whether I should be awed by the genius of it or
                                  furious at its duplicity. (If you had issues with any of the vocab
                                  in this paragraph you may not want to read the book. It is filled
                                  with ten-dollar words.)

                                  Better than the Movie?: Absolutely not. The movie was
                                  hilarious and quotable and amazingly cheesy. The acting was
                                  great and you got sucked into the story. While the book
                                  certainly has its merits, there is a reason why the movie-and
                                  not the book- was an insta-classic.

                                 Movie Preview:

Dream Dancing

  Title: Someday Dancer (In England it's called: Dreamer
                                      Ballerina; Germany: Ein Traum und zwei Füße- A Dream
                                      and Two Feet; The Dutch call it: Dansen tussen de sterren-
                                      Dancing Among the Stars)
                                      # of Pages: 256
                                      Author: Sarah Rubin
                                      Previous Work: None.

                                      Summary:  The year is 1959 and Casey Quinn knows she is
                                      meant to dance. Working hard to save up money, she goes to
                                      New York for an open ballet audition. New York is the city
                                      of dreams, so maybe even a farm girl like her can succeed.

                                      Rating: This is a 2.5.
                                      Awards: None

                                      Opinion: This book was an interesting fun read with well
                                      developed characters. However, now, months later, I
                                      remember little of the book. There were some interesting
                                      scenes and ideas explored, but the overall plot was lacking.

Food, Food, Glorious Food

 Title: Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous
                                      # of Pages: 234
                                      Author: Kathryn Williams

                                      Previous Work: (YA not done under her pen name)

                                     The Debutante

                                     The Lost Summer
                                       
                                     Summary: Sophie Nicolaides has worked in her family's
                                     Greek-Italian Restaurant all her life. She feels like she ready
                                     for a new challenge- becoming a "real" chef.  The reality
                                     show Teen Test Kitchen will give her the chance to prove her
                                     mettle as a chef. However once the show starts, distractions
                                     are everywhere. Can Sophie rise above it all to win the
                                     competition?

                                     Rating: This book is a 4. The recipes definitely made it.
                                     Awards: None

                                     Opinion: I chose to review this particular book because
                                     everyone knows Thanksgiving is all about food. So what
                                     better Thanksgiving book can you have, than one about a
                                     cooking competition? The book was kind of like a cross
                                     between Masterchef Junior and Food Network Star. I really
                                     liked the recipes in the book and it was a quick read. It was
                                     nice and thankfully not frustrating, like certain competition
                                     books. My one complaint is that it really wasn't about love
                                     like it was advertised.

                                                              ********Bonus********

                                                         Interview with Kathryn Williams:

                                    1. What would you say is your favorite book, short story, or 

                                    essay that you've written in your entire life?

                                    That's kind of like asking a mom which is her favorite kid,
                                    which is impossible:) Working on a book is hard because I
                                    love it, clearly, or I wouldn't be writing it, but then I also
                                    kind of hate it, especially by the time I'm on my tenth draft.
                                    But then when I'm done, I can't help but have some affection
                                    toward it.That said, I probably think most fondly of my
                                    second book, The Lost Summer. Maybe because it's set at a
                                    summer camp, which was a special place to me growing up
                                    (still is). But I had the most fun writing Pizza, Love, and 
                                    Other Stuff that Made Me Famous. My research essentially
                                    involved messing around in the kitchen, watching TV, and
                                    stuffing my face.

                                    2. What was your favorite childhood book?

                                   Another hard one. I loved Anne of Green Gables. I was just
                                   talking about that series with a friend because I'm going to
                                   Nova Scotia this fall and want to go to Prince Edward, where
                                   it's set.

                                   3. What is your favorite book as an adult?

                                   It changes often and as I read more books. There's a book by
                                   Donna Tartt called The Secret History that I think is amazing
                                   -- suspenseful, dark, and beautifully written.

                                  4. What was your inspiration for "Pizza, Love, and Other 
                                  Stuff That Made Me Famous"?

                                  I love to cook, and I also love watching cooking competition
                                  shows. In another life, I would have been a chef.

                                 5. Since this post is being published around Thanksgiving,
                                 what is your favorite part of the feast? If you don’t have 
                                 a feast for Thanksgiving, what traditions do you have?

                                 I'm from the South originally, so I have to say sweet potato
                                 casserole (no marshmallows) and green bean casserole (lots of
                                 fried onions).

                                6. What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving?

                                I am getting married (or will be married, when this comes out!)
                                in October, so I am thankful for my new hubby. He's pretty
                                awesome.

                               7. Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers of your 
                               books?

                               I'd like to say "thank you" about a million times over. I also 

                               encourage readers, if they enjoy a book, to reach out to the

                               author, like you did. For many of us, meeting readers through

                               email or in person (or snail mail -- I love getting written letters 

                               and pin them above my desk) is the best part of the job. 

Peak Precision

 Title: Peak
                                     # of Pages: 246
                                     Author: Roland Smith
                                     Previous Work:
                                                            
                                                      Cryptid Hunters series

                                                      Elephant Run

                                                      I.Q. series
                                                      
                                                      Jack's Run

                                                      Storm Runners series

                                                      And many more books!
        
                                     Summary: Peak is a just normal 14 year old guy who lives in
                                     New York. Unless most boys don't get caught tagging
                                     skyscrapers. And if the "punishment" for most isn't climbing
                                     Mt. Everest. Maybe Peak isn't so ordinary, after all...

                                     Rating: This book is a 3 to me.
                                     Awards:
                                      
                                     2007 Booklist Editor's Choice

                                     2007 Miami Herald's Best Kids Books
                                      
                                     2008 New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age List
                 
                                     2008 ALA Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults

                                     2008 ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

                                     2008/2009 Texas Lone Star Reading List

                                     2009 Nevada Young Reader's Award

                                     National Outdoor Book Award

                                     25 nominations

                                     Opinion: Peak is a very relatable character. He cares about
                                      his twin sisters. He also has his flaws. (Unlike Sun-jo who
                                      I thought was too perfect). I personally didn't like the
                                      Bhuddist influence in the story, but I realize it is a crucial
                                      part of the beliefs of Everest climbers, and needed to be in
                                      the story. Altogether it was an interesting read; different
                                      than what I'm used to reading.

Strange Occurences Part 1

 Title: The Queen of Second Place
                                          Queen B
                                  Author: Laura Peyton Roberts
                                  Previous Work: (In Alphabetical Order)
                                                        Clearwater Crossing Series
                                                     
                                                        Ghost of a Chance
                                                        
                                                        Green

                                   Summary:

My Personal Philosophy of Talent
by Cassie Howard

                                 I have this theory that everybody has a talent. Rich, poor,

                                 clueless—it doesn't matter. I honestly believe that every human

                                 being on earth is born with one special gift. The problem is, 
                                 not all talents are created equal. People think that talent means 
                                 you sing, or dance, or act. But those are the glory talents, the
                                 ones that everyone wants, and for every diva out there, about 
                                 a million other people are walking around with one of the 
                                 lesser gifts, the kind that don't get their own videos.    

                                  
                               Everyone has a talent, is Cassie's philosophy. They could
                            be normal and simple, like whistling. Or they could be like
                            hers- always getting second place. She's tired of her
                            talent and so when her nemesis sets out to have the new
                            boy Kevin (who Cassie has a crush on) as her boyfriend
                            Cassie is determined to stop her in any way possible.
                            (Queen  B is about what happens after this book.)  
                              Rating: 4
                              Awards: (For Queen of Second Place)
                                       Florida Teens Read List

                                       Young Adult Sequoyah Masterlist

                                       (For Queen B)
                                  
                                        Flamingnet Top Choice Award Winner
                      
                                        Sweet 16 Magazine "Super Summer Read"

                                        Kliatt starred review    

                                 Opinion: This book has a really interesting format. You
                                 start in the middle, with Cassie in detention, and she
                                 catches you up. The characters are quirky and Cassie is
                                 real. The only reason these books aren't a 5 is because at
                                 points the book  is stressful. These are really good books
                                 to read.        

Music to Your Eyes

 Title: Take a Bow
                                     # of Pages: 278
                                     Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
                                     Previous Work:
                                                          The Lonely Hearts Club

                                                           Prom and Prejudice

                                     Summary: This book is told from the point of view of four
                                     teens who go to a performing arts school. Emme writes songs
                                     for her friend, Sophie, because she's too scared to sing them on
                                     her own. She believes that's the way it always has to be. Sophie
                                     wants fame, and will do anything to get it. She uses Emme, her
                                     BFF, and her boyfriend Carter. Carter is a former child actor.
                                     He just wants to be a normal guy, but his fame is seriously
                                     getting in the way. And then there's Ethan. Ethan is in Emme's
                                     band, and is a musical prodigy, but always thinks he isn't good
                                     enough. And so he sabotages himself. As high school continues
                                     these people are linked together for life.
                                     Rating: I give this book a 4.5. It leaves a lasting impression on
                                     you.
                                     Awards: 
                                                  None.
                                     Opinion: This was a must read book. It tells about a
                                     performing arts school, but it was focusing on the students. The
                                    whole book had a wonderful balance. My only complaint is you
                                    really don't find out where Ethan's self esteem issues come
                                    from. The ending was perfect. It was sweet, but realistic. This
                                    book is great to read any place or any time!