From Books to Movies Part 2

 Title: The Star Wars Trilogy
                                       
                                              Star Wars

                                              The Empire Strikes Back

                                              Return of the Jedi
                                    # of Pages: 471
                                    Author: George Lucas
                                    Previous Work: (Books Only)

                                    George Lucas: Interviews

                                    Author: Donald F. Glut
                                    Previous Work: (Fiction Only)

                                    Frankenstein Lives Again

                                    Frankenstein Meets Dracula

                                    Bones of Frankenstein

                                    Author: James Kahn
                                    Previous Work: 
                                        
                                    World Enough, and Time

                                    Time's Dark Laughter

                                     Poltergeist

                                     Summary: A long time ago in a galaxy far far away... Luke 
                                     Skywalker worked on his uncle's farm on a remote planet 
                                     called Tatooine, repairing secondhand machinery and stunt-
                                     flying his battered skyhopper... and he was bored beyond 
                                     belief. He dreamed of adventures out among the stars-
                                     adventures that would take him to distant, alien worlds. But 
                                     when Luke intercepted a cryptic message from a beautiful 
                                     captive, he got more than he bargained for- and that was how
                                     it all began...

                                     Rating: This is a 5.
                                     Awards: There are no awards for the books but the 
                                     movies received so many awards, I won't even bother trying
                                     to list them.

                                     Opinion: Full disclosure: I got the summary from the back
                                     of the book. I was really worried about giving too much away. 
                                     Okay, moving on. I really loved the books. The plot felt fuller 
                                     because the characters' feelings were revealed. And the large 
                                     vocabulary and detailed descriptions were definitely a plus 
                                     (not that the movies needed those)That being said, a lack of 
                                      continuity in the books drove me slowly insane. In the first 
                                      book Artoo was described as having thick clawed legs. Yet in
                                      the next two, he's described as looking exactly like the 
                                      movies. Also, Yoda's skin changes from blue to green. Little 
                                      issues like that bothered me, but they might not bother you.

                                       Better than the Movie?: It really depends on what you're 
                                       looking for. I personally had a hard time following the 
                                       action scenes in the book (especially fights between ships)
                                       without being able to see it. On the other hand, I really
                                       enjoyed the character development, vocabulary, and the 
                                       ability to stop it part way through. I think any true Star 
                                       Wars fan should read the book, just to see where it all 
                                       started.

                                        Movie Preview:



                               

Secrets? The Truth? Or a Dream?

 Title: Safe-Keeper Series:
                                         
                                            The Safe-Keeper's Secret

                                            The Truth-Teller's Tale

                                            Wintermoon Wish- found in Firebirds Rising

                                            The Dream-Maker's Magic

                                      Author: Sharon Shinn
                                      Previous Work: 
                                               
                                                      General Winston's Daughter

                                                      Gateway

                                                      Adult books

                                      Summary:  There is a world where you can completely trust
                                      a safe-keeper to never ever tell your secret. A truth teller can
                                      never speak a lie. And the dream-maker can make your
                                      fondest wishes come true. But life isn't all sunshine and roses
                                      there. No life ever is.

                                      Rating: 5. This is on the required reading list!
                                      Awards: (For The Safe-Keeper's Secret)
                                             ALA list of Best books for Young Adults
                                         
                                             (For the Truth-Teller's Tale)
                                              NYPL Book for the Teen Age

                                              2006 Bank Street Children's Book List

                                      Opinion: These books were awesome. The characters were
                                      real, not like they had special powers. They didn't all have
                                      perfect lives. Kellen's life was almost sad. But they pulled
                                      through and did their best, with or with out special roles.
                                      These books are romantic and sweet. They definitely aren't
                                      a waste of your time!

Birthday Part 2

  Title: The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell
                                       # of Pages: 438
                                       Author: Chris Colfer
                                       Previous Work: He hasn't written any other books
                                       besides this one, but his bio says he was on Glee as
                                       Kurt Hummel.
                                     
                                       Summary:  Alex Bailey and her twin brother Connor
                                       are still dealing with the aftermath of their father's death
                                       when their twelfth birthday rolls around. They expect it
                                       to pass without much celebration, and so are shocked
                                       when their grandma shows up, presenting then with a
                                       family heirloom- a book of fairy tales. Soon after they
                                       receive the book they are sucked inside of it. Energetic
                                       teacher's pet Alex is overjoyed to meet her favorite
                                       characters. Jokester Connor, surprisingly, wants to get
                                       home right away. But getting home isn't that easy and
                                       their adventure changes them forever.
                                       Rating:  I give this book a 4.
                                       Awards:
                                       #1 on the New York Times best seller list for children
                                   
                                      #3 on the Indie best seller list for children

                                       Opinion: This was a REALLY  good book. The
                                       characters were so interwoven that without one story
                                       the others would fail. The villain wasn't really a villain,
                                       you find out a shocking fact towards the end, plus other
                                       bits and pieces make this book amazing. I recommend
                                       this book to anyone who love fairy tales or complex
                                       stories. I can't wait to see if it has a sequel!

Birthday Part 1

I had my birthday recently and decided to review two books with the theme of "birthdays" in them. Ironically they are both about twins. (I am not a twin, but find them interesting.) Now for the first book.
 Title: Jake and Lily
                                     # of Pages: 352
                                     Author: Jerry Spinelli
                                     Previous Work:
                                                     
                                                      Crash
                                                    
                                                      Maniac Magee
                                    
                                                      Milkweed
                                                      
                                                       Stargirl
   
                                                       Wringer
       
                                                       And many other books
              
                                      Summary: Jake and Lily are unusually close for twins. They
                                      just don't know how close until their sixth birthday. They find
                                      themselves on the train platform, which the train they born on
                                      passed. And this continues for many years. That was only the
                                      first of many strange occurences that include moving bruises,
                                      being able to hear each other from miles away, and most
                                      uniquely being able to read each other's minds. Lily knows
                                      their power needs a name and calls it Goombla. But as the
                                      years go on they grow farther apart and their Goombla starts
                                      dissapearing. Lily is on a mission to get it back.
                                      Rating: I give this book a 1.
                                      Awards: This book has no awards.
                                      Opinion: This book is really interesting. It is told from the
                                      point of view of both twins which is nice. Another thing I
                                      like is that the characters seem very real. But this book
                                      isn't one of the best Jerry Spinelli books. It is amusing but
                                      not a book you HAVE to read.