Top Ten Book Scenes I'd LOOOOVE to Experience

Last week, I made a top ten list of favorite items I'd steal from books. Number one? Nancy Drew's blue convertible. Oh, yeah!

Now please enjoy...

Top Ten Scenes I'd Like LOOOOVE to Experience.

1. Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and she turns him down. BAM!

2. Every Christmas feast at Hogwarts.


3. When Anne hits Gilbert Blythe over the head with the slate. I'd holler from the back of the school house, "Go, redheads!"

4. The entire fifteenth chapter of THE PRISONER of AZKABAN when Harry wins the quidditch cup by beating Slytherin. AWESOME!!!


5. To be alongside Lucy when she walks through the wardrobe for the first time. Narnia!


6. Being rocked by Aunt Beast in A WRINKLE IN TIME. (I love a good nap in space.)

7. Front row at the Reaping Ceremony. When Primrose's name is called, I'd volunteer before Katniss, and therefore Peeta would fall in love with me....and Katniss can have Gale or whatever.


8. Go to the chocolate factory with Charlie and Grandpa Joe, then eat candy grass, mushrooms and tea cups with Willy Wonka.

 

9. When Elizabeth Bennet has the showdown with Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the garden.

"He is a gentleman and I'm a gentleman's daughter, therefore we are equal."

How Elizabeth kept her wits in this scene is beyond commendable.


10. When Laura Ingalls sees Almanzo Wilder for the first time in THE LONG WINTER. *heart swells* Even though she was more smitten with his friend, Cap Garland...still, I smile every time.

What are some of your favorite scenes?

Top Five Things I Hate About The Divergent Movie Poster

So the latest poster for the Divergent movie just came out.

*Deep breaths*

I haven't been this steamed since Amazon dragged the cover of Anne of Green Gables through the post beer garden mud wrestling competition. Readers enamored with the red-headed orphan, cried 'shame' when the saw the buxom blond in the plaid shirt with the 'come hither stare'.

                                                                         amazon.com

Thankfully, Amazon pulled the 'updated' covers.

But this is the movies, kid. And it's a whole other ballgame.

Dear Hollywood,

This is so, so wrong.

Sincerely,

A devoted reader

Here are the top five things I hate strongly dislike about this poster.

1. Tris is the main character, yet Four is center stage. It's HER story. Why is she in the background taking the place of a sidekick?

2. They're on top of a high rise. The dude hates heights.

3. Tris is all curves and clad in tight leather. Her long hair is flowing in the breeze. She's gazing wantonly into the distance. What is this, Beyonce's halftime show at the Super Bowl? Everyone knows Tris is tiny. Yet, despite her size, she proved herself worthy of the toughest crowd in town. I don't get that vibe from this poster.

4. Four is armed with an assault rifle or something equally deadly. Where are Tris's weapons? Oh wait, is she supposed to use her 'wanton stare' to disarm enemies?

5. Her butt is literally the middle of the poster. I've seen more panache from a Calvin Klein billboard.

If this was the original cover for the novel I would have NEVER picked it up.

There, rant over.

Please click on a share button below and spread the outrage.

Tris deserves a better poster.

Ten Books You Should Read Again Now That You're All Grown Up

Nothing standing out in the best seller list for you these days? Does the Hot & New section at the bookstore look kind of dull?

Then I suggest you step in your own Tardis and revisit your teen favorites from long—or in my case, long, long ago.


1. Forever by Judy Blume

Holy crap! A book with sex scenes. I remember being totally blown away by Michael and Kathy's relationship and was devastated with Kathy's choice. Now, of course I'm digging the ending like a grave yard worker on a double shift.


2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Guy Montag's world scared the bee-Jesus out of me and was completely depressing. I recently discovered it makes a great companion to a pumpkin spice latte.

3. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A perfectly creepy read ruined by homework questions like: Who was your favorite character and why? This time around I found reading without a looming book report was so much more enjoyable. For the record, my favorite character was Simon because he seemed like good boyfriend material. I didn't write that, but that's the truth.

4. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

This book felt mysterious and sacred when I read it as a teenager. But now that I have children, I wasn't surprised my focus went from Anne to her parents, especially her father who ends up being the only survivor. How he must have felt reading her words, knowing he'd never hear her voice again.

5. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Yes, we're all still a bunch of phonies. Poor Holden. I totally get him now.

6. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Plucky orphan + red hair + nemesis that grows into love interest = epic read

7. Nancy Drew by a bunch of writers who went by the name of Carolyn Keene

Any book from the original series. I can't say enough about a girl who wears white gloves and knows how to change a tire on her blue convertible. And don't forget the wonderful sweets by Hannah.

8. Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan

Lois breaks all the rules for YA. Both parents are alive, the protagonist already has a great boyfriend and none of her friends are into 80's music or fashion designers. She creates tension the old fashioned way, by throwing the main character into a completely unnatural situation and watching her squirm. It's a psychological thriller at its best!

This is the cover I remember staying up late with too scared to sleep.

9. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

No explanation is needed. Just go read it again. Then watch the movie because of Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze.

10. The Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Two precocious runaways secretly living in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Sign me up! Great book to read aloud to your kids, too.


What are some of your old time favorites?

Five Books That Made Me Cry

Oh my, nothing better than a good cry over fictional characters, especially if you're on an airplane or waiting in the doctor's office....*ahem*

Anyway, if you're in need of a good emotional heart wrenching sob, check these titles out.

owltellyouaboutit.com

#1. The Fault In Our Stars

It's not the fact that the kids have cancer, it's that they fall in love so beautifully. I knew it wouldn't end well, yet I kept reading...I HAD to! And even though I can go back and read it all over again, in my heart, that character is gone. *sobs*

#2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In particular Chapter 13 

Every frickin' time I read this I cry...tears of JOY! Harry saves the day and manages to look cook in front of Cho Chang when he catches the snitch during a particularly troublesome Quidditch match. Plus, he produces a patronus so strong Malfoy and his cronies end up in the infirmary. *fist pump*

#3. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The ending...just stop. I can't. My kids and I cried together at bedtime reading this one.

#4. Anne of Green Gables

One word. Matthew. *sniff*

#5. A Fine Balance

So many heartbreaking moments. It's not necessarily a crying book, but more like the author reaches through your chest and twists your heart, squeezing it tightly. The ending scene with the chess set and the speeding train lingered with me for a long time after I closed the book.



Which books made you cry?