(no subject)
I think I need to make a list for myself of what I've been watching and reading. I've read more books this last year than I have in forever (i.e. since high school) and I've finally been watching some fun movies, and finally have some movies that I'm really looking forward to seeing. It's amazing to me how little time I've had in the last 3 years to simply enjoy books and movies, the very things that inspire me in my work the most. Yeesh.
So... books. 1) Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Tale of a youth stuck in a prison that is alive and designed to eventually weave a utopia for it's inmates, but sadly, has become corrupt. I loved the premise and plot of the story, and by the end, it was reminding me of one of my old favorites, "Of Two Minds" by Carol Matas and Perry Noldman. Too bad it felt unfinished at the end, like it was merely the first of a series.
2) Percy Jackson series. I love it. I love it. I love it. I always loved classical mythology, and Rick Riordan's well-thought-out and zany take on everything seems so perfectly plot-tastic and funny. I love it when a main character gradually becomes more badass over the course of a series, and I love Percy and Annabeth and Clarise and Nico and Apollo... aah... Apollo! The movies sucked, but still entertained me. I'm so thrilled that RR will write a new series taking place in the same universe.
3. Maximum Ride by James Patterson. Probably the fluffiest reading of late. The plot is very save-the-rainforest-y, and the villains all feel kinda like cardboard cuttouts, but I love the flock. Max is tough, but stuck-in-her ways, Nudge is sweet, Iggy and Gazzy are crazy, Angel is so subtly corrupt, and Fang is amusing in his "I'm too macho to say what I feel, but gimme a laptop and I'll put Hallmark to shame" sort of way. Though I was actually so naive as to think that the series was already finished when I started reading it. Silly me.
4. Beastly by Alex Flinn. I love redemption stories. I love the self-centered jerk that turns his life around and learns to love the people around him, putting their desires above his own. And Mr. Flinn does that so effectively with Kyle. I also love seeing a character go through extreme changes that make sense. The young man we know by story's end is nothing like the one at the beginning, and yet it's such a sensical and beautiful road he took to get there. I also love how the witch, Kendra, doesn't just up and leave him after cursing him. Rather, she regrets the longevity of the curse after seeing how much he's changed, but is unable to actually break it. And Linda was a sweet, warm-hearted Belle that I heartily enjoyed.
While I adored How to Train Your Dragon and the Karate Kid remake made me giggle in happiness, I have quite a few upcoming movies I really wanna see.
1) Prince of Persia. I know it's out. I just haven't seen it yet.
2) Eclipse. Um. Obviously.
3) Beastly. I just finished yacking about how much I loved the book, so of course I wanna see the movie. I like the cast and am especially amused by the idea of Mary Kate playing the part of Kendra.
4) Knight & Day. Don't hurt me, but I like Tom Cruise's acting. And Cameron Diaz is cool. I also just like the simplicity of this story as shown by the trailer. It looks like good mindless fun.
5) The Last Airbender. Just because I have a couple reservations about the casting, doesn't mean I'm gonna deprive myself here.
6) Inception. Funky-lookin' mindtrip there.
7) Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Normal guy up against dream-girl's 7 evil super-villain ex's? Heck yes!
8) Tomorrow: When the War Began Saw the trailer posted by somebody who was a fan of the book. Makes me wanna read it. So of course, I hope to eventually see it.
And on top of all that... my friend got me hooked on Bollywood films. So I find myself glued to my screen for 2-4 hours watching hot Indian men in tight clothing whispering wooing words of wonder to whimsical and witty women often interrupted by lavish pop-tastic song n' dance numbers with at least five costume changes each.
Whew. Just a wealth of distractions everywhere I go.
So... books. 1) Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. Tale of a youth stuck in a prison that is alive and designed to eventually weave a utopia for it's inmates, but sadly, has become corrupt. I loved the premise and plot of the story, and by the end, it was reminding me of one of my old favorites, "Of Two Minds" by Carol Matas and Perry Noldman. Too bad it felt unfinished at the end, like it was merely the first of a series.
2) Percy Jackson series. I love it. I love it. I love it. I always loved classical mythology, and Rick Riordan's well-thought-out and zany take on everything seems so perfectly plot-tastic and funny. I love it when a main character gradually becomes more badass over the course of a series, and I love Percy and Annabeth and Clarise and Nico and Apollo... aah... Apollo! The movies sucked, but still entertained me. I'm so thrilled that RR will write a new series taking place in the same universe.
3. Maximum Ride by James Patterson. Probably the fluffiest reading of late. The plot is very save-the-rainforest-y, and the villains all feel kinda like cardboard cuttouts, but I love the flock. Max is tough, but stuck-in-her ways, Nudge is sweet, Iggy and Gazzy are crazy, Angel is so subtly corrupt, and Fang is amusing in his "I'm too macho to say what I feel, but gimme a laptop and I'll put Hallmark to shame" sort of way. Though I was actually so naive as to think that the series was already finished when I started reading it. Silly me.
4. Beastly by Alex Flinn. I love redemption stories. I love the self-centered jerk that turns his life around and learns to love the people around him, putting their desires above his own. And Mr. Flinn does that so effectively with Kyle. I also love seeing a character go through extreme changes that make sense. The young man we know by story's end is nothing like the one at the beginning, and yet it's such a sensical and beautiful road he took to get there. I also love how the witch, Kendra, doesn't just up and leave him after cursing him. Rather, she regrets the longevity of the curse after seeing how much he's changed, but is unable to actually break it. And Linda was a sweet, warm-hearted Belle that I heartily enjoyed.
While I adored How to Train Your Dragon and the Karate Kid remake made me giggle in happiness, I have quite a few upcoming movies I really wanna see.
1) Prince of Persia. I know it's out. I just haven't seen it yet.
2) Eclipse. Um. Obviously.
3) Beastly. I just finished yacking about how much I loved the book, so of course I wanna see the movie. I like the cast and am especially amused by the idea of Mary Kate playing the part of Kendra.
4) Knight & Day. Don't hurt me, but I like Tom Cruise's acting. And Cameron Diaz is cool. I also just like the simplicity of this story as shown by the trailer. It looks like good mindless fun.
5) The Last Airbender. Just because I have a couple reservations about the casting, doesn't mean I'm gonna deprive myself here.
6) Inception. Funky-lookin' mindtrip there.
7) Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Normal guy up against dream-girl's 7 evil super-villain ex's? Heck yes!
8) Tomorrow: When the War Began Saw the trailer posted by somebody who was a fan of the book. Makes me wanna read it. So of course, I hope to eventually see it.
And on top of all that... my friend got me hooked on Bollywood films. So I find myself glued to my screen for 2-4 hours watching hot Indian men in tight clothing whispering wooing words of wonder to whimsical and witty women often interrupted by lavish pop-tastic song n' dance numbers with at least five costume changes each.
Whew. Just a wealth of distractions everywhere I go.