The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: A ((Swedish)) Movie Review

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Starring: Michael Nygvist and Noomi Rapace
Rated: R

I picked up this DVD on a whim; having read the book, I am really interested in the movie. I was going to wait until the American version came out later this year, but my curiosity got the better of me. So I rented the Swedish version.

While I can't say the movie was better than the novel, I can say they come pretty close. My one huge complaint about the novel was the huge amount of backstory and mumbo jumbo that I just didn't care about. The movie didn't have that- it jumped right into the story full throttle, caught my attention, and held it to the very end.

My one worry was that the movie would be confusing and hard to follow. It turns out that whoever adapted this movie from the book did an excellent job of knowing what to keep and what to discard, and the movie was easy to follow, even for someone who might not have read the book(s). My only complaint about the movie is that Erika Berger didn't play a big enough role. I know there's a lot to put in a short movie, but I feel like she's important enough to get more time on screen.

The actress who played Lisbeth was incredible; she was exactly what I pictured her to be. The actor who played Mikael was wonderful as well.

Overall: If you're a fan of TGWTDT, don't miss out on the Swedish version. Unless, of course, you have an extreme aversion to subtitles or dubbing.

NOTE: Heed the Rated R warning. This movie is SOOO not meant for young viewers.

Jane

Top Ten Authors That Deserve More Recognition

Top Ten Tuesday

TTT is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It's a lot of fun so stop by and join if you get the chance :)

Top Ten Authors That Deserve More Recognition
*Pink=female. Blue=male. Sorry guys. :)*

1. Jennifer Banash. She wrote The Elite series, which was actually a really good series about the upper class. I thought it would be very Gossip Girl-y, but I really enjoyed it. She hasn't written a fourth novel, and I'm assuming that's because the first three didn't sell as many as they should have. :(

2. Stephanie Kuehnert. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone and Ballads of Suburbia- both extremely heart-felt badass books that will make you think. Lovelovelove.

3. Celia Rees. I don't think she gets enough credit for Witch Child and Sorceress, which I absolutely adored. But I have to say the best of hers that I've read is Pirates! Everyone should read at least one of these books. [[On second thought, there are quite a few Amazon reviews for these... so I know they're popular. But they should be even more well-known.]]

4. Michael Morpurgo. Okay, okay... so he writes more middle grade, I suppose. But as far as young adult goes, Private Peaceful is an incredible book... and it seems like I'm the only one I know who has read it. And you may think, "Oh, just a stupid war book..." like I did, but you will be wayyyy wrong.

5. Jodi Lynn Anderson. Peaches. The Secrets of Peaches. Love and Peaches. True Excellence.

6. Ellen Wittlinger. Okay, so she's popular. But in everyday conversation, I have yet to find someone who has experienced the awesomeness that is Hard Love. In fact, I didn't appreciate it at all when I first read it... it took me awhile, but now I see it for how artistic and wonderful it really is.

7. Cherry Cheva. She's one that's truly missing out on the fame she deserves. First of all, her books are hilarious. They'd have to be, coming from somebody who writes for Family Guy. Second of all... they're just good. Go pick them up.

8. Jordan Sonnenblick. This guy writes such touching stories (although I must admit, I've only read one of them...) It's a miracle he's not famous like Chris Crutcher or something.

9. Melissa Walker. Violet on the Runway, and the sequels. Such a shame there's not a fourth novel. [[Btw, when you see "model" don't think "fake"- think "real" because that's what Violet is :)]] Although I'm pleased to see that she has a new novel in hardcover scheduled to publish in July. I'll definitely be picking that up.

10. Laura Wiess. I suppose she is popular, but not nearly as popular as she should be. Such a Pretty Girl was such an incredible book, and Leftovers was even better- so real, honest, and perfect.

Yeah, so I know the list isn't really the best- there are some more well-known authors, but I know that even if they are more well-known they deserve even more attention than they get.

Also, I would highly recommend these books/authors... so if you're considering buying one of them, you should DEFINITELY go for it. Also, you should click some links if you're even the slightest bit curious. I know I don't have any pictures or anything, but definitely snoop around :)

Jane

Mare's War

Mare's War
Tanita S. Davis
June 2009

Summary:

Meet Mare, a grandmother with flair and a fascinating past.

Octavia and Tali are dreading the road trip their parents are forcing them to take with their grandmother over the summer. After all, Mare isn’t your typical grandmother. She drives a red sports car, wears stiletto shoes, flippy wigs, and push-up bras, and insists that she’s too young to be called Grandma. But somewhere on the road, Octavia and Tali discover there’s more to Mare than what you see. She was once a willful teenager who escaped her less-than-perfect life in the deep South and lied about her age to join the African American battalion of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II.

Told in alternating chapters, half of which follow Mare through her experiences as a WAC member and half of which follow Mare and her granddaughters on the road in the present day, this novel introduces a larger-than-life character who will stay with readers long after they finish reading.

Review:

This was a book that I read for my Black History Month celebration, and unfortunately it was the only one I got the chance to finish. That being said, onto my review...

This book was merely okay for me. I really like the overall concept: women going off to war is not something that gets written about very often, at least in my experiences. Add to it that Mare was African American and it becomes even more of a taboo subject. I was really curious to see how her experiences turned out.

I was definitely intrigued, but I felt like the book didn't completely live up to my expectations. It was fairly predictable, and I was hoping for something to happen to prove me wrong at the end. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Mare's War was definitely a good read, but I would have enjoyed it much more if it weren't as predictable. However, if you're looking for something with a good lesson and a really great family story, this novel is for you.

Jane

PS. Right now Amazon is selling the hardcover as a bargain book for $5.50. Good deal, I'd say. And it'd probably be worth it :)

Spring Break =]

Spring Break is Here!

Expect a review of Mare's War coming this week. And hopefully some other stuff while I'm at it.

And don't forget to enter my giveaway to win one of two copies of A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend.

Jane

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend Giveaway

Awhile ago a reader commented on my review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson and suggested that I read A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend.

I have been thinking about reading this book since it was released.

So here's an interesting little story:

There I was, waiting for my aunt's train to arrive, and I was browsing through the bargain books at the WaldenBooks in the train station. Imagine my surprise when I found A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend in the bargain bin... for $1. This was SO surprising! This book was released less than a year ago, and there is no damage to them besides some tape residue and possibly a few bends in the cover. But they are still in great shape, and should not have been sold for $1.

Initially I bought one for myself. And then I realized... they are ONLY $1!! Why not buy more and give them away or something?! So that's what I did.

So here's a random contest to celebrate my awesome bargain shopping. I have 2 copies to give away, and here are the rules:

.:: Must be 13+ to enter ::.
.:: US Only ::.
.:: Deadline April 30 ::.
**Deadline has been extended due to my non-blogging lately, and not pestering people to enter. so enter!**

Note: Following is not required, but it is veryyy much appreciated! :)

Also, spread the word! Let everyone know about this!



Happy entering,
Jane

Young Adult vs. Adult: A Rant

YOUNG ADULT VS. ADULT

I was going through Amazon Reviews and I found one review that was particularly disturbing...

I am not going to say anything about it, but I will quote one sentence:

"I found myself wondering if this was written for young readers? If that's the case, I stand corrected and this is a fine book. If its aimed for adult readers, I sure could have used some more twists and creative drama."

And in response to this sentence, and the review as a whole, I said this:

While I have not read this particular novel, I'd like to point out that there are plenty of teen novels that are mature, and contain twists and creative drama. While not all teen novels are like that (and I'll admit there are plenty that lack those particular characteristics) I feel as though your change of opinion after finding out that this may be a young adult book is a little bit insulting. Whether it's a young adult book or an adult book, you should still expect it to be imaginative and creative. There are plenty of young adult novels out there that contain mature themes and carry them out in unique ways. By saying that it's "fine" if it's written for young adults is an insult to young readers who strive to read more mature and well-written works of fiction, but who, because of their age, may not be able to handle adult novels. By saying that a book is okay as long as it's not written for adults is saying that teens can only handle reading books that are sub-par, and unworthy of praise. This is not the case.

To add on that...

I know that adult novels have more mature themes, but there is really no reason why people should think that just because a novel is aimed at younger readers, then the novel doesn't have to be any good. It just irks me, and I hope I am not the only one.

Jane

PS. I should be crawling out of my hole gradually this week. Things should be sort of back to normal by next week.

Winner Announcement!

I am popping out of my corner to announce the winner of my Wither ARC giveaway!

And that winner is...

Cathy!

I have emailed you, if you don't respond within 48 hours I will be announcing a new winner.

Thanks to all that entered!

Jane

Hiatus (2)

Blogging Hiatus!

Will be back after midterms!

Top Ten Favorite Love Stories

Top Ten Tuesday

TTT is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Stop by and join :)

Top Ten Favorite Love Stories

*Red=adult. Blue=YA. Pink=Kids. However, all are worth reading.*

1. Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. This was one of the first Nicholas Sparks books that I read, so of course I loved it.

2. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Hmm, perhaps not your traditional love story, but it's definitely worth mentioning. The relationship between Jess and Leslie is one that isn't forgotten.

3. The Wallflower Books by Lisa Kleypas. Okay, I have read a few romance novels in my lifetime. This is one series that I enjoyed :)

4. The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J. R. Ward. Okay, and here's another series I like. :P

5. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Their relationship is sooo cute.

6. Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson. Very Romeo and Juliet, but this is such a great novel that I think everyone who's looking for a good teen romance should read.

7. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. One of my all-time favorites, and I'd definitely say it's a love story.

8. Anything by Sarah Dessen. She's just one of those authors, ya know?

9. Shiver/Linger by Maggie Stiefvater. Sam and Grace's story is sooo addictive.

10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. A classic.

Jane

It's Monday! What are you Reading? (2)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. I'd highly recommend joining this meme and taking a peek at the others who are participating as well!

I Read 2 Books:

1. Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis
2. Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson

No reviews have been written or scheduled yet, but they will be up sometime this week! Mare's War is a novel that was recommended for my Black History Month Celebration, and Jane: A Murder was read for my Women and Lit class!

On the blog this past week you can find:

1. Last week's It's Monday! post.
2. Top Ten Characters I'd Name My Children After
3. Review of Emma and The Vampires by Wayne Josephson
4. Review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
5. Review of Dark Song by Gail Giles

Upcoming on the Blog:

1. Mini-Review of Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson
2. Top Ten Favorite Love Stories in Books
3. Review of Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis

To Read:

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
2. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

It's been a slow week. Let's hope I can pick up the pace a little this week!

Also: If you haven't done so, don't forget to enter my contest to win an ARC of Wither by Lauren DeStefano!

Thanks for Stopping By! If you leave a meaningful comment, be sure that I'll stop by your blog! :)

Jane

PS. Happy Valentine's Day to those who actually have a Valentine... but for those like me, who will be spending the day alone, well... hope you have a good day anyways :)