Books to Netflix

A random tiktok of Ashton Kutcher landed on my fyp of him promoting Mila Kunis’ new film, Luckiest Girl Alive, on Netflix.  I was bored and so I checked it out.  About 15 minutes in, it felt very familiar.  Until I realized I read the book it was based on before.  So I checked back here to see what I wrote about it.  Unfortunately, I read it pre blogger-wannabe phase so I didn't write a “review” about it.  I do remember how it’s one of those books that kinda leaves you messed up for a few days after reading it.  I remember the overall mood of the book was like a Gillian Flynn book--very dark with a big twist in the end.  The only thing that I can vaguely remember from that book was the friend of the main character that reminded me of the Damian character in Mean Girls that stood out to me.  Anyways, I just came here to share that another one of the books I’ve read was made into a movie.  I told the hubby but he wasn’t very impressed.  

Speaking of books made into movies/series, I'm currently watching the Jack Reacher series.  It's interesting but not enough for me to pick up the books and read the series.  I remember when the movie version came out, the fans were at an uproar of how Tom Cruise was a bad casting choice.  Seeing the series version and how the Jack Reacher actor looks more like the book version, I'd be mad too if I was a fan of the books.  Plus, I'm not a very big fan of Tom Cruise.

I also tried to binge-watch the Rizzoli & Isles series.  It started out interesting but as the show progressed, it kinda felt (I hate to use the same word over and over but) dumb.  The last straw was the mother character (Angela Rizzoli), she just got too annoying and just over the top and stereotypical.  I think they tried to make it funny?  Coz I remember the book series being too dark for my taste that I stopped at around book 7, irrc.

Other books to movie/series I've been meaning to watch are Defending Jacob and Sharp Objects.  But holding off as I'm more in the mood for something brainless and light right now and those books are a bit too dark.  I do  wonder what translating a single book into a series would be like.  I hope it wouldn't be dragging or that they won't take too much creative license just to get the number of episodes they needed.  I really enjoyed those books so I'm hoping the series will live up to them.  But if the series do suck, at least I can ogle Chris Evans the whole time.

Also, a bit of update, I’m still in a “reader’s block.”  I just can’t find any motivation to start any books.  I feel like the light, fluffy romance I used to enjoy just seem very shallow now (I don’t know if I grew out of it or the writing went to shit).  I also don’t want to read the serious best seller type books that leave you unsettled after finishing it either because I want reading to be a relaxing, no-brainer, take-your-mind-out-of-your-problems kind of activity.  And I did pick up new hobbies that kept me occupied.. and I’ve been into podcasts lately coz I can listen to it while I work… which made me think of trying out audiobooks.. I stumbled into Jessica Simpson's Open Book audiobook on youtube but only got to a few chapters before it was taken down.  I actually enjoyed listening to it.  So maybe audiobooks is they way to go?  I already have a few audiobooks in mind that I want to listen to.  We'll see.

Instafamous

This is how I would have wished Sophie Kinsella's My (Not So) Perfect Life focused more of.  The "behind the curtain" look into choreographing those picture-perfect instagram pics.  How trying to achieve this glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle in instagram affected the main character's life and relationships.  Instead we got a whiny heroine and instagram was just something tacked on as an afterthought to try to capitalize on what's "in" right now with the "influencers"and youtube "gurus"

*sigh*  I wish there's a book out there that has a well-written plot, funny dialogues, kept up with the times and with good character development.

If you search thru youtube right now, there so much material you can work with--the picture perfect "living" doll who suddenly ran away from her allegedly abusive and controlling mother, the creepy Stepford Wife blonde type who speaks nonsensically (or does she?) and where the original one she replaced is now?, the notorious photoshoppers who preaches to self-love and #embraceyourbody/face/skin/etc, the backbiting, tea spilling and shade throwing.  I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Me Right Now

For the past many months, I don't know why I cannot pick up a book (any book) and just get lost in its pages like I used to.  Is it the quality of the books I am trying to read? Or am I just not feeling it anymore? 

I have been wanting to re-read all Sue Grafton's books from A-Y as some sort of tribute ever since she passed away.  But I just can't seem to work up the energy to do this.

Am I having the reader's version of writer's block?

RIP Sue Grafton

I had been planning to make my post for Y is for Yesterday since I had just finished reading it after finally getting a copy after months of searching.  I was soo happy thatbI spent the whole day finishing that book.  But then, I saw this. 

I didn't know Ms. Grafton was sick.  When I finished reading Y is for Yesterday, I was excited for at the same time dreading the next (and last) in her alphabeth series books.  Little did we all know, it would end with Y.

I will never know how it will end for Kinsey, Henry, Rosie, Ed, Jonah, Chenney and Anna.  Will she keep the baby?  Will Pearl ever become a baker?  Will Kinsey and Henry keep Lucky?

I have been reading Ms. Grafton's books since high school.  That's about more than 2 decades.  You could say, I grew up reading her books and still read her books up to know.  She is one of the few authors that I collect yhe actual books of.  I have read all her books. 

Kinsey and co. feel like old friends that you catch up with and revisit everytime a new book comes out.  With the author's passing, it feels like my whole access to that place was just suddenly cut off and I will never know how it will end for them.  I am only left with the "memories" of them that, sure, I can revisit by re-reading her old books.  But I will never know what will become of them.

Ms. Grafton is such a talented author, that you connect so well with the characters she created.  She has a way with written words that you feel like you are literally in that world and interacting with them. Her passing feels like all those characters passed away too.

I am finding a little comfort from the FB Fans' Group knowing I am not the only ones who feel this way.

Sharps Objects IRL

I am so fascinated with this story.  A paralyzed girl stricken with cancer among other myriad of ailments, her mother's murder, concerned friends.. and then the twist--she killed her mom and she can walk just fine.  Is she a clood blooded murderer?  Or was she the victim all along?  Then there's another plot twist to the plot twist--Munchausen by Proxy.  I feel like I was reading a book, you cannot make this stuff up.

It reminds me of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.  That novel combined two things I love--books and psychology.  I have long been thinking of taking psychology classes for fun.  If only I had the time.. or the money.

Y is for Yesterday

3 months to go until Sue Grafton's next installment of the Kinsey Millhone series comes out.  I can't wait but at the same time I kinda dread it because it means we are one step closer to the end of the series.

I wonder what will happen to the series once we get to the letter Z.  Will she retire Kinsey and start another series? Or perhaps do stand-alone books?  Or will Ms. Grafton stop writing altogether?  I seriously hope not.  She is one of my favorite authors and I have collected all of the printed versions of her books even though I am more into ebooks are now.

The article included an excerpt and I seriously regret reading it.  Coz now I really want to read the book right now.. as in right, right this instant.. I want to immerse myself once again in Kinsey's world and find out what Henry is up to and if Kinsey has spent anymore time with her new found relatives.  I didn't realized how much I've missed her.  And how much I have missed really good writing.  I have been having trouble finding a book I can finish lately.  But with Sue Grafton's books, the first paragraph already hooked me in.  I particularly like this one because it has a Cold Case vibe to it.  Me and the hubby love that show.  *sigh* I am impatiently counting the days until this comes out.

Truly Madly Guilty

Title: Truly Madly Guilty

Author: Liane Moriarty

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

Time: 6.4 hours

Rating: 9 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

A Case of Reader's Block

You know when you have a lot of books in your "to read" pile and they are all these great books and great authors but you can't seem to choose or decide what to read next?  You read the book descriptions and they all sound interesting but it just doesn't connect when you start reading the it?  That's how I feel right now and this was also one of the reasons why I haven't been reading at the latter part of last year.

My (Not So) Perfect Life

Title: My (Not So) Perfect Life

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Genre: Chick Lit, Romance, Humor

Time: 3 hours

Rating: 2 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

The Grownup

Title: The Grownup

Author: Gillian Flynn

Genre: Short Stories, Fiction

Time: 0.4 hours

Rating: 8 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

Scrapy Little Nobody

Title: Scrapy Little Nobody

Author: Anna Kendrick

Genre: Memoir, Humor

Time: 4 hours

Rating: 10 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

Crazy Rich Asians Movie

So I guess this is happening... I loved the book so I am excited for this movie.. but I think the Philippine Inquirer jumped the gun on this one as Kris Aquino signed a non-disclosure agreement.  The link doesn't work anymore but it still popped up on my facebook feed.  Here's another article talking about Aquino's "big" Hollywood contract.

I wonder who she will play?  The only Filipino characters mentioned in the book were the Zobel de Ayalas and they are not exactly "oriental" looking, they are Spanish Mestizos.

Lenten Haul

I didn't feel like reading during my 5-day Lenten "holiday" so I was binge watching youtube videos of Anna Kendrick interviews.  The girl is hilarious!  I thought J. Law was relatable, but Anna Kendrick?  I want to be her bestfriend.

I first noticed her in Into The Woods, saw her other movies and read somewhere before how funny her twitter was.  When I saw Pitch Perfect years after it came out, I was like, wow, girl can sing.  But because she is now my new girl-crush, I was like trying to find out whatever I can about her on the internet.  Turns out, she already won a Tony when she was younger.  Her career is what Lea Michele's would be if she wasn't such a bitch in real life.  And she already has an Oscar nomination for her role in Up In The Air (with George Clooney!) so she could totally do an EGOT.

Anyways, in one of the interviews, she was her plugging her book and I was, like, I'm up for a few laughs and this books would have me laughing out loud for sure.  So I'm setting aside the other books I got from the previous haul and got this one.  I also got another one from Bert Kreischer.  I stumbled upon him during my binge youtubing and found out he was the guy Van Wilder was based on.  Btw, I re-watched it a few weeks ago and it's not as funny as I remembered it.  But Kreischer's a funny stand up comic.  I like his humor so I'm hoping his book would be as funny too.

Reality Matters: 19 Writers Come Clean About the Shows We Can't Stop Watching

Title: Reality Matters: 19 Writers Come Clean About the Shows We Can't Stop Watching

Author: Mixed

Genre: Non-Fiction, Essays

Time: 2.8 hours

Rating: 4 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

When I got this book, I thought it was another Anna David novel.  When I read her novel Bought, I loved it so much that I've been looking for her other books ever since.  But as I started reading this book, I realized that it's basically essays written by different writers (Anna David being one of them) about Reality TV shows.  So I thought to myself, well, this could be interesting.  I have, more often than I would like to admit, wasted a whole afternoon, a whole evening and even a whole day, of binge watching these kind of shows.  Sometimes I enjoy certain shows so much that I would waited patiently each week for new episodes.

So what do I think of this book?.. meh.. I thought I'd enjoy it since one of my biggest guilty pleasures is watching "reality TV"--Ambush Make Over, Cheaters, Toddlers and Tiaras, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Jersey Shore, Little Women LA, Dog Whisperer, How Do I Look?, ANTM, Project Runway, Tyler Hollywood Medium, The Osbournes, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Pretty Wild. the list could go on and on.. but unfortunately, of the 18 Reality Shows covered in the essays, I've only watched 3 of them coz most of them are not shown where I live. So I couldn't really relate to them.  Or is it perhaps the shows I shows I watch are more low brow?

So I'm giving this a low score, not because it's not well written, but because I just couldn't connect with the topic.

Anne of Green Gables Gets Big Screen Adaptation

So this popped in my newsfeed.  One of my favorite childhood books is being made into a movie.  I first "met" Anne from a TV Series adaptation.  When I learned that it was based on a book, I bugged my mom to buy it for me.  And then I found out that it it's an 8-series book, so I had to collect all those too.  Which was hard because there were no ebooks yet at that time and not all of it was available at the bookstore that was a boat ride away from where we lived.  It took years for me to collect the whole set.

I do wonder what happened to the actress who played her.

In Death 55: Echoes In Death

Title: In Death 55: Echoes In Death

Author: J. D. Robb

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedural, Series

Time: 3.4 hours

Rating: 10 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

Ravenel 3: Devil In Spring

Title: Ravenel 3: Devil In Spring

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Genre: Historical Romance, Series

Time: 4 hours

Rating: 10 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

The Idiot Plot

Found this from a Knowable article when I was facebooking.  This is the first time I encountered this term but I have read many a romance novels that has exactly this--The Idiot Plot.  Many books, in particular romance ones, could have easily ended in Chapter 2 or 3 if both characters would've just talked to each other.  Sometimes it makes me want to tear my hair out.

In Death 54: Apprentice In Death

Title: In Death 54: Apprentice In Death

Author: J. D. Robb

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedural, Series

Time: 4.5 hours

Rating: 10 out of 10

here's a short description of the book in goodreads.

Book Haul

It's been months since I last read a book.  It's sooo not me.  I am always reading a book.  Maybe I put too much pressure on reaching a target number of books to read per year.. maybe I just couldn't connect with any of the new books I found.. maybe life just happened.. I don't know.. But I figured, I'll just go with the flow and I'll eventually want to start to read again.

And so today, for some reason, I wondered if any of my favorite authors have new books published.  So I checked.  Lo and behold! New books from J. D. Robb, Sophie Kinsella, Gillian Flynn, William Landay, Liane Moriarty and I even managed to find copies of Anna David's book which I have been looking for since forever!

I hope I get my reading groove back on.  We'll see in a couple of days.