The Perks of Being a Wallflower [book/movie review]

I’ll start off by saying The Perks of Being Wallflower instantly became one of my favorite books and movies.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about a shy boy, Charlie, who’s starting his first year of high school. For the most part, Charlie is shunned by his peers and — after his best friend committed suicide — he doesn’t really have anyone to talk to, other than his family. That is, until  he meets Patrick and Sam (step-siblings) and their group of friends (or The Island of Misfit Toys, as referred to by Sam in the movie). Charlie is welcomed by the group and he takes a particular interest in Sam from the very beginning, but he struggles with expressing his feelings to her. As time goes by, Charlie starts to experience things he never has before; things like going to his first high school party, experimenting with drugs, his first kiss, having a girlfriend, etc. We find out that Charlie had something traumatic happen to him when he was younger and — because of this — he gets “bad” sometimes.  By “bad,” Charlie means getting in these depressed moods, which usually happen around Christmas and his Birthday. When he was younger, his Aunt Helen, who was his favorite person in the world, died in a car accident around this time of year.

First of all, Charlie is probably my favorite character in a book or movie. I always felt for him. He’s just a genuinely nice, selfless kid. I don’t understand why he didn’t have any friends (at first) because I’d be his best friend in a heartbeat.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a quick read and I really enjoyed the unique format. The book is told in a series of letters that Charlie writes to an unknown recipient. He tells this mysterious “friend” of his everything he’s been going through in his first year of high school and his newfound social life. I think this is a story everyone can relate to. Kids can be cruel and — if you’ve been to high school, which I’m assuming most of you have — you know what it’s like. You might’ve been bullied or maybe you were on the other side as the bully. Maybe you’ve just been a witness to it. Regardless, it’s (unfortunately) something that’s bound to happen in every high school. The Perks of Being a Wallflower brings the issue of bullying to the forefront and will make you think twice before you make fun of someone just because they’re a little different. Sure, Charlie was a little quite, but did his classmates take the time to get to know him for who he really was? Did they take the time to put themselves in Charlie’s shoes? No. But, if they did, they’d probably realize what a sweet, smart, and lovable person he was. I can relate to Charlie because I was the quite kid in high school who always did his homework and never gave the teachers a problem. There were times when I could’ve participated, but I chose not to because it was “uncool” and I cared too much about what other people thought about me. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is all about embracing who you are and not being afraid to participate, which is something I’ve welcomed more and more over the years. It’s not about caring what other people think about you, it’s about finding the people who like you for who you truly are. Those are the people who matter. Those are your friends.

I think the movie stayed true to the book and I absolutely loved it. Logan Lerman was outstanding as Charlie. As I mentioned before, Charlie is one of my favorite fictional characters ever and if he was ruined in the movie, I woud’ve been devastated. Low and behold though, I think the movie made me like Charlie even more. I was also very pleased with Emma Watson‘s performance as Sam. No complaints there. I was a little worried about Ezra Miller playing Patrick because I saw some promotional interviews with the cast and there was just something about him that annoyed me. He was just a litte too much. After seeing the movie though, I came to realize that Miller was a perfect match for Patrick’s part. He was still a little over-the-top, but hey, that’s Patrick. All the other supporting characters did great as well, including Dylan McDermott (Charlie’s father), Nina Dobrev (Candace, Charlie’s older sister), and Paul Rudd (Mr. Anderson, Charlie’s English teacher). It was really fun to see the characters come to life and not disappoint. It’s hard to bring movies to life sometimes, but I think this particular film was so effective because Stephen Chbosky, the author, played such a prominent role in the movie by directing it.

The ending (which was the same in the book and the movie) threw me for a loop. You find out what happened to Charlie when he was younger and it explains why he is the way he is. This story is truly touching and I couldn’t recommend it enough.

I also have to say that the soundtrack for the movie (inspired by songs talked about in the book, of course) is awesome. I can’t stop listening to it. My favorite is “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners, which will forever remind me of one of my favorite scenes in the movie. It just makes me happy. Other artists on the soundtrack include: David Bowie, The Smiths, Cracker, and more.

I give both the book and the movie 5/5 stars. I think it’s an absolute must-read and must-see for everyone. However, I strongly recommend that you read the book first. Like I said, it’s a quick read and I think you’ll be able to appreciate the story more.

I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from the book. ”So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.”

Most Talkative [book review]

If you know me at all, then you know I’m a huge fan of Andy Cohen. When I heard he was writing a memoir, Most Talkative, I couldn’t wait to read it.

Most Talkative covers the many instances in Andy’s life that helped him become the Senior Vice President of Development and Talent at Bravo. These instances include interning at CBS, interviewing stars like Susan Lucci and Oprah Winfrey, covering breaking news stories in times of disaster, etc. I very much enjoyed following Andy’s career… I thought it was so interesting to see how he rose through the ranks. He was so determined and motivated in everything he did and it’s no wonder why he’s as successful as he is. Since I didn’t really know Andy (yeah, like we’re best friend) until his days at Bravo, I really enjoyed when the book started dishing on the Real Housewives franchise. As with Andy’s career, it was interesting to see how The Housewives grew and came to be the unbeweavable powerhouse it is today with so many different cities and seasons.

In addition to Andy’s career, there were plenty of personal stories told throughout Most Talkative. How personal? Well, stories involving Andy coming out to his friends and family, pulling pranks on his parents, backup-dancing for the B-52′s, and more. And how about those notes he sent to his mother when he was a kid at sleep-away camp? I bet you’re wishing you could see some old school pictures of Andy too, right? Well, you’re in luck. The book is sprinkled with them… there are definitely some gems.

I always knew Andy Cohen was a big deal, but after reading Most Talkative, I learned how much he has accomplished throughout his (still young) life… and he’s not stopping! I feel like he’s been nonstop since his days as an intern. It’s clear to see how dedicated Andy is when he puts his mind to something and — because of that — I see a little bit of myself in him. To me, he’s an inspiration and I can only hope to be as successful as him one day. Plus, we each have a wonky eye. That’s gotta mean something, right?

Without a doubt, I give Most Talkative 5/5 of stars. It’s a nice, quick read and I can’t stop recommending it to people. Case in point: my friend’s mom is reading my (signed) copy right now. Speaking of signed copies, I was lucky enough to go to a showing of Andy’s late-night talkshow, Watch What Happens Live (WWHL), where he gladly signed a copy of my book and posed for a picture with my roommates and I (see below). One of my roommates surprised me with “tickets” to the show and I couldn’t have been happier. As an avid fan, who watches the show almost every single night, it was nuts to see Andy and his set up close and personal. I always imagined Andy to be a super friendly, outgoing, down-to-Earth guy and after briefly interacting with him, I can vouch that he is. By “briefly interacting,” I mean babbling while Andy was being all cool.

Oh, fun fact: Andy interned with the one and only Julie Chen! I couldn’t believe it. As an avid Big Brother fan, I’m a huge fan of Chenbot, the host. I felt that was worth noting as a little fun fact.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book: “It is better to fail spectacularly and learn from it than it is to never than it is to never fail and learn nothing.”

Blackout [book review]

Blackout is the third and final book in Mira Grant‘s Newsflesh series and I think it’s safe to say it was my favorite part of the trilogy.

*Spoiler alert for the next paragraph*

At the end of Deadline, we discovered that Georgia was alive… or so we think. Because of this, the narration in Blackout bounces back and forth between Georgia and Shaun, which I thought was really unique… I liked it. Will the siblings find their way back to each other? Will the truth finally be exposed? Well, if you’ve already read Feed and Deadline, you need to read Blackout to find out. Like I said, it’s the best book in the trilogy (in my opinion).

Blackout undoubtedly had me on the edge of my seat. I absolutely loved it and I had a hard time putting it down. I really don’t want to give anything away, but  what I can say is that questions are answered and secrets are revealed. Oh, and people die. Can’t tell you who though… you have to find out yourself.

For more background on this series, check out my reviews for Feed and Deadline.

I give Blackout 5/5 stars. Overall, the Newsflesh trilogy was a hit for me. After reading this series, I became quite a fan of Mira Grant and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Oh, remember the time Mira Grant let me interview her?

Between a Rock and a Hard Place [book review]

After watching 127 Hours back in 2010, I became extremely intrigued by Aron Ralston‘s story. If you’re unfamiliar with the story I’m referring to, Aron was canyoneering in Utah back in 2003 when a boulder trapped his right hand, leaving him stuck in a canyon for five-plus day. I did some research after watching the movie and I found out that there was a book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, about Aron’s experience. I decided to buy the book on my NOOK because it sounded like such an inspirational story about perseverance and survival — I was definitely interested in learning more.

As I mentioned before, Between a Rock and a Hard Place tells the story of Aron Ralston’s near-death experience that ultimately resulted in the self-inflicted amputation of his lower right arm. The book covers more than this particular incident though. It goes into detail about many of Aron’s other outdoor adventures, like the time he and his friends survived an avalanche or even the time he was stalked by a bear. It’s unbelievable how many close calls Aron has actually had over the years, but nothing compares to the horrifying 127-hour entrapment he endured. After reading about Aron’s experiences in Between a Rock and a Hard Place, it’s no surprise  that he lived to tell another story. Unlike the movie, it was fascinating to read firsthand what Aron experienced. Readers are able to learn exactly what he was thinking throughout  this traumatic, real-life nightmare.

I give Between a Rock and a Hard Place 4/5 stars. I’m not normally into inspirational memoir-type books, but this story was too riveting to pass up. Definitely give it a read. It’ll make you appreciate the little things in life. It’ll also teach you to always tell someone where you’re going before a hike or any sort of excursion.

Nerd Do Well [book review]

After watching Shaun of the Dead over and over again, I slowly but surely became a huge fan of Simon Pegg. In addition to Pegg’s role in the zombie film, he has also starred in other great movies like Paul, Hot Fuzz, Run, Fatboy, Run and Star Trek. When I heard about the actor’s memoir, Nerd Do Well, I absolutely had to read it.

Nerd Do Well is the story about Pegg’s rise to stardom, starting with some childhood memories (i.e. watching Star Wars for the first time and loving every second of it, participating in school productions, crushing on girls, etc.) and moving onto moments in his adult life that gave him the momentum to take Hollywood by storm. After reading this book, I learned that there’s a lot more to Pegg than an actor that plays with zombies and aliens. In reality, Pegg has a ton of experience under his belt, including years of writing and standup comedy. Knowing that Pegg does just as much (if not more) behind the scenes as he does on the screen makes me respect him that much more. It’s a wonder that he had time to write Nerd Do Well, but it also explains why it was written so well.

In addition to learning about Pegg’s life and career, I really enjoyed the fictional chapters that were sprinkled throughout Nerd Do Well. Fictional? That’s right. Pegg tells the (made-up) story about himself as a secret agent… he even has his own trusty sidekick/robot named Canterbury. It was actually really good! There were times when I was reading the memoir-type chapters and I couldn’t wait to get to another fictional chapter because I couldn’t wait to see what Secret Agent Pegg was up to next. It’s certainly different from any other memoir you might read, but I really enjoyed the unusual balance between fact and fiction.

Whether fictional or nonfictional, I found myself laughing out loud every time I picked up the book.  As I was reading, I could hear Pegg narrating the story in my head, which made it that much better. I’d definitely recommend Nerd Do Well, whether you’re a die-hard Simon Pegg fan or you’ve only seen him in a movie or two. Either way, you’ll be a bigger fan after you’re through with it (I know I am).

I give Nerd Do Well 5/5 stars. Even if you’re not a huge fan of nonfiction (like me), this is still a very enjoyable read.

Deadline [book review]

After  Feed ended with a such a great cliffhanger, I couldn’t wait to pick up Deadline (the second book in Mira Grant‘s Newsflesh trilogy).

*Spoiler alert for the next paragraph*

If you enjoyed Georgia’s narration in Feed, I hate to break it to you, but Deadline is narrated by Georgia’s brother Shaun. For those of you who don’t remember, Georgia dies at the end of Feed, which explains the need for a change in narration. Georgia’s not completely gone though… she lives in Shaun’s head and offers her brother support and advice. Shaun realizes this is a bit crazy, but he rolls with it because it’s all he has left. Unlike Feed, Deadline is less political — it focuses more on Shaun’s pursuit to find the truth behind everything leading up to Georgia’s death and beyond. Shaun and the remainder of his team at After the End Times are unexpectedly teamed up with a CDC researcher, Dr. Kelly Connolly, when she randomly arrives at their doorstep. They proceed with caution though because the CDC is on a fuzzy line between good and bad. Can Shaun and his team trust Kelly? Will she have the answers they’re looking for?

I really enjoyed Shaun’s character in Feed, so I was happy to read the story from his point of view in Deadline. It took a little while to get used to it since I was so used to Georgia, but it definitely worked out just fine and it’s just as enjoyable as the first book (and now I’m used to Shaun). I’ve honestly never dealt with a series that switches narration — I think it’s an awesome way to throw the reader for a loop and I really enjoyed it. There were deaths, there were twists and turns, and there was action. While I enjoyed Feed a little more, I think Deadline had one of the best endings I’ve ever read in a book… major cliffhanger. It made me want to pick up the third book, Blackout, immediately. It’s too bad I finished Deadline in April and Blackout didn’t publish until May. It’s safe to say I have my hands on Blackout now and I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

Overall, I give Deadline 4/5 stars.

If you haven’t read my interview with Mira Grant, check it out here.

Feed [book review]

My uncle lent me a book, Feed, by Mira Grant because he thought I would appreciate it because of its emphasis on blogging (since blogs are a major part of my job) and zombies, of course. Social media and zombies? Sounds like the perfect combination to me. I was more than willing to give this book a shot.

Feed takes place in the future after “The Rising,” a time when zombies started to roam the Earth after a cure for cancer gone wrong. The book follows the political campaign of Senator Peter Ryman of Wisconsin, who’s seeking to become the President of the United States. Ryman hires a team of bloggers, Georgia, Shaun and Buffy, to work with and get the best possible coverage for his hopeful rise to presidency. These bloggers prove to be a great asset, but they certainly encounter their fair share of bumps along the way, whether it’s flesh-eating zombies or not knowing who to trust anymore when things start to get fishy.

The story is told in first person by Georgia Mason, the head of her team. I loved the on-page relationship that Georgia had with her brother, Shaun, who was my favorite character. Shaun is the fun-loving, somewhat immature, adventurous brother, while Georgia is a bit more on the serious side and she’s definitely not one to mess with. Georgia and Shaun’s relationship reminded me a lot of the relationship I have with my twin sister, Dana, which is why I think I liked them so much. It’s always nice when you can find a person or relationship in a book that you can relate to.

I really enjoyed Feed a lot. For those of you who are thinking “why would I want to read a book about zombies?,” it’s not as zombiefied as you might think. The book has a great storyline and the zombies just make it more interesting and exciting. It’s a definite pageturner; there were times when I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to see what was going to happen next.

I give Feed 5/5 stars. If you’re a fan of social media and zombies, like me, this is a book for you. Also, if you’re a fan of thriller-type fiction, definitely give Feed a read. Feed is the first book, of three, in Mira’s Newsflesh triology. I’m reading the second book, Deadline, on my NOOK right now and the story resumes right where it left off. There’s an interesting transition in between the first and second books… quite the twist, but I won’t give anything away. Read and find out for yourself!

After reading this book, I really wanted to tell Mira how much I enjoyed it so I e-mailed her, asking if she’d like to answer some questions for Far Eric Movement. She got back to me and agreed to it! I’m very excited to have Mira as the first guest on my blog. Be on the lookout for the Q&A sometime soon!

Black Hills [book review]

My uncle lent me Black Hills by Dan Simmons toward the beginning of the summer and I finally finished reading it the other week. Here’s a little synopsis, along with my thoughts.

Black Hills follows the life of Paha Sapa (meaning “Black Hills”), a Native American who has incurred the ghost of General George Armstrong Custer. This conundrum happened during a battle between Paha Sapa’s tribe and Custer’s cavalry. Years go by and Paha Sapa must learn to live with this ghost as it continues to haunt him during his job as a dynamite expert, working on Mount Rushmore. Paha Sapa’s plans are to bring Mount Rushmore down to ground as a sort of payback to the wasichu (Lakota name for Caucasians) for everything they’ve put him through. Will he have the guts to follow through with his plan? Will he be stuck with Custer’s ghost until the day he dies?

I must say, this book was not my cup of tea… at all. I didn’t really enjoy how the book constantly went back and forth between a number of different stories. One story followed Paha Sapa and his life as a young boy, when the initial encounter with Custer occurred. Another story followed Paha Sapa (still) but as an adult, following his work on Mount Rushmore. Yet another story involved General Custer and his love life (which, frankly, I didn’t care to read about). Toward the end of the book, the story started focusing on Paha Sapa in the present, which made it a little more bearable.

I also didn’t enjoy the style of writing. It was a mixture of first and second person point of views, which just made it messy, in my opinion. When the story switched to first person, the paragraphs were italicized… I just thought the whole structure was unnusual. Additionally, I didn’t really like the language the author used. There was a lot of foreign language being thrown around, making the story harder to follow. Not to mention, I found a spelling mistake, which makes me cringe. Instead of “northwest,” the word read “nothwest.” On top of all this, the book was way too long.

As you can see, I really didn’t enjoy this book. My uncle keeps telling me that it’s one of his favorite books so you might like it if you’re more into historical-type fiction, which I’m not a fan of apparently. You know what they say though: you never know until you try. Overall, I give Black Hills 2/5 stars. No offense, but I think it’s safe to say I won’t be reading anymore Dan Simmons.

Mockingjay [book review]

I recently finished reading Mockingjay, the third book in The Hunger Games series. Here’s a little synopsis and my review…

Catching Fire ended with such a cliffhanger, so I couldn’t wait to read Mockingjay shortly after. Warning: don’t read the rest of this paragraph if you don’t want anything spoiled. Mockingjay picks up where Catching Fire left off. Katniss Everdeen survived her second Hunger Games, leaving the Capitol very unhappy (especially the evil President Snow). The Capitol is most definitely seeking revenge, but Katniss and her team of rebels are going to make this anything but easy. Will the rebels prevail and overthrow The Capitol, or will they succumb to the long-ruling Capitol and remain enslaved to them? Will Katniss end up with Peeta or Gale? Both? Neither? Read and find out!

In comparison to the first two books, Mockingjay was a lot harder for me to get into. I found it easier to put this book down, whereas with the other two books, I simply couldn’t. I will say that the book started to pick up toward the end, where I felt the same anticipation I felt when reading the first two books. There were many shockers toward the end of the book, including the death of one of my favorite characters… among others. The end came somewhat abruptly and I feel like there could’ve been a little more to it, but overall, I’m satisfied with how the series wrapped up.

Overall, I give Mockingjay 3.5/5 stars. I’m really sad that the series is over, but I’m looking forward to the movies so much! I really hope Suzanne Collins has plans to write a prequel series, or something more with The Hunger Games. Possibly something with Haymitch’s games, or even something with Finnick and Annie’s story. I definitely think there’s room for a few more books, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my end?

Check out my reviews for The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.

Jimmy Fallon at BEA!

Today was my first time going to Book Expo America — wanna know the very first thing I did? I met Jimmy Fallon and had him autograph my copy of Thank You Notes! I must’ve been a little starstruck because I asked him how he was doing, he responded, he asked me how I was doing, I responded, and then I asked him how he was doing… again. In the midst of all that, he called me “brotha.” Yeah, we’re  pretty much buds. Despite my awkwardness, Jimmy seemed like a really cool guy — very down to Earth. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a picture with him, but check out the autograph I got!

His new book, Thank You Notes, is hysterical. My boss Alexandra had a copy of it in her office the other day, and I couldn’t stop laughing as I was thumbing through the pages. Now, I’m lucky enough to have my very own autographed copy. Not only are these notes hilarious, but I can definitely relate to a good portion of them as well (which makes them even funnier). Below are a few of my favorite notes:

” Thank you slow-walking family in front of me on the sidewalk. No, please, take your time. And definitely spread out, too, so you create a barricade of idiots. I am so thankful that you forced me to walk into the street and risk getting hit by a car in order to pass you so I could resume walking at a normal pace.”

“Thank you “People You May Know” feature on Facebook, for never introducing me to a single person that I actually want to know, ever. More accurately, your title should be “People I Do Know but Am Avoiding.” Thanks.”

” Thank you Chinese delivery place, for giving me three sets of utensils when — SURPRISE! — it was just me eating. Are you trying to tell me that one person shouldn’t eat all this food? Next time why not take it further? Why not have the fortune cookie tell me to “take human bites.” Or say “Are you done now, fat ass?”"

” Thank you PEZ dispensers, for being little creatures that vomit candy out of their necks. You’re awesome.”

” Thank you gym that I go to. On the plus side, your treadmills have TVs on them. On the downside, your TVs have treadmills on them.”

This book is chock full of funny notes like the ones you read above. If you’re a fan of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, or Jimmy Fallon in general, or even just laughing, then you need this book. It’s a great gift idea, too!

Thank you, Jimmy Fallon, for your Thank You Notes.