At the Movies: Beauty and the Beast

A spoiled young prince cursed to live as a beast until he falls in love and a girl falls in love with him (looking like a beast) or until he turns 21, whatever happens first.

An eccentric but lovely young woman who wishes for adventures and a place to fit in (quite sure it won't be in her quiet village). A girl who loves to read and use her imagination.

And the magic that brings them together.

That's really all you can say about Beauty and the Beast. For me, it's one of the best movies ever made - along with Up, the only animated films ever to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Recently they did a re-release in 3D and, of course, I went to see it. I was so surprised, there were about 100 people in the theater, and only about 10% of them were kids. The rest were people around my age - who were 5-10 years old when they first saw the movie - sitting in the theater, singing the songs and saying the lines, and re-living this magical part of our childhoods.

I'm not usually a fan of 3D, I don't like it, it tires my eyes, but I got to admit it was well done, and it had a lot of 3D scenes not jut one at the beginning and one at the end, that was nice. Other than that, as I said, one of the best movies you'll ever see, so give yourself a chance to see it in the big screen.

Favorite Quote: "There is the usual things: Flowers. Candy. Promises you don't intend to keep."

Personal Favorite

PS. - For the credits, they played the song Tale as Old as Time, sung by Celine Dione and Peabo Bryson and I swear we were all sitting there listening to it, mesmerized because most of us had only heard it in Spanish. It's a beautiful version.

PS2- If you can, watch the documentary of the making of the movie. Comes in the DVD and it's pretty cool.---->

PS3 - If you're watching it in Latin America, they kept the original dubbing, not half-assed re-dubbing like with Sleeping Beauty (at leas in my neck of the woods).

Book Review: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

Jessie Sloan is feeling more and more at the fringe of her own friendship with Bizza and Char - her best friends since forever - as the sophomore year of high school starts and both Bizza and Char decide to turn punk. Jess is no stranger to punk coolness, her own brother has been the punk king of their school for years, but it's different with Bizza and Char, mostly because she's having a hard time recognizing the girls she used to love.

As a loyal friend that she is, Jess is not ready to let go of the friendships that defined her life for so long, not even after Bizza starts stalking Jess' long time crush Van. But as the first few weeks of school go by, Jess can't help to feel used and wonder why she hangs out with these girls.

When Bizza takes it too far, Jess decides to move on from this friendship and try to find new friends. There is Paulie, a band geek who welcomes Jess to her lunch table. And there is Dottie, a girl Jess sits next to during study hall, who is generally considered a bit weird but in whom Jess finds someone genuinely nice.

A casual invitation to play Dungeons & Dragons with Dottie and her friends brings Jess in contact with people that actually want to be around her, and though she worries about being considered a full on nerd, she slowly starts to accept that having people who like you for yourself might be worthy.

Having never read Julie Halpern's books, I wasn't sure what to expect of Into the Wild Nerd Yonder but I was so pleasantly surprised at this book. Jess - who likes sewing her own skirts, listen to audiobooks and get straight A's in Math - was a great narrator. She gets along with her family, even with her brother Barrett (loved him and his girlfriend). She is normal girl (I love when authors write about normal people who could be anyone). Her agony and worry about labels sounds true, specially as she starts to look past them. I adored Dottie and her friends, specially Henry with his messy curls and blue-blue eyes.

For me, Jess was completely believable - I've been in her shoes (being a better friend to someone than what they are to you) and I could understand her so well, and I cheered her on as she moved from these toxic friendships and came into her own.

It also reminded me of The True Meaning of Cleavage by Mariah Fredericks. Not in a "I've read this book before"-way, but in the note both books hit of the turbulent times of high schools when friendships change for better or worse.

Favorite Quote: "I just want you to know that there are a lot of really great people out there. You might not meet them in high school, but you'll find them and hopefully they won't be concerned with how cool they are rather than how much they like to be around you." - Jess' Mom.

2/3

Seven Secrets of Seduction by Anne Mallory

Miranda Chase is the kind of woman who likes to think of adventure, she saves and plans for it but never gets around actually doing any of the things she desires. Instead, she spends her days working at her uncles book shop, devouring books and writing letters, and watching her best friend Georgette flirt with just about anyone with a pulse.

One otherwise inconspicuous day, Miranda is pulled away from her book by a husky voice asking her about 'sex'. That's the day she meets Mr. Jeffries (who later turns out of be Lord Maxim Downing) and they discuss a recently popular book called Seven Secrets of Seduction. Miranda is a fan of the book not so much for the seduction but for what she reads between lines. Lord Downing is far more cynical about it.

But so begins their flirtation.

I was disappointed in this book. I had heard great reviews and the beginning of the story itself was lovely, but the story began to lose me after the second chapter. One, because it dragged a bit. Two, because it didn't live up to that first chapter.

I really liked Miranda from the get go, but over time I kept wishing she grew a spine. And Maxim didn't turn out to be the charming guy I hoped, he had twisty ideas about love and marriage, and he was using Miranda almost from the start. And I grew tired of him in his many incarnations. Plus, the resolution came too quickly and too easy. I was one of those "What? No grovel?" books.
1/2

Books Read in October

Here is an update of the 100+ Reading Challenge and the 2010 YA Reading Challenge. The books read for the YA challenge are in cursive and have their corresponding number next to the review link.

93. Christmas on Conrad Street by Marcia Evanick (review)
94. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (review)*YA42*
93. Only by Your Touch by Catherine Anderson (review)
94. Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors (review) *YA43*
95. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (review) *YA44*
96. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Sadly, not many books this month. School and all that, you know?

But we are close to the finish line! YAY!!

See ya next month!

Cover Love #16 - A Lot Like Love by Julie James

Yet another cover love!
I think the ones for 2011 are starting to roll out. Anyway, I really love the covers for Julie James' books, they have this very contemporary - urban feel. And the dresses in the last two covers have been hot.

A Lot Like Love comes out in March 2011

Summary (from the Julie James' site)

THE FBI WANTS HER COOPERATION.
As the daughter of a billionaire and the owner of the city’s top wine store, Jordan Rhodes is invited to the most exclusive parties in Chicago. But there’s only one party the FBI wants to crash: the charity fundraiser of a famous restaurateur, who also happens to launder money for the mob. In exchange for her brother’s release from prison, Jordan is going to be there—with a date supplied by the Bureau.

AGENT McCALL JUST WANTS HER.
As the top undercover agent in Chicago, Nick McCall has one rule: never get personal. This “date” with Jordan Rhodes is merely an assignment—one they’re both determined to pull off even if they can’t be together for five minutes before the sarcasm and sparks begin to fly. But when Nick’s investigation is compromised, he and Jordan have no choice but to pretend they’re a couple, and what starts out as a simple assignment begins to feel a lot like something more...

I hope I like this one - Loved her first two books, only liked the third... *sigh* c'est la vie.