Hey everyone! Today it’s time for another Movie Monday. Movie Monday is a feature on my blog where I compare and discuss books and their movie or television adaptation!
This time I’m discussing the 2002 movie, A Walk to Remember based off the book of the same title by Nicholas Sparks.
Title: Safe House (1-800-Where-R-U #3) by Meg Cabot writing as Jenny Carroll
Pages: 272
Genres: YA, Paranormal, Mystery, Contemporary
Published by: Simon Pulse (March 1, 2002)
Summary
Ever since Jess was struck by lightning, she’s had the power to find missing people. And everyone wants a piece of her powers….
In Safe House, Jess and her psychic abilities are being blamed for the murder of Amber, a beloved cheerleader. But when more cheerleaders start disappearing, Jess may be able to save her reputation by finding the murderer—before it’s too late.
What I Thought
As many of you probably know, I love Meg Cabot. I’m terrible at picking favorites, but I’ve never hesitated to say that Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors. She just has a way with writing such sassy and relatable characters, as well as books with incredible, fast-paced plots. Safe House is no different!
This is the 3rd book in the 1-800-Where-R-U series, and it did not disappoint! These books definitely need to be read in order, but each book in the series also has its own separate story and mystery. I found this book’s mystery to be particularly gripping. There were so many plot twists that I totally didn’t expect, and I simply could not put this book down!
Another thing I loved about Safe House, alongside all the other books in this series, is the characters. Jess, especially, is such a great main character. She’s independent and can stand up for herself and yet she’s also such a fun and sassy teenager. She’s so realistic, and I really liked that.
Also, this series also touches on mental illness. Jess’s brother, Douglas, has schizophrenia. I feel like this is especially notable because this book was originally written in 2002 before diversity in YA and the normalization of mental illnesses really took off. That being said, my only disappointment in the book was the inclusion of the r-word. However, I only remember it being used by the “mean girls,” and, like I said, this book was written in 2002, and that derogatory word was around a lot more, and many people did not think of it as negatively as they do now.
Something else I really appreciated about this book, and the entire series, is that while the premise of the mysteries are such serious topics (kidnappings, murders, etc.), these books never become too much. While there are some definite tense moments, there’s plenty of funny moments to counteract that, which allows this series to have that Meg Cabot charm. The humor and the mystery are so perfectly balanced out.
Overall, I really loved this book! It was a great addition to an already great series. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and intense mystery, who appreciates sassy characters and tons of wit.
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Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be doing The Goodreads Book Tag! I’ve seen this tag floating around on so many different blogs, and it always looks like so much fun, so I’ve finally decided to do it!
What Was the Last Book You Marked as Read?
The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch! This was the last full book I completed for the #InLoveAThon, and I really enjoyed this one. I’m looking forward to starting its sequel, The Rebellion, very soon!!
What are You Currently Reading?
I’m a little over halfway done, and I’m really enjoying To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han! It really is just as good as everyone says it is!!
What was the Last Book You Marked as ‘To Read’?
The last book I marked as ‘To Read’ on Goodreads was The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman. I haven’t heard much about this book, but I saw it at Target the other day, and thought it looked interesting!
Do You Use the Star Rating System?
Absolutely! It helps me keep track of how I felt about specific books. I’m still waiting for those half stars though…
Are You Doing the 2018 Reading Challenge?
I am! Although, I’ve lowered the number of books I want to read to 35, as opposed to my usual 50-55, because I don’t want the pressure. I’ve already talked about this in my Reading and Blogging Goals of 2018 post, but I want to focus more on the number of pages read, as opposed to the number of books. Lately, I’ve found myself skipping larger books, so I could read through more smaller books and I’ve decided I don’t want to do that. I want to read what I want to read, without worrying too much if I’m on track or not. 🙂
Do You have a Wishlist?
Doesn’t everyone on Goodreads?? I currently have 132 books on my ‘to read’ shelf. There’s just so many books and so little time!
Who are Your Favorite Authors?
I have so many!! Just a few of my favorite authors include Meg Cabot, LM Montgomery, Morgan Matson, Sarah Dessen, and Ransom Riggs, just to name a few!
Have You Joined any Groups?
I have joined a few groups, but I don’t actually interact too much, and most of them are dead groups anyway. If you have any recommendations for some fun and active groups, please share them with me!
How Many Goodreads Shelves Do You Have?
I have nine shelves, which isn’t too many. I always say I’m going to get super organized, and make a bunch of shelves sorting each book into different categories, but I’m lazy and haven’t done that yet. 😜
This was such a fun tag to do! I tag anyone who wants to do this one!!
Thank you so much for reading!
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Hello! Last week (and a bit of the week before that), I participated in the #InLoveAThon, which was a Valentine’s Day-themed readathon! The readathon was hosted by Cristina from cristinasjourney, it went from February 9-15, and the goal was to complete seven of the ten available challenges. If you’re interested, click here to check out my intended TBR and all the details for it. Today, I’m going to share with you all how I actually did!
So, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to complete seven challenges, but I’m actually okay with that, because I still read a HUGE amount for me, and I am honestly so pleased with how well I did! 💪🏼📚
Okay, here’s what I read:
▸ Read a classic love story.
The first book I read for the readathon was Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. Honestly, I was a little disappointed in this one. It wasn’t bad, but because so many people adore the movie, I was expecting more from this book. I kind of felt disconnected from the story the entire time. I’m still curious to watch the movie, however, because I’m wondering if it’s one of those rare cases where the movie is better than the book?!
Pages read: 106
▸ Read a book that has your favorite romantic trope.
The next book I read was A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, and I absolutely devoured this one! It’s quite different from the movie, but I loved it just as much. Check out my review for it here!
Pages read: 240
▸ Read a book from your favorite romance author.
Meg Cabot is one of my all-time favorite authors, and Safe House is just another example of why! This book was so intense and there were so many plot twists, and yet Meg Cabot was able to also write such sass, humor, and wit in this book, and it somehow all fit together so effortlessly.
Pages read: 273
▸ Read a book with a prince/princess.
The next book I read was The Coronation by Livy Jarmusch, and I’m honestly so impressed with myself for getting this one done! It was the largest book on my TBR for this readathon, and I just didn’t think I would be able to finish it in time, but I did! 🎉 I really enjoyed this story, too! It’s been so long since I’ve read a modern-day prince/princess book, and I really adored this book, especially its characters.
Pages read: 460
▸ Read an original fairy tale and watch the Disney movie or a film adaptation.
So, since I didn’t get the chance to watch the movie adaptation (I was too busy reading to watch movies, lol 😜), I guess I technically only half-completed this challenge, but I’m going with it! I read Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault, and this particular version was translated by Arthur Quiller-Couch. According to Quiller-Couch himself, he originally translated Sleeping Beauty, and the other fairy tales in the collection, word-for-word, but decided he was unhappy with how they turned out, and decided to rewrite them his own way. So, I’m not sure how much of the actual story he changed (I only have the Disney movie to go by, lol), but I really enjoyed reading it. I also really appreciated the writing style, and the beautiful illustrations included!
Pages read: 21
▸ Read one of the hosts favorite Contemporary/Historical Romance books.
Okay, and the last book I started, but didn’t get to finish, was To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. I didn’t get too far into this one when the readathon ended, but even though the readathon is over, I’m still really enjoying this one, and am so glad to have finally picked up this book! To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before has been heavily hyped for some time now, and it’s definitely been living up to its hype for me!
Pages read: 64
So, altogether I read 1,164 pages!! That is definitely a new record for me to read that many pages in just a week!
I’m so proud of how much I read during this readathon, and I’m so glad I decided to participate! It was so much fun! Also, this readathon really showed me how much I enjoy reading in the morning, before breakfast. This is something I started doing during the readathon, to squeeze in a bit more reading time, and it’s been something I’ve continued to do even after the readathon has ended, because of how much I enjoy it. So, yay to that, too! 🎉📚
Let me know if you participated in the #InLoveAThon, and if you did, how it went for you!
💖💕💖💕💖 Thanks so much for reading!! 💖💕💖💕💖
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Title: A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Pages: 240
Genres: Romance, Fiction
Published by: Grand Central Publishing (Oct., 1999)
Summary
Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he’d fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town’s Baptist minister.
A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it.
Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter’s life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood…
What I Thought
A Walk to Remember is a book I’ve been meaning to read for quite a while now. I really love the movie, and I had heard that it was very different from the book, so it’s one that I’ve always been curious about. I’m so glad I finally got a chance to read this book!
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature started by Breaking the Spine that puts the spotlight on upcoming releases!
Today’s pick is:
Tess of the Road
RELEASING FEBRUARY 27TH, 2018!
In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can’t make a scene at your sister’s wedding and break a relative’s nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.
Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it’s a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl–a subspecies of dragon–who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she’s tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.
Tess of the Road just sounds like such a fun, and adventurous book! Plus, I love how sassy Tess appears to be. I haven’t heard a whole lot about this book yet, but the author’s other book, Seraphina, is well-loved by so many (and one that is actually still on my TBR), so I’m sure Tess of the Road will be just as good!
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It’s Top Ten Tuesday again! It’s a weekly bookish list hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is:
Valentine’s Day Freebie
Because it’s so close to Valentine’s Day, this week’s topic was anything Valentine’s Day/love related. I really loved Jana’s take with this week, and so I decided to follow her lead, and share with you all some of my favorite, romantic quotes from some of my favorite books and characters. Also, I’ve decided to stick with just a top 5 today, because I want the quotes I choose to be from books I really adore, with quotes that actually mean something to me!
A Walk to Remember
“I held her close to me with my eyes closed, wondering if anything in my life had ever been this perfect and knowing at the same time that it hadn’t. I was in love, and the feeling was even more wonderful than I ever imagined it could be.”
I just finished A Walk to Remember yesterday, and so I’m still a puddle of emotions and reeling from this book. It was so good!!
Anne of the Island
“I don’t want sunbursts and marble halls. I just want YOU. You see I’m quite as shameless as Phil about it. Sunbursts and marble halls may be all very well, but there is more ‘scope for imagination’ without them. And as for the waiting, that doesn’t matter. We’ll just be happy, waiting and working for each other — and dreaming. Oh, dreams will be very sweet now.”
I’m pretty sure you all knew this quote was going to be on here! Anne and Gilbert are my faves forever! *happy sigh*
If I Stay
“Love, it never dies. It never goes away, it never fades, so long as you hang on to it. Love can make you immortal”
If I Stay is one of my favorite books, and there’s so many beautiful, quotable things in it! This book made me cry my eyes out, and I loved it, and this quote.
A Time to Cherish
“And so are you, Kilikina.” Todd stopped in the sand and wrapped his arms around her. “You are the one I cherish.”
Christy and Todd were the ultimate relationship goals to teenage me. I love how you get to watch their relationship grow throughout the entire series, and I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for these books!
Nancy’s Mysterious Letter
“If you want me to dress in feathers and war paint and play the Scotch bagpipes up and down the Main Street, I’ll do it without asking why.”
I’ve always loved this quote from Nancy’s boyfriend, Ned, because it shows how much he really loves her. Ned knows she’s a bit eccentric, and that she’ll cancel their date to solve a mystery, and yet, he doesn’t try to change her to become the “ideal girlfriend” – this is especially notable because of the time this book was written – he just loves and accepts her the way she is.
That’s my Top Ten Tuesday, well, Top Five Tuesday! Thanks so much for reading!
What are some of your favorite, romantic book quotes?
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From the author of the unforgettable New York Times bestseller We Were Liars comes a masterful new psychological suspense novel–the story of a young woman whose diabolical smarts are her ticket into a charmed life. But how many times can someone reinvent themselves? You be the judge.
Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was.
What I Thought
When I first heard about Genuine Fraud, I was instantly intrigued. I had read We Were Liars, so I already knew how great E. Lockhart’s writing was and that she was a risk taker. So, when I received Genuine Fraud for Christmas, I was super excited to read it. I’m happy to say it did not disappoint, either!
Hi everyone! I’m so excited to share with you all my TBR for the #InLoveAThon, hosted by Cristina from christinasjourney, and a bunch of other lovely BookTubers as well! I was so happy to hear about this readathon, because I had just been thinking about how I wished there was a Valentine’s Day themed readathon, and sure enough, I found this wonderful one! The #InLoveAThon runs from tomorrow, February 9th – February 15th. The goal is to read a book corresponding to at least seven of the ten different challenges listed. There’s also going to be Twitter Sprints available and a group watch-a-long.
Here’s a complete list of the challenges:
1. Read a book from your favorite romance author. It can be contemporary or historical.
2. Read a book that has your favorite romantic trope.
3. Read a book with a prince/princess
4. Read an original fairytale and watch the Disney movie or a film adaptation.
5. Read a book while eating some Valentine treats. It could be chocolate, ice cream, or you can change it to having drinks like wine. It’s up to you!
6. Read a book that takes place in a location where you would love to spend Valentine’s Day.
7. Read a book with pink or red in the cover.
8. Read a LGBTQ+ love story.
9. Read a classic love story. (E.g. Romeo&Juliet)
10. Read one of the hosts favorite Contemporary/Historical Romance books.
Cristina’s Journey // Losing It → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Pd…
The Bookish Babbler // Song of Achilles → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIEB…
Paper Faerie // Pride and Prejudice → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUG…
Tiny Book Dragon // Fill in Boyfriend → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUyH…
jordyn, discombobulated // Hunted → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZo1…
HardbackHoarder // To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before or The Hating Game → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpjGKbwm-ZXBedvkOI1uAjA
Because I’m delusional and unrealistic, I’ve decided to attempt 8 of the challenges:
▸ Read a book from your favorite romance author.
This book is more paranormal than contemporary, and I admit, romance is not necessarily the focal point of this series, but I really love Meg Cabot! She’s one of my favorite authors, writes the best relationships for her characters, and this book has been on my TBR for forever, so I’m going with it. I’d really love to get both books in this bind-up read, but I definitely want to at least read Safe House.
▸ Read a book that has your favorite romantic trope.
Nicholas Sparks books always have such classic romantic tropes! I chose A Walk to Remember, because I love the movie and I’ve been meaning to read this book for literally years, and I love that whole unexpected romance/opposites attract trope.
▸ Read a book with a prince/princess.
I’ve been meaning to read The Coronation for a few months now, and with its sequel, The Rebellion, coming soon, I really need to get to this one. It sounds like such a fun read, I’ve been wanting to read a royalty story lately, and I think this one will be the perfect fit!
▸ Read an original fairytale and watch the Disney movie or a film adaptation.
I’m still going back and forth for this one! I’m definitely going to read either Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella, though. I found this really lovely copy (for FREE) from Project Gutenberg, that has all three of those stories, so I’ll see what I feel like when I decide to do this challenge!
▸ Read a book while eating some Valentine treats.
I got the Just One bind-up for Christmas, and I think it’ll make a really great Valentine’s Day read. I don’t know what I’ll be eating yet, though!
▸ Read a book with pink or red in the cover.
I just recently got The Choosing, and it’s one that I’ve been wanting to read for a while now! The book may only be half red, but I think that’s close enough, so I’m counting it!
▸ Read a classic love story.
For this challenge, I didn’t want to read anything too large, because classics take me longer to read than other books, and this readathon is only a week long. So, I decided to go with Breakfast at Tiffany’s! This novel is quite short, and I’ve actually never seen the movie, so maybe I’ll check out the movie after reading the book!
▸ Read one of the hosts favorite Contemporary/Historical Romance books.
For the challenge of reading one of the hosts’ favorites, I went with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before! This is, yet another, book that has been on my TBR for way too long, and I’m excited to read this book and get in on the hype for it!
Alright! There’s my TBR! Realistically, I’ll be lucky if I can even get more than 3 of those books read, but I’m just going to have fun and try my best!
Let me know if you’re participating in the #InLoveAThon! Also, tell me your Valentine’s Day plans!!
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It’s Top Ten Tuesday again! It’s a weekly bookish list hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl! This week’s topic is:
TOP TEN BOOKS ON MY TBR I STILL HAVEN’T READ
The Sweet Far Thing
Are any of you even the tiniest bit surprised that this book is on here?! No? I thought so! If you’ve been following for any amount of time, you know pretty much every TBR post I make, I include The Sweet Far Thing, and yet, I still haven’t read it…
The Help
I loved the movie, and I’ve heard so many good things about this book! I keep meaning to read it, and I just never get around to it, and that needs to change!
The Outsiders
Everybody always tells me to read The Outsiders! It’s one of my sister’s favorite books, so naturally, she tells me to read it every chance she gets. Yet, here I am, still not reading it. Will I ever find out who this Pony Boy is that everyone speaks of?!
A Walk to Remember
I really adore the movie for A Walk to Remember (even though I cry every single time), and I’ve heard the book is quite different. So I’m really curious to see how the two compare. I hope to be getting to this book very soon, because actually it’s on my TBR for the #InLoveAThon, which I’ll be sharing my full TBR for later this week!
Trouble is a Friend of Mine
I’ve wanted to read this book for a while now, because a lot of people compare it to having Nancy Drew vibes, which, y’all know I absolutely adore! Trouble is a Friend of Mine sounds so fun and mysterious, and like the perfect mystery read. So…why I haven’t I read it yet?!
Reached
I have no excuse for why I haven’t read Reached yet. I loved the first two, I own this one, I actually do want to read it. I really have no idea why I just haven’t picked this one up yet!
Jane Eyre
I’ve heard really good things about this classic novel, and I keep saying I’m going to read it, and yet, I still haven’t. Maybe this year will be the year I finally read Jane Eyre?! lol that rhymed.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette?
Where’d You Go, Bernadette, is yet another book I really want to read but never pick up! Why am I like this?!
Sinner
I admit, I was a bit hesitant about this book when I first heard of Sinner’s release, so I think maybe that’s why I didn’t read it right away. That being said, I finally decided I did want to read this one a long time ago, and yet I still haven’t. So, what’s my excuse now?
Fangirl
Fangirl is a book that has been on my TBR for several years, but I never got around to it because I didn’t own a copy. Well, my #TBTBSanta gifted it to me this past Christmas, so now I have no excuse! I’m really excited to finally own a copy, and I’m really planning on reading this one soon…Finally!!
That’s this week’s Top Ten Tuesday! Share with me some of the books that have been on your TBR the longest!
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the calico books 