Warm Bodies: Book Review and Movie Preview

Warm Bodies summary: A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel. R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

My thoughts: I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see the movie Warm Bodies a few weeks before it came out, and I've just finished reading the novel the movie was based on. Yes, I know that's not usually how it works, but I had no idea the movie would be that good. I figured if the movie was decent, then I'd read the book, but now I'm sitting here wishing I had read Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies a lot sooner.

I really enjoyed this novel and devoured it within a few days, which for a procrastinating college student like myself is quite an accomplishment. I found the book to be quite a bit more profound than the movie, but at the same time I thought the directors did well with what they were given. Their adaption from the novel to the movie felt natural and didn't sway too far from the original material. You just have to keep in mind that these are two different forms of media so there will be differences in how the story is portrayed.

In general, I really enjoyed both the movie and the book for different reasons. The movie was a heartwarming, witty, hilarious, action-packed love story that ended with the audience feeling a sense of hope. Now, the book had most of these attributes except I didn't feel as though it was as witty as the movie or action-packed. There were a few extra side-plots in the book, as well, and I could see why they didn't add them in the movie in order to cut down on time or because of a lack of resources.  But I really liked both and I thought the movie did a great job of portraying what the book was all about. They both showed that through love, anything is possible. Yes. Corny. I know. But it's still a meaningful message, nonetheless.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Okay. I have a confession. I'm addicted to a web-series. It's pretty much a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and it's more of a youtube vlogging channel than anything. The channel is called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and I found out about through the VlogBrothers since one of these brothers was one of the creators.

As an avid Pride and Prejudice fan, how could I resist? You follow Lizzie and her family, the Bennet's, through their trials and tribulations in finding love while Lizzie makes video diaries twice a week. I didn't realize how invested I would soon become in the characters, much like I did when reading Pride and Prejudice, but it happened. I quickly subscribed and joined the bandwagon of followers. But the youtube channel isn't the only outlet for the characters, they also have respective twitter accounts so if you want to know what's happening as it's going down, you can follow them there, too.

Now, I know these are just actors portraying an adapted version of a beloved classic, but I can't get enough it. The drama, the fights, the laughs, you know the whole shebang. I even find myself rewatching some of their more drama-filled videos, like when Darcy is introduced. The videos and the actors so true to Jane Austen's novel, too, which brings my inner booknerd so much joy. I highly recommend this web-series to anyone with a love for classic, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, or a good drama, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Link: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Crossed

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Series: The Matched Series (#2)
Pages: 367
Summary: Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his sure death - only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

My thoughts: Right after finishing Matched, I quickly dove right into Crossed, and believe me, I was not disappointed.  I actually thought this sequel was better than the first book in the series, which is often a rarity in the book world.  Full of adventure, twists and turns while keeping the romantic ties strong, Crossed did not disappoint.  I loved the character of Indie. She was so unpredictable, which was fun to read because she kept you guessing. Sometimes, like in Matched, I questioned the motives behind some of the characters' choices, but this time you have more insight as to everyone's overall goals in the book. I can't wait to start reading the third installment in the series, Reached, and see how Xander comes into play more.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Matched

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 366
Series: The Matched Series (#1)
Summary: Cassia has always trusted their choices. it's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one... until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow - between perfection and passion.

My thoughts:
I was lucky enough to go to a book signing when the last of this series came out a couple of months ago, and I am officially excited to read the rest of the installments that Ally Condie has lined up for her audience.  Ally was so nice and down to earth, which made me respect her just that much more as a writer.  On top of all that, I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the concept, and I'm a sucker for a good dystopian book. I'm not usually a huge fan of the love triangle, but it worked here and helped to further the plot. There were some parts where I would have liked more details as to why things were happening and where I would have liked to know more of the thought process behind some of the characters' actions. However, it wasn't so confusing that I didn't know what was going on, plot-wise.  I also really liked the dynamic between Ky and Cassia. When I reached the end of this novel, I immediately jumped into its sequel, Crossed, which is weird for me since I usually wait a few months to move on with a series.  I can't wait to see how the plot thickens in next installment.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Book Bloggers

Here's a list of a few of my favorite book bloggers.  These book blogs may interest you if you, like me, are an avid reader. I chose these blogs mostly based on the quality and "readablity" of their posts. I found most of these blogs because they also have what I like to call "booktube" channels, where they do book vlogging on Youtube.

Chapter Chicks
This pair of sisters were the first book bloggers I had ever heard of. They pretty much introduced me to the world of book blogging and vlogging when I stumbled upon their youtube channel. Then I found out about their book blog and I just fell in love. They have the same taste as me in books and on top of that, their blog is pretty amazing. It's clean, easy to navigate, and interactive, as well. Without these two, I probably would not be as prolific of a reader as I am today, to be quite honest. They really inspired me to get out of my two year reading slump and to start reading books that aren't required for class. I've read so many great books based on their recommendations, and I feel like more people need to discover them.
Audience: They mostly cater to young adult fiction, but they review whatever they find interesting and entertaining.  
Link: Chapter Chicks

365 Days of Reading
I found out about Lauren's blog through a group book vlogging Youtube channel called Totally Booksessed. There is a different vlogger for each day of the week and each vlogger has their own separate blog, which proves for quite a diverse and entertaining Youtube channel. But out of all the book bloggers on this channel, I found that she was one of the more consistent bloggers and vloggers out of the group running the channel and on top of that, her blog is very clean, organized, and diverse in terms of the books she reviews. Not to mention that she receives a lot of advanced reader copies (ARC's) for review and also posts many interesting interviews of authors.
Audience: Anyone who enjoys reading young adult fiction (YA) as well as adult fiction books.
Link: 365 Days of Reading

The Story Siren
I can't even remember how I came across the Story Siren's blog, but when I started following her on Goodreads and watching her "In My Mailbox" book vlogs, I became more and more interested in her book reviews. She not only reviews well known, popular books, but also books I would have never heard of otherwise. I also love the tab on her page titled "Book blog tips and tricks" since I'm only just starting out in the book blogging world and any sort of advice helps. Also, on this page she talks a lot about ARC's and how to come by them which for any book blogger is an invaluable resource.
Audience: Most of her book reviews are on the more "fluffy" books, some YA some not, so check out her blog if you're interested in reading more for fun.
Link: The Story Siren

The Readables
Okay, so I know this isn't a blog per say, but I follow Priscilla's book vlogs religiously.  I've been subscribed to her "booktubing" youtube channel for well over a year now, and for good reason.  She reviews a wide array of books, ranging from YA to adult fiction to classics. She will even have themed months where she'll review books of a certain genre and even include some movie reviews in a video each month. Not only that, though, she has a warm personality that really comes across in her videos and I really value her input when it comes to which books are worthwhile to read.
Audience: Pretty much anyone who enjoys reading for entertainment. All ages included.
Link: The Readables

Elizziebooks
After being in the book "blogosphere" for well over a year, I had heard of Liz left and right. When I finally decided to check out her blog, I wasn't disappointed. Her blog is concise but tells you what you need to know about the book. It's clean and when she does a vlog review of a book, she includes it with the written review, which to me is very helpful. Her energy in her reviews, whether they be in video or written format, is always infectious and she seems very passionate about reading. I just find her blog to be a bit of fresh air.
Audience: She mostly reviews YA or action/adventure books, but she does review the occasional popular adult fiction.
Link: Elizziebooks