The Darren Criss Appreciation Week

I didn't plan it, but somehow Darren Criss has popped up on my blog every day this week, thanks to my association of him with Adam from If I Stay and Where She Went. Because I'm kinda obsessed with him I wouldn't want the rest of the days in the week to feel left out, I've decided to declare it the Darren Criss Appreciation Week (it's not too late to declare it on a Thursday, right?). So, in honour of the warbling wonder, today's post is brought to you by the letter D - for Darren, of course - and Disney! Put the two together and you get Delightful:

My Book Boyfriend: Adam Wilde

My Book Boyfriend is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, all about fictional boys who make us swoon. If you've been reading my blog at all this week, it'll come as no surprise that I'm currently obsessing over Adam Wilde from If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman.

About Adam

• He's a hopelessy romantic, grand-gesture, do-anything-for-love kind of guy. He invests everything in love - so when he loses it, he's utterly crushed.
• He's obsessed with music, and is a guitar-playing, singing, song-writing rock god.
• He's a gentleman at heart, even if his depression leads him to act in a different way at times.
• His eyes are flecked with green, brown and grey, and he has a lopsided smile. He's thin but built, and has some subtle tattoos.
• To me, Adam looks like Darren Criss.

Swoon-worthy Quotes

"Please Mia," he implores. "Don't make me write a song."

"Whenever I remember it, I just picture our tent, a little ship glowing in the night, the sounds of Mia’s and my whispers escaping like musical notes, floating out on a moonlit sea."

"I suddenly want to hear her bones rattle. I want to feel the softness of her flesh give, to hear her gasp as my hip bone jams into her. I want to yank her head back until her neck is exposed. I want to rip my hands through her hair until her breath is labored. I want to make her cry and then lick up the tears. And then I want to take my mouth to hers, to devour her alive, to transmit all the things she can’t understand."

"You don’t share me. You own me."

 

"'Your place is right here,'" I whispered, laying down and hugging her close.

"Hate me. Devastate me. Annihilate me. Re-create me. Re-create me. Won't you, won't you won't you re-create me."

"I can't wrap my mind around the notion of you not getting old, having kids, going to Juilliard, getting to play that cello in front of a huge audience, so that they can get chills the way I do every time I see you pick up your bow, every time I see you smile at me." 

Related Reviews
If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman 

Images via darren-criss.com

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

So. I just finished Where She Went. I don't think I can form coherent thoughts. But I'll try.

It was amazing. While If I Stay sucked me in to Adam and Mia's story, Where She Went held me there. Told from Adam's perspective and dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy that took Mia's family - and, in another way, Mia herself - away, it was a fascinating take on grief, depression, music, celebrity, loneliness, loss and love. At first I was frustrated with the angst-riddled Adam, thinking, "Really? I know she's the love of your life, but SUCK IT UP. Just a little." But then as the story unfolded, and we're told in flashbacks exactly what happened for Adam to get this way, I understood more, and thought, "OK, you're entitled to your pain."

Then there was Mia - like Adam, oh, I was so angry with Mia. Well, not so much angry, more frustrated and confused. The person who cut Adam off without so much as a goodbye definitely didn't sound like the same girl who desperately yearned for him in If I Stay. But she had her reasons, too, and again, once they're explained, it all makes sense. I wasn't such a fan of the more supernatural elements of the book - which is strange, I know, considering the first one is pretty much told from the perspective of a ghost - but this one just had a differnt tone (rightly so) that those parts just didn't seem to gel with. For me, at least. But I loved all the answers and explanations we got, and the sense of closure at the end. Plus, I'm a sucker for all-nighter type stories and secret tours of beautiful cities. So romantic!

Rating: 4.5/5

(Spoilery) Talking Points

• My favourite scene in the whole book had to be when Mia gave Adam his guitar, and he looks around the room and sees that he IS still there, still important in her life. Then Mia describes Adam as her parents' gift to her, like the cello was at her first recital. Such a powerful moment. It definitely made me tear up.
• Another thing that made me tear up - Teddy, of course. I liked how Adam described his reaction to Teddy's loss - how he felt "gutted". Sums it up perfectly, I think.
• Ahhh, the ending - it made me so happy. I wanted MORE. More happiness! More love! More of the old Mia and Adam, please!

Eye Candy
As I mentioned in my review of If I Stay, I pictured Emma Stone as Mia and Darren Criss as Adam. Here's an excuse to post Darren Criss pics a reminder:

Fine Print

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Doubleday

Published: 2011
Get It: Book Depository

Related
While googling Darren Criss, I came across this piece of adorableness. My heart just about burst (in a good way). So. Darn. Cute.



Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Yep, I finally read If I Stay.

It's taken me this long because, while I picked it up last year, out of curiousity for the story of a girl who loses her family in a car crash and has to decide whether she wants to live or die - that curiousity wasn't strong enough to overcome my fear of being utterly depressed by it. So it sat languishing at the bottom of my TBR pile for months. And months. Then I started blogging, and Where She Went came out, and my feed was filled with ridonkulous amounts of praise for both novels. That motivated me to finally see what I was missing out on (and also the fact that SPOILER thanks to Where She Went reviews, I knew that Mia chose to stay and that assuaged my fears somewhat).

Which brings me to today. I started reading If I Stay on the bus this morning, and continued on the bus on the way home. Five hours later, I'm finished, and boy have I been on an emotional rollercoaster. Starting with dread (for what I knew was coming), climbing to love, love, love (for Mia, Mia's family, and especially for Adam), before rocketing down to despair and then, ultimately, smoothing out to a sense of hope. I was surprised to find that, like the blurb on the back says, the book IS actually life-affirming. Simply and elegantly told, with wonderful, realistic characters and raw, touching emotions, I absolutely loved If I Stay. So now I sit here, sad, but not utterly depressed - a good thing, for sure. But my mind is starting to go into overdrive thinking about what I've just read - not such a good thing considering it's about 10 minutes past my bedtime. Hopefully if I get all those thoughts out now they won't haunt my dreams. But Mia might. Teddy definitely will.

Rating: 4/5

Talking Points (Spoilers if you're still living under a rock and haven't read it yet)

• The scenes that got to me the most: The state of Mia's dad after the crash - I wanted to vomit. The flashback to Mia and her mum shopping while her mum was in labour with Teddy - in that scene, more than any other, I really "saw" Mia's mum and felt the full tragedy. Then, anything involving Teddy - the moment Mia realises he's gone, her urge to cuddle him and feel his curls and the realisation she never will again - oh, God, talk about pulling the heartstrings. Finally, the end, when Adam's begging Mia to stay and she makes her choice. Sigh.
• Speaking of Adam - OK, now I see what all the fuss is about. Swoon alert!
• The book definitely got me thinking about what would you do if, God forbid, you were faced with Mia's choice? I honestly couldn't answer. I like how the book ended; how Mia realised there was still a lot to live for and especially how by living, she could hold on to the memory of her family, but goodness, if I was in that position, I don't know if I could do it.
• I'm kinda glad it took me this long to read If I Stay, because now I can't wait to dive into Where She Went! I'm tempted to start now, but I really must be getting to bed...

Eye Candy

I know Mia is supposed to be a brunette, but the only person I could picture was Emma Stone in all her red-headed awesomeness (none of this blonde Emma)...

...Perhaps because the happy, quirky family scene that the book opened with instantly reminded me of Easy A (LOVE that movie).

As for Adam, well the first person who popped into my head was Adam Brody (maybe it was the name?), but then I remembered the creepy rock star he played in Jennifer's Body and I soon got rid of that image. Thankfully, Darren Criss quickly filled in. Not convinced he's a good Adam? How about this...

Look how hot he is with a guitar! If that isn't Adam, I don't know what is. What's that? You're still not sure?!

You asked for it! OK, I really just wanted an excuse to post this picture.



I don't need an excuse to post this one. Phwoar! Thankyou, Darren Criss, I no longer feel sad.

Fine Print
Genre: Young Adult
Get It: Book Depository

Challenge: Books I Should Have Read By Now

Review: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

This book was pretty magical.

I picked it up not really knowing what to expect, except that I liked the cover (yep, I judge books by their covers), and that it was "kinda like Harry Potter" according to my fiance, who'd read about one chapter of it before I stole it off him while we were on holidays. Well, it is "kinda like Harry Potter", in that it involves an old wizard, a trio of kids, magic and a few mythical creatures, but that description could also apply to most children's fantasy novels. With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised to find such a fun and unique tale.

The Emerald Atlas follows the story of siblings Kate, Michael and Emma, who have been bounced from orphanage to orphanage ever since their parents disappeared 10 years ago. After all hope of adoption is given up, they're shipped off to one last orphanage in the unheard-of Cambridge Falls. They soon discover they're the only three children in the whole village, but things turn even weirder when they find a big green book which, when they place a photo in it, allows them to travel to the time and place it was taken. What follows is one helluva journey, on which the children find new friends, old friends, plenty of enemies and more than a bit of trouble.

Stephens (who, interestingly, has previously written for two of my fave shows, The O.C. and Gilmore Girls) does a wonderful job of constructing the world of Cambridge Falls and its mysterious inhabitants. The trio of siblings are admirable and interesting characters, and both they and the colourful array of secondary characters are well-drawn, forging a tale that is full of heroism, heart and humour. With a whimsical, action-packed plot, the Atlas' 400+ pages were never a struggle to get through. Occasionally I did get frustrated at the way the the narration jumps back and forth between characters, leaving little cliffhangers everywhere, but it definitely made for an effective page-turner.

The first in a trilogy called The Books of Beginning, The Emerald Atlas leaves a few questions hanging that I would've liked answers to sooner rather than later, but overall I was happy with the sense of closure you get for this first chapter, and am eager to read the epic adventures I'm sure the next novel will hold!

Rating: 4/5

Talking Points (Spoiler Alert!)

• I'm curious about how the Countess fares in the past, and if one of the other books "disappears" by her hand. I have a theory that we might not have seen the last of her! But I could be wrong.
• I'd obviously like to know more about the Dire Magnus, which Dr. Pym said he'd "explain later" but never did - in this story, at least. I'd also like to know exactly what the prophecy says. Hopefully these things are explained in the next book. I guess I'll just have to wait and see!
• I adored the relationship between Emma and Gabriel. You gotta love a gentle giant! I hope Gabriel sticks around for the rest of the books - given Emma's attachment to him, I assume he will. 
• Weirdly, even though the novel is set in America in the present day/15 years ago, I kept picturing it in England in the 1940s (I think because it was reminiscent of all those war-time, children-sent-to-strange-house-in-the-country stories), and had to keep correcting my imagination. 

Eye Candy/Who I "Cast"

Dianna Agron as the girlish, manipulative, magical, maniacal Countess



Karl Urban as the fierce, brave and kind warrior Gabriel



Hailee Steinfeld (who I have a major girl crush on after seeing True Grit - she's fantastic) as the caring and selfless Kate



Super 8's Joel Courtney as intelligent and sensitive Michael (plus glasses, of course!)

Mara Wilson, circa 1998, as the spunky, fearless Emma

Michael Gambon as crafty wizard Dr Pym, not (just) because he'd Dumbledore, but because he's awesome and I love him

Fine Print
Genre: Children/Fantasy
Publisher: Doubleday
Published: April 2011
Get It: Book Depository

Top Five: Mini-series Adaptations

As promised, here is my top five book-to-mini-series adaptations! There are so many amazing mini-series out there (especially by the BBC!), so it's hard to pick favourites, but these are the ones I enjoy - and rewatch - the most...

1. Pride and Prejudice BBC (1995)
This one is a given. No mini-series list would be complete without it. It's the first one I remember watching, and, like the book, it never fails to make me happy. It's so comforting, so fun and just such a great adaptation. Of course, it's not perfect, but it's pretty damn close. While Jennifer Ehle is good as Lizzie, her portrayal is not how I see the character in looks or personality. But Colin Firth as Mr Darcy - I don't really need to say how spectacular that is, do I? He IS Mr Darcy.

2. North and South BBC 2004
Elizabeth Gaskell's hate-at-first-sight-turned-love story has a lot in common with Pride and Prejudice, but unlike Jane Austen, Gaskell doesn't shy away from the, er, grittier aspects of life, such as extreme poverty and death. While this means watching this adaptation is perhaps less "fun", it's definitely not less enjoyable. Emotions such as grief are portrayed in a completely raw and real way, making for a rich viewing experience that is enhanced by the amazing acting and stunning visuals. But I'm making it sound kinda morbid, aren't I? It's actually not - sure, there are heaps of sad parts, but there's also plenty to smile about and a super romantic love story. Plus, Richard Armitage as Mr Thornton definitely gives Mr Darcy a run for his money.

3. The Forsyte Saga ITV 2002

Spanning decades and generations of the massive Forsyte family, The Forsyte Saga, based on the series by John Galsworthy, is dramatic, beautiful and completely addictive. I know the original mini-series from 1967 is supposed to be fantastic, but I've never seen it, mainly because I've got such a soft spot for the 2002 version. It aired here when I was in the middle of one helluva hectic semester of uni. Loser Nerd that I was, I'd spend many a Saturday night studying until 11.30pm, when I gave myself a break and treated myself to The Forsyte Saga. Yep. But even post-uni, I still love it, and still find it gripping to watch, even though I've seen it a bajillion times.

4. Wives and Daughters BBC 1999

Telling the story of Molly, a doctor's daughter, and her relationships with her new step-mother and -sister as well as the rich Hamley family, Wives and Daughters is another adaptation based on an Elizabeth Gaskell novel. Although it's much lighter and frothier than North and South, it's not without its sadness - in fact, one of my favourite scenes involves a character's death. Sounds strange, I know, but it's so powerful and wonderfully acted, it's hard not to love it, even though it's totally heartbreaking. While I think one or two characters are perhaps slightly miscast, mainly for superficial reasons (Tom Hollander isn't my idea of the "beautiful" Osbourne, for instance), overall the cast is excellent, and Michael Gambon's performance is a particular standout.

5. Jane Eyre BBC 2006

I adored the new movie version of Jane Eyre, but you can't really beat the mini-series - if only for its ability to explore the full story and characters in a way a time-restricted movie can't. Still, that doesn't mean it keeps everything from the book, and actually, there are a couple of changes that I know many fans don't like. But I don't really have any complaints on that front - I quite like the scenes that are added/altered. The acting is, once again, awesome, and Toby Stephens as Mr Rochester puts the swoon in swoon-worthy.

Do you agree with my list? What's your fave mini-series?

Note-worthy: Booklover Discovers!

The lovely Chloe from YA Booklover Blog hosts a feature called Booklover Discovers, where she spotlights a different blogger each week, and this week she has "discovered"... me! YAY! It's so exciting to be featured, if you want to check it out you can find it here - Chloe asked some really interesting questions, it was a lot of fun answering them. Thanks again Chloe for the support!

Image from Upside Down Dogs

Follow Friday: Zombies and Mel Gibson

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee's View. This week the question is, "What are you doing to prepare for an upcoming zombie apocalypse and/or the return of Mel Gibson to the silver screen? (Both of which could be terrifying.)"

This question has made me realise I'm doing NOTHING to prepare for a zombie apocalypse, eep! Unless, of course, you count watching Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead repeatedly. Y'know, for research purposes. I also watch A LOT of trashy TV, which turns my brain to mush, so the zombies wouldn't want them anyway, right? RIGHT?!

As for Mel Gibson, well, I'll just continue to ignore his existence. Hey, do you think that'll work for the zombies, too?

Bookish Fun: Two Things I Am Ridiculously Excited About

1. Breaking Dawn Part 1
I'll admit it: I freaking love Edward Cullen. Yep, I'm one of those girls. Sure, he's all stalkery, broody and sparkly, but goshdarnit I love the guy. It's not that I don't have issues with him. And I have many more issues with Bella and even more with Breaking Dawn. Man, do I hate Breaking Dawn. HATE it. But I've still read it three times. And I still let out a squeal when I watched this:

2. Season Four of True Blood
As much as I love Edward, I love Eric Northman about a hundred times more. He is one beautiful vamp. And I love, love, love, True Blood - it's one of my fave shows. So to say I'm excited for season four to start is a bit of an understatement. Especially because book four, which this season will be partially based on, is my favourite book in the series. The Eric/Sookie storyline is so much fun. I hope the show does it justice - I have a feeling it will:

My Book Boyfriend: Gilbert Blythe

My Book Boyfriend is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, all about fictional boys who make us swoon. This week I've chosen another one of my early loves: Gilbert Blythe from L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. 

About Gilbert

• He's the bully-turned-rival-turned-friend-turned-love-turned-soul-mate of one of my favourite characters of all time, Anne Shirley.
• He's described as a "tall boy, with curly brown hair, roguish hazel eyes and a mouth twisted into a teasing smile."
• He's pretty much perfect: smart, confident, witty, friendly... not to mention patient and devoted - he never stops trying to earn Anne's trust, respect, forgiveness and (eventually) love, despite her being a mean grudge-holder.
• He's selfless, too, giving up his teaching position in Avonlea because he thinks Anne needs it more. Awww.
• He's played by Jonathan Crombie in the amazing 1985 TV adaptation. Because I grew up watching this and only read the books as a teenager, Gilbert has never looked like anybody else to me.

Swoon-worthy quotes

As Anne of Green Gables focuses on the early teen years of Anne and Gilbert, there isn't too much to REALLY swoon over (that comes in later books - but if I delved into them we'd be here all month). Still, there are quite a few lovely, iconic scenes:

"Gilbert Blythe was trying to make Anne Shirley look at him and failing utterly... Gilbert Blythe wasn't used to putting himself out to make a girl look at him and meeting with failure. She SHOULD look at him, that red-haired Shirley girl with the little pointed chin and big eyes that weren't like the eyes of any other girl in Avonlea school. Gilbert reached across the aisle and picked up the end of Anne's long red braid, held it out at arm's length, and said in a piercing whisper: 'Carrots! Carrots!'"

"Gilbert had also sprung from the boat and now laid a detaining hand or her arm. 'Anne,' he said hurriedly, 'look here. Can't we be good friends? I'm awfully sorry I made fun of your hair that time. I didn't mean to vex you and I only meant it for a joke. Besides, it's so long ago. I think your hair is awfully pretty now - honest I do. Let's be friends.'"

"But suddenly, as her dilated, frightened eyes gazed out over the audience, she saw Gilbert Blythe away at the back of the room, bending forward with a smile on his face - a smile which seemed to Anne at once triumphant and taunting. In reality it was nothing of the kind. Gilbert was merely smiling in appreciation of the whole affair in general, and of the effect it produced on Anne's slender white form and spiritual face against a background of palms in particular."