Literary Junkies; May

I know, two posts in one day is kind of overkill. But I forgot that today was the third Tuesday of the month which means that it's time for the Literary Junkies link party. I think this is yet another sign that I need a planner for my blog, then I'll remember stuff like this and not schedule another post for the same day...

Anyway, on to the questions!

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it!

I'm currently reading Barbie and Ruth by Robin Gerber. It's a different type of book for me, but I'm enjoying it.

Goodreads says...

"Barbie and Ruth is the entwined story of two exceptional women. There's Barbie: the diminutive yet arrestingly voluptuous doll unveiled at the 1959 Toy Fair who became the treasure of 90 percent of American girls and their counterparts in 150 countries. She went on to compete as an Olympic athlete, serve as an air force pilot, work as a boutique owner, run as a presidential candidate, and ignite a cultural firestorm.

And then there's Ruth Handler, Barbie's creator: the tenth child of Polish Jewish immigrants, a passionately competitive and creative business pioneer, and a mother and wife who wanted it all. After a business scandal that forced Ruth out of Mattel, the company she founded, she drew on her experience as a breast cancer survivor to start a business that changed women's lives. She was ultimately honored as a pioneer, humanitarian, and masterful entrepreneur."

 

 2. Do you judge a book by its cover? What cover elements make you not want to pick up a book?

I think everyone does to a certain extent. I like covers that are well done. Nice colours, nice artwork. Nobody half naked on the cover...

 

3. Do you participate in any other bookish link-ups? Tell us about them so we can join next time!

I don't participate in any other link ups, but I am participating in the Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge. (That's what made me pick up Barbie and Ruth in the first place, one of the categories is biography, autobiography or memoir.)

 

4. Have you ever watched a movie that was better than its book version? Explain yourself!

No, I haven't. More often than not I avoid movies made from books I enjoyed. I have watched all the Harry Potter movies, and the Hunger Games and while they were good, I definitely don't think they were better than the book.

 

5. Summer is here! Do you read more often during any particular season?

I don't. I tend to read the most on my lunch break and that doesn't change. In the colder months I'll read snuggled up on the couch, and in the warmer months I'll read out on the patio.

 

6. What is the worst book you’ve read this year? Why?

I don't think I can really pick a "worst" book. I've had a couple that I've struggled to get into, but I've finished everything I started.

I won't be able to join the Twitter chat tonight, but I did read Where'd You Go, Bernadette? and I enjoyed it. It was actually one of those books I had a hard time getting in to, but once I did I was hooked. It was different from my usual book choice so I'm glad I read it. One of my goals for the summer is to expand my reading horizons a bit.

Are you reading anything really good right now? Have you read anything recently that was just bad?

Literary Junkes; April Edition!

I think I may have found the perfect link-up...

1. What are you reading right now? Tell us about it!
I'm currently reading The Selection by Kiera Cass. Amazon.ca does a much better job at the synopsis than I could so...

"For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined."

I'm not going to lie, this isn't my first time reading it. But the third book comes out in May, so I decided to re-read the first two. I'm a sucker for trilogies!

2. Divergent, Hunger Games, or Twilight. Which do you prefer and why? (If you’ve never read them which do you think you’d prefer?)
I think I would have to pick Divergent, simply because I found Mockingjay to be a bit of a let-down after the first two books in the Hunger Games series. Twilight is a guilty pleasure - whenever I'm looking for something a bit less deep I grab it. (I still consider Twilight a favourite, just not in the same category as Divergent and Hunger Games.)

3. TV Series Based on Books they start out very close to the book to draw in the fans but then will start to separate themselves by changing things and adding characters. What are you thoughts on this?
I can't think of any shows I watch that started out as books... I heard True Blood was really different from Charlaine Harris' books so I never bothered getting in to it.

4. You’ve just been recruited to help a movie studio bring your favorite book to the big screen. What’s the movie and who are you choosing to play the main characters?
Definitely definitely Enchanted, Inc by Shanna Swendson. I think the books would make excellent movies. I'm not sure who I'd pick to play the main characters... I'd love to see Sir Patrick Stewart as Merlin I think, but as fair as the male/female lead I'm not sure. Hmmm...

5. Going back to the above question, do you keep it word for word the same or do you use this chance to change little things you thought would make the book better?
I think it would translate really well into a movie with very few alterations.

6. After you finish a physical copy of a book do you keep it for a reread, put it on a shelf to collect dust, donate it to Goodwill, or do you just not purchase physical copies of books?
I have an e-reader, but I still purchase physical copies of books by my favourite authors. I very rarely get rid of books. I'm a re-reader - if I enjoyed something I like being able to go back to it. I have as many books on shelves as possible, but there are also boxes in the closet in the spare room.

I'm always looking for book recommendations, so be sure to let me know if you have something I might enjoy!

xo,
Sara