Thoughts on Bukowski's Barfly

My boyfriend got this movie for Christmas - one of the many gifts his mother gave him. At the time, the only thing I knew about this film was that it's pretty rare to find on DVD, making it a somewhat coveted, look-how-cool-I-am-to-own-this, movie*. After I bought Ham on Rye a month or two ago, Ryan was quick to tell me the Barfly was also a semi-autobiography of Bukowski's life for which he actually wrote the screenplay. After finishing Ham on Rye I was so excited Ryan had Barfly and we had the chance to watch it earlier this week. 

The first thing I should mention is that there isn't a lot of overlap between Ham on Rye and Barfly. The first focuses on Bukowski's early years, his adolescence into his early manhood, while Barfly begins with Bukowski's adulthood. Those differences aside, both the book and the movie exude a gritty, crude look at the life of a man who doesn't really give a shit about anything except where he can find his next drink. As with the book, the movie follows Bukowski's alter-ego Henry Chianski. Henry, played by Mickey Rourke, is as smarmy and sordid as he came across in Ham on Rye, if not more so.

Most notably for me, the film began and ended with the same scene, signaling Henry's lack of growth or progression throughout the entirety of the movie. It's almost as though he has taken hold of the person he believes himself to be and doesn't let go of it, for better or worse. The film as a whole is quite dark and mostly miserable, it's also very entertaining and at times, even cheerful, but don't ask me to put my finger on any scene that leads me to this conclusion. Oh, and this may go without saying, but Faye Dunaway's performance is seriously AH-mazing. Upon finishing the movie I couldn't help but think that if Bukowski were alive today, he would really hate all of us in the "me" generation with our over-the-top consumerism and self-absorption. 

This is a world where everybody's gotta do something. Y'know, somebody laid down this rule that everybody's gotta do something, they gotta be something. You know, a dentist, a glider pilot, a narc, a janitor, a preacher, all that.  Sometimes I just get tired of thinking of all the things that I don't wanna do. All the things that I don't wanna be. Places I don't wanna go, like India, like getting my teeth cleaned. Save the whale, all that, I don't understand that.

After the film we watched the special features, which include four clips from interviews with Bukowski. His outlook on life is incredibly interesting, but also incredibly pessimistic. I should also note that Bukowski wrote a book that chronicles his experience writing the screenplay for Barfly, entitled Hollywood. In addition, Bukowski himself does make a cameo in the movie, playing what else, but a patron at the bar. If you've read and enjoyed even one of Bukowski's novels, I have to tell you I don't think you'll be disappointed with this movie. 

*I did find a copy of it on Amazon, so I'm not exactly sure what the difference between this rare edition vs. the mass market edition, if there even is one. Regardless, I still think it's cool if you own this movie.

Release date: September 30th, 1987

Written by: Charles Bukowski

Directed by: Barbet Schroeder

Presented by: Francis Ford Coppola

Thoughts on The Hunger Games movie

I'm not trying to sway anyone's opinion of this movie so if you haven't seen it yet, feel free to skip this post.

After reading and enjoying The Hunger Games I was excited to see the movie. I went over the weekend to a theater packed with teenage girls in anticipation of watching Katniss and Peeta triumph over the other tributes. I went in knowing that movies are rarely as good as the their novel counterparts, but I was still hoping it would be just as fun. In the end I did like the movie very much, but the whole thing felt a little too cheery for the dark subject matter. It reminded me of how Chris Colmbus' directed the first two Harry Potter movies. They were so upbeat and jaunty even though you knew they should be overcast with darkness. Then when I saw David Yates' direction of the last four movies I knew that's where it was supposed to be; somber and overcome with dark forces. (I know the novels got progressively darker as the series went on, but the first two movies still felt too upbeat.) Just like the early Harry Potter movies, The Hunger Games movie felt too fun when I think it should have been laced with anxiety and gloom.

Let me be clear, I didn't want more violence. Well, actually I did, but I realize they made it on the clean side to keep a PG-13 rating so the main audience of readers, namely young adults, could actually go see the movie, which I fully support. What I wanted was a greater feeling of hopelessness permeating throughout the film. I wanted to see the gauntness of the tributes, but instead they maintained their healthy weight and color throughout. I wanted to see more of the inner struggle Katniss experienced as she "preformed" for the audience, the confusion she dealt with concerning her feelings for Peeta, but instead it felt like she simply wanted to be with him. I also felt like Katniss' alliance with Rue was dealt with too quickly, so the impact of her death wasn't fully realized.

With all that said, I do want to stress that overall I did enjoy the movie. The opening scenes perfectly captured the bleak poverty of District 12. I liked how sickly twisted The Capitol and its inhabitants were portrayed. I liked that Jennifer Lawrence seemed like the perfect actress to play Katniss. (Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, not so much.) Even though some scenes were quickened, I also didn't feel like anything was really left out in terms of plot. So, while I did enjoy the movie a lot, I didn't feel like the overall tone was accurate to the novel itself.

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?
photo via IMDB

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Gracia Marquez

Love in the Time of Cholera was my first Marquez novel. Prior to it I've read one of his short stories, "Eyes of the Blue Dog," and one novella, Memories of My Melancholy Whores. I enjoyed both and decided to jump into one of his novels. I chose this one based on the recommendation from Book Riot's Reading Pathways, which I talked about last week. I'm not going to lie, this novel is no cake walk. I really had to focus on every page. The plot is tedious and the story meandering. But honestly, the novel is definitely worth the effort. This love story follows Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza from their youth into their old age. After quickly falling in love as teenagers, Florentino and Fermina take two very seperate paths; she weds a doctor at the age of twenty-one, he goes on to have 622 affairs, in attempts to heal his broken heart. Fifty-one years, nine months and four days after they had seen each other last, Florentino finds her again to express his never ending love to her. (Not a spoiler I promise - this happens in the first fifty pages.)

To him she seemed so beautiful, so seductive, so different from ordinary people, that he could not understand why no one was as disturbed as he by the clicking of her heels on the paving stones, why no one else's heart was wild with the breeze stirred by the sighs of her veils, why everyone did not go mad with the movements of her braid, the flight of her hands, the gold of her laughter. He had not missed a single one of her gestures, not one of the indications of her character, but he did not dare approach her for fear of destroying the spell.

There is so much to examine throughout this novel. It explores a myriad of human emotions. It's a novel about love, loss, sex, passion, hope, and obsession. Although the chapters go on forever, there is careful attention to detail that I really enjoyed. This isn't your mushy-gushy love story, not even close. Though there are a large handful of steamy sex descriptions. When I say steamy I am talking hot, you guys, sizzling hot. But they aren't overdone, nor are they crude. Sex is depicted as a natural human desire, almost a necessity of life. It's just as beautiful as it is gratifying. Of course cholera is used as a metaphor for love throughout; the idea of love as a sickness and it's ability to distroy your body, inside and out, changing you forever. But it's more than just a love story between Fermina and Florentino. It's about the imperfectness of human nature, the complicated nature of human emotions, and the emotion of love itself.

As I mentioned earlier, this novel takes patience. Near the last third of the novel I found myself craving a resolution, some kind of end to this story of unrequited love. It seemed to go on and on and on. Then I realized maybe this is the beauty of the novel. Just like Florentino Ariza I wanted something to happen. Like Florentino, my patience began to wain. Once I thought about the idea that the emotions I experienced while reading this book mirrored the same emotions of the characters within the book, I realized the magnificence of it. It also turns out that through this tedium I really got a chance to get to know the characters and the places as they quietly unfolded.

I know that Marquez is known for his magical realism, but there were only a few instances in this novel where I noticed it. There was a scene involving a parrot in the beginning (one of my favorite scenes in the whole novel), and a scene on a boat near the end, but asides from that there weren't other instances that really stood out. Or maybe Marquez is so good at weaving the magical with the real, that I didn't even think twice about it. I believe magical realism is more prevalent in One Hundred Years of Solitude, which will be my next Marquez.

Publisher: Penguin Books, 1985

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I realize I am one of the last book bloggers to give in and read The Hunger Games. Let me be honest, a big part about why I picked up this book is because of its upcoming movie adaption. A lot of people are talking about it and after I watched the trailer I decided to give the book a shot. I don't normally incorporate the young adult genre into my reading diet, but I'm happy I gave it a try. The Hunger Games turned out to be a fun and entertaining read.

The dytopian novel follows Katniss Everdeen in the nation of Panem - an area that was once called North America. Kat finds herself volunteering as tribute for the Hunger Games, an annual battle where 24 children between the ages of twelve and eighteen fight to the death until one victor is left. While I felt the start of the novel was a bit slow, I became very interested in the novel once the battle began. I was enthralled with the details of Kat's survival tactics and strategies; I wanted to see her succeed. Collins does a fantastic job roping the reader in to this disturbing and violent world. (I should also mention she had me thinking about my own lack of survival skills/general outdoorsy-ness and the fact that I would never survive in the Hunger Games. I can't even watch the Outdoor Channel without wanting to cry.) Throughout the continuous action of the latter half of the novel I was really rooting for Kat. I did, however, have one gripe with the last 50 pages of the book. I felt like Collins did such a good job creating this dystopian world where struggling to survive is the utmost priority, and suddenly a love story is thrown into the mix. It seemed like Collins felt she had to incorporate a romantic angle and I could have done without it.

With that being said, I did have a lot of fun with this one and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a little escapism in a novel they won't want to put down. I'm interested to find out what develops in the second novel and I'm really looking forward to the movie.

Publisher: Scholastic, 2008

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

I had my eye on this one every since Nymth reviewed it earlier this summer. Then I saw the trailer for the movie and knew I wanted to read it before the movie was released. The book itself is quite unique; it combines the novel with a picture book and scenes from old French movies. Even though it's over 500 pages, it's actually a fast read because pages alternate from traditional text to illustrations. Each do their part to tell the story of Hugo Cabret, an orphaned boy who lives in the walls of a Parisian train station, winding the station's clocks every night and working to fix a broken automaton, which he believes holds a message from his deceased father.

What interested me most about this book was not Hugo himself, but the way it paid homage to early 20th century French film. I went abroad to study French film in college, so I found the references to the films and filmmakers most captivating. The novel really captures the magic and excitement that early film evoked. Further, Selznick's illustrations are placed carefully within the book so that when the reader turns the pages, they almost read like a black and white movie. The arrangement of pages and the act of turning them are significant to the telling of the narrative. While I wasn't completely blown away by the overall plot, the medium of the book is so innovative, I think this one is worth checking out.

In a related note, Martin Scorsese directed the film "Hugo", based on this novel. It looks like it has the potential to be awesome. You can watch the trailer here.

Publisher: Scholastic, 2007

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: The Trailer

Jonathan Safran Foer is really good at writing books people want to turn into movies. I didn't ever see Everything is Illuminated, but I did read it and liked it well enough. This next one though, I'm going to see for sure. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is in my top three of all-time favorite books and while I know the movie can't live up to the book's magic, I do hope it comes close. 

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

"If you happen to pass 84, Charing Cross Road, kiss it for me? I owe it so much."

I can't remember where I first heard about this book, but it seems to be making the rounds. It's a delightful little read that consists of a collection of letters between Helene Hanff and and Mark Doel, a book buyer for Marks & Co. in London. The letters span 20 years starting in 1949 and offer a glimpse into post-war England and a timeless love for books.

I love inscriptions on flyleaves and notes in margins, I like the comradely sense of turning pages someone else turned, and reading passages some one long gone has called my attention to.

84, Charing Cross Road speaks to the love of books and the connections readers make with one other as a result. It's an account of bibliophilia at its finest. If you enjoy books about books, I highly recommended this charming little number. The fact that it's non-fiction and this correspondence actually took place makes it all the more worth while.

Publisher: Avon, 1970

Books I'd Like To See Made Into Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This post is difficult for me because I'm generally not a fan of books made into movies. Seldom is it done in a way that gives the book all it deserves. That being said, this is a list of books I would like to see made into movies provided they are done very, very well.

1. Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon: An amazing story that could be easily translated to the big screen.

2. Kindred - Octavia Butler: "A kind of grim fantasy" that could prove to be a heartbreaking but powerful movie.

3. The Book of Illusions - Paul Auster: I couldn't put this book down and provided the movie was done well, I think it would be a great suspense.

4. Oryx and Crake or The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood: This one would be a tough movie to make, but it would be quite interesting to see.

5. The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbury: The movie might be slow, but I'd still go see it.

6. The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly: A great adventure story that would be anything but boring.

7. The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri: Really a touching story that wouldn't be too hard to bring to the big screen.

8. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer: I hesitate to add this one to the list, because in reality I don't think the movie would come close to giving the novel the justice it deserves, but it would still be interesting to see.

9. One Day - David Nichols: I know this is already made into a movie but I can't wait to see it!

Trailer: Everything Is Illuminated

Yesterday I posted a review of Everything Is Illuminated. A few of you recommended the film so I went ahead and googled the trailer. After wathcing the trailer, I'm not sure if I'm going to hunt down the movie anytime soon. Everything Is Illuminated doesn't feel like a book that would translate well to the big screen. Am I wrong?

Top Ten Book to Movie Adaptions

There are a ton of book to movie adaptions - hundreds. However, I am going to limit this list to movies that I have seen and books that I have read. I'm tempted to include movies of books I haven't read, but then I couldn't really say for certain if it was a good adaption, only that I enjoyed the movie.

1. Memoirs of a Geisha: The book is fantastic and the movie is right behind it.

2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Roald Dahl was my favorite author growing up. This movie was spot on.

3. Les Miserables: I read the entire novel in French class then watched the movie - maybe it's because we devoted so much time to studying Hugo's classic that I feel like it belongs on this list, but I don't think the movie nor the book should be missed.

4. A Little Princess: Seriously. Loved the book and may have loved the movie even more. Of course I read the book circa 1995 and fell in love with the movie shortly thereafter.

5. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe: A book and movie that is both heartbreaking but truly touching.

6. Harry Potter Series: Some movies are better than others but overall I feel like they've done a great job with the movies, and we all know the books are gems.

7. Orlando: I find anything written by Woolf to be amazing, and the movie lived up to the book in my opinion.

8. 10 Things I Hate About You (Adaption of The Taming of the Shrew): The Taming of the Shrew is my very favorite Shakespeare play and while the movie 10 Things I Hate About You is loosely based on the work, it's still awesome.

9. Polar Express: A childhood favorite of mine, the movie is great and perfect for Christmas time.

10. The Notebook: Yes I read this book in the 9th grade and cried my little eyes out. Today I still love the movie, but don't know if I could stand the book.

Honorable mentions:

The Witches, Roald Dahl

Jumanji, Van Allsburg

I also want to take this opportunity to list movie adaptions that are set to release in 2011 whose books I loved:

Water for Elephants (Gruen)

One Day (Nicholls)

The Yellow Wallpaper (Perkins Gillman)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Books I Wish I Read As A Kid

Let me preface this post by telling you I read a lot as a kid; I was all about Shel Silverstein, Roald Dahl, The Babysitter's Club Series and The Borrowers. But as an adult looking back I realize there are a few key titles I wish I'd read when I were small:

1. Little Women (Alcott): This seems to be a childhood favorite among many and I have yet to read it. Although I do have it lined up for my classics challenge for a children's classic.

2. Ramona and Beezus (Cleary): I took my 5 year old niece to see this movie and we both loved it.

3. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Blume): This is probably the most popular banned book in the children's genre. I never read any Blume.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia (Lewis): By the looks of the movies, I think I would have enjoyed the books.

5. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis): Another classic I missed.

6. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (Barrett): Another movie I saw with my niece that was adorable.

7. Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery): I feel like this is right up there with Little Women.

8. A Winkle in Time (L'Engle): A fantasy book I think I would have liked as a kid.

9. Le Petit Prince (Saint-Exupery): I read this as an adult in French, but I think I would have appreciated more as a child.

10. Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt): Again, I liked the movie and would have enjoyed the book as a kid.

*The above photo is me and my sister circa 1989. I'm the one wearing the rockin' yellow suspenders.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Water for Elephants Trailer

I read this book back in July and really enjoyed it. I've been eagerly waiting the trailer for the movie adaption and it's finally here! The movie is released April 2011. I'm looking forward to seeing Robert Pattinson in a role in which he will have skin color.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston

Prior to reading this novel I had never read any Zora Neale Hurston, but heard great things. I chose Their Eyes Were Watching God because I felt like this is one of those books I should read before I die, an American classic. Also, it's a banned book and since this week is Banned Books Week, it's my way of celebrating. This novel tells the story of Janie, a light-skinned African American woman living in the south during the early 1900's. Hurston details Janie's struggles against patriarchy and her continuous search for happiness over 30 years and uses two distinct voices to relate the story; that of the lyric narrator and the voices of the characters, who all speak in a thick southern dialect combined with the black vernacular.

Throughout the novel these opposing voices create a distinct divide, which is probably meant to mirror Janie's divide as a woman in a mans world and, as a result of her fair skin, her difficulty to fit in with either race that surrounds her. It also speaks to the importance of language and represents Janie's struggle to find her own voice. While I understand why Hurston employed two distinct voices throughout the novel, I didn't like it. I feel in love with the poetic narration and then was thrown into dialect that required my full attention:

"Daisy, you know mah heart and all de ranges uh mah mind. And you know if Ah wuz ridin' up in uh earoplane way up in de sky and Ah looked down and seen you walkin' and knowed you'd have tuh walk ten miles tuh git home, Ah'd step backward offa dat earoplane just tuh walk home wid you."

Maybe I'm just being a baby but I would rather read Standard Written English. With that in mind, the voice of the narrator was simply beautiful, gracefully thick with metaphors and figurative language:

Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men.

Structure and language aside, the overall story Hurston tells is insightful and still relevant today. She explores gender roles and examines race in terms of its cultural construction and how ideas of race are spread. Or course it's a coming of age story, but its more than that. Hurston stresses the power of believing in yourself and discovering your own truths. Janie triumphs over the limitations of patriarchy, race and poverty by never losing sight of who she was and what she wanted. This isn't in my top ten of American classics, but it is a satisfying read.

In a related note, the movie might be worth a watch:

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 1937

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This book introduced me to a world that I had never encountered: that of the traveling circus. We meet Jacob Jankowski when he is 90 years old - or 93 - he isn't exactly sure. From there Jacob narrates two plot lines; that of his struggles with aging in a nursing home and his experience working for a traveling circus during the Great Depression at the age of 23. The majority of the story focuses on the younger Jacob. After studying at Cornell's veterinary school, Jacob learns his parents were involved in a fatal accident and he is left with no money. He leaves his final exams without filling in one answer and decides to run away. After jumping onto a train in the middle of the night, a train which turns out to be that of the Benzini Brother's Most Spectacular Show on Earth, his fate his sealed. He begins to work for the circus - a society in and of itself, filled with it's own politics and class struggles.

I was completely swept away by the enchanted world Gruen introduced me to. It reads easily and I was completely sucked in, yet it also informs like a history lesson. Gruen explains that she spent four and half months researching and "acquiring the knowledge necessary to do justice to this subject" of the traveling circuses in America in the 1920's and '30s.

While the overall story was heart-warming, there were aspects of it that really disturbed me. I can handle a lot of raw fiction but when Gruen detailed some of the animal cruelty that was involved in these circuses, it was truly heartwrenching. However, these instances are few and far between and looking back, they add a lot to the plot and understanding of the story. Didactically, Gruen's story emphasizes the importance of empathy and understanding, toward both people and animals. Rosie, an elephant who joins the circus is probably my favorite characters that is an animal out of any book. She is so fascinating because of her personality and spunk - and eventual heroism. Some of her actions in the book are taken directly from other elephants in circus history during the depression - Topsy and Old Mom - which makes it all the most fascinating.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story or reads for escapism. Gruen's imagery makes this world come alive in a way that is so real you won't want to put it down. Also, as I mentioned before, they began filming for the movie Water for Elephants in May of 2010, with it's release scheduled for 2011. I'm really looking forward to the movie.

Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

Year of First Edition: 2006

With 335 pages, this book puts me at 1,681 pages for the 2010 Summer Reading Challenge .

Robert Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski

Oh this is fabulous. I am just finishing up Water for Elephants (which is actually taking me a really long time to finish as a result of the holiday weekend, the World Cup and the general business of summer) and stumbled across pictures of Robert Pattinson filming the movie, in which he will be playing the lead role of Jacob Jankowski.

Now, am I the last one to find out this news? Or maybe I'm just the last one to read Water for Elephants.  Either way, I am super excited for the movie! I'm not a die-hard Twilight fan, but I am a die-hard Robert Pattinson fan. I would do unspeakable things to him. Unspeakable...

And Another Justification...

I realize I am the biggest hypocrite of hypocrites and I deserve all the ridicule I am receiving from every end of the earth for reading Twilight (and by the way I finished book 3 and am taking a break before I start book 4 - I was experiencing a Twilight overload), but I would like to share this little quotable.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe this guy has it right:

"Consuming nothing but grand literature is like only eating rich, fine food; we all need variety or else our palate becomes jaded. And besides, one appreciates the genius of Italo Calvino or Samuel Beckett even more keenly when set against some straightforward non-fiction or trashy, fun genre novel.

It's best, I think, to mix one's biblio-diet. Fine literature is an excellent staple, incredibly nourishing and satisfying, but there's no harm indulging every now and again in a crime novel, an autobiography or a dissertation on pop culture." - Darragh McManus, "Bedside Reading: The Naked Truth"

Does Anyone Want to Go to Orlando With Me This Spring?

An illustration of Hogwarts Castle in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter via the NYTimes.

I've secretly been fantasizing about the Harry Potter theme park that is to open this Spring. Harry Potter-themed rides, restaurants and shopping; how can you go wrong? It looks like the park is broken into sections including Hogsmeade and Hogwarts.

Rides like "Dragon Challenge" where one can ride a dragon as it duals another is actually two separate roller coasters intertwined. Another ride is rumored to feature the whomping willow tree and giant spiders.

Shopping will include Dervish and Banges (for your magical repairs), Filch's Emporium of Confiscated Goods, Honeyduke's (a shop known for it's magical treats!), Olivanders, where you can purchase your own wand, the Owl Post and Zonko's joke shop.

And let's not forget the Three Broomsticks. Butterbeers are on me!

In all seriousness, this park has the potential to be completely awesome. From the NYTimes; "'We've tried to include something from every book,' Allan Gilmore, an art director for the films who is helping to oversee the parks designs, said in an interview. 'We had free range to be as grand and excessive as we could be,' he added. 'It's only money that holds us back in the end.'"

Because the park is built in Universal Studios it's obviously going to be geared toward children and families. I'm just hoping it isn't too juvenile so adults can enjoy it just as much as the kiddies.

To Read or Not To Read

Everyone and their sister (including mine) has read the Twilight series. While I don't have anything against YA novels, I do look down on mainstream literature, if you even want to call it that. (Unless of course, I find it before it becomes mainstream - i.e. The Time Traveler's Wife and Harry Potter.) So, I've been avoiding the Twilight series at all costs.

Err - actually just the books. I'm kind of in love with the movies. It's the 13-year-old girl in me. I've seen Twilight about six times and went to see New Moon on opening night. I should also confess I think about Edward Cullen multiple times a day. Is is possible to be completely infatuated with a fictional character? Yes. Do I wish Edward Cullen was a real person so I could do unspeakable things to him and make him fall in love with me? Yes!

Now that I'm embracing my inner teenage girl, heartthrob crush and all, I secretly want to borrow the series from my sister and jump in. Should I stick to my standards and shun Stephanie Meyer like I shunned Dan Brown after finished The DaVinci Code? Or should I give in to that teenage girl inside me and embrace Twilight like 17 million people have?

I'm thinking since I fantasize about Edward on a regular basis I already have given in to the Twilight phenomenon so my reading the books won't make any difference. That makes perfect sense, right?

Is It August 14th Yet?

The month of August is going to be a very exciting month. Not only will it mark my sixth month anniversary since moving to the city (August 15^th), and not to mention my sister’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Mel!) but it also brings something I have been waiting three years for. That’s right, my all-time favorite book, The Time Traveler’s Wife, is finally premiering as a movie.

The movie was originally due to release on Christmas day of 2008, but to my dismay it was pushed back (Merry Christmas, Brenna. You will now have to wait 8 more months for the one present you were most excited about). My patience is wearing off. Is it August 14^th yet?

I couldn’t be happier with the casting: Eric Bana as Henry and Rachel McAdams as Claire. My only concern is that IMDB has not listed Ingrid as a character. I’m going to be upset if she is not included, as she is an important character that reveals much about Henry before he met Claire.

Check out the trailer here.

And, it goes without saying, if you haven't read it yet pick up a copy asap. You will not be disappointed.