THE QUIRKS OF A BOOK NERD

The Women24 book club is fun to be a part of, especially receiving the monthly newsletters by fellow bookworm, Tammy.  Her newsletters eerily represent my own views and opinions, and this month's is no different.  Today I will share Tammy's quirks as a book nerd (Italics), and add a few of my own (bold). 

The Quirks of a book nerd:

The thing I love most about books and reading, is that it has resulted in me developing a lot of eccentric and bookish habits.

I've been thinking about the fact that we read so much and focus so much on the lovely interior and world within the books, that we forget how we appear on the outside. In fact, I can say with certainty that we often have no idea just how far their influence stretch to and beyond our daily lives and how it shapes our day-to-day routine.

And so, it's with this in mind I've come to realise the following about myself:

1. If I take a break, I have to stop when a new book chapter ends or starts. I hate bookmarking in between chapters because it makes me feel like I'm reading something incomplete.

Absolutely! I cannot stop reading mid-chapter.

2. If I buy a book series, they have to be in the same format and have the same covers. I recently bought The Hunger Games box set and gave away my original copy because it didn't match up with the rest.

Yes! They have to look like the unit they are. J.K. Rowling annoyed me to no end with the different looks of the Harry Potter novels - it looks silly not having the same size, some soft-cover and some hard-cover. Urgh!

3. I am a complete and utter sucker for a pretty book cover and will sometimes spend money (ill-advisedly I might add!) to splurge on a book because the cover entranced me.

Ah, yes. I have bought many a book simply because of the pretty cover.

4. I get excited about a book, buy it, and once I do, end up not reading it immediately. It's as if I first need to satisfy the need to have the book on my book shelf, let it soak in a little, and then maybe a month or so later, finally pick the book up. There are of course, exceptions to this rule.

This is so me! I have to have it, but usually end up only reading it weeks later.

5. Perversely enough, when I'm in the mood for a book, I tend not to be in the mood for one of my own, unread books on my shelf, and end up buying another one. Sometimes, I'll even read that one immediately and sometimes, I'll end up picking up a book from my shelf after adding the one that I just bought. (I know. I'm a walking contradiction).

This happens to me quite regularly. I'm in the mood for a certain type of book, and none of my unread books fall into that category, so I go out and buy a new book.

6. I've only recently learned how to abandon books that I don't like because there are simply too many books and too little time! Still working on the guilt issue though.

The one point on which we disagree. I have not yet developed the ability to abandon I book I don't enjoy.  I'll suffer my way through it because I know I'll always wonder, in the back of my mind, how it all ended; Alright yes, secretly I'm hoping the book will improve significantly within the next few pages.    

7. I know books are subjective and I know that I've written a column about how I don't need to love the books that you do, but secretly, it still annoys me when people don't recognise my favourite book for the awesomeness that it is (feel free to throw rocks at me if you want).

Yes! I take it really personally when someone doesn't agree with me on the literary brilliance of a book; And if I recommend a book and you won't consider reading it, we have a serious friendship issue.  

8. You are instantly my new best friend if you end up loving a book that I recommended to you. If you hated it, I don't want you to tell me (oh alright, you can tell me). 

Yes! If we can agree on books, we can agree on just about anything :)

9. I am the ultimate book hoarder. I hate letting go of books. Also, how can I let go of books when I'm planning to build a library bigger than the one that the Beast gave Beauty? Tsk.

I don't let go of books.  I just don't.  The other day my sister-in-law wanted to borrow Rapture (she's one of the few people I will lend a book to), and my brother helps me    move my book storage boxes (plastic ones, so my books will be perfectly protected until I finally find the absolute perfect book shelf) to locate the right one (luckily I know my boxes very well), and looking at all my books he goes "Why don't you sell some of these?"  What?! I am sure I looked as mortified as I felt.  Sell my friends?! Why would I possibly want to do that?! 

10. If I lend you books, I'm secretly hoping you'll read the book in a day so that I can get it back immediately. I have book separation anxiety issues, ok? They're my babies.

Book separation anxiety! Only a certified book nerd will truly understand this one.  When a book is so brilliant that I want you to read it, I would rather buy it for you as a present than lend you my copy! My condition is that serious.

11. If my book comes back to me in a bad condition, I make a mental note to never pass another book the offending person's way, and then ask them to buy me a new copy.

No doubt.  If you can't handle my books with the respect they deserve, you do not get a second chance.  My heart is still sore over my copy of A Walk To Remember that I came home with dog-eared pages, water damage and dirty finger marks.  Oh my heart.  The horror. I will never forget who ruined one of my favourite books.  I have considered replacing it, but it was a gift from my brother and I am a total sentimental nut.  Besides, it's not the book's fault!

And finally...

12. If I love an e-book, I absolutely have to buy the physical book as well.

Agreed.  Though I only read e-books when I have to review them for Tyndale.  Which brings me to a few of my own quirks:

13. I hate e-books.  I understand it fulfils a need for some people in this technological era we live in, but it's not the real thing.  I need a real, solid book in my hands.  I love the feel and smell of books, and I love marking my progress by literally seeing how many pages I have left.  That way I can also mentally prepare myself for the conclusion.  It's hard to say goodbye to a brilliant book. (And besides, you can't fill a book shelf with e-books.)

14. If I have decided to read a book, I want it now!  On Friday my best friend, Erika, gave me recommendations for two books she got hooked on, Hunting Lila and Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson.  This weekend I went looking for them.  To my utter frustration I found Losing Lila (book 2), and not Hunting Lila (book 1).  Exclusive Books has to order me copy.  I now have to wait days to get a copy.  It doesn't matter that I'm busy reading A Feast For Crows and won't be able to start reading it right away, I want it now! (See point 4)

15.  I assume the book in my hands is my own personal Do-Not-Disturb-Sign.  If you start talking to me while I'm reading, I might glare at you. Asking an essential question is acceptable, staring a very serious discussion is not.  Luckily, Erika gave me this less subtle sign:

When you really start thinking about it, being a bookworm brings with it many eccentricities and odd habits; but life sure is more interesting that way.  

NOW READING: WILDFLOWER BRIDE ~ MARY CONNEALY

This week I'm in the mood for something a little old fashioned and romantic.  Enter Wildflower Bride by Mary Connealy.  This is my first book by this author, so we'll see how it goes.

Glowing Sun, a white woman raised by the Flathead tribe, has never met a man she didn't want to pull a knife on, including the man who's determined to marry her.

Glowing Sun has vague memories of her former life, including a name—Abby Lind. When she’s forced to sever all links with her adopted Indian family, Abby wonders if she’ll ever find a home again.

 

Tenderhearted Wade Sawyer, responsible for Abby’s survival during the village massacre, convinces the knife-wielding woman to return with him to the Sawyer Ranch, never realizing danger lurks behind every corner. Can they survive long enough to fall in love?

NOW READING: A KILLER AMONG US ~ LYNETTE EASON

So I have finished Randy Singer's The Last Plea Bargain, but my official Tyndale posting date is April 16th, so I'll withhold all comments until then.

I have now started reading A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason.  It's the third book in the Women of Justice series.  I read the first one (Too Close To Home) a couple of months ago, and wasn't terribly crazy about it, but it wasn't a horrible book, and I like to give authors second chances, so we'll see how this one goes. 

It seems I missed book 2 altogether as the stores don't even seem to stock it anymore (well, let's not get carried away, I tried three stores), but it doesn't seem to have had a major influence on book 3.  All the important information has been relayed already, so it's no problem to read these books individually.  At least that's something.     

RECOMMENDATION OF THE MONTH: A WALK TO REMEMBER ~ NICHOLAS SPARKS

This time around my recommendation of the month is a relatively old book. By that I just mean that it's not as current as my previous recommendations. The reason I am making it my recommendation of the month is because it is one of my all time favourite books, and probably the book I've read the most. If you've never read this masterpiece, it really is a book you need to add to your must-read-list!


This book was published in 1999, and given to me that same year as a birthday gift from my big brother. (How amazing to have brothers who buy you books?!) During my High School years, this was the book I turned to for comfort. Whenever I was feeling down, or lonely or bored, this book would keep me company, help me while away the time and cheer me up all at the same time. I have come to love these characters, and this timeless story about first love and faith will always be in my top 5 books of all time. My recommendation of the month is A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks.


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… - as per Nicholas Sparks' website.

Like most novels there are several different covers, this is what mine looks like.

Jamie and Landon have "known" each other all of their lives. They live in the same small town, go to the same school, attend the same church, but they've never been friends. Landon is popular, Jamie is not. Jamie doesn't wear fashionable clothes, she carries her Bible around with her, she does charity work. Jamie is pretty much the most boring girl in Beaufort; or so Landon thinks. As newly appointed Student Body President, Landon must attend the school dance, with a date. Having previously dismissed the idea of going, Landon is dateless at the last minute, and reluctantly asks out the only girl who hasn't been asked; Jamie. Once in her company Landon begins to realise that Jamie is a lovely girl, misunderstood by her peers. As they start to spend more time in each other's company, Landon has to deal with redicule from the popular kids, Jamie's disapproving father, and most importantly the mystery of Jamie's misunderstood life and unshakeable faith in a God she can't see.

There is also a film version of the book wherein Shane West and Mandy Moore bring Landon and Jamie to life; Mandy Moore won several awards for her beautiful portrayal of Jamie.

I love the film version too, but many changes were made in order to modernise the story set in 1958 to a more contemporary account. The movie version was released in 2002, and was directed by Adam Shankman. If you've seen the movie it doesn't mean you know the book. At all! My favourite scene in the book, the title scene, is not even in the movie! But still, they made it work. The movie is a great addition to the story, but I strongly recommend that you read the book first.

The description from Nicholas' website pretty much sums up the outline of the story, but the core is so dazzling and heartbreakingly real that I can't share that here without giving the story away. It's quite simply one of those books you have to read for yourself. I sincerely hope that you do.

RECOMMENDATION OF THE MONTH: SURRENDER THE HEART - MARYLU TYNDALL

There are few things I enjoy more than wandering through a bookstore, searching for the next jewel to add to my beloved collection. It’s hard to explain the feeling when you’ve started reading a book and realize you’ve discovered something really special. I’ve had some really good finds this year, and this past weekend I discovered another.


When my best friend came to visit me earlier this year (sheesh, was it really way back in January?!), I was making up time waiting to pick her up by strolling through CUM (my absolute favourite store in the whole wide world – Christian merch plus books = nothing better!) when this beautiful cover caught my eye. I read the back of the book and my heart soared when I realized that it’s a historical novel. You know by now I’m a total nut for those! I bought it, and being the diligent student that I am (a pain, I know), I put it away to read another day as I was getting a head start on my university assignments for the year. Needless to say the year picked up speed, and I never got around to actually reading it. So last weekend I submitted my final assignments, and thought I’d treat myself by reading a book before I delve into exam prep. Going through my unread pile, my eye again caught this one, and I thought “Perfect”. And perfect it is!

“Swashbuckling romances anchored in faith” is what Marylu Tyndall promises on her website, and that is exactly what she delivers!

Surrender the Heart is the first book in the Surrender to Destiny series. The story is set in Baltimore in 1812 and follows Marianne Denton and Noah Brenin, acquaintances who have very negative opinions of each other based on terrible memories of each other as children, now betrothed by the will of their fathers and against their own, but both unable to object. Upon the death of Marianne’s father she desperately needs to marry in order to unlock her inheritance, her only chance of caring for her ill mother and younger sister. Noah, a merchantman carrying the guilt of his brother’s accidental death, is desperate to please his unreasonable father and must marry Marianne to obtain her inheritance to support the family business. While Marianne realizes Noah only wants to marry her for her money, Noah has no idea that the Denton fortune is not a fortune at all, but only stands at seven thousand pounds, everything else having been gambled away by Marianne’s father prior to his death. Noah, however, decides to set sail to England and sell enough merchandise to make a year’s worth of profit in one trip, ensuring he would not have to marry Marianne at all. Noah deserts Marianne at their engagement party, and rushes to get his cargo to England before war between America and England breaks out. Desperate to unlock her inheritance to buy much needed medicine for her mother, Marianne realizes Noah’s intent and undertakes to do whatever it takes to ensure he has to marry her. Unbeknownst to Noah, Marianne follows him aboard his ship, but an accident leaves her unconscious and Noah sets sail to England only to discover Marianne aboard his ship the following day. He is, however, unwilling to waste any time by first returning her to Baltimore, leaving Marianne stuck aboard his ship for months to come. Noah is desperate to succeed, Marianne is desperate to see him fail, for if he has no need of her money, he won’t marry her… right?

A clash of wills and motivations sees many stubborn games that soon get Marianne and Noah captured by a British warship. Let down by every man she’s ever known, a mistrustful Marianne believes that God also has deserted her. Guilt ridden by his brother’s death, Noah thinks God simply doesn’t care about him. These two question their place in God’s universe even more as they are forced to serve the enemy, danger and malice surrounding them daily. Working aboard an enemy ship Noah realizes that Marianne is not the spoilt little rich girl he always thought her to be, and Marianne begins to see that Noah is not the mean spirited bully she always thought he was. Forced to put aside their differences, depend on each other, trust each other and work together to escape the British Navy that holds them captive, the question arises whether Marianne and Noah can surrender their hearts to each other, and to the God they both desperately want to believe in.

Surrender the heart is a beautiful story about destiny. It emphasizes how God uses the most seemingly ordinary of people to accomplish great acts (I especially loved the book’s dedication; I believe it is “To everyone who has ever felt ordinary”), and how God uses everything, even the most terrifying situations, to set in motion miracles that change the lives of thousands.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose ~ Romans 8.28

LAUREN KATE: PASSION

*Teeny tiny spoiler alert*

In great anticipation I counted the months for the third installment of Lauren Kate's Fallen series to hit the shelves. As you might remember from my post on Torment, the previous book ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger where Luce practically dives into her past lives (thousands of years of reincarnations of herself). Passion follows Luce as she gets a front row seat to her and Daniel's love through the ages. Sounds exciting, right? Yeah, well the problem is... it wasn't, really. With thousands of years to play with I think Lauren could have given us glimpses of amazing past events! The possibilities are endless! Instead, we see Luce as a Mayan girl becoming a blood sacrifice, an islander sipping coconut juice and giving Daniel tattoos, a spoilt, rich, aristocratic snob... I just think these past lives could have been more interesting. Well, at least we got to see a Shakespeare play! In my favourite reincarnation of Luce she is an actress performing Henry the 8th in the Globe theatre! I loved the cameo by William Shakespeare, and how it turns out Luce is the one responsible for the Globe theatre burning to the ground. More of these kinds of real events worked into Luce's past lives would have been much more interesting.

Having said that, I think all of those glimpses of Luce and Daniel's love in different stages are necessary to understand how deep and how complicated their love is. The problem is just this book is not nearly as gripping as the previous two. Here's hoping the next one will make up for it.

Sadly I have several problems with this book. Firstly, I found the prologue to be unnecessary and confusing. I still don't know what the point of it is, and to me those were wasted pages. None of those characters came up later in the book (unless the booming voice was supposed to be Satan, in which case I didn't get it), so if that was an integral part of the story, I think Lauren should have saved it for the next book, where it would actually make sense.

Then, I get that Luce is reincarnated lifetime after lifetime, so I understand how she once ended up Mayan, once Chinese etc, etc, but how does Daniel change? It is never explained how he changes... mostly he always looks the same, but then suddenly he's Egyptian. I get that he's an Angel and he can probably do what he wants, but I hate when things like that are written in and the reader is just expected to believe it without an explanation. If you want to make drastic changes like that, you need to have a method.

My biggest problem with the book, though, is the final chapter which features a scene in Heaven. I won't say too much here so I don't spoil the ending for anyone who decides they want to read the book, but there are some things I believe people should be careful to write about. Anytime I read something featuring God and it makes me uncomfortable, kind of that I-don't-think-this-is-right-feeling, I have a problem with it. Lauren wasn't blasphemous in her writing, it's just that I don't like the way she described the scene in Heaven, if that makes sense. Again, I hope that she makes up for it in the next book.

Also, when Daniel visits his past lives, he always remember seeing his future self during that past life... except for the scene where he cleaves with his old self, and the final scene at The Fall. Throughout the books he is wondering what can be done to break the cycle, yet he can't remember that he took care of that at the very beginning. Maybe I'm making too much of this, but writers need to be consistent. If current Daniel remembers seeing himself as future Daniel when he was past Daniel, surely it must be true every single time?! He can't conveniently only remember seeing future Daniel when the story warrants it. Consistency is key!

In my previous post I also expressed my doubts about Luce's mortality. I have always thought that Luce is also an Angel, she just doesn't know it, and even though it wasn't explicitly stated in this book, I think my suspicions have been confirmed. A discovery to look forward to. Then something I found very interesting, is how Satan seems to feel about Luce. That combined with with the fact that Daniel came across jealous that Luce had spent time with Satan (even though he tricked her and she didn't realise who he was), makes me wonder if Lucifer might have loved Luce in Heaven? That's another thing, their names; Lucinda and Lucifer. Significant? Maybe. Then again, maybe I'm just grabbing at straws; we'll have to wait and see.

Now, what I loved about the book. Other than Fallen and Torment, Passion focuses solely on Luce and Daniel. We see a little bit of the others, but mainly we see Luce and Daniel. Finally. For what is down at the core a love story, Luce and Daniel don't spend much time together in the course of the three books. Annoying to me, but maybe this works for other people. At least in this book the other characters don't constantly get in the way of Luce and Daniel's relationship. Also, Luce finally realises that what she and Daniel have is real, and stops questioning it. And then there's Cam. Now, you know I'm not the world's biggest Cam fan, but I find there is hope for him yet. I'm looking forward to see what the next chapter will bring.

Rapture, the next and final installment in the series is expected to be released approximately March 2012. Oh, and FYI, my 10 January prediction was spot on! The Fallen series is being turned into movies.

This post would not be complete without a big thank you to Erika, who sent me a copy of the book all the way from England when it wasn't available in South Africa yet! I love you my friend, you're the best! xxx

RECOMMENDATION OF THE MONTH 2: FEAST OF THE UNINVITED - P.G. DU PLESSIS

My recommendation of the month is a literary masterpiece called Feast of the Uninvited by South African author P.G. du Plessis. This is one of my all time favourite books, and definitely one of the best I've ever read. Usually I wouldn't touch a war drama with a stick, simply because it upsets me too much. What made this story different is that the backdrop is 1899 -1902, the saddest time in South African history - The Anglo Boer war. The war between the two Boer replublics and the British Empire. Since I am a boeremeisie (boer girl) this part of my history, and therefore this story is very close to my heart.

Fees van die Ongenooides - The Afrikaans version

The Feast of the Uninvited follows three generations of the Boer Van Wyk family, the British soldier Captain Brooks and British war photographer Joey Drew, across several years as they deal with the reality and casualties of war, and the devestating aftershocks in the wake thereof. This book is masterfully written; a heartbreaking, realistic portrayal of small, everyday lives touched by the harsh realities of war.

This book is so full of unexpected twists and turns, and delivers the most unlikely of heroes. It breaks your heart in its unwavering reality, then heals it through the strength of these characters who pick themselves up and face the fire once again. That's what I love about this book, its accuracy not only in the war aspects, but also in its stunning portrayal of ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances. Every single page is believable to the extent that I did some research to establish whether these characters truly exist. I could find no proof that they did, but I would not be surprised to one day learn that this book is based on actual accounts of people who lived through this devastating war.

The brilliance of this story was also captured on film. Directed by South African legend Katinka Heyns it was filmed as a miniseries, and can be bought on most online shopping stores. To watch this story unfold is no less dramatic than reading it, and I would recommend that you get your hands on the dvd after you've read the book.

Feast of the Uninvited - the miniseries

What makes the film version more heartbreaking is the fact that they continuously incorporate actual photographs of the Anglo-Boer war. You are literally faced with true visions of heartbroken women, starved children and helpless husbands and fathers. What gives the film version its power is stellar performances by South African greats; The brilliant Anna-Mart van der Merwe as Martie van Wyk and Marius Weyers as Danie van Wyk, Stian Bam as the unlikely hero Petrus Minter, Neil Sandilands as the detestable Daantjie van Wyk and a career defining performance by Lika van van den Bergh as Magrieta van Wyk.

The van Wyk family

The Feast of the Uninvited shoves the realities of a war torn country in your face. Some of your favourite characters die. Others don't get their "happily ever after". This is not a shiny, happy story, but it is a literary masterpiece; definitely the best book I've ever read by a South African author. P.G du Plessis is a master.

Bottom line: You have to read this book.

DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS MOVIE

Have you ever fallen in love with a wonderfully written book, only to be devastated by a movie version thereof? This has happened to me more times than I care to count. Too often a literary masterpiece is completely ruined by its movie version. What’s worse, though, is that people who disliked the movie refuse to read the book… because the movie sucked! These same people then go on to talk smack about the book which they never touched, thinking they are qualified to speak on the subject because they’ve seen the disaster of a movie. This never fails to get on my nerves.

When you ask someone “Have you read this book?” and they respond by saying “No, but I’ve seen the movie”, couldn’t you just happily bash them over the head with the book in question? I certainly could have if I didn’t have such vast respect for words in print. When will some people learn that you simply cannot compare the two?!

One of my favourite books is Nicholas Sparks’ A walk to remember. I have read this book more times than any other, and it quite simply never gets old. The movie version is pretty good, but not as good as the book. Too many important details of the book (big and small) were altered in the movie version. There was one change that especially saddened me. My favourite moment in the book is when Jamie gives Landon her Bible. In the movie version she gives him her mother’s old notebook, but not before joking “Don’t worry, it’s not a Bible”. Was that really necessary?! And the best part, the irony of it all is that the movie version of A walk to remember does not even feature the walk to remember!!! It is the most remarkable moment in the book when Jamie gets up out of her wheelchair and walks down the isle towards Landon. That is the walk to remember! She is sick, weak and tired, and even though it takes quite a while, Jamie walks down the isle. In the movie, she’s perfectly fine and practically dances down the isle. A walk to remember? Not quite! (I do feel the need to mention, though, that I love Mandy Moore as Jamie and Shane West as Landon. They really brought this incredible love story to life, and I enjoyed watching him help her make all her wishes come true) All in all, the movie version is respectable, but I would still encourage you to read the book instead of watching the movie.

The book

The movie

Then there’s The Wedding Date by Elizabeth Young. The only thing the book and the movie have in common is the title. In the movie Kat hires Nick (in the book they're called Sophy and Josh), an escort, to pose as her boyfriend at her sister's wedding. In the book he was never really an escort! Why make a movie based on a book if you’re going to change every little thing? Based on the novel by Elizabeth Young? I don’t think so. I’d be insulted if I were Liz! Well, okay, to be fair the book was initially called Asking for trouble and was changed to The Wedding Date after the success of the movie, so it's not quite fair to just bash the movie for changing things.

The book originally

The book now

The movie

The only movie I have ever seen that was an excellent (and I do mean excellent) adaptation of the book is the 2004 movie version of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice starring the very talented Al Pacino as Shylock. What a performance that was! His deliverance of the celebrated "Hath not a Jew eyes" speech is one of my favourite moments in movie history. I ardently adore this adaptation. Sadly, this can’t be said of most movie adaptations of beloved literary works.

The book

The movie

If I were to start describing the differences between movies and the books they are based on, this blog entry would never end. I do believe that my three examples have made my point. The book and the movie might be similar. The book and the movie might be different as night and day. In a rare case, the movie might even do the book justice… but you will never know if you watch the movie and never read the book.

Don’t get me wrong. Even though I am usually disappointed by a movie adaptation of a book, at the end of the day I am grateful for movies inspired by books. Many a movie has made a person go into a bookstore looking for the book a particular movie is based on. Maybe they even ended up buying more than one book! J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga are recent book series that have made children rush to libraries and bookstores after the success of its movie versions. If a movie inspires only one person to pick up a book and discover the magic of reading, then that movie is alright with me… even if it does butcher the original (in my humble opinion).

My point, my friends, is this: Never judge a book by its movie.

Happy reading!