& the verdict is

this weekend was one for the record books. okay, well maybe not "for the record books" because that implies some life altering event occurred or something along those lines - and that didn't happen. but, what did happen was the first girls weekend I've had in quite some time that involved a little of the following: getting dolled up, beer, Flyers on the big screen (and kicking the Pens BUTTS on Sunday seeeee-yah), fire pit, panera cinnamon crunch bagel, The Lucky one (and a half naked man of a man Zac Efron, swoon), wine, girl talk, sleeping in and other such girl weekend activities (aka swooning over Zac Efron in every Zac Efron movie we could find on OnDemand).

and which girl forgot to take pictures even though her phone and camera were fully charged?
This girl. Yup. Typical.

anywho, I had a point to this post although I'm not distracted by the thoughts of the previous mentioned hunk whispering the line "you should be kissed every day, every hour, every minute" sigh

okay, now before I get carried away...and post every trailer available on youtube..

if you click back to this post (click click), you'll read about my completely unfounded book/movie theory aka the Harry Potter Theory and I mentioned how The Lucky One would be my next victim to fall under review of the theory. And so it shall...

now, i have searched high and low and read other peoples reactions to how they felt after reading the book and seeing the movie. i believe that this is the hardest part of my theory. where as if you would see the movie and then read the book it adds to your movie-viewing experience and you will appreciate it the second time around.  that is where the Harry Potter theory is founded from.  so this is my first real test on book vs. movie.

Precursor: I read the book almost 2 years ago, so forgive me for my broad comparisons. i believe that yes, there was quite a lot of background information left off throughout the movie, especially in the beginning. i did love how it began, giving you a simple line to sort of track you through the movie - i think that was key. but i was disappointed in the changes made to the beginning of the book for the movie. background information is key to not only understanding the plot, but the relationships between characters and characters themselves - so this, is one point against you thus far, dear Lucky One.

what i did love about the movie was its pure characters and how they so deeply displayed those traits that were resembled by the characters in the book. this made me tend to over look the significant details that were described and seemingly overlooked for the movie. this, of course, also happens in a lot of movies because it is impossible to divulge all that information in a mere 2hour and some minute movie.  but...back on track...the character portrayal is beautiful.  the evil of Keith, the romantic in Logan, and the bond between Beth and her brother Jake -- they were things that, even once completed enthralled in a book you may not always pick up on.  so this, i appreciated.

among the most annoying thing to me, has to be the tiny details. the "keep safe, x" was "keep safe, e" in the book, the places in which he traveled to were changed, and even the slightest details of the first dinner she made were changed.  i know they are not big details, but if we want to be nitty gritty about this, I'm shaking my fingers at you filmmakers.  one part that i do not remember being in the book, and this could be my memory failing me but was the portion of how Logan first reacted to coming home - the scenes in the house, his nephews scaring him awake - this explains why he loves "walking" (also about the accident with the road-side bomb) and shows the tragic struggles soldiers can face. It was a detail I was happy to be included.

well, since i am no expert, the verdict is:

book: 10/10
movie (as a whole): 9.5/10
score for movie comparison to book: 85%

happy friday to all and to all a good quote

my bookworm tendencies are now going to pay-off in the one millionth and one way that i have discovered and that is by giving all of you wonderful people out there, and yes - even myself - some inspiration to end a weeks worth of whatever feelings you might have encountered (in my case a week that felt as if every day was a tuesday - sometimes i think tuesdays are worse then mondays) and start off the weekend on a fantastic note.

so, without further ado...

"you is kind,

you is smart,

you is important"

-the help

happy weekend you wonderful, loveable you!

a monday for the books

c/o pinterest

i dread mondays i do not completely despise monday. i think i dread it when the weather becomes warm and there are a million things on my list to do. like today. i sat down last night with a pad of paper and my planner and literally listed every last flipping thing that needs to be done, down to the very last minuscule detail of "hey, don't forget to brush your teeth" -- that is how busy yesterday's me knew today's me would be.

really.

and unlike my typical behavior on a monday of getting up, inhaling my coffee, and getting down to business i have spent it in my yoga pants, sipping my coffee, listening to some music that really just goes along with the mood of a monday (think kelly clarkson meets sugarland meets sara evans with a twist of gavin-john-buble-etc.). and so i sit.

and true to my typical behavior i am going over in my head all that needs to be done today.

but - since the 70-some degree weather has trickled in and the windows are open and jason mraz and his sexy voice is belting out through my little laptop telling me not to "give up" (good song by the way). i am going to finish out this post with what i intended it to be prior to that monday-haze fogging my brain. BOOKS!

summertime growing up is what every child adores. have you ever met a child that didn't run out of school on that bright june day singing the hallelujah chorus in the back of their head? once i reached high school, honors english punished me (yes back then that is how it felt) with listing books for the dreaded summer reading. the books, the assignments, really? it. is. summer. so seeing as you had to pull teeth to get me to read back then and drives to the beach were used to try and read as many of those darn pages in those books, i have, with my ripe-old age of 22, began a new chapter in terms of summer reading (every pun intended).

i am quite the bookworm. honestly, i'm a booknerd. and if you haven't gathered that from my harry potter references out the buttocks, then take a gander at the shelves in my room. so, seeing as in my book, summer has always meant reading -- and now i actually get all beside myself (in a good way) -- i thought i would throw out there some of my favorite books i have read, some that i am looking forward to diving in to, and a few for those precious little sweeties in our lives. really, i could have listed books forever.

on my "booknerd" list:

the hunger games (trilogy)
water for elephants
revolutionary road

on my "have read, and would read again" list:

something borrowed & something blue

heaven is for real

the help

summer reading from my "high school" years:

a mighty heart

kite runner

the five people

life of pi

for those little darlings:

duck and goose books

eric carle

junie b.

do i have to mention you all should read harry potter? nah, didn't think so.

and that's how i feel about that

I am a stickler when it comes to seeing a movie after reading a book and vice versa.  I won't read a book if I love the movie, I won't see the movie if I love the book.  Until recently.  First there was this whole case of, oh, you know...Harry Potter.  Which if you have read my blog you might get the hint that I am obsessed with.  I saw the first movie as a class field trip in 6th grade and religiously saw via movie theater or DVD from that point on.  It was not until I saw the final installment that I decided, "hey bozo, READ THE BOOKS!"  And that I did like it was my job until December when I practically cried sobbed like a baby and said goodbye to my friends Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

Now, prior to this little, bending of ways, I was against  the idea 100% because there is always some sort of let down.  Not enough details.  Changing of details.  Leaving out huge monumental important events, and the list could go on.  I have attempted to try out my Harry Potter Theory (as we shall refer to it as) by viewing Something Borrowed and Eat, Pray, Love, both books I adore and was less than thrilled (despite the beaitful acting by all involved).  I am currently reading The Help and have The Hunger Games on the side lines but am questioning - shall I follow up with the movie?  Is Harry Potter the only exception of my otherwise flawless method?  (and even then, I am not saying it was a perfect portryal)

As I sit and watch my line-up of Monday shows (which this is a huge deal that I am even typing this) the preview for The Lucky One played and my jaw about dropped. First, Zac Efron - when did he become a hunk of man?  Second, ladies and gents I do believe we have another movie we shall test my Harry Potter theory on.  Consider my hopes high, and that's how I feel about that.

c/o IMDb

Go ahead, you know you want to click on that link.  Do it and find out more about the movie and watch that trailer!