Mockingjay Part 1 Book To Movie Review

Trying something a bit different, by reviewing books made into movies. I would love to compare the similarities, differences and which was better. ( In most cases, probably the book) Enjoy!

* this review will contain spoilers*

About the Book:
Mockingjay ( The Hunger Games #3) by: Suzanne Collins
Published: August 20, 2010 by Scholastic Press

I saw Mockingjay Part 1 in the theatre last weekend, which probably wasn't the best decision. The theatre was packed! Nevertheless, I did enjoy it a lot. Mockingjay has been the long-awaited conclusion to the Hunger Games series, about a teenage girl sent to fight to the death in a brutal game set up by her government. I will say that the book was very slow for me, so I had high expectations for the movie to be better.

The book and the movie were somewhat similar. All of the characters were kept in the movie, with the same plot of Peeta sending video messages to the rebels through the Capitol's control. The movie kept the new characters: Cressida, Castor and Pollux in the plot, and they were easy to read and follow as well. Jennifer Lawrence, once again portrayed Katniss in the best way possible, keeping her intelligence and wisdom throughout the movie and book. I loved how Gale and Finnick were very much main characters in the movie. (Liam Hemsworth and Sam Claflin, need I say more?!) I wish there was more of Joanna Mason in both the movie and book. She was taken prisoner by the Capitol, but she was still one of my favourite characters. The main difference in the movie from the book, is that it was much more suspenseful. It didn't contain a lot of boring parts at all, which is what I did come across in the book.

I really thought that the movie was better than the book (gasp!) But in all seriousness, it was much easier to follow, much more entertaining and it had the right amount of suspense. I especially loved Jennifer Lawrence's rendition of " The Hanging Tree". She has a great singing voice! What I will warn you about this movie, is that there are a lot of "jumpy" parts. There will be a very quiet moment, and suddenly, something really loud will spring up. It was very shocking! Also, like the book, it can take a while for some rising action, however once you got to the middle of the movie, I couldn't keep my eyes off the screen!

Overall, if you did not like this book that much, do not fret because the movie was very good! I would highly recommend it.

Bye For Now!
Emily @ Paperback Princess

Top Ten Tuesday #8 Books on My Winter TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme from The Broke and The Bookish that allows users to share their top choices of the topic of the week!

I am so excited for winter, because I feel like that is when I get the most reading done. Who would want to play outside in the cold when there are books to read?! There are so many books that I am looking forward to reading this winter. 

1. We Were Liars by: E. Lockhart 
This was highly recommended by so many people for so many reasons! 

2. Shatter Me by: Tahereh Mafi 
Again, a book that has been recommended by so many readers, and I feel like it is similar to the Divergent series! 

3. Anatomy of a Misfit by: Andrea Portes 
This was a book that was on my fall TBR list, fall isn't done yet, so hopefully I will read it by the time winter comes. 

4. The Geography of You and Me by: Jennifer E. Smith 
I read this author's other romance novel: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, so I am also interested in this one, even though I do have a love-hate relationship with romance novels. 

5. I Was Here by: Gayle Forman 
This book is expected in January, and I loved Gayle Forman's other book If I Stay, so I am quite excited for this one. 

6. Let it Snow by: John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle 
I had to include at least one Christmas book on this list, I think this will be a great book to get into the spirit! 

7. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by: Stephanie Perkins 
This Christmas book contains twelve holiday stories from twelve amazingly talented authors. The book was edited and co-written by Anna and The French Kiss author Stephanie Perkins 

8. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by: Jenny Han 
I read Jenny Han's Summer series years ago, so I really want to read more from her. 

9. Since You've Been Gone by: Morgan Matson 
This book does take place in the summer, but I feel like I need a little reminder of the wonderful sunny season that it is. I miss it :(

10. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin 
This book was recommended to me on goodreads, as well as me reading many reviews on it. I want to give it a try. 

What books do you want to read this winter? 

Bye for Now! 
Emily @ Paperback Princess

Lola and The Boy Next Door (Anna and The French Kiss #2) by: Stephanie Perkins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Romance
Published: September 29, 2011 by: Dutton Books

So I FINALLY finished this book, after about a month of trying. I posted my halfway review of the book about a week ago, and after that I sat myself down and didn't do anything but finish it. I need to move on to another book. I have to say that I was a bit under-whelmed with this book.

First to the positives: The characters! I loved the characters with a passion. Everyone (except Max and sometimes Calliope) put me in a good mood. I loved how unique Lola was. She was confident in what she wore and how she acted. I loved how she didn't have an average style of a typical teenager in other books. Now to Cricket! Everything down to his name, was different and I loved that. He wasn't a typical teenage heartthrob in other books. His style was unique like Lola's, and he was such a gentleman! The author did a great job with the characters.

Now to the negatives :(. It took me a long time to get through this book. It dragged on, and I feel like there were a lot of details to the book that were irrelevant to the plot. The book started off very slow, and didn't really pick up until the end. But by then, I  had lost interest. I was looking forward to this book because a lot of people told me that it was even better than the first in the series. I felt as if it was a bit boring and it didn't really even have an interesting plot.

I am now hoping that Isla and The Happily Ever After, the third book does not let me down. So far, I've had a love-hate relationship with this series. Isla however, has been the book that I've been looking forward to since her character was introduced in the first book. I don't know why, but she reminds me of Eleanor from Eleanor and Park, which is one of my favourite books.

Overall, this novel was a bit predictable and boring. The first book, in my opinion, was definitely better, however I feel like the last book will be the best. The characters were great, although I wish I had read more plot twists or suspense. I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars.

Bye For Now!
Emily @ Paperback Princess

Top Ten Tuesday #7 Sequels That I Can't Wait To Get

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme from The Broke and The Bookish that allows users to share their top choices of the topic of the week!

I kind of cheated and all of these books have already been released, however I haven't ever gotten the chance to read them.

1. Gathering Blue by: Lois Lowry
I read The Giver years ago, so this sequel has always been on my mind. Especially after the cliffhanger ending.

2. Small Steps by: Louis Sachar
Holes was a hilarious and entertaining book. This sequel will probably be such a pick-me-up.

3. Pretties by: Scott Westerfeld
I LOVED the Uglies. It was such an interesting book. I really need to get the second one.

4. The Scorch Trials by: James Dashner
I did actually purchase this book a while back, but I put off reading it because I wasn't sure about reading it. I didn't love the first book at first, but after refreshing my memory and seeing the movie, I fell in love with the series. Now this sequel really interests me.

5. Splendor by: Elana K. Arnold
Sacred was a good book, not one of my favourites, however I am curious to see how everything plays out. I'm all for a happy ending. Splendor is also a book that I have already purchased.

6. Lost Cause by: John Wilson
This is the second book in the 7 series, a series of seven books each from a different Canadian author that all inter-connect. The first book was so adventurous and I highly recommend it.

7. The City of Sparks by: Jeanne Duprau
The City of Ember was so interesting. I need to read the second!

8. Isla and The Happily Ever After by: Stephanie Perkins ( #3)
I am actually still on the second book in this series, however I know that the third book will be great. Your probably wondering how I can love a book that I haven't even gotten to in a series, but I fell in love with Josh in the first book, and Isla seems so cute!

9. City of Lost Souls by: Cassandra Clare (#5)
I didn't really like the last book in this series, or just the series in general. However so many people have raved about this book, so I want to get back into the series.

10. Scarlet by: Marissa Meyer
Once again a series that I had started, didn't like, then went back to it and loved it. I really need to make up my mind with books.

Bye For Now!
Emily @ Paperback Princess

Halfway Review of Lola and The Boy Next Door by: Stephanie Perkins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Romance

I have started the second Anna and The French Kiss book. I did like the first one, so I decided to give the second one a go. I have to say that this book is going by really slowly for me.

Usually if I get really into a book, I could easily finish it in 2-3 days. However, I have been stuck on this book for more than a month now. I don't know why, but I just can't seem to get into it. I think that the problem is that it takes a while for something interesting to happen. The book's introduction and the first few chapters were very hard to get through.

Now I know that I shouldn't judge a book based on the first few chapters, so I have continued reading. However it is still taking a while to get through. Once Cricket Bell was introduced into the story, things started to pick up. I am loving his character, there's a bit of cheekiness to him, and I feel like he's such a sweetheart. Lola's character is sweet as well, she has a unique style that I like, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. I liked how the author put a different twist on a character, rather than just having her wear clothes like the average teenager. Lola is her own person.

The book is different, and that's what I like about it. I also like how the author wrote Lola to have two dads. This is the first book I have read that features a homosexual couple, so I applaud the author for showing that not everyone has just a mom and a dad.

So overall, the positives of this books are the uniqueness of the characters, however I will say that the books is still very slow. I hope that by the time I finish the book, things will change.

Bye for Now!

Emily @ Paperback Princess 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #6 Characters That Need Their Own Book

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and The Bookish where users share their top choices based on the topic of the week.

1. Ron Weasley from The Harry Potter series.
Ron was always in Harry's shadow, I would love to see what life was like for him being the sidekick.

2. Hermione Granger from The Harry Potter series.
Being the brains of the operation, I feel like it would be so cool to hear her strategies.

3.Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games series.
Peeta was such a kind person! I would love to hear his full thoughts on the games, Katniss and Gale.

4. Grover Underwood from The Percy Jackson series.
Grover was the funniest character! Reading his book would make me so happy.

5. Isaac from The Fault in Our Stars.
Isaac and Gus' friendship was so under-rated. I would love to hear Isaac's thoughts on Hazel and Gus.

6. Albus Potter from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.
I know. I know. Another Harry Potter character. But wouldn't it be so cool to hear from The Boy Who Lived's son?!

7. Will Cohen from Sacred.
Will's love towards Scarlett was undeniable. I think a book explaining his struggles with grief would be interesting.

8. Alex Sheathes from The Delirium series.
Alex did have a short story at the end of the series, however I would totally read a thicker book on his life after what happened in the last book. (don't want to reveal spoilers)

9. Juliet from Before I Fall
Juliet was my favourite character, for her bravery and strength. I would like to hear her picking up the pieces after Sam's sacrifice.

10. Uriah from The Divergent series.
Uriah was very much a minor character, but still by favourite from the series. I would love to hear about his life in dauntless, and interactions with Tris and Four.

What characters would you like to see have their own book?
Bye for Now!
 Emily- Paperback Princess
( thought I should probably share my name now)

Four Series ( Divergent Spinoff) By: Veronica Roth

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia
Published: July 8, 2014 by: Harper Collins

* if you have not read the Divergent series, do not read this review as it may contain spoilers*

 This review is long overdue. I have wanted to share this amazing series forever. A spinoff of the bestselling Divergent series, The Four Series tells the story of Tobias, a 16-year old Abnegation member about to make his faction choice at The Choosing Ceremony. Going against his father's wishes, Tobias chooses the Dauntless faction. There, he will have to prove is bravery, fight past rivals and uncover the secrets of his "dead" mother's past. Told in 4 parts, this series explains about Tobias' life right up to when he met Tris Prior.

This book was flawless. Being a huge fan of the Divergent series, reading this book was quite exciting for me. I was hooked. I loved how the author wrote this book, explaining in detail about Tobias' past life. While reading Divergent, I was always curious about Tobias. This cleared up a lot of my questions.

This series was one of those spinoffs that you have to read after reading the original series. There were a lot of parts in this book that connected back to the Divergent books, so it might be confusing for someone to read this series first. However, both series were amazing.

Divergent is just one of those series that you never get tired of. After hearing about this spinoff, I was sooooo excited to hear more of this story. I applaud Veronica Roth for creating two powerful and captivating series. Overall, I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you loved Divergent, then this book is exactly for you.

Bye for Now!

Paperback Princess





Top Ten Tuesday #5 Books I Want To Re-Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and The Bookish, where users share their top choices based on the topic of the week.

Here are books that I would want to re-read based on a variety of reasons:

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by: J.K. Rowling
I chose this book specifically from the series because I feel like I didn't appreciate it enough when I did read it. I read this book a long time ago, and I would love to re-read this book to love it even more than I did years ago.

Looking For Alaska by: John Green
Another book that I read a long time ago, only to re-discover it a few months back. I want to re-read it because when I did read it originally, I did not find it that intriguing. Now, I love it.

If I Stay by: Gayle Forman
Is it possible to love a book more after watching the movie? After reading this book, I thought it was good, but not great. After watching the movie, I completely fell in love with the book.

The Giver by: Lois Lowry
I had to read this book in elementary school, so I skimmed through it without paying much attention. However, I recently realized how good the book actually was.

The Maze Runner by: James Dashner 
I read the first book in this series, and absolutely hated it. Years went by, and I now want to re-read it after realising that I did not have much patience with it at all.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by: Stephen Chbosky
I read this book in my last year of elementary school, so I couldn't quite relate to Charlie's struggles in high school. Now that I am in high school, I would like to read it now from a different point of view.

Allegiant by: Veronica Roth 
I want to re-read this book because I originally read it with a lot of distractions in my life. I had school and other commitments, so I quickly read it even after having received spoilers by about 5 people :( . Needless to say, I would like to read it with a different mindset.

Eleanor and Park by: Rainbow Rowell 
I would like to re-read this book simply because of how cute it was. I LOVED this book, and it's always a good pick-me-up.

The Beginning of Everything by: Robyn Schneider 
This book was sooooo good the first time around, so I would just like to read it again for some smiles. It was inspirational and hilarious.

Paper Towns by: John Green
Now that the filming for the movie adaption has begun, I would like to re-read this book to refresh my memory. I am so excited for this book to be in the limelight. This is definitely my favourite John Green book.

What books would you like to re-read?

Bye For Now!
Paperback Princess

Sacred by: Elana K. Arnold

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal, Contemporary
Published: November 13, 2012 by Delacorte Press

Synopsis: Before Scarlett's brother died, her life was perfect. Living on a beautiful island off the Californian coast seemed like the best thing ever. Now, Scarlett is left in a bottomless pit of grief, and wants nothing more then to get off this island she once called home. Then enters Will, and boy who just moved to the island. Will and Scarlett are immediately drawn to each other, and Will helps to lift Scarlett out of her sadness. However, a secret about Will threatens to tear them apart, and Scarlett wonders if she'll ever be happy again.

I had mixed feelings about this book. First to the positives. The book was interesting for the most part. I liked the characters, each one having unique characteristics, and they all balanced each other out. The book contained plot twists, which I always enjoy, and it did not end in a cliffhanger. (Which always seem to annoy me.) I loved Elana K. Arnold's book Burning, so I was excited to read this book as well. The ending did the plot justice. However, this book was a bit of a let down for me.

I didn't like that this book was so descriptive. I feel like the author took a good page, just explaining what Scarlett was eating for breakfast. This may be helpful for some readers, so that they can set the scene in their head better, but for me it was a bit annoying. For example, Scarlett loved to horseback ride. Whenever she was at the stable, the author would go into complete detail on how she would take care of the horses. Since I do not ride horses, I found these parts to be boring and irrelevant to the whole point of the story. However, like I said before, this could be seen as a positive to help picture the scene better.

While this book was good, I do like Elana Arnold's other book Burning better. This book, while wasn't boring, was too descriptive for me. The parts when she did not go into complete detail, were brilliant in the writing. You could tell that she put a lot of thought into what the characters were saying. I also learned a lot about how to let go of bad situations from this book. Overall, I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

Bye For Now!
Paperback Princess