Lessons I Learned from Easy A

    It's midnight, and I need something that is going to pass the next two hours before I want to go to sleep, but not a movie so long that I'll be awake later than usual. I settle on watching Easy A, which I figure will be a good movie. This movie renewed my aspirations for what romance should look like actually, even though I know that sounds cheesy.
    I'll give a quick summary. This movie is about Olive, who lies to her friend about losing her virginity, and then a rumor spreads around the school. After one guy enlists her to help his reputation by pretending to sleep with him, many more guys begin offering her gifts so she will help them out too. If you need a better idea of what this movie is loosely based on then read, The Scarlet Letter.
    So you may ask, isn't the lesson obvious here? I say yes, and no.  Obviously gossiping can be bad! The other lesson this movie makes me aware of is that we need to realize relationship are more than our own needs.  It's also about seeking the wants of another person.  Olive discovers that guys don't even ask for a date before they ask to sleep with her, and when one guy finally does ask for a date it led back to him expecting sex.  She begins to wonder if guy's put any effort into dating a girl anymore. Olive learns that many of the guys are out to satisfy their want of sex or a sexual reputation, but she does not meet anyone that considers what would make her feel as if she meant something to them. The lesson ultimately is you should feel strongly enough about some to pursue them, and not only seeking your own selfish motive.  Many of the guys in the movie didn't believe they had to put any effort in dating to get what they desired anymore.  We tend to think a lot about our wants when dating, but we sometimes don't consider what would make the other person feel signficant. People often believe they have to be feeling a certain way, and getting things in return to treat someone as if they mean something to them.  This may come as a difficult thing to hear, but relationships are sacrifice.  Sometimes to get what you want you have to give in return, and you're never guaranteed to receive what you wanted regardless.
    I'm not saying someone should have to leap over the moon to win a anyone's attention, but whenever I've dated someone I feel like I'm given a list of expectations of a "dream" woman. They aren't going out of their way to get to know me for who I am, but instead are only wanting to know the person they believe I should be.  Whenever a guy begins telling me of all of the feelings he is looking for I instantly lose interest because that is not what I want to be to anyone.  We're not here to fufill dreams, we're here to make dreams.
    The next time you're out with someone you feel you have that type of chemistry with remember to not only be thinking of your wants.  Consider what that person may want from you, and how to show that to them. 

Book Review: Melody Carlson's Pitch Black

    When I was 15 I was a huge fan of Melody Carlson's Diary of a Teenage Girlseries. For some reason these books spoke to an angsty teen girl's troubles, and possibly gave me an unrealistic view of the future.  I didn't read too many of her other books outside that series, so I decided to try out a book from her True Color series.
    Pitch Black follows Morgan, as she deals with suicide of her friend, Jason.  Jason's death causes Morgan, and her friends to evaluate their own bleak lives to point where they think suicide might be an option too. Morgan has other people who encourage her to observe where her faith has gone, and how it could be thing that gives her the feel of life again.
    This book seems to be very relevant by many things we hear happening in the media today.  It has the tendency to clean everything up almost too quickly, but there isn't much room in the book to further explore the consequences suicide can leave behind.  There is a great discussion guide included, which would probably be very helpful in discussing opinions on suicide with teens.  This book should encourage the Christian community to come together more to discuss suicide, and how it is affecting people today.
    I think this book would be relatable to teens, or people who have experienced something similiar.  If you're someone who just needs a little encouragment in your Christian walk, it is inspiring to see how God is conveyed in this book. The book has researched a variety of ways that people at risk for suicide act, and it deals with various grief responses people have.  If you weren't aware of these things before it can be insightful. 

This complimentary copy was provided by NavPress in exchange for a review.

Book Review: Elizabeth Camden's The Lady of Bolon Hill

    Let me begin by saying there could have been a better title for this book. The title, nor the synopsis really helped me understand the potential this book would have as a story. To sum it up though, Clara reunites with a friend, Daniel, after spending years apart. When she returns though she finds that Daniel has made enemies against him since he is revolutinizing the industrial world. As their feelings for each other grow Clara also becomes involved in the corrupt dealings that Daniel is unaware of.
    The Lady of Bolton Hill was much more adventerous, and suspenseful than I thought it would be. I was expecting something more along the lines of historical romance, which also seems to be what it is marketed as.
    The front cover screams that she must be a damsel in distress who needs rescuing! That is not the case though since she turns out to be quite independent. Clara at no point ever needs the help of Daniel, and when he is given the opportunity to rescue her she seems to already have leaped out of trouble. The book has some moments, which seem slightly cheesy, but I guess that's what you get when you pick up a novel attempting to throw in romance when it doesn't seem to really be there. 
    That leads me to discuss the lack of chemistry. Daniel and Clara don't seem to have much in that department working for them. I felt like Daniel was imitating Wuthering Heights', Heathcliff, who was very annoying with his overly brooding ways.  Overall there were some good moments with between them, but some of it felt forced.  The novel would make a great action book if that had been amped up more though. Another thing that could be good or bad, is that I often found myself thinking of how characters stories could have gone. The author chose to carry these characters in a different direction, so it either leads to disappointment , or it showcases she is talented enough to create complex characters to make you think.
    Overall the novel was better than I expected. If you're into this genre, then you'll most likely enjoy it too. If you're interested in finding out more about the book then check it out at Amazon. More about Elizabeth Camden can be found at her website.

This complimentary copy was provided by free from Bethany House in exchange for a review.

Beautiful New Music From Bon Iver

    I have been a huge fan of Bon Iver for the past few years, and I've been waiting for the follow up to For Emma, Forever Ago. Today is that day!
    I got my first listen of Bon Iver's self titled new album at NPR, and I was actually nervous about listening to each song. I wanted to be just impressed with this album as I was the previous, and the EP, Blood Bank. I have to say that it was a relief to hear different, but still incredible music.
    The sound of For Emma, Forever Ago remained consistent in song style, and the same feeling of emotions, which made it a strong album.Bon Iver veers into more hopeful territory with the sound of it's music, with the help of a greater variety of instruments.
    The new album sounds like a journey of memories of the past, and of hopeful expectations of the future. The music branches off from the previous sounds of the first album, and EP, but stays true to  stirring the emotions that their music always has.  Bon Iver's album, Bon Iver, is available today.

An Update on My Novel, The Hunting of Jack Owens

    In 2009 I wrote The Hunting of Jack Owens, and in 2010 I tried to edit it. After a few months I decided I wasn't that hopeful about the story, so for the past year I haven't looked at it. I'm really determined to edit this novel though, and prepare it to eventually publish.
    About a week ago I decided to get out the proof copy I received of the novel. I've been doing some extreme editing since then. The story is basically going to have another plot, but with the same characters. I'm deciding which chapters I'm able to keep, and then I'm having to rewrite those. I'm still very hopeful about this novel, and I feel like I have a better idea of where it's going now. I can't say when it'll finally be available to read, but I'm positive it will be once I feel it's complete.
       I always keep saying I will finish a novel one day. I've learned it takes a lot of focus to make a book what you usually find on the shelf at the store, but I'm determined to have a novel there. If it's only one that I'm able to publish then I will feel accomplished with that.
    The Hunting for Jack Owens was the first book that I felt had good material that I could still work on. One final thing that is majorly changing about the book is also the title, which I haven't officially decided on yet.

Book Review: Christopher Yuan and Angela Yuan's Out of a Far Country

    Angela Yuan, and Christoper Yuan tell their inspiring journey to God in Out of a Far Country. Both of them consider themselves prodigals who ultimately found the belonging they needed to after discovering that God could redeem their lives. This story is very encouraging to anyone who feels like they are beyond any redemption in life.
    The story begins with Angela Yuan sharing how the majority of her life was as a Chinese Imigrant, and instantly shares the changing point for her family, when her son, Christopher, revealed he was gay. The remaining chapter's point of view switches between Christoper and Angela as they share their personal struggles, and how Christoper's addiction to drugs tore apart his life.
    Out of a Far Country is a powerful story, that will leave you wishing they would have developed the story even further. It seemed short for story with such a huge impact. The time span is easy to follow since each chapter tells you at what time you're at. Without this help at the beginning of each chapter it would have been difficult to follow since the time seemed so close together in the chapter.
   The story deals with many issues, but never loses focuses on the most important thing, which is seeing two people lives changed by Christ.  If your life, or someone you know's life seems to be spiraling out of control, then this book will give you hope that things can still be turned around through Christ. The book is much more than a story about a broken family. It's a story that shows you shouldn't ever give up on someone turning their life around.     

This complimentary copy was provided by Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for a review.  

Movie Review: Red Riding Hood

    Werewolves, and similiar creatures seem to be running wild in the media lately, and Red Riding Hood offers a full dose to anyone who is automatically interested in the latest hype. The story begins with showing Valerie's developing romance with Peter even though she is promised to be married to another, Hunter. If that wasn't enough to bother her, a wolf keeps Valerie's village in torment after one of the villagers breaks the pact by venturing into the wolf's territory, and is killed.  A hunter arrives to find to the wolf, and casts speculation on every local as they speculate on who might be the wolf. Peter, and Hunter draw attention to themselves at suspects as they still fight for Valerie's attention.
     The movie is advertised as a horror film, but it definitely does not stay consistent with the image it percieved. It had some moments that would have made great for a horror movie, and it was able to capture the intensity of the fear. The movie eventually focuses too much on the romance in the end, which takes away from the feeling of what it was advertised. The setting is beautiful though, and it helps with the overall feel they were trying to capture.
    I felt like Catherine Hardwick was trying to prove she could have directed the other Twilight movies that involved CGI wolves.  She was even titled 'The director of the Twilight' movie on posters, and in the full length trailer. It was really difficult for me to seperate the movie from it because of that, and I think it affected the audience's view too. The CGI werewolf was not scary, and did not look like the traditional werewolves which are supposed to be scary. Instead he looked similiar to the recent werewolves showing up in the more romantic driven media. The biggest thing that probably hurt this movie was the ending, which didn't make too much sense. After spending hours hoping for something that would spin us back into the horror movie direction, we instead feel we are  watching someone who intented to incorporate everything they wanted to in Twilight into this movie.
    The movie is entertaining, and kept my interest. I felt there were many things that could have been done that could have caused it to be recognized as a better movie than it turned out to be. The movie is out today on DVD and Blu-ray.

Book Review: George Barna's Futurecast

Futurecast can be easily summed up in a simple summary. It is about how today's trends in our culture will shape the future. The Barna Group has gathered a variety of research on different topics including the media, marriage, families, and religion.
    Barna has put together much interesting information, and some of the statistics are shocking, and some of it seems like it could be gathered from common sense. At times the findings are more depressing than encouraging. The book is easy to follow, and well organized considering the mass content that is made available to the reader.
    Probably what could have been reduced was the percentages that were included several times on every page. Numbers in parenthese take away from the main content and point Barna is making.  Futurecast had insightful moments, and it does encourage people to make changes where things seem to be changing for the worse instead of telling everything that is going to be wrong, but providing no resolution.
    If you are someone who is interested in society, and how our culture affects us then this book will be of interest to you. Otherwise if prefer to not think in depth about the world, and how it's evolving then book is probably not for you.


This complimentary copy was provided by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for a review. 

Movie Review: Blue Valentine

        This review is long overdue since I saw this movie almost a month ago, but I have been meaning to write a review for a while. Blue Valentine follows Cindy, and Dean as they navigate through the shambles of their marriage. They have made sacrifices to be with each other, but instead of those sacrifices strengthening them it destroys them.
        The movie is amazingly well acted. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams have you convinced they are living the demise of a marriage. Anyone watching this movie can see some part of their self being portrayed if you have experienced the pain of losing someone.       Depending on how receptive you are to watching the destruction of two people, you will either like the movie or you will not. I personally liked the movie, and feel if I went back and watched it again I would understand even better the overall intent of the movie. This is not about two people who can overcome everything to make love work. Instead the movie is about how sometimes things do not work no matter how much one person wants it to. 
        Dean is the idealist, who has the idea that love will conquer all. He thinks Cindy needs to relieve the moments that once made their relationship have the spark, but she has been crying out for something different. When his marriage is falling apart he attempts a few ways to convey he wants to make it work, but he does not showcase what Cindy needs from him, which is security. 
        Cindy has experienced bad relationships, and it seems she sets herself up to know the brutalies of being someone will eventually happen. She has emotionally shut herself off from Dean, and we never see her make the attempts Dean does, because that is not what she is looking for. She has became the provider of the family, and feels she is the only one capable of being an adult. It is heartbreaking to see two people who still want to communicate, but feel numb to even trying.
       The movie is not fun to watch, and it is not supposed to be. It has every awkward, and hurtful moment that breakups include. Whether it be awkwardly trying to be physically close to someone, or chasing after someone's affection. The ending is not very satisfying, and I feel like there should have been more closure. This movie is not like other movies. Instead of portraying a whole story, it gives you a snaphot into the middle of someone else's problem. This makes the story a little less impactful, because I was not able to grow with the characters the same as if it had been told from beginning to end.
        The movie should have definitely received more glances for it's acting, because the emotions these actors had to convey were probably the roughest, and most difficult to relive.  This movie is not to teach you how to make a relationship work, or how to move on from a broken one. Blue Valentine is instead about what happens every minute of the day, which is the feeling of heartache.

Book Review: Joan Wolf's A Reluctant Queen

    The story of Esther has always been one of my favorites.  In a, A Reluctant Queen, Esther is thrown into the middle of balancing her loyalty to her husband, the King, and her Jewish culture.
    This book differs from the Biblical tale. The author does mention the drastic changes at the end, and  I am just going to review this book based on the content in it.
  The story does have some moments that would have caused me to want to give it five stars, but there were other things that kept me back from granting it as many stars as it could receive. The book is a beautiful story about Esther, and how her life as the Queen changed her. Any person who reads this, especially women, might find familiar moments they have encountered whether that be over the fears of growing up, or the sacrifices that come with a family.  The book has some very inspiring moments, and the affection in the book does meet the expectations of romance it advertises. Whenever the story focused on the struggles Esther was encountering it was highly interesting for me to keep reading.
    The faith difference between Esther, and Ahasuerus was not mentioned as much as I think a difference like that would be. Even though Esther does acknowledge that she has distanced herself from her faith, she does not seem to consider how his faith has impacted her.  Another bit about the book was that their is way too much description.  I know that description can be easier to write, but I believe personally dialogue carries the story way further. I tend to zone out when I have to read about what people's clothes, or the landscape looks like after several pages. I also wish the story had focused more on Esther since the title, and summary hint that this is her story. I felt there were too many chapters that took the focus off what the story claims to be centered around, which is her love story.
    Overall I would recommend this book, but if you expect to receive an easier to read version of the book of Esther, then that is not what this book will offer you. I found this book to have moments that were inspiring to me.  It gave me insight on to some historical facts I had not known, and possibly how Esther's personality was.

This complimentary copy was provided by Booksneeze in exchange for a review.