Book to movies and misc.

I've seen a few book-to-movies this year and thought I'd update them here instead of procrastinating like always.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (Swedish version) finally watched it on Netflix and thought it was pretty good. There were some changes as to be expected but nothing too far from the main plot line at least. The husband like this movie the most from the series.

Water for Elephants I borrowed from the library (score! I love the library). I was a little nervous with Robert Pattinson (of Twilight fame) playing the male lead but he did surprisingly well! Reese Witherspoon was lovely like always. My biggest complaint was that the character of Uncle Al was cut out completely and that left August to fill the role of ringmaster and owner of the circus. Other changes were minor in comparison for me. Over all I loved the film.

The Hunger Games saw this in the theater with the hubs. I thought it was great. The acting was really good and after this and X-Men First Class I am really liking Jennifer Lawrence. And Liam Hemsworth is a very attractive young man : ) Personally I thought the connection between Katniss and Peeta was a little lost especially with the cutting of a key scene (the hovercraft scene at the end of the games) but on the flip side the hubs, who hasn't read the books, thought  the connection was there. The movie was filled with action but wasn't too gory or cheesy. And I thought the addition of the announcers giving play-by-play on the going ons of the arena really helped fill in people who have not read the books on how the games and the arena work. We both really liked it.

On an unrelated note... due to a pipe bursting in the wall in our apartment I missed the Christopher Moore book signing in my area. So so bummed.

Book #15 Week #13, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is a work of fiction but is written in a very autobiographical style. Our narrator is ninety year old, or is it ninety-three year old, Jacob Jankowski. After breaking a hip Jacob is sent to live in an old folks home. He is miserable but determined to walk on his own again and prove he does not need to be there.

Jacob notices a gaggle of old women huddled around a big window and goes to investigate. Not much happens in their day to day lives so the happenings on the other side of the window sometimes provide entertainment for the residents. However today is no ordinary day, a circus setting up is what is going on outside. Instantly Jacob is reminded of a life he left behind so many, many years ago.

Sara Gruen does a wonderful job transitioning back an forth between present day Jacob and the Jacob of the past, a twenty-three year old aspiring veterinarian. It is finals week in his senior year at Cornell University when a terrible tragedy occurs. Unable to cope Jacob finds himself wandering without a purpose until night falls and he decides to jump aboard a passing train. Little did he know it was not any old train but the train of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth.

Water for Elephants is really interesting. I enjoyed it a lot although it wasn't a book I couldn't put down (maybe just having finished The Hunger Games had something to do with that or maybe not). I was surprised at how much I liked reading and learning about circus life. I have to say it was impressive the amount of research that went into this book.

In the end what I really took away from this book is that even if you have your life all planned out, often a wrench is thrown in that derails the whole plan and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

"I want her to melt into me, like butter on toast. I want to absorb her and walk around for the rest of my days with her encased in my skin. I lie motionless, savoring the feeling of her body against mine. I'm afraid to breathe in case I break the spell.”