Megan Hart Haul

I read Switch a while back and I was not really impressed with it, it was actually pretty horrible. The synopsis' for these sound really good and interesting, so I went ahead and got them. And I hope I didn't make a huge mistake. If you've read any of these let me know if they're good or not. 

Here's what I got:

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N --- Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N --- Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

 Have you read any Megan Hart?

Did I get some good ones?

MSMC #6: The Poughkeepsie Tapes

This movie is for mature audiences only!

IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes

Release: February 9, 2009

Plot Summary:

A serial killer obsessively documents his career in carnage in this pseudo-documentary thriller. When police raid a house in upstate New York, they discover a profoundly disturbing record of one man's ugly crimes. 

A psychotic serial killer once called the house his home, and along with the implements of his grisly pastime, investigators find over 240 hours of videotape shot by the killer which present a visual record of his murders in all their horrifying details. Both state and federal law enforcement teams sift through the gruesome images, looking for clues of the slayer's identity, the identity of his victims, and where he could possibly have gone. 

But repeated viewings of the material reveal little beyond the terrible facts of the crimes, and as the authorities comb through the madman's images, they find the tapes have had a disquieting effect on them. Written and directed by John Erick Dowdle, The Poughkeepsie Tapes was screened in competition at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.

My Thoughts:

I often Google "scariest films ever" my sister asks me why? I tell her because I want to test the limits of my tolerance for the macabre. Or some such nonsense she undoubtedly scoffs at. But it is true, I am, and always have been a horror junkie. The first horror film I ever saw was the old Bella Lugosi Dracula. I was around five years old. It was the middle of the night, and  I sat in my pj's on the edge of madness with fear. My aunt should have known better than to show a very imaginative child such as myself, something so dark. My mind ate it up. And when I went to bed that night I pulled the covers around my neck to protect myself from the vampyres bite. Nowadays, I sleep with my windows open hoping the vamprye will visit me. Horror junkie! 

The Poughkeepsie Tapes had been on my 'to watch' list for years now. For some reasons I hadn't the time or the fortitude to make myself watch the film. I had heard of its disturbing content, and I was intrigued. So one night, with my sister, I decided to watch it. I know now why I had waited. The film, like so many of the "horror" movies today is filmed with hand held cameras to give it a real life or documentary feel. The only thing different about this film is that it is filmed from the perspective of the serial killer. He is showing us his brutal crimes and his ruthless nature. Because he shows it to us, the audience--it seems much more real. This film takes chances. It goes where few films dare to tread. Children. Usually children in films, especially horror films are off limits. You don't show the death of a child. But this film  makes full on attacks on children without mercy. 

The film also has a strong BDSM element to it. In the forced relationship between the murderer and one of his captives. He starves her, mutilates her, brainwashes her, and does all sorts of unspeakable things to her person. She suffers greatly from Stockholm syndrome and is convinced that this monster is the only person who ever loved her. It is a sick notion, but it is even more disturbing when you realize that things like this really happen, have happened, and probably will continue to happen. It is a psychological film in its grittiest form. 

I loved the film. I would watch it again. I recommend it to other horror junkies, but not to people who found paranormal activity frightening. Not to people who think insidious was nightmarish  Because behind the ghosts and the ghouls, and the unexplained happenings that break all your neat safety rules. There are real monsters who exist among us. This is the story of such a man. 

Screenshots :)

Have you seen The Poughkeepsie Tapes?

What's the creepiest/scariest movie you've seen?

Would you ever watch this movie?

Book Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

My Thoughts:

So.... Yeah.... Slammed.... Where to begin....

I suppose I will start at the beginning. I saw this book around goodreads a few times and never really gave it a chance. I didn't even read the synopsis. I just looked at the title and thought "Uh... what?... No". I shouldn't have judged the book by the title....

I first actually paid attention to this book after I had read beautiful disaster by Jaime McGuire and was looking at a list on goodreads about similar books with intense love. And I believe this book was #3 or #4. So I read the synopsis, but still judged. (I've really got to stop doing that).. It sounded interesting but the part that threw me off was the slam poetry thing. The only slam poetry I've seen was on TV & in movies, and it's always been poetry ethnic I'll say. So.. I was thinking this is either going to be ghetto or weird. But it was amazing. I repeat... AMAZING!

Poetry wasn't a huge part of this book like I thought it was gonna be, but it was a very meaningful part. I thought it was going to have a lot of poetry but there were actually only a handful. I thought the best one of all of them was the first one. When Will first takes Lake to slam night and the girls does the poem about being abused. It was like wow!

I really loved how the story played out. I was thinking there's no way.. like what can happen now... but it kept going and going and getting better and better. Layken was a really good character. She'd recently lost her father but was coping pretty well I think. And helping her mom with her little brother. I think it really said a lot about the character she was and grew even more to be. Will was also great, he too had been through some stuff, losing both his parents and now trying to raise his little brother while trying to finish college. I think they were just meant to be. I love when authors write such amazing love stories with such believable characters and true love. Gahhhh!

A few characters that I think need some recognition is Eddie, Caulder & Kel (the little brothers). Eddie was a wonderful best friend, even though she had really been through some shit in her lifetime, her optimism and outlook on life was very refreshing. She was very supportive of everything that Lake was going through. And Kel & Caulder, they made this book fun, when there were really serious moments, I felt like they were there so I wouldn't cry. Haha, I know it sounds weird, but I think it's true. And Halloween was I think the best part that involved the boys, just thinking about that part of the story makes me smile.

The relationship that Lake and Will had was so intense and deep and emotional. It drew me in in every way possible. I really love books like that. It's really inspiring for those looking for love and it's so romantic. There were times I wanted to cry. And times when I was very pissed off, but everything I went through was so worth reading this book.

I hope that you'll give it a change and don't judge it like I did :) I originally gave this book 4 stars and then sat there wondering why I only gave it 4, so I changed it to 5. Because there is nothing I would change about this book. It was perfect! I can't wait to read Point of Retreat and eventually the third book! It can't come fast enough! And I recently discovered another book by Colleen Hoover called Hopeless, I can't wait to get my hands on that either!

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

Here is the part I was talking about

from their first visit to slam poetry night:

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Do you hear that?

(Her voice lingering on the word hear)

That's the sound of my heart beating…

(She taps the microphone again)

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Do you hear that? That's the sound of your heart beating.

(She begins to speak faster, much louder than before.)

It was the first day of October. I was wearing my blue sweater, you know the one I bought at Dillard’s? The one with a double knitted hem and holes in the ends of the sleeves that I could poke my thumbs through when it was cold but I didn't feel like wearing gloves? It was the same sweater you said made my eyes look like reflections of the stars on the ocean.

You promised to love me forever that night...

and boy

did you

ever!

 

It was the first day of December this time. I was wearing my blue sweater, you know the one I bought at Dillard’s? The one with a double knitted hem and holes in the ends of the sleeves that I could poke my thumbs through when it was cold but I didn't feel like wearing gloves? It was the same sweater you said made my eyes look like reflections of the stars on the ocean.

I told you I was three weeks late.

You said it was fate.

You promised to love me forever that night…

and boy

did you

ever!

It was the first day of May. I was wearing my blue sweater, although this time the double stitched hem was worn and thestrength of each thread tested as they were pulled tight against my growing belly. You know the one. The same one I bought atDillard’s? The one with holes in the ends of the sleeves that I could poke my thumbs through when it was cold but I didn't feel like wearing gloves? It was the same sweater you said made my eyes look like reflections of the stars on the ocean.

The SAME sweater you RIPPED off of my body as you shoved me to the floor,

calling me a whore,

telling me

you didn't love me

anymore.

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart beating.

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Bom Bom...

Do you hear that? That's the sound of your heart beating.

(There is a long silence as she clasps her hands to her stomach, tears streaming down her face)

Do you hear that? Of course you don't. That's the silence of my womb.

Because you

RIPPED

OFF

MY

SWEATER!

-Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Have you read Slammed?

Anything by Colleen Hoover?

What's your favorite "intense"

and "angsty" romance book?

What Did I Read In 2012?

So as you can see below, I made this wonderful chart to show you the highlights of my year of reading. I wish I would've read more, but I think I got a fare amount in there. I don't really have much to say because I put everything important into the chart. I hope you enjoy! If you want to view my list of books read in 2012, you can do so here. And my stats for 2012 here. 

What were the highlights of your books read in 2012?

Leave me a comment and tell me some of your new favorites!

Happy Reading in 2013!

Book Blitz: Obscura Burning

Obscura Burning by Suzanne Van Rooyen

Published December 7th 2012 by Etopia Press

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N - OmniLit

The world's going to end in fire…and it's all Kyle's fault.

Kyle Wolfe's world is about to crash and burn. Just weeks away from graduation, a fire kills Kyle's two best friends and leaves him permanently scarred. A fire that Kyle accidentally set the night he cheated on his boyfriend Danny with their female friend, Shira. That same day, a strange new planet, Obscura, appears in the sky. And suddenly Kyle's friends aren't all that dead anymore.

Each time Kyle goes to sleep, he awakens to two different realities. In one, his boyfriend Danny is still alive, but Shira is dead. In the other, it's Shira who's alive...and now they're friends with benefits. Shifting between realities is slowly killing him, and he's not the only one dying. The world is dying with him. He's pretty sure Obscura has something to do with it, but with his parents' marriage imploding and realities shifting each time he closes his eyes, Kyle has problems enough without being the one in charge of saving the world...

-----------------------------------------------------------

Excerpt:

Closing my eyes, I imagine New Mexico burning, can almost smell it, the pungent pine,

fireball mesquite, and smoldering cacti. I should be worried about the damage the UV’s

doing to my scars, but after tonight, none of that will matter.

Just when you think it can’t possibly get any hotter or the mercury will explode, the

temperature rises just a few more degrees. Today, Coyote’s Luck lies in a simmering

mirage, hotter than any hell imaginable.

The crush of mesquite huddling between the tombstones offers little respite from the sun.

Sticking to the dappled shade, I thread my way toward Danny’s grave. I’m not alone.

She looks like a ghost with the white sundress fanning around her legs, her long black

hair teased by the warm breeze. For a moment, I think it’s one of the ch’iindi made flesh,

until she turns at the sound of my step.

Gabriela, her face a teary-eyed frown. She folds her arms and returns her gaze to the

grave. When did she get so thin? She was always so voluptuous, a shorter, less saggy

version of her mother. Now she looks more like a sixteen-year-old kid, barely there in

layers of cotton.

We stand in silence, both just staring at the grave. The rosaries dangle over the stone, tied

in knots around the stems of already dead flowers. There’s a white and blue beaded one,

the one that was attached to Danny’s bed, the one he’d kiss at night before going to sleep.

“I miss him so much,” Gabriela says eventually.

“So do I.”

“I blame you, you know.” She casts me a sidelong glance.

“Maybe you should.”

She nods and sniffs and fingers one of the blooms turned brown by the heat.

“Dead, all of it.” She tears the petals from the stalk. “Little Maria, now Daniel.” She turns

her dark eyes on me, searching for something I wish I could give her.

“This is killing my parents. Daniel was their only son. They’ll never have more children.

Once, I had a brother. Now I’m alone. Sister to dead siblings.”

That’s the most Gabriela’s ever said, to me at least. I’m stunned into uncomfortable

silence. There’s nothing I can say that’ll make it right. But tonight, maybe there’ll be

something I can do.

“I wish I could make it right.” My words sound so pathetic.

She harrumphs and digs her sandaled toe into the dirt. “Nothing can make Daniel dying

right.”

“I’m sorry.” There is nothing else I can say without trying to explain the whole confusing

story and Gabriela’s not the type to believe in rifts in reality.

“Tell Daniel you’re sorry. He’s the one who died because of you.” She takes a deliberate

step away from me, crosses herself, offering prayers in Spanish to the ether.

“I loved him, you know.” Maybe I am to blame, but she makes it sound like I don’t give a

crap that he’s dead.

“Obviously not enough.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

AUTHOR BIO:
Suzanne van Rooyen is a freelance writer and author from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. 

Suzanne is the author of the cyberpunk novel Dragon’s Teeth (Divertir), the YA science fiction novel Obscura Burning (Etopia) and has had several short stories published by Golden Visions Magazine, Space and Time and Niteblade. Niteblade nominated her short story Where dreams are grown for the Pushcart Prize. Her non-fiction articles on travel, music and other topics can be found scattered throughout the Internet. 

Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing you can find her teaching dance to ninth graders or playing in the snow with her shiba inu.

Suzanne is represented by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Have you read anything by Suzanne?
Is Obscura Burning on your tbr list?

Have a great day!

Waiting On Wednesday: Shades Of Earth

Waiting On Wednesday #19!  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This weeks pick is:

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
#3 in the Across The Universe trilogy
Expected Publication: January 15, 2013

Goodreads - Amazon - B&N

The final book in the  New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Galactica and Prometheus!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.


Although I haven't read A Million Suns,
I still cannot wait for this one!
Across the Universe was amazing,
I loved every single thing about that book.
If you would like to read my review
for it, you can do that here.
And I can't wait to see what happens with
Godspeed and Amy and Elder.
Hopefully I get to A Million Suns soon.

What are you waiting on?

Bookish Goals For 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly

 meme held over at The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks topic is our top ten bookish goals for 2013.

1. Read at least 100 books.

Last year I read 71 books, but I'd really like to read at least 100, but I really want to read more than that.

2. Finish Harry Potter Series.

So far I've only read the first 3, I started on Goblet of Fire (#4), but some how got sidetracked. The books are still really interesting, especially since I haven't seen the movies or heard spoilers, so I have all this curiosity. I think I just secretly don't want to finish them, because then it will be over :(

3. Read a few classics. 

Most people read classics in high school, I on the other hand was on independent study in high school. So I pretty much taught myself. And I think I missed out on a few classics that are most definitely worth reading. To name a few on my list: To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, The Diary of a Young Girl, Jane Eyre, and Dracula.

4. Read more books that are becoming movies... 

I've really been lacking on these. I said I was going to read Perks of Being a Wallflower before it came out and I never did, I said that about Water for Elephants too... And eventually just gave up and watched the movie. I really need to stick to my goals. Here are some for example: City of Bones, Beautiful Creatures, Catching Fire, The Host, Uglies, and The Great Gatsby.

5. Stop judging books.

I judge all the time and I need to stop. I judge by the cover. By the title. Even by the synopsis and end up loving the book. 

That's all I could think of for now... 

So I suppose I only have 5...

What are some of you bookish goals?

Have a great day!

Movie Review: Lincoln

IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes - Amazon - Official Site

Release Date: November 16, 2012
DVD Release Date: February 2013 (estimated)

Cast:
- Daniel Day-Lewis
- Sally Field
- David Strathairn
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- James Spader
- Hal Holbrook
- Tommy Lee Jones
- John Hawkes
- Jackie Earle Haley
- Bruce McGill
- Tim Blake Nelson


My Review:
I waited months for the release of this film. To me, it was going to be another "Color Purple" another "Schindler's List" it was going to be epic, and it was going to be the return of Spielberg in a big way. I was spending a magical day in Los Angles with one of my best friends. We had toured museums and bummed around Amoeba Records, the perfect closing to a perfect day was going to view the film Lincoln at the majestic theater at the Grove. It was going to be a real movie experience  the kind where the theatre is full of people, all packed in for the same reasons--to escape. The kind where at the end everyone would clap to show they were for those moments transported into another world, another way of thinking. I had built this experience up in my head and it couldn't fail. Spielberg was back! 

The film begins well. It starts off strong and meaningful. Daniel Day Lewis could not have looked more like Lincoln, and I honestly think he deserves an academy for his performance. It was beautiful. The film begins with Lincoln meeting a few members of the black regiment. They have come to talk to him and show their respect and love. One of the more outspoken of the trio decides to confront the President with issues of rank and pay between the black soldiers and the white soldiers. Lincoln admires the man for his concerns. The scene closes with the men, joined by a few other white soldiers repeating The Gettysburg Address to the President. It is a very powerful opening to the film and it generally sets the tone for the movie. 

The battle scenes were realistic enough and some were quite bloody. The pure carnage and savagery of war in this period was definitely communicated to audiences in the form of explosions and severed body parts. In the form of weeping mothers and angry fathers. Everyone was losing something, and this was a key element to the story. However, the question that boggled them then, as it boggled audiences was how much should be lost? How far do you go to protect human freedom. Lincoln proved that the price to be paid was blood, and there could never be enough of it to protect freedom. 

Because I am a history major, it was almost essential that I saw this film. Having said that, I also must state that it was almost impossible for me not to find some fault with it. I did not like how Lincoln was portrayed as a saint, and the south as completely evil. You have to think about these things from a logical and historical perspective, especially when you are telling a story through film for the world to see. Lincoln was no great anti-slavery saint. He operated by the ideals of his time, like any man does. The things he did, were stratigic measures and influenced by all kinds of ideas, not all of them necessarily wholesome. The south, though I abhor slavery, was not evil. They were ignorant and brilliant all at the same time. What choice did the south have, but fight, when someone was threatening their sole way of life--their economy. The southern states were fighting for their livelihood and there isn't anything evil about that. In the grand scheme of it all, in the past and today we are all just people, reacting to the world in anyway we see how. 

Another complaint I had about the film was the conclusion. In my opinion, Spielberg had the perfect opportunity to end the film 10 minutes earlier than it actually ended. It was at the point when his butler comes to inform him that he is late for the theatre and hands him his gloves. He says so poingently "Well, I guess it's time for me to go, but I'd really prefer to stay." Then he makes his way out of the White house, the moment is heart-wrenching because you know what is to follow. If the director would have ended it there I could be happy and call the film brilliant. But he did not. He choose to show the demise of this beloved President, and really just mucked up the ending. I knew my observations were right because at the end of the film, no one clapped. I wanted to clap, but not alone. So I sat in disbelief, and stared at my friend. We agreed that it should have ended earlier. We agreed that we would mourn this film because it could have been greatness.   

Even so, I give the film 4 1/2 stars. It is worth watching, but I would just end it at that perfect moment, instead of waiting for the directors drawn out explanation of the past. I will say that it is one of the better historical films I have seen in the recent past and I look forward to more work from one of Hollywood's most beloved visionaries.

Did you see Lincoln?

What did you think?

Leave a comment :)

The Poets Korner: Ode To Thee

I cannot say forget me
For that will never fly
Impossibilities
like birds without wings
Take my soul from your eyes

I cannot say forgive me
For I am not sure of my sin
I take your fair heart with a fare start and balance it on the wind.

the breath that is left inside my heaving chest is meant for the exultation of you.
And all that i am in spirit, on land is spent in the loving of you.
For love as it is, as rare and as cleansed is not a forlorn sensation. I cannot say this is the only way, but the direction I've paved is without the pace I know.
And the love that exists refuses to relent, like the falling snow.

MSMC #5: Paul Blart: Mall Cop

This is just a thing I created for myself as a sort of challenge. There are a lot, and I mean a lot, of movies that people would call "must see movies" that I have not seen. So whenever I watch one of the movies on my must see list I'll do a post on it and tell if it really is a "must see". And hopefully they are all wonderfully epic movies :)

If you have any suggestions on movies I should put on that list, please leave a comment and tell me about it! 

IMDB - Rotten Tomatoes - Amazon

Release Date: Jan 16, 2009

DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009

Plot Summary:

In this comedy starring King of Queens' Kevin James, Paul Blart (James) is a single suburban dad attempting to make ends meet by working as a mall security guard. Paul takes his job very seriously; unfortunately the same can't be said for the shoppers he deals with on a daily basis. That all changes the day that Santa's little helpers shut down the mall and start taking hostages, including Paul's daughter and his main squeeze. Realizing that no one knows the mall better than the man who's paid to guard it, Paul mounts his Segway and speeds to the rescue.

Cast:

-Kevin James

-Keir O'Donnell

-Jayma Mays

-Raini Rodriguez

-Shirley Knight

-Stephen Rannazzisi

-Peter Gerety

-Bobby Cannavale

-Adam Ferrara

-Jamal Mixon

-Adhir Kalyan

-Erick Avari

My Thoughts:

I was never a fan of Kevin James, I've seen a few episodes of King of Queens, but it wasn't really that interesting to me. It was funny, but not hilarious. So when this movie came out, I remember not really caring to go see it. And I had forgot about it until recently when I was looking up comedies. Comedies are my favorite genre and I'm running out of things to watch, so I searched on Google: funniest comedies. I believe I found a list for every year, and just went through and made my way back to 2009. And I had just recently went to my friends house for dinner and we were going to watch a movie afterwards, and she asked me if I wanted to watch Paul Blart.... I was like "no, that movies looks dumb!" Oh man, I was so wrong, and I should have just watched it then. 

This movie is truly funny, but it's one of those feel good comedies. Where there's other stuff going on... Like a little romance and in this case, some action and suspense. And you just want it to all work out. Kevin James is hilarious on his Segway in this one. 

And I'm really loving Jayma Mays right now. I love her in Glee and I just think she's a really great actress. I always end up loving her characters, they're so innocent and nice. How can you not like that?! 

Reasons To Watch It:

-It's truly epic.

-Kevin James is hilarious.

-Definitely worth 91 minutes of your time.

-Everything about this movie is awesome.

-I think everyone should watch it at least once. 

Screenshots :)

Have you seen this one?

What did you think?

Was it completely epic?