SHTUFF!

A ton of links!

J.K. ROWLING HAS ANNOUNCED A DEAL WITH HER PUBLISHER FOR A NEW ADULT NOVEL!!!!

• So, first off- SlashFilm.com posted the IMAX banner and more characters photos for THE HUNGER GAMES. Me likey.
• Next up. Another one from SlashFilm. THE SEA OF MONSTERS by Rick Riordan is going to be adapted, of course. It's projected release date is March 26th, 2013. Wowza. I'm actually kind of excited about this one. It has a different director, so maybe this time, it'll STAY CLOSE TO THE FREAKING BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
• Emma Thompson joins the cast of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES film adaption, being cast as Sarafine. So I didn't like the book (you can read my review here) but I'm excited for the adaption. I thought the book could have had three hundred pages cut from it, though luckily, in Hollywood, they typically do that with books, so yay! I might love it. :) Also, I love Emma Thompson. And it's also been written and directed by Richard LaGravanese, who wrote and directed P.S. I Love You, which I loved. <3
• More news for BEAUTIFUL CREATURES-The fourth book's title has been revealed as "BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION".
• Even more B.C. news! Ethan and Lena's characters have been cast!
• In case you haven't heard, Entertainment Weekly has posted a ten-page sneak preview of INSURGENT by Veronica Roth, which is coming out this May. I read it, and although this sneak peak was a bit dull, I'm no less ECSTATIC for this book!
• You thought NaNoWriMo was hard? 50,000 words in a month is difficult. But try writing 60,000 words in a week-which is exactly what writer Kiersten White, author of the PARANORMALCY series (which I love! My review here) did.
• Nathan Bransford, ex-literary agent, and current author (who gives such wonderful advice on his wonderfully orange blog) posted the link of an article who's writer has some theories as to why people work best at coffee shops.
• ATTENTION GLEEKS! Chris Colfer, who plays Kurt Hummel is making some writing debuts. He has a new children's book coming out, which puts a twist on some popular fairy tales. Brandon Dorman, the book's illustrator, revealed the cover on his blog.
• The other thing Chris has going for him, is a movie called Struck by Lightning, which he stars in, and wrote the screenplay for. Here's the trailer, which I think looks pretty good:
  
  

Hope you get some eggrolls, hippy love, and good books this weekend,

See ya next Wednesday!

-Aaron!

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher

October 18th, 2007 - Razorbill

Synopsis: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

Thirteen Reasons Why is the gripping, addictive international bestseller that has changed lives the world over. It's an unrelenting modern classic.

Instead of going on some mondo-tirade about why you should read it, with paragraphs and gushing, I'll list thirteen reasons why.

1. You will laugh.

2. You might cry. (I almost did.)

3. The writing is so beautiful, and so real.

4. The turns.

5. You're overcome with billions of different emotions as you read.

6. Even though you already know she's already gone through with suicide, you have hope in the end.

7. The characters: Love them. Hate them. Adore them. Want to bludgeon them.

8. That ENDING!

9. How it doesn't jump between scenes, but is one continual story being told, save for the first and last chapter.

10. You love Clay. He's such a sweetheart, and you feel his pain.

11. Although it's heartbreaking, it's such an amazing look into the mind of a spiraling teen.

12. You had to guess how the next story was going to get possibly worse.

13. Hannah.

See ya on Friday,

-Aaron

p.s. Tickets can now be pre-ordered for THE HUNGER GAMES movie. I love going to midnight showings, so I think I'm going to buy mine soon. Also, to piggyback onto the ticket sales opening, the music video for the Taylor Swift (feat. The Civil Wars) song, "Safe & Sound", which I adore and have listened to a ton of times. I think it's probably going to play in one of the cave scenes... The album has been released, and it's entitled "The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond".

Here's the line-up for the soundtrack, which has been taken from ReadingTeen.net (which is a fantastic review site!):

1. Arcade Fire “Abraham’s Daughter”

2. The Secret Sisters “Tomorrow Will Be Kinder”

3. Neko Case “Nothing To Remember”

4. Taylor Swift “Safe & Sound ft. The Civil Wars”

5. Kid Cudi “The Ruler and The Killer”

6. Punch Brothers “Dark Days”

7. The Decemberists “One Engine”

8. The Carolina Chocolate Drops “Daughter’s Lament”

9. The Civil Wars “Kingdom Come”

10. Glen Hansard “Take The Heartland”

11. Maroon 5 ft. Rozzi Crane “Come Away To The Water”

12. Miranda Lambert “Run Daddy Run ft. Pistol Annies”

13. Jayme Dee “Rules”

14. Taylor Swift “Eyes Open”

15. The Low Anthem “Lover Is Childlike”

16. Birdy “Just A Game”

New Capitol Pictures + Beautiful Creatures + Old Publishing News

Hey y'all! So, I saw this picture of the Capitol from THE HUNGER GAMES movie:

In other news, the book BEAUTIFUL CREATURES is being adapted into a film (you can read my review of it here). Well, the character Amma has been casted. Viola Davis, who played Aibileen in the movie adaption of THE HELP (my book review, here), was chosen. This kind of works because she's a maid in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, and she's a maid in THE HELP. Weird.

Alright, so some news I saw on GalleyCat.com, old and new...

October, 2011 - Holly Black signs deal for a "single, fat stand-alone book" about vampires. Synop: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is set in the not-so-distant future, where the vampire population has surged, resulting in the establishment of Coldtowns, quarantined cities of vampires and humans where predator and prey coexist in a never-ending blood party of revelry. These isolated meccas of debauchery are the pillars of pop culture, with vlogs, live feeds, and YouTube videos constantly streaming from the endless parties at vampire mansions. Drawn into this bizarre and dangerous world is Tana, who willingly enters Coldtown with an infected ex-boyfriend on the brink of turning and a mysterious vampire with a tortured past intent on seeking revenge.

February, 2012 - (In case you hadn't already heard) Maggie Stiefvater has revealed the cover

and synop of her the first book in her new four books series called "THE RAVEN CYCLE". Synop: Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong.

Maggie finished up her NYT bestselling series THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS series last year, and her standalone book, THE SCORPIO RACES, came out not long after. Also LOVE the cover.

February, 2012 - BEA may open to the public in 2013.

February, 2012 - Lemony Snicket is returning to the book world with a new 4-book series chronicling his odd childhood. Synop: Drawing on events that took place during a period of his youth spent in a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, Snicket chronicles his experiences as an apprentice in an organization nobody knows about. While there, he began to ask a series of questions—wrong questions that should not have been on his mind. Who Could That Be at This Hour? is Snicket’s account of the first wrong question.

Alright, see ya on Friday!

-Aaron

THE HUNGER GAMES Trailer Number Dos

Oh, wow. This new trailer really just affirms my thoughts that this is probably going to be the most accurate book-to-movie adaption everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. LOOK AT EVERYTHING! WOULD YOU JUST LOOK AT IT!? Everything is exactly like the book! Number dos:

I love how you see more of the Reaping, more of Caesar, and more of the Capitol!

Happy Hunger Games,

See ya on Wednesday,

-Aaron

MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins

August 24th, 2010 - Scholastic

I would include the synop, but it has such big spoilers!

Wow.... The series is over for me. There are no more books to read in the world of Panem.... This is an extremely odd feeling.

Because I can't say much about the book without dropping spoilers, I'm going to state some very vague opinions, and then I'm going to write my real, spoiler-filled opinions at the bottom, so if you want to read them, scroll, scroll, scroll!

Well. This book. Was. Different from the rest of the series. Of course, the book was amazing, and, of course, I loved the characters, but I kind of felt that Katniss was a little whiny throughout it all. Towards the end, her whininess felt justified and I actually liked it, because instead of just whining, she was actually in a situation where her cynicism counted, and she had to doubt all possibilities in order to fight.

It was sad. Duh.

Now, anyway, here are my spoiler-filled comments:

WARNING!!****** SPOILERS AHEAD. CAUTION! AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

OMG. First of all, the book wouldn't have been as good if Prim hadn't died. Or if Finnick lived, or if anybody that died lived. I never actually cried, but got very close when the kids right before her died. I already knew that she was going to die, because friend's had been little bratty spoilers. I also love how fast the ending is. I loved the way that when the second bomb, which kills Prim, goes off in the Capital Circle around President Snow's mansion, it knocks out Katniss, and she basically misses the crescendo of the war. I don't know why, I just really thought that was a great and interesting take on it.

But here are my problems with this book- IT'S SLOW!!!! Sure, stuff happened before they got to the Capitol, but it all happened under the same circumstances and either in District 13, or in some gray ashy battlefield. Nothing interesting really happened until they got to the Capitol, and only then, when they finally set off the first few pods. That's when it got exciting! Travelling between colorful apartment buildings as crazy pods are set off. Running through sewers with a man who can't speak as your only guide. Genetically mutated lizard-things that smell of roses trying to decapitate you! And then the second bomb went off. It was going, going, going. The story was going a 1,000 MPH, and I loved it! And although President Coin needed to die, I thought that the way they just threw Katniss into her old room at the Training Center was boring. And then it gets even more boring as she goes off again as she's sent to live in District 12. Sadness, grief, annoying gray stuff. It's not until the epilogue that it's even interesting again.

I will give this to Suzanne Collins though: That epilogue was so amazing. The last line was the absolutely perfect finale for THE HUNGER GAMES Trilogy. I love the last line:

"But there are much worse games to play."

Well,

See ya tomorrow,

-Aaron

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER + More Movie Adaption News

First off, THE HUNGER GAMES movie news! Lionsgate (the film company that's bringing Suzanne Collins's books to the big screen) has hired Simon Beaufoy, who wrote the script for Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, to script CATCHING FIRE. Now, in case the photos haven't already been shoved down your throats enough, already, here they are:

So I'm really excited about this one, because it shows Cinna about to light Peeta and Katniss's costumes for the opening ceremony:

Next is THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE movie adaption news. So basically Selena Gomez has optioned the rights. Now that Wizards of Waverly Place has come to its recent conclusion, she's been looking for more projects. Not only has her production studio, July Moon Productions optioned it, but it's likely that she'll star in the lead role. Not sure if this is a good thing or not.... If you haven't read it, here's the synop:

Lennie plays second clarinet in the school orchestra and has always happily been second fiddle to her charismatic older sister, Bailey. Then Bailey dies suddenly, and Lennie is left at sea without her anchor. Overcome by emotion, Lennie soon finds herself torn between two boys: Bailey's boyfriend, Toby, and Joe, the charming and musically gifted new boy in town. While Toby can't see her without seeing Bailey and Joe sees her only for herself, each offers Lennie something she desperately needs. But ultimately, it's up to Lennie to find her own way toward what she really needs-without Bailey. A remarkable debut novel perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block.

Selena Gomez also has another YA book-to-movie adaption underneath her belt: THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher has received so much acclaim, and yet I still haven't read it. I should be getting it from the library soon, because I don't like reading books after seeing the pictures/trailer/actual movie adaption-ish stuff, because it typically ruins the picture I could have had of them. And I should do it soon, too, because THIRTEEN REASONS WHY is supposed to be coming out sometime this year, which means that they'll probably release pics soon. Anyway, Selena Gomez is supposed to star as the lead role of Hannah Baker (and in case you haven't read it, again) is a girl who records videos telling thirteen reasons why she commits suicide, then sends them to classmates.

Also, Logan Lerman's supposed to star in it as Clay Jensen, one of the students who had some unrequited love towards Hannah. This also leads to another Logan Lerman story. He's playing as the star of PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky, alongside co-star Emma Watson. The story focuses on the life and times of a freshman who's taken under the wings of experienced seniors as he experiences high school and the dramas that come with it. I really question if this is a good or bad thing. I know that Logan Lerman's a good actor, it's just that he has bad connotations in my mind after seeing the movie adaption of Rick Riordan's THE LIGHTNING THIEF (which, you should totally read, if you haven't). Ugh!!!!!!!! Me and my friends walked out of that theater so pissed 'cause they changed the entire story. Anyway, here are some pics from the upcoming film, which is set to release in a TBA time, but definitely this year:

Well, that's all. Actually, by the way, the images and some of the info were taken from SlashFilm.com, with is a super fantastic site to go to if you follow like being drowned with Hollywood mish-mash.

See ya next Wednesday,

-Aaron

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins

September 1st, 2009 - Scholastic Press

I'm not including the synop because JUST IN CASE there's someone reading this who hasn't read the first book, there are ginormous, outrageously huge spoilers in the synop. So, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Onto the review.

So this book was crazy. This is going to be an insanely short review, like only a few sentences, kind of short. There are so many things I can't say because they'll spoil it.

BUT I'll just say that this. Book. Was. So. Amazing. I liked it because it felt like it was going much faster than THE HUNGER GAMES, but still slower, and I however much I think about it, I can't figure out what it is that made me feel that way.

Like in its predecessor, CATCHING FIRE's characters were so much fun to read about, and I always wondered who to trust and who not to. The writing is quick and radical, just like the story, and it builds up so much, that it kind of feels more like a bridge connecting THE HUNGER GAMES and MOCKINGJAY. I am so freaking glad that I bought the entire series before I started reading it, because with a cliffhanger like the one this book ends with, I'm so glad I could continue the story right away.

Well, that's all,

See ya on Friday,

-Aaron

Fav's of 2011: Part I

Alright, so..... My resolution to be better about blogging is already failing. I couldn't blog on Friday and yesterday was awful. So no.... Sorry.

Anyway, I'm making three lists for 2011/2012. 5 fav books of 2011 (whether published or not published in 2011), 5 fav songs to write to in 2011, and 5 fav books I'm looking forward to for 2012.

I'll do the first right now, the second tomorrow (Monday), and the third on Tuesday. This won't interfere with my weekly book review on Wednesday.

Well, the first is 5 fav books of 2011 (whether published or not published in 2011):

1. THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. Of course! Now anytime I hear people talk about it in public I'm like:

2. DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth. Wow.... Just wow. That book was SO FREAKING GOOD. It was also the most violent book I've ever read (for those who've read it: really!??!?! A butter knife, Peter!?) I wanted to brutally murder the villain, which I think was the point, I wanted to hug the protagonist, and Tobias couldn't be more awesome... *sigh*, just brilliant awesomeness! Can't wait for her sequel, INSURGENT!

3. NEVERMORE by Kelly Creagh. This was an interesting read because it was advertised as this paranormal-filled novel with tons of Edgar Allen Poe creatures in it. But I thought most of it was more relationship and internal conflict, which I would typically hate. But Creagh's writing-style, paired with her wonderfully addictive characters just made me love. I cannot wait until August to find out what happens to Isobel and Varen next!

4. THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett. Oh, this book was so, so, so, so, so, so, so good! It was so powerful and just a wonderful read.

5. HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick. This wasn't a light read, but it wasn't a heavy one. I really liked it-didn't worship it, but I really, really liked it. I don't know. There was just something about it that made me appreciate the characters and the uniqueness of it. :)

Happy Sunday!

-Aaron

Hunger Games Full Trailer

So, if you haven't seen it, watch it now. It's just phenomenal!!!!!!! It looks just like the book! I was talking with my best friend about it and we both agreed that it's not exactly how we imagined it, but as we talked about it more, we realized that it's JUST like the book because our visions were flawed. This, I think, is going to be one of the greatest book-to-film adaptions ever! Also, I was a little afraid with the girl they chose to play Katniss, and Josh Hutcherson's role as Peeta (I mean, Zathura, Journey to the Center of the Earth-really? Josh Hutcherson?!) but when I saw this my face was like "*_*". He's SO PEETA! AND SHE'S SO KATNISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The way he says, "Die" and the way she says "There are 24 of us Gale and only one comes out," it's just SO KATNISS! SO PEETA! Don't even get me started on Seneca Crane's BA beard, the cool opera-glasses-magnification thing that the woman at the ceremony uses, Cato's cutting off of the mannequin head, the three-fingered salute, the golden cityscape of the Capital, every single thing about Effie (but especially the way she says, "Primrose Everdeen," and the way she twirls her hand around the glass bowl of tribute names), and, well, everything single freaking other thing about this! Me and my besty, though we live states apart, are going to both go to the midnight showings dressed as Capital citizens.

Totally dying my hair a weird color and cutting it oddly. Dress shoes, black button-down shirtIf I can get a mockingjay pin by then, my outfit would be complete.

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

September 14th, 2008 - Scholastic

"May the odds be ever in your favor."

Well, I finally caved in.

I got THE HUNGER GAMES... and I'm so glad I did!!!

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

This book was like being in the face by an angel! Awesome! I've obviously been hearing the hype over it for awhile. And I'd flipped through the first few pages, wondering what all the buzz was about and didn't feel interested. Well, after finally buying it, I still think the first thirty or so pages were a bit slow, though essential because it's the grand entrance into Ms. Collins's dystopian world.

Well, I won't even put the synopsis up, because I'm sure a word or two of it has already been breathed to you if you haven't read it already. The characters are amazing! The scenes are amazing! The descriptions are amazing!

Also, one thing I loved about it was that it wasn't like a lie detector, going back and forth, in and out of insane roller-coaster of emotions and then back into teen-angst turmoil, without warning of when it was going to happen. It stayed at a steady pace, and it felt like I could tell what was going to happen next, and yet still love it and be surprised because that's just how good Suzanne Collins writes.

Another thing I loved about it was how interesting the actual Hunger Games was. When picking it up for the first time, I was afraid that the entire thing would take place in the Hunger Games and just be some boring archaic thing about hunting rabbits and shooting lots of people.... Oh, how wrong you were, Past Self. Go run a lap.

Not only does a lot of the book take place out of the Hunger Games, but the parts that do take place in it, were really, really, really interesting. The way Katniss and Peeta have to survive was creative in itself, but its outcome, even more so.

Alright, so favorite characters: Katniss (what a BA. She's just awesome), Peeta (I don't even know why he was so... magnetic. He just was, but I still can't put my finger on why. Maybe because he was just sweet?), Rue (Oh, Rue. Rue, Rue, Rue, Rue. The way she describes being whipped for not working in her district, I really almost cried. "A twelve year old little girl!!!!" I screamed at the pages in blasphemy towards the Capitol), and Cinna (I won't give a reason. Cinna's just awesome. :D)

And, just because I can, look at some of the crazy mondo-insane things of popularity that have occurred since THE HUNGER GAMES was published:

*Since publication in 2008, THE HUNGER GAMES has spent more than 130 weeks on the NYT Bestsellers List.

*Suzanne Collins named as one of TIME's 100 of 2010.

*More than 5.4 million copies in print of THE HUNGER GAMES in America.

Suzanne Collins is living the writer's dream-which I think she totally deserves.

Now I'm off to get back to reading HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick. See ya Friday!