5 Movie Adaptions to See

  

     

     1. The Book Thief      

I actually haven’t read this book yet, but I've heard so many glowing reviews and the movie trailer looks so good! (November 8)

  2. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

The Lord of the Rings are my all-time favorite movies and the first Hobbit was delightful. (December 13)

  3. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I loved all the books and the first movie and I can’t wait to see new characters (like Finnick!) in action. (November 22)

      4. Divergent

Even though I’m not a fan of Allegiant, I am still excited to seen Divergent. (March 21)

      5. The Fault in Our Stars

The movie I’m most excited for is consequently the longest wait. The Fault in Our Stars is such an amazing book, I love it so much! (June 6)

What Movie adaptions are you looking forward too?

Spoiler Alert: The No. 1 Reason Why you Should Never Ever Ever Read Allegiant

If you're a fan of Divergent, like I was until a few days ago, you should steer clear of Allegiant, the third and final book of this dystopian trilogy. I'm not really a fan of sad endings, but if the book is good enough, I can take it (like "The Fault in Our Stars"). Not so with Allegiant, I felt like the death of Tris was pointless and I can't imagine what was going through Veronica Roth's head. A lot of us read fiction as an escape from the imperfections of the real world, when it comes to fiction we don't expect realism and don't want it. I agree with most other reviewers: read the first two books and imagine your own ending. I realize this isn't really a review of the whole book, but the end. For a more in-depth review check out Erin Morgan's review on amazon, She says                                    It all with eloquence. What did you think of Allegiant?

Poetry

I love poetry! I never read it till I read “Broken Open” (a super-inspiring self-help type book by Elizabeth Lesser) anyways, Elizabeth talks about Rumi’s poems so much in the book and I thought I would give them a shot. I got “A Year with Rumi” by Coleman Banks on my kindle and started reading. At first I didn’t really understand half of what he was trying to convey, but the poems mesmerized me and now they’ve become a daily (well almost daily). One of my recent favorites is: “Whatever Gives Pleasure:”

"Whatever gives pleasure

is the fragrance of a friend.

Whatever makes us wonder

comes from the light.

What is inside the ground

begins to sprout

because you spilled wine there.

What dies in autumn comes up in spring

because this way of saying no

becomes in spring your praise-song, yes."

Enjoy,

Deborah

September Precept: Harmony

Via Typographic Verses

All situations are helped when we make an effort to get along and understand other people’s point of view. This is especially important in the home. Don’t waste the time you have with your family in squabbles. Make an effort to listen to the opinions of people around you, maybe you’ll end up frustrated; but you might just learn something valuable, something important.  It’s worth the risk. 

The (notable) Books I Read This Summer:

Sorry for the long absence! These are the best of the many books i read over the summer:

   1.   The Beekeeper’s Apprentice

·        This is a Sherlock Holmes Spin-off by Laurie R. King, about the friendship and eventual partnership between him and Mary Russell, a young genius. My favorite part was the quick-witted banter between Mary and Sherlock.

   2.    Life of Pi

·        This was a very interesting book. I don’t quite know what to make of it, but it was quite intriguing. Pi Patel believes in Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism; which put an interesting spin on things. It is the perfect story for adventure fanatics.  

   3.   All The Harry Potter’s

·        I recently jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon; I was skeptical at first but thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I’m sure you’ve heard before, this is a really good series nuff’ said.

  

… And to anyone who hasn’t read The Fault in Our Stars, I finished it a  while ago and it was truly unforgettable, not to mention emotionally  shattering.

Enjoy,

Deborah

Link Love ~ 4/4/13

                                             1. Print your own Post-it notes via How about Orange

2. Einstein mini notebook & pencil set via Happy Dabby Bits on etsy

3. Mocha Chip Frappe Recipe via A Beautiful Mess

4. Alphabet lettering ideas via denisedaysmith on Flickr 

5. Stripe lace-up shoes via American Apparel 

Bookish Printables: Bookmarks

Via Simple As That

7 Beautiful Bookmarks:

1. Floral Bookmarks

2. Up Disney Bookmark

3. Dr. Seuss Bookmark

4. Reading List Bookmark

5. Personalize-able Bookmarks

6. Birds Bookmark

7. The Hunger Games Bookmarks

Theme of "Wonder"

 Buy Print

The Main theme of Wonder was "Always be a little kinder than necessary." I think this is an excellent precept! You can buy this print here.

Book Review: Wonder By R.J. Palacio

“Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed.”
― R.J. Palacio, Wonder

It’s been a long time since I last read a children’s story, and although Wonder was definitely written for children; it was a wonderful reading experience. It was like going back to the 5^th grade, when things were simple, but not really.

August (Auggie) Pullman is a 10-year-old boy born with a facial deformity. The story centers on Auggie’s first year of school, the vexations and excitements of fifth grade and how he navigates the waters of middle school; made more complex by his facial deformity.

Wonder isn’t some wordy examination of life with a facial deformity, it is a look into the lives of everyone affected by this “deformity” and how they deal with it; whether that be with ignorance or acceptance, love or hatred.

During the story, we hear from his sister and various friends what it is like to live with Auggie and how, after the initial shock of his face, they find him to be a regular boy with likes and dislikes; problems and solutions. That isn’t to say Auggie isn’t remarkable, because he is remarkable, and not because he has a“deformity,” but because in spite of this, he is strong.

This story filled me with fierce emotions, anger (at cruel bullies), sadness (for what Auggie has to go through every day), but in the end I felt triumphant, like I was standing by Auggie, victorious against the odds. It helped me to think of my blessings and refrain from self-pity. R.J. Palacio is a superb writer, crafting a swiftly-moving, page-turner with a simple message: be kinder than you need to be. 

Have you already read Wonder? Please tell us what you thought by leaving a comment…

About Me

Hello, I'm Deborah. When I’m not writing I’m probably reading or drinking tea (Seriously though, I'm probably watching Sherlock.)

 I started The Crafty & Curious in 2012 as a blog focusing on literature and handmade things (I get a little off topic but that’s the general focus).  I love writing and reading almost as much as I love eating (and that’s saying a lot!). My goal is to learn as much as I can and never stop growing and changing.

10 favorite things in the world (Not necessarily in this order):

1. People

2. Books

3. Poetry

4. Sunshine (& clouds and Rain)

5. Music (specifically John Mayer, Taylor Swift and Regina Spektor)

6. Love

7. Tea (& Coffee)

8. Chocolate

9. The Beach

10. Color

I hope you find something of use to you on The Crafty & Curious. If I inspire you just a little, then I've succeeded.

Enjoy,

Deborah