Brave

Saw Brave last friday, because when I hear the words Disney and Pixar on the same sentence...I have to make sure I'm there for whatever movie it is they are releasing.
Brave is the story of Merida, a Scottish princess who wants to be able to choose her own fate. (see trailer below).
As with all of Pixar's movies, the graphics were fantastic. The story was great, and it portrays the relationship between mothers and teenage daughters wonderfully. I found myself wishing I'd brought my mother. I know she would have appreciated it. The movie felt a bit rushed, and I don't think it gave enough time to get as attached to the characters as I did when I watched Toy Story, Up, Wall-E, and Monster's Inc, for the first time.

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Could I have waited until it came out on DVD and Blu-ray? Yeah. 

Do I regret seeing it? No. 

Do I recommend it? Yes, but I'd just wait until it's available for rent.

Rating: ★★★

Looking for Alaska by John Green

When Miles Halter, a teen with an affinity for memorizing famous last words, decides to leave his quiet and boring life behind and enroll at Culver Creek boarding school, searching for what François Rebelais called the "Great Perhaps." Upon his arrival, Miles meets his roommate Chip "The Colonel" Martin, and his friends Takumi Hikohito and Alaska Youg, whom he is instantly attracted to The book chronicles Miles' first year at Culver Creek, a year that changes his life forever.

In my book, John Green can do no wrong. I am a huge fan of everything he does, so it will not be surprising to learn that I loved Looking For Alaska, and I'm honestly ashamed that I took so long to actually read it (It had been sitting as on my NOOK, unread for over a year!).
John Green is an incredibly gifted writer, no one can deny that. In Miles he does a great job portraying what being a teenager is really like
Though Miles seemed a little dull compared to his friends, I found him to be likable and relatable. I must say, I did not like the character of Alaska Young and that might be unfair because she was a smart girl, and I agreed with a lot of the things she said. But she was also reckless and moody, and sometimes I found myself wondering why Miles was so infatuated with her, and to be honest, maybe that's the reason I disliked her character, because Miles didn't see the whole thing, he just saw the good. But I understand it, because I've been there before, I've fallen in love with one part of who a person was and completely disregarded the rest, no matter how bad it was.
Now, I don't want you getting the idea that the whole book revolves around Miles pining for Alaska, because it doesn't. There's so much more to it, but I refuse to spoil it because this is one of those books that is better to discover yourself.

Favorite Character: Chip "The Colonel" Martin

Favorite Quote: “Sometimes you lose a battle. But mischief always wins the war” 
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★½ Twisted Apples (I know they look like stars, but they're twisted apples.)

Explaining the damn title and other things.

For days, it seems, I've been trying to get this blog up and running. But I have so much to do, I barely have time to breathe these days. I had this idea in my mind for what my first post should be. But it involved pictures, and honestly, more work than I want to do, or have time to do at this point. So for the very first post I decided to keep it simple and just give a quick intro and description on what I hope this blog will become and ...where the hell does the title come from?

First, an introduction.

I am, by no means, a trained writer. I did not major in English, or Journalism, or Literature. I do, however, have a passion for reading, and more than that, for sharing great books with the people I love. I made all my immediate friends read The Hunger Games by talking nonstop about how great the series was. So I figured, what a better way to share the books I love, and the ones I don't love so much (Yeah, I'm talking to you, Fifty Shades of Gray, and A Tale of Two Cities.) than to create a blog in which I discuss those books.
The same can be said for movies, tv shows, and music. When I find something I like, I HAVE to share it with the world (and that's when the blog description comes in). You can expect blog posts reviewing Movies, TV shows, and songs, but I will mostly focus on books. I will be taking suggestions, and requests for reviews, but that'll only happen if I get any readers. Here's to hoping.

Second, an explanation for the title.

The title of this blog comes from the mind of the wonderful Sherwood Anderson. When I was in High School, we were required to read Whinesburg, Ohio. At sixteen/seventeen, most of my classmates found this book extremely tedious and boring. But every word I read in it had such an effect on me, and part of it was because of the wonderful teacher that put so much emphasis in making us give meaning to Sherwood Anderson's words. The title of this blog was taken from the following passage:

“On the trees are only a few gnarled apples that the pickers have rejected. They look like the knuckles of Doctor Reefy's hands. One nibbles at them and they are delicious. Into a little round place at the side of the apple has been gathered all its sweetness. One runs from tree to tree over the frosted ground picking the gnarled, twisted apples and filling his pockets with them. Only the few know the sweetness of the twisted apples.”

It says "don't judge a book by its cover," and "try new things, you never know the sweetness you might find hidden in them." So whether the new thing you try is reading a book that wouldn't normally catch your attentions, or watching a movie you hadn't heard of, or a TV Show you thought looked extremely boring, nerdy or dramatic. My hope is that you come to know the "sweetness of the twisted apples."

Third, an advance apology and other disclaimers.

1. In advance I apologize for my language, which can be quite colorful, and I'm quite impressed I made it a whole blog post without cursing. 
2. Unless stated otherwise all books and movies and dvd boxsets are mine, bought with my own money.
3. All reviews are essentially my personal opinions. I don't expect you to agree with me on everything, so it's okay if you think I'm crazy for thinking Fifty Shades of Gray is a horrible book. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments but don't be rude about it. 

Now let's go find some twisted apples!