I've Totally "Flipped" Over This Story! (Pun Intended)

I reviewed the book a great while back and recently had the privilege of watching the movie. And then decided this little story was definitely worth chatting about! :)

The book is fabulous, but the movie.....oh wow! Talk about excellent casting. Bryce and Juli were wonderful, just as I'd imagined.

Watching these two grow up and figure life (and each other) out (the hard way sometimes) is such fun! The tree incident which beautifully comes around again, the supper at Juli's house, Juli's eggs, Bryce's grandpa, Juli's uncle.....seriously, there was not one bad scene or one bad actor in this movie! They all seem to really enjoy their characters and truly understand their motivations and who they are. I quite realize that I'm gushing, but you just need to watch it for yourself and then you'll see!

Plot Summary: Juli Baker devoutly believes in three things: the sanctity of trees (especially her beloved sycamore), the wholesomeness of the eggs she collects from her backyard flock of chickens, and that someday she will kiss Bryce Loski. Ever since she saw Bryce's baby blues back in second grade, Juli has been smitten. Unfortunately, Bryce has never felt the same. Frankly, he thinks Juli Baker is a little weird--after all, what kind of freak raises chickens and sits in trees for fun? Then, in eighth grade, everything changes. Bryce begins to see that Juli's unusual interests and pride in her family are, well, kind of cool. And Juli starts to think that maybe Bryce's brilliant blue eyes are as empty as the rest of Bryce seems to be. After all, what kind of jerk doesn't care about other people's feelings about chickens and trees?

The really fun part? Is that you get the story told from both Bryce's perspective and Juli's perspective. We see how very differently each of them viewed certain situations. And how vastly they misunderstand one another.

But the journey of them finding and understanding each other is fun to watch! I was quite impressed with these young actors and their characters are ones I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Have you seen it? What did you think? :)

Call The Midwife...I'm Completely Hooked!

Yes, I am truly hooked on this show now. I kept seeing things about it, and hearing fellow bloggers raving over it, and it all convinced me to start season one last year. I started the first few episodes and then life got really, really chaotic and I never finished it! (Crazy, I know.)

But then a few weeks ago, something made me decide to start it again. First with season one, and then of course, I had to find out what happened, so I borrowed season two from the library. Well, needless to say, somehow in the midst of watching, life once again got crazy and after overdue fines (twice!) from the library, I took it back and promptly went out and bought seasons two and three. Then proceeded to basically marathon both seasons in a matter of days. (Yes, I'm silly like that. ;)

So! Here I am, a little sleep deprived, but very much a devoted fan of this series. Which is why I had to write about it! My thoughts just wouldn't stop. :D

I admit, it did have to grow on me. The first episode was very intriguing and had my attention. But then came episode two and Chummy arrived.

Oh my gracious, I LOVE Chummy!

And that's where this show completely sucked me in. The characters. Yes, the birth of the week stories are interesting and amazing, but where this show really succeeds (at least in my humble opinion) are the characters. They're all so fascinating and real! What I initially thought of them, and then how they change and grow into characters that I love and care about is very well done.

I'll start with the regular nurses/midwives: there's Jenny, I enjoyed watching her learn to really find and feel her emotions. And Trixie, she comes across as pretty shallow at first, but I loved getting peeks into her serious side in season three. Then Cynthia, watching her realize her abilities and learning new things is very fun. She's definitely a wonderful friend to have!

And of course, I will not forget Chummy. Watching her learn to ride the bicycle, fall in love, figure out what her true calling is, and just her very "Chummy-ness" is absolutely wonderful! I know for certain that I'd want her as my nurse. :)

As for the nuns/midwives themselves, Sister Julienne is so very good. She knows just how to take care of every single person under her care. Always with a kind word, a hand on the shoulder, or simply knowing that she's there right behind them, supporting them. Sister Evangelina is tough as nails, let me tell you! But her heart is so kind and she has much love to give. Her softer insides don't show very often, but they are certainly there, no doubt about it.

Sister Bernadette's storyline is so compelling! I could get glimpses, starting in season one, of where they may be heading with her and I wondered how they would handle it. (My compliments to the writers for a job well done.)  I truly enjoyed watching her journey in season two. (Of course it does help that I'm a sucker for romance. ;) Her struggle was real and heartfelt, and I wanted so badly to give her a hug several times.

And lastly, Sister Monica Joan. I couldn't help but fall in love with her as well. Watching her battle with her failing mind feels so real and the writers give such care to her story. Plus it's great fun when you never know what she's going to say! I do enjoy all her literary references.

Of course there's Fred and several other characters who come and go and they each are so wonderful and have such fascinating backstories. I also appreciate how the storylines are handled carefully. There's several that are sensitive subjects, and the writers handle each one thoughtfully and splendidly.

This show is just so very real! It balances the struggle of the poor, the hopes and dreams of the young and old alike, the diseases they dealt with, the fear and doubt they battle, and yet the heartfelt moments, and the exciting and happy moments. The time period is one of change, and everybody feels it, from the nun, to the midwife, to the child on the street.

I'm pretty sure there's more loveliness to come. I'm excited to see where season four is going to take us! (Even if we did have to say goodbye to one of the characters.)

Have you watched the series? What did you think? (And thanks for reading my rambling thoughts all the way to the end! :)

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Five

I thought I'd do some reviewing of the books I read in the previous six months, that I hadn't posted about. Fun, right? I should warn you that the "bite-sized" reviews will be more like mini bites. I realized I have several books to mention and didn't want to bore you with a huge, long post! I supposed I could have posted about each separately, but that'd take forever. So! This is what you get! :)

Secret Society Girl series by Diana Peterfreund - I've been wanting to read this series for quite some time. Secret societies? Are pretty fascinating stuff, it turns out! Amy and Poe had me at hello though. ;)

A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont - I really wanted to like this one. The premise sounded really fun, but I was barely halfway through and had to force myself to keep going. It had me hooked enough to want to find out what happened, but I couldn't ever really connect with Emma. Her choices and thoughts and how she acted never seemed to add up to someone relatable and real for me. And the insta-love connection? I never did figure out what they saw in each other. It was still an interesting story regardless.

The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle - Really liked this one! Ms. Mingle made Mary very likeable and gave her a happy ending. I've always had a soft spot for Mary and finding sequels that give her a good life are hard to find. It was pretty predictable, but that did not lessen my enjoyment! :)


Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck - Sigh. I want to be a princess! ;) Definitely enjoyed this one. Not quite as much as Once Upon a Prince, but oh my. It was delightful!

Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier - Another series I'd been waiting for! I was so excited when the library had all three books. I proceeded to take them home and read them all in one sitting! So much mystery and fun. Loved Gwyneth and Leslie's friendship. Definitely worth the wait.

The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand - As delicious and wonderful as her others! If you're a fan of her stories, then you'll enjoy this one as well. :)

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson - With mystery and intrigue, and a pretty sigh-worthy romance, Ms. Donaldson has done it again, as they say! SO much sweetness and fun to be found here. Absolutely one to enjoy and reread as the notion arises.

Questions, Answers, And Fun, Oh My!

So! I saw this post over at Jamie's blog first, then at Rissi's. They both invited anybody else to join in, so I thought "Why not?". And here I am! With answers! I just know you can't wait to see what I confess to, right? ;)

Here goes nothing:

What are your top three book pet hates?

1-I'll agree with Jamie, I'm not a fan of love triangles. I mean seriously. How many times in real life does a girl actually have trouble choosing between two awesome guys and...AND they let her basically date both of them while she chooses? Really?

2-Having to wait a year or more in between books in a series! Oh man. Waiting is hard! This is why I usually try to wait until the whole series is out before even starting it. But....I admit it....The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer totally sucked me in. And now I have to wait!!! *sigh*

3-When publishers change the covers in a series, right in the middle of the series. So I end up with one or two of this sort of cover and one or two of that one. What can I say? I like my covers to match!

Describe your perfect reading spot.

All I require is that it's comfy. I read in my favorite chair mostly. But also in bed, or on the couch, or at the table....so long as it's comfy, I can be happy. :)

Tell us three book confessions.

Oh boy. Let me think a minute...

1-I have very few authors that I love every single book they've published. Most of the time, I really like a few of their books and then there are always one or two or more that I don't like at all. *shrugs* I can't explain why, it's just the way it seems to go for me.

2-Reading blogs and reviews for the past few years has really opened my reading life up. Therefore, my list of books I've read or "wishlisted" (thanks for the word, Courtney! ;) is quite eclectic and interesting! I don't stick to just one genre, I read several. (Which you probably already knew if you read my reviews regularly, huh?)

3-Sometimes I don't read the entire book, every single word. Instead, I skim over some parts or even some paragraphs or pages and keep on going! Sometimes I do go back and reread those portions and sometimes I never do. Why do I do this? I have no idea. But let me reassure you, that I do read most of the story! I don't count it as read unless I've read most of every single chapter.

When was the last time you cried during a book?

Honestly? I really can't remember. Which is odd, because I'm usually an emotional reader. As in, it doesn't take much for me to cry.

How many books are on your bedside table?

Currently only three. Two nonfiction, and one fiction (The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight). The fiction book by my bedside is usually a revolving door. It changes regularly! ;)

What is your favorite snack while you’re reading?

I don't usually eat while reading actually. Unless it's during a mealtime, in which case the book is with me at the table. ;) But otherwise, if I get hungry, I eat whatever I can scrounge up. Namely, chips or chocolate or fruit or....you get the picture.

Name three books you would recommend to everyone.

My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay - Seriously! Everyone should read this.
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery - No other words needed.
The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis - I know everyone else chose these as well, but they're not wrong! This series is wonderful!

I know, I picked way more than three books up there (maybe more like 15 or so?). But I had to include the whole series! ;)

Show us a picture of your favorite bookshelf on your bookcase.

Yeah, this is just one of my bookshelves (I currently have three and could use more!), but I couldn't just pick one shelf on it. So you get the whole thing! :D

Write how much books mean to you in just three words.

Hope, Adventure, Life

What is your biggest reading secret?

My biggest? I don't know if it's my biggest, but it's a secret regardless. Kinda anyway. I confess it, I love my kindle and one of the biggest reasons I love it so much is the fact that I can read a book and nobody has any clue what I'm reading. I'm just sort of weird that way!


And there you have it, folks! That was loads of fun. If you'd care to join in, I know the other bloggers won't care. And we'd love to read your answers as well! :)