The Oscars

My husband and I have started a tradition of filling out those little Oscar ballots and placing a friendly wager between us to make the event more interesting.

As for which one of us has secured more winning categories by the end of the night, it usually comes down to something ambiguous like "sound mixing" or a category where we pick via the scientific innie, minnie, miny, mo methodology because neither of us have seen a nominated "animated short film."

Some things I love about the Oscars are seeing what everyone is wearing, what movie or category inevitably upsets the others, and the advertisements.

"The advertisements?" you ask.

Yes. To me, the ads for the Oscars are kind of like the Super Bowl ads. I love them. It's one of the few times I don't mind watching commercials because you get to see things like this:



What do you love about the Oscars? Note: Haters not welcome :-)

Another Book Giveaway

Pay it forward is a great concept and one of the reasons I love participating and hosting book giveaways. And this one is for Lauren Oliver's very own Before I Fall (reviewed in yesterday's post).

And if you're excited about Before I Fall, HarperTeen is letting you browse around on Delirium, Oliver's newest novel here.

Rules of the Before I Fall book contest are pretty much the same as other giveaways:

1. Be a follower of the blog.

2. Extra entries if you Tweet, Facebook, mention in your blog, comment on this post, or otherwise spread the word (but be sure to let me know what you did). To help you out, feel free to use the following tweet: Enter to win Before I Fall #bookgiveaway on @SCookRay blog.

3. Two extra entries if you refer a friend who becomes a follower.

4. Email me at scookraymond@gmail.com to enter and include "Before I Fall contest" in the subject line.

Note the following:

*Contest closes at 5pm EST March 17 and the winner will be posted on the blog on March 18 (as well as emailed).

**Because of the size and weight of this hardcover book this contest will have to be for domestic (ie. U.S.) residents only.

Good luck and if you'd like to see other kinds of contests or giveaways here, let me know!

Review of Before I Fall

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver was listed here as one of my must-read books of 2011 and here as a book trailer I absolutely loved!

I had read a review on the Confessions of Suite 500 blog by literary agent Suzie Townsend that she was tempted to put this book down during the first chapter despite the stellar writing because main character Sam Kingston is not someone she would ever have been friends with in high school and I couldn't agree more. Suzie had been advised to persist past that chapter hurdle and told she wouldn't be disappointed and so I repeat those words of wisdom. Because once you get through that first chapter, you'll tear through all the rest!

Described as "Groundhog Day" meets "Mean Girls" this New York Times bestselling young adult novel creates a multi-layered story in rich prose that examines the relationships Sam has with both family and friends and the ways in which her choices affect those around her.

I loved Sam's evolution in this book and how as she changed, her relationships with those around her were forced to change. Oliver was able to repeat a day in the life of Sam Kingston that didn't feel laborious or too repetitive.

If anything the overly descriptive first chapter and not-quite-likable Sam only serves to ground us in how far she matures and how unselfish she becomes by the end (ie. one week's time or seven chances at reliving her last day alive).

We all know the Einstein theory that every action has an equal and opposite reaction and this book takes that theory and applies it to high school. In the close knit, small student body that is Thomas Jefferson High, it's impossible to completely untangle one's life from another. There are always intersections and before these recycled days, Sam has no idea of just how much she may have in common with some people and how much she's pretending with others.

Before I Fall excels in three main categories:

1. Quality prose: Oliver is able to be descriptive without going overboard on adjective. She thoroughly describes each scene and character so that we can envision them, and has all the right word play to create a tragic love story, a brave heroine, and a band of friends we sometimes hate but ultimately come to understand.

2. Perfect dialogue: Hands down Oliver nailed the dialogue of Sam and her friends. Their little quips and habits, their interplay and inside jokes were right on. It reminded me of high school and felt more real than perhaps any other characteristic in this novel.

3. Realistic themes: Oliver may have enlisted a cocky popular girl to narrate this book but it's not long before we learn about Sam's unpopular beginnings and the ways in which her clique have unfortunately used their social status to keep others down. Themes of bullying, suicide, and the lengths to which people go to stay on top or struggle to get out from the bottom of the social food chain are all examined.

My only qualms this this novel are so minimal they're barely worth mentioning. For starters, Sam and her friends seem to only listen to dated music from the 1990s which seems out of place since it's set in present day and Oliver has worked so hard to make everything else in the storyline believable.

Secondly, of Sam's friends, we have a strong and thorough idea of likable character Elody who is fun and forgiving and helps balance out mean queen bee Lindsay (who, if you watch Pretty Little Liars is the "Allison" to Sam's "Hanna") but Ally, another friend, is completely forgettable. Other than the fact she likes cows there was no other strong lasting impression she made nor did she help move the storyline forward. In my opinion, she could have been written off but even so, her presence isn't necessarily distracting nor does it denote my overall impression of the novel.

All and all, this is a great and quick read. It will make you consider how you've treated others, how your actions may have reactions associated with them, and consider how you might do--or re-do--your last day if you had another chance.

So what do you think; will you read this book or, if you have already, what did you think?

Things I Learned This Weekend

1. Three-day weekends are the best! It allowed me to travel to the great white North and get in some much-needed ski time!





2. If there was any doubt, I'm DEFINITELY a dog lover! After a couple glasses or wine out with my girlfriends we found a lost dog running through traffic who I ended up bringing home after we couldn't get through to the owners. Long story short, the owners were at the hospital delivering their first baby and in a rush didn't latch the door all the way and their dog got out! I watched this beautiful little girl and the next day they had a brand new son and their little puppy back!



3. I'm liking fantasy/comic-book based storylines more and more. While away on break I watched Losers for the first time.



4. Nothing beats a good sale. AND NOTHING EVER BEATS A GOOD SALE ON JEWELRY! I bought three pairs of earrings and a bracelet for me and a pair of earrings for a friend because, really, you can never have too much jewelry!

5. Regardless of any attempts to eat healthy no amount of willpower will be strong enough to resist the temptation that is Girl Scout Cookies. My indulgence was samoas!



What did you do this holiday break?

LMAO

I just saw the trailer for the upcoming movie "Bridesmaids" and it instantly reminds me of a female version of "The Hangover." I dare you not to laugh:

Kill Shakespeare

OMG, have you guys heard of this?!

A friend of mine just told me about Kill Shakespeare, the graphic novel that pits Shakespeare's greatest heroes and heroines against his most notable villains all in the quest to save--or kill--a mysterious wizard otherwise known as William Shakespeare.



Before I even got to the description this book trailer cinched it for me. I have to read this book series!



Here's the description:
Conceived and written by Canadian-based creators Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col, this comic book series is a dark take on the Bard and his work, pitting his greatest heroes against his most menacing villains.

Kill Shakespeare is true to the Bard's canon, yet also accessible to a wide range of readers. The series offers an edgy interpretation of Shakespeare's most famous characters, bringing Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Puck and others together for an epic adventure.

Creators Del Col and McCreery bring their love of Shakespeare, independent film, and a combination of marketing and writing experience to their first comic book project. Artist Andy Belanger rises to the challenge of interpreting some of the most famous characters in the world.

Del Col and McCreery discuss the inspiration for the series in more detail here:



To learn more about the series check out here and here.

This reminds me a little of the "mash-up" trend taking the publishing industry by storm (e.g. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). I never would have thought to take old world Will Shakespeare's work into the visual and vibrant world of graphic novels but now that I see the vision, the two seem so complemented with one another--and fun! I also love the idea of the various heroes and villains transcending books into a world where they all co-exist. I'm definite stoked to get reading on this.

What book(s) are you excited to get your hands on?