Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. I just discovered her lovely segment, and I immediately requested forced my own four-year-old daughter Katie to provide me with some of her own cover art artwork and then asked her what she thought the book was about.
This week, Katie gave me her take on the following book:
"It's about a guy getting lost in the street because I see a road and he's on it."
Cover Art
Warm Bodies as envisioned by Katiebug
So, I showed this book to Katie and told her it was the movie me and Daddy went to see last weekend when she stayed at Nana and Poppa's house, so then she was pretty eager to recreate the cover and tell me what she thought it was about. And the cover model does look all alone. If only poor R's life was that simple...though he did get "lost" in the airport at one point, so she's not that far off base. :P Interested in the book or the movie? Check out my reviews here and here. I promise, it's not your typical zombie story. :D
Have you read this book? What do you think of Katie's guess at the premise? Did your little darling create a work of art based on a book this week? If so, be sure to link up with Sara over at Forever 17 Books.
We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen. We cringe at casting. We scoff at release dates. All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations. Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't. We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set. All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?
This week, I'd like to feature my review of:
Title: Warm Bodies Director: Jonathan Levine Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer & Dave Franco Release date: February 1, 2013 Based on: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
So, the hubby and I had a rare date night on Friday night, and I made him take me to see Warm Bodies. I was really surprised with how empty the theater was, though, especially considering that it was the top grossing movie over the weekend, raking in a cool $20 million. It was also surprising because it was a perfect date movie: a sweet romance for the ladies and a bit of blood and gore for the guys.
The movie was every bit as witty and clever as the book. Honestly, I think they did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life. The airport full of zombies was exactly what I was picturing while reading, as was the safe haven for the survivors. And the casting was pretty great, too. Nicholas Hoult was the perfect R, equal parts awkward and sweet, and I loved seeing R come to life. (Pun totally intended.) And, gawd, Rob Corddry was hilarious as M. I would never even have considered him as an option for that role, but damn if he didn't do it proud.
You know what really struck me about the movie, though? How very Romeo & Juliet it was. There were shades of that story in the book, but it didn't seem as obvious as it did in the movie. Case in point: our star-crossed lovers are named R and Julie. Then there's R's zombie friend M...Mercutio, anyone? And Julie's late boyfriend Perry who taunts R through his memories, making him the equivalent of Paris. But the real kicker? The balcony scene. I'm not sure if it was the author's intent for his story to be a somewhat reimagined version of this classic tale, but either way, it works.
Best of all, my husband really enjoyed the flick, too. =) And we saw the trailer for The Mortal Instruments, which I've really been on the fence about due to certain casting, but after seeing the trailer in full, I might have been swayed. I'm still not feeling that casting choice, but I will reserve judgment until I've seen the movie.
So, have you read Warm Bodies? Did you see the movie? How do you think they compare?
We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen. We cringe at casting. We scoff at release dates. All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations. Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't. We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set. All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?
This week, I'd like to feature:
Title: Warm Bodies Director: Jonathan Levine Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer & Dave Franco Release date: February 1, 2013 Based on: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.
I loved Warm Bodies when I read it last year. Zombies with a conscience, with the ability to think and rationalize and hope and even dream? That's fascinating to me. I loved what the author did with this story and I'm equally as excited for the movie because it appears from the trailer that it's almost exactly as I envisioned while reading...the airport, the airplane R sleeps in, his interactions with Julie. I can't wait!!!
So, have you read the book? Are you as excited for the movie as I am?
Title: Warm Bodies Author: Isaac Marion Series: n/a Publisher: Atria Publication Date: April 26, 2011 Links:Amazon | Goodreads Rating:
From Goodreads:
A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.
R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.
Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.
Review:
Let me just preface this review with this: Best. Zombie. Book. Ever.
I take author recommendations very seriously, especially when they come from author's I admire and respect. So, when I saw this blog post from Maggie Stiefvater giving ten reasons why I must read Warm Bodies, I knew it was going on my TBR list. Usually, that's the end of it for a few months because I have a rather large TBR list and if it's not new or I haven't been waiting ages for it to be released, it stays on the list for awhile. Lo and behold, a Goodreads giveaway in which I win a shiny new copy of this amazing book. I find it's much easier for me to read a book if I already have it in hand, and it gets read a lot sooner that way, too.
So, what, you ask, makes this the best zombie book ever? Well, a lot of things. The story was hopeful and touching but not saccharine sweet. The writing was superb. (I laughed out loud at 'gastromically celibate'...just wait, you'll see.) It's a zombie romance, for crying out loud, but it's honest and it has a message, and it's still chock-full of those zombie-rific elements that make it kind of disturbing.
R is more verbose than your average undead zombie. He likes to ride the escalators at the airport where his zombie clan resides, and he listens to Frank Sinatra in his airplane of a house. He falls in love with the living human girl whose life he saves. He wants to live again. He's beginning to change. And with the change in R comes a change in the rest of the world, albeit reluctantly.
This book was so cleverly written. It's not everyday that I find myself rooting for the undead, but from the beginning, I hoped things would work out for R. This was seriously one of the best pieces of fiction I've read in awhile, and I'm telling everyone about it. Seriously, I want to make everyone I know read this book so we can discuss how it is far superior to any other zombie book out there. It's poignant, and it makes a statement, and at the same time, it's funny.
Oh, and did I mention this novel is being made into a movie?? And Simon Pegg, of Shaun of the Dead fame, blurbed it? Seriously.
*I won a copy of this book thru a Goodreads 'First Reads' giveaway.*
I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Judging a Book By Its Cover #13: A Kid's Perspective on Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. I just discovered her lovely segment, and I immediately
requestedforced my own four-year-old daughter Katie to provide me with some of her own cover art artwork and then asked her what she thought the book was about.This week, Katie gave me her take on the following book:
Have you read this book? What do you think of Katie's guess at the premise? Did your little darling create a work of art based on a book this week? If so, be sure to link up with Sara over at Forever 17 Books.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Movie Monday #7: Warm Bodies - Movie Review
We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen. We cringe at casting. We scoff at release dates. All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations. Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't. We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set. All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?
This week, I'd like to feature my review of:
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer & Dave Franco
Release date: February 1, 2013
Based on: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
So, the hubby and I had a rare date night on Friday night, and I made him take me to see Warm Bodies. I was really surprised with how empty the theater was, though, especially considering that it was the top grossing movie over the weekend, raking in a cool $20 million. It was also surprising because it was a perfect date movie: a sweet romance for the ladies and a bit of blood and gore for the guys.
The movie was every bit as witty and clever as the book. Honestly, I think they did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life. The airport full of zombies was exactly what I was picturing while reading, as was the safe haven for the survivors. And the casting was pretty great, too. Nicholas Hoult was the perfect R, equal parts awkward and sweet, and I loved seeing R come to life. (Pun totally intended.) And, gawd, Rob Corddry was hilarious as M. I would never even have considered him as an option for that role, but damn if he didn't do it proud.
You know what really struck me about the movie, though? How very Romeo & Juliet it was. There were shades of that story in the book, but it didn't seem as obvious as it did in the movie. Case in point: our star-crossed lovers are named R and Julie. Then there's R's zombie friend M...Mercutio, anyone? And Julie's late boyfriend Perry who taunts R through his memories, making him the equivalent of Paris. But the real kicker? The balcony scene. I'm not sure if it was the author's intent for his story to be a somewhat reimagined version of this classic tale, but either way, it works.
Best of all, my husband really enjoyed the flick, too. =) And we saw the trailer for The Mortal Instruments, which I've really been on the fence about due to certain casting, but after seeing the trailer in full, I might have been swayed. I'm still not feeling that casting choice, but I will reserve judgment until I've seen the movie.
So, have you read Warm Bodies? Did you see the movie? How do you think they compare?
Rating:
Monday, December 3, 2012
Movie Monday #3: Warm Bodies
We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen. We cringe at casting. We scoff at release dates. All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations. Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't. We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set. All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?
This week, I'd like to feature:
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer & Dave Franco
Release date: February 1, 2013
Based on: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
I loved Warm Bodies when I read it last year. Zombies with a conscience, with the ability to think and rationalize and hope and even dream? That's fascinating to me. I loved what the author did with this story and I'm equally as excited for the movie because it appears from the trailer that it's almost exactly as I envisioned while reading...the airport, the airplane R sleeps in, his interactions with Julie. I can't wait!!!
So, have you read the book? Are you as excited for the movie as I am?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Author: Isaac Marion
Series: n/a
Publisher: Atria
Publication Date: April 26, 2011
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Rating:
From Goodreads:
A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.
R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.
Not just another zombie novel, Warm Bodies is funny, scary, and deeply moving.
Let me just preface this review with this: Best. Zombie. Book. Ever.
I take author recommendations very seriously, especially when they come from author's I admire and respect. So, when I saw this blog post from Maggie Stiefvater giving ten reasons why I must read Warm Bodies, I knew it was going on my TBR list. Usually, that's the end of it for a few months because I have a rather large TBR list and if it's not new or I haven't been waiting ages for it to be released, it stays on the list for awhile. Lo and behold, a Goodreads giveaway in which I win a shiny new copy of this amazing book. I find it's much easier for me to read a book if I already have it in hand, and it gets read a lot sooner that way, too.
So, what, you ask, makes this the best zombie book ever? Well, a lot of things. The story was hopeful and touching but not saccharine sweet. The writing was superb. (I laughed out loud at 'gastromically celibate'...just wait, you'll see.) It's a zombie romance, for crying out loud, but it's honest and it has a message, and it's still chock-full of those zombie-rific elements that make it kind of disturbing.
R is more verbose than your average undead zombie. He likes to ride the escalators at the airport where his zombie clan resides, and he listens to Frank Sinatra in his airplane of a house. He falls in love with the living human girl whose life he saves. He wants to live again. He's beginning to change. And with the change in R comes a change in the rest of the world, albeit reluctantly.
This book was so cleverly written. It's not everyday that I find myself rooting for the undead, but from the beginning, I hoped things would work out for R. This was seriously one of the best pieces of fiction I've read in awhile, and I'm telling everyone about it. Seriously, I want to make everyone I know read this book so we can discuss how it is far superior to any other zombie book out there. It's poignant, and it makes a statement, and at the same time, it's funny.
Oh, and did I mention this novel is being made into a movie?? And Simon Pegg, of Shaun of the Dead fame, blurbed it? Seriously.
*I won a copy of this book thru a Goodreads 'First Reads' giveaway.*
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
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