Introducing... Penguin Chats

Last week I got a very exciting email from Penguin about their brand new idea, Penguin Chats. A 'Penguin Chat' itself will be a 30 minute Q&A with a Penguin author on Twitter, using #PenguinChats and hosted by @PenguinUKBooks. Through Twitter, people will be able to put questions to the author to receive and immediate and live response. 

Penguin have some amazing authors but to kick off this great new idea, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl will be doing the very first #penguinchats on Sunday 27th January. From 8pm, these two wonderful authors will be answering questions on the Beautiful Creatures series as well as the upcoming film which is released next month. 

This is a very exciting and different idea from Penguin and one I think will be very popular! I'm very happy to say that I'll be partnering with Penguin on #penguinchats which means I'll be one of a number of bloggers who will be posting some great content to do with the authors taking part! 

If you would like to know more; here is the official Penguin Blog, and you can also ask @PenguinUKBooks and @puffinbooks on Twitter, as well as using the hashtag #penguinchats

Over the course of this week and next, I'll be posting some fab content sent from Penguin which I hope you'll really enjoy. There may even be a giveaway in a couple of days!! Also, if you check back on the Penguin Blog, on Friday 18th January, you'll be able to find out who the other official blog partners are along with some great Beautiful Creatures content. 

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn-Childs

Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters--after all, she's spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss--but that doesn't mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes. Can she rely on Grace and Greer, or even trust herself to keep them safe? Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won't leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.

Grace has worries closer to home--like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He's hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?

With the warring factions among the gods of Olympus coming for them, the creatures of the abyss pushing into their world, and the boys in their lives keeping secrets at every turn, the three girls must figure out where their fate will take them and how to embrace the shadows of their legacy.

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Templar Publishing 
• Date released: 1 Mar 2013

Book to Film Review: The Devil Wears Prada

About the film

The Devil Wears Prada was released in 2006 by 20th Century Fox and is a loose adaptation of the book of the same name by Lauren Weisberger. The Devil Wears Prada is a comedy/ drama and runs for 109 minutes.

Plot

Andy Sachs is straight out of university and wants to be a journalist so she moves to New York. After a horrendous interview at Runway magazine for a job as a 2nd assistant to Miranda Priestly, Andy is amazed to find out she actually got the job. It's a job millions of girls would die for but Miranda is a bit of a nut case and everyone is terrified of her.

Andy doesn't fit in at all at Runway where everyone is skinny, beautiful and all dress immaculately. She has no knowledge of fashion or the magazine and the first assistant Emily is never nice to her. Emily knows that Andy isn't qualified for the job and doesn't hide the fact from her. The only person that is slightly nice to her is Nigel, the art director, who helps her adjust to her new life.

While Andy is getting sucked into a life of fashion, she neglects her boyfriend Nate and her best friend Lily. Andy's whole life seems to revolving around her job but will she realise who she used to be before she loses everything?

What I thought

Although the film differs quite a lot from the book I really liked it. I don't think the changes make a huge difference to the film but as a fan of the book I was quite disappointed in some parts. Andy's best friend in the book was quite a big part girl and was always with a different man but this wasn't the way she was portrayed in the film at all. I really liked her character in the book but I don't think enough time was given to her in the film. I understand though that some parts of books need to be left out of films because it will make the film too long.

Meryl Streep was amazing and got a lot of high praise for her role as Miranda. After reading the book I had a picture of her in my head and Meryl Streep played her perfectly. Every little one of her facial expressions showed exactly what she was thinking and she hardly ever had to say anything. There were few times where Miranda showed some emotion but it was really well done and Streep came off as really believable.

Anne Hathaway was also really good in her role as Andy. I'm really glad they didn't make her out to be some shy and timid girl to begin with like they do in most chick flicks. At least Andy started off well and only got a slight make over in the way of some better clothes and a fringe. Hathaway was very believable in her role and showed her emotions of being torn between her life and her job really well. I thought Andy was very easy to relate to and a lot of girls will like the film because of her.

The other characters' roles were quite small compared to Andy and Miranda but they all played their parts well.

The Devil Wears Prada is very much a chick flick and I don't think too many guys will like it, although it is my sisters boyfriends favourite film. I find that quite weird though. There is a serious side to the story as well as many comical moments which never fail to make me giggle. This film is a must for anyone who is seriously into fashion.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

About the book

Just Like Heaven is the first book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet series by Julia Quinn. The book was published by Piatkus on 2^nd June 2011 and it is 384 pages long.

Synopsis (Taken from the back of the book)

Honoria Smythe-Smith, the youngest daughter of the eldest son of the Earl of Winstead, plays the violin in the annual musicale performed by the Smythe-Smith quartet. She’s well aware that they are dreadful but she’s the sort who figures that nothing good will come of being mortified, so she puts on a good show and laughs about it.

Marcus Holroyd is the best friend of Honoria’s brother Daniel, who lives in exile. Marcus has promised to watch out for Honoria, but he faces a challenge when she sets off for Cambridge determined to marry by the end of the season. She’s got her eye on the only unmarried Bridgerton, who’s a bit wet behind the ears. When her advances are spurned, can Marcus swoop in and steal her heart in time for the musicale?

What I thought

I have said many times before that Julia Quinn is one of my favourite Regency writers but I am so far behind with her books now. Reading young adult novels and being at university kind of took over what I was reading so this genre had to take a back seat for a little while. However, I decided to treat myself to something of Quinn’s that I hadn’t read yet and this is what I ended up buying.

The Smythe-Smith family have been a small part of Quinn’s Bridgerton series, due to their annual musicale which everyone seems to attend. Because of this, I was already slightly familiar with some of the characters in this book although if you haven’t read the other series, you can definitely start here. None of the previous plot lines are mentioned too much and when they are, it is only in passing. This book begins when Honoria and Marcus are just children, explaining how they met and how Marcus is best friends with Daniel, Honoria’s brother. I really liked the backstory with this book because it gave more depth to the characters.

Honoria is only 21 but she is worried that she’ll end up not getting married, having not found a husband during her first season. This year, she’s determined to find a match. As a character she was sweet and funny and very clued up about things that were happening around her. She knows that she can’t play the violin well at all so makes fun of herself having to play in a quartet every single year. The quartet brings in some secondary characters which gives an opportunity to see Honoria in a different light. She banters with her cousins which was very humourous as they didn’t seem to understand that they were rubbish with their instruments.

Marcus is quite the opposite of Honoria in the sense that he isn’t quite as fun and he likes to be serious. However, around Honoria he is much more himself and more relaxed having known her for so long. I enjoyed the contrast between these two characters as having two who were so happy and fun would have been a bit much for me. He’s quite a shy character so sometimes has troubles saying what he actually means but I thought he was wonderful when it came to Honoria. Out of all of Quinn’s books that I have read so far, Marcus is one of my favourite heroes due to him being so nice!

The plot for this book was not what I was expecting it to be. While these kinds of books always have a problem somewhere in the middle, which makes the heroine and hero have their own problems, this one was quite shocking. This issue does take up quite a large part of the book but instead of it tearing the main characters apart, it actually brings them closer together which was something that I really liked. Due to what happens, both characters are thrown out of their comfort zones so it means that I got to see completely different sides to them and to see how they would act in difficult circumstances. The plot was very exciting but sweet and lovely at the same time. Just Like Heaven had a little bit of everything which is why I enjoyed it so much.

I can’t wait to get the rest of the books in this series to see what happens to the other members of the Smythe-Smith family. I’m hoping brother Daniel will get his own book too! 

Film Review: Eden Lake

About the film

Eden Lake is a British horror film that was released in 2008. The film has a run time of 91 minutes and is rated 18 due to language, violence and some nudity and drug use. 

Plot 

Wanting a romantic weekend away, nursery school teacher Jenny and her boyfriend Steve head out to a remote lake which is enclosed by woodland. Jenny doesn't know that Steve plans on proposing and wonders about his chosen location. However, the couple's peace and quiet is quickly disturbed when a group of teenagers and children begin harassing them. While trying to put up with their annoying comments, Steve finds himself pushed to his limit when the kids steal and destroy their belongings. Fearing for her life, Jenny flees the woods, embarking on numerous cat and mouse chase games with the kids determined to keep her quiet.  

What I thought 

To begin with, I have to say that I don't really agree with this being classed as a horror film. I have used that in the 'about' section as that is what the film is technically classed as but really, I would say that it is more a thriller than a horror film. 

The film starts off with a likeable enough couple heading off for a romantic weekend together although Jenny does complain a little bit about her friends who are going off to more exciting places for the weekend. Once the couple are on the road though, and stop off in a B&B for the night, they realise that the area they are in is not the best of places. The pub they are staying in is full of rough looking people who scream and fight for the rest of the night. After an unromantic start to their weekend, the couple look forward to a couple of nights on a nice secluded lake. 

Due to the nature of the plot of this film, there aren't really many characters involved. Main characters Jenny and Steve are played by Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender. Reilly makes Jenny extremely likeable, if not a bit quiet at times, and quickly I didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Steve, however, I didn't really like from the beginning. Early on in the film, he made some bad decisions and when the kids started hassling them, he didn't really do much and just let his girlfriend feel uncomfortable instead of trying to resolve the problems they were having. Even though I didn't like Steve as a character, Fassbender was good in the role, especially when the film really got going. 

As far as horror movie plots go, I did think that this was somewhat unoriginal at times. The film is set in the middle of nowhere, by a lake and surrounded by the woods. This setting has been done many a time and I thought to begin with, that it was just going to be another copy of many other horror films. Luckily, this is not the case though. The setting is pivotal to the story as the end outcome could not have happened any other way. The setting paves the way for Jenny and Steve to have nowhere to run when they begin to get hassled by the group of kids. The setting of the woods also provides some quite dark scenes where lots of bad things happen and it also provides many exciting hiding places. 

Unfortunately, the main characters/ cast are outshined by the children in this film. The leader of the gang of kids (Brett) is played by Jack O'Connell, who is best known for his role as Cook in Skins. When we first meet this group of delinquents, it seems as though they are just out to have a bit of fun and generally think that they are better than they are. However, it soon becomes clear that these kids are thugs and mean business when it comes to terrorising Jenny and Steve. The whole group of kids were amazing in their own roles. Their characters are all very different and clearly lead by Brett, who seems to scare everyone into doing what he wants them to do. 

The way in which the kids act is by far the scariest aspect of them film. Brett in particular has no interest in action and consequence and does exactly as he pleases. He has no remorse after doing some incredibly bad things to Jenny and Steve and if anything, the things he does only makes him worse. By showing a group of kids who act in the way they do, it shows what the youth of today could be like in the very worst way. The film brings up themes about kids being left to their own devices with parents not having any idea where they are or what they are doing. As these kids are left to do whatever they like, their parents have no idea that their ideas of what fun is include things like knife crime, bullying and theft. 

At times, the things that these kids do to Jenny and Steve made me unable to watch the screen. Their acts of violence are so horrific that it made me feel sick at times and I really wished that they would stop. This is why the film is rated 18. The violent scenes are extremely graphic so if you are the slightest bit queasy, or dislike the sight of blood, I would advise you to stay well away from this film. Watching scenes this bad made me angry as there have been many stories in the news over the years about things like this happening. It was also scary just how real these scenes were. Weapons used included everyday items such as knives and lighters and the use of mobile phones put the story right in the present. 

Overall, while this film wasn't exactly scary, it was shocking in the things that you get to see. Eden Lake is a very disturbing film and one which was entertaining at the same time. It wasn't what I expected but this was still a great film.

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

About the book

Uses for Boys is the debut young adult novel by Erica Lorraine Scheidt. The book was published by St. Martin's Griffin on 15^th January and the book is 240 pages long.

Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer

What I thought

This was one of those books that I didn’t know much about before reading. However, I’m beginning to start reading things unlike what I normally would and by authors I haven’t heard of – giving more authors a chance.

Uses for Boys begins in quite a sad way, with Anna wanting to go back to the days where her mother was so happy to have a little daughter and for that daughter to be everything she ever needed. However, the story quickly changes as Anna grows older and her mother moves on. Quickly, Anna is left on her own when her mum goes from man to man, always being with someone new and relationships never lasting long at all – even if she marries the man. I actually lost count of how many times her mum got remarried throughout this story. I hated the example that Anna’s mum set for her.

Then there is Anna herself. As her mum leaves her alone to go off with random men, she does whatever the hell she wants, which includes bringing boys home to have sex with at the age of 13/ 14. Although teenagers do have sex at a young age, and this is no secret, I do not think that way in which the subject was approached was appropriate at all. If it wasn’t bad enough that Anna was doing these things at such a young age, she doesn’t stop nor think there is anything wrong at all. The whole time we follow Anna in this book, she sleeps with numerous boys and doesn’t really care how she treats them, and is treated by them.

In regards to writing style, Uses for Boys is very simple and if I hadn’t known the age this was aimed at, I would have said it was aimed at a younger audience. This is only in the style of the writing though, not the actual words which are quite shocking if I’m honest. I do feel as though some of the content was used to shock rather than for it to be meaningful in any way. I think the plot could have been something amazing, if done slightly differently and written slightly different. There was definitely promise behind the basic idea but I don’t think it was done to its full potential.

I also don’t think the title was a very good choice either. Uses for Boys makes the book sound quite funny, much like the book How To Keep A Boy As A Pet but it isn’t funny at all. By reading everything previously said in this review, I’m sure you can see what the uses for boys actually are in this book. Poor boys!

This book wasn’t for me at all unfortunately and I wish I could find more that I liked about it.

Remember When by Judith McNaught

About the book

Remember When is a romance novel by Judith McNaught. It was published on 25th April 2006 by Pocket Books and the book is 418 pages long.

Plot

Alone on a moonlit balcony at Houston's White Orchid Charity Ball, Diana Foster courageously upheld the sparkling image of her family's "Beautiful Living" magazine. Recently jilted by her fiance for an Italian heiress -- an insult delivered via a sleazy tabloid -- Diana was now very publicly unengaged, and surrounded by humiliating rumors. So why was billionaire Cole Harrison closing in on her with two crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne?

The former stableboy had received an ultimatum from his uncle: bring home a wife -- soon -- or lose his share of a booming multinational business. Coolly analytical and arrestingly attractive, Cole knew what he wanted in a bride, and Diana Foster -- rich, beautiful, principled -- fit the role perfectly. But while a long, slow kiss sealed the bargain that solved both their dilemmas, neither imagined the extraordinary journey that would begin on that unforgettable night…

What I thought

The beginning of this book was fantastic. The introduction is quite long and drawn out but very necessary in order to explain both Diana and Cole's traits, dreams and personalities. I really enjoyed reading about Diana and how she gets to grips with having a new family and her crazy obsession with being neat and organised was funny. I was more drawn to Cole's character though. He had a far more interesting background and big dreams. It was quite obvious that he was going to achieve what he wanted in regards to business and money because of the nature of the books but I loved reading about how he planned on doing it. It was very clear from the beginning that Cole was intelligent and that he was going to do great things.

The minor characters, like Diana's sister, Corey, kind of seemed a bit pointless to me unless McNaught was going to write a book about her as well, which she didn't. A lot of time was spent explaining about Corey's feelings for Spencer which could have gone to much better use and I didn't end up really caring for her. For me, she could have been mentioned a couple of times and I would have been happy with that. I didn't need to know anything else about her.

I really didn't like the ending to this book which was a shame because I loved the rest of it. The end seemed to come about too quickly and was very rushed. It was like all of a sudden Cole and Diana became this happy couple when they went to see Cole's Uncle but for me, there should have been something in-between these parts of the story. It was far too easy a relationship it and I would have liked a bit more to make this book amazing. At 418 pages, it is already quite long and I can understand that it would have been too long any other way.

Not my favourite McNaught book but it was an OK read.