The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I was supposed to read this book my Junior year of high school. Needless to say, that didn’t happen, I thought I was too cool to read in High School, but I never forgot the stories so I’ve kept them on my list.

I always thought this was a sad story. I felt extremely sad for Gatsby. All he wanted was to be loved by Daisy, but she was too busy being a pea brain. I’ve always hated Daisy. She cared too much about an image, and not enough about love.

One thing I didn’t like about the book was that it was told through Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neighbor, and Daisy’s cousin. I wanted to know what Gatsby or Daisy really thought about each other, more than what Nick thought.

Although I hadn’t read the book, I saw the movie more than once and I loved it. I’m a proud owner of it on DVD, and I’m happy to say the movie stayed pretty much 99% true to the book.

This is a great book for both men and women of all ages to enjoy. It’s a timeless classic. Please let us know what you think.

-Mimi

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I thought the Great Gatsby was a good book, not a great book. I do have to admit I feel a little better that I read a classic and didn't actually hate it.

I need to start off my pointing out how much I HATED Tom and Daisy. Tom was a rude, cheating, prick who thought he was the king of the world because he had money, and Daisy was a stupid bitch who only cared about money and didn't realize what a great person Gatsby was.

I felt so bad for Gatsby. He loved Daisy so much and that freaking hoe bag couldn't wait for him once he left for war, and even worse she wouldn't leave Tom after Gatsby did SO much for her and pined over her for years.

The end didn't surprise me, I had a feeling Gatsby would be killed, but it still pissed me off! Basically I wish Tom and Daisy would have drowned in a pool full of money!

THE END :)

-Christina

Highest Paid Authors..

Here is the list of the top paid authors for this year:

1. James Patterson ($70M)
2. Stephenie Meyer ($40M)
3. Stephen King ($34M)
4. Danielle Steel ($32M)
5. Ken Follett ($20M)
6. Dean Koontz ($18M)
7. Janet Evanovich ($16M)
8. John Grisham ($15M)
9. Nicholas Sparks ($14M)
10. J. K. Rowling ($10M)

We have reviewed books by Patterson, Meyer, and Sparks but I think Kristin Hannah needs to be on this list! I have read many Danielle Steel books, but personally I think Hannh is 1000 times better. I thought for sure J.K Rowling would be higher up.

Does anyone on this list surprise you?

-Christina

Marley and Me by John Grogan

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I read Marley and Me in college, I think it was one of the first books I read that wasn't a love story. One of the guys that I worked with at school recommended it to me and I gave it a shot. All I have to say is that I absolutely loved it.

At around the time I read this book my dog was about 2 or 3 years old. So it was so easy to sympathize.

Marley made me laugh out loud at times, I was horrified at times at the messes he made, and I also cried like a little child. I mean, I cried my eyes out. I could not stop hugging my dog for days.

I totally love this book because it makes you appreciate your furry friend so much more. Unfortunately they don't have a long life span, but every moment they spend with you, will stick with you forever, and it's the one friend you will never forget.

A pet is loyal, will love you no matter what, and in his/her eyes, you are a hero. This book really made me remember that.

It's a book you will surely enjoy, especially if you have a pet.

If you have read it, or plan to do so, let us know. We would love to know what you think.

-Mimi

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I just finished reading Marley & Me, and I am very upset and sad. I already knew how the book was going to end, with the death of Marley, but I wasn't prepared for how I was going to feel. If you don't have a pet, you will never understand, so don't even read my review because you will think I am an emotional crazy lady.

I cry A LOT when I read, because I get so attached to the characters and their stories, but Marley and Me was about a dog and his owners, yet I still cried like my whole family just died. This book will definitely make you laugh and cry, but it will also make you feel so lucky to have a great pet.

Marley to me, is a disaster dog and I would have probably gotten rid of him after a few months. No matter what the Grogan family did, he continued to tear the house apart. I am sure the family spent 10,000+ on all the things he damaged, but they continued to love him, up until his last day.

You are probably thinking, "I don't want to waste my time on a book about some lame dog" but this book is more than that. Yes, it is about a dog, but it also is about a family and the struggles they have to overcome.

I especially liked the book because the family lived in Boca Raton and John (the author/main character) describes the town so perfectly. Mimi and I both went to school in Boca so we can definitely relate to the stories he told. (On a side note, John liked to laugh at the Boca ladies with their small dogs, and I have a small Chihuahua, and just because he is tiny and can fit in my purse, doesn't mean he is any less of a dog! so THERE!)

I recommend this book to ANYONE, especially if you have a dog. Just don't get mad at me when you are crying your heart out by the end of the book. Also, if you saw the movie, the book is 10000 times better (like usual) so give it a read!!

Have you seen the movie or read the book, what did you think?

-Christina

Shutter Island Movie Review

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I was very happy with the way they did this movie. Martin Scorsese really knows how to stay true to a book. It was exactly like book actually. Just like I pictured it. GENIUS GENIUS GENIUS.

I wish all screenplay's were like this. I promise that if you liked the book, you will really enjoy the movie. I also liked that the movie explained the ending a little more. I feel that by just showing you something, it answers the questions you may have had at the end.

Let us know what you thought!

-Mimi

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I give Shutter Island an A+ for the movie.. I LOVE it when they keep the book and the movie similar, and that is exactly what they did. Not only that, but Leonardo Dicaprio is amazing in this movie and he is even better to look at for over two hours :) Im not gong to lie, a few parts in the movie made me jump but when I was reading it, I was 10 times more scared. So basically if you enjoyed the movie, it is a given you will enjoy the book, but nothing different happens, so don't waste your time :)

Did you like the movie? What did you think about the ending? That KILLS ME!!

-Christina

Eclipse Movie Review

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Eclipse was an awesome movie. I saw it at the theaters three times. Crazy, I know.

I think it was my second favorite of the three, and I say second only because they moved a little too fast and jumbled things around. However, I do take in to account that this book was bigger than the first two, so I forgive them.

There were a few parts that made me mad because it's not how it happened in the book, and I feel that there are little keys that mean a lot to the story which the screen writers change without thinking about the new meaning they've given everything.

For example;

1) Bella getting on the motorcycle with Jacob in front of Edward outside of school. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN! When Bella left with Jacob, it was behind all the Cullens' backs. That's a huge reason I hate her so much, because she was a selfish little FILL IN THE BLANK.

2) They also didn't tell the whole story about the wolves. They really chopped it down and didn't really explain why they are wolves instead of lions, or tigers or bears, "oh my."

Also, the movies really need to work on not making Edward look like such a pansy. Seriously. I think it's a little late though. Of all the books, in the fourth Edward really does become somewhat of a weenie, so that's shot to hell.

All I can say is that those of you who haven't read the books, are totally missing out.

All that aside, I'm obsessed with the whole Twilight mania and I can't want to go to one of the many release parties for the movie and be one of the first people to get it on DVD.

Those gatherings are always so hilarious! (In a good way of course, I always have a blast.)

Overall, I give the the movie a B.

-Mimi

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Eclipse is my second favorite book out of the series, and the movie is definitely my favorite so far. After seeing it more than once, some things really started to bother me, so I give the movie a B-.

The acting did get better, but it obviously still isn't great. None of these people deserve any awards for their mediocre acting, but I would give Taylor Lautner an award for his hot ass body any day! :)

Back to the movie, I wished they didn't make some of the scenes out of order, that pissed me off. Once it was over, I still felt like is was missing something. After reading the The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner I thought they would add more of Bree in the movie, or at least the other characters in the book. But they didn't so that also bummed me out.

kristen stewart still pisses me off. It doesn't help I am not a huge Bella fan, but I think my dog could act better than her. For me, that really takes a lot out of the movie. She really only has two faces, her fake happy one, and her I-am-so-worried-I-need-to-bite-my-lip face. Both of those annoy me. Am I the only one that feels that way?

I really hope the acting is stepped up for the next two movies. The special effects of course were amazing, like in New Moon and the music really meshed well throughout.

So all in all, it was a pretty good movie and I am really looking forward to the next two!

What did you think?

-Christina

The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah

I absolutely loved this book! The main character Angie is by far one of my all time favorite characters from any book.

She had gone through a lot of heartbreak after not being able to have a baby with her husband, and that eventually cost her her marriage.

While on her road to rebuild her life, she meets a teenage girl who has a piece of shit mom, and it's not long before Lauren (the teen) is the daughter Angie never had, and Angie is the mom Lauren always wanted.

It was a beautiful story. I promise that you will laugh, but I can't promise that you will cry like Christina a.k.a Weenie. This girl tells me she's cried three times by the time she got to chapter five. "Why?" you ask? I HAVE NO IDEA!!!

I have cried when reading books. Actually, I've cried like a little bitch! Time Travelers Wife, Firefly Lane, My Sister's Keeper, The Last Song... The list goes on and on, but this one, no dice.

It was too beautiful to cry. The character's lives only got better, so I have no idea what Christina the idiot was talking, or crying about, for that matter.

You will love the book. I totally did. My heart had so much love for this book that I felt like my heart wanted to burst! No lie!

Read it and let us know what you think.

-Mimi

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I never get tired of saying this: Kristin Hannah is AMAZING!

The things we do for love was a wonderful story of family, love, loss, and triumphs.

Mimi thinks there is something wrong with me because I cried so much during this book, but its so hard not to.

Lauren, one of the main characters is an amazing girl put in a crappy situation. Her mom is a useless drunk, slutty bitch, yet Lauren still finds a way to get good grades and hold a steady job.

Angie is an older woman whose marriage is on the rocks and was never able to have children. Somehow the lives of Lauren and Angie collide and that is what makes this amazing book.

I don't want to give anything away, but I will say it is an easy read and it's impossible not to get hooked into the characters, especially Lauren. It is impossible not to cry with her when she is let down over and over again in life.

The end isn't exactly what I wanted, but you will still be satisfied once its over. The book would also be an amazing movie!

Have you read a Kristin Hannah book? Which was your favorite?

Ps: will someone tell Mimi that it's normal to cry when reading a book?! Sheesh!

-Christina

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

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A Reliable Wife was a very intriguing book. It wasn’t hard to get in to it, and I always wanted to know more so it’s was kind of hard to put it down.

The story is about a man Ralph, who puts an ad in the paper for a wife. Catherine answers, but she isn’t who she says she is. She thinks Ralph has no idea, but he is a little smarter than she thinks. He sends her out to find his son and you will just have to wait and see if it was worth going to get him.

I wasn’t a fan of the way the book was written. There wasn’t really any action for the characters. It was more about thoughts and what was going on inside the characters mind.

There was also too much sex in the book. I’m not trying to act all prude or anything, I’ve read romance novels and I’m sure it doesn’t get more explicit than that but I was a weird sex in this book. You’d have to read it to know what I was saying.

The end wasn’t very satisfying to me. I think this was the one instance where I would like liked the author to just write one more chapter and tell me what Ralph Truitt was thinking. I didn’t feel satisfaction after closing the book. I would have wanted a clear ending. I’m not saying I want more. I’m okay with what I read, but I’m not satisfied.

-Mimi

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The Reliable Wife was a good book, not great, just good. It goes to show how even rich people don't have all the happiness in the world.

There are a few twists and turns, but if you are a smart cookie like me, you might figure it out early on.

For the most part, I am a lover of happy endings, and this ending was how I think it should be.

The book is about a rich man named Ralph Truitt who had a hard life and writes an ad in the paper to find a new wife. Catherine Land is the woman that answers and they end up getting married. Catherine is basically a sneaky bitch that will do just about anything to get what she wants.

*SORT OF SPOILER* Once she gets close to getting what she wants, she finds the errors in her ways and does everything possible to become a good wife and woman. They end up falling in love and as a couple they go through a crap load of ups and downs. (deaths, heart breaks, lies, and more lies)

For me, this was only a good book and not a GREAT one because I wanted to know more about certain characters. Not only that, but I HATED HATED HATED Ralph's son. He was a gold digging whore of a man and he got what he deserved!

If you want to read a book set in a different time, when things were depressing and people were dying from all sorts of diseases, then pick it up! :)

Did you read this book? What did you think?

-Christina