Kaya's Korner: Goodbye...

I should have written this a long time ago, but life catches up sometimes. Anyways, I wanted to let yall know I'm leaving this blog and going to another one, Lit & Lagniappe.

Lit & Lagniappe is a collaboration between Jessica and I that will involve not only aspects of reading and writing, but our daily lives too. Please visit me there for book and movie reviews, along with other fun things.

It was a pleasure posting for yall and I hope to see your comments again soon!

Sincerely,

Kaya

P.S. Stay tuned to Closet Writer for more things from Jessica.

Kaya's Korner: "Thor" Review

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“Thor” directed by Kenneth Branagh with writing credits to Ashley Miller, Zach Stentz, Don Payne, J. Michael Straczynski, Mark Protosevich, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby

The other night my friend and I went to see Thor in 3D.  I can’t even remember the last time I saw a movie in 3D, but I do know it was when the glasses were those white paper ones with the blue and red lenses.  Anyways, on to the movie review... 

Just like my last movie review, the title says it all - this movie is about Thor, the god of Thunder.  Thor is an ambitious, head strong young man who is about to be crowned king of Asgard.  However, just moments before his father, Odin, can crown him king, their enemy, the Frost Giants break into one of their most valuable vaults.  Thor wants to bring vengeance to himself and his kingdom by attacking the Frost Giants on their land.  His father forbids him to do this, but Thor goes anyway with his brother Loki and warrior friends. 

While Thor and his companions’ efforts were valiant against the Frost Giants, Thor couldn’t completely save them and Odin had to instead.  Odin punishes Thor for his recklessness and bans him to Midgard (Earth,) taking away his powers and cursing Mjölnir, Thor’s hammer.  Odin curses the hammer saying that the only one who can possess the hammer is the one who is worthy of its powers. 

When Thor is banished to Earth, he meets or rather falls into Jane, an astrophysicist, and her fellow scientists.  He also discovers that his hammer made it to Earth as well; Thor realizes after trying to pull his hammer from the ground that he is a mere mortal.  While on Earth, Thor receives a visit from his brother Loki, who has discovered that he is actually the son of the Frost Giant king and not the son of Odin.  Loki however, does not tell Thor this and begins to develop his own deceitful plan to become king.    

A battle ensues for the kingdom of Asgard.  Who becomes king - Thor or Loki?  And what happens to Jane and the developing relationship between her and Thor?  The ending is certainly bittersweet. 

I love movies like “Thor” with brawny men and battle scenes, so it’s not shocking that I liked this movie.  I wish there would have been a bit more battling, but overall I was satisfied and have no doubt that I’ll be buying this DVD when it comes out.  I do think though, that it was unnecessary to see it in 3D and I may see it again in regular-D just because. 

Kaya's Korner: "Prom" Review

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“Prom” directed by Joe Nussbaum & written by Katie Wech

So last night I was in the mood to see a silly, feel good movie, and I did – Prom.  If you haven’t seen the previews for it, I’m sure you know by the title what it’s about.  Prom is of course the point of the movie, but there’s some other stuff going on too.

Nova, the shining student and lead prom coordinator, couldn’t be more excited about the dance.  She’s been looking forward to this day for years and it all comes crashing down on her when the decorations get destroyed in an accidental fire.  Jesse, the rebel student who thinks prom is a joke, has been assigned to help Nova – a punishment to him by the school principle, designed to keep him out of trouble.  However, he might not be the rebel everyone thinks is he and Nova starts to see him differently.  The question is – will they go to prom together?

There are other story lines happening as well.  Most of the students involved are seniors but a few sophomores are included in the dynamics as well.  Will Mei and Justin’s relationship make it through to  prom?  Will Tyler and Jordan, the perfect couple, be crowned prom king and queen?  Will the sophomore Lucas get his girl?  And will Lloyd ever find a date to the prom?  Prom is a movie that will make you laugh and you’ll identify with one or more of these characters.  This movie is reminiscent of a John Hughes’ film with every stereotype filled and for the most part ever guy gets his girl. 

I thought the movie was light-hearted and fun and thankfully it didn’t go overboard on anything.  There are a bunch of potential new stars.  Of course, there’s been talk on the Internet and people seem to be very excited about the possibilities of this young cast, particularly Thomas McDonell, who’s been dubbed the new Johnny Depp.  But, the truth is, the casting was done well and everyone played their part perfectly. 

Prom may be over, but you can easily pick this one up and watch it during the summer.  It’s perfect for days at the beach or lazy days at home.      

Kaya's Korner: "Water for Elephants" Review

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“Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen

Note: there are some spoilers in this review

Oh my... many of you are not going to be happy with this review (or with me for that matter.) This book has been the bane of my existence for a long time. *gasp* I know, I know - everyone loves this book and after reading it, I should’ve too. However, I didn’t for the most part; but more on that later.

“Water for Elephants” tells the story of a young man named Jacob. A terrible tragedy occurs early in his life and he’s left with nothing and by chance he jumps a circus train. It’s because of this train that he meets Marlena, a beautiful woman who performs with the circus. He instantly falls in love with her and together they form an unbreakable bond with each while interacting with the animals. Marlena is married though and her husband is the kind who doesn’t like to be crossed. In fact, there’s really only one way to get rid of him so the two can be together. But, it’s the circus, and the show must go on...

I repeat, I really should have liked this book. All of my friends enjoyed it and assumed I would too and when they heard that I was having trouble reading it and hadn’t breezed through it, they were all a bit surprised. I finally finished the book on the third try and that took some effort on my part. For whatever reason, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I liked the story in general, but I couldn’t connect.

I will say this though - towards the very end I was enjoying the book and was starting to read ahead; but that was at the very very end. It was after the last of August’s rants (the one with Rosie in the tent, which I couldn’t take seriously, in fact, I actually laughed out loud.) And I did tear up when no one came for the old Jacob at the nursing home and thought the ending, when he ran away with the circus was sweet and fitting.

I did have two favorite things about the book. The first was all the old circus pictures; I thought they were a lot of fun. The second was a line from the book on page 280. Jacob considers his relationship with Marlena and thinks, “it seems to me that the bonds between us must be visible.” I want to have a love like that and I wish it for everyone in the world.       

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Grade: My grade is an E-Reader, but considering the entire population’s opinion on this book, I’ll bump it up to Paperback.

Now on to “Water for Elephants” the movie: again, I didn’t fall in love with the movie, but I didn’t think it was bad either. I thought the movie stayed with the story, which is always appreciated, but I would have liked to have seen one more scene between Jacob and Marlena so we could understand their romance a bit better; one more scene to see the tension building between them. And while I knew August is bad, I thought he was out of control in the movie and I didn’t envision him to be that crazy while reading. Or maybe I just couldn’t see the craziness being acted out, but in reality August would really be that way I suppose. I think the RPatz haters are going to have to admit that “yes, maybe the boy can act” after seeing this movie. And again, my feelings are a bit skewed about the movie because of the book; I can’t gush about it because of those feelings, but after talking to my friends who enjoyed the book, the general consensus was that they all enjoyed the movie, liked the casting, and would watch this movie again and most likely buy the DVD when it comes out.

What are your thoughts about the book, movie, or both?

Kaya's Korner: "Beastly" Review

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“Beastly” by Alex Flinn

I was curious about this movie and book because the only “Beauty and the Beast” anything I’d ever read or watched was the Disney version.  And I admit, I sort of wanted to see this movie because Alex Pettyfer is in it and if you read my previous post yall know I’m crushing a little bit.  I saw the movie before I started reading the novel, but I’ll do the book review first:

Kyle is the equivalent of modern day royalty.  He’s rich, good looking, and gets anything he wants.  He knows it and acts like he’s the most important thing in the world and he usually shows his power by putting others down.  Unfortunately for him one day he goes too far and insults a classmate, who unbeknown to him is a witch.  This witch turns Kyle into his true self - a beast.  The only way for Kyle to reverse the spell is to honestly love someone and have the person love him back and break the spell with a kiss.  The question is, can someone who is beastly, not just physically, but mentally change his ways?

I enjoyed this book, much to my surprise.  I thought the way the emotions were described were vivid and there were times I really felt for Kyle.  I was sad for him when he realized that he had no friends and I appreciated him when he understands that his lies are lies and not the truth.  It was hard for me to read when Kyle truly sees himself - realizes that he’s a bad and mean person.  But it was uplifting when he realizes that he’s a better person as the beast than his former human self.  I thought he was changing in such a wonderful way and felt he was capable of love.  There were even a couple of times when I was close to crying because the emotions were so strong.  Reading about Kyle’s transformation from a mean spirited person to a sweet and genuine person who thinks of others was nice.  Of course, we know they get together in the end and I was happy to read this happenend.  Really, the only bad thing I have to say about the book is it ended so abruptly and I wanted to read more about them after they broke the spell and there was no more story to read.  

Grade: I probably would have finished this book sooner had my social life not interferred, but I have read books that made me skip my social life, so I’m giving this book a Paperback. 



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Now on to the movie “Beastly.”  I will say three things: 1) the book was sadder than the movie, 2) Vanessa Hudgens doesn’t look anything like Lindy was described in the book, and 3) I would liked to have seen Kyle read more in the movie since he read so much in the book (but I suppose reading as a scene in a movie for teenagers doesn’t make the cut.)  

There were two things I was glad to see and one was particularly endearing.  The first is when Kyle (as Adrian) and Lindy read “Having a Coke with You.”  I haven’t really figured out what the poem is about or its meaning, but I think it’s great that in the movie they introduced something to teenagers which most don’t think about - poems.  In the book it was Shakespeare and I love Shakespeare, but we’re all introduced to him at some point in our school careers.  Frank O’ Hara is someone we’re not introduced to (unless they changed the curriculum) and I think it’s great that something new can be introduced no matter what the venue is.  Second, I absolutely loved the part in the movie when Kyle gives Lindy the white rose at the dance and they take a picture together.  The way he looks at her when they’re posing for the picture - you can tell right there that he has more to him than meets the eye; that he’s not the typical mean guy without feelings - even if he doesn’t know it himself yet at this point in the movie.  (I tried to find this scene online as a movie still to post but couldn’t find it.  I looked for hours and could find the scenes before and after, but not the one I actually wanted.  Haha!)     

In general, I’d say the movie was a good version of the book without messing with plot or characters too much and portrayed the tale “Beauty and the Beast” in a slightly new way.  It came across a little flat at times, but it was sweet and the ending was as happy as good be.  What are your thoughts on the book, movie, or both?  

Kaya's Korner: "I Am Number Four" Review



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“I Am Number Four” by Pittacus Lore

I had no interest to read this book or watch this movie.  But I changed my mind and did both.  First, the book review:

John is not your average boy.  He looks like one and lives in your average American town in Ohio, but he most definitely is not average.  John is an alien from another planet who is developing magical powers.  These powers are coming just in time to save him from another race threatening to kill him and destroy Earth.  While John is learning about his “legacies,” he is also learning what it is to trust and love and these things make his life on Earth that much more precious and important to him. 

I thought the book was written well and didn’t have those forced cliffhangers which make you turn the page.  It was nice reading about John and how he was coming into his own and learning about himself.  I also thought high school life was portrayed pretty acurately. 

Random note: I do think that the seriousness of Pittacus Lore is fun, like he’s acutally real. (Example: his forward in the book)

Grade:  I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t race through it either like I thought I would.  That being said, I’m giving it an E-Reader.

Now on to “I Am Number Four” the movie… I hate to say it, but I liked the movie so much more; I’m actually sort of mad I saw it on the last night it was in theatres and now I can’t see it again until it’s out on DVD.  It was full of action and the feelings that John felt were showed beautifully and realistically; I wouldn’t use beautifully for all his emotions, just those pertaining to love.  I didn’t mind that the movie was rewritten in a way which skewed the actual events of the book, but I did mind that a major legacy of John’s was changed.  I hate that – don’t change the character.  The book was more tragic than the movie; the movie ended with a heroic feel at the end, whereas the book did not.  In general though, I did think the movie was a good condensed version of the book, I just wish they hadn’t made John look so stupid at the beginning of the fight regarding his legacies.   

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I will more than likely buy this movie and I’m dying for them to release the soundtrack and am a little frustrated that they haven’t yet.  WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!  I would rather not have to buy each individual song but will if I have too.  I will leave yall with this: I thought Dianna Agron was a good cast, I was suprised that Timothy Olyphant was in it in a good way, and hello Alex Pettyfer - I think I have a new crush - that is one seriously good looking boy!

What did yall think about the book, movie, or both?

Kaya's Korner: "Lucia, Lucia" Review

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“Lucia, Lucia” by Adriana Trigiani

Lucia is an Italian-American living in Greenwich Village in the early 50’s.  She’s torn between being a dutiful Italian daughter and her own dreams of wanting a career in fashion.   She retells her story of love, fashion, and duty to a young playwright in her apartment building.  A story that is beautifully described and includes a dashing young man too good to be true, “Lucia, Lucia” is a story of heartbreak and hope, but ultimately of coming to terms with one’s self and the cards you’re dealt with.

 I loved the feel to this book and felt like I was in New York City in the 50’s.  I wished after reading this that I could have experienced a time like this when women wore gloves and men wore hats.  I read this book in a day – couldn’t put in down.

Grade:  I’m torn – Hardback & Paperback, but leaning towards Hardback.  Enjoy!

Kaya's Korner: Book Review Grading Scale

Book Review Grades

I’m new to this whole book review thing - I read books and talk about them with friends, but have never written about them, well except in high school and college.  So, I thought it would be fun if at the end of each review there was a grade.  However, this is not your ordinary grading system.

​Scale:

- Pre-order (The book is so incredible, that if I could go back in time and pre-order it, I would.)
- Hardback (I want a copy in hardback because the book is a must read and I would like to add it to my library.  I want this one to last and to show its importance and that it was a favorite of mine.)
- Paperback (It was a great read and I would definitely recommend it, but probably wouldn’t read it again.)
- E-Reader (It’s a good book, but there are other books out there to read.  You can get to this one eventually.)
- Discount (You know those books that never quite make it and end up getting slapped with a huge discount and wind up in a giant bin with a large red sign that screams “sale?”  Well, they’re there because nobody read those books, which means they probably weren’t that good.  So this term is given to the books I didn’t like, would pass up if I could, and would recommend reading only if you can get it for that ridiculous discount and have read everything else.)

Do you have any books that would fall into these categories?

Coming soon: Kaya's Korner

Not really balancing it all.

I took off February and I really focused on the blog, so it wasn’t really a month off.  March was supposed to be my month to jump back into my writing.  Unfortunately, I feel like I should have categorized March as my month off.  My family responsibilities are outweighing my writing ones.  As my husband says, “You’re not getting paid for your writing, yet.”  Well, neither am I for my housewife duties, but I guess I see his point.  There is so much I want to do writing-wise that I am almost getting discouraged because of my lack of time.  It is hard to pick which to focus on.  My family is my number-one priority, but I have made a commitment to make my writing a priority.  How do I balance the two?  Hence, the point of the blog!  I hope to one day answer this question, or at least come close to an answer.

I write a lot, but reading is very important to what I do.  For a while I have wanted to start doing reviews on the blog.  I haven’t been able to find the time to write them, with everything else on my plate.  I had a friend from high school come and stay with me last week.  It was fun to catch up and reminisce about the “old days”.  She just moved back from living in the Philippines; now she works in New Orleans and is single.  She has a little more free time (not saying she is not busy) but I reached out to her.  This blog is about how I balance it all.  Well, I decided to delegate, assign her something I wanted to do myself, but couldn’t: write reviews. 

Kaya and I have similar taste in reading and I knew she would be perfect.  I emailed her asking if she would be interested.  I was very happy when she quickly responded with a yes.  We instantly got on the phone and started bouncing ideas off each other. 

“Kaya’s Korner” will focus anything related to books.  We will also talk about books’ influence on television and film.  Kaya’s Korner will have reviews, discussions, giveaways, and much more.  We are very excited about this.  I believe it will bring a lot to the blog.  I will also get the poll questions from the books we are reading in Kaya’s Korner.  As always, please leave suggestions if you have any books you would like us to read and review.  Any authors who would like to send Kaya a book to read and review, please use the contact form.