Book Review of "The Pastor's Daughter"

   I was contacted through Twitter by T. K. Ware asking if I would like to receive a free copy of his new book! I quickly accepted and was impressed enough by The Pastor's Daughter to share my thoughts here.

Synopsis

   An ill-advised relationship with a married man in the church sent Ebony down a path of regret, which led to an unplanned pregnancy. When the pressure of being the pastor's daughter and carrying a married man's child weighs upon her, emotions flare. Shortly afterwards, she threatens to publicize the entire affair, deciding to bear the consequences of the matter. Once her emotions settled, she saw from a different light.

   But the unexpected happens ...
   Because of shame and unprecedented conviction, Ebony is forced to confess as she battles with thoughts of betrayal to God, the church, and herself.

My Review

   I really liked how real this story felt. I truly did feel for Ebony and the mess that she was in. Although I liked seeing things from Ebony's point of view, I didn't care for the confessional chapters. I also found that there were a few grammar errors as well. I did like the way her parents and church handled the situation because it was very Christ-like. I'm afraid that that reaction doesn't happen too much in real life anymore. I also liked the sermon and Bible study parts of the story. I learned a thing or two from them and was curious enough to look up some of the verses myself. Overall, this was a nice, short read that was packed with a few life lessons.

Movies: Better than the Book Edition

 

   There are many instances were I find that the book are just more than the movie version. The books delve more into the characters backgrounds. They just have more details than can be translated into film. But, I have found some stories that work better in movie form than book. Here's a list of the most notable (in no particular order).
1. The Princess Bride
     OK. This is the only one that earned its numerical spot. It is by far my favorite movie. I love the many amazing quotes that are in it! A few years ago, I gave the book a try, since I loved the movie so much. It was horrible, boring, and it was the "abridged" version. There was far too many descriptions. Buttercup is a complete ditz (even worse than Bella, and that's saying something!). The book also seemed endless. The movie was much funnier and just better. Plus, the settings in the movie were gorgeous (except for the fire swamp, which was super creepy). The ROUSs were quite laughable. The princess was gorgeous, Wesley was dreamy, and the supporting characters were perfect. Maybe the book took "to the pain" too seriously.

2. The Nanny Diaries
     This movie was a great romantic comedy. The child "Nanny" was carry for was almost as awful as his mother, who was atrocious. The actress who played Mrs. X was perfect. The book was almost unbelievable. All of the characters seemed to be inconsiderate robots. Even Nanny. In fact, the book never gave "Nanny" a name! Plus, the book had a character, Josh, who kept randomly popping up, but who didn't seem to have a purpose. The book made me want to chuck it out the window a few times. The movie, on the other hand, was great. Scarlett Johansson made me actually felt sorry for Nanny. Plus, the movie was cleaner than the book!

3. Sundays at Tiffany's
     I was sorely disappointed by this book. I saw it before I read it. The book was alright, but the movie did a better job of accentuating the fact that Michael isn't real. The book seemed too long. Truthfully, I don't remember much about this book. I just remember disliking it. I do love the movie though!

4. The Time Traveler's Wife
     The first time seeing the movie, I was annoyed with the sudden disappearances. I could totally relate to the frustration that Clare often felt. The disappearances where even more noticeable in the book, which, for some reason, bugged me. I don't recall crying at the end of the book, but I definitely still do at the end of the movie. I connected with the movie versions of the characters more. I don't really have a good reason for liking the movie over the book. I just do.

5. The Princess Diaries
     To be fair, I only read the first book. And it took all my willpower to finish just that! Mia was obnoxious, the grandmother stiff, and Michael was just...wrong. I loved the movies growing up and am excited about the possibility of a third.

6. If I Stay
     This movie was just...beautiful. The characters were real. Mia was perfectly portrayed.  The book's writing was amazing, but the teenagerness of the characters got really annoying half way through. This wasn't much of a problem in movie form. I also cried more during the movie than the book. Maybe it's just me. The story is amazing, in both book and movie form. The movie is just a smidge better.

   In case you didn't notice, I am fond of some of these books. They just didn't live up to the movies.
 
   Are there any movies that you enjoyed more than the books? Sound off below!

My Nook

 

   I purchased my Nook almost two years ago. So far, I love it! With it, I have:

•  downloaded over 380 books,

•  read about 70 different books on it (a few I have read more than once!),

•  and taken it practically everywhere I go.

   It has always been a habit of mine to take a book with me wherever I go. I've taken books with me when I shop, travel, and go to school. In the past, I've broken purses because of the weight of my books. This was one of many reasons that I decided to purchase my Nook (I actually just keep it in my purse so I don't forget it). It is much lighter and smaller than physical books, which makes it easy to stuff in any sized purse or backpack. I have used it in one of my college classes, since the e-book was cheaper than a regular book. On breaks at work, I'd use it to pass the time. I don't need to be in WiFi to read. I just choose a book that's already downloaded and go.

 
   I chose the version I have because I knew if I had access to games and Facebook, I'd use those instead of reading on it. Since it is so small, I couldn't use it to download textbooks, but an app on my laptop from Barnes & Noble lets me download textbooks, which I found I liked more than physical versions.

   One of the biggest reasons that I decided to purchase an e-reader was because of discounted books. Out of all the books I own through my Nook, I estimate that I have paid for 30 of them. The rest I have downloaded for free! The free books have been from varying genres, authors, and time periods.

   While I adore my Nook, I do still buy "actual" books. I love both print and e-books and always will!

October Musings

   Hey! I've been really busy lately, and I'm not going to get to the post I had planned for today. Instead, I figured I'd just post a long ramble about what I've been doing lately! [Please bear with me]

 

It's a gorgeous fall day here!

   I have made a schedule for this blog. I'm just having trouble sticking to it! All of my upcoming posts are guaranteed fascinating, but it seems I'm more interested in writing certain posts. Which means I don't spend enough time working on others. I've been putting anywhere from 2.5 to 11 hours a week writing! Granted, that is not all for this blog. Some of it's for various stories I have going. {I have yet to start work on my writing contest entry. I do have a solid idea for a story though!} I swear the blinking cursor of death is also giving me writer's block!
   I started a part-time job at Kmart two weeks ago and have started the process of getting another part-time job cleaning. I've been working less than ten hours a week at Kmart, but so far, I really like the job! The cleaning job is going to be a more consistently scheduled job. Yay money!
   Baking is another thing that has been taking up some of my time. I've been experimenting with different gluten free recipes. Homemade bread and pancakes were (successfully!) made this week. I may tackle a soup next.
   As usual, I have also been reading a lot of books, listening to audio books, and watching Netflix. I watched 13 episodes of a series on Wednesday and finished the latest season last night. With the audio books I've been listening to while cleaning and baking, I have gotten slightly ahead of my Goodreads reading challenge. I also visit various libraries throughout the week to browse and write. I've been to four different locations just this week!

I arrived at one library 20 minutes early, so I wandered around for a bit.

   That about sums up what I've been doing. I hope you're enjoying fall!

My Opinion of Georgiana Darcy’s Diary

     There are a lot of spin offs, fanfictions, and rewrites of Jane Austen's works.  Some of them are terrible, others are alright, but, every once in awhile, you may find some that are magnificent.  Georgiana Darcy’s Diary by Anna Elliott is one of the magnificent ones.

Synopsis

   Mr. Darcy's younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after.
   The year is 1814, and it's springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.
   Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana's domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana's fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart and rely on her courage, for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.

My Favorite Quote

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young lady of rank and property will have packs of money- or land-hungry suitors yapping around her heels like hounds after a fox."  ~Georgiana Darcy's Diary page 34 (in the Nook version)  I love this quote because it is reminiscent of the opening line of Pride and Prejudice.  I also like the fact that this quote shows a more sarcastic side of Georgiana.  Plus, the imagery is quite hilarious!
"It's just that it seems to me that what is a terrible hardship to one person may seem trivially small to another, but that does not necessarily make the hardship any the less hard to bear for the one who suffers it."  ~Georgiana Darcy's Diary page 287 (in the Nook version)  I think that this is so true and profound.  I have seen situations where someone is completely devastated by something that I wouldn't bat an eye at.  I guess it just comes down to what each person values in their life.

My Review

   This was the second book that I read that was written in diary form, and I believe that it is really well done!  [Although, I find my own diary very dull next to this piece of art.]  There are vibrant descriptions of various characters and of the area around Pemberley.  I found it very easy to imagine the various gowns that were described throughout the book.  The author does an amazing job of sticking to how Austen originally portrayed her characters.  I think she got Aunt de Bourgh spot on!  I also liked that she made Caroline Bingley more relatable, and we got to Anne better too!  Sketches are also occasionally included in this book.  Besides a few grammar mistakes, this is an amazing read!  [Note: the mistakes I'm talking about could just be from the fact that the version I have is an e-book.]  I thought I could guess a few of the twists in the book, but it turned out that I was only partially right.  This book was peppered with the right amounts of drama, surprises, and romance.  The one thing that made me love this book is the fact that it was from Georgiana's point of view.  I loved getting to know her better, and I hope you give her a chance as well!

Note: The last time I checked, this book was free for Nook.  Here's the link:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/georgiana-darcys-diary-anna-elliott/1111619145?ean=2940044982086