Eclectic Book Lover

Nothing frustrates me more than a messy office. Were you expecting something worse.  Like most people, I associate a messy room with a messy mind. Recently, I had a guest coming in a matter of hours and was in a total panic about the stacks of old papers lying around. No not books. I keep them securely stored in alphabetical order. I am now referring to years of old computer printouts on every imaginable subject—many are plot summaries of my favorite books. Remember, I mentioned that I read a lot.

Now it was time to put things in better order and I got out my paper shredder from Shredder Lab to see if it still worked. It made for quick disposal of outdated documents, and I got the room ready in no time flat. Although a cheap model, the machine still had the strength to devour dozens and dozens of discarded papers. It was then easy to toss a few plastic bags in the trash. Throw on a nice bedspread and a few cute pillows and I was ready to receive my friend.

When my friend arrived, we could spend time discussing old times and sharing favorite new reads. When she remarked on the cleanliness of her room, I just laughed and gave a nod to the shredder still sitting in the corner, looking a bit satiated and tired. The two of us decided to write down our ten all-time best novels to see if we agreed on writing quality. Here is what I wrote. What would be on your list?

Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain (now that’s an oldie, but sublime and fabulous)
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Cancer Ward (it took ten tries just to spell the author’s name)
Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides (a tough one—so unimaginable)
James Joyce, The Dead (also a great movie with Angelica Huston)

Carol Shields, The Stone Diaries (an all-time favorite female writer)
anything by Margaret Atwood, Carson McCullers or Liane Moriarty—yes, more women
Graham Greene, The Heart of the Matter (let’s hear it for the English dudes)
D. H. Lawrence, The Plumed Serpent (exotic and intense)
Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea (there is room for more men on my list)
Ralph Ellison, The Invisible Man (I will never forget it)

As much as I like reading – and dozens of subjects are on my list – I also like writing, whether freelance for a client, my own evolving novel, or this blog. I vowed to cover interesting moments in my life, but sometimes I am at a loss. I don’t want to bore readers with a mundane description of a meal, a day at the gym, an ordinary shopping trip, or a round of miniature golf. It has to be more eventful than that.

Last night, I jumped on an in-ground trampoline (where the equipment is permanent) with a friend and it was a big surprise. Who knew that jumping around could be so entertaining, and also great exercise. Once you get started, you keep on going until you break a sweat and start to burn calories. I love the idea of replacing a session or two at the gym with this dynamic activity. There is something inherently pleasing about being buoyant. If you progress in your skills and learn to flip and turn (moving from a standing to a seating to a reverse direction standing position), you get all the endorphins going. Trampoline moves at first are not terribly difficult if you are not timid. You need to go for it or you will give up too fast. It is a little scary, but the large trampolines are forgiving and if you land in the wrong place, you will soon right yourself.

I don’t think a trampoline has ever been the focus of a short story or novel. At least, not that I know of. You can clue me in if I am wrong. Meanwhile, I am thinking that it would make a great story for kids or teens. There could be some kind of rivalry involved or a scenario where the class wuss learns the advanced techniques and progresses to win the regional tournament. I can also see a young couple meeting at the trampoline grounds and falling in love over time. One teachers the other the necessary tricks and a bond soon forms. Now there has to be some kind of conflict. One could get hurt doing a tuck jump or double summersault. Maybe it is a pike jump or straddle. If I use the right terms, it will make the book more authentic. What do you think? I am rambling.

No kidding. Let’s move on with the plot. Another woman could enter the picture. Perhaps she is a trainer. The young man in the story could admire her form (and I mean that in both senses of the word. Ha!) When the young woman is injured, the man can take the opportunity to move in on the trainer. When our gal recovers, she will create a major uproar. This is the climax of the story, the point of no return, so to speak. After the climax, comes the resolution. I can envision several conclusions, but I am going to save the final one for the next blog.

Books and books and more books. My life is surrounded by them. I read them, write them, and collect them, and trade them—on any interesting subject, fiction or non-fiction alike. I frequent garage sales on the weekend because they are the best source of new finds. The Internet has every old book in existence, but you can’t thumb through them online. I like the physical experience. You can only enjoy the hunt in person. When I get donations of old stuff, it takes the excitement out of new acquisitions.

At a garage sale not long ago, I found something I never expected I would buy: a book on metal detecting called Finding a Fortune. It was your basic how to and included some rather nice illustrations. Something about me was motivating. It wasn’t that old so the information was timely and I would learn something entirely new. My father used to collect gold coins and he had his own metal detector to use at the beach or in the park. It amused me to watch him amass bottle caps from their hidden homes in the ground. Only once did he find a coin—an old silver dollar. It was his one big success. In his memory, I will find out the appeal of this hobby by buying the used book.

I relished every page and actually considered starting metal detecting as a new hobby. It is easy and can be done most anywhere. If you are a true aficionado and belong to a club, you can get hints about the best places to go. This way as a beginner, you won’t just bag a lot of junk. Kids don’t mind this approach as any cast-off object is a find. Some make sculptures by welding pieces together. As for me, how about detecting a precious metal like gold.

You have to buy the right device for a given location and learn how to do the settings that will yield the best results. Each gadget has a low or high degree of sensitivity so you get anything from coins to metal trash. You also need to learn how to read the sound signals. It is kind of challenging and fun. Dad, I know what made you gravitate to this activity. I wish you could go with me and share your expertise. I am being a bit of a jokester here given his poor track record.

The book gives all the tips and tricks of the trade and what items you are likely to find. This becomes your inspiration to take on the pastime. No one gets rich overnight, but it does pass the time on a picnic, camping trip, or outing at the beach. You can do it with friends and kids and make it a group project. You can even run a contest and award the winner with the best find of the day. It can become super competitive and a great way for a family to bond.

A familiar little voice in my head blurted, “get outdoors and enjoy some fresh air.” Was it telling me that I had been neglecting myself? I do spend a lot of time at the computer plying my trade as a novelist. It can give me a stiff and sore back. I ignore mealtime and the need to take a breather to rest my eyes. It is time, I was telling myself, to take it all outside. I can work on a laptop and read anywhere there isn’t too much chaos or noise. I am not one to read sitting on a bench in the mall watching bratty kids go by screaming for what they want to buy. A train or plane is okay, but a bus is not. I do like lounging by the pool at a friend’s house who is a fellow book lover. We get out a favorite movie we both want to watch it on the outdoor projector near the pool. She installed it years ago after seeing those outdoor cinema sessions in swimming pools. While it’s fun to go and watch a movie in public, sometimes you just wanna relax at home and that’s why she set it up.

So, there we were comfortably ensconced on lounge chairs with a tall glass of iced tea at our sides on a small stool. A table under the covered patio held our sandwiches and dessert. Later, we might need fortification. We were relaxed and content to curb our normal conversation so we could listen intently. There was only the chirping of the birds and the whoosh of the pool cleaning system to distract us. Soon it became white noise. This peace went on for some time until we noticed that the sound was getting a bit distorted. It was annoying to say the least. After a minute or two of a garbled voice, we wondered if the chlorine in the pool had damaged the speakers. Our relaxing day was getting tense.

My friend approached the speaker control knobs and turned them this way and that. Suddenly, pure sound returned. I guess she had the magic touch and the chlorine was not the culprit. After all, they make these speakers for pools. I was going to suggest pulling out the product manual or asking on Facebook. Instead, we could return to our movie. It was loud and clear. As we stayed for a couple of hours, a time punctuated by a few pauses to take a dip in the pool to cool off, we almost finished it. The ending was near and after the point of narrative climax, we couldn’t wait to see more. It took another hour to finish and we put everything away, returned uneaten food to the fridge, and poured a last glass of tea. I was ready to leave but couldn’t resist a few minutes to discuss the plot and characters. It was rather well written with fleshed out protagonists and an emotional ending. This was the novelist in me talking.

Would you like to hear about my writing adventures, my reading preferences, or my daily, aka ordinary, life? While the first two might hold some interest to fellow travelers in the world of books, the latter preoccupies me enough to share it with others. I love to get feedback. Sometimes I hear more stories that give me fodder for new material. I keep a journal in the flesh and online so I am always noting down ideas. I spend so much time listening and talking (or texting) people, that I don’t always have much of an “ordinary” life. I don’t clean house, dust or wield a vacuum, go to movies in a brick and mortar theater, or dine out. I don’t walk the dog, bike to work, bake cookies, or style my hair.

When typing rhythmically on the keyboard, my mind sometimes wanders and I create imaginary situations that turn into a short story. Recently, oddly enough it was about a man who fell in love with a vacuum cleaner. I think it was because I had been thinking about the housecleaning and I’d read this page to help me find a new vacuum – https://www.thevacuumchallenge.com/best-dyson-vacuum-cleaner-use/. It turned into a surrealistic romance, obviously fiction. Would this make an interesting book? You must write it to find out. I would read it I suppose. I like oddball stories and a vivid use of the imagination. Why not an appealing female upright. I can see someone starting the book and finding out the plot and yawning with boredom. The reader might slam the book shut and write a nasty note on the author’s Facebook page. What makes something grab attention? This is something every good writer wants to know.

When I read fiction, for example, I am not always fully absorbed in the characters or the setting. It takes time to be hooked. While some books just don’t reel me in, I try to give things the benefit of the doubt. I am told I have a kind heart. When it comes to other authors, I have a lot of respect for their craft. I suffer through it often enough. Maybe that is why I love to read. It is more relaxing and less stressful. I like to enter another world created by an inquisitive mind. Good dialogue gives me a thrill. I learn from every single book, good or bad. Yes, it is important to know what doesn’t work. Maybe a love affair with a vacuum does not. I am going to read it to the end to be sure. I might be surprised. It is like a Bunuel movie or a Salvador Dali painting (remember the melting watches).

As I mature in my reading taste, I embrace new approaches to storytelling and human characterization. Things don’t always have to be super realistic and plausible. That equates to me writing about my daily life. It isn’t that interesting. I would rather have an encounter with an inanimate object as the inspiration for an amusing tale.

I love to find the perfect gift when I am invited to a birthday party. When it comes to tweens, however, the job is a bit difficult. What do these budding adults like? Because I am always reading, I buy a few books on teen age life as a kind of research. I hope the novelists are spot on about their behavior and preferences. Yes, music is a passion, but also sports. These days soccer reigns supreme. After finishing a round of books, I concluded that something from this realm will be fine. I am not interested in buying a ball or support gear, nor am I likely to buy a shirt and shorts set. I have always prided myself on being more unique than the average person. I have to be armed with a good gift come party time.

The gift is for a young cousin who I do not know that well. If I were to receive a soccer-themed present, I would love some new cleats. For a relative, money is no object. It is time to visit the sports store or go online—or both. I want to get it right so I am not going to shortchange this project. The description on the box or website has got to say “premium.” What does that mean?

First of all, I found out from https://www.topcornermag.com/best-soccer-cleats/ that shoes for soccer with cleats on the soles come in youth sizes too. That gives me a huge selection in all price ranges. They can run to several hundred dollars, and since they start at around $100, I will opt for a model in between. Premium means well made, durable, comfortable, and a quality brand. No need to get the top product, or will be spending too much. I want a very good cleat with superior reviews. I like the laceless version and one touted as “perfect for helping you control the game.” That says a lot. I want upgraded material for the upper cleat, one that is specially engineered for the best lockdown and support. Extra control for touches and shots is the name of the game so to speak. Not only is the vamp important, but the right kind of collar that cuts off around the base of the ankle. This means a sock-like fit. I wonder if my cousin will appreciate all these fabulous features. If not, I will bring them up, particularly the comfortable ride you get every single game. I know that responsiveness and explosiveness is important when running and cutting.

I enjoy watching women’s soccer and you can bet that I am very into this birthday gift. A lot of valuable personal time went into its selection. I had the most trouble deciding on the color. There are many hot shades or green, orange, blue, red, and yellow beyond the dull white and black. My cousin seems like a sprightly gal, so red it is this time.

Everyone knows that I always have a book in my hand. I can be seen walking erratically while reading a few pages to keep on schedule. They gossip together that I need an outdoor retreat where I can actually sit down for a while. They worry that I will stumble and fall or bump into an innocent person. It is nice that they want to help me out. What do they have in mind? A friend who is a welder tells me that she was asked to make a metal bench like one she has on her patio. It will be given to me on an upcoming birthday. It isn’t going to be a surprise, but now that I know I can make room for it. I love the idea of reading outside on pleasant days when the air isn’t too cool or too warm—but just right. If it is too hot, I will fall asleep in the middle of even a good book. If it is cold, I can grab a terry blanket that I often use at the beach.

As a welder, my friend makes the coolest projects for herself and family and to sell. She is a staple at the local crafts fairs. You meander through the booths and displays looking at handmade textiles, artworks, metal sculptures and fabricated benches and chairs. The latter are where my friend shines. Her work is exquisite. She gets some of the ideas online from Rate My Welder or their Facebook page. I am so excited to be the next owner of one of her special items. Each one is unique and she takes custom orders. I am happy to get what she designs. I know how good her bench looks on her patio and I have the perfect place in mind.

As soon as my new bench, expertly welded, arrived I tried it out immediately. I sat in the yard and admired the beauty of nature around me. I have always been involved in gardening and every season has its blooming flowers. I became relaxed and in the mood to read. But then I am always in the mood for a new book. I supply my friends and family with my leftovers. I love that the books change hands. I know they, too, pass them on.

To add to the pleasurable outdoor experience, my friend crafted a fabric cushion that ties on and is removable to wash. It adds just the right element of comfort. It is hand dyed and also looks colorful and festive. The adorned bench beckons me when I am idle inside my house. It draws me to its decorative presence. I love it so much that I have asked my friend to make a companion table so I can place soft drinks and snacks right beside me as I read. I am so lucky to have a talented friend. I don’t see myself wielding a welding machine. She laughs when I balk at her offers to teach me her trade. But reading is really my thing.

I want to write a short story about my new bookcase. It doesn’t seem like much of a subject, but wait…! This bookcase is a labor of love, fabricated by a close friend with her new table saw. I love the fact that a delicate, petite woman can wield a tool as well as any man. It is no fantasy story. It is a true-to-life tale of satisfying a need by drawing upon all your own resources. What is interesting is how my friend acquired the saw. Most women don’t own them and they aren’t given as gifts. My friend is not a novice at woodworking having taught high school shop. She went to the school one day to borrow the saw to make my custom bookcase. It would house all my precious books—and I have many! The saw was missing and she deduced that it had been stolen. She was miffed for herself and the students who would have to go without.

She spread the word but no saw reappeared. She prayed to the gods of construction and hoped to find a solution. She didn’t have the money at the moment to replenish the missing gear s she would have to be practical. She knew that there was a job going on nearby remodeling a rundown house. She stopped by allegedly to watch the millwork being fabricated. She started talking to the foreman and then the artisan who didn’t mind taking a break from his work. It was at the end of the day and stopping time was approaching. She didn’t want to lose an opportunity. “Tell me about your saw,” she asked. “I need one and perhaps you can guide me to a reasonable source.” “Sure,” he answered, giving her a long look. She winked and he smiled. A connection was there.

“In my trade,” he added, “people are always disposing of old tools. It’s not that they aren’t good but that a new model has just come out.” “Tell me more,” she uttered, trying to squash her excitement. “Take this one here,” he explained. “I’ve had it for some time and it works great but I have been pining for an updated model. Are you interested in purchasing it?” My friend was aghast, but then suddenly she feared a hefty price tag. “Used equipment is cheap,” he said, calming her down. “Think about it,” he crooned, “and perhaps we can have dinner tonight to discuss the details.” “Oh yes” was her response. At seven sharp the two of them were to meet at a local café.

My friend liked the wood worker and didn’t feel that she was under duress to trade a table saw for a date. It was just a lucky encounter, the kind we all hope to have from time to time in our lives. She arrived early and was seated at a table with a view of the door. At ten past seven, the craftsman walked in toting a box. He handed her the mystery container, which she opened promptly. Inside, was a replica of the table saw and a sign that read “the real one is yours.”

I spend an embarrassing amount of money on books every year. I have an active library card, which I use religiously, and I buy used whenever possible, but I spend about as much on books as Carrie Bradshaw spent on shoes. It’s a hazard of the habit, honestly. As I more fully embrace ebooks, however, I have learned various ways of scoring free books. Here are some tips to get cheap or free books, no library card required:

If you don’t already have an ereader, download Amazon’s Kindle app to your phone. Then go into their Kindle store and click on the bestsellers link. Of course, it defaults to Top 100 Paid, but you can actually switch it over to the Top 100 free books. If you are more of an iThing user, iBooks has a similar link in their “Top Charts” section. While I am sure not all of them will float your boat, remember that they’re free. So even if you start reading one, and you end up not liking it, you aren’t out any money. I like to give new authors a try this way—I’ve been hooked on a few good series as a result. Also, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get to pick one book to download each month for free from the Kindle First program. The selection varies from month to month, but it is usually from a group of six titles. The Samsung version of the Kindle app also does the same thing, allowing its users to download a book from a group of four each month.Amazon will also let you borrow one Prime title a month. As long as you return one before borrowing another, you can take one out every 30 days.

You can also join a site like the self-publishing giant Smashwords. It’s free to join, and many of the books they offer are free or super cheap. They’ve got a huge range of topics, and you navigate subjects by clicking the buttons on the left-hand side of the page. There are plenty of formats available, so you should be able to find something compatible with your device.

If you aren’t really a contemporary literature reader, I have some wonderful news: many classics are public domain. I’m talking Sherlock Holmes and Pride and Prejudice. Authors like Kafka, Tolstoy, Wilde, and Dickens. All those heavy hitters and great books, and they’re all free. Really! The Gutenberg Projector Free Classic Bookshave them available for download in most ereader formats. I downloaded the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe and The Importance of Being Earnest the last time I was there. Oh, if only our English Lit teacher could see us now! If that isn’t enough, there’s also the mind-boggling site Open Library, where you can borrow or download over a million ebooks.

There are also a bunch of newsletters you can subscribe to. I personally use Bookbub, because I can customize the notifications I receive—I have it checking for deals on my favorite authors’ books as well as specific categories that I enjoy. I am sent an email every day with books that will likely interest me that are either free or very low price. If I don’t see anything I like, I just delete the email and wait for the next day’s list.

Nothing beats your public library for free books, but the ebook market has definitely opened up a whole new—free—world for readers. I highly recommend taking advantage of some, if not all, of the links above. Happy reading!

I just love Goodreads, don’t you?The type-A inside me adores the idea of a virual set of shelves where I can organize every book I’ve read, all the stuff I want to read, and keep track of what I am currently reading. think it helps that my ereader is aKindlebecause Goodreads tends to know what ebooks I have.Goodreads can make suggestions based on the books you have read and authors you have shown interest in,which is a great feature for someone like me. It can find me other books by the same authors or other books in the series. They are listed in sequential order, which I find to be a useful feature. Unless there is a number in the title, it can be hard to find the right order on Amazon, because their books are usually ranked by popularity instead.

Goodreads has allowed me to go on extensive “reading binges” as well. Say I choose a book that is a period romance. Then I am intrigued by the time period, so I’ll search Goodreads for another book, this time something highly recommended in the history section. But that piques interest in the setting of the new book, so I’ll find a fictional novel set in that locale. But maybe that fictional novel mentions a real person, and then I’m off reading a biography on someone. I love when things like that happen.The variety of subject matter has helped me broaden my knowledge base,improving my skills as a writer. Not only does it give me exposure to different styles of writing, but I’ve also got all these little tidbits of information just waiting around in my brain. Any one of them can spark a short story or a novel.All that creative material helps make anything that I write more descriptive and realistic, allowing me to flesh out locations and characters with confidence and accuracy.

Another reason I love Goodreads is that it makes reading a social activity. It is great to lose myself in a book, but it can be an isolating experience; nothing says “Don’t approach me,” quite as effectively as someone with their nose in a book! However, on Goodreads, you can find other like-minded readers to exchange ideas and reviews with. Other users have steered me toward some great books that I may never have found on my own. I’ve also been able to talk to some of my favorite authors through their own Goodreads accounts. It always feels amazing to get a response from an established author!

There you have it: why I Goodreads. What about you? Have you used Goodreads? If not, it’s a great thing to check out if you’re as voracious and eclectic of a reader as I am!

I should never have told anyone that I was writing a book. It was early on in the process, back when I was naïve and felt the need to justify my lack of gainful employment. I was only six months out of college but already growing discouraged at my lack of prospects. All of my friends were embarking on the next stage of their lives. Looking at them and their shiny new careers, while I applied to dead-end jobs with Maury playing in the background, sent me into a bit of a panic. I’d always wanted to write a novel but never really had the room in my schedule to just sit there and actually write it. Then, suddenly, I was blessed with nothing but time. I had no more excuses.

At first, everything was very disjointed. I had a character and bits of dialog, but no actual plot to give her. She wandered aimlessly in an ill-defined world, usually speaking only to herself. I would sit and write snatches of scenes, and then erase them the next day. There was a point where nothing came out at all.  I finally secured a steady freelance writing job at a lifestyle magazine and website. I get my assignments at the beginning of the week and submit them as they are completed. The pay is decent, and I can telecommute. Other than the fact that it doesn’t come with health insurance, the job is nearly perfect for me. I am a paid writer. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

For a while, I couldn’t juggle everything. My own writing took a backseat, and when I did have the time to write, it felt like work. My writing felt forced, boring, and unnatural. My protagonist and the narrative voice I was so meticulously (one could say to my own detriment) crafting went completely silent. People would ask how the book was coming and I wouldn’t know what to say, so I would change the subject. Instead, I would talk about my job, how great it felt to be paid for my words and thoughts.

Fortunately, things have gotten better, although it is progressing a little slower than I’d like. I got the hang of my work requirements and am much more confident in my writing skills. I do not have to spend whole days on articles anymore, which cleared the way for me to carve out some daily time to change gears and work on my own writing. The book is still in pieces, floating around on my hard drive. But I can see the shape and scope of it now. It is no longer a jigsaw puzzle with mostly blank pieces. I know the ways everything will fit together and how I want it all to sound. I am more determined than ever to pull it all together and get it published one day. I’d like to see my name on a hardcover dust jacket on the shelf of my library. I think that would be the highlight of my life, honestly.

Now, when people ask me how that novel is coming, I tell them, “It’s coming along just fine.”

There are definitely a lot of romance novels out there. I’ve read a few (or dozens). They range in theme from chaste to racy to downright dirty. It all depends on what you find interesting or sexy. For me, I like to have my books pack a little more literary punch than 50 Shades of Grey, but not everything needs to be Madam Bovary, either. There are plenty of new authors selling digital books very cheaply or for free in the romance category—the free ones tend to either be the first in a series or a back catalog title to entice you to buy a newer release. I don’t usually care about the reason; I read so quickly, I’m very happy with anything free!

Here are a few of my favorite romance books and authors. If you like it a little (or a lot) hot, take a look at some of these:

J.D. Robb and the …In Death series.  It’s no secret that Robb is a pen name of the romance master, Nora Roberts. This set-in-the-future crime series focuses on the feisty Eve Dallas and her rich and sexy husband, Roarke. Each book has a mystery that begins and ends within its pages. The relationships between the characters have grown and evolved through the series, and there are occasional references to the past, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment if you aren’t reading them in sequence. That means I can read whatever book my library happens to have on hand without worry that I’m not going in order.

Any Eloisa James book is going to give you a well-researched, nicely written historical romance, but Desperate Duchess is my favorite. I think that I just enjoy the naivety and bluster of the main character, Roberta. The book goes back and forth a bit between a heated chess game, Roberta’s desire to marry, and her burgeouning relationship with another man. The writing style is clear and smart, and the characters are typically well developed. If you like your bodice-rippers with a little bit of history, put James on your list.

Because I love reading a little of everything, I can’t make a list like this without Larissa Ione and her Demonica paranormal romance series. While a hospital in the underworld run by supernatural creatures like demons and vampires doesn’t necessarily sound sexy, once you start reading the series, you’ll get it. My favorite book is Sin Undone because it introduces one of my favorite characters, Sinead. If you are into shows like Supernatural but want a little more romance, I highly recommend this series.

If you want to read more of a literary but racy classic, I suggest you start with Henry Miller’s once banned opus of American post-modernism, Tropic of Cancer. Anything that sets a stateSupreme Court into a tizzy is going to end up on my bookshelf, and I’m especially going to read it if it’s called a “cesspool, an open sewer, a pit of putrefaction…” Thanks, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Musmanno, and your dissenting argument to ban this book back in 1966! Miller’s frank writing style and subject matter clearly offended many, but it’s just good writing.

Now that you have some steamy romances to read, what are you still doing reading this post? Go on, pick up a book!

As a book lover, I am both excited and filled with trepidation when I learn that a book I loved is being adapted into a film. A beautiful novel should turn into a lovely film, and sometimes we get lucky. As readers know, however, we have been burned before. We have visions of the characters that sometimes are hopelessly dashed when casting is announced. Other times, our favorite parts are changed, or even omitted, for reasons we’ll never understand. Sometimes the phrase “based on” and the title of a favorite story seem to mock us from the screen when the two bear almost no relation to each other.

I loved The Life of Pi.I loved the writing style and was so afraid that it would fall to the wayside and the CGI would be overwhelming. I was pleasantly surprised that the feel of the story remained the same. They solved all the nearly-impossible logistics of the story and managed to keep the heart.It was beautiful to read and mesmerizing onscreen. Truth be told, though, my favorite book-to-film adaption is The Princess Bride. I loved the book growing up and thought the movie brought it to life in a way that I didn’t even think possible. I think it helped that author Goldman also wrote the screenplay and that the cast was—from top to bottom—downright perfect for the roles.

Some books are changed slightly for time reasons, and I totally understand that. I loved reading The Martian, and I thought that the film adaptation did reasonably well with the edits they made. Of course, they changed the ending a little, but I think that was more to give the audience a better sense of closure than an attempt to improve upon Andy Weir’s book. Much of The Time Traveler’s Wife suffered the same fate, much to the film’s detriment. But I never understand changing the ending of a source book. The first time I saw it was in The Chocolate War. There was a reason Cormier chose to end the book the way he did, and that one marble changes the entire arc of the story. Even as young as I was, I remember feeling outright appalled by the change. Another one I did not understand was the ending of My Sister’s Keeper. The ending in the film was a dramatic twist to an already wrenching tale. When it deviated from the novel, it changed the entire path and message of the story, nearly rendering it all irrelevant.

My least favorite film adaption might be a surprise to you. I can’t think of anything worse than what Jim Carrey and company did to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I don’t know if it was because they created all thatunnecessary backstory to make the movie an acceptable length, because they were messing with something so familiar to me, or if it was because Carrey is NO Karloff. Although it was considered old before I was born, I love Chuck Jones’ animated version. It is so much better. I heard The Cat in the Hat is just as bad, but I have managed to avoid seeing it so far.

In the interest of full disclosure, I haven’t seen the film adaptions of either The Lovely Bones or The Book Thief. I loved both books to the point of being afraid to watch them for fear of them being mangled. Usually, though, I try to give adaptions the benefit of the doubt.What about you? Are you usually disappointed with film adaptions, or do you think they usually get them right?