The Great Movies (Great Movies) by Roger Ebert

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America’s most trusted and best-known film critic Roger Ebert presents one hundred brilliant essays on some of the best movies ever made. 

For the past five years Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, has been writing biweekly essays for a feature called "The Great Movies," in which he offers a fresh and fervent appreciation of a great film. The Great Movies collects one hundred of these essays, each one of them a gem of critical appreciation and an amalgam of love, analysis, and history that will send readers back to that film with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm–or perhaps to an avid first-time viewing. Ebert’s selections range widely across genres, periods, and nationalities, and from the highest achievements in film art to justly beloved and wildly successful popular entertainments. Roger Ebert manages in these essays to combine a truly populist appreciation for our most important form of popular art with a scholar’s erudition and depth of knowledge and a sure aesthetic sense. Wonderfully enhanced by stills selected by Mary Corliss, film curator at the Museum of Modern Art, The Great Movies is a treasure trove for film lovers of all persuasions, an unrivaled guide for viewers, and a book to return to again and again.

The Great Movies includes: All About Eve • Bonnie and Clyde • Casablanca • Citizen Kane • The Godfather • Jaws • La Dolce Vita • Metropolis • On the Waterfront • Psycho • The Seventh Seal • Sweet Smell of Success • Taxi Driver • The Third Man • The Wizard of Oz • and eighty-five more films.

While I agreed with a few of the reviews in the book, I found my attention wandering during the whole of the book. Roger Ebert writes as if he were a college professor of film which makes for a boring book. He makes even the most exciting movie sound boring. He talks quite a bit about the technical details of the movies that he lists when I would rather hear about why he appreciated the plot and acting abilities of the actors/actresses. He does mention those things but sense I am not nor have I ever been a film student it is difficult for me to comprehend many of the points that he makes about many of the films. I think that this book would be great for film students but it just wasn't something that I enjoyed. I love movies but his writing makes me want to read more rather than watch a movie. He makes movies sound dull. I also disagreed with many of his choices such as Citizen Kane. I will never understand why some people love that movie so much. I think that it is overrated and dull. 
To be fair, I knew that I was going to disagree with many of his opinions which is why I picked The Greatest Movies to represent my nonfiction you feel you will disagree with category for the reading challenge I am participating in. Roger Ebert is famous for trashing movies and having controversial views. He either seems to like things that others think are awful or hate things that other people enjoy. 

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting when I began listening to this book. I had reservations because of the hype surrounding the author and her books because I have hated and I have also loved hyped books. It's hard to tell which way a book will go. I had heard from another book reviewer that Daisy Jones and the Six is best read through audio book because like Sadie it has a full cast and is written like a podcast or interview. For those of you who will remember this...it reminded me of an episode of VH1 behind the music. I thought that this method was brilliant and I thoroughly enjoyed the style of writing. 

It was difficult to listen to many parts of the book because I hated paths that characters went down and decisions that they made. Let's just say that the characters were truly living in the 70s with drugs and rock and roll. The book didn't always go in directions that I was expecting. The author hints that certain characters may not survive by the end but I was surprised. It is a heartbreaking story and I felt that mostly through the point of view of Daisy which I think it because she didn't have much self worth no matter what she tried to portray. I also think that she self destructed rather than facing and battling her demons. There were other characters that certainly drew me into their emotions and side of the story but Daisy was the focal point for me. 

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

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Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was trying to make sure it downloaded correctly after getting from the library and as soon as I looked at the first sentence I was hooked. I think that it was because Hazel had such a unique voice that captured me immediately and didn't let go. She didn't apologize for who she was but was still able to be vulnerable when she received looks or comments from others involving rejection. I loved that she was awkward and didn't have a filter. Awkward girls unite! I'm all for more awkward, weird female leads in books. I liked Josh as well and actually thought that he and Hazel were a good match for each other. I think that it's good to have characters that are different from each other. He was the calmness she needed to feel secure to fly and be silly.

I normally become annoyed easily with romance books that have the whole will they won't they, we don't want to risk being rejected trope but the author was very clever in her execution of the story. I didn't feel that there was any unnecessary drama added to the story. The dynamic made sense because of their past with each other combined with how Hazel views her dating life. 

They only part of the book that felt a little bit off for me was the end. My mind and emotions were still in one place when the book jumped to the epilogue. I wasn't ready for that at all. I thought that the story wrapped up nicely but I would have liked a bit more filler before the epilogue.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

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Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try.

Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile.

But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.

I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy Eliza and Her Monsters after reading one of Francesca Zappia's other books a while back and loving it. I think that Francesca's writing and story telling abilities have grown so much since her last book because I think that Eliza and Her Monsters is even better than I Made You Up. 

There were so many things that I enjoyed about the story. I thought that the web comic portions of the story were well done and it added to the story. I felt that there was so much of Eliza in her comic that it paralleled her story extremely well. I would love for the author to have Eliza's web comic as a separate book so that I can read it. The ideas behind it were so creative and I don't think that I have read anything like it. I know that a lot of readers would probably argue that this book is too much like Rainbow Rowell's book Fangirl and say that Franesca is coping her if she were to make Eliza's web comic into a book but I don't care. I didn't really like Fangirl. I think that this book is far and above the better book of the two. I think that Francesca does a better job of portraying severe anxiety in teens. 

I loved Eliza and Wallace as characters. They were so different in such a beautiful way. Their struggles were real and to someone who doesn't have anxiety the characters may not make sense because they have the hardest time just conversing with people. I loved the growth that I saw in each of them regardless of it being in baby steps. I liked that nothing was perfect by the end of the book because it felt closer to real life. People don't adapt and change drastically in every day life. It was interesting to see how Eliza's perspective changes over the course of the book and her eyes are opened to the world around her. There was a point where I didn't like Wallace at all because of something that he said and the way that he acts and I'm not sure that I got back to a good place with him by the end of the book. 

There is one thing that I have to speak about concerning the book because I know that my friends are waiting to hear my opinion on it. There has been a lot of debate in our book club regarding Eliza's parents and if they were in the right or in the wrong with their parenting of Eliza. I had this on my mind the entire time that I was reading and the conclusion that I came to is that there is not easy black and white answer. Eliza's parents clearly don't understand her. She is different from their other children and doesn't have much in common with either of her parents. It's clear from the first chapter that they are flying blind when it comes to her and even at times try to fit her into their family mold to make it easier for themselves. I felt that was wrong. She should be allowed to be her own person. She interacts enough with other people on a daily basis that don't accept her and she doesn't deserve that at home. I understand what that is like. I have pulled away socially many times in my life because people saw me as weird or awkward. It becomes easy to think "No one will except me for who I am and I don't want to change who I am to make other people more comfortable or make myself more likable". 

On the other hand, even though her parents push her or pull away from her at times they are still there. I think that they have interesting character arcs as well because it is clear that they grow and change along side Eliza. I appreciated this because the other was letting us know that none of the family members were perfect and that change needed to be discussed and worked on together. I think that it is important to note that they kept trying regardless. Could they have tried harder? Absolutely! I think that is what the author is trying to get across. We all need to try harder with other people. It may seem easy to judge someone and say they are weird but you don't know what they are going through or who they really are. They may be really creative or funny if you just give them the chance. 

Love Story (Love Story #1) by Erich Segal

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He is Oliver Barett IV, a rich jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law.
She is Jenny Cavilleri, a wisecracking working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe.
Opposites in nearly every way, Oliver and Jenny immediately attract, sharing a love that defies everything... yet will end too soon. Here is a love that will linger in your heart now and forever.

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." What a load of crap! That is just not true! The very act of saying that you are sorry to someone means admitting that you feel that you have wronged them in some way and are seeking forgiveness. If you love someone that doesn't automatically give you a free pass to make mistakes and never own up to it and apologize. That line, which is said in the book a few times, annoyed me so much. It was difficult to get past it especially after what happens to prompt the one of the main characters to say that line to the other. 
Can you tell that there were many things that I didn't like about Love Story? It was a very short book so I will mostly talk about the characters and their relationship as there was not much content besides that to go off of. 
I didn't find either of the main characters very likable and they treated each other poorly. It seemed like that was their thing...to belittle the other as if it were a game that each of them were striving to win. I have read enemies to lovers romance before but each person at least has redeeming qualities and ended up genuinely caring for the other. There is a point in the beginning of the book where Oliver is talking to Jenny about something regarding a  relationship with a family member and is being completely serious and she just brushes it off as if he were a whiny baby with no regard for his feelings. I don't think that this book should have been called love story at all. 
Also...insta-love! No! If you are writing a romance and the characters dislike each other this strongly you cannot have insta-love. I will admit that at times it has its place but it didn't work in this book. It was hard for me to care about their relationship or how it affected them and those around them. The characters were not fleshed out enough to really know or understand any of them. I was sad at the end of the story because as a human being I care when people are hurting but the story didn't have the effect that I think that the author set out to achieve. 

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch

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Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding, and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseparable siblings. Miserable, Addie can’t wait to visit her friend in Italy and leave her brother—and her problems—behind.

So when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s able to finally escape her anxious mind and Ian’s criticism.

And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother.

That is if they don’t get completely lost along the way.

Love and Luck was not at all what I thought it was going to be. I had thought that it was going to be a road trip romance with some angst thrown in. It was actually a book centered around self discovery and family. During the road trip, the main characters discover things about each other and find their inner strength to declare who they are as people and what they are each passionate about.
I think that it is easy to relate to Addie because who among us hasn't made mistakes regarding the opposite sex that we regret and who among us hasn't at one point felt invisible. I loved how each of the main characters brought a different energy to the book. Rowan was sensitive and a peacemaker for Ian and Addie when their arguments got out of hand. Ian brought an unapologetic passion and at times vulnerability to the mix. When all of these traits were brought together it made for an interesting energy that made me want to keep reading to see how the characters and their relationships might change over time.
It took me a second to get used to the guidebook parts at the beginning of each chapter but came to appreciate the background information. It was interesting to learn about different landmarks around Ireland and different tasks used to get over heartache. 
I thought that I would miss the element of romance in the story but I actually didn't. I loved the relationship between Addie and Ian even though they are dealing with some issues. That is the kind of relationship that I would like to have with my brothers where we care about each other and are best friends that support each others goals. It was so heartwarming to see their beautiful relationship displayed throughout the book despite obstacles. 

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

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The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he believes that he is an outsider. According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

I decided to give The Outsiders a second chance because I think that I might have been unfair to the book. I had to read this back in either middle school or high school. I can't remember exactly when but I hated required reading in school as I'm sure most kids do because teachers pick the novels that most kids are not into at a younger age. I have to read a popular book from the 60s to complete a reading challenge so I decided to read The Outsiders for the second time to see if I liked it any better than the first time. 

This reread was an interesting one for me to say the least. I was hooked into the story very quickly. I enjoyed each of the characters especially Soda which is probably because he is a friendly, happy go lucky character of the greasers. I really felt for both Johnny and Darry because each of them are trying to get through life but it is a struggle for each of them. They are having to cope with things in their young ages that others wouldn't normally have to. I liked Ponyboy a lot more reading the book this time because I feel like as an adult I can empathize with him easier. When I was a kid I didn't deal with anything like he does in the book and I think that might be one of the reasons why the book didn't interest me back then. I couldn't understand what the messages of the book were and I can comprehend them much better now. It's okay to be different and that just because you have less doesn't mean that you have to be of the same mindset as those that let that jade them into hating people with more. I think that the author is also trying to say that sometimes life gets out of our control and it is okay to fight the tide and try to swim rather than letting the water sweep us away.