"The Cinderella Pact"

by Sarah Strohmeyer, 2006, 287p, rating=3

Here's a twist... I like the TV movie version better than the book!  I saw the movie about a couple weeks ago on  Lifetime Movie Network (titled Lying to be Perfect) and enjoyed it.  Poppy Montgomery was wonderful as Nola Devlin/Belinda Apple.  Her leading man, real husband Adam Kaufman as David Stanton Jr. wasn't bad either.    A 21st century Cinderella fairy tale rendition ... instead of pitiful to princess, it's fat to skinny.  Can we guess why that attracted me?  Yeap, someone's been carrying an extra load or two *huge grin*, so I can certainly relate!

I'm not sure if I would have liked the book version better than the movie adaptation had I read the book first.  I just really enjoyed the movie take on it.  I would even venture to say it's just about completely different.  The only thing that stayed the same was the plot ... fat lady takes on an alter ego to stay afloat in her career and in the process becomes skinny and ends up with a rich handsome man.  Sexiest?  Not exactly.  Certainly if you go political on it, but then you'd lose the fun of a simple romance story.  It's simply a chick flick/read.

Synopsis by Goodreads:

Nola Devlin has a secret identity. By day she is an overweight, frumpy, and overlooked editor at Sass! (the "celebrity magazine with an edge!"), but by night she slips behind her keyboard and into her alter-ego: Belinda Apple. Belinda is thin, gorgeous, British and the author of a trendy advice column- she is, in effect, the latest Carrie Bradshaw. Not even Nola's two best friends or her self-absorbed sister (who worships Belinda as the "sister she never had") know her secret.

When "Belinda" jots off a column about how easy it is to lose weight, Nola is shocked when her best friends take her own lies to heart and urge her to follow Belinda's weight loss program. Since Nola can't reveal herself as the real Belinda Apple, she bites the bullet and joins her friends in making the "Cinderella Pact"- a last ditch attempt to lose weight (again!) and transform their lives for good.

But as the pounds come off, things don't turn out the way the three friends expect. Their journey of self-discovery leads to the return of an old love and the unmasking of new problems. Meanwhile, Nola finds herself torn between two different men as she stomps out fires caused by her deception as Belinda Apple and falls in love with the man who just might be her prince - or the rat in coachman's clothing.

Blog Hop

Hello and welcome!  It's been an exciting week ...including the Mockingjay recent release.  I was fortunate to run into the series late so I didn't go through the stress of waiting long.  Anyway, thanks again to our host Parajunkee for bringing us together.  You are fabulous!

Have a look around and if you like what you see become a follower and I'll hop on over your pad and follow you as well.  Be sure to leave a comment and leave me an addy or link to make it easier for this middle-aged lady to track you down!  ~Thank you in advance!!  =]

Happy Hopping!!

"An Ordinary Camp"

by Micheline Maurel, 1958, 141p, rating=5

(I own this book and this is my scanned copy of the cover)
"Micheline Maurel is one of the spokesmen of whom Francois Mauriac speaks. For this book is her testimony to the dignity and the courage of the human soul in the face of apparently unsurmountable obstacles. It is the story of one woman's attempt to retain her humanity in the midst of the most pervasive and obscene corruption the world has ever seen." (Goodreads...which btw I added to their book list since this edition was not there and I added this synopsis as well which I copied from the book front flap; you will find it in Goodreads under the French name, Un camp tres ordinaire)

Rephrased from the book's synopsis:
Mlle (mademoiselle) Maurel, a 32yo French woman who was active in the Resistance movements was captured by Vichy government in the summer of 1943.  She was sent to Neubrandenburge concentration camp for women (22,000 prisoners, some Poles, Czechs, Russians, a few French).  This is her memoir of her two year stay there.  She describes brutalization such as daily forced marches, long hours at attention on the parade ground, and constant beatings.  She also tells of the battle against filth and lice, mysterious disappearance of the very sick to unnamed "rest camps", and thieving and cheating over tiny luxuries ...

"But woven into the story of cruelty and brutality is another theme:  that of the few women who fought boldly and tirelessly, in spite of shaved heads and inedible food and humiliations of every kind, to retain some remnant of human decency and dignity; the story of women who shared their last scrap of bread with the dying, who wrote birthday poems to keep up their fellows' spirits, who sang the 'Marseillaise' on the march to work when they new it could only bring them a violent beating.  It is this account of unflagging courage and endurance that given An Ordinary Camp its special, compelling quality." (book back flap)

This is definitely a moving book.  I cried from the depth of my soul...  My sincere appreciation Mlle Maurel for sharing your life with us.

A couple of attributes of dark stories are that they help us to realize how good we really have it and give examples of what men are capable of enduring.  Mlle Maurel's story certainly has done those and so her invitation for all to be happy and to live comes from understanding.

A truly must read book!  ...Thank you Honey for having this in your library.

My quote-ables:
"Just think, there are people who are eating, Michelle would mutter.  People who eat and who think they are badly off!  Imbeciles!" pg 97
"I fumed at myself for all my former depressions, sadnesses and all my blue moods.  How could anyone, in the outside world, be unhappy?  Oh, if we were to go back now, I would know how to live.  I wouldn't be stupidly sad.  I wouldn't let a single moment be spoiled by the sorrows of love or by metaphysical anxieties.  I know now what I would do:  I would live." pg 97

"Mockingjay" (Hunger Games Book#3)

by Suzanne Collins, 2010, 390p, rating=3

"Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year." (Goodreads)

As few of you know, I had possession of this books days before it's release but was unfortunate enough to not have read book #2 yet so it did me no good.  Well, that's not completely true, I was giddy and thrilled at securing a copy.  Though late in coming, I caught on with the excitement of this book series.  And what an awesome series it is!!  It's books like these that make reading fun and exciting.

Okay, now for the review.  Well of course it starts off where book #2 left off.  Smooth reading and by page 84, I could have stopped reading and been totally satisfied.  I ran into a statement that was profound to me and felt it was the core of what to take out of this trilogy.  But, I kept on reading and so I was caught up with the storyline again.  Just when it seems nothing was moving, Ms. Collins did her magic and at the end of chapter 12, I found myself gasping, "No!".  However, the follow through came lacking for me.  Sure it still had the infamous Collins twist and turns to keep you turning the pages, but I guess the nine lives of Katniss became a bit of a stretch for me.  I wasn't crazy about the final character developments of Gale either.  I really hoped for an energetic fight from him and he didn't deliver. 
My quote-ables:
"Frankly, our ancestors don't seem much to brag about.  I mean, look at the state they left us in, with the wars and the broken planet.  Clearly, they didn't care about what would happen to the people who came after them." pg 84

**The above quote was the profound statement that blew my mind ...particularly, "Clearly, they didn't care about what would happen to the people who came after them.".  I got to thinking that it is important to what kind of legacy we leave for our posterity.  What we're doing today can very well affect what the future could bring.  How decent are we to each other?  Are we building a community that would sustain a safe environment for our children and their children and so forth?

"Catching Fire" (Hunger Games Book#2)

by Suzanne Collins, 2009, ebook, 391p, rating=4

"Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge." (Goodreads)

Although I enjoyed the first book more, this installment still delivered excitement.  Full of twist and turns that had me ooh-ing and aah-ing.  It introduced more characters that helped to continue the independence vs interdependence issue.  Because the games are back and this time it's the 75th so that means it's Quarter Quell time (every 25yrs)!  A huge reminder from the Capitol to the people of Panem that even the strongest cannot overpower them, thus dissipate any action of uprising. 

Here I was particularly impressed with the character developments of Katniss, Haymitch, Cinna, and District #13 (hint hint).  Just in case we forget that Katniss is still a kid we are reminded when she and Finnick gets right into Peeta's face for a hilarious scare (my favorite part in the book because finally, some fun amidst crude intensity).  More substantially, when Katniss was not in on the "plan" because who knows, her head might swell and that kick butt attitude of hers might take Panem into an opposite direction.  Let's have the grown-ups do the "planning" and that's where Haymitch comes to play.  After all he is experience and has much to offer..surprise!!  Moreover, Cinna's pretty brave here and I like it!  Oh, and as far as District #13, what a cliffhanger!!  The fight's on, Baby!!

Thank you Steff for emailing me this book so I was able to read it through html form.  ~The person who checked it out from my local library has not returned it yet so who knows when I'd finally get a hold of it.  You totally rock and now I'm ready for Mockingjay!!  Which by the way I've already started but it's been a busy busy weekend so I'm turning in early and will continue to read it with the rest of you tomorrow.

Oh, I almost forgot.  I was hoping to get more scoop on Gale from this book because I don't want to rule him out.  The first book leaned favorably on Peeta so I was curious where Gale would stand in here.  Hmmm, still a draw for me.  How do you choose from a too-good-to-be-true guy to a best friend knows-me-best guy? ... ya got me, I'm leaning on Team Gale ... but we'll see again in the next book. =]

"after the quake"

by Haruki Murakami, 2002, 181p, rating=4

"The six stories in Haruki Murakami’s mesmerizing collection are set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, when Japan became brutally aware of the fragility of its daily existence. But the upheavals that afflict Murakami’s characters are even deeper and more mysterious, emanating from a place where the human meets the inhuman.


An electronics salesman who has been abruptly deserted by his wife agrees to deliver an enigmatic package—and is rewarded with a glimpse of his true nature. A man who has been raised to view himself as the son of God pursues a stranger who may or may not be his human father. A mild-mannered collection agent receives a visit from a giant talking frog who enlists his help in saving Tokyo from destruction. As haunting as dreams, as potent as oracles, the stories in After the Quake are further proof that Murakami is one of the most visionary writers at work today." (Goodreads)

Another nice find of Mr. Murakami writings.  Too short that it may seem pointless but surprisingly pacts quite a stirring.  I'm beginning to like Mr. Murakami's quirky imaginative story telling (though I get a bit 'blushy' at the erotic references).  This book gets you to ponder about ones substance.  Do you feel empty?  Is there something missing in your life?  Will you do something to find what's missing?  What would you do for love? ...and much more.

My quote-ables:
"But there's such a thing as a way of living that's guided by the way a person's going to die." pg 51

Blog Hop

Welcome to another round of Blog Hopping graciously hosted by Parajunkee... whom I personally dub as queen of fabulous Linkys ... she's got linky too for those who have contests/giveaways ... how totally cool is that?!!  Be sure to check that out.

Anyway, please feel free to take a look around.  Don't mind my poor activity lately.  Been on a funk and slowly getting out of it.  I know your support will help cheer me up so if you like what you see become a follower, leave me a comment, and I'll follow you right back. 

~Take good care~