The Lovely Bones Trailer

One of my favorite books of all-time is now a movie, releasing on November 21st. Maybe after seeing New Moon at midnight, I can come back that afternoon to catch The Lovely Bones! This book will grip your soul and keep you mulling it over for weeks and weeks. Watch the trailer, but keep in mind, that the book is always better than the movie!

Three New Moon Official Posters!

The posters, stills, trailers and visual appeal of New Moon far exceeds Twilight, in my humble opinion. Like my husband said after watching the New Moon trailer with me, "this movie is in the big leagues compared to the other one." Yes, my friends, I think New Moon will be a production like no other come November. Big Leagues, indeed! I can't wait!

So I Reread New Moon This Weekend...

I may be slightly pathetic for admitting this, but I've read Twilight, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn at least two times apiece. I'm a huge fan of rereading because just like watching your favorite film over and over, you can catch details you missed the first go-around when you reread. When I teach a novel, year after year, I am constantly rereading. I have read The Outsiders at least ten times (when you throw in student teaching and my 7th grade year at WDJH), and every year I catch something new in the novel I missed the last time I read it. I actually think I enjoyed Twilight much more the second time because I wasn't rushing through it!

You will notice that I left New Moon out of the mix during my first rereading marathon. New Moon hurt so much the first time, I just couldn't put myself through it a second time during my rereads last summer. With the movie release swiftly approaching, I wanted to have the novel fresh on my brain so I could pick apart each scene with a fine-tooth comb. I begrudgingly picked up a second copy (with the splendid new movie cover, I might add), and gave it another go! Maybe it was because I knew how the book would end (with Edward safely between the last pages and full of life in two more thick books), but rereading New Moon brought me so much pleasure this time! Stephenie Meyer has most definitely had her heart broken...we all know what that huge hole in your chest feels like when you lose the one you love. I identified with Bella's pain in a whole new way, and began to love Jacob just a teensy bit more! If you haven't reread New Moon, give it a try before the movie releases. (It will also give you an excuse to purchase the book with the movie cover you see below. You don't want to damage your hard cover copy, now do you?) You know that Edward will be right back in Bella's arms, so what do you have to lose this time around?

Catching Fire Movie Cast...Suggestions, Please!

I need thoughts and suggestions from my Catching Fire fans before I create a Catching Fire cast list. Who do you picture as Finnick, Johanna, or Nuts and Volts? The new characters are making it tough for me to create a cast because I can't quite find anyone who perfectly fits the part or age range. A little help would be greatly appreciated! So far, I've only thought about Finnick...I wonder if this is because he is bronzed babe in the book? Could be!

I like Robert Buckley from Lipstick Jungle, but I'm not sure I have the age of Finnick right. I'm thinking he is 24-25ish if he was 14 and the 65 annual Hunger Games. Is that right? Buckley is 28 years old, so if I'm thinking of the correct age for Finnick, then I'm in the right celebrity age range. Most actors play younger men in their movies, so the difference between 24 and 28 isn't all that great on the big screen. I was also thinking of Jessica Biel for Johanna, but Bield doesn't have the dark eyes that Collin's describes in the book. I guess if Kristen Stewart can wear brown contacts to play Bella, then Biel can for Johanna. What age is Johanna? I need to reread Catching Fire to make sure I'm thinking in the same time frame as Collins. I'm imagining her to be no older than 30, athletic and attractive. Any suggestions beside Biel? You can find my other cast members on my HUNGER GAMES MOVIE CAST LIST. Also, check out Entertainment Weekly's recommendations for The Hunger Games movie!

Edward is a Doll...Literally!

Click on Bella or Edward for a link to the collector's dolls by Mattel. Edward's a little too thin for my taste, but other than that, these are the best dolls I've seen of the pair! Toys R' Us has them priced for $24.99 each and you can pre-order them now.

More Pictures from the Set of Eclipse!

Not sure what scene this is, but it's lookin' good!
June 30th, 2010 cannot get here fast enough!

What in the Heck?! Friggin' Shoot Me...

Yahoo News reports: An Indonesian woman has given birth to an 8.7-kilogramme (19.2-pound) baby boy, the heaviest newborn ever recorded in the country, a doctor said. The baby boy is pictured here next to a baby of average size at a hospital in Medan, North Sumatra.

Can you tell a MAN probably wrote up this report?? Why, you may ask I would assume that? Because a WOMAN would have answered the first question those of us with a UTERUS asked ourselves as soon as we read the "19.2 POUND" part of this little story. "Did she deliver NATURALLY??" I'm sure there was a c-section involved, but why not at least mention how the mother is doing after delivering a friggin' toddler? Just sayin'!!!

The Host...Movie Rights Purchased, Directors Assigned!

On the author's blog, stepheniemeyer.com, she shares with fans the exciting news of The Host being made into a movie. Here's what the best-selling author had to say about the news of her fifth novel hitting the big screen:

I'm so excited to be working with Nick Weschler, and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz to bring The Host to a visual format. They've all been a dream to work with, so lovely and collaborative, and I feel like we're in a really good place to make a great movie together. And then to have Andrew Niccol writing and directing? Truly awesome. If you've never seen Gattaca, go watch it now. One of my favorite movies of all time. It's such a great example of character driven science fiction, which is ideal for The Host, no? I'm having an absolute blast imagining different dream casts, which I would post if people didn't take my silly blogs so seriously these days. I'm looking forward to seeing the cast lists you come up with in the fansite forums, and if any of them match mine.
So, very exciting. Yay Host!

We are excited too, Stephenie! The Host was a fabulous novel with such unique characters and moving plot. I can't wait to see where the directors take this project...I'm sure filming the underground tunnels will be a challenge!

Eclipse Movie Now Has Fansite!

Of course there are tons of fansites, but the makers of newmoonthemovie.org have now created a similiar version of their popular website for Eclipse. Eclipse is my favorite book in the series, so you know I will be pillaging this site quite frequently! Go to http://www.eclipsemovie.org/ to see the latest information on the making of Eclipse. Here are a few of the Eclipse pics I snagged off of the site today:

Remember in Eclipse when Jacob shows up at Forks High School to confront Edward? THIS IS THE SCENE! AWESOME!

On the Set of Eclipse Montage

From hisgoldeneyes.com:

EW Debate: Highbrow vs. Lowbrow Literature

Entertainment Weekly writer Kate Ward shed light on a debate that seems to be raging on in the literary world today. Apparently, "highbrow" author's are appalled at the breakdown in literature as a whole, citing bestselling authors like Stephenie Meyer and James Patterson as being on the shallow end of the literary pool. Ward quotes Time magazine critic, Lev Grossman who recently dissed highbrow, or "Modernist" authors, explaining that “The Modernists felt little obligation to entertain their readers…Conversely they have trained us, Pavlovianly, to associate a crisp, dynamic, exciting plot with supermarket fiction, and cheap thrills, and embarrassment…If you’re having too much fun, you’re doing it wrong.” In a sense, he is saying that the authors who stimulate and entertain (like Meyers and Patterson) are labeled as "bad" writers, or authors who churn out material of poor literary quality. I'm noticing this trend in Education. I teach 8th grade Reading, and after reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins with my students and making a a part of my curriculum, questions were raised whether or not schools should only stick to "literary classics"...almost insinuation that contemporary fiction is trash. I am not an author, but have attempted to create my own literature. It is a tedious and extremely difficult job to create a compelling and engrossing novel that can move readers AND tell a damn good story. Why, oh why, are literary classics and books that over-analyze and throw on layers of metaphor and symbolism book that are deemed "worthy" of literary greatness? I love the quote Ward includes from John Grisham, author of The Firm and other best-selling novels. Grisham admits that he has "read literature in the classic sense. We’ve all got those type of books on the shelves at home…I admit that I didn’t like them much. I couldn’t understand why they were said to be so good.” Even though I have five or six classic novels that I love and adore from the plethora of "classics" that were required of me to obtain my English degree, there are very few that I pick up on a whim to reread and entertain myself. There is something to be said about a novel that you can pick up and lose yourself in, time and time again. So what's your take? Are you a "highbrow" literature lover, or a "lowbrow" book fanatic? This lady enjoys a little of both, from time to time...just call me Switzerland. (Ring any bells, lowbrow fiction fans??? ;)

Kevin Federline Signs on for Celebrity Fit Club

I'm not one to follow the comings and goings of Kevin Federline, but when I saw these pictures of him in my US Weekly mag, I had to do a double-take. I couldn't believe it was the same guy! He's never been uber hot in my eyes, but he was sporting that lean model frame for most of his relationship with Britney Spears, so I could at least give her credit for marrying a half-way decent looking guy, loser-ness aside. People Magazine is reporting that Kevin has signed on for the next installment of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. Here's to hoping he wins the show...

Suri is a Fashionista!

How precious is this picture of Suri Cruise in high heels? Tom Cruise was quoted in an interview with Hello! magazine last year discussing Suri's tendencies to prefer all things girly. "Suri's very much like her mother," Cruise explained to the mag. "She will not wear trousers, only dresses. I put a pair of trousers on her and turn and leave the room and straight away the trousers are off and a dress is on instead!" (Why is he calling pants trousers? Is Tom Cruise British and I never got the memo? Nevermind. Back to Suri.) I feel your pain Tom. I have a five year old that went through the same "dress-only" phase and it was a nightmare on cold-weather days. Even though I would like to hold Suri down and brush her hair, maybe put a ponytail or braid in, I still think she's a cute girl...no matter what Perez Hilton calls her!

Have You Seen These? New Behind-the-Scenes New Moon Pics

Oh, my...with only 59 days to go to the New Moon premiere, the Los Angeles Times has given fans something to drool over until the big day! Photographer David Strick's Hollywood Backlot has posted 41 amazing pictures from the New Moon set. I didn't think I would be this ga-ga over Taylor Lautner's transformation. I'm usually not an ogle-the-muscle-man type of gal. Big muscles intimidate me, but Taylor's are extremely attractive without being steroid-ish. Does that make sense? Anyway, check out the awesome pictures and keep in mind that we have only 59 days to go my friends...59 short days!

Kristen and her camera double, Mikayla Henderson. This is from a dream sequence that Kristen has after Edward leaves her. I'm not looking forward to the heart-tugging scenes after her breakup...I've gone through such a loss and it is horrible to endure, let alone WATCH!

I've said this before and I'll say it again, the make-up and costuming in New Moon is so much more visually appealing than Twilight. Edward's eyes truly resemble the ocher that Stephenie Meyer envisioned.

Oh, honey, you can just leave your shirt off the rest of the movie. Oy Vey!

My Shirt for New Moon Premiere!

My five year old took this pic for me, so pardon the crooked-ness of it. I bought the tee at Cafepress.com and LOVE IT! I've worn it out and about a few times already, and have had a few girls and one much older woman, point at my shirt and smile or have a look of realization pass across their faces. Go to http://www.cafepress.com to check out all of the New Moon and Twilight tees for your premiere showing!

Katherine Heigl Introduces New Baby

Katherine Heigl has said in the past that she planned to adopt someday, and she followed through with that plan with the adoption of 10 month old Naleigh from Korea. Husband Josh Kelly and Heigl recently debuted pictures of their baby to US Weekly. Heigl told reporters for the mag that she named her baby girl after mother Nancy, and sister Leigh, who is also adopted from Korea. If the picture above is any indication, Naleigh seems to be a gorgeous and loved little girl. Congratulations, Katherine!

Freakin' AWESOME New Moon Compilation!

A fan-made trailer featured on newmoonthemovie.org has cut and pasted all of the released New Moon trailers into one, huge FANTASTIC compilation. Check it out...then watch it again, and again, until November!

I'm Going to Have to Agree With Our President on This One!

President Obama was recorded before an interview, commenting on the Kanye West situation at the VMAs this weekend. I couldn't agree with him more! Kanye, in the words of our fearless leader, you are indeed "a jackass"!!

The Hunger Games Movie Cast List Link

(From Hunger Games fan site, jabberjays.com)

A few months ago, I created a dream cast list of sorts for The Hunger Games movie that is supposedly being made in the near future by Lionsgate. Many people come to my blog looking for the list, and if you are one of those people, click on the link below for a listing of all things pertaining to the Hunger Games Cast on this site. Casting directors for Lionsgate, if you need any help at all in your upcoming task of casting for The Hunger Games, give me a shout! I would be HAPPY to lend a hand!

Click on the pic for links to the cast list:

Want more casting suggestions? Click HERE to see the picks of Entertainment Weekly fans for The Hunger Games movie.

New Moon 3rd Trailer...Making Me SICK of Waiting!

3rd Trailer in HD!
The Twilight Saga: New Moon Trailer in HD

I've been in Vegas...

So that is why I'm a bit behind on the blog! Word of advice if you ever have the chance to go to Sin City in the near future: skip DAVID COPPERFIELD. It was over-priced, cheesy, and it totally felt like Mr. Copperfield did not want to be on stage, performing for the audience. He rushed through his routines, his lines were canned and without emotion, and it was obvious that his "volunteers" were planted in the audience. I would have much rather put my seventy dollars in a slot machine and taken my chances!

Rest In Peace, Patrick Swayze!

Patrick, you were one of my very first celebrity crushes after watching Dirty Dancing at a slumber party when I was only eight years old. "No one puts Baby in a corner!" I'm so sad that you are gone!

Glee-ful About Glee!

I'm ready for the premiere of Glee tonight at 7pm on Fox!

I don't know about you, but White Deer High School did not have a teacher that looked like Matthew Morrison. I'm basically tuning in to see him doing the Kanye song, "Gold Digger". HOT.

Just Stop It, Okay?

Jon and Kate continue to play out their divorce battle in front of the media. I don't care who hates who, or who is to blame, but I do care about what all of this mud slinging will do to their children someday. We live in the digital age of YouTube and tabloids, in which every negative comment they make about one another will be preserved for their children to rehash. Not much of a legacy to leave your little ones, if I must say so!

Snippet of New Moon Soundtrack...

I ended up loving the Twilight soundtrack, but I'm not quite sure how I feel about the newly released "Meet Me on the Equinox" by Death Cab for Cutie, the first song off of the New Moon soundtrack. Click on this link to listen to a sampling of the song: http://www.newmoonthesoundtrack.com/

I Know Where I Will Be on May 28th...

At the Sex and the City sequel premiere, with a box of Raisinettes, large popcorn and ginormous coke! Love me some SATC!

Never Use the Restroom in Australia...

According to the Metro.uk.co website, this is what an Australian man found in his toilet recently. Holy cow! I'm tee-teeing myself just looking at this picture! Here is the official story from the Metro website:

An Australian man found an unpleasant surprise coiled up in his toilet - a python almost twice his size was lurking in the toilet bowl.
The man, Erik Rantzau, called in snake wrangler Chris Peberdy to deal with the 3-metre-long carpet python that had made his toilet its new home.
'It's not unusual to find snakes of that size in the tropics but you don't find usually them in toilets,' Peberdy told Reuters.

Another great reason for me to be creeped out by snakes! Thank you, Metro UK!

Wuthering Heights Capitalizing on Twilight Craze

I'm not sure how some of you might feel about this:

Entertainment Weekly recently featured new covers of the classic Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte that is referenced several times throughout the Twilight Saga. Some fuddy-duddies might cringe at the notion of taking a classic book and tweaking the cover to mirror Twilight Saga covers, but I think it is a great way to pull teen readers into the classics. I love Wuthering Heights, but wouldn't have picked it up at a book store unless my English Lit professor hadn't made it required reading. Maybe covers like these will entice teens to pick the novel up and give it a try? I do wish that the images contained pictures of a sweeping valley of a moor or some other image that is symbolic to the novel. What do you thing? Is tampering with a classic deplorable or a good thing?

Open Letter to Jennifer Reeves, Reviewer at EW:

To Jennifer Reeves, journalist at Entertainment Weekly Magazine and recent reviewer of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins who gave the fabulous novel a grade of "C":


As a fellow reviewer of books and someone who understands that going against the masses with your opinion can be difficult, I still have zero understanding for your review of Catching Fire. Like many of the readers who left you comments, I have a hard time believing that you thoroughly read this book. It seems more like a skim-job than a detailed reading, and even after your opening quote, "In between romantic daydreams, Katniss shot strange beasts, dodged force fields, and battled murderous zombie werewolves — usually while wearing fabulous glitzy outfits," I'm not even convinced you read The Hunger Games, let alone Catching Fire. Reeves, Katniss wore ONE glitzy outfit to her interview in the Capitol, and never killed any "strange beasts" while in that outfit, and the only force field I can recall in the first novel is the one surrounding the roof of the Capital building. So right off the bat, you are inaccurate and losing credibility with Hunger Fans. (The fact that you keep calling the muttations "werewolves" is also annoying, but again, I will even let your opening comments slide because the bulk of your review is so inaccurate, we most devote the rest of this letter to clarify your ignorance.)


You go on to rant and rave over the conflict Katniss has between loving both Peeta and Gale and go on to state your confusion between this rivalry because their is "little distinction between the two thinly imagined guys, other than the fact that Peeta has a dopier name." If you would have read the FIRST novel, and closely studied the second book (which you are being paid to review), you would have learned valuable back-story information on both boys that gives each character depth and complexity. Both boys are in no way "thinly imagined" and Collins has given them both detailed internal conflict and vivid characterization -so much so, that it is impossible for me not to feel Katniss's struggle in "choosing" between them. Peeta's "dopier name" has little significance in the differences between himself and "brooding" Gale, as you referred to him, so again, go back and read the chapters to see what I am talking about.

And to get to the most irritating line in your interview - why in the world you want a book about fighting for survival to mirror the "erotic energy that makes Twilight so creepily alluring" is beyond me! Is Twilight the ONLY young adult novel you have read prior to reading Catching Fire, because Collins makes it a point to let readers know that ROMANCE, let alone EROTIC ENERGY has no place in Katniss's world. She has to kill her daily meals, for goodness sakes! Would you have time to pine for a boy while you are skinning a deer or de-feathering a turkey? Fighting for your life puts "erotic energy" on the back-burner for Katniss, I would think.


Finally, it is this line in your review that thoroughly convinces me that you did not read this book:
"The author describes her wearing a series of Cher-worthy costumes in which she confronts poisonous mists, deranged monkeys, and a flock of ''candy pink'' birds equipped with long beaks used to skewer human necks."

Katniss wears ONE costume that might fit your "Cher-worthy" criteria, and it was to the opening ceremonies. Her arena outfit, to quote directly from Catching Fire, is "a fitted blue jumpsuit, made of very sheer material, that zippers up the front. A six-inch padded belt covered in shiny purple plastic. A pair of nylon shoes with rubber soles." I'm a little too young to recall all of Cher's past outfits, but I'm going out on a limb to say that a blue jumpsuit lacks the sex appeal of a Cher ensemble. Although there are poisonous mists and muttation monkeys, the "birds with long beaks used to skewer human necks" were NOT in Katniss's arena. Those of us who read the book know that the birds are mentioned when Katniss and Peeta are watching tapes from Haymitch's victory in the Quell. Do you know what the Quarter Quell is? Great stuff, this is. You should read more about it in this great novel I just finished, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.


Jennifer, I'm sure you are a fabulous writer and can write circles around little ole' me, but here is some advice: when reviewing a highly-anticipated and popular book, save the skimming for the crap most of us will never pick up to read. Your supporting facts for your opinions and references to the work itself should be spot-on and accurate. Journalism 101. And to Entertainment Weekly, if you would like reviewers who actually READ what they review, give me a shout!