Book/Movie Recommendations

Here are a couple book recommendations based on some books I've read recently and books I've loved for a very long time!

(1) I Am Number Four (YA) by Pittacus Lore: A very fast read (my favorite!) with an incredibly strong voice and unique story line. My only complaint is that the fight scene at the end started to drag for me and I skimmed a good majority of it. I don't know why, I'm just not a fan of really long fight scenes. I can only read about a character "twisting, turning, kicking, punching, avoiding, stabbing, shooting, falling, seeing blood everywhere, getting hurt, getting back up again, getting hurt again, getting back up again, helping someone out, them helping him out, etc." for so long before it all starts to read the same to me. This is not a specific complaint to Pittacus Lore alone. I have read many books where, in my opinion, the fight scene could have been cut by 10, 20, 30 pages. Other than that, a great read! Can't wait to see the movie!

(2) Any Book by Karen Marie Moning (Romance), but my personal favorite is Kiss of the Highlander, probably because it was the first book of hers that I read. I really love her Fever series as well, and I bought the last book in the series, Shadowfever, for my mom for her birthday. I can't wait until she's finished reading it so I can find out how it all ends!

(3)  A Knight in Shining Armor (Romance) by Jude Deveraux: This is probably my favorite romance novel. Although it was written in the 80s and has some 80s references (such as the hair, fashion, and technology) the story itself is timeless and beautifully written.

(4) The Hunger Games (YA) by Suzanne Collins: The most thrilling YA book I've read yet. I could not put it down. It does start a little slow in comparison to the pacing of the rest of the book, but it's popular for a reason. A must read!

Movie Recommendations:

Recently, my hubby and I saw Black Swan and True Grit. Both were really great movies. I have to give a warning with Black Swan though because it is very dark and gets really creepy, but it kept me entertained. It was sort of like watching a train wreck. You want to look away because it's so creepy and mentally disturbing, but you just have to see what happens, what the damage is. Natalie Portman does an amazing job! I also really enjoyed True Grit. It is one of the best Westerns I've seen since 3:10 to Yuma, and while all of the actors do a great job, I really enjoy Matt Damon as the rough and tough Texas Ranger, Labouef. If you enjoy Westerns, you'll enjoy True Grit.

Next movie up: I really want to see The Rite, but then I probably won't be able to sleep for days and I'll annoy my hubby by jumping at every sound throughout the night. Plus side: if I can't sleep, I'll write, so I'll get a lot of work done...decisions, decisions...