Jane Eyre

This past weekend, a dear friend and I went to see the film adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Even though I had seen and enjoyed the preview for the film a while back, I was still anxious to see whether or not the film "got it right". This is a book that I adore (I've read it probably six or more times). And I feel that other films make the title character to be a mouse. Jane Eyre is no meek and mild character! What I love about her character is that she has a strong sense of who she is and she refuses to compromise her principles or to yield to others because of their status or sex.
The film did an excellent job of capturing her spirit and telling the tale with mood and mystery! I highly recommend it!

Better than Hunger Games?

So I had more than one male student come up to me and tell me that they loved this book called The Maze Runner so much more than The Hunger Games! In fact, these boys said that they read Hunger Games and then went on to its sequel but abandoned it in favor of this one. Well, if even one boy tells me (of his own volition!) about a book he's read and enjoyed, that's really something. But when a second boy and then third boy do the same, well, I just had to get my hands on a copy! And it turned out to be every bit as great as their praise! I can see why boys abandoned Catching Fire in favor of this one and its sequel, Scorch Trials. It's about an all-boys' society living by their own code and exploring the ever-changing maze outside their walled in "city" called The Glade. The catch is that none of them remembers their past--only their first names and that each wake up inside a huge metal box that opens out into the middle of The Glade. The story is told from the perspective of the newest member. I love this because the reader learns about this society bit by bit as the character pieces it all together. And did I mention there's a maze, a secret code, mysterious killer robot/blob creatures, oh, and violence? What's not to love?