Book Review: The Magicians

I just finished Lev Grossman's The Magicians today, and I loved it! To put it simply, the novel reminds me of Harry Potter, except aimed for a more adult audience. Okay, well to be honest, I never actually read Harry Potter, but based on the few clips of the movies I've seen here and there, I'm claiming that they are similar in several ways. If nothing else, it's the realm of wizardry that correlates the two--a story centering around a boy who pursues a life of magic and encounters strange, sci-fi like characters along the way, all while trying to figure out his life's purpose. Quentin, the main character, is moody and self-destructive. The oscillating first and third person narrative causes the reader to become frustrated with him because he has so much potential and has all the tools he needs in front of him, yet he is never satisfied. Essentially, the novel is about Quentin's quest for happiness. I felt so invested in his character by the end of the novel that even I was wondering what had to be done for him to finally be complacent. I guess I'll just have to wait until the next novel to find out. The sequel, The Magician King, will be released next summer.

Although the novel is about 400 pages, it was a pretty fast read. I recommend Lev Grossman's The Magicians to anyone who likes a Bildungsroman combo of action intertwined with a love story. I give it 4.5/5 stars :)

A Lackluster Film With Two A-List Stars

Is it just me, or have the recent films released these past several months been overly corny? I went to the movies with a friend the other night and we were deciding between Killers with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl or Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. We ended up picking Knight and Day, and let's just say that the title was just as cheesy as Knight (Cruise) trying to be an overly-suave "knight in shining armor" for Day (Diaz). The movie as a whole was simply overdone. The action scenes were pretty good, so if some of the corny dialog would have been simply cut out, it would have been a better movie.

Let me try to describe how trite some of the scenes with Cruise and Diaz were. First of all, only ten minutes into the movie Day is already falling for Knight and sharing personal information in hushed whispers in one of the most awkward public places to try to have an intimate conversation with someone--an airplane. Secondly, after about twenty minutes into the movie, in what was probably the most cliche moment of the entire movie, Day walks up to Knight and kisses him...in the middle of the aisle on the airplane after speaking to him for only a few short minutes. The movie was ruined for me before it was even halfway through.

Another stupidly comical part was at the end of the movie when Day let herself be captured by "the bad guy" in hopes that Knight would try to rescue her. The criminal who supposedly has no problem killing people doesn't try to rough Day up in order to get information out of her. Instead, he injects her with truth serum which essentially leaves Day in a giggly, valley-girl state in which she confesses her love for Knight. Diaz shouldn't have taken this role, even if she was acting aside ultra-famous Cruise. Her character was annoying on so many levels. She followed around Knight like a lost, needy puppy dog. It was not a flattering role for her. Even though she played a sometimes-ditzy blonde in Charlie's Angles, at least she could handle her own and was more of a kick-ass character. She actually had a personality in that film, whereas in Knight and Day it seems like she's just along for the ride. You can hardly call her a sidekick.

I was excited to see Knight and Day because I figured it would be good with two A-list actors, but I was definitely wrong. Even throwing two great actors into the leading roles in this movie did nothing to improve the horrendous dialogue. In addition, although the action scenes weren't too bad, even they were watered down by the way the film was produced. The producers were somehow able to lackluster the seriousness of the action scenes, making them seem kiddish and extinguishing a sense of urgency necessary for an successful action film. I can only hope that the next movie I see won't leave me as disappointed.

My Film Rating: 1.5/5 stars

An Unsatiable Craving

I don't know if it's the Summer season, my hormones, or all of the commercials flooding my TV screen recently, but my craving for ice cream has been absurd. I will literally skip dinner just so I don't feel as guilty about devouring a frosty treat. I'm sure you have seen the commercials too. Dairy Queen is celebrating the 25th birthday of the blizzard, and while it should be a celebratory time, my waistline is telling me the party needs to come to an end. DQ knows what it's doing by flooding my easily dessert-persuadable-mind with images of the sweet, creamy, ingredient-loaded blizzard.

In addition, they did a double blast by advertising their irresistible DQ cakes for Father's Day. So, of course, I rationalized with myself that the DQ cake would be the perfect gift for my father after our long day of golfing and figured that it would be okay to indulge "just this once" because I was buying a whole cake, and everyone in my family would eat some. Yeah, well that rationale didn't just kick me in the butt, it has decided that a better punishment would be to attach its little fat particles to my rear as a constant reminder that not my dad, but I, ate half the cake myself. If that isn't the right step in the direction of obesity, I don't know what is.

BUT, in my defense, I recently watched "America's Favorite Foods" on the Food Network, where it was revealed why DQ is so tantalizing to my taste buds. Ironically, it's because they don't freeze them! Let me explain. Regular ice cream is so cold that it often freezes many of our taste buds, thus preventing the total enjoyability of the ice cream flavor, whereas Dairy Queen uses soft serve ice cream that isn't quite as cold. Those few degrees can make a load (of flavors) of difference and effect the total ice cream experience. DQ's secret is what keeps millions of people visiting their numerous locations daily. And that is why, even when it's cold in the wintertime, it can't freeze (haha, get it?) my craving for a Dairy Queen treat.

Entranced in Wonderland

So last night I finally saw Alice in Wonderland, and it was nothing less than amazing! I literally sat inches away from my television screen in order to absorb everything. Some who I asked before I had the chance to see the movie said it was "weird," but that's the point, isn't it? A fantastical dream should be imaginative and bizarre. I absolutely loved the vivid colors and the unique variety of characters. I actually think I enjoyed Tim Burton's modern version of Alice in Wonderland more than I did the Disney version when I was a young girl.

Another aspect of the film that I enjoyed were Alice's dresses. Check out this Alice in Wonderland fashion spread in Vogue. It's actually from December 2003, but it's still so chic. I've never liked the color blue as much as I did throughout the movie and in the Alice fashion spread.

Below is Mia Wasikowska who plays Alice. At first I thought she was kind of homely looking, but she grew on me, and now I think she was a perfect fit for the character. It kind of annoyed me that her name isn't even on the front of the DVD box considering she is the main character. Only Johnny Depp's name was listed. While I do think Depp did an excellent job as well, I don't think his name and only his was deserving to have the cover all for himself. Even Anne Hathaway surprisingly got shafted.

Alice in Wonderland (2010) was a creative and modern twist to a beloved Disney tale, and it is definitely a movie I plan on watching again as well as recommending to others. I also really liked its stress on the message to follow your heart and be daring, even if that means doing something that others may not understand or disapprove.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

BGBG Maxazria Summer Sale in Stores

I was giddy when I received a postcard in the mail about a BCBG Maxazria Summer presale at Macy's from June 13-16. I immediately hopped online to check out their current merchandise so I would have an idea of some of the potential things I might want to look for and consider buying when I go to the mall. Below are a few things that caught my eye.

Strapless Cocktail Dress $358

There are a plethora of dresses I would love to own from BCBG, but for some reason I really like this one. It's simple while also being fun and flirty.

Basic Straw Fedora $38

This Fedora is perfect for the Summer, and since it is a straw fedora, you can either dress it up or down. I'd probably wear this for a casual night out with friends.Turquoise-stone Earrings $68

I love turquoise jewelry. I used to have a turquoise ring purchased during a trip to Mexico, but due to unfortunate events with a vacuum, that ring is no longer in one piece. Therefore, I am always keeping my eyes open in search of cool new turquoise pieces to fill the void I feel towards my destroyed ring.

Linen Cross-Body Bag $128

This small purse is probably my favorite pick. Cross-body bags are really in this season, and I have yet to own one. I think it would be perfect for a night out on the town. It isn't too fancy since it's linen, but it can still be worn with a dress.

Also, when I was browsing BCBG online I stumbled upon this red strapless layered-panel dress marked down from $260 to $182, and it looks exactly like my bridesmaid dress I recently wore to a wedding except mine was by Adrianna Papell and it was on sale for only $75! Wooh Hoo, I love bargain deals for cute, stylish dresses. Good dress pick Becca!

They Are Pretty Little Liars

On Tuesday when I was flipping through TV channels I stumbled upon the premiere of ABC Family's new show, Pretty Little Liars, based on Sara Shepard's young adult series. I enjoyed the season premiere already brimming with a tangle of secrets and drama, and I will most likely be tuning in at 8pm every Tuesday for my daily dose of entertainment. Considering two of my favorite shows, Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries- both on the CW Network- are taking a break until the start of the next season in the Fall, I'm happy I've found another show to watch in the meantime.

Teen Vogue seems to like the new show as much as I. They named Pretty Little Liars as their monthly pick for TV shows to stay in tune with. Criticism of the show is that it is too much like Gossip Girl with the girls' obsession with designer clothes, boys, and constant quarreling. Other comments I read on Teen Vogue's Facebook page said that although viewers like the show, it isn't anything like Shepard's books. Finally, a review by New York Times compares the show to a soap opera. I suppose most teenage girls' lives seem like soap operas anyway, but to compare a modern show aimed at young adults to an overly-done soap opera isn't exactly flattering.

Regardless of minor negative reviews, I will still be fulfilling my guilty pleasure of overly dramatic, low brow television. Plus, I'm not going to lie, Aria's affair with her cute young teacher (that she just happened to meet at a bar and have a steamy makeout session in the bathroom before realizing a week later that she is taking a class with him) is just too sexy and scandalous to pass up.

Coach Purse Design Competition

As a customer of Coach Leatherware for several years, I regularly receive email updates about their latest designs. I usually try to immediately delete the weekly email blasts because the colorful pages full of cute new purses and accessories make it difficult for me to just browse without yearning for everything I see. One recent email I received though titled, "Online only, blogger-designed bags" especially caught my attention, so I had no choice but to satisfy my curiosity. After all, I myself am a blogger, so I was naturally a bit intrigued, and secondly, any description containing the words "online-only" or "limited edition" make me giddy with delight like I've just exclusively been told a secret.

After going to Coach's webpage I gathered that Coach held a competition in which independent designers could submit design ideas. The winning bags are showcased and available to purchase online only. There are four designs for sale: Krystal's Fringe Shoulder Bag, Emily's Satchel, Karla's Clutch, and Kelly's Drawstring Pouch. I'm not going to lie, I'd be real happy to own any of them. They are each hip, unique, and represent a style of their own. I wasn't able to copy any pictures of the bags into my blog post, so I encourage everyone to check them out by clicking the link above. After all, they'll only be available for a limited time, and it already looks like Kelly's putty colored Drawstring Pouch (that has a design resembling a grenade) is already sold out.

My personal favorite is Emily's Satchel. The description alone is tantalizing:

"Equal parts food, fashion and fun, Cupcakes and Cashmere delights women around the world with daily doses of style. Emily Schuman, the girl behind the beauty, defines "sweet" with this delicious blog. Her Doctor-bag inspired satchel is as pretty and luxurious as both, well, cupcake and cashmere."

If I had $500 to spare, which is what the light pink satchel is going for, then I would absolutely add it to my collection, but until then I'll just have to admire it on the Coach website.

Film Review: Sex and the City 2

I recently saw Sex & the City II, and I have to admit, as amazing as the girls' (Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte) wardrobe and hotel rooms in Abu Dhabi were, the movie as a whole wasn't spectacular. I heard on TV that over $10 million was spent on wardrobe alone. It seemed that there was more of a focus on the clothes than anything; there were clothing changes when they weren't even necessary, which made it distracting from the plot.

One scene in particular where I was like "oh, come on now" was when Miranda surprised the girls with a camel back ride followed by a picnic. First of all, even though she was surprising them, she could have at least told them to wear something comfortable so she didn't have to spend time picking out outfits, complete with matching accessories of course. Second, without even mentioning the fact that even though Miranda picked out special outfits for her and all of the girls, she still managed to chose the ugliest one for herself, it didn't make sense that the girls changed outfits right before the camel ride, then again right before their picnic. It seemed choppy when one minute they were riding camels in the middle of the desert and the next they were in totally different outfits eating in an elaborate picnic setup. Who were they trying to look good for at their picnic anyway, the scorpions in the desert?

Another aspect that was semi-disappointing that I'm sure critics have already dwelt on is the fact that despite the title "Sex and the City," neither was there much sex nor New York City in the film. The majority of the movie took place in modish Abu Dhabi. Even sex queen Samantha had to take a break from her sexcapades. It seems that in place of the staple sassy sex scenes, they were replaced by awkward and often overdone scenes. While I often agree with the saying "go big or go home," the gay wedding that started off the movie was only a preview of how overdone to expect everything. Carrie's black crown piece she wore as the "man of honor" may have been expensive, but it just made her look like a big child trying to play princess again. At least the film stayed consistent with its ridiculousness throughout. One of the ending scenes in which the girls follow a veiled Abu Dhabi woman into a back room where she and several other women disrobe to show the NYC girls their designer clothes that they wear under their veils did not make me laugh. If anything, it made me sad that the Muslim women were wearing the latest fashions by famous designers that cost thousands of dollars and no one could even see and appreciate it!

Now, a brief comment on the ladies wardrobes. Although most people said Carrie hands-down was best dressed, I personally preferred Samantha's wardrobe. Besides the black crown Carrie wore at Stanley's wedding that I didn't care for, I also did not like the poofy purple skirt with black Dior tee shirt she wore to the market, and I hated the newspaper print dress she wore on a date with Big. Ugh, fashion faux pas! My favorite of Carrie's outfits is the plain white dress shown in the opening scene and on the poster above that was literally sparkled up with her gold sparkly Louis Vuitton heels and multi-colored diamond necklace. See, sometimes less is more.

The movie has a weak plot but its strength is keeping the viewers' eyes glowing from the numerous extravagant wardrobe changes made throughout the film. I did really like its message about doing things that best fit an individual relationship rather than just following what society says is norm. To close, as much as I like how nontraditional Carrie and Big's relationship is, I also liked how Big finally put a rock on Carrie's finger even though it was a black diamond.

My film rating: 2.75/5

Book Review: Commencement

I just finished J. Courtney Sullivan's Commencement, and I enjoyed it. I bought it because having recently graduated myself, I thought the book might give me some inspiration and encouragement for my future. The book is kind of like a more adult version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants without the weird, unwashed rotating pants that magically fits four differently sized girls.

The book dives into the lives of four girls -Celie, Sally, Bree, and April- who meet at college and become best friends and shows how their lives are still entwined even as they move to different cities and uphold differing careers. The girls attended a very liberal woman's college, Smith, and a large part of the novel deals with issues of feminism. Each of the girls hold varying views about certain feminist topics, with April being an extremist and Bree, Sally, and Celie falling somewhere in the middle, taking turns leaning towards the left depending on the issue.

Although Commencement didn't really speak words of wisdom to me, I still got wrapped up in the characters' lives and was engrossed in the novel. Sullivan did an excellent job of going beyond simply introducing the four main characters. She allows her readers to really get a feel for each of the the characters' personalities so that by the end of the novel I felt like I knew how each would react in certain situations. The only part of the novel that I became annoyed about was how Bree let her life go and gave up everything she had worked so hard to achieve when she was going through a difficult time. Everyone handles grief differently, but I was surprised that her friends and family didn't tell her that it would be foolish to throw her dream job away.

Additionally, I like how Sullivan was able to weave in important issues like equality for women, homosexuality, sexual abuse, and sex trafficking without taking focus away from the characters or storyline. I would say Commencement deserves a fist pump for representing the array of women in the world who are strong, independent, driven, and ambitious and aren't afraid to make up their own rules. Although the review by New York Times is a little more critical for not exploring other issues in the novel such as Celie's difficulty with male intimacy and possible alcohol abuse, I didn't think it needed to be dwelt upon. Confidence should be placed in the readers to be able to read into those things and make their own judgments - that's simply a part of the reading process.

My book rating: 4/5 stars

Yeah, That's Classy

Last night I was watching the Real Housewives of New Jersey (don't judge me) on Bravo, and housewife Teresa went to the tattoo parlor with her husband while he got the names of his daughters tattooed on his arm. Apparently real love cannot just be internalized but must also be put on physical display. Anyway, the tattoo artist asked Teresa if she had any tattoos and she said no, "you wouldn't put a bumper sticker on a Bentley now, would you?" It made me laugh a little. And then of course Luann, Real Housewife of New York, popped into my head with her ridiculous song, "Money Can't Buy You Class." Oh geez, as annoying and hypocritical as all the housewives from each of the various cities are, they sure are entertaining.