The Rochester Reaping by T.E. Ridener

AMAZON #1clickthatbadboy

You may have noticed I have been on a bit of the T.E. Ridener reading rampage. #RidenerReadingRampage lol  What can I say? When I find a great author I just read, read, read. I'm an all or nothing kind of gal. I'm like this in my life in general. OK, enough about me, this isn't a biography. This book is Ridener's first published work. It was published a few years ago. There are a few minor editing snafus-OVERLOOK them. I'm a stickler for these things. I'm a Virgo and a perfectionist when it comes to these things. I promise I am not raving about this author for no reason. The content is solid and consistent. Her writing just keeps getting better. The plot is great and mysterious. I feel like that is her writing style, it's mysterious so you have to pay attention so you wont miss anything. Also, this book is written in the first person, unlike her other books. Even with the editing snafus I am still giving this 5 stars. I'm sorry, when the content is that solid sometimes you have to overlook small errors-especially when it's a young authors first work. I had to share that because sometimes I'm appalled at the reviews I read on amazon or goodreads. 

Holy soap box! Back to The Rochester Reaping shall we?

Morgan Amburgy is 24 and lives in the small town of Rochester. She has a great little group of friends and a smoking hot boyfriend, Jarret. They had a tragedy seven years ago and they have been trying to live their lives as best as they can. What they don't know is that tragedy is going to strike again!

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

• Even though I may seem very ordinary, I would like to think myself unique in some way.
• The secret to my success on being a good cashier is always treat people nicely no matter how sucky my day may be. ...That's how it should always be. Unlike every time I go to McDonald's ... (LOL)
• "Busy" He asked, glancing around. "No. We're just trying to see how many customers we can fit into the store all at once." 
• Everyone wants the fast cashier. 
• "I was just thinking is all. You know, using my brain. Processing random information. It happens." 
• My counselor said that I was somewhat paranoid. About death mostly.
• "I'm saying that," she huffed a little, her head still down as she kicked at a leaf on the ground. "I can't help but wonder, will you miss me half as much as you miss her?" (made me think of this song) 

• "Just so you know, people don't go to Bowling Green to find a place to bowl. That's totally irrelevant to everything."
• I had absolutely gone off the deep end. The years had finally caught up to me. 
• I tried pot once and I hated it. I'm not a big fan of feeling stupid. (no kidding!!)
• He had pulled me out of my darkness and I had shoved him straight to into his.
• But you can't stop death. You can't prevent it. No matter how desperately you may want to stay. For friends. For family. For love. When it's your time to go, you'll go. Death is funny. Death is swift. I never said it was fair. (reminds me of this scene)

Can't forget about Keelo!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sorry if this seems overkill. I always say go big or go home. Well I went Gatsby big. Saw the new movie, read the book, bought the soundtrack and saw the old movie. Here are my quick thoughts on the book. Let's start by saying this is the second actual, physical book I have read in 2 years. While it is only 189 pages, it is not a quick read. Let me rephrase that, it is a quick read, however, it is like you are reading a big poem. The way it is written is so deep that you cant just skim, or read this fast and not miss something. It is pretty funny that as I was reading the book the soundtrack of the new movie was playing in my head. The songs were very appropriate. Just for the record, Gatsby makes the book boyfriend list. This should go without saying. Whether it's the book, Redford or DiCaprio, all these men make the list!  Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Yet high over the city our line of yellow windows must have contributed their share of human secrecy to the casual watcher in the darkening streets, and I was him too, looking up and wondering. I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life."

"He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life...It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey."

"'You always have a green light that burns all night at the end of your dock.' Daisy put her arm through his abruptly but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said.  Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever... His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one."

"...I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night."

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out or arms farther....And one fine morning---

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

Let's talk movies: The Great Gatsby 1974

After falling in love all over again with The Great Gatsby, the new movie with Leonardo DiCarpio I wanted to see the original one with Robert Redford. Last night I did just that. Normally, I am not a fan of watching old movies. What I must say is that both movies stuck to the book 90% of the time. Actually, the 1974 Redford version stuck to the book about 97%! That was pretty impressive. Again, I have said before, I normally do not like to read the book after I watch the movie. It normally throws off my initial reaction to reading and the characters that may spring up in my head are now being measured against the actors in the movie. I did read the Great Gatsby in high school, and loved it, and reread it before watching this movie. I love the new movie hands down. The original was great for its time. I did not really like Mia Farrow. No real reason why. I did not like the actor that played Tom in this version either. He did not seem manly and strong like he is described in the book. I'm not a fan of Tom in general but I do like the actor in the new movie better. As for Gatsby, well, I can't deny that Robert Redford was not a great choice for that role. He is handsome and suave. However, I'm all for Leonardo DiCaprio. He just did a great job even with the few moments of cheesiness. So, you see old sport, I'm all for the new movie. Screw the critics. It is just a revamped version of the 1974 version. Like, imagine mild salsa then imagine habanero salsa. The new Gatsby is habanero salsa. :) Don't know why I just made that reference!

Let's talk movies: The Great Gatsby...old sport ;)

Let's discuss this movie shall we? I have seen it 3 times. I even saw it in 3-D. It was awesome! I LOVED this movie. I don't care what the critics say. I don't care if people get their panties in a bunch that Jay Z and Beyonce were the primary music in the movie. So what? We all know they weren't around in the 20's BUT  we live in 2013 and it was rather cool in my opinion. I will admit there are some cheesy moments, like when we first meet Mr. Gatsby:

Even though it is cheesy, it works. You get the shivers with the dramatic music and his charming smile. Darn Leonardo Di Caprio! We all know the story, we probably read it sometime during our school years. It's a love story gone wrong. Nonetheless, it is mesmerizing. I was not expecting Peter Parker aka Tobey McGuire to play Nick Calloway. What I love about the movie is that no matter how much glitz and glam and money are shown at the heart of Gatsby, and most people, is just love and hope. We see this time and time again throughout the movie. Gatsby is so humbled when Nick says he will arrange the meeting with him and Daisy just as a favor and didn't need anything in return. Yes, Gatsby goes overboard romancing Daisy, with a gazillion flowers, but just as the song in the background suggests, crazy in love. It is sweet. What else do I love? I love how Gatsby is always shooting Tom down. He is practically stealing (actually borrowing) his wife in front of his very eyes. I love that he is willing to fight and work for what he wants. He is not scared of Tom and he is honest (well-that's relative). Also, I love this song by Lana Del Rey-Young and Beautiful. How fitting for this movie! "Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful" That is deep! Unfortunately, that kind of love is only felt by Gatsby, not Daisy.  What else do I love about this movie? I love how they are all discussing, yes just discussing, about Gatsby and Daisy's affair like they are talking about the weather. REALLY? OH, and when finally, someone, Gatsby, has emotion, anger, passion about the situation, Daisy wimps out on him? Tom uses that against him? Do these people have no feelings! I do not like Tom obviously. I didn't bother to look up the actor who played him, I can't stand his dang voice. Also, they hypocrisy! He can cheat many, many times and the first(?) time Daisy does he goes on and on how they are a family and she is (well, Gatsby is) ruining their family? Denying his mistress even at her death! Setting up the death of Gatsby! UGH! He makes me mad! (LOL)  Overall, I loved this movie. I'm currently reading the book so expect a post on that soon! :) Better yet, read the book with me old sport. It's a short one. But, before I go, here is Leonardo in his Gatsby greatness. :) 

Please excuse the humongous pictures for this post. I needed them to be super big for this! :)