How Malibu Caught Fire | Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

*Spoiler heavy thoughts on Malibu Rising. I highly recommend reading it first before diving into this review.* 

The first time I met Mick Riva was in the pages of Taylor Jenkins Reid's novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. He was described as a handsome singer with a charisma that could match Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. After that book, Mick Riva made a small cameo again in the author's next novel, Daisy Jones and The Six. So, when Taylor Jenkins Reid announced that her newest novel, Malibu Rising, would follow Mick Riva's children I knew I had to read it. It was one of my most anticipated books this year and while I knew beforehand that I was going to like it, what I did not expect was how much I was going to love it.

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Book vs. Movie: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

There are very few books that make laugh out loud with some invoking a light chuckle or a smile. The last book I read that had me in tears with laughter was Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It had a way of adding humor to some of the darker undertones of the story that made it okay to see light in the situation, especially in understanding its main character. That is the similar feeling I had while reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.

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Book vs. Movie: To All the Boys: Always and Forever

Well, it's that time. As with every great love story there is a beginning, a middle, and an end, and we have reached the end of Lara Jean Covey's story in To All the Boys I've Loved Before with Netflix's third installment to the series, To All the Boys: Always and Forever.  I have loved the entire movie adaptation of Jenny Han's series of books as much as I enjoyed reading them. In fact, I felt a lot of what the movies did elevated some of the stories and characters' development in the books (Peter is more endearing in the movies than in the books in my opinion). Of course, I also miss some of the things that happen in the books that I wish appeared in the movies (the Halloween scene in the first book is a good example), but it didn't change my feelings about them. 

It's strange to believe that the first movie came out three years ago in 2018 and how unexpected its success was unless you were a fan of the books. It was a time when Crazy Rich Asians came out the same summer and Asian representation was starting to come out more into the fold of mainstream entertainment. No longer was the Asian actor playing the best friend or supporting character - they were the leading star, and in a present day set story no less, and audiences were responding positively. Whether you agree or not, you cannot deny that To All the Boys I've Loved Before and its star, Lana Condor, as well as author Jenny Han were a part of bringing in more diversity. So, it's bittersweet to say goodbye to the story, its characters, and the people who brought them to life but it's amazing to see how far it's all come and what we got out of it.

To All the Boys: Always and Forever catches up with Lara Jean and her boyfriend, Peter Kavinsky, at the end of their senior year. They both plan to attend Stanford University in the hopes of staying together and maintaining their relationship after high school. Peter has already been accepted through a lacrosse scholarship and Lara Jean is patiently waiting on her acceptance. She later finds out that she has been declined admission, but is accepted into UC Berkeley, which is only an hour away. However, during a senior trip to New York, she soon realizes that she may actually want to attend New York University instead. Only Lara Jean can decide what is best for herself and her own future, but will also have to face what that will mean for her and Peter.

Having just finished watching the movie, I can say that this last movie is my second favorite of the series, with the first still being at the top of my list because it is the one that started it all. This third film felt fun while still striking a balance between the playful moments and the serious underlining themes about change and growing up. I liked how we got to see Lara Jean and Peter as couple and tackling important questions about their relationship. Although I liked the second movie, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, it felt more centered on Lara Jean getting adjusted to being a girlfriend and felt a little somber because of her confusing feelings about John Ambrose that created a gap between her and Peter. With Always and Forever, it was focused back on Lara Jean and Peter, which is what made the first movie so great. I also liked how they were trying to figure out who they were as couple, such as what their meet-cute was and what their song is and how they tried comparing themselves to classic rom-coms, which was quite meta when you think about it. It was also nice to finally see Peter's relationship with his father, played by Henry Thomas (Elliott from E.T.). It's a relationship that's complicated and has been alluded to previously, and how it was presented added to both Peter's growth and the story's main dilemma. There were a few differences of course between the book and the movie, but much of those changes was well done and streamlined the story giving us a very satisfying ending. 

*Spoilers ahead*

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We're in the Endgame Now | Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

*Fair warning, there are a ton of spoilers ahead for all us nerds ready to return to the OASIS. I highly suggest reading Ready Player Two before reading this review.* 

Remember how at the end of Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory, Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka told Charlie Buckett "Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted," to which Charlie asked "What happened?" Wonka replied, "He lived happily ever after." In Ernest Cline's sequel to his New York Times #1 bestselling novel and Steven Spielberg adapted box office hit, Ready Player One, we find out exactly what happens to Wade Watts after he got everything he always wanted. It turns out that there are more trials ahead before he gets to live happily ever after.

Ready Player Two immediately picks up where Ready Player One left off. Our hero, Wade Watts, also known by his avatar name Parzival, has just won James Halliday's contest and gains control of Gregarious Simulation Systems and its virtual online universe, the OASIS, after an epic battle and defeating Innovative Online Industries (IOI) head, Nolan Sorrento. Wade ends up splitting his win with his friends, the High Five that include Aech, Shoto, and Art3mis, also known as Samantha Cook in the real world whom Wade falls in love with. The four of them become the new owners of the OASIS, while Wade retains his win as Halliday's heir.

One week later, Wade ends up discovering a highly secretive invention created by Halliday left to him before his passing called the OASIS Neural Interface (ONI). This special headset that connects to the brain without penetrating it allows the user to be able to feel all senses and sensations they feel in the real world in the OASIS greatly altering the way a user can experience the virtual reality. Along with this, users can also record and upload their own experiences both in the OASIS and in real life that other users can download and experience too, giving new meaning to the idiom "walk a mile in my shoes." Wade immediately shares his discovery with the group, with Aech and Shoto in agreement that the ONI should be available to the masses. However, Samantha strongly disagrees pointing out the risks and what surrendering your brain to a computer could do. With three against one, the ONI is distributed around the world becoming a massive success while Wade and Samantha break up. The ONI proves to have no side effects, except that if a user surpasses 12 hours of daily usage they will experience Synaptic Overload Syndrome (SOS) putting its users into a coma and eventually death.

Suddenly, after the OASIS reaches 7,777,777 ONI users a new message appears in the previously dormant Halliday contest scoreboard:

Seek the Seven Shards of the Siren's Soul

On the seven worlds where the Siren once played a role

For each fragment my heir must pay a toll

To once again make the Siren whole

With this new riddle lies a new quest with a mysterious prize only Wade can achieve as Halliday's heir. Three years end up passing without any success in deciphering the clue and the location for the first Shard with Wade ultimately relenting on awarding a billion dollars to anyone who can help him with any viable lead. Meanwhile his friendship with the High Five grows distant as they each move on with their lives, especially Samantha who has refused to speak to Wade except at GSS business meetings. 

After a young gunter (a term referring to egg hunters from the previous book) and Parzival fan named L0hengrin helps Wade finally attain the first Shard, a chain of unfortunate events unfold. Ogden Morrow, Halliday's best friend and co-founder of the OASIS, goes missing and Nolan Sorrento escapes from prison. At the same time, a new name appears on the scoreboard who has managed to win three of the seven Shards: Ogden Morrow. When the High Five meet in the OASIS to discuss what has happened they are confronted by a new foe: Halliday's old avatar Anorak, who has achieved sentience becoming an all-knowing artificial intelligence. Anorak threatens the group urging Wade to complete the Seven Shards challenge and to deliver him the Seven Shards once they are all found. In an attempt to force them all to comply, Anorak has locked every ONI user logged in in the OASIS. So, if Wade and his friends fail to complete the challenge within 12 hours, then it's game over for everyone. 

The stakes are high more than ever and it will be up to Parzival, Art3mis, Aech, and Shoto to save not only the OASIS, but the entire world.

My first immediate thoughts upon finishing Ready Player Two was that this book was a really fun thrill ride, despite a few things I had some mixed feelings about, but I will get to them momentarily. I am a huge fan of the first book and I remember being completely hooked in by the first chapter alone like a user logging in to the OASIS. I also really loved the movie adaptation, which I thought did a great job in translating the book to screen (and I mean with Steven Spielberg at the helm, there is no wrong). So, I was anxiously excited when I heard back in July that there was a sequel coming out. I had heard rumors of a sequel in the works after the movie came out and even read the unofficial short story prequel, Lacero, about Nolan Sorrento by Andy Weir, but I never foresaw the sequel ever coming to fruition. The thing about sequels is that they can either elevate the story or diminish it. After I finished reading Ready Player One, I thought it was fine as its own standalone book. However, I did think that if a sequel were to be made there could be some things that could be explored considering that Wade now held great power, and with great power comes great responsibility.

The first half of the book instantly brought me back in. I remember this world and I remember these characters and their love of pop culture, especially the '80s. I was intrigued by the plot too and wondered where this story would go. I definitely did not expect that it was going to lead into Terminator's Skynet on steroids mixed in with Westworld and Black Mirror (particularly the San Junipero episode). I liked the new Seven Shards challenge as it was a kind of homage in a way to the original contest from the first book, but a little less complicated without the three separate keys unlocking three individual gates, which the movie condensed. 

Each Shard that Wade collected brought him back to a memory of Kira's, who was Ogden Morrow's deceased wife and Halliday's unrequited love. I kept wondering what all this was about and what it meant to the point that I wondered if there was a twist and that Kira had an illegitimate child with Halliday, but that was too far of a stretch considering their relationship and her love for Og. As the story progressed I had as many questions as Wade did. What did this all mean? How can Wade experience these very real memories if the ONI was created after Kira died? What the heck was going on? Another theory I initially had was that L0hengrin was actually the secret villain behind Anorak, but was fortunately glad that I was wrong because I ended up liking her, and her own band of friends the L0w Five, and saw her as a reflection of who Wade once was before he won the contest. 

The actual challenges themselves were the really fun parts of this book just as they were in the first. The comradery between the High Five and the excitement of performing the challenges with its heavy references to pop culture was recognizable and harkened back to the same inner nerdiness felt from the previous book.  My favorite one was when they visited Shermer, an immersive virtual planet dedicated to John Hughes's movies where a majority of them were set in Shermer, Illinois. Even the ones that were not in Shermer such as Some Kind of Wonderful and Career Opportunities were included. I liked how the High Five had to change the ending of Pretty in Pink by basically recasting Jon Cryer's Duckie to Robert Downey Jr., who really was the original choice to play Duckie before the studio decided to go with Jon Cryer instead. It was fun to see them visit the high school where all the characters from Hughes's movies converged (turn to your left and you will find Joan Cusack from Sixteen Candles and turn to your right and you will find the moment Brian from The Breakfast Club was unable to turn on his elephant lamp in shop class). Even the part when Parzival and Art3mis had to go to the suburban area where all the teen parties were held, which also merged the parties featured in Sixteen Candles, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink, and Weird Science in order to find Robert Downey Jr. was amusing. To be honest, when they achieved the challenge and the new ending played out, I could definitely see this original ending working better than how the movie actually ended. 

When I reached the third act of the book, I felt conflicted and it was not so much to do with what happened, but what became of the characters. In the climactic battle scene, Og uses the ONI to log in to this avatar, The Great and Powerful Og, to fight against Anorak. As I was reading this part, it bothered me a little that these two were fighting to begin with because it almost represented the real life Og and Halliday having one last duel, which felt so disconnected to who their characters were in the previous book. I don't remember Og having ill will towards Halliday even if he was hurt that he was forced to leave GSS. So, it felt strange that they had to have this final showdown especially as it was revolved around Kira, which I thought was resolved in the first book. This brings me to my thoughts on the ending.

It turns out Halliday had made an early version of the ONI and knowingly made a copy of Kira's consciousness when she tried it on unbeknownst to her. When the Seven Shards are assembled, they unlock Kira's digital copy of her consciousness named after her avatar, Leucosia, making her a real albeit digital being in the OASIS. Anorak wanted a chance to be with Kira this time hence why he wanted Wade to complete the quest. Anorak it turns out is a digital consciousness of the real Halliday, however Halliday deleted some of his digital copy's memories and by tampering with it Anorak morphed into this sociopathic AI of Halliday. This whole reveal bothered me because it again seemed like things we learned or that had developed in the previous book were now warped and turned into something darker, which did not have to happen in my opinion. I thought there was a great set up already made with Sorrento breaking out of prison and how Og was able to compete in the challenge that something else could have been made from it than the villain turning out be Halliday's version of Bizarro. Also, when you consider how Sorrento was brought back, I was hoping that his character would be utilized more than being just a henchman for Anorak.

The real conflict I have though is the second twist to the Kira/Leucosia reveal. After Leucosia is brought back to life, she gives Parzival the Rod of Resurrection which gives him the power to resurrect any avatar of a deceased ONI user in the OASIS. This means that every user who had been using an ONI had been unknowingly uploading a digital copy of their consciousness into the OASIS. The epilogue then gets into Westworld season 2 territory when it is revealed that Wade uploaded a digital copy of himself, his friends and millions of other ONI users into ARC@DIA, which is a virtual system inside an interstellar spacecraft called the Vonnegut that he, Aech, and Shoto had constructed. He and his friends remain on Earth, while the Vonnegut descends on a voyage across the universe in search of a sustainable planet with a digital copy of the OASIS, its vast library of history and pop culture, and a number of human embryos. Back on Earth, Wade and Samantha get back together and get married, and are expecting a baby girl they plan to name Kira. Aech marries his fiancée, Endira, and Shoto and his wife Kiki welcome their son, Daito, named after the other member of the High Five who died in the first book. 

On an initial standpoint, the ending seemed, for lack of a better word, out of this world. It was not the ending I was expecting as it seemed like it should belong in another book. I have some mixed feelings about it as it kind of took me out of the story and made me question the idea of consent not being taken into consideration despite it being for the greater good. After getting past this notion, I do understand how it gives a cathartic ending to Wade and his friends and maybe the entire Ready Player One series. The thing is did it really have to go this route? Possibly, considering that the story takes place in a world where the problems of global warming and the energy crisis are in the background of the central plot. So, it does make sense when you consider everything. While it is not the ending I would have hoped (I would have introduced a different villain and had Wade push that Big Red Button destroying the OASIS and everyone rebuilding society, but then again that could have gone the Westworld season 3 route), I accept what Ernest Cline has given us.

On a whole, Ready Player Two is actually a pretty decent follow up to Ready Player One when you consider everything and the world outside of the OASIS. It's not perfect, as I wish some things had gone differently especially for certain characters, but it maintains the thrills that its predecessor brought. Ready Player One brought something new to the science fiction genre filled with excitement, adventure, and nostalgia. Ready Player Two continues that journey while offering more beyond what we were introduced to in the previous book.

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Music Featured in Ready Player Two

There are a bunch of music references mentioned throughout Ready Player Two, many of which were top hits of the 1980s. Below is a sample of the soundtrack should you want to completely immerse yourself in the story while reading the book.

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It's August in January, Because I'm in Love | Beach Read by Emily Henry

Out of the many romance novels I have read (and I have read a few), I don't think I have ever come across one quite like Beach Read by Emily Henry. There is something different about this one that is about love and loss and finding yourself again, or that part of you that was missing, and how maybe that one special person can make you feel whole again. That brief idea may seem like something you can find in any other romantic book or movie, but what Emily Henry does with Beach Read is both beautiful and moving.

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A Paradox of Infinite Possibilities | Recursion by Blake Crouch

I have to tell you right now that I am very excited to talk about this book. So be prepared for the amount of spoilers underway. I highly recommend reading Recursion first before reading this post as this will be a full length discussion of the novel.

What if time travel existed and that the key to it this whole time was through your memories? Now, imagine being able to go back to a specific memory in your life where you could have done something differently and then actually did it. Therefore, you end up changing not only your life, but the lives of others around you and the present as you knew it to be. Sounds heavy, right? This is what Blake Crouch, novelist and screenwriter of Dark Matter, Wayward Pines, and Good Behavior, explores in  his latest novel Recursion, which is soon to be adapted by Netflix into a movie and a series.

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The Beautiful Tragedy of First Love | Anna K. by Jenny Lee

Love is like throwing yourself under a train. You take a literal leap towards something forceful and dangerous knowing the risks and yet, the question is: will you survive?  Maybe that was a bad metaphor, but stick with me. Whether you have or have not read or watched the various film adaptations of Leo Tolstoy's tragic love story Anna Karenina, but know the plot, you will definitely appreciate and enjoy Jenny Lee's Anna K. In this modern day retelling of the classic novel, the story is now set in the glittering high society world of New York and Greenwich, Connecticut elite told in spectacular Gossip Girl fashion with a touch of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. The characters have been updated to the present day setting as wealthy and spoiled teenagers, but the doomed love affair and deep emotional drama that comes with it still remains. 

Anna K. is practically the darling teenage princess of Manhattan and Greenwich society at only seventeen. Coming from a wealthy and highly regarded family, that includes her beautiful WASP mother, Korean American father, and half-Korean brother, Stephen K., she remains down to earth with grace and poise. She is scandal-free compared to her friends, especially since she is practically engaged to her longtime boyfriend, known as the "Greenwich OG," and Harvard University freshman, Alexander W. That is until she meets infamous playboy, Alexia "Count" Vronsky. 

Vronsky is known about town for his notorious hookups and sexual history, whether true or not. Even Kimmie S., the younger fifteen year old sister of Lolly S. who is dating Stephen K., cannot help but fall for his charms despite being aware that Stephen K.'s tutor and childhood friend, Dustin L., is in love with her. The minute Vronsky meets Anna on the train platform of Grand Central Station, he instantly falls head over heels in love with her, forgetting all the women who came before. The feeling is mutual as Anna cannot stop thinking about Vronsky. What unravels is an undeniable love affair that comes with risks and consequences, but also a journey of self discovery and what it means to be a girl following her heart.

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Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire | Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there are enough novels about firefighters let alone a female fightfighter. Apart from the dystopian Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (which has a male firefighter as the main character), the only novels I could find just by typing a simple Google search are romance novels. So, what immediately drew me in to Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire was that main female heroine - both literally and metaphorically - was not only a strong-willed, albeit stubborn, firefighter but also a sensitive, caring person as well as to her surprise especially, a romantic at heart.

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Book vs. Movie: To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You

The last letter has been received! After two years since the release of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Netflix has finally released the highly anticipated sequel, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, based on the second book of the series by Jenny Han. Picking up where we left off in the first film, Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky are officially a couple. While this time their relationship is real, along with a promise to not break each other's hearts, John Ambrose McClaren has just received Lara Jean's love letter, one of the five that were sent out by her little sister Kitty. Compared to the other recipients who received a letter, John Ambrose actually had and still has feelings for Lara Jean and may be more compatible with her than she realized. To make things more complicated, Lara Jean has been feeling a little insecure when she begins comparing her relationship with Peter to his previous relationship with Genevieve, making her question if she and Peter are really right for each other or if there is another who may have her heart.

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Just a Screenwriter Standing in Front of a Boy Asking Him to Love Her | Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

Can you fall in love like they do in the movies? Being a fan of movies and particularly romantic comedies, I would like to think so as fantastical as that sounds. 

In the film world, there is a term called the "meet-cute" that defines the moment when two characters meet thus beginning the romantic journey together. Often times they are quite "cute" such as John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale picking up the same pair of gloves in Serendipity or even Hugh Grant meeting Julia Roberts in his travel bookshop while absconding a book thief in the most British way possible in Notting Hill. Sometimes they are unconventional like Richard Gere picking up Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, or even years later when his character infiltrates her small town in order to write a story about her in Runaway Bride. Other times the meet-cute can begin on the wrong foot such as Renee Zellweger's Bridget Jones meeting Colin Firth's pretentious and ugly sweater-wearing Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary or Meg Ryan's aviophobia Kate being seated next to Kevin Kline's scruffy Frenchman Luc in French Kiss. Nora Ephron had also proven that the meet-cute could also be possible without any physical interaction at all through Meg Ryan and Tom Hank's characters in Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. With all that in mind, who wouldn't like to meet like they do in the movies? The only question is if that is actually possible? Well, in Rachel Winter's novel Would Like to Meet she explores that idea.

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Book vs. Movie: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Via Netflix

This is the weekend I will remember most on the summer movies of 2018. When we had not just one, but TWO movies starring an Asian lead. In my last post, I praised the film adaptation of Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians. Today, it's the Netflix film adaptation of Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Honestly, I have been anxiously waiting for this movie all week ever since I binge-read all three books this past weekend. I had to watch the trailer and teaser repeatedly to keep me occupied until Friday when the movie arrived on my Netflix queue. It was definitely worth the wait because the film did not disappoint. I can say without a doubt that I loved it.

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Book vs. Movie: Crazy Rich Asians

Today, I was fortunate enough to snag free passes to a special advanced screening of Crazy Rich Asians courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures. I am so happy to say that I absolutely love this movie! It also may be - dare I say it - better than the book itself. Previously, I wrote my own review of the novel. Rather than go into the story again, I thought I would do a comparison recap between the book and the movie and share what I thought worked and what didn't work (though honestly, much of what the movie did worked). This will be a spoiler-heavy comparison. So, if you have not yet seen the movie or want to read the book first and then see the movie, I suggest skipping this post until you do.

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Crazy Rich Enjoyment | Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

When I first heard about Crazy Rich Asians, I had come across it in passing through several different news outlets praising Kevin Kwan's debut novel. At the time, I just shrugged and even at one point had mistaken it for Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom. Then about a year ago, I found out they were adapting it into a movie when I saw Constance Wu and Henry Golding on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. I read the featured article and found the premise to be interesting. 

The story follows Asian-American NYU professor Rachel Chu, who agrees to accompany her boyfriend of two years, Nick Young, to his hometown of Singapore for his best friend's wedding. What she had originally imagined to be a quaint summer in Asia meeting boyfriend's humble family turns into the culture shock of her life, when it turns out Nick actually comes from not just a reputable background - but from a crazy rich family! Surrounded by the opulent world of private jets, secluded mansions, and endless riches, along with an exclusive group of characters from Nick's eccentric family and friends to his domineering mother, Eleanor, who believes Rachel is not suitable for her son, Rachel must not only navigate her place in Nick's world but also decide if she wants to be a part of it.

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Four Books to End The Year

 

It may have taken me a long time to write this, but I have managed to complete my goal of reading twelve books in one year. The last four books were really great, falling between the genres of mystery and self discovery that I would recommend them to anyone. By coincidence, three of the four books actually have film adaptations with one currently in production. These last four books that completed my challenge for the year were The Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner, Missing Reels by Farran Smith Nehme, Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, and The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. *Spoilers ahead*

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Five Books From the Past Three Months

 

Earlier this year I started my own challenge of reading twelve books in one year. The first three books I read were Searching for Grace Kelly by Michael Callahan, Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, and A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott. Since then, I am happy to say that I have read five more books: When the World Was Young by Elizabeth Gaffney, One Day by David Nicholls, A Story Lately Told by Anjelica Huston, Watch Me by Anjelica Huston, and The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes.

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