A Sea of Ink

What are the greatest books you've ever read? Not good, not favorite...but great. What are the books that are truly masterpieces? I have read many, many books so far in my short life. Hundreds and hundreds. Of those hundreds--perhaps a thousand?--only a few are worthy in my eyes of the adjective "great," in the true sense of the word. Many will disagree with my list, and that makes total sense--for, truly, what forms our opinions and reactions to books but our own, personal experiences? Thus far in my life, I have settled on these ten novels--some old, some more contemporary; some more complex than others--as the greatest I have yet read, in no particular order. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry* To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Les ...

In  World  War II France, two sisters weather the war, and defy the Nazis, in different ways. A lot of  ways . Like, an unrealistic amount of ways, maybe? ~ This was so emotional and I loved the themes and questions which lay beneath the events and characters. What an incredible story. I def liked All the Light We Cannot See more, because (besides the fact that ATLWCS was FAR better as far as the artistic prose; The Nightingale ’s writing style was nothing special) I had issues with Isabelle’s character, especially in the first half. She was so extreme so soon, without much insight to make her a believable, solid character. I needed more. She was 2D to me almost up until the very end. At first, she seemed so unrealistic that I was having trouble reading about her at all.  Like, I’m the same age as Isabelle and I know I have more sense than her. And also it was REALLY cliché and a tad unrealistic at a lot of times—like, no way all the stuff that happened to ...

Save the Date, by Morgan Matson. Charlie's sister is getting married. She is so excited for all of her siblings to be together all in one place--their home. And then chaos ensues. Matson, as always, has written another group of amazing characters into being. Unique, individual (each sibling was their own, different person), fun, super witty—the characters are what drive her books. They feel so real, forming a strong foundation for each book. The plot of this book in particular was a let down for me. Most of the book was focused solely on every single thing going wrong at the main character’s wedding. EVERY. Single. Thing. To the point of ridiculous unbelievability. Some of the mishaps made sense, and that they would trigger additional mishaps also made sense. But others...nope. Totally unrealistic. To the point that I considered not finishing at all. The family themes and underlying issues going on within the Grant family universe were the best parts of the book. The side n...

FIVE FANTASTIC STARS. The tale of two teenagers ( blind Marie-Laure of Nazi-occupied France, and German Werner, a radio technology  prodigy )  trying to make it through the chaos of World War II. "So many windows are dark. It's as if the city has become a library of books in an unknown language, the houses great shelves of illegible volumes, the lamps all extinguished... But there is a machine in the attic at work again. A spark in the night." ~~~ I don’t know what I could ever write that could ever do justice to the masterpiece that is this book. So raw, so honest, so beautiful and real. I’ve never experienced war, but I felt that this book was very realistic (and  unapologetic)  in its portrayal of wartime and its effects on people and their lives. This book dares to emphasize the fact that, no, you don’t know what happens to everyone in the end. Not everything is resolved. Closure is not something life owes you; closure does not always exist.   E...

I don't know what it is about Demy and Legrand, but their opening scenes always have me grinning like crazy (I always find myself saying, "wow, this is fun"). They know how to start off with a bang. The opening number of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort  (in English, The Young Girls of Rochefort) , bursts with sunny jazz happiness and choreography that made me want to dance along. So the performers (specifically the ensemble) might not be the best dancers, or the most synchronized--so what? To me, the choreography was more of an unbridled celebration of movement, of what dance should feel like, of freedom. It made me happy, and that's what musicals should do. I had more problems with the plot of this movie than I did with Demy's previous Les Parapluies de Cherbourg. I'm not sure if this was done on purpose, but the storyline was sloppily cliche and predictable to the point of being ridiculous. In the end, everything was suddenly and miraculously, all at o...

"I want to make people cry," said French New Wave director Jacques Demy, and so he made the film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964). Titled The Umbrellas of Cherbourg in English, this is the movie which inspired and heavily influenced Damien Chazelle's 2016 film La La Land. It is the story, told entirely in song, of teenage Geneviève who works in her mother's struggling umbrella boutique, and her garage mechanic boyfriend Guy, who is drafted into the French military to fight in the Algerian War. Teenage pregnancy, love triangles, betrayal, angst--seems like a typical, possibly meh plot line. Wrong. Right away, as the opening credits begin to roll across a scene, filmed from above, of walkers with brightly colored umbrellas, I know this is something special. Immediately, the viewer can tell he or she is in for a treat, that they are about to watch something beautiful--artistic--extraordinary. The first number begins to play--an instantly engaging jazz introductio...

A Very Secret Service, or, Au service de la France, is one little-known but brilliant offering currently available for streaming on Netflix. Paris, 1960: wide-eyed but excited André Merlaux is recruited to become a secret agent and thrown, with little to no instruction, into the fast-paced and often confusing world of "the service". In this satirical spy parody, full of dry but hilarious comedy, lovable, innocent Merlaux encounters a cast of amusing and unique characters, and stumbles into an unexpected plot much deeper and more sinister than he could have ever anticipated. Not only are the actors' performances excellent, but so are the well-written script and high-quality visual elements. With its fun and engaging plot, enriched by the historical backdrop of Cold War Paris, A Very Secret Service will have you both laughing out loud and perched on the edge of your seat, then waiting anxiously for more. There have appeared rumors that Season 2 could be coming to Ne...

The Greatest Showman was entertaining, but an excess of characters and events cost the film almost all depth in plot and characterization. Although the first few songs hinted at promise, most of the soundtrack (barring standouts “A Million Dreams” and “Never Enough”) is generally unimpressive and commonplace. Both the choreography (the highlight of the movie being the “A Million Dream” dance number between Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams) and the visual design are worthy of high praise, but the lackluster army of characters and lack of clarity in the passage of time turned what might have been a cinematic masterpiece into an unrealistic and often confusing storm of scenes. The writers would have been better served by isolating a smaller slice of Barnum’s history for recreation and making allowance for greater care and detail. The movie was dazzling but hollow, without real insight into the history it portrayed.

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, starring Kirsten Dunst in the title role, has been around for more than a decade; however, the movie hit Netflix only recently.  This film received mixed reviews due to the unconventional way in which it told the French queen's history. As Dunst said, "It's kind of like a history of feelings, rather than a history of facts." Though the American faux-French accents are admittedly cringe-y at times (that of Rose Byrne, as the Duchesse de Polignac, especially), all cons are outweighed. Sacrificing historically accurate language and music, Coppola focused instead on the essence of who Marie Antoinette really was-- a teenager. The rock soundtrack, featuring tunes such as a remixed version of "I Want Candy," contributes to this point of view and gives the movie a youthful tone relatable to the teenaged target audience. A scene set at a masquerade ball includes the blasting electric guitar and drums of "Hong Kong G...

Happy World Ballet Day! For those of you unfamiliar with the annual event, World Ballet Day is a holiday which celebrates the love and sharing of dance with an all-day livestream including classes, rehearsals, and interviews from the world's top ballet companies-- the Bolshoi Ballet, the Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, the Australian Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, and other, smaller companies like Ballet West! The dance community worldwide is unified in one joyous celebration, beyond all boundaries of language and country. Ballet is one thing that brings me great joy--dancing it, watching it, creating it...ballet is a key part of my personal culture. Had the stars not misaligned against me, I'd be enrolled in classes now. Unfortunately, I suppose I must have a different purpose in life--but that will not keep me from enjoying the art. In honor of this occasion, I'd like to share my favorite ballet class warmup trends, all of which I have seen worn by dancers...

I am a huge musical theatre lover, and I have quite a few favorite stage musicals. Les Miserables, which I saw at the Queen's Theatre in London...in the second row! Notable numbers: ALL OF THEM. Hamilton. I memorized the OBCR (original Broadway cast recording) last summer and I super-duper wish Lin-Manuel Miranda was my best friend. Notable numbers: It's Quiet Uptown, Burn, Satisfied, The Schuyler Sisters, You'll Be Back, Non-Stop, The Room Where It Happens... Newsies, and not just because Christian Bale played Jack Kelly in the original Disney movie. I mean, how often does a musical feature a female Nellie Bly-inspired journalist character?! Notable numbers: King of New York, Once and For All, Seize the Day. Anastasia: A New Broadway Musical. My childhood was built on the movie and I love how the story has grown up alongside me. Notable numbers: In My Dreams, Crossing a Bridge, In A Crowd of Thousands, Journey to the Past. Dear Evan Hansen. Amazing music, amazing...

It's National Book Lovers Day!!! and y'all know that I'm one of them. What better way to celebrate than by sharing a couple of titles from my [very long] list of favorite books with all of you?! (Ordered alphabetically by author's last name.) As you can see, I tend to enjoy historical and fantasy. Enjoy! The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo The Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Entwined by Heather Dixon Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Scarlet series by A. C. Gaughen The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy  by Jessica Day George Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier Cotillion by Georgette Heyer Les Misérables by Victor Hugo The Agency series by Y. S. Lee Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer The Nigh...

5 stars. Yet... I am currently in the process of re-reading, and the same thing is bothering me as was the first time. I love everything about the book--it feels like it was literally written for me--but there is one thing I can't get past: I have trouble believing that Jo can actually be that naive. She is an unusually worldly girl for her time; the author stresses how extraordinarily un-ignorant, how aware, she is. She keeps muckraker journalists' books under her bed, sneaks out of school to interview mill workers, but still has no idea about the gritty parts of her city (even though her far more proper friends know everything about it), and she is so quick to trust. I don't understand how fanciful, imaginative Jo can be so unknowing, especially about the journalistic process. She's obviously done deep research. However, I forgive it. Still 5 stars, although Jo's dubious naivety is the only thing holding this novel back from being completely believable, mel...

First of all: you just should. Don't even think twice about it. Just start reading. The Night Circus is basically my favorite contemporary novel of all time. Which is saying a lot, considering my favorite book list is 72 items long.  Reasons why you should pick it up: It is a standalone, no series commitment required. It's got magic. It's got both a boy main character and a girl main character, and they share the limelight pretty equally. The prose is, like, F. Scott Fitzgerald-level gorgeous. My writing style is the descriptive kind, and so is Erin Morgenstern's. It's about the circus of your wildest dreams. It is a fantastic, beautiful, provocative circus. Literally the circus of dreams. Nothing is explained in simple terms. There is a level of analysis required if you want to understand how the pieces of the story fit. Every time I read it, I realize something new. It is profound. There are moments of witty banter, moments of tragedy, and moments of...

So...I'm a bit of a sucker for a good re-imagining of a classic story. Here are a few of my top picks: The  Scarlet series by A. C. Gaughen [Robin Hood...and Maid Marian *wink*] The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer [Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White] The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson* [Sleeping Beauty] *And this author has a whole slew of lovely fairytale retellings set in medieval times with a Christian-centered spin! The  Princesses of Westfalin series by Jessica Day George [The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood] Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine* [Cinderella] *Levine is another very successful fairytale re-teller. The  Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan [Greek mythology exported to modern day] The Grimm Legacy series by Polly Shulman [Grimm Brothers, H. G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, and other literary masters' artifacts stored in a modern-day repository...yes!] Bella at Midnight by Dian...