For my very first “Movie Vs. Book” post, I decided to go with a classic. In most cases, I read the book before I see the movie. For some reason, I just can’t do it the other way around. It feels wrong to me. However, this movie came out when I was a kid. I grew up laughing at the amusing Sir Percy and his witty repertoire. I didn’t get around to actually reading the book until I was in my twenties. I was excited to read about the characters I’d grown up adoring. But the book, as well as the characters were quite different than I had anticipated.

The movie was more lighthearted and witty. The book also had some of those elements, but it was much darker as well. I’d say the book was definitely more realistic. The movie changed the plot drastically. I realize that the screenwriters would have to simplify things to fit it all in a two hour block, but they pretty much rewrote the story and kept the characters in it. Even some of the characters that were bad guys in the book were good guys in the movie. (Sorry, I don’t want to name names and give spoilers if you plan to read/watch.)

One thing that was consistent in both was the strong love and devotion that Percy had for Marguerite. The movie showed it well, but you really got to see how much he loved her in the book. In fact, the novel character of Sir Percy could be considered to have an obsession with her. In one scene, after Marguerite leaves, he kisses every step that she walked on. Some of those parts were a little cheesy for me, but I’m sure a lot of romantics out there would love to read this novel for that reason alone.

So we come down to the big question: What the movie better than the book? I think that depends. Like I said, I saw the movie first (repeatedly throughout my childhood!) and read the book much later. So the child in me would like to say that the movie was better. However, as an avid reader, I think the book was very well written and had great plot and intensity. With those thoughts in mind, my answer is no, the movie was not better then the book. However, I would also like to add that I don’t think the novel was better than the movie.

Both stories are enjoyable and entertain the audience wonderfully. I would recommend both reading and seeing the movie. My only piece of advice would be to have no expectations of either. Just keep in mind that while they have the same title and characters, they’re really not that comparable. Think of them as two distinct stories and I think you’ll enjoy both!

1: Would you rather listen to the Beatles or LMFAO?
LMFAO for sure, although I’ll readily admit that I only know Party Rock Anthem. I’m no DJ, that’s for sure. I grew up listening to the Beatles because my brother was obsessed with the oldies music, but they never snagged my interest. That being said, I still use the phrase, “Bang, bang, Maxwell’s silver hammer came down on…” in everyday conversation. Maxwell smashes whatever is irritating me at that moment. If he can’t accomplish it, then I pass the smashing on to Hulk.

2: How long did it take you to write your book?
2 years to write, 3 years to edit.

3: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
Hands down, Tarek Ascennor. I grow so tired of conforming to social faux pas all the time. Tarek couldn’t care less what people think of him. In his own words, “If I was hungry, I ate. If I was thirsty, I drank. When I had to pee, I found a tree. If someone made me angry, I pummeled them.”

4: Do you prefer salty or sweet snacks?
Usually salty, especially in the form of chips and popcorn. However, if the mood catches me right, you’ll find me sneaking handfuls of gummy bears.

5: What authors do you look up to and why?
This is going to sound so cliché, but it’s true. I look up to all of them! Before starting my own novel, I never understood the commitment and sacrifices necessary to write a full book. I give a standing ovation to everyone who has accomplished it!

6: Which author do you think you write like the most?
My wife says I’m most like Shannon Hales, and I know better than to disagree with her.

7: What’s your favorite food?
Hrm… lately, nothing. Eating and sleeping use up so much valuable time that could be invested into more important tasks. But, I’d probably choose my wife’s homemade salsa.

8: What’s your favorite movie?
I love, Love, LOVE movies, all different kinds for all different reasons. I especially love well done series. So, my favorite is The Lord of the Rings (you probably saw this coming).

9: If your book was turned into a movie, who would you cast for the main characters?
Good actors/actresses. *snicker* I’m more concerned about the writing and directing. I’ve seen too many books ruined by bad scripts. No amateur directors for INSIGHT! The music is pretty important to me, too. I’d for sure snag Harry Gregson-Williams for the soundtrack.

10: Describe your book in one sentence.
Wow. I’ve never been asked to do this before, and I hate this question! I wanna talk about INSIGHT for pages! *grumble* Alright, let me give this a shot, without creating a massive run-on sentence…
“When Lon’s uncontrollable magic begins to kill him, he is forced to make countless impossible decisions, one of which is whether or not to join the sworn enemies of his kingdom.”

11: What kind of interaction do you hope to see from your fans?
Viral! (Did you hear that, Crystal? Let me say it again. VIRAL!) My wife hates that word because I’ve been obsessed with it lately, but can you blame me? Every author dreams of their book become viral, where the readers love it so much that they share it with their friends. It eases our marketing burden, frees up our writing time, and pours money into our empty pockets!

12: Would you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert?
I seriously laughed out loud at this one. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m a total extrovert. In fact, I don’t even know if introvert is a real word. *wink*

13: If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
My wife asked me this question last week, putting aside typical religious answers and the obvious answer of my brother who died in 1995. I had to think for a long time, but my first non-fiction choice was my 7th grade English teacher, Mr. Peterson. My passion for literature stems from him. Maybe the stars are trying to talk to me. I should try to look him up.

I am so excited for the ebook sale that my publisher agreed to do! It’s only two days, so I want as many people to know about it as possible. That’s why I’m doing this crazy giveaway. Prizes are: $100 Bohme Gift Card, $50 Target Gift Card, and a $25 Amazon Gift Card. You guys ready to start tweeting and sharing? Here we go!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are a lot of people in this world that love to read (I’m definitely one of those). But it always surprises me when I meet people who don’t really like it. Because, there is something for every preference that you can think of. So you don’t like fiction? That’s fine. There’s plenty of non-fiction books in any area of life that you can think of. Want to just have an escape and not think too hard? Yeah, there’s a ton of fiction books that are easy reads and fast paced. If you still have reservations about reading, why don’t you check out my list of reasons reading is good for you:

 

1: Makes you smarter.

Reading helps you to increase your vocabulary; that’s probably not news to you. You also likely knew that reading helps with your writing skills (that one seems pretty self explanatory. Advice given to any writer is to read more of what you like to write.). But did you know that it also improves your memory? Apparently, it activates the part of your brain that holds memory and can help you remember details, whether from what you’ve read or in your everyday life.

2: It’s a great escape, and relatively cheap (unless you’re an addict like me!)

How much trouble do you have to do to plan a real vacation? After price-matching hotels and flights, getting packed and making an itinerary, it’s not much of a relaxation time for you. (Don’t get me wrong – I love to travel. But it does take work and money.) You average book will cost you between $10-$20 and all you have to do is sit back and read.

3: It keeps your brain active while giving you some down time.

I feel that this point needs to be expanded on: Everyone needs to have some rejuvenation time so that they can unwind and process how their day has gone. It’s important for mental health to have this “quiet time”. A lot of people tend to watch TV to achieve this. Others turn to video games. Both of these activities are just fine. However, your brain gets a lower brain-wave activity with watching TV and playing video games than when you’re sleeping. In a nutshell, you’re essentially turning your brain off. I’m not saying that you should never engage in these activities, but I am saying that you shouldn’t do these things in excess. On the other hand, reading a good book gives you that necessary escape and helps you to relax and recover from your day while keeping your brain turned on.

4: It can help you socialize.

Have you ever met someone who enjoyed the same book you read? Noticed how popular certain books are getting lately? There’s a reason for that. People love to be able to connect with one another on little things. I know it sounds cheesy,  but liking the same books and movies bring people together as they compare their favorite characters and plot points.

5: Increases your analytic thinking.

Chess, here I come! (Not really – I’m terrible at the game. Maybe I’m not reading the right books…) Studies have found that analytical thinking is boosted by reading. It’s obvious that readers increase their general knowledge, but they are also able to spot patterns quicker. If you can spot patterns quicker, your analytical skills get a boost.

 

I just want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes, by George RR Martin: “One who reads lives a thousand lives, and one who doesn’t read lives only one.” Happy reading (or should I say happy living?), you guys!

A lot of my material is based from an article written by Cunningham and Stanovich. Click here if you’d like to read the complete details.

My husband and I had the fabulous opportunity to see Brian Regan at Tuacahn, in St. George, Utah last week. Brian Regan has been a favorite comedian of ours for some time, and we loved seeing him live. Of course, I can’t make it nearly as entertain for you, but here’s my list of Brian Regan’s top ten jokes from that night:

10 ~ Trying to want to read a book.

Apparently, Brian isn’t the biggest fan of books. He joked about how he would get himself settled into bed, the covers just right, the pillows propping his head perfectly, and the lamp on. His book would be in his hands, and yet, he’d just end up staring at the ceiling until he went to sleep. I had to mention this since books are my life! (My livelihood as well as my passion.)

9 ~ Guns

This whole section was hilarious, but the part I’m going to highlight is how Brian said he didn’t understand the difference between an assault rifle, and a non-assault rifle. If I tried to repeat his jokes in this segment, they would fall flat. You should try to find him talking about guns on YouTube and watch it. Regan goes into some fast paced talking as he imitates someone listing the differences between the two. He was so good at it! I’m positive I would have been tongue-tied if I’d tried to say the same thing just as fast.

8 ~ The word hair.

Very short joke, but it made it on my list because, as a writer, I love to make fun of the English language and all of its rules. So, Brian talked about how you can have one hair, multiple hairs, or a head full of hair. The tenses used for the word hair seem to be contrary.

7 ~ Food combinations.

Regan spoke about how he’s trying to lose weight. When he mentioned it to a friend, the buddy’s wife jumped in with advice about food combinations. “To lose weight, you just need to combine the right foods. For instance, spaghetti and meatballs are not a good combination and won’t help you lose weight. But if you combine plankton and lemon peel, that will help you to lose the weight.” LOL! Maybe this one struck a chord for me since I’m constantly trying to diet. Brian said that his response was to go out and buy doughnuts. (The trick is to not combine the doughnut with anything else!)

6 ~ The word spree.

(Another word joke!) Regan stated that the word spree is only used in two actions: a shopping spree, or a killing spree. So if someone says they’re going out for a spree, you may want to clarify exactly which kind of spree they’re referring to. 😉

5 ~ Negative campaigning.

You can probably guess what he said about this, but it was hilarious to listen to!

4 ~ Reward cards

Ever get sick of people asking you if you have a rewards card when you’re trying to buy from their store? I know I am, and it sounds like Brian is, too.

3 ~ Dancing

Regan speculated on how dancing came about in the first place. Were the cave men just tired of standing around, and so they started pushing each other in the middle of a circle to move about and entertain others?

2~ Shadow polo

This is my favorite, but what makes it so funny is to see Brian showing you his shadow boxing and shadow polo. He was making fun of how some men try to greet him at parties because it looks like they’re shadow dancing up to him or something. So he reciprocates with shadow polo or boxing.

Now for the number one joke! You ready?

…

1 ~ Top Ten

Brian made a joke about how all you have to do to make your article or blog popular is by writing up a top ten of… well, anything. So I decided to write a top ten of his jokes. Brian, I have taken the challenge!

What are some of your favorite jokes? Whether they be by Brian Regan or another comedian?

photo credit: Malingering via photopin cc