Quote of the Day

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The D.U.F.F.

Written by Kody Keplinger

Goodreads Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

My Confession: I think I decided to buy this book because the title was so in-your-face. I mean, "Designated Ugly Fat Friend," really? My finger was poised over my Nook--I was just looking for a quick, fun read. I wasn't totally in the mood for a story that was going to "teach me a lesson" about body love. But then I realized how many times I identified as a DUFF, and I pressed "purchase." Yes, Barnes & Noble, I'm okay with you charging my credit card $7.99 for this ebook. I want to read what this brave teenager (yes, the author is a teenager) has to say about this topic.

Okay, so who hasn't felt like the ugly, fat one in their group of friends? If you haven't, then you can stop reading here. Because I have--almost every day of my twenty-three year existence. And I can count on one hand how many times I've read a character like this--someone simultaneously smart, sassy, and completely uncomfortable in their own skin because of what society perceives as "pretty." And not once have I ever believed that a legitimately attractive male would fall for someone with a little junk in the trunk. But I believed Wesley's genuine affection for Bianca, not because of what she looked like, but what she brought out in him. In never trying to please Wesley, Bianca is herself--she doesn't worry about her body or image. And in doing so, she finds a peace within herself and everything she has to offer. I think it adds a little truth to the adage that you can never love someone without truly loving yourself first. In many ways, I don't think you can ever be truly loved until you love yourself enough to show all of yourself to that person, until you realize you have nothing to hide. That's how Wesley and Bianca fall in love with each other's true self. And that's why it feels so real. Wesley never really loses his edge, and Bianca never really loses that cynicism, but they find a way to soften the other.

But I think this can be more than a feel-good story for girls who have always felt marginalized for not fitting into a size 2. I was really impressed with the eighteen-year-old author's concept of storytelling and building character. A lot of this book was very believable, and Bianca's voice was strong and consistent. There were a few points where I winced or grimaced, mainly in the moments when Bianca equates Wesley to a drug, the way she uses him to avoid facing her home issues. I get where the author was trying to go with this--I just don't think it totally got there.

Recommendation: This was a really cute read and a page-turner in its own way. The characters are three-dimensional and I really enjoyed reading a truly relatable female voice, someone who wasn't at the top of the high school food chain. Bianca's not a blonde, perky cheerleader (even though one of her best friends is); she doesn't have "tragic beauty" that she just doesn't realize. She's 100% normal, American teenager who is just trying to survive adolescence. Her uber-popular friends really love her, and it was utterly refreshing to read about how perception really is reality. And a little self-love and confidence never hurt anyone.

Rating: 3.5/5

280 pages, published by Poppy (Sept. 7, 2010)

Books-Turned-Movies I'm Particularly Excited About

I'm a New Yorker who has been stuck inside my 300-square foot apartment for the past week, all thanks to Hurricane Sandy. While I (as well as my roommate and apartment) survived relatively unscathed, many other areas around me cannot say the same (shout out to my second home, the Jersey Shore--prayers and thoughts are with you!).

That being said, I've acquired some rather unexpected book and movie time in the last six days. Below are some movies that were spawned from books that I could watch over and over again, as well as movies that have yet to hit screens that get me all fan girl-squealy.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower--one of my favorite movie adaptations ever. This is probably because the author also wrote the screenplay (can I ask that this happens for every book adaptation in the future?) but I absolutely loved how gritty and unapologetic the movie was. Any questions I had about how they would turn Charlie's stream-of-consciousness into a well-rounded movie were silenced almost instantly. Go see this, if you haven't already!

Bridget Jones's Diary--to me, the movie was way better than the book. Now, before you gasp in horror at the words I swore I would never, ever utter, let me give you a succinct reason as to why: Colin Firth. The end.

One for the Money--while this adaptation of Janet Evanovich's uber-popular Stephanie Plum series isn't going to win any Oscars, I rather enjoyed it. Even though a superfan like myself, who has read every single Plum novel (all almost-19 of them) is probably the exact demographic the filmmakers were trying to please. Joe Morelli was rather surprisingly yummy (but an Irish actor, really?--ah nevermind, you're forgiven) and Katherine Heigl's portrayal of disaster-prone Stephanie was rather entertaining. Definitely a rainy-day movie.

Something Borrowed--the girliest New York movie of the, er, last year or so. As you probably know from my previous review, I was pretty pleased with this movie. I watch it every time I need a pick-me-up. It's just riddled with cuteness, laughter (oh, Jim, what will I do without you when The Office is over?), and an awesome, cheesy love story. Perfect.

Jane Eyre--this recent adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's famous love story is utterly swoon-worthy. This is a complex tale of secrets, societal status, spooky not-really-ex wives, and a spellbinding love that transcends it all. The book may be thick and largely intimidating, but this is one of the classics worth picking up off your shelf. Or watch this version first. Then, I guarantee you'll be reaching for the pages that started it all. Oh, and Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rochester doesn't hurt either. At all.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason--oh, come on. It's been a long week, okay? I'm just a little hooked. Go ahead and judge.

Cloud Atlas--haven't seen it yet, but desperately want to. Something tells me this one may be so intricately woven, it may become a bit tough to follow. But c'mon, with a cast like this, who isn't up to the task?

The Host--I actually prefer this book to the rest of Stephenie Meyer's other creations. (What are those other books called again? They get such little publicity I forget sometimes. Gag.) Anyway, this story has a lot more depth and is a lot more complicated than Twili most paranormal romances of today. I'm interested to see how this alien, apocalyptic tale plays out on the big screen. The book was a pretty exciting read.

Beautiful Creatures--one of my favorite YA books (not to mention series) ever. I'm almost finished with the fourth and concluding book in the Caster Chronicles, and I have never been more engrossed in a twisted story of love and spells before. This is an amazingly thorough and engrossing story that you can tell has been well thought-out and planned over the course of four books. I can't wait to see the screen version.

Back to reading and watching! Let me know if there's any other books-turned-movies I can watch now or keep an eye out for later!

Images courtesy of Entertainment Weekly and Google Images