I need to practice “Elevator Pitches”, so, I figured, what better way to do that than by crafting some for one of the worlds most popular series’ of our time.
These are probably going to end up being more of “explain a plot badly” lines, but it’ll be fun! 😆
Let’s go!
Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
An 11 year old boy discovers that he is the Chosen One with magical powers.
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
A giant snake attacks students via the plumbing.
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban
Escaped convict turns out to be your godfather, while your friends rat turns out to be a murderer.
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
A deadly competition has an unexpected result (hint – someone UN-dies!).
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Authoritarian education is torture.
Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Raging hormones, hidden memories, and stolen goods culminate in the death of one of our own.
Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
It’s a race to collect them all before the final battle at home.
Well, what do you think?
Are any of them proper elevator pitches? Or are they all just ‘describing the plot poorly’? 😆
Let me know your favorite Harry Potter film and book, and if they’re different, let me know why! 😀
The Bridge by Jeri Massi is quite possibly one of my favorite books ever!
It has been a hot minute since I last read this book (don’t worry though, it’s on my list of ‘books-to-re-read-asap’!), so my synopsis for it might end up a little janky – but here’s what I remember.
Rosalynn is a young princess, who’s home is invaded in the middle of the night in a coup! Her parents are locked up and she barely manages to escape on horseback with her trusted bodyguard Heron.
Somehow (I can’t quite remember how at the moment) the two end up separated!
Rosalyn awakens later to find herself, after having gotten lost and wounded in the woods, in the safe keeping of an old lady’s house. The old lady cares for her, protects her, strengthens her, reunites her with Heron, and ultimately aids her in returning to her home and rescuing her parents.
I genuinely can’t remember the finer details (I seriously need to re-read it asap!!), but it is a classic lost princess story. I am almost 1000% certain that this book contributed to my love of ‘lady and bodyguard’ stories, and my love of lost prince/princesses tales.
I still distinctly remember the scene where Heron and Rosalynn are reunited, I remember that he’s got a bandage around his eye, and that his wound is pretty infected. The old lady (who I think is old royalty herself, if I remember correctly…?) cleans and treats his wounds with herbs and medicines. He is kind’ve standoffish at first, cause he’s not sure if he can trust her or not. Ultimately though, of course, he does, and the three of them are the group that return to the castle and free the King and Queen.
This book was out of print for awhile, but now it’s back in rotation, thanks to the author getting the rights back. So now, you can find a copy of the book on Amazon (just make sure to look up the complete title and author name, as there are actually quite of number of books and movies titled ‘The Bridge’.).
I really need to come up with a ranking system, something unique…
How about typewriters? Like, 5 typewriters out of 5? I think I like that…
Yeah, let’s go with that for now, and we can always change it later, but for now From A Writer’s Point of View, The Bridge by Jeri Massi gets 5 typewriters out of 5!
(What do you think of this???? FaWPoV was my original site name idea, it stands for From a Writer’s Point of View. I think I like the idea of the typewriter ranking system!Thoughts??)
Anyhoo, yeah!
If you’re looking for a gently romantic medieval tale of princesses fighting for their families, or if you’re looking for an age appropriate book to recommend to your young daughter, sister, niece or friend – then The Bridge by Jeri Massi is a definite MUST READ!
Subscribe (if you wanna!) thanks!! 😆 until next time 💕
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is the ultimate ‘whodunit’ ‘locked island’ murder mystery that has inspired mystery aficionados’ in the creation of more novels, movies and games for decades.
Summoned to a mysterious island by an acquaintance, whom all of them they just ‘can’t seem to quite remember’, ten strangers find themselves trapped on an empty island on a dark and stormy night at a dinner party, where the main course has been seasoned with sinful secrets, poison, and quite possibly – a little bit of paprika.
In every room there are plaques and placards with the poem “Ten Little Soldiers” (although, when it was originally published it was known by a ah – *cough, cough* another name). In the center of the dinning room table are the 10 little soldiers themselves, and after the first unfortunate, and totally “accidental”, murder, the remaining guests discover that 1 of the little soldiers has been removed.
There is a murderer amongst them – and he is killing everyone, systematically, one by one.
As the poem continues to prophetically come true and the little soldiers continue to disappear, will the guests be able to figure out who the murderer is before there are “none” of them left?
I read this entire book the first time all the way through in a single afternoon.
I literally could not put it down! (Well, I guess technically I could’ve put it down, but you get what I mean, it was just THAT engrossing!)
If you’ve never read any of Agatha Christie’s work, or if you have, or if you’re just a fan of good books, then you should definitely give And Then There Were None a read. It will have you creeped out, confused, and intrigued all the way up until the very end. If you’re like me then you won’t know who did it until Christie reveals it herself.
It’s a 10 little soldiers out of 10 for this gem. 😀
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien is a well-known cult classic, about a group of unlikely heroes that band together to defeat an evil tyrant, but here’s why you should read The Fellowship of the Ring specifically.
Reason #1: It’s a classic epic quest story, with a clear objective – destroy the one ring.
If you’re a fan of D&D, Oblivion, gardening, or just epic military tales in general, then you’d appreciate The Fellowship of the Ring.
It follows the life of Frodo Baggins as his world is turned upside down by the revelation that his dear Uncle’s most prized possession is actually an evil object of extraordinary power. Thus confronted in the middle of his ordinary life with this extraordinary twist, Frodo accepts the responsibility of delivering the ring to those much stronger and wiser than himself, so that they may properly deal with it.
Of course, however, once he reaches them he discovers that things are much worse then he’d originally feared, and the strong allies much weaker than he’d hoped. Thus again, Frodo makes the decision to responsibly deal with the destruction of the deadly device on his own, when he is happily joined by 9 others. Together these 9 elves, men, dwarves, hobbits and a wizard make up the Fellowship of the Ring.
From there (now you’re at the halfway point of the book, and you’ve made it through the Council of Elrond chapter, which was the looooongest one, so good job!), the Fellowship sets out, journeying across the land, fighting goblins, balrogs, and orcs, suffering hunger, cold, and loss, before ultimately winding up shattered and broken at the Falls of Rauros.
Reason B: It’s got Boromir!
If you’re like me, then you are a fan of Sean Bean aka Boromir aka the King of Death Scenes!
Boromir in the books, unlike Sean Bean in the movies, is a lot more respectful towards Aragorn. He recognizes Aragorn’s right to the Gondorian throne, and Aragorn wants the throne, as he has been preparing himself for it for nearly ninety years. Boromir is hotheaded, just like in the movies, but a little less angrily so. He really gives off the vibe of being a true jock, not a tortured would-be prince.
Regardless, whether you’re watching the movie or reading the book, Boromir is a huge + on why you should pick The Fellowship.
And lastly: It’s the starting point.
Unless you’re a person who likes to know the ending of a story before you start it, or if you’re someone who just enjoys being confused, then you’re going to want to start at the beginning of the story. You could start with The Two Towers or The Return of the King, but I guarantee that if you do that that you’ll be more than a little confused by everything.
So, plain and simple, just start at the start.
(If you really, reeeeeally want to start at the start – then you should read The Hobbit first. But, that one is more of a one-off fun adventure story, and not the beginning of the epic quest. So, again, if you want to start the epic quest at the start of the quest, then you should read The Fellowship first.)
Bonus Reason: Bonus content.
There are a lot of parts from the beginning part of the quest that are cut out of the movie. So, if you’ve only seen the movies, then The Fellowship book will have the most surprises and easter eggs, as it was the one that was the most shaved down for film. And, if you’ve never seen the movies, then you’ll enjoy all of the fun, frightening, and fantastical twists and turns that the beginning of the journey has.
So, there you have it!
If you’ve been sitting around, thinking about diving into the LOTR trilogy, but you’ve been unsure of just exactly where to start, then these are your reasons as to why you should start with The Fellowship of the Ring.
It’s a great book to read at any age, whether you’re 7 or 77.
It follows the lives of siblings Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy and their adventures in the magical world on the other side of a dusty old wardrobe.
The world of Narnia – where there are fauns and talking beavers and terrifying witches. It’s a place where, when the children first arrive in it, it is always winter but never Christmas.
The arrival of the 2 sons of Adam and 2 daughters of Eve is the sign that the return of Christmas, spring and Aslan and then end of the White Witch’s reign is near.
CS Lewis is such a good writer!!
Each chapter is only about 10 pages long and, though he’s writing for children, there is no condescending going on. He respects the intelligence of the reader and delivers a story that is – simply put, a classic.
Everybody should read The Chronicles of Narnia.
Everybody.
100/10!
Also, if you’re only prior exposure to Narnia was the live action disney movies then please – FORGET THOSE!!
The books are a thousand times better AND there’s a cartoon movie from 1979 that is PHENOMENAL!! Go find and watch that – PLEASE!
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgens Burnett follows the tale of little Mary Lennox, or as the other children so ‘Mistress Mary, quite contrary’, who after becoming an orphan moves to London to live with her mysterious absentee uncle.
Miss Mary, who became used to the hot temperatures of her parents chosen home India, is more than a little cross at having to move back to the cold and wet England. Added to that, she’s not used to doing things for herself, having had a nanny that did everything for her from dressing to bathing to feeding, and the thought of being around disrespectful simpletons just about turns her stomach.
The housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock (played by Maggie Smith in the 1993 movie adaption), is having none of Mary’s bad behavior. She leaves Mary’s care primarily up to the young maid Martha, who encourages Mary to play outside, skip rope, explore the gardens, eat more hearty food and overall act more like a child.
Much to Mary’s surprise she finds herself enjoying her days – much more than she ever enjoyed life in India. Things get especially exciting when on one of her garden exploration days she discovers a hidden door – a secret door.
Before we get to that however, no story would be complete without the boys.
There’s Dickon, Martha’s adventurous animal-taming younger brother (Dickon was the one I had such a crush on as a little girl!), and Colin – the cousin Mary didn’t know she had. Not until the night she followed the mysterious, lonely crying that filled the large house and discovered the pale, angry invalid.
Together, the three children bring life and happiness back to the secret garden and themselves (Dickon’s pretty happy, but Mary and Colin were both really sour! They were really the only two that needed reviving but Dickon was a major factor in them achieving that.).
I love the 1993 movie adaptation of The Secret Garden – but I love the book more!
I so wish I had a garden like from the book! I wish that I could live in it forever! I plan to have a garden like it some day – the walls will be lined with lilac bushes! 🙂
The book focuses so much more on the beauty of the growing garden, on the hard work of clearing out the weeds and dead things, and Mary and Colin are way less bratty in the book. Their still bratty, but it’s more in a depressed way and not in a ‘na-na-na-na boo-boo’ kinda way. That and the movie added weird witchy stuff into it and I’m just not here for that.
The one thing the movie had that the book did not, was Maggie Smith.
Mrs. Medlock is in the book to be sure, but – she’s not Maggie Smith. Watching Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock is really just watching Maggie Smith and it’s so delightful!
Overall on a scale of 1 to 10, the movie gets a 9/10 and the book gets a 10/10.
Definitely, definitely, DEFINITELY, read The Secret Garden if you haven’t before. It will make you so happy! 🙂 ❤
The Host by Stephenie Meyer is quite possibly my favorite novel ever!
I really struggle with that question “What’s your favorite book?” But if you forced me to give an answer, then it would be a hard tie between The Host and Jane Eyre (with all of the LOTR books, The Harry Potter series, The Narnia Chronicles, the Twilight Saga, Escape to Witch Mountain and soooooo many others tied right along with them!!!).
I think in the end the only sensible thing to do would be to Fahrenheit 451 the situation and memorize all of my favorite books! Starting with Jane Eyre and The Host.
Originally pitched as ‘An alien story for people who don’t like alien stories’ The Host is Invasion of the Body Snatchers CONTINUED, or, A Day in the Life of Wanda (no not that Wanda!)
Not that one either!
Wanda, or Wanderer, is the body snatching alien that has taken over the body of our main human Melanie. Melanie, or Mel, is one of the last surviving humans, who’d been living rough on the run with her baby brother Jamie and her apocalyptic lover Jared, till they got separated and Mel ended up captured.
After Wanda was implanted Melanie was supposed to go away – but she didn’t.
2 souls, 1 body and a family that they now BOTH love – is a happy ending even possible?
Not to spoil anything but – YES! Yes a happy ending is possible!
Now, I want to share my fancast with you! I know there’s a movie, but the movie really could’ve been better imo (sorry Fickle Fish). This book needs/deserves to be done in show format, anywhere from 6 to 24 hours dedicated to it’s telling. (BTW Fickle Fish if you want/need someone to write the scripts for a show for you I WILL I WILL I WILL!!)
Anyways, my dream cast would include:
Melanie Stryder played by Lindsey Morgan (I mean, wouldn’t Raven by PERFECT!!??)
Or Alycia Debnam Carey (Lexa also has that fierce but soft attitude to play both Mel and Wanda)
Jared Howe played by Jensen Ackles (I know he’s in his 40s now, but this is my dream cast dammit! JENSEN IS PERFECT FOR JARED!!!)
Ian O’Shea played (this is the hardest one to cast for me cause he’s my FAVORITE! So, we’re gonna try to find someone that looks like he could be twins with my Kyle fancast) either John Krasinski
Or (because he’s got those baby blues…) Tom Hiddleston
Kyle O’Shea played by Jeremy Renner (once I had this thought there’s been no going back for me, Jeremy IS Kyle!)
And Finally Wanderer aka Wanda in the body of Pet played by Lucy Hale (with her blonde hair she’s perfect for pet!!!)
So, that’s it! What do you think??
The Host gets all the thumbs that I have in my possession way way up!!
If you haven’t read it yet, please give it a go! And if you don’t like it – well, then maybe you just don’t deserve to get what you want! (IT Crowd reference 😉 )
BTW, here’s the song that sold me on Jeremy Renner as Kyle. I feel like the show would need to have a soundtrack like this!! 100%!!!
A Writers View 