Book Review: "Passion Project" by London Sperry

“Everyone has something they’re passionate about.” “Not me. I think it’s what they call apathy.”

Bennet has been adrift since her boyfriend Sam died. Sam dreamed that they’d have the perfect life together in NYC, but alone, she realizes the city isn’t for her. She doesn’t want to do anything—spend time with friends, work, or even have any fun at all.

When her roommate sets her up on a blind date, the very idea sends Bennet spiraling into a drunken, panicky mess. Luckily, Henry, the guy she ghosted, turns out to be tremendously sympathetic to what Bennet is going through. He offers to help her rediscover her passion for life.

Henry proposes that once a week, they get together—as friends—and explore a different activity. The hope is that they’ll find something that sparks enthusiasm, and happiness, in Bennet. They try tattooing, volunteering at an animal shelter, photography—even rappelling off a tall building.

The time she spends with Henry each week becomes a highlight for Bennet. But the truth is, if she’s ever going to be able to enjoy life, she needs to come to terms with her feelings surrounding Sam’s death, not to mention how she’s isolated herself from everyone.

This was a fun concept and the story was sweet and emotional. Henry was a definite catch as a book boyfriend. But I felt like during parts of the book, Bennet didn’t treat him well, which made me like her a little less. However, I still enjoyed the banter and chemistry between them.

Book Review: "Looking for Alaska" by John Green

Miles Halter had a pretty boring life in Florida. He didn't really have friends and did well enough in school, but there really wasn't much that sparked his interest. Except, of course, famous last words—he loved finding out what people's last words were and memorizing them.

One day, he realized he wanted more out of life. Inspired by the poet François Rabelais, whose last words were "I go to seek a Great Perhaps," Miles convinces his parents to send him to boarding school in Alabama, the same school his father attended. He hopes that the change of school, the change of scenery will set his life on a new, more exciting course.

Culver Creek is an interesting place, although Miles wonders if he'll ever get used to the oppressive heat of Alabama. (Anyone who thinks living in Florida prepared him is dead wrong.) He quickly makes friends with his roommate Chip, aka "The Colonel," a scholarship student with an enormous chip on his shoulder toward the "Weekday Warriors," the rich kids who go home on the weekends. Chip tends to drag Miles along with him almost everywhere, so it's not long before he has a small circle of misfit friends.

But it's Alaska Young who gets Miles' full attention. Opinionated, moody, larger-than-life, and absolutely beautiful, Miles is drawn to her almost immediately, but she has a boyfriend in college she isn't willing to cheat on. Alaska has their entire social circle in her thrall, even if the rest of the student body isn't as enamored because of something they think she might have done, and she leads the group in some pretty legendary pranks.

Late one night, when Miles, the Colonel, and Alaska are hanging out and drinking, Alaska suddenly gets a phone call and when she returns, she becomes tremendously emotional and leaves. And in a split second, everything changes, and Miles, the Colonel, and their friends have to figure out what sent Alaska away so late at night.

Looking for Alaska is an interesting book about the impact one person can have on your life, and how being willing to step outside your shell can actually result in wonderful things. As with many John Green books, the characters are far more sarcastic and intellectual than your average teenagers, but that never seems to bother me that much.

I enjoyed the book and found parts of it emotional, but it wasn't as powerful as I was expecting it to be. I loved The Fault in Our Stars and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (which Green wrote with David Levithan) and also really enjoyed Paper Towns and Turtles All the Way Down. This one just didn't seem to have as much of a spark the whole way through.

I learned that Hulu did an adaptation of the book, so I'll have to watch that now to see how it differs.

Book Review: "Pumpkinheads" by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

What a terrific graphic novel!!

Deja and Josiah are best friends—at least from September 1 through Halloween, and at least while they’re working together at the pumpkin patch. (They don't see each other at all except during that period of time.) Tonight is the last night they’ll work together since both will head off to college next fall.

Josiah can’t imagine a world without the pumpkin patch. Deja doesn’t quite feel THAT strongly, but she’ll miss Josiah, and all the activity, and all of the great food. (Maybe especially the food?)

But tonight, Deja has a plan. It’s not going to be just a typical night. She’s gotten them a shift at a different post rather than the Succotash Hut, where they’ve worked the last three years. She’s determined that Josiah is finally going to talk to the girl in the fudge shop that he’s been mooning over for years. And she’s going to get all of her favorite foods.

Sounds perfect, right?

Of course, nothing quite goes as planned. Along the way they’ll run into a candy-apple-stealing punk, flee an escaped animal, say goodbye to old friends, explore what brought them together as friends, and come to some interesting realizations of their own.

This was so much fun, so charming, and had such a terrifically warm story, and the illustrations really made it feel like fall! Sometimes graphic novels are spare in their narration but this one really worked for me.

I'm a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell's (her new novel comes out 9/24 so I am super excited about that, too) and Pumpkinheads had so many of her trademarks, including a story that had so much heart. I read the book in one sitting and was sad that I was finished.

This is perfect for Halloween lovers and saps like me who love stories of friendship. But you probably shouldn't read this one on an empty stomach!

Movie Review: "Inside Out"

If you've ever felt like a jumble of emotions but you can't figure out why, don't be alarmed. The emotions themselves will take control of the situation—if they can.

That's the premise behind the immensely clever, quite enjoyable Inside Out, the latest from Pixar. Riley is a young girl growing up in Minnesota, living a fairly happy life. She has a great relationship with her parents and friends, plays ice hockey, and enjoys being a bit of a goofball every now and again. And much of this is thanks to (and in some cases, despite) her emotions—Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Anger (Lewis Black), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The quintet watch over Riley each day, helping her navigate situations, and create core memories she will cherish.

Things get a bit tumultuous when Riley's father decides to move the family to San Francisco. Joy tries her hardest to reign all of the other emotions in and keep Riley the happy-go-lucky, fun-loving girl she always has been, but with the moving van getting lost and their new house not being quite what she was expecting, it's not easy. Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger start exerting their power, throwing Riley's personality off-kilter, and putting all of her favorite memories in jeopardy.

I found this movie really ingenious in the way it portrayed how our memories are generated and preserved, why we forget certain things, where our dreams come from, and how our memories often contain more than one emotion. While it got a little bogged down in detail from time to time, watching the emotions interact with each other, and how each one reacted to certain situations, was really charming. (And when the movie showed what was going on in other characters' heads, it was absolutely hysterical.)

As with any movie that deals with growing up, family, friendship, anxiety, and cherished memories, Inside Out provokes its share of emotions along with laughs. Poehler and her compatriots do a great job voicing the emotions—Smith and Black are particularly funny. This may be a little more cerebral (no pun intended) than recent Pixar movies, but it's a lot of fun, and truly charming to boot. And the next time you feel a particular way, you may thankѿor curse—your emotions!