Nina vs. ARGH: I Am Number Four Book vs. Film Version

Have you read the book, I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore?  Have you watched the film adaptation too?  Which did you like best?  ARGH and I had trouble agreeing with this one, and so we ask you, fellow bloggers/readers/authors/AWESOME PEOPLE:  Which version did you enjoy more, I Am Number Four the book, or I Am Number Four the movie?

I liked the MOVIE version better because:

1. Since I Am Number Four is an action-packed story, this translated well into film since we will be able to visualize every move, every moment, every nuance within the story, and the special effects will help us understand more than if we are just reading about it and letting our brain do the imagining which is sometimes just not enough.
2. I was not very confident about the premise of this story and paying for a movie ticket costs less than paying for the book itself that I might end up not enjoying.
3. I do not like reading series books because if it had a cliffhanger ending, it might drive me crazy; whereas in films, the ending is almost always clearer even if the movie has a sequel coming up, or is part of a series.
4. Alex Pettyfer.

On the other hand, ARGH likes the book version because:

1. "The film version's action scenes mostly transpired in the dark and I do not have very good night vision."
2. "The book is way better because I can just go open it and read it whenever I feel like it."
3. "I do not need a big screen to dictate to me what I should imagine when I am reading about the action scenes in this story.  I have my very vivid imagination for that, thank you very much."
4. "We all know that movie adaptations always differ from the real version, so at least the book is a perfectly reliable source."
5. "I think Alex Pettyfer's all-too-chiseled facial features are scary.  He looks more like a sculpture than a real person."

ARGH's views typed verbatim, hence the quotation marks.

So with whom do you agree more?  

Nina vs. ARGH: Hardcover or Paperback?

So I was going to work a few days ago and I wanted to bring my current read with me.  However, my hardcover copy of Her Fearful Symmetry is a bit on the big and heavy size and it occupied a bigger space in my bag - and I even had to fit in a water bottle, my mini-first aid kit, and other stuff you'd be surprised to see in my bag.

I've always been excited about having hardcover copies of a book that I like, which is actually what made me get Her Fearful Symmetry in the first place:  It's hardcover and it's from the used bookshop which made it cost about less than 80 percent its original price.  I also have other hardbacks and I like the aesthetics but once you get down to convenience, paperbacks rule.

Discussing my dilemma with ARGH, he was very much in favor of hardcover books.  And his solution to my bag problem?  Get a bigger bag - a suitcase, perhaps?

                                          Paperback                    vs.                  Hardcover

I think I prefer paperbacks because:

1. They save more room in my bookshelf - more space for other books!
2. Which also helps me save more room in basically everywhere else that I stash them, especially in my bag.
3. They are easier to lug around since they are more lightweight.
4. They are easier to cover (see New Book Ritual).
5. They are cheaper.
6. They are cheaper.
7. They are cheaper.

I think I could go on and on and all my reasons would all translate to 'They are cheaper.'

On the other hand, ARGH is willing to get me a bigger bag just so I would get more hardcover books because:

1. Because hardcover books are more expensive, they are also worth more than paperback.
2. Authors and publishers alike make more money from hardbacks than paperbacks.
3. Hardcover books have more durable book covers.  And their spines do not crack.
4. Most books usually debut in hardbound versions.
5. Hardcover books have better quality pages and the dust jackets look amazing.
6. Aesthetically speaking, they look better than their paper counterparts.

And the discussion begins!  Which side are you on?  Are you pro-paperback or hardcover fanatic?

Nina vs. ARGH: First-Person Narration vs. Third Person Narration

We love to read.  We read young adult fiction, thrillers, murder mysteries, love stories, etc. etc., but apart from the genre do you still have any factor that influences your book preference?  Like the point of view, perhaps?  I have always preferred reading books written through the character's point of view.  Some examples are Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, Boy Meets Boy, and The Catcher In the Rye.  I have always liked that feeling that I am getting inside a character's head and understanding the story through his/her eyes.  

ARGH, on the other hand, favors third-person narratives.  According to him, he appreciates the objectivity of such narratives because he is able to understand by himself what happens in stories.  Some books he likes are The Pelican Brief, Hannibal, and Pride and Prejudice (of course!  He's named after the author). 

So we'd like to ask you, do you prefer a story written in the first person or third person?

 

                                                   First Person          vs.        Third person

I like first-person narratives because:

1. I see a more genuine account of a character's personality, feelings, and perspective,
2. Hence, I can easily connect with a character.
3. I am more of an 'introspective person' which makes me prefer subjective points of view in stories.
4. I appreciate a story that 'shows' more than 'tells' you what is happening.  If you are reading a third-person account, the storytelling would more likely eclipse the visual that the story would like you to see.
5. Characters are more well-developed and defined in order to provide an authentic perspective.  

On the other hand, ARGH likes third-person narratives because:

1. First-person accounts are very egocentric - what do they know about what the other person is thinking/feeling/talking about?
2. Third-person narratives can provide better perspective on the story because it gives an omniscient view of everything that happens.  
3. Helps understand more people involved in the story, not just the main characters whom a first-person narration would tend to focus on.
4. Narrators in the third person have a more flexible way of storytelling.  They can show you events from the past and the future, and other things that involved characters may not be aware of.
5. It is more objective, therefore the reader can actually think for themselves and form their own opinions and use their own imagination.

How about you?  Which do you prefer? 

Nina vs. ARGH: Printed Books vs. Ebooks

I am currently reading Me, Dead Dad & Alcatraz by Chris Lynch (print) and Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwen Cready (digital) and as far as I know, I'm making more progress - although still dismal - reading the first book than the second.  It's not that Seducing Mr. Darcy is not good, I think it's all right, but I've been doing a lot of things that's been preventing me from getting near my reader.  On the other hand, ARGH says I don't make much progress because I mostly forget to bring my reader with me and continue to lug heavy books around, and because I favor printed books, which he thinks is so 1999.

Which results to a new argument discussion between me and ARGH:

                           Printed books      vs.              Ebooks

I prefer printed books because:

1. The story feels more tangible to me when I have its printed book in my hands as I read it.  
2. I love the cover designs and the different colors.  Ebooks also have cover designs but I love seeing a particular book cover whenever I want to without having to start a gadget or whatever hassle just to look at it.
3. It's easier to pace myself when reading words on paper.  With digital books, I get dizzy sometimes and my eyes hurt from prolonged reading.
4. It's easy to purchase - just go to the bookstore and there you go!  Ebooks aren't sold much in the Philippines.
5. I can go back and forth different pages easily.
6. My library looks impressive because of the number of books I have :D
7. I don't have to lug around a laptop/my reader just so I can read.  Print books do not need power to function - just a well-lighted, comfy spot.
8. I can smell them - can't do that with digital books!
9. The urge to do my book ritual is satisfied - I can't cover Ebooks with plastic cover.
10. A printed book helps me concentrate more on what I'm reading, unlike Ebooks which I automatically associate with digital articles which I have a little difficulty focusing my attention on.

But ARGH thinks Ebooks are cooler because:

1. It saves trees from getting slaughtered and turned into books.  You can't recycle a bad book - you think you can turn it into a flower vase once you got tired of it or thought it was hideous?
2. You do not have to carry a heavier bag just for the sheer amount of books you packed in it.
3. It saves space - especially in the bedroom so he has more space for himself.
4. Ebook readers are compact but contains multiple ebooks so whether you got bored reading one book, you can switch to another.
5. You can easily take notes and bookmark a page - unlike printed books that get ruined pages when you fold them as bookmark, and the notes stay on the page forever.
6. ARGH also points out that my eyes got ruined at a young age because I loved to read - even in dark places.  Ebooks are read using a reader and it has its own light source.
7. Ebooks never get damaged from fires, water, or sticky substances - not to mention the destructive reading habits of other people who borrow your perfectly-kept print book and return it like it's practically dying.

Do you agree with ARGH or with me?  We can't settle this by ourselves so if you could help us, that would be great:  Do you prefer the printed book or a digital copy would suffice? 

Nina vs. ARGH: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares US vs. Aussie Cover

You all know how crazy I am for Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.  Believe it or not, every time I see a post about that book, I'll make it a point to read it, though I don't comment much (sorry, I'll try to improve on that).  But there was this one time, when I saw Chachic's - of Chachic's Book Nook - book review of Dash and Lily - ,  I discovered this awesome, awesome book cover, which she said was the Aussie edition.  ARGH and I loved it, but I told him I still liked the US version. So we decided to do a Small Review and make a 'Cover Crazy'-like comparison (argument) between the two.

Here's what we're talking about:

                                              Aussie                                                    U.S.


I said that I liked the U.S. cover better because:

1. It's the cover of my own Dash and Lily copy.
2. It's red, which reminds me of the red notebook they passed back and forth.
3. It gives you that Christmas-y aura and the feeling that you are getting a piece of New York, those things reminded me of their adventure through passing the red notebook back and forth.  For me, that Book of Dares was what made Dash and Lily's relationship special because really, how often do you meet a person through a notebook in a bookstore?  Dash and Lily may be different and under ordinary circumstances would never think of hooking up, so making them come together is romantic enough, but it only gets more awesome and book worthy because they met in a totally unique way, knowing and understanding each other before they actually met.

On the other hand, ARGH liked the Aussie cover because:

1. It features a caricature of Dash and Lily which shows how different they are from each other.  That makes ARGH appreciate more how these two teenagers who are worlds apart in their personalities and backgrounds come together.
2. The sketch enforces the visual he has of Dash and Lily in his mind and helps him think clearly and empathize more with the characters because the picture helps him think that they are actual persons.
3. He is crazy for bright colors, which attracts a lot of attention especially for monsters like him.

So there you go, can you help me and ARGH settle this discussion once and for all?  Which do you like better, the U.S. or the Aussie cover?  Are you with ARGH or with me?