Confessions of a Book Blogger Who Hates "Confessions of a _______" Book Titles

I HATE HATE HATE books whose titles start with "Confessions of a .....".  This hatred is totally random and mostly unfounded, but I can't help it, I hate these titles!  I feel like it makes the book or movie sound so generic because I really think the whole thing is overdone.  I must be the only person who feels this way though, because one of James Patterson's September releases is called....

I just googled "Confessions of a" and got the following:

Confessions of an Economic Hit man

Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber

Confessions of a CPA: Why What I Was Taught to be True Has Turned Out Not to Be (a terrible title for a number of reasons, aside from the confessions aspect)

Confessions of a Working Girl: A True Story

Confessions of a Surgeon: The Good, the Bad, and the Complicated...Life Behind the O.R. Door

Confessions of a Las Vegas Motorcop

Confessions of a Scoundrel

Confessions of an Anonymous Hedge fund Manager

There were about a billion more titles just like that out there, which is why these titles feel way overused and cliche to me.  That being said, there are a lot of books and movies with this sort of title that I do like, but their unfortunate titles do make me cringe!

So how about you?  

What do you think about "Confessions of_____" titles, are they cliche? 

 Lame? 

 Interesting?  

Don't care either way?

What's your literary pet peeve?  We all have 'em, so spill!!!  Hit the comments to rant!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! (Also, My Apologies to the Irish, Twihards and Aerosmith Fans Reading This)

Top O' the Marnin! Blarney! Tis grand! Hearts stars and horseshoes, clovers and blue moons, pots of gold and rainbows, and me red balloons!  If you haven't guessed, we are celebrating St. Patrick's Day here on The Book Buff.  Since I am neither a drinker, nor Irish, the extent of my celebration is green pancakes for breakfast, and to wear a spot of green to deflect any errant pinching fingers headed my way.   Since most of you will probably be a little bit on the tipsy side, today's post is going to be more on fun, rather than informative :)  In honor of all the Irish book buffs out there, let's play...

Did you know ___________ was Irish?

Bram Stoker, author of Dracula

  

 

James Joyce, author of Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake

(this is one of the subjects of this post-click on it, it's hilarious!  If you liked that post, click here for round 2:)

Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and (my favorite) A Modest Proposal

Oscar Wilde, author of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest

And now for random Irish stuff having nothing whatsoever to do with books...

Pretty scenery...

 

And last but not least, some memes, because I can never get enough of 'em...

Happy St. Patrick's Day my lovely Book Buffs!  Please be safe out there!

Better Book Titles: Round 2

A few months back, I did a post on an awesomely irreverent blog called Better Book Titles.  Basically the blog takes reader submissions on names that they feel suit the book better than the original.  It is hilarious!  As I stated in my Better Book Titles: Round 1, the original blog is not family friendly, strong language and sexually charged titles are not uncommon, but don't worry, my favorites that I've selected for Round 2 here on The Book Buff are family friendly :)  Read on intrepid Book Buffs!

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

I'd be willing to bet that anyone who read this book in high-school still takes a second thought when eating prepackaged food.  I find myself completely unable to even think about what is in that ubiquitous cereal dust at the the bottom of every cereal bag.

The Princess and the Pea

I have to say, I've never really cared for this story.  Even as a little kid I often wondered why the prince would want such a whiner for a wife.  I'm sorry, but speaking as a person who has born children, I cannot understand why a man would choose a woman who can't even sleep due to a pea, as the mother of his children.  Just sayin...

Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce

Yup.  That about sums up my experience with the book.  Has anyone reading this ever finished the book?  I'm dying to know a.) how you managed to muddle through and b.) what did you think of it?

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This one basically made me spray my drink all over the place.  Having a reference to the uber secret "terrible awful" thing mentioned only in whispers throughout the entire book right there on the cover was priceless.  Hilarious!

Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

I'm not poking fun at the belief, just at that prophet that keeps making all of the doomsday predictions, and that people keep believing him.  I understand the first time, but fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...well, you know :)

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

I have a funny story to tell you guys about a certain guy I'm married to having a certain club where they did stupid guy stuff back in high-school, but of course, I can't tell you said story, because it would be breaking rule #1. Y'all know what I'm sayin' *wink*wink*elbow*elbow*

 The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Great book, but as pointed out here, a misleading title indeed.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Best.  Books.  Ever.  (tied with Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Pride and Prejudice, and Hunger Games but shhhhhhhh!  don't tell my favorites that they share the #1 spot, I don't want them to think I'm cheating on them!)

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Sadly, the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer was better than the Demi Moore's version of The Scarlett Letter.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

And still, with all the musical numbers and dancing gangs, I still found West Side Story to be twice as sad.

Kate's Mailbox Adventure, or, How My Heart Was Stomped on by a Video Game

Since I've been on hiatus, I haven't accepted any books for review.  I just barely started accepting books again, and I forgot how exciting it is to check the mail!  I open up my mailbox, hoping against hope to see that little golden key.  That little golden key-or the key of dreams, if you will-is the key to the separate mailbox that is just for packages.  I open the package box to see a large, rectangular package waiting there just for me.  I pick it up, looking down at the label, expecting to see Kate the Book Buff lovingly inscribed (or machine automated, either is acceptable :) as the addressee but then the unthinkable happens...

What's this?????  I'm not the addressee???  It's a video game for my brother-in-law???  Depression quickly sets in until my sad eyes turn downcast and I see another package!!!  My betrayed heart barely dares to hope that...YES!  It's for me!  Some lovely author/publicist has sent me a book.  My day is complete and I skip merrily into the house with my precious loot.

I was lucky enough to experience this several times this week (thankfully only one time was the package for my brother-in-law, I'm not sure my fragile heart could handle that every day) and I thought I'd share my loot with you.  Please let me know if you've read any of these books, or are waiting on them yourself. I'd love to hear your thoughts on each one!

The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot

*Amazon*     *Goodreads*

Etiquette for an Apocalypse by Anne Mendel

*Author*     *Goodreads*

The Inquisitor by Mark Allen Smith

*Amazon*     *Goodreads*

The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland

*Amazon*     *Goodreads*

If you've reviewed any of these, please feel free to leave a link or URL in the comments!  

Why Yes, I Am Obsesed, Your Point Is.......?

We bought our Hunger Games midnight premier tickets last night and I am sooooooo excited!  We decided that since it was coming out on my hubby's birthday, we'd splurge and do IMAX this time.  The tickets were nearly double the price but come on, it's Hunger Games, it's totally worth it.  When we saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, I said that would be my last midnight premier.  Yeah right.  I read The Hunger Games like a month after that and I knew right then and there that they'd made a liar outta me :)  So in honor of my excitement for Hunger Games, here's some fun stuff to get you amped for the movie!

A link to the trailers and a ton of clips (like you haven't seen these 50 times already :)

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/the-hunger-games/

Some movie stills:

OK careers, remember you're the villains so on the count of 3 strike an intimidating pose...1...2...3...NOW!  Ugh! you in the back, I said intimidating! 

When I see this, I hear some hardcore soundtrack playing in my head.  I'm thinkin' Kashmir by Led Zeppelin, what do you hear?

 

The guards look like some Star Wars/Fahrenheit 451 love children, but it's all good, Hunger Games can do no wrong in my opinion.

 

No matter how many times I see Effie, she still gives me the willies...

*shudders*

*shudders*


Now...some eye candy...

And lastly, a little tearjerker for you...

 *sniffle*sniffle* 3 finger salute*


Funny interview with "Hutch" and "JLaw"


http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2012/03/01/hunger-games-after-hours/

Scene by scene breakdown of the trailer


http://carolineinspace.blogspot.com/2011/11/lets-breakdown-hunger-games-trailer.html


These are my kind of cupcakes!

And finally, some funny memes for everyone...

How excited are you?

GASP! I'm branching out! Eeek!

 If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may know that I have OCD, and if you didn't already know, well, now you do.  I've always been a little OCD with my postings, i.e. 1 post = 1 review, but there are so many fun things I've wanted to do, but my self imposed posting limitations have made that a bit difficult.  So I've decided to ***GASP!*** change things up a bit!  Now, along with my usual reviews, I'm going to be posting book news, book thoughts, memes and other fun things.  Now, don't laugh at me but this change is really nerve racking for a creature of habit such as myself.  So while I get this whole thing figured out, show me some love and send me some comments so I don't feel like such a dufus!

So for my first foray into the wild randomness of the bookish thoughts swirling around in my head, I'm going to make a list of some of the books I've been wanting to read forever, but just haven't gotten around to it for one reason or another.  So go ahead and leave me a comment or two on just how badly I am missing out :)

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Yes I know, these are the best books ever according to just about everyone, but I haven't gotten around to it yet!  Sue me!

2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.  I saw the movie, I liked the movie, I'm sure the books are better, they always are.  I plan on reading the books, but there are a lot of them, and I'm just a wee bit too broke at the moment to go out and buy em all.

3. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare.  I started reading the first book in this series and I was HOOKED but then my TBR stack of books authors had sent me to review was getting a bit behind, so I had to abandon the books.  I can't complain though, I got all of those books for free!

4. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. SIKE!  Gotcha!  I'm obsessed with Harry Potter, I've read them all a bazillion times.  I love them and I can debate all the nitty gritty details with the best of 'em, just wanted to make sure you were paying attention!

So tell me, what are you out of the loop on?  Don't be shy!