My 2016 Reading Wrap-Up

Over the past couple of years, I have documented every film that I have watched and reviewed them all using Letterboxd.

As a way to motivate myself to read more, I thought I would do the same for what books I have been reading, using Goodreads as a way to set myself a reading challenge.

So, this year I set myself a challenge of reading 18 books, and for the first time since doing so, I have managed to exceed my target, hooray!

Here’s how my 2016 challenge went, with a short review and rating for each of the books:

Book v Film: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

“Most of all, I miss that feeling when you go to sleep at night and when you wake up in the morning. It’s that feeling that everything is all right in the world. You know, that amazing feeling that you’re whole, that you’ve got everything you want, that you aren’t missing anything. Sometimes when I wake up, I get it for just a moment. It lasts a few seconds, but then I remember what happened, and how nothing has been the same since.”

Directed by Burr Steers, Charlie St. Cloud is based on Ben Sherwood‘s book, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, which revolves around the character of Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron), an accomplished sailor and devoted family member who promises to play baseball with his younger brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan), every single day. But when Charlie and Sam are the victims of a car crash, Sam sadly dies and Charlie is resuscitated to find that he has the gift to interact with the dead. Years later, still atoning for his loss and guilt, Charlie is determined to keep his promise and still plays baseball with Sam’s memory in the depths of the forest. But when he meets Tess (Amanda Crew), Charlie must choose between the past and present; between living with the memory of his dead brother or saving the life of another.

Film Review: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

Directed by Burr Steers, Charlie St. Cloud is based on Ben Sherwood‘s book, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, which revolves around the character of Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron), an accomplished sailor and devoted family member who promises to play baseball with his younger brother, Sam (Charlie Tahan), every single day. But when Charlie and Sam are the victims of a car crash, Sam sadly dies and Charlie is resuscitated to find that he has the gift to interact with the dead. Years later, still atoning for his loss and guilt, Charlie is determined to keep his promise and still plays baseball with Sam’s memory in the depths of the forest. But when he meets Tess (Amanda Crew), Charlie must choose between the past and present; between living with the memory of his dead brother or saving the life of another.

Book Review: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud

“Most of all, I miss that feeling when you go to sleep at night and when you wake up in the morning. It’s that feeling that everything is all right in the world. You know, that amazing feeling that you’re whole, that you’ve got everything you want, that you aren’t missing anything. Sometimes when I wake up, I get it for just a moment. It lasts a few seconds, but then I remember what happened, and how nothing has been the same since.”

Written by Ben Sherwood and published in 2004, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud revolves around the character of Charlie St. Cloud, an accomplished sailor and devoted family member who promises to play baseball with his younger brother Sam every single day. But when Charlie and Sam are the victims of a car crash, Sam sadly dies and Charlie is resuscitated to find that he has the gift to interact with the dead. Years later, still atoning for his loss and guilt, Charlie is determined to keep his promise and still plays baseball with Sam’s memory in the depths of the forest. But when he meets Tess, Charlie must choose between the past and present; between living with the memory of his dead brother or saving the life of another.