Bookish Whimsy

Changes to the Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 07:00:00 +0000

For the past few months I've been going through the dilemma of what direction I want my blog to take. I don't want to stop blogging, but I've found that I really don't have the time or inclination to keep up with it like I used to, and I needed to find a way to make it work better for me.

And after much thought, I've decided that really simplifying the whole process would be best, and that I would like to move it over to tumblr. I like that it is easier to access and update tumblr through the mobile app, and that it encourages microblogging and also makes it easier to keep up with blogs through the app. I will miss using blogger because it has so many more features, but I'm really hoping that the tumblr interface will keep me motivated to blog. And it was also fun tweaking a new theme design. :) I keep tending towards a more minimalistic look and I really like the look of my tumblr page now.

Luckily I have my domain name, so I plan to point it towards the tumblr blog this Friday, and make the switch complete. If you're following me on bloglovin, I'm hoping that posts will continue to update there the same way. And I will keep this blogspot blog up for the sake of prosperity since it has about four years worth of posts and good times.

I imagine that my blog will be a bit different now - I'll post about more different things - movies, shows and life stuff - as well as book reviews. And I'll be continuing the Movie Musical Challenge over there too.

If you would like to visit my tumblr page now - it's here: http://bookishwhimsy.tumblr.com/

And if you are on tumblr, and I'm not following you, please let me know in the comments so I can remedy that!

Review: Castles

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Castles (Crown Spies #4)
by Julie Garwood
Historical Romance
Amazon / Goodreads

Plot Summary:

Orphaned and besieged Princess Alesandra knew that only hasty marriage to an Englishman could protect her from the turmoil in her own land. To the amusement of her makeshift guardian, Colin, younger brother of the Marquess of Caineswood, the bold raven-haired beauty instantly captivated London society. But when Alesandra was nearly abducted by her unscrupulous countrymen, the fighting instincts that won Colin a knighthood for valor were rekindled.

Deceiving himself that he wanted only to protect her, Colin swept her into a union meant to be a marriage in name alone ... yet Alesandra's tender first kiss and hesitant caress ignited a wildfire in his soul. As the lovely princess dashed headlong into unforeseen dangers, Colin would follow, knowing he must claim her as his own forever. Now he would risk life itself before he would lose this sweet, tempestuous angel ...

Review:

Castles is a lovely romantic story with a little mystery and a quietly sassy heroine. Alesandra keeps tries to act with decorum and it's not always easy, but she is very smart and figures out ways to get what she wants. I enjoyed reading about a heroine who wasn't too outspoken or confident, but was not a pushover and could hold her own against the forceful personality of Colin.

Colin was a total alpha male, and a great match for Alesandra, even though I sometimes felt like Colin could be a little too overbearing and harsh. But he did soften in time (as of course he had to!) and it was very sweet to see how Alesandra changed him for the better. Both of them had their insecurities that they worked through and I love that their romance developed somewhat slowly.

I also loved that the secondary characters felt fleshed out and added to the story - even the smaller characters felt like a big part of Alesandra and Colin's development, and it was great to see how much they added to the plot.

The story has a mystery that is pretty predictable, and because it figured so little into the main plot, it was a little jarring when the story would make reference to it. It created a great denouement for the story, but sometimes it did feel unnecessary. This is a book I'd recommend for the way it builds the romance which is very touching, and for the great heroine.

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)
by Sarah J. Maas
Fantasy
Amazon / Goodreads

Plot Summary:

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Review:

I think it's safe to say that this book took the series in directions I could have never anticipated. I love how Sarah Maas can completely change dynamics and relationships and reveal hidden depths about these characters you think you know from the first book. As a reader it's nice to have these surprises.

I should say that at first I wasn't really happy with the way things were going. I don't want to spoil things, but with A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre had to go through so much, that it almost felt invalidated in this book because of how things were changed. Feyre also is recovering from the horrors of her time Under the Mountain, so I felt like the story took awhile to get underway due to how damaged she was. It was chilling though to read just how devastated by those events our heroine was, and I admired how realistic it was for Maas to explore those things. It also served to strengthen Feyre, and really showcase that fierceness in her that I loved to see. The pace of the story was slow for me in the beginning, but the character development was stellar.

Rhysand was a favorite character in the first book for me, so learning more about him and his court was definitely a highlight. Especially because there is so much depth to him that was only hinted at in the first book. And he is still solidly a favorite character for me. He's almost too perfect really, as a romantic ideal, and it's not fair, haha.

The world expands too, as more is revealed about the other courts, and the threat against the fae and the humans become more apparent. The story really ramps up towards the end too, as everything in the story comes together for a pretty heart-stopping finale. I was absolutely riveted. It's crazy how intense this story became - it went from the characters sort of dancing around each other in uncertainty to so much being laid out on the line, and so many things going wrong. It was brilliant. And the last book in this trilogy will be glorious I'm sure!

Star Trek Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Last week I finally watched the new Star Trek film - one that I have been anticipating for awhile now because it was co-written by Simon Pegg, and featured a new story idea (still love you Into Darkness!). I had such high hopes for this - or rather so much faith in Simon Pegg for some reason. Star Trek Beyond was a good film, but not as good as I was hoping. Anticipation and Expectation is a bummer sometimes.

My feelings on the film are mostly positive though. It's an enjoyable movie, sometimes a little too predictable, but there are some great epic moments, the way the story moves between what is happening with the separated crew was excellently done, and the way the different storylines meshed was fantastic. I loved that the film started with a bit of humor with Kirk trying to broker peace with an alien race. It felt very much like the start of a fun adventure, and I think the movie mostly delivered on that. It does have it's darker moments though, and some great emotional moments for the cast.

Thinking about the film though, I was disappointed by the sense that the story felt too derivative of the Original Series TV show. Which is a little odd for me to say, because it's like saying the film was too faithful to the original and I almost never have a problem with that. But a lot of the moments or the plot points felt too episodic or traded on the dynamic of the characters in ways that were already explored thoroughly in the show or even in the Abrams films. It all felt so familiar, that it was hard to appreciate the film as it's own thing. I was thinking as I was leaving the theater, that the films might be better if they had a completely new set of characters (so excited for Star Trek Discovery!) or maybe in a similar way to First Contact - if it explored something that the Original Series didn't really explore. With First Contact, the story was so much more cohesive and riveting because you see a different Picard, changed by the Borg, and the effect on his character was huge.

I'm not sure if being a fan of the show hurt or enhanced/validated my feelings for this film. When I first watched the two Abrams films, I had never seen any of Star Trek before (refer to my first post on getting into Star Trek!) so I didn't have anything to compare or detract from the films. I could appreciate them as their own thing, and I haven't re-watched those films since. I should, just to see if I would feel differently, or less enthusiastically about them now.

Anyways, despite some of my lackluster emotions toward this film, I think it is very good, and worth watching if your a fan, or maybe more worth a watch if you are not as much of a fan. I can see why this film is more appealing to the Trekkie though because it adheres more strongly to the ideals and the message of Trek, and it highlights some of what fans love about the show. It was beautifully chilling to see the new Enterprise built, the old theme music used, and the "space, the final frontier" speech being said. My nostalgia (from watching it just a couple years ago...haha) for the TV show was satisfied by the inclusion of these things. I look forward to the next film and I even hope that Simon Pegg might co-write it again, because I feel like he can really do something great with Star Trek.

Pokemon Go Book Tag

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000

I'm a bit addicted to PokemonGO, so when I saw Aentee's book tag, I had to participate! Even though it took me awhile to find the time to write my answers to the tag, heh. I'm so glad to mix my love for books and my new love for this game though. :) And thank you also to Aentee for the wonderful graphics she created for this! I tag anyone PokemonGO players who would also love to mix the two fandoms.

The Game: For the starter, I picked Charmander, because my nickname is "Char" sometimes, and... that's pretty much why I have a connection with Charmander. LOL

The Book: This is a hard one... I'm not sure I remember the book that started it all, but it may have been a Nancy Drew book, or The Black Stallion by Walter Farley, which started me on reading book series. I know The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain started me on reading the Classics when I was in high school.

The Game: I was so excited when I first got Pikachu! I click on his icon a lot to hear him say "pi-ka-chu". So much cuteness. I'm going to be a little sad to evolve him. :)

The Book: I'll have to go with my usual Classic favorite (everything) - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It's a book and a story that will always stay with me, and I'm sure I'll continue to reread it into my dotage.

The Game: Not a fan of the zubats. And the evolved version is even creepier. I normally don't mind bats though, but these are a bit creepy looking to me, and their fluttering makes them hard to catch!

The Book: I can't think of a book I didn't want to read just because it's overplayed, usually I won't want to read it because it doesn't interest me.

The Game: Don't know where to get this pokemon, and not really familiar with it either, but hopefully it will turn up in my game someday!

The Book: The first book in the Glamourist Histories series - Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal is so very Austen-esque to me. And it's funny that the tone and genre of the series changes as it moves forward. The first book is excellent - a great proper romance.

The Game: I don't have a Snorlax, but I see a lot of gyms with one so I see he's a great and powerful pokemon to have!

The Book: Game of Thrones! I'm curious about it and would prefer to read it before attempting to watch the TV series (which I'm not even sure I will do that since it seems so graphic and violent), but the length of the books, and also the fact that it's not finished yet has put me off. One day I'll get around to it I expect!

The Game: Eep, another one I'm not familiar with/have caught! I guess I should walk around at night more and play. :)

The Book: I feel bad that a book hasn't kept me up at night lately... from awhile ago Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was a book I couldn't put down until I finished it. And then I was kept up further by needing to have a good cry...

The Game: Aw, I have the un-evolved versions of these two, and they are much cuter un-evolved. LOL But I will get them to this point some time! I do see them around a lot in my area, I wonder why that is.

The Book: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson has a glorious OTP - Kate and Henry. Childhood friends, but Kate can't imagine that Henry would be in love with her. The tension between them is gorgeous!

The Game: Rapidash! This is the one pokemon I can't wait to get. I'm slowly collecting so I can evolve my Ponyta, but there are not enough Ponytas in my area sadly.

The Book: The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. My goodness, I listened to it on audiobook, and in less than two weeks, blew through five books. The stories are so addicting, and the cliffhanger endings made it worse. And Jericho Barrons was pretty sexy. :)

The Game: Eevee was one of my first Pokemon catches, and I was so excited because they are so cute! Their evolved forms are not as cute, but they are pretty powerful, so I'm eager to get all three (I have two so far).

The Book: Although I haven't yet decided if I want to read The Cursed Child, it does make me kind of happy that J.K. Rowling is returning to the world of Harry Potter. I don't know if it's the best idea, but I love that she loves the world and the stories so much to keep returning (I refuse to believe it's motivated more by money!). I will definitely be watching Fantastic Beasts when it comes out!

The Game: I keep hoping for something amazing to come out of my Poke-eggs when they hatch, but most of the time they are Pokemon that I already have. Oh well.

The Book: Wow this one is tough, because I'm not really up on the new novels coming out... Unfortunately I'll have to mention a book that's not a debut novel, but something different that I'm really looking forward to reading - Happy by Derren Brown. The full title is Happy: Why Everything is More or Less Absolutely Fine. Derren Brown is one of my favorite people, and this book will have his particular sense of humor while also exploring finding happiness in the everyday through philosophy and changing your thinking. Which I find fascinating.

The Game: I haven't even used a lure module yet! I've definitely taken advantage when it's been set-up by someone else at a Poke-stop, but I think I'm waiting until I'm sat somewhere for 30 minutes and it's a place that might yield some Pokemon I don't usually see around.

The Authors: I have a few lately - Susan Dennard of course because she's awesome, as is her bestie Sarah J. Maas. Also anything by Sebastien de Castell, Julianne Donaldson and Mary Robinette Kowal.

The Game: I'm excited to see how the legendary birds will figure in the game!

The Book: Hmm, it's not "overhyped" I think cause it's really good I'm sure, but I've been hearing a lot about it lately, and I still haven't gotten around to reading it - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Really excited to read it, and now that the second book is coming out soon-ish I should wait and read them both in one go. :)

The Game: Thankfully the people behind the game seemed to have stabilized the servers, but it was really funny how often the game would go down and people would complain. I mean, maybe the company should have worked faster at getting the servers going, but I'm sure no one expected how crazy Pokemon Go would be!

The Book: After reading an ARC of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, the second book, Windwitch was high on my NEED to read list. It's still going to be awhile before I can though *tear*. I'm going to be begging and pleading for an ARC though, I'm sure!

The Game: You know I didn't know what Magikarp evolved into, so when I saw it takes 400 candies (!!) to evolve it, I was shocked. And then someone told me what it evolved into, and I'm in desperate need of Magikarp in my area...

The Book: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Even though I heard great things about it when it first came out, I wasn't as motivated to read it, due to it feeling a bit MG, and not very epic. But when I started it, the book wowed me with it's complexity and the awesomeness of the main character. I just love characters who have a plan that no one else is aware of. And can execute it, despite daunting odds. Those kinds of characters are fascinating to me. And bonus that the character reminds me strongly of another in a favorite series of mine - Gen from The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner.

The Game: Don't know much about these Pokemon, other than they are very, very rare.... so I have little hope of seeing them, haha.

The Book: I don't have a particular edition yet, but the Folio Society puts out some beautiful editions of classics, and even though they have a Jane Eyre one right now, I personally think it's a bit ugly, so I'm hoping that some time in the future they will do a new one, and I'll drop the cash for that one.

Movie Review: Florence Foster Jenkins

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000

I was able to attend a screening of this film Monday night - which comes out August 12th in the States, but it was out earlier in England. I saw the ads for it when I was in England earlier this year, but didn't make it to the theater. It looked interesting ("Inspiring true story of the world's worst singer") and it stars Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, so I was even more keen to see it. It is based on a true story, but I've never heard of Florence Jenkins, so I really had no idea of what the plot would be going in. My review will have some spoilers for aspects of the story, but nothing major and nothing about the ending.

I think what should be the appeal of this movie is the humor and the heart of the characters. Definitely not the singing, because it is awful and goes on way too long. Some of the instrumental music is very beautiful though. But the humor felt flat to me all throughout the film. I'm not sure what it was. There were people laughing in the audience though, so maybe it's just not my kind of humor. The incredulous reactions of people in the movie to Florence's singing was milked a lot though, and if felt a little much.

With the characters, it's established very early on that there were meaningful motivations for Florence, her husband St. Clair, and her pianist Cosme, to want to showcase Florence's (awful) singing, and their backstories were very touching, although there were moments when it was hard to sympathize with St. Clair, the husband. But in a way I also found it hard to empathize with such self-delusion and manipulation, even though it made Florence so happy. It felt kind of cruel actually, and I think that also helped diminish my enjoyment of the film.

One thing I really loved was the character of Cosme. He was kind of thrown into being a pianist for Florence, not really aware she couldn't sing, but needing the job, and in the end, caring about her as a friend. His character arc, and the humor of his reluctance to continue in the situation made him very endearing.

The movie isn't particularly memorable unfortunately. It looks great visually - I loved the Forties New York era, and the acting was fantastic, but the humor was very hit or miss with me, and I didn't empathize with the characters as much as I wanted to. It's too bad, because everything about this film seemed like it would be great entertainment!

San Diego Comic Con 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Last weekend, I finally experienced San Diego Comic Con, thanks to the boyfriend who scored tickets for Saturday and Sunday just a couple weeks before. I've always been a bit wary of how crowded and crazy the con is from everything I've heard about it, but of course I was eager to see for myself just how crazy it is. It was a blast.

When I was planning for what to try and see, I ruled out all the major panels - the ones where people line up and sleep overnight outside to try and get into - and opted for the smaller (mostly Star Trek related) ones that I was hoping wouldn't be too hard to get into. So in that respect the con was a big success because we got to see all those panels.

For the Trek panels I saw:

Star Trek: The Roddenberry Vault - where they showed some old newly discovered footage of filming for TOS. Which they are releasing as a documentary sometime soon. It looks like it will be a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to buying a copy!

Star Trek: Designing and Filming Starships - This was later in the day, so I was feeling a bit tired, so I don't actually remember too much of this one, haha. The title says it all though, the talked about the design of the starships, and showed some pictures of what it was like to film them. It was interesting to see how they shot the model ships to make it look like it was flying through space. The real draw to seeing this panel though was getting a free model starship - everyone who got into the panel got a random one. We got a Ferengi Marauder and a Klingon Bird of Prey. Oh well, not the Enterprise, but it was cool that they were giving them out for free!

Trek Talks: Star Trek and NASA Boldly Go - I really enjoyed this talk - it was moderated by Robert Picardo (the Doctor in Voyager) and featured an astronaut, and scientists working with NASA. They talked about the impact of Star Trek and how the show has inspired them, and on how technology seen in Trek, is being realized today.

For the most part, if we weren't waiting for or watching a panel, we wandered around the exhibit hall - where there were many booths set up selling awesome nerdy things, or the TV/Film studios advertising their recent or upcoming offerings. I particularly enjoyed seeing Magneto hovering above us at the Fox X-Men Booth--

For bookish things, unfortunately I didn't do much. I would have loved to see Sarah J. Maas, but getting tickets to the author signings was a bit of a pain, and standing in line was not really how I wanted to spend a good part of my first time at Comic Con. I know there were some freebies at certain times at the publishers' booths, but I didn't make time to rush over there. Passing through though, I did catch Marissa Meyer signing books, and also Tahereh Mafi, although I didn't snap a photo. The exhibit hall could get really crowded at times, so it was hard to maneuver around. There was one time when we were stopped because a path was being cleared for the Suicide Squad cast to exit, and I missed out on seeing Will Smith pass by (I wasn't tall enough!). Sadness.

Sunday I had heard from my friend that getting into Hall H for the first panel of the morning wouldn't be as crazy as the previous days, and there was a good chance I could just walk in, so I decided to do that since the first panel was for Sherlock, and I was so happy that I did get in. I was all theyway in the back, so it was mostly looking at the big screen, but it was fantastic to be in the same room as these actors and creators of Sherlock. And with so many fans of the show. They also showed a teaser trailer for season 4 which just gave me chills. Sherlock has to be the best show on TV. When it's on... which isn't often enough.

Here are some pictures of the screen, because I could not get good photos of the cast. :)

Some highlights of the panel was Benedict doing a Trump impression (disturbingly accurate) Moffat saying he's not the one blocking the Sherlock/Doctor Who crossover - seems like Gatiss is against it - Moffat and his wife Sue Vertue arguing over whether they need to change Sherlock's coat. Moffat is against it, the fans in Hall H were against it, but Sue and Benedict (it gets hot for him wearing it) were for it. (I'm against it LOL) Amanda Abbington was there too, and she and Benedict talked about how difficult it was working with the bloodhound that shows up in the next series. The bloodhound apparently didn't want to move.

The last panel we hit up was Anything Goes with John Barrowman, which was just John taking questions, telling stories, singing a bit, and being incredibly charming and hilarious. I've never seen John in this kind of setting, and he was a joy to watch. So much energy, and just a great vibe of being happy to be there, talking to us. It was a fabulous end to the con for me. Because then we had to jump in the car and make the drive home, to try and get some sleep before work the next day!

Overall, SDCC was a lot of fun. I think I experienced a small percentage of what it could be, because of the focus on the smaller panels, on not trying to do everything, and also because I was there about two days. But seeing the enthusiasm for fandom, and the awesome costumes, and the general love for nerdy pursuits made me want to come back again next year. Despite the crowds. Hopefully I will!

Another highlight of the trip for me was catching so many pokemon in San Diego. Specifically water pokemon which doesn't come around a lot in Los Angeles. And seeing how many people dressed up as Ash or Misty or pokestops was hilarious. I especially loved seeing the pokestops since that was unexpected!

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to keep up with blogging as much as I want, but I do still plan to post! I have a couple ideas, but at the moment, my priority is to finish A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, because it's taking me way too long to get through it (I'm enjoying it, but finding it hard to get in my reading time!)

I'm also going to San Diego Comic Con this weekend (woot!!!) so there's no slow down on the life stuff happening right now! I hope to post about the con though, since this will be my first time actually attending the convention, instead of seeing everything outside of it.

As always, I'm so grateful to everyone who visits my blog! Thank you, and I'll still be around!

The Newest Wizarding World of Harry Potter

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Last Friday, I went to Universal Studios Hollywood to celebrate my Mom's birthday, and was extra happy to be able to finally see the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I have yet to visit Florida and see how amazing it is over there, so it was great to finally be able to see it in my neck of the woods. And I took a few photos to share the experience on my blog!

The Hollywood version is much smaller than the Florida one - it only has two rides - Forbidden Journey and the Flight of the Hippogriff. Forbidden Journey is FANTASTIC. I love the immersive wait line experience of walking through Hogwarts - complete with moving pictures, Dumbledore's office, and the Gryffindor common room. It's so detailed, and huge. I couldn't believe it. I managed to get to the Park early and get on the ride before there was too much of a wait, but I think if I had to wait an hour, I wouldn't mind too much in such a realistic version of Hogwarts. The actual ride is a combination of aerial movement, real props and 3D screens, and it's such a fun ride through the world of Harry Potter. Well apart from the creepiness of the huge spiders, and the surprising jolt of... fear? or dismay? I had when the dementors showed up. I thought the references to things and places in the books was well done, and the story of the ride was excellent. It felt like a real trip to Hogwarts.

Just waiting to get on the ride...

Flight of the Hippogriff was a bit disappointing though. It was such a kiddie roller coaster and was over almost before I knew it had started. I don't know if the one in Florida is similar, but I feel like they could have done something a bit more with it, especially since it's the first outdoor roller coaster ever in Universal Studios Hollywood.

It was difficult to get into the shops just because there were so many people there. I spent more time trying to get on Forbidden Journey (I rode it three times!) so by the time I was ready to explore the shops, it was almost elbow to elbow to get in. I wanted to eat at the Three Broomsticks too, but there was a line just to get into the building, so no thank you. I did get my delicious butterbeer though - obligatory butterbeer drinking photo:

Love this stuff!

There were a couple live shows scheduled for the Park, but I only caught the Hogwarts choir/Frog choir one which consisted of acapella singing and beatboxing some Potter tunes. It was fun to watch, and the performers were really good! Hopefully next time I will catch the Triwizard Spirit Rally with the Beauxbatons.

And obligatory bookshop photo

With the crowds and the general heat, I didn't get to explore Hogsmeade as much as I wanted to, but I was really impressed by the attention to detail and the commitment to the experience this new addition to Universal Studios had. I'm normally used to seeing that from Disneyland - Universal Studios does do some things very well (like live shows), but immersive theme park experience isn't it's strong point. They are changing for the better though, and I hope to come back again soon to explore it more. I didn't even get to step into Ollivanders! (Long line) And I also need to make a trip to Florida sometime to see what it's like over there!

On Being Kind When Reviewing Books

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000

I've been thinking about writing this post for awhile now, but hesitated because I never want to sound like I'm trying to tell people what to do. But this is something that influences the way I approach reviewing books, so at least for me, I thought it would be interesting to explore it.

When I’m considering buying a new book, book reviews are usually the first thing I check out. (Well after looking at the book cover and reading the blurb.) Seeing what other people think helps me a ton when deciding on whether or not to spend my money. But what makes me sad - even if it’s a book I didn’t like - is seeing those really angry reviews. The ones that rip into the the story and call into question the sanity of anyone willing to read it. Or the sanity of the author for writing it. I just wish those reviewers would be a little kinder. Now being kind when reviewing books is an interesting conundrum. On the one hand, if you, as the reader and reviewer, are disappointed by a book, you should make your disappointment clear as a warning to potential readers, and maybe if those feelings are strong enough, you want to show it with a few choice insults. Just for the sake of accuracy and to make sure there is no mistaking your attitude of derision and displeasure.

But being kind when reviewing does not mean letting a book slide for it’s faults or being banal or ineffective in your comments. It is important to point out what did not work in the book, but also important to remember that not all readers are the same. Reading is a solitary pastime, so a review is an account of a personal experience with a book. I don’t think you can be completely objective when reading a book because you project a little (or a lot) of yourself into the story. (Or in the case of a book you hated, you probably identified with nothing at all, and you would feel insulted if anyone thought you did.) But for every book that someone hated, someone loved it. In book reviewing, I think being kind is just in remembering that someone does love that book.

I know that many people really write the review for themselves, and to that I’d say that being kind can also help make a review more precise. To my mind, a review full of vitriol doesn’t necessarily make it more accurate. I mean generally if someone is angry, their judgement is impaired. There is someone out there who does like that book, so there has to be some merit to it. Perhaps a character stands out, a plot point was interesting, a point of view resonates, the writing wasn’t all bad, or there was just enjoyment value. This kindness approach can help to really see the book for what it is, and not for what you want it to be. And maybe, if you’re writing a review just for yourself, that one merit you flew by when writing about how much you hated everything else, could be something you actually look for as a reader in the future. Sometimes there are books you hated, and yet find they are not so bad when you read them years later.

If you are reviewing books to help other readers, it seems more helpful to weigh the good and the bad as much as possible to paint a complete picture (or at least complete from your point of view.) As a reader, you love books, and writers want their books to be loved, so not to get too hippy dippy, but wouldn’t it be nice to spread that bookish love more and try to be kind when reviewing books?

Now, maybe I should reread Moby Dick… Lord, give me strength.

Movie Mini-Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Lately I've been watching a lot of films in lieu of reading (all the fault of my boyfriend, although he's reading Jane Eyre, so it's win-win!), and I thought it would be nice to jot down some thoughts on what I've seen for my memory's sake, and also to see if any of my blog readers have thoughts on these films. I'll start first with the less recent watch -

The Girl (2012)

Starring: Sienna Miller and Toby Jones

I love Hitchcock's films, so I thought I would love this behind the scenes look at the making of The Birds and Hitchcock's relationship with Tippi Hedren. Even though I knew they didn't have a good relationship. But wow, this film did not shy away from showing a disturbingly perverted side to Hitchcock. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but it's definitely not how I want to think of Hitchcock. The film itself moves a bit slow too, which didn't help with my overall enjoyment of it. Also there were plenty of moments that showed off how creepy Hitchcock was towards Tippi, and I wish there had been more of an explanation/reasoning on why she decided to do another film with him after The Birds. And I would have been interested to know more about Hitchcock's wife and what she was really thinking during that time.

The Lost Boys (1987)

Starring: Jason Patric and Corey Haim

This is a film I've heard a lot about, but never watched, so now that has been rectified. It's kind of surprising it's taken me this long to see it, given how much I love vampire stories. This one reminded me a lot of Fright Night with the tone, and the stand-off at the end. This is a very entertaining film - it has all the hallmarks of an exciting vampire film - an innocent resistant to becoming a vampire himself, an allure and danger to the vampires, a beautiful girl in need of rescuing, and a surprise villain in the end. And it has some very humorous moments! It was surprising to see a young Kiefer Sutherland too - he's very well cast as the dangerous, seductive vampire in this!

X-Men Apocalypse (2016)

Starring: James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender

The X-Men film franchise is my favorite superhero franchise. I just love the ensemble (made even better now that Michael Fassbender is a part of it!) and even though this film is not as good as the first two, I still really enjoyed it. The Apocalypse concept is a little hard to understand for me (also I'm zero percent familiar with the comic books). I did always like how X-Men made superhero powers believable with the whole genetic mutation thing, and the social implications of living with humans and mutants, that having this film start in ancient Egypt with an odd ritual to transfer bodies/power just felt off for the concept. It was action-packed though, and the realism especially held for Magneto/Erik's storyline which was gut-wrenching. I also absolutely loved Jean Grey's introduction into the story and how her powers were exhibited. She was probably my favorite part of the film.

Independence Day (1996)

Starring: Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith

This is another film I've not seen before, that I needed to fix since the sequel is coming out soon, and we are planning to see it. I don't know why I missed this one, I certainly heard enough about it. For a movie that seems to be a part of our pop culture, I was surprised by how lackluster I often found it. The different storylines made it stand out though, as the focus was not so much on the aliens but on how people would deal with a very terrifying situation. Not that I enjoyed all the storylines equally, but it did get better with all the switching, as things started to get more exciting. The film is cheesy, but the premise is chilling, and I'm curious to see how it will play out in the sequel. I'm hoping it will have a little more of an edge. I am, however, most looking forward to seeing Brent Spiner (Data!).

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Starring: Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves

There's a theme here, as this is another movie I've never seen, despite it being so much a part of pop culture. Time travel is a trope I always love, so I was eager to finally watch this one. And that has to be a reference to Doctor Who with the phone box - excellent! This is a very silly movie though, and it's pretty light on plot. It feels more like a showcase for the jokes on history and culture, but they are very good jokes and I enjoyed seeing what time periods Bill and Ted would visit. And the two leads are so memorable. Their particular way of speaking does kind of get into your head. I'm very much resisting quoting from the film with their particular accent!

Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

Starring: Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman

Yes, another movie I hadn't seen before! I really loved this one though - the dark humor, the progressively uncomfortable farcical situations and the great comic timing of the two leads made this so entertaining. I knew the concept before watching, and I was wondering how you could pull off that a person is alive when they are not, but apparently it can be done, and it was hilarious. The script is so well written too - all the moments for the characters pay off - from Richard's interest in Gwen and his awkward habit of lying, to Bernie's womanizing, and the hit man's shock when he thinks Bernie is still alive. Farces are always fun to watch for me, and this one is pretty near perfect!

Back to School (1986)
Starring Rodney Dangerfield

Another comedy that was completely new to me - I hadn't heard of this one before, although seeing a film starring Rodney Dangerfield was appealing to me because I find his style of comedy fun. It's clear he's not a great actor, but this film felt more like a showcase for his quips and for his personality and that made this good fun to watch. The plot of Rodney going back to college to encourage his son to continue, as well as to prove that he can do it, was inspiring in a silly, comedic way too. It's Rodney's personality though that really holds the film together.

Appreciating the Cotswolds

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

The Cotswolds is an area in Southern England covering six counties that comprise of "rolling hills and grassland" and "thatched medieval villages, churches and stately homes built of distinctive yellow limestone." It's inordinately beautiful, and on my trip to England last month, I visited the area for the first time. (Well I've been to a couple towns that are part of the Cotswolds - Stratford Upon Avon and Oxford - before, but this time I really took in what makes that part of England unique. Thanks to the driving of a dear friend since it's not easy to get around in that area by public transport.)

The villages I visited included Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Blockley and Broadway.

Bourton-on-the-Water is one of the more famous of the Cotswolds villages and features a lovely river running through it, as well as the model village which is pictured above and below. It's pretty delightful to walk through the actual village, and then through the scale model version which is so detailed, that I could tell exactly where I just was that day. I'm not going to say I loved the model version more than the actual village, but there was not a whole lot of difference in my affection. :D

Just so much delight!

Ugh, so cute and so detailed!!

The trip to the smaller, quieter villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter was welcome because it was interesting to see how people in these villages might live. Bourton-on-the-Water is definitely a tourist spot, and it definitely deserved to be. But even the quieter villages are so beautiful that it was hard to imagine just regular people living there actually. It just felt so preserved and special.

And I came across this beautiful, perfectly picturesque little house that I most definitely wanted to adopt as my summer home!

This seriously looks like the set of a movie. Look at that perfectly stacked firewood!!

There's just vistas like this all over the place

The church in Blockley

Last year, I posted about a new favorite show of mine - Father Brown - and as part of the Cotswolds trip, my friend and I went to the main village used in the filming of that TV show - Blockley. The church above, of course features heavily in the show, and if you are interested in seeing more of the beauty of the Cotswolds, then that show highlights it perfectly. It was a major reason why I wanted to include a trip to the area when I was in England. I was kinda hoping I would catch some filming for the show too, but alas, it was not to be. I can't really complain though because my luck with the weather was amazing!

I've made the trip to England a few times now (namely five times now) and it took me this long to fully appreciate what is probably the most beautiful part of the country. I visited all these villages in one day, and that day was a major highlight of my trip. If you have not been and ever go to England, make sure to find time to visit these beautifully preserved villages!

Review: The Dark Days Club

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

The Dark Days Club
by Alison Goodman
YA Fantasy
Amazon / Goodreads

Plot Summary:

London, April 1812. Eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is on the eve of her debut presentation to the Queen. Her life should be about gowns and dancing, and securing a suitable marriage. Instead, when one of her family's housemaids goes missing, Lady Helen is drawn to the shadows of Regency London.

There, she finds William, the Earl of Carlston. He has noticed the disappearance, too, and is one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of powerful demons that has infiltrated every level of society. But Lady Helen’s curiosity is the last thing Carlston wants—especially when he sees the searching intelligence behind her fluttering fan. Should Helen trust a man whose reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her headstrong sense of justice lead them both into a death trap?

In The Dark Days Club, internationally best-selling author Alison Goodman introduces readers to a heroine who is just as remarkable as Eona—and yet again reinvents an establlished literary genre, making it her own.

Review:

The Dark Days Club has a fun premise and delivers on a romp of a romantic adventure, with darker overtones. While the story takes it's time to develop the characters and for the unique world of demons to be fleshed out, it was worth the slower pace to get to know these characters.

Lady Helen was a feisty character, typically unconventional enough to be open to embracing the darker world of battling demons, but she does struggle with changes to her world view, and I appreciated how realistically hesitant she was about embracing that. I felt the ultimate conflict of this story was in whether Helen could take on her role, and the conflict of some greater evil rising will be further explored in the later books. I may have had some moments when I felt like Helen was too naive or too indecisive, but it did feel right for the story that she was scared about the changes in her life.

The world-building was a highlight of this story for me. The demons had a unique spin to them, and it was intriguing to find out more about their limitations and the balance of power that exists between them and the Dark Days Club who are supposed to protect the innocent from them. Again, the realism to the fantasy was wonderful, and I think it set up what will be some fantastic plot twists in the next book(s).

There is a romance, and it is a nice slow-burn one - it doesn't take too much away from the action in the plot, and it presents Helen with some real options about what she wants from her life. I like that she is presented with a choice - one that is more normal than the other - and Helen has to wrestle with which one works better for her. I, of course, was partial to the darker, sarcastic Lord Carlton, and I really enjoyed his interactions with Helen which was very antagonistic in the beginning.

The Dark Days Club is sn enjoyable read, with a unique take on demons, a great protagonist, lots of potential in Helen, and the beginnings of an epic confrontation to come.

Suspense Sundays (200) Lazarus Walks

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962. I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show. It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour. For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.

"Lazarus Walks"

Air date: October 31, 1946
Starring Brian Donlevy

>>Episodes here<<

Dr. Robert Graham is contacted by a man, Roger, who was clinically dead for four minutes before being brought back. Roger needs Dr. Graham's help because ever since that experience he's been able to "know" when someone is lying about something and is able to know the truth. Dr. Graham wants to study Roger's case further, and during the course of that, Roger discovers that Dr. Graham wants to murder his wife.

With the way I summarized the story, I feel like the more interesting point of view would be Roger's, but this episode is from the point of view of Dr. Graham, and the suspense comes in seeing if Dr. Graham can outsmart Roger. I feel like this has such an interesting premise, that it could have been a more absorbing story than it actually is, but Dr. Graham's side of the story was still pretty intriguing.

-------
I'm sorry to say that this will be my last Suspense Sundays post for now, it's been getting harder and harder to find the time to listen and write about these episodes. Two hundred episodes seems like a good place to stop - or take a break, I might bring this back again someday!

Review: The Course of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

The Course of Love
by Alain De Botton
Fiction
Amazon / Goodreads

Plot Summary:

The long-awaited and beguiling second novel from Alain de Botton that tracks the beautifully complicated arc of a romantic partnership, from the internationally bestselling author of On Love and How Proust Can Change Your Life.

We all know the headiness and excitement of the early days of love. But what comes after? In Edinburgh, a couple, Rabih and Kirsten, fall in love. They get married, they have children—but no long-term relationship is as simple as “happily ever after.” The Course of Love is a novel that explores what happens after the birth of love, what it takes to maintain love, and what happens to our original ideals under the pressures of an average existence. You experience, along with Rabih and Kirsten, the first flush of infatuation, the effortlessness of falling into romantic love, and the course of life thereafter. Interwoven with their story and its challenges is an overlay of philosophy—an annotation and a guide to what we are reading.

This is a romantic novel in the true sense, one interested in exploring how love can survive and thrive in the long term. The result is a sensory experience—fictional, philosophical, psychological—that urges us to identify deeply with these characters, and to reflect on his and her own experiences in love. Fresh, visceral, and utterly compelling, The Course of Love is a provocative and life-affirming novel for everyone who believes in love.

Review:

I absolutely adored this book. It was a refreshing, fast-paced and thought-provoking read, that delved into the nature of love - not just the first infatuation and romance, but long lasting relationships and marriage. It was just fascinating for me, and interesting to see how the actions of the two protagonists were broken down by the author.

The structure of this novel is non-traditional, in that the author often inserts philosophical or thoughtful commentary on each stage of the romance, and the actual story lacks a real novel structure because it's more of an overview of how Rabih and Kirsten met, fell in love, and their progression with marriage and children. I'm not yet at the stage where I have a lot of experience with this, so it was wonderful to get an impartial look at the emotions that run through these experiences and what it means for the person and for the significant other. Even though the story is mostly from Rabih's point of view, the novel looks at the relationship in such an equitable way, that I felt like I could easily relate to both Rabih and Kristen, and all of their trials and successes. It's a little bittersweet to read the progression of their relationship, with all the ups and downs, in such a truncated way, but revelatory to get such a unique overview of these two peoples' lives.

This is a book that I think will stick with me for a long time, because the experiences discussed in this book are so meaningful and timeless. The thoughts and emotions are applicable to almost everyone, and the search or maintenance of a long lasting romantic relationship is certainly a major part of most people's lives. This is a beautiful and fascinating book.

Jane Eyre 1956 - an early miniseries adaptation

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

On my trip to England last month, I made a point of visiting the British Film Institute in London to see an early six-part (half-hour each) adaptation of Jane Eyre starring Daphne Slater and Stanley Baker. Now, I'm definitely a purist when it comes to adaptations, and for an older adaptation, I was totally prepared to watch something over-the-top, overwrought and not very true to the story. I was pleasantly surprised by this version however! It was quite good! There were a few stand-out aspects to the way the story was told, and I enjoyed Slater and Baker's interpretation of the characters. I might have wished for a little more from them, but we can't always get what we want, haha. For this post, I'm going to go a little in depth with the whole adaptation, so this is another lengthy Jane Eyre-related post that I'm sure my blog does not have enough of!

The dialogue/script is a good jumping off point for my initial impression of the story. It follows the general plot of the novel very well, but often veers off from using the actual dialogue in the book. Which is interesting to me, because that can so easily go wrong, but in this case, I quite liked the script. There were the odd missed moments - when it came to the more emotional scenes, it would have been nice to have Charlotte's beautiful words come into play, but the gist of the scenes, and the characters' emotions were there.

The childhood portion of the story strayed the most from the novel though. Daphne Slater actually played Jane as a child, which was an interesting choice, but I think it worked rather well. Slater was very good at capturing the essence of a child and is a bit on the shorter side, even if she doesn't actually look so much like a child. Young Jane in this version is much more outspoken, especially with Mr. Brocklehurst, which was delightful to see. There is a scene when Brocklehurst wants to take a switch to Jane's hand, and Jane does not have any of it!

Jane also is a great reader, and the fact that she loves to read is made a point in the story as it is Jane who says she reads so she is not 'caged in.' A lovely character connection.

Helen Burns has an interesting change in this version. She feels more like a partner in crime to Jane - much less of the overtly religious, self- sacrificing character, and more inclined to get into mischief with Jane. Which made for a completely different dynamic, but one that I rather enjoyed as it highlighted Helen and Jane's close friendship. They felt more like equals. But Helen still dies. And after her death, there is a quick time lapse to Jane as an adult and Miss Temple helping Jane to get a new job. Miss Temple is a very motherly influence in this, and it's a little bittersweet how Jane leaves her behind - Miss Temple does not get married in this version, and it is stressed that Miss Temple stays to make sure the children are taken care of, in spite Brocklehurst's awful rules. In a way Miss Temple takes a bit of novel-Helen's role in Jane's life.

Once we get to Thornfield, that strong and feisty Jane is muted somewhat, because adult Jane is easily frightened. Granted Grace Poole is pretty ominous, as she openly stares at Jane, but there are more moments than I would have expected where Jane is easily startled. It made her seem a bit ridiculous which I didn't like as much. With adult Jane, I did miss a bit of what made young Jane so fiery, but Daphne Slater's delivery of Jane was still good, and in the banter with Rochester, she was able to hold her own.

Rochester in this version was not quite perfect, but Stanley Baker made a very imposing Rochester. His Rochester is more brusque and rough throughout, but he can still speak all of wordy prose fantastically, and bring some nuance and emotion to them. But to highlight the roughness of Rochester, it was interesting and a bit disturbing how they embellished him in the scene where he wants to give Jane some wedding gifts. She refuses them, and he throws them down angrily and leaves the room. Only to come back in and apologize. But to this version's credit, I think that is the only moment where I thought his anger was completely out of place. I did love that soon after that moment, when Jane asks Rochester if he really meant his proposal, Rochester deadpans "No, I didn't." as a joke. Which was unexpected for the moment, and made me laugh.

Oh I should mention that this version included the Gypsy scene. And it was a little different in that Jane was sort of fishing around for advice from the Gypsy if she should stay at Thornfield or leave (her line was "Does my happiness lie here or elsewhere?"). When the Gypsy tells Jane that he sees her love returned, Jane denies it vehemently, which was a little poignant.

And now I come to a part of the story that could have been glossed over, but was in fact stressed perfectly - the St. John Rivers part. The other Rivers sisters weren't featured as much. but St. John in this was rather formidable. Very cold, very controlling, and even though his philanthropic side was evident, he seemed a much more disturbing St. John than I've seen before. It's interesting that this version decided to emphasize that about him. It starts with St. John seeing Jane's drawing of Thornfield and urging her to throw it on the fire. There's a scene later where Jane gets a letter (although she doesn't know it yet) and St. John gets upset. Also he looks like he is going to open the letter, until he's interrupted. He tries to make Jane forget about Rochester, first by calling her out on planning to write to him, and then by telling her that Mr. Rochester has already moved on. Geez, St. John really wants to marry Jane I guess.

With the reunion scene, I felt it was very sweet. Mr. Rochester was very much broken by Jane's absence, to the point where, when she goes out to get some wine, he starts clamoring for her, in fear that she has left him. Stanley Baker doesn't look nearly as burned or damaged as he should, but the scenes were still lovely.

quick picture from the BFI screening room - reunion scene

For a miniseries, I found this a wonderful adaptation. So many scenes and moments were included that I would not have expected, and the quality of the sets and camera work were good. And the actors did a great job in their roles. I hope this series will be released on DVD someday, I think many Jane Eyre fans would love it!

Suspense Sundays (199) A Plane Case of Murder

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

"A Plane Case of Murder"

Air date: October 10, 1946
Starring John Lund

>>Episodes here<<

Randy Judson, until recently, was a prisoner of a concentration camp in the Philippines. The only thing that got him through that terrible time, was thinking of his lovely girlfriend waiting for him back home. But when he does get home, he discovers that Marian married a rich man, and now Randy wants revenge. He manages to convince Marian that he's a rich man too, due to all the attention over his experience in the Philippines, and now Marian wants him back. The only way she can get rid of her husband though is through murder.

The story does involve a plane, hence the heavy-handed stress on "plane" in the title and in the opening scene of the episode. This is a pretty clever story, despite the general awfulness of both Marian and Randy, but like with most Suspense episodes, people get what they deserve. I did also love the double cross, that you could see coming a mile away, but was still pretty satisfying.

Movie Musical Challenge: Easter Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch. This post is about the 1948 musical Easter Parade starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire.

Easter Parade is a charming film, but without a lot of substance. Fred Astaire and Judy Garland are a great onscreen match though - they had good chemistry and a sweet romance ultimately. And of course their dancing together was excellent.

The film is a kind of a Cinderella story, with Judy's character Hannah, being primed by Astaire's character Don to becoming a big star of the stage. Their ups and downs as a performing couple, and then as a romantic couple are shown, but it's strange that their romance was a bit of a surprise. Although they had chemistry as performers, I felt like they didn't really show how that developed romantically until Hannah was suddenly sighing over Don. Being such a fan of romance, I'm sure if that was developed gradually, I would have loved this film more.

The music is good, but surprisingly unmemorable to me. I can't even pinpoint a great musical moment - the only one perhaps that stands out above the rest is "Stepping Out With My Baby" which features Fred Astaire, and some awesome dancing. And an interesting slow-mo sequence of him dancing, while the back up dancers look to be dancing in real time. It seemed a little odd for that bit of technical filming to be included in this, when everything else in the film was pretty straightforward, but it was cool to watch.

Originally Gene Kelly was cast in the male lead role, but had to back out when he broke his ankle, so a part of me is sad that I can't see what Gene would have done with the part, because while this is a nice film, it doesn't particularly stand out to me. Perhaps the biggest draw is the fact that it features Judy Garland and Fred Astaire together, and for that I can recommend giving this a watch.

Review: Warrior Witch

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Warrior Witch (Malediction Trilogy #3)
by Danielle L. Jensen
YA Fantasy
Amazon / Goodreads

Plot Summary:

Cécile and Tristan have accomplished the impossible, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil they have unleashed upon the world.

As they scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king, Cécile and Tristan must battle those who’d see them dead. To win, they will risk everything. And everyone.

But it might not be enough. Both Cécile and Tristan have debts, and they will be forced to pay them at a cost far greater than they had ever imagined.

Review:

The third book in this fantastic trilogy maintains the excitement and suspense that I've loved about this series since the beginning. The cliffhanger in the second book was pretty dramatic, so finally getting a resolution and finding out more about the trolls and magic in this world was so satisfying. I found this an intense read, but perfectly balanced in it's drama and the resolution for the characters.

The romance was always a major draw for me in this series, and Cecile and Tristan are so close and so perfect for each other, that I was wondering where their relationship could develop from there, but the author manages to take it to the next level, and develop them even further. It was interesting, especially to see a different side to Tristan - one in which he is not so caught up in Cecile, and had to be a bit darker, with more of an edge. And I love that the resolution of their story had some unexpected moments that made me feel so many emotions for the both of them.

With the war finally being played out in the story, there are some major consequences that made this book very emotional in so many ways, however. There were times when I felt things were resolved a little too easily, but that was a minor thing for me, because the ending had a major obstacle that did not resolve the way I expected at all, and added a lot more gravitas to the story, and justified that there were serious consequences to the actions of some of the characters.

It was a completely fitting and engrossing end to a wonderful series. Anyone who hasn't had a chance to start the trilogy, should pick it up as soon as they can - it's a fantastic binge read!

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)

Suspense Sundays (198) Three Times Murder

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 07:00:00 +0000

"Three Times Murder"

Air date: October 3, 1946
Starring Rita Hayworth

>>Episodes here<<

Laura Morton decides to murder her husband and make it look like an accident. Her husband loves to shave with his electric shaver in the bath, and even though she often berates him for it, he persists. Of course something bad eventually happens. The district attorney, Elmer, is sure that she did it, and nags her to confess. When she is found innocent by trial, she finally breaks down in private and confesses to the DA. But then she goes on with her life and marries another man who she is very happy with. Sometime later she discovers that this man has a brother - the same district attorney who knows she committed murder.

Ooh this was a clever episode!! Interesting take on the femme fatale, because I did feel symapthetic with her, and it was interesting that Laura was very much in love with her second husband. I was expecting that she would want to murder him too. It is interesting that the district attorney is the one who really feels like a villain even though he did not commit murder. But he is so unpleasant. It's an interesting twist on a story that at first seemed pretty straightforward.

Movie Musical Challenge: Calamity Jane

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Wed, 25 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching 20 films I picked as great films or films I wanted to watch. This post is about the 1953 Western romp "Calamity Jane", starring Doris Day and Howard Keel.

I love a fun Western, and since this also has music, Doris Day, and Howard Keel, I was already completely on board with this. And it is so much fun. Seeing Doris Day as this "masculine", abrasive, rootin', tootin' and shootin' character might have been a stretch for me (because I associate her with feminine grace and perfect diction), but I still loved her portrayal and enjoyed seeing her in such a different role. And truly she does a great job bringing Calamity Jane (or Calam) to life because she really committed to the part.

The actual story had some surprises for me - the cross dressing, the challenges on gender roles (although the female gender role was pretty clearly conservative with the song "A Woman's Touch") but I think the general fact that there were some instances where gender roles were blurred made the story more interesting, and of course more farcical. This film is a great farce, with lots of misunderstandings and improbable situations. It's definitely a romp!

My favorite song and scene in the film was the song between Calamity and Wild Bill Hickcok - "I Can Do Without You" which had some heavy "Anything You Can Do" (from Annie Get Your Gun) rivalry vibes with an undercurrent of attraction between the two characters. And Doris Day was ludicrously swung around by Howard Keel's character during the number.

For the high shenanigans and the upbeat, catchy music, this movie was a great film to watch, and 1000% a better choice for this challenge than my previous Doris Day film - Jumbo!

The Harry Potter Studio Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Mon, 23 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000

I have returned from my sojourn to England! Thank you to everyone who left a comment on my blogging break post, and for everyone who kept up with my trip photos on instagram. :) I definitely had a blast!

I did a few literary things on my trip (and managed to finish two books - yay!) so it will be fun to recap things and get back to blogging. Obviously today's post is all about the Harry Potter Studio Tour which was pretty magical, I have to say. And it was surprising to me, that for a weekday, there were a lot of people going to the tour. I mean, I know Harry Potter is uber popular, and the tour is awesome, but for some reason, I was thinking there wouldn't be such a crowd of visitors. Maybe because the tour has been around for awhile now. But it was nice to see the enthusiasm, and the little kids dressed up like wizards. :)

So the beginning of the experience - where we are sat in a theatre watching a taped introduction by Daniel, Emma and Rupert about the studio sets - to having the screen move up and reveal the doors to the Great Hall, was very cool. It reminded me of the Star Trek Experience that used to be in Las Vegas, where we were assembled into a small room, and the lights went dark, there was a rush of air, and when the lights came back on the walls around us had been raised, and we were on the bridge of the Enterprise! Of course we had just materialized there. LOL

So the tour begins in the Great Hall, where they have some of the costumes and the long tables that you see in the films. It is a great beginning of the tour, as you feel like you've just arrived at Hogwarts, and there is the sorting hat, ready to put you in your house (please Sorting Hat, can I be in Ravenclaw??)

From there you walk into a huge area, where they just have a massive amount of props and rooms from the films - like Dumbledore's office, and the Potion's classroom. And also an opportunity to take a photo/video riding a nimbus (or firebolt?) but that was too silly for me and my friend. LOL

Mirror of Erised

The next big soundstage housed the Hogwarts Express set, where we could board the train and look into the compartments, and each of them were staged to correspond to one of the films. And also the opportunity to push the luggage cart through the wall.

So cool!

The next part of the experience was food - we could get snacks or a hot meal at the canteen, or of course a mug of butterbeer, which I found absolutely delightful. It was butterscotchy and delicious! I would love it if they marketed it and you could buy bottles for yourself!

The canteen opened on to an outside area where you can see Privet Drive, a version of the Hogwarts Bridge, and the Knight Bus. I'm glad it was a sunny day, so we could get some good photos of them!

The last soundstage housed a lot of the creatures and specially created items for the films. And Diagon Alley which did seem much smaller than I thought it would be. I realize I didn't take many pictures of what was in there, but the creepiest things were full size mannequins of Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and Hagrid. They looked pretty realistic. Oh and there was Aragog up in the corner, which I completely noped out on, I did not want photos of that creepy thing, thank you very much.

For the finale of the tour, I think it was appropriate that they ended on the scale model of Hogwarts which was incredible. It was huge, and realistic and it could be lighted for day or night. I loved walking around it and seeing all the detail. And it was a nice touch that just before we reached the full model, we could see the preliminary steps to creating Hogwarts - the many drawings and white cardboard mock-ups - to having the fully realized design.

The tour was great fun, and completely worth the visit. It makes me want to watch the films, and read the books again, which I may not have much time for right now, but I know someday I will revisit all of them again. This was the first event on my trip, and a perfect beginning.

Hopefully during the next couple weeks, I'll have posts about the Jane Eyre locations I visited, the couple Jane Eyre adaptations I watched and a special post about visiting the Cotswolds since it is such a gorgeous place!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to catch up with everyone soon!

Blogging Break

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Mon, 02 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000

I'm going on a little trip to ye olde England, in one day (!!), so I'm putting this blog on break. I'll be back May 23rd, with reviews, and probably a long recap of my time in the U.K. I'm planning on visiting the Harry Potter studio tour (finally!) and also celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Bronte's birth, by visiting all the Jane Eyre places I know and love. I can't wait! :)

Thank you for being a follower of my blog, and I will talk to everyone again soon! I'll still be on twitter and instagram probably, so see you around there!

Suspense Sundays (197) Consequence

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Sun, 01 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000

"Consequence"

Air date: February 21, 1946
Starring Jimmy Stewart

>>Episodes here<<

Philip Wolf is unhappily married to Gwen, and when his mistress, Jo, decides to leave him, Philip is devastated. A curious thing happens though - there's a fire and someone's body is mistaken for Philip and so he decides not to say anything. He runs away with Jo and gets married ready to be happy. Only Gwen finds him and for her pride, demands that he returns and claim he had amnesia or something. Philip thinks of another way out.

Such a strange story for Philip, divorce must have been so hard back then. This is a very tragic story too, which I didn't like at all. I did guess the twist, and was just hoping it wouldn't happen that way. But this is a great suspense story, and Jimmy Stewart is wonderfully understated and resigned in the role of Philip Wolf.

Review: Saint's Blood

noreply@blogger.com (Bookish Whimsy) — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Saint's Blood (Greatcoats #3)
by Sebastien de Castell
Fantasy
Amazon / Goodreads

Plot Summary:

How do you kill a Saint?

Falcio, Kest, and Brasti are about to find out, because someone has figured out a way to do it and they've started with a friend.

The Dukes were already looking for ways out of their agreement to put Aline on the throne, but with the Saints turning up dead, rumours are spreading that the Gods themselves oppose her ascension. Now churches are looking to protect themselves by bringing back the military orders of religious soldiers, assassins, and (especially) Inquisitors - a move that could turn the country into a theocracy. The only way Falcio can put a stop to it is by finding the murderer. He has only one clue: a terrifying iron mask which makes the Saints vulnerable by driving them mad. But even if he can find the killer, he'll still have to face him in battle.

And that may be a duel that no swordsman, no matter how skilled, can hope to win.

Review:

As the third installment in the Greatcoats series, this novel takes a more mystical turn, as a new villain tries to take over Tristia and it's people. Falcio, considerably weakened as he is from the events in the last book, is such a deadly, persistent force in this one. His honor and determination, even when he's not sure why he's fighting so hard, makes him such an intriguing character for me. And I love that he also has a sense of humor in the direst of circumstances. Even though the last book had some dark moments, it gets even darker in this book, which made for excellent suspense and surprises.

The aspects of Saints and Gods were explored further, and while it made sense as a whole, it did seem a bit convoluted for me at times. The whole idea of which came first, and what kind of powers were bestowed on the Saints and what that means, is gradually revealed and was interesting, but I didn't love the mystical aspect as much. I think because it allowed for some convenient solutions. But the way that the religion in Tristia can feed on the greed of the masses and how it can corrupt even when it's supposedly for good intentions was very astute, and I really liked the commentary in that. Even more so in this book, the author reveals just how broken Tristia is, and it's not easy to bring back law and order to this land. I'm so curious to see how or if it can be saved in the final book.

Many of the characters are fleshed out even more in this novel, and I found the depiction of Falcio and Ethalia's relationship was especially good because it felt more realistic than the sort of love at first sight thing they had going from the beginning. Falcio still has issues with what happened to his first wife, and it's addressed further in this book, in a very heartbreaking way. Kest was also one that had a heartbreaking character arc, which was great to see because he was always more of the strong, silent character in the series. Brasti is just good fun, even when he shows that he does have some vulnerabilities. Quentis is a new character that didn't quite fulfill the role that I expected of him, given his initial interactions with Falcio, and I loved that there was more to him than meets the eye.

The writing in this book is so wonderfully done. I love the way the author describes duels and fights, and how this particular book begins and ends with an important duel and how the art of fighting is explained. It makes something so visceral and brutal, very poetic and intellectual. But that is a plus for the whole series so far. The writing is fantastic.

The Greatcoats series is definitely one of my favorite Fantasy reads, and Saint's Blood was an amazing installment. Exciting, fast-paced, and full of major twists - the finale to this series is absolutely my most anticipated book now!

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review.)

Note: I received an ARC from the U.K. publishers where "Saint's Blood" is already out in Europe, but unfortunately this wonderful book is out June 7th in the States.