Hello everyone! If you’re reading this, you’ve either stayed following me even though I’ve been inactive for months or you stumbled across me. Either way, I am back again and ready to read and write. I’ve missed you all a lot and I look forward to creating more content for the blog. Hope to see you all back again!
reading
Two King Arthur Reboots! What More Could A Girl Want?
Hello lovely readers! This week I have heard some amazing film news!!! Disney is doing a live action adaptation of The Sword In The Stone and photos have been released for Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur. I have been and always will be a die hard King Arthur fanatic. It started when I was little watching Quest For Camelot and went downhill from there. Since then I have read a crazy amount of King Arthur books and I just finished a course in Arthurian Legends so I’d say I’m a bit of an every man expert on the subject.
Disney’s really seems to be on this animation to live action kick so we are being given edgier and modern ideas put in our beloved childhood classics. Disney clearly wants some kind of edge to this reboot since they’ve hired Bryan Cogman, one of the Game of Thrones writers, to do the script. I’m assuming we won’t be pushing too many boundaries since this is the young Arthur and one would assume it would be geared to younger audiences. At this point no casting has been listed or a release date. I would assume we wouldn’t have this film until 2017 so it won’t be competing directly with Ritchie’s in 2016.
On the other hand, we are getting an immensely gritty version of Arthur with Ritchie’s film. We have a street smart Arthur raised by five prostitutes that will take the throne. I think we need an Arthur with an edge and violence in this modern day and age. The idea of a rough and tumble and rather douchey Arthur isn’t new. Many of the old stories have Arthur being immensely arrogant and wants to fight everything. I have to agree with the casting of Charlie Hunnam for this dark Arthur. He seems to be able to play tough guys well since his success on Sons of Anarchy. I am pleased with some of the other casting which includes the lovely Katie McGrath as Elsa. I’m unsure as to who Elsa is but I’m hoping for a Morgan Le Fay type character. It’s great to see her returning to the Arthurian England since the end of Merlin. She has proved time and time again that she can play characters with hidden depths like in her character Lucy in NBC’s Dracula (ended too soon). We also have the rather odd inclusion of Jude Law as Vortigern. Vortigern is supposed to be this evil dictator and I can see that with Jude Law but not in a barbarian conqueror way. I’m interested in what he will bring to the plot. If all goes well we will have a series of films that I am hoping will follow each knight individually. Ritchie is worried about purist reactions but there really is no wrong way to do an Arthur origin since the legend is vast and has many “starting” points.
So do you agree with the casting of Charlie Hunnam as Arthur or would you rather have someone else? Who would you like to see in the Disney version?
The Two Most Important Books of Childhood
Hello lovely readers!! So we all have those books that influence us for the rest of our lives and I thought I would share with you mine.
I’ve grown up in household where reading is encouraged. My mom used to read to me every night before I knew how to read and my dad would read me funny books and do voices. After my long struggle with learning how to read I figured out how much I loved it because of Matilda by Roald Dahl and Inkheart by Cornelia Funke.
I was in a bit of a reading slump when my mom got me Matilda, not for the lack of books but because my peers judged me on how much I read so I wanted to step away from it to get rid of the teasing. I guess when my mom saw the plot about a little girl who loved to read and then had magic powers to deal with her tormentors, it was a logical fit. I devoured the book and would reread it constantly, hoping I would gain magic powers (I got none). I connected with Matilda a lot especially when she said she had finished all the children’s books and needed to find something else to read. I think Matilda made me turn to books even more in times of need.
When I was a little older I found Inkheart. I mean what wasn’t to love about it for a budding reader? A father who encouraged his daughter to read and could bring characters alive and out of their stories just with his voice. I loved it! To this day I think it’s one of the most beautiful books. I love how the idea of stories continued after the last page. This book is a dream. I always and still do want a library like Aunt Elinor’s. This book is the life goals minus the fictional villains.
So what books influenced you?
A Day In The Life Of An English Major
Hello friends!! I thought it would be a good idea to write a post about what it is like to major in English. I figured there are probably people who want to know how others are handling it. I will be as fun and informative as I can. I will be honest and if anyone has anything to add or ask please feel free to do so in the comments. I’m going to do a time sheet type thing for last semester’s courses for me since my English classes were all on the same day. I’ll also cover how I did (or didn’t) do the readings.
Every Wednesday for the Spring Semester:
9:00 AM
I wake up and make myself look presentable. I gather my books and laptop I will need for the next six hours and leave to get breakfast.
9:30-9:45 AM
I eat breakfast and cram finish any readings I have left for the first two classes. I could be finishing a couple of chapters or half the book (oops).
10:30 AM
First class begins. I spent the hour and fifteen minutes with my laptop open maybe jotting down notes or browsing the Internet. This class often has group discussions over passages of significance so I engage in that too. Even if you do browse the Internet while the class is happening its important to participate in the discussion. Your professor will like you more for it and it will make the time go by faster.
11:45 AM
Eat lunch with my roommate and finish any other reading for the next class. Mostly eating and talking though with absent minded skimming.
1:30 PM
Second class starts. No technology allowed in this class so I must write notes and stare at the board. I was notoriously bad at doing the reading for this class because it didn’t interest me or I read it a few years back. My best advice in this situation is learn to bullshit. I would actively participate in conversations with limited knowledge as to what was happening but some how managed to always be insightful. I still don’t know how. As an English major you too will learn the artistry of bullshit.
2:00 PM
I return to my dorm to wait until my night class. This five hours time is used to slack off, nap, watch Netflix, or desperately trying to finish a paper for said night class.
7:20 PM
Night class until 1o begins. I will ultimately spend three hours writing sarcastic notes on Arthurian legends in a class of ten people. By the end of the night I will have felt like multiple books have been stuffed through my ears.
10:00 PM
Walk back to dorm with classmate while complaining about the research papers we have yet to start.
2:00 AM
Finally go to sleep after talking to roommate and messing around on my phone and laptop.
Alrighty now that you’ve seen the daily break down I figured it would be best to talk about papers. As an English major you could be writing anywhere from zero to three or more papers a week. Your friends will ask you why you do this to yourself as they watch you slave over your laptop with books strewn across the bed. You must learn time management and which ones would be best to start when. Always do short papers first and papers that are closest to being due. I always would save my night class papers for last since it was only once a week and I had five hours to work on it before class.
I hope this breakdown and advice helps you all!
20 Bookish Questions
Hello my friends!! I found the list of 20 bookish questions and I thought it would be fun to the list. I love reading and doing these because I feel like you learn so much about the blogger.
1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
Probably a picture book called Owl Babies. It was my favorite when I was little and I made my mom read it to me all the time.
2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?
My current read is The Cuckoo’s Calling, my last read was Song of Summer, and my next read is The Silkworm.
3. What book did everyone like and you hated?
Twilight series for sure. They’re not good. They’re kind of creepy. My mom didn’t want me to read them because of the unhealthy relationship of Edward and Bella.
4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?
I honestly can’t think of one. I usually follow through on these things.
5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”
Les Miserables. I own it but I just don’t have that kind of commitment to sorrow right now.
6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?
Wait till the end. I hate myself any times I look. It ruins all the suspense and fun.
7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?
I really like them. I think it’s interesting to see who the author thought was important enough to mention.
8. Which book character would you switch places with?
Probably Diana Bishop from the All Souls Trilogy. Who wouldn’t want to be a witch with a hot vampire boyfriend/husband?
9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?
Gone With The Wind reminds me of my best friend in high school because that’s how we bonded. She’s currently living in Scotland training to be an opera singer so I haven’t seen her in 2 years.
10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.
I got City of Bones as a joke from a friend because she thought it was a Harry Potter rip off. The first book kind of is though.
11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?
All the time. I love giving thoughtful books to friends.
12. Which book has been with you to the most places?
Inkheart probably has. There’s a line in there about how traveling with books makes them thicker and you remember more things when you read the book. It’s very true.
13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?
Well it hasn’t been ten years since I’ve been in high school but The Great Gatsby really grew on me. I hated it when I had to read it but then I read it for fun and loved it.
14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?
I think it was a breakup note in a library book.
15. Used or brand new?
I like both. Used when I’m not looking for anything special or for school. New when it’s a book I really want.
16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?
Both. I actually worry about him. I mean is he okay with all that horror in his brain?
17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?
Yep. I hate Atonment the book because I think the author is a pretentious asshole. The movie had the excellent story minus the pretension.
18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?
Eragon was so bad. Like it hurts to think about how bad it was. The only good thing to come out of that movie was Jeremy Irons
19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?
Harry Potter when there are feast scenes. How are those kids not fat?
20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?
My mom always knows what I will like and always has. I think I trust the book blogging community as well.
So that’s all for this post. If you all want to do these too I’d love to see your answers.
Song of Summer By Laura Lee Anderson
I received this e-ARC from Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books through Netgalley for free for an honest review. I was not paid and all opinions are my own.
Hello my friends!!! So summer is now in full swing (good god it’s hot) so I thought it would be the perfect time to read a cute summer romance. That’s what drew me to this book along with it’s unique plot. Our story takes place at the end of summer in a small town. We meet one of our two narrators, Robin who works at the local diner. Robin has just gone through a breakup with her boyfriend Trent who awkwardly works at the diner and plays music at the church with Robin. Robin and her coworkers create a Robin’s Perfect Man list and then walks in a boy that might fit all of those descriptions. There we see our other narrator, Carter who is the typical tall, dark, and handsome who rides a motorcycle. What isn’t typical is Carter is completely deaf and doesn’t care, in fact he doesn’t seem to care for people who can hear. The attraction between the two is immediate and Robin starts to learn pieces of ASL to communicate. Both of them must learn how to manage in the other’s world. Will this blooming love be able to overcome their barriers.
So I liked this book but didn’t love it. I thought it was very cutesy but didn’t have too much substance. I think this book had a lot of potential to be great but I felt like all the main issues were skimmed over. There were parts in the book that made me laugh and even get angry but it wasn’t at the level I was hoping for. Especially with the climax/ending. I felt like there was an attempt to make it Nicholas Sparksesque but I just didn’t like it. It was a nice fluff piece that was a quick read (only 228 pages). Overall I’d give this 3 out of 5 stars.
If you are interested in reading Song of Summer it will be available on July 7th for Kindle for $4.99 (pre order is only $3.82).
Literary Elements in Hemlock Grove
Hello again everyone!! If you follow me on Twitter you will have probably seen my constant late night tweets about Hemlock Grove. I am so addicted to this TV show created by Netflix. One of the reasons I like it so much is it’s clear ties to classic gothic fiction which is one of my main focuses. I figured I would cover a few of the most prominent things in season 1. I know this series was a book first which I have not read but I assume the themes are the same or similar.
1. Frankenstein’s Monster: Along with the typical werewolf and vampire characters of Peter and Roman, we have Roman’s sister Shelley. The name is clearly a tribute to Mary Shelley. Shelley is a kind and misunderstood human who is loved by her brother. Her appearance is frightening to outsiders because of her height, lack of speech, and her one very large eye that is covered by hair. Shelley is very much like the monster when he was young and naive so I’m interested to see if she will change into a violent person.
2. Johann Pryce. Victor Frankenstein or Dr. Seward?: Johann Pryce is the local scientist for the Godfrey Institute who I assume helped create Shelley. He is ultimately the mad scientist type who messes with genetics and plays with being God. He seems to be a combination of Victor and Dr. Seward since we see Johann recording his work in a handheld recorder like Seward did at the Phonograph in Dracula.
3. Traditional Vampire and Werewolf Lore: Clearly research has been done for this show. The main lore we see is babies born with a caul on they become vampires. It’s an interesting stance to take, making the creation of a vampire more human. We also have traditional werewolf lore where you are either born, created, or force yourself to become a werewolf. I really appreciate the little details they use.
So those are the main three of season 1. I have a lot more already for season 2 but I figured it would be better to make a separate post for it.
The Spiritglass Charade by Colleen Gleason
Hello everyone!! I apologize for being gone for a few days. My absence is due to my compulsive watching of Hemlock Grove. It’s a amazing show and soon I’ll be posting literary tropes found in season one. Anyways a few days ago I finished the second book in the Stoker and Holmes series. I read the first book a few weeks ago and loved it!!! I’m happy to report I feel the same way abou this one.
The book leaves off right after the ending of the first novel. Mina and Evaline have been again recruited by the Princess to help a friend. Willa Ashton has been obsessed with meeting mediums so she can talk with her mother and try to find out if her brother is alive. It’s up to the girls to find out who or what is talking to Willa. This of course is not the only thing on Evaline’s plate since rumors are around about vampires returning to London.
This was an excellent second book in the series. It had even more danger and secrets than the first. I think Colleen was able to do more this book since all the main characters were fully explored in book one. I can’t spoil the end for you all but oh my god I am excited for the next one!!!!! I give this book five out of five stars.
Damn It! I Bought More Books
Hello everyone!!! So I made another trip to my local thrift store and again bought more books. I really can’t help it, they’re so cheap. I’ve found that there are a treasure trove of books to be found in thrift stores that I might not have found otherwise.
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris: I tried to watch True Blood but couldn’t get into because Sookie’s voice was so annoying. I figured I’d read the books because I’ll be able to have a better accent in my head. Also the books are always better right?
Poison by Sara Poole: I’ve been on a big historical fiction kick again so this peaked my interest. It’s about a woman who becomes a poisoner for the Borgias. Like how cool is that?
The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes: It’s summer so a fun “chick lit” book was needed. This is about three women involved in a publishing house and their romantic entanglements. It sounds like it will be funny.
The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory: I’ve read her Tudor books so I figured I would give these other ones a go. I also have The White Queen on my Kindle.
The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir: I’ve never read any of her books before so I was really excited to find this one. It’s the story of Elizabeth’s life before becoming queen. I’m interested to know how she will characterize Mary.
Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen: I’ve been seeing this book a lot lately so I had to get it. I always love fictional stories about authors and their families so this should be interesting.
Also I saw this terrifying piggie bank at the thrift store. It looks like the child of a human and a pig.
Passion and Propriety by Elise De Sallier
I received this e-ARC from The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House through Netgalley for review. I was not paid and all opinions are my own.
Hello everyone!!! So this book is the first ever “romance” novel I’ve read and I have to say I am impressed. I sat down at around 10:30 pm and didn’t stop reading until it was finished at 2:00 am. Of course when I requested this I was skeptical but the plot was what intrigued me and kept me going.
The story follows a young woman named Hannah who has resigned herself to being a spinster since she has remained uncourted at the age of 27. This has mostly to do with she spent her eligible years taking care of her dying mother and then taking care of her family in her place. When she is visiting her mother’s grave she sees a man slumped on the ground. She finds it is the Viscount William Blackthorn returned after being away so long at war. She takes upon herself the duty of helping him heal since she is a spinster and the rest of the town won’t help because of the Blackthorn curse. Obviously, the two fall in love while Hannah cares for him but both deny their feelings because Hannah is stuck on the fact she is too old and William vows never to marry because of the curse.
What I loved about this novel was how well rounded and strong all the female characters were. Even though Hannah wants to be married with children it is not the only thing about her. She is bossy and kind and funny. Her friend Grace is an opinionated healer with a temper and snark. These women seemed realistic, Miss De Sallier took great care with these women. William is also fleshed out and his internal thoughts through the healing process had me dying. Also William is excellent husband material, like I need to find me one of those. This book had me going YAS at so many parts but in others had me going “no no no no no.” It was remarkably compelling and I’m interested in reading the sequel that will be about Grace.
WARNING: This book does have sex in it so you should probably only read it if you are 18+ or if your parents are cool with you reading that.
This book is available on Amazon for $3.99 on Kindle and $13.98 in Paperback
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