YA in Review: A Monster Calls (Patrick Ness)

This post will essentially be Spoiler Free, however comments by other users may possibly contain information that spoils portions of the plot, so read at them your own risk. This book is the sixth one that I've completed for my 2018 TBR Challenge. I'm finally getting through them at a decent pace, which is making me feel so much better. There's a chance in heck I could actually finish now.

booktopia.com.au

What it's about:

Conor is dealing with a problem - a really big problem. His mother is very ill and has to go in for treatment once again, he's being bullied at school, and, worst of all, he is having the nightmare of all nightmares. But all of those things Conor can face - he has to. Until one day the yew tree from behind his house lifts up its roots and comes walking. As time passes and Conor's problems get worse and worse, the tree shares with him three important tales of when he has come walking before. But for this, he demands one story from Conor in return - the story of truth that he cannot face.

TTT: Best Literary Villains

Quick post for me this week! Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl for highlighting the evil fictional characters right before Hallowe'en! I chose to focus on literary classics, because there are some truly delightful villainous characters in those stories. Here is my list of...thirteen!

1) Mrs. Danvers - Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier
2) Alec D'Urberville - Tess of the D'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy
3) Mr. Brocklehurst - Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë
4) Morgan Le Fey - Arthurian Legend
5) Cathy Earnshaw - Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
6) Henry Crawford - Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen
7) Lord Henry Wotton - The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

Blog-Along: Tin Man (Part 3 - Conclusion)

Are you ready for the third and final part of this mini-series? Well, here you go! Need to catch up on the other installments? See Part 1 and Part 2 here.

telfie.com

• 5:03 - My favourite part of this moment is how everyone looks surprised, but there's Raw looking like literally nothing just happened. Also, how did her mom know about the rock? Or would any rock do?
• 8:11 - What I find particularly interesting is what Azkadellia decided to destroy. The forest? Yep. The maze? Nope. Why not?
• 9:15 - Ah, so it was the rock! My question still stands. 
• 16:37 - You're still in there! Those teary eyes mean something.
• Did he find them?!
• I wish Glitch still had problems repeating himself once in a while. I don't see that anymore.
• 19:00 - Yes, let's descend into a hole that has high-pitched shrieking sounds coming out of it.
•  25:50 - How did the Seeker not notice the four other people? He evidently can't see things well enough to be of any help.
• Why haven't people on the run disguised themselves yet?
• Not that they have enough time to do this, but it would be interesting to look at the effects of the suit on Cain - like PTSD.

Blog-Along: Tin Man (Part 2)

On to part 2 of this science fiction retelling of The Wizard of Oz! We continue with our rag-tag bunch of  adventurers. What scrapes will they get out of this time? See Part 1 here.

telfie.com

Blog-Along: Tin Man (Part 1)

Welcome to my latest blog-along! For any new readers, this is the place where I informally review a movie moment by moment. Although I do mildly edit the content of these after to avoid large spoilers and to provide more clarity, these posts are essentially the purest version of quirky thoughts about the movie. For the best experience, watch the piece along with me and follow along with the time stamps, however you can also enjoy them just as is. Be warned, however, that some spoilers are inevitable because of this format, although I do my best to keep them to a minimum.
Now, on to this particular story!

telfie.com

Tin Man is a modern retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz with a science fiction twist. Released in 2007, this three-part mini-series stars big names such as Zooey Deschanel, Alan Cumming, and Richard Dreyfuss. Although I remember watching this not too long after it came out, I hardly remember a single detail about it now. So, this is sort of my first impression (but not really). Anyway, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!:

"Unhaul" - Getting Rid of Books!

I just got rid of 18 books, and it feels great! Every year we have a big booksale in my region, and so there is a huge call for book donations. Now, 18 books might not sound like a lot, but for me, getting rid of books is borderline sacrilegious...so I'm listing it as a big accomplishment.

So, what didn't make the cut to keep?

1) The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
Why?: Although it was a book I had been curious to read for a while, I had never purchased a copy. When someone I knew was getting rid of a copy, I decided to grab it from them and give it a go. I read it, I reviewed it, and don't really feel any desire to keep it.

2) Ever - Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted and The Two Princesses of Bamarre are two of my favourite books of all time, and I also really enjoyed Fairest and The Wish...but Ever just didn't add up for me. No particular reason, it just didn't click for me in the same way the others did. So, out it goes.

3) Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes
I just don't care. No offense to this book, but it has never held any interest for me. It was given to me when someone I knew was giving away books and I hung onto it until I could donate it.

4) Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
It's okay! You can stop screaming! For any of you who don't know, Jane Eyre is my default answer when asked what my favourite book of all time is. I own several copies. This is one I got for I believe...a quarter, and isn't one of the copies that means a lot to me. In order to conserve some space (...to buy nicer copies of Jane Eyre), this one went into the donation bin.

5) One Day - David Nicholls
Read and reviewed, but similar to number 1 on this list I didn't feel the need to reread it or keep it for the future.

6) T*Witches : Split Decision - H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld
Alright, I feel like I need to explain this one a bit. I really loved this series when I was younger (identical twin witches who meet for the first time as teenagers). This is actually book number 9. Why on earth did I only keep book 9? There was information in the back about the healing properties of herbs, crystals, zodiacs, etc. and I thought it was really interesting. Yeah...it was time to get rid.

7) Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this one for a while, but I eventually determined that I didn't care about it at this time, and that I could always easily get a copy in the future. It was given to me by the same person who gave me 1 and 4 on this list.

8) Double Indemnity - James M. Cain
Given to me by the same person as mentioned above, and had no interest in it.

9) The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
This book was a huge disappointment for me. If I ever feel the need to give it a second chance, I'm sure my library will have a copy.

September 2018 Update

Sorry this post is a bit late! It's been a really wild few weeks for me. First of all, I got a new job that I am trying to get used to, and I started a new semester of school. So I've been watching episodes of TV a lot during breaks. Here's what I've been watching:

Started Watching:

delightfullyamazing.com

A Love So Beautiful - started and finished
My first Chinese drama, and what a way to start things off! I finished all 24 episodes in about 3 days...because I am insane. It's a sweet story about a long unrequited love that follows its characters through high school and college. Relationships change and grow, people go in different directions, and life isn't perfect. But, it's cute and happy overall, with just enough to give you all the feelings and get you totally addicted.

cbc.ca

The Great Canadian Baking Show - season 2

What a quirky bunch this season! I have a feeling this is going to be a funny group. We're not far into this season, but I like it just the same. I don't care one way or another about the two judges, but the hosts are fun (which is lacking in the new British version).