The Boy and The Heron (2023)

 

imdb.com

Hayao Miyazaki just doesn't want to truly retire...and honestly, I am so glad. What would I have done without this movie? Being all at once dark, cute, quirky, and beautiful, t's not going to be for everyone (something I feel like I've been saying a lot about my movie choices lately), but if you are a fan of Studio Ghibli films, I really think this one is an amazing addition to their collection.

What's this film about? I almost don't want to tell you! In some ways, I don't know if I even could do it justice. I walked into it after seeing a trailer for it, but didn't really know much, honestly. And I really feel like that was a perfect way to experience it. Twist after twist, laugh after laugh, and constantly waffling between awe and bewilderment, it was an incredibly fun cinema experience. There are some dark moments (particularly at the beginning), so be aware that this isn't a young child-friendly film.

I watched this one in Japanese with English subtitles. I was happy to watch it either way, and would love to watch it again in the future with the English dubbing. I feel like both methods have their merits, and often different experiences, so I would say to watch it in whichever way works best for you. I know that for some it can be difficult to focus on anything other than the subtitles in a piece, and this movie is so visually stunning that I would make sure you watch whichever method allows you to see that to its full extent.

Here's what I feel I can say about it:
It's fantastical
The animation is beautiful
There are multiple twists that I don't think you'll see coming
The music is gorgeous
You might honestly question what kind of fever dream you walked into multiple times

So, without telling you too much other than this, I would absolutely recommend it!

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Do you enjoy animation? Have you seen any Studio Ghibli films before? If so, what are your favourites?

TMST: Favourite Supernatural Creature

 Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly feature started by the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings, and now hosted by a team of bloggers, Roberta @ Offbeat YA, Karen @ For What It's Worth, Berls @ Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life, Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About, and Linda @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell.

What is your favorite supernatural creature?

As a lifelong fan of fantasy and mythology, I think it's pretty safe to say that I can instantly think of a dozen supernatural creatures that I love. Picking a favourite is kind of like picking a favourite flower in a garden that you lovingly cultivated. And yet, there is always one creature that stands out for me in a different way than the rest...

The Phoenix.

I have always loved them. From their beautiful flame coloured feathers, to their sleek appearance, to their symbolism of rebirth - they have always fascinated and charmed me. So, if absolutely forced to choose favourites here, I feel very little torment at listing them as mine.

I feel that I would be remiss without mentioning a few others that fight for dominance here:

Gryphon
Manticore
Cŵn Annwn
Ouroboros
Cockatrice

There are so many incredible ones from different mythologies and cultures around the world, and I am constantly fascinated to hear more. Do you have any favourites? Tell me about them!

Musical Identity Book Tag

I decided to make a new tag! I created this one a long time ago, but just hadn't written in my own answers. If you love musicals as much as I do, then I hope you'll answer these questions as well. And if not, perhaps you'll have fun reading my answers anyway!

Memories

What was the first musical you saw (whether on stage, or on film)?

The King and I! It was the first one I saw, actually both on stage and on film, so it has a very special place in my heart.

What musical were you most surprised impacted you as strongly as it did?

Rent! I thought for the longest time that it was probably this super hyped-up musical that it was popular to like because it was edgy. And yes, I think that that is absolutely the case for some people - but I also think it's brilliant. (Now, will I ever understand the appeal of the song "Over the Moon?" No, no I won't).

What is the most original musical you've ever seen?

I think that depends, a bit. I'm tempted to say Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, simply because of the variety of musical styles running through it. Otherwise, Godspell has a really unique structure to it.

It might be silly, odd, or cheesy, but what musical do you have a soft spot for anyway?

Gigi. It's a musical that a lot of people probably don't know about, and it has definitely some elements that might not look the best to modern audiences, but I fell in love with it as a little girl (thank heavens! ;) ) and still love it very much go this day.

Feelings

What's your favourite classic musical?

Probably The Phantom of the Opera!

What's your favourite contemporary musical?

Maybe Dear Evan Hansen? I tend to be a bit of an oldie where musicals are concerned, but I really enjoy the music from this one. Otherwise, if it counts, Rent. But I'm not sure that's considered "current" enough.

Musical movies - not necessarily a musical, but what's one you love?

Lili (1953) is one of my favourite movies of all time. It has a few musical numbers, but I wouldn't exactly refer to it as a musical. (With both Gigi and Lili on this list...can you tell I love Leslie Caron?)

What's a musical you just don't understand the appeal of?

There are actually several I just don't get the appeal of, but the first one that comes to mind is Shrek: the Musical. I don't personally like the Shrek movies in the first place, and I don't understand how this would make an appealing musical either...but that's just me!

The Specifics

Who are you most like from Rent, and why?

Mark. Absolutely Mark. I adore him completely, and connected with him right away. I do have elements of Roger and Mimi as well, but just listen to the song Hallowe'en, and you will see how I feel.

If you could play any part in Hamilton, which would you choose?

Angelica Schuler for sure. Although I would get so tongue tied trying to get the lyrics out that quickly!

Should Christine have ended up with The Phantom in the original musical?

Yes. I know, I know...that might be terrible of me, but in some ways I still wish they ended up together. And I have seen Love Never Dies, but that doesn't fit in the same way for me. 

Do you consider classic Disney movies to be musicals?

I personally don't, but I have no issues with people referring to them as such. I mean, they contain a lot of music, and this is used to tell the story and express feelings exactly in the same way that musicals are, but to me they feel different because they are animated. By definition, I guess they are "Disney animated musicals" but I think of them as a category unto themselves.

Blog-Along: Little Women (2019)

There couldn't possibly be more spoilers in one of my posts than there are in this one! I've done this blog-along with a lot more detail than past ones. No, unfortunately it doesn't have time stamps (I watched it on my television DVD player rather than my computer), but as this is a story that many people are familiar with by now, I figured that would be okay.

sonypictures.com

Now, if you know anything about me, my opinions on Little Women are, well...pretty strong. I have watched so many adaptations of it, and it has always been a part of my life. So when a new version of it comes out, I am going to go over it with a fine tooth comb. Want to know my thoughts about the most recent adaptation (2019 - Saorise Ronan, Timothée Chalamet)? Read on! Don't want spoilers? Maybe wait until you've seen it.

Enjoy!

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TMST: Favourite Blogs

It's been a while since I've participated in a Tell Me Something Tuesday, and I've been meaning to get back into it! Thank you to the lovely Rainy Day Ramblings for this week's topic about some of your favourite blogs. Now, I have some bloggers that I enjoy that aren't related to books at all...but this time I'm just going to focus on my bookish buddies. This isn't a comprehensive list of course, but these ones deserve some extra special attention.

In no particular order...

Every Day

Every Day is based on a 2012 book of the same name by David Levithan. It was adapted as a movie in 2018.

avclub.com

What It's About:

Every day a person named A wakes up in the body of a different human being. They are not a body in and of themselves, and only a soul. On one particular day, A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets his girlfriend Rhiannon, with whom they spend an unforgettable day. Rhiannon, unused to this type of attention from Justin is over the moon, but when Justin can't remember it the next day, she is not only heartbroken, but confused. A, however, has fallen head over heels. Through a series of different bodies, A meets Rhiannon and explains their story - and when the two start a relationship, they have no choice but to hide it. For who would understand that when Rhiannon looks like she is with a different person every day, that she is really with A? 

TTT: Books I Read Because of Their Adaptations

Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl, this week's Top Ten Tuesday is a "Page to Screen Freebie (Books that became movies/TV shows, movies that became books, great adaptations, bad ones, books you need to read before watching their movie/TV show, movies you loved based on books you hated or vice versa, books you want to read because you saw the movie or vice versa, etc.)". So for me, I wanted to do books that I read because I had seen, and enjoyed the movie. Enjoy!

Pride and Prejudice
I remember my mom watching this one day, and I curled up in front of the television with her to watch it as well. She had to explain several things to me, but I ended up falling in love with the story. It's been a favourite ever since, and I knew I had to read the book. It was maybe the third or fourth Austen book that I read, but it was the first one I was exposed to. Favourite version: 1995 with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth

Wuthering Heights
I would definitely say that this was my introduction to Gothic movies and literature. This was something my mom and I would watch at like 1:00 in the morning when we couldn't sleep, and honestly that is the best time to watch it. It is dark and obsessive, and just plain wonderful. I didn't read it until many years later, but my love for the movie was certainly why I picked it up. Favourite version: 1992 with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche

Outlander
For all of you who know my love of period dramas, it should be no surprise that Outlander appealed to me instantly since it takes place in two historically important periods. I watched the first episode knowing almost nothing more than a wartime combat nurse and science fiction time travel, and was really interested. I missed the next few episodes (insert long, unimportant story here...) and then learned that one of my best friends had actually been reading the series for a while and also loved the show. I just recently finished the fourth book myself.

The Hunger Games
The same friend who loves Outlander also took me to see The Hunger Games, and loaned me her copies of the books. In all honesty, I think I might have started the first book before seeing the movie, but I don't remember...and I at least started reading them because the movie was out.

TTT: Songs That Tell Incredible Stories

Wonderful stories don't simply have to be limited to novels and movies. Thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl's Top Ten Tuesday topic of an Audio Freebie (anything related to audio that you would like), I was inspired to make this week's list about the power of the amazing story told through song.

I have not included songs from musicals (which are engineered to be telling a story), and instead am focusing on those pieces that are stories in and of themselves.

1) American Pie by Don McLean
Perhaps this answer is really stereotypical, but I can't help but include it. It's one of my absolute favourites, and it tells an incredible story.

2) Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967 by John Mayer
I can't even explain how much I love this one. It's got a fantastic rhyming scheme and an uplifting story - especially for all of us dreamers. I recently learned that a bunch of people find the ending of this song ambiguous, which I never have...so that's pretty interesting. Let me know what you think if you give it a listen!

3) Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton
A moving and inspirational song, this story about a coat made with a mother's love and sewed from rags, is autobiographical. It's such a beloved song that a movie was even made in 2015 chronicling this period of Parton's life.

4) The River by Bruce Springsteen
A song about regrets and looking back on your life, this one will quite possibly leave you in tears. It's not the kind of song to leave you quickly, with incredible lines like "these memories come back to haunt me, they haunt me like a curse. Is a dream a lie if it don't come true, or is it something worse...?"

5) The Downeaster Alexa by Billy Joel
Billy Joel has several songs that could appear on this list, but this is probably my favourite. Tackling the life and difficulties of a fisherman who has fallen on hard times, this song is both sad and inspirational at the same time. I also think that a large part of the brilliance of this song is how the sounds of the swell of the sea, squawking birds, and fog horns all appear in the song using instruments. It isn't cheesy or distracting, and instead really adds to the mood.

YA in Review: Tower of Dawn (Sarah J. Maas)

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. As this is part of a series, this review may spoil portions of the plot from previous books in the series.

chapters.indigo.ca

What it's about:

Chaol Westfall, former Captain of the Guard, now Hand of the King, has been given two missions: one, to convince the khagan of Antica and his children to join their side in the war against Erawan, and two, to heal the damage to his spine at the Torre Cesme - home to the greatest healers in the world. Yet the khagan's recent tragedy - the loss of a beloved daughter - clouds his judgement, the healer assigned to help him holds a grudge against his former king, and Erawan's forces grow stronger every day. There is no time to delay, and yet Chaol must use all of his past training in the palace to remember that political games, as well as true healing, take time.

T5W: Nostalgic Ships

Welcome to Top 5 Wednesday! This is a fun feature that I've wanted to take part in for quite a while now, but I never seem to have enough time. I still don't, but this week's prompt was so great that I had to do it. Top 5 Wednesday is a Goodreads group that you can find here if you want to participate as well. They post all of their prompts for the month, so you can work ahead. Oh and while you're there, follow me on Goodreads!

February 6: Nostalgic Ships

-- Discuss the first fictional couples you ever got butterflies over, or couples you used to be really into when you were younger.
I'm personally going to discuss the first couples I got butterflies over...because I definitely still get butterflies over them now!

Musicals: Yentl

One of my all-time favourite musicals, Yentl is a passion project of Barbra Streisand based off of the short story Yentl the Yeshiva Boy by Isaac Bashevis Singer.

tcm.com

What It's About:

In the early 1900s, women are forbidden from studying the Torah and Talmud - the Jewish religious scripture. But Yentl is bright, curious, and has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and her father teaches her in secret. When Yentl's father is no longer with her, she has but one choice - learn to become a housewife and get married, or be true to herself by studying, yet have to pose as a boy. Yentl's journey is equal parts humorous, heartbreaking, and inspirational.

December 2018 Update

It's the final day of the year, and time for an end-of -the-year update! Here's what I've been watching this month, and a little bit about what's going on with me.

Started Watching:

radiotimes.com

My Mother and Other Strangers - season 1 - started and finished

Wow. I almost want to do an entire review post on this show, because I was blown away. It absolutely isn't for everyone, but I couldn't get enough. Only 5 episodes, it watches more like a mini-series than a television show. Centered around the Coyne family in the small parish of Moybeg during WWII, it looks at childhood, growing up, family tensions, fidelity, and all manner of things. How can they handle this all in 5 episodes? Hah, just watch! Not only that, but the pacing actually feels slow (something that I particularly like, but many might find boring). I started watching this when it first aired, but was unable to continue it at the time and only got around to it again now. Okay, stop babbling, Shayna.

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Frontier - season 2 - started and finished
What a great month for me - this season of Frontier was just as fantastic as the first. Actually, I think it might have been even better. A bunch of dramatic situations reach a climax during this season, so there is quite a bit going on. And if the cliffhanger doesn't get you...well, I have no idea what will.

Books You'd Mash Together

This week's Top Ten Tuesday by That Artsy Reader Girl is Books That You'd Mash Together. I absolutely love this one, and have been working on it for a few weeks now. I'm super excited to share these ones with you!:

1) Robin Hood and The Hunger Games
Outside of the arena, Robin steals from the Capital. Inside, Katniss kicks butt and takes names. Later, they share tips on taking down a deer by bow and arrow.

2) The Secret Garden and Frankenstein
You know why they keep the garden a secret?  Corpse reanimation.

3) The Thorn Birds and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
One day the roles will be reversed. What then? Also, what would a baby do with that kind of money?

4) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Yes, Willy Wonka is the Wizard, Oompa Loompas are the Munchkins, and The Wicked Witch is trying to steal factory secrets.

5) Anne of Green Gables and The Girl Who Owned a City
Can Anne uphold her romantic ideals amidst the apocalypse?

Favourite Stories I Will Likely Never Read

Sorry guys, throwing this one together this week! I decided last minute to do this one (but twisted up again), so I'm scrambling to finish it before I drop from exhaustion. Merci beaucoup That Artsy Reader Girl for this topic (even though I am not exactly using it once again haha). This week's topic was Books I Liked But Will Never Re-read, but since I am unlikely to for sure not read them again (or at least skim through them heavily), I decided to do books where I love the stories (whether from knowing abridged versions, movies, etc.) but think it is highly unlikely I will actually read the source material.

1) Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Why? Great musical, super long book

2) Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
I've tried reading Dickens, and I start falling asleep.

3) Shogun - James Clavell
Fantastic look at 1600s Japan that was made into a mini-series...but it is over 1000 pages

4) War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Okay, this is a maybe. I recently got introduced to the actual  storyline and not my perception of it from the teensy bits I heard. Anyway, I watched the 2016 mini-series and fell in love with it. So, if I feel really adventurous, it will happen, otherwise...not.

5) The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper
Watch the 1992 movie. The music is some of the best you will hear in a movie, ever. And Daniel Day-Lewis looks absolutely beautiful here. Trust me.

Let's Take a Moment For Some Book Love...

As would be expected of a book and media blogger, I love to read. But I am also a book collector, and it is quite the obsession. I can't resist browsing through used book stores to find new favourites, or beautiful copies of those I already adore. The good, musty smell of a Penguin Classic will get me every time (you fellow page-sniffers will know what I'm talking about!). Here are some of the things I find super difficult to resist when perusing the shelves:

• Penguin Classics - As you have likely guessed, I love these. There is just something about the thin pages, the perfect size to fit in a purse or locker, and an easy, readable font. I own tons of them, and if I have the choice between a Penguin Classic edition of a book or a different copy, I am most likely to go for the Penguin.
• Gilded Pages - Those hardcover books with the gold leaf edges? Yeah, that is what I live for. I want to pick them up and touch them. They just look as though they have been made with so much love and care that I instantly connect with them.

Top Ten Favourite Book Quotes

This week's Top Ten Tuesday from That Artsy Reader Girl is Top Ten Favourite Book Quotes. I love quotes. I love to memorize them and I have a small book where I write down some of my favourites. Needless to say, I found this really difficult to narrow it down to just a few when I feel like I am swimming in favourite quotes. So, after struggling for an excessive amount of time over which ones to pick, here is a itsy bitsy sampling of my favourite book quotes:

1) Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 

“I could fight with the living but I could not fight the dead. If there was some woman in London that Maxim loved, someone he wrote to, visited, dined with, slept with, I could fight her. We would stand on common ground. I should not be afraid. Anger and jealousy were things that could be conquered. One day the woman would grow old or tired or different, and Maxim would not love her anymore. But Rebecca would never grow old. Rebecca would always be the same. And she and I could not fight. She was too strong for me.”

2) The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco
"'Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.'”

3) The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
“I didn't go to the moon, I went much further—for time is the longest distance between two places.”

4) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
"'I'm claiming the right to be unhappy.'"

5) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
"'There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing.'"

6) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
"'When I asked my da how ye knew which was the right woman, he told me when the time came, I'd have no doubt. And I didn't. When I woke in the dark under that tree on the road to Leoch, with you sitting on my chest, cursing me for bleeding to death, I said to myself, 'Jamie Fraser, for all ye canna see what she looks like, and for all she weighs as much as a good draft horse, this is the woman.''"

Top Twelve Books I Re-read Constantly

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is actually "Books I Could Re-read Forever," but I decided to put a little bit of a spin on it (not much, mind you). There are a handful of books that I regularly flip through and read passages of over and over, and it is these ones that I want to share with you this week. Thanks as always to the host That Artsy Reader Girl for this topic. Of course since this really is a list of tried and true favourites of mine, I'm sure you will have heard me mention most (if not all) of them previously. Here we go!

1) Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
2) The Island by Gary Paulsen
3) Persuasion by Jane Austen
4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
5) Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
6) The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Black Panther (Spoiler Free Review)

Once again I have decided to review a movie that I've watched in theatres, so maybe I'm breaking my rule of reviewing these...we'll see. This review will essentially be spoiler free, but please be advised that little plot details may be mentioned in order to explain a point. If you don't wish to know even the littlest things about the movie, I would recommend returning after you've seen it. Otherwise, you should be good to continue reading.

marvel.com

What It's About:

T'Challa, son of recently deceased king T'Chaka is now the heir to the throne of Wakanda. After being accepted by the tribes he will then be crowned king and gain the powers of the Black Panther - a secret to those outside of Wakanda. Yet this African nation has a much bigger secret, vibranium. Built on a mountain of the strongest metal in the world, vibranium powers their cities, weapons, technology and more - but on the surface, Wakanda is an impoverished country only known for farming. Their only struggle here is hiding this invaluable treasure from the rest of the world. But what T'Challa did not count on is that he must now atone for the mistakes of  the past kings - the fate of his entire country depends on it.

Why You'll Love It:

I Want Candy

I found a fun little tag a while back on the blog Sorry, I'm Booked called The Candy Book Tag, and I thought it looked really fun. So, I'm going to give it a go because a) Candy, and b) Books. It really can't get much better than that, unless you include tea. And what a way to start the year off! Alright, first item on the list:

Apples – Ah. Healthy food. It is deep, meaningful, and probably won a lot of awards but, um, it really isn’t your thing.

Well, I'd have to say The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I think Plath has some great poetry, but this book really just didn't do it for me. I don't know if I read it at the wrong time in my life or what, but I barely got through it.

Milk Chocolate – This is a book you’d recommend to absolutely EVERYONE.

Everyone? That's a tough one for me. Working in a library I really get to see how everyone's tastes really differ. However, since I find this to be an absolutely impossible thing to answer, I'll just pick something that I think has a lot to offer for many different people, and that's Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontё. Gothic mystery, strong characters, romance, independence, and hardship - what's not to love?

Childhood's End (Arthur C. Clarke)

First of all, 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. Ready? Here we go!

www.abebooks.com

What it's about:

One day, without warning, enormous ships appear in the sky containing a group of alien Overlords. Promising to bring the human race into an era of peace and prosperity, these Overlords do not take "no" for an answer. They refuse to speak to anyone except for Rikki Stormgren, and will not reveal neither themselves, nor their purpose for becoming caretakers of Earth. The story follows these Overlords, and the people closely associated with them, from the beginning, through the Golden Age of Earth's prosperity, and concluding when their work is complete.