October to December 2019 Update

Although I watched several movies over the past few months, I didn't end up watching a lot of television! I decided to combine everything from October through December into one big post to share what I have been watching. Look out for some mini-reviews about the movies later on.

Started Watching:

kpbs.org

Poldark - season 2, 3, 4 (started and finished all)
I whipped through watching the series for a second time - watching most of three seasons in about a month. I continued watching season 5 as it aired each week. I really enjoyed this series, especially the first three seasons, and will absolutely be recommending it to people (you all included!)

whats-on-netflix.com

Frontier - season 3
I'm so glad this season is finally on Netflix! Basically, I watched the first two seasons on Netflix after being unable to catch them on television (I didn't know when they were airing). When I finished them, I had to wait a little while for season three to air. I ended up barely missing it...literally missed an episode or two, so I waited the whole time for it to show up on Netflix, and mildly lost my mind. BUT, I finally am getting to watch it. I'm about halfway through, so it shouldn't take me too long to finish it. It doesn't seem quite as good so far, but still enjoying it.

ccdiscovery.com

Anne with an E - randomly/season 3
Being rather a book purist, I find television adaptations of books are usually very difficult for me to get into. This show was no exception. Although I've never read Anne of Green Gables, I was always in love with the mini-series from the 1980s, and didn't handle very well anything that didn't invoke the same feelings. I didn't enjoy this at first. I watched random clips here and there, and couldn't really connect with it. Eventually I ended up watching random bits of season 2. It was, *shrug,* okay. Yet, I started watching clips of season 3 on YouTube...and then I started watching it on TV...and I got weirdly invested in it. Unfortunately it looks like they won't be returning for a fourth season...but at least I got the satisfaction from the last episode that I wanted - one positive!

Graphic Novels: The Girl From the Other Side - Book 1

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 is my first review of a graphic novel! I don't feel like you can talk about them in quite the same way as a standard print novel, so I'm going to change things up a bit.

amazon.com

What it's about:

A little girl and a dark monster are companions - but how did they become this way? The girl, Shiva, is sweet and curious - interested in the world, and waiting for her grandmother to come and take her home. "Teacher," a beast with a curse, watches over her - but the two can never touch, lest Shiva become cursed as well. How do these two coexist, separated by this affliction?

What's Going On, Shayna?

My lovely readers,

This is a letter to you. No, I'm not saying goodbye to my blog or anything, don't worry, but I do think we need to talk a little. I'm not blogging a lot right now. I'm not really enjoying blogging right now. I hate that. Sometimes in the past few months, I've had no ideas at all, and other times I've had a million - so many that I can't start on a single one.

It's been a hard year. In some ways, it has been one of the most difficult years of my life - but I can definitely say it's been the year of greatest change. I bought a house, and moved in. I switched jobs from one I had been in for ten years (same organization, different department and work schedule). My relationship of several years ended. Four people in my family died - three being in the span of three months. With all of this, I've still been going to school (although with a decreased workload).

I'm so tired.

I want this post to be intelligent and eloquent - I don't want to just type everything that comes to mind, and yet I also want to write this as a diary entry to just release absolutely everything that I've been going through. So forgive me, if I sound a little crazy.

Trouble with Lichen (John Wyndham)

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.

abebooks.co.uk

What it's about:

Diana Brackley is unusual. She doesn't think about marriage or babies, and wants to go to university. She asks uncomfortable questions and seems to be able to look right through you. Upon graduating from school, she decides to become a biochemist, and soon is hired at the prestigious Darr House, owned and operated by Francis Saxover. Upon working with different strains of lichen, Diana discovers something she never could have foreseen - a lichen species with a property that, if know, will change the course of human history forever.

Library Life: You Found WHAT in a Book?

Fascinating things can be found between the covers of a book - and I don't just mean the words. Amongst the pages of books and the cases of DVDs and books on CD, I have found many a treasure. Here are a few of the things I have found trapped between the covers of library items, from the mundane to the ridiculous:

Mini-Reviews: Aquaman, Billy Elliot, The Choice

The past few months have been crazy and hectic. I haven't watched a lot of TV or movies, but I've experienced quite the eclectic mix of titles! From superheroes to dance to romances, here are the most recent ones I'd like to share with you!

metro.co.uk

Aquaman
I walked into this one expecting it to be visually stunning, but not particularly great otherwise. As I am not a huge fan of the DC Universe, I didn't have any attachment to the characters or the story from the beginning. Well, it was exactly what I expected. Although I knew it was necessary, the film was very heavy in its use of CGI - and it wasn't always well done. Unfortunately this took away from the seriousness of certain scenes. Did I enjoy watching it well enough? Yes. Do I plan on watching it again or specifically recommend it? Nope, not really.

TMST: Authors for Dinner

No, I'm not eating writers...but I am talking about which ones I'd like to have over for dinner. This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday question is "If you hosted a dinner for authors, who are the six authors you would invite (alive or deceased)?" Thanks so much to Rainy Day Ramblings, who hosts these fun discussions. I can't wait to hear who you all come up with!
For my personal list, I didn't necessarily pick my favourite authors (although some of them are), but instead I picked people I would be interested to have discussions with for various reasons. I've tried to include some of the reasons why I think they'd be fun to sit down with.

1) Ann Radcliffe
- one of the first Gothic writers, and a woman
- an inspiration for many works, and she was popular throughout her life and after her death