Saturday, December 2, 2017

Books and Films of the Month - October

I read six books in October, all of which I enjoyed. You can see all my reviews on my book blog. I read:













1) Lips Touch by Laini Taylor - fantasy short stories all about a kiss
2) After the Fire by Will HIll - a story about the aftermath of a teenager leaving a cult
3) Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens - one of the Murder Most Unladylike series, featuring young detectives
4) The Blood Card by Elly Griffiths - the 3rd in the Mephisto and Stevens series, I felt this was the best one so far
5) Freshers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison - this is a really hilarious look at the first term at university for two 18 year olds, I really liked it
6) S.T.A.G.S by M A Bennett - set amongst the upper class students of an exclusive school in Northumberland, this is a genuinely terrifying book in parts, really recommended




As for films, I watched LOADS. Lee and I watched TWELVE films during our week in the Dales. In fact, the end film that week was my 100th film of the year. Lee, who is far more of a film buff than me, says he hasn't watched that many this year by far. I'm enjoying making more time this year for films. Here's what I watched:


Oliver! - I haven't seen this in years and had a hankering to. It is a daft film but pretty cute


Dazed and Confused - I had never seen this but I liked it, I liked how it flitted between groups of friends


Wayne's World - Lee and I had been keeping a list of films we wanted to watch on holiday and this was one of them. I know it isn't great but it's been part of my life for so long that sometimes I want the nostalgia kick


Mean Girls - my choice to watch next on holiday. I love this film but when I tried to make Lee watch it before he said he didn't get it and felt like it was an inferior rip off of Clueless, which he loves. This time round he said he liked it better, though


Star Wars: The Phantom Menace - I have never seen the prequels. I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but I'd never seen them. It's okay because the protagonist in Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell hasn't, either. But I want to watch them because I'm writing a zine about Star Wars, so I made notes as we watched it. It's a bad film isn't it. I'd have left Anakin on that planet, myself.


Wonder Woman - I'd been wanting to see this since it came out and it definitely lived up to my expectations, I really enjoyed it


The Maze Runner - I read the book of this four years ago when we were in Benidorm and liked it. I've seen the film before mostly because it has Dylan O'Brien in it and I love him (I'm a big fan of Teen Wolf). It was on Film4 while we were on holiday so I said we should watch it. Lee ended up enjoying it far more than I thought he would and he wants to see the others in the series now


The Shining - Lee wanted to watch this. I like it, but it is a bit scary and I always have to watch the bit in room 273 (or whatever it is) from behind a pillow


But I'm A Cheerleader - another of my choices for our holiday, I haven't seen it in years and liked it


Addams Family Values - since we watched the first one in September. This is my favourite of the two though


Men in Black II - again we watched the first one in September and wanted to watch them all. I like this one a lot - I like the first one best though


Baby Driver - we like Edgar Wright's films but hadn't seen this one yet so watched it on holiday. It was okay - the main character is really good and I liked the music. I would have said that Kevin Spacey's character was really good too but after the allegations of abuse by him came out I've gone off him entirely


Wayne's World II - I probably like this one better than the other one, because I like the festival they put on. Even though the other one has Alice Cooper in it! 


Men In Black III - I can only remember watching this once before, when it was in the cinema, and I didn't like itr because it retconned the entirety of J's back story. I still feel that way, but I did like it


Suite Francaise - I read the book years ago but had never seen the film. It looks stunning and Michelle Williams is great, but the film lacked something I think


The Hunger Games - every now and then I want to watch these films because I like them and the books so much. I don't like Jannifer Lawrence but I think she's good in this


Joan Didion The Center Will Not Hold - this film, about the writer, is directed by her nephew and is on Netflix. It is amazing, it goes over her whole life and talks about the tragedies she has suffered. It is immense, watch it now


Bright Young Things - I don't know why this was in my head but I wanted to watch it. It's like the Great Gatsby, set in the 30s with all the hedonism that goes alongside that. Stephen Campbell Moore is great and there are so many amazing British actors in it 

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