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Gods, how is it the end of March? Time is both at a standstill and racing forwards. I blame the lousy Smarch weather... which is a thousand times lousier in Halifax, FYI. Only bonus is the amount of time I can spend reading. The libraries here are actually very good and the local thrift store has 4 aisles of books, all of them cheap.
Books
Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire - my love for everything this woman writes continues. Also, I never, ever want to go to Australia.
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen - painful, just painful. I couldn't wait for it to end. That said, I did get through it. The hazards of buying at the thrift store.
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney - I devoured this book. There's quite a bit of speculation, true, but it's clearly indicated and reasoned out. And I learned quite a bit, which was a nice surprise, considering I've done quite a bit of research into Hatshepsut over the years.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - one of those books I've always meant to get around to reading. Well, the thrift store provided, so I jumped in. After some initial dislike of the writing style (some of which faded, some of which never did - the jump between characters is often sharp and disorienting, and some of their voices are hard to differentiate), I was drawn in, with no idea where it was all going to end up. Very well written and quite affecting.
The Silvered by Tanya Huff - another one I've looked at before but was always wary about. Kidnapping pregnant women? But the author makes it all work. Her style is still scattered but, as you dive headlong into the story along with the character, all that is forgotten. I've decided I'm not going to judge any of her books by their blurbs anymore: just pick 'em up and read them. Really.
Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff - I didn't even know this book was out; I enjoy the author and happened upon it at the library. It was a fun read but I would have wanted more development from it.
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan - I've been eying this book for years, and nearly bought it while I was in Chicago. Oh, what a book. I love Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and am fascinated by the man, but it was lovely to see him all twisted up with the suffragette movement, the idea of free love, architecture, and family life. And I'm so glad I didn't read up on the main character before I started because damn, those twists pack a hell of a punch.
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (reread) - because the week started to deteriorate and I've been meaning to reread the series anyway...
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (reread)
Movies
The Words (2012) - interesting story about plagiarism, writer's block, unfulfilled dreams, and the price of it all.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) - the theatre was FULL of elderly people. I was, by far, the youngest there, and it was packed. Very disturbing. The movie was alright; I was disappointed, considering how much I loved the first one.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) - ridiculous but entertaining. I was actually really enjoying it, even mindful of everything that's so very wrong with it diversity and inclusivity-wise, until the very end, when one off-color joke just stuck in my craw. Gratuitous and offensive, why? Why? Augh. So yeah, very good, right til the end, but know what you're getting into.
Cinderella (2015) - exactly what I expected: gorgeous costumes, sets, and effects, good acting, mediocre storyline. I give them points for updating it a bit, and for how well they dealt with the music.
Books
Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire - my love for everything this woman writes continues. Also, I never, ever want to go to Australia.
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen - painful, just painful. I couldn't wait for it to end. That said, I did get through it. The hazards of buying at the thrift store.
The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney - I devoured this book. There's quite a bit of speculation, true, but it's clearly indicated and reasoned out. And I learned quite a bit, which was a nice surprise, considering I've done quite a bit of research into Hatshepsut over the years.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - one of those books I've always meant to get around to reading. Well, the thrift store provided, so I jumped in. After some initial dislike of the writing style (some of which faded, some of which never did - the jump between characters is often sharp and disorienting, and some of their voices are hard to differentiate), I was drawn in, with no idea where it was all going to end up. Very well written and quite affecting.
The Silvered by Tanya Huff - another one I've looked at before but was always wary about. Kidnapping pregnant women? But the author makes it all work. Her style is still scattered but, as you dive headlong into the story along with the character, all that is forgotten. I've decided I'm not going to judge any of her books by their blurbs anymore: just pick 'em up and read them. Really.
Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff - I didn't even know this book was out; I enjoy the author and happened upon it at the library. It was a fun read but I would have wanted more development from it.
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan - I've been eying this book for years, and nearly bought it while I was in Chicago. Oh, what a book. I love Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture and am fascinated by the man, but it was lovely to see him all twisted up with the suffragette movement, the idea of free love, architecture, and family life. And I'm so glad I didn't read up on the main character before I started because damn, those twists pack a hell of a punch.
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (reread) - because the week started to deteriorate and I've been meaning to reread the series anyway...
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire (reread)
Movies
The Words (2012) - interesting story about plagiarism, writer's block, unfulfilled dreams, and the price of it all.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) - the theatre was FULL of elderly people. I was, by far, the youngest there, and it was packed. Very disturbing. The movie was alright; I was disappointed, considering how much I loved the first one.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) - ridiculous but entertaining. I was actually really enjoying it, even mindful of everything that's so very wrong with it diversity and inclusivity-wise, until the very end, when one off-color joke just stuck in my craw. Gratuitous and offensive, why? Why? Augh. So yeah, very good, right til the end, but know what you're getting into.
Cinderella (2015) - exactly what I expected: gorgeous costumes, sets, and effects, good acting, mediocre storyline. I give them points for updating it a bit, and for how well they dealt with the music.
