Stories of the Month: July 2017

This one is a film I felt like I HAD to watch. I think it’s been on Netflix for quite a while, but I finally got around to it this month. I had never seen this late 90’s classic even though pretty much everyone my age has and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. Waling away from this movie, I’m no bigger a fan of Julia Stiles (I think she’s so-so as an actress, maybe that’s just because of the roles I’ve seen her in) and I feel a lot sadder about the loss of talent the Heath Leger’s passing left in the world. I like stuff from the 90’s, yeah it’s not as great as the Golden Age of Hollywood or the amazing effects films can use today, but 90’s movies feel so cozy and relaxing to watch. You walk away with that warm fuzzy feeling that only nostalgia can give, and I love it. So overall, I thought this was a cute film, I get why everyone loves it and talks about it even to this day!
My Grade: A

This film has a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, and I’m not surprised. I must admit, I was baking a cake while watching, so I wasn’t really paying attention to the whole thing and I feel absolutely no remorse. I thought this film looked promising and entertaining, but the plot was super lame. Amy Adams’ character is seemingly committed to her longtime boyfriend and wants to use some Irish tradition of proposing on Leap day, but her plans go awry when her plane goes down early on the wrong side of Ireland and she has to find another way to get to Dubin in time. She then meets a handsome Irishman, I’ll save you the strange and confusing details of all the places and things they see together, and pretty much insta-falls in love with him. Sure Adam Scott’s character was pretty lame and unexciting so who wouldn’t fall in love with Matthew Goode instead, but I thought this fate-laced tale of a cheating almost-fiancee was pretty unexciting and predictable. Save yourself the time and take it out of your Netflix list.

My Grade: D

I’m not one to hide my disappointment with the way this show has been heading for the last couple of seasons. I have grown a bit fonder of Capaldi as his time on the show has progress, but I still think the writing has gotten sloppy almost to the point of no return. When I finally hit this season’s penultimate episode (written by Moffat) I was actually captivated for the fist time in ages. I think Moffat has a real talent for writing creepy and scary storylines to go with Doctor Who’s famed monsters and I loved this new Cybermen story. That said, the finale didn’t really keep my attention and I was completely lost by the time they were setting up for the Christmas special.

In other, maybe more important news, there’s a new Doctor! I’m sure you all knew that Capaldi is stepping down after the Christmas special this year (especially obvious by him started to regenerate at the end of the finale) and I had been waiting and waiting for them to tell us who the new Doctor is. Finally they revealed that it will be *drumroll* Jodie Whittaker from Broadchurch! After I recovered from my intial shock of hearing that the Doctor is finally going to regenerate into a woman, I realized that it was a little less shocking considering the show she is coming from. If you follow DW news at least moderately closely, you’ll know that Moffat is also stepping down after this season and handing off the show to Chris Chibnall, the writer of Broadchurch. I am a big fan of the other show, so you can bet I’ll be watching Series 11 in hopes that I will be drawn back in, although a change in writing could really go either way.

I loved reading Carrie’s first novel, and I put up a whole review to prove it! Carrie’s writing isn’t perfect, but her story telling skills shine through in this book and I really enjoyed this sweet, quick read. Check out my review [add link] and pick up On the Other Side for yourself!:)

Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It’s the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she’s become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won’t open.

Evie’s soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it’s too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love . . .

You can check out my full review of On the Other Side here!

I always get lost in Richelle’s characters and world-building, which makes for an overall enjoyable reading experience for me. Yay! While her books tend to have similar elements (fantasy setting, strong-willed and independent females, steamy adult scenes, and mysteriously attractive male counter-parts), it works for me! I very much enjoyed this book and couldn’t wait to finish it so I would know how it would end. Of course, the ending isn’t completely satisfying because it’s a series! I have yet to buy the second book, and the third isn’t out yet, but I’ll definitely be picking up the rest of this series in the future.

Synopsis from Goodreads

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

My full review will be up soon!

So I suppose I was a bit slow on the book reading front this month, but I also started (currently half-way through) The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken. I plan to finish it soon, but it’s been slow going since I’m reading the e-arc strictly on my work breaks and not at home in my downtime, It’s not super long though and I’m really enjoying Prosper’s world!