Best Of 2018 - Everything Else

Wrapping up my look back at 2018 with the best of everything else (ie: not books or movies) before looking forward to what I am excited for in 2019!

Television 

American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

This was, perhaps, my favourite season of television in 2018. Darren Criss' incredible performance as Andrew Cunanan, the show introduced us to the talented Cody Fern, gave us a fantastic Judith Light performance, reminded us that Finn Wittrock is incredibly talented, and it offered up a socially relevant message about the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. It may have been quieter than the OJ Simpson season, but, I personally feel, the performances were event stronger.

Killing Eve

Two amazing performances from Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. It's a cat-and-mouse style thriller that was also really fun to watch!

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

This fun, and darker, twist to the Sabrina Spellman story was a welcome one. The casting is pretty perfect (I especially love Ross Lynch's Harvey and Chance Perdomo's Ambrose) and the show has just enough humour to balance its darker plot. 

Other

Disgraceland Podcast

I listen to a lot of true crime podcasts so it will come as no surprise that I immediately gravitated towards this podcast that is basically musicians behaving badly. Some of the episodes are very true crime based, others are just outrageous stories of performers at their worst. It's a fascinating, entertaining podcast whose host also happens to have an incredible voice and a talent for storytelling.

Little Gold Men Podcast

Vanity Fair's podcast focusing on the path to the Oscars has been a delight for me this year. Following them through this entire year from immediately after the last Oscars to this one has allowed me to follow the long and interesting path to get there in a way I never had before. It's a must listen for fans of movie award shows, but particularly if Oscars are your thing.

My Favorite Murder Podcast

This also made my list last year but Karen and Georgia continue to be my go to for podcasts. I also got to attend a live show in 2018 and it was one of my favourite moments of the year.

What television and podcasts from 2018 made your own best of lists? Let me know in the comments!

Best Of 2018 - Movies

As we say goodbye to 2018 I thought I would share my top ten list of the best movies I saw in 2018. I kept this to movies that came out this year to help narrow it down.

These are in no particular order (as that would be impossible). There are also some movies that have come out in 2018 that I haven't had a chance to see yet (like If Beale Street Could Talk, Vice, On The Basis of Sex to name a few).

Here is my Best Movies of 2018 list:

1. A Star Is Born

My gushy review (or the fact that I saw this four times in theatres) probably already indicated this movie would be on this list. I love this movie and I will totally be rooting for it to do well this awards season. It was a critical and commercial success and is filled with a stunning, career best performance from Bradley Cooper, a fantastic supporting turn for Sam Elliott, and introduces Lady Gaga as an actress to watch.

2.The Favourite

Three powerhouse performances from Olivia Coleman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone are the heart of this movie. It's a darkly humourous, feminist look at the ways in which these ladies use and are used. It flips the genre of period drama on its head and offers up a refreshing take. Watch out for Coleman to clean up during awards season!

3. BlacKkKlansman

An important movie whose gut punch ending is the stuff that stays with you. This movie has lots of humour, but it is the more serious elements that make you realize the message of this movie. Things, sadly, have not changed all that much in the years since this movie was set. All this combined with solid performances from the whole cast make this an easy one to put on this list.

4. A Simple Favor

Possibly the most fun I had at the movies this year in terms of sheer enjoyment. Blake Lively gives a career best performance as the 'bad girl' to Anna Kendrick's equally well done 'good girl'. This movie has more twists than I could count, ensures that Henry Golding will continue to see his star rise, and is more funny than you're expecting.

5. Love, Simon

This movie is a joy to watch. It's a sweet, heartfelt rom-com that also has some great family stuff at its core. Nick Robinson charms as Simon and you'll easily be rooting for him to get his happy ending.

6. Crazy Rich Asians

This movie not only had cultural significance but was another movie that offered a fun night out at the movies. Constance Wu shines as Rachel Wu. Henry Golding charms as Nick Young. The romance is sweet and filled with just enough angst. The movie itself is gorgeous to look at with a bright colour palette and beautiful Singapore setting.

7. Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse

My personal pick for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars this year. If you're a fan of Spiderman, superhero movies, or just good animation I highly recommend this one. It's a classic origin story, complete with epic moments, and it hits all of the right notes.

8. Boy Erased

A powerful movie filled with solid performances. This one may not have been a 'fun' time at the movies, but it was one that lingered with me long after I had finished watching it. It is one that I wish would be seen by those who most need to see it (which sadly will not happen).

9. Avengers: Infinity War

This one is on my list for the experience of seeing it alone. There is nothing like experiencing a huge pop cultural moment with a theatre full of fellow fans. The movie was big, loud, and pretty much everything I wanted it to be. The humour was pitch perfect, and the characters and the bonds built between them were used to great impact. This was a hard movie to pull off and Marvel not only did it, but they nailed it. The heartbreaking ending ensure that everyone will be just as eager to see Endgame and I cannot wait.

10. Black Panther 

Michael B Jordan's villainous turn as Killmonger is only one of the stand out elements of this excellent superhero movie. Ryan Coogler's directing makes this feel both familiar and unique with his attention to the little details that set this apart from the other Marvel movies. 

Best Of 2018 - Books

As the year comes to a close it is once again time to reflect back on the books I read and highlight a few that I particularly enjoyed reading this year.

My reading suffered this year. I did not read nearly as many books as I hoped to. I am eager to fix this in 2019 and get my reading (and this blog) back on track. It's been a bit of a disaster. However, there were some amazing books I did manage to read this year.

Here are my top ten reads of this year (in no particular order). They each link to my review if you want to see exactly why I loved them.


1 The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

2 Sadie by Courtney Summers

3 I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara

4 Side by Side by Jenni L Walsh

5 Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

6 What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

7 Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

8 The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

9 The Idea Of You by Robinne Lee 

10 You by Caroline Kepnes


This list, obviously, includes books released this year and some that were not. My only criteria was that they had to be books I read this past year.

Do you agree with any of the books on list? Feel there is a book I missed this year that I should make a priority to read in 2019? Let me know in the comments.

ALA 2018 Recap

As many of you know I traveled to New Orleans recently to attend ALA's (American Library Association) annual conference. It was a week filled with a lot of books, incredible food, more alcohol than I usually consume, and amazing sites. 

I'll first share the books I got while attending the conference. I had a fantastic time walking around and seeing all the books that the publishers were eager to showcase. ALA is a much more relaxed than Book Expo and as a result I feel you get more time to really look at the booths and see what is on display.

Day one consisted of me snagging the following review copies:

Kens by Raziel Reid (goodreads)

Sadie by Courtney Summers (goodreads)

The Real Lolita by Sarah Weinman (goodreads)

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok (goodreads)

Only A Breath Apart by Katie McGarry (goodreads)

The Dark Descent Of Elizabeth Frankenstein (goodreads)

What If It's Us by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli (goodreads)

The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)

A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (goodreads)

Courtney Summers is an actual ray of sunshine. She was so kind. It made me even more excited to devour Sadie as soon as I get the chance. It was also exciting to see ARCs of Spectacle as I wasn't anticipating it being available at the conference. 

Day two was just as fun and informative at the first day. I got the following books:

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (goodreads)

Bonnie and Clyde: The Making of a Legend by Karen Blumenthal (goodreads)

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas (goodreads)

Enchantee by Gita Trelease (goodreads)

The 7 1/2 Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (goodreads)

Hunting Charles Manson by Lis Wiehl (goodreads)

The Lady's Guide To Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (goodreads)

Dear Evan Hanson by Val Emmich (goodreads)

Escaping From Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco (goodreads)

The Gentleman's Guide To Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (goodreads)

I  went to the panel that Lis Wiehl had discussing the process of writing Hunting Charles Manson and was blown away by the research and access she had. It made me want to read the book even more and was thrilled to learn that there would be a signing right after the panel. I got to say hello to both Kerri Maniscalco and Mackenzi Lee. I love both of their books and was so happy to get to meet them again. I also got to gush about The Wedding Date with Jasmine Guillory and was so excited to get a copy of her next book, The Proposal, to review on the blog.

My final day of the convention was much quieter. I stumbled across a great sounding thriller, snagged a YA book everyone has been gushing about and got to pick up a copy of a book I have been wanting to read ever since I saw the movie.

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman (goodreads)

Beautiful Bad by Annie Ward (goodreads)

Jack Of Hearts (And Other Parts) by Lev A.C. Rosen (goodreads)

I looked forward to not just the conference but see New Orleans itself while I was in town. The city did not disappoint. I had so many memorial experiences while there and cannot wait to go back. Here are just a few of my favourite photos from the trip and some details about what I did while there:

As a huge true crime fan I had to stop by the LaLaurie mansion while I was in New Orleans. It's a rather pretty house that does not reflect the horrors that happened inside. This place is rumoured to be cursed (information provided by the amazing true crime tour I took while there) and I believe it.

Drinks were very much a part of the New Orleans experience. My favourite place that we had drinks at was Saints and Sinners. The restaurant/bar that Channing Tatum built in New Orleans.

It's a fun little place on Bourbon Street and they had the best cocktails! I may have drank more than I should have there that night (but it was so worth it).

Two of my favorite drinks were the Love Potion #10 which was DELICIOUS!

I also loved the Saint which is one of their signature drinks along with the Sinner. Kelly and I each ordered one of them so we could try both and I definitely preferred the one I ordered. 

One of my favourite parts of the trip was the true crime tour that we booked. The tour company is called Unique NOLA Tours. The guide, David, was great at making sure everyone was having fun and told some great (but chilling) stories. It made me see New Orleans in a different light and also made me immediately want to research all of the stories we were told (and I am never going to forget the one that feature an oven *shudder*)

If you're in New Orleans I would highly recommend booking one of the tours they offer. They have a few different ones so no matter what you want to experience they should have something to fit your needs. 

No trip to New Orleans would be complete without trying beignets. We, obviously, went to Cafe Du Monde and I loved them. They were so incredibly delicious (and so obviously bad for you).

The other must try was a Hurricane. We went with the, rumouredly, best in the city and tried one at Pat O'Briens. This was perhaps my favourite meal out of all the ones I had in New Orleans. 

I can also confirm that Hurricanes and delicious (and extremely strong).

We also took a quick trip to the Historic Voodoo Museum which had some interesting things relating to Marie Laveau including this portrait. 

The architecture was incredible and I was constantly looking at buildings as we passed by. This is St. Louis Cathedral which is near Jackson Square and it is stunning in person.

That's pretty much it for my trip to New Orleans I am excited to dive into the books I got, and am pretty sure my body still needs to recover from the trip. 

Me and my friend Kelly (from Kellyvision) enjoying our Hurricanes

Best I've Read In 2018 .... So Far.

As the midway point of the year is quickly approaching I figured it was time to check in with my year in reading up to this point. It's a great way to see how influential the first half of the way was to my overall reading and just a nice way to see how far I've come so far.

Sadly, I am way behind on my Goodreads reading challenge this year. I am 10 books behind schedule and I am not hopeful I'll catch up. I am going to give it my all but I am okay with possibly no making my goal this year.

I have noticed that my reading selection gets better every year and this year is no exception. I know what I like as a reader and have a better ability to pick out the books I am going to enjoy. It means my Goodreads ratings are trending really positive right now, but I am considering that a perk of the journey of discovering who I am as a reader. Does anyone else worry about being too positive sometimes, or are you just happy that you're picking books that you enjoy? Let me know.

I am reading a lot more romance than I tend to (at least for the first half the year). It's not surprising as there have been some great ones that have come out. I still think my reads lean heavily to young adult and I doubt that will ever really change.

As previously mentioned I haven't read as much as I typically have by this point in the year. This has made picking my ten favourite reads of the first half of 2018 harder in some ways and easier in others. I have less choices, but each choice feels more deliberate. Each exclusion hurts a little more than it has before.

With that said, here are my top ten of 2018 (so far) ....

*These are in no particular order* 

1 Side By Side by Jenni L Walsh

2 Royals by Rachel Hawkins

3 I'll Be Gone In The Dark by Michelle McNamara

4 The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

5 Save The Date by Morgan Matson

6 Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

7 Legendary by Stephanie Garber

8 The Kiss Quotient by by Helen Hoang

9 Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

10 You by Caroline Kepnes

Each book links to my review (except for The Kiss Quotient which I have not reviewed yet, but will be up next week).

What books would make your own best of lists at this point in the year? Let me know in the comments as I am always looking for new books to add to my to be read list. 

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

As we are still early in the new year there isn't a lot to gush about yet. I predict next week is when things get back to normal with annoucements being made.

 

You may have noticed this is also day late. I, once again, postponed it due to not having any books or goodies arriving this week.

 

Just one small thing to share this week! It is a pretty awesome one though!

OTHER

A Twitter user named Shannon came up with this AMAZING reading challenge for us Muderinos out there. I am definitely taking part and hope to complete this and my Goodreads goal this year.

 I have my Anne Rule book picked out (obviously going to be reading The Stranger Beside Me) but am open to suggestions for the other squares. Leave them in the comments.

What are you obsessed with this week?