New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

I had a lot of amazing arrivals this week! First up are two bookmarks that I love from HappyHello (Etsy shop link). They are adorable and I am happy to add them to my collection.

They are obviously Elio and Oliver from Call Me By Your Name. I've fangirled about this shop before, but you should check it out if you love cute bookmarks. A ton of different fandoms are offered and they make great gifts.

Next up was my Indigo Book Box which featured War Storm by Victoria Aveyard. The box contained a signed copy of the book, a candle, a note from Victoria, and a Scarlet Guard pin.

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard (goodreads)

The pin is so amazing that I had to include a close up of it! It's a perfect addition to my pin collection and a wonderful bit of swag to celebrate the end of the series with.

What bookish goodies made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

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.

A few fun things to share this week! I am also excited about spring finally being here. It's been nice to go out with a sweater instead of a winter jacket and the sunshine has been really nice!

BOOKS

American Royals by Katharine McGee (goodreads)

I was immediately intrigued by this book just from the deal announcement. It sounds like a perfect fit for anyone who is obsessed with royalty and the idea of 'what if'.

The deal announcement describes it as

A reimagining of modern-day America as a monarchy, the book tells the tale of the American royal family: the most famous family in the world, who play out their dramas on the greatest stage of all.

I look forward to hearing more about this as the fall 2019 release date gets closer.

OTHER

HappyHello Bookmarks (link)

I have raved about the bookmarks from this Etsy shop a bunch of times. I was so excited when I saw that some new ones had been added and immediately purchased the Call Me By Your Name set!

How cute are these?! They are perfect. I am (im)patiently waiting for my set to arrive in the mail.

photo copyright Vivi @ HappyHello Co

The photo is taken from the Etsy shop and belongs to Vivi who is the owner. Please check out the shop. There are a ton of different fandoms represented and she even does amazing custom orders!

Quelque Chose Ice Cream With Macarons (link)

I stumbled across this new ice cream offering in downtown Ottawa. The place is called Quelque Chose and they are mainly a macaron place, but have added these delicious looking ice cream treats to their menu for the summer.

The S'more and Cotton Candy ones are a must try for me, but the rest of them look just as amazing. Check out their website, and if you live in the Ottawa area be sure to check them out this summer.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

A few fun goodies made their way into my mailbox this week. First up is my #otspsecretsister package for this month. It was filled with some fun items that I really loved!

Roomies by Christina Lauren (goodreads)

The Wine2Go pouch is totally something I will make use of! The cookies are delicious! I am also very happy to have a copy of one of my fave romance novels! Roomies is such a fun read.

My copy of Call Me By Your Name arrived! I was so happy when this was delivered and I wanted to watch it immediately but I haven't been able to yet. 

The special features all sound AMAZING and I am very curious about the commentary from the director and cast.

What bookish goodies made their way into your mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

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.

Happy weekend everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying it. I have a few things to share that made me excited this week, and you should check them out for yourself.

BOOKS

BEA Buzz Books

I may not be attending BEA this year (I am attending ALA in New Orleans instead) but I am always excited when they release their Buzz Books for the upcoming conference. 

This year the Buzz Books in the Adult and YA categories are:  

Adult

    Maid, by Stephanie Land (Hachette Books, December 2018
    Ohio: A Novel, by Stephen Markley (Simon & Schuster, August 2018)
    She Would Be King, by Wayétu Moore (Graywolf Press, September 2018)
    Small Animals, by Kim Brooks (Flatiron Books, August 2018)
    The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World, by    
    Sarah Weinman (Ecco, September 2018)
    There Will Be No Miracles Here, by Casey Gerald (Riverhead Books, October 2018)

YA

    Darius the Great is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram (Dial Books for Young Readers, September 2018)
    The Girl King, by Mimi Yu (Bloomsbury Children's Books, October 2018)
    Girls of Paper and Fire, by Natasha Ngan (JIMMY Patterson, October 2018)
    Sadie, by Courtney Summers (Wednesday Books, September 2018)
    The Similars, by Rebecca Hanover (Sourcebooks Fire, January 2019)

You can check out Publishers Weekly for more info. I am going to immediately look up the synopsis for each of these books to see which ones I am most interested in.







TV/MOVIES

Call Me By Your Name Sequel Announced

It was recently announced that one of my favourite movies of 2017 is getting a sequel! Elio and Oliver will reunite in a currently untitled sequel to Call Me By Your Name. The cast and director are rumoured to already be attached to the sequel. I am so excited, but also scared. I do not want it to ruin the first movie because I love it so much, and sequels are always tricky. I'll remain cautiously optimistic for now, and look forward to seeing a trailer.


OTHER

Disgraceland Podcast (link)

I am always looking for new podcasts to listen to and I came upon this one thanks to the recommendation of my podcast app. It combines my love of true crime with music which immediately made me curious so I downloaded the three episodes currently available. 

I instantly subscribed after listening to those three episodes, and look forward to the rest of their first season. The host has a great voice and it offers up a unique narration in terms of how the story is being told. You should be prepared to immediately Google the cases featured in the episodes to get more details (especially if you are not already familiar with them). I also happen to love their logo! A zombified Elvis is a fun touch (and they will be selling pins of the logo on their website soon).

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

A Glass Of Wine At The Movies - Call Me By Your Name

Call Me By Your Name

Rating: 14A

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Language: English

Length: 132 minutes

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg

Viewing Method: Regular Theatre Screening

Synopsis: In the summer of 1983, in the north of Italy, Elio Perlman, (Timothée Chalamet) a 17-year-old American spends his days in his family's 17th century villa lazily transcribing music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). One day Oliver (Armie Hammer), a 24-year-old graduate student working on his doctorate arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture. Soon, Elio and Oliver discover a summer that will alter their lives forever. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory, is based on the novel by André Aciman.

**purchased ticket to review on my own**

Call Me By Your Name is a lot of things. It's a summer romance. It's a coming of age story. It's a story of the whirlwind of firsts that you experience. It's a story that is richly crafted and brought to life by director Luca Guadagnino.

The movie itself is stunning to look at. The setting so lovingly shot that you feel as if you're spending the summer in Italy with Elio and Oliver. The colours used are so vibrant and lush. The attention to detail makes even the littlest element hold significance. It's a truly beautiful film to watch and one you could easily lose yourself in over and over again.

The most incredible part of this movie is, perhaps, the complete lack of the punishment trope that is often found in art and media that feature LGBTQ+ characters. The 'bury your gays' trope that is always so prevalent. The message that LGBTQ+ desire, once acted upon, is something that demands a swift punishment. This 'punishment' can take many forms with the most often one being the death of one of the characters. This 'consequence' is nowhere to be found within this movie. It is simply a love story. It was a refreshing change and hopefully a step forward in the types of stories that are told for the LGBTQ+ community.

This is a quieter movie. The dialogue that is being spoken really tells only part of the story. Much of this movie is expressed through facial expressions and silent communication. Timothée Chalamet, in particular, is capable of expressing complex emotions using only his eyes and facial expressions, many of which are subtle. There is also a physicality to the role that Chalamet captures perfectly. The excitement and exuberance of his youth is in every leap and bound his character makes. It is in the awkward, but breathless, way Elio climbs all over Oliver. All of these elements together make for an incredibly compelling performance that showcases just what a talent Chalamet is.

Armie Hammer has, in my opinion, one of the harder acting roles to pull off. He plays this cool, self assured 'golden boy' and makes it look effortless. His effortlessly delivered "Later" as he leaves the room. The ease in which he carries himself. There isn't a false note in his portrayal of Oliver. The fleshing out of the character as the movie goes on adds layers, but that initial Elio tainted view is something that stayed with me, even as I saw the character's vulnerability.

If I had to pick a theme for this movie I would immediately say longing. The longing to communicate and the desperation that is felt when that connection doesn't seem to be happening. A longing for a person so fiercely that you ache. This is a movie that makes you ache with these characters. You can feel their longing. You want them to be together as much as they want to be together.

The closing moments of Call Me By Your Name are perfection. They are some of the best cinematic moments I can recall experiencing. Chalamet shines the brightest in these moments (I urge you to stay seated as the credits run). He and Armie Hammer both unravel you with nothing more than an utterance of a name, and Chalamet makes you feel every emotional beat using nothing more than the expressions that pass over his face. It's dizzying, breathtaking and demands to be rewatched for it's simplistic beauty.

This review, of course, would not be complete without a mention of the age difference between Elio and Oliver. Elio is seventeen. Oliver is twetny four. The movie (and the book from what I understand) takes great care to show that Elio is mature for his age. He is Oliver's intellectual equal. His agency is never in question. Elio is making choices on his own. The fact that Elio is still a minor is not directly dealt with in the narrative of the story but it is felt throughout. It's one of the (many) reasons Oliver is hesitant to get involved with Elio. It is part of what makes their relationship messy. The feelings you may have about this element of the story are part of what makes this story what it is. It's a deliberate choice and one that I think works in this particular case.

Call Me By Your Name is a story of longing, lust, loss and the bittersweet ache of experiencing them for the first time. It's a powerful love story filled with some stunningly brilliant performances from its highly talented cast. It deserve all of the praise it has been getting and I cannot wait to watch it again and fall in love with not only Italy but, Elio and Oliver's love story all over again.

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

BOOK 

Cover Of Fallen Heir by Erin Watt (goodreads)

Pretty much from the second Erin Watt announced a series about Reid, I have been desperate for any details about the novel.

The cover was recently revealed, along with the synopsis and both have made me even more excited to get my hands on it when it is released in August.

This cover is going to look perfect next to the others on my bookshelf. 

TV/MOVIE

Mr Robot Season 3 Teaser Trailer

I cannot wait for Mr Robot to come back! I was very sad when it got pushed from summer to the fall because I wanted answers from the ending of the last season.

They have just released a teaser trailer for the upcoming season and it's only made me more excited.

It seems that both Angela and Tyrell are wearing the "Mr Robot" mask in the trailer. It also boasts the most Tyrell I have ever seen in a Mr Robot teaser. It bodes well for his screen time this season. Tyrell, for me, is one of the most interesting characters on the show and I want to know more about him. I am probably the only person wishing away the remains of summer, but I cannot wait to have my fall television back. 

Call Me By Your Name trailer

It is the time of year when all the Oscar bait movies release their trailers and the first one that caught my attention was Call Me By Your Name. 

It would appear that this one has taboo, or forbidden romance between a teen boy and an older man. It is based on a book (which I have not read) and from what I understand there are some pretty risque elements to the story. Armie Hammer has been praised for his performance, and I am excited to see what he can do with a meatier role. This one looks poised to be all over the place come awards season so it is on my must see list for the fall season.

What are you obsessed with this week?