My Sinemia Experiment: Month Six

I cannot believe I am already half way through this little experiment of mine. Month six of my "Year Of Sinemia' was all about getting to see those movies nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars that I hadn't already seen. This will be the first year that I have seen all of the nominees before the ceremony and that is entirely because of signing up for Sinemia.

January is usually not a great month for movies. There doesn't tend to be a lot of them released and the ones that are never really seem to grab my attention. I am lucky that it can sometimes take forever for Ottawa to get some of the smaller movies so I was able to see a lot of movies that had limited releases in December and finally made their way to a theater near me in January. 

The three movies I saw in January with my Sinemia account were Vice, If Beale Street Could Talk, and Green Book (which I will technically be watching the day this post goes up).

I loved If Beale Street Could Talk. It's such a beautifully made film and incredibly well acted. It was by far my favourite of the three that I saw this month (and I say this without seeing Green Book). I am only seeing Green Book to complete my watch of all the Oscar nominees. It, and Roma, are the only two I have not seen yet and I intend to watch Roma very soon.

My savings for this month was $17.86 after taking the convenience fees into consideration. This brings my grand total savings up to $137.64 (last month's total was $119.78). I can easily see me saving over $200 by the end of the year. It makes signing up again seem like a good idea. I'll reassess closer to the end of my membership.

My experience with the app this month has been really positive. I had no issues again this month. I am almost afraid to hope that their bugs have mostly been sorted out. It's been perfect for two months in a row now so I am, obviously, waiting for it to get bad again. The worst part of this experiment for the month of January was going out in the freezing cold to see a movie. It's been a really bad month weather wise with the cold and huge amounts of snow so it hasn't made going out appealing. 

As previously mentioned the movies for February are not looking much better than the ones releasing in January so I may have to get creative in order to not lose any of my three movies. Sinemia may have actually helped me with my dilemma. Sinemia has recently announced a roll over option which I might test out. Apparently one of your movies can roll over into the next month. March has a lot of amazing ones coming out so I might try to save one to use on one of those instead of just going to something for the sake of going to something. 

What movies are you excited about this year? Anything I should keep on my radar? What movie do you think will win Best Picture at the Oscars? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting On Wednesday ... Serious Moonlight

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

After an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel where a famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life in this romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex, Approximately.

Mystery-book aficionado Birdie Lindberg has an overactive imagination. Raised in isolation and homeschooled by strict grandparents, she’s cultivated a whimsical fantasy life in which she plays the heroic detective and every stranger is a suspect. But her solitary world expands when she takes a job the summer before college, working the graveyard shift at a historic Seattle hotel.

In her new job, Birdie hopes to blossom from introverted dreamer to brave pioneer, and gregarious Daniel Aoki volunteers to be her guide. The hotel’s charismatic young van driver shares the same nocturnal shift and patronizes the waterfront Moonlight Diner where she waits for the early morning ferry after work. Daniel also shares her appetite for intrigue, and he’s stumbled upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—might be secretly meeting someone at the hotel.

To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell…discovering that most confounding mystery of all may be her growing feelings for the elusive riddle that is Daniel.

This book sounds like such a fun read. It has romance, a mystery, and a hotel setting. It also happens to be written by Jenn Bennett whom I have heard amazing things about but have not yet read one of her books. This sounds like the perfect one to start with!

It comes out in April, so only a couple months to wait and luckily this author has some already released books for you to catch up on if you like the sound of this one.

Expected release date - April 16, 2019

Hollywood Playboy by Natasha Madison

Jessica

An entertainment journalist was the last thing I thought I would be doing.

I thought once I got my degree, I would be reporting on stories that made a difference, but now all I do is report on who broke up with who and who is dating who.

I was over it.

Then I got my next assignment.

He’s Hollywood’s bad boy.

He works hard, and he plays even harder.

He’s rude, he’s condescending, and he’s made it known he doesn’t want me on the tour.

With one month on the road with him, two things might happen

One, I may never work in this industry again.

Two, I may just be like everyone else and fall for Hollywood’s Playboy.

 

         AVAILABLE NOW

Amazon US // Amazon CA // Amazon UK // Amazon AU 

Apple // Barnes and Noble // Goodreads // Kobo

When her nose isn't buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she's in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It's a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn't listen to her...

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Hollywood Playboy by Natasha Madison
Release Date - January 29, 2019

Pages -  261 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received in exchange for an honest review**

Hollywood set romances are an immediate must read for me. I am also a huge fan of the 'enemies to lovers' trope. Needless to say, I was instantly intrigued when I saw the details for Natasha Madison's latest. It mixed the Hollywood setting, the 'enemies to lovers' trope with some hot chemistry, and some intriguing characters.

Jessica  is a sassy intelligent woman who knows what she wants and she is not afraid to go out and get it. She's a character who is easy to relate to and just as easy to root for. She's had to grow a thick skin because of her job but that just makes her all the more interesting. She stands up for herself, and doesn't take anything from anyone. She can dish it out just as well as she can take it. I also appreciated the more vulnerable side that she got to show. It made her feel like a character who was well crafted and more layered.

Tyler, on the outside, seems like the typical Hollywood bad boy. That would be true if you only read what is being said about him. There is great care taken to show that he is more complex than it first appears. He grows on you in much the same way he grows on Jessica. The reader is introduced to the story from Jessica's point of view, and that means the reader connects with her first. It also means that it takes just a little longer to appreciate Tyler. There is a hint of some alpha male characteristics, but not enough to infuriate me. He's a good balance of sweet, protective, and supportive. It also helps that Jessica does put him in his place when those characteristics do pop up.

Jessica and Tyler's romance may have 'Hollywood' as the background but their connection seems realistic rather than the stuff of movies. They bond while at the gym. The time they spend together is much more low key than I anticipated going into this novel. It makes for a more grounded relationship between the two of them that feels authentic. This book could have had the epic stuff of movie love stories, but I found it offered something much more real. There is still the odd scene that feels straight out of a movie, but even those felt a little more obtainable. The more 'Hollywood' stuff is saved for the plot rather than making it a focus in their relationship.

This book also has the side effect of unexpectedly igniting your wanderlust. The press tour takes them to some amazing sounding destinations and the scenes that feature the locations in a prominent, touristy way made me want to go plan a trip of my own. The element isn't a huge focus, it is more just sprinkled in, but the use is entirely effective and creates a wonderful backdrop for a love story. 

Those who love companion novels as much as I do will delight in meeting the character who will be the focused on the second novel in this series, Hollywood Princess. She's a delight and I cannot wait to get to know her better. The tease of her given in this novel gives the reader plenty of incentive to grab the next book and experience her love story. 

If you're looking for a fun, sexy read that offers up a look at Hollywood movie promotion, entertainment journalism, and a whirlwind romance. It's exactly what romance readers love in a book and I highly recommend it, especially for those how love a little Hollywood glitz with their romance.

Slayer by Kiersten White

Slayer by Kiersten White
Release Date - January 8, 2019
Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  404 pages
My Rating - 4.5/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard.

It would be an understatement to say I was excited when the details of Slayer were announced. A story set in the Buffy universe and featuring an all new slayer? It instantly became a must read for me. I was even happier to discover that it not only hit that nostalgic sweet spot but offered up an intriguing story with an equally intriguing heroine.

The nostalgia elements are going to be the initial draw to this book. Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are going to seek this out simply because of the brand recognition. Those fans, luckily, will not be disappointed. The thrill of recognizing a reference made the experience of reading this incredibly fun. The familiar last names, beloved characters we get to see again, mentions of plot points that pull at our hearts. It creates an instant connection to the world that feels effortless. The nods to the source material never felt heavy handed or squeezed into the story. It felt organic and used sparingly. Those who have not read the comics that continued the series should be aware that the events of those comics are cannon to the universe and therefore part of the backstory to this novel. I do, however, think that you can jump into this without having read those comics and not feel like you're missing anything. This book does a fantastic job of filling in the backstory just enough so that the story works. Those who have never seen Buffy could even just right in (but it would be shame because they would miss out on so many amazing references).

Those worried that this wouldn't work without the Buffy connection will be relieved to know that it has a plot that could easily stand on its own. It is a story that uses the tropes of its genre to great impact and has all of the heart, humour, and snark that you could want. Nina's story really is a coming of age one ... it just also happens to involve monsters.

Kiersten White knows the Buffy universe. She knows how the world her character's inhabit works. Her writing has the fantastic one liners that the show is known for. It has the humour and wit that made Buffy herself so appealing. Nina isn't a carbon copy of Buffy but she has a sense of humour all  her own and the writing itself has the essence of the show all over it. As a fan of the television show reading this felt like reconnecting with old friends. It was comforting in a way that anything that invokes nostalgia is and that is because it captures what made Buffy so captivating.

Nina is a girl who never wanted to be a slayer. She, in fact, is more drawn to helping and healing. She wants nothing more than to continue her education as a medic. Fate, however, pushes her down a different path. Her journey of discovering what being a slayer means on her own terms is an empowering one. That message of female empowerment that Buffy is known for is carried on within these pages. Nina's self doubt and missteps while finding her way will be all to recognizable to anyone who went through, or is going through, the processing of growing up. Her impulses to heal and protect as well as the inner call to action and violence makes Nina a very interesting slayer and one I am excited to follow on her journey.

This story has a very 'Watcher' slant to the narrative. Nina is at the Watcher's Academy. Her family is part of the Council. We see everything through the lens of this group. It paints Slayers in a different light than what I had previously considered. Part of that journey was confronting how their actions, Buffy's in particular, would seem to this group. I was always Team Buffy when it came to whatever was happening with the Watchers but this provided something to think about. It didn't change my opinion (for a variety of reasons) but you can see, particularly through Nina, how things might look and why she would see it a certain way.

There is a romance within these pages and the less I say about it the better. It, however, has the potential to be just as heartbreaking, captivating, and romantic as the one between Buffy and Angel. It has so much potential that I am hoping this story arc continues in the subsequent books that will come in this series.

A new Slayer's journey begins and I could not be happier to be back in this world. Kiersten White's managed to create something that both scoobies and newbies alike will devour. I'll be eagerly anticipating when I can return to this story a

Waiting On Wednesday .... The Unhoneymooners

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.

Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky.

The Queens of Romance are back with another delightful sounding read that is going to be perfect for your beach tote this summer.

The enemies to lovers trope is always a favourite of mine and  the setting for this one would make it an instant read for me even if it wasn't written by some of my favourite romance authors.

Excitedly waiting for when I can get my hands on this one!

Expected release date - May 14, 2019

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.

Lots of exciting things being revealed this week! I am especially excited that covers for books coming out in fall 2019 are starting to be revealed!

BOOKS

Cover of Renee Ahdieh's The Beautiful (goodreads)

This book has shown up on my blog a few times already but I am excited that it now has a cover!

I think this fits the synopsis perfectly and is really pretty! It fits the vampire theme and catches your attention. I am so excited to get my hands on this one!

Cover of Victoria Aveyard's Broken Throne (goodreads)

I loved the Red Queen series so I am really excited that Victoria is returning to that world for a collection of short stories to finish off the series.

The cover is just as amazing the previous ones in the series. I love that it has a different colour palette than the main series while still matching it.

MOVIE / TELEVISION

Spider-man: Far From Home

This trailer promises as much fun as the Homecoming trailer did and manages to make the idea of a Spider-man movie that takes place outside New York seem like a good one.

I love the bit with Flash Thompson at the end. Tom Holland is a perfect Peter Parker and Spider-man so I am excited we get to see him in another movie.

Lords Of Chaos Trailer

The amazing podcast Disgraceland made me aware of this story that will appeal to any other Murderinos out there. It is beyond messed up and the trailer only starts to capture that.

I wasn't sure what to make of this when I first saw the trailer. This happened in Norway and those are American accents I hear. However, the reviews I have read are largely positive and I think the story could make an interesting movie if done well.

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

Cover Reveal: Handle With Care by Helena Hunting

Today I get to help reveal the cover for Helena Hunting's new book titled Handle With Care.

I think it's super cute and I cannot wait to find out more about this book. 

It releases August 27th and it is the next book in her Shacking Up series. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads so you can find out more details (including a synopsis) as the release date nears. 

I also get to share an excerpt with you today. It's a fun one!

You can now pre-order Handle With Care from pretty much all major retailers and at any of the following links right now.

Amazon // Barnes and Noble // BAM // Google Play

Itunes // Indiebound // Kobo // Powell's

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Helena Hunting

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She's writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.

Social Media Links:

Author Web Site
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