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 weekend.

BOOKS

Cover for Meet You In The Middle by Devon Daniels (goodreads)

Berkley has been absolutely killing it with their romance novels lately and I am really excited for this one that deals with politics and boats a really cute cover.

This book has a fall release so it'll be a bit of a wait, but if Berkley's track record is any indication, it is going to be worth the wait.

MOVIES/TV

Candyman Trailer

I enjoyed the original Candyman a lot and was excited when I heard that Jordan Peele was involved in a sequel/reboot of sorts. Nia DaCosta is directing and the trailer looks amazing.

There is so much going on in this trailer. We have that incredible remix of Say My Name by Destiny's Child. It is a perfect use of a song in a trailer. Definite goosebumps were happening. We also have the confirmation that the original Candyman Tony Todd is reprising his role. There is no mistaking his recognizable voice. There is also more than just that linking it to the original however as we do see another original cast member (who I assume is reprising their role as well). The trailer is slick, tense and pretty much ensures people will be interested in seeing it when it releases in the summer.

American Horror Story Season Ten Cast Announcement 

Ryan Murphy recently shared a video on his Instagram that announced the cast of the upcoming season of American Horror Story.

First, the big news is that Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are set to return. They are huge fan favourites so people are excited. A moody shore line and Orville Peck's Dead of Night set the tone for the announcement and, I presume, the season.

I, however, am more excited by the reveal that Macaulay Culkin is joining the cast! He feels like such a natural fit for a Ryan Murphy show that I am surprised it has taken this long for Ryan to get him to appear in one. The return of Finn Wittrock is also very exciting for me (which surprises nobody). This cast is one of the few to get me really excited since the Hotel cast was announced. It's just such ridiculously good casting. I need to know the theme and other details immediately.

Shadow and Bone Netflix Series

The first season of Shadow and Bone has finished filming and Netflix has graced us with this really fun cast video. I love it.

Shadow and Bone has officially wrapped production and a few friends would like to wish you a warm welcome to the Grishaverse... pic.twitter.com/RjU66NiUmj

— Shadow And Bone (@shadowandbone_) February 28, 2020

I particularly love that Ben Barnes does not say who is he playing (even though we all know) and the very obvious 'Bad Guy' sign by what I am assuming is his trailer. I love that they are blending both the Shadow and Bone series with the Six of Crow series and the casting is PERFECT.

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

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
Release Date - November 22, 2016

Publisher Website -  Penguin Random House Canada
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages -  257 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**own - gifted**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The last book from beloved Hollywood icon Carrie Fisher, The Princess Diarist is an intimate, hilarious, and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.

When Carrie Fisher discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved--plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naivete, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Before her passing, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon was indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher's intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time--and what developed behind the scenes. Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into one of Hollywood's most beloved stars.

Biographies in which the person writing seems to be sharing part of themselves feel special. Carrie Fisher opens about about filming Star Wars in The Princess Diarist but also shares so much of herself. It reads like what I imagine a conversation with the actress would have been like.

My biggest takeaway from this is that Carrie Fisher was a witty, self deprecating, funny, flawed woman who also happened to be an incredible writer. She has such a strong personality that comes through in her writing. She was skilled and that talent carried over to talking about herself which is not always the case.

Star Wars fans will enjoy this little glimpse into the behind the scenes of Carrie's experience on the set. She obviously had a deep love and affection for not only the movies but the character of Princess Leia. I am not a huge Star Wars fan but even I could appreciate how this movie became this big, life altering thing for her.

A chunk of this book is made up of diary entries that were written during her time on set. There some absolutely incredible poetry and general musings that reflect the writer we experience throughout the whole book. There is a mix of everything from hope to heartbreak laid out in these entries and it is inspiring how much she chose to share.

The big reveal is, of course, the affair with co-star Harrison Ford. Many of the diary entries are about him and their time together. It feels like the book is mostly about that with the other set experiences being more in the background. This affair could have been written about in many different ways and the most classy way is what was chosen. There is nothing salacious and the details that are shared are done so respectfully I feel. She is careful to only share what she wants to and in the manner she wants to.

Reading this only increased my admiration for Carrie Fisher. She was an talented woman who shared so much about herself. She's brutally honest about herself and how this time in her life impacted her. I recommend this to anyone who has ever looked back at a situation with hindsight and saw everything much more clearly, maybe cringed a little at your own behaviour, but ultimately realized you wouldn't be the same person without those experiences. It's entirely relatable, and worthy of reading even if you're not interested in Star Wars.

Waiting On Wednesday ... They Wish They Were Us

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 They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Gossip Girl meets One of Us Is Lying with a dash of The Secret History in this slick, taut murder mystery set against the backdrop of an exclusive prep school on Long Island.

In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.

Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.

Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.

But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill is vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy. 

The synopsis sold me with the Gossip Girl comparison. I am also into the mystery element and that the person accused .at actually be innocent.

This has a summer release date so it will be perfect for beaches everywhere. It sounds like frothy summer fun and I cannot wait.

Expected release date - August 4, 2020

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
Release Date - February 18, 2020

Publisher Website - Simon and Schuster Canada

Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  384 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the first novel in a brand-new series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

Will the princess save the beast?

For Princess Jaya Rao, nothing is more important than family. When the loathsome Emerson clan steps up their centuries-old feud to target Jaya’s little sister, nothing will keep Jaya from exacting her revenge. Then Jaya finds out she’ll be attending the same elite boarding school as Grey Emerson, and it feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. She knows what she must do: Make Grey fall in love with her and break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in. There’s simply no way she and her sworn enemy could find their fairy-tale ending…right?

His Lordship Grey Emerson is a misanthrope. Thanks to an ancient curse by a Rao matriarch, Grey knows he’s doomed once he turns eighteen. Sequestered away in the mountains at St. Rosetta’s International Academy, he’s lived an isolated existence—until Jaya Rao bursts into his life, but he can't shake the feeling that she’s hiding something. Something that might just have to do with the rose-shaped ruby pendant around her neck…

As the stars conspire to keep them apart, Jaya and Grey grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and whether it’s possible to write your own happy ending. 

Ever have a book that seemed, on paper at least, to be exactly everything you love in a book only to read it and not be as into it as you expected to be? That is, sadly, exactly what happened when I read Of Curses and Kisses.

Those who love Sandhya's other novels will be happy to hear that her writing style is carried over to this novel. The romance really is well done with a bunch of sweet moments woven into the story. There is also a lot of humour tossed in and some interesting side characters. I do think that those who have loved her previous novels will find a lot they like within these pages. What stumbled for me was the world building. I didn't feel like I got a full realized picture of the castle that is going to be the setting of this series, and I wish it had been more prominent.

Jaya was the strongest part of the story for me. I loved her desire to protect her family and sister. I appreciated her character growth and how she had to find her own voice and make her own path. Even though this is written in the vein of a modern version of a fairytale, the elements that worked the best in the story were those where Jaya was struggling with not disappointing her family and yet being true to what she wanted for her own life. I think that is relatable for a lot of people growing up and fit nicely into this version of the Beauty and the Beast tale.

The part of the Beast's story that I always gravitated to is that he has to learn something. He has to grow and change. There is some sort of transformation that he has to go through. I felt that was missing from Grey's story arc. He doesn't start out as the enraged jerk that we know the Beast to be. He, in fact, seems to be the opposite. He keeps people at a distance, and is a little abrasive, but he does things that would be considered a kindness. The growth his character typically goes through was missing for me. I actually felt Jaya's character goes through a lot more growth. His character didn't feel as fleshed out as I would have wanted and that left other elements lacking for me.

There are some great nods to the inspiration from the beautiful rose shaped ruby pendant that plays a pivotal role, to a sweet, snowy romantic moment that will delight fans. These nods are integral to making this story feel like a retelling and I think that part was mostly successful. I wish that some of the other elements had been included though.

I ended up feel not really strongly either way about this one. There are elements I enjoyed and others that I didn't connect with. This will undoubtedly have many others who love it so I encourage you to check out those reviews as well. I, perhaps, would have enjoyed this one more if I hadn't gone into it expecting a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I think it works better just as a charming modern fairytale with any of expectations. 

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 weekend.

Another week in which this did not auto post!

BOOKS

cover by Majesty by Katharine McGee (goodreads)


I enjoyed American Royals when it came out last year. It, of course, leaves of on a cliffhanger so I have been excited to get my hands on the sequel.

The cover was just revealed and it is just as fun as the cover for the first book.

I think I like the colour scheme for this one more than the first though! It is bright and light in a way that the other one wasn't.

MOVIES/TV

Hollywood (Netflix)


We have a release date and poster art for Ryan Murphy's next Netflix series. It's based on Hollywood in the 1940's. Other than someone playing Rock Hudson I believe all the other characters are created for the show.

The post is amazing and I love that tagline. I cannot wait to see a trailer and I hope we might see some other well known celebrities of that time period worked into the story.

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

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Release Date - February 4, 2020

Publisher Website - Harper Collins Canada

Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages -  400 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received from publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely. 

Everyone who has read my reviews knows that I love Becky Albertalli's books. They are some of my favourites. I have no experience with any of Aisha Saeed's writing, but have heard nothing by great things about her books. I was, therefore, excited when it was announced that they would be writing a book together. While I liked parts of Yes No Maybe So, I did not love it as much as I expected to.

The writing styles of the two authors mesh rather well. I believe that since this is dual narration that each author wrote one point of view. It means that the styles could be different as each of the character's voices are different.

Teens wanting to volunteer and get more involved in local politics will probably enjoy this one. I am not an American so while I didn't connect with every part of this aspect, I do feel like our systems are similar enough that I wasn't lost with anything going on and following the news helped fill in the rest. The enthusiasm and heart that these characters put into getting involved is inspiring and I predict it could even inspire readers to get involved themselves. It advocates for getting involved at the local level, and being the force for the change you want in ways that are tangible and practical.

The romance, well very sweet, did not work as well for me as other elements may have. I felt like Jamie and Maya were just really good friends. I don't know if it is because I felt the characters themselves were not as developed and therefore didn't connect with them on their own. I felt at times that the message of the story took over to the determent of the character development. This made it harder for me to be invested in relationship being built between them.

The parts of the characters that I feel readers will relate to the most are the elements that that felt the most authentic to me. Jamie struggling with public speaking and working through how that might impact his future career aspirations. Maya dealing with both the separating of her parents and a changing friendship. It is very much a story of these two teens finding their voices in a way and discovering who they are and these 'background' plots are where any character develop that does happen shines.

I do think that there will be plenty of people who enjoy this book way more than I did. I had a harder time connecting to the story and feeling the chemistry of the characters. I did find the political elements well done and interesting however. It is one that I would definitely recommend checking out for yourself as I think it was probably just a case of it just not working for me specifically.

#2020PopCultureResolution - Movie Recommendations Needed

I have been having so much fun watching the movies on my list that I have already decided to do it again next year.

I want to ensure that I am casting the widest net possible in my search for movies to add to next year's list. With this in mind I am asking for recommendations. What classic movies do you think should mandatory viewing? What movies are ones that you simply cannot miss?

My only stipulations are that I am looking for older titles (older than 1990) and it cannot be on this year's list.

You can leave your recommendations below or share them with me over on Twitter.

I cannot wait to see what everyone recommends.