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 week. 

MOVIES/TELEVISION

House of Gucci Posters

Promotion for the House of Gucci movie has kicked in to high gear on Thursday. We got both a trailer and these amazing posters. 

I love the lipstick colour Lady Gaga is wearing here. I also love the esthetic this photo shoot had.

Adam also looks great here. They're going to look fantastic on screen together.

Dexter Trailer

Fans of the television show Dexter were cautiously optimistic when it was announced that the show would be returning. The original finale was not great and this is a chance for them to do it right. 

Dexter was incredible when it was at its best and this has me pretty excited. Michael C Hall is electric in this role and I am so happy to have him return. I'll be watching (and crossing my fingers it is more like seasons one through four). 

House of Gucci Trailer

It's the time of year when all the Oscar buzz movies release their trailers. This week sees the release of the House of Gucci trailer. I am so in to this trailer. I love the campy vibe to it. The real story is incredibly out there and this trailer captures that. 

This is the Lady Gaga show (at least on based on this trailer) and she is even better in this than I thought she would be. The rest of the cast looks amazing (which is expected). I cannot wait to watch this in November. 

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

Looking Ahead To Fall Reading

We are just days way from August and that gets me thinking about the end of summer and the arrival of autumn. My favourite time of year. I love everything about the fall, including all of the amazing books that come out. 

As I early anticipate my first pumpkin spice latte of the season, I put together a list of five books I cannot wait to read this fall.

1. Fan Club by Erin Mayer

This one looks at our 'celebrity obsessed internet age' and how easily someone could lose themselves in it. It revolves around a fan club for a child star turned pop singer and secrets that bind the members together. 

2. A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King

Pride of Prejudice set in the world of burlesque is how this book is pitched. I really didn't need to know anything else about this book to add it to my reading list. 

3. Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond

A romance featuring the son of the devil? Sign me up. This sounds funny, romantic, and filled with adventure. The synopsis mentions cults and that's just another bonus. It sounds perfect for fans of the television show Lucifer. 

4. Gilded by Marissa Meyer 

Marissa is well known for her fairytale retellings and this one takes on the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. I don't really need to know anything more because I will immediately read anything Marissa writes. I am very excited she is returning to fairytales as I love her retellings in particular.  

5. If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

This sounds like a must read for fans of boy band. The premise is that two members of the world's most popular boy band fall in love. The synopsis teases lots of angst and romance which is pretty much all I needed to know.

What fall books are you most excited for? Which ones can you not wait to read? Let me know in the comments!

Waiting On Wednesday ... We Were Never Here

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 We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

An annual backpacking trip has deadly consequences in a chilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd.

Emily is having the time of her life--she's in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of their trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she'd been flirting with attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year's trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can't believe it's happened again--can lightning really strike twice?

Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving head-first into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her friend's motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their coverups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can she outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom--even her life?

I read the synopsis of this only recently and immediately added it to my reading list. Everything about it screams a perfect end of summer read. It has got an incredible premise and I am excited to read about this complex friendship with some murder at its center. 

The wait for this one is not long at all since it releases next week! It'll be my reads for the transition from summer to fall as it seems to fit either season.

Expected release date - August 3, 2021

If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Release Date - August 3, 2021 

Publisher Website - Disney/Hyperion
Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages - 304 pages
My Rating - 5/5

**received for review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America's favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.

Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash, and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn't expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn't fit, maybe it's time to design your own.

Julie Murphy writing a fairytale retelling was enough to get me excited but also finding out that it would be her adult novel debut made this book one I was desperate to get my hands on. The fact that it was also kicking off a new series from Disney was only more incentive for me to get my hands on it as soon as I could. This book lived up to my incredibly high expectations and offers a fun, clever, and breezy read that is every bit as magical as you hope it will be.

Our main character, Cindy, is an aspiring shoe designer with a flair for fashion. She is a main character that you cannot help but fall in love with. She is comfortable with who she is and knows her own worth. She may have struggled with the death of both her parents but she is working through it with the amazing support system she has.

The representation for plus sized women is, unsurprisingly, excellent in this. Julie Murphy's books always have fat main characters without the story only being about them being fat. It is just part of who Cindy is and it was refreshing to see her story not revolve around her weight. It is part of her story, an important part at times, but it is not THE story.

There are little fun nods to the classic Cinderella tale sprinkled throughout in clever ways. The pumpkin, the glass slippers, the ball, and more all make unique appearances that blend perfectly with this more modern take on the story. It helps the story feel fresh and current in a way that compliments the general tone of the novel.

Those who are not a fan of the evil stepmother trope will be happy to hear that it is nowhere to be found in this novel. Erica Tremaine is a supportive, loving stepmother. The stepsisters, Drew and Anna, are equally caring which makes for welcome change. For a novel that would seem to have women competing with each other at its core it, surprisingly, is filled with examples of wonderfully supportive connections between women. There is an antagonist but most of the relationships are different compared to what you would expect. They may be complicated at times, but are supportive at their core.

I cannot wait to find out which Disney Princess is the subject of the next Meant To Be novel. I was completely charmed by Julie Murphy's take on Cinderella and I hope the rest of the books are just as delightful.

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 week. 

This typically goes up on Friday but I have switched it this week because I have another post going up on Friday! 

BOOKS

Cover of One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)

I love Rebecca's previous books and am very much looking forward to her newest one that she just announced. This cover reminds you of a sunset which is perfect for Italy. 

This one seems to focus on a mother/daughter relationship which I think is a great choice for Rebecca to dive in to. 

MOVIES/TELEVISION

Trailer for The Eyes of Tammy Faye 

Movies that have been buzzed about for Oscar season are starting to have their trailers released. This one stars Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. 

Jessica Chastain should easily be in talks for Best Actress as she is barely recognizable in this role and is typically awarded by the Academy. It's definitely on my list for movies to check out in the autumn. 

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

Waiting On Wednesday .... Lore Olympus

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 Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Experience the propulsive love story of two Greek gods—Hades and Persephone—brought to life with lavish artwork and an irresistible contemporary voice.

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology’s most well-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe. Featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story, Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated web-comic Lore Olympus brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age with this sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 1-25 of the #1 WEBTOON comic, Lore Olympus

I am in the middle of researching graphic novels for my #PopCultureResolution next year and this one was immediately on my radar. It takes the Hades and Persephone myth and modernizes it in a graphic novel format.

The collection of episodes will release in the fall of this year (which is fitting for the Hades/Persephone angle) and I am very excited to check it out. I may have to buy a copy and keep it for the event next year though.

This seems perfect for fans of Greek mythology and it offers a fun way to experience this classic tale.

Expected release date - October 5, 2021

#PopCultureResolution - Frailty

  

Frailty 

Director: Bill Paxton 

Length: 99 minutes

Cast: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Jeremy Sumpter

Release Date: April 12, 2002

Synopsis: Set in present day Texas, "Frailty" centers on the FBI's search for a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands." McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a young man who approaches the lead investigator, one night, claiming he knows the identity of the killer. The FBI agent is curious, but unimpressed until Fenton reveals that the killer is his younger brother Adam. This is a film about faith, family and the end of innocence.

***********************************************

Religious based horror isn't something I would have naturally watched on my own. It just isn't a genre that appeals to me. Frailty, therefore, surprised me with how much I ended up liking it.

Frailty works mainly because it lets the audience decide things for themselves. It is a story that could be viewed through two different lenses in the end and both offer interesting possibilities. It creates two different movies in a way and both are unsettling in different ways. 

The movie has a pretty decent cast with Bill Paxton giving what I believe is the stand out performance. The two kids we see in the flashback part of the movie (played by Jeremy Sumpter and Matt O'Leary) are also worthy of mentioning. This is one of Matthew McConaughey's earlier movies and I think he is also well cast here.

As mentioned above this movie can really be viewed two different ways. Both are interesting and the reveals that make this possible are really what make the movie in my opinion. You could easily discuss this with friends for a long time after watching. There are some reveals that you see coming but all of them sort of shift how you view what has come previously.

This is a movie that looks at childhood trauma in a very specific circumstance. The two boys are made to watch and endure trauma and violence because their father feels he is doing God's will. It is often uncomfortable to watch and upsetting. I liked how each of the boys handles and reacts to it differently while both being scarred by the events of their childhood.

The lingering questions this movie leaves made me appreciate this one all the more. It also is exactly the type of religious horror that does work for me. It is thought provoking, not in its message exactly, but in the way it is told. It isn't one of those fun horror movies with jump scares that you can laugh about as you're leaving the movie theatre. This one sits with you and that is exactly why it works.

I end these by answering the question of whether it was scary or not. I would say it is more unsettling instead of scary. I also think that of the two ways you can interpret this movie one is scarier than the other. It is one of my favourites out of the horror movies I have watched so far which was definitely unexpected.