Film Addict's December Film Choice

As of this month, I have graced this planet for 23 years and in celebration of that, I have decided to share with you, anyone who is out there, one of my favourite films.  My original intention was to review New Year's Eve on New Year's Eve because I thought it would fit but when I was watching it, I thought it would be a better idea to share one of my favourite films because that's what Film Addict's Choice of the Month is really, though occasionally, the definition changes whenever I think something might suit a particular month.  So this month, the Film Addict's December Film Choice is Dogma.

Dogma is a comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith in 1999 starring Ben Affleck (Gone Girl, Good Will Hunting), Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity, Good Will Hunting), Linda Fiorentino (Men in Black, Vision Quest), Alan Rickman (The Harry Potter series, Love Actually), Salma Hayek (Puss in Boots, Grown Ups), Chris Rock (Madagascar, Grown Ups), Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, The Incredibles), George Carlin (Bill and Ted's Most Excellent Adventure, Cars), Jason Mewes (Clerks, Chasing Amy), and the director himself, Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy).  Affleck, Lee, and Mewes are frequent collaborators with Smith, appearing in a number of his other work and Mewes and Smith are known for their portrayal of the dynamic duo, Jay and Silent Bob, characters that pop in various films.  Dogma triggered a lot of controversy prior to its release due to its take on Catholicism but it is not meant to offend and it is worth a watch.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Kevin Smith fans; Alan Rickman fans; Chris Rock fans; those that like quest-like stories

Favourite Characters: Metatron; Rufus; Silent Bob

Favourite Part: Rufus: He still digs humanity, but it bothers Him to see the shit that gets carried out in His name - wars, bigotry, televangelism.  But especially the fractioning of all the religions.  He said humanity took a good idea and, like always, built a belief structure on it.
Bethany: Having beliefs isn't good?
Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas.  You can change an idea.  Changing a belief is trickier...

Good Points: Love the cast and their characters; interesting take on religion; quest-like story; everything comes together nicely

Bad Points: Long film - can drag a bit

Geek Alert - December My Geek Box

It's that time of year; Christmas is here and it wouldn't be Christmas without Wilf wearing two pairs of antlers and dancing.  My Geek Box arrived today which was a nice surprise when I got home from work.

Giovanna Fletcher - Christmas with Billy and Me

Seen as it's that time of year again, I found a Christmas book to review and happened upon Giovanna Fletcher's new novella which was extremely short but a great find.

Christmas with Billy and Me is the Christmas sequel to Giovanna Fletcher's Billy and Me, her debut novel about a young woman, Sophie, who meets a famous actor, Billy, while she is working at a teashop and he is working on a film and they begin a relationship which results in her moving with him to London where she is taken out of her comfort zone and returns home without Billy as she can't handle his life properly because she feels ignored and abandoned.  Once returning home, she begins to work at Molly's teashop again and eventually takes it over when Molly dies of cancer which breaks her heart yet again as Molly was like a mother to her.  Later on, when she's working, she is greeted by the arrival of Billy walking into the teashop, saying he's taking a break from acting to be with her because he loves her and he wants to make their lives work together and she welcomes him back into her life.  It was a wonderful debut which I reviewed previously and while not necessary to read it before this one, it helps to do so because the characters were properly introduced in Billy and Me and aren't really reintroduced in this novella.

Rating: 8

Recommended To: Those that like fluffy romance books

Favourite Characters: Sophie

Favourite Part: 'Who do you think it is?'
'I've no idea...It's not you, is it?'  As soon as the question flies from my mouth I feel embarrassed.  It wasn't even a properly developed thought.  In fact, I don't think I'd processed the thought at all before saying it out loud.
'Good to know you'd have rumbled my plan straightaway if it was!' he winks in a cheekily reassuring manner, letting me know that my unfiltered thoughts haven't fazed him in the slightest - he knows me and my funny mannerisms and still loves me, thankfully. - Page 22

Good Points: Good quick Christmas read; extremely sweet; reminder of old characters

Bad Points: Over too quickly; time skipped way too quickly

Moira J. Moore - Heroes Adrift

How fast I am reading at the minute has slowed down because it's getting busy at work but I couldn't help but read the third Hero book as I love this series because the characters fascinate me.

Heroes Adrift is the third novel in Moira J. Moore's Hero series which focusses on Dunleavy "Lee" Mallorough and Shintaro "Taro" Karish and is told from Lee's point of view.  Lee and Taro work together as a Shield and a Source (respectively); Sources and Shields are gifted individuals who are born with special abilities and are trained at an early age at the Academy to work together so to prevent natural disasters from destroying the world they live in.  Once their training at the Academy is completed, they go through a ceremony where the two groups meet for the first time to see if any of them bond.  If two do bond, they become partners and are sent on assignments to do their work.  While reluctant at first, Lee and Taro become a powerful pair over the course of the first two books, having stopped another Shield from destroying the bonds between all Sources and Shields and bringing down the Academy and those in charge and then surviving ritualistic maniacs who think sacrificing High Landers (aristocrats) will stop the crazy weather affecting a particular town which puts Taro in danger due to his family being High Landers.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Those that like fantasy books; more female orientated audience in my opinion

Favourite Characters: Taro - he's grown which is lovely

Favourite Part: [Then] Ayrne appeared by my side.  "Are we going or what?"  she asked, giving me an unconvincing innocent look when I glared at her.
I slapped her up the back of the head.
She returned my glare as she rubbed the afflicted area.  "Don't need to get all maternal."
"Get on the boat," I snapped at her.
"It's a ship," said Taro.
I gritted my teeth, and told myself the island was entirely to blame for my poor humor. - Page 300

Good Points: Stories are always different; continues to develop Lee and Taro's relationship; new part of the world is explored

Bad Points: Ending seems rushed again

Film Addict's November Film Choice

It's that time of the month again and this month, once again, someone else has picked this month's choice; this time, it is the woman that brought me into this world, my mother, and she has chosen Ruby Sparks for the Film Addict's November Film Choice as we have watched it recently together and she thoroughly enjoyed it.  Originally, I was going to ask her to pick one for April seen as it was her birthday but she couldn't decide in time so the offer was postponed until she chose one.

Ruby Sparks is a 2012 romantic-comedy drama film directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris who have previously directed Little Miss Sunshine which also stars Paul Dano from Ruby Sparks.  Some of the stars are Paul Dano (Looper, Prisoners), Zoe Kazan (What If, ), Annette Bening (The Kids are Alright, American Beauty), Antonio Banderas (The Legend of Zorro, Once Upon a Time in Mexico), Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Philomena), Elliott Gould (Ocean's Trilogy, Friends), and Chris Messina (The Mindy Project, Julie & Julia).  Kazan also wrote the screenplay for Ruby Sparks.

As I like to mention whenever I do a request for the Film Addict's Film Choice, there is an extra point I talk about as chosen by the requester and that could be a character, part of the film, or something they liked and this time it is part of the film.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Anyone

Favourite Characters: Harry

Favourite Part: Calvin: It's like...it's like I'm falling in love with her.
Dr Rosenthal: That's wonderful.
Calvin: No, it's not.  I can't fall in love with a girl I write.
Dr Rosenthal: Why not?
Calvin: Because she's not real.
Dr Rosenthal: Isn't she?
Calvin: No.
Dr Rosenthal: Are you sure?
Calvin: Yes.  She's some motherfucking product of my imagination.

Good Points: Interesting concept; well cast

Bad Points: Wraps up too easily; no logic to Ruby's existence

Special: When Calvin proves to Harry that he made Ruby up by typing that Ruby starts to speak French and she does

Meg Cabot - The Bride Wore Size 12

Meg Cabot has been one of my favourite authors since I was a kid but I always preferred her weirder books; I read the first Princess Diaries book but I just didn't connect with it as well as I did with the Missing or Mediator series.  Even now I prefer her unusual books, including the Heather Wells series.  While I've been disappointed by Cabot's attempts at vampires and myths on this blog, I really love this series because yet again, I have a soft spot for the main character's love interest.  My friends are probably right; tall dark, and sarcastic are my type.

The Bride Wore Size 12 is the fifth book in the Heather Wells series by Meg Cabot.  The Heather Wells series follows a young woman of the same name who used to be a pop star in her teens but she was fired because she wanted to sing songs she wrote herself.  The series starts when Heather gets a job as a residence house coordinator and then discovers that some of the girls in the residence house are being murdered so Heather takes it upon herself to investigate the murders and finds the murderer, putting herself in danger only to be saved by her landlord/crush/ex-boyfriend's brother, Cooper.  This format continues throughout the series with Heather discovering a crime and becoming involved in the investigation despite Cooper's protests and while she helps solve the crime, she puts herself in danger and Cooper saves her in some way.  Every time she and Cooper are thrust together through the series because of Heather's actions, their relationship becomes more intimate - culminating in them becoming a couple and eventually getting engaged which leads to the latest book.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Cabot fans; cosy crime fans

Favourite Characters: Cooper - has always been my favourite character

Favourite Part: I don't know how bad until Cooper looks down at me, smiles crookedly[...], and says "Sure, I'll take a lemonade, Jess.  And sorry I didn't call, honey.  I was a little tied up."
He giggles.  Cooper, who never giggles.
"But Heather," I hear Nicole protest.  "You told me Cooper did call-"
"Shut up, Nicole," I snap.  Her eyes widen with hurt feelings, but I'm not in the mood to apologise.  I'm too busy checking her brother's wrists for rope burns, thinking he must literally have been tied up to be giggling at his own joke. - Page 271-2

Good Points: Funny and warm as usual; Heather's character development; Heather and Cooper; lots of colourful characters

Bad Points: Old secondary characters weren't as prominent like in other books

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

As an avid reader and former media student, film adaptations and the way they are interpreted from the original source fascinate me because I like to see what is different and how (dis)loyal they are to key moments which is interesting as no two people see the world the same, even if it's imaginary; sometimes I am reluctant to see an adaptation if I really enjoyed the book a lot because I fear it may ruin the book for me but I know in the back of my mind that I have to put those feelings aside as I enjoy films too much.  I loved The Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins because I liked the idea behind it: a young woman fighting to free her country from a tyrannical dictator who kills people on a whim as well as manipulating others to do it for him through various means so to control the population.  While I didn't see the first one in cinema because I was a poor first year student, I saw the last one and this one at the cinema with my family as the dates have coincided with my birthday (almost) so I thought I would share my thoughts and feelings on the film.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is the third film in The Hunger Games franchise, an adaptation of Suzanne Collins's trilogy of the same name, and is directed by Francis Lawrence who directed the second film as well.  As the franchise has progressed, the cast has grown and includes Jennifer Lawerence (American Hustle), Josh Hutcherson (The Kids are Alright), Liam Hemsworth (The Expendables 2), Woody Harrelson (Zombieland), Elizabeth Banks (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Boat That Rocked), Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsman), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko), and Donald Sutherland (Pride & Prejudice) who were in at least one of the last two films of the franchise and Julianne Moore (The Kids are Alright) and Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) have joined the cast.  Originally, Katniss Everdeen (Lawerence) and Peeta (Hutchinson) were taken away from their families and friends in District to compete in the 74th Hunger Games in Panem, a totalitarian nation which is divided into twelve districts and the Capitol, to fight for survival against 22 other twelve to eighteen year olds that have been chosen from the other distrcits to participate all as a punishment for a rebellion decades ago and now for the entertainment of the Capitol.  Normally, only one child is supposed to survive in the Hunger Games to win but Katniss suggests to Peeta, when they are only ones left, that rather than killing one another, they eat poisonous berries which forces the Capitol's hand.  So that they have a winner, they stop the teenagers before they eat the berries and name both Katniss and Peeta Victors, which sparks a rebellion amongst the districts.  The following year, during the Victor Tour are forced to continue their star-crossed lovers story that they started in the Games which they are reluctant to do; Haymitch (Harrelson) gives them some home truths as they continue to fight - that they will never be able to have a relationship with anyone else, Gale (Hemsworth) for example, because the Capitol and President Snow (Sutherland) would never allow it and kill all of those involved.  Snow orders Katniss to convince Panem and him that she and Peeta are in love over the course of the Tour but they fail to convince Snow; out of revenge, Snow changes the rules of the 3rd Quarter Quell/75th Hunger Games, decreeing that the tributes for the next games will be taken from the Victors of each district.  Katniss and Peeta end up back in the arena and form an alliance with Finnick (Claflin), Johanna (Malone), Beetee (Jeffrey Wright, Casino Royale) and Mags who are really there to get Katniss out of the arena so that she can be the face of the rebellion.  Under the guise of a plan to stop some of the other Victors, Beetee concocts a plan to destroy the arena so the rebellion can get them all out but Katniss and Peeta are not in on the plan so when it comes to getting out of the arena, Peeta is unfortunately captured by the Capitol while Katniss is taken to District 13 where the rebellion is being organised with the help of Plutarch Heavensbee (Hoffman).  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire finishes with Gale telling Katniss there is no District 12 anymore as Snow had it destroyed to hurt Katniss and Peeta emotionally, breaking their spirits.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Anyone - loads of action, romance thrown in, and a little sad

Favourite Characters: Peeta - always love him and like his arc in Mockingjay; Katniss - relatable

Favourite Part: Haymitch: I like you better without all the make-up.
Effie: I like you better when you're sober.

Good Points: Expanded scenes; all the characters have got better and better; laid good ground work for the climax

Bad Points: Explanation about Snow's roses was lost amongst the action

Geek Alert - November My Geek Box

Fantastic!!

As of this month until I so choose, I am getting a double dose of geekery, the first in the form of Loot Crate which I have been getting since August and the second comes in the form of My Geek Box, a UK-based subscription service similar to Loot Crate and today I received my first My Geek Box.  A sidenote is that unlike Loot Crate, My Geek Box doesn't come with a badge so each post will be topped with a random GIF to do with the theme that month if you hadn't guessed.  Enjoy the Doctor dancing; it keeps distracting me.

Lauren Oliver - Requiem

It's been a while since I've read a dystopian book which has been refreshing, reading other genres and branching out to see whether I like other authors and styles, but the next in my pile was Requiem, the last book in the Delirium series which I started over a year ago now.  It is satisfying to come to an end of a trilogy/series because it brings a nice end to the main story while leaving your imagination running wild with endless possibilities of what the characters are getting up to later on.

Requiem is the third and final book in the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver, a series I've been reading for a while and the second book, Pandemonium, was the first book I reviewed on my blog as well.  The Delirium trilogy is set in a time where it is believed people can contract a disease called amor deliria nervosa, falling in love with someone is considered a disease, and the entire population are put through a procedure to "cure" deliria; the focus of the trilogy is Lena, a young woman who fell in love with a young man called Alex who is considered an Invalid as he was born in the Wilds and just pretended to have gone through the procedure.  In Delirium, Alex gives Lena another option, run away with him to the Wilds which she is unsure on up until seven days before her procedure when she decides to run away.  After some problems, including being caught meeting together, Alex rescues Lena and they attempt to escape.  While Lena succeeds, Alex lets himself be captured so Lena is safe and is shot in front of Lena.  Even though she is shocked, she runs away to the Wilds so Alex's sacrifice is not a waste.  After Delirium, in Pandemonium, Lena is in the Wilds, trying to help those that have taken her in to also save the rest of society from being "cured.  Lena goes undercover in society into the DFA (Deliria Free America) so to help people but is captured along with Julian, the leader of the youth division of the DFA and the son of the man leading this strange land.  She is able to escape capture, bringing Julian with her, and she starts to fall for him when they begin to trust one another as she brings him into the world Alex brought her into.  Lena and Julian get back to the rebel camp in the Wilds she went to originally and Lena finds out that not only is her mother still alive, after she was supposed to have died in prison years ago, but so is Alex.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Dystopia fiction fans

Favourite Characters: Alex - still the same guy despite what he thinks

Favourite Part: Before we can come, Alex whirls around and takes two steps back to me.  I'm startled to see that his face is twisted in anger.
'What the hell was that about?'  he demands.  When I can only stare at him, he goes on, 'You could have died, Lena.  If it wasn't for me, you would be dead.'
'Is this your way of asking for a thank-you?'  I'm shaky, and tired, and disorientated.  'You could just learn to say please, you know.' - Page 121

Good Points: Julian adapting to the Wilds; dual narrators alternating chapters; more focus on the war between the resistance and the government

Bad Points: The love triangle; underwhelming ending

Geek Alert - November Loot Crate

Is this a battle?! Are we in a battle?!
[paraphrased from Dean Winchester]

It's Loot Crate time!!!  Once a month, a box full of random geek and nerd items arrives on the steps outside my house and it's always exciting to find out what is in it because it's always weird and wonderful, even if I'm not sure on the theme.

Oliver Cunning - Backstage Pass

Whenever I read a non-fiction book, I have the urge to alternate between it and a fiction book for some reason, maybe I need to have some form of escapism, go into a fictional world all of the time.  So while reading A Moveable Feast, I started to read Backstage Pass to provide a contrast between reality and fiction.

Backstage Pass is the first in Olivia Cunning's Sinners on Tour series which focusses on the metal band Sinners; like Michelle A. Valentine's Black Falcon series, each book in the series focusses on a separate band member.  Many of Olivia Cunning's books focus on musicians and their love lives due to her love of music that she's had since she was a kid, seeing Styx for the first time, and that is combined with her love of romance fiction; it's a wonderful concept and many have done it but each have their own twists on the concept and I can't wait to read Cunning's variations.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Adult audience

Favourite Characters: Brian - very sweet and loveable

Favourite Part: "Just love me, Myrna," he whispered against her lips.  "Please."
She turned her head to break his kiss.  "What did you say?"
He stared over her head, swallowing several times.  "Make love to me,  Myrna.  Please." - Page 268

Good Points: The characters and their personalities; the story; the relationships explored were interesting; great combination of different elements; better than Black Falcon series

Bad Points: Not a lot of story in comparison to the amount of time the couple spend together

Don George - A Moveable Feast

Sometimes I get bored and search on the internet for books that may spark my interest even if it's from an author I've never read.  I like to read about other people's travels because I like to get inspired for my own plans to travel, something a lot of people apparently do in their 20s.  I have a number of guide books from Lonely Planet because I like their writers so when I found this collection, I bought it immediately even though I've only picked it up now as it intrigued me.

A Moveable Feast is an anthology edited by Don George who is a frequent editor for Lonely Planet, a travel guide publisher; Don George has edited a number of Lonely Planet's travel anthologies Better than Fiction - a collection of stories from novelists on their travels, By the Seat of My Pants - a collection of funny stories that have occurred while travelling, and The Kindness of Strangers - a collection of stories that explores unexpected human connections and kindness around the world.  A Moveable Feast is his collection of stories from writers that were deeply affected by some kind of food during their travels.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Non-fiction fans; those that like to travel; foodies

Favourite Part: Mango Madness - Amanda Jones - Page 173-8

Good Points: Most of the stories were interesting; the variety of places; stories were relatively short

Bad Points: Some stories didn't fit; not a lot of female writers; all experienced writers

Film Addict's October Film Choice

I have two films that I watch at particular times of year because it gets me in the mood for a particular holiday.  In December last year, I reviewed Elf for Christmas because it's my Christmas film from my university days so I've decided to share my Halloween film for October obviously.  It may say Christmas in the title but Halloween is involved and I love it so Film Addict's October Film Choice is The Nightmare Before Christmas.  This is also a Christmas film for me but it felt more appropriate for October instead of December this time around.  I am pondering on whether I should do a film review on Christmas Day but I haven't decided yet.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is Tim Burton's stop motion musical fantasy focussed on Halloweentown and its residents; voices include Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride), Danny Elfman (Corpse Bride), Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone), William Hickey (Christmas Vacation), Glenn Shadix (Planet of the Apes), Ken Page (Dreamgirls), and Ed Ivory (Nine Months). 

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Anyone; animation fans

Favourite Characters: Zero - so cute

Favourite Part: Jack Skellington: Eureka! This year, Christmas will be - OURS!

Good Points: Animation technique; music; pure Tim Burton

Bad Points: Secondary characters don't really stand out; the romantic subplot

Mark Twain - The Prince and the Pauper

As I've said before, Mark Twain's work has always intrigued me so I bought a collection of his stories in one book, one of which I reviewed in February and while I didn't enjoy it as much as I have other books, his work still intrigues me so I have continued reading this book every so often.

Mark Twain's novels are American Classics and are rooted in the South and a lot of his work is influenced by his experiences and where he has lived; Twain worked as a riverboat pilot which is said to be the influence behind The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well his living in the town that these stories are set in.  The Prince and the Pauper, however, was Twain's first attempt at historical fiction and differed from his other works greatly due to it being set in a different place to his other work and the time in which it was set.

Rating: 6

Recommended To: American classic fans

Favourite Characters: The prince - reluctantly adapted well

Favourite Part: "Now were he imposter and called himself prince, look you that would be natural; that would be reasonable.  But lived ever an imposter yet, who, being called prince by the king, prince by the court, prince by all, denied his dignity and pleaded against his exaltation?  No!  By the soul of St. Swithin, no!  This is the true prince gone mad!" - Page 217

Good Points: The two narratives working simultaneously; found it funny; enjoyed this more than Tom Sawyer

Bad Points: Could have more interaction between characters; combination of the two languages was a bit weird

Jenny Colgan - West End Girls

After a fairly dark, twisted film, I decided to read something light and fluffy to distract me and lighten the mood and what better to do that with than a chick-lit novel which was also at the top of my pile.

West End Girls is a chick-lit romantic comedy book by Jenny Colgan, an author I like to read every so often as her books are generally light-hearted.  While they are not my all-time favourite books, I like to reread Colgan's books as well as books from other authors like her when I'm feeling down or ill or I'm on holiday because they make me smile in the end.

Rating: 3

Recommended To: Those with a need for a holiday read

Favourite Characters: Will - far more interesting than Penny and Lizzie

Favourite Part: 'I want you,' said Penny, 'to shoot me before I ever have to come to one of these places.'
'OK,' said Lizzie.
'You're not meant to say that!' said Penny in despair.  'You're meant to say, "Don't be daft, how would you ever end up in one of these places?  You'll be surrounded by family and friends and grandchildren before you painlessly slip off in your sleep like that old lady in Titanic."' - Page 258

Good Points: Girls complete opposites; met expectations

Bad Points: Penny and Lizzie were both unlikeable; nothing exciting or striking about this book

Gone Girl

For some reason, near the end of October/beginning of November, I happen to go to the cinema more than once, or I have in the last two years at least.  This time I went to see Gone Girl, a thriller, which I wouldn't normally go see in the cinema because sometimes I'm a bit jumpy when it comes to that sort of film and it's embarrassing in public but I fancied a change as I find Ben Affleck fascinating as an actor.

Gone Girl is the 2014 thriller, directed by David Fincher, adapted from Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name, who also wrote the screenplay for the film.  The main cast includes Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Argo), Rosamund Pike (Die Another Day, Pride and Prejudice), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother, Doogie Howser, M.D.), Tyler Perry (Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Diary of a Mad Black Woman), and Carrie Coon (The Leftovers, One in a Million).

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Thriller fans; Fincher fans

Favourite Characters: Nick - Ben Affleck was great

Favourite Part: Nick: When I think of my wife, I always think of the back of her head.  I picture cracking her lovely skull, unspooling her brain, trying to get answers.  The primal questions of a marriage: What are you thinking?  How are you feeling?  What have we done to each other?  What will we do?

Good Points: The two narrative structures working simultaneously; beginning and middle were excellent; Nick and Go

Bad Points: Could have finished a lot sooner

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a sacred thing for me and the moment I found out that Michael Bay was producing a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, I was dreading it because Bay is known for immense action scenes filled with guns and massive explosions and I personally thought that this would detract from the pure Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles elements that those that grew up on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles loved.  However, I was encouraged by my mother to go and see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles because if I found it to be as bad as I was expecting it to be then it would bring some variety to my reviews as I have a tendency to pick books and films that I roughly know I will like and very rarely venture out of my comfort zone.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the 2014 science fiction action comedy based on the franchise of the same name directed by Jonathon Liebesman.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stars Megan Fox (Transformers), Alan Ritchson (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), Jeremy Howard (Mighty Med), Pete Ploszek (Parks and Recreation), Noel Fisher (The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn Part 2), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Danny Woodburn (Bones), William Fichtner (Prison Break), Johnny Knoxville (Jackass), Tony Shalhoub (Cars), and Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act).  A major selling point for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that they used for the marketing was Michael Bay acted as a producer which caused major panic across the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles loyalists.

Rating: 5

Recommended To: Bay fans - lots of visual bubblegum

Favourite Characters: Raphael - will always be my favourite

Favourite Part: Raphael: I just...uh, uh...if this is our last moment together, I just want you guys to know I'm sorry!  I'm sorry I was so hard on you!  Ugh.  Every time I pushed you, I...I threatened you, I yelled at you, I pushed you beyond your limits, it's because I believe in you!  I believe in each one of you!  I believe in you spirit and your intelligence and your potential!  And every time I talked about walking away it was because I was scared!  I just didn't think I was good enough to stand next to you and call you brothers, and say to you, I love you! I love you guys so much!

Good Points: The turtles; the introduction scenes; lots of action scenes

Bad Points: Too much focus on the human characters; Shredder; very little to the plot; NO CASEY JONES!!

Emily St. John Mandel - Station Eleven

So a couple of months ago, I was browsing in a bookshop and I found the new David Mitchell book that had just been released, The Bones Clock, which excited me because I enjoyed Cloud Atlas because it was engaging and thought provoking.  However, when I got to the till, I started to have a conversation with the young woman serving me about David Mitchell and other books both of us have read (yay! Bibliophiles together) and she recommended Station Eleven to me because it was different yet something I could find interesting because it was in the same field as David Mitchell's books in a way and now that I have read it, I can understand why she recommended it to me.

Station Eleven is the fourth novel from Emily St. John Mandel and is an interesting trip into a post-apocalyptic world which flits between various moments in time, prior to an outbreak of a pandemic that wiped much of the world, during the outbreak, and a number of years after the outbreak after civilisation has crumbled.  It's a different take on the post-apocalyptic/dystopia fiction we have out because it shows the fall of civilisation as well as the normal aftermath.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Post-apocalyptic fans

Favourite Characters: Jeevan - understand his motivation throughout the book; Kirstin - interesting

Favourite Part: "What a terrible time that was," Clark said softly to an imaginary Robert, practising for the future.
"Awful," Imaginary Robert agreed.  "Remember those days when you were in the airport, and I didn't know where you were?" - Page 240

Good Points: How this random group of people is linked; the flitting between different times; different from other post-apocalyptic books

Bad Points: More could have been heard from the prophet

Geek Alert - October Loot Crate

Run!  Hide!  Tis the time to be full of Fear!

It's that time of the month again and Loot Crate is here and I have loved both of the previous boxes I've had because they've both been themes I liked and even this month, though apprehensive, I was intrigued by the prospect and I think I will be for a while yet.  As I've said before, I don't like to hear my own voice so I'm going to continue my blogs on them.

J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit

At least fourteen years ago, I started reading The Hobbit with my dad and while I can't remember it well, the thought of those times brings a smile to my face.  Unfortunately, and I don't remember how, we lost the copy of The Hobbit that we had and we didn't get to finish it back then which was a shame because it was nice spending time with my dad.  I did eventually get to finish Tolkein's book years ago when I found it in the library.  Happily though, while at work, I found a copy of The Hobbit in the stockroom and I bought it immediately.  Originally, I was going to wait to read this again but I changed my mind recently and pulled it out of my mountain of books.

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a fantasy novel from J.R.R. Tolkein, aimed at children, set in Tolkein's fictional world of Middle-earth with fictional creatures such as hobbits, dwarves, elves, and goblins.  It was published in 1937 and went through a number of revisions and has been reprinted since; the world was expanded in the sequel Lord of the Rings which is aimed at an older audience because readers wanted to know more about Middle-earth.  The Hobbit has inspired the recent film franchise by Peter Jackson, two films have already been released and the third is being released this December, which followed the other film franchise inspired by Lord of the Rings.

Rating: 8

Recommended To: Fantasy fans; excellent for kids to introduce them to Tolkein

Favourite Characters: Fili and Kili

Favourite Part: "What shall we do, what shall we do!" he cried.  "Escaping goblins to be caught by wolves!" he said, and it became a proverb, though we now say "out of the frying-pan into the fire" in the same sort of uncomfortable situations. - Page 115

Good Points: Very descriptive; interaction with reader

Bad Points: Not a vast amount of speech; time skips

Film Addict's September Film Choice

I was completely gutted last month when Robin Williams died; he was, and still is, one of my favourite actors when I was growing up because he always made me laugh and I especially loved Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire.  My original intention was to review one of his films in August but then I remembered I promised to review Treasure Planet for my sister's 20th birthday so now the Film Addict's September Film Choice is Good Will Hunting because it's another one of my favourite films from Robin Williams, plus it's my best friend's favourite film and coincidentally, it was her birthday in August so this is for her as well.

Good Will Hunting is the 1997 drama film from Gus Van Sant and stars Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets Society), Matt Damon (The Bourne Identity, Saving Private Ryan), Ben Affleck (Argo, Pearl Harbour), Minnie Driver (Tarzan, Princess Mononoke), and Stellan Skarsgård (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead's Man Chest).  Upon Good Will Hunting's initial release, it received almost universal critical acclaim and became a financial success; as well as critical and financial success, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won two: Best Supporting Actor for Williams and Best for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for Affleck and Damon.  The success of this film, being the writers of Good Will Hunting launched both Affleck's and Damon's careers which allowed them to gain more high-profile roles such as Armageddon (Affleck) and Saving Private Ryan (Damon).

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Matt Damon fans; Robin Williams fans

Favourite Characters: Chuck - voice of reason; Sean - understands Will better than Will thinks

Favourite Part: Sean: Do you have a soul mate?
Will: Define that?
Sean: Someone you can relate to, someone who opens things up for you.
Will: Sure, I got plenty.
Sean: Well, name them.
Will: Shakespeare, Nietzsche, Frost, O'Conner...
Sean: Well that's great. They're all dead.
Will: Not to me, they're not.
Sean: You can't have a lot of dialogue with them.
Will: Not without a heater and some serious smelling salts.

Good Points: Sean and Will's relationship; the use of the hero journey; great chemistry between the cast

Bad Points: First half hour dragged; predictable story

Geek Alert - September Loot Crate

Oh god, oh god, we're all going to die [with excitement because the September Loot Crate is here].
Paraphrased from a Serenity film quote, Wash is a great character.

So it's that time of the month again and my Loot Crate arrived today.  Last month I was thrilled with this subscription service and I loved my random box of themed stuff and I wholeheartedly agree that it's a Christmas present every month from a family member who knows you're a geek/nerd/gamer.  As I've said before, I don't like to hear my own voice so I'm going to continue my blogs on them.

Kristen Simmons - Three

Unfortunately, I kind of forgot that I promised to review this book as soon as I bought it; luckily, I was rereading some of my reviews last month and found the promise I made to you, if there's anyone out there, and pulled Three out of the bottom of the pile and started to read it immediately.  I apologise profusely and have rectified my mistake; I need to reread some of my reviews after this one and see if I've made any other promises that I've not kept.  With this being a review of the third book in the trilogy, it was too hard to keep spoilers out of it but my advice is to skip to the end if you want a simple summary of my feelings on this book as there is too much important information in the first two books to skip them entirely.

Three is the third book in the Article 5 trilogy from Kristen Simmons which is told from Ember's point of view and focuses on her and Chase Jennings, her first love.  The Article 5 trilogy is set in a war torn America, there are no police but are soldiers who enforce the law of the land, known as Moral Statues, dictating to society the moral code that people should live by.  Punishments are severe if these Statues are broken, going from being arrested to the punishments (with long imprisonments and death being common).  Prior to Three, in Breaking Point, having faked their deaths in Article 5 due to both Ember and Chase having fugitive status and no familial ties, Ember and Chase are trying to keep a low profile and are taking in by the Resistance.  At the same time as that, there is a sniper going around shooting FBR soldiers and the Bureau's number one suspect is Ember which makes it even more difficult for our heroes because now the Resistance are cautious around her because she could draw too much attention to them.  Eventually, even though it's not true, Ember embraces her identity as the sniper so to gain attention and help so she can save her friend, Rebecca, Ember's friend from the reformation school, from a rehabilitation centre where it goes wrong for Ember and Chase but they do escape in the end with Rebecca with the help Sean and Tucker.  However, much to their horror, on their return to the safe house, they discover that the safe house has been burnt down and very few have survived, which may not include the leader, Wallace.  This sparks something in our heroic duo and leads onto Three.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Definitely one for those that like dystopian fiction

Favourite Characters: Chase - many great things about him

Favourite Part: He opened his hand, and in his palm was a yellow flower - like a rose, but smaller.  When I looked at it, he unfurled my fist and placed it within.
I prodded the tender petals - those that had survived his grasp.  Most were bent or torn, but it was still beautiful.  Something fluttered inside when I imagined him finding it and carrying it for me.
"I think I might be broken."  He didn't look up.
I moved closer, feeling his sadness washing over me.
"We're all broken," I said.  "We just have to put each other back together."
My loose fist holding the flower came to rest in the center of his chest, locked between us.  He leaned down, his forehead touching mine.  His eyes closed.
"What if I'm too far gone?"
"Then I'll find you," I said.  "And I'll bring you back." - Page 84

Good Points: Chase and Ember's relationship; great end to the trilogy; Jesse

Bad Points: Everything went horribly wrong in the last hundred pages; Sean and Rebecca were left out a bit

Lucy

Another trip to the cinema came today and while it's not completely different from my usual film choice when going to the cinema, this time it's a little unusual because it was by a director I don't normally watch, though I have seen some of his films before, and the entire plot was different to my usual type of film.

Lucy is the 2014 science fiction action film from Luc Besson, whom wrote, directed, and edited this film; Scarlett Johansson (Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Island) stars as the titular character while Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight trilogy), Amr Waked (Contagion, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), and Choi Min-sik (Oldboy, I Saw the Devil) co-star along with Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing, Notting Hill) and Pilou Asbæk (A Hijacking, R) who play minor roles in Lucy's story.

Rating: 8

Recommended To: Scarlett Johansson fans; those looking for something weird

Favourite Characters: Lucy - interesting character

Favourite Part: Lucy: [At the beginning, voiceover] Life was given to us a billion years ago.  What have we done with it?
[...]
[At the end, voiceover] Life was given to us a billion years ago.  Now you know what you can do with it.

Good Points: Johansson's performance was wonderful; first half was great; interesting concept

Bad Points: Science jargon got too much; second half was drastically different

Film Addict's August Film Choice

My kid sister turned 20 this month and while not a big achievement (though she has lasted 20 years without me or my mother killing her), I decided to dedicate Film Addict's August Film Choice to her which meant she got to choose any film for me to review.  So this is Disney's Treasure Planet.

A faithful adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, Treasure Planet is the 2002 animated fantasy film from Ron Clements and John Musker with the voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rise), Brian Murray (Dream House, In the Family), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Nanny McPhee), David Hyde Pierce (Frasier, A Bug's Life), Martin Short (Saturday Night Live, How I Met Your Mother), Michael Wincott (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Crow), Laurie Metcalf (Toy Story, Roseanne), and Roscoe Lee Browne (Babe, Spider-Man the Animated Series) bringing this eclectic group of characters to life.  While a faithful adaptation, there is the major alteration of the film being set in space instead so to make it stand out from other Disney adaptation of Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Just like Film Addict's May Film Choice, Brother Bear, which was dedicated to my best friend, I'm going to add another point to my normal review points which reminds me of my kid sister.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Disney fans; anyone; adventure fans

Favourite Characters: Dr. Doppler - funny; Jim - loveable; Captain Amelia - just love her

Favourite Part: Captain Amelia: [to a protesting Doppler] Let me make this as... monosyllabic as possible.  I...don't much care for this crew you hired.  They're...
[to Arrow] How did I describe them, Arrow?  I said something rather good this morning before coffee.
Mr. Arrow: 'A ludicrous parcel of drivelling galoots,' ma'am.
Captain Amelia: [to Doppler] There you go, poetry.

Good Points: Variety in character designs; dialogue was great; father-son relationship explored; Silver - a villain who wasn't evil for the sake of it

Bad Points: Not a lot of female characters; Jim and his parents are the only humans

Special Point: Morph - many reasons behind this one

Geek Alert - August Loot Crate

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's the August Loot Crate.

I was so excited this month when I found out about Loot Crate and what it offers.  It's a subscription service that you get a box full of themed stuff sent to you once a month.  As others have said, it's like a Christmas present every month from a family member who knows you're a geek/gamer.  They like Looters to film when they open their Loot Crates but I don't like to hear my own voice on film so I've decided to blog about it instead.  Originally, they didn't ship to the UK but obviously now they do and I get to enjoy the experience for myself, yay!

Cressida Cowell - How to Train Your Dragon

I seem to be on a comic book/graphic novel kick at the minute and I haven't decided whether I am going to add graphic novels and manga to my blog because it's a different style of book; however, I did decide to read the original book that How to Train Your Dragon film and its sequel, starring Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler, were inspired from.  I know it's for kids but I wanted to mix things up a bit from my usual books, plus I'm always curious about where a film is adapted from and how it differs which is why I read graphic novels from Marvel and DC.

How to Train Your Dragon is the first in Cressida Cowell's series of the same name which was first published in 2003; How to Train Your Dragon is set in a fictional Viking world and focusses on Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, a young Viking, who is learning how to train his dragon as a pet as his ancestors have before him.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Dragon lovers; boys would love it

Favourite Characters: Old Wrinkly

Favourite Part: 'Anyway,' said Old Wrinkly, 'it might be just what this Tribe needs, a change in leadership style.  Because the thing is, times are changing.  We can't get away with being bigger and more violent than everybody else any more.  IMAGINATION.  That's what they need and what you've got.  A Hero of the Future is going to have to be clever and cunning, not just a big lump with overdeveloped muscles.  He's going to have to stop everyone quarrelling among themselves -and get them to face the enemy together.' - Page 77-8

Good Points: Engaging story; funny book; different dragons

Bad Points: Massive time skips; could have worked better as first person

Guardians of the Galaxy

My Marvel antenna has gone up this month and while I didn't go out on opening weekend, I really did want to see the latest addition to Marvel Cinematic Universe because I love anything Marvel related.  What was even better was that I loved the cast that was chosen because it was so varied but had potential.  My mum thought this was a spoof of the Marvel films and I can see why because of the trailer but after much insistence that they were part of the Marvel world, she became curious to see what it was all about.  So my sister treated me and my mum to a trip to the cinema so we could see the latest superhero film out, an interest all three of us share.

Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by James Gunn; it is the tenth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is based on the team of the same name from Marvel.  A brand new cast was brought in to play the ragtag team who are meant to save the galaxy and other alien characters in this universe.  The stars include Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreations, The Lego Movie), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek, Avatar), Dave Bautista (Riddick, The Man with the Iron Fists), Vin Diesel (The Fast and the Furious series, The Iron Giant), and Bradley Cooper (The Hangover series, Silver Linings Playbook) as the Guardians and the supporting cast include Lee Pace (The Hobbit series, Pushing Daisies), Michael Rooker (Jumper, The Walking Dead), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Oculus), Djimon Hounsou (How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Island), John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph, Step Brothers), Glenn Close (Tarzan, Dangerous Liaisons), and Benicio del Toro (Sin City, Snatch.).  Del Toro is the only cast member to return, having appeared at the end of Thor: The Dark World in one of the credit scenes,

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Anyone; Marvel lovers

Favourite Characters: Peter Quill; Groot

Favourite Part: Gamora: I know who you are, Peter Quill, and I will not succumb to your pelvic sorcery.

Good Points: The chemistry between the main five; all of the Guardians were endearing in their own way; the special effects; the comedic elements; refreshing to have a new batch of characters

Bad Points: Gamora and Nebula relationship wasn't really explored

Bailey Cates - Brownies and Broomsticks

I've recently read normal, non-fiction books that differ from my normal books as well as my usual bag of weirdness in the form of dystopic/post-apocalyptic books and other genres and watched a varied bunch of films; because of this, I decided to read a new series which falls into the cosy crime genre that I like to read every so often and expand my author knowledge base.

Brownies and Broomsticks is the first in Bailey Cates's Magical Bakery Mystery series which focusses on Katie Lightfoot as she moves to Savannah to work with her aunt and uncle in the Honeybee Bakery.  Bailey Cates also works under the names Cricket McRae and K.C. McRae and has written other mystery books like this series.  While this is similar to other cosy crime books I've read where the protagonist has nothing to do with working in law enforcement but inadvertently become involved in some kind of investigation, this series involves magic of different variations which make it stand out to me.

Rating: 6

Recommended To: Stephanie Plum fans; cosy crime fans

Favourite Characters: Katie; Mungo

Favourite Part: He stroked my cheek with his thumb.  Before I knew it, his lips were on mine.  His kiss was quick, casual and undemanding.  Warm and comforting.  Nice.  My body pressed against his for a moment before I gathered my wits and stepped back.
"Um," I said.
He grinned.  "Don't worry.  That was just an accident.  Life having supper with someone." - Page 194

Good Points: Concept; an easy read; wasn't just Wiccan magic

Bad Points: Love triangle; predictable; could have looked back at Katie's parents more