Talkie Tuesday: Murder on the Orient Express

"I do not approve of murder."

Hello everyone!

First off, greetings from a VERY cold place. I swear, all that cold that seemed to have given the Koreans so much trouble during the Winter Olympics relocated up to Europe now. I can't remember the last time it's been this cold! 

Luckily, however, temperatures SHOULD rise by next week, though I doubt they'll go as high as mine did while I was watching the movie featured in tonight's blog post.

Many of you will know (or you're about to learn) that I am a devoted Agatha Christie fan. I have her entire book collection in the electronic version AND all of her Hercule Poirot-centered books in physical copies as well. Which does remind me that my padre needs to give me the books of hers he's hoarding so we can make one shelf of it.

Anyway.

As a fan, then, there's no way you can miss out on her most famous case involving Belgian detecive Monsieur Poirot. But while Murder on the Orient Express has the flare, it doesn't quite have the bang it might have wanted.

Saturday Snippet: Catan

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Wonder Woman Warbringer

Hello everyone!

For my book review this week I'm going back to basics with DC.

Now, for those of you who may not know me all that well, let me tell you that I frankly don't care too much about all this DC vs Marvel debate or hashtags or whatever.

I can understand that there's some rivalry going on, because, well, two competing comic book houses? Duh. It makes sense even to me. But I'm not one of those people who say YOU CAN'T GO FOR DC IF YOU'RE A MARVEL FAN THAT'S BETRAYAL. Or vice versa.

Me, I watch/read about the heroes I like. Whether they were created by Marvel or by DC means precious little, although I'll also freely admit I kind of like the tone of MCU better than of the DCEU at the moment.

That being said, however, Wonder Woman has become one of my favourites, partly thanks to Gal Gadot's amazing performancein the movie.

Which is why this week's book is all about the Warbringer.

Talkie Tuesday: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

"So, we're saving the galaxy again?"

Hello everyone!

I debated which movie to review tonight as yesterday evening I bawled my eyes out over Armageddon for the upteenth time, but then eventually decided I might as well go back to the movies still waiting to be posted up here which I watched at the seaside while I was chilling out. 

Yes, I STILL have some that haven't made it to this place.

I know, I'm terrible.

In my defense though, there's always something interesting to watch and I occasionally review something a bit more current, for lack of better words. However, that being said, I was also in a discussion about superheroes last night which means I remembered this blog post's topic, and voila.

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, is probably one of those movies you just love sitting down to and laughing about whenever you get the chance.

So let's review it, shall we?

Saturday Snippet: PyeongChang Hockey

"I'm starting to have a soft spot for this Slovenia hockey team. 

And it isn't because of the neon that I also like."

(from Twitter)

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Unguarded

Hello everyone!

I confess.

Where's Cersei Lannister? Someone get her, I'm confessing here!

Ahem.

I confess I'm cheating just a little bit this week with the book blog post, because I'm actually reviewing a novella and not a novel, but I got my hands on it yesterday evening and read it in one go (like, I literally almost didn't take a good breath in between) because I loved it so much.

Then again, it's been a while since I've read a new Noelle Adams release and felt super excited about it.

Okay, no, I'm lying, I HAVE read her books in the interim as well, but somehow never got to typing a blog post for it all. Considering she's one of my go-to contemporary romance authors it's a shame, really.

So without further ado, allow me to introduce Unguarded.

Talkie Tuesday: Valor

"Hooah!"

Hello everyone!

It's Tuesday so I'm back with another blog post, although to be fair my head is beginning to pound for some reason or other and I think I may have to hide out for the rest of the day and not get half of the stuff done that I want to. 

Oh well.

In any event, this blog post is going up as per usual, and like I started off and promised last week, it's about another of the military shows which graced our TV screens this autumn.

Last week was all about The Brave, this week we turn over to Valor.

I was honestly surprised when the CW announced that they'd be tossing their hat into the military drama ring, but it looks as if their gamble didn't quite pay off.

So let's talk Valor, people.

Saturday Snippet: Mexican Food

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Conqueror

Hello everyone!

I apologise in advance if this particular blog post has some intermissions during which I spontaneously burst out singing 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling'.

Last night they aired Top Gun on television here, and while I can honestly say I'm not as big of a fan of that movie as some people (-cough-dad-cough-) I DO enjoy several scenes from that movie. Among them would have to be the bar scene, where Tom Cruise can't really sing to save his life, but you know; although the top would have to be 'You're gonna do WHAT?!?' because, come on.

I don't think anyone else can squeal as much!

But anyway.

Back to books tonight and I'm finally writing down my review of another Conn Iggulden masterpiece (though not, as yet, Bloodline. It's coming people, I promise). I went and finished Conqueror from his series about Genghis Khan and his legacy, and ordered my notes so that I actually see how they make sense now.

So, without further ado, I give you Conqueror. Or, in other words, Kublai Khan.

Talkie Tuesday: The Brave

"When there's no way out - they go in."

Hello everyone!

This week, I'm shaking it up a little with my blog post, as I've not really watched a good movie in a bit (which I have to remedy, I have a list as long as my arm but have yet to get to it!) and so I'm falling back on a tested-and-tried trope! 

When in doubt about movies, talk about TV shows.

Luckily for me, I'm never out of material in that corner. I watch way too many shows as is. I'm pretty sure it's my way of letting out all the tension and anxiety accumulated through day-to-day activities. Losing myself for an hour or so in someone else's problems (whether this means Arrow all over the place or S.W.A.T. kicking down doors, it's all the same) is just what the doctor ordered.

And also luckily for me, this show season (that is the 2017-18) gave me not one, not even two, but THREE military-related shows to go through.

So bring your night vision goggles and kevlar vests - first one up is The Brave.

Saturday Snippet: More Snow

xx

*image not mine

Tome Thursday: Norse Mythology

Hello everyone!

So I made a snap decision to change the book for tonight's blog post. Why? Well, for no other reason than I felt like it.

Plus it took me FOREVER to get my notes in order for the original one, so I figured I might as well leave them to sit there for a bit, then go back and check them again before I decide to post it all up here.

In the meantime, however, I still need to write about something.

Which is why I decided to write about Neil Gaiman and his Norse Mythology book.

Norse mythology is, for all intents and purposes, as rich and varied as Greek or Roman, but unfortunately we just don't have enough written evidence about what happened back then, what people believed. We have fragments - but the whole is lost to us.

It's a sad story, but what we DO have, well, that's pretty brilliant.

Enter, stage right, Neil Gaiman with his all-in-one account of the gods, Norse Mythology.