Tome Thursday: Seeds of Sorrow

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week's story is something a little different that I haven't picked up in a while, which is, it's a re-telling.

 

Now if you know me, you'll know I will sometimes read re-tellings of my favourite stories, like Beauty and the Beast etc., which makes this one fairly obvious as well.

 

It's definitely one of those things that sort of sneaks up on you without you realizing!

 

It took me a second to sit down and read the book - even though I had it as an ARC, thanks to BookSirens, a platform I can't compliment and praise more than I already have thus far - but once I did, I think I read it through in one single sitting.

 

Yeah, it's THAT good.

 

Or at least, it's definitely good enough to warrant it!

 

So do you want to explore the realms of the Fae and some immortal love stories?

 

Then come with me into the magical world of Seeds of Sorrow.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Obi-Wan Kenobi

"The time of the Jedi is over."

Hello everyone!

How excited are you?

Very?

Beyond imagination???

I hope you are at least! Because the past month and a half has been ALL about Star Wars, baby, and I am SO here for it!

If any of you know me at all, you'll know that I've said before I enjoy the Prequel Trilogy quite a bit, and that's mostly because of two characters, Padmé Amidala ... and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

This is helped along immensely by Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman, of course, but in general these are the stories I'm into the most.

So naturally, when Disney+ announced its limited series, I was stoked.

Let's dig those lightsabers out of the sand, everyone, because Obi-Wan Kenobi needs them!

Tome Thursday: Of Heists and Hexes

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week on our book adventures, we tramp off into Sherwood forest!

 

Yup, you read that one right, we're going to rob from the rich and give to the poor, though maybe not quite in the way you'd be expecting to.

 

See every once in a while I run into some sort of retelling that I actually genuinely like, which means that I'm enjoying myself way too much while reading the book itself.

 

And because a lot of the books come from BookSirens, I can't help it okay!

 

They're all wonderful ARCs and all I have to do in return for reading them is review them.

 

I mean, what kind of awesome system is that, right?!

 

But anyway, I digress.

 

I was talking about heists and Robin Hood. So I suppose we should have a look at the book Of Heists and Hexes, by S. L. Prater.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Death on the Nile (2)

 

"It takes two." 

Hello everyone!

 

You thought I was done with this, didn't you?

 

Think again!

 

Inevitably, it seems, whenever I end up watching one of Kenneth Branagh's remakes, I also end up digging out the good old David Suchet interpretations.

 

Now, I have nothing personally against Branagh - in fact, there are several movies of his which I thoroughly enjoy, Thor among them - but unfortunately he's trying to flex and take creative liberties in a canon setting where these liberties might in the end confuse people more than make the cases clear and presentable.

 

And after all, that's what Agatha Christie was all about, in the end.

 

Murder mysteries, or mysteries as a whole, and the rather psychological way our detective solves them.

 

So one last time then: we're on a trip to Egypt. Death on the Nile it is!

 

Saturday Snippet: Captain America vs. Puppies

 

It's an invasion of pups!

 

xx

*video not mine

Tome Thursday: Death on the Nile

 

Hello everyone!

 

As I spent my Tuesday blog post talking about the recent remake of Death on the Nile, I figured it's only fair and proper if I have a look at the original book that inspired all these adaptations.

 

I'm thinking of doing the same as I did with Murder on the Orient Express and also blogging about the David Suchet version, but we'll see.

 

For now, suffice to say that there are differences between the original book and the Kenneth Branagh remake.

 

However, the differences themselves aren't a glaring problem as far as I'm concerned - well, other than the case being presented poorly without REALLY asking the pertinent questions that might help move it along, but overall it isn't BAD.

 

The BAD part comes at the end and with Branagh's desire to change canon, so without further ado let's have a look at the ACTUAL story, shall we?

 

After all, Agatha Christie devoted her whole life to writing these things.

 

Death on the Nile is just one of her many successes.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Death on the Nile

 

"It takes two."

 

Hello everyone!

 

We return to the world of old Hollywood glamour, murder mysteries, and great mustaches.

 

No, seriously, we do.

 

You may have noticed that this blog features works by Agatha Christie rather often, and that's on purpose given that I thoroughly enjoy anything and everything that woman has ever written.

 

So when there are adaptations, you can bet I'll be somewhere close, or at least not far behind!

 

I'm a sucker for a good murder mystery, okay?

 

That said, I wasn't that much of a sucker for Kenneth Branagh's remake of Murder on the Orient Express, but I wanted to give this sequel to it a go because ... well, I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

And it wasn't even TOO bad, overall, if not for the blasted ending.

 

Hold on to your hats, we're taking a cruise through Egypt in Death on the Nile!

 

Saturday Snippet: Shang-Chi vs. Puppies

 

Your argument is still invalid.

 

xx

*video not mine

Tome Thursday: Asherwick

 

Hello everyone!

 

After bopping about and reading pretty much everything and anything for a bit there, I'm finally returning to a series that I've fallen in love with and cannot WAIT to read more of.

 

This doesn't happen often anymore, I'll admit.

 

I'm a much pickier reader now than I used to be even up to ten years ago, but that doesn't mean it can't happen, as clearly evidenced in this current situation of mine haha.

 

And the best part of it is that all the books came from BookSirens so I basically got them for free.

 

How cool is that???

 

I'm SO happy to have been invited along for the ride, and I honestly can't wait for the next installment, because I've had a look on the author's blog just what's coming next, and hooo boy, let me tell you, it will be AWESOME.

 

Until then however, we need to play catch-up.

 

It's time to have a look at Asherwick.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Secrets of Dumbledore

 

"Do what is right - not what is easy."

 

Hello everyone!

 

We finally move away from the big names of Star Wars and the inner workings of that franchise, only to find ourselves firmly anchored in another.

 

Now it's been a hot minute since the previous movie was released, because filming for this was delayed and complicated with so many other things, from trials, accusations, to COVID, and yet FINALLY we have it here with us!

 

It's also arriving on HBO Max at some very near point in the future if I remember correctly.

 

But honestly, with so many other things to worry about in the world, isn't it fantastic to be able to literally turn your brain off for a little bit?

 

I think so, at least.

 

So without further ado, y'all better dust off your wands now, Muggles.

 

Because we're about to uncover The Secrets of Dumbledore, and you're going to need them.

 

Saturday Snippet: Star Wars vs Puppies

 

Your argument is invalid.

 

xx

*video not mine

Tome Thursday: Brotherhood

 

Hello there!

 

Yes, we're still knee-deep in the Star Wars universe today.

 

We probably will be for the remainder of the week, actually.

 

I sometimes like taking a theme and running with it throughout the blog posts that I'm doing for a certain period of time, and seeing as I covered the Star Wars Celebration on Tuesday, I figured a Star Wars book wasn't going to go amiss either, right?

 

Right!

 

So I decided to pick a recent release that I'd been looking forward to, given my eternal love for anything Prequel related.

 

And I will say ... I mostly enjoyed it, if I didn't start looking in too deeply.

 

Once I did, it turned a little bit upside down, but you'll see there at the end, so keep reading.

 

Because Mike Chen's Brotherhood is up next.