Tome Thursday: A Baby for Christmas

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to tonight's choice of book review which, I'll be honest, I was skeptical about going in.

 

Then again, it's been a while since I could read a holiday-themed romance and feel like it actually hit all the right beats, you get what I'm saying?

 

But this one was good.

 

Actually, this one was kind of GOLD, rather than just good.

 

Which means my hope in all of these has been restored, at least for the time being!

 

So make sure you've got your favourite drink and/or snack ready, cozy up under a fluffy blanket in your favourite reading spot, and pick this one up so you can bring some holiday cheer into your life.

 

Even if only for a moment.

 

Because nothing says Christmas more than a couple lonely hearts finding their happily ever after, like in A Baby for Christmas.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Ice Age Mammoth Christmas

 

"Just believe in the magic of Christmas."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back.

 

Tonight, we're taking a look at an oldie that's really turned into a goldie, mostly because I've loved the Ice Age movies from the second the first one aired - I might do a full review of the entire series on here at some point, because why not?

 

When you've got a mammoth, a saber tooth tiger, and a sloth bopping around together, there's bound to be some sort of comedy gold happening then and there!

 

And then of course, the studio that made these movies decided they should also ensure the chaotic chosen family got to celebrate Christmas together.

 

Thus, the subject of tonight's blog post was born.

 

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then you're thinking right - obviously we have to check it out, and the good news is, is that it's only about twenty minutes to half an hour long.

 

So get those quick snacks, because A Mammoth Christmas is flying by!

 

Tome Thursday: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week's book is just a little bit different in the sense that it's not all happy-go-lucky, merry, or bright. Well, some of it certainly is, but for the most part ... not really.

 

Obviously you can have all the sweetness and Christmas-y adorable feelings whenever you pick a book up, but every once in a while there can also be another thing happening, and it's kind of fun to deviate a little.

 

Plus, I'm a huge Agatha Christie fan, so naturally I'll try and sneak in one of her books if I possibly can along the way.

It doesn't help that watching His Dark Materials and hearing David Suchet's voice as he portrays one of the daemons is one of the best things that's happened in a while, because honestly, I LOVE this man, and his portrayal of Hercule Poirot is probably one that will last for all time.

 

The fact remains there is only one REALLY good Belgian detective.

 

And he also had an interesting Christmas a couple of times.

 

Hercule Poirot's Christmas covers just one of those adventures.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

 

"Hercule Poirot is a detective, not a bodyguard."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back.

 

Tonight, we're taking a look at another slightly less Christmas-y entry, although it's STILL just festive enough to warrant being added to our list on here.

 

I seem to be on a detective kick lately, and who can blame me?

 

You gotta have some of the nitty-gritty alongside all the fluff that usually surrounds the holidays!

 

Hercule Poirot is just the right man for the job, too, if you can't get your hands on some Sherlock Holmes (although come to think of it, I might dig up one of Jeremy Brett's entries into the series and see if HE made a Christmas one ...).

 

And you just can't say no to the tiny detective, really, you can't.

 

He's impossible to resist.

 

Which is why we're having a look at Hercule Poirot's Christmas.

 

Tome Thursday: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

 

 

Hello everyone!

 

Hopefully you're all prepared for the holidays and don't need to go into any more stores, because even though we're in a rather dicey and unfortunate situation right now, somehow people STILL gather there en masse.

 

You would think, right?

 

But hopefully most of you are all done with every shopping expedition and you can enjoy the time at home now that the holidays are officially upon us.

 

As it so happens, the main focus of our little book review tonight could NOT stay at home despite the fact he wanted to. And isn't that just sat in the long run? Luckily for us though it does turn out quite funny along the way so it isn't as though we don't get any payoff from it.

 

If you're thinking that the title of this book is a bit weird in terms of what I've just said, you may even be right.

 

Then again, when it comes to Agatha Christie and her Hercule Poirot, it usually is.

 

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding awaits!

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

 

"There is but one Hercule Poirot, and I am he."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome, once again, to the Christmas extravaganza that takes over this blog every single year, and has for, well, literal years already.

 

It's that time again, or 'tis the season, really, which means that for the remaining month of December, the only theme of the blog posts will be Christmas and everything Christmas-related you can think of. That's just the reality, sorrynotsorry.

Ahem.

So what better way to start off than with a little mystery, eh?

Sure, I tend to gravitate towards Hallmark and whatnot when it comes to these seasonal movies, particularly and especially for the end-of-the-year holidays, but I figured, why not try for something different?

After all. There's only one Hercule Poirot.

And he has just the one wish for the holidays, but alas, it doesn't get granted in The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding.

Tome Thursday: The Return of the King

 

Hello everyone!

 

Well, we made it.

 

Against all odds - mostly because I wasn't entirely sure I'd be able to make this possible, given I was so sick at one point I felt like I was coughing up vital organs along with my sanity - we've finally reached the end of the road.

 

At least, for the time being.

 

Like I mentioned in Tuesday's post, I'll still be having a look at The War of the Rohirrim, just to see whether or not it's worth the watch, and possibly it'll find its way onto the blog post at some point or other.

 

However, that's going to have to wait, because lo and behold, tonight's post is the very last "regular" of this calendar year.

 

Advent begins this weekend, and if you've been following my blog for some years, you know what that means.

 

For now, let's take the road less-travelled, as they say, and make sure we end things right, in The Return of the King.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Return of the King

 

"One Ring to rule them all ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back to the conclusion of our journey to Middle-Earth.

 

Well, alright, I'm probably not saying goodbye forever, that's just not going to work out for me seeing as I spend a lot of my waking (and sleeping!) hours in that particular fantasy world.

 

But so far as the movies go, for the time being, this is going to be the end.

 

I do in fact plan on watching War of the Rohirrim, although I'll admit I'm going in very wary, mostly because it feels like they're trying to shove another girl-boss down our throats when they didn't actually need to do it, but I digress.

 

I'll be seeing that eventually, but for tonight, we need to see just what the Companions of the Ring are willing to sacrifice on this last leg of their journey.

 

How far are all of them willing to go?

 

There's only one way to find out: we have to dive deep into The Return of the King.

 

Tome Thursday: The Two Towers

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back.

 

You've probably figured out by now, if you're a casual reader of this blog, that I'm covering The Lord of the Rings in both movie and book form on here for the remainder of this autumn season.

 

Of course, if you've been paying attention and are a long-time follower, you know I love ANYTHING Tolkien that I can get my hands on.

 

Lord of the Rings? My favourite of all time.

 

So really, this sequence of events was a no-brainer.

 

In fairness, I might eventually look at other book-to-movie things and review them side-by-side if I can, or if I feel like it, but for now let's stop dallying, shall we?

 

It's time to make further steps towards Mordor, and we won't be able to do them unless we actually get to it.

 

Here's to The Two Towers.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Two Towers

 

"One Ring to rule them all ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back to our Lord of the Rings journey.

 

If you're looking at your calendars and wondering, yes, I planned this.

 

I figured out that if I review the entire Hobbit trilogy as well as the Lord of the Rings one, I just make it to December when I can easily segue into my annual Christmas watching and reading.

 

Nifty, huh?

 

That said, I also hope you're ready for the ride in tonight's blog, because boy oh boy, this movie ... let's just say it has the harshest critics. Mostly because, out of all the trilogy, it suffered the biggest amount of changes to the timeline and the plots.

 

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, though, and maybe "suffered" isn't the right word to use. Generally speaking I still love it, and I'm a die-hard Tolkien fan!

 

So let's jump right in and see what that says about The Two Towers.

 

Tome Thursday: The Fellowship of the Ring

 

Hello everyone!

 

Saw this coming, didn't you?

 

If you didn't, then you should have.

 

It makes the most logical sense to cover the movie trilogy and then ensure that the book will be standing right alongside it, just because.

 

And also for all the differences that came from adapting the text onto our screens!

 

Peter Jackson did a wonderful job, but we have to remember that it was Tolkien who first started all of this and wrote an epic saga that we continue to be drawn to years after its initial publication.

 

For me, personally, I read these books once a year, without fail, and have done so for over a decade now, but I STILL discover new things each time I read.

 

I also cry every time I read, that too.

 

So without further ado, let's hop right into The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Fellowship of the Ring

 

"One Ring to rule them all ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I can't believe I haven't written this before.

 

Genuinely, this is my all-time favourite movie, bar none, and this goes for the trilogy as a whole rather than one separate movie, because there's no way to pick among them. It'd be like trying to pick your favourite child, and that's definitely not happening!

 

Of course then I take a look at the blog and realize ... I've never reviewed these.

 

Ever.

 

Which is a shame and a colossal one at that, dishonour on me, my family, and my cow combined follows after this announcement.

 

So without further ado, let's jump right into the epic adventure that New Line Cinema took a huge risk on back in the day, which was literal years in the making, and burst onto the silver screens with almost literal fireworks: The Lord of the Rings, part one, The Fellowship of the Ring!

 

Tome Thursday: Echoes of the Tide

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back to the world under the sea!

 

Or well, that's what I'm calling it in my head haha.

 

Emma Hamm JUST released the third in her Deep Waters series, this one about a fan-favourite, golden retriever-type hero in the shape of one Maketes, who's the jokester of the group we've been getting to meet as our motley crew.

 

... and when you can get your hands on a copy this early, well, what do you do?

 

You read it of course!

 

Read it, then review it, then go back and read it again, because why the heck not.

 

So I'm not going to keep on yapping any longer, because we have some impatient characters who would very much like to have their story told.

 

Allons-y, then into Echoes of the Tide.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Battle of the Five Armies

 

"In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the conclusion of the epic prequel trilogy Peter Jackson served us with in true George Lucas style.

 

I mean, usually you'd film the first movies first, chronologically, then continue on with the story to the end that the author's written, right?

 

Well, like I said, USUALLY.

 

But both Lucas and Jackson ended up filming the conclusions FIRST, before circling back to the beginnings (I'm not looking at the Sequels in any way, shape or form at this time).

 

So without further ado and more chatter from me, let's check right back in, because last time we left a royally pissed-off dragon heading straight for some unsuspecting, vulnerable and squishy humans to deal with them.

 

Smaug may suck at interior decorating, but he sure does know how to deliver death and destruction in The Battle of the Five Armies.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Desolation of Smaug

 

"In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the second part of our own incredible journey through Middle-Earth via the movies that have been released over the years.

 

Was I partly inspired to rewatch these because of how dismally I'm disappointed with Rings of Power?

 

Possibly.

 

In any event, I promised you all six of Peter Jackson's masterpieces, and so here we are with number two of the saga.

 

As you can probably tell, I'm really fond of doing things chronologically if I possibly can, so that's why we're starting with The Hobbit rather than with the trilogy that Jackson made first.

 

So without further ado, let's jump right back into it, and check out what our Dwarves have been up to, in The Desolation of Smaug.

 

Tome Thursday: Branded in Love

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to tonight's book of choice.

 

Which, I'll admit, I honestly thought I had already reviewed, but APPARENTLY, for some reason, I skipped over it?

 

I don't know why. Don't even start asking questions, because I probably won't be able to answer them LOL

 

In any event, I found out at the perfect time to be able to have a look at the book, which just so happens to be the first in a series, or at least the first in a spin-off series, because apparently, there's a heck of a lot more of them.

 

I also inconveniently managed to start with, like, the fourth one? Instead of the actual first? So of course I had about zero clue when I read that, and now reading this one I'm confused with some of the characterizations haha.

 

Still, it's an entertaining world to be in, so why don't we head on for the quick ride that's going to be Branded in Love?

 

Talkie Tuesday: An Unexpected Journey

 

"In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit ..."

 

Hello everyone!
 

And welcome to the first evening out of six during which we'll be going on an epic adventure worth more than just our time.

 

Like I mentioned somewhere at some point, Tolkien has been my all-time favourite author for ... well, at this point it's been decades I would think, and that's kind of a little scary, but also kind of not at the same time.

 

Recently, I've also been able to look back on the movies they released during epic fantasy heyday, and of course all my memories were roused, as well.

 

These movies defined my life in such a strong way that it'd be impossible for me to define exactly how much, so instead I'm going to let the blogs do my talking for me.

 

This means it's time to pack up our handkerchiefs and get our walking sticks out, because The Hobbit launches with An Unexpected Journey, right now!

 

Tome Thursday: Gilded Rose

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm finally back.

 

Well, it's a relative term, as I'm still working to get rid of the rather persistent cough that's currently trying to keep my life absolutely miserable, but I at least don't feel like I need to sleep all the time and do nothing else anymore.

 

That said, it's time to get right down to business.

 

And what better way than with a book that stole my heart just before the seasonal cold did?

 

I swear I occasionally trip and fall face-first into a book collection from an author that I ought to have known long before this, but only discovered now, and end up loving them to bits.

 

Emma Hamm is an author like that, and I'm DEFINITELY reading just about anything and everything of hers I can get my grubby little hands on ASAP.

 

For tonight, though, I'm focusing on just the one book, which is a re-telling, conveniently enough.

 

Let's looks at Gilded Rose.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Rings of Power

 

"Three Rings for the Elven-Kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-Lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Alright so.

 

Unlike the last time I touched this story, I decided not to metaphorically undo myself every week for two months and figured I'd just do a little end-of dissertation once it was all over and done with.

 

After all, this isn't what a lot of people were expecting, although it LOOKS like there might be a lot of the positive floating around online, which is a bit of a difference from the first season, after which everyone and their mother (for the most part) was all "meh".

Of course I'm talking about Amazon's big fantasy release of the year, and no, it's not Wheel of Time.

If we're lucky we're getting the next season of THAT soon, however.

But for tonight, let's put on our thinking caps to make this all fit together in the second season of The Rings of Power.

Tome Thursday: Song of the Abyss

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the land of the mermaids.

 

Yep, I said what I said.

 

When you accidentally run into one of the best books you've read this calendar year, you don't just drop it like a hot potato and never look at it again.

 

You probably read it again, and again, and again, which is exactly what I've done with tonight's choice for blog post, honestly.

 

I think I've read this thing about five times since first getting my hands on an e-book copy, and I've since bought it in physical form so that I can skip around pages more easily (yes, you can do it on an e-reader too but, I still find it easier in an actual book, sue me).

 

Since then I've also been reading some other works by Emma Hamm and, let's just put it this way, you'll be seeing them on this blog with the passage of time.

 

But first, let's really return to the deep. Let's check on the guy who was an absolute ass in the first book, but is really just a wounded soldier, and we learn all about that - and more - in Song of the Abyss.

Talkie Tuesday: The Mummy

 

"No harm ever came from reading a book."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm back!

 

And I have a wonderful movie for you tonight.

 

This is for all of us who've seen this one so many times it's basically like the air we breathe, who reference quotes from it in our daily lives or just to have great fun, and of course, who look forward to watching it AGAIN just as soon as we possibly can.

 

There are some movies you can watch over and over again without so much as blinking an eye.

 

Some that stay with you no matter where you go or what you do.

 

Tonight's choice is among them, possibly in the top category, because honestly, what could be better than the hot sands of Egypt, a rugged explorer, and mummies?!?

 

Nothing, that's what (or, not a lot)!

 

So arm yourselves and bring your cats - we're stepping right into The Mummy.

 

Tome Thursday: Going Ghost

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to tonight's book of choice.

 

I was honestly going to pick something else - a fanfiction, actually, which I hadn't read in years and forgotten just how GOOD these used to be - but then ended up finishing this book instead, so I figured, why not feature it?

 

It's exactly my kind of thing.

 

It's got a compelling heroine, a cute doggo (you ALWAYS want to read books that have cute pets involved!), a backstory that you want to keep reading about, a murder mystery that just so happens to fall into the heroine's lap, and a ghost running around who's gallant and a gentleman.

 

And oh, someone with green eyes that's NOT a ghost but keeps popping around the town of Salem, Massachusetts.  

I mean, what's not to like, am I right?

So here we go. This is the first in a very new series, and I'm definitely going to be picking up further books, just because. But we're starting with Going Ghost.

Talkie Tuesday: Howl's Moving Castle

 

"The best blaze burns the brightest in adversity."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to a slightly different choice of movie for tonight. 

 

Different, as in, I haven't watched anything animated and of the Asian variety in literal DECADES. I think the last time was during my college years, and that had been purely because my then-boyfriend and his best friend really enjoyed animes.

 

Recently, however, I've been into browsing Netflix a little bit more, and landed on this thing completely by accident.

 

See, I'd watched another Japanese animated story previously - and loved it, I'll put a review on here eventually! - so then the streamer started suggesting things to me.

 

One of them was tonight's choice.

 

I was hooked by the premise as well as the artwork, and then turns out it was Studio Ghibli that was involved in the making of it. Sign me right up!

 

Which means we all have to fasten our seatbelts, because we're lumbering along in Howl's Moving Castle.

 

Tome Thursday: Seduction Under the Southern Stars

 

Hello everyone!

 

And for once, welcome to a post in which we are NOT going to India.

 

I suppose you're all thankful in some aspects LOL, or maybe you'll be back and can't wait for more Bollywood.

 

Either way, tonight's choice is something else entirely.

 

Aka, it's by my favourite contemporary romance author of all times.

 

I'm not just saying that either - I've pretty much read ALL her books at this point (except, I believe, her Brides series, because I think that one was released solely on KU, which I sadly don't have), and I plan on reading the rest as she keeps publishing them.

 

Some authors are just worth sticking with!

 

Serenity Woods is definitely one of them, and her newest series has just launched - well, her newest trilogy I should say.

 

And it all begins with Seduction Under the Southern Stars.

Talkie Tuesday: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

 

"Sometimes, the youngsters in the house show the right path to the elders in the family."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back ... again.

 

I'm not even going to apologize anymore.

 

At this point, it's safe to say that I'm in my Bollywood era, which means that I'm trying to cram as many of these into my psyche as I possibly can, within reason of being able to watch that is, since binge-watching anything is out of the question for me.

 

My eyes and head need breaks!

 

But this movie caught me right in the feels, and while I PROMISED myself I'd hit pause at the intermission (a regular, sure thing in these old Bollywood classics), I knew I didn't have work the next day so I kinda just ... kept watching. LOL.

 

I've since watched it two times already, and will probably do so again very soon. There's a reason this thing is called a classic! 

 

Let's have a look at Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

 

Tome Thursday: Fated Salvation

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back one last time to this trilogy.

 

I say 'this' because, I'm fairly sure that Ms Hefner isn't going to leave us hanging, but she'll make certain that she returns to writing dystopia which she does SO amazingly well.

 

As I've said before, I couldn't for the life of me get into the vampire stories she writes for some odd reason, because I do enjoy her writing style. But these, her dystopian trilogies? Oh sign me UP and sign me up AGAIN.

 

I'm actually kind of sad that this one's now over, it's a rather unique take and could really be pulled right out from our own world somehow, as well.

 

But enough about me and my mind processes.

 

We need to figure out whether the world as we know it is actually saved, or if it falls to the hands of an evil dictator.

 

Fated Salvation solves all those mysteries, and leaves us thirsty for more!

 

Talkie Tuesday: A Celebration of the Music from 'Coco'

 

"Remember me ..."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I was originally going to do something else tonight.

 

Saints know I have a list an arm long of titles that I've seen but have yet to talk about on here, and yet ... yesterday before bed, I was looking for something to watch, and wandered back onto Disney+.

 

I hadn't been there in a while, and lo and behold.

 

On my 'Continue Watching' was something relatively quick, supposedly easy on the eyes (and definitely ears!), and adorable.

 

Also, I knew a singer I'd recently gotten to listening was performing (or, had performed, since this took place a while ago).

 

It was a no brainer, then, that I'd go back into it, and it'd been so long since I'd placed it on the list, D+ decided to just start me right at the top.

 

Without further ado, then: A Celebration of the Music from 'Coco'!

 

Tome Thursday: Voklane

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome back.

 

Tonight is a bitter-sweet sort of blog post because, and I kid you not, we've reached the end of a journey.

 

It's been a relatively hefty one, but, I have to say that this author is a VERY prolific writer and meets her deadlines head-on, which means that she released all the books in this series in a relatively short amount of time in comparison to some others we know.

 

And the writing stayed consistent throughout!

 

Not to mention the mystery was just sprinkled enough through the story that it kept you going until this, the last book, in which all is revealed.

 

Well, to a point. There's still a few mysteries that go unsolved, possibly because she MIGHT return to this world someday. I really hope she does!

 

Without further ado, let's look right into the future, and figure most of it out, in Voklane.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Asoka

 

"Whose journey can be greater than that of an emperor?" 

Hello everyone!

And we are back with yet another Bollywood extravaganza.

I won't even apologize anymore, at this point I've come to resign myself to the fact that about half my blog posts will be about some Hindi movie or other, haha!

Tonight's choice is a historical, epic drama, however, something which I hope will appeal to a lot of the readers who click on these links.

How did I end up watching it? Well, considering the main actor isn't my personal favourite (he's alright, but nah), I kind of landed in it mostly by accident because I was bored, had nothing to do, and it popped up on Netflix (speaking of, Kalki just released on the same platform ...).

So there I was, liking the main actress, and deciding, sure, why not?

Which means we're headed back into the past tonight, everyone, to discuss a movie titled Asoka.

Tome Thursday: Magical Gift

 

Hello everyone!

 

And, once again, welcome back to the land of Teutonica!

 

Listen, okay, you cannot be telling me that, if you pick up ANY of C. L. Carhart's books, you won't be hooked. Sure you might occasionally wonder whether a passage might have been written a little bit less rigidly, but those are RARE.

 

Overall, these books are fun to read, they flow nicely, and the characters they introduce usually always slip right into your imagination with no problem at all.

 

Then, to top it all off, they ALL get their happy endings!

 

If that isn't an added blessing then I don't know what is, to be honest.

 

So come along with me as we hop right into another series by the author, set in the same world with the same magical rules, but with different characters testing out slightly different waters.

 

While we're at it, we'll be tying back to the original one and having a whole lot of fun along the way!

 

Ready? Awesome, then let's get right into Magical Gift.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Brahmastra Shiva

 

"When life gets a bit dark ... find the light."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to this week's movie of choice, and let me tell you, I had a handful to pick from.

 

I've somehow managed to accumulate a backlog of what I've watched, but haven't reviewed yet, and what I haven't watched but plan to review in future.

 

Listen, I have issues, okay? Moving on.

 

Tonight's choice comes from my spontaneous decision to watch a movie this Sunday afternoon, despite the fact I was busy reading book ARCs and trying to hustle getting THOSE reviews out of the way, as well.

 

I'm a busy bee, what can I say.

 

In any event, I picked this movie because I saw the trailer on accident - it looked like something I'd watch if it were of Hollywood make, and I was right - and ended up really enjoying it! It's a bit cliché, of course, but then superhero movies usually are.

 

So warm up those chakras, we're headed into the Astraverse with Shiva.

 

Tome Thursday: Provenance of Power

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to an exciting addition to this blog post!

 

See a while back, I was approached by an Indie author through Facebook, and she asked me if I'd like to join her ARC team for a novel called Her Latent Charm.

 

Now, considering I read anything and everything that I can possibly get my grubby little mitts on, I said yes, of course. That one never has to be under any kind of question.

 

What I wasn't expecting was to truly ENJOY the book so much.

 

Don't get me wrong, I generally speaking always pick books that I know I'll at the very least like, if not outright love, but every now and then you do run into mishaps and end up, er, disappointed.

 

Not so here.

 

So when emails finally went out regarding the second book of the series, I was STOKED. I signed up immediately, and when the thing arrived in my inbox, I jumped.

Which means that, without further ado, we're looking at the sequel tonight: Provenance of Power!

Talkie Tuesday: Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron

 

"They say the mustang is the spirit of the West."

 

Hello everyone!

 

After so much epic-ness in one place, it's time to scale back just a little and figure out how things used to be done back in the day, at this point well over twenty years ago.

 

I can't even fathom it to be honest.

 

This movie released so long ago at this point!

 

And yet it's still so great.

 

Now if only I could find the Sinbad one animated online somewhere ...

 

I digress. Before I head out to the open waters, I have to head back in time to when the Wild West wasn't just a story, but actually a place to be discovered and, for lack of a better word, tamed.

 

There's plenty of movies about it out there, but this one is near and dear to my heart, because of course it's about horses. It's Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron.

 

Synopsis Saturday: House of the Dragon

 

"There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin;

and no war so bloody as a war between dragons."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Miss me?

 

I know this one took me forever. I know. I was a little bit shell-shocked after the season finale this past week and needed a little bit of time to gather my thoughts, because this season was a lot of ups and downs.

 

Mainly ups, but definitely some of downs, and nope we're not in Nottingham!

 

We're in Westeros. A long time before Game of Thrones, although it's all the same in this Song of Ice and Fire saga which HBO is intent on building, considering we're getting A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms too now.

 

It's a bit like something that the Hobbits realize in The Lord of the Rings: they're part of a bigger story, and after they're gone, others will continue it, just as others started it before them

 

But enough with me maudlin. It's time to get serious, because the storm's broken in House of the Dragon.

 

Tome Thursday: Whispers of the Deep

 

Hello everyone!

 

I know some of you might be anticipating - or I hope you're anticipating! - my review of the second season House of the Dragon just graced us with, but I ended up deciding to type that one on Saturday, so that I have PLENTY of time to do it right.

 

For tonight, we're diving in deep.

 

And I mean DEEP, deep.

 

Because we're about to enter a story about mermaids, and what's more, it's a mermaid story that I REALLY love, or ended up loving in any event.

 

I wasn't expecting that, because recently the books I've been randomly picking up have been a bit on the eh side, but this one? Chef's kiss.

 

This one's basically restored my faith in the paranormal romance genre, so I'm now just working my way through another ARC before I grab the second in this series.

 

So put on your rebreathers and your flippers - it's time for Whispers of the Deep.

 

Tome Thursday: The Black Bird Oracle

 

Hello everyone!

 

I hope you're ready for a slightly less-detailed ride of this bookish experience, because - and hear me out first - we've been here before.

 

Been here, done that, and got the T-shirts I think!

 

Which isn't to say that I wasn't excited for this particular release, because I SO was.

 

However, as soon as I started digging deeper into the story and every piece started coming together, I slowly realized that it all seemed vaguely familiar.

 

Like I'd been here before, or dreamed of it some other time, and now was just remembering it once again.

 

This is unfortunate, because at the end of the day, I read books NOT to be repetitive, so that I can - and hopefully do - enjoy them as something new.

 

Tonight's choice isn't quite new, but it also isn't really old either, it's just somewhere in the middle ground of it all.

 

We're returning to the world of All Souls in The Black Bird Oracle.