Talkie Tuesday: Cinderella

 

"A dream is a wish your heart makes."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to the review of a movie I swore, back in the day, I'd never do.

 

Times change, however.

 

Because I honestly can't remember if I've ever even seen this one before, though I think I must have. I mean, I've seen pretty much all the major OG titles Disney released back in the day, back when their movies were actually still GOOD (occasionally problematic, but certainly good in animated execution).

 

So I decided, what the heck, I might as well do it now, right?

 

Because, like I said, times change, and so do the people with them.

 

I certainly never expected to actually enjoy the movie as much as I did, because originally I said the princess was a waste, waiting and pining. Turns out she's a little bit more than that, but that's alright, that's what we're here for: to live and learn.

 

Without further ado: Cinderella.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

 

"... and they lived happily ever after."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to tonight's movie of choice, which if you've seen last week's you knew this was coming.

 

As if I could just let the insult that is the 2025 version slide without touching the original.

 

And even then, the ACTUAL original is a fairy tale written way back when!

 

But I digress.

 

Back in the days before WWII, Disney decided it was going to try and launch this whole animation shindig.

 

This was the tale they chose to do it with.

 

They were so successful that they've been regularly pumping out animated features about "their" princesses ever since!

 

So remember to stay away from perfect-looking, delicious apples, and let's have a look at Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!

 

Tome Thursday: Beyond the Veil

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to tonight's book review of choice.

 

It's one that's been a while in the making, in the sense that the author took her time to ensure the book would be written well, consistently, and wrapped up in a neat bow to finish everything off.

 

We love authors like that!

 

Overall though, I just love interacting with THIS author in particular, as she's a total sweetheart. I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC directly from her, but I'd highly, HIGHLY recommend you look into purchasing these books to lend your support.

 

This is a very fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty, in which the "beauty" happens to be reversed, aka it's the prince rather than the girl, and the girl rescues him.

 

Then they go off on a quest together, discover her long-lost lineage, and then decide hey, maybe they'll take on that magical separating border between one realm and the next!

 

That's all (and more!) you get when you pick up the last book in the trilogy, Beyond the Veil.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Snow White

 

"Fearless, fair, brave, and true."

 

Hello everyone!

 

So sorry for the wait.

 

Unfortunately, while my country isn't as deep in hell as some other European ones (looking at you, poor, poor Spain ...), we're still experiencing a heatwave that's quite literally sweated the life out of me thus far.

 

Morning shifts combined with high temperatures meant that I mostly just vegged out in the afternoons and tried my hardest to not do anything, including sitting behind a computer to type.

 

This, of course, means I've fallen behind in this whole blogging business.

 

That's okay though! Because we're back.

 

And oh boy, do we have a doozy tonight.

 

Unless you're living under a big ass rock, you've heard all about the controversy surrounding tonight's movie of choice, and I can totally see where everyone's coming from. I really can.

 

Because let's face it, there have definitely been better adaptations of Snow White.

 

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.

 

Tome Thursday: A Wingless Hope

 

Hello everyone!

 

And if you're tempted to start singing and dancing the conga ... be my guest.

 

There aren't really any toads along for this one BUT, that doesn't mean we can't have fun, eh?

 

In any event, I picked the book off BookSirens, like I do with so many of my other choices, naturally.

 

Why?

 

Well, because it was a Thumbelina re-telling, of course!

 

I'm a sucker for Thumbelina. It's a lovely tale and it's been adapted into probably one of my favourite cartoons of all time, with just the right amount of comedy and romance to make it amazing.

 

So naturally, when I randomly stumbled over the copy of this book on BookSirens, I had to grab it.

 

Make sure to shake off all that fairy dust from your wings, then, as we take flight and learn all about secret heritage and family manipulation in A Wingless Hope!

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Sword in the Stone

 

"And the glorious reign of King Arthur was begun."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm taking it old school today.

 

And I'm talking very, VERY old school. 

Because I was feeling nostalgic this weekend what with some things going on in my family and at work, so I decided to sit down and watch something I haven't in a long while.

Turns out, it's even better nowadays when I can actually UNDERSTAND all the jokes that went right over my head when I was a child!

So without further ado, I'm just going to hop right into it.

Because, like they say in the movie itself, nothing ventured - nothing gained.

And we'll gain nothing whatsoever if we don't talk about The Sword in the Stone.

Talkie Tuesday: The Litte Mermaid

 

"Don't be held back by what you think SHOULD be. Think only of what IS."

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the land under the sea!

 

Well, the kingdom, empire, whatever you'd like to call it, I suppose.

 

In any event, welcome to me FINALLY catching up on the current trends and sitting down so that I could watch the latest Disney live action re-imagining of a beloved fairytale. 

 

It feels like this is going to be the newest trend for the company giant, although they do periodically release original, animated (and live action) pieces. Yes, I'm looking at you, Wish.

 

Which, I still need to watch as well, right after the Marvel movies.

 

But I'm getting off-track here.

 

Live action movies have a tendency to either go really well, or really wrong, and I feel like tonight's choice is actually really well done, in compare and contrast with some of the others.

 

So flip your fins and let's go follow the siren song of The Little Mermaid.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Last Unicorn

 

"You have all the power you need if you dared to look for it."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Well, you probably knew we were going to keep on keeping on with the animated series here on the blog for the last movie review this month.

 

Next week we return to the realm of The Witcher, if I manage to binge over the weekend BUT, that said and done, we have to have a little romp down Man's road for a bit.

 

Yeah, see, I really love these oldies. They make me cry at times, but they're the best.

 

And I remember watching this one when I was super too little to understand much at all, so here I am, re-watching it again and understanding things a heck of a lot more now than I ever did as a little girl.

 

I also want to read the book now, too. Of course all the best stuff is based off books!

 

So without further ado, let's hop right into it.

 

Let's look into the sky where through through the clouds a path is torn, look and see her how she sparkles: it's The Last Unicorn.**

Talkie Tuesday: Thumbelina

 

"Always follow your heart."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back again and we continue on the old animated cartoons vibe, because why not, am I right?

 

Honestly, I'm convinced half the reason why Disney keeps making live action versions of their animated material is because they can't come up with anything new or exciting.

 

The nineties were the way to go for animation, if you ask me (not counting the OGs that started while Walt Disney was actually alive and thriving, at that).

 

So tonight we go with another fairy tale retelling, though this one I think has a lot in common with Pinocchio if you think about it, which I'll be doing towards the end of the review, as it struck me while I was watching the cartoon.

 

First, however, we kinda have to actually figure out what the cartoon is all about, am I right?

 

So get the popcorn ready, get your Kleenex for the feels, and double check there aren't any moles running around without a care in the world.

 

Thumbelina's up next.

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Swan Princess

 

"For longer than forever."

 

Hello everyone!

 

It's time to sit down for another review, and man do I have a fun one for you tonight.

 

I've fallen into a bit of a movie hole and am retracing my steps to some of the older ones that I loved, LOVED growing up.

 

Loved so much, in fact, that I might have worn out the VHS tapes we have them on.

 

Honestly, some movies just stick with you like that, is what I'm going to say.

 

Tonight's choice is exactly like it, because unlike modern interpretations that always have to have some sort of twist or whatever to them, this one follows the story pretty closely and doesn't try to be anything new or exciting.

 

Other than infusing it with humour where it can.

 

So make sure you have some snacks ready to feed angry swans, because they're vicious when provoked. The Swan Princess sails onto your screens, right now!

 

Tome Thursday: Alluring in Autumn

 

Hello everyone!

 

I almost forgot about the blog today. Oops.

 

I've been so busy trying to keep up with everything that's suddenly popped up now that spring's officially here that it's actually laughable how much I manage to forget, even though I make detailed lists.

 

At this point, my lists have lists!

 

But anyway.

 

Tonight's blog post is another fairy tale re-telling, which I went through a period of devouring everything I could possibly get my hands on for a bit.

 

I will say that I never really branched out too far from the popular favourites, however, so The Ugly Duckling is a story I recall only vaguely, and I kind of had to immerse myself in it again to fully be able to understand some of the nuances of this story. 

It's not necessary, however, that's just me being pedantic. This book can very well be read on its own! So why don't we have a look at it?

Alluring in Autumn - me wildly missing the seasons here - is up next.

Talkie Tuesday: The Witcher

 

 "Destiny alone isn't sufficient." 

Hello everyone!

Hopefully you've enjoyed catching up on things now that the new year is well and truly underway.

And of course, we mustn't forget the fact that there were quite a few shows that debuted right at the tail end of 2021 which haven't had spotlit here yet.

I had loads of fun talking about The Wheel of Time last week, but in doing so I needed to push back one other that I literally devoured within three or four days.

See, with WoT, I took my time and I allowed for breaks and whatnot; I didn't take any of that for the second.

I even took a break from EVERYTHING ELSE I was watching just to make sure I was all caught up and had gone through it all!

So without further ado, toss a coin if you can, aye? The Witcher season two is here.

Talkie Tuesday: Mirror Mirror

 

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" 

Hello everyone!

You didn't think I'd leave you hanging and not review the second Snow White-themed movie that released at around the same time (or at least the same year) as Snow White and the Huntsman, did you?

Of course not.

I remember thinking at that time that it was a bold choice to have both movies in that same time frame, especially given the fact that it was such a competition back then, and still is, but it looks as though people may have learned from that by now and stuff like it doesn't happen anymore.

Or maybe I just haven't noticed it, which could also be the case.

In any event, I'm getting wildly off-track here.

For this week, we continue on with our Snow White extravaganza, because there is no escaping the magic mirror and Evil Queens who can't bear to have anyone be more beautiful than they are.

The very aptly titled Mirror Mirror is up next!

Talkie Tuesday: Snow White and the Huntsman

 

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

 

Hello everyone!

 

I seem to be swimming in older movies recently, as tonight's pick is almost ten years old. 

Sometimes you just have to circle back and find things that you thought you didn't enjoy, watch them again, and then make a decision about it.

I think the only sin this movie would be guilty of is the fact that it was released around the same time as another on the same topic, Mirror Mirror, and of the two it seemed that the latter one knew what it wanted to be and to do, whereas this one was kind of stuck in between genres.

That said though, it isn't as bad as everyone made it sound at the time, and even my own personal opinion changed while I watched it.

There really are some things which you look at differently over time, after all, and I think time has actually helped this one a lot.

Time is a magical thing like that.

Snow White and the Huntsman is probably the biggest example of it.

The Last Wish (Booktober)

 

"People like to invent monsters and monstrosities. 

Then they seem less monstrous themselves."

 

 

Alright so I COULD have included the entire series in here and just went 'oh read The Witcher' books, but here's the thing: unlike some others, Andrzej Sapkowski's work is a bit of an acquired taste so I suggest you start with what chronologically seems to be the first, which is The Last Wish. After you've finished that, you can decide whether or not you'd like to follow Geralt's adventures further, and trust me, you'll have to make your own decision for sure, as the fandom is definitely split, especially now that there's a television show thrown in the mix. But overall, if you like a darker interpretation of fairytales and want to imagine Henry Cavill traipsing around the countryside dealing with problems, this is the book for you!

 

 

 

Geralt the Witcher—revered and hated—is a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good ... and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth ...

(from Goodreads)

 

xx

*image not mine

 

The Inheritance Cycle (Booktober)

His Dark Materials (Booktober)

The White Queen (Booktober)

The Thorn Birds (Booktober)

The Bourbon Kings (Booktober)

Cop of the Year (Booktober)

Nefertiti (Booktober)

Timeline (Booktober)

The Murder at the Vicarage (Booktober)

Persuasion (Booktober)

The Longest Ride (Booktober)

Midnight Sun (Booktober)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Booktober)

The Chronicles of Narnia (Booktober)

Atlantis (Booktober)

Origin (Booktober)

Quo Vadis (Booktober)

Death on the Nile (Booktober)

The Little White Horse (Booktober)

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Booktober)

 

"A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds,

And see the world in endless sleep; the hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap.

A single choice shall end his days - Olympus to preserve or raze ..."

 

 

Who could be more iconic than the boy who's half-god, half-mortal, but all hero? Coincidentally, Rick Riordan just wrapped up his Greeco-Roman series of books this month after fifteen years, but this still remains a quintessential - and funny! - read. Join Percy Jackson as he learns about his divine parentage, battles monsters and faces impossible odds, all to save the people he loves. Oh and he might die before his sixteenth birthday. No pressure!

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea, and that time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

(from Goodreads)

xx

*image not mine

The Chronicles of Narnia (Booktober)

Atlantis (Booktober)

Origin (Booktober)

Quo Vadis (Booktober)

Death on the Nile (Booktober)

The Little White Horse (Booktober)

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

The Little White Horse (Booktober)

 

"He is lost and gone and now I do not know

 If it was a little white horse that I saw,

 Or only a moonbeam astray in the silver night."

 

 

 

No fall reading list can ever be complete without something along the likes of this. A hidden valley somewhere in England; an old family mystery; and a little girl with a fierce belief in the good of this world, searching for the unicorn that will make everything right again. Elizabeth Goudge created a timeless classic with her Little White Horse fairytale, one that adults and children alike reach for on the daily. Even I do, and often, when the mists dance through my own home valley. Because who knows - maybe you'll be the one to see the little white horse, standing proudly and beckoning!

 

 

 

 

In 1842, thirteen-year-old orphan Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, her family's ancestral home in an charmed village in England's West Country, and she feels as if she’s entered Paradise. But the enchanted valley of Moonacre is shadowed by a tragedy that happened years ago, and the memory of the Moon Princess and the mysterious little white horse. Determined to restore peace and happiness to the whole of Moonacre Valley, Maria finds herself involved with an ancient feud, and she discovers it is her destiny to end it and right the wrongs of her ancestors. But what can one solitary girl do? 

(from Goodreads)

xx

*image not mine

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

Tome Thursday: Untouched

Hello everyone!

It's time for the weekly book review, and this week I was once again lucky that one of my favourite authors released another novella from her Fairy Tale Wedding series.

Noelle Adams has quickly found her way back to my regular reading list, and as I've already done a review on Unguarded, I figured I might as well do myself (and my OCD) a favour and continue along the trend which would enable me to have the entire trilogy on here once it was out and about.

So like I've already mentioned elsewhere on this blog, Ms Adams is one of my go-tos when I'm feeling down or in need of some old-fashioned happily ever after with reasonable characters.

You know the feeling, right? When all you want to do is immerse yourself in someone else's life through a book but end up dissecting it instead because they come off as just SO unrealistic that it's impossible?

Yeah, that's usually me. Not so with Untouched, however.

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.