September Wrap Up 2018

This month was super busy but that was to be expected, I guess. I started the new college year and my timetable is not exactly favourable so I find myself with a lot less time to read, watch movies, blog and do my personally book writing so... I feel like I'll be a little lax lately with everything going on. But still, I didn't do too badly this month and hopefully I can keep the momentum going before college work drowns me in my sleep.

Books
Opposition (the Lux series #5)- Jennifer L. Armentrout (Re-read)
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I had to finish the final book of the Lux series because I was desperate to jump into the first book of the new spin off series, The Darkest Star, so I raced through this book with much excitement.

The Darkest Star (the Origin series #1)- Jennifer L. Armentrout (ARC)
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This book was everything I wanted and more. It literally made my year just to get an ARC of it and I was giggling and giddy through the whole thing. The Origin series is a spin off of the Lux series and these are some of my favourite books of all time. JLA writes amazing characters, action-packed plots and effortless humour. It's all too easy to love her books.
The Darkest Star Non-spoiler Review

Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn (Book of the Month)
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This was mine and Kaitlin's Book of the Month for September and I was mostly inclined to read it because I watched and loved the TV adaptation. It's such a sinister and intriguing story and the twists have you gasping out loud. Gillian Flynn has such a subtle and compelling writing style that I absolutely adore and maybe next time I should try and read the book before jumping into the adaptations.
Sharp Objects Book Talk
Sharp Objects TV Talk

September Book Haul 2018

I did pretty well this month and managed to restrain myself from buying too many of the new releases from this month. There's hope for my bank account yet...

Books
Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn
Ever since watching the HBO mini-series, I've been itching to read the book and see the differences of the story. This is such a captivating story with so much darkness, mystery and intrigue and I just had to add it to my collection. I consciously chose to pick up the adaptation cover rather than the original which is something I don't usually do but this cover is gorgeous!! The original is pretty plain and boring where the TV version is so creepy and aesthetically pleasing so I just threw aside my principles this one time and bought it. It also works well as I have the movie cover of Gone Girl as well so, I think it'll be a tradition for me to always watch the adaptation versions of Flynn's books first as well as buying the adaptation cover.



Catwoman: Soulstealer- Sarah J. Maas
I feel the need to start off by saying that I'm 100% a Marvel fan and never want myself to be tainted by DC. However, I picked up this book, not for the superhero, but for the author because I have an undying loyalty to Sarah J. Maas. I don't have super high expectations of this book because I think it'll be a little weird reading a SJM book that isn't high fantasy but, I have faith in her.

Game of Thrones 5x03 'High Sparrow' TV TALK

A lot of things came to light in this episode and I'm hooked! I can't wait to see how these plot lines work out and I'm really growing to love characters that I've mocked before.... character growth and all that jazz, eh?

TV TALKS:

Season 1:  1x01  |  1x02  |  1x03  |  1x04  |  1x05  |  1x06  |  1x07  |  1x08  |  1x09  |  1x10

Season 2:  2x01  |  2x02  |  2x03  |  2x04  |  2x05  |  2x06  |  2x07  |  2x08  |  2x09  |  2x10

Season 3:  3x01  |  3x02  |  3x03  |  3x04  |  3x05  |  3x06  |  3x07  |  3x08  |  3x09  |  3x10

Season 4:  4x01  |  4x02  |  4x03  |  4x04  |  4x05  |  4x06  |  4x07  |  4x08  |  4x09  |  4x10
Season 5:  5x01  |  5x02  |

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
In King's Landing, Margaery and Tommen finally marry and 'enjoy' each other. And in terms of marriage for Margaery...third time lucky, eh?
I love every time that Margaery and Cersei have a scene together- their interactions are fascinating! They never say what they really think and, while they're quite outwardly polite, every word has an undertone of a threat. It's compelling to watch.

Heathers MOVIE TALK

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Because I've recently become an absolute superfan of Heathers the musical, I had to watch the original movie, especially as I'm going to see the musical at the West End in October!!!
The movie, made all the way back in 1988, was utterly brilliant and had the lovely style of dark comedy that works so well for this story. If you've never seen or heard of Heathers, I'd describe it as Mean Girls with lots of death and psychopaths thrown into the mix. Because, why not?
I had so much fun picking up the similarities and differences between the movie and the musical and it's just an all-round entertaining film. I couldn't help but mentally identify where each song from the musical fit in but that made it even more fun.
Heathers Soundtrack Act 1 Review
Heathers Soundtrack Act 2 Review

TRAILER

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
I thought Winona Ryder played a brilliant Veronica. She had great comedic timing and gave Veronica the perfect kind of attitude. However, I will say that I prefer Musical Veronica because I think she has more compassion than Movie Veronica. I also found it interesting that, in the movie, we start with Veronica already being a Heather whereas the musical starts with Veronica being unpopular and then becoming a Heather. I think this may factor into why I prefer Musical Veronica because I can relate to her a whole lot more from the beginning.

Game of Thrones 5x02 'The House of Black and White' TV TALK

We're at the stage of the series where things are beginning to fit into place, schemes are being prepared to grow and build through the series until we have an epic showdown. Or something like that... and we definitely had a lot of surprises and exciting things happen in this episode.

TV TALKS:

Season 1:  1x01  |  1x02  |  1x03  |  1x04  |  1x05  |  1x06  |  1x07  |  1x08  |  1x09  |  1x10

Season 2:  2x01  |  2x02  |  2x03  |  2x04  |  2x05  |  2x06  |  2x07  |  2x08  |  2x09  |  2x10

Season 3:  3x01  |  3x02  |  3x03  |  3x04  |  3x05  |  3x06  |  3x07  |  3x08  |  3x09  |  3x10

Season 4:  4x01  |  4x02  |  4x03  |  4x04  |  4x05  |  4x06  |  4x07  |  4x08  |  4x09  |  4x10
Season 5:  5x01  |

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
As the episode title is dedicated to her journey, we'll start with Arya. She finally manages to find Jaqen H'ghar (or the human equivalent) and is allowed into the House of Black and White. And while most characters journey are to develop their character and plots are usually designed to help characters 'find themselves', we're doing the exact opposite with Arya- we essentially want her to become no one and lose Arya Stark completely.

Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn BOOK TALK

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I loved this book but I'm happy that I watched the TV show first. I preferred the TV show (which is practically sacrilegious, so I apologise) but I just think the story and the tension is so much better reflected on screen. But now I can say that the TV show was such a faithful adaptation! The entire plot was exactly the same and the majority of the scenes were perfectly translated word for word onto screen which was brilliant. 
This review may feel a little more like a comparison between the show and the book but it's something that I can't really avoid talking about having read the book after watching the show. But regardless, this is an epic story and I would definitely recommend it.
I will say there's a massive trigger warning with this book because it does involve many different topics that readers might find distressing eg. self-harm, graphic violence and suicide.
Sharp Objects TV TALK

GOODREADS

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
Starting with characters, I struggle to say that I like Camille but I think that's kind of the point. She's definitely an unreliable narrator but it's so easy to both sympathise with her and feel disappointed with her. What really puts me off her character is how much she drinks and takes drugs but I honestly think that's an issue the whole of Wind Gap has. Camille is extremely strong and goes through a lot which is brilliantly reflected in how flawed she is.

Writing Diary #16- I Love Editing???

I've never properly edited a manuscript before. Sure, I've written two first drafts in my life but the first one was so awful that I discarded it immediately (when you know, you just know). But, with my current first draft, I've been editing my heart out and have surprisingly found that I enjoy it!
At the moment I've been sticking to the major edits- big plot line issues, scenes that need to be changed or chunks of dialogue that need to be re-written. And I thought this would be a super painful process because looking back at your awful and sloppy work is always a bit of confidence beater. But I'm really enjoying taking scenes and improving them- it feels so rewarding! I love finishing a scene and knowing it's so much better than before.
I've also been able to expand plot points as I've gone along too. Re-reading the whole thing with such fresh and close eyes has also helped me come up with new things to add to the story and to make the plot a bit more complex and deep.

Game of Thrones 5x01 'The War to Come' TV TALK

Another day, another season, another mind-blowing plot!
This episode was a great start to the season and there are many things that I just can't wait to see grace my screen!
Each season gets better and better and, despite rising expectations, they still manage to surpass all of them.

TV TALKS:

Season 1:  1x01  |  1x02  |  1x03  |  1x04  |  1x05  |  1x06  |  1x07  |  1x08  |  1x09  |  1x10

Season 2:  2x01  |  2x02  |  2x03  |  2x04  |  2x05  |  2x06  |  2x07  |  2x08  |  2x09  |  2x10

Season 3:  3x01  |  3x02  |  3x03  |  3x04  |  3x05  |  3x06  |  3x07  |  3x08  |  3x09  |  3x10

Season 4:  4x01  |  4x02  |  4x03  |  4x04  |  4x05  |  4x06  |  4x07  |  4x08  |  4x09  |  4x10

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
Starting in Essos, we had Tyrion arriving in Pentos and.... immediately getting drunk (I knew there was a reason why I loved his character). He decides to go with Varys to Meereen to meet Daenerys and I'm so excited!!! Dany and Tyrion are my two favourite characters and they'd be such a formidable team- Khaleesi would be unstoppable with Tyrion's wisdom at her side.

Conquering Kingdoms BOOK TAG

I finished the Falling Kingdoms series earlier this year (it's astonishingly good- I'd recommend), so I decided to jump straight into a tag centred around it. The best thing about this tag is that it was created by the author, Morgan Rhodes, herself! (Let's face it, if I ever when I become an author, I'll make a whole dang tag for my book. No shame). Although the questions do naturally sound very promotion like.

Falling Kingdoms Book Talk
Rebel Spring Book Talk

1. In Mytica, there are constant betrayals and you can't trust anyone! Which book character would you trust to be your sidekick on this adventure?
Deacon St. Delphi- The Covenant and Titan series by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Deacon is the most trust-worthy character in the world- all I think when I read these books is that I want Deacon as a BFF. He's the most cheerful character you'll ever meet so would always keep me optimistic and... he's just the most adorable and precious person to ever exist. He'd never betray your trust and would be such a reliable companion.



2. You will come across many who want you dead in Mytica, so you need to be ready to fight. What kind of warrior are you?
I would say that I'm more of a classic Ravenclaw when it would come to any fights. Similar to characters like Cress (The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer), Claire (Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine) and Cleo (Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes), I would use my head over any physical attributes that I don't have. Maybe it's a girls-with-C-names thing...

The Darkest Star- Jennifer L. Armentrout Non-spoiler BOOK TALK

I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 
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I will totally be doing a spoiler Book Talk of this book as well once it's officially released but I loved it so much that I just have to talk about it now and release my pent up fangirl craziness. The Darkest Star is the first book in the Origin series and is a spin-off to the much beloved Lux series. The Darkest Star is officially released on the 31st October so you have plenty of time to catch up on these books. No excuses!!
Right... this is gonna be hard not to talk about spoilers but I'll push through it so be prepared for very vague opinions and a lot incoherent fangirling over Jennifer L. Armentrout. There's just something about JLA's books that turns me into a squealing, hand-flapping... seal, apparently.
If you've been on my blog for any period of time, you'll know that Jennifer L. Armentrout is my ultimate favourite author and has been for many many years. Every word I read of hers is flawless and I'm always seconds away from creating a religion around her work and claiming her the Goddess of Writing. If you like books with epic action, swoon-worthy romance and effortless humour that has you grinning through every page, please for the love of the Gods, pick up a JLA book. Trust me, you won't regret it.
As soon as I picked up The Darkest Star, I was in love... I'm that easily pleased. When reading JLA books, I get sort of giddy and giggly and this book was no different. I had this stupidly wide grin on my face and was giggling like an idiot whenever someone I knew was mentioned. Because this is a spin-off of the Lux series, there are a few nods to those books and characters and I lived for them!!

Game of Thrones 4x10 'The Children' TV TALK

The finale is upon us. This was one of my favourite episodes of the whole series and I'm told it only gets better from here so..... I'm super excited and frantically trying to predict a plot I will never guess. I liked seeing all the other characters again after last episode's focus on the Night's Watch. I also loved watching certain characters meet- it's so weird but awesome watching to separate storylines cross paths.

TV TALKS:

Season 1:  1x01  |  1x02  |  1x03  |  1x04  |  1x05  |  1x06  |  1x07  |  1x08  |  1x09  |  1x10

Season 2:  2x01  |  2x02  |  2x03  |  2x04  |  2x05  |  2x06  |  2x07  |  2x08  |  2x09  |  2x10

Season 3:  3x01  |  3x02  |  3x03  |  3x04  |  3x05  |  3x06  |  3x07  |  3x08  |  3x09  |  3x10

Season 4:  4x01  |  4x02  |  4x03  |  4x04  |  4x05  |  4x06  |  4x07  |  4x08  |  4x09

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
Starting with Jon Snow's suicide mission.... He goes to meet with Mance, claiming that he's there to negotiate and... Mance's deal is pretty fair- all the wildlings want to do is be safe south for winter. But Jon is the idiot that wants to refuse the offer and get himself killed.

Sharp Objects TV TALK

I'll start by admitting (okay, confessing...) that I haven't read Sharp Objects so had no idea what I was going into when starting this series. Well, I actually knew a little bit because I've read and watched Gone Girl which was written by the same author so I knew this show would be full of twists, disturbing situations and mystery. And that's exactly what I got.
The whole production of this show was stunning. The acting was flawless and the entire cinematography was beautiful in a creepy and eerie way that created the perfect aesthetic for the show.
Like many HBO shows (Westworld, Game of Thrones), Sharp Objects is definitely not a passive watch, and has satisfying complexity and detail within the story and characters.
I will say there's a massive trigger warning with this show because it does involve many different topics that viewers might find distressing eg. self-harm, graphic violence and suicide. 
Other than that, it's a fairly chipper show...

TRAILER

AMAZON

SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD- SPOILERS AHEAD
Honestly, I feel like I should judge the first six episodes and the last two separately because they're so different in terms of pace, excitement and intrigue.
The first six episodes really focused on discovering and exploring the characters and secrets within Wind Gap. For me, these initial episodes were a little confusing- especially when we kept cutting to flashbacks of Camille's past. I don't feel like much happened in these first episodes and my mind was a little scrambled as I tried to figure everything out.
And yet, for some reason, I just couldn't stop watching.

September Releases and TBR 2018

Why is September always such a busy month? College starts once more so, when I don't have the time to read, all these amazing books are coming out!!!!

RELEASES

Books
Wildcard (Warcross #2)- Marie Lu
Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3)- Kendare Blake
Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper #3)- Kerri Maniscalco
Sadie- Courtney Summers
And the Ocean was Our Sky- Patrick Ness
Imposters- Scott Westerfeld 
People Kill People- Ellen Hopkins



TBR
The Darkest Star- Jennifer L. Armentrout (ARC)
I got an ARC!!! Of my favourite author's new book!!! That comes out October 31st!!! So I can read it early!!! Honestly, I'm living the life right now, I can't express how happy I am. Thank you so much, Netgalley, for giving me my most anticipated release as an ARC. It's honestly made my year.

Sharp Objects- Gillian Flynn (Book of the Month)
I watched the TV show last month having never read the book (*slap wrist*) and I loved it! Sure the first few episodes were a little slow and confusing but, by the last couple of episodes, I was gasping and shouting at the TV. And that's a sure sign of a spectacular story. The plot twists came hard and fast by the last couple of episodes and I can't wait to read the book to see how it differs. Oddly enough, I also watched the movie Gone Girl before reading the book so obviously I have an issue with reading Gillian Flynn's books right off the bat.

Thanks for reading! What are you planning on reading this month? Feel free to comment your thoughts. Stay amazing!
Chloe