What I'm Loving Right Now

It's been a while since I've done one of these roundups.

I might try and make them a monthly thing next year so it seems a bit more consistent round here.

But, we'll see how that goes!

Also, in my last post I said I'd go over my week at home before realising there's not that much to go over, just a few photos to share which are in this post.

Anyways, here's what I'm loving right now:

1) Re-reading the Harry Potter series - mateeeeeeee, I love these books. I've been meaning to re-read them for some time of late but have just had so many other books piling up in my room that I felt it was stupid to re-read something that's, obviously, already been read. I stopped caring though. Fantastic Beasts has just come out, it's almost Christmas and there's just something about these magical books that are all Christmassy for me. LOVE IT.

2) Selection of movies on at the moment at the cinema - Apart from the annoying fact they moved Underworld: Blood War to FEBRUARY, God damn it, I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing Bad Santa 2, Fantastic Beasts, Allied and Sully.

3) Nearly finished all my Christmas shopping - I am usually pretty organised but last year (I don't know why) was awful. I mean I didn't buy my step-dad's presents until August, August ffs. Granted I wasn't seeing him til late August, but still. I just have three or four more people left to buy for and then I just need to wrap everything and write my cards and hey ho I'm done.

4) Have passed four years with Adeel and starting to plan more things for the future - I'm hesitant to say anything really because every time I do it doesn't happen, but we might have actually mentioned about three holidays next year and I AM SO EXCITED. I have been dying to go away and nothing has fallen into place so I've been awfully grumpy. These past four years have also been the best and I can't wait to spend many more years to come with the love of my life.

5) Even though I feel like I've had a bit of a shit couple of months, I'm really appreciating my friends and family right now, Adeel as well  - I don't know what's going on at the moment with everything, with me, my bladdy hormones flying everywhere. But I am so angry all of the damn time, I've cried a lot, and I'm just plain aggravated at the slightest thing. I've felt awfully alone and considering I'm in a houseshare in London, I really shouldn't feel that way. But I've met up and chatted deeply with my close friends and family so am feeling a bit happier now.

6) Eating healthier and running consistently still (ish) - Okay, so as I write this I may have just demolished a dominoes pizza and cookies and I may have also had a chinese a few days ago and not eaten much fruit this week or ran so far this week, but hellooo it's my week off. I've started alternating having sandwiches for lunch with salads (made by me, not those pre-made ones doused in dressing) at work and I'm trying to eat three or four fruits also a day, as well as having pretty healthy dinners and not eating as much sugar as normal. AND even though it's winter, we're still running about twice a week around other things that crop up. So, sort of doing well, aha.

7) Writing is really coming along - As in I literally only have a few more chapters to write up from my first draft and then I can just get cracking on editing and adding extra scenes in that I may have missed in my haste the first time. And then it's just trying to get published. Oh God...

8) I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! - I missed last years show due to being in Dubai for two weeks at the end of November and I was gutted. This is the one show out of X-Factor, Strictly, Britain's Got Talent that I genuinely love. The others I can do without (in fact I do without most of them), but there's just something about watching celebs suffer out of their usual environment that's so entertaining!

Finding Dory

Image from Pinterest

So, this past week I've had off work which has been nice (hence the missed post on Wednesday, my bad).

I intended to go to Ireland for the week but decided to postpone it until the Spring due to a whole host of reasons.

Instead, I went home for a few days and saw a friend and my grandparents.

Walking my dog each morning amongst the blanket of golden leaves and the crisp blue skies was also well and truly needed.

But more on that in a later post, I have a handful of beautiful autumnal photos I would love to share.

This post, though, is about Finding Dory.

The first few minutes literally had me in tears. Adeel turned to me in the dark cinema and broke his heart-shaped hands in two. I couldn't help but laugh. How can five minutes into a Pixar film bring up so much emotion?

Like with Bridget Jones's Baby, I was worried this would let the first instalment down.

It did anything but that.

It was a fun, fast-paced tearjerker of an adventure pulling on every heartstring possible.

I loved how it managed to touch on some really sensitive subjects without getting to complicated to confuse children.

The new characters - a grumpy octopus named Hank, a whale shark named Destiny and a beluga whale named Bailey - were a lovely addition, adding humour and friendship into the mix.

Nemo and Marlin were great again reprising their former roles.

But a special mention to Ellen DeGeneres needs to be given because she really is amazing. She gives so much character to her regal blue tang, you can't help but be swept into Dory's search for her long lost parents.

The plot was a simple one, but definitely didn't fail to entertain.

It was a sweet and easy watch, one great for adults and children alike.

---

Rating:
★★★★★

Bridget Jones's Baby

Image from Pinterest

I was so so so nervous about seeing this, being super worried it would let the other two down, but my God was it good.

I was obviously disappointed from the first reports of this being made to a film that Hugh Grant would not be reprising his role as Daniel Cleaver. But then again, the screenwriters/producer found a way of including him anyway which was a fairly amusing way to start and finish the film!

It also took me a surprisingly short time to warm up to Patrick Dempsey's character. Although, is it just me or was his voice a tad off putting? It's like David Beckham all over again, attractive man, weird voice.

I loved the subtle modern updates that were added, especially the new choice of music at the beginning to replace Celine Dion's All By Myself. 

Renee Zelleweger obviously needs a mention as, yet again, her Bridget is flawless and hilarious and so relatable it's unreal. I know people were dubious about the way she'd look considering the amount of surgery she'd had, but honestly I barely noticed it at all. It's also still so surprising that that's not her actual accent!

Colin Firth's character was a little depressing this time. Given that poor Mark Darcy had been through a lot but still. I was rooting for him throughout as a loyal Bridget Jones fan, but the plot definitely had you wondering who she would end up with, if either.

The plot was great. It was funny and sweet and sad and grown up but also childish. Bridget's trusty three companions made their amusing if brief appearances, as did her nutty parents.

I couldn't recommend this film more to be honest. I can't wait to watch all three in a row over Christmas.

Loved it!

---

Rating: ★★★★★

Thoughts On Being Stubborn

What is the point in being stubborn?

I mean does it really do anyone any good?

adjective

• having or showing dogged determination not to change one's attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good reasons to do so
• difficult to move, remove, or cure

I've tried a lot in the past few months to not be as stubborn as I know I have been, but there are just some weeks that, no matter what, I will be horrifically difficult, so much so that I'm only causing myself problems in the process.

So why are we stubborn?

I find that, for me, being stubborn is actually resisting what I really want to do in my heart. But going against what I want to do is somehow showing that I'm strong, I don't depend on people, or that I've simply given up feeling like I do when I'm not being stubborn.

I have a feeling none of this is making even the slightest bit of sense.

But, for instance, of late I feel a lot like if people want to remain friends then they should contact me first for a change because I always seem to be the one to initiate. But then, should you really think like that if you want to remain friends with them?

One case of this is the fact that someone recently sort of is not in my life so much anymore and they haven't said a word since, yet they've contacted others. I mean maybe the others contacted them first and I'm just overthinking it, but I feel like they don't consider me a friend when I felt like we clearly were for the past year, so I don't know.

The other case is with Adeel. If he annoys me or I'm not getting enough of his attention I tend to be short with him to show that I'm annoyed instead of just telling him what's wrong. And then he gets annoyed and so on. It's stupid. I'm stupid.

I end up arguing with myself back and forth for weeks sometimes about whether or not I should quit being so stubborn and just own up to my mistakes or initiate the conversation.

And a lot of the time I do, but there's this one situation where I just haven't given in yet and I can't bring myself to change my mind otherwise.

Basically being stubborn does you no good in the long run and you should focus on trying to be a better person instead of hoping others will change.

At the end of the day if you're the nicest person you can be then it doesn't matter how others treat you because you've done all you can.

Sorry for the weird rant this week.

The Wise Man's Fear

By Patrick Rothfuss.

Narrated by Rupert Degas.

Image From Goodreads

[Sequel to the extraordinary THE NAME OF THE WIND, THE 

WISE MAN'S FEAR is the second instalment of this superb

fantasy trilogy from Patrick Rothfuss. This is the most exciting 

fantasy series since George R. R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND

FIRE, a must-read for all fans of HBO's GAME OF THRONES.

Picking up the tale of Kvothe Kingkiller once again, we follow

him into exile, into political intrigue, courtship, adventure, love

and magic... and further along the path that has turned Kvothe,

the mightiest magician of his age, a legend in his own time, into

Kote, the unassuming pub landlord.

Packed with as much magic, adventure and home-grown drama

as THE NAME OF THE WIND, this is a sequel in every way the

equal to its predecessor and a must-read for all fantasy fans.

Readable, engaging and gripping THE WISE MAN'S FEAR is the

biggest and the best new fantasy novel out there.]

I have a tonne of reviews to write up, so bear with me if there's not many lifestyle posts around!

I am falling more and more in love with these books. Patrick Rothfuss' writing is absolutely a-ma-zing.

There was a lot more action in this one compared to the first one, but, still, even the everyday mundane activities the book covered or the slower moments were made to be interesting yet again. 

I don't know how he does it. There's just something about the way that he writes that makes me feel so engaged, I love it. I could only ever hope to write to near his standard someday.

I still think Kvothe is a brilliant character. It was great to see him break away from the University for a bit, although this then lead to a lack of Sim and Will, but the new characters along his journey were also great. I especially enjoyed Kvothe's interactions with Tempi.

The villains were amplified upping the stakes a great deal. It was great to start off with his university rival again and then to progress onto darker, more powerful enemies on his travels.

I found the Fae aspect very interesting indeed. It shows the good and bad in people, no one is wholly good or bad but a mixture of both.

The fleeting on-off romance with Denna was both lovely and frustrating. You root for them so much but then a lot of things do end up getting in the way.

The twist at the end I did not see coming (and still am trying to understand if it was a twist or me just reading it the wrong way!), but I cannot wait for book three!! He needs to hurry up and finish writing it.

✌︎

The Legend of Tarzan

Image from Pinterest

I really need to start writing these film reviews up within a week of watching them even if I don't post them straight away 'cause I can barely remember any details, just my overall feeling towards them!

I know I was hesitant about this film because I adore the Disney version of Tarzan so much (in fact, I'd go as far to say it is my favourite Disney film full stop).

But I thought it had the potential to be good considering the cast, i.e. Alexander Skarsgard and Margot Robbie.

But unfortunately, for me, this film didn't live up to the high standards I have from the Disney version or to any other films those two actors have been in before.

I thought it was very slow-paced and I found myself trying to fight off sleep which is unusual for me because I have a weird habit of once I've started something, I need to finish it no matter how bad it is.

I'm not saying it's a bad film, it just didn't have that much impact on me.

I enjoyed the way it was shot, the cinematography was beautiful. It did a wonderful job of portraying the century it was based in as well as the conflict between the culture of the Congo tribes and Victorian London.

Christoph Waltz, as always, did a fantastic job as the villain. I know he seems to have been typecast into the villains role, but it is for good reason as he does it so well.

I can't really remember Margot Robbie making much of an impact on me in this film except for her obvious beauty, that was all.

And Alexander Skarsgard, well, I loved him in True Blood, but I felt he was a little flat in this. Plus, is it just me or was he paler as Tarzan than he was when he was playing a vampire? Weird.

---

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

✌︎

The Infernal Devices: Book 2, Clockwork Prince

By Cassandra Clare.

So, everything seems to be falling apart in this house all at once. 

One of the hobs wouldn't turn off and because it's gas we had to turn the gas off completely so we had no hot water, heating or use of the cooker for one day. (The following day I pulled the dial off of the faulty one and straightened the metal piping so we could turn the gas back on without the worry of any gas leaking out. Sigh). 

The shower also decided all of a sudden, that within a minute of turning it on the whole bathroom would flood. So every morning I've been ramming towels into the gaps beneath the bath in some sort of vain hope that it would soak the worst of the waters up and mopping up the rest. 

After. every. damn. shower. 

Oh, and the mouse is back. That little critter made it's first appearance since the weather turned cooler so I couldn't sleep at all that night. Wonderful.

[In the magical underworld of Victorian London,
Tessa Gray finds her heart drawn more and more
to Jem, while her longing for Will continues
to unsettle her. Could finding the Magister free
Will from his secrest and give Tessa the answers
to who she is and what she was born to do?]

I absolutely adored this book.

I don't know whether when I read the first one I was getting slightly bored by the samey-samey plots/characters/love triangles/YA in general. But this one sure changed my mind.

The development of characters and plot lines was brilliant. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters more in-depth, especially Will and the Lightwood family.

I have to say, love triangles are annoying in most cases, but this one had me hooked! I can't figure out who I want Tessa to end up with. Jem is so caring and sweet, but Will is all bright eyes, sarcasm and charm. I was definitely surprised by the turn in events towards the end!

I'm still loving the era as well, it feels so authentic and interesting. Clare must've done so much research for her characters to have all the correct mannerisms and to describe London so well!

The mechanical creatures weren't in this one as much, nor the main villain (just mentioned), but the overall drama within a number of different families, revelations and lust was enough to satisfy me.

I really really can't wait to read the last one. I'm enjoying these more than The Mortal Instruments series!



✌︎