Last Week's Shenanigans (5th September - 11th September)...

Unlike last week's post, this is going to be relatively short because not an awful lot happened last week. In fact, I mostly worked! On Monday, George came and visited again, which was a lot of fun and we all went to another Board Game night meet up (I'm really starting to enjoy these a lot) so that turned out to be a lovely day off. Mat and I have also now purchased one for ourselves called Tales Of Arabian Nights which Mat and I played with George and Tash before Board Game night to test it out! It was so much fun and I highly recommend it!

As I said, the rest of the week I worked except Saturday, as due to a number of staff holidays and Eid al-Adha, my rota got a little shifted around. So I had that day off! I chose to relax for most of it, though I had a few chores to do and in the middle of the afternoon I made a quick trip to Stratford and met Mat for his lunch. All in all, while a pretty work-filled week, it's not been too bad. And I am really pleased with my reading progress so far this month!

I Read...

I Received...

- 'Dark Tide' by Jennifer Donnelly: Bought On Amazon (10/09/16)
- 'The Lie Tree' by Frances Hardinge: Bought On Amazon (10/09/16)
- 'One' by Sarah Crossan: Bought On Amazon (10/09/16)
- 'Silence Is Goldfish' by Annabel Pitcher: Approved by Netgalley (10/09/16)

Memes:

Top Ten Tuesday: TV Shows I'm Currently Watching/Really Want To Get Into

Book Review: Harry Potter & The Cursed Child; J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany.

I've been waiting a pretty long time to get to see this play, and I made a mistake in buying this book before I got to because it stared at me tauntingly from the shelf the entire time. Now that I have both seen and read it though, it's time to address the bout of mixed reviews that surround it. Also, this book is going to be an entry for the Monthly Motif challenge!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Hardcover

TITLE: Harry Potter & The Cursed Child
AUTHOR: J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany
SERIES: Harry Potter (#8)
PUBLISHER: Arthur A. Levine Books
PAGES: 327
GENRE: Fantasy, Play, Young Adult

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

What I Liked:

• I really liked the character development. I know that a few people have had a hard time watching the characters they know and love change, but for me it was refreshing and honest. Of course they've changed! They aren't children anymore! Harry went through a lot of trauma so I can completely understand why he grew up the way he was: awkward and unable to bond emotionally with a son who has a big legacy to fill. He himself didn't have much in the way of Father figures after all! Hermione has become a bit of a workaholic, as you can imagine, while Ron has settled down nicely into being a good Dad and running Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Even Malfoy received a bit of a makeover, and I really liked the attention they gave to his story.
• The new characters were also really well crafted. Especially Scorpius Malfoy, who is every bit as loveable on stage as he is on the page. I love his quirky, geeky desperation to prove himself and he was without a doubt my favourite character of the entire thing. Rose-Granger Weasley might have disappointed some people by being so bigoted, but I think she acts exactly how I imagine an eleven year old to act who has grown up on tales of her heroic parents and the 'evil' Malfoys. Albus was a little harder to love, but he was complicated and I loved that about him above all else. Delphi too, and the revelations about her past were pretty shocking.
• The story-line, the world-building, when it comes to my own experiences of seeing it on stage, fall under the same category. They really did a fantastic job of taking every single one of those stage directions and making it happen (or even improving upon it and making it more magical). Speaking of the magic, that was easily the best part of the entire show and I'm grateful for that. I was so scared that they wouldn't be able to do a lot of it properly, but of course I underestimated the behind the scenes creativity and it really gave the whole thing an extra lift that those just reading from the script probably wouldn't have got.

What I Disliked:

• Sadly, despite loving this creation, there are a few plot holes that forced me to lower it's rating. Firstly this was always going to be a problem with a plot that almost solely relies on the presence of time-turners, but there were one or two aspects to the story that didn't quite add up for me. Delphi's heritage for example, and the time that it is supposed to have taken place. It makes no sense and I can totally, for that reason alone, see why people are labelling this play as 'fan-fiction' because it sounds like the kind of road a fan could take the story. Secondly, the rumours surrounding Scorpius Malfoy literally come from nowhere so I don't fully understand that. Also, the Cedric Diggory thing was just stretching it a little too far for me. Sorry.

Overall Conclusion:

All in all, I adored this play, especially the watching it part, but I can see why people have problems with it. In order to fully appreciate it, you definitely have to go and see it or at least be able to get your head around script formatting so that you can fully envisage the potential it has when being performed. While I have experienced both, others will have done neither of them, making their job significantly harder and that is why it's received so many bad reviews. All I can say is that the magic is excellent, the characters real and fresh, and the world-building as fun as I remember the original stories. It's just a shame that plot-wise, despite all the amazing twists and turns, the gaping holes just don't cut it for some people and it does have a real 'fan-fiction' aura about it.

Top Ten Tuesday: My picks for 'TV Shows I'm Currently Watching/Really Want To Get Into'.

TV Shows are kind of a recent thing for me. Obviously I've been watching them since I was a kid, but what I mean is really getting into and following TV Shows has only been something I've been doing for the last few years. I already did a post at some point this year about the Reasons I Love Game Of Thrones/Once Upon A Time, two of my favourite shows of all time. But seeing as I'm updated on those two, how about the shows that I'm currently getting through? What about shows I want to start watching?

Currently Watching...

1) Pokemon.

Where I Am: Season 2 (Adventures In The Orange Island)

What can I say? Playing Pokemon Go has rekindled my adoration for this series, and everything it represents in my childhood! I always remember Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2 of course, but honestly I'm excited to be getting beyond that because I never got to watch the later seasons! Mat and I are having so much fun remembering all the running gags and long-standing memes that relate to the series, and we're going to be watching it for a long time to come! I can't wait!

2) Agents Of SHIELD.

Where I Am: Season 2

I've been looking forward to getting back into this series again and Mat and I managed to watch episode one of Season 2 only yesterday! It feels like we watched Season 1 so long ago, but with everything that happened in it, there was no way we wouldn't come back to it. Above everything, I've missed Fitz and Simmons, so I'm hoping to see more of them in Season 2! I've heard really great things about the later story-lines, and while it took us a few episodes to fully immerse ourselves in the action, Mat and I are 100% fully invested in the show now! There's no going back!

3) Agent Carter.

Where I Am: Season 2

Another Marvel series  know, but right after watching Season 1 of Agents Of Shield, this was top of the priority list. Having watched the first season now, I'm really holding out for Season 2 being great and devastated to know that they've cancelled it! How could they do such a thing?! Peggy Carter was such a great female role model, and I adored watching he totally kick ass despite the sexist attitudes of her time period. I really hope that someone changes their mind and the series is rebooted again. I'll still be watching Season 2!

4) Arrow.

Where I Am: Season 1

This feels like a long abandoned watch of Mat and I's, as we are only part way through Season 1, but I still have hopes that we'll get back into this series at some point. As you can see, we are both big fans of Superhero shows, so this should have been top of the list (especially as The Flash and Supergirl are also in our sights for the future. I've always been a much bigger fan of Marvel than DC, but was a little surprised to find that this watch simply didn't blow us away in the way that we expected it to. I'm hopeful that when we get back into it again, we'll be doing so with a fresher eye and can fully immerse ourselves in the story.

5) The Great British Bake Off.

Where I Am: Season 7

Anyone who says this doesn't count is wrong. In Britain, this show is pretty much a staple watch, and must be viewed with a cup of tea, biscuits and a lot of commentary. Seriously, the show premise might sound a little dull, but in all honesty it's one of the tensest competitions I've ever watched! Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood are pretty much worshipped by some of my closest friends and anyone who likes competition but is getting bored of Big Brother, The X Factor or even Masterchef might appreciate this. 

Want To Watch...

1) Stranger Things.

This series looks so good! It keeps coming up on my Netflix suggestions and I'm desperate to get invested in a series that's a little different from others that I've watched! A lot of people have recommended it to me as well so I plan at some point, when I have time on my hands, to get into it!

2) American Horror Story.

I did actually used to watch this series with my sister a long time back, then when I moved away we lost track of it and had to put it to one side. While a little creepy and a lot weird, I actually really enjoyed it so am keen to give it another go. I like scary things, and this definitely fell into that category!

3) Supernatural.

Another series that I've lost track of, I used to watch this with my housemates and we actually all got to Season 5! Sadly, exams, work and all sorts of other stresses meant that we spent less time together as a group and we ended up abandoning it. Mat and I are going to try again (probably starting from Season 1 again). Fingers crossed!

4) The 100.

I see GIFs of this show on Tumblr ALL THE TIME. I don't really know what it's about, other than it contains a major dose of Sci-Fi but it looks really good and I want to watch it at some point! Hopefully soon, but as you can see I have a lot of shows to get through and it seems to be a tough show to find outside of the USA!

5) Orphan Black.

Another weird one with a pinch of sci-fi, my old flatmate Meg got into this show and I watched a couple of episodes with her which I thoroughly enjoyed. Since then, it's been playing on my mind that I need to get back into this show properly in order to fully understand it.

Last Week's Shenanigans (29th August - 4th September)...

This week, for me, has been very mixed for a number of reasons. Monday was a really lovely day, mostly because I spent it with Mat doing a number of chores before heading out for a date afternoon to the shopping centre at Stratford. We bought so many new things for the flat, and I'm really pleased! My favourite buy was probably the two Woodwick Trilogy Candles we bought ready for Autumn. So exciting! Sadly, work didn't start out well because, when Tuesday came, I became very ill and had to take the next couple of days off to recover. I wasn't really able to do a whole lot more than rest because I was so tired due to a lack of sleep. 

Friday and Saturday I returned to work as normal before having my busiest day on Sunday. A day I've been looking forward to for a long time. I went to see...'Harry Potter & The Cursed Child'. Live. On stage. AHHHHH! Okay so first I had a terrible train journey, then a training session at work, followed by almost losing my purse by leaving it in Starbucks and having to run back and get it, but aside from that I had an amazing day! I've seen a lot of mixed reviews on Goodreads about the plot of 'the eighth book' and I can completely see why people are disappointed. At times there was a slight 'fan fiction' feel to the plot. But still, I loved it! And honestly, seeing it on stage is always going to be so much better than reading the script. Meg and I had a wonderful time and were totally blown away by the magic actually happening on stage right before our eyes.

Just. Wow.

I thoroughly recommend anyone who can get to see this to just go, no questions asked. You won't be disappointed!

I Read...

I Received...

--

Memes...

Top Ten Tuesday: Great Re-Imaginings Or Book Pairs For Classroom Classics

I Posted:

August Wrap-Up
Planned Reads For September
Bookish Bingo (September - November) Sign-Up Post

Book Review: The Gospel Of Loki; Joanne M. Harris.

I was very excited when Netgalley approved this title for me because I'm a pretty big fan of Loki's character (thanks of course to Hiddleston's portrayal in the Marvel Universe). The thing is, I think the Norse Myths are so rarely revisited by authors, and it's Gods have so much potential for a good retelling. My friend actually later bought be a copy of this book so I was pleased that she did because the cover is beautiful on my bookshelf! I will also enter this into the Monthly Motif challenge!

SOURCE: Gift (Also Netgalley)
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Gospel Of Loki
AUTHOR: Joanne M. Harris
SERIES: Runemarks (#0.5?)
PUBLISHER: Gollancz
PAGES: 302
GENRE: Fantasy, Retelling, Adult

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Loki, that’s me. 

Loki, the Light-Bringer, the misunderstood, the elusive, the handsome and modest hero of this particular tissue of lies. Take it with a pinch of salt, but it’s at least as true as the official version, and, dare I say it, more entertaining. So far, history, such as it is, has cast me in a rather unflattering role. Now it’s my turn to take the stage. 

With his notorious reputation for trickery and deception, and an ability to cause as many problems as he solves, Loki is a Norse god like no other. Demon-born, he is viewed with deepest suspicion by his fellow gods who will never accept him as one of their own and for this he vows to take his revenge. From his recruitment by Odin from the realm of Chaos, through his years as the go-to man of Asgard, to his fall from grace in the build-up to Ragnarok, this is the unofficial history of the world’s ultimate trickster.

What I Liked:

• There was actually a lot to like about this book generally. Firstly, our narrator Loki was predictably hilarious, and I'm really glad that Harris went down the comic route with him because a mopey, boring Loki would have irritated me a lot. While I was a little disappointed with some aspects of Loki and other characters (more on that later) Harris did pull out all the stops when it came to his sense of humour and turning him into a trickster, and she was consistent in her portrayal of his character.
• A lot of research went into this book. I wasn't blown away by Harris' writing, but she span a whole new light on a lot of Norse Myths, most of which I've heard of. This made this books a refreshing enough retelling, and considering there isn't a whole lot to work with when it comes to Norse legends, I think she did a pretty decent job!

What I Disliked:

• I'll start with the characters because they were probably my biggest disappointment. I came into this book wanting to feel depth in characterisation, but ended up not loving any of them (despite Loki's best comedic efforts). Most of the Gods/Goddesses were stupid, ill-tempered and very mean, Odin sat on the fence too much, and sadly Loki too missed the mark because I could pretty much see why everyone was so mad at him all the time. Sentences such as 'I never claimed to be father/husband/brother of the year' came up too frequently, providing no justification for Loki's actions and I got the vague sense that Loki himself didn't have a clue what he was doing or why other than base feelings of bitterness or jealousy. Not exactly endearing characteristics.
• Another reason why I never fully formed an attachment to the book's events or characters? The whole thing is just one long recap. Yes, they are interesting retellings of some rarely rewritten myths, but (a) I knew what was coming and didn't find myself caring a whole lot, and (b) the story, right up until the end, never finds itself in present tense. What happens to Loki after Ragnarok? Perhaps those questions are answered in book one of the 'Runemarks' series as this book is identified as being part of it. But the constant reminders that nothing will end well in the book sort of spoiled the sense of excitement and curiousity.
• I didn't enjoy the book's modern references and language. This book is of course a retelling and in a way it felt fresh because of the references to pop culture and a more modern lifestyle (though to be clear, it is still set in Ancient History). It was also funnier because of this, but in the end, the mixed time periods just didn't wash with me. This is probably more of a personal preference but it just felt a little confusing and maybe ever so slightly lazy.

Overall Conclusion:

This was a bold, humorous retelling of tales that are deeply ingrained into our understanding of history, and yet rarely retold at all. I remember learning about Greek Myths at school, but not so much about Norse Myths so it's nice to see a new take on such old stories. I liked the comedy and I did like Loki, though I really wanted to love him. Sadly the depth of character, plot and world-building I was after simply wasn't there and it left me feeling detached from beginning to predictable end. I hope to read more of the 'Runemarks' series in the future because I feel like a new story with some of these characters could be an interesting direction to take things.

Bookish Bingo (September 2016 - November 2016) Sign-Up Post

I like this challenge a lot, but sadly I didn't fare too well with the last card, only managing two lines when I know I could have done better. I'm determined to do a more satisfactory job with this next three moths, so let's see the card...

Man, just look how pretty it is! Wowee! I'm really loving some of the categories too, with some obvious autumnal, Halloween and Thanksgiving themes creeping in there. I'm looking forward to getting into this card and hopefully doing a lot better!

Planned Reads For September.

I didn't have an overly tough time picking this month's books. Sadly, I've had to let go a couple of the reads I wanted to get to last month and replace them (at least...temporarily) because I'm being stricter on myself to finish series that I start before going crazy with new books. Who knows, perhaps I'll do so well that I'll have time for those as well?

1. 'The Gospel Of Loki'; Joanne M. Harris. This book is taking me an absolute age to get through, despite it's short length. I'm well into it now though and enjoying it well enough, though wishing for something to really wow me. The cover is so pretty though and thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I have a bit of a soft spot for a Loki-like character.

1. 'Harry Potter & The Cursed Child' by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne. I am going to see this play on SUNDAY AND I AM SO EXCITED. So, seeing as I own the script but have kept away from it for a whole month, I'm getting to written version as soon as humanly possible. Providing that the play isn't disappointing of course. Please don't let it be bad. I will of course read it though I'll have already seen it, as I love reading play scripts after watching the performances anyway!
2. 'The Star-Touched Queen' by Roshani Chokshi. When I was browsing the 'most anticipated YA releases for 2016' lists on Goodreads, this book made it to the top of my most anticipated releases. I love mythology, but don't know much about that of India, so that aspect certainly appealed. I feel like I'll probably get some great 'One Thousand Nights' vibes from this, but most importantly I'm excited about the story itself. I watched a book trailer for this book, and it looks amazing. Here's hoping!
3. 'Dark Tide'; Jennifer Donnelly. Book three of the 'Waterfire Saga' and I have to say, I've been craving this series for a while. I never thought that mermaids were my thing, but as it turns out this is an enjoyable series, even if it is aimed at a slightly younger audience than myself. The last book left me on a multitude of cliffhangers and I'm eager to see what happens next. Also, yet another beautiful cover so this book gets a top vote from me already!
4. 'Fearless'; Tim Lott. This has been on my list for a long, long time. I've never got any closer to reading it because life and other books have got on the way, but I have vague memories of reading at east a part of it almost a decade ago, and really enjoying it! I can only hope that going back to it and reading it properly will be as good as I remember it to be, as I was a lot younger back then.
5. 'China Dolls'; Lisa See. So it's been a long time since I touched any of my Goodreads First Reads wins, but I felt it was finally time to actually get round to them again. I won a whole bunch back when I first joined Goodreads and read about half of them. This was one of them and it got pushed to the back of the pile for unknown reasons. I feel like it could potentially give me some 'Miss Saigon' or 'Madame Butterfly' vibes while reading, and while that musical absolutely broke my heart it's story was pretty good.
6. 'Memories Of Ash'; Intisar Khanani. Man, I am so excited for this book! I read 'Sunbolt a while back and enjoyed it so much despite it's short length. I feel like it could almost be a prequel novella, and yet had so much potential for a great series so now Khanani has written this book and it is much longer I am eager to get to it. I have consistently enjoyed Khanani's work, being a big fan of 'Thorn' too.