Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Synopsis: Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life.

Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible . . .

Pages: 445

Rating: 9/10

Overall: If you're a fangirl like me, it is hugely relatable. It made me nostalgic for the days when we were desperately waiting for the next Harry Potter book. A very relevant book right now.
Fangirl

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Hi there!

I know I've been missing in action on the blogging front. Kind of lost my groove with it, and had started to feel like I wasn't enjoying writing my little reviews, which in turn spoiled my enjoyment of the books themselves.

But I'm starting to feel the itch to write about the books I'm reading again so I'm vaguely back.

If you are still around, thanks for sticking around :)

Onwards and upwards!


Book Review: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Synopsis: When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. 

A war veteran, wounded both physically and psychologically, Strike's life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's complex world, the darker things get - and the closer he gets to terrible danger . . . 

A gripping, elegant mystery steeped in the atmosphere of London - from the hushed streets of Mayfair, to the backstreet pubs of the East End, to the bustle of Soho - The Cuckoo's Calling is a remarkable debut. Introducing Cormoran Strike, it is a classic crime novel unlike any other book you will read this year.

Pages: 449

Rating: 8/10

Overall: The Cuckoo's Calling has fascinating characters and a plot that keeps you guessing until the end. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for the sequel.
The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)

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Award Season Results: The 86th Academy Awards

So that was very entertaining. I vote that Ellen Degeneres always hosts these things from now on. Or Neil Patrick Harris.

Let's recap my predictions and see how they match up with what actually happened on the night.

Best Film
Prediction: 12 Years a Slave
Result: 12 Years a Slave
Nailed it!

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Prediction: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Result: Matthew McConaughey
Oops...

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Prediction: Cate Blanchett
Result: Cate Blanchett
Nailed it!

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Jared Leto
Result: Jared Leto
Nailed it!

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Lupita Nyong'o
Result: Lupita Nyong'o
Nailed it!

Best Animated Feature
Prediction: Frozen
Result: Frozen
Nailed it!

Best Original Song
Prediction: Let It Go
Result: Let It Go
Nailed it!

Yeah! Think that has easily been my best set of predictions! Thank you Oscars for being so predictable ;). I hope you've enjoyed this little game. Back to normal after this. Should finish a book to be reviewed soon.

I think for next year's Award Season, I will try to watch all the Oscar contenders... might make it a smidge easier to make the predictions.

Well, here's to another year of film!


Award Season Prophecies: The 86th Academy Awards

It's here! The big one! The most anticipated awards of the them all. The 86th Academy Awards. Or the Oscars to you and me.


Let's be honest. This is the one everybody cares about the most. Winning an oscar can be the pinnacle for the winner's career or even skyrocket them into superstardom.

So for the last time time for me to guess who might win.

I'll be using a key to indicate my choices:
  • Green for Most Likeliest Winner
  • Purple for My Personal Choice
  • Orange for Both

Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Christian Bale (American Hustle)
Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Amy Adams (American Hustle)
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Judi Dench (Philomena)
Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)
June Squibb (Nebraska)

Best Animated Feature
The Croods (Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco, Kristine Belson)
Despicable Me 2 (Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, Chris Meledandri)
Ernest & Celestine (Benjamin Renner, Didier Brunner)
Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki)

Best Original Song
Happy (Despicable Me 2)
Let It Go (Frozen)
The Moon Song (Her)
Ordinary Love (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

Well, that's my two cents. Can't wait to watch some of the red carpet! Due to the time zone issue I won't be able to watch to actual ceremony. Happy Oscars Day!

Award Season Results: The SAG Awards and BAFTAs

Combining two award show results... because I forgot want to. And squeezing this in yet again, as it is the Oscars on Sunday and I kinda need to get the predictions one for that done and out. Oops...

Anywhooooo.

So let's go back in time to the SAG awards!

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Prediction: 12 Years a Slave – Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, Lupita Nyong'o, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams and Alfre Woodard
Result: American Hustle – Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Louis C.K., Bradley Cooper, Jack Huston, Jennifer Lawrence, Alessandro Nivola, Michael Peña, Jeremy Renner, Elisabeth Röhm and Shea Whigham
Oops...

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Prediction: Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Result: Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Oops...

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Prediction: Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Result: Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Nailed it!

Outstanding Performace by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Result: Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Nailed it!

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Result: Lupita Nyong'o – 12 Years a Slave
Oops...

Well... didn't do so well with the SAG awards did I. However I'm actually quite glad I got the Best Supporting Actress wrong.

On with the show! Now for the BAFTAs.

Best Picture
Prediction: 12 Years a Slave
Result: 12 Years a Slave
Nailed it!

Best British film
Prediction: Gravity
Result: Gravity
Nailed it!

Best Director
Prediction: Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity
Result: Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity
Nailed it!

Best Actor
Prediction: Leonardo Dicaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
Result: Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Oops...

Best Actress
Prediction: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Result: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Nailed it!

Best Supporting Actor
Prediction: Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave
Result: Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips
Oops...

Best Supporting Actress
Prediction: Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Result: Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Oops...

Best Animation
Prediction: Frozen
Result: Frozen
Nailed it!

The EE Rising Star award (voted for by public)
Prediction: Will Poulter
Result: Will Poulter
Nailed it!

Ah, that's a bit of a better result for my predicting abilities! Maybe it's because it's a British affair that I was a smidge more able to guess the winners... ;)

As I mentioned above, the Oscars are on Sunday! The big one! Also the last major one. Can't wait to see the dresses! See you then!

Mini Review Type Thingy: Becoming YouTube

The last episode of this series by ninebrassmonkeys came out last night delving into what makes YouTube, well, Youtube. Here's the trailer.


I have loved this series, partly because it helped me discover so many YouTubers but also because it is like proper telly. As in half hour episodes that you can really get into. In the past, TV has looked at the internet and tried to understand it. When BY looks into YouTube, and even the internet as a whole, it’s great because it gets the internet. It’s irreverent but thought provoking, and nerdy to the extreme.

Also Ben Cook (/ninebrassmonkeys) is really funny and so insightful. I met him at SitC ‘13 and he is the nicest guy, despite all video evidence to the contrary. I asked him a question and gave me a proper in depth answer even though there was a massive queue of people waiting to meet him. Huge respect for him.

The last episode really cracked me up at several moments. There was a huge reference to Harry Potter, which included Jack and Finn (/jacksgap) in it. Loved it. Nerd heaven… literally. It mainly talked about change. As always, very interesting. Especially as the interviews are all from a few years ago, and lots of the most controversial changes (G+, I'm looking at you) hadn't happened.


There was a hint at a second series of BY coming in the summer and I am so excited for it! So glad it’s coming back. If only to see how YouTubers' opinions have changed since S1.

Anyway, if you're at all interested in YouTube or internet community, you should definitely watch it.


Award Season Prophecies: The BAFTAs 2014

It's been a while since the last award show but no matter! Tomorrow (Sunday 16th Feb) is the BAFTA award show. This is the British go and it's always a good one. Stephen Fry hosts and the British acting royalty comes out in force. Plus I can watch it live!

Well let's get on with it.

I'll be using a key to indicate my choices:
  • Green for Most Likeliest Winner
  • Purple for My Personal Choice
  • Orange for Both
Best picture
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena

Best British film
Gravity
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Philomena
Rush
Saving Mr Banks
The Selfish Giant

Best director
Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity
Paul Greengrass - Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell - American Hustle
Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street

Best actor
Christian Bale - American Hustle
Bruce Dern - Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips

Best actress
Amy Adams - American Hustle
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock - Gravity
Judi Dench - Philomena
Emma Thompson - Saving Mr Banks

Best supporting actor
Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper - American Hustle
Daniel Brühl - Rush
Matt Damon - Behind the Candelabra
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

Best supporting actress
Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
Oprah Winfrey - The Butler

Best animation
Despicable Me 2
Frozen
Monsters University

The EE Rising Star award (voted for by public)
Dane DeHaan
George MacKay
Lupita Nyong'o
Will Poulter
Léa Seydoux

There we go. Let's see how I do!


Book Review: Pharmacology by Christopher Herz

Synopsis: 1993. San Francisco. The digital and pharmaceutical industries are booming. They're looking for the young, the hip, and those on the counterculture fringe to be both the face and consumer of their new world order. Recruited by an advertising agency focused on targeting a new drug to her own age demographic, Sarah Striker is grateful for the steady income, but she begins to question the side effects of the products she's pushing. Sarah begins publishing an underground zine to expose the secrets behind the pharmaceutical industry's aims. Fulfilled by her quest to spread the truth, her new life seems to be working out perfectly until she realises that she herself is perilously close to becoming a victim of this new corporate world.

Pages: 214

Rating: 4/10

Overall: An interesting look at the early digital boom and the drug industry. Bit too cynical for my taste, but has some colourful characters to fill the story.
Pharmacology
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Award Season Prophecies: The Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013

Oops, getting this in just under the wire. This time it is the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
The SAG awards is quite an interesting one as it is voted by those in the guild i.e. actors vote for them themselves. It is also entirely about the actors with no awards given for technical film-making skill.

Well, let's get on with it. As usual I don't pretend to actually know what I'm talking about. This is all in the name of a bit of fun.

I'll be using a key to indicate my choices:
  • Green for Most Likeliest Winner
  • Purple for My Personal Choice
  • Orange for Both
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
12 Years a Slave – Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, Lupita Nyong'o, Adepero Oduye, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams and Alfre Woodard
American Hustle – Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Louis C.K., Bradley Cooper, Jack Huston, Jennifer Lawrence, Alessandro Nivola, Michael Peña, Jeremy Renner, Elisabeth Röhm and Shea Whigham
August: Osage County – Abigail Breslin, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Ewan McGregor, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Julia Roberts, Sam Shepard, Meryl Streep and Misty Upham
Dallas Buyers Club – Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey, Denis O'Hare, Dallas Roberts and Steve Zahn
Lee Daniels' The Butler – Mariah Carey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, David Oyelowo, Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams and Oprah Winfrey

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Forest Whitaker – Lee Daniels' The Butler

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks

Outstanding Performace by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Daniel Brühl – Rush
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o – 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels' The Butler

Not many awards this time around but it'll still be interesting to see who wins from the actors' points of views. Just a side thought, can nominees vote? And if so, can they vote for themselves? Answers on a postcard please...

See you on the other side!

Award Season Results: The Golden Globes 2014

Last night was the first big award show of the season, the Golden Globes. Now it is time for me to see if I was even within a country mile of getting any of my predictions right.

Best Motion Picture: Drama
Prediction: Gravity
Result: 12 Years a Slave
Oops...

Best Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy
Prediction: American Hustle
Result: American Hustle
Nailed it!

Best Director
Prediction: Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity
Result: Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity
Nailed it!

Best Actor in a Drama
Prediction: Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Result: Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club
Oops...

Best Actress in a Drama
Prediction: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Result: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Nailed it!

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical
Prediction: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
Result: Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
Nailed it!

Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical
Prediction: Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Result: Amy Adams - American Hustle
Oops...

Best Supporting Actor
Prediction: Daniel Brühl - Rush
Result: Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
Oops...

Best Supporting Actress
Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Result: Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Nailed it!

Best Animated Feature
Prediction: Frozen
Result: Frozen
Nailed it!

6/9

Wow! I did much better than I expected!

Well, I do enjoy the Golden Globes. It seems a bit more irreverent than the Oscars and some of the other award shows, while still maintaining its prestige as an achievement for those who win.

So how did you do with your predictions? The next one will be... the BAFTAs I think. A particular favourite if only because I can watch it at a reasonable time, rather than in the middle of the night!


Award Season Prophecies: The 71st Golden Globes 2014

It's that time of year again: Award Season! As I did last year, I'll be predicting, using very scientific prediction algorithms obviously, the outcome of some of the biggest award shows.

This is just an exercise in fun to involve myself in the razzamatazz of these big parties as I'm a bit of a film fan. I hope you will indulge me in this.

First up is the 71st Golden Globe Awards which will be awarded this Sunday (12/1/14).


I'll be using a key to indicate my choices:

  • Green for Most Likeliest Winner
  • Purple for My Personal Choice
  • Orange for Both
I don't pretend to have seen all of these films so some will be complete stabs in the dark, but it's all just a bit of fun. Let me know in the comments if you agree OR disagree!

Best Motion Picture: Drama

12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush

Best Motion Picture: Comedy or Musical
American Hustle
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne – Nebraska
David O. Russell – American Hustle

Best Actor in a Drama
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford – All Is Lost

Best Actress in a Drama
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet – Labor Day

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac – Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix – Her

Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Julie Delpy – Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Enough Said
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Daniel Brühl – Rush
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Actress
Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o – 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Nebraska

Best Animated Feature
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen

If I get more than half of these correct I'll be very surprised! The first show, though, often sets the tone for the rest of the season, so I might get better as the season goes on (she says hopefully...). See you on the other side!