Movie Musical Challenge: My Fair Lady

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 8 is the 1964 adaptation of My Fair Lady starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.

I have ...often walked down this street before... just kidding.  I have seen this film before, but I didn't think I really knew it all that well, so it surprised me to discover how much I knew the songs even if I didn't quite remember all the scenes.  Watching this again, I realize how much fun the songs are, even with Rex Harrison's talk-singing.  This is a great musical, which begins in a rather whimsical sort of way, but by the end, the personalities of Eliza and Professor Higgins are so strongly created, that the emotion of their character journeys is very striking.  I think that is why this musical is so well regarded now.

Eliza, as played by Audrey Hepburn, is such a luminous creature.  Her personality is overwhelming in the beginning with her strident voice and accent, but Audrey transforms the character beautifully, and of course the actress herself is the embodiment of refinement and elegance.  She makes Eliza perfectly sympathetic and believable.  And I have to love curmudgeonly Professor Higgins.  He's so awful in the way he treats people, but he is always honest, and that makes his character fun.  Especially when he reacts in ways that are unexpected.  I know that when I first watched this film, I wanted more of a romantic ending with the characters, but watching it now, I can see just how perfect it is that neither of them gives in too much, and they seem ready to settle into their strangely understanding relationship.  It doesn't need romance because they seem happy to have each other.

While watching this, I was reminded too that I have a thing for Jeremy Brett - I forgot he was in this film!  I've seen him in an old production of the light opera The Merry Widow and loved that - he's so dashing and handsome.  He's a bit of a milksop in this film, but still dashing and handsome.  I enjoyed his scenes immensely.

Favorite scene for me would have to be "I Could Have Danced All Night."  Eliza's joy is catching, and the song is pretty catchy as well.  I do love seeing pure joy in musicals - for some reason that emotion seems more resonant when expressed in a musical, so this was the scene that stood out for me.

Overall, this is another delightful film.  I was surprised to find that it was almost three hours because it went by pretty fast.  I am glad I watched it for this challenge, since I fell in love with the characters and music all over again.

Making Waves (5)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 5: How is your experience with the Truthwitch Street Team so far?  Or why would you like to be a part of the team?

I had an earlier post where I talked a bit about first joining the street team and how I had never been a part of one before so I didn't really know what to expect.  It's been a couple of months now, since I've been a part of the Truthwitch Street Team, and there are many things about the experience that I didn't expect.  I feel like the clan that I was put into - the Water clan - is pretty much a perfect group of enthusiastic people, who are all so supportive, kind and creative.  I love checking in with them on twitter (through their tweets or through the DM chat) and seeing what's going on.  Being a part of this street team is an ongoing, collaborative project that makes me excited about more than just Truthwitch (although I'm so ready to read the whole book!!).  It makes me also excited to blog, to engage with readers, and to be a part of the bookish community.  I really didn't expect that the street team could be so invigorating!  I almost wish I worked in publishing now - book marketing is kind of fun.  Especially when you have such awesome people to work with, and an equally awesome author to promote.

The other thing about this street team that I didn't expect, was how Susan Dennard would be so willing to give her time and energy to her team.  Behind the scenes, she sends us special videos, swag, and sneak peeks.  And it's AWESOME.  And she seems the sweetest person ever.  And from reading her blog posts or her Misfits and Daydreamers newsletters and how much advice and thought goes into those, I love how much she gives back to her readers.  It's kind of getting sappy here, but I feel a whole lot of joy from being a part of the team.  And I have to say I'm so grateful for the Waterwitch Babes, the Truthwitch fans, everyone in the Truthwitch Street Team, and of course, Susan Dennard.

I probably tweeted this too much already, but we are having a #ClanChat on October 25th at Noon ET, with all the Witchlanders.  Last month was so much fun, and I'm sure this month will be more of the same!

Next week's question:

 Where do you live?  What is magical about your city for you?

Link up!

Movie Musical Challenge: An American in Paris

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 9 is the 1951 Gene Kelly classic - An American in Paris.

I have seen An American in Paris before and loved it, so this post is mostly going to be me listing why I loved this film.  There is no critical filter here!  First reason is that wit.  It's not a comedy, but it has some very funny moments, and great banter between Gene's character Jerry Mulligan and  his friend Adam Cook, played by Oscar Levant.  They tease each other a lot and I loved their bromance.  It's a shame Gene and Oscar never did any more films together.

Leslie Caron.  This is her first film (she was discovered by Gene Kelly) and I can't say I absolutely loved her acting, but I did love her dancing.  Of course.  She was a ballerina dancer, and that talent gets shown off beautifully here - from her introduction piece as the different facets of her personality is represented by dance to that glorious ballet sequence near the end.

That ballet sequence!  I remember the first time I watched this movie, I was not very impressed with that whole scene.  It just felt long.  But by just the second time I watched this, I started to love it.  And appreciate what Gene was doing with this interlude.  How delightfully interpretative of the whole story it was.  And how it emphasized the romance of the story.  Which is another reason why I love this film.  It is very romantic - in the actual love story, and in the idealized view of Paris and living as an artist.  And of course just the idealized way in which musicals tell stories.  The love story is very appealing to me though, because I love forbidden romances and the angst that goes along with it.  Which is heightened later by that beautiful ballet sequence!  (I'm bringing it back around.)

Continue reading →

Movie Musical Challenge: Meet Me In St. Louis

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 10 is the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis starring Judy Garland.

I knew very little about this musical going into watching it, and was surprised that it doesn't have a driving plot, but is more of a character piece because it mostly delves into the lives of the Smith family in St. Louis.  In many ways the story reminded me of "Little Women", except "Meet Me in St. Louis" is lighter and frothier.

The star, Judy Garland, is magical in this film of course.  She does sweet and wholesome so well, and she gets the bulk of the singing in the film and of course nails it.  I was only familiar with the Trolley Song from the musical before watching this, and I may be partial here, but I think it is the best song in the film.  But perhaps the most fun was the Under the Bamboo Tree song and dance that Judy does with her little sister, as played by Margaret O'Brien.  Who is too adorable in this movie and she is so believable as an actress.  She was so good in that scene when she completes a dare on Halloween!

The romance and the family love was the heart of the story, and while I did enjoy the film as a whole, I probably wouldn't be eager to watch it again any time soon.  It's a nice Hollywood look at turn of the century American culture, and the performances and singing are wonderful.  There's a great message about love and family in the film as well.  I can see this being a great holiday movie to watch too because there are Christmas scenes, and Judy Garland does a wonderful rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".  This is a very sweet film, and I can understand why it made the top 25 list.

Movie Musical Challenge: The King and I

In Movie Musical Challenge, I'm watching all 25 picks for AFI's greatest musicals starting from the bottom.  Number 11 is the 1956 film The King and I starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner.

The King and I seems like the kind of movie I would be all over, so when I finally sat down to watch this, I wondered why I had never watched all of it/had very little memory of the music.  And now that I've seen it, I remember - it's not that great.  Ok, obviously this is my personal opinion, but this kind of story was done much better in 1965 with a little movie called The Sound of Music, so I now understand why I never really got into this film.  The music was mostly unmemorable for me sadly, with the only song that I really love from this show "I Have Dreamed" cut from the film (!!!).  There are iconic moments and songs that appeal, but overall, I found this film to be rather unbelievable and saccharine.

The two leads I loved however.  Deborah Kerr was excellent as the starch but kind Anna, and Yul Brynner was a little too attractive as the King, haha.  I thought they had great chemistry together, which probably accounts a lot for how well-regarded this film is.  While it is unfortunate that so much of the film took place on film sets (seeing something of the real Siam, or Thailand, might have done wonders for this film like it did for The Sound of Music), I did think there were some beautiful shots and sets, and that was enjoyable for me as well.

The King had a lot of children, and I found it funny that so little is seen of them too - I know the focus is on Anna and the King (it's right in the title), but I felt like seeing more of Anna's interactions with them (and not just in ways to get the King to give her a house) would have helped give the story more dimension.  My favorite part of the film was the dance scene between Anna and the King, which is so full of the actor' chemistry, it is a memorable part of the film for good reason.  The whole ending I had a bit of a problem with though.  I guess I just don't understand the King and how difficult it was for him to change his ways.  It was sad to me in a way that the King had so much potential and he just threw it all away.  I could go on about that, but I don't want to reveal too much about the ending in case others have not seen the film!

The King and I is a good film, but I probably would not rank it so high on the list personally.  I wonder if I had grown up with this film, I might have more of a sentimental fondness for it, but as it is I appreciate it mostly for the performance of the leads, and for the fact that it is a well known Rodgers and Hammerstein film.

Note: I am catching up on this challenge so I plan to post four Movie Musical Challenge reviews this week!  For this week, there will be a post every day!

Suspense Sundays (168) Blind Spot

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.

"Blind Spot"

Air date: May 1, 1948
Starring Edmond O'Brien

>>Episodes here<<

A psychologist by the name of Eric Strange has written a bestseller book about 'blind spots' - when people don't understand how some event has happened in their life.  Strange is working with a polling company to test the theories in his book, but at the last minute the head of the polling firm, Rogers, does not want to go through with the survey, and Strange does not understand why.  As he is trying to make sense of it, Rogers is found dead, and Strange is intent on finding out who murdered him.

The plot of this one hour Suspense episode, gets into a lot of twists and turns.  It was hard for me to keep track of some of the characters sometimes, and I'm not quite sure about the character motivations, but I do think this was a well done mystery overall.  Especially because it has the surprise reveal and I didn't predict the murderer at all.  I thought it was interesting that the protagonist was a psychologist - I kind of wished that played more into his detective technique.

Making Waves (4)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 4: What are your favorite books that feature one of the elements on the cover or title?

Heir of Fire: The link is obviously to fire here with the title.  It's hard to say which of the Throne of Glass books will be my favorite, but with Heir of Fire, I became firmly obsessed with the series, and with how well Sarah J. Maas has expanded her fantasy world.  I'm sure everyone who reads this post has read this book, but just in case you haven't - umm, it's HIGHLY recommended that you get on this! (my review)

The Ocean at the End of the Lane: I had to have a book to represent my water clan!  I don't always love Neil Gaiman's stories, but I do ALWAYS love his writing and with The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I'm happy to say that I was in love with both things.  The story is quintessentially Gaiman - quirky, magical, and thought-provoking, with a fairy tale feel and a love of the metaphorical. (my review)

The Crown: I think of this book as representing aether, with the mystical cover.  This is a historical thriller/mystery with a nun as the main character, and I absolutely loved this series.  It's so engrossing, and Joanna Stafford is a smart, forward-thinking heroine.  The Tudor setting is also fascinating to read about. (my review)

The Waterwitch Babes are hosting two reading events that we would love for everyone to participate in!  One is a reading challenge for books with elemental titles/covers or themes, and the other is a read-along of Susan Dennard's trilogy - "Something Strange and Deadly".  You can read more about the events (and hopefully sign up!) by checking out this post!

Continue reading →

Review: Queen of Shadows

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)
by Sarah J. Maas
YA Fantasy
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Review:

As I keep reading this series, I increasingly tear my hair out at the task of writing a review.  (I will be bald by the time the last book comes out.)  There's just so much to this book that is very difficult to put together coherent thoughts that give potential readers an idea of how and why I loved the story.  Without giving away too much information of course.  The thing with the Throne of Glass series is it's continually growing into this expansive, beautifully dark and emotional world with epic characters and relationships.  It takes it's time telling the story and wrapping you up in it's magic.

I suppose I'll start at the beginning with my review then.  The beginning of the story did feel slow to me - there were lots of threads to pick back up after the amazing finale that was the previous book, Heir of Fire, and Sarah really does take her time making sure the emotions of all the characters and what's at stake for them is clear from the beginning.  I wanted to devour this book and be impelled towards it's emotional denouement, but I appreciated that for a bit, there was just some good storytelling and a focus on getting a handle on the story before things started going crazy.  Everything that is set-up with the beginning pays off completely by the end.

Continue reading →

Suspense Sundays (167) Crossfire

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.

"Crossfire"

Air date: April 10, 1948
Starring Robert Young and Robert Mitchum

>>Episodes here<<

A young man is found dead and the investigating officer interrogates his friends - three soldiers.  The investigation delves into their friendship, as well as racism and intolerance.  This episode was adapted from a film that came out earlier and it featured most of the film cast in the roles.

The story was previously based on a book, and I found it interesting that originally the murder victim was homosexual but that could not be talked about on the radio (and films) so they made the victim Jewish.  There's a message in this episode condemnatory to prejudice which is extremely important, but unfortunately I was not that impressed with the episode as a whole.  This was an hour-long Suspense production, and the investigation dragged on a little too much for me.  The soldiers had their secrets and it was all aired out by the end in a clever way, so I think the story is good, but perhaps the film does a better job of adapting it.

Making Waves (3)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 3: Which clan do you feel you belong to?

Well, I'm water through and through, BUT for the sake of this question, I'll talk about a clan other than water.  The Waterwitch Babes have an unofficial Truthwitch sorting quiz, which I took and got AIR as my clan.  I also get water sometimes, if I'm in a mood and change one answer or two.  It all depends!

But Air, is a great element, I love that it's associated with the mind and with freedom - I can relate to having a love for that.  Even though I haven't been in school for awhile, I do like to learn about new things and challenge myself to do something I haven't done before (usually of a new hobby or skill).  It's why I'm a fangirl of so many things I think - something new and unknown, and interesting, appeals to me.

But I wouldn't trade clans for the world, fate or the powers behind the Truthwitch street team put me in the right place.  I <3 my Waterwitch Babes!

The quiz is embedded below, and if you haven't yet, I would love for you to take it and let me know what you get!  

Continue reading →

The Epic Disneyland Post

In the past, I've enjoyed reading about some blogger's trips to Walt Disney World yet I've never really thought I should do a post like it too.  Where I highlight my trip to Disneyland and talk about what I did there.  And there are some pretty big differences between Walt Disney World and Disneyland which I gathered from reading other blogger's posts (as well as listening to a Disney podcast about it!)  So hopefully with this post I can give a sense of what it's like to spend a day in the original Happiest Place on Earth.

Continue reading →

Suspense Sundays (166) Suspicion

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.

"Suspicion"

Air date: April 3,, 1948
Starring Sam Jaffe

>>Episodes here<<

There is a poisoner loose in London, who seeks out positions as a cook, and has poisoned her employers in the past.  Mr. Mummery and his delicate wife, have just hired a wonderful cook, but Mr. Mummery hasn't been feeling too well lately.  As he considers his illness, the weakness of his wife, and the still at large cook murderess, he begins to have suspicions about the woman he hired.

This is an hour long adaptation of a Dorothy L. Sayers short story.  It was previously adapted as a regular half-hour story, but they brought it back for a longer format, which honestly, I don't think was necessary.  This story would probably have been better in half an hour.  (I haven't listened to the shorter version.)  The premise is simple, and for most of the hour, we just get to hear circumstantial evidence against the Mummery's cook.

Making Waves (2)

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 2: Which Truthwitch character would you like to have as a best friend?

~ Iseult det Midenzi ~

Iseult is one of the main characters in Truthwitch, and I am absolutely drawn to her for being intelligent, grounded, practical and a reader.  She also has a troubled past, and is subject to a lot of awful prejudice and racism in the Witchlands, which makes me want to hug her.  She is fiercely loyal (as can be seen in her bond with the other main character of the book, Safi) and that is always a great quality to have in a bestie.  Safi and Iseult are threadsisters, and that seems to indicate a deeper bond than mere friendship (although I haven't seen that really explained yet just from reading the 15 chapter sampler of Truthwitch!)  Do I need to mention how much I would like to read more!!??

[More Character information on Iseult from Susan Dennard's tumblr]

Continue reading →

Review: The Visitant + a Giveaway (US/Canada)

The Visitant: A Venetian Ghost Story
by Megan Chance
Historical Fiction
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

After she nearly ruins her family with a terrible misstep, Elena Spira is sent to Venice to escape disgrace and to atone by caring for the ailing Samuel Farber. But the crumbling and decaying Ca’ Basilio palazzo, where Samuel is ensconced, holds tragic secrets, and little does Elena know how profoundly they will impact her. Soon she begins to sense that she is being watched by something. And when Samuel begins to have hallucinations that make him violent and unpredictable, she can’t deny she’s in mortal danger.

Then impoverished nobleman Nero Basilio, Samuel’s closest friend and the owner of the palazzo, arrives. Elena finds herself entangled with both men in a world where the past seeps into the present and nothing is as it seems. As Elena struggles to discover the haunting truth before it destroys her, a dark force seems to hold Samuel and the Basilio in thrall—is it madness, or something more sinister?

Review:

While the book title already gives away that this is a ghost story, I thought the building of the story was unique in that it didn't seem quite like a ghost story right away.  It helps that the main character, Elena, has her secrets, and the mystery of her past, as well as the severity of Samuel's epilepsy made it possible that there were other things going on in this story.  In that way, suspense is built up quickly, and I found this an engaging read from the start.

Elena is a wonderfully rational main character, at first.  Her upbringing and society has kept her restrained and proper, but in the setting and decadence of Venice, she becomes more of a woman, and realizes her potential.  That character arc is the heart of the story, which made this novel feel more complex than just a ghost story.  Especially when it is juxtaposed with the tragedy of the Basilio palazzo.

Continue reading →

Suspense Sundays (165) Night Must Fall

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.

"Night Must Fall"

Air date: March 27, 1948
Starring Robert Montgomery and Dame Mae Whitty

>>Episodes here<<

Danny is in love with the maid at Mrs. Bramson's estate, and lets Mrs. Bramson know that he plans to wed the maid Dora.  Old Mrs. Bramson takes a liking to Danny and enjoys his company, but Mrs. Bramson's niece, Olivia, is suspicious of him.  There has been a murder in the area and Olivia is intent on finding out if Danny is guilty.

This is another hour long episode of Suspense, and unfortunately in this case, I think the story dragged on for far too long.  It's an interesting set up, but there are characters introduced that got me confused, and then I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to take away from the story by the end.  Because it all seemed rather predictable and I didn't feel like there was a major twist.  The high point perhaps of this story is that it is based on a play which was running at the time, and it brought two actors from the production, and I always think it's nice that a play can be immortalized with some or all of the original cast since that particular experience of the play is transitory.  I'm sure watching the play would have been better than listening to this radio version though.

Making Waves with the Waterwitch Babes

Making Waves is a weekly question feature created by the Waterwitch Babes (part of Susan Dennard's Truthwitch Street Team). Every Thursday, we’ll have a fun question that all are welcome to answer on their blog. The questions will be random and/or relate to the upcoming book Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. A linky is provided so that everyone can link up their post and participate in the fun! 

To participate we do ask that you use the Making Waves banner in your post and link back to the Waterwitch Babes blog.

Question 1: Why do you think water is an important element?

First, a little info about the street team here - the bloggers who were chosen were (randomly?) placed into different clans that are represented by one of the classical elements - earth, air, fire, water, as well as aether and the void - and obviously I'm in the Water clan and our awesome clan designated ourselves as the Waterwitch Babes.  

I did not pick Water as my element, but being in the clan and exploring all the graphical and thematic aspects of it, has heightened my appreciation of it.  Already I feel like I have a connection to water because I love the sea, and my favorite Disney princess is Ariel so mermaids are definitely cool. 

One of the aspects of water that I'm really connecting with though, is how water flows and adapts to it's environment.  The ability to adapt fluidly to what comes your way is such an incredible gift.  It's what can keep you young at heart, aware, present, and ultimately happy.  If you can accept change, and know that you will be okay regardless, well it is a wonderful thing.  And water is the best element that represents that ability to move and go with the flow as they say.

Continue reading →

A Blog Announcement

Hello all!  I wanted to post briefly on a change I'm making to my posting schedule on the blog.  I do like to keep to a regular schedule, as that motivates me to keep on track, but lately, I've been finding it a big of a grind to keep to a four post a week schedule.  So I'm dropping it to three posts a week - with the third post being my usual Suspense Sundays feature.  This is not a big change, and not even a negative one in my opinion, as it frees up time for me to do things that I'm interested in, and participate in events that I'm really excited about.  Currently these are the things that I would like my little extra time to go towards:

• Truthwitch Street Team shenanigans: The Water Clan is so awesome, and we have lots of ideas and plans ahead for being the best book street team ever!  I find it is taking up quite a bit of my time too.


• French: Because of a recent twitter chat, I found a French teacher who gives online classes for an affordable price, and it's really motivating me to finally move ahead with the smattering of French I have.  And with a teacher, I can pick a focus, which for now will be working on my ability to read French.  Obviously I have to keep up with studying because now that I have someone to hold me accountable, I can't let it slide! :)  (If you are interested in French classes - let me introduce you to Emma!)


• Reading: With the above two events, I'm finding I have less time to just read, and that is unacceptable!  


• Disney Tsum Tsum:  Okay, this is a game you can play on your phone where you connect cute Disney characters, and it's super addicting!  Fair warning.  I spend way too much time playing this game (but I want to improve my score!!)

So with all of that my new posting schedule will be Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.  It might change in the future if my plans change, but I definitely do not want to give up on blogging, so this is the best compromise!  And heads up - my next post on Thursday will be something new!

Thank you for reading and for following my blog, you lovely people you!

Suspense Sundays (164) Celebration

Suspense was a radio series from 1942 to 1962.  I have a fondness for "Old Time Radio" as we call it now, and Suspense is my favorite show.  It sets up weird, dark, scary, or intriguing stories with a plot twist in the end, and all in half an hour.  For Suspense Sundays I'll give a short review of an episode.

"Celebration"

Air date: September 23, 1948
Starring Virginia Bruce and Robert Young

>>Episodes here<<

Todd is visiting his wife, who is in a nursing home as she has a brain tumor that can not be removed.  The tumor affects her memory as well as her emotions, and she doesn't realize why she's in the home, or that so much time has passed since she has lived there.  Todd takes Emily out for a quiet day together, but she gradually becomes paranoid and afraid that Todd is going to do something to her.

Since it's unclear in the beginning if Todd really loves his wife or is just pretending so she won't get upset, it was very suspenseful trying to figure out what Todd is planning.  And it's surprising too when you do find out, because what Todd plans to do, is kind of sweet (well I guess some people would think so) but also terrible, so there's a moment when I was really afraid for Emily in the story.  The story does have a happy ending though (living up to that title!) but it's a very convenient happy ending, which made me roll my eyes, even though I was glad that Emily and Todd were going to be okay.  I'd much rather have a happy ending though, even if it's a bit cheesy!

Review: A Curious Beginning

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #1)
by Deanna Raybourn
Mystery
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker—a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

Review:

This book is a complete delight and it all starts and ends with the heroine, Veronica Speedwell.  She is unconventional, sassy, and perfectly fine with doing whatever she wants despite gossip and public disapproval.  She is so much fun to read about!  She's also very intelligent, with a curious, inquiring mind which is perfect for solving mysteries, in addition to her profession of collecting and cataloguing butterflies.

The story takes the reader immediately on an adventure with the death of Veronica's Aunt, because very quickly after Veronica is in danger from ruffians.  The pace of this book is not perfect for me - I loved how quickly it took off in the beginning, but the middle felt a little slow at times, even though there were important character details and developments.  It was entertaining throughout, but I did wonder a bit halfway through at how long it took Veronica and Stoker to get to solving the mystery.

Speaking of Stoker - he's so much fun as well.  Veronica and Stoker have this perfect, antagonistic friendship (soon to be romance I'm sure!), full of banter and barbs and it's just another reason why I loved reading this book.  While Stoker and Veronica were surely meant for each other, despite the glee they take in annoying the other, I'm glad that their relationship doesn't move too fast in this book, and there's a lot of potential for them to grow in the next book in the series.  Stoker was also interesting to me because he's presented as a handsome (albeit scarred) and intriguing man, but he's not perfect by any means, and I am eager to learn more about him.

The mysterious aspect of Veronica's past was a little obvious to me about halfway through, so the mystery wasn't the suspenseful part of this story (how Veronica and Stoker would unravel everything and evade the people after them was), but I think the characters, the humor, and the appealing adventure of this book is what makes it a standout read for me.  I highly recommend it!

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.  I was not compensated for this review.)

Review: Poirot Investigates

Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot #3)
by Agatha Christie
Mystery
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

The very first collection of superb short stories featuring Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings...

First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond! then came the 'suicide' that was murder! the mystery of the absurdly chaep flat! a suspicious death in a locked gun-room! a million dollar bond robbery! the curse of a pharoah's tomb! a jewel robbery by the sea! the abduction of a Prime Minister! the disappearance of a banker! a phone call from a dying man! and, finally, the mystery of the missing willl. What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot!

Review:

This is a wonderful short story collection!  Every story features a mystery that is well set-up, difficult to solve, and an utter surprise when Poirot explains it all in the end.  It's still so astonishing to me how inventive Agatha Christie can be, and how well she can craft a solid mystery in only a few pages.  In this book there is more to learn of Poirot and his quirks, as well as a finer shading of Hastings' character as you see how low-key petty he can be in the face of Poirot's delightful arrogance.  I feel bad for Hastings sometimes, but I also find it amusing how he can almost want to see Poirot fail just because Poirot is so self-assured.

There are many stand out stories in this book, but I think my favorite is The Kidnapped Prime Minister.  The misdirection, and the stakes of the story gives it a lot of interest.  And there is something satisfying in seeing Poirot poised for failure, but triumphant in the end.  I have to note the last story in the book - The Chocolate Box - which is a story that Poirot tells Hastings of a past case when he was still in Belgium, where he 'failed', and it's so interesting to have that side of him in this book.  Obviously Poirot is still a marvel, but I like that this story humanized him a bit more.

I love this particular collection of Poirot short stories because it is early days for Poirot, and the later mysteries can get a bit sadder and more poignant.  And because these are short stories, the mysteries come off as more of a romp and are thoroughly enjoyable for it.