Mel in Movieland | Best movies I've seen in 2016.

I'm not only a bookjunkie. If you follow my blog for a while, you also know that I am a big movie/TV show fanatic. I always list everything I've watched in my monthly recaps, but I thought it was about time to highlight the best movies I've seen so far.

Hands down one of the best movies I've seen this year, and in a long time, was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I was blown away by the plot (not that I am surprised, because J.K Rowling is a mastermind), the fabulous casting and all the beautiful details, like the different Beasts and buildings. It is fantastic to explore this side of the Wizarding world.

 was a big fan of Eddie Redmayne and Dan Fogler, but I'm still not on board for the casting of Johnny Depp for Grindelwald.. But I am very happy there will be more movies. After all these years, I am still a proud Potterhead and this movie gave me the same magical feeling.

If you haven't heard yet, Fantastic Beasts tells the story of Newt Scamander, who is the author of the book Harry Potter has to study at Hogwarts. He arrives in New York with a suitcase full of Fantastic Beasts - and then some of them slip away. Newt has to find them, together with Jacob a no-maj (Muggle), Tina Goldstein the former Auror for MACUSA and her sister Queenie Goldstein. Something darker is roaming around New York and before they know it, they are part of it.


Three other movies that definitely did not let me down where the live movie version of Jungle Book, Inside Out and Zootopia. Disney never fails to impress me. What I loved most about Jungle Book were the original twists they used, yet they managed to stay true to the original story.

Inside Out has a powerful message and I love Sadness. It shows different emotions in the head of a young girl. Things are about to get really messy and it is up to Sadness and Joy to fix it.

Zootopia had such a funny sense of humor. A cynical con artist Fox and a rooky bunny cop have to work together to uncover a conspiracy that is about to change their society.


I also finally went ahead and watched Captain America: Civil Wars. I don't know what took me so long, because it was good. I really hope everyone will be friends soon though, because I hate to see them fight. There is tension between former allies Captain America and Iron man – and everyone else has to pick a side.

Not long after it I watched Deadpool and I laughed so hard. It is brilliant and does a great job at portraying the anti-hero. He became part of an experiment that left him with healing powers and he is now on a quest for revenge.


To end this, I'm going to list two feel good movies. The first one is something I was ashamed about, but now I can finally say I've seen The Sound of Music and I loved it. I enjoy musicals and this was just adorable. Maria is so sassy, haha. She leaves the convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.

And I was pleasantly surprised by The Intouchables. I tend to stay away from foreign movies (this is French), but I heard good things about this one and decided to give it a shot. It blew me away with its subtle humor. The movie is about a paralyzed man who hires an ex-deliquent as caregiver and the two of them grow really close.



Have you seen any of these movies or are you interested in any of these?

Review 270 | Three Dark Crowns - Kendare Blake.

Title: Three Dark Crowns.
Author:  Kendare Blake.
Pages:  416.
Published: September 20th 2016 by HarperTeen
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks! I also received a finished copy from Van Ditmar.

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown. If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.

Rating:

I was fascinated by the promise of this book from the moment I read the blurb and it did not disappoint me. Kendare created a story that is not like any other I've read this year  and I am now highly anticipating the sequel.

Fennbirn is ruled by one Queen, but getting that title is a dangerous game. Every generation a set of triplets is born and each baby possesses their own magic: Elemental, Poisoner and Naturalist. The night they turn sixteen, the battle for the crown begins and the last one standing is the new Queen.

Three Dark Crowns tells the tale of Mirabella, a strong and fierce Elemental who is rumored to the be one to finally push the line of Poisoner Queens of the throne. Katherine is a Poisoner, but her magical abilities are shallow and there is a lot of pressure on her shoulders. Then there is Arisinoe, a Naturalist who is not nearly as powerful as the rumors claim she is. It is clear that this round is not about the strongest, but the darkest/most ruthless one to claim the throne.

The story is divided into chapters, each switching between the three sisters. This could have been confusing, but works well in this situation. It gives us the ability to see the situation through three different eyes; how each of the possible Queens deal with their power and the upcoming battle. I liked all three of them, but felt that Mirabella was the most distant voice. Her part of the story gripped me less than the struggle from both Katherine and Arsinoe.

Katherine has to deal with trials to make her body adjust to the presence of poison, but it is a painful and slow process. Arsinoe is in a better situation, with her powerful friend Jules who will do anything to keep her safe.

The writing-style was good, but some parts still dragged a little. The ending (while I was anticipating that turn of events) made me grin. The sequel promises to be interesting and I can't wait to see how it all wraps up. Are these three sisters going to change the way their country is ruled for years – or will one of them finish it all?

Three dark queens are born in a glen, 

sweet little triplets will never be friends.

Three dark sisters all fair to be seen, 

two to devour and one to be Queen.

Talk Bujo to Me | October '16.

Bulletjournaling has become more important in my life and I want to share it with you guys! I already started a series where I write down all the information I have gathered over the past few months, but from now on I will also showcase pictures (that I also post on my Instagram) and talk more about what keeps me busy.

                                                                                Setting up October.

For October I decided to go with the Halloween theme throughout all my spreads, so here I doodled a few pumpkins and a little ghost in the left corner. There are different ways to use Monthly logs. I really like the have these squares, making it look like a calendar, but you can also write down the dates in a list.  I used that method at the beginning of my bulletjournal, but my current log gives me a better overview.

Like every month I created to lists for all the books I could possible read and movies/TV shows I could watch. And like every month, I failed miserably, haha. I finished Furthermore (was okay) and Bright smoke, cold fire (was disappointed)

I did watch Corpse Bride, which is perfect to watch this time of the year, The Secret Life of Pets (was okay) and I continued with the second season from Marco Polo.

Series review | Rae Carson – Fire and thorns.

I have reviewed the first two books before, which you can find here: Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns and Review: The Crown of Embers. I also reviewed the novella in this series: Review The Shadow Cats. That novella is now part of a published book called The Girl of Fire and Thorns short stories. This book includes a story about Elisa's sister, A HECTOR story and one about Mara. I recommend it if you are firm fan of the series, but it is not necessarily for the overall story.

Before I finished the series with the conclusion, The Bitter Kingdom, I reread the first two books. Since this is one of my favorite series, I thought it might be a good idea to highlight it by doing a series review.

This review is spoiler-free! I will only point out all the things I love, without going into details.


The first thing what makes this series so good is the magical writing-style from Carson. It reads so fast and it always makes you want to read more, more, more! She uses enough details to create a wonderful world and interesting characters without information-dumps. I was completely sucked into the story and I had no problems imagining I was there. The pacing is very nice. It’s consistent and there is never a boring moment in this fantastic plot.

The second thing is the emotional rollercoaster. This book takes you from happiness down to the bottom of disaster. I’ve laughed and cried together with Elisa and her friends. I’ve felt triumph and sadness. I felt so connected to the characters and their faith, that I was able to feel all their emotions. It’s one hell of a ride! Be prepared for all the feelings, because there are heart-breaking scenes and moments with a lot of action and tension. There are also touches of romance that made me swoon.

The third thing I want to mention are the characters. We see Elisa develop from someone who isn’t happy with herself to someone who embraces her personality and power. She transforms from the over-weighed, shy girl into a leader with clever decision. I absolutely love Elisa. The only thing that could have been improved is that I would have loved to see her self-image change, instead of her weight. Despite that, I found Elisa strong in her own way and intelligent. Her flaws are her strength and it’s not strange that people are willing to die for her.

No review is complete without mentioning Hector and Humberto. I’m not going to say anything more about them, but you definitely want to meet these guys! There are also more secondary characters, all with distinctive voices and roles. I especially liked Mara, Tristan and Storm. Storm is sarcastic and never afraid to speak his minds, which ends up with blunt and harsh (but honest) words.

The last thing, and that is always important for me, the quality of the story is amazing. There is a build-up in the first two books and it explodes and delivers in the last book. The plot continues to be interesting in every book; there is no second-book-syndrome. It also ends like I wish all books/series ends: everything tied together, satisfying. No anti-climax or disappointing conclusion here!

If you love High-fantasy, strong and interesting characters and a fantastic plot, this is a series you have to read!

Recap October '16 | Food and review books.

This post recaps my month: my personal life, all the books I’ve read & bought, movies and TV shows I’ve seen and my journey in the world of Bulletjournaling.
The food theme continued and I'm loving it! I had a lot of family time this month and I needed it. When everyone is busy, it can get easy to get swept away, but we made sure to have a lot of quality time this month.

Good work-related news: I got a renewal for another year! The last few months I had it in the back of my mind: will they keep me? What if I have to look for another job? But one day I got THE letter I was waiting for; to tell me I can stay for another year.

I went to lunch with my sister and we had French toast and a croissant French toast, which I never had before. It was quite good! Then I went shopping with her and my brother-in-law and we ended up in one of my favorite places: Bagels & Beans.  I went out for dinner with my boyfriend, sister and brother-in-law. We had nachos, burgers with fries and a delicious chocolate cake. I took the veggie burger and it was really tasty.

Yesterday we had my parents come over to play board games. We made fresh mushroom soup with homemade bread, followed by a fish dish and homemade chocolate chip cookies. I also spend an entire day over at my grandparents and I stayed for dinner.

I sort-of-participated in the Bout of Books event and I ended up finishing two books. It felt good to spend an entire day dedicated to reading.

This was a month where I was pleasantly surprised by all the review copies I received. A few months ago I joined the Quirk squad to help them out on social media to promote their books. I never expected to receive any books, but I got a surprise Halloween package in the mail.

 
I made a new contact with a Dutch bookstore. I couldn't attend their event, but then they told me they could send a few review copies to me. Before I knew it I ended up with a stack of new books.
-Kendare Blake – Three Dark Crowns (loved this one.)
-Cinda Williams Chima – Shadowcaster.
-Maria Headley – Aerie.
-Erika Johanson – The Fate of the Tearling.
-Katharine McGee – The Thousandth Floor.

And then I was also lucky enough to receive a gorgeous copy from Roseblood by A.G Howard from Abrams. They even added a few (fake) rose petals, such a nice touch.

 

I think I did a great job when it comes to buying books. I received my Bookly Bird subscription box, which had Wax by Gina Damico in it, and I only got Samantha Shannon – The Bone Season, The Mime Order and The Song Rising, because I wanted to get the books with the old cover before they go out of stock.


1. Kendare Blake – Three Dark Crowns. 3.5/5.
2. J.K Rowling – Pottermore: Power, Politics & Pesky Poltergeists.
3. J.K Rowling – Pottermore: Hogwarts: an incomplete and Unreliable guide.
4. J.K Rowling – Pottermore: Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies.
5. Leigh Bardugo – Six of Crows (reread)
6. Leigh Bardugo – Crooked Kingdom. ALL THE STARS.
7. Kasie West – By Your Side. 4.5/5.
8. Cat Winters – Yesternight. 2.5/5.
9. Tahereh Mafi - Furthermore. 3.5/5.

I loved the Pottermore short stories, especially Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies, because it talks about Remus Lupin. It was a fun way to get extra insight into the wonderful and magical world of Harry Potter, but I could use even more information. "

Crooked Kingdom absolutely blew me away. The plot was fantastic and I feel so much love for the characters and the world. To keep myself from hating the next fantasy book, because of the hang-over, I decided to dive into a contemporary and Kasie West never fails to deliver. By Your Side was adorable. It is about a girl and boy who are trapped in the library. She deals with an anxiety disorder, which gave more depth to the story. I loved it.  

Movies.
1. The Nice Guys. Subtle comic tone. I liked it. "A mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star." – IMDB.


2. Noah. Terrible. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but nope.
3. The Legend of Tarzan. First thing, I love Christoph Waltz. Second, I was bored.
4. Big Momma: Like Father, Like Son. Typical comedy, nothing too special.
5. The Intouchables. WOW. I was blown away by this story. I don't watch many foreign movies, but this one is SO worth it. Such a feel good movie with a great sense of humor in it.
6. The Secret Life of Pets. Not bad, but also not fantastic.
7. Corpse Bride, one of my favorite movies.

TV shows.
1. The Office (US) season 1, a few episodes to introduce my sister and brother-in-law to this amazing series.
2. Reign S02, I'm on episode 12 now. It's all over the place, but I still enjoy watching it.
3. Marco Polo S02, I'm on episode 5. It's slower than the first season, but I like the plot.

How was your October?

Let it go | Rumplestilskin and Castle behind thorns.

Today I'm going to highlight two fairy tales. One is a fun twist on Rumpelstilskin and the other is a not-so-good attempt for a Sleeping beauty retelling.

Jenni James –Rumpelstiltskin. Published September 15th 2013 by StoneHouse Ink. Faery tale collection #3. FINISHED: 3 flowers.

A young prince crippled by a witch— When Fredrico watches his cruel family mourn his false death and announce to the kingdom their cursed prince has died, is the day he truly embraces his new life and new name Rumplestiltskin. How could he be known by anything else? —His skin is completely rumpled and stilted now. He hides away from the king and queen and grows up as a crippled servant in the castle. Years later, his younger brother, Marcus, becomes king and humors Aubrynn’s father when he boasts that his daughter can turn straw into gold. Intrigued Marcus locks the distraught maiden in a tower and declares to the kingdom that if she can transform the straw, he will marry her, but if she cannot he will kill her father. Rumplestiltskin is determined to help Aubrynn save her father and marry the king. Now, if only he can remember to keep his real identity a secret and not fall in love with her himself…

Interesting twist on Rumpelstilskin. I like how he is punished for the crimes of his family in the hope of changing him. His family never embraces him as crippled and they fake his death. Rumpelstilskin takes a new name and hides inside the palace. I felt so sorry for him and his lonely life, but when a desperate father boasts about his daughter ability to turn straw into gold, Rumpelstilskin decides to help her.

He becomes friends with Aubrynn – and they even start to feel more – but he will give up on her when his brother Marcus wants to marry her. Despite everything, he is still loyal to his family and I appreciated that trait in him. Like most stories in this series, the romance is a little fast, but it wasn’t so bad. There was an instant chemistry between them and they are both lonely, so I could understand their strong connection. Aubrynn is a sassy, clever girl and I was rooting for them all the way.

Merrie Haskell – The castle behind thorns. Publication: May 27th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books (Edelweiss). FINISHED: 2 stars.

When Sand wakes up alone in a long-abandoned castle, he has no idea how he got there. The stories all said the place was ruined by an earthquake, and Sand did not expect to find everything inside-from dishes to candles to apples-torn in half or slashed to bits. Nothing lives here and nothing grows, except the vicious, thorny bramble that prevents Sand from leaving. Why wasn't this in the stories?
To survive, Sand does what he knows best-he fires up the castle's forge to mend what he needs to live. But the things he fixes work somehow better than they ought to. Is there magic in the mending, granted by the saints who once guarded this place? Unexpectedly, Sand finds the lost heir, Perrotte, a girl who shares the castle's astonishing secrets and dark history. Putting together the pieces-of stone and iron, and of a broken life-is harder than Sand ever imagined, but it's the only way to gain their freedom, even with the help of the guardian saints.

Disappointing. I was constantly hoping for me, but this book was never good enough. Sand woke up in a castle surrounded by thorns. His first attempt to escape ends up in being very sick; the thorns seem to be alive. Sand finds out that he has a gift when he wakes up the princess Perrotte. She is a horrible girl in the beginning. Spoiled, arrogant and unkind, but I liked her development. When her past is revealed I could understand her a little better, but I was never connected to them. The plot of the story is also a bit thin, so the book could have used less pages. I sometimes lost my attention.. Shame.