KEEP CALM AND LOVE BOOKS: Me Before You

So, I decided to do a little favourites blogpost just to recommend some of the things I enjoyed in the month of April! Here are my top favourite books, TV shows and movies:

Books:

To start off with, we have George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones. This is definitely a favourite of mine because come on, who doesn't love that wonderful fantasy world of Westeros. There really is nothing much to say about this because it truly is as good as everyone says it is. Now, I haven't finished reading it yet but I just knew I had to add this in here. Since I also do recaps of the new season 6 of the TV show, I'll just kill two birds with one stone here and mention that this is also a favourite TV show. I'm pretty sure this will be a favourite for a long time, probably even after the books/tv show ends, just to let you know.

Me Before You was absolutely incredible. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I usually don't like reading the very popular and controversial books that are the latest hit but this one just blew everything out of the water. I'm really liking this author's writing and I'd definitely want to read more of her work. I will mention one thing that I did not include on my review, I'm probably not going to read the sequel just because this book ended beautifully and I don't want to ruin the perfect ending and just have it drag on. That is just my person opinion and I obviously can't speak for everyone. If you read this book and really liked it, I'm sure the sequel has the same amazing writing as the first.

This book was definitely out of my comfort zone. This was a crime mystery novel that takes place in the present, past and future. Instead of confusing me, like I originally thought it would, Joel Dicker did a great job writing this and made it very smooth and well paced. Everything just seemed to fall into place and it was very unexpected. Also, the plot is just amazing itself and really clever. I would honestly like to know how Dicker came up with such a creative story. This is for sure going into my favourites because it's one of those books that need more recognition.

Ahh, Legacy of Kings. I'll tell you guys something, I'v honestly had such a hard time reading this and finishing it. I'm still pretty early on in the book but I find it's taking me forever because of how deep and intense the storylines go. That is why it's in my April favourites; because of the fact that it brings so much historical accuracy (word choice?) that it's incredible. Being a history lover myself, I really am falling in love with this book. It starts off slow, slowly introducing us to the characters with all of the ancient long names. But it needs to be like that, there are so many storylines and so many different people in each plot that we need time to remember their names and the role they play. Again, I am still currently reading this and I plan to do a full in-depth review because this book is too good not to praise it's greatness or more importantly Eleanor Herman's.

TV Shows:
Before I start ranting I just thought I'd let you know that I am a TV fanatic. I probably watch more tv shows than I do reading books... and that's saying something. Just saying, there are a lot of favourites!

Switched at Birth is one of those guilty pleasure type shows. I have to say, ~~once I watched the whole thing,~~ once I binge watched the whole thing, I just kept replaying and rewatching because I was going through that much withdrawal! This show, down to the characters, actors and amazing plot, was so inspiring. Just to give you a little information, this show was the sole reason why I started learning sign language. And now I can proudly say that I know enough ASL to get through a conversation. The actors are just incredible and some really well known people too! It's so nice to watch something as juicy and uplifting as this show.

This hooked me the second I started, from the crazy intro to the shocking end of the first episode, I knew this was going to be my top favourite TV show. I loved the LGBT community in this and it really made me love the show even more because they weren't afraid to advertise such things that are STILL so sensitive in today's society. I consider myself an advocate of the LGBT community so it really gave that extra push of a great show just by that little fact. Also, just the fact that Viola Davis is the main character in this show should give anyone reason to start watching! She really is a great actress and I love watching her play Annalise Keating. Plus, it centres law. Going into law myself, I really did like that small connection I had and how relating it was towards me personally.

This is a TV show I always find myself coming back to. I literally just re-watched some episodes yesterday. The amount of underrated and great acting in this show is incredible. I mean.. Bradley James as Arthur Pendragon.. come on. I will also say that I particularly liked this show because I'm some what obsessed with mythology and legends. The Arthurian Legend just happens to be one of my favourites, along with Greek and Norse mythology. Do not expect this show to be true to history or accurate at all, it was a well developed fantasy show and I really loved it, despite it being anywhere near the actual legends. It was fun to explore and see the different versions of the Arthurian Era and I did enjoy this a lot. Hence, why I still, to this day, re watch it.

Haha ok guys, I have to laugh because as I am currently writing this blogpost, I have season 5 episode 6 of Scandal playing right now. I can not tell you how addictive this show is. Seriously. I watched 2 seasons in the span of 4 days. This plot is crazy with drama and it is so juicy I can't stop watching it! The content literally makes me want to go to Washington, D.C. and present myself to the President and work for him. The politics in this are just so crazy developed. I'v always been a fan of politics, hell I even took almost all the politics classes in high school too. Shonda Rhimes is an incredible writer and I'm so happy with how much love this show has gotten. I'm expecting it to run for a very long time, which I am definitely routing for. The actors in this are just impeccable and I can rave about this show for hours! I find myself up till 6:30-7 am just binge watching season after season, not getting enough. Seriously guys, this show is very addictive, beware!

The 100 has always been a favourite of mine. There is no doubt in my mind that I will always love this show. Having read the books and then seeing the promo's for season 1, I knew this was going to get huge! The story is incredible, the actors they picked are amazing and the setting for a post-apocalyptic world is impeccable. I really liked where they've gone with this show, seeing as it is very different from the books. I like how unexpected and surprising this show can be. The producers really make us cry, laugh and angry while watching this. Nothing much else to say expect that this show will always be a favourite of mine.

This one is a little biased of me I will admit. I do love the show, I started watching from the moment season 1 came out. It has a great plot, great surprises and cliffhangers and of course amazing actors in it. I say I'm a little biased because I happen to just adore and love Norman Reedus, who plays the infamous Daryl Dixon. He really does win the show over for me. Again the plot is incredible but I probably wouldn't be so into it if it weren't for the cast themselves. Now with the prequel, Fear of the Walking Dead, I have to watch that as well because Alycia Debnam Carey (The 100) who plays Alicia Clark (I know, confusing when their names are the exact same in pronunciation) is also a favourite actor of mine. I do find myself dying to know what's going to happen next season and of course I am also watching the prequel because again, it's a brilliant plot and it deserves all the recognition it's getting.

Movies:

This was such a fun movie to watch. It was a nice distraction and I just found it so easy to watch! It has Victoria Justice (Victorious) in it, which I liked how mature she is now having gone from Nickelodeon TV shows to actual movies. Again, it was funny and fun to watch and I even re-watched it once after because I really liked her character in this. Also, the fact the other main character is a open gay teenager who flaunts his sexuality proudly... I was bound to fall in love with it. Really liked this one and I recommend this fully!

This was just plain hilarious! It was honestly a very memorable movie and I loved every single second of it! The jokes and humour in this are just non-stop. I lost count of how many times I re-watched this because of the dialogue and HELLO, actors! So many huge names in this and seeing them just act such funny roles was a treat! This movie was amazing and I'm sure the reviews and ratings can tell you that. I'm also sure that almost everyone has seen this and if you haven't? WATCH IT! It's on Netflix, hooray!

And yes, this is a picture of Norman Reedus and I at Fan Expo last year and hopefully I'll have an updated picture of us from this year's Expo!

Alright, this is the end of my first favourite's blogpost! I hope you guys got inspired and actually are interested in some of the books, TV and movies I love so much!

Thanks for reading!

Marissa :)

April Favourites - 3:26:00 AM

April Favourites: Books, TV, and Movies!

So, I decided to do a little favourites blogpost just to recommend some of the things I enjoyed in the month of April! Here are my top ...

I am so excited that this wonderful book has been turned into a movie! Ahhhh! This looks so perfect and honestly a really good movie adaptation. Lets hope it gives the book justice. First of all, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) plays Lou, which I think is a great decision. She is a wonderful actress and I can definitely see her playing this role beautifully. Then we have Sam Claflin (Hunger Games: Catching Fire) who plays Will! It must've been pretty hard to cast the perfect actor for this intense and deep role. So I'm glad they picked Claflin since he can really pull it off, as we see in the trailer.

Firstly, we start off with Lou at the job agency desperately looking for a new job because she can't stand the chicken factory. We really get to see Lou's crazy clothing and hairstyle here, which is a pretty accurate description from the book. Then the offer of 'care and companionship for a disabled man.' And we cut straight to the famous castle the town is known for.

Then we cut to the interview with Lou in her mother's tight skirt and jacket. It seems that Lou is meeting Will at her interview, which is a little different from the books. I only say this because she seems to be wearing the same shirt just without the jacket, which if it's accurate to the book, it should be tied around her waist because of the gaping rip on her thigh. Wow that's embarrassing if Will sees it like his mother's supposed to.

This is when we get Will's moody and sarcastic humour when he says to his mother, "You don't have to talk across from me mother, my brain isn't paralyzed, [beat] yet." LOL I cried out laughing in that part because it was just way to funny how dry Will is towards everyone in the room. We also get to see Nathan, I was not expecting him to be so young. Maybe it mentioned his age or stature in the novel but I always pictures him older and more like an elder. He also seems to be Australian, so I wonder if we're going to get more of a back story for him in the movie. Next we get all of the different outfits and ways from Lou coming into work trying to cheer Will up, clearly to no avail. It's pretty humorous considering we all know Will does not take to Lou's personality right away and it shows on his face.

We then get a voiceover of Lou speaking to her sister how Will hates her being there and how he looks a her like she's stupid. Which if you've read the book... it's pretty true. The two sisters do seem pretty close so I'm wondering if the two will fight as much as they did in the book. If not, then I also wonder if we'll get a lot of screen time with Lou's family. It's starting to seem like we won't get that family aspect we got in the book, which is a bit disappointing. Hopefully we get some type of hint there will be a family trait. I just wanted to add in the picture of Lou spilling the soup onto Will's lap. I found this scene in the book absolutely hilarious so I'm really glad they added it to the movie!

We then see the infamous emerald green shoes Lou wears which then strike up the conversation of Will telling her that she needs to live and that they both live in a place where people are tired of actually living. Meaning that people are done with traveling the world, living their life and just exploring the world all together. It seems that Lou didn't change her answer and she clearly states back that she's happy where she is. It shows us that she's content living with her hectic and busy family and working for the Traynor's.

Can I just say the editing and song choices for this trailer were really amazing. The edits and cut scenes were so well done that it gave that emotional factor, and it's just a trailer! So speaking of that, we get to the scene were they are both talking about how much Lou loves her bumblebee tights (SO GLAD THEY ADDED THAT INTO THE MOVIE, THANK GOD), and she asks him, "Didn't you ever love anything that much?" and Will replies, sombrely, "Yes." THEN BAM. Cut screen with Ed Sheeran playing in the background. You just know when movies whip out the Ed Sheeran songs that it's going to get deep and emotional. The acting in this one little scene is just crazy amazing. From the start of Claflin's line to the end where he replies yes, is just impeccable on both actors.

This is when things become clear to both of them that they may have feelings for one another. Now, in the shaving scene, where Lou shaves Will's face and cuts his hair, I'm surprised to see the amount of intimacy between the two. It practically spelled out that there is love in the air. The look they give each other and the half whispering is just so cute and adorable. This movie is definitely going to make you feel their love pretty early on.

After their little shared display of romance we finally get the scene of him asking her to go the concert with him and she obviously accepts. This is a little different from the book of course because I remember Will giving Lou the tickets saying he couldn't possibly go because of his condition and later Lou convinces him to go with her and she set the whole evening up to perfection. I mean, I knew changes were going to be made but I thought I might point that out if anyone was confused about the difference. We then get to see this magnificent red dress that just looks so beautiful and adorable on Lou, and the smile!!! The smile of adoration from Will is just so evident and makes my heart flutter, it was so cute.

Then of course we have the famous scene in the trailer, it is just so cute. She's clearly mesmerized by the music and her first time ever going to a classical concert that the look he gives her is just adorable. They really do look perfect here and again, the actors do such a great job portraying Lou and Will.

We get a picture of Lou's dad comforting her because she can't handle the fact Will's so eager to end his life and that the six months are almost up. We have the fabulous Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) playing Lou's father, a huge role in her life in the book. Again, I really hope we get that family aspect, especially when someone as great of an actor as Coyle is playing her father. We also get a shot of her room in this scene, now I'm just wondering if thats the new room, where she took over Katrina's or if that's Lou's old, small room. From the decorations and how furnished it is, I'm guessing Treen's old room.

We also get a couple of scene shots from the wedding where it seemed that Lou and Will really show affection for each other openly, the first time. It was a magical moment in the book and I hope we get that same feeling in the movie. With that scene though, it almost felt like we were getting over a milestone with them and again, I hope that can portray in the adaptation. We also get scenes from the vacation adventure Will, Nathan and Lou went on towards the end. We see her scuba diving for the first time and Will and Lou suntanning by the pool; all of these magical moments that I'm so glad got included in the film.

We're now at the end of the trailer and we get a quick shot of Lou jumping up and down with so much happiness, holding the black and yellow bumblebee socks. This is when Will comes over for Lou's 27th birthday and he manages to get her the socks she mentioned on so early in the novel. It was a truly special moment and again, a milestone that they passed in their relationship towards romance. It really shows how well Will actually listened to Lou talk and that he cared enough to get her the socks he originally made fun of her for.

The trailer ends with him, at the wedding of his ex-girlfriend and ex-bestfriend, with Lou on his lap saying, "Do you know something Clarke? You are pretty much the only thing that makes me want to get up in the morning." Then cut screen to the title with the beautiful, simple red background and Ed Sheeran's voice finishing his song, "Wait for me to come home."

Guys, was this not a magical trailer! It was so well cut and edited with the amazing cast of actors that were chosen for the roles. I'm pretty sure this movie will definitely get amazing reviews. I just want to note that, even though Patrick wasn't in this trailer, the actor to play him is Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter) who was Neville Longbotton... um, can you cue my happy dance? I was so shocked at how different he looks now and he does, physically, suit the role of Patrick! So basically the casting agents were amazing with their picks for this movie. IMDb says it's going to be released on June 3rd, 2016 in USA, which is not that far away so I'm really excited to see this! Honestly probably going to go opening night too! I'll definitely do an update and reaction post on it, for sure.