Autumn Recap (September, October and November Monthly Recaps Omnibus)

Hello my dear followers and thank you for choosing to read my thoughts! It’s been 3 months since I last did a monthly recap and I felt quite bad about procrastinating since this is my favourite feature to do on this blog. I have to admit it has been really hard for me to write anything down, with school, a lot of exams, A-Levels getting closer, driving school, work, tutoring and university applications. Additionally, having suffered from depression and still suffering from anxiety is not really helping at the moment. I was afraid I might quit this blog if I kept tormenting myself with the thought that I was letting people down, and decided that I should just wait and the right time will come. However I can’t even promise myself to fully come back, but this also means I’m not quitting yet. And to end this sad talk on a more positive tone, I’d like to remember everyone that you shouldn’t keep doing something you don’t enjoy anymore and if you’re in a similar situation like I am, better times are coming and don’t let go of your hope.

Movies I Watched

Giving a movie a score 10 for me it doesn’t mean that the movie is a masterpiece, but that there was at least an aspect so wonderful that the movie will always have a special place in my heart.

1. Bad Moms (2016) (19.10) Score: 8,5

Together with my dear friend Iri and 2 other friends we watched this movie at the cinema. We laughed a lot and had a really great time 🙂 I can totally recommend this movie for a girls’ night or in general for a friends’ night. On of my favourite parts was the “interview” at the end with the actresses and their mothers. If you’re looking for a comedy this is definitely the right choice, but if you want something more intellectual with some kind of deeper life meaning you’re not in the right spot.

Amy:  I’m Amy Mitchell, and I’m a mom. I had my first kid when I was twenty years-old, and I’ve been running late ever since. My days are filled with dropping the kids at school, then racing to work where I have meeting, after meeting,
after meeting. I usually end up eating a shitty lunch at my desk, and I try to work out once a week. Why do I suck at Zumba? Most days, I race back to school for the kids’ plays, and poetry readings and class projects, which I’m always late for. And then there’s PTA meetings, and volunteering and parent-teacher conferences. Jesus, Miss Wiggins
fucking hates me. At least once a day, I feel like the worst mom in the world, and I cry in my car. Then I shuttle the kids to piano lessons and soccer games and dance classes and doctors’ appointments, before my daily trip to the grocery store. This chick seems like she’s got it all figured out. But I feel like I’m screwing up all the time. Still, I love being a mom.

2. Memento (2000) (30.10) Score: 10

I never read anything about the movie or watched the trailer, but picked it up solely based on the poster, which as a bibliophile I know is not the correct way to choose a book or movie. Putting that aside I think this movie is quite close to a masterpiece since I’ve never seen anything like it. The movie focuses on a man who suffers from short-term memory loss (anterograde amnesia) and is on the search for his wife’s killer. What makes this movie (for many) hard to understand is the fact that the story is told backwards and it can take up to the end of the movie to fully understand it. That’s what makes it for me a great movie.

Leonard Shelby: I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can’t remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world’s still there. Do I believe the world’s still there? Is it still out there?… Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I’m no different.

Leonard Shelby: I’m not a killer. I’m just someone who wanted to make things right. Can’t I just let myself forget what you’ve told me? Can’t I just let myself forget what you’ve made me do. You think I just want another puzzle to solve? Another John G. to look for? You’re John G. So you can be my John G… Will I lie to myself to be happy? In your case Teddy… yes I will.

3. The Breakfast Club (1985) (30.10) Score: 8

Comparing to Memento, I heard a lot about this movie before watching it and it has been on my watch list for a long time. I’m not saying that it is a bad movie, to the contrary. I enjoyed to a certain extent. I’m still a teenager, for the 10 months at least, and I can relate to many aspects of the movie. On the other side it shows something that I do not agree with, and that are stereotypes. Maybe because of my upbringing or just who I am, this movie did not completely work for me.

Brian Johnson: Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us – in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…
Andrew Clark: …and an athlete…
Allison Reynolds: …and a basket case…
Claire Standish: …a princess…
John Bender: …and a criminal…
Brian Johnson: Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

4. Dracula Untold (17.11) Score: 8,5

5. The Holiday (17.11) Score: 9,5

6. Mortdecai (18.11) Score: 7

7. Orphan (18.11) Score: 9,5

8. Coraline (22.11) Score: 8

9. Spotlight (22.11) Score: 10

10. Epic Movie (26.11) Score: 6

11. Donnie Darko (28.11) Score: 10

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TV Shows I Watched

Autumn is my favorite season  when it comes to TV shows, as many of them release new seasons. Elementary, Lucifer, The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time and Teen Wolf are killing me right now, because of how hard it is to stay up to date with all of them.

Anime I Watched

This autumn I started watching Yuri!!! on Ice, finished the first seasons of Free!, Psycho-pass and Kuroko’s Basketball and completed Elfenlied and Terror in Resonance.

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Books I read

you can check out my list here.

1. Jo Nesbo – The Bat (The Harry Hole Series #1) (September 4)
2. Ken Hoshine – Macbeth (Graphic Novel) (September 6) 
3. J.K. Rowling – Quidditch Through the Ages (September 7) 
4. J.K. Rowling – The Tales of Beedle the Bard (September 10) 
5. Rainbow Rowell – Kindred Spirits (September 10) 
6. John Green – Looking for Alaska (September 16) 
7. Andrew Lang – The Yellow Fairy Book (September 20) 
8. Takaya Kagami – Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign #1 (September 28) 
9. Charlie Croker – Lost In Translation: Misadventures In English Abroad (September 29) 
10. Takaya Kagami – Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign #1 (October 3)
11. Takaya Kagami – Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign #2 (October 4)
12. Takaya Kagami – Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign #3 (October 4)
13. Judy Astley – It Must Have Been the Mistletoe (October 28) 
14. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire (November 6) 
15. Roald Dahl – James and the Giant Peach (November 14) 
    
16. Takaya Kagami – Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign #4 (November 14) 
17. Takaya Kagami – Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign #5 (November 15) 
18. Sindiwe Magona – Mother to Mother (November 15) 

I’ve read a total of 3871 pages, meaning 42.5 pages a day.

Newest Additions To The Bookshelf:

September

October

November

As you can see in the pictures above, I bought quite a lot of books in the past 3 months. The October lot I got in England on my school holiday from charity shops and We Were Liars I got as a birthday present from a friend. All in all I manged to reduce my monthly book-buying habit (or so it seems).

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And that is what happened in the past 3 months more or less. Thank you for reading and I wish you a wonderful December.

-Demi x

Monthly Recap: July 2016

If a month starts on a Monday it inevitably makes me totally positive about it, probably because of the symmetry or something . Anyway, I’m glad about writing my 5th monthly recap and although I’ve been pretty much absent this past month I haven’t lost my pleasure for writing. To be honest I hit something like a writer’s block. You would think that by being on summer holiday and having so much free time I’d write twice as much. I’ve only managed the half amount of posts compared to last month and I’m not quite pleased about it. If truth be told, I’ve had guests over for the past 2 weeks and on the first week I was in Croatia. Yes, I know there was still a week, but until now that was my only true week off. Enough complaining and let’s start this recap already.

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Movies I’ve Watched

#554 Me Before You (2016)       Score: 9       14.07.2016

There is rule out there that says you should probably not watch a movie after you just finished the book it is based on because of 2 reasons. It will break your heart into a million pieces again and you will probably end up hating it (or parts of it). I’m a logical person, but after reading the book I decided there is nothing better that I can do than letting the story break my heart for a little longer. That being said I recommend watching this movie (and reading the book duhh) because it touches a very sensitive subject and unlike many movies today it is not about a love story. It’s so much more. I know I couldn’t have sounded more vague, but trust me I cannot say more without spoiling it.

Will Traynor: Live boldly, Clark. Push yourself. Don’t settle. Knowing you still have possibilities is a luxury, knowing I might have given them to you. So, this is it. You are scored on my heart, Clark. You have been the first day you walked in with your sweet smile and your ridiculous clothes and your bad jokes and your complete inability to ever hide a single thing you felt. Don’t think of me too often. I don’t want you getting sad. Just live well. Just live. I’ll be walking beside you every step of the way. Love, Will.

#553 The Polar Express (2004)       Score: 9.5       10.07.2016

I know it’s not Christmas, ok. Have you never experienced the crave for something Christmas-y in spring or summer? Maybe even heard a couple of carols? No? Than I must be a really weird person but I don’t mind it. This is going to be one of my favourite movies to watch on Christmas with the family. It pictures the true meaning of Christmas, believing!

Hero Boy: At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I’ve grown old the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

#552 Zootopia (2016)       Score: 10       09.07.2016

Zootopia, Zootropolis, Zoomania or whatever you wanna call it. A movie that teaches us a little bit about life and what we can do to improve it. Seeing animals instead of humans dealing with bullying, racism, sexism and pretty much our constant daily life does make us see things straighter. The whole movie was fun and very enjoyable, but I’m sceptical on its impact. With all that being said, I still gave it a 10, because up until now it has been one of the best and original Disney animated movie. All the judging came later.

Chief Bogo: Life isn’t some cartoon musical where you sing a little song and all your insipid dreams magically come true. So let it go.

Judy Hopps: Life’s a little bit messy. We all make mistakes. No matter what type of animal you are, change starts with you.

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TV Shows

As far as TV shows go, I’ve been watching plenty of it the past 4 weeks. I’ve finally managed to watch the 3rd season of DaVinci’s Demons (2.5 stars) which was agonising. The first season and the first half of the second season were so breathtaking and wonderful I could have easily given the show 5 stars just for those parts. After that though the show took a weird turn, weird in like too much science fiction for me and an entirely unexpected story for Leo that would have made me choose not to watch the show at all from the start. On the brighter side I’ve finished one TV show and one anime that I rated 5+ star and those are Once Upon in Wonderland and Sword Art Online. I can talk about things I don’t like for hours, but when it comes to things I love I often find it hard to find the words. I apologise for that, but do search these 2 beauties and maybe also decide to watch them.

I am also up-to-date with the following shows: iZombie, Pretty Little Liars and Beauty and the Beast; and also continued watching Doctor Who, where I am currently halfway through season 8.

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Books I’ve Read

I realised that in the previous recaps I never talked about the books I read, probably because I was planning to review them later on and since that didn’t really happen I decided to comment a bit about them each month. This month I read 6 books in English and 1 in German.

1. Paul van Loon – Das Gruselhandbuch (English: The Spooky Guide) (25.07.2016)

Following my history teacher’s advise to read more in German, I picked this lovely children’s book about vampires, werewolves, witches, monsters and ghosts. I didn’t learn many new things, but I enjoyed the writing style. What I learned was that Frankenstein’s castle is just 2 hours away from me, where the best Halloween parties take place, that there are cultures that believe in werebears, weretigers, werepanthers and werecrocodiles. I’ve also learned about the witch huntings in the previous centuries which shocked me. I heard of them, but never took much interest in learning more.

If your teacher has gone notably paler recently and you are under the impression that her canines are becoming more pointed, then I advise you to immediately start with the chapter about vampires.

2. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets (July 17)

No introduction needed. Before starting the series I was afraid I’d knew how it goes as I watched the movies. Once, my bad memory has proved to be a good thing. I was thrilled to keep on reading and it really felt like I heard the story for the first time.

3. Louis Sachar – Holes (July 16)

I remember reading the blurb and thinking “this sounds really interesting!”. I was a bit sceptical when I learned it had only 233 pages, but afterwards happily surprised to have fallen in love with the story.

4. Jojo Moyes – Me Before You (July 14)

I already talked about this so I’ll just give some more quotes.

Sometimes, Clark, you are pretty much the only thing that makes me want to get up in the morning.

Some mistakes… just have greater consequences than others. But you don’t have to let that night be the thing that defines you. You, Clark, have the choice not to let that happen.

5. Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist (July 9)

This book is gold! My highlight this month. I’ve mentioned it already, but I’ll say it again. This book teaches about to never stop pursuing and believing in your dreams and to keep on fighting for them. If you ever feel down this is the best book for you to get back on your feet.

At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.

The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.

6. Stephen King – Bag Of Bones (July 6)

7. James Finn Garner – Politically  Correct Bedtime Stories (July 3)

I’ve read 2248 pages is total, 72 pages a day.

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Newest Additions To The Bookshelf:

As you can see, I couldn’t keep myself from buying books this month ‘again’. 

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Notable Mention:

Pokémon GO! As you can see bellow I’ve also got the Pokémon fever. I live in a small village so there aren’t many Pokémons around, but every time I go to a nearby city I play this game so hard that my parents are starting to worry. Let me know in the comments if you play it too and how far you got.

I’ve also got Dratini

On Friday I fly to Romania for 3 weeks, which means I might not write so much or maybe write more. I don’t know yet. As for reading, I guess I’ll finally start reading my digital copies.

P.S. I just realised I forgot to mention that I got my first subscription box this month from LootCrate.

-Demi xx

“Sunday Stealing” No°11: “The Movie Nut’s Meme”

For rules and/or information click here. Cheers to all of us thieves!!!

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What was you first movie-going experience without your parents? The furthest I can go is Bratz The Movie, which I watched with my cousin at the cinema.

Do you still buy DVDs or Blu Rays (or do you just stream them)? Yes, although not many and not very often. The last one I bought was The Addams Family Values a week ago. Other than that I want to have a physical copy of most of my favourite movies, preferable some kind of deluxe edition. So far I’ve got the Back To The Future series and Grease.

What is your guilty pleasure movie? What about it works for you? Cruel Intentions, but I have no clue why. I’m still trying to figure it out.

You have compiled a list of your top 100 movies. Which movies do you like, but would not make the list? 100 is a lot and from the 500 movies I watched I know I liked at least 400 of them. I realised the easiest answer is 50 Shades of Grey. I admit I liked it, or at least parts of it, but it would definitely not make it to the top 100.

Which movie(s) do you compulsively watch over and over again? What makes it so great? Re-watching movies is not my thing. Beside Titanic, which I had to watch for the third time (from which only once entirely), I don’t think there is a movie I watched more than 1. However I want to re-watch the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean series again.

Classic(s) you’re embarrassed to admit you haven’t seen yet? Casablanca, The Godfather, Alien, Predator, The Breakfast Club, Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Star Wars, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Indiana Jones, James Bond…. 

Do you have any movie posters hanging on your wall? If yes, which ones and why? ‘Demetra checks her walls as she is so forgetful’ Titanic, Percy Jackson, Pirates of the Caribbean, Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Monsters University and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I put them up simply because I like the movies and were among the only movie posters I had. 

Tell us about a movie that you are passionate about. It’s hard to choose just one, so I hope that next time I’ll be able to promote another great movie. This time my answer is Dead Poets Society. The way Robin Williams plays his role and the message he transmits got a very important place in my heart.

What is a movie you vow to never watch? Why? First of all that is discrimination. You should always give everyone a chance, movies of people. However there are a couple of movies that I’m not prepared to watch, The Godfather for example. I’m not 100% I’ll really like it and its soooo long..

Tell us about a movie that literally left you speechless. Inception. If you don’t count the couple of ‘what’s I had at the end, it definitely left me speechless.

What’s a movie that you always recommend? Jumanji. You thought I’d give you a Robin Williams break. ha-ha-ha. You thought wrong.

Who is an actor you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie? Robin Williams! And there is no crappy movie in which he plays. The moment he gets a role, the movie cannot be crappy.

Who is an actor you don’t get the appeal for? Why don’t you like them? I can’t think of any present ones, but I used to don’t get the appeal for Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston and I don’t know what was wrong with me. Would Matt Smith count? I never really liked him as a Doctor and still don’t.

Who is an actor, living or dead, you’d love to meet? Why do they intrigue you? Robin Williams. I wish I’d have the chance to tell him what a wonderful and inspiring person he was and of course thank him.

Sexiest actor/actress you’ve seen. (Picture required!) Chris Pine

OK, you are casting a movie, pick four or five actors you’d hire to be in it and why we’d love them together.

Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and  Johnny Depp. Can I please have that?

Who are your favorite actor pairing of all time? Robin Williams and Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting

Have you ever watched movies from a decade that was before you were born? If so, which decade is your favorite? Born in 1997. I think the 80′ is my favourite: Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future, Dead Poets Society, Rain Man, My Neighbour Totoro and probably some more that I can’t think of at the moment

If you were to be in a movie would you rather play the hero, villain or anti-hero? Why? Anti-hero. I don’t think the hero role would suit me.

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Hello there my friends. It is so good to be back! I know I’ve been M.I.A. for the past few days, but now I’m baaack and holidays are getting closer which means that you will (hopefully) see more from me. I’ve recently been active on my Instagram account, so why don’t give it a look. I’d be very grateful.

-Demi xx

Monthly Recap: May 2016

Hello everybody and a Happy International Children’s Day for those who celebrate it (a day later)! I’m happy to say that I achieved the goal I set last month and also managed to balance my free-time activities and make time for everything that I wanted to do. 🙂

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Movies I’ve watched:

So… this month I only watched 4 movies, which I know is pretty weak, but hey it can’t always be the same (last month there have been 5 and the month before 13. Hopefully I’ll watch more this month #NewGoalSet)

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)  #540       Score: 9.6                  25.05.2016
As a huge superheroes fan this was definitely my cinematic highlight this month. My full review to this movie is here.

Erik Lensherr: Does it ever wake you in the middle of the night? The feeling that one day, they’ll come for you? And your children?
Charles Xavier: I feel a great swell of pity for the poor soul who comes to my school looking for trouble.

The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)  #539       Score:9.2         20.05.2016

Clare Abshire: Honey, do you know who that is playing with Alba?
Henry DeTamble: That’s Alba.
Clare Abshire: Yes, I know, but who is that with her?
Henry DeTamble: That’s your daughter. She’s time-travelling.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)  #538       Score: 9.6         19.05.2016
I’ve read a lot of comments on this movie from people saying that they shifted back and forth between team Cap and team Stark, which I found quite strange, because I, from the begging to the end, was only on Steve Roger’s side. I was quite disappointed with Tony Stark. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a heart and felt sorry for what he has been through, but felt he lost his superhero spirit. He didn’t seem to want to fight any more and wasn’t really joining the Avengers. You could be thinking ‘And what about Thor or Hawkeye or let’s not forget Hulk. Aren’t they doing the same?’ The answer is yes, BUT Iron-Man has been my one true hero for more than 6 years and seeing him quit fighting and accepting to sign the Hero Registration Act broke my heart. A lot of people seem to think Cap is the ‘bad guy’ now, which is wrong. I think he did the right thing defending his best friend and fighting for the truth.

Captain America: [about Bucky] He’s my friend.
Iron-Man: So was I.

This annoyed me so much. All I wanted to say to Tony was ‘If YOU would have been a true friend, you would have listened and trusted Steve no matter what!’ Breath in, breath out Demetra. It’s just a movie. I’m more enraged by Iron-Man than Donald Trump at the moment, which I know it’s not healthy. ‘giggles’. To put it in a nutshell, the movie was great, even if I had to say goodbye to my hero. But hey, it is a free world and if you are on team Stark that’s fine with me, but never tell me that you would be on team Trump, because that I won’t accept.

Spider-Man:Hey guys, you ever see that really old movie, Empire Strikes Back?
War Machine:Jesus, Tony, how old is this guy?
Iron Man: I don’t know, I didn’t carbon date him. He’s on the young side.

Steve Rogers:This job… we try to save as many people as we can. Sometimes that doesn’t mean everybody. But if we can’t find a way to live with that, next time… maybe nobody gets saved.

Goosebumps (2015)  #537       Score:9.3         06.05.2016
I didn’t know much about this movie; it was my brother who convinced me to watch and I’m very glad he did. It’s got some big similarities to Inkheart, but it didn’t bother me. It was a nice cozy movie, until Jack Black appeared and all of a sudden it got serious, a bit scary, funny and adventurous all at the same time. The plot idea, although not very original, it’s very appealing; who wouldn’t want his/her book girlfriend/boyfriend to come out of a book?

R.L. Stine: All the monsters I’ve ever created are locked inside these books. But when they open…

TV Shows I’ve watched:

This month has been pretty rich in watching TV shows. I’ve finished watching The Vampire Diaries (season 7), The Originals (season 3), Supernatural (season 11), Elementary (season 4), Once Upon A Time (season 5) and most of them traumatized me and then made me happy again. Oh, how much I love this shows!

I’ve also started watching season 3 from Da Vinci’s Demons, but I’m not as interested in it as I was in the begging. I think is going to far with into sci-fi and that’s not why I wanted to watch it the first place. Anyway, it was cancelled so I just have this one season to watch and then I’ll be over with it. I also have season 3 from Hannibal and from season 8 on from Doctor Who to watch. I hope to finish these 2 this month as Pretty Little Liars and Beauty And The Beast are all starting this month and I wish to focus more on the new seasons.

With the help of this wonderful website I’m now able to keep track of how much time I spend watching TV shows ‘yay’. This month only I’ve spent almost 53 hours watching movies and TV shows.

Books I’ve Read:

• Alexandru Mitru – Olympian Legends: Gods (May 28) (only in Romanian) A book with non-human characters
• John Green – The Fault In Our Stars (May 22) A book I own but have never read
• Noreen O’Donovan (Editor) – Great Irish Short Stories (May 20) A book that’s under 150 pages
• Agatha Christie – After The Funeral (May 17) A murder mystery
• Shane Dawson – I Hate Myselfie (May 5) A non-fiction book

I’ve read 1138 pages in total, 37 pages a day.

Newest Additions To The Bookshelf:

1.-6. The General – Paul Williams, Island of the Blue Dolphins – Scott O’Dell, The Uninvited – Clive Harold, Needle Street – Jim King, The Tightrope Men – Desmond Bagley, Best SF Stories from New Worlds, Vol. 5 – Michael Moorcock (I got these from a local open bookshelf)
7.-11.  Handle With Care – Jodi Picoult, Carolina Moon – Nora Roberts, Whispers And Lies – Joy Fielding, Tell Me Your Dreams – Sydney Sheldon, No One To Trust – Iris Johansen (I got these from a local thrift shop)
12. OZ: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 – L. Frank Baum
13. Juliet – Anne Fortier
14. The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
15. The One I Love – Anna McPartlin
16. Will Grayson, Will Grayson – John Green & David Levithan
17. Looking For Alaska – John Green
18. Bridge To Terabithia – Katherine Paterson
19. Good Omens – Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
20. Holes – Louis Sachar
21. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
22. The Late, Lamented Molly Marx – Sally Koslow
23. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs
24. Brida – Paulo Coelho
25. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling

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-Demi

The Liebster Award

I was nominated for The Liebster Award by Diego at lazysundaymovies. Thank you, thank you, thank you ! 🙂 He’s got some of the best movie reviews I’ve ever read and if you don’t agree to that you would still have to admit that they’re some of the funniest. So definitely go check them out!
I learned about this award on my best friend’s blog, Iri, who has already been nominated for 4-5 times (Well, my friend. Be prepared! Another nomination comes your way). I chose to change the rules Diego had on his blog and pick some from Iri’s and because there are 2 nominees from Germany I decided to help them by writing the questions also in German, but be free to answer them in English if you want! 🙂

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The Rules:

– Thank the one(s) who nominated you
– Answer 11 questions the blogger gives you
– Give 11 random facts about yourself
– Nominate 11 bloggers that you think deserve this award too
– Give them 11 questions to answer
– Let the bloggers know you nominated them

Diego’s Questions:

1. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
– Diego, you are a very cruel person 😂 and my choice would be “What Dreams May Come”. “It’s not about understanding. It’s about not giving up!” Robin Williams will be, at least for me, always a legend and this movie is the proof for that. Here, have some trailer convince you.
2. If a film was made about your life story, who would you cast to play yourself?
– In a blink of a second I’d first say “Morgan Freeman is to be the narrator”, as for the actress, I’d choose Anne Hathaway.
3. First movie you remember watching?Favourite movie genre?
– Diego, you cheater; those are 2 questions. The first movie I watched at the cinema was Bratz, something I don’t really recomand watching, but I don’t remember any real first. As for the genre, romantic comedies will always win me over, almost as much as superheroes movies do. Shout-out to X-Men:Apocalypse that came out today!!!
4. Favourite movie quote? (I hope you know I couldn’t choose just one)

“Don’t forget I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
Julia Roberts, Notting Hill (1999)
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. Poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. (…)No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”
Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society (1989)

5. I normally hate watching movies before 2000’s (except some classics). Recommend a movie that might change my mind.
– If the ones mentioned above aren’t good enough and since the term classic can be vague (each decade has its own) I’ll give you one I hope you’ve never heard of. “Mononoke-hime” or “Princess Mononoke”. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Japanese movies, but this is a “classic” there and in my opinion, worth watching.
6. Favourite TV show at the moment?
– Once Upon A Time. It just gets better with each season, considering that they have a lot of stories the episodes can be based on. We’ve had all the Disney Princesses, Rumplestiltskin, Peter Pan, Elsa, Merida, Dr. Frankenstein, Merlin and lately Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so check it out.
7. Go-to weapon in a zombie apocalypse?
– A bazooka.
8. Would you rather lose both arms or both legs?
– Both legs, since I’m a lazy person anyway and not too much into sports. Also because my favourite activities imply the need of arms.
9. If you could have one power, what would it be?
– To fly.
10. When did you start blogging and why?
– Mid-March this year. My best friend is blogging about books and I wanted to share my thoughts with the world as well.
11. What do you do when you’re not in front of a keyboard?
– I read, watch movies, draw, take pictures and occasionally travel.

Although she didn’t nominate me directly, I liked her questions and decided to update my blog entry 🙂

LUKNE-LUNA‘s Questions:

1. Where are you from? – Romania
2. First cinema experience? – Bratz: The Movie (Avatar was the first 3D movie🙈)
3. Favorite genre? – Romance-Comedy
4. Favorite franchise? – Harry Potter all the way
5. Remakes/reboots – for or against? – The Amazing Spider-Man. To be honest I think it is better than the original. Here is a video to prove it.
6. Favorite movie soundtrack? – Lord of the Rings and of course the Hobbit.
7. Guilty pleasure movie? – Cruel Intentions. I liked the movie so much, although the story holds no good message.
8. A film that you have seen more than 3 times? – I almost never watch a movie a second time, because I always have so many movies that I want to watch, but… I’ve watched Titanic at least 3 times and I would still watch 3 more times.
9. Favorite director? – Tim Burton or Steven Spielberg
10. Favorite foreign language (non-English) film? – Mononoke-hime or Princess Mononoke
11. Favorite movie from the year you were born? – Good Will Hunting

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I was born in Romania and moved to Germany in 2011.
2. I can speak 4 languages more or less fluently: Romanian, English, German and Spanish
3. I want to go to England to study Forensic Science
4. After that I want to move with my family to Australia.
5. I travel a lot: 4 continents and 12 countries (Croatia in July is the next)
6. I have a smaller brother, age 12.
7. I love candles. I really, really love candles.
8. I watch a lot of Youtubers.
9. And a lot of Vines.
10. I like photography.
11. I have a small collecting obsession. Books, coins, pens… you name it.

Today’s Nominees Are:

1. Iri at IrisWorldOfBooks – I already mentioned like 3 times that she’s my best friend (German blog)
2. Shannon at ClockworkBibliophile – I love her blog sooo much. It’s just amazing how she does it. Wonderful writer, wonderful book reviews!
3. Isa at IsasBuecherregal (German blog)
4.  Rachel at rachelsbookreviews – There’s a really cool Challenge she’s hosting that I also joined (Cover Color Challenge)
5. GeekyCheekyAlwaysSneaky
6. ABookNation
7. GeekyFangirls
8. PaintAndButterfliesBooks
9. onturningpages
10. RobbinsRealm
11. GeelinLovesConan

My Questions:

1. What is your favourite animal and why? / Was ist dein Lieblingstier und warum?
2. What is your favourite book and why? / Was ist dein Lieblingsbuch und warum?
3. What is your favourite movie and why? / Was ist dein Lieblingsfilm und warum?
4. What is the most recent happy event in your life? / Was ist das letzte glückliche Ereignis in deinem Leben?
5. Pepsi or Coca-Cola?
6. Do you like to travel? / Magst du reisen?
7. How many languages can you speak? / Wie viele Sprachen sprichst du?
8. What is one aspect of yourself that you occasionally get complimented on? / Was ist einer deiner Eigenschaften bei denen du Komplimente bekommst?
9. What is your dream job? / Was ist dein Traumjob?
10. What would you recommend me to watch or read next? / Was würdest du mir als Nächstes zum Lesen oder Schauen empfehlen?
11. Do you think Donald Trump should become the president of the United States? / Glaubst du Donald Trump sollte Präsindent der USA werden?

Thank you for reading so far and wish you a wonderful weekend! 🙂

-Demi

Monthly Recap: April 2016

The time of the month has arrived ‘drum rolls’ and I’d like to start off with a confession/ clarification. I mentioned on my “About Me” page that I created this blog for the simple reason of sharing my thoughts. I realised I posted memes more than 25 times this month, which came as a surprise for me. I thought long about how I should present my blog. Some post reviews on books, some on movies, some take part in a great amount of memes. Well, I’m going to to a mixture of all, since I enjoy all equally. What I need to figure out at the moment is finding a balance, considering that this month I only managed to finish one book and watch 5 movies, which made me feel quite disappointed. Sometimes I might join weekly memes, sometimes write about movies or books or sometimes it could be quite for a longer time, I just don’t want to feel the pressure “Oh God, I have to blog!”. Also sometimes I might watch or read something so majestic that I cannot find words to describe it properly. For example “Hidden Fires”. I could talk about this book for hours (and I did with my best friend), but I couldn’t find the essence that I was looking for in my opinion. When I’l encounter situations like this in the future, I’ll feature a short review in my monthly recaps. With that being said, here is what happend this month. (Warning: This post might include spoilers)

Movies I’ve watched:

Paper Towns (2015) #536   Score: 9  26.04.2016
I’ve heard so many good things about the book and I couldn’t resist it any more. Now I’ll have to wait for a couple of months until my memory of the movie gets blurry so I can read the book. Was it worthy? I’m not sure. The ending left me a bad tase in my mouth and I didn’t like Cara Delevingne’s acting. I think she should stick with modelling. The plot was crazy and I loved it. It makes me want to jump in a car with my friends and head for Amsterdam (we actually talked about it, but I’m not certain it will come true ‘fingers crossed’). The movies’s message is inspirational if you interpret it this way “Get out of your comfort zone. Take risks and enjoy life. Carpe diem!”

Quentin Jacobsen: Margo always loved mysteries. And in everything that came afterwards, I could never stop thinking that maybe she loved mysteries so much that she became one.

Brooklyn (2015) #535   Score: 10  25.04.2016
You would guess a movie nominated for the Oscars should be good. It was exquisite. It made me cry. I connected with Eilis, considering I went through a similar situation 5 years ago. I could have easily given it a 9.9 (it wasn’t a masterpiece), if it wasn’t for Eilis’ deceiving character. She should have told her friends and family about her marriage and not fool the poor Irish lad. I have a soft spot for Irish accents and that helped a little in giving the score. All in all, this movie could have won the Oscar (I haven’t watched Spotlight, so I cannot say which one is better).

Eilis: You’ll feel so homesick that you’ll want to die, and there’s nothing you can do about it apart from endure it. But you will, and it won’t kill you… and one day the sun will come out and you’ll realize that this is where your life is.

Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank (2016) #534   Score: 7 12.04.2016
(you might wanna skip this part if you cannot take criticism on sensible subjects)A movie about historical events during WWII we had to watch with our history class. I came in contact with a few works that handle Nazi Germany, The Book Thief and Schindler’s List, both which have made me cry. A lot. Normally I am very critical with stories around Jews, since most of the time the people are over-victimised. This movie is one of them. It felt weird from the start and I didn’t feel much of a connection with Anne.

How To Be Single (2016) #533   Score: 9.5 09.04.2016
This movie I watched with my best friend at the cinema and it was hilarious. We came to the conclusion that Dakota Johnson played a character very similar to the one in 50 Shades of Grey and in How To Be Single we see her after leaving Christian. Also we see Rebel Wilson playing Fat Amy again. Throughout the movie you root for Alice (Dakota Johnson) to end up with Tom (Anders Holm), although you want Tom to end up with Lucy (Alison Brie). You get a lot of mixed feelings.

Robin: In every male-female friendship there’s a total number of drinks and if you hit that it means you would definitely have sex.

Epic (2013) #532   Score: 9 06.04.2016

TV Shows I’ve watched:

Lie to me

I finally managed to watch the 3rd season and all I can say is that Lie to me is definitely worth watching. Although it was cancelled (at least that’s what I think since they left some unanswered questions), they didn’t finish it off with a cliffhanger. It was delightful for me and I may have even learned a few things. Micro-expression, how to interpret them, basically reading people’s faces. I think it it a very interesting science and I hope I’ll be able to do the same thing later in life.

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Steins;Gate

I gave this anime only 3 stars, because it felt really weird at times and I didn’t really liked the main character Rintarou “Hououin Kyouma, Okarin, Mad Scientist” Okabe. You would guess by the nickname “Mad Scientist” that he’s crazy, which is entirely true. Putting that aside I did like the time-travel plot, the female main characters and of course Rintarou’s  never ending search for a way to save his friend.

Books I’ve read:

As mentioned above I only managed to read one book this month, but also started 2 others: “The Yellow Fairy Book” by Andrew Lang and “I Hate Myselfie” by Shane Dawson.

“Hidden Fires” by Sandra Brown
Published (under Laura Jordan): 1982  by Richard Gallen Books
Published (under Sandra Brown): 1997 by Warner Books
296/356 pages

Goodreads description:

As the twentieth century turned, Texas flamed with railroads, ranchers — and a daring new love!
When innocent, raven-haired Lauren Holbrook left her home for a promising life in Texas, she found heartbreak, not happiness, forced into a loveless marriage of convenience to playboy-rancher, Jared Lockett.

Now a victim of Jared’s scheming mother, whose hunger for power and wealth defied the boundaries of human greed, Lauren was unjustly accused of betrayal…threatened by an ambitious investor’s savage lust…and rejected in love by her rebellious husband.

But nevertheless Lauren’s love for Jared grew. She bravely challenged the hate that surrounded Jared’s heart, and offered instead a rapturous passion — a shimmering new dream they could share — if only they could conquer the treachery that ruled their lives.

There is a lot I can say about this book, but I’ll try to keep it short. The main topics of the book are rape and the role of women in the society, but arranged marriage, prejudices and hate turned into love also play an important part. I was surprised by the book and although it took me long to read it I love it from the beginning to the end . It is a beautiful story, like none I’ve read before and it shocked me at times. I don’t really want to spoil it to much, as I want others to read it as well, so I’m only giving some quotes and nothing more.

Once again, she relived the moment when his hand had pressed against her breast. She felt his breath on her face, and tried to imagine how his lips would feel against hers. A long, shuddering sigh escaped her and she moaned into her pillow. She wanted to know what it was like.
And she knew that finding out would bring her perilously close to the brink of hell… or heaven.

Well, I don’t give a damm, he swore. But he did. That was what rankled. He did care, and it ate at his gut every time he saw that Vandiver bastard go anywhere near her.

Lauren was never sure when the thought took form and solidified in her mind, but all of the sudden it was there. I’m in love with Jared Lockett. I love Jared.

Books I purchased:

As you can see this month I’ve been very productive👍. I’ll go from left to right.
1. William Shakespeare – “Romeo and Juliet” (I had to buy this book for my English class.)
2. Shoko Tendo – “Yakuza Moon” ( I got this book for free from my school’s library)
3. Stephen McCauley – “The Object Of My Affection”
4. L. Frank Baum – “Oz, the Complete Collection, Volume 5” ( This one I mentioned previously that was sent to me, although I didn’t order it)
5. D.H. Lawrence – “Selected Tales”
6. John Grisham – “The Associate”
7. Sue Townsend – “True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole”
8. Iris Murdoch – “The Black Prince”

The books 3 and 5-8 I got from a local public bookcase (A public bookcase is a cabinet which may be freely and anonymously used for the exchange and storage of books without the formalities associated with libraries. – Wikipedia)

The series in the middle I’ve previously talked about and this month I finally managed to complete it. I already had the first, second and forth books.

1. Nick Hornby – “A Long Way Down”
2. Nicholas Sparks, Micah Sparks – “Three Weeks With My Brother”
3. Mhairi McFarlane – “You Had Me At Hello”
4. Jojo Moyes – “Me Before You”
5. Ruta Sepetys – “Between Shades Of Grey”
6. Nicholas Sparks – “The Guardian”
7. Nicholas Sparks – “The Rescue”
8. Nicholas Sparks – “A Walk To Remember”

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-Demi

Monthly Recap: March 2016

Movies I’ve watched:

1. The Bucket List (2007) #531 Score: 9.5
2. Jumper (2008) #530 Score: 9
3. Ant-Man (2015) #529 Score: 9.5
4. Mona Lisa Smile (2003) #528 Score: 9
5. Good Will Hunting (1997) #527 Score: 10
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) #526 Score: 9
7. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) #525 Score: 9.5
8. Inside Out (2015) #524 Score: 9
9. House of Wax (2005) #523 Score: 8.5
10. Pan (2015) #522 Score: 9.5
11. You’ve Got Mail (1998) #521 Score: 8.5
12. Run Fatboy Run (2008) #520 Score: 6.5
13. Tonari no Totoro ( My Neighbour Totoro) (1988) #519 Score: 9.5

Time spent: 24 h 2 min

Books I’ve read:

• “Pushing The Limits” by Katie McGarry
• “John Winchester’s Journal” by Alex Irvine
• “Message In a Bottle” by Nicholas Sparks
• “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Pages read: 1085 ;  35 pages a day

Mona Lisa Smile

I’ve heard her called a quitter for leaving and aimless wanderer. But not all who wander are aimless, especially those who seek truth beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond the image. I’ll never forget you.

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“Mona Lisa Smile” is an American drama movie that came out in 2003 and is set in 1953.

Plot

The movie tells the story of a free-thinking art professor, Katherine Watson, that moves from California to Wellesley to teach Art History in a conservative women’s private liberal arts college, because she wants to make a difference and influence the next generation of women.

My Opinion

To be honest in the first half of the movie, I was not quite convinced about the greatness of the movie, but still found it interesting to get a glimpse of the life of women in the 1950s. In the second half I realised the “normalities” of the ‘5os, the expected standards and Katherine’s remarkable attempts to change them. Although I learned in school about it, that at that time women had to focus on getting married and raising a family, the normality for me is to go to university after college, so it took me a while to realise and eventually put myself into their shoes. The movie was incredible, because even though only 60 years have passed, the women role has changed and improved so much over the years, that it is hard for us today to comprehend their situation. This movie had some similarities to the movie “Dead Poets Society”(one of my 10 rated movies), in which both leading roles, teachers, make an attempt on helping their pupils think for themselves, create the future they want and not follow others expectations. “Mona Lisa Smile’s” got a 9 for the performance, since I was not entirely contempt with the performance of the recurring actors.

Personal Rating: 9/10

Director: Mike Newell
Writers: Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal
Stars:Julia Roberts: Katherine Ann Watson
Kirsten Dunst: Betty Warren
Julia Stiles: Joan Brandwyn
Length: 117 min
IMDB Score 6,4
Trailer