Movies I watched: February

It's no secret that I LOVE watching movies! So I thought I'd give you my thoughts on some that I've watched recently.

The Butler (2013)

I'm cheating with this one, because I actually watched it in January - but I wanted to sneak it in anyway. To be completely honest I didn't love it, but I'm not sure if that's because of the movie itself, or because I watched it on my flight from LAX to JFK, after my 10+ hours travelling from Brisbane! Nevertheless, I didn't find it completely gripping, but the characters were interesting and it was well acted. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I knew more about American presidents?

Penelope (2006)

I really loved this movie! It's a modern fairytale type story, and the cast is WONDERFUL: Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage, and Nick Frost all star. While it's not the best movie I've ever seen, it was a really fun movie to curl up and watch on Valentine's Day. I like the story and the soundtrack, which features music from some of my favourite bands, made the movie even more enjoyable to watch. I recommend this one if you like lighthearted movies! I especially like the (somewhat surprising) ending.

The Host (2013)

Another movie I loved! I've been waiting to see this film for quite a while, as I absolutely love the novel it's based on (Yes it's by Stephanie Meyer, no it's not terrible!). This movie was mostly a wonderful adaptation, and I really enjoyed watching it! I think it was really well cast, and I loved all the characters in the movie just as much as I did in the book! This movie does have some scifi elements, so if you're not into that, this may not be for you. I highly recommend reading the book first - it is quite long, but for the most part, doesn't feel that way as you are reading it! (You should just always read the book first. Always.)

That Awkward Moment (2014)

Despite the fact that this movie has been receiving awful reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 12% (ouch), I quite enjoyed it! Haha I've been saying that a lot, I guess I'm easily entertained! I think what saved this movie for me was the totally charming cast - the plot was nothing new, and it wasn't particularly funny, but it was easy enough to watch, so I didn't mind it!

About Last Night (2014)

Let's be real: I hated this movie! Despite the fact that it has somehow managed to get 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, it still sucked. Maybe I just didn't enjoy it because I really dislike Kevin Hart, who plays the main character, and don't find him funny at all? It was raunchy for the sake of being raunchy, and didn't really tell a story. I don't think I laughed more than twice, which, for a movie that's supposed to be a comedy, is saying something. Ugh. I want my $12 back!

Thor (2011)

Happened to catch this movie on TV at a friend's house, and found that it stands up to rewatching - Loved it the first time, still like it now! The dialogue's still witty, and plot's still interesting and the cast are still fantastic. Nothing much more to say!

Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)

I put this movie on Netflix to have something in the background while I wrote some letters, and I ended up getting pretty engrossed haha! It's a fairly typical concert movie, mixing footage of live performances with interviews with fans & friends and 'behind the scenes' footage. The story covers the Part Of Me tour and the simultaneous breakdown of Katy Perry's marriage to Russell Brand, which makes it a little more interesting I guess? Seeing her sob in costume 30 seconds before she bursts onto stage singing was a little heartbreaking, but I still feel like the 'documentary' makers were exploiting it. Oh well, it was still fun to watch and the music is super catchy!

& That's all! Hopefully I'll be on track to finish my 52 movies in 52 weeks project at the end of the year! 11 down, 41 to go!

Books I read: Jan + Feb

Yay for book reviews! 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

I really loved this book! My mum read it with her bookclub and recommended I read it, and I'm really glad I did! It's very clever, and very funny! I think Rosie is a truly wonderful character and I loved reading about her. I really enjoyed the way the book was written and don't really have anything more to say!

The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus & Emma McLaughlin

Another highly enjoyable book! I brought this book with me, thinking it would be fun to read seeing as I am now a nanny. I read this book during my first week living with my host family, which was an excellent decision. It helped me realise that whatever this family's quirks are, they will never, ever be as bad as the family portrayed in this book! This book was really fun and easy to read, and I remember really enjoying the movie made about it as well. The authors have done a great job of showing how you can adore a child you care for while having difficulties working with their parents! 

She Went All The Way by Meg Cabot

I thought this book was going to be nice, easy to read chick-lit, but it had a weird twist that made it more of an action/adventure book, but it was still pretty good. I didn't love it, but it's the perfect holiday/plane book. The premise is the pretty stereotypical "2 people hate each other, get stranded together with no hope of rescue, fall in love" type of thing, with some added gun fights and chases through snow storms. 

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA)

I really love this book, which looks at the life of the daughter of a PTSD sufferer. This book is incredibly well written and the characters are all perfectly flawed. While it does deal with some really heavy, difficult topics (drug use, suicide, domestic violence), I never felt overwhelmed, or like I was being manipulated. I really hate it when authors use sudden twists, or overly emotive language for the sole purpose of manipulating the reader into being emotional (like I feel Jodi Piccoult does). Laurie Halse Anderson is a wonderful author, and I really love one of her other novels, Speak. I highly recommend this book.

Severed Heads, Broken Hearts (now called The Beginning of Everything) by Robyn Schneider (YA)

Another book I really enjoyed! I kind of expected to hate this book, based on it's title and synopsis, so don't let those things fool you! The book is nothing like it's synopsis implies! I honestly feel it's been slightly mismarketed. This book, about a high school senior who has a major car accident right before his senior year starts, is funny and brilliant and smart. It's really hard to describe what exactly it's about - it's mostly just about life. 

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (YA)

This book is the sequel to "If I Stay", one of my favourite books I read in 2013, so I had high hopes for this book. While it doesn't come anywhere near having the emotional impact of "If I Stay", about Mia deciding if she'll stay after a major car accident kills her family and leaves her in a coma. Despite the fact that it sounds incredibly morbid and depressing, it is so well written and so, so well done that I still love it. It's hard to talk about this book without spoiling "If I Stay", the fact that there is a sequel kind of hints at how it ended, but it is still definitely worth reading. Honestly, I didn't enjoy "Where She Went" as much as I expected to. It's written from the perspective of Adam, Mia's boyfriend at the time of the crash. He's not a character I particularly cared for in the first book, and I didn't enjoy his perspective at all. But I do enjoy having some closure on what happened after the first book. So while I think "If I Stay" is a must read, you can probably skip "Where She Went". Nevertheless, I read this book in one sitting, and it is incredibly well written and easy to read, even if I don't like the protagonist. 

Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill (YA)

Another cute, easy to read holiday book! On a high school trip to London, Julia starts receiving mysterious texts from an unknown suitor. Her nemesis, Jason, vows to help her find the sender. Despite having a completely cliche premise, this book was still really enjoyable, and didn't go down the paths I expected it to, based on the blurb. In made me fall in love with London and want to visit immediately, which is quite an accomplishment! This book was fun and not as cliche as I expected, so I really enjoyed reading it and finished it in one day. 

haha okay so I am clearly not destined to be a book reviewer! But I still want to keep a record of the books I read and movies I watch, so I'll try and keep up to date on those things at least every 2 months!