The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games. What to say, what to say? I enjoyed it. I really did. It got the heart pumping in the right places, a little tear too. But I’m not seeing it as my new fandom. It just didn’t appeal that much.

I will admit it, I suck at reading. I’ve books on my bookshelves that are over five, six or more years there and are still unread. Laser eye really set me back. An addiction to the Internet didn’t help either.
Many times I started books just before the movie has come out, Twilight springs to mind, I finished it in two days. The final day, that evening I had planned to go see it. It’s the only reason why. (So I guess that’s another reason to hate that dire piece of crap of a movie.)

The same can be said for THG. I only put aside my Agatha Christie’s and took out the first book in order to prepare for the film coming out in March. And to finally read the Empire and Total Film magazines when they’ve done features on the film. I wanted to remain as spoiler free as possible. I didn’t want to know who was cast as who. Granted it was hard not to know Jennifer Lawrence was cast as Katniss, and I was spoilt by seeing Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. I decided to read it now and get it done so I could read the mags without quickly covering the pages and saying “la la la I did not just see that. I did not just see that.”

I liked Katniss. I didn’t love her for some reason. I didn’t love anyone really. But I am all ooh Peeta, or Gale, or Peeta, or Gale, and so on and so on.
Despite Peeta being a doll and me wanting one. I felt Gale was the one for Katniss. Though I have the feeling it’ll be Peeta to win out in the end. But I’m not sure. Will have to see when I read the other two books.

And that’s the nail on the head. I can wait. I can easily wait until the next book’s adaptation is approaching before I feel the desire to pick it up. And it will be for the same ‘I want to read the film magazines’ reason more than a need to find out what happens to these characters.

I think perhaps it is the future, dystopia aspect of it. I am a history girl. It’s where my heart belongs. I am drawn and love stories set in the past more than I do in the future. In fact I’m trying to think of a book I love that is set in the future. I’m coming up empty.
Another thing is, perhaps it’s embarrassing, but I’m sure I’m in no way the only one who does this – I like to see myself in the story. Not as a character already in there. I don’t like that whole ‘ooh I do that too. That character is so like me’ crap. But just as myself, my own little traits and flaws. And I think my flaws would get be killed in the Hunger Games within the first two seconds. (Actually in know my flaws would. My gammy ankle and asthma would see to that.)
Where’s the fun and wishfullfillment in that?

edit: Lenny fucking Kravitz as Cinna? :0 I pictured Adam Lambert. Kravitz seems far too bulky for how I imagined Cinna. Blame Gok Won. I picture stylists skinny feckers.

 

“A Little Bit of Fluff”

A little round up of what I’ve been reading and watching this last week.

Reading:
The Vesuvius Club: A Lucifer Box Novel by Mark Gatiss.

Gatiss has quicken become my new idol these last few months. For years I had heard his name, seen him as Lazarus in Dr. Who but didn’t give him much more attention than the usual. Then along came Crooked House.
For those not lucky enough to have seen it, Crooked House is a three episode series staring Lee Ingleby and Gatiss himself. It’s an old time ghost story. Each episode dealing with a different eerie tale as Gatiss’ library staff member fills Ingleby’s character in on the history of his new home – or more to the point, the doorknocker he found in his garden.
Suffice to say I fucking LOVED IT! I mean seriously fucking loved it. It was everything I love. It just oozed old school, Victorian Gothic ghost story. In essence all the things I loved growing up. I’m not a slasher fan, I’m not into the porn gory genre. Give me a chilling tale of the supernatural over a axe wielding maniac who has a load of over sexed teenagers locked in a labyrinth any day.

 

The Distant Hours

I haven’t been compelled to write a book review in a while, but I read another one from Kate Morton and couldn’t resist talking a little about it. The Distant Hours is her third, and latest, novel and she is now on my list of favourite authors.

I think it is safe to say my sister no longer wants me to bring a book to her house when I stay over. I stayed there on Tuesday and did nothing but make a huge dink into the books 670 pages. On Wednesday I managed to finish it – again getting nothing done around the house.

The story begins in 1992 with the delivery of a letter that has been lost for fifty years. It is because of the letter that Edie discovers her mothers past, specifically her evacuation from London at the outbreak of World War II and her subsequent attachment to the family she came to live with: The Blythes, in their ancestral home of Milderhurst Castle.

 

Male characters of British Literature

Thanks to chaptersbooks on twitter my attention was brought to a list of the “111 Male Characters of British Literature: In Order of Bangability”

I can only imagine the type of woman who complied it. A woman with a good sense of humour!

 

Game of Thrones – characters

So I started to read the A Song of Ice and Fire series and I kept saying I’d write a little about the characters in Game of Thrones. Who I like, who I don’t and who I’m unsure about.

Firstly, ones I am loving: Jon Snow, Bran Stark, Eddard Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Arya Stark.
I’m still only about two hundred pages in. Jon and Tyrion are just on the wall looking out into the “end of the world”. These two are my favourites so far. Tyrion, we’re unsure of his loyalties but his words and wisdom are just brilliant. I’m hoping hard he doesn’t turn out a right bastard because I am loving him.
Jon Snow. What can you say about Jon? I liked him from the first few pages, I’m loving him as we go along. Loyal, proud, brave, little childish but he can be brilliant. Jon for King!!!

Ones I am hating: Cersei, Joffrey, The Hound, Visery, Sansa.
Cersei and her cunt son can go to hell! That whore and her little bollix of a runt should both have their throats cut. The more I see of Joffrey the more I hate him. From the moment he was fighting with Robb in Winterfell I wanted to punch him. I hate fuckers like that, couldn’t win the fair fight so has to try talk his way out of it by belittling someone else. Then the incident with Arya and the butcher boy. :O Horrifying! That’s when Sansa went from someone I didn’t really mind, had no feeling for her really, to utter dislike. Pretending she couldn’t remember because she didn’t want to go against Joffrey. Stupid dumb bitch. No loyalty for his sister or family. I would have been glad her wolf was killed if it wasn’t for the fact that I cried for the poor thing. *damn you Cersei, you whore. Go ride your brother some more. Slut!*
Now to Visery. Oh what I wouldn’t give to slice that fuckers throat. What a fucking eejit. “You woke the dragon” Go fuck yourself, douche! And then saying that he’d gladly let ten thousand men rape his sister if it meant he could have an army. You want a fucking army that badly, you go fuck the ten thousand men. Let it be your arse that’s red fucking raw. Cunt!

Who I’m unsure about: Dany, Jaime, Theon Greyjoy.
I think Dany can be great. I think there is a lot of potential there so that’s why I’m reserving judgement. My problem with her is her letting her brother treat her that way. I would slice that bastards throat in the night and I wouldn’t care if I swung for it. I wouldn’t let someone away with that shit!
Jaime. Oh. My. God. When he did that to Bran. Hatred!!! I’m holding off on hating him altogether because I think he can be become an interesting character. A bastard, but an interesting one all the same.
Same with Theon Greyjoy. I’ve not yet seen enough of him to form a proper opinion, he is on the list purely because I love his name. Greyjoy. How brilliant is that

Honourable mention: Catelyn, Robb.
I would like Catelyn if not for her treatment of Jon over Bran’s sickbed. As for Robb. I wonder how he’ll turn out. I’m hoping just as brilliant, noble and loyal as his father.

I was hooked from the prologue in this series. The Others. Who? What? Why? When? So many questions regarding them. So exciting!!!

 

Atonement

Aaaahhhhhh! I am half way through Atonement by Ian McEwan and I just don’t want to continue.

As sumdiddliumpious a read as it is, I just don’t want to do it. I’ve seen the film. I know what happens. I just don’t want it to and if I stop now I can pretend Cecilia and Robbie marry, with Briony as a bridesmaid, and live happily ever after.

That is what I want.

The scene between them in the library. Gorgeous! Absolutely perfect and beautiful and so sweet. I can’t even describe how perfect I thought it was. Just pure love.

My new favourite literary couple! Damn you Briony, damn you!

 

Curious, very curious

Just read that there is to be a Spanish film released this year. Spanish I hear you say – Why is Ashling concerned with a Spanish film since her little head is generally so mainstream she makes Glee look like a beatnik? Well the film happens to be The Monk, based on the book of the same name by Matthew Lewis.

Any Austenophile will tell you that The Monk is mentioned in Northanger Abbey. It’s tantalizing description of being ‘fiendish’ and worse than Bryon piqued my interest. I set out to read the book. It was, as many books are, destined to gather dust on my book shelf for ages. I ended up buying a copy for a friends birthday present and she said how she enjoyed it so much that I finally got around to reading it. Glad I did. And I’m glad I stuck with it. It was 50/50. I found it boring and not at all what I first imagined. (for starters it wasn’t as debauched as I had thought. Damn my wanting porn but getting Gothic literature instead. *silently grumbles to herself*) But as soon as we got into the subplot Raymond and Agnes of and the bandits in the forest – I was hooked.

Now I see that Vincent Cassel is to be the abhorrible priest Ambrosio. I don’t know what to make of that. As an actor I can’t really fault Cassel, but I still don’t like him. I find him…sleazy. Not sexy as Ambrosio should be, but sleazy. Still though – excited to see this adaptation.

 

Neville, Neville, My Kingdom for a Neville

*sniff* Remember that little kid with the pudgy round face whose broomstick took off and he fell, breaking his wrist? Well he became a man. He became Neville “I’ve had it with these motherfucking snakes” Longbottom!!!!

New still from DH2. I can’t wait for his shining moment! It was one of the best in the whole series. Actually all Neville in Deathly Hallows was great. He grew so much, I couldn’t help but wipe away a little tear and think “so proud.” lol. And I definately blubbered my way through the Hogs Head passageway scene when he tells the trio about letter his grandmother sent him.

 

Madam Pince would be so upset

I did it. I finally did it. I have been debating it for years, but I just could never do it. Well today I did it. I defaced a book.

Of course school books don’t count – it’s your duty as a student, it’s your duty as a teenage girl to deface your books with the name of your latest crush *ronan keating – or “cheating” as he is fondly refered to nowadays – shudder*
I’ve wanted to for ages underline or highlight favourite quotes from the different books, but I’m one of those anal people who freak out when the spine finally breaks on a book, but I’ve always refrained.
Well today I took the plunge and I highlighted my copy of Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak.

It’s Shadow of the Wind I really want to highlight my favourite quotes. I think the majority of the book would be highlighted though. But despite the break through, I still can’t bring myself to do it. I think I’m going to have to resort to my plan B i.e. buy a second copy of the book and highlight that.

 

“Daniel, when I first saw you…”

So there I was checking up on imdb to get the latest movie news when what do I spy? I spy the trailer for Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
It’s not something I normally take notice for but for one little detail: Devon Bostick. Or better yet; my ideal Daniel Sempere! Well a young Daniel.

For those who know me well, you know that Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is, Potters aside, my absolute favourite novel in the entire world! I’m sure I’ve already spoken about why I love it and how I came to first read it on here so I won’t bore you again.

When I read a book I see the characters as I see them described, I try not to think of an actor who’ll play the part as it somewhat ruins the character for me. Like Julian, I just don’t want to see a casting directors idea of Julian. I’m happy and delighted to imagine my Julian the way I do. But sometimes an idea of who could play a character will pop into my head and I won’t be able to shake it – Gary Oldman, albeit Gary in his younger days (think Leon, Air Force One era) as Fermin.
But seeing the picture of Devon I instantly thought Daniel.

Oooh I can just see him as that fifteen year old who adored Clara from the shadows of the Plaza Real