Quotes of the Week

Hope your weekend is going well so far, here are my favourite quotes I heard or read this week:

“There are many endings and the one you choose is the right one.” Jennifer Goines, 12 Monkeys 2×11

I just love this, we always have a choice and whatever we chose will be right for us at the time. The show has a lot of time travel in it and Jennifer is talking to her younger self when she says this. She then tells her younger self that she loves her which was so beautiful, I cried a lot!

“Nothing is more hateful than failing to protect the one you love.” Brienne of Tarth, Game of Thrones 5×03, High Sparrow

Oh Brienne, my dearest! This breaks my heart and it’s so true.

Mythos Review

Mythos is written by Stephen Fry, he tells us some of the myths from Ancient Greece.

I’ve both listened to this as an audiobook and read it. I really enjoyed both, Stephen Fry’s style of writing flows so well. Not even for a moment do you feel like the stories are dated and boring. I loved learning about all the Gods and Goddesses and finding out where we get so many words from! My favourite Goddess was Artemis, she protects women from painful births, she breaks gender stereotypes and kicks any man’s ass who comes too close.

The book is funny, witty and I am really excited to read or listen to the next book in the series about the heroes of Ancient Greece.

Top Five Tuesday – Book Spines

A new Top Five Tuesday, the promts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This week it’s our favourite book spines. I had fun gazing at my bookcase trying to decide which ones were the most pretty!

1. My classics collection

The hardcover ones are so lovely, there are so many to collect! And the books on the left are such nice colours, they all look great together.

2. A Song of Ice and Fire

Especially the hardback A Game of Thrones, it’s got illustrations in it, it’s so gorgeous! The spines are a bit bent by now but I just love them!

3. Flower Fairies, Narnia and Harry Potter Illustrated editions

They all sit together on my tall shelf, the flower fairy spine is so pretty and the gold goes with the Narnia collection next to it. The Harry Potter illustrated books are gorgeous throughout but I love how the pictures carry on over the spine.

4. Farseer Trilogy

I love the font on these and the medieval look of them, they really stand out of my shelves.

5. A Series Of Unfortunate Events

I couldn’t fit them all in but I love the colours and the pattern on them.

Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday, let me know what you think in the comments.

Quotes of the Week

That awkward moment when all my quotes are from Game of Thrones…I’m still trying to rewatch it before the last season starts. That may get difficult when I hit season 5 because I hated that season!

“I will answer injustice with justice.” – Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones 4×04, Oathkeeper

I love this line, Dany will not back down, the punishment matches the crime.

“What good is power if you cannot protect the ones you love.” Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones 4×05, First of His Name

This breaks my heart, we can’t protect everyone we love from all the horrors in the world, we can try, but we’d never leave our houses for fear of what’s lurking outside.

“Everywhere in the world they hurt little girls” Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones 4×05, First of His Name

Where’s the lie, it’s so depressing and I just want to hold Cersei in this scene because I know what’s coming.

“When I see what desire does to people, what it’s done to this country, I am glad to have no part in it.” Varys, Game of Thrones 4×06, The Laws of Gods and Men

Asexual badass Varys lays it down! I’m glad we have some asexual representation in the show and considering how obsessed with nudity the producers seem to be, this is surprising.

Norse Mythology Audiobook Review

Neil Gaiman narrates the book wonderfully. I loved what he says in the introduction about sharing these myths with others, that’s how stories always used to spread before we had books.

I’m really interested in mythology but this book made it fun as well.

Vikings worshipped weird Gods, I forgot how obsessed they were with war. Loki is so chaotic but also hilarious. I think the highlight of all the stories for me was Loki and his mischievous nature. Also Neil Gaiman’s voice for Thor was brilliant! This is the first time I’ve listened to an audiobook on my commute home an I really enjoyed it.

The Long Cosmos Review

I got really emotional at the end of this book, it’s the last in The Long Earth series and one of the last books Terry Pratchett wrote. Stephen Baxter wrote a lovely introduction at the beginning and said that the last time he saw Terry was when they wrote the last quarter of the book.

The Long Cosmos is set nearly sixty years after Step Day when humans figured out how to step into endless parallel Earths. Over the series we’ve been far out into these worlds with Joshua, Sally, Lobsang and Maggie. In the third book, The Long Mars, Sally and her father went to explore the parallels of Mars, this was my favourite, I love the thought of life on Mars so this book made me very happy. We also saw the evolution of humanity, they’re called the Next, they are much more intelligent than us and have developed their own language talking incredibly fast, none of the normal humans can understand it. We met the trolls who are like us they just evolved differently, they’ve been stepping for thousands of years and have a song that they all sing to each other containing information and history and which worlds are dangerous. They are kind, clever and travel in packs/families.

The book begins with a message sent from the stars across all the earths “join us”. Humanity hasn’t worked out a way to send radio signals to different worlds yet so how could this message be possible. We follow the Next as they try to decipher it, but it’s too advanced even for their brilliant minds at first.

Meanwhile Joshua is nearing his seventieth birthday and wants to go on a trip on his own. Unfortunately a few days in he breaks his leg, some trolls find him injured and look after him until he is able to get back on his feet. I loved this part seeing the trolls as we hadn’t before, up close rather than them keeping away from humanity.

The whole series is really clever and fascinating, but this story is another step up, the message from the stars and how we can reach them, it’s great. We still explore more Earths, “this was Datum Manhattan rendered in wood.” This world was so strange but that’s such a powerful image. But as a reader you do feel the sense that it’s all coming to an end.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a great end to the series. Thank you Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter for your wonderful work!

Top Five Tuesday – Slytherin

A new Top Five Tuesday, the promts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This month’s promts are all Harry Potter themed and this week it’s Slytherin!

I was a bit nervous about this week, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find enough characters or I’d fall into the trap of picking only ‘villians’/’bad’ characters. But I’m so happy with my group, I genuinely adore all of them.

1. Cersei Lannister – A Song of Ice and Fire

I love this woman so bloody much. There’s no doubt that she would be a Slytherin, even from a young age Cersei wanted to be the Queen (her father probably put the idea in her head but still). She both loves and hates fiercely. Cersei will hold grudges forever. She hated her life married to Robert but she never gave up, she stayed alive for her children and to further her family name. She’s determined, ambitious, sassy, manipulative and protective over a select few. She’s also one of the strongest characters that I know.

2. Finnick Odair – The Hunger Games series

My dear Finnick, he’s such a cutie! I think he’s a Slytherin because of his charming nature, he also spends lots of his adult life fooling the people around him that he likes them and enjoys their company. He’s loyal to his loved ones and his friends in the rebellion. He’s determined and so clever, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to survive in the Capital. He’s a big highlight of the books for me.

3. Margaery Tyrell – A Song of Ice and Fire

Another character who wants to be a Queen. So much that she gets married three times in the books, she’s twice widowed, both her first husbands were murdered. Margaery is charming, intelligent and ambitious. She will do whatever it takes to reach the top, with the help of her family. I really admire her determination and she’s so kind to Sansa when she doesn’t have to be. I think their friendship was genuine. Margaery is such an interesting character and her and Cersei make an explosive pair!

4. Briony Tallis – Atonement

I was inspired more by Briony as a child for Slytherin, which would be when she was sorted, so it works! She’s suspicious, inquisitive, cunning and jealous. She’s also a writer so imaginative and creative, she likes being the centre of attention and performing her plays for her family. Briony isn’t the nicest child but she grows up to regret her actions and becomes a better person.

5. Daenerys Targaryen – A Song of Ice and Fire

Ok so my third Queen from ASOIAF, woops! For me Dany is definitely a Slytherin, she grows up in exile and is told all her life that her birthright is to rule the Seven Kingdoms, that her family had ruled there for generations. Dany already has magic with her dragons but I think she’d love Hogwarts. Dany is intelligent, fierce, brilliant and so kind. She has so much empathy for others. Dany is determined and I hope she gets to Westeros, I just don’t want her to hurt my other babies!!

I think this might be my favourite group which is a surprise! What do you guys think? Anyone else that would go in Slytherin?

Quotes of the Week

Here are my favourite quotes that I’ve read or heard this week:

“People learn to love their chains.” – Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones 3×10, Mhysa

I love that line, it’s so chilling. People get used to their cages or chains, to be free can be scary.

“Not every caterpillar becomes a butterfly.” – Cassie Railly, 12 Monkeys 2×01, Year of the Monkey

This really got me, Cassie is a doctor but she’s stuck in a dystopian future and has to kill to survive and get home and hurting people is horrifying for her given that all she’s done her whole adult life is try to save lives. It just made me sad.

“When it comes to war I fight for Dorne, when it comes to love I don’t choose sides.” – Oberyn Martell, Game of Thrones 4×03, Breaker of Chains

I love this man, a true bisexual icon!

Hope you’ve all had a good week!

Top Five Tuesday – Hufflepuff

A new Top Five Tuesday, the promts are created by Bionic Book Worm. This month’s promts are all Harry Potter themed and this week it’s Hufflepuff!

I love Hufflepuffs, one of my sisters and my brother both belong to this house, they’re both so caring and kind, they love animals but they’re still fiesty and awesome. I was really excited for this week so here are my top five Hufflepuff characters from other books:

1. Lucy Pevensie – The Chronicles of Narnia

Lucy is the ultimate Hufflepuff; kind, loving, imaginative, open minded and a badass. She holds on to what she believes in, when she first found Narnia, she never stopped believing it was real and when they all returned to Narnia in Prince Caspian, Lucy was the only one that could see Aslan because she still had faith in him. I adore Lucy, I remember when I read the books when I was younger I always wanted to be more like her because she’s just so lovely!

2. Peeta Mellark – The Hunger Games series

My boy! I love him so much! Peeta’s loyalty and devotion to Katniss, his ever present goodness and warmth are what made me think of Hufflepuff for him. He risks his own life for Katniss, not just because he loves her but he knew that the rebellion needed her as it’s leader, not him. He was tortured for months, made to hate the person he loves the most but still that love shone through and he was able to break free from that dark place in his mind. I’m just so proud of him.

3. Frieda Klein – Frieda Klein series

When I read through the Hufflepuff traits that Bionic Book Worm put on the original post for this month’s prompts. Frieda popped into my mind. She’s a psychologist and sometimes works with the police to help them solve crimes or interview subjects. She’s incredibly hard working, loyal, but not to those who haven’t earnt it. Frieda has a close circle of friends and family, she would do anything to protect them and she knows they will always have her back. She’s an incredibly tough character, she’s been through a lot in her life but she still works on to help people and make the world a better place. Again, I’d love to be more like her!

4. Maia D’Aliese – The Seven Sisters series

Maia is the eldest of her sisters, but she’s not the leader of the group, she’s the sister the others go to for quiet and comfort and safety. Although Maia is scared herself, of leaving her home, she’s a translator but up until the first book she had barely left the island she calls home in years. She’s got such a warm soul and when she travels to Rio to find out where she came from we really see her come to life, she’s adventurous, funny but always kind and considerate. She’s also really intelligent, she knows about five languages!

5. Davos Seaworth – A Song of Ice and Fire

Oh Davos…he’s such a lovely man, but he did make a terrible decision by siding with Stannis (I hate him so bloody much). But what I really respect about Davos is how he always stands up to Stannis when he thinks he’s doing wrong, he calls out Melisandre right from the start. Yet he’s blindly loyal, always honest and very hard working. He used to be a pirate until he saved Stannis and his men during Robert’s Rebellion by sneaking through the blockade to provide them with food. After the war he was knighted and has followed his Lord ever since.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Mid February Catch Up

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all having a good February so far! I had a bit of a difficult week last week, I’ve been feeling really faint/dizzy, I’m waiting to have a blood test done so 🤞🏻 that will shed some light!

Anyway I’ve been reading, watching and listening to some great things for the past month and I thought I’d share them with you!

Reading:

The Long Cosmos by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter

It’s the last book in the Long Earth series and one of the last books Terry wrote which is making me really emotional. I am loving this book, they have tied things together really nicely. There is a message being broadcast from somewhere in stars and no one knows where it is coming from “Join us” it says, all of the Long Earth can hear it…I’ve almost finished and I’ll write a full review soon.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I do love a good classic, especially if I can actually follow what’s going on! Some are just too much for my brain but Little Women is lovely, Amy really gets on my nerves but Jo is such a rebel it makes up for having to read about Amy. I’m pretty sure I read it when I was younger but I understand it a lot better now!

Watching:

Game of Thrones season 3

This might be an unpopular opinion but I think the show peaked at season 3…George R.R. Martin stopped writing episodes after this season so I think that has something to do with it. A lot of this season makes me cry…I haven’t got to the Red Wedding yet I’ve been putting it off. I can still remember the shock and horror when I watched that for the first time.

Star Trek Discovery season 2

This show is so epic, I’ve never seen any other Star Trek series or films, I started watching because Sonequa Martin-Green is incredible and I am so glad I did. This season has only just started but it’s already brilliant, there are alien angels appearing out of nowhere to save people and Spock has been having visions of them since he’s a child. But he’s missing…the characters on this are so well written, I’m excited for the rest of the season!!

One Day At A Time season 3

This show is so important!! It’s also really funny, the characters are so perfect and they talk about really important issues about race, gender, sexual orientation, feminism etc. Elena is probably my favourite but the whole family is loveable and brilliant.

12 Monkeys season 1

I stumbled across this series on Netflix, it’s set in 2043, a horrible plague was released into the world in 2017 and most of the population died. A team of scientists managed to build a machine that can send someone back in time to stop it! We follow Cole to 2015 where he meets Dr Raley and they try to stop the virus from being released. But it’s more complicated than just killing one man, Cole has to make more jumps than he expected. It’s a really gripping series and I love apocalyptic stories, I find them fascinating. It is scary that these evil people are trying to kill almost all of humanity though!!

Listening:

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (audiobook)

I’ve recently got into audiobooks, I listen to them on my way home from work, I prefer non-fiction ones at the moment but this one is more stories than facts. I’m real enjoying it though, Loki is hilarious!

Imagine Dragons – Origins

This album is sooo good! It’s upbeat and catchy, I really like all of the tracks but I think my favourite is Machine.

Mumford & Sons – Delta

This album is lovely, really chill and beautiful. I’ve always been obsessed with Mumford & Sons!! My favourite song at the moment from the album is Woman, I have it in my head right now!

Do you have any audiobook recommendations? How is your February going? Let me know in the comments.