science fiction

Bookish Post – February 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

books, wrap-up
Teacup on top of vintage books.

Number of books read: 8
Number of rereads: 0
Number of physical books: 4
Number of ebooks: 0
Number of audiobooks: 4
Number of ARCS: 0

5* reviews: 0
4.5* reviews: 0
4* reviews: 2

February started slowly and I didn’t think I was going to get much read. It has just taken me so long to finish anything this month. I guess that’s mostly down to the book that I read. They didn’t end up being as good as I’d hoped. The kind of books that sound really good but just don’t deliver. On the plus side, I’ve knocked a few long-time members of my TBR off the list and have moved a few more audiobooks into my completed library and out of my not started library. So, what did I read in February?

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Book Review – This is How You Lose the Time War Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

books, reviews

Rating: 2 out of 5.

This is one of those books that I really wanted to read. I always meant to suggest it for our virtual book club before it disbanded. Every month, we would pick one book under 300 pages and we had a lot of ups and downs. Most of the other members just wanted books about people getting killed. From my experience, crime fiction under 300 pages doesn’t tend to be that great. Unless it’s Agatha Christie but they’d already torn And Then There Were None apart before my eyes. I thought this sci-fi romance book might have something to keep everyone entertained. Especially as I’d pretty much only heard great things about it.

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Film Review – Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

films, reviews

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I had great plans to see this when it was out in the cinema but it was around the time when I still wasn’t ready to go back to the cinema. Covid memories were still in my head so I missed it. When it came to Prime, I was ready to watch it but, yet again, it didn’t happen. Last week I had decided it was finally time but then I went and watched the live-action Pinocchio. After that went terribly, this felt like my reward. I don’t know what I really expected from this film but it certainly wasn’t that I’d come out of it with a bit of a thing for Data from The Goonies. Not something I considered for my 2023 bingo card but here we are. But, unexpected crushes aside, was this film worth the wait?

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Bookish Post – January 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

books, wrap-up
Teacup on top of vintage books.

Number of books read: 7
Number of rereads: 0
Number of physical books: 4
Number of ebooks: 0
Number of audiobooks: 3
Number of ARCS: 0

5* reviews: 2
4.5* reviews: 0
4* reviews:

January was a weird month. The first part seemed super quick. The middle seemed both too quick and too slow. The final part was just excruciatingly slow. Basically, I don’t know really know what day it is and I’m glad the sorry month is over. Hopefully, 2023 is only going to get better. In terms of reading, I didn’t manage to beat last January’s count but I didn’t do too bad considering everything that’s been going on. I also read a fair few books that I’ve been meaning to read for ages, so that’s a big win.

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Book Review – Cinder by Marissa Meyer

books, reviews

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

A few years ago, this book was all over YouTube and everyone was raving about it. It never really sounded like my thing, so I didn’t pay much attention. Until I was browsing my library’s online catalogue recently. It was available and I’m always looking for books to listen to at work. I’m also trying to push myself towards more genre fiction this year and get myself out of my comfort zone. What better book to do that than one I’d already rejected?

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Film Review – Lightyear (2022)

films, reviews

Rating: 2 out of 5.

I intended to post this review earlier this week but it’s been far too hot to do anything. So, I waited until it was a bit cooler. It means that I’m able to actually write something but it also means that it’s been a while since I watched this film. Hopefully, I can remember it enough to get through this. I was pretty excited to watch this. It sounded like the kind of thing for me. Chris Evans, Pixar, upset right-wing mums… it had everything I love. The only thing I wasn’t sure about was how it would all fit together.

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Film Review – The Adam Project (2021)

films, reviews

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Ryan Reynolds is so good at marketing that I always end up feeling really excited about every film he’s in no matter how awful it looks. Even his awful Netflix originals, which have traditionally turned out to be underwhelming. This is why I’ve not been too bothered to have missed out on his recent releases. Although, now that I’ve got it back, I figured that I might as well give this one a chance. After all, it also stars Mark Ruffalo who is normally fun to watch. And, more importantly. it came in at under 2 hours, which is something that is kind of rare these days. Maybe Netflix does get some things right?

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Book Review – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

books, reviews

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once again, we got to Wednesday night and I realised there was no way that I’d finish my current read in time to write a review for today. So, once again, I went on to my Audible account and picked a short audiobook to listen to yesterday at work. I’ve been meaning to go back to Hitchhiker’s Guide for ages and I’m always up for listening to some Stephen Fry narration. Just the thing to get me through a Thursday when I’m feeling rubbish,

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Book Review – The Employees by Olga Ravn

books, reviews

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’d love to be the kind of reader who keeps up with all of the literary awards. You know the person I mean. They take note of the longlists and shortlists when they’re released. Then they manage to make their way through them before the winner is revealed. For one thing, who can get their hands on that many books? For another, who has such a small TBR that they can happily add so many books to them? If I tried to do this with the major literary awards then I’d never cope. So, I tend to have a look through the lists and then see if any take my fancy. Even then, I don’t tend to read them in time because I never do. However, sometimes a book comes along that has such an exciting premise that I can’t not pick it up. The Employees was one of those books. I knew that I had to read it and I had to read it soon.

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TBT Review – Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

films, reviews, TBT

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This week was the first time in ages that I watched one of the original Star Wars films. It’s not something that I’ve done purposefully but because I have so many other options now. Between all of the streaming services that I’m subscribed to and my own film collection, I just have too much choice. So much choice that I rarely go back to beloved classics. I’ve probably seen the prequels more often than any of the other films in the franchise. Not because I prefer them (although, I do think they have their positive points) but because they don’t demand my attention. Watching one of the original trilogy should be an event. You should be watching it and not doing anything else. These days, I’m rarely able to just sit and watch a film. I’m either writing, taking photos or just distracted by something. Not this time. When I turned on A New Hope on Star Wars day, I was determined to watch this as it deserved.

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