Deadpool.

(Alternative title: Why Deadpool and His Red Suited Booty Deserve Everything)

It’s safe to say that Deadpool is one of the highest anticipated movies of 2016, and with damn good cause.

The Deadpool movie has been in the works for over 11 years now – work on the movie began in 2004. 2004. That is an insane amount of time for a movie to remain in development hell, especially a movie that was so wanted and begged for by the fandom.

There were multiple issues with Deadpool and the studios that were interested – could we make it an R-Rating? How do we not repeat the same mistakes? How do we introduce all these elements from the Deadpool comics, namely his fourth-wall breaking? Over and over again, Deadpool seemed to hit a brick wall. IMDB would tease dates, at one point reading 2014 before resorting back to those Godawful “????” they put in the place when nothing is decided. It honestly looked like fans were never going to get this damn movie, and they seemed to accept it bitterly.

Until that faithful day in July 2014. When some sweet, beautiful, adonis of a human being leaked the Deadpool test footage online. You know the one I mean.

That’s right. And try as they might to get it off the internet (and oh, they did try.) no one seemed to be able to stop it – this awesome two minute long piece of everything fans have been begging for. So Blur Studio did what anyone would do in that situation – they said “fuckit.” and released this footage officially.

And thus, from there, the high demand, the excitement and the now renewed desire of the fans became too much to ignore, and little more than a month later it was announced that Deadpool was officially in production.

And now here we are. It’s February 2016. And Deadpool has broken a tonne of Box Office Records in North America, including 20th Century Fox opening weekend (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith held it before then, let’s just all think about that.), R-Rated Opening Weekend, and R-Rated Opening Weekend (last held by The Matrix: Reloaded). And let me tell you: it goddamn deserves it.

It’s not just the sheer amount of time it took to even get this movie made (11 years. Most pets don’t live that long. I was twelve for Christ’s sake.) but the marketing strategies were pretty damn great.

You already knew from the go that Deadpool was not going to be like other superhero movies – it was going to be a lot cruder. From the moment they revealed the costume in a photoshoot which involved Ryan Reynolds lying on a bearskin rug to the 12 Days of Deadpool, to awesome PSA’s like this;

I can safely say Deadpool had a solid, clear marketing strategy from day one. It was so perfectly executed, and because of that, and because of the sheer perfection of the film itself – it deserves every record it broke upon release.

And hey, if you want to know exactly how awesome the film is, my lovely friend wrote a pretty sick review here.

Fare thee well,

Fran

 

(All images were taken from the official Deadpool Facebook Page!)

Why “Saga” Should be on Your Shelf

Saga is a graphic novel series, written by Brian. K Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples. It’s an epic fantasy, sci-fi tale, with 31 single issues published, five trade issues and a deluxe trade edition coming shortly.

And it is possibly the best graphic novel you will read.

Saga is a tale of Alana and Marco, two lovers who come from two different species who are currently at war. Alana met Marco whilst guarding him in a war camp, and soon after, freed him and ran away with him. And this tale begins, when Alanna gives birth to their daughter, Hazel – who is the narrator.

This might sound very Romeo & Juliet but let me promise you that it is anything but. Because their eloping and the birth of their child has caused a political outcry that’s spread far and wide – and now the whole universe is after the child who was not meant to exist.

A quick warning before I continue – this story is probably not recommendable for anyone under the age of 18. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to police what you read, but just be warned there is a lot of sex, a lot of nudity, and a lot of gore. It’s Game of Thrones in space up in here.

Saga is, first of all, a very unique premise. Sure, everyone has heard the “forbidden lovers” story multiple times, but the execution of the story is what makes it so original and special. These species are literally at war. And, to top it off, one of the species belongs to a satellite that used to orbit the planet of the other species. That’s damn intense.

The writing of this story is great. Hazel is a very blunt, honest narrator who doesn’t try and frame her parents and their mistakes (and boy, do they make a lot.) as excusable or okay. She’s very much a narrator who grew up aware of the war and the political implications of her birth, and she’s very blunt, frank and absolutely hilarious. And it’s very strange but refreshing to watch her narrate this story, when during the tale she is very much a tiny child that you watch grow up.

What I also love about this story, are the themes dealt with and the way in which they’re handled. Thus far, in the five trade issues I’ve read, we deal with child trafficking, prostitution, drugs, addiction, domestic violence, childbirth, sex (lots of it.), monsters, war, politics and love – and I imagine, so much more. The story also handles these issues with a lot of tact and a great moral compass – everything is handled bluntly, honestly, but with a lot of tact about it. The story knows how it needs to frame these issues, and that’s what makes it all the more engaging and exciting for me. I especially love that with this war, the two actual planets of the Waring species are entirely peaceful – but the rest of the galaxy has inserted itself into this war and keeps it thriving and new.

Character-wise, this story is a full cast of completely fascinating, well-thought out, complex persons who are all interesting. I don’t find a single character boring, even if I find their actions deplorable. They’re all well written with intense motives. Even the side characters are a delight to read about! Once again, Hazel’s narrative helps with framing a lot of them – Hazel, although knowing they were enemies of her parents, frames them as people who had their own issues, morals and instructions when chasing their goals. Even when they’re messed up, twisted and say downright messed up things, ultimately they are real and they do have emotions and ways you can sympathise with them. It’s honestly fantastic and refreshing.

Fiona Staples illustrations are also (no pun intended. Maybe.) out of this world. They’re so beautiful, sharp and well laid out. Every page is an absolute delight to read, with jaw-dropping scenery and characters who look so unique and suit the writing so, so much. I mean, look at this.

Look.

I can’t even emphasise enough how well done these illustrations are. They’re so unique and they fit the Saga world so perfectly.

That and Fiona won’t shy away from the grim and gore. Emphasis on grim.

Yes, that is a giant monster’s swollen, pus covered testicles. Staples sat down at a table, picked up the appropriate equipment, and created this. With the go ahead from Vaughan. And if everything else I listed isn’t reason enough to check this out, I think the pus covered genitals should do it.

On a serious note; Saga is without a doubt one of the best pieces of literature I’ve engrossed myself in over the past year. It’s got this incredible story that’s executed with stunning illustrations, gloriously written characters and a unique narrative. It’s got so much heart, so much emotion and just a tonne of really incredible idea’s behind it, put together by two really imaginative and talented creators. It’s funny, it’s sharp and it’s deeply emotional.

So if you want to get into a new graphic novel series but not a clue where to start; start here. And brace yourself for one of the greatest journeys.

Fare thee well,

Fran

(PS: This article was also written to go up on the website skatronixxx.com – it’s all things nerdy and great and it’s got a swell little team so far!)

 

Marvel Collector Corps Unboxing: August Box!

Another month, another Marvel Collector Corps box. August’s box this year was themed around the current Secret War arcs going on in Marvel Comics at the moment. I’d be lying if I said I knew much about this particular series of events, though if you do, let me know where I should start!

So once again, Collector Corps make us the promise to be No Fluff, and contain more than $25 of stuff. Do they deliver once more the quality I’ve come to anticipate?

Of course.

Standard box with postage stamp helpfully on the bottom so your extremely pretty and wonderful box can be shown to the world without revealing to it your exact location. This month’s black outline is none other than the glorious Thor, her helmet a-glow. I’m digging it.

The inside of the box, once again, contains the attention to detail I’ve come to expect as a wonderful standard with these boxes. The inside décor is great, and, once again, I’m treated to a lovely little patch and badge. One day I’ll make a jacket or pin board with all of these.

So I flip up the inner lid and to my delight, there’s an adorable T-Shirt.

It’s sweet, it’s simple and this one fits pretty nicely! I like that this shirt is Funko Pop themed – I mean, it ties in nicely considering this is a Funko Pop box after all. Part of me wishes there was a more serious shirt for this box, but realistically, this is pretty dope. I’m here for it.

We also get our variant issue comic. This one is Secret Wars #1 (I suppose that answers my earlier question about where I should start!) and featured on the front is none other than, once again, Thor.

In Pop form.

She’s cute, her hair is very fluffy and it’s a lovely little cover. Once again, very Funko centric – which is fitting.

Before we continue, you should know when I opened the inner lid and saw what was inside, I screamed with joy.

Because look.

TWO Funko POPS! And of course, of course one of them is the darling Lady Thor.

I knew from the moment I saw Thor’s face on the front of the box design, that she would be the featured Funko. And she’s so, so fucking cute man. Look at her!

Her arm pieces, the chest plate and cape – they all have some seriously great attentions to detail, little intricate patterns to complete her look. I also love love love her little eyelashes; everything about her is just so sweet! There’s serious attention to detail in this Funko, and her teeny tiny Mjölnir really completes the look. Complete adoration.

But then, Collector Corps go and spoil me by throwing in none other than Miles Morales.

Look at him. Bask in him.
Spider-Man is my favourite super-hero, with Peter Parker naturally being my favourite (he was my first after all!) but, I have such a soft spot in my heart for Miles.

People were so against Miles becoming Spider-Man, either because they didn’t want to lose Peter, or because they were huge racists (or both) – and I just loved the kid. I think he’s great. I haven’t read much of his story arcs, but I did pick up the limited mini-series “Spider-Men” where Peter and Miles meet. And just seeing Miles, how inspired he was by Peter, how much he clearly respected and adored his mantle – and just how sweet, honest and good at heart he is. He’s everything Spider-Man should be.

So seeing his little black and red costume peer up at me from this box was such a genuinely great surprise. I’m so happy to see him and I can’t wait to prop him up with my Peter Parker Spider-Man Funko!

Overall, I don’t have too much to say about this months box, because this month’s box was a bit less varied than the past two have been. Don’t get me wrong, that isn’t a bad thing! I imagine there isn’t a lot of merch surrounding Secret Wars right now, especially as A) It’s a comic arc and the movie’s tend to get the big merch, and B) It’s, from what I can gather, a newish thing in 2015 (I know there’s been Secret Wars arcs before so I hope ya’ll get I mean like, it’s new to the 2015 era.)

On top of that, despite having very little merch and varients to throw in, Collector Corps came through in ensuring there was no fluff in these boxes, and that the box contents were worth more than what you paid. There’s been boxes I’ve had in the past that have cost more than this, but you got way less, and more often than not the box runners would skimp out where they could, unapologetically. Collector Corps refuses to do that, and for that I am deeply grateful.

The announcement for the October box has come through and it’s going to be; VILLAINS! I’m beyond excited for this one; Marvel hosts some truly iconic villians and I’m beyond excited to see which exclusive Funko we’ll get in this one!

Sign up for this box ends Oct. 18th with supplies limited, so do hurry and secure your box! Because this box series is wonderful, and I am so eagerly anticipating it because of the theme. It’s going to be awesome.

Fare thee well,

Fran

Three Days of Ultron

“Fran, have you seen Iron Man?”
“I don’t think so?”
“What!? It’s a great film, you’ll love it.”

I had this conversation with my boyfriend almost five years ago now. This feels incredibly strange now that I’m heavily engrossed in the biggest movie-tv universe phenomenon of my generation, in which this one movie has branched out into several movies, television shows and even some of their own comic book series off the back of those. The Avengers (titled Avengers Assemble in the UK) was, and still is, one of my favourite films of all time. The charm, the comedy, the having these wonderful characters I grew to love individually all gathered on one screen was honestly a magical moment that hasn’t died for me.

So of course, once the credits rolled, I was thrilled for the thought of them all rejoining and coming back. It was what I was excited for, all through the amazing movies Phase 2 had to offer.

And then they announced Age of Ultron – and it was all downhill from there.

My poor, poor friend had to deal with my relentless questions forever and a day on; Are we going to the premiere? Please can we go? Oh my god it’ll be great. Shall we get there early? Like really early? Should we try overnight? How shall we do this? (PS; Extra sorry to my friend. I love you for dealing with me at my grotesque.)

Finally, the details worked out; we would drive to the venue, stay overnight, use the car as a supply point and wait all day, then at the end down some caffeine and go home.

And so it began.

After a brief stint of accidentally booking a parking spot in Leicester Square (I assumed and we all know what that does.) and then finding out five seconds later (LITERALLY. Came off the parking website and the announcement was on facebook.) that the premiere was being held in the Vue at Westfield shopping centre,  my friend and I began to plan. We worked out that parking in Westfield is £6.50 for 24 hours, so driving was a pretty obvious maneuver; the parking was cheaper than traveling, my car is amazing for petrol and it also meant if worst came to worst we could sleep in my car.

We discussed what items to bring that would help pass the time, what food would be best, and then on the afternoon of Monday the 20th of April, we met.

Now, I want to clarify something before we begin here; that monday morning, I worked from 8am til 1pm, came home and then got ready and left right away. I woke up at 6am monday morning. So it makes this lack of sleep thing a hell of a lot more impressive on my part.

Our journey there, was filled with unbelievable luck. For the first time ever, I drove somewhere barely using the maps function and just the street signs to guide me, and didn’t get lost or have to turn back once. Then when we neared Shepherds Bush, there was a split in the road; neither told me which one led to the car park. I took a very lucky guess, and literally just went straight to the car park. Where with the biggest stroke of luck I ever did see, a man pulled out the perfect parking spot near the doors to the Vue Cinema, and allowed me to pull in.

Like, this doesn’t sound all that impressive to you; person who’s been driving for years navigates themselves along a 40 minute drive into a shopping centre car park and gets a decent parking space, but I have zero sense of direction, especially when I’m driving. I am constantly getting lost, taking wrong turns or going long ways to places. So this, was like the shining achievement.

To cut a long and fairly stressful rest of the night down; we ate Burger King, I got into contact with someone in the line on facebook, we found the line, we got into order and we stayed in a pen behind the center car park all night.

In that night, I had three hours sleep total, I found out that concrete floors suck and that I really can sleep anywhere when I put my mind to it.

Morning came, we found a spider crushed into the towel my friend slept on (she flung into the nearest bin.) and we got to chat to a really nice woman who managed to catch some sleep elsewhere – she was also a huge Backstreet Boys fan and showed us all the photos – she was a super cool person and she actually ended up winning tickets to the movie! I was so very pleased for her!

7am rolled around, and security guards rolled us all in in little groups of about thirty or so at a time; I got to be in the second batch! Yay! And in doing so, wound up back at the very same spot I’d been pressed up in for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. To give some perspective on how huge this was; for Captain America: TWS, I turned up at 9am and got that exact spot. To get that spot again, I had to sleep overnight. That really nailed it in for me that I was part of something huge, and I was really excited.

I just want to dedicate a paragraph to how awesome the people around myself and my friend were – some people at premieres can get possessive over space, or come across as hostile in an “every one for themselves.” way – things can get really tense, especially when people have been waiting for hours and hours, and I have experienced some genuinely angry, aggressive fans. However this was totally different; in the line, we were surrounded by a sweet guy who, if memory serves, was French, and a huge Joss Whedon fan; two lovely dudes who knew how to have a real laugh and keep the mood up when everyone was tired and cranky; and a wonderful group of Chinese girls who were just, beyond nice. They were sharing food, they brought bins with them so we could clean up mess, offering out external chargers. Then when we got in, one of them stayed with us, and we also sat with a lovely family! Everyone was very nice, sharing and just really chill. It made the very long, very exhausting wait for 5pm to come much, much better.

So around half four, the “hype up” act comes out; usually the DJ and a host, who comes out to rile the crowd, show off some more trailers, maybe a sneaky exclusive clip of the movie – and hand out prizes.

One of the prizes this guy was handing out, was the jacket that Black Widow had for one of her roles – I can’t remember if it was The Winter Soldier or The Avengers – but it was one of them! I’ll use the excuse that I had slept all of 3 hours across almost 35 hours. But what I did know, was the answer to the question he asked to win the jacket;

Which country does Black Panther originate from?

Well, shit. All those years of my friends and I screaming T’CHALLAAAAA at each other and watching every bit of animated Avengers movies or television shows ever just paid off big time. I nearly lost my mind.

All I can be thankful for is that no footage exists of the moment where after a metric TONNE of screaming “I KNOW, I KNOW THE ANSWER, I KNOW, I SWEAR TO GOD I KNOW MAN.”, the camera panned on me, and my exhausted face was screened across Westfield Shopping Centre. But at the time I didn’t care; Wakanda was about to win me a damn jacket.

The host seemed genuinely concerned for my well-being and I couldn’t blame him – I was severely sleep deprived, I put on my make up in a compact that was smeared with the powder foundation it held, and shaking like a leaf because why couldn’t you spare me the thousands of staring eyes? Regardless, I pulled through. I answered.

I WON THE DAMN JACKET.

And then clutched it tight to me for the rest of the day because like hell was it going on the floor; it was staying with me. Permanently.

So I’m going to cut the part where I meet people fairly short; because of course, it’s the biggest part of the day. It’s what honestly we all waited for the most – but I feel like I’d ramble on way too long.

The only people I didn’t get to meet were Joss Whedon, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. – Though Robert did chat to my friend and Scarlett came close! But they just about missed me. However this didn’t bother me because I was lucky enough to meet Chris and Scarlett at CA: TWS and Robert at the Iron Man 3 premiere in Leicester Square way back when! The only mild disappointment was Joss but honestly? It didn’t ruin my day.

Below are an assortment of photos I took, including a few photos of Elizabeth Olsen (“WE MET AN OLSEN OH MY GOD!!!!!” – My friend and I at the same time.), Scarlett signing for fans, Robert running to his fans, and then ugly selfies with Jeremy and Mark. Scarlett looked absolutely awesome; the short hair is working for her, and then with the piercings, the tattoos and that gorgeous playsuit (Is it a playsuit? I don’t know anymore.) worked well with her, and Elizabeth looked pretty as hell in her black cape dress and her hair blonde and bunned.

The one thing I have to say is that this cast are 100%, genuine, lovely people who really really care about their fans. They made the effort to respond to every question shot at them, laughing and thanking everyone who spoke to them. They stopped for as many photos as they possibly could in the short time they had to get around the thousands of fans, and were endlessly sweet. Mark himself could not stop thanking the fans, and every single time someone thanked him for an autograph or photo he smiled and nodded at them and said “It was my pleasure, really.”

I’ll finish this post up with this; Marvel fans are extremely lucky. And the Marvel cast are lucky to have these fans too. There’s this wonderful two way relationship in which the fans are so enthusiastic, supportive and engaged with this medium in a way that I haven’t seen with anything else since Harry Potter – and even then, social media wasn’t as supremely huge in the era of Harry Potter as it is now, so this is reaching a lot more people.

And on the other side, the cast are so blatantly grateful and loving to their fans; they host competitions, they have pet-names for them, they interact and thank and engage with across social media left right and center. Their passion for this fandom and the fans in it is so obvious – and it honestly shows.

On top of that, the sheer amount of time and effort that goes into these premieres – the lights, the music, the detail, the hosts and special effects (we had fire.) is just honestly amazing.

I also want to take a moment to say the staff at Westfield, and the security guards who stayed to monitor everyone during the night, were absolutely lovely people. They were all incredibly helpful, kind, and good people who just wanted to ensure everyone’s safety, and without them this sort of thing would not be possible. So thank you, night-shift guards and wonderful day staff!

I am extremely proud to be part of all this, and I am equal parts nervous and incredibly excited to see where it all leads.

Fare thee well,

Fran

PS: The jacket fit.

May TBR

So the following pieces of literature I’m about to discuss are all the things I plan to read in the lovely, length month of May!

First off, I am currently reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.    The basic premise of this book is that there is a circus that only ever appears at night, never announcing when it’s coming or going, and it’s colour-scheme is entirely black, white and grey.

At first I found this book a little bit confusing, but just paying attention to the dates and everything got my head around it all pretty quickly. It is really enchanting and it’s such a wonderfully crafted combination of these artistic, dazzling scenes of the circus, combined with this very intense, dark sub-story. It’s really great and I imagine I’ll finish it in a reasonable amount of time, it’s just one of those books you do really have to pay attention to because even the small details mean everything.

I then plan to read;

Ms. Marvel Volumes #1 and #2 by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona.

So stoked. I don’t need words right now. I’m just so scared to start, knowing I’ll have to wait forever for Volume 3!

The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie.

As I said in my March Payday Book Haul, I’ve already read work of Gillen and McKelvie before, and have had the pleasure of meeting them both at a signing for that series, which was the Marvel Now! run of Young Avengers, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve heard nothing but good things, and again, I’m just very excited.

Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky.

Look, I love Matt Fraction for his work on Hawkeye and this is a story about people who use their power of being able to stop time during sex to rob banks. Why on earth won’t I enjoy this?

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas.

Those of you that have been with this blog for a time know that I have fallen head over heels for the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. While trying to fill the void between now and the release of the fourth book, Queen of Shadows in September, I decided to pick up the collection of the novella’s, which explain more about Celaena’s life before the series. I’m super excited to re-unite with my babe, and find out more about her!

And finally;

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

(ft. ugly ass sticker that won’t come off properly.)

I pre-ordered this shortly after finishing Throne of Glass because honestly, I heard she was writing a new series, featuring another female protagonist with a dark past, and I was just sold. I love Sarah’s writing, I like her character developments, and I think her stories are exciting. So I’ve picked this up, and honestly I have no real clue what the book is about except lady protag, dark past/deeds, and that is it. The blurb is a little bit confusing, so I am just going to go into this book essentially blind, which is very exciting!

So, yeah. Very much an ambitious reading list, but I honestly believe it can be done! Hopefully this month I’ll be able to squeeze in my single issue comics too, so we shall see!!

Until my next post, this is me for the night! I hope you’re all doing fabulous. Let me know if you’ve read any of the books on my TBR and let us talk about them!!!

All the best, and fare thee well!

Fran

I’m Selling My Comics

Sad, but true. I bought all these comics (sans two) with the full intention of reading all of them and getting super invested; and it just never happened. So I feel like these guys would benefit from a nice new home with someone who loves them and wants to read them!

All these comics are in their original bags, unread and first prints!

Listings include;

Marvel Now! Titles;

Iron Man #28 (accidental double purchase)
Hulk #1-7 (Listed Separately)
Avengers #1-4 (Listed Together)
Daredevil #1-8 (Listed Separately)
Ms. Marvel #2 The New 52! Grayson #1-3 (Listed Together) Grayson #2 (Accidental double purchase)

If you have any interest in these issues, my eBay is here. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Fare thee Well, Fran

March TBR and general life update

As you probably guessed by my last post, my March TBR is going to consist of reading Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, the two sequel novels to Throne of Glass. I also might pick up The Assassin’s Blade, which contains the series of companion novella’s that link to this series.

Look a the cover for Crown of Midnight LOOK AT IT.

Oh and here’s Heir of Fire too because that came in the post and I just, adoration.

I’m genuinely so pleased to have them and this series looks so good on my shelf. I am very happy and eager to read!

EDIT: I thought I posted this post last night, turns out I did not. And last night I finished this book. So I’ll actually be reviewing this in my next post yay!

At the moment, I am reading Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider. Fun fact: I spent a good half an hour on Goodreads swearing at the website because they didn’t have this book listed, and I wanted to add it to my 50 books a year challenge and it wasn’t fair if I failed because it didn’t have this book.

Turns out it has a completely different title in the US; the UK edition is what I have. The US edition is called The Beginning of Everything. Why.

Regardless of why though, I am reading it, and I’m about 140 pages in at this moment. Severed Heads, Broken Hearts follows the narrative of a young man named Ezra, who is the most popular boy in school with a promising athletic career in tennis before him. But then Ezra is in a car accident, which shatters his knee and his entire life. Ezra’s narrative is also followed along by a theory Ezra has about life; that every single person in the world will go through an unspeakable tragedy that tears their world apart, but ultimately changes their life and causes them to really start living as they should.

So far I am enjoying it, though I do have a fair few problems with it. Most of it is because it’s just so eye rollingly cliche at points – you are looking at the typical “Oh my GOD everyone in this town is the SAME and everyone is AWFUL and SAMEY and so BORING and no one is DEEP LIKE ME except oh wait THIS GIRL HAS APPEARED and she is UNLIKE OTHER GIRLS WHILE BEING CONVENTIONALLY PRETTY BUT SHE DRESSES A BIT DIFFERENT AND DOESN’T CONFORM TO THE MAN.”

You know what I mean.

I’m also having trouble connecting to the characters at points; the only one I really connect with at all is Toby, Ezra’s best friend. Ezra himself is alright, but certain things get glossed over really easily and the writing feels a bit clunky at times.

I am enjoying reading it though and I do plan to finish it in the next night or two, so, it’ll probably get a 3.5/5 stars from me! We shall see how I feel about the next half.

So in general life, things are pretty good. Sticking to my water goal has gotten so much easier now because I finally have a litre sized bottle to contain the water. I know it sounds weird that it’s made this easier for me but trust me, it has.

Unfortunately the skin-biting has begun again due to nerves and a momentary slump I had which got me all worked up about ~the meaning of my life~, so now it’s back to the malvala stop. Again.

Cooking wise I’m doing well, I live with my mum and we’ve both gone into this healthy kick, so we’re both exchanging tips and recipes we’ve found and it’s been fun!

I do plan this month to actually start my BookTube – as I said, I hit a slump last month. I’m not sure where the slump came from or why but about a week after my anniversary and my few days off, I just fell into a slump of constant tiredness and irritatedness. But that has ended! And productivity can resume! I’ll probably aim to get my BookTube, and maybe even more general vlog type things (maybe even Let’s Plays?) up by the next two weeks.

Publicly setting myself goals like it won’t come back to bite me, good job kid.

I’m also getting more and more excited for the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron as it gets closer and closer. I’ve been waiting for the next full blown Avengers movie pretty much since the credits rolled on The Avengers/Avengers Assemble. My friend and I already have plans to stay the night in London for the red carpet premiere and we are both insanely excited. I could honestly cry.

Also coming in April; Game of Thrones Season 5!!! I’m so, so excited but also nausea-inducingly terrified. Mostly because GRRM went ahead and casually announced that the show was going to start killing off people who he wanted to die, but who aren’t dead in the books yet.

Excuse you.

I did not just catch up on seven damn 400+ page books and mentally prepare myself for this season to have you tell me that you’re just gonna straight up answer one burning question  I’ve had about the fate of one of my favourites. Because I am not ready for the answer, because it’s Game of Thrones and they are most likely very very dead.

Argh.

Finally, I haven’t told many of my IRL friends this because I don’t want to jinx it, but this coming Friday I actually have an assessment day at the Telegraph Media Group! If I pass, I’ll get to be interviewed for the Social Media Internship I’ve applied for!

Although I know the chances are slim of me getting the job (this isn’t me being like URGH I’m TERRIBLE they won’t HIRE MEEE – I know I’m awesome and capable. But I also know there are others with more knowledge and experience for this kind of role, and I am more than calm about that) – I am really really excited. It’s such a great opportunity and learning experience, and the fact I’m even being considered is really great. So I am pleased.

So that’s all from me in the life update center. I’m sorry I’ve been slacking like hell, but I am going to get my ass in gear. I gave myself one hell of a pep talk at 2am last night and now I feel ready to take on the world!

Or at least some degree of adult responsibility.

I’ll speak to you all soon, I hope all your reading challenges and life in general are going great for you!

Fare thee well,

Fran

Apologies for my absence! How February is going and TBR plans!

Good evening friends!

Much has happened in my absence from WordPress and thank god I’m here to tell you all about it.

The reason for my disappearance is my other half and I celebrated our five year anniversary this weekend. The official date is the 14th of February (unintentional, we swear.) but we spent from the 13th – 16th spending lots of time with each other and celebrating. We went to the London Dungeons (the hot spot for romance.) and the aquarium and I had such a wonderful day! Even if I got Ned Stark’d hardcore.

Five years is a really long time, in hindsight, but my boyfriend makes me feel like it’s a very short amount of time. It feels like it hasn’t been all that long, but at the same time, I can’t really remember a time without him by my side now; that whole time merging into one business, I suppose. But I am incredibly happy and I hope to have many many more years with him.

One of his presents to me was The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D.  I have realized upon playing it that I have no fucking idea how to play it and I’m running around a field not knowing what’s going on. But I’ll get there eventually!!! (I hope.) It’s really fun and it’s giving me a lot of nostalgic Zelda feelings and I am really enjoying it, if not just for the fact it’s a Legend of Zelda game. But the music is lovely, it’s fun and it looks fantastic, so I’ll let you all know how that goes!

In mildly disappointing gaming news, apparently The Order: 1886 is going to be really short. Really short. My friend reported not long over six hours. I’m pretty sad about it and I hope it’s not true, or just a severe speed-play, cus I have been looking forward to this game for so damn long and now it might only be an evening or two of play and then, that’s all. I’m hoping it’s not true, or that it blows my goddamn mind because I would be really sad if I didn’t get a lot of time out of this game. I’ll remain cautiously optimistic til then; don’t let me down The Order!!!

Now onto my progress with my books!!!

I completed A Dance with Dragons – Part 1: Dreams and Dust. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I was so happy to see the return of my old favorites. This one moved a fair bit faster and seemed more action packed than A Feast for Crows but not so much so I was thrust back into the fray violently. Everything feels like a slow build, and some of the shit that’s happening had me laughing so hard while simultaneously gripping the book between horrified hands. I zoomed through Part 1 within two weeks of endless, really enjoyed reading, and I’ll happily award Part 1 all of the stars.

Part 2: After the Feast is what I am finally on and I’m nervous. It’s really coming down to the wire that ultimate favs are probably going to die, and GRRM doesn’t exactly pull punches when it comes to fucking over those you love and screwing with what he knows you want. (Here’s to you, Khal Drogo. Here’s to you Red Wedding.)  I’m reading it with heart in my throat knowing death is around the corner for the characters I hold dearest, but I cant put the book down at all! It’s honestly great, and I’m excited yet sad to finish it. Mostly because there’s a two year wait until the next and final volume, and I’m not sure my patience will hold out.

I suppose it’ll be an excuse to re-read them all so that’s never a bad thing!

My February TBR has changed slightly because, despite my promise to not buy anymore books til I read all the things in my cupboard, I got two more books.

I am a bad person.

The first book I picked up was Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. This a book that’s been on my amazon wishlist for a while and is on every BookTubers shelf, and honestly the plot speaks to me on so. Many. Levels.

Throne of Glass is the story of a female assassin who gets caught and sent to a death camp, but survives for a year when most die within months. She’s given a proposition by the king that if she fights in his To The Death Tournament and wins, she will be granted freedom.

LOOK AT THIS COVER. Look.

This story, this cover, it’s all flawless. I need me some more really amazing female protagonists, and I’m so interested in getting into this series. It’s only four books (the fourth being a set of novella’s I think? I’m not sure but it’s more a companion than anything else from what I’ve heard.) and I’ve heard such great things and I just want to hold this book and kiss it.

HOWEVER do not take this for me not reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordon because. Because look.

Look how pretty. The covers are stunning and the spines make this awesome picture and I really love it. I’m torn between getting rid of the box thing because it just feels like a bit of a hinderence but I’ll see how I feel later.

For now, relish with me and the pretty covers. Yes.

I will still also be reading A. S. King’s book, Ask The Passengers as a between-series buffer and I am still just as excited to read it.

Also to make note of the other book I purchased; A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

I’ve heard fantastic things about Patrick Ness and his series The Knife of Never Letting Go – that series is also in my 2015 TBR and it’s been recommended to me by a friend. The books actually been sitting in my cupboard for years and I fully intend to get round to it.

However this book got me because of the cover. I’m a big fan of all things dark and creepy, so when JesseTheReader held this up in one of his booktags I fell in love. And then it was expensive on amazon. And then I heard all the good things. And then I was in Waterstones and it was there on the fancy-ass tables they set up and I broke.

But it’s so pretty and awesome and I just adore it, and I am excited to try it out!

Final note for a TBR and that is, April. I have decided, in all my infinite coolness, that to celebrate the release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron (WHICH IS COMING OUT IN APRIL IN THE UK I AM SO BLESSED. I’ve been anticipating this movie since I saw the first Avengers movie so I’m pretty much a jibbery mess at any mention of it. Wow these brackets are long.) THAT, April will be graphic novel month for me.

I have so many unread single issue comics, some still in their parcels from my comic shop, that haven’t been touched, and so many bind ups and so many gorgeous graphic novels on my wishlist that I am just going to go ham on this. I am going to count every five single issues as one book cus that’s the average amount in one bind up, and I’m super psyched to get into it. I have tonnes to read ranging from Marvel to Image to DC, and if you have any particular recommendations, I’m all ears. For sure I know I’ll be reading;

Hawkeye
Black Widow
The Amazing Spider-Man (the one following Superior Spider-Man which we don’t talk about.)
Iron Man (The series that just ended that came before Superior Iron Man…I think it’s called. Can you tell I lost track.)
Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier
Thor (Female Thor; I have issues #1-3 but honestly I’m just gonna get the bind ups from now because I keep missing them and then they get expensive as hell.)
Ms Marvel
Captain Marvel
Spider-Gwen (HELL YES MY BABE IS GETTING HER OWN COMICS it’s just a fucking shame about her backstory concerning Peter. My OTP will never fucking be together and I’m upset about it.)
Saga
The Wicked and the Divine
Sex Criminals
Rat Queens (Apparently it’s Bridesmaids meets Lord of the Rings and I see nothing but good right there.)
The Movement
I Kill Giants
Seconds (This is by Bryan Lee O’Malley, who is the brains behind the Scott Pilgrim books which I loved so, I can’t see this going wrong!)
Deadly Class
Maus

I fly through graphic novels and comics really quick so this long list intimidates not my time scale, but my bank balance. But it’ll be worth it because graphic novels are flawless, and I love them to pieces and I can’t wait to get reading! Again, do recommend me more because I will add them to my wishlist and seek them out at my store!

Finally, my BookTube WILL be happening this month, I swear. I have had zero time to get my SLR out and figure out how I make it work with my laptop and film with it properly, but I have a precious day off on friday which will be spent, once again, moving things to accomodate books, and organising my cupboards, and, BookTube.

So that is all from me at this time but I’m sure you’ll all get an update once I finish A Dance with Dragons and I’m fairly sure it’ll be along the lines of; sdjr;jgr;jg AAAAAARGH, Insert whale noises and gurgling and crying here. Baring in mind I tried to drown A Storm of Swords Part 2 in the bath when I knew the Red Wedding was coming so, this may not end well.

I hope you’re all doing well and if you have a GoodRead’s challenge or a TBR, I hope those are going well and you are enjoying your books!

I also hope if you got a hold of Majora’s Mask, that you are enjoying it and having way more luck than I.

Fare thee well!

Fran