• Books,  REVIEWS,  Uncategorized

    [FILM REVIEW] The Mummy Returns (2001)

    This is my review about the film The Mummy Returns – a sequel to The Mummy (1999). Although this film is not perfect, it is a good comedy which all the family will enjoy! Why not buy this film from Amazon Prime (UK) (Disclaimer: this is an affliate link).

    So what happens in the first 10 minutes?

    This film starts out as a battle between Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)’s character who is known at the Scorpion King. It shows his long walk through the desert and his semi-psychosis while his army tries to take over an Egyptian settlement.

    Flash forward to “modern” Egypt & hello Brendon Fraser! We know we are in for a fun ride and a good storyline. I believe Rachel Wiezz. who plays Evelyn, has a lot of chemistry between Brendon Fraser and Rachel has charisma which brings a lot of interest to the role.

    We are shown a scene where Rachel and her family of O’Connell & their son are exploring the hidden Egyptian caves, while a team of 100+ men are search for the “Book of the Dead” with the woman who became a reincarnation of Imhotep’s lover Anck-su-namun in the first film.

    Back in the O’Connell’s household everything is as normal but while mum and dad are talking, Rick and Evelyn’s son, Alex finds a special box which holds the Scorpion King’s bracelet. This bracelet has the power to show the wearer how get to a certain destination which unlocks the scorpion king’s powers. The creepy cult described above then turn up and all hell breaks loose while they search for the bracelet themselves and attack the family in the process. After that, the creepy cult capture Evelyn and that is where the fun (and drama) starts…

    What happens next, you’ll have to watch…

    This is a classic fiction film for all ages and one of my all time favourites. It follows a family who are in the 20th century trying to live a happy life but like to search for hidden Egyptian treasures. This film manages to keep the drama interesting but simple and has a lot of comedy moments. This would be classed as a family (comedy) drama with ancient history added in.

    This film has a lot of special effects throughout but they add to the film. The only problem is that sometimes the script can become a bit cheesy through comedy which can become a bit much. It is aimed at the younger audience and families with children.

    My favourite part is the last 10 minutes when the Scorpion King is back in the storyline after 2 hours of not being in the film. I obviously can’t spoil the ending but there is a battle between characters and a happy ending!

    I believe this is a solid sequel to the original that keeps faithful to the script. It is fun to watch and I would recommend this film to anyone who like children’s historical stories (in particular about ancient Egypt) and a good family drama. I have watched this film many times and I never get bored. Although it is a relatively old film – it stands the test of time. Believe it or not, this film is already over 15 years old and very well-known to everyone.

    Image was taken from moviemarker.co.uk)
  • Books,  writing

    #Ad Q&A • C.v.Wyk – Blood & Sand (book)

    Hi All,

    Today is going to be a little different as I’m hosting a Q&A with debut author C.V. Wyk. Her first novel Blood and Sand comes out January 2018 (& February 1st in the UK). I wanted to give you an idea of who she is…

    Your name, location, book/series

    C. V. Wyk

    Washington, D.C.

    Blood and Sand (book 1)

    What’s your all time fave book?

    Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

    Tell a random personal true story.

    I once met the original Red Power Ranger at an El Pollo Loco. It was glorious. (I was 7.)

    What inspired your first book?

    Ahh!! Where to start? There have been so many books and movies and songs that have made their mark on BLOOD AND SAND, probably too many to name. But Marion Zimmer Bradley’s “The Mists of Avalon” and the movie “Gladiator” are definitely high on the list.

    Which author can’t you put down?

    Dot Hutchison. Her stories are always so intricate and detailed and fantastic. Real writer goals.

    Who is your fave author?

    Who isn’t??? Lately though, I’ve been enjoying a lot of John Scalzi’s work.

    What is your all time fave series?

    His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

    Are characters inspired by reality?

    A couple of them. Xanthus’s physical description is based on an actual guy I know, and Jezrael’s name was borrowed from a friend.

    Recommend a best seller?

    The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison. It is so, so different from BLOOD AND SAND but absolutely brilliant if you enjoy thrillers.

    How did you get into writ/blogging?

    I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember, but the first story I ever wrote and shared was in 7th grade.

    How long have you been at it?

    Forever?

    Please tell me your website/details

    Website: www.cvwyk.com

    Twitter/Instragram: @icvwyk (twitter)

    Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30975382-blood-and-sand

    What is your fave (u wrote) book?

    This one because it got me an awesome author and editor J

    Do you like tv shows from books?

    I try to keep an open mind. It really depends on who’s behind the camera and how well committed they are to making the best possible adaptation. One TV show that recently got to me was The Handmaid’s Tale. So dark and so well done.

    Who is your fave book instagram?

    There are so many good ones, I can’t choose!

    How long did it take to announce your book to friends n family?

    I waited a couple of weeks. A part of me was genuinely afraid that the whole thing was a big practical joke, and someone was waiting around a corner to jump out and say, “Just kidding! Your book sucks! Na na na!” But that didn’t (thankfully) and I eventually told my friends and fam the news that changed my life!

    [Disclaimer: an affiliate link means the author receives payment and I get a small amount for buying from that link only]

  • Books

    Goodreads 2018 + fave book

    Hello all,

    As you may have noticed I done the Goodreads Challenge this year and set the bar low. This was because I was restarting reading a lot again after about 10 years away from books.

    I plan to do 2018’s challenge and up the book count and higher my reading limit. I am hoping to read 50 books next year max but if I get through 25 I’d be happy enough!

    Also, I want to read this list in 2018..

    • Old Classics
    • Game of Thrones Series
    • Italy-based novels
    • Non-fiction -Romans
    • Contemporary classics
    • My A Level set list
    • ARCs and Review Copies

    As it’s coming up to the end of the year and although I have only been blogging about books and reading a lot for 8 months, I feel I should do a shout out to my favourite book of 2017. Drumroll please?

    My favourite book of 2017 goes to Born Bad by Marnie Riches. If you are into gritty, Manchester crime I would recommend you pick this book up!!

  • Books

    Making lists & buying books..

    To Read or Not To Read; That is the question!

    Okay, so I started out this year with an aim of getting out more; meeting friends, etc. It’s now half way through the year and I want to spend more time alone. Sound crazy? Hear me out!


    I have finally compiled a reading list & it just keeps getting longer! It’s now nearly 300 books long. I started out as “I’ll add just one or two so I know what to read next”, Before I knew it, there were too many books on the list.


    To add to this I have accepted the “GoodReads 2017 Challenge” of reading 12 books in 2017. It started with 10 but I upped it to 12 and as of December I have completed reading over 15 books, my final target.

    I have also recently decided to create a list called “Lifetime Reads” as in I plan to read them. The list is full of Classics like “Alice in Wonderland”, “Great Expectations”, “The portrait of Dorian Gray” and “Lord of the Rings”. The total number of books is 20.

    The problem is once to start looking into reading, you end up spending hours staring at reviews and adding new books to be read.


    ANOTHER THOUGHT BELOW:

    Is it me or do you find since becoming a reader again; if you go to book sales you can’t help but pick up about 2-3 books. I work in a library and we have a running book sale & every time I go in there (twice a week) I end up looking for new books.

    They are all second hand, some rubbish quality but others obviously well loved & like new, plus the prices are so damn cheap -30p paperback & 50p hardback!

    What are YOUR opinions?

  • Books,  REVIEWS

    [REVIEW] Wicked – Gregory Maguire

    Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

    All about Politics, Witches and Wizards.

    I want to say I am reviewing this book after not reading in ages! Now that I think of it, I really should do a re-read at the end of the year when I get some time out of my busy reading schedule.

    This book is my all-time favourite book and it’s pretty good if I may say so myself. On my first read, I dived right into and it took me about 3 days to finish it. I really loved it.

    It is basically the backstory of who the “Wicked Witch of the West” in “The Wizard of Oz” is; where she came from, how she became “wicked” and why the wizard doesn’t like her.

    WARNING:

    I personally read the book before seeing the musical and felt it was an added bonus to the book & a FANTASTIC SHOW but do not be under the illusion that if you do decide to choose to approach Wicked the other way you will get the same experience ..you WON’T

    If you are looking to read this book (and the rest of the series) before watching the musical on Broadway/west-end I would wholly recommend this. However, I must caution anyone who has watched the Musical – This book is a long and sometimes quite a hard read. Although it is interesting it’s NOT like the musical suggests; fun and easy.

  • Books

    Christmas Reads? 2017

    As you are probably already aware, by the date this was posted, that Christmas isn’t far away. This is the closest I get to being festive online and I am getting excited to have lots of fun with family and friends!

    I am doing my top 3 reads that I think you could read this Christmas (2017). As always it is your choice on what you read but I think these are some brilliant suggestions to get you in the Christmas mood…

    1. Harry Potter – JK Rowling – Yes, there are scenes where the characters are around at Christmas but it is not a festive book as such but when I read the books they made me feel awesome & festive!
    2. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott – This is a book I am currently reading. It is a classic & once again after watching the old film I understand there are scenes of Christmas but not Christmasy.
    3. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens – This is the classic tale of a business man in Victorian London who gets shown how to be festive. I’ve seen loads of film adaptations but never read the book.

    Are you planning on reading any Christmasy books this year? What are they & are they traditional tales or modern classics? Tell me in the comments below.

     

    MERRY CHRISTMAS, ONE & ALL