#I am a melanie king enjoyer after all

[teals33r]

LMAO

[wellhalesbells]

✨✨ TOP FIVES FOR 2020 ✨✨

2020 was, i think we can all agree, a massively chaotic year but i have never consumed as much media before in my life, so i thought others might benefit from my slothery uh, connoisseur.... ship?  yes, that.  below are the books, comics, shows, and movies that got me through!

B O O K S .

the starless sea, by erin morgenstern - i loooove this book because it loves me back.  it says: ‘oh, you’re a reader, well i have just the thing for you.’  it luxuriates in language and story and riddles and fairy tales and it feels like an entire library in a single tome.

they never learn, by layne fargo - oh fuuuuuck, this was satisfying.  i thought it might feel a little exploitative as it is very aware of the zeitgeist and likely would not exist without the #metoo movement but it never ever did.  this was a fucking ROMP, period.  reading about a woman getting away with murdering skeezy guy after rapey guy after shitty human just made me happier and happier.

moonflower murders, by anthony horowitz - this is the second in the susan ryeland series (and the first was hardcore good fun too) and really feels very classic mystery with the artful twist of catering to the literary community.  mainly because: susan isn’t a detective, she’s an editor and she gets drafted in this time because the clue to what happened to a missing woman is in a book she edited, if she can find it.  both of the books in this series have such an excellent coming together moment that is rare af to find.

the invisible life of addie larue, by v.e. schwab - the writing in this is just so good.  it has that feel to me where i just want to drop the book and open up my own page and let my fingers fly.  it’s that inspiring kind of writing that reminds you of all the things language can do.

crown of feathers/heart of flames, by nicki pau preto - aaahhh, this series is SO FREAKING GOOD!  why is there not more of a fandom for it, why???? it is so many of my favorite tropes all resting perfectly together to the point where you almost forget they’re tropes because they just so naturally evolved there.  ugh, it’s just.... it’s so heart-bursty good.

.... number 5, part 2?  raybearer, by jordan ifueko - this was just so original and i was invested af.  like, what a brilliant idea though and an even better execution??  i loved every character and am so looking forward to the next in the series so i can get to know them even better!!

honorable mentions (sh*t i still liked a whole heckuva lot): you/hidden bodies, by caroline kepnes // writers & lovers, by lily king // i’ll be gone in the dark, by michelle mcnamara // the faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home, by joseph fink & jeffrey cranor // girl, serpent, thorn, by melissa bashardoust // a little life, by hanya yanagihara // the guinevere deception, by kiersten white // obsidio (and the entire illuminae series), by amie kaufman & jay kristoff // the bone houses, by emily lloyd-jones // house of salt and sorrows, by erin a. craig // we hunt the flame, by hafsah faizal // savage legion, by matt wallace // blacktop wasteland, by s.a. cosby // crier’s war, by nina varela // the empress of salt and fortune/when the tiger came down the mountain, by nghi vo // upright women wanted, by sarah gailey // the monster of elendhaven, by jennifer giesbrecht // a deadly education, by naomi novik // you let me in, by camilla bruce // when you ask me where i’m going, by jasmin kaur // the lights go out in lychford/last stand in lychford (and the entire lychford series), by paul cornell // the devil and the dark water, by stuart turton // serpent & dove, by shelby mahurin // one by one, by ruth ware // ruthless gods (this was SUCH an upshot from the first book - it’s worth sticking with if you’re on the fence), by emily a. duncan // cemetery boys, by aiden thomas // the inheritance games, by jennifer lynn barnes // the fortunate ones (2021 release), by ed tarkington

C O M I C S .

cosmoknights, by hannah templer - the art was gorgeous, the gayness was glorious, and just.... hot HOOOOOOOOT lady knights in space?!  a princess winning her own hand?  find something not to love in there, i dare you.

don’t go without me, by rosemary valero-o’connell - wow. wow wow wow wow wow.  the writing was stunning, so lyrical and atmospheric and deep, and rosemary has to be one of my favorite artists but even that managed to come as a beautiful surprise because it was just so freaking bold.

through the woods, by emily carroll - i loooove emily carroll, the convergence of spine-tingling horror and art that feeds into it, that is both visually and aesthetically pleasing, is hard to beat!  p.s. i also read beneath the dead oak tree from her this year and it was also a BANGER.

the impending blindness of billie scott, by zoe thorogood - zoe is someone that i just want to follow.  she’s just starting and i want to be there for every single step.  i love her art style and her ability to tell a story with it.

above the clouds, by melissa pagluica - this was so unique, and such a baller concept, as nearly half the entire book is conveyed only through the art and yet you’re never once lost, never once confused as to what any character is thinking or feeling.  it’s a story within a story and only one of those gets words though they both are chock full of emotion!

um.... number 5, part 2? crowded, by christopher sebela - everything about this series is fun af.  crowd-funded assassination and a hirable bodyguard who’s rated like an uber driver???  and the chemistry between the two mains is so great and gay!!

honorable mentions: monster and the beast, by renji // long exposure, by kam ‘mars’ heyward // fence, by c.s. pacat // invisible kingdom, by g. willow wilson // ms. marvel, by g. willow wilson // heathen, by natasha alterici // not drunk enough, by tess stone // giant days, by john allison // die, by kieron gillen // be prepared, by vera brosgol // ascender (sequel to descender, which is also great), by jeff lemire // the unbeatable squirrel girl, by ryan north // bang! bang! boom!, by melanie schoen // gideon falls, by jeff lemire // life of melody, by mari costa // cry wolf girl, by ariel slamet ries // the tea dragon society, by katie o’neill // ptsd, by guillaume singelin // heartstopper, by alice oseman // solutions and other problems, by allie brosh // finding home, by hari conner // the magic fish, by trung le nguyen // something is killing the children, by james tynion iv // the weight of them, by noelle stevenson // spill zone, by scott westerfeld // skyward, by joe henderson // miles morales, by saladin ahmed

F I L M S.

parasite, dir. bong joon ho - oh it was satisfying, oh it was suspenseful, oh i had to watch some of it through my fingers but i loooooooved it.  such a good story and so well made.

knives out, dir. rian johnson - okay, everything about this movie was amazing.  every single character was fun as hell and i could’ve watched an entire movie about each of them.  what a great fucking mystery!

blindspotting, dir. carlos lopez estrada -  this made my heart hurt so damn much.  what glorious writing, acting, and story!

portrait of a lady on fire, dir. celine sciamma - gooooorgeous cinematography, amazing chemistry, and such a soft, atmospheric film.

the farewell, dir. lulu wang - i cried and my heart felt so full and i love it so so much.

um.... number 5, part 2? someone great, dir. jennifer kaytin robinson - no part of me expected to love a netflix movie this much but it’s a love story that doesn’t get told that often??  the end of a relationship and the true love of friendship and i love these girls and i love jenny and nate’s broken relationship.

honorable mentions: eighth grade, dir. bo burnham // booksmart, dir. olivia wilde // midsommar, dir. ari aster // the curse of la llorona, dir. michael chaves // the secret life of pets 2, dirs. chris renaud & jonathan del val // jojo rabbit, dir. taika waititi // the invisible man, dir. leigh whannell // the favourite, dir. yorgos lanthimos // can you ever forgive me?, dir. marielle heller // troop zero, dirs. bert & bertie // ready or not, dirs. matt bettinelli-olpin & tyler gillett // brave, dirs. mark andrews & brenda chapman & steve purcell // the half of it, dir. alice wu // palm springs, dir. max barbakow // doctor sleep, dir. mike flanaghan // uncut gems, dirs. benny sadfie & josh sadfie // birds of prey, dir. cathy van // bloodshot, dir. dave wilson // the old guard, dir. gina prince-bythewood // enola holmes, dir. harry bradbeer // hocus pocus, dir. kenny ortega // always be my maybe, dir. nahnatchka khan // finding dory, dirs. andrew stanton & angus maclane // die hard, dir. john mctiernan

S H O W S .

black sails (2014) - this show, this shooooooooow.  i cannot, it just makes me want to cry with how good it is.  the characters, the EMOTIONS, the story, the plaaaaaan.  like, the creators clearly had a plan for every single step of this show and it was a gOOD, GOOD PLAN.

the untamed (2019) - truly, cheesy good fun with one of the best gay romances ever.  i love these characters and their relationships to each other and the way it glories in its own ridiculousness.

the righteous gemstones (2019) - one of the things that bothered me about my next choice (the ratio of female to male nudity) was so much more realistic in this one (i mean, we’ve all gotten five thousand dick pics and i know like three people?  so the fact that there is so rarely male nudity in shows when there are tits everywhere..... no, how does that even make a tiny bit of sense?).  this show was such great, wonderful, awful fun.  they’re not great people and the show is under no delusion about that and it’s GLORIOUS!

the witcher (2019) - this was just hella fun, i loved the characters and the fantasy elements.  i’m excited for the next season, it’s just entertaining swashbuckling through and through!

fargo (2014) - all of this was really very enjoyable with the through line being somebody fucks shit up and gets involved in something they really shouldn’t be involved in that’s going to swallow them whole.  season one and season three were my stand-out favorites but they were all so violent, clever, and vicious!

um.... number 5, part 2? central park (2020) - um..... so many of the hamilton actors in a muscial cartoon drawn and written by the bob’s burgers team? WHAT ABOUT THAT DOESN’T SOUND AMAZING?!  it was such a joy to hear daveed diggs and leslie odom jr.’s voices again!!

honorable mentions: schitt’s creek // the mandalorian // mr. robot // broadchurch // mindhunter // jack ryan // the good place // the end of the f***ing world // big little lies // elite // kidding // servant // letterkenny // curb your enthusiasm // i am not okay with this // ozark // buzzfeed unsolved: true crime/supernatural // you // runaways // dear white people // dickinson // brooklyn nine-nine // will & grace // 9-1-1 // dead to me // solar opposites // never have i ever // killing eve // what we do in the shadows // grace and frankie // avenue 5 // roswell, new mexico // the bold type // evil // tuca & bertie // impulse // the umbrella academy // watchmen // infinity train // corporate // search party // on becoming a god in central florida // a.p. bio // criminal: uk // the morning show // mythic quest // last week tonight // prodigal son // the great

[sleepynegress]

so is castle rock good? enjoyable? anything that's really grabbed your attention. I saw your break down of the kid so is he an interesting character?

*cracks knuckles*

First, I need to preface by saying I’m a BIGTIME Stephen King fan. So, I would have been stanning this show regardless. So, there’s bias. Yes, for me it’s good despite it mostly being eerie and character-building versus big major set-peice events. But I don’t think enough big stuff happens for it to gain a big following beyond the Pennywise/Bill stans (which, if I may comment, if Henry were played by a white dude, stans would be slashing those two every which way).

Also, I like watching pro-actors chew up a script. Scott Glenn, Sissy Spacek, Andre Holland, and Melanie Lynskey are doing the damn thing in this show. I am bothered to this day that Melanie Lynskey didn’t get to be as huge an actor as Kate Winslet after Heavenly Creatures. So, I am super-happy to see her in this. Her role is arguably my favorite on the show so far.

You know I’m a horror fan, especially of the old school creeping impending evil variety.

It’s all very Stephen King.

…The old school traditional Christian good/evil symbolism all over the place… The color desaturated small Maine town (Castle Rock, of course!) where bad things happen and are hidden away by the troubled white folk with their secrets. It’s FULL of King easter eggs and references to his works.

The Kid is interesting, because most people watching seem to be assuming he’s the Devil or Pennywise. The show circles two major events and I am certain they will come together to be connected in some future episode.

Henry Deaver’s disappearance for 11 days as a boy and The Kid being illegally locked away 27 years ago (which is also when Henry disappeared) and now, being released, thanks to a now grown-up Henry Deavers.

Henry clearly had some traumas happen to him as a child. The show heavily implies there was child abuse from his adoptive father…but that could be a misdirect. I also think Henry has that “shine” (the same mental powers Danny Torrance had in The Shining) just like his childhood friend (soulmate?) Molly Strand.

The Kid barely speaks. He reacts to the world as if he’s both old and new to it. Interesting juxtaposition.

I wish they’d release all the episodes at once, because it’s definitely a “connect-the-dots” show. …Breadcrumbs are dropped every episode.

So, yeah I like it, with the caveat that it’s paced for binging but you can’t binge all the eps yet. It’s also hella’ white despite Andre being the lead…But I get the feeling that we’ll see more since he’s mentioned a son and an ex out there.

[bethanyisastranger]

Top Horror/Thriller Movies of 2017!

Yes it is nearing the end of 2018, however I am reviving my old blog posts and reminiscing about days long gone (last year). 2017 was a pretty decent year for horror flicks, and this list compiles just 8 of my own movie recommendations.

As usual there were a plethora amount of horror movies released, spread out throughout the year. From personal experience, I find the box office usually soars with the horror genre, as they are always a favourite with cinema goers. Of course being only one person, I have not been able to see some of the most recommended films like Get Out, so they will not be featured on this list unfortunately! Some spoilers, beware.

Quick and to the point, here are my top horror movies or 2017!

Annabelle: Creation Annabelle: Creation is directed by David F. Sandberg, a personal favourite. Being part of a wider theatrical universe, it is a prequel to Annabelle (2014) and part of the wider The Conjuring film series. As the 2014 Annabelle had already been made, I was left to wonder what more they could possibly say about the origin of this famous possessed doll. Lots, as it turns out. With child actors who aren't half bad, jump scares that don't take over the film and a plot that makes sense as a prequel, this movie was enjoyably suspenseful in cinemas and I would recommend to anyone who is already a fan of the franchise.

Happy Death Day The horror version of Groundhog Day, this film caught my interest from the beginning and carried it until the very end, without the use of the usual jump scares or gore sequences. With a likeable main character, you're rooting for her to find the killer all the way through, along with taking wild guesses yourself (it could be anyone!). With the occasional comedic moment this makes for a fun viewing, and although the end could be picked apart slightly if you think too hard about the events that occur throughout the film, this doesn't prevent Happy Death Day from being an enjoyable experience.

Geralds Game This was one film I was not expecting to enjoy as much as I did. I was constantly interested as to how she was going to get herself out of the situation, as well as being aware of the horror elements that were mainly towards the end of the film. Unfortunately someone had already told me what happens, so the arrival of the 'moonlight man', was less of a scare than it would have been. All in all it was an interesting film, with the moonlight mans appearance being scarier than I had imagined, bringing that missing creepy factor to the horror.

A Cure for Wellness I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this film, but I know it has stayed with me since the first viewing. If you have seen A Cure for Wellness then you will understand the feeling. By director Gore Verbinski, this film boasts an eerie tone, well cast actors and stunning locations. With some grim scenes, this film will stick with you once you have finished viewing, along with you still trying to wrap your head around the final plot twists and elements.

The Girl With All The Gifts Although this movie failed to impress in the cinemas, I'm going to include it as the book it is based on is one of my all time favourites. From that perspective, I'm going to review it as I can remember based on the book plot, rather than the rushed film version (read the book!). It is told from the viewpoint of Melanie, a young girl in a dystopian world. It is revealed Melanie is in fact a 'zombie', but with higher intelligence and the ability to think for herself unlike the adult 'zombies'. It follows her journey with adult companions through this world as they look for safety and possibly, a cure. The movie hopefully caught the attention of the general public, but viewing after reading the novel (seriously read the book!) the film fell short of the original quality plot line and character development.

Split By notorious plot twister M. Night Shyamalan, this film features incredible acting by James McAvoy and his take on the split personality role. Keeping up the suspense with the three girls trapped in a basement scenario, the film balances this with the normality of McAvoys characters regular visits to his psychiatrist during the day. The underlying tone of the film is tense, but the real reason for this isn't revealed until the final acts.

The Blackcoats Daughter/February If you enjoy little known indie flicks, then this is the title for you. A somewhat slow approach to a an interestingly put together thriller, the film doesn't all tie together until the end, which is fairly satisfactory. Unrelenting and different, you're never quite sure whats real and what is just imagined in the characters head.

IT: Chapter One The first film chapter of well the known Stephen King novel IT was the standout horror film of the year, utilising exceptional dialogue, good child actors and the general publics well founded fear of clowns to it's advantage. Well directed and produced, the visual effects are used creatively to maximise the creepiness of Bill Skarsgard's notorious clown Pennywise. The actors portraying the Losers Club, the main seven kid protagonists, excelled in their job and managed to make each character likeable in their own way. One of the best movies of the year.

[movingshelves]

Tracking my “series to read one day, just not today”

Authors who have written a lot (as in “I do want to read them but where do I even start ? Should I read them in a row ?”)

Lois McMaster BUJOLD

Vorkosigan Saga (7/31)

I feel like I need to reread from the start to be able to continue.

Bothari is something. Miles is one of the few disabled characters I’ve read and it was really upbeating to have him. Pure enjoyment.

C. J. Cherryh

I wanted some old science-fiction by female writers (thanks to The Left Hand of Darkness)

Anything by her is fine.

Glenn COOK

The Black Company (0/10)

I like my fantasy to be gritty. With adult protagonists.

Steven ERIKSON

Malazan Book of the Fallen (1/10)

Read and liked Gardens of the Moon. I wanted to read all of them before leaving some place, turns out that I really overestimated my ability to read. Furthermore, I would need to reread this volume and it is long. Postponing and postponing until I have both the time and a lasting ability to read. Requires a lot of commitment and raises the question of “how do you read a long series without forgetting anything in-between two volumes ?”.

Robin HOBB

What is happening with the Fool ?!

The Realm of the Elderlings (read the first few chapters long ago)

The Farseer Trilogy (0/3)

Liveship Traders Trilogy (0/3)

The Tawny Man Trilogy (0/3)

The Rain Wild Chronicles (0/4)

The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy (0/3)

Katharine KERR

Deverry Cycle (0/15)

Dunno. She appears too often in my brain for me to let her go.

Katherine KURTZ

Fantasy from the 70s ? By a female writer ? Checked ! Classical fantasy without it being a young girl bullied, I am in.

The Chronicles of the Deryni (0/3)

The Legends of Camber of Culdi (0/3)

The Histories of King Kelson (0/3)

The Heirs of Saint Camber (0/3)

King Kelson's Bride (0/3)

The Childe Morgan Trilogy (0/3)

Marcel PROUST

In Search of Lost Time (0/15)

For reasons I’ve since quite forgotten.

Rick RIORDAN

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (at least two volumes read) (2 ? /5)

The Heroes of Olympus (0/5)

The Kane Chronicles (0/3)

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (0/3)

Somehow, it seems possible to read all of their series ... but I can wait

C. S. FORESTER

Horation Hornblower (0/15)

Watched one movie. Historical and maritime. Not something I am used to : “let’s try it”.

Cornelia FUNKE

Inkheart trilogy (0/3)

I swear I do read more “recent” books.

Ursula K. LE GUIN

Earthsea (0/6)

I’ve discovered Le Guin with her science-fiction. I like the idea of a young Ged wandering around, though.

Karin LOWACHEE

Warchild, Burndive, Cagebird (1/3)

I unexpectedly found Warchild at the library. I didn’t remember why I wanted to read it (surprising ?) but borrowed it nonetheless. To this day, I still don’t know how to feel about it but this one made me sad.

Angie SAGE

Septimus Heap (0/7)

One of those series I missed when I was younger. (Before Twilight took over).

Jonathan STROUD

Bartimaeus Sequence (0/3 + 0/1)

Had to return the first volume before completing it.

Lockwood & Co. (2/5)

Nice likeable characters. Really enjoyable but not enough for me to actively search for the following books, and even more so when I am down.

J. R. R. TOLKIEN

The Lord of the Rings (something like 5/1000+ pages ?)

Technically not a trilogy but long enough to know that I might struggle to get through it.

May finish The Silmarillion way before tackling the series.

Tad WILLIAMS

Memory, Sorrow & Thorn (0/3)

I like to read some “old” finished stuff, what can I say more ?

Roger ZELAZNY

Chronicles of Amber (0/10)

Doesn’t seem that long. Old series, as usual, there is a chance I might be in.

I am on my way (like possibly reading it in the next ten years)

Lynn FLEWELLING

Tamír Triad

The Nightrunner Series 

Both of them.

Diana Wynne JONES

Howl's Moving Castle series (1/3)

A pain to find her books in libraries and bookshops unless I buy them on the net. I do have two out of the three books in this series. And Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the few books I’ve reread and plan to reread again.

Ursula K. LE GUIN

Hainish Cycle (1/8)

I used to be less interested in science-fiction before but The Left Hand of Darkness was a slap in the face to say the least. Still not over it, it has been too long, already. A bit afraid to be disappointed in her other works (but I won’t, right ?).

Mary RENAULT

Alexander novels (0/3)

It’s either that or her Arthurian novels. I have a (weird ?) interest in Alexander the Great. This guy thought on a grand scale. Died young. Truly sad.

Dan SIMMONS

Hyperion Cantos (0/4)

I stop everytime after the priest story. Every single time.

Rosemary SUTCLIFF

The Eagle of the Ninth (1/8)

Read The Eagle of the Ninth a year ago, perhaps more, and I regularly crave for a reread.

Other series worth mentioning (quite often those ones from the 1980s-1990s, r/fantasy is often to be blamed)

Bernard CORNWELL,  Stephen R. LAWHEAD, Mary STEWART and Jack WHYTE

King Arthur.

Dorothy DUNNET

Lymond Chronicles (0/6)

I do like historical novels, even though I rarely read them. Perhaps was recommended because of Guy Gavriel Kay and prose ?

Jennifer FALLON

The Wolfblade Trilogy (0/3)

I have no idea why. Perhaps romance (?) and politics ?

Robert JORDAN (0/15)

The Wheel of Time series (0/15)

Once saw a fanart of Rand. It’s enough for me to begin a series. However, I am afraid that the depiction of women will leave me with a sour taste. Also, I don’t really like Brandon Sanderson (Way of Kings was just a nightmare to finish).

Juliet MARILLIER

The Sevenwaters Trilogy (0/6)

Yep, right, trilogy. Retelling of a tale. Why not.

 Sarah MONETTE

Doctrine of Labyrinths series (0/4)

???

Michael NAVA

Henry Rios novels (0/8)

I rarely read crime novels. I did found about these books at a specific time so I am very fond of these novels.

Melanie RAWN

Dragon Prince (0/3)

I don’t even know. Female author. Forgotten one ? Old one that nobody around me knows about.

[vampirevodka-blog]

Review: Reputation by Taylor Swift

I’m going to put my short ratings here for anyone who just wants to see that and cut off from there, and after the line will be a little bit more in-depth explanations of each song. 

ready for it: 5 end game: 8.5 i did something bad: 8 dont blame me: 8.5 delicate: 7.5 LWYMMD: 1 so it goes: 2/3 gorgeous: 6 getaway car: 7.5/8 king of my heart: 7 dancing with our hands tied: 4/5 dress: 3/4 TIWWCHNT: 9.5 call it what you want: 0 new years day: 9.5

ready for it (5/10): This song is just very mediocre for me and I don’t understand why it got a mv instead of, say, new years day. What I really like about this song though is that she is somehow able to combine her older sound with the overall sound of this album and it just, wow. wow. the pre-chorus is great. The lyrics, I mean, personally they’re just okay. 

end game (8.5/10): this song, like, i love the message in the lyrics okay. i love that it sounds soulful, and I like that taylor swift. raps.  (or tries to). also, ed sheeran man. bonus points just for that. 

i did something bad (8/10): CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MELANIE MARTINEZ THIS SOUNDS IN THE BEGINNING? I love anything carnival themed, okay? and i love the message in this song, i’m so sorry if that pisses people off. but she’s owning up to her own actions and even saying ‘you know what? fuck you, i don’t regret a single bit of it’ and i’m actually very proud to see this character development.  what completely ruined this song for me? that disgusting RATATATATATATATATTATATATATATTAAAA part. omg how did she approve leaving that in there I'm so upset.  also the ‘light me up’ part is just auditory displeasing to me for some reason, but the drop after it COMPLETELY makes up for it. 

don't blame me (8.5/10): this is so ballad-y, and the first time i listened to it my friend rani (the amazing swiftie who bought me the album) begged me to re-listen to it, and i’m grateful he did. It’s really good. Again, the melody is almost reminiscent of gospel music (further accentuating by the allusions to the bible/religiosity) and i’m a literature nerd so this is great for me. i’m actually thinking of doing a whole separate post analyzing the lyrics of this song because that’s how much I loved them and how much I actually think there is to say about them, so we’ll see.  ALSO THE BRIDGE AT THE END HA HA WOW END ME :)

delicate (7.5/10): this song is so somber, it hits me deep and hard. she's so hesitant, and it’s so relatable to everyone--the fear of ruining a great thing by wanting to make it greater. The fear of accidentally taking something too far, especially too soon, and tangling everything up into a mess. It’s just too real to not have your heart hurt listening to it. also, the word ‘delicate’ just so perfectly sums up this feeling that it’s amazing. 

LWYMMD (1/10): i just don’t like this song and it’s saving grace is the satire she uses both in the song and the music video, but anything satirical stems from truth and so I just don’t like the overall ‘privileged white girl done wrong’ vibe this song sends me.  also am i the only one who thinks the chorus is awful? and the moaning “ah”??

so it goes (3/10): from the intro to the outdo of this song, there’s nothing particularly special about this song and it just, in my opinion, has no real point/purpose on this album. it’s a very bland song and there’s nothing memorable about it. on top of that, she uses typical oppressive female gender roles (”im not a bad girl, but i’ll do bad things to you”). 

gorgeous (6/10): this song is just fun and easy and, to a certain extent i believe, pretty relatable. the underlying vulnerability and the way its portrayed outwardly as humorous is clever to me, even though the lyrics are lacking in creativity for the most part. 

getaway car (7.5-8/10): this song reminds me of old-school musicals meets david bowie. it’s so light in sound but the lyrics are softly heartbreaking and the puns and lyrical plays-on-words are wonderful. it’s pretty heart-breaking if you look into it too deeply. i feel like, through this song, taylor has actually matured as a person and knows she’s done people wrong and that some things in her life just weren’t going to last forever, but she’s still acknowledging what these experiences meant to her at the time. also the outro to this song makes me nostalgic and happy.

king of my heart (7/10): i love the lyrics to the first verse of this song so much, so when i first listened, i was like “oh, my god, rani, this is my favorite song on the album.” and then suddenly in barges this unnecessary techo-scwoop i don't even know and it just doesn’t fit the song and it’s so upsetting. the lyrics are great though and if anyone can somehow edit this sans the weird, rocky beat drops that’d be amazing. literally though, it sounds like the song went through a garbage disposal that someone recklessly left on.

dancing with our hands tied (4-5/10): the lyrics are pretty basic, and the beat drop right at the beginning of the chorus isn’t anything too special. the chorus itself is the same repetitive mantra technique she uses in “out of the woods” which i loathe, but the melody throughout the versus is a bop and pretty enjoyable. 

dress (3/10): i just really don’t have anything good to say about this song. the lyrics are boring and the beat is nothing special and the only thing you’ll remember from this song is the pleasured sighs in the background. it’s not problematic, it’s just nothing special. 

this is why we can’t have nice things (9.5/10): [disclaimer: i don't give a shit about any of the drama between the wests and perry and swift and whoever else, and frankly i don't even know exactly what happened, i just judged the lyrics of the song as they came] i fucking love this song. the reference to gatsby to explain their luxurious lives is amazing, and the sudden classic piano is amazing. the sass is so real. also this is one of my favorite phrases to use ever so that automatically gets extra points. she’s criticizing whoever’s done her wrong, but despite the language she’s using she isn’t inflating herself to appear as superior to her peer. instead, she's critiquing herself for giving this traitor a second chance and scolding both parties. ALSO WHO USES ‘THEREIN’ IN A SONG?! how did she even make that word work in a song? and she used the word shady too omg  the bridge is honestly so salty and her laugh kills me. this song gets all its points from my adoration of sarcasm and the fact that the outro sounds like the end to a musical. 

call it what you want (0/10): easily the worst song on this album for me. find out why here 

new years day (9.5/10): the lyrics of this song are so honest and simple and soft and it’s the perfect way to end any album, especially one as sporadic as this one. it reminds me of the way ed sheeran writes his songs and it’s heartfelt and wonderfully addicting. “please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh i could recognize anywhere” 

so yeah! that’s my review for this album, and i have to say--i never thought i’d like a taylor swift album enough to break it down like this but this one was really great so :) 

-esse

[60s70salbumreviews-blog]

Matthews’ Southern Comfort - Later That Same Year (1970) UK

(Country/Folk/Soft Rock) 

Matthews grew up in a working-class family in Scunthorpe. He sang with several minor bands during the British pop music explosion of the mid-1960s. 

He moved to London in 1966, taking a job in a Carnaby Street shoe shop. That year, he formed a trio, The Pyramid, which recorded one single, Summer Of Last Year/Summer Evening, in January 1967. 

A remaining song, Me About You, surfaced on Iain's Orphans & Outcasts Volume 3 cd in 1999. The Pyramid may be England's only surf band, albeit a short-lived one. Not long afterwards, he was recruited by Ashley Hutchings as a male vocalist for Fairport Convention, where he duetted first with Judy Dyble, but more famously with Sandy Denny. 

In 1969, as Fairport's music veered much more toward British traditional influences, Matthews found out he had not been invited to a recording session and, after a short discussion with Ashley Hutchings, he headed off in his own musical direction. With Thompson, Nicol, and Hutchings from Fairport Convention, plus drummer Gerry Conway (of Fotheringay, and later to join Fairport) and pedal steel player Gordon Huntley, he recorded his first solo album, Matthews' Southern Comfort, whose sound was rooted in American country music and rockabilly; this was his first significant experience as a songwriter, although the band also covered the likes of Neil Young and Ian and Sylvia. 

He then formed a working band using the name of his first album and recorded Second Spring and Later That Same Year. 

The band went through several different lineups and toured extensively for the next two years, to general critical acclaim. They had one commercial success: a cover version of Woodstock was a number one hit single in the UK and saw heavy airplay in Canada reaching #5, as well as reaching #23 in the US. After this, Matthews split with Southern Comfort, who went on to release three albums of their own on Harvest Records.

Soft rock cover of CSNY’s Woodstock (which was originally written by Joni Mitchell) begins the album. It’s a great cover with some moderate pedal steel guitar licks in the back. Especially in the chorus. Very relaxing song. Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, To Love has its moments where it reminds me a lot of Promised Land. Nonetheless, an enjoyable tune with prominent piano work. The amount of beauty in the harmonies in And Me is just outstanding. An acoustic number which was written by Matthews. I absolutely love this cover of Neil Young’s Tell Me Why. The pretty harmonies amaze me again. I’m really diggin’ Matthews’ voice in acoustic number, My Lady. Clear and strong. “...One day you’ll be without trace. Oh I am young, my lady. And I will live gracefully...” Favourite is folk rock And When She Smiles (She Makes the Sun Shine). It’s such an optimistic and blissful tune. Listening to makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Mare, Take Me Home is a country folk tune. Including a banjo! Very catchy tune and the lyrics tell a story. “...All of my life I've used the Earth as a pillow and the sky as a blanket of blue. Now all that I own is the shirt on my back and the blanket and the saddle on you. So Mare, take me home...” Beginning of Sylvie sounds like it’s going to be a very sensual tune. But of course it’s not. It’s not really one of my favourites. Cover of Jesse Winchester’s Brand New Tennessee Waltz is next. Matthews’ does a pretty impressive job on this one. Pure beauty. Written by guitarist Carl Barnwell is soft rock tune, For Melanie. My favourite is the pedal steel guitar and the guitar solos near the end. Ending is a slow one called Road to Ronderlin. The drums is the heartbeat of the song. You hear Huntley plucking away softly on the steel guitar in the back. Nice one. 

Matthews’ loves to interpret other’s work. And the interpretations are pretty great. I recently discovered him a few months ago and from what I heard so far, he’s an amazing musician. He has pure talent with his vocals. I recommend this album if you’re in the mood to sit back, drink tea and relax. 

*Bolded are my favourites off the album.*

1. Woodstock 2. To Love 3. And Me 4. Tell Me Why 5. My Lady 6. And When She Smiles (She Makes The Sun Shine) 7. Mare, Take Me Home 8. Sylvie 9. The Brand New Tennessee Waltz 10. For Melanie 11. Road to Ronderlin

Ian Matthews - guitar, vocals Carl Barnwell - guitar Gordon Huntley - steel guitar Keith Nelson - banjo Mark Griffiths - bass Andy Leigh - bass Roger Coulam - piano Ray Duffy - drums Tristan Fry - vibraphone

[trueloveisrarelyafairytale]

"Bullies Like Me" By: Lindy Zart - Book Review

Bullies Like Me is outside my normal romance genres, but this is one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read in a long time. I am super stingy with five star ratings, and this novel deserved it from page one. The story is told from the perspective of Alexis, Nick, and Melanie. Three Enid Illinois high school students whose lives are all impacted by bullying in very different ways. After Alexis Hennessy’s mother left them and her sister moved away to start her life, her father moves them to Enid Illinois. From her first day at Enid High school, her experience was a nightmare. Every day she was picked on and put down over and over until it became too much for her to handle. She felt like she wanted to die, so she swallowed her father’s bottle of pills and was rushed to the hospital, Her stomached pumped, and was given a second shot at life at the Live Treatment Center. While there, she met a boy named Nick who quickly became her closest friend. “Inside these walls we formed a make-belive world for the two of us. It isn’t real, but I wish it was.” I immediately liked both Nick and Alexis. There was an obvious chemistry there, but it’s still new and it’s really sweet. The characters are all in high school, a little younger than I usually enjoy reading, however the age group was necessary for this story line. With her therapy finished, aside from weekly sessions, she is able to leave the Live Center, but she isn’t ready to leave Nick or go home to an absent father, and she definitely isn’t ready to go back to Enid High. To heal, she needs to face her tormentors and move on from her past. She also has her own ideas on how to get closure. “I became someone that wanted to die. And that makes me angriest of all. That I gave them that power, that I let them decide my value. Monday, I’m going back to the school that took my soul. I have to. It’s the only thing that makes sense, the only thing that makes it all endurable. Because I have something I need to do. I’m taking back what was taken from me. I’m going to make my bullies pay.” Melanie Mathews is the most popular girl at Enid High School and she is all too aware of that fact. She is instantly dislikable, which is the point as she looks down on everyone and everything around her, including her own mother and ‘friends’. The way she thinks about others is appalling, and what’s worse, she acts on those thoughts. She is taken off guard when the vaguely familiar new girl is not only not acknowledging her place, but is outright antagonizing her. She confronts the girl, only for her to act unaware. While angered by this ‘weird’ girl’s actions, Melanie is also confused as to why this happening, and unfamiliar with being treated this way. “I shake off the tainted remnants of the ugly drawing, and the weird girl. Calming down, I realize neither are worth being upset over. She’s nobody. I won’t let her think otherwise by showing that her behavior troubles me. I won’t allow her to be somebody.” She handles the bullying alright in the beginning, but before long, she starts losing her friends and popularity. She realizes over time that none of her so-called “friends” are real. She begins to feel things she has never really experienced, such as anxiety and insecurity. Through it all she wonders why Alexis chose her to pick on. And I’m not gonna lie, I got pleasure in her getting a bit of what she’d dished out over the years. “My chest is tight. I’ve never felt like this before. I don’t understand what it means. What is happening to me?” Nick Alderson was probably my favorite character. He is a resident of the Live center by choice. He knows first hand the toll bullying can take. Before he came to Live, he was a completely different person. The king of Enid High, he and his friends were cruel to the less popular, one boy unparticular. When horrific events unfold because of his actions, he has a break down and was drowning in guilt until the day he met Alexis Hennessy. I absolutely loved the way he would speak of her. “She hums with energy. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes sparkle, and I want to press my lips to hers to steal some of her vibrancy. That, and I just want to kiss her.” Their bond cleared some of the darkness in his mind, and while he has an idea, he doesn’t what happened to bring Alexis to Live, and she definitely doesn’t know about his past. He sees her when she comes to therapy, and as their relationship turns romantic, she eventually wants him to leave the facility. Something he hasn’t done since arriving at Live. She gives him a hope for happiness. He has no idea what she’s doing to Melanie at school, but when she finally tells him, he fears for her. He tells her to stop and is certain if she continues what she’s doing, it will change her. “Revenge destroys, and that’s all it does. This darkness, if she lets it, will abolish her as well as her enemies.” She doesn’t understand why he doesn’t support her until his history comes out. She is more determined than ever to finish what she started. Nick knows how this all will end if he lets her do this. He just hopes he isn’t too late. This book was so much more than just an entertaining story. The message of the importance of kindness and forgiveness towards others, and yourself was quite powerful. The author’s personal connection to the topic showed and it was a beautiful combination. I would personally recommend this book to anyone 10+. * Did you enjoy this review? Let me know what you think! Thank you for visiting! - Charity B. https://www.amazon.com/Bullies-like-Me-Lindy-Zart/dp/1945164093