#also angie's costumes are absolutely gorgeous

[iloveillusion]

One of the coolest movies ever! 👌🏻

The Court Jester (1955)

[juudaz]

Some notes on Jesus Christ Superstar (Swedish production 2022)

First I just wanna apologise for the extremely poor quality of the photos, hope you still find them interesting. My phone’s camera is no the best.

What I really enjoyed:

- First and foremost: Dilfssssss *cough couch* what I mean is... I love Peter Jöback and Ola Salo, they looked absolutely GORGEOUS. I only wished their hairs were long(er)...

- The High Priest’s and Pharisees’ makeup game was ON POINT

Look at those eyebrows! Magnificent! I also really liked their costumes. All the costumes of the show were a nice mix of modern and like “accurate” style. (I don’t know how to explain that, sorry)

- Caiaphas’s voice was amazing (as usual). Maybe a bit higher than in some other productions but still super nice!

- ANNAS MY LOVE OMG!!! He was so smol and angy and bratty all the time!! XD And he walked like a lil gremlin all crouchy and stuff?! I love him, protect him at all costs

- Caiaphas was played by Kristoffer Hellström and Annas by David Lindström

What are those faces, I can’t

- SIMON THE ZEALOT WAS PLAYED BY A WOMAN

I repeat she was played by a woman!!!! (by Janna Yngwe I think?)

My gay heart almost exploded!! I wanna be her and I wanna be with her (sadly, I didn’t get any good photos of her, damn my camera)

- Mary’s voice was phenomenal, 10/10. She was played by the singer Janice. She was so pretty!

- The outfits were a really nice mix between modern and the “og” 1973 movie outfits. Like you could very easily tell who was a priest and who was a king etc. But then the outfits had like a little modern twist to them, e.g. Simon’s leather body harness-thing.

I LOVED Judas’s final outfit. With all the fringes it felt like an homage to what Judas wears in the 1973 movie. Except now it was also sparkly golden.

Overall the “outfit gayness” was like around 6/10. Chest hairs visible? Yes. Shiny and sparkle? Yes. But it could’ve been more gay. (I’m looking at you 2014 Swedish production) 

Daddy... I mean *cough* Ola!<3

- The set was interesting. At the start of the show all the support pillars(? idk what they are called) were lying on the ground and slowly one by one they were raised to the ceiling as part of the choreography. In fact (my queen) Simon the Zealot climbed up one of them during “Simon the Zealot”.

Look at her go!<3

Also, at all times there were 1-3 wild ensemble cameramen running around and filming the main actors with their little cameras. Most of the time what they were filming was being showed on the big screens at the back of the stage. It was interesting to see the scenes play out from multiple directions and a bit more close up.

- The Temple song was ummmm quite something... omg. The ensemble was strip teasing, grinding and twerking in front of the aforementioned little cameras they had there and that was quite something to experience..

- King Herods omg, the outfit, the SLIPPERS, the pig!!

(that’s exactly what I had written in my notes and tbh it’s quite accurate)

I always love to see the different ways different productions do King Herod. The more erratic, the better, imho. And this one was no different. Anton Lundqvist did an amazing job!

First of all, he was only wearing a pair of swimming shorts? And on his feet he had SLIPPERS that looked like TIGERS?? He also had a sparkly blue cape with a sparkly golden H on the back. (that he at one point used as the swimming pool) Not only was it all very shiny and glorious, it also reminded me of the Swedish flag. I think he also had messy over-lined red lips?

And then there was the giant inflatable pig?? First King Herod just sat on it but at the end he threw a tantrum and threw the pig around...

Also, that blue little sled you can see in the second picture? That was part of the “change my water into wine”-thing but at the end King Herod sat in it and one from the ensamble dragged him off stage as if he was a kid refusing to walk. XD

- Pilate did in fact spit everywhere during “Trial by Pilate”. That passionate monologue at the end would not be the same without all the spitting. (No papayas tho) XD His and the Roman soldiers’ costumes were also pretty interesting with all the cutouts. (Pilate was played by Patrik Martinsson)

- Disco ball Jesus. Yes, you read that right. When Jesus was crucified, Mary pulled some rope that revealed a weird reflective thing on Jesus’s chest? And then some lights were shined to it and he looked like a disco ball. Amazing.

What I wish was better:

- As I mentioned before, Jesus and Judas’s hairs should have been longer!

- Peter was wayyyy too chill about everything that’s happening around him. I wished he’d shown more emotion, especially during “Could we start again please?”. (As with everything) I once again like to compare everything to the 2012 UK Arena Tour production, but just because I think that version of Peter showed soooo much more emotion and actually seemed distressed about denying Jesus etc.

- The betrayal kiss was PATHETIC!! Pathetic, I tell ya!!

Dear Swedish productions of JCS, in 2014 you gave us (one) of the best betrayal kisses known to mankind and now what?? Just a little peck on the cheek??? Like c’mon!! And It was Ola Salo himself as Judas! I was very disappointed to say the least.

I think that concludes my little review of the 2022 Swedish Production of Jesus Christ Superstar. If you read the whole thing, awesome and thank you! I hope there aren’t many spelling mistakes. I have some extra photos I took, so I might share them here later.

[witcherislovewitcherislife]

My gift for @captainofthekryptonspacemarines for Steggy Secret Santa 2018

I am very sorry for how extremely late this is. It is difficult for me to write with a lack of motivation and I have been busier than usual these last few months. But I finally got it done. I really hope it was worth the wait and I hope you enjoy! :)

You said you enjoyed domestic life fics so that is what I wrote. Also, some there is some Star Wars stuff because you said you liked sci-fi. :)

The Perfect Gift

As a child, Christmas was always one of Steve's favorite days of the year. He and his mother had very little, they were already poor when the Great Depression came and then things just got worse. But his mother always made sure that Christmas was special. Every year she bought Steve a new comic book, replaced some old art supplies, and got him a chocolate treat. Steve knew that she had to take extra shifts on top of her doubles already as a nurse just to earn the extra money. And he would be eternally grateful for that.

Now, around a hundred years later and having a family of his own, Steve made sure to make Christmas for his family just as special as his mother had made it for him. Every year, the Rogers-Carter family would cut down their own Christmas tree. Peggy and their two children always loved to see Steve lift the tree up with ease and carry it to the truck (borrowed from Tony of course) and throw it into the truck bed.

Often, the two little gremlins that Steve and Peggy called their children would wrap themselves around Steve’s legs like monkeys trying to hold him back with no avail.

They’d take the tree to their home in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and spend the evening decorating it with various ornaments. Some store-bought and some homemade. Sarah, Peggy and Steve’s daughter and eldest child had her father’s knack for art. Steve and her would make various ornaments for the tree, ranging from little drawings to larger clay figures that Sarah loved to craft. Their younger son, Michael, got the job of choosing what would go on top of the tree. He always chose a small replica of his father’s shield over a star or an angel.

The day before Christmas, Auntie Angie (as Sarah referred to her) would visit and bake cookies with the children. Sarah liked to bake them in the shape of her mother’s fedora and Michael liked frosting them to look like his father’s shield. Michael liked to sneak their dog Dodger cookies under the table while he thought no one was looking, his little giggle giving himself away each time. Steve and Peggy usually noticed but never minded as long as their son was happy.

Peggy was always unsure what to get Steve for Christmas. Steve’s gifts were almost always homemade, putting his amazing art skills and creativity to good use. For their first Christmas together in the modern age, Peggy went the comedic route. She knew Steve loathed Captain America merchandise, having his superhero identity plastered all over items ranging from clothing, stuffed animals, and mugs to the X-Rated items for the more adventurous fans of his had always made him a bit uncomfortable. But for Christmas, she had bought him a surprisingly well detailed Captain America bobblehead and a Halloween costume of his original USO uniform. She giggled as he unwrapped it, joking to him about how he could finally dress up as his favorite superhero. The laughter the gift gave them both was a gift in and of itself. And as much as Steve didn’t like Captain America merchandise normally, he loved it coming from Peggy. He still kept the bobblehead on his office desk till this day and kept the costume in storage because he would cherish anything coming from her. Peggy had to admit that she rather liked some of the items though. She owned several articles of Captain America clothing, an adorable stuffed bear version of Steve, and one of her favorite mugs donned his shield insignia.

Nature did Peggy’s job for her on their second Christmas together. The sonogram picture of their first child was sure to take Steve by surprise. Steve ended up being open-mouthed and awestruck. Peggy being pregnant was the best news he had gotten since the news that she was staying in the modern day to be with him, timelines be damned. “Best gift ever,” Steve had said and she couldn’t have been happier.

The couple decided against getting presents for each other on their third Christmas. Deciding instead to focus on the new addition to their family. Peggy did break the rule slightly however, buying herself some lingerie to model for Steve.

“There was no rule against buying ourselves a gift, my darling,” Peggy said, stalking towards him slowly.

“From this angle it looks like this is a gift for me too,” Steve had replied with a wide smirk on his face. Finally getting to spend some one on one time with his gorgeous wife after months of only fleeting moments in between the cries from a hungry baby. Sarah always chose the worst moments to decide it was time to eat.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing you in this if I’m honest.”

“You’re a perv, Peg.”

“And you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The years kept going by and Peggy kept having to be creative come Christmas time. One year Peggy had gotten a new compass made for Steve. This time the compass opened to a picture of Peggy holding beautiful little Sarah. Steve absolutely loved it. The compass always pointing north and always pointing home.

Steve tended to go the homemade route. He liked to put his art skills to use and make something personal and unique.

A few years ago however, Steve got the chance to do something a little different. Tony Stark, with the help of Hank Pym, Hope van Dyne, and Scott Lang had finally unraveled the key to time travel using the Quantum Realm. They had wanted an excuse to monitor the effects a miniscule change could have on the modern day. How they were going to do that was beyond Steve. But since Tony was planning a trip back in time anyways, Steve enlisted his help in getting a nice gift for Peggy.

“You want me to do what?” Tony had deadpanned, a little baffled at Steve’s seemingly silly request.

“Like I said, I just want you to buy some lipstick from London. The brand she used went out of business ages ago and I know how much she misses it.”

“Couldn’t have been too good if they went out of business.”

“I’m serious, Tony. I’d really appreciate it. It would be the perfect present for her.”

“Fine! I’ll consider this assisting the elderly. But you owe me. You are coming to all my charity events from now on.”

“Deal.” And they shook on it, Tony adding after the fact, “Time travel is invented and we’re using it to get ancient lipstick for God’s sake,” Tony muttered sarcastically.

“Well if you want to go back and stop the Nazis and HYDRA be my guest.”

“That would have too many repercussions. Who knows what the present day would look like if I changed something so drastic.”

“Then stop complaining.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, if this causes the world to go to hell it’s on you.”

Tony had returned from the past safely with a case of “Victory Red” lipstick in hand as expected. A part of Steve was kind of hoping that this subtle change to the past had some positive present consequences but to no avail.

Peggy had been shocked by the gift and even more shocked by the explanation. Ironically she made the same comment that Tony made about time travel being used for such silly purposes but she would be eternally grateful for such a thoughtful and spectacular gift. Her years of experience in rationing were sure to come in handy once again. They were both pretty sure that Tony wouldn’t agree to go back and get more when she ran out. But they did both got a good laugh at the idea of sending Tony back in time to get more lipstick as if it was a simple errand to the corner store.

Other years Steve had drawn beautiful drawings and portraits for her. Peggy had a place for each and every one. On the wall of her office in Avengers Tower hung a large and detailed painting Steve had painted during the war. It was of the Paris skyline, the lights from the Eiffel Tower illuminating the sky. Steve had drawn it after the Liberation of Paris in 1944. It hung in a museum until Steve came out of ice. He had taken it back and replaced the one in the museum with a copy. Now Peggy had the original and cherished it every time she gazed upon it.

Steve and Peggy were amoken Christmas morning by Sarah and Michael jumping on their bed.

“Mommy! Daddy! Santa came! Santa came!”

Their children’s eager voices brought smiles to their faces, even if they weren’t particularly happy with being woken up at seven in the morning on a holiday.

“Alright alright gremlins, calm down a bit my loves.”

“Mummy, come on!!” Michael begged, tugging on Peggy’s arm trying to get her up so they could open presents.

“Sweetie, the presents will still be there in an hour.”

“Or two,” Steve added, trying to negotiate for some extra sleep. Christmas Eve was one of the few nights that they got all to themselves. The kids agreeing to go to bed early on the promise that Santa would come if they did. And Steve and Peggy were sure to capitalize on this opportunity, making love late into the night, or more accurately early into the morning.

“Please mummy!!” both the children said in unison, using their best puppy dog eyes.

Steve and Peggy both shared a knowing look upon realizing that they would get no more sleep.

“Fine, my loves. You can each open one present before breakfast. We’ll open the rest after.”

“Thank you mummy! Love you!!” Sarah and Michael both exclaimed before running out of the room excited that their favorite day had finally came.

“What about me!?!?” Steve yelled after them

“Love you too, papa!” They yelled back, their voices getting quieter the further they got away from the master bedroom. The children's response caused a chuckle from both Peggy and Steve as they rose out of bed.

“Make sure they open the Star Wars Lego set. That will keep them busy for bit.”

By the time Steve and Peggy made it down to the living room, the kids had already chosen a gift to unwrap. It was in fact the lego set. Peggy had a feeling they would go for that one as it was one of the bigger boxes under their tree.

“Share please, my darlings!”

Seeing their children playing together warmed Peggy’s heart.

Steve went to make breakfast while Peggy helped Sarah start building the Millenium Falcon.

Breakfast made by Steve was more of a feast. Steve’s super-soldier metabolism ensured that he always would need a lot to eat. And his children never having to worry about food was what made him proudest in life. Between growing up poor and then needing to ration, food was always scarce in Steve’s life before the ice. Knowing that his children would never feel empty bellies warmed his heart. He cooked a smorgasbord of eggs, pancakes, waffles, bacon, and sausage for his family. Steve’s many years of Captaining were as useful in the kitchen as the were on a battlefield. Multi-tasking quickly so that his family could all enjoy their favorites.

After breakfast, the kids were eager to get back to opening their presents. Sarah chose first, choosing a long rectangular box to open.

“A lightsaber, papa!” Sarah burst out with excitement. Star Wars was her favorite right now. She wanted to be just like Rey. The lightsaber handle was made from genuine vibranium. Upon activation, the handle would project bright blue light like a hologram giving an authentic look to the prop. The lightsaber would also emit a low buzzing when you swung it. Sarah could barely hold the heavy handle but the smile on her face was brighter than the saber itself. She rushed off to her room to change into her Rey outfit. Steve and Peggy knew they had gotten the perfect gift for their little daughter.

All the gifts were opened by mid-morning and the kids were playing excitedly. Sarah still enraptured by her lightsaber and Michael engrossed in the newest Batman video game. Their dog Dodger was enjoying his new bone very much as well.

While the children played, Peggy and Steve snuck off to go get their main gifts for each other.

Steve gave Peggy her gift first. She had to admit his wrapping skills had gotten quite good.

“I didn’t have much time to work on this but I hope you like it,” Steve said nervously, eager to see what his wife thought of his gift.

Peggy unwrapped the gift carefully, opening up the small box to reveal a homemade comic book. The cover boldy read “THE ADVENTURES OF DIRECTOR CARTER AND CAPTAIN AMERICA”. Below it Peggy and Steve were drawn gracefully standing proud in the midst of a battle.

Peggy spoke slowly, in awe over how amazing a gift she had received. “Steve, this is incredible. My darling you are so talented.” Peggy added while flipping through the pages. The compliment caused a faint blush to rise to Steve’s cheeks as well.

“You really like it? I know comics aren’t really your thing.”

Peggy responded with action rather than words, firmly kissing Steve before whispering, “I love it. I love you.” against his lips.

“I am quite glad you put my name first as well, I must say.

“As it should be. You do wear the pants after all.”

“Sounds like you are just trying to get mine off,” Peggy teased back.

“Not while the kids are awake.”

Peggy giggled a tapped Steve on the chest, “Open yours. I hope you like it.”

Steve unwrapped the gift carefully. It was clearly a painting and he was eager to see what of.

“I wasn’t able to draw it myself obviously so I enlisted Maria’s help. Did you know she could paint this well?”

Steve in fact didn’t know that Maria Hill was a painter but he was glad that he did now. The painting was a recreation of The Incredibles poster but with their family. Peggy knew The Incredibles was Steve’s favorite Pixar movie, mainly because they reminded him so much of his own. Steve was Mr. Incredible of course, with Peggy as ElastiGirl, Sarah as Violet, Michael as Dash, and even had Dodger in place of Jack-Jack.

“This is outstanding Peg. Thank you so much!”

“You’re quite welcome, darling. I only wish I could have made it myself.”

“I could teach ya if you’d like. We should have some free time. I don’t think the kids will be bothering us too much for the near future.”

“Alright then, you better be as good a teacher as you are a husband.”

“We can start tomorrow. You know, I think the kids might be napping, I don’t hear them.”

Smirking wickedly, Peggy caught the slight tease in Steve’s voice. “Well then, maybe we should take this time for an afternoon fondue.”

The old reference caused a laugh from the both of them before Steve added, “You are never gonna let that go, huh?”

“Oh no darling, never.”

[riley1cannon]

Favorite books of 2017

A Murder is Announced, Agatha Christie; Miss Marple mystery

The Zig Zag Girl, Elly Griffiths; first in the Magic Men mysteries (Brighton, after the war; DI Edgar Stephens & Max Mephisto – if you want to picture, say, Dan Stevens and Matthew Goode, I certainly won’t object – are on the case.)

Wouldn’t It Be Deadly?, D.E. Ireland (Eliza Doolittle has to prove Henry Higgings didn’t murder someone. Yes, I know, and honestly my expectations were set really low for this one, but it was vritually free so what the heck. Turned out to be fun, however, and the main trick was fancasting the characters in my head to provide distance from the musical.)

Ghost Talkers, Mary Robinette Kowal (The Great War, mediums employed – in a scheme dreamed up by Houdini and Cona Doyle – to debrief soldiers who have passed over; a cameo by J.R.R. Tolkein; a tear jerker romance; a murder and other skullduggery to solve; and ghosts.)

Design for Dying, Renee Patrick (Our heroine, Lillian Frost, teams up with not-yet-legendary costume designer Edith Head to solve the murder of a starlet – and Lillian’s former roommate – Ruby Carroll in 1930s Hollywood. Look for cameos by Preston Sturgess, Bob Hope, and Barbara Stanwyck, along with a fun cast of original characters, and a pretty good mystery.

Rules of Murder and Death by the Book, Julianna Deering (Books one and two in the Drew Farthering Golden Age-style mysteries. One head’s up: These are from a Christian book publisher, and matters of faith do pop up. It’s not pervasive or preachy, however, so unless you just absolutely loathe even the tiniest whiff of that, you should be able to enjoy these. Example: There is a romantic subplot going on, and while things are kept chaste and above board, there is plenty of sizzle going on between Drew and Madeline.)

Lost Among the Living, Simone St. James (The author’s farewell to the 1920s, but still featuring a heroine getting to the bottom of a what’s behind a haunting.)

A Fatal Winter, G.M. Malliet (The second Max Tudor mystery, and rather better than the first, although I enjoyed that too, with a couple of reservations. Max is former MI5 agent who left the service after a mission went bad, and found a new calling as vicar Nether Monkslip. His former skill set serves him well when murder comes to his parish. If you love Grantchester, this should go over well. Frankly, Max may prove better company than Sidney does at times.)

Lois Lane: Fallout, Gwenda Bond (While I didn’t love this one as much as hoped, it was still a lot of fun. There is a strong Smallville vibe, and that’s not a bad thing.)

Holding Court, K.C. Held (The other YA title on my list. This one is a mystery, with some romance, some laughs, and twist or two along the way. It’s a stand alone title but could easily be the start of a series.)

Speaking From Among the Bones & The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, Alan Bradley (Books five and six in the Flavia de Luce series.)

The Invisible Library, Genevieve Cogman (Librarians saving the universe, w/steampunk fanasty elements. Difficult to describe; heap of fun to read.)

Claws for Alarm & Crime and Catnip, T.C. LoTempio (Books two and three in the Nick and Nora cozy series. Nora is a former true crime reporter, now operating a sandwich shop in a fictional SoCal town; Nick is the cat who adopted her after his other human, a private eye, disappeared. If you like cozy mysteries with cats, this is a good series to check out. And in case you don’t know, cozy mysteries with cats is a huge, huge thing.)

Romancing the Duke, Tessa Dare (A romantic frolic with engaging characters, and enough substance to maintain interest. Just when you think it’s going right over the top, it doesn’t. If that make any sense. Steam rating: High.)

Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch (Wacky paranormal hijinks for Peter Grant in the English countryside. So, you know, par for the course, and enjoyable as the preceding books. Bonus points for this one for giving us some more insights into Nightingale, although the man himself doesn’t appear very often. And when am I going to get around to reading The Hanging Tree? It’s been in my to read stack for ages now...)

Indigo Slam, Robert Crais (Private eye novel featuring L.A. detective Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. This time the guys are hired by some kids to find their father. Since it’s Elvis and Joe, of course things get way more complicated.

Property of a Lady, Sarah Rayne (Another ghost story/mystery, the first in a series featuring Oxford don Michael Flint and antiques dealer Nell West. The story revolves around a creepy old house, and there are some genuine chills as Michael and Nell investigate. Their primary means of investigating involves discovering hidden documents. That begins to strain credulity a bit, but I found I coud put up with it. I will probably read more, to see if something at the end of this one is followed up in a subsequent book, and to discover if we ever actually meet Michael’s cat, Wilberforce.)

Night of the Living Deed, E.J. Copperman (Another cozy, this time with ghosts.)

Borrower of the Night, Elizabeth Peters (The first Vicky Bliss novel, and a fun intro to her and her life. John won’t turn up until the next book but there are other romantic interests. Not to mention mysterious shennanigans in a creep old castle, some shivery moments, and a bit of history along the way.)

A Familiar Tail & By Familiar Means, Delia James (Another cozy cat mystery, this time with a pinch of witchcraft as well.)

Whiskey Beach, Nora Roberts (Suspense, romance, family ties, longer than it needed to be but someone I mind that less with Nora than some other authors. Steam rating: Moderate.)

Garden of Lies, Amanda Quick (One of the things I love about AQ books is that along with the romance, we usually get a murder mystery to solve, often with paranormal elements. Another thing is, that although she has some Regencies in her backlist, she’s staked out the Victorian Era as her primary time period. Nothing against Regencies but this reader does sometimes need a break from the ton and all that. Now AQ appears to be moving into the 20th century, which this reader also applauds. Bring on the Jazz Age, baby! Anyway, I liked this one and only wish it was the start of a series of Ursula and Slater mystery romances. Oh well… Steam rating: Moderate.)

Agatha Christie: They Came to Bagdhad; A Pocketful of Rye, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, Murder with Mirrors, 4:50 from Paddington (The first is one of her non-series novels, a fun thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, and also made me wish Dame Agatha had turned her hand to spy thrillers more. The rest are Miss Marple mysteries.)

Mary Stewart: This Rough Magic & Madam, Will You Talk? (This Rough Magic was a reread, and one that held up quite nicely. Young actress on holiday on Corfu, intrigue, romance, gorgeous scenery, and a charming dolphin. Madam, Will You Talk? is her first novel, but just as polished as the later ones. Young, war widowed teacher on holiday in France, brooding hero with dark past, gorgeous scenery, and even car chases. Why there aren’t a series of movies based on these books mystifies me.)

Those were the print books. Here are the ebooks that made a good impression:

Little Clock House on the Green, Eve Devon (Contemporary romantic comedy set in a quirky English village. My only complaint with this one is that certain reveals, re: the heroine’s motivations, took too long to come to light. It wasn’t a huge problem for me, though. The characters were good company. Steam level: practically Hallmark Channel.)

Murder at the Brightwell, Ashley Weaver (First book is the Amory Ames mystery, an homage to the Golden Age, and this one isn’t bonkers. Amory is at the Brightwell, a resort hotel, to help out an old friend--and one-time romantic partner--as well as evaluate the state of her marriage to husband Milo. And then of course there’s a murder. I went into this one expecting one thing to happen, re: Amory and the men in her life, and wound up rather nicely surprised at developments. The mystery was good too.

The Yankee Club, Michael Murphy (Another historical mystery. This time we’re in 1930s New York, with a private eye-turned-mystery writer back in town and getting involved in the murder of his former partner, reunited with his former girlfriend, now a Broadway star, and winding up hip deep in a conspiracy that threatens the very foundations of America. There’s some actual history to back that up, however, and it doesn’t play as over the top as it may sound. Like Design for Dying above, there are cameos by real life celebrities of the time like Cole Porter.)

Bed, Breakfast & Bones, Carolyn L. Dean (Young woman in need of a change moves to a small town on the West Coast, decided to revive the bed & breakfast, finds a body--the usual cozy formula. It’s played well here and I wouldn’t mind reading more books in the series.)

Southern Spirits, Angie Fox (This time our cozy heroine is struggling to keep her ancestral home, while she gets involved in a mystery and is assisted by both the local hunky sheriff and a ghost. I went in expecting nothing, and in fact anticipating to wind up deleting it, and wound up pleasantly surprised. An instance of: don’t judge a book by its cover.)

The Undateable, Sarah Title (Contemporary romantic comedy. A librarian finds herself part a meme that goes viral. This leads to a makeover and a quest to prove she is not the most undateable woman in San Francisco, and it is really way better than I’m making it sound. Promise. Steam level: practically Hallmark Channel.

Act Like It, Lucy Parker (Contemporary romantic comedy, set agains the background of the British theater world, and employing the fake dating trope. I loved it. Steam level: also moderate.)

Marriage is Murder, Emma Jameson (Historical mystery once more. England just before the War, and our doctor hero is sent to a small town in Cornwall, the same town his wife left behind her, and where secrets abound. They no sooner arrive than the wife is killed in a hit-and-run, and the husband left badly injured. Horrible accident or was it murder?)

There were other books–58, total–and many not listed here had their merits, but this batch were the ones that were the page turners, the don’t want to put it down and go to bed ones, the can’t wait to get back to it ones.

There were several books started and not finished; there were others started and put back the shelf to try another time. The latter, I think, is the better option. They may win me yet.

I have no reading agenda for 2018. Just more books, good books, and if I’m lucky one or two that surprise me by being so much better than they looked going in. Love when that happens.

[itsjaybullme]

15 of the Sexiest Celebrity Halloween Costumes in 2017

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Happy Halloween

Michael Kovac / Getty

You look forward to the outlandish (usually scantily clad) costumes women don during Halloweekend just as much as you enjoy binging on bite-size Halloween candy.

Lucky for us, celebrities love a good costume party. And this year, plenty of them opted for the scandalous route.

We've rounded up some of our favorite sexy celebrity Halloween costumes this year. Click through to check 'em out.

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1. Joanna Krupa

gotpap/Bauer-Griffin / Getty

Joanna Krupa absolutely nailed her Sandy from Grease costume at the Tequila Casamigos annual Halloween bash at Tower Records in Los Angeles, CA, on October 27.

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2. Alessandra Ambrosio

Neilson Barnard / Getty

Alessandra Ambrosio showed off her gorgeous figure as she channeled a '70s-era Cher at the Casamigos Halloween party on October 27 in Los Angeles, CA.

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3. Charlotte McKinney

Michael Kovac / Getty

Charlotte McKinney attended the Casamigos Halloween party on October 27 in Los Angeles, CA.

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4. Kim Kardashian

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Kim Kardashian, also inspired by Cher, attended the Casamigos Halloween party on October 27 in Los Angeles, CA.

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5. Jessica Cribbon

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Jessica Cribbon arrives dressed as Leeloo from The Fifth Element at the 2017 Maxim Halloween party at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on October 21.

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6. Monica Sims

Rodin Eckenroth / Getty

Monica Sims arrived as a motocross racer at the 2017 Maxim Halloween party at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on October 21.

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7. Joanna Krupa

Maury Phillips / Getty

One gorgeous costume just isn't enough for Joanna Krupa, who arrived at the 2017 Maxim Halloween party looking absolutely stunning.

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8. Angie Stevenson

Paul Archuleta / Getty

Actress Angie Stevenson showed off her super-physique at the 2017 Maxim Halloween party at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on October 21.

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9. Arianny Celeste

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UFC Ring Card Girl Arianny Celeste attended the 2017 Maxim Halloween party dressed as Mrs. Smith.

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10. Lindsey Pelas

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Model Lindsey Pelas had a sexy take on Cinderella at the 2017 Maxim Halloween party at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on October 21.

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11. Corinne Olympios

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Corinne Olympios rocked her take on a Fembot at the 2017 Maxim Halloween party at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on October 21.

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12. Inas X

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Inas X attended the 2017 Maxim Halloween party dressed as a sexy Eve, apple and all.

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13. Jhene Aiko

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Jhene Aiko attends Ciroc Kicks Off Halloween with Lenny S. & Kelly Rowland's Costume Couture at Poppy in Los Angeles, CA, on October 29.

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14. Kennedy Summers

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Kennedy Summers was a sultry Big Bad Wolf at the 2017 Maxim Halloween party at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on October 21.

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15. Emily Sears

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Emily Sears arrived dressed as a sexy scarecrow for the 2017 Maxim Halloween party at LA Center Studios in Los Angeles, CA, on October 21.

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