Saturday, October 30, 2021

Spooky Jane

~*~

Northanger Abbey
by Jane Austen
Classics, Historical, Romance | Published: 2005 (first December 1817) | Goodreads

A wonderfully entertaining coming-of-age story, Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen's "Gothic parody." Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but one with a decidedly satirical twist.

The story's unlikely heroine is Catherine Morland, a remarkably innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry's mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art.


~*~
* Happy Talk Like Jane Austen Day!

* image source: Northanger Abbey pulp cover

* image source: Jane Austin, La Catrina by Alejandra Addison

Friday, October 29, 2021

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril xvi: Peril of the Screen

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril xvi
September 1 - October 31 (details)
hosted by @perilreaders
#ripxvi #ripperils #ripcozy #riptradition #ripatmosphere
Peril of the Screen

~*~


Watching the 2020 and 2021 Blumhouse Amazon Prime releases.

2021 features:
Bingo Hell (2021)
Director: Gigi Saul Guerrero
Teleplay: Shane McKenzie, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Perry Blackshear
Stars: Adriana Barraza, L. Scott Caldwell, Joshua Caleb Johnson, Richard Brake
Comedy, Horror | imdb | my rating: 5

In the Barrio of Oak Springs live a strong and stubborn group of elderly friends who refuse to be gentrified. Their leader, Lupita, keeps them together as a community, a family. But little did they know, their beloved Bingo hall is about to be sold to a much more powerful force than money itself.

Black As Night (2021)
Director: Maritte Lee Go
Writer: Sherman Payne
Stars: Asjha Cooper, Fabrizio Guido, Mason Beauchamp
Drama, Horror, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 5

A teenage girl with self-esteem issues finds confidence in the most unlikely way, by spending her summer battling vampires that prey on New Orleans' disenfranchised with the help of her best friend, the boy she's always pined for, and a peculiar rich girl.

Madres (2021)
Director: Ryan Zaragoza
Writers: Marcella Ochoa, Mario Miscione
Stars: Ariana Guerra, Tenoch Huerta
Horror | imdb | my rating: 4

Expecting their first child, a Mexican-American couple move to a migrant farming community in 1970's California where strange symptoms and terrifying visions threaten their new family.

The Manor (2021)
Director/Writer: Axelle Carolyn
Stars: Barbara Hershey, Nicholas Alexander
Horror | imdb | my rating: 4

After suffering a mild stroke, Judith Albright reluctantly moves into a historic nursing home where she becomes convinced a supernatural force is killing the residents.

~*~

2020 features:
Black Box (2020)
Director/Teleplay: Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour
Teleplay: Stephen Herman
Stars: Mamoudou Athie, Phylicia Rashad
Horror, Mystery, SciFi | imdb | my rating: 5

After losing his wife and his memory in a car accident, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.

Evil Eye (2020)
Director: Elan Dassani, Rajeev Dassani
Based on Audible original written by: Madhuri Shekar
Stars: Sarita Choudhury, Sunita Mani
Horror, Mystery, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 4

A superstitious mother is convinced that her daughter's new boyfriend is the reincarnation of a man who tried to kill her 30 years ago.

The Lie (2018)
Director/Screenplay: Veena Sud
Based on the film "Wir Monster" written by: Marcus Seibert, Sebastian Ko
Stars: Peter Sarsgaard, Mireille Enos
Crime, Drama, Mystery | imdb | my rating: 5

A father and daughter are on their way to dance camp when they spot the girl's best friend on the side of the road. When they stop to offer the friend a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.

Nocturne (2020)
Director/Writer: Zu Quirke
Stars: Sydney Sweeney, Madison Iseman
Horror, Mystery, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 4

An incredibly gifted pianist makes a Faustian bargain to overtake her older sister at a prestigious institution for classical musicians.

AND working on last year's promo puzzle:
Welcome to the Blumhouse
(1000 pcs)

~*~

* part of RIP xvi challenge (schedule)

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Japanese Readathon

Japanese Readathon
hosted by @jplitreadathon
reading the group picks
check out their details for more

~*~

FEBRUARY:
Sweet Bean Paste
by Durian Sukegawa
translated by Alison Watts
Contemporary, Japan | Published: 2017 (for 2013) | Goodreads

APRIL:
The Old Capital
by Yasunari Kawabata
translated by J. Martin Holman and Vanja Lantz
Classic, Historical, Japan | Published: 2006 (first 1962) | Goodreads | my rating: 5
being a foundling, interesting concept

JUNE:
The Sound of Waves
by Yukio Mishima
Literary, Classic, Japan | Published: 1956 | Goodreads | my rating: 5


JULY:
Spring Snow
by Yukio Mishima
translated by Michael Gallagher
Literary, Historical, Japan | Goodreads


AUGUST:
Automatic Eve
by Rokurō Inui
translated by Matt Treyvaud
SciFi, Steampunk, Japan | Published: 2019 | Goodreads

OCTOBER:
Revenge
by Yoko Ogawa
translated by Stephen Snyder
Short Stories, Horror, Japan | Published: 2013 (first 1998) | Goodreads

DECEMBER:
The Great Passage
by Shion Miura
translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
Literary, Writing, Japan | Published: 2017 (first 2011) | Goodreads

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

On The Nightstand: Vampires

On the Nightstand
books about vampires

~*~

Carmilla
by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Classics, Horror, Gothic, Vampires | Published: 2013 (first 1872) | Goodreads | my rating: 4

Predating Bram Stoker' Dracula, Carmilla is the ultimate gothic vampire tale—stylish, menacing, sensual, and spellbinding

You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever.

When a mysterious carriage crashes outside their castle home in Styria, Austria, Laura and her father agree to take in its injured passenger, a young woman named Carmilla. Delighted to have some company of her own age, Laura is instantly drawn to Carmilla. But as their friendship grows, Carmilla's countenance changes and she becomes increasingly secretive and volatile. As Carmilla's moods shift and change, Laura starts to become ill, experiencing fiendish nightmares, her health deteriorating night after night. It is not until she and her father, increasingly concerned for Laura's well-being, set out on a trip to discover more about the mysterious Carmilla that the terrifying truth reveals itself.


Dowry of Blood
by S.T. Gibson
Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ, Vampires | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

A lyrical and dreamy reimagining of Dracula’s brides, A DOWRY OF BLOOD is a story of desire, obsession, and emancipation.

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things. Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband’s dark secrets.

With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.


Dracula
by Bram Stoker
Classic, Horror, Gothic, Vampires | Published: 2003 (first 1897) | Goodreads

When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries in his client's castle. Soon afterwards, disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman's neck; and a lunatic asylum inmate raves about the imminent arrival of his 'Master'. In the ensuing battle of wits between the sinister Count and a determined group of adversaries, Bram Stoker created a masterpiece of the horror genre, probing into questions of identity, sanity and the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire.

WATCH OUT: waiting for delivery of this puzzle before I start up the audio version Dracula

Bran Castle
art and puzzle by Holly Carden (here)
(1000 pcs)

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Lovely Books and Things - 10.24.21

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update


Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~


HAPPY THINGS:

1. Gold VIP animal masks from Squid Game
2. Holiday Fruitcake from Frog Hollow Farm (here) - always on the lookout for yummy fruitcake
3. Autumn leaves
~*~

Bought:
The Chalk Circle
(Commissaire Adamsberg #1)
by Fred Vargas
translated by Siân Reynolds
Mystery, Crime, France | Goodreads

Diary of a Provincial Lady
by E.M. Delafield
Classics, Historical, Humor, England | Published: 1982 (first 1930) | Goodreads

Library: audiobook
Revenge
by Yoko Ogawa
translated by Stephen Snyder
Short Stories, Horror, Japan | Published: 2013 (first 1998) | Goodreads

~*~

Virtual Author event: hosted by Murder By The Book
See archive of this (here)
Family Plot
by Megan Collins
Thriller, Mystery | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

Virtual Author event: hosted by bookreporter
See archive of this (here)
Maid
Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive
by Stephanie Land
Memoir, Poverty | Published: 2019 | Goodreads

~*~

AND watched: Netflix
Maid (2021)
Creator: Molly Smith Metzler
Based on book: Stephanie Land
Stars: Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Rylea Nevaeh Whittet
Drama | imdb | my rating: tba -so far, so good

After fleeing an abusive relationship, a young mother finds a job cleaning houses as she fights to provide for her child and build them a better future.

Squid Game (2021)
Director/Writer: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Hoyeon
Action, Drama, Mystery, South Korea | imdb | my rating: 5

Hundreds of cash-strapped players accept a strange invitation to compete in children's games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits with deadly high stakes. A survival game that has a whopping 45.6 billion-won prize at stake.

~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Saturday, October 23, 2021

The Comfort Book Club 2021

The Comfort Book Club
hosted by Miranda Mills (details)
@thecomfortbookclub | YouTube
A monthly book club for fans of classic comfort reads.

OCTOBER:
84, Charing Cross Road
by Helene Hanff
Memoir, Epistolary | Published: 1990 (first 1970) | Goodreads | my rating: 5


NOVEMBER:
Diary of a Provincial Lady
by E.M. Delafield
Classics, Historical, Humor, England | Published: 2016 (first 1930) | Goodreads

DECEMBER:
The Country Child
by Alison Uttley
Classics, Childrens, England | Published: 2016 (first 1931) | Goodreads

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril xvi: Peril of the Listen

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril xvi
September 1 - October 31 (details)
hosted by @perilreaders
#ripxvi #ripperils #ripcozy #riptradition #ripatmosphere
Peril of the Listen

~*~

Enjoying episodes from this one...

Macabre London
podcast hosted by Nikki Druce
Published: 2016 to present | Website
London’s gruesome history

~*~

* part of RIP xvi challenge (schedule)

Monday, October 18, 2021

Netflix Book Club

Netflix Book Club
hosted by Uzo Aduba (details)
A new book club with a Netflix film connection.


~*~

NOVEMBER:

Passing
by Nella Larsen
Classics, Historical, African American | Published: 2021 (first 1929) | Goodreads | my rating: 3
But Have You Read the Book? episode on November 16

Passing (2021)
Director/Writer: Rebecca Hall
Based on book by: Nella Larsen
Stars: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland
Drama | imdb | my rating: 5
netflix book club

"Passing" follows the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities.


Sunday, October 17, 2021

Lovely Books and Things - 10.17.21

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update


Linking up with:
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~


HAPPY THINGS:

1. The Great Candycopia ice cream flavor creation for Ice Scream! Series from Salt & Straw
As darkness falls across the land, the candymaking hour is close at hand. Swarms of housemade trick-or-treat favorites--Kit Kats, Reeses, Snickers, Heath bars--are transformed into milk chocolate -buried crispy feuilletine, peanut butter trapped inside walls of chocolate, and alomonds smothered in BOOrbon vanilla toffee before getting folded into a diabolically delicious salted butterscotch ice cream, stuck for eterinity.
2. Won free tickets to a screening of The Last Duel
3. Blue Angels flyby from Alta Plaza Park with picnic goodies - Fleet Week in San Francisco
~*~

Library:
Aurora Floyd
by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
Classic, Victorian | Published: 2009 (first 1863) | Goodreads

People of Abandoned Character
by Clare Whitfield
Historical, Mystery, Victorian | Published: 2020 | Goodreads

Touring the Land of the Dead
(and Ninety-Nine Kisses)
by Maki Kashimada
translated by Hadyn Trowell
Short stories, Japan | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

Little Free Library: - thanks to the folks who share their books
Love In A Cold Climate
by Nancy Mitford
Classics, Humor, England | Published: 1987 (first 1949) | Goodreads

Olive Kitteridge
by Elizabeth Strout
Short Stories, Contemporary, Literary | Published: 2008 | Goodreads

~*~

Virtual Author event: hosted by Murder By The Book
See archive of this (here)
God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen
by Rhys Bowen
Mystery, Cozy, Historical | Published: 2021 | Goodreads

~*~

AND watched: virtual theatre
Alimuom (2018)
Director/Screenplay: Keith Sicat
Stars: Ina Feleo, Jeffrey Quizon
SciFi, Filipino | imdb | my rating: 4

A futuristic Philippines with specific sections of the country under individual bio-domes. The OFWs are actually Outerspace Filipino Workers and the song Bahay-Kubo is a distant memory that makes a young boy ask: "Ano ang singkamas?"

AND watched: theatre
No Time To Die (2021)
Director/Screenplay: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Screenplay: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Based on character by: Ian Fleming
Stars: Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek
Action, Adventure, Thriller | imdb | my rating: 5

James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

The Last Duel (2021)
Director: Ridley Scott
Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon
Based on book by: Eric Jager
Stars: Jodie Comer, Matt Damon, Adam Driver
Action, Drama, History | imdb | my rating: 5

King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel.

~*~

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)

 
Imagination Designs
Images from: Lovelytocu