Wanderlust

Wanderlust ended up being a decent read and I enjoyed it. Ms. Steel is dependable when you are in a certain kind of mood and her novels are excellent palate cleansers.

I'm actually thinking of putting videos on my youtube channel (currently empty). I'll not look good but I can talk about books. 

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (First Series)

Photo credit: mykoreandrama-kp.blogspot.com.tr

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e  turned out to be a great show. First of all let me start by saying that if you are into terribly realistic shows than just don't even start with this one. However if you don't mind a bit of good natured absurdity than stick to it. I have had a great time with all the episodes and it had that special Japanese melodrama that none can imitate (yes I cried during more than one episode). Highly recommended. I have watched it on youtube and I give the link to the first episode below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrdMyIIfDmI

Journey Under The Midnight Sun

Journey Under The Midnight Sun is the best Keigo Higashino novel I have read (the other two were Salvation of a Saint and The Devotion of Suspect X and both were excellent). This novel inspired TV and film adaptations and I had watched them both (the S.Korean film was better). However nothing compares to the novel. Despite knowing every little thing about the plot and the characters I was completely into it and it turned out to be one of those novels that made me want to stop everything and read.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E

Photo credit: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Man From U.N.C.L.E turned out to be a sylish and entertaining spy film with funny characters and predictable twists. I liked it. 

Belladona

Belladona is a good example of how sometimes the plot misleads. I got this from an on line second hand shop and it is presented as a tale of revenge. The bloody revenge of a woman who was kidnapped and used as a sex slave for 12 years. The novel was dull at best and boring there simply was not enough excitement to support the plot. Not recommended. 

Another

Photo credit: www.anime-planet.com

Another is one recommended at some youtube list and I decided to check it out since I like horror as a genre. It is a nicely drawn anime with an interesting premise but I have seen to many horror films etc. to fully appreciate it I guess. I didn't give it up and watched all 12 episodes but it didn't leave much of an impact. Find the link to the first episode below.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOOfhyYnygE

The Wise Man's Fear

The Wise Man's Fear is a fantastic second novel. Totally ready and looking forward to the third novel. 

The Boy Next Door

Photo credit: mountainx.com

The Boy Next Door was not very good. Not even so bad it is good. Just boring and bad. 

Northmen: A Viking Saga

Photo credit: www.hollywoodreporter.com

Northmen: A Viking Saga I was not expecting anything and was pleasantly surprised. I recommend if you are into fantasy genre, especially the gritty type. 

Luckiest Girl Alive

Luckiest Girl Alive is a novel I purchased in Kauai but waited for some time before I decided to read it. And it turned out to be a very good novel. The marketing of it suffers from Gone Girl mention phase since I think the novel is good on its own and has nothing to do with Gone Girl. 

All Roads Lead to Rome

Photo credit: www.philstar.com

All Roads Lead to Rome just don't bother.

Fifty Shades of Grey (the film)

Photo credit:www.independent.co.uk

Fifty Shades of Grey is just about as lame as the novel. The leads do not have chemistry, the intimate scenes lack heat and all in all it is just bland. Don't get me wrong I love the "ugly duckling getting the hottie" trope very much but it just doesn't work here, somehow all is fake and shallow. However Jamie Dornan is a real eye candy so I have watched it to the end. 

Carrie (Remake)

Photo Credit: screenrant.com

Carrie (Remake) is not as good as the original film (and neither are as good as the novel). I don't really like Cloe Grace Moretz and Julienne Moore, despite being very good was not that prominent. All in all this ended up being a wasted effort as far as I'm concerned.  

Unbroken

Photo credit: www.slate.com

Unbroken is an interesting film in the way that it is directed by a movie star. I didn't particularly like it except for the cinematography but I have watched it to the end and Miyavi was inspired casting. 

Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians was OK. I'm happy that I picked it up at a sale though since I wouldn't want to pay the full price for it. The typical romance novel with a background of rich Asian characters doing everything their western counterparts do. 

The Name of the Wind

The Name of The Wind is yet another fantasy novel I kept hearing about but for some reason  I was not eager to read it. I saw the above copy at LA airport and the price was good so I grabbed it as a last minute purchase (they literally were announcing my flight at the time).

And I loved it. This novel deserves all the good praise it got. I have cried during and immediately ordered the second novel on Kindle while on vacation and read and finished it too and it turned out to be even better (the subject of another post).

Sadly the series are not finished and I have to wait until the third novel is out. 

Dearest

Photo credit: www.tiff.net

Dearest was welcome surprise on the festival channel. I like the director Peter Ho and went into this knowing nothing but that it is a film about a lost child (the film plot descriptions are not usually reliable). This is a film about child abduction and its effects on parents and kids. There is also another victim (acted by Vicy Zhao tyring to downplay her beauty) the wife of the abductor. She thought that her husband brought abandoned children home (in reality he abducted one and the other he just found abandoned) and she believes that she is barren. The abducted child's parents are divorced and they don't get back together even after the kid is found but they do go to the support group together and only they can understand how the other feels. This turned out to be a very interesting film and I didn't even yawn during it.