Heather's November Favourites

I have realised that I am very late with this, but oh well.

Book
Again, my favourite book this month was also the only one I read this month. Oooooops. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer really is a wonderful novel, and you can read my review on it to find out more.


Film
Easily my favourite film of November was The Imitation Game. I didn't really know anything about Alan Turing before seeing the film, and after watching it, I was angry that I had never been taught about his heroic story. The film is beautifully made, and Benedict Cumberbatch gives an absolutely stunning performance as Turing. This film is basically just important. Everyone should see it and learn about Turing.


Song
Blank Space by Taylor Swift has definitely been my song of the month. Love it, love it, love it. The video is a fab accompaniment to the song, but my favourite thing about this song is the video that Taylor made with Greg James. It basically shows them miming Blank Space whilst driving through London, and it's hilarious.


TV Show
The Apprentice is back!! I absolutely adore this show. It is hilarious. Lord Sugar's criticisms and insults are always really witty, and I love to watch all the entrepreneurs bitching about each other behind their backs. My favourites are Roisin and Bianca, and sometimes Solomon. And I HATE Mark.


Album
My favourite album this month is 1989 by Taylor Swift. The whole album is full of songs that could easily be top ten hits, and I think her fusion into pop music has worked really well. Basically I am in love with this woman, and you should be, too.


Whatever
This month I went to two gigs, and so obviously I have to mention both. I saw The Kooks at Sheffield's O2 Academy and Lady Gaga at the Motorpoint Arena, also in Sheffield. If I had to choose, then Gaga's concert was better (obviously) but The Kooks were also 100% awesome. Basically both nights were awesome.


Heather out.

8. Nativity!

(sorry for being shit at this, I completely forgot about it!)

Nativity! is one of my favourite Chesitmas films (along with Elf) and for me, Christmas hasn't started until I've watched it. My family and I watched it this evening and we still laugh out loud, even though we've seen it roughly seven million times. It's hilarious and also lovely, and I always tear up.

7. Atlantis

Ok, so it's a little trashy, but it's always good fun to watch. And actually, this series has got quite a lot better so far. Atlantis is the story of Jason and his friends doing cool stuff. It's basically Merlin but about ancient Greeks.

5. The Piano Guys

As a cellist myself (who, by the time this reaches you, will have taken their grade 8 :O ) I can't recommend these guys to you enough. They take well known songs and arrange them in a very clever and enjoyable way, normally for cello and piano. They've done all sorts, but I've posted a Christmassy example below. It's pretty darn funky. Word.

They have incredible skill and are always very impressive. They also have a number of albums out and their own YouTube channel, which you should definitely subscribe to.

The Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmKurapML4BF9Bjtj4RbvXw

3. Ello

Did you know that social networking is simply a means for advertisers to buy our details? We are worth millions as individuals in advertising, and in return we get to talk to each other on the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Have you ever noticed that you might be talking to someone on "private" messenger about something you want, and then suddenly on a completely different website, you see an advert for it? Yeah. Something's up.

Well, Ello is the new social network which promises never to use us as a way to make money through advertising. Our details will never be sold and it will never cost us anything, either. What's also good about it is that it is simple but very effective. I hope that one day I will be using it more than facebook.

It's currently in beta, meaning it is still short on features, but a features list on the page will show you what they are planning on building, and it looks very exciting indeed. Also, because it is still being built, you can only join via invitation at the moment. However, anyone can request an invitation on their home page - or if you know me, ask me and I will send you an invitation.

Once you're on, you can add me if you like. I'm @Benjaminj1996. I hope to see you on there!

www.ello.co/

1. Miranda

Well hello to you my old chums! What a veritable thrill to see you all again - especially you.

So it's December - that means that Christmas is well and truly on the way. To celebrate, we've decided to post once a day this December until Christmas day. Like an advent calendar, if you will. Each day we will have something cool to show you or recommend to you. The hope is that you'll discover something new. Me and Heather will be taking it in turns to present our faves to you over the month, and I'll be taking the odd numbered days.

So today I am starting with my all time favourite comedy show - Miranda. It's all about a 30 odd year old woman getting to grips with life with her tiny best friend, hilariously posh mother and other characters. There's just something about it that's so ridiculously funny - check out the video below for a look. There are 3 whole series out there, with two more Christmas specials on the way this year, the show's last ever episodes. Sad times. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it...

 

 

The Shock of the Fall

Opening this book, I had no idea what to expect. The blurb leaves a lot to be desired, and all I'd been told about it was that it had a psychological basis. It was leant to me by a friend, so I felt I had to read it before carrying on with my reading list, and I am very glad that I did.

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer tells the story of Matthew Homes, who's older brother, Simon, died when he was nine. The death of Simon affected all the family members differently, and it most likely is what lead to Matthew's later development of schizophrenia.

As a psychology student, this book automatically appealed to me on the basis that the main character suffers from a mental illness. However, I believe this book can and should be read by everyone, not just those interested in how and why the mind works as it does. It gives an extremely interesting and clearly well-researched insight into what it is like to live with an illness such as schizophrenia, whilst also telling the story of a teenage boy coming to terms with the death of a close family member.

The way Filer sets out the book is really interesting. It is written as if Matthew is typing his story, and it truly feels like the character is talking to you himself. Matthew is brought to life in ingenious ways, and how he sees the other characters through his eyes is portrayed in an insightful and unique way. This book is definitely one on its own, and I feel I will remember it vividly for a long time to come.

Next I will be reading A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. I'm not too sure what to expect from this one - the cover is a bit very pink.

Heather out.

Doctor Who - Death in Heaven Review

Moffat is a very brave man. Perhaps a little too brave. Last week's episode caused controversy and complaints due to its controversial view of death. Ha. That was nothing compared to this week's.

There's so much I want to say about this episode. A lot of moments are staying in my mind, and not all of them for good reasons. I think I'll need a rewatch pretty soon. But here is what I have to say.

I really enjoyed this episode. It provided a very dark and realistic viewpoint and conclusion to the themes we've been seeing throughout the series. It would seem that the very well written characterisations, especially of Clara, were the real Series 8 story arc. Moffat once again drew many threads together, and then left the ends of them intriguingly loose. The Doctor's understanding of whether he was a good man came together very nicely. Both Coleman and Capaldi as well as Gomez and Anderson gave exceptional performances (especially Gomez) and the ending was very well written.

One major, major niggle now. Something has been bothering me. Remember when in the olden days, things actually all made sense by the end of a series? That was nice, wasn't it? And then more recently, if things didn't make sense by the end of a series, at least it was made obvious that there were still questions. Now, it seems as though some ideas weren't quite finished off properly, and I'm not sure whether I need to wait for a resolution in later episodes or complain that certain ideas were underused. For example, it seems like Clara's story is over now (which I very much doubt given the evidence), however we've definitely not had closure. And Missy's "death" (or as I would like to think, teleportation) wasn't addressed very much at all. She just died and the characters were like "meh, here's a more interesting thing to talk about." We're lacking closure on a number of thematic issues too, like what happens next in Clara's life. Will she ever be content? Will the Doctor ever be content? (Admittedly we have all the time in the world to watch that one play out).

Basically, when an audience member still has questions and the answers seem largely ignored on-screen, it worries me that it could mean that they've been forgotten about or not developed properly. What we need is a character at the end to say "and what about...?" to keep us satisfied that at least this ideas is still going to be important. Did anyone else get that from this episode? No closure?

Oh, and one more thing. Having the opening credits make Clara look like the Doctor was gimmicky and pointless. It seemed like the whole pre-credits scene could have been far more dramatic than an obviously cheap trick.

Ok, I've finished complaining now. Let's talk about the good stuff, which there was plenty of. The idea of cybermen converting the dead is very original and clever, as well as giving them back the creepiness that they deserve. And in practice, this was very well executed. I also thought that the idea of Danny being a cybermen was very clever and well realised.

Missy's cruelness was also masterfully written. The death of Osgood was very brave, as she was a fan favourite. And so it was brave of Moffat to do what he did (although some may argue he was only doing it to prove that he COULD permanently kill people off) but it was effective. It didn't feel like there was much time to mourn her though, although it was probably realistic to assume that given the circumstances, the characters on screen definitely wouldn't have had time to mourn her either. But after she had died, nobody said anything more about it.

Danny double sacrifice (burning to save the world, forfeiting his place in the world for the boy he killed) was a great way to round off his character, especially as his last scenes mirrored his very first scene in the show. It would be a terrible, terrible shame now if Moffat decided to bring these two deceased characters back in some way, as this kind of pay off is what this series needed. 

The music was incredible, though. The Doctor's theme was developed as he flew through the sky in a very Pertwee-esque manner and the music added to the tension and the terrifying sense of madness that Missy created. This series was, as ever, Murray Gold's best to date.

I also thought that, viewing this series as a whole, having the Doctor's defining moment, which normally comes in their first episode, appear in the last episode of the series was brave but effective. The graveyard scene, for me, was when Capaldi summed up his previously very complicated character as the Doctor. And again, this was masterfully done.

It's just a shame that Santa Claus had to walk in at the end and spoil the mood. Why do they always insist on ruining the dark endings of series with corny adverts for the inevitably cheap and forgettable Christmas special to come later in the year?

Sorry. Have I been grumpy? I really did enjoy this episode, don't get me wrong. It was incredible, in fact. And that goes without saying, which is why I haven't said it here as much as I should have done. I just feel like Moffat doesn't deserve to have this episode called perfect yet. All credit to him though for a non timey-wimey, uncomplicated story arc that was still just as intriguing, yet totally understandable.

Join me next week for a look at series 8 as a whole, and a look forward to this Christmas.

9/10

Heather's October Favourites

I'm back and ready for November! But before this month can properly start, I've got to document my October favourites for you. Here we go...

Book
Once again I have only actually read one book this month. Terrible, I know. However, I have a feeling that Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell would have made it onto this list even if I had something to compare it to. The original plot doesn't seem that interesting, but it's the way that Rowell writes that made me fall in love with this book. Read my review for more information.



Film
I know that Ben has both reviewed this film and used it in his favourites, but the best film I saw this month was The Maze Runner. I thought the concept was original and interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Also Dylan O'Brien played the lead, so I had nothing to complain about there.



Song
This month Ed Sheeran released Thinking Out Loud as his new single. Since it has always been my favourite track from the album, I figured now was the perfect time to include it here. I absolutely adore everything about this song. The lyrics are so beautiful and sweet, and the tune is catchy, but not in an annoying All About That Bass way. This song also has personal meaning to me, and I think that makes me love it even more.



TV Show
Autumn is that time of year when all the awesome shows return to our TVs, and one in particular that I have been looking forward to is Gogglebox. I honestly think it is one of the best shows on television. I could literally watch it for hours. The concept of watching people watch TV is a weird one and it doesn't sound particularly entertaining, but it definitely is. My favourite are Stephen and Chris, the Michaels family and Leon and June. I literally look forward to this show all week.



App
The only app I have downloaded this month is The X Factor App, and whilst it is mostly crap, it does have its merits. The main concept of the app isn't that great, but it gives you five free votes every week. This means I can now vote for Andrea and Only The Young without actually spending any money. Beautiful.



Album
This album technically came out a few months ago, but during October, my friend leant me My Everything by Ariana Grande. I much prefer it to her first album, Yours Truly, although the song about the piano is on YT. I've only really discovered Ariana Grande quite recently, and I am very happy that I did. My faves from this album are Break Free and Bang Bang (last month's favourite song) and I honestly just think her voice is awesome.



Whatever
This month I went to Ed Sheeran's concert in Manchester and it was absolutely beautiful, so of course it had to be included. I am still not over how talented he is. However, there was something else I needed to document as a favourite, and that is the Psychobabble podcast created by Tyler Oakley and Korey Kuhl (best name EVER). I am a MASSIVE fan of Tyler's, and he is the reason that I originally downloaded the podcast, but I have also come to love Korey. The content is funny and engaging, and the way it is delivered makes me laugh way too much than is socially acceptable when alone on the bus.


Heather out.

Doctor Who - Dark Water Discussion

Yes, that's right. It says discussion. It's just too hard for me to review this episode given that it's less than half a story and that it's only just really got going. Suffice to say that I did very much enjoy it and I will still present some of my thoughts in this article.

Oh, and by the way, this most contains ENORMOUS SERIES SPOILERS.

Firstly, I would just like to make a bold statement. I managed to guess two things. Firstly was the reveal of who Missy really was, and second (but chronologically first) was that, as Danny was on the phone to Clara, I randomly said "what if he gets hit by a car now?". Lo and behold...

Anyway, enough boasting. What I really liked about this episode was its very "grown" up emotional and psychological content. I felt like what had been promised was delivered on, but I also loved how the character development (especially for Clara) also reached a sort of climax in the volcano scene. Steven Moffat did not shy away from showing character flaws, which I thought was a good idea. The dream patches offered a bit of an anti-climax, but I have a very strong feeling that they will be important later on in the story.

Capaldi and Coleman's acting was superb, and a special mention to Michelle Gomez who was outstanding as Missy. I can't wait to see more of her. Moffat succeeds here in almost recreating that iconic scene from "Tomb of the Cyberman" and together with Murray Gold's music, the reveal of the Cybermen was one of the most intense scenes we've ever had. By this point, the episode almost assumes you have guessed that the Cybermen were behind this - not to mention the enormous clue on the doors. It's just a shame, I feel, that the BBC ruined this by overpublicising their appearance in this episode before it aired in trailers and clips. It would have been a nice and very well put together surprise. Also, it's a shame that the BBC released a trailer making Clara look like she was evil, spoiling the surprise of her momentary betrayal. ANOTHER problem with the publicity of this episode is the preview clip, which was released a long time before the episode and featured the scene at the end right up until when Missy was about to reveal her identity. I wish they would think about the impact on the perception of the episode this kind of thing has.

I thought Moffat's 3 words were excellently creepy, but perhaps a little disrespectful to anybody who has had a bereavement. It was bold, I'll give him that.

Another standout actor is Samuel Anderson as Danny Pink. He excellently portrayed self loathing, regret and sadness in the scenes in heaven with Seb, played by Chris Addison, who was also fantastic.

All we can do now is wait until next week to find out what happens next. But let me know what you thought. I'll be with you next week for a full review and hopefully a discussion of what is to come at Christmas.

Ben's October Favourites

Book
I am comparing 1984 by George Orwell to last's months favourite, The Handmaid's tale, for my English Literature coursework this year. And 1984 is one of those books that, even though it quite clearly has a set date as its title, can still stand the test of time. It is about a dystopian future where everything is controlled and observed. Even freedom of thought is banned, but Winston, the main character, attempts his own growing psychological revolution. This book is a true masterpiece, as it is gripping, unpredictable and plays on themes which will leave you looking at the world in a very different, more insightful way.

Film
I'm sorry to do this but you're going to have to put up with it. My favourite film this month was The Maze Runner. See Heather's favourites post and my review on this blog for more information.

Song
Run Boy Run by Woodkid is a song you might have heard, but don't know where it's from. It's an epic song with epic lyrics and epic orchestral accompaniments. This song mixes triumph and terror to create a memorable and original track that's bound to make you feel a little less overwhelmed and a little more determined.

TV Show
It's a hard one, because there's a lot on TV at the moment and it took some effort not to choose Doctor Who again, but Not Going Out has been a particular one I've been looking forward to watching. Lee Mack's sitcom is always very funny and doesn't take itself too seriously. Perfect for a Friday night of de-stressing.

Album
This month, Hozier released his debut, self titled album. I was intrigued by his first single, Take Me To Church as it sounded original yet strangely comfortable to listen to, as if it was a classic. The rest of the album takes on a similar style. His lyrics and instrumentation add a poetic feel to the music. I find this a great album to listen to in the background.

Right, I think that's about all I have to share this month really.

Ciao.

Ed Sheeran

Last night I travelled to Manchester with two of my favourite people in the world to see Ed Sheeran, another of my favourite people, and he lived up to every expectation I had.

Whilst most gigs have a bit of a build up before the artist makes their dramatic entrance to the stage, Ed simply strolled on with his guitar and started playing. He opened with I'm A Mess, and it was absolutely amazing. There were no backing singers or band throughout the whole concert; it was literally just Ed and his guitar on that stage. Someone who can make such a beautiful sound all on his own must be extremely talented.

The fact that there was no band makes it sound like every song was just singing and acoustic chords. This is an incorrect presumption. As Ed uses a loop pedal, he manages to create a huge sound by layering different strumming patterns, harmonies and rhythms from hitting his guitar on top of each other. The whole effect is stunning and watching it is just wow.

My favourite of his performances was You Need Me, I Don't Need You, which was his first encore. It was so powerful, and hearing everyone rap along was amazing. He also did Thinking Out Loud, which is my absolute favourite of his songs, and it really was beautiful. He ended with Sing, getting the audience to sing the "woah-oh-ah-oh" bit for him. After he had walked off the stage we were all still singing that melody, and some of us even carried on after the lights came up.

The whole atmosphere was literally awesome. Everyone knew every word, and each song meant something different to each person. During The A Team, Ed asked everyone to wave the lights on their phones in the air, and the way the whole arena lit up was actually breath-taking. This happened during Thinking Out Loud, too. I nearly cried.

All in all, it was easily my favourite of all the concerts I've ever been too, and I would kill to be able to go again.

Heather out.
P.S. Sorry the photos are so crap. I tried to upload a video but the file was too big :(

The Maze Runner

This was one of my perceived "Hunger Games Rip-Offs" that I actually wanted to go and see. It was also, incidentally, probably the only film that I've been to see where I haven't read the book of it first. I don't think it mattered.

All in all, The Maze Runner was a complete success. It had a very original and intriguing idea. Yes, it followed a very popular teen dystopian formula, but what it put into that formula was new and exciting. The way the film was put together from the very first scene was captivating, and I really wanted to know what was going on. I also thought that the pacing was good, as there was never a moment when I felt frustrated at the characters' actions.

Of course, the denouement was completely guessable, but that wasn't where the thrill of this film was. It was in the surprisingly gritty, intense fight for survival that the Gladers were facing. It also presented an even more intriguing concept for the rest of the trilogy.

This film, however, did contain many annoying traits of teen films (not least the wannabe cool kids sitting in the cinema screen with us, putting us off the film at every available opportunity). These were things such as:

- People who have been living in an enclosed space for ages not ever having to cut their hair or shave, but the film making a point of how dirty they got because they couldn't wash.
- Certain characters' hair remaining gelled in the above circumstances, as well as while they are fighting weird creatures and running, falling, and being squashed by things.
- One specific character who is the "baddie" without much detailed characterisation or reasoning for their generally unpleasant nature.
- The main character being someone special, especially to the ONE AND ONLY female character who turns up later, "changing everything".

Plus, I am sure, many more...

However, that doesn't make it a bad film, it just makes something which could have been absolutely amazing into a solid, enjoyable film. Overall, it plays out like a cross between Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games and a little dash of something else (Greek mythology?). One other positive that needs mentioning is that "English Litting" it (something Heather always tells me off for doing) was actually very interesting, presenting interesting questions and symbolisms. I am very much looking forward to this film's sequel, "The Scorch Trials", in 2016.

8/10

Doctor Who - In The Forest of the Night Review

I'd been looking forward to this one for a long time. Frank Cottrell-Boyce was one of my favourite authors as a child and he did a superb job with the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. When I heard that the idea for the episode was "invasion of the trees" I was even more excited. True to form, Cottrell-Boyce delivered a bold, beautiful piece which still fitted within the framework of Doctor Who.

It's been said before that Cottrell-Boyce is very good at writing for children as he knows how they talk to each other in real life. This was very apparent here with the interaction between the school children. Maebh's character was very well used and portrayed by the actress who played her, doing a very good job at being vulnerable and lovable.

The story this week was extremely poetic, perhaps a little bit too much so at times as the not-so-subtle references to fairy tales at times seemed like they were the main point behind the episode. That said, the lyrical narrative had a very powerful message that was child friendly but that also related to everybody.

A highlight for me was the scene between "Clara" (and if you've seen the next time trailer for next week you'll know why I've written her name in inverted commas) and the Doctor, where, in an inversion of the argument at the end of episode 7, the Doctor accepts responsibility for a crisis even when he is offered the chance to save himself. Cottrell-Boyce even turned some of the dialogue from "Kill the Moon" on its head, with great effect.

However, while the script was indeed strong, it has to be said that the atmosphere created in this episode is what made it so distinctive. The direction was beautiful and the episode looked amazing, but even stronger than this was the episode's soundtrack. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this week's music from Murray Gold is his best ever - as he really added to the overall "fairytale" feel of the episode.

This episode is not without its faults though. I can see the merit in having a lighter episode here, especially as its purpose was to be child friendly. However, at the end, the return of Maebh's sister didn't really make much sense. In fact, neither did the fact that Maebh's thoughts can change her surroundings. There was no actual monster or even well explained alien (just some invisible, unexplained floating blobs) and when it came to the trees being a shield rather than an enemy, it didn't take a genius to work that out from the minute the forest was described as fireproof.

In fact, this episode seemed to defy all logic at times, with none of the children remembering the old caretaker (all it would have taken was one line). And why were just two teachers, who happened to be Miss Oswald and Mr Pink (English and Maths teachers respectively) taking a group of children to a history museum? Moreover, why did the trees just vanish and where was the explanation for us forgetting about them?

That said, the episode was very enjoyable as well as very artistically devised and realised. I hope we see more of Mr Cottrell-Boyce.

8/10

Next week - the finale begins...

Fangirl

Last year I picked up Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell in Waterstone's; simply because it was set in the 80s, the cover art was beautiful, and it had a good review from John Green. After reading it, I easily placed it in the sought-after position of 'Heather's Favourite Book of All Time'. With my blossoming love of Rowell's writing style, I recently purchased another of her novels, Fangirl, and I was not disappointed.

Fangirl tells the story of Cather and Wren (the reason for their names is both sad and inspired), twin sisters who are heading off to college for the first time. Wren is excited to start going to parties and getting drunk, whereas Cath would much rather stay in her room and write fanfiction. I could really relate to Cath. No idea why.

Rowell's story-telling is, once again, captivating. Her characters are realistic and beautifully created, and the way they interact with each other is interesting and lively. I especially liked Reagan's sarcasm and Levi's charm, and I loved reading about Cath as we are so similar. The novel was an especially good read for me as it covers things that are also happening to myself, and that just made the read even more personal and enjoyable.

Basically I loved this book. It wasn't quite as magical as Eleanor and Park, but I think Rowell might be joining J.K. Rowling as one of my favourite authors.

If you like John Green, David Levithan and all that funny teen fiction, you will love Fangirl.

Next I will be reading The Shock Of The Fall by Nathan Filer. It isn't technically on my reading list, but it was leant to me, so I have to read it next. Those are the rules.

Heather out.

Doctor Who - Flatline Review

Again, I will start with a warning. This is probably going to be quite spoilery so don't read this unless you've seen the episode.

But gosh, where do I start? Such an original and well realised concept. I loved the pre title sequence, which was both scary and intriguing. As the episode moved on, not only was the story of the episode itself very well done but also it did very well in addressing the continuing relationships between Clara, Danny and the Doctor. The beginning felt a little slow, but probably only because of the "next time" trailer giving away too much, meaning that the sense of mystery wasn't there. For that reason I won't be deducting any points...

The idea of the Doctor being in a shrinking TARDIS was very clever, especially as it was apparently a late addition to the script for scheduling reasons. The only slight issue is that it was sort of apparent that they'd used all of the special effects money on the monsters rather than making the small TARDIS not look plastic, or indeed making the doorway of the TARDIS not look like it had been papered over to look like it had a smaller door. That said, the idea worked very well, as Clara becoming the Doctor highlighted very cleverly both characteristics of Clara and the Doctor. Unfortunately, this was treading very close to the realm of the show being self conscious again.

The above said, this was definitely the production and special effects teams' time to shine. Their work on the monsters was brilliant, and I enjoyed the A113 reference on the train (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go and watch every Pixar film ever and then Google it). The scene with the TARDIS returning to normal and the Doctor stepping out and epically defeating the enemy was very well done, with music and direction adding to the gravitas that Peter Capaldi always brings.

Now, let's talk about the end scene. Missy claims that she has "chosen" Clara. What could this mean? Well, remember the woman in the shop? If it weren't for her, Clara and the Doctor would never have met. Could it be that Missy knows that the Doctor's companions sometimes don't survive? Could it be that Missy was, even then, recruiting her for her "heaven"? I have a feeling the dilemma at the end of the series will be something along the lines of "Do I save the world and destroy this "heaven" which Clara is in, or do I save Clara and risk losing the world?"

The acting in this episode was tremendous, as was everything about it, really. It had just the right amount of humour and horror, and where there was humour, it was very funny. Despite its minor imperfections it was a nearly perfect episode. I was struggling to think about how to give this one points, as it was even better than last week's superb episode but not quite up to the standards of Listen. Alas, I think I have made up my mind.

Just a side note - my Dad seems to have made a good point about why this episode was set in Bristol. You know the famous graffitist Banksy whose work appears in Bristol, and then sometimes gets taken down by the council because it's not approved? There are definitely some parallels here. Just some food for thought - could Mathieson be BANKSY? (I joke, of course. Or do I...?)

9.75/10  (sorry, I had to)

Next week: The invasion of the forest puts humanity at risk. Also, Peppa Pig guest stars...

Doctor Who - Mummy on the Orient Express Review

It's just one after another with these amazing episodes. This series promised much and has definitely (almost always) delivered.

This episode sounds from its title like it could be a bit silly, or not up to much. But it delivered in many different, surprising ways. The direction gave it a very stylish and "vintage" feel which added nicely to the overall atmosphere, as did the music. But really, the strong point here was the writing. Jamie Mathieson made a cheap sounding idea into something complex, emotional and genuinely involving. He also handled the characterisation and the ongoing "feud" between the Doctor and Clara very well indeed. In fact, the episode's story and the bigger picture were seamlessly interwoven in a very effective way.

The mummy, or "Foretold" itself was a very clever idea and was very well realised. It might be one of the best looking monsters Doctor Who has ever had, and it certainly stopped the mummy from being the less good cousin of the vampire or zombie that Mathieson originally thought it might be.

It was nice to see Frank Skinner, who did a very good job. It was just a shame that Foxes' much publicised appearance only amounted to a very small cameo

I can't find anything wrong with this episode at all really, except apart from the mildly rushed ending, but it's not really anything to complain about. Judging by the idea behind next week's episode, Mathieson could definitely become a serious contender for becoming the next showrunner.


9.5/10

Next week - aliens that don't live in three dimensions are experimenting, and the Doctor is stuck in a tiny TARDIS.

Ben's September Favourites

It's me again. I don't seem to be able to stop myself. Also, brace yourselves. Some of this is going to be a little bit sad and nerdy.

Book
I have quite a lot of books that I will be reading this year because I have to. But that won't stop me enjoying them. One such example is The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This is a story set in a dystopian future where women are not even second class citizens, but are only there for a purpose. Offred is a Handmaid. Her only purpose in life is to give birth.

Despite how weird this might sound, it's a very interesting and well written book which is always questioning how our society works. I can't wait to write essays about it (!)

Film
September felt so long that I couldn't remember what I'd seen. So here's one I saw recently ish. It's The Double, directed by the IT Crowd's Richard Ayoade.  Simon James and James Simon look exactly the same, but are complete opposites. Based on a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, this film messes with your head a bit but is very interesting and dark. Jesse Eisenberg plays Simon and James very well and at times reminds me as Matt Smith in Doctor Who. Make no mistake, though, this film is far from light-hearted.

Song
Hard to choose songs from this band, as they're all so good, but Islands by Screaming Maldini has stayed in my head. It's full sound, powerful 5/4 pulse and general musical cleverness makes it really stand out from other songs I've had in my head (saying that, most Maldini songs do the same). It's really catchy, happy, poetic and unforgettable.

TV Show
I mean, you've probably guessed this one. It has to be Doctor Who. Apart from one episode, I've really liked this series so far. It's a great new starting place for people who haven't seen it before as well as satisfying the long term fans. It combines all the right aspects of old a new to create an exciting and original new set of episodes. My favourite so far is episode 4, Listen, the best 50 minutes of television for a long time.

App
This is going to sound so sad. But it has to be Office Lens for me. It's been really useful. I'm forever taking pictures of other people's work or notes off the board for homeworks, and Office Lens makes my life so much easier! It sharpens the text up to make it more readable and will turn it into a powerpoint or a word document with real typed out text and shapes for things like mind maps, saving me typing things up. And, as I have a Windows phone, I can just upload it to the cloud and print it off whenever I like. Pretty darn useful.

Album
Easily This is All Yours by alt-J. Yet again they bring us a brilliant collection of well written and produced songs which are incredibly good, but you can't put your finger on why. It creates a superb blend of atmospheric, melodic and epic sounds with poetic and puzzling lyrics. Gus Unger-Hamilton has a very strange vocal style, but this some just adds to its awesomeness. It proves my theory that all good things come from Leeds.

Whatever
This is the really nerdy one now. A key thing for me this past month has been Shostakovich's Symphony No 5 in D minor. I'm studying it for A Level music and the context of its composition is really fascinating. It was written in Stalin's Russia under pressure to conform to extreme nationalism, but Shostakovich really cleverly takes the absolute Michael out of Stalin all the way through. It's also a really good piece to listen to and I had the opportunity to play it recently, which was really fun.

Ciao.

Heather's September Favourites

Welcome to the start of a whole new series: our monthly favourites! After seeing this done by some of my favourite YouTubers, I decided it might be a good thing for me and Ben to do. So every month you will be able to read our favourites, and hopefully we will be able to introduce you to some new awesome things.

So. Let's get started.

Book
This month I've only actually read one book. Terrible, I know, but yeah. That book was Solitaire by Alice Oseman. Those of you who have read my review will already know what I have to say about it, but basically it's a relatable teen fiction novel with undertones of depression and social anxiety. The main character isn't the most interesting one in the book, but she was intriguing enough to keep me reading, and the concept was interesting and different.

Film
This month I have been to see one film twice, and that film is Pride. Now, I absolutely adored this film. It's funny, sad and heart-warming all at once, and the LGBTQ+ theme is one that is very important to me. The film is based on a true story and it shows a group of gay and lesbian activists who raise money and awareness to help those affected by the miners' strike of 1984. I didn't actually realise the truth behind the story until I saw it, and that fact actually made me love the film even more. The writing is funny and interesting, the cast was perfectly chosen and the whole concept is beautiful. Also, Andrew Scott is in it, so that's an automatic plus.

Song
I was actually surprised by the fact that some of the chart songs this month were pretty good, and one of those is Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. This song is so catchy and the vocals are amazing. I am always in awe of Jessie J's voice, and now Ariana Grande has joined her at the top of my list of powerful female singers. Nicki Minaj's rap is as indecipherable as always, but for some reason I want to learn it. If you're into catchy and sassy pop songs, I would definitely recommend Bang Bang.

TV Show
Obviously it has to be The Great British Bake-Off. There's no one in Britain who doesn't watch it, and this series has been as awesome as ever. As an avid baker myself, I like watching for the actual techniques and bakes, as well as the innuendos and silly moments. Sue is still fab, and Mel's not too bad, but the stars really are the bakers. I'm stupidly excited for the final next week, and I'm rooting for Richard, as I have been from the very beginning of this series.

App
My friend introduced me to Vinted not long ago, and now I end up checking it every day. Whether you're looking to sell, buy or swap clothes, Vinted has something for you. You can restrict your home page to only showing things in your size and you can search by item, colour, brand, whatever. I love the idea of this app, especially because I don't have loads of money at the moment so second hand clothes are perfect for me. I have only bought one item so far, but I'm sure I'll get many more over time.

Album
I have been loving the same album for a very long time now and it still hasn't got old. That album is, of course, Stars by Collabro. I know it technically came out in August but it's still fab so deal with it. The whole thing is just beautiful, and the concept of a musical theatre boy band is one that I love. I loved these guys on Britain's Got Talent, I love them right now, and I'm sure I'll be loving them for a long time to come. My favourite song on the album is the title track, Stars, which is originally from Les Miserables, and I can't wait for album number two.

Whatever
And now we reach the final category, the one dedicated to that random thing that I have loved all month. Something that was very specific to September was Zoella's daily vlogs, and I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one. I'm not usually a fan of daily vlogs because they can sometimes get boring and a bit long-winded, but I haven't found that at all with Zoella's September vlogs. From Alfie's birthday to the Zoella Beauty launch, she has documented every little thing to happen through the month and I have loved watching them all. When she announced she would continue through October, I was literally way too excited.

So that was what I've been loving this September. If any of those things sounded appealing then be sure to check them out. You never know, you may have found a new favourite for yourself.

Heather Out.

Solitaire

So apparently Solitaire is not just a crappy single-player card game, it's also a teen fiction novel by eighteen-year-old author, Alice Oseman. I saw it in Waterstones and the blurb included the phrase "I like to sleep and I like to blog" and I thought I had found my autobiography. So I bought it. And I read it. And it was pretty good, despite the world's worst tag line of "This is not a love story...".

Solitaire tells the story of Tori Spring; a pessimistic, cynical year 12 with a love of films, tumblr and diet lemonade. Tori discovers Solitaire, a weird organisation who are wreaking havoc all over her life, and Michael Holden, a weird new guy who is making her experience actual feelings for once. She also reunites with old friend Lucas and loses new friend Becky, all whilst trying to keep her brother Charlie safe from himself. As you can see, there are quite a few mini plots.

The main character, Tori, is quite similar to myself, so I managed to relate to this book pretty well. Also there were loads of awesome references to things I love, like Drarry fanfiction and The Breakfast Club (best movie ever). However, I did seem to find more interest in the sub-plots, mainly Charlie's life (and no, it's not just because he's gay).

Overall, Solitaire is not going to make my top ten books of all time, but it's worth the read, if you're into teen fiction with a splash of mental illness.

Next I will be reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, the author of my favourite book.

Heather out.

P.S. I know I said I'd be reviewing More Than This, but it was so dull and clichéd that I couldn't get past the first three chapters. Sorry/not sorry.

Doctor Who - Kill The Moon Review

For the second time this series, I am utterly lost for words.

"Kill The Moon" was an episode I've been looking forward to since I first heard about it (much like "Listen"), and yet I could not have comprehended how brilliant it would be (much like "Listen"). The story was firstly intriguing, then terrifying and then immensely tense, as well as being completely unpredictable all the way through. I genuinely could not have predicted the ending, and the dilemma involved raised so many interesting questions.

The acting from all characters was superb, with a special mention to Ellis George, whom I had feared may be a little bit like the Mattisons from last year's "Nightmare in Silver", however proved her worth by adding the right mix of vulnerability and confidence to the episode. The final scene between the Doctor and Clara also showcased some amazing performances.

The script itself was expertly crafted, using characterisation to enhance the already tense atmosphere provided by the direction. The score, yet again, was perfect and complemented this ideally. Again, the ending didn't feel at all rushed (although the beginning seemed a little confusing at first, but eventually made sense and didn't detract from the episode at all).

Niggle time. Only two very minor things this week. Firstly, the CGI wasn't exactly perfect, but that really is minor. Also, I didn't really understand how the moon creature laid another egg. But really, that wasn't what it was about. The science element of Sci-Fi wasn't really there...

Overall this script redefines excellent Doctor Who due to its intensity and emotionally and morally challenging concepts. I seriously hope Peter Harness will return with another script soon.

9/10

Next Week: The Doctor (and Clara????) finally get(s) round to sorting out that Mummy on the Orient Express

Doctor Who - The Caretaker Review

Oh dear. And it was all going so well. I'm not really sure what happened here, but it wasn't Doctor Who.

This week was pivotal in a sense, as Danny met the Doctor. This story had a lot of potential, as it could have been very tense, character based and interesting. Instead, what we got was something that tried too hard to be funny while at the same time act grown up. And let's be honest, including that "Skovox Blitzer" was not only pretty pointless but also a little bit offensive. It was like Gareth Roberts had written "Insert generic "most dangerous alien in the universe" here to kill some time". The result was like an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures and Coronation Street had a child, and ironically decided to call it Doctor Who.

A few things actually really annoyed me about this episode.

1) The Doctor's hatred of soldiers - it was FAR too over the top and passionate, something even Capaldi's "darker" Doctor would probably not act like
2) The horrific use of continuity - So Danny looks identical to Orson Pink, right? Why not mention it? We need a little more than a passing comment that doesn't address anything. Also, where are all the references to old Coal Hill teachers? THIS IS COAL HILL SCHOOL! The setting of the very first EVER Doctor Who story!

That said, this episode did have some merits. It was amusing in places, and the music was terrific and actually saved some of the scenes. But that is literally about it.

The necessary part of this story - Danny meets the Doctor - could have been very interesting and a lot more entertaining. Instead, Roberts tries to be grown up about dancing around a plastic bicycle for ten minutes singing the theme tune to In The Night Garden, producing a cacophony of ideas that never reaches its point and is offensive to both the eyes and the ears.

4/10

Next Week: Is it right to kill the moon?

Doctor Who - Time Heist Review

Here is proof that it's possible. Two really good episodes back to back - and the amazing thing about this one is that I wasn't expecting it to be a memorable one. (Pun sort of intended).

This episode really reminded me of "Hustle" in the way it played out. I thought that the heist genre worked really well with Doctor Who and now am actually rather surprised it's not been done before. What really stood out for me was not only this episode's fast pace and excitement but also its monster. A really original idea, used in a way which was dark enough for some serious threat - but that was also exciting.

The characterisation of the two sidekick characters (whose names I am not even going to attempt to spell) was also surprisingly well done given the time limit. Talking of the time limit, while this episode was fast-paced it yet again did not suffer or feel rushed. It did feel like the ending to the episode has been done before in "Hide" (an episode which I didn't like very much but is apparently rather popular), however this time I think it was used in a way which did not undermine the Tellar, as it did with the Crooked Man, but instead made me want to see more of this episode's monster.

Together with exciting direction and a fast moving score, this script worked amazingly well. It's just a shame it had to follow last week's.

My only niggles? Well, the "death" thing actually DID look like a teleport so it was easily guessable. Apart from that I was surprised by most of the reveals towards the end, even though in hindsight they were fairly obvious. I also thought the very first scene was a little bit weird with the time vortex turning into a washing machine, but that's just personal opinion...

9/10

Next week the Doctor becomes the caretaker of Coal Hill School

Doctor Who - Listen Review

This is one of those times when I have absolutely no idea where to start. Well, OK. I will start by warning anybody who hasn't seen the episode yet not to read this. You really need to experience it without me spoiling anything.

Moffat's best episodes have always played on our most basic fears - this episode was, in effect, a "greatest hits" episode - but of course, it wasn't. That was what made it so beautifully, refreshingly different. Moffat literally made fear itself the only monster in Doctor Who to ever be real.

This episode brought many things full circle, including the episode's story, the characters' stories and the very purpose of the show itself. Moffat did some very clever writing here - providing something scary and then an explanation in the style of his previous episodes. Something that seems rational, but that nobody believes. This time, in the first of many twists, it was that disbelief that became the monster itself.

Now, let's talk about THAT scene. I have to admit, I kind of saw it coming. This was because of a less than careful "spoiler free" review that I read, stating that there was a scene "steeped in Who lore" that may cause outrage. I then guessed, as Clara made the mistake of going back through Danny's timeline, that she may do the same with the Doctor - which she did. The only other thing that briefly popped into my mind was that that barn looked familiar, but I didn't really think about it properly, so the massive twisty ending still made a massive impact. But who could have seen THAT coming? Moffat had so carefully created his story that with one move - Clara grabbing the Doctor's ankle - everything changed. I literally could not believe what I was seeing. Clara became the Doctor's reason to be good. My whole family looked at each other, I felt like applauding and I think my dad actually did...

The direction and music worked perfectly together to create tension and, indeed, the illusion that our fears might be real.

Now let's talk about my niggles. Insert blank space here. Not only can I not find anything wrong with this episode but I can also say that this episode has eliminated any previous concerns I had for the show. The length was perfect, and the story showed that the show can be self contained and yet still have meaning to its audience without being self aware.

Bravo Moffat - you have surpassed yourself, which is no mean feat.

10/10

Next week the Doctor robs the most protected bank in the universe.

Doctor Who - Robot of Sherwood Review

I have to say, I wasn't looking forward to this one. It just looked a bit... silly. And I was right. But for some reason, it was still a good episode.

Well, a good episode of something. Whether or not that something was Doctor Who is a question that must be asked. I think this story was very much more in the style of olden days Doctor Who than the Doctor Who we've seen since its reboot in 2005. That said, it still made for an entertaining 45 minutes of television.

Peter Capaldi, as always, was amazing. This week really showed his Doctor's versatility, as well as Mark Gatiss' versatility as a writer. If Doctor Who was ever going to do a Robin Hood episode, this was it.

I didn't really notice the direction or the music this week. I think that's because they were fitting and adequate. They definitely weren't bad, or I'd have noticed. But the same goes for them being good, I suppose.

A big problem with the episode was the ending - shooting golden arrow at the spaceship to save the world was a nice idea, but even in the world of Doctor Who, it didn't really make much sense and was just a little ridiculous.

But perhaps it was the ridiculousness and humour which made this episode so enjoyable. It was a nice break from the "into darkness" idea that this series has created without completely turning away from it. I also felt that, while issues about the Doctor and his status as a hero were mentioned, the episode didn't head too much into the territory of self consciousness, as I thought it might do last week. It would be nice, in the future, to see a little more character development for the Doctor. But I think by the end of the series we'll definitely be satisfied - if not after next week. The episode also didn't feel rushed at all, which was very reassuring.

Overall, "Robot of Sherwood" (Why not "Robots"? I don't think we'll ever know...) was an entertaining episode which did many things very well. It was a little ridiculous and a bit different, but still enjoyable.

6.5/10

Next week... well we don't really seem to have any idea. But it looks pretty awesome.

Carrie

Blood. Blood everywhere.

Who knew a girl's period could cause so much terror? Well, more terror than an average period, anyway.

Carrie White is the daughter of super-strictly religious Margaret White, and she has a special gift - the power of telekinesis. Carrie learns to control this power as, unaware to her, the bullying girls in her year group plot the most awful prank you will ever hear of (I'm not going to tell you what it is because spoilers but loads of you probs already know).

I absolutely loved this book. It is right up my street, what with the slight psychological theme, the gore and the tension. The story is captivating and I constantly wanted to know what was coming next.

Considering this was Stephen King's first novel, the writing style is extremely interesting. It is original and unique, and I thoroughly enjoyed the multiple perspectives shown throughout the novel. I also really liked the way he incorporated sections from fictional articles and books.

Reading Carrie has made me excited to read more of King's work in the future, namely Misery, The Body and The Shining. But for now, I've got to continue with my reading list.

Next I will be reading More Than This by Patrick Ness, which is Ben's favourite book. I look forward to seeing what he is always raving about.

Heather out.

P.S. I wrote this review whilst listening to Collabro's debut album, 'Stars'. Go and listen to it right now, it is totally fab, and I would do a review of it except I can't put my feelings about it into words. Just go listen. Go.

Doctor Who - Into The Dalek Review

And so we are immediately catapulted into another week of high expectations. These high expectations, yet again, were met.

This week saw a Dalek story unlike any we've seen before - one which shows a morally self questioning monster. Well, two, actually. And that's what's looking so good about the new series - we are getting a Doctor whose character is more complicated than we've seen for a long time, and as he begins to explore that character, we see him partaking in morally complex and mature stories. This is something Doctor Who has needed for a long time and is finally getting. Capaldi's performance suits this perfectly and was yet again breath-taking.

This episode also included some brilliant visuals and music which gave it a feel of a "classic" story. This feel lead to the approaching Dalek army actually feeling slightly more intimidating than in some more recent episodes. I also discovered that I may have been wrong about "The Doctor's Theme" as to what it actually was as the only recurring new theme to occur was different. It was still very fitting to Capaldi's Doctor but we'll see how that develops.

Danny Pink made his debut in this episode and as of yet I am unsure what to think of him. I think episode 4, entitled "Listen" will show us enough of his character to make a proper judgement, but until then he has left a good enough impression.

Ok, so here's where I get to be nitpicky. Two minor issues that didn't really affect my enjoyment but may start to get annoying if they carry on happening.

1) 45 minutes isn't long enough - loads of shows get an hour, and that would be perfect for Doctor Who. 45 minutes means we compromise on nice little extra details which pad the world of the show out a bit more, and 45 minutes also means that we can only focus on one main theme or character development. This leads me onto my next point...

2) The show seems to be becoming slightly self-aware - I don't like it when this happens. It doesn't ruin anything, it just makes me think...well..."meh". We seem to have a "debate of the week" thing going on on twitter which I hope isn't an aim of the writers. Sherlock went in this direction last series. I hope Doctor Who doesn't.

That said, the ideas, themes, tone, characters, acting and overall story of this series is making these 12 weeks look like the best ever for Doctor Who, and I have been thoroughly reassured that this is the case by this week's excellent episode.

8.5/10

Next week Clara meets Robin Hood, whom the Doctor thinks can't exist...

Doctor Who - Deep Breath Review

*WARNING - This contains major spoilers!*


Woah...

I haven't seen any negative comments about this episode at all yet. And that's because it was brilliant.

Where do I start? Let's start with Capaldi. He was, as predicted, perfect. He had just the right amount of everything at exactly the right times. This was also Jenna Coleman's best episode to date. I think she's finally found her Doctor. Matt Smith's cameo was also nice and well timed and executed, making the transition between the Doctors seem less sudden than it did when Matt Smith basically sneezed and turned into Peter Capaldi last Christmas.

Now onto Moffat. Some may hate him, but why would you now? This episode was perfectly paced, drew on elements of old and new and the idea for the monster was what he does best. Simple and brilliant. First we have the monster that you can't blink near, now we have one that you can't breathe near! I read an interview with Moffat recently where he described how in 2010 with the introduction of Smith, everything was a sudden change, and this time he wanted to make it more gradual - and I think this was a success. It was also not too arc heavy but kept the weekly viewer interested enough, which I thought was exactly what was needed.

And now onto my favourite part - the music. I can already see (well, hear) parts of music that are coming together to form the 12th Doctor's theme and I AM LOVING IT! It is based on 11's theme but is different enough to make it brand new. Murray Gold seems to get better with every series.

Other good parts - I like the new titles and theme very much (I know some people didn't, though. But, "Change my dear, and not a moment too soon" kind of rings true for me here) and the direction was also noteworthy.

One criticism? Probably Strax. He's funny enough, but after Jenny and Vastra had made their epic entrance to the basement of the SS Marie Antoinette I felt that his entrance sort of made what could have been a brilliant scene into a good one.

Overall a very very strong opening episode which promises much for the next 11...

9.5/10


Next week the Doctor and Clara literally go into a Dalek...

A Long Way Down

'Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?'

Ruined TV presenter Martin, quiet single-mum Maureen, bolshy teenager Jess and American rock star JJ meet on the roof of Toppers' House on New Year's Eve, all with the same intention - suicide.

'A Long Way Down' by Nick Hornby gives an interesting and funny take on how depression can effect multiple groups of people. The story is told from four different perspectives and each character speaks in their own unique and intriguing way. While technically there isn't a great deal of physical goings-on throughout the novel, Hornby gives us an insight into the minds of four completely different people and how they cope with the same mental illness.

While the subject matter is serious, the storytelling is light-hearted and fun. Whether you're timid and naïve like Maureen or loud and sweary like Jess, you will (most likely) find a way to relate to this book, even in the smallest of ways.

This book is completely different to what I usually read, but I enjoyed the change, and I will definitely read more of Hornby's work in the future, even though he didn't invent an adorable minor character for me to fall in love with.

The next book on my list is a different genre again, as it is 'Carrie' by Stephen King. I'm not gonna lie, I am so excited for this one.

Heather out.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

"An artist should create beautiful things, but should put nothing of his own life into them." - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray is the human embodiment of perfection, captured in a painting forever. But the idea of watching himself grow old while his canvassy counterpart will never age pains him, and so he makes a bargain. His painting begins to show the true nature of his soul while his physical appearance never changes. And, lead astray by Lord Henry Wotton's desire for pleasure, Dorian's life leads away from happiness and into misery while the portrait in his attic shows the grotesque nature of his soul.

As you can see, Oscar Wilde's novel isn't exactly light reading. With detailed descriptions of the lives of everybody in the novel, the beginning feels a little slow - but things definitely pick up later on. The novel toys with ideas and themes which would have been more than shocking to its original audience and even specifically mentions homosexuality (!) - a crime at the time of publishing. Oscar Wilde's own words came back to haunt him as this book sparked the events which lead to his imprisonment and disgraced name. But it is this element of shock which makes the book even more gripping and truthful.

This novel is so well formed that I believe nobody can ever fully unravel the philosophical threads woven into the narrative by Wilde. The very definition of the human soul is questioned, and then questions are asked of these questions. What makes it all the more terrifying is not the physically ugly nature of the picture itself, but what that picture means.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is more than just food for thought, and is something everyone should read at some stage in their life.

Anyway - enough of all that seriousness. I hope I don't get that deep with all my book reviews. I've not really said hi yet. Hi. Like Heather, I also have a reading list, which unfortunately contains a load of books I need to read for my English A2 level. I'll review the most interesting ones plus some others I've been reading, so keep a look out.

"I keep a diary of my life from day to day, and it never leaves the room in which it is written. I shall show it to you if you come with me." - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Heather's Reading List Of Awesome

Ooh, the first real post on our new blog. Exciting. And it's by me, not Ben. Mwahahahahahaha *cough*.

Anyway. Sorry.

This summer I decided to write myself a reading list. It (currently) consists of 15 books, all fiction, and all different (mostly). Seeing as this is a review-centred blog, I thought I'd review each one on here. Sound good? No? Shut up.

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

Now, technically I've been 'reading' this book since last September, but I kept getting distracted by other stories and so I've been half way through it for multiple months. I decided that finishing this book would be a great way to start my reading list.

I decided to read City of Bones after seeing the film, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, I didn't like the book as much as I liked the film.

It starts off well, and the story is an interesting idea, but by the end I was just happy to have finished it. It didn't grip me as I would have liked it to, and Clare uses similies and metaphors in every other sentence. Why.

Argh, I hate writing bad reviews about books. Sigh.

However, there were aspects of it that I really liked. For example, I loved Simon. He's so adorable and funny and I like that he actually gets annoyed at Clary and doesn't just go along with everything she says. I also liked the fact that there is an LGBTQ+ character who's storyline doesn't revolve around the fact that he is LGBTQ+.

I still don't feel compelled to read the rest of the series, though. I think I'll just Google what happens to Simon and Alec.

I'm sorry that this was mostly negative. It's all just my opinion, though. I know there are loads of City of Bones fans around - there's often gifs of Jace on my tumblr dash.

The next book I will be reading is A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. Keep your eyes pealed for my (hopefully more positive) review.

Heather out.

Not Tumblr

This is not okay. I have feels about a TV show/book/film/CD/thing and nowhere apart from the depths of tumblr to share them.

Until now.

Welcome to our blog. Remember me? I was the obsessed weird psychotic woman who did that post on Ben's blog once (shameless self promotion? Nothing? Okay, please yourself...) about fandoms. But don't be alarmed! We are not going to go fandomy on you.

Yeah, right...

This is the place to go for reviews, thoughts and feel(ing)s about cool things. From now on, we will be posting reviews on here and Ben's other blog (www.aleapintonothing.blogspot.com) will be reserved more for the random deep thoughts that confuse everyone. His other one is dead. RIP that blog.

We'll be here after the cliffhanger.

And on Wednesdays we wear pink.