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Wednesday 7 May 2014

Top Five Wednesday: Top Actor/Actress Portrayals of Characters

Seeing your favourite book characters on screen (whether TV or cinema) is a funny thing. You build up a specific picture in your head of what that person is like, what they look like etc, and if the actor chosen to play that character doesn't quite fit, it can really throw you out of the story you're watching. That's why I think good casting is very important!

I actually don't think what the actor looks like is too important, in my opinion it all rests on the performance, so as it stands, my top five page to screen portrayals are:

1. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series

This was a beautiful performance. I hated Umbridge so much in the books I had to put the book down at times and take a few deep breaths! Staunton manages to play her in a way that translates that hatred right onto the screen and I love her for it.

Speaking of villains...

2. Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

This is another performance that makes me want to throw something at the screen. She's just so vile and yet so fabulous to watch!

3. Wallace Shawn as Vizzini in The Princess Bride

I tend to enjoy Wallace Shawn in any of his performances (He's also the second DS9 actor on this list!) and I just think he's brilliant in this film. Inconceivable!

4. Ian McKellen as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films

Do I need to expand on this one? Just glorious.

5. Benedict Cumberbatch AND Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in various adaptions

Ok, I am incapable of cheating on these lists, but I CANNOT choose between the two! Rathbone was always Holmes in my head when I read the books and he is certainly my Victorian Holmes, but Cumberbatch is just brilliant in that part and made me believe that you could make a decent modern day adaptation of Holmes, so he has to go on this list too.

Join the Top Five Wednesday group! It's fun!

Monday 5 May 2014

April Book Haul


First of all, I must apologise for not updating the blog for a few weeks. I have been extremely busy at work and I have hardly had any time for reading, let alone writing a blog post!

However, my busy month did not stop me from buying more books, so here is my April book haul!


So, from the bottom up, I bought:


1. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

This is about a man who keeps re-living his life. He dies as an old man, then goes back to the start of his life; retaining all of his memories of all the previous lives he has lived. I've only just started reading this so that's about the only synopsis I can give you right now, but I'm really enjoying it so far. The premise is just so interesting! 

2. The Book of You by Claire Kendal

When I was in Waterstone's paying for Harry August the woman behind the counter said to me "Oh I've just finished reading that, it's brilliant! You should read The Book of You as well, it's really good!" Well, seeing as I am a sucker for a recommendation and the book was sitting right next to Harry August, I picked it up in there and then. It's about stalking. That's all I know. 

3. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This is another one with a really interesting premise. The main character is in a car crash and is given the choice to go to heaven or to go back down to Earth. I think there's a film being made of this one at some point too. 

4. The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

This is a factual book about the wives of the Apollo space mission astronauts. I sounds really interesting and I found it in The Works for under £3 so I thought it was worth a go! 

5. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I have heard so many people talking about this one and it sounds fantastic. I ordered this one from Amazon US as I couldn't find a UK release date and I am impatient. It's about a girl who has to go to Oz and kill Dorothy, who has become a tyrant. 

6. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

This is another one YouTube made me buy. It sounds like it has a bit of a Buffy The Vampire Slayer vibe about it so I think it'll be fun. 

7. Paris Revealed by Stephen Clarke

I am desperate to go to Paris this summer so I bought this to get in the mood. It seems to be an anecdote type book talking about the city and its inhabitants. 

8. Thirteen by Tom Hoyle

This is another "I like the premise so I'll pick it up" buy. It's about a boy who was born on the stroke of the new millennium and is the target of a cult that believes boys born on that date should die before their end of their thirteenth year.

and finally:

9. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

A love story told from the point of view of a zombie. I'll be honest, I picked this one up because it took the price of my Amazon order up to £10, and I'd much rather spend money on books over shipping costs. I've not seen the film but it sounds like a fun read. 

What about you? Did you get any good books in April?