December and 2014 in review

Any year down guys, another whole year has zoomed by in the blink of an eye.

This year is probably the year I most noticed by study interfering with my reading. I was just so busy and so tired that I went for huge stretches where I'd only read comics or watch TV shows in my spare time. Still, while it maybe wasn't a spectacular year for a blogger it was a damn sight better than most people.

But first the December stats.

BOOKS: 

DECEMBER:

What I Read:

*Hawkeye: L.A Woman (3) - Matt Fraction
*The Martian - Andy Weir
*Outlander: Cross Stitch - Diana Gabaldon
*My Friend Dahmer - Derf Backderf

Book Stats:

75% male / 25% female
100% American / 0% International
25% ebook / 25% audiobook / 50% physical
75% fiction / 25% non-fiction
50% graphic novels / 50% novels

What? How did I only read 4 books? Four books which I'm almost certain I mostly read in the last 4-5 days? I actually thought I'd nailed it again after a successful November but I must have been busier than I thought! On the plus side, all four books were great. I really enjoyed all of them and for the most part they were completely unchartered territory for me. After my first attempt at listening to The Martian I didn't think I'd be able to go back to it in this format, but the reader eventually won me over. My Friend Dahmer was a Christmas present and I don't think I'd ever seen this book before, or if I had I hadn't noticed it. And Outlander. This wasn't a book I really expected to like but I was curious enough to give it a shot (being a free book on Netgalley also helped). So yeah, successful final reads for the year!

2014: 

What I read: 

Number of books read: 39

Number of comics read:39 

Number of pages read: 18380

Longest book read: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (771 pages)

Book Stats: 

71% male / 29% female

67% American/ 33% International

84% fiction/ 16% non-fiction

50% graphic novels / 50% novels

Breaking my reading down into stats is something I only started this year so I've never broken my full year down like this before. I knew my percentage of lady writers would be down, but what's interesting is that the majority of fiction books I read (53%) either revolved around a female centric cast (think How to Build a Girl or Boy, Snow, Bird) or had a female primary protagonist (think Wonder Woman or Rat Queens). So my interests clearly lean me towards books about women but they're often written by men. I think it might have been my comics that skewed this percentage the most, which is an interesting occurrence on its own. I guess the boys club mentality still hasn't truly been broken through. I'd like to say that next year I'll try and read more books by women and international authors, but to be honest I tend to pick books up on a whim so I don't know if actively trying to change my stats will really work. I'm definitely going to try and buy more diversely though. When and if I read those books in anything resembling a timely matter is a completely different story though. 

How did everyone else go with their reading this year? Hitting the usual highs or experiencing some road blocks? Any book resolutions for the new year or are you as lazy and ill prepared as me?

LIFE: 

 2014 was a busy year. I kept working on my PhD but I also made trips to the US (well, finished a trip to the US) and Japan and spent a week back home for my birthday and best friend's wedding. I hosted costume parties and movie nights and we played a tonne of boardgames. I nursed hang overs and went on road trips up the coast and Tom and I finally bought a new adult couch (i.e. not one that was 10th hand) and mattress for our bed. Lots of change but lots of progress. Wider picture wise it wasn't as great a year. There have been far too many accidents and atrocities and human rights violations across the globe. But I dunno, maybe I'm being crazy optimistic but it feels like the tide is changing. It isn't quite as easy to be a racist or sexist or homophobe and expect to get away with it. The hostage situation in Sydney the other week was a great example of that. While some people began to blame an entire group of people for the action of a single mentally ill man, the majority started the #Illridewithyou campaign and made an effort to prove that Australia is the multicultural country we say we are. Baby steps, sure, but baby steps are better than hiding our heads in the sand.

In front of a Kabuki theatre in Tokyo March 2014.

November in Review

It's December. You know what that means!

BOOKS:

What I Read:

*Looking for Alaska by John Green (my review)
*An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield (my review)
*Suicide Squad: Kicked in the Teeth (V1) by Adam Glass, Ryan Benjamin (my review)
*Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
*The Embassy of Cambodia by Zadie Smith
*I feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron
*Yes Please! by Amy Poehler

Book Stats:

43% male / 57% female
57% American / 43% International
28.5% ebook / 28.5% audiobook / 43% physical
57% fiction / 43% non-fiction
15% graphic novels / 85% novels

Thank god for the minithon, I actually read stuff this month! And look at those stats! Look how much variety there is. They're the most beautiful stats I've had all  year! Not only are comics in the minority (mostly because I was reading single issues which I don't count but shhhh) but I have hella female representation AND actual non-fiction books. When was my last non-fiction read?! (July. The answer is July) So huzzah for me!

What I DNF:

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R Carey

To be honest I'm not sure if I'm going to officially DNF this one, or just shelf it for a few weeks/months. I thought I was going through a reading slump because I just couldn't get through more than a couple of pages at a time. But every other book I've picked up while reading this, Looking for Alaska, Broken Monsters and I Feel Bad About My Neck, I've read without the same stuttering. Maybe this book and I just aren't made for each other. Maybe I just need to give myself a bit of a break. The writing is fine, the characters are fine. They're not world changers - for me anyway - but they could be the recipe for a really solid read. So I'm DNFing for now and I'll pick it up again after Christmas and see if anything has changed.

GIF Rating:

MOVIES

It's been a light month for movie viewings. At the cinema I only saw three movies,the Keanu Reeve's action film John Wick and the epic Interstellar,and part 1 of Mockingjay. I really enjoyed all of them, but for very, very different reasons. If you like big, silly action films then John Wick is a must see, it was delightful! Interstellar was a real mind trip. It's definitely not for everyone (it is 3 hours after all), but I really enjoyed immersing myself in that world. And I thought Mockingjay was solid. But the first half of Mockingjay was always my favourite in the book, what with the commentary on propaganda and using Katniss as a prop for their rebellion, so I think the real test will be whether they can make the second half not suck. I also found the film incredibly emotional given the current events happening in the US and overseas. The release date might have been a coincidence, but it's definitely timely.

DVD wise, a few friends and I spent a night having a bad movie night and we watched the delicious Patrick Swayze treat Roadhouse and the majestic Miley Cyrus vehicle, LOL. If you like bad movies and haven't seen LOL you need to move it to the top of your list. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard at a movie. It is straight up one of the most bonkers films ever made. So stupid, so dumb but so, so great.


LIFE: 

Pretty much all I want to talk about in this section is the amazing package I got in the mail the other day. Nahree had promised to mail me a PhD care package but I had no idea she'd be SO generous.

The zombie apocalypse could come tomorrow and I would not need to worry about getting hungry for MONTHS. Okay, I may end up getting diabetes and dying of heart failure if this was all I ate but for the love of God, how insanely wonderful was Nahree for sending me this! No one does junk food quite like America does junk food*.

Oh, on other life matters. Now that it's December and officially okay to discuss Christmas, does anyone want to do a Christmas card swap?


*I feel like this could be taken as either a compliment or a criticism, but it's definitely meant to be a compliment here.

October in Review: Comics, Comics, Comics

Reading meet wall

BOOKS:

What I Read:

*Hellblazer: Original Sin (volume 1) by Jamie Delano, David Lloyd, John Ridgeway
*Hellblazer: The Devil You Know (volume 2) by Jamie Delano, David Lloyd
*Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery (volume 1) by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch
*Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night (volume 4) by Anthony Del Col, Conor McCreery, Andy Belanger
*Captan America: Winter Soldier (volume 2) by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, Mike Perkins


Book Stats:

100% male / 0% female (ooof magoof)
100% American / 0% International (although technically I think Conor McCreery is Canadian, but that's just splitting hairs at this stage)
100% ebook / 0% audiobook / 0% physical
100% fiction / 0% non-fiction
100% graphic novels / 0% novels

I'm at the pointy end of my PhD, so that means my reading time is effectively zero. When I do have a few spare minutes to sit down with a book I've been turning to comics (and TV) because, well, they're easier. I just haven't been able to motivate myself past reading a few pages at a time in the actual books I'm reading, but hopefully I'll get past this exhaustion and pick up my pace soon. I started The Girl With All the Gifts last month and while I raced through the first 50 pages or so I've found it hard to get back into it. It's fine, but I'm barely in and I just don't really see where it's going. Not in the ooooh-what's-around-the-corner kind of not knowing but the haven't-we-already-peaked-what-else-can-happen kind of not knowing. It's funny, I love zombie movies but I tend to find zombie books a bore. I was hoping this would change my mind, but I really don't know if it will. I'm hoping if I just push through the next few chapters it'll start to gel. Fingers crossed. I'm also slowly getting through a book of Robert Heinlein's science fiction short stories. It's really high concept and I'm enjoying it, but I don't really know if I'm getting it, y'know?

On a far more positive front, I started Chris Hadfield's An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth on audiobook and I looooove it. I really enjoyed watching his youtube videos last year when he was in space (last year? the year before? time man, it passes us by in such a blur) and Sarah's review convinced me it needed to be my next Audible purchase. He's just such a nice guy, like, really, really nice. He's so positive just listening to him talk about life and career and family kind of makes me feel invincible. I'm going to apologise in advance because I think my review is going to be a little over the top gushy. I also bought a copy of Amy Poehler's book on Audible. I hit a few walls with audiobooks before picking up Hadfield's novel and I think, at least for the time being, I'm going to leave it for my memoir//comedy books. Listening to Tina Fey and Chris Hadfield have definitely been audiobook highs, because they're telling their own stories and adding their own personality to the words. Maybe once I get more comfortable with the medium I'll step back into the fiction shelves, but for now I'm enjoying this plan of attack. I wonder if Lena Dunham will read her book?

In other bookish news, I got my first Ninja Bookswap gift! The wonderful Lauren sent me my "trick" package. I said I wanted to read more YA so along with  Helen Oyeyemi's Mr Fox from my wishlist, she bought me John Green's Looking for Alaska. I was a little underwhelmed with The Fault in Our Stars when I read it last year, but I wanted to try out another John Green book before I totally wrote him off. I started the book today and so far I have to say I'm enjoying it a lot more than TFioS, but that might have a lot to do with the absence of cancer-stricken teenagers. I also got a duo of adorable floral pens and a Maze Runner postcard. I have one more package heading my way, and I can't wait to see what's in store for me. Yay or bookish gifts from bookish folk!

September in Review Or, the month I DNF every book in existence and dressed up as Wonder Woman

September was not my month guys. Between travelling for my best friend's wedding, my birthday and the ever present life-destroyer that is a PhD I barely read anything. I mean I tried, but god damn if I didn't pick a bunch of crappy books. So since my list of read books is going to be like 2 items long and I haven't really got any films or tv shows to discuss, I thought I'd introduce a new little section called "Books I DNF and why they suck". My time is precious, so, so precious.

Take us away Paul

Books I DNF and why they suck

Wild by Cheryl Strayed (60% completed)

While I wasn't particularly enjoying this book the main reason I decided to DNF this biatch was the awful quality of the digital copy I downloaded onto my phone. I nixxed the kindle option after a sample because it was an "Oprah Book Club" pick which basically means anything even vaguely inspiration was underlined. And I do not need that shit. I enjoy marginalia when I borrow a friend's book but seriously, it was absurd how by the book the underlining was. PASS. So I downloaded one of the Android reader app and it was even worse. It was obviously made an e-book without a proper editing sweep as every comma was removed and the space between the word before and after the comma (or where it would have been) was stuck together. So it made reading a very inorganic experience. Not to mention I did not think her story was inspirational nor did I enjoy her writing. But the editing (or lack of it) definitely didn't help the matter.

GIF rating*:

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed by Patricia Cornwell (71% completed)

This might actually be the worst book I've ever read. After the case was apparently solved a month ago (again) I decided to finally grab this book off my shelf and give it a read. If you've ever wanted to read a perfect example for how not to conduct research, write a book or structure an argument then this is the book for you. Cornwell is convinced she knows who the killer is and so that none of her readers gives any other theory weight she discredits them all as flimsy and weak and unlikely while then going on to set her scenes by saying things like "while there's no proof he was in London at this time, there also isn't proof he wasn't" and started every sentence with "I imagine" "It could be presumed" "it may have happened like". Because her argument is literally "this guy did it because I find his paintings squicky" there are huge chunks of the book that have nothing to do with the case. Either she's discussing the state of  medicine and police strategy at the time (which was actually quite interesting) or she's randomly waffling on about the autopsy procedures in modern day USA. Yes, that happens. I was going to try and finish this so I could write a detailed review about all the inaccuracies, biases and padding but once I put it down I could not motivate myself to pick it back up. I shifted from laughing hysterically to actually clenching my fists in rage. This book is awful, absolutely the worst.

GIF rating:

BOOKS:

What I Read:

*Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory McGuire
*Wonder Woman: Iron by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang (my review)
*Wonder Woman: War by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang
*The Maze Runner by James Dashner (my review)
*1602 by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert
*Guardians of the Galaxy: Angela by Brian Michael Bendis, Sarah Pichelli, Francesco Francavilla (my review)
*Captain America: Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting

Book Stats:

100% male / 0% female (ooof)
100% American / 0% International
86% ebook / 0% audiobook / 14% physical
100% fiction / 0% non-fiction
72% graphic novels / 28% novels

Well this was a bit of a rubbish month for books wasn't it! But while I haven't finished much (other than lots and lots of graphic novels) I have started a whole lot of other books. I am currently juggling Haruki Murakami's new book Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage with Gregory Maguire's Wicked. I'm also still slowly slogging away with Cheryl Strayed's Wild. Note to anyone interested in reading it, do not download either the Kindle or Google play editions. The Kindle version is an Oprah edition which basically means every second line is underlined because it's supposedly inspirational (ugh) and the Google play book has removed every comma as well as the space between the words that bracketed the comma. Shame on the editors or whatever the digital equivalent is, it's ridiculous and makes a book that I'm not particularly enjoying even harder to read.

PERSONAL:

Like I said above, this month was pretty busy. I had my best friend's wedding (which was beautiful), my birthday (which was relaxing), my birthday dinner (which was delicious) and my birthday party (which rocked). And snice my friend's wedding was back home in Cairns on a Friday and since my birthday was on the following Monday Tom and I decided to spend a week in Cairns enjoying the beautiful weather and pretty outdoors. We spent a lot of time next to water, without actually ever going swimming. So yeah. Busy. I figured I might share a couple of photos from the month for those of you who don't follow me on Instagram or aren't friends with me on facebook. I wish I'd gotten a proper picture of my costume for my birthday party (I was punk/rocker Wonder Woman) but alas all I have to share are 3am battle photos between me and sell-out Superman.

Morning of the big day. How is that for a wedding location!

Bridesmaids

Taking in the sights

Port Douglas - How's the serenity?

Wonder Woman V Superman: Late night brawls 

Kicking ass and taking names

* Stealing this from you Alley! SORRY NOT SORRY

What Kayleigh Did: July

GUYS 2015 IS ONLY 5 MONTHS AWAY. That is terrifying. I can't handle how fast this year has gone.

ME TOO SNAPE. ME TOO.

BOOKS:

What I Read:

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan -review to come
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan -review to come
Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan -review to come
Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan -review to come
Landline by Rainbow Rowell -my review
How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran -my review
Nowhere Men by Eric Stephenson - my review

Book Stats:

50% male / 50% female
75% American / 25% International
70% ebook / 15% audiobook / 15% physical
85% fiction / 15% non-fiction
15% graphic novels / 85% novels

Wow, it's lucky I got hooked onto the Percy Jackson series or I'd have had a pretty miserable month reading wise! A really solid month of books, especially Landline, god I love that book. That book is everything. I've also been busy with the How To Build A Girl readalong which has been a BLAST so far, both in terms of the book and the company. You guys are fabulous (not that you really need me to tell you so).

 Although I've got to say I'm feeling pretty chuffed at the lack of graphic novels on my list. Not that there is anything wrong with them (obvs, since I read so damn many) but it's nice to have a list that isn't made up of 45 minute reads. I am starting the new 52 run of Aquaman though, so expect a whole lot more in my August wrap up post, haha!

I've also just started to listen to Fool by Christopher Moore on audio. The reader is brilliant, I'm sure I'd have loved to read the book properly but Euan Morton is properly excellent. If you've been thinking of picking it up, I'd definitely recommend the audiobook. I'm also slowly making my way through Cheryl Stayed's Wild. It was a quick read to begin with but my interest has dried up a bit. After the readalong ends I'll try to pick up where I left off.

MOVIES/TELEVISION:

Another dry month for visual entertainment. I saw plenty but meh, they weren't anything to write home about.  I was convinced to see the new Hercules and Transformers films by my friends and OMG SO BORED. I was expecting big dumb spectacles from both, at least I should be able to giggle at the stupidity, but they both nearly put me to sleep. They were completely sterile of adventure, fun and wit. Just 0 out of 0 stars.

I saw the Eric Bana horror/drama Deliver Us From Evil. It was a pretty standard exorcism film really, maybe it would have been better at home with a group of friends but it was just sort of...still. And finally, I saw Dawn of the Planet of the Apes which was actually amazing. Like, potentially in my top movies of the year, awesome. The human side of the story was fairly rote, but the story with the apes plus all of the visual effects. Damn son, that was some genuinely decent film-making.

I've mostly been comfort watching. Lots of 30 Rock, It's Always Sunny and Parks and Recreation. Although I did start watching The Witches of East End, Netflix wore me down after recommending it for about 20 weeks straight. It is hilariously camp and stars Julia Ormond so obviously everyone should also watch it.

\Anyway, every second I sit here typing is a second I can't sneak ahead and read ahead in the readalong sections. So I am OUT, yo.

June in review

Another month down guys, where does all the time go?

Let's just jump in, shall we?

BOOKS:

What I Read:

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore (my review)
Psycho by Robert Bloch (my review)
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (review to come)
X-Men: Days of Future Past by Chris Clairmont and John Byrne (my review)
Ms Marvel by G.Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona (my review)
Wonder Woman: Blood by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang and Tony Akins (my review)
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven (review to come)
Captain Marvel: Down by Kelly Sue Deconnick, Christopher Sebela, Dexter Soy and Filipe Andrade (review to come)


Book Stats:

63% male / 37% female
75% American / 25% International
12.5% physical copy / 62.5% ebook / 25% audiobook
100% fiction
63% graphic novels / 37% novels

Big ol' comics month for me. I actually started another half dozen arcs, but since I'm only one or two issues in I didn't bother counting them. If you're after some new comic series to get in on though, definitely check out Warren Ellis' new Trees, The Wicked and the Devine by Kieron Gillen and Ms Marvel, which I've already reviewed and recommended, but seriously, it is tops.

I spent much of the month reading Lamb and listening to Burial Rites and both are brilliant in completely different ways. Listening to Burial Rites was a hell of an experience. Morven Christie is phenomenal, I found myself crying as I drove to work several times because of the way her voice would break as she read. She brought that book to life, so seriously, listen to this book. STAT. Lamb, which I've already reviewed, is hilarious and after I finished I jumped onto Audible to see what books of his were available, so now I am toying with starting Fool straight away, or listening to How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran before we start the readalong of her new book this month. Actually, since typing this I started How to be a Woman and it is fantastic. It's read by Moran, and it is actually the best.

MOVIES/TV:

Not a big month for movies actually. I saw Maleficent with Tom and thought it would have been a lot better if it wasn't based on Sleeping Beauty. If it had just been about a random fairy brutally assaulted by man who then takes revenge on man's daughter and then learns a valuable lesson it could have been poignant and complex, but instead I spent the whole time saying "you can't do that" "that's not how that's supposed to happen" "YOU CHANGED ALL THE IMPORTANT PARTS". And I know, I know, the Disney movie is only loosely based on the actual fairytale but since Maleficent isn't actually in the original fairytale that argument holds little water in my opinion. There is a reason that Wicked works, it's because it gives the story behind the story, it doesn't actually alter the story to make the bad guy a good guy who got screwed over. But Angelina Jolie is flippin' great, and beautiful and obviously having so much fun. I would like to look like her and fly around with giant eagle wings please and thank you.

There is an Australian film out called The Rover. It stars Guy Pierce and Robert Pattinson and is written and directed by David Michod, who also wrote/directed Animal Kingdom, and it is beautiful. Australian drama is such an under-appreciated gem, both here in Australia and overseas. It's always very sparse in terms of dialogue and intent (i.e. there's a lot left to the audience to decide/rationalise) and I think that makes people uncomfortable. Guy Pierce is phenomenal in this, and he's dressed just like my uncles (seriously, cargo shorts, worn-out button down and joggers/boat shoes is basically the uniform of middle class South Australia) which probably won't make you like the movie more/less but now you can visualise what my uncles look like. Also, Robert Pattinson was flippin' great. I've always enjoyed his interviews (his disdain for Twilight is brilliant) but he really impressed me here. I never expected to feel that way about a RPatz performance. 

I binge watched and reviewed Orange is the New Black, so if you have also watched that head over so we can discuss it and share our favourite gifs and moments. It'll be beautiful. 

VIDEOGAMES/MUSIC

I played a bunch of videogames this month. Or, I played two. I played the latest "chapter" of The Wolf Among Us, which is the Telltale Noir detective game based on the Fables graphic novel. It's really excellent, and if you've ever been interested in playing a videogame but weren't sure you would be able to handle the controls or like the full on war or world games then you should look into Telltale. Their games are very storybook-esque (partly since a lot are based on actual graphic novels) and more about the story than just mashing buttons. It's a lot of fun unfolding the story chapter by chapter, and the game is canonical, so you can use it as a jumping off point into the series! I've also caught up on The Walking Dead game by Telltale. I played the bridging episode and started the second season and ugh, it's as heartbreaking as the first. I really don't care for TWD (comic or TV) but the game is superb. Every action you make has consequences and you really feel the weight of you choices. People die around you, a lot of them because of what decision you decide to make. You finish the chapter feeling heavy with it all, which I guess a lot of people wouldn't like, but there's also something really cathartic about it.

I've been listening to Asgeir on repeat over the last two months. He's super-dreamy and his music just seems really wintery so it just feels really appropriate when I sit at my computer with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I also went on a Dolly Parton spree thanks to Laura mentioning the Dolly concert she bought tickets to for her and her mum. Which lead me to the Jolene cover by The White Stripes (which has always been my most favourite of covers) which lead me back into The White Stripes back catalogue, which I haven't listened to for aaaages. So it's been a very 'down the rabbit hole' kinda month for me music-wise.

___________________________

And I think that'll do for this monthly wrap-up. How was everyone's June? 

May: What I read, What I watched, What I did.

Since I have been leaving rather large gaps between reviews I decided a monthly re-cap wouldn't hurt. Not only does it give me an opportunity to finally start making note of my stats (a la What Red  Read) each month, but it also gives me a platform to talk to you all and rubbish on about whatever it is I have going on at the time.

So let's begin!

BOOKS:

What I Read:

Captain Marvel #1 by Kelly Sue Deconnick, Dexter Soy (illustrator) and Emma Rios (illustrator) (my min-review)
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi (my review)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (my review)
Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarksky (illustrator) (review to come)

Book Stats:

25% male / 75% female
75% American / 25% International
25% physical copy / 50% ebook / 25% audiobook
100% fiction
50% graphic novels / 50% novels

Not too shabby for a poor reading month. Granted, I was reading/listening to The Goldfinch for a couple of months all up, so it's almost disingenuous to count it in this months reads when it was mostly done, but eh, what are you gonna do?

For the last week or two I haven't really had the energy to start a new book. When I finish my work for the day, I've felt like a few issues of a comic book are about all I can handle. I just started two new books today though Lamb by Christopher Moore and Psycho by Robert Bloch (audiobook) so hopefully I've managed to put my reading block behind me. Lamb, by the way, is flippin' hilarious. A fantastic book to start the new month's reads with.

MOVIES/TV/SHIZ I WATCH WITH MY PEEPERS:

It's been a kinda big month for movie dates, although I'm sure I'll forget some of them. I went to see Godzilla, X-Men and Bad Neighbours with friends. They all had their good and bad parts. Godzilla deserves some respect for backgrounding the monster fights (there's a particular scene when some army guys are parachuting that's particularly impressive) but they forgot to write actually interesting characters to put in the foreground. I don't have to see 2 giant monsters fight for the entire 2 hours, but the characters actually have to do something if I'm going to watch them instead. Brian Cranston was fab though. X-Men was solid, although there's a lot of "BUT WHY DO THIS INSTEAD OF THAT YOU MEGALOMANIAC" moments which make you shake you head and thank the stars the cast is so attractive (seriously Fassbender, damn SON). Bad Neighbours (called just Neighbours in the states, but you don't have a shitty soap opera to distinguish between) was the crap-coated cherry on a really shitty night,  so I don't feel like I can really say anything. The baby was flippin' great though. Seriously good casting there (and I'm not even lying/joking/being a dick right now).

We had friends over to watch Sinister, which is the Ethan Hawke found footage horror film that just faded into existence. It was a fairly decent film actually, some great scares and the found footage aspect is woven into the story, rather just being a complete fad-grab. I watched Side Effects on Netflix and was disappointed with it, watched Our Idiot Brother on Netflix and yawned a lot and watched half of I Give It A Year on Netflix and felt incredibly insulted. So not a great month for Netflix.

On the other hand, I rewatched the first two seasons of New Girl because I only watched it sporadically the first time around, and while I still have some issues with the show, it's pretty hilarious and has some really great moments. Although I think I'm in the minority who thinks Nick Miller is the least interesting/funny character on the show. I also finally began a Buffy rewatch because it's been 2.5 years since I last went through it and that's FAR TOO LONG.

Egads, look how long this section is. See what I mean when I say I'm favouring TV/film over books at the moment?!

LIFE JUNK:

I'm planning a hens night as we speak and guys, it is hard! I'm not a big fan of the penis straws and sashes, but it's not my hens so I have to somehow toe a line that gives everyone the tacky/silly fun they expect from a hens while not being so atrocious that I want to die. It's sapping my will to live you guys. Nah, in truth I'm excited to get to do this for my friend, but there is definitely a certain amount of AGHHHHHHH to the whole thing.

My house decorating is coming together. I tried to tackle my library/spare room today and got as far as taking all the books and DVDS of the shelf before collapsing on the couch and giving up. The idea of rearranging furniture is far more fun than actually rearranging furniture. But I did manage to shift the shelves ever so slightly, so it wasn't a complete waste of my time.

And I think that's it. I can't really think of anything else to touch on. I wanted to write a bit about misogyny and feminism in the wake of the US shootings last week, but I think I'd just end up yelling in CAPS and crying so I might leave that for a few weeks before even attempting it. I will send you all over to this article at Jezebel though, where Erin Gloria Ryan spent a day in the MRA/PUA chatroom that the man-who-shall-not-be-named frequented and the results are truly chilling. It's not a pleasant read, but it's a handy article to have in your arsenal if anyone tries to suggest that this crime had nothing to do with rampant misogyny and issues of entitlement.

Uhhhhh, what a downer to end on. QUICK KAYLEIGH, THINK OF SOMETHING UPBEAT.

*Tap dances away*

End of Year Book Survey

I gave up my monthly wrap-up posts around June because I didn't feel like I was achieving enough to document it, but now I'm kinda glad because it means I can take part in Jamie's End of Year Book Survey.

So here's a bunch of questions about the books I read this year, the bookish and bloggy things I did, and a couple of things I want to do for next year. Enjoy!


Best in Books 2012

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

 Dracula by Bram Stoker,
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

A definite tie. They're completely different books, but both were phenomenal reads and ones that I had put off reading for ages. If you've been umming and ahhhing about either, stop it, just read them!

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn't?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

While I really liked the series overall, I was really disappointed with the first book in the series. I think it was mostly because of how similar it was to Battle Royale, but it was probably also because of how hyped it was by everyone. Everyone should still read it, but yeah, little disappointed.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

Gerald's Game by Stephen King

This was one of the King books I picked up at a book sale, but had never really heard anything about. I ended up freaking loving it (except the ending) and was so relieved to see King write a nuanced and realistic female character for once.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

The Game of Thrones Series by George R. R. Martin

WHY HAVEN'T YOU GUYS READ THIS YET!! COME ON ALREADY! YOU'LL LOVE IT!

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

 Locke and Key by Joe Hill (words) Gabriel Rodriguez (art)

This series, you guys, is so god damn good. It is so well-structured, well-written and well-crafted. I am exploding with excitement for the final installment. So good. Seriously.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Joe Hill (Locke and Key), Cormac McCarthy (The Road), Yuvi Zalkow (A Brilliant Novel in the Works) and Hilary Mantel (Wolf Hall).

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

The dystopian nature of this book is definitely in my comfort zone, but the YA focus and general style of book definitely isn't one I usually choose for myself. It definitely had its problems, but I really enjoyed it for the most part.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

While I had problems with the series and wasn't enthralled with the first book I read them all in a single weekend while I back home in Cairns. If that doesn't equal thrilling and unputdownable then I don't what would!

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Carrie (in Carrie by Stephen King)

She's such an interesting and tortured character. I love her.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

This book is hauntingly beautiful. It's very dark and extremely grim, but the language is transcendent.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

A Brilliant Novel in the Works by Yuvi Zaklow
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

ABNitW in regards to emotionally chewing me up and spitting me out and Wolf Hall for reigniting a passion of mine for history.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

Carrie by Stephen King
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Dracula by Bram Stoker

But seriously, most of them?! Too many books, too little time!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel -longest at 651 pages
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett -shortest at 120 pages  (excluding comics)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

I'm pretty sure there were some MAJOR scenes in all three books that made me go WTF, OMG, ALL MY CREYS, and SERIOUSLY?!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

The family dynamic between the Lockes, and the friends that they make are warm, real and complex. Love them.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

The Running Man by Stephen King

This book probably ties it with Carrie as my favourite Stephen King book of the year. Really solid story, epic adventure and so much darkness and anger.

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

American Vampire by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Stephen King (issue one only)

Tom came home with the first trade and was like "Kayleigh, you need to read this. It's Scott Snyder, Stephen King and has awesome non-Twilight-y vampires" He could have just said Stephen King, but whatever I read it and I loved the whole thing.

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012 

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?

There are a couple. I love that Gabe is finally back and blogging, but I've been a fan of hers for ages. I also really enjoy the blogs of Annabel Smith and Reading Rambo, and a bunch more but it's hard to remember when I started following everyone!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

It's probably a tie between my review of The Road by Cormac McCarthy and Ugly to Start With by John Michael Cummings. They were two of my favourite reads this year, and I loved trying to get under the skin of the text and really bring the story to life in my review.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

The Hunger Games posts probably elicited the most discussion on the blog, and it was always interesting to see how differently people came at the series. But one of my favourites was probably a little one-sided. It was my "7 Ways to Keep Reading While You're Writing a PhD Thesis" and it was very carthartic to work through it all and sort out my work/reading balance.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

Hmmmm, maybe when I spruiked Hunter S. Thompson to absolutely everyone on Laura's (Devouring Texts) blog? Or some of the more social issue related discussion over at Gabe's two blogs (Gabriel Reads and The Mind of Gabe).

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

The Brisbane Writer's Festival is always a highlight, and this year was no different. I got to meet a bunch of authors, bookish volunteers, and see some fascinating talks and presentations.

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Working out how to balance it with my post-grad studies. It seems like such a small thing, but for awhile there I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to read enough to continue my blog, so it's amazing to be able to do both.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Probably my Hunger Games posts for the three books and the film. I loved writing them, and I loved the mini-discussions in the comments sections.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Can I say all of them? I really want to get to a point where there is more content in the comments than in the reviews. I want to start conversations and debates and really tease apart the book in question - that's something I'll work on for next year.

I was also quote proud of my "Trying to make sense of the book blogger 'verse" post, since it helped me really work through a few issues I was having with the book blog world. So a few more page views would have been nice :)

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

All the bookish etsy stores, I have so many pretty prints, cards, jewellery and paraphernalia in my favourites - I might explode if I don't buy something soon! Seriously, just search for your favourite book/author/film on etsy and you will find the most amazing arts and crafts celebrating them!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Only my Goodreads Books in 2012 challenge. I actually beat my set amount several times and kept raising it. My other two challenges were pretty sad attempts!

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

I will get to this one day!!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Gun Machine by Warren Ellis

Warren Ellis is a literary god.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

Gain a bigger readership and have larger discussions on my posts. I want a sense of community!

March Wrap-up

March was a difficult reading month for me. I found myself drawn to graphic novels or TV shows and stumbled over the same sentence time and time again when I tried to read. So it's been pretty slow, but I managed to add another book to each of my challenges (*ahem* they might have been the same book that works for both...) so it wasn't too bad! How did everyone else go this month?

Hosted by Booking in Heels

Aim:
10 books and 1 film.

Progress:
3 books and the film

Books Read:
The Invisible Man by H.G Wells - A short read, but surprisingly humorous and one that I really enjoyed.
Read review here.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen -film review - Quite different from the graphic novel, but a well-fleshed out story. I enjoyed the larger cast and the sets and costumes were amazing.
read review here.

Next to read:
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Hosted by Curiosity Killed the Bookworm

Aim:
One sci-fi book a month.

Progress:
I used my League of read as my Sci-fi challenge book this month.

Books read:
The Invisible Man by H.G Wells -see above

Next to read:
 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

Aim:
50

Progress:
31 read so far.

Books read:
Ugly to Start with by John Michael Cummings - A patchwork quilt of a coming of age story. I really enjoyed this one. It's up there in my top 2012 reads.
Read review here.

Daphne and the Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society by Robert Shields - A different approach to a YA magic tale. It has some problems, but overall a decent read.
Read review here.

Locke and Key by Joe Hill - A great graphic novel series by Stephen King's son.
Read mini-review here.

Anything New:


*I'll probably be posting only one review a week now thanks to the business of my Phd schedule, but I'm going to attempt to add a discussion post in place of the other review. I'll just have to take it as I go.

*I'm after some recommendations of new books to read. Any genre, any length, any topic. What have you read and loved? What MUST I read?

February Wrap-Up

How was everyone's February? I was so busy! I had my sisters both staying with me, I went back to uni, I had to set up our home office, it's been disgustingly hot and rainy, and I went up to Cairns for a weekend! Somewhere in the midst of that I managed to get a bit of reading done (amazing right!). My blogging has slowed down in the last month in anticipation for how full on this year will be for me. I'll continue to have Monday links and Fanart Friday each week, but I'll only be posting two reviews a week, most likely on Tuesday and Saturday. I'd love to keep reviewing with the vigour I've been reviewing with up till this point, but I think this will be much more sustainable as my uni commitments increase. This way I should be able to keep going like this, rather than have to break for a month at a time. Anyway, hope you all had wonderful time reading this February!

Hosted byBooking in Heels

 Aim:
10 books and 1 film.

Progress:
2 books and the film

Books Read:
Dracula by Bram Stoker - I can't believe I haven't read this before! I absolutely loved it, it's exactly what a supernatural horror/thriller should be.
Review to come

Next to read:
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Hosted by Curiosity Killed the Bookworm

Aim:
One sci-fi book a month.

Progress:
I read the Hunger Games trilogy this month since the group read was a book I've already read.

Books read:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - All of you bloggers didn't let me down! I loved it! I found it similar to some other stories out there, but I really enjoyed it.
Read my review here

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Probably my favourite of the series, I found this one fresh, fast-paced and action packed.
Read my review here

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - I had some real problems with this one, but it's definitely still a must read.
review to come

Next to read:
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.

Aim:
50

Progress:
24 read so far.

Books read:
The Fog by James Herbert - Both great and not so great. A fantastic horror concept and some wonderful short character vignettes but the army aspect wasn't really my cup of tea.
Read review here.

Drift by Andrew Cyrus Hudson - An author requested read. A different story, a blend of horror with family drama with a healthy dose of musical influences.
Read review here.

Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk - A real let down. The rushed story and wishy-washy characters made for a forgettable read.
Read review here.

Anything New:
*I've started accepting films for review and my first post was of three films by director Jeremiah Kipp. Click through to read the reviews and for the links to watch the short films.


*Be sure to check over at my horror blog for Asian Horror Month!

January Wrap-up

Can you believe we're already one month down in 2012? It's raced by so quickly, probably because of the 1000 things I had to get done this month. While I made the most of my remaining holiday by reading everything possible and watching all the films and TV series I'd been meaning too, I also worked, celebrated Tom's birthday, helped my sister find a new house, let her stay with me for a few weeks, organised this year's uni schedule, started up a new exercise regime and tried to introduce more healthy food into our house. Pheww! 2012 has started off fantastically, and I can't wait to see where the rest of the year takes me!

Hosted by Booking in Heels 

Aim:
10 books and 1 film.
Progress:
Completed the graphic novel so far, the other books are waiting eagerly in my bookshelf to be read.

Books Read:
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (graphic novel) by Alan Moore - These two volumes were a little hit and miss for me, but the inclusion of well-known literary characters was a definite highlight for me.
Read review here.

Next to read: Dracula by Bram Stoker.

Hosted by Curiosity Killed the Bookwork

Aim:
One sci-fi book a month.

Progress:
One book down, this month I joined in the group reading choice, but I'm not sure if I'll be staying on this path each month.

Books read:
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes - A great start to the challenge. Sci-fi light, but interesting and chock-full of concepts and ideas that had me very intrigued.
Read my review here

Next to read: TBA. Something by Philip K. Dick I think.

                                                         
Aim: 50

Progress: 12 read so far.

Books read:
Stardust by Neil Gaiman - A new favourite. This book rekindled all the love I had in my childhood for magical stories of unicorns, elves, league boots and adventures.
Read review here.

All Her Father's Guns by James Warner - One of the first review books I read for the year. Biting satire that leaves no one untouched.
Read review here.

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin - Just as great as the film. Subtly creepy, and an interesting look at life in the 1960s.
Read review here.

Anything New:
*I took part in a readathon the other weekend. It was a mini 12 hour task that I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in. You can read up on my progress in my progress reports for part one, two, three and four (which includes the challenges). Thanks to Sarah, of Sarah Says Read for hosting!

*I was accepted into the Phd project at my uni, so it looks like I'll be a student once again! I can't wait to begin, but I hope it doesn't mean I have to slow down my blogging too much!

December and 2011 Wrap-up

So that's it. 2011 is no more. Kaput. finite. done. complete. disappearing in the rearview mirror. It's been a momentous year for many reasons, but perhaps the biggest for me has been this blog. Even though I started this blog last July, it wasn't until February of this year that I had any clear vision of it being a book blog. Since then I've read 75 books (not including text books), published 50 book reviews, 10 film reviews, taken part in 25 Top 10 Tuesday memes, hosted a Harry Potter Countdown challenge/meme, started Fanart Friday, gained 118 wonderful readers (and friends), and received about 6 or 7 books from authors requesting reviews. Along with that I'm also more active on Goodreads, Twitter and tumblr thanks to the blogging community and I've had (and continue to have) an absolute ball!

Hosted by Two Bibliomaniacs 

Aim:
8 books and 8 films.

Progress:
Completed!

News/Notes:
I so nearly didn't make this one! It was a little bit chaotic trying to read the books and watch the films all while Christmas was rolling in, but somehow I managed to finish I Am Legend with one day to spare! I probably would have been finished earlier if it wasn't for me losing my copy of I Am Legend around Christmas time. All the mess and craziness caused by Christmas, wrapping gifts and having both my mum and sister come down to stay made it very difficult to find just about anything!

Books Read:
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - Simply one of the greatest novels ever written. I can't recommend it enough.
Read review here.

Films watched:
Blade Runner, starring Harrison Ford, Sean Young and Rutger Hauer - Killer sci-fi/fantasy film, though it diverges quite significantly from the book. Definitely try to get either the Director's Cut or the Final Cut if you're considering giving it a watch.
read review here.

The Exorcist, starring Ellen Burstyn and Max Von Sydow - It's aged surprisingly well, unlike some older horror films I can completely understand why this terrified an entire generation. Closer to the book that I'd realised.
read review here.

I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. What a steaming pile of crap. Seriously, don't waste your time with this rubbish. It gives the book a bad name.
read review here.

Challenge Highlights:
I really loved this challenge because it introduced me to a few books and movies that I perhaps would have skipped over otherwise. I enjoyed all the reads I took on but my absolute favourites were Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and the graphic novel adaptation of The Great Gatsby by Nicki Greenberg. They were phenomenal, especially Never Let Me Go. Even now I occasionally stop and think about that book and get a little teary. Other than I Am Legend, I also loved the films I chose to watch. But I think best of all was that all the films (I Am Legend excluded), even those which diverged from the book's plot slightly (or in some cases significantly) really maintained the true essence of the novel, and in no way had me exclaiming "The book is sooooo much better" or "They completed screwed up the film adaptation, idiots!" Overall a great challenge, thanks Two Bibliomaniacs for hosting!

Hosted by GabrielReads

Aim:
Avid Reader (2 books per month)- changed from the original aim of casual reader (1 book per month)

Progress:
11 books in total, or in other words, I failed dismally. I just ran out of time, and since most of my books left in my TBR pile are epic tomes that were destined to take a fair chunk of time it was just not meant to be. On the other hand, I did manage to read at least one book each month (except September and October due to thesis overload) and complete my original aim of casual reader (1 book per month).

Books read:
How I Became a Famous Novelist by Steve Hely - A lot more interesting than I'd expected. A funny and somewhat cynical look at the publishing industry but at it's heart it has a punch to it.
read review here.

Challenge Highlights:
I really loved this challenge, even if I didn't complete it. It really pushed me to pick up some of those books that have been gaining far too much dust on my shelves, and I managed to discover some real treasures while I was at it. The absolute highlight would have had to be The Doctor is Sick by Anthony Burgess. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it was a fantastic discovery to see that Burgess definitely did have more than one great book in him and my fears of branching into his other work were stupid! A huge, massive thanks to the blogger who was responsible for providing the motivation to read these 11 books, Gabe!

Aim:75

Progress:Completed!

Books read:
The Vagabond Kingby James Conway -A really lovely coming of age story sent to me by the author. A real surprise treasure.
Read review here.

Girlsby the Luna Brothers- An interesting, if flawed, first book in a series of graphic novels about a town that has a rather weird invasion. Annoying ex-girlfriend is annoying.
Read review here.

The Goon by Eric Powell - Absolutely brilliant. Funniest and funnest (I know, I know, it isn't a word) graphic novel I've read all year.
read review here.

Challenge highlights: I really branched out this year, reading from a variety of genres and formats. A huge highlight was definitely discovering the George R.R. Martin A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series (Beginning with A Game of Thrones). I think that's perhaps the fastest I've ever devoured an entire series, I barely came up for air between book 1 and book 5! Other than that, I just really enjoyed how much reading I managed to get through, and the fantastic new authors I discovered.


Anything New:
*A little self-promotion to end the year on! Other than this blog, you can find me on twitter, goodreads, tumblr and taking part in my other blogHail Horror, Hail.