October 2020 Reading Blog

Hey guys! For now, doing reading vlogs on Youtube has just taken too much time, so for now I’m going to stick to the simplicity of the Reading Blog. Here are some of the stories/books that I’ve been imaginatively consuming this last month…

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

As a “remedy” for her mental illness, a young woman’s doctor husband locks her in her room, with the foreboding wallpaper that she watches to pass the time. But as she stares at it day and night, she soon feels that it is watching her. This short story has much in the way of psychological realism that voiced an underlying degression of sanity. Though it was a quick read, there was a lot of emotion, symbolism, and imagery packed into it, so I will probably read it again to understand more about what the shapes and images of the wallpaper represent to the speaker.

All Hallows Eve Collection (A Timeless Romance Anthology)

I only read one and half stories from this book before it was due back at the library. I guess that there were just books I wanted to read that took precedence over this one, but I plan to continue on with it sometime later this year.

Women of the Woods Anthology

My biased opinion would say that the story “The Witch of Willow Wood” was my favorite—being my own—but I also enjoyed some of the other stories I read from this collection that set the mood for Halloween. Some of these stories were a bit disturbing—partly because I found myself reading them late at night and partly because of the gory/spooky content, but overall, I have liked the stories I’ve read and plan to finish reading the rest of them this month.

Gladiator (audiobook)

Being a fan of the movie, I downloaded this to listen to in my car since I’ve had a recent hankering to watch the film again but thought that maybe this time I would read the book and see how it compares. I wonder if the story was written after or before the movie, because the dialogue in the book was basically word for word and the descriptions sounded like they were taken from the movie (or vice versa). I think this book was based off of the movie, and the original pre-film book by Richard Watkins is still out there somewhere; still, I’m glad I was able to take this unique opportunity to listen to this classic sad yet inspirational tale instead of just watching it.

The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

I have yet to finish this book; it is getting quite interesting, but I have been reading other things while putting this one on hold for a bit. I decided to buy the book and return my other copy to the library, so I think procrastination has set it since I no longer have a “deadline”.

Without the Mask by Charlie Bird

I’ve also put this one on hold, mainly because the time I spent reading it during the slow days at work have now been replaced by seasonal business. So, hopefully I can some back to this one and finish it…How is he going to conclude this memoir?

A Hangman’s Diary by Franz Schmidt

This one I ordered from Thriftbooks, since I finally was able to get a free book with my points and this was one I have been wanting to read for quite a while. After skimming the beginning of “The Faithful Executioner” on Amazon, which was based off of this journal of a 16th century German executioner, I knew I wanted to read it. Not much has been said about the lives/humanity of the executioners themselves, just the victims that have died by their hand. I’ve always been interested in the history of prison reform, so it’s been very enlightening to read about the politics and procedures of law enforcement in this period of time when the justice system was still so rudimentary and botched. I’m only on page 34 and am still reviewing the customs and methods used to extract confessions but hope in this book to learn more about the life of Schmidt himself.

So those are the books I’ve read, am reading, and plan to read this coming month. If you have any feedback or suggestions for future reading, please let me know. Happy Reading everybody!

Movie Review: Netflix’s “Rebecca”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

There were things I liked better in the movie and things I liked better in the book, but overall, I think there was an even judgment on my part between the what the portrayals of the book and the movie did well.

From Imdb.com

For those of you who are not familiar with the classic gothic tale, Rebecca is a story about a young woman who falls in love with an older gentleman named Maxim and begins her life as mistress of his sizable family estate of Manderley. Maxim’s first wife Rebecca had recently died under mysterious circumstances and the longer our protagonist resides at the manor, the more she feels the woman’s eerie presence grow stronger.

From Imdb.com

In the film, Lily James portrays the young protagonist—who, like in the book, remains nameless—and Maxim is played by Armie Hammer. I think they each did a good job, though I think Lily portrayed her character a bit more naïve than I originally imagined her character to be; it may have been due to the lack of first-person narration (absent except for at the film’s introduction and conclusion). I also think they casted Maxim a little younger than I previously imagined him; I thought he would have looked at least 25 or so years older than our protagonist.

From Imdb.com
From Imdb.com

As for the other characters, I liked the portrayal of Jack Favell—done by actor Sam Riley, who I enjoyed seeing again in scenes with Lily James after their hilariously compatible chemistry in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I also applauded the presentation of the psychotic Mrs. Davers performed by actress Dame Kristin Scott Thomas. Her sallow countenance and her subtle hints at her sinister nature convinced me that this was one character who was portrayed right on the nose.

I also liked how we never see Rebecca’s face and have to imagine who she was based off of the stories Maxim and others told about her. It keeps us asking, “who’s narration is more reliable?” which adds depth to the overall mystery.

From Imdb.com

Book vs. Film Comparison

(interpretation based off of my reading of the abridged audiobook)

Beginning. There is a lot more exposition about the development of Maxim and his new wife’s relationship in the film versus the book. We see more of their courtship as well as some of the back history of our protagonist.

Ending. We also get a more closure-filled wrap-up instead of a hefty cliffhanger like we get in the book. The film concludes with the destruction of Manderley, but we also see what happens to Mrs. Danvers, Favell, Maxim, and our protagonist after its destruction.

From Imdb.com

Overall, I enjoyed this interpretation and would watch it again. I have yet to see the other film adaptations of Rebecca that have been previously done but I plan to watch them, not only because I am a fan of the story, but so I may make further comparisons about how people interpret this classic tale.

Content Advisory

Language:2/5 (swearing a couple of times; words like “da*n”)
Sex:2/5 (sensuality; one make out scene; sex is implied but not shown)
Violence/Gore:2/5 (suspense; violence is more talked about than shown)
Drugs/Alcohol:4/5 (smoking)

New Story Published! “The Witch of Willow Wood”, published in Fabled Collective’s Women of the Woods Anthology

Earlier this month Fabled Collective published a new spooky anthology centered around women of the woods including witches, wanderers, and other mysterious beings. My story “The Witch of Willow Wood” is included along with 13 other stories involving fairytale spin-offs and original tales about gingerbread houses, bird-like necromancers, and many more tales set in or around woodlands. Get your copy via e-book or paperback in time for Halloween!

“Only the brave enter the woods—those who aren’t afraid of witches, shapeshifters, curses, and darkness. In this delightfully eerie anthology, only the fearless survive. These spooky, fantastic, and gothic tales will remind you that bedtime stories—those read in the dark—are for adults too.”

–Amazon summary

Throwback Thursday: 5 Chilling Stories from Childhood I Still Re-read

Wait Till Helen Comes, by Mary Downing Hahn

Wait Til Helen Comes, by Mary Downing Hahn: When I was in my preteens, my mom took us to the library at least once every couple of weeks. Between listening to Harry Potter and Goosebumps on tape, I found myself wandering through the middle school reader “ghost story” section quite often. I think this was when my curiosity and interest in the macabre/ghost stories began. While I always sought to find something new in this section, I was always happy to find this title. For years, the book never lost my interest. Simple, yet captivating, I liked that the protagonist was the one who was not necessarily haunted but sought to protect her willful and angry stepsister from this malevolent spirit all the same—despite her own fears of the ghost and her own distrust in her sister. Bonus: I guess in 2017 they made it into a movie! Who knew?

Artwork by Eden Celeste

“The Highwayman” Poem, by Alfred Noyes

This poem always cropped up throughout my life. I remember being introduced to it during my Anne of Green Gable movie phase. Sitting there listening to Megan Follows recite such a morbid, yet entrancing poem, I instantly became curious about it. Who wrote it? What was it truly about? Was it a true story? But I wouldn’t learn more about it until eighth grade when we would read it in class. This sounds awfully familiar, I thought, and then remembered where from. I didn’t think I could be captivated anymore by the words, cadence, and tragedy of the poem until my teacher played Loreena McKennitt’s musical adaptation of “The Highwayman”. After that class, whenever I was struggling for writing ideas or wanting something in the background while I wrote my gothic/ghost tales, I played this song or another one of McKennitt’s poetic adaptations. Fast-forward to 2015. During my eighteen months serving as a missionary for my church, I met a man who painted scenes from the bible and the Book of Mormon and also a series of paintings revolving around—of all things—the poem “The Highwayman”. This is one poem that will always continue to pop up because it is one of those timeless treasures.

Horror at the Haunted House, by Peg Kehret

A girl gets a job at a “haunted house” for Halloween to scare suspecting visitors, but of course she soon finds out that this house really is haunted and there is something far more nefarious afoot than scaring paying thrill-seekers. I don’t know what it is about this book, but it wasn’t the type that was a one-read-and-done kind of story. Being someone who wasn’t a big fan of reading at the time, it was a quick read that made me delighted to finally finish a book. Especially one that held a mystery, an engaging protagonist, and, of course, a ghost.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare

This is the book that first piqued my interest in the Salem Witch trials and my interest in books by Elizabeth George Speare…maybe even my interest in the genre of historical fiction, too. Reading it left me with more questions: Did this really happen? Who were these people and why was there such fear about those who were innocent? What would I have done in this situation? Finding out that stories like these were based off of true events boggled my brain and I wanted to find out more!

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd

There’s something about the prospect of floating inanimate objects following me that never fails to creep me out. And this book definitely paints the perfect picture of it, literally. I don’t think that the author and illustrator meant to creep readers out this much, but I sure was as a kid. However, I love the story about a stubborn old lady who bested such creepiness and how the authors invited readers to involve themselves in the story by “clap clapping” and making the sounds of the objects while reading the story. I’ve also always been a fan of illustrated books who hide little Easter eggs here and there at the beginning that will be showcased later in the book like this one does. Overall, I appreciate this book because it shows kids how to be brave in scary situations…especially when you are scared. For those curious children’s book readers, there’s a read-a-long version here.

5 Weird Underrated Halloween Movies You Should Watch At Least Once

Some movies just stick with you, even if they don’t have the best cinematography, effects, or even script. Below are some Halloween-related ones that I still watch every year. What underrated Halloween movies are your favorites?

Van Helsing (PG-13)

From Imdb.com

I don’t know if it’s the tragic almost-love story, the combination of some of my favorite gothic book characters, the studly Hugh Jackman—or a combination of all three—but I never seem to get tired of this movie. The action sequences, special effects (sort of), dramatic acting (mostly), and mystery embedded in this film made me wonder why I didn’t know about it until I found it playing on the Syfy channel one day back when we had cable. Sure, the storyline is a bit over the top and the cheesy one-liners can get the gag-reflexes going, not to mention some of the costumes are a bit impractical, but I think it’s still a pretty entertaining movie.

The Brothers Grimm (PG-13)

THE BROTHERS GRIMM, Heath Ledger, Matt Damon, 2005, (c) Dimension Films

This weird, grim (of course), disturbingly puzzling, almost Tim-Burton-esk plot never fails to keep me glued to the screen in anticipation. I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch Matt Damon and his “brother” Heath Ledger fight the forces of evil to save a German village from the twisted spells of a fairytale queen? I would advise you though, not to watch it right before going to sleep…unless you want some really warped dreams.

The Little Vampire (PG)

(Not the animated one)

From Imdb.com

I think the acting, costumes, Scottish scenery, and fun characters compensate for the cheesy special effects and storyline that viewers may make of this 2000 family film. Since I’m naturally a history buff, especially for the medieval & renaissance era, I appreciate the main character’s journey through the past to help a new vampire friend and his vampire family discover how they can become human again.

The Others (PG-13)

From Imdb.com

Though the cast is limited and the setting singular, I like the individual journeys the characters take in this film to discover how the recent supernatural occurrences in their home are tied to a past event that afflicted their family long ago. Plus, a twist to the story sums up the built-up suspense we see throughout the rest of the movie, which is always a suspenseful movie plus.

The Village (PG-13)

From Imdb.com

Despite how some of you might feel about M. Night Shyamalan (*cough* The Last Airbender *cough*), I’ve been a fan of his suspense dramas and the plot twists they provide. Though this film is a bit slow in some parts—and even though I already know what the end-twist is going to be each time I watch it—it’s one that still keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Book Review: Rebecca (Abridged Version)

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I can’t believe it took me this long to finally read this classic gothic tale (one that is so short, yet so captivating), but I’m happy I finally did…especially in time for the Netflix film adaption coming out this month! I would like to delve into the unabridged version eventually…but I hope I won’t be disappointed compared to this version.

Summary

A young woman falls in love with an older gentleman, whose wife Rebecca recently died under mysterious circumstances. However, things soon turn eerie when our protagonist arrives at the manor where Rebecca passed away and soon realizes that her presence has not entirely gone.

Likes

Reserved descriptions. While not a lot of people may not agree with me, the author never reveals the details of exactly what atrocities Rebecca had committed, just that she had committed them. The author’s refrain from certain descriptions helped me to infer for myself what kind of a person she truly was without necessarily telling me. I’ve always been a fan of authors who invite readers to fill in the gaps of a story with their imagination.

First-person narrative. The fact that the story is told from the POV of the new wife is the perfect omniscient choice, since it puts the reader and the protagonist in the same boat regarding what they know about the mystery surrounding Maxim, Rebecca, and their friends, servants, and neighbors.

Dislikes

Length. The only thing that really bugged me about the abridged version was how short it was. I knew an abridgment was going to be short, but the one I listened to was about half the length. I got to the abrupt ending and then asked, “where’s the rest of it?” wanting to know more. Still, I think this version is one used by teachers and readers who do not want an overabundance of information (like myself); just the solid beginning, middle, and end communicated.

Recommendation

Packed with great storytelling, mysterious characters, and a chilling mystery, I would recommend this book to lovers of gothic classics, suspense fans, and all-out mystery-readers. I would also recommend this to teachers who are introducing gothic literature to high school or college freshman. It is an easy read and contains quite a few gothic elements: romance, a gloomy setting, the supernatural, psychological terror, and mystery. For those of you who like listening to stories, especially gothic ones like this one, I listened to one of the versions in the public domain via YouTube. Actress Alex Kingston also narrates a version here.

Movie Review: Netflix’s “Enola Holmes”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

(Disclaimer: This review contains SPOILERS. This is my own rating and my own personal opinions about the film)

Meet the charismatic, unconventional teenage sister of infamous detective Sherlock Holmes.

From Imdb.com

Upon finding her mother missing, who is the one person who has always been the one constant in her life, young Enola Holmes uses the crime-solving skills her mother has taught her to solve her disappearance. On her way she runs into a teenage lord named Tewkesbury who she finds is more trouble than he is worth. While he is escaping the oppression of his family’s conflicting expectations, there is also a madman hired to kill him. Enola soon discovers that her own story and that of the teenage lord are connected so does all she can to help solve the mysteries of each, even amidst the danger that has made her a target as well.

Dislikes

  • Henry Cavill as Sherlock Holmes. I’m kind of conflicted on this one. Maybe it’s because I already have the image of Robert Downing Jr. in my mind as the charismatic yet eccentric detective from the Guy Ritchie films, but I felt that Cavill’s performance was rather off. In contrast, I actually enjoyed Sam Claflin’s portrayal of Mycroft, who made his character so dislikeable, I found myself rooting for the toned-down and somewhat modest Sherlock portrayal. Well done, Claflin.
From Imdb.com
  • Breaking the third wall. This may be a necessary strategy to tell Enola’s story in the book, but it got distracting in the movie. I’m glad they toned down Enola’s constant dialogue with the camera as the film progressed, instead resorting to simply side-glancing at the audience during dramatic or emotional scenes. However, I found myself taken out of the story more than I would have liked as she broke from the story to tell us what she was thinking or was happening (even though we just saw it). It sort of cheesed up the story.  
  • Convenience throughout the plot. It seemed like a lot of the events that occurred were more convenient than practical. Some examples include Enola’s advantages when fighting Linthorn, the fact that Enola found the one person who could sway the votes in favor of her mother’s goal for England’s future, and of course Tewkesbury’s “surprise” survival after the final confrontation with Linthorn and the Dowager. However, the story contained enough unclear clues to drive the plot, which kept me watching.

Likes

  • Millie Bobby Brown’s performance. I am unfamiliar with the other projects she has done (if any), but I liked what she did with this character. Enola’s immature yet intellectual attitude and courageous yet fearful nature at times was well-executed. For example, although lines or events in the story were cheesy at times, she didn’t allow any of that cheese to impact her performance of the unorthodox daughter of an even more unorthodox mother.
  • The love story that never (maybe) was. I both liked and disliked where the love story went; I appreciated the fact that a solid friendship seemed to have developed between Enola and Tewkesbury, yet I felt that the love story was lacking. While it seems important for the protagonist to shine her independent freedom in this movie, I kind of would have liked to see them get together in a more obvious light. But then again, they are just teenagers, so who it was nice to conclude with that mystery…quite fitting for a Holmes.
From Imdb.com
  • Cinematography. Stunning! The creators also picked beautiful/fitting settings for each scene. From an entertainment standpoint, there was not one setting I didn’t like or I thought believable for what was happening in the scene. The camera angles also brought believability and depth to each shot whether the scenes were filmed at an aerial view, from the back, or in a hodgepodge of drawings, photos, or flashbacks.
  • Costumes. I recently watched a YouTube review from Karolina Żebrowska about the historical accuracy of the costumes in this film and somewhat agree with her comment that they are “a complete mess, but also kind of fun” (0:14) timeline-wise. While the majority of the women’s costumes seemed to align with late 19th century standards, to me the men’s costumes looked more Edwardian (starched collars, etc.). But I’m a fan of costumes from both the 19th and the early 20th century so the costumes’ occasional lack of “historical accuracy” didn’t bug me too much.
From Imdb.com
  • Fun story. While it contained more elements of feminism than I would have liked, this film contained many ideas that were being newly advocated in the Victorian Era, ideas that may seem redundant to some (like myself). However, framing these ideas in the era in which many women and few men were for supporting made a memorable impact. The language was mild, the message about freedom was powerful, and though there was violence in parts (hence the PG-13 rating), scenes containing nudity or sexuality were absent.

Recommendation

Overall, I liked this movie. If you are looking for a fun literary spin-off film to watch with the family that you don’t want to take too seriously, nor worry about naughty scenes or bad language, then I recommend this one!

Content Advisory
Language: 1/5
Sex: 0/5
Violence/Gore: 2.5/5
Drugs/Alcohol: 2.5/5 (smoking)

September 2020 Book Vlog

Happy Autumn! As you can probably guess, there were a lot of books/stories I delved into this month! I’ve listed them and their authors below. Feel free to read more detailed reviews of some of these books on my blog. Happy Reading!

Teaching the Literature Survey Course, by Gwynn Dujardin (et al)

The Literature Workshop, by Sheridan D. Blau

Teaching Literature, by Elaine Showalter

Why Literature?, by Cristina Vischer Bruns

The Bone Houses, by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The Lady and the Highwayman, by Sarah M. Eden

Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier

The Rope Trick, by Lloyd Alexander

A Timeless Romance Anthology: All Hallows Eve Collection

The Red Necklace, by Sally Gardner

Without the Mask: Coming Out and Coming into God’s Light, by Charlie Bird

Book Review: The Lady and the Highwayman, by Sarah M. Eden

OVERVIEW

Personally, I’m usually not a fan of the cliches contained in today’s Jane Austenian takes on “proper romance” historical novels. Don’t get me wrong, I would prefer to read/write a clean romance instead of a dirty one, especially in my favorite genre of historical fiction, but (like any book) it usually takes a very well-written clean romance with likable main characters and an engaging plot to get me hooked. These are elements where I think many books labelled “proper romances” fall a short, unfortunately. For those of you, like me, who have trouble getting into these novels, The Lady and The Highwayman has a very different mood from other proper romance novels I have come across. For example, instead of taking place in Regency times, it takes place in Victorian London and instead of containing a predictable romance plot, the love story comes second to a much larger—and frankly, more important—plot.

AUTHOR

Sarah M. Eden has written over 50 proper romance novels and novellas and this story has inspired me to give other proper romances another chance. Apparently, Eden has written another “Proper Romance Victorian” titled Ashes on the Moor and has another one coming out in November 2020 titled The Gentleman and the Thief. I look forward to reading those and see what other Victorian Romances she and other authors comes up with!

SUMMARY

Penny dreadful author Mr. King’s popularity threatens to eclipse the novels of Fletcher Walker and his author comrades of the secret Dread Penny Society, a group of men who have sworn to use the profits made from their penny dreadful novels to eliminate the injustices forced upon the children of London slums. However, Mr. King’s true identity, a schoolteacher named Elizabeth Black, has an agenda of her own. Using her profits to help educate young girls and protect them from the nefarious agendas of some unsavory characters on London streets, she comes into contact with Fletcher and together they realize that they can accomplish more good as a team than just through the motives of their secretive identities.

Narration/Organization. This story is told through limited omniscience (for example, one chapter focuses on Fletcher’s character while the next focuses on Elizabeth’s), as well as incorporating both Fletcher and Elizabeth’s penny dreadful stories they are writing (“The Vampire Tower” and “The Lady and The Highwayman”) into subsequent chapters. This could get confusing for readers if they want to read this book straight through. However, I think reading these mini stories help show the reader how the protagonists’ time together influences their writing and helps them solve the mysteries surrounding each other.

LIKES

The Relationship. The wit and tension between Fletcher and Elizabeth are remarkable! I’m a sucker for sarcasm in any romance, and this story executes it very well, without causing a gag-reflex from the reader.

Description. The author also incorporated original descriptions to describe feelings, actions, and dialogue between characters. Engaging in a story through strong/original imagery is always appealing for me as a reader!

Dialogue. Lines pertaining to the characters’ thought-processes about their developing feelings was also executed well. One of my favorites occurring after Fletcher has to snub Elizabeth in order to save a young boy and protect her in the process:

“Keeping secrets saved lives, but it also complicated things.”

Page 101

While Elizabeth responds with one of my favorite quotes in the novel:

“There was nothing to be done but write him into the next installment of The Lady and the Highwayman and make certain something miserable happened to him. One did not treat an author poorly without consequences.”

Page 102

At the end of the book, the author includes a brief list of questions for the reader to contemplate pertaining to the era and issues surrounding it, which I think is a helpful tool to engage the reader further in the literature and the societal problems it addresses.

DISLIKES

Victorian Slang. It could be my English Major talking, but sometimes the Victorian improper English of Fletcher and the other “lower-class” men was distracting.

“…My origins are still there in my words and views and such. That don’t ever go away, not entirely.”

Page 108

RECOMMENDATION

Everybody! While the lengthy amount of text (and occasional jumps from story to story) in this proper historical romance is aimed at older audiences, the heroic actions of the characters and the uplifting messages contained in the plot make this a tale that all ages should read or listen to.

7 Spooky Story Recs for October

These are some stories I read in 2020 that have eerie elements of suspense, horror, and mystery that will get you in the mood for the upcoming Halloween season!

Rebecca

by Daphne du Maurier

In this 1938 Gothic quick-read, a young woman unveils the mystery surrounding the death of her new husband’s former wife and the house where her presence still is suspected to linger.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

by Katherine Howe

A present-day mystery blends with a historical fiction tale set during the Salem Witch Trials. A PhD candidate learns more than she expects after discovering a strange timeworn book in her Salem ancestral home.

The Bone Houses

by Emily Lloyd-Jones

A teen fantasy with elements of the macabre. A gravedigger and a mapmaker face their fears and employ their individual strengths to protect their village from the dead…who have mysteriously begun to rise.

Newes from the Dead by Mary Hooper

A curious teen historical fiction tale surrounding an executed woman who is not quite as dead as everyone thinks…

House of Salt and Sorrows

by Erin A. Craig

A unique fantasy-horror spin-off of a well-known fairytale. After the death of her sisters, one young woman seeks to protect the lives of her other sisters from the mysterious dark force that haunts her family home and the sea that surrounds it.

“The Black Cat”

by Edgar Allan Poe

This gothic short story, much like Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart”, takes the reader by psychological storm as he relates a tale of a being that has risen from the grave to haunt a guilt-ridden narrator.

“The Pit and the Pendulum”

by Edgar Allan Poe

Ridden with psychological tumult and suspense, this gothic short story describes a revolutionary’s imprisonment during the Spanish Inquisition.