Horror Movie Wednesday-- It Comes at Night and It (TV and Movie)

I love horror movies! I watch a lot of them just for fun all year long. I even a horror-movie-night every week with a few friends. I thought it would be a good idea to write down a few thoughts about some of these horror movies I watch, all the good, bad, and in between. I'm not an expert or anything. Die-hard horror movie buffs will love quite a few that I'm not all that fond of....But I'll just throw a few thoughts out every week for fun and see what sticks!

It Comes at Night (2017):

The movie starts with us just getting a glimpse of this world...a sick elderly man, his family all around him with masks and gloves and plastic sheets hung everywhere.

Some global disease has sent this family into hiding in the woods...mother, father, and teenage son, and their dog Stanley. We don't know how long the disease has been global or how many people are left on earth.

Things go OK until someone breaks into their house in the middle of the night. The man says he's just looking for food and water for his family--wife and small son. They agree to bring them all back to the house. Things go well for awhile until the father catches the other man in a lie. Are they sick? What will each do to protect their own families?

This story is more of a psychological profile of what we do when we are scared and paranoid. Not your typical horror but great all the same.

It (1990):

This miniseries came out in 1990 on TV. I remember hearing about it but my parents never let me watch any of it. Good thing because it would've scared the deadlights out of me....

First part with the children was actually pretty good. It was genuinely unnerving and the kids had chemistry.

The second part with the adults was a little cheesy and the ending was even cheesier. I haven't finished up the book yet...I've got a little less than half to go. But I know the ending is pretty hard to film so I guess they did the best they could...but oh man it did kind of take the scary out of it all.

It (2017):

Not only was this scary it was also a great coming-of-age movie in the likes of Stand By Me (another King classic)! How these kids decide to defeat It is beyond me. I would have runaway from home and hole up in a ditch somewhere never to be heard from again. Skarsgaard was amazingly freaky and creepy as Pennywise. All of the kids were well-casted and had great chemistry together.

Well done, movie makers! Well done!

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

Goodreads summary:

Some secrets are better left buried; some secrets are so frightening they might make angels weep and the devil crow.

Thought provoking as well as intensely scary, White Crow unfolds in three voices. There's Rebecca, who has come to a small, seaside village to spend the summer, and there's Ferelith, who offers to show Rebecca the secrets of the town...but at a price. Finally, there's a priest whose descent into darkness illuminates the girls' frightening story. White Crow is as beautifully written as it is horrifically gripping.

It's a quick and thought-provoking read. It read more like a scary story by the camp fire or a fable. It's a world not truly apart of this one. The setting of Winterfold and the character Ferelith are just creepy.

Rebecca and her father don't belong.

The mad preacher and scientist from the late 1700s add to the forboding tale. It parallels along with Rebecca and Ferelith's tale.

I enjoyed the creepy experience and I liked the philosophical discussions. It was a fun and interesting read for Halloween time.

*read for

Top Ten Tuesday--Top 10 Books Since I Started Blogging

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

I've been going over my Goodread's list and trying to figure out my top 10 over the last 8 years. I started book blogging right after my son was born. It's been an extremely engaging and wonderful experience for me. I've met some great people through these blogging interwebs.

1. Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I read this one in 2009 and reignited my love for all things fantasy and strong female characters.

2. Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey From Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine by Sue Monk Kidd. I read this one in 2010 during my faith crisis and really impacted the way I saw the world. This one still stays with me wherever I go.

3. Looking For Alaska by John Green. I read this one in 2011 and I really connected with the characters and their discussions of death. Beautiful book.

4. Why Evolution Is True by Jerry Coyne. Also a 2011 read. This book is the best for the lay-person trying to grasp evolution. Very simple and organized.

5. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier. A 2013 read for me. It's a beautiful retelling of the seven swans. Gorgeous writing. I need to re-read this one soon.

6. Night Film by Marisha Pessl. 2013 read. This was a mystery unlike any I'd ever read before. It's one I continue to recommend.

7. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. I finally got around to reading this one in 2015 while I was living in Japan. I enjoy almost everything Roach writes and this was no different. Her visceral descriptions of human cadavers still stays with me. My brother recently passed away and this one got to me at the time.

8. Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. This was also a 2015 read while living in Japan. I actually listened to this one while walking around the streets of Hiroshima. His voice entranced me and this book is just a must-read for everyone.

9. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I read a lot of great books in 2015. A visceral description of what it's like to be Black in America.

10. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay. Best book of 2017 and one of my favorites. Gay tells it like it is. We journey with Gay on all of her ups and downs and it's a must-read.

I skipped a lot of favorites but overall these are the ones that hit home for me over the last 8 years.

Happy Caturday!

I have two very sweet and pretty kitties. So I thought I'd share a few photos of them this Saturday morning.

And yes, we did set up our Halloween decor already...I just couldn't help myself. Once September hits it has to come up!

Shadow and Nala sunbathing

Animals of Houston

So many animals were also affected by Hurricane Harvey. People Pets found some great animal rescue stories during the storm. I'll post a few of my faves but go check out the post for all of them!

This dog was found clinging to the rail. But they got to her!




This cooper hawk took refuge in this man's taxi to escape the hurricane winds. According to the New York Post the man Bruso nicknamed him "Sgt. Hurricane Harvey." The hawk even landed on Bruso's arm after he had put on a glove.

Bruso..."eventually handed the bird over to the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition of Houston. “It was a very cool experience,” Bruso told the Post. “I felt very honored that [the hawk] chose to hunker down with me — and was so well-behaved, better behaved than my cousins who come here and wreak havoc … It was a magical experience. This is a bird of prey, a natural-born killer in its normal environment. But this was not a normal situation.”

Here's How To Help according to People Pets:

• Best Friends Animal Society, the first animal rescue on the ground during Hurricane Katrina, has deployed its disaster response team to Texas to help rescue stranded animals, deliver supplies and transport displaced pets. You can donate to the disaster relief fund here. 
• The SPCA of Texas is working to evacuate pets out of the affected ares and is helping to provide resources on pet-friendly housing to those evacuating the Houston area. The SPCA of Texas is accepting donations here. 
• Austin Pets Alive! Is moving as many displaced animals as possible into its shelter and is working on adopting out the animals currently residing there, so it has more room for Harvey evacuees. The rescue is looking for financial donations and potential adopters, learn more here.
• American Humane is working to rescue animals from the flood waters, as well, and is also providing hundreds of pounds of pet food to pet owners and their animals currently displaced by Harvey. To support these efforts, click here.
• The Humane Society of the United States has several on-the-ground response teams rescuing animals and helping people with pets get to safety. It recently took the lead in organizing a flight of shelter dogs from Texas to New Jersey. Readers can donate towards the rescue effort by clicking here.

Cat Thursday--September 7, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

Here's a feel-good for the week. Canopy Cat Rescue does just what it sounds like; they rescue cats from really tall trees. Watch this adorable and heart-warming video of how they do it!

Horror Movie Wednesday--You're Next

I love horror movies! I watch a lot of them just for fun all year long. I even a horror-movie-night every week with a few friends. I thought it would be a good idea to write down a few thoughts about some of these horror movies I watch, all the good, bad, and in between. I'm not an expert or anything. Die-hard horror movie buffs will love quite a few that I'm not all that fond of....But I'll just throw a few thoughts out every week for fun and see what sticks!

IMDB

You're Next (2011): This is a great little Indie flick about a family that meets together with their respective partners at their parents' house in the woods.

The main focus is Erin, the girlfriend of Crispian; it's his family they're getting together with. All is not well with the siblings and their parents. Lots of tension and fighting ensues. The plot doesn't kick off until the sister's boyfriend is shot through the window with an arrow and dies. But Erin is not who she seems to be either. She takes over quickly. And it soon becomes a cat and mouse game between those trying to kill everyone and herself. I won't give more away cuz it's just wickedly cool.

IMDB

The House on Haunted Hill (1959): This is a horror classic starring Vincent Price, the king of old horror!

Price rents an old house from Watson Pritchard in order to host a party where he'll give 10,000$ to 5 strangers if they survive staying at the house overnight. He chooses the 5 strangers, including Pritchard. Pritchard inherited the house after his brother and sister were killed there. He's a drunk and partially insane and is the great narrator of all the impending death and doom that's going to happen!

Price also has a wife he can't stand. Is it all a plot to kill her or him or both? Is the house truly haunted like Pritchard says?

It's just good campy fun!

Gothic September-- Edgar Allen Poe and FrightFall Readathon

Michelle from Castle Macabre is hosting another Gothic September with more works from Edgar Allen Poe. I picked up an annotated edition from the library to help with my readings this time around!

Reading schedule as follows:

Week 1: Bernice: A Tale

Week 2: William Wilson: A Tale

Week 3: The Imp of the Perverse

Week 4: A Descent Into the Maelstrom

Michelle will put up a discussion at the end of each week on her blog!

Michelle is also hosting the FrightFall Readathon over at Seasons of Reading starting October 1-October 31st.

The goal will be to read at least one scary or scary-type book. For a look at my possible choices please click HERE for my previous post on the R.I.P. challenge. I love this time of year! Fall is the best and is my favorite time of year to engage in the readathons and challenges.

R.eaders I.imbibing P.eril XII Challenge

R.I.P. Challenge

It's that time of year again! The R.I.P. challenge kicks the autumnal season off for me. I think this is the first year in a long time I've actually signed up on time. Go me! It runs from September 1-October 31, 2017.

Heather and Andi are hosting over at Estella's Revenge. The challenge is to read anything that falls into the scary-type genre: Mystery, suspense, horror, gothic, supernatural, dark fantasy, thriller, etc.

You can also signup to read short stories, watch movies and television, or read-a-long with their group read of The Slade House by David Mitchell. To signup head over here and choose at your own peril...

I plan on doing Peril the First challenge by reading four or more books during the next 2 months.

Possible books are:

It by Stephen King

The Troop by Nick Cutter

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Horns by Joe Hill

Dracula by Bram Stoker on audiobook

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Black-eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Ghost Story by Peter Straub

The Exorcist by William Peter Beatty

I'm also going to watch a lot of horror movies and TV shows over the next two months!

Possible movies/TV Shows:

It

It Comes at Night

Mother!

The Host

Kill List

The Thing (1982)

Dawn of the Dead (1974)

American Horror Story

Scream Queens

The Exorcist

The X-files

I'll probably watch a lot more horror movies than I have listed here. But I'm putting these movies at the top of my list!

May the Perils begin......

Cat Thursday--August 31, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

Atlas Obscura came out with a post on old encyclopedic book on cats by English cartoonist Charles Henry Ross.

IN THE 1800S, PEOPLE WERE just as crazed about cats as we are today. But instead of memes, Instagram posts, and viral videos, the Victorians had satirical comics and chronicles.
English cartoonist, and evident cat fanatic, Charles Henry Ross wrote an epic encyclopedic book detailing the intricacies and culture of cats. In The Book of Cats. A Chit-Chat Chronicle of Feline Facts and Fancies, Legendary, Lyrical, Medical, Mirthful and Miscellaneous, Ross makes an argument in support of the animal. Published in 1868, Ross read over 300 books, browsed newspapers, drew 20 illustrations, and gathered a mass of anecdotes about the fondness and repulsion towards cats. 

He set out to debunk a lot of the old myths of cats. So happy cats had a champion back then!

Here are a few drawings from his book:

Go and check out the whole article. Pretty interesting stuff!

Horror Movie Wednesday: Hellraiser

I love horror movies! I watch a lot of them just for fun all year long. I even a horror-movie-night every week with a few friends. I thought it would be a good idea to write down a few thoughts about some of these horror movies I watch, all the good, bad, and in between. I'm not an expert or anything. Die-hard horror movie buffs will love quite a few that I'm not all that fond of....But I'll just throw a few thoughts out every week for fun and see what sticks!

Hellraiser (1987): This is a cult classic and one on the must-see of horror lists. I finally watched it last week with my horror cohorts. The special effects were truly gruesome and well-done. Undead Frank was awfully good!

Frank his deviant sexual ways and comes across a puzzle box. He solves it and is horrifically transported to some sort of hell. Cut to Larry (we learn later is Frank's brother) and his wife taking over Frank's house after he's gone missing. Larry's wife Julia, we learn through flashbacks, has been having an affair with Frank and is desperate to find him. She finds him pretty quickly after Larry cuts his hand and bleeds all over....because Frank's been waiting to feast on some blood through the floorboards and comes back as some horrific being all sinew, muscle, and bone. He needs to feed! Will Julia bring him the bodies? What is she willing to do to bring Frank back?!

It's cheesy. The story doesn't make a lot of sense but it's probably not supposed to. The themes of pain and pleasure and sex all run throughout this movie. It's pretty out there for its time. It wasn't great but it was a fun watch.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

Image Source

Roxane Gay's memoir "Hunger" is the most visceral and beautiful memoir I've ever read. It's true. It is a must-read for anyone who is human. So everyone.

I was introduced to Roxane Gay when she came out with "Bad Feminist" a few years ago. I loved her raw and unflinching style. She shares her thoughts with us about her body. She's a large woman and has struggled with her weight since she was brutally gang raped as a young girl. She writes:

"I ate and ate and ate in the hopes that if I made myself big, my body would be safe. I buried the girl I had been because she ran into all kinds of trouble. I tried to erase every memory of her, but she is still there, somewhere....I was trapped in my body, one I made but barely recognized or understood. I was miserable, but I was safe."

Goodreads.com

Fat shaming is still a thing. I guess because it's what we wear every day and cannot hide. If we're thin or even within an acceptable plus size we can still move through life without getting too much attention (unless we're in our teens...but that's different). I read about women who get looks of disgust or told advice on how to lose weight all the time...like that is exactly the thing they needed to magically help them lose ALL THE WEIGHT!

Somehow it's always ok to comment on women's bodies all the time, but especially if they're too big. Unfortunately, that's still ok. We have no idea why people are the way they are. Our experiences as humans are so varied. So instead of condemning each other, let's listen and be sympathetic to all the stories out there. And this is why I love Gay's memoir so much. Her story is horrible but so real. We don't have to love our bodies or hate them but we can appreciate them for what they do for us today, whether big, small or in between. Let's just love and accept people and hear their stories. Maybe then we can be good humans and take care of each other.

Her story is one that is horrific yet hopeful. Sympathetic and terrifying. She hasn't gotten over anything and yet she's willing to let us in on her experiences, good, bad and in between. It's a moving and poignant memoir and one that needs to be read.

Friday Musings

The best thing on the internet this week happened when Andy Serkis read Tr*mp tweets as Gollum on the Stephen Colbert show! I'll take anything I can get right now and this was top notch. So thank you, Mr. Serkis!

Cat Thursday July 13, 2017

Welcome to the weekly meme (hosted by True Book Addict) that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s)

It's been awhile since I've done Cat Thursday to my ever shame but today I'm back with TinyKittens! You can watch these little guys live and see all their crazy antics. It's the most adorable thing I've seen in awhile.