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Saturday 28 October 2006

THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

Okay, I've been wanting to watch this movie for a while... but you all know how life goes - running out of time and all that!! Anyway, out of the blue, the hubby suggested we watch it late last night.

And we did!

What an awesome story! I especially liked its simplicity and honesty with the subject. Yet, it didn't push the viewer in one direction or another. At the end of the day, each person has their own beliefs and non-beliefs, right?

The exorcism scenes were amazing. And the actress that played Emily was terrific! Actually, I think every actor/actress in this movie pulled off their characters so well that it was a pleasure to watch.

It was great to see a movie that while on one side of the coin was pretty much a courtroom drama, it could be flipped over to show a supernatural tale of a young girl's stuggle, with a twist of horror thrown in. It was fantastic, and I'm so glad to have finally watched it.

The extras were also pretty interesting. Not too much, just enough to get a feel for the reason behind the making of the movie and what the director's vision for it was.

Personally, I enjoyed this movie immensely. The hubby did too, which is always cool! I hate to push my horror-obsession on him! ;)

Friday 27 October 2006

ROGUE ANGEL: DESTINY


Okay, I've had this book on the bookshelf taunting me for a few months! I swear, I've been itching to get to it but something or other kept getting in the way. So, I cracked it open a few nights ago and got totally engrossed in it! It's an amazing adventure about an archaeologist called Annja Creed. She's fascinated with myths and mysteries. Her latest pursuit takes her to France, in search of the Beast of Gevaudan, and what she uncovers gets her caught up in a whole bunch of trouble.

Annja's a very likeable character. A woman who's very much independent and has used her past as a way of empowering who she is today, instead of weakening her. She does pieces for a hip cable show called Chasing History's Monsters without losing any of the integrity to both herself and the subject matter.

The other characters - especially Roux and Garin - are totally fascinating. As is what she ultimately discovers about this so-called Beast, La Bete. Not to mention the mystery of Joan of Arc's sword! Wow, there was so much in this book that I'm personally intrigued by...

I absolutely loved every minute of this book and can't wait to get stuck into the next one!

Tuesday 24 October 2006

NaNoWriMo: I've signed up!

That's right! I've signed up for the insanity that is National Novel Writing Month. As of this morning, I've joined the madness of getting stuck into trying to complete a first draft novel in one month - well, at least 50k is the aim with Nano. Of course, I'm aiming higher! :)

I've been meaning to sign up for this the last few years, but at the last second always decided not to. For one reason or another, but this year it feels right. My daughter's at school during the day, so there's definitely plenty of time to get stuck into the draft Mon-Fri. And since I've been pushing myself through so many revisions lately, I think it'll be great to lose myself in a fresh first draft!

I'm actually excited about it!

And having this week to mellow out a bit is going to help too.

Tomorrow I think I'll start sitting down to organise myself properly! Yeah, that sounds like fun. I've also gotta come up with a tentative title for the novel, so I can update my profile over at the Nano website. Which reminds me, there's a few of you guys I'd like to add to my buddy list... so, if you're taking part in it too let me know your username.

I'm *Y*. I know, a little strange, but Y was too short and Yolanda was already taken! So, *Y* it is! Had a bit of trouble uploading a small enough image, but I think it's alright now!

Anyway, looking forward to it!

SIX FEET UNDER

Well, I just watched the final episode and have to say this is one of the BEST shows I've ever watched. It was different, morbid, sometimes even obscene, but it challenged what we expect from TV shows. HBO's really good at doing that.

It's kinda sad knowing there'll be no more shows dealing with these wonderful characters. What I loved about each and every one of them was that they were so flawed! Like real people. Most of the time none of them even knew what the hell they wanted... it's a very powerful series and I'm so glad to have watched it.

The final sequence was amazing! A hauntingly beautiful show with an amazing wrapup. I've never seen anything like it. So darn unique!

I know many people must've shunned this show because it dealt with so many delicate issue in our society, but that's what made it so very human. Anyway, no more serious talk about it! A terrific show, which came to an equally AMAZING end...

Tuesday 17 October 2006

Little one turns 6!

Yeah, that's right - it's my daughter's birthday today. She's 6! Wow, time sure does fly...

Anyway, since she's going to have an ice-cream cake on Saturday for her pirate party at Hungry Jack's, I thought it would be nice to make her one for tonight. I'm making a chocolate cake with icing and adding a few cute butterflies (she loves them!) for decoration. Then we'll add the candles later.

It was supposed to be a surprise but the little bugger spotted everything in the shopping trolley last week. Darn! She's too quick.

I hope she's having a nice day at school today, she was very excited this morning. We gave her one present this morning - a cute Atomic Betty doll. And she'll get another one when she gets back from school - an Atomic Betty transforming play-set for the doll. And possibly will surprise her with another after she blows out the candles tonight! Not sure yet. We both thought it would be fun to stagger the presents instead of giving her everything at once.

Anyway.

Today I got stuck into the revisions again. Am now up to page 210... just a little over halfway. Yay! Should be done by the end of the week - fingers crossed, of course. So far there isn't too much I'm spotting, just taking and adding a few words from here and there but nothing huge to the main plot. Phew for that. :) And the hubby was really keen to get started on this novel - since he got done with the other only days ago - so I gave him the first 100 pages.

He's already read them! And wants more! I've got the next 100 to give him, which should keep him busy tomorrow. He's really flying through these novels, it's very exciting for me. To see that he's enjoying them so much and actually likes what he's reading. Very exciting.

Okay, better get going now. I'm posting a little earlier than usual so I can spend some time with my 6-year-old girl when she gets back home from school! :)

Catch'a tomorrow!

Monday 16 October 2006

WITCHLING


This FANTASTIC book is the reason why I absolutely LOVE urban fantasy tales! Yasmine has weaved a wonderful tale full of all the stuff that absolutely grabs me and pushes me forward until I get to the end. Not to mention that the cover is gorgeous!

The D'Artigo sisters are half-human, half-Faerie with a twist of other stuff thrown in. Each one is something different. Camille is a witch with unpredictable powers, but the three of them work for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency and have been sent Earthside to keep an eye on things. When an agent is killed, all of their lives (and the lives of many others) become involved in something really huge - which includes Shadow Wing from the Subterranean Realms.

And WOW... the ride sure was fun, full of ups and downs and a few surprises. As well as some hot love interests for Camille. But this book was only the beginning and I can't wait to see what happens to the ongoing story line of Shadow Wing as well as each individual sister. Each was intriguing in her own way, that's for sure.

Anyway, this book is filled with wonderful storytelling as well as vivid imagery. The characters are very interesting and likeable... and I especially loved Maggie the gargoyle. So cute.

Okay... I don't want to let anything vital slip, so just go check it out! Okay? You won't be disappointed!

Oh, and check out Yasmine's Galenorn's website so you see the next brilliant cover and more info about the series.

Thursday 12 October 2006

They've done it again...

Yeah, this time it's channel 9. The same channel that decided two episodes of ROME was enough to cancel it! Now they've done the same to THE SOPRANOS. They claim three eps was enough to decide that the low ratings didn't warrant them continuing for the moment! I mean, are they serious? The time slot was 10:30pm on a Wednesday night for God's sake!

This makes me so damn angry that we're seriously considering NOT watching ANYTHING on network TV!

Last night channel 10 decided to FINALLY show the second last ep of HOUSE. And next week we'll get to see the final episode of the second season. Gee, THANKS SO MUCH! *insert a lot of sarcasm here*

I think it's pathetic and cruel to string viewers along like this. Hence the rant! :/

Monday 9 October 2006

Weekend...


I waited ALL week for this episode... and it didn't disappoint! It was so unpredictable, too. I only guessed one thing, and not at all like it happened. Man, do I love this show! And now we've gotta wait until sometime mid-next-year for the next season! Ugh.

What's with the long wait?

I wish we could get it at the same time as the UK. I mean, we watched the X-Mas Special in June or something like that! :/

Anyway, let's just say that I loved how it all worked out. Though I was very sad. Very sad indeed. Poor Rose. I actually ended up liking her much more than I thought I would. Oh well, at least one thing we know for sure is that David Tennant will be back. And TORCHWOOD. There's something happening with Torchwood too!

Yesterday was the hubby's b-day. So we went out to get some ice-cream at Bondi Beach. We were actually going to pop over to the beach for a nice walk. But it was so darn windy that walking in the beach would've just blinded us. So, we got the ice-cream and then drove off in search of somewhere else to walk. We found a small beach somewhere near Watsons Bay, I think. It was a nice place to stop for a while. I just wanted to be with the hubby, that's all.

Anyway, also spent a lot of the weekend reading a trilogy that I enjoyed heaps! Oh, and we watched Over The Hedge with my daughter last night. I wasn't really looking forward to it, kinda had a feeling it would disappoint. So I wasn't surprised with my meh reaction. It sure wasn't a Pixar or Shrek kinda flick! Though the kid enjoyed it!

THE SORORITY TRILOGY


Okay... over the weekend I read the entire SORORITY trilogy by Tamara Thorne. And it was actually very entertaining, and edgy. It's not your average tale of blonde-bimbo-cheerleaders only concerned about hair and clothes. No, this group of chicks is involved in some very dark, ancient and disgusting things going on around Greenbriar University.

Eve, Merilynn and Samantha are three very different girls. They share some secrets that went on back when they were kids at cheerleader camp. And now, they all meet up at this university and the Gamma Eta Pi sorority.

Eve just wants to be a cheerleader. She's good at it and loves doing it, but also has a brain inside her head, though she's maybe too nice.

Merilynn's in it for the ghost stories. Everything that's been rumoured to happen around the forest surrounding the university sets her mind ablaze.

Samantha wants to be a journalist. And she's in it to find out what makes a girl want to be a cheerleader, though she becomes involved in so much more.

Each character has her own unique personality. Each book is also interwined with other POVs. Each different POV helped the story unfold, and there's a lot to include. Like the ghost of Holly Gayle, and the Fata Morgana secret society, the legend of the Green Knight, why Merilynn is so obssessed with the place...

I could go on for a long while trying to include everything that goes on in these three books, but I think I've said enough. I really enjoyed reading each book and couldn't wait to get stuck into the next one to see what else was going to happen and how it would all end. There's nothing predictable about this trilogy either, so if you pick it up - expect the unexpected.

Anyway, overall, they were a lot of FUN! There were some scary bits, raunchy bits, horror bits, tension-filled bits... it was a GREAT ride! I really enjoyed them - both individually and as a trilogy unfolding the bigger story.

Friday 6 October 2006

Bad, bad night!

So, apparently I suffered a mild panic attack last night. No, it was actually in the early hours of this morning. You all know how my nose has been continually stuffed up for several months now, right? Well, it started getting worse this week. And well, I've been trying to ignore it. Hoping that it would just go away by itself. But that's not how the body works, huh?

Anyway, last night I couldn't sleep. I was tossing and turning, unable to breathe in through my nose. I felt like I was gasping for breath, so light-headed I was sure I'd pass out sooner or later. And what did I do? Freak out, of course! I started gulping breath in through my mouth for too long, and got all shaky. I was dizzy and desperately trying to clear up my nose, but couldn't! So I was shaking so much I woke my hubby up and he helped coax me into sleep.

I thought I'd fallen asleep by 2:30 am, but he reckons it was later. Woke up at about 9 am again to get started with the day. We drove hubby to work, so we'd have the car to go to the doctor. I explained everything to him and that's when he told me I sent my body into a panic attack. It's all about the oxygen in, carbon dioxide out thing. Anyway, he checked my lungs and there's no wheezing. That means no asthma. He says they're clear, no lung infection. My nasal passage, however, is still very much blocked.

He prescribed a nasal spray I need to inhale once a day and told me to buy another for immediate effect. So, almost $50 later, I got some medicine! I've already used the prescribed spray but that takes several days to kick in. The other one's for the evening, when it all goes to hell. I certainly DON'T want another night like last night!

It was terrible. I can't believe my body got all thrown out of whack like that. The body is an amazingly scary thing, isn't it? Now I'm hoping this all works out. Otherwise I need to go back in a few weeks and start with the allergy tests. Ugh! I mean, looks like I'm already allergic to something...

Anyway, managed to get a bit of revision done. I think I almost reached page 230 but my mind and heart just wasn't it. I'm a little distracted and starting to feel the effects of hardly sleeping last night.

Thank God it's the weekend and we can try take it easy... have a GOOD one, guys!

Tuesday 3 October 2006

HERETIC: THE TEMPLAR CHRONICLES


On Friday night I sat down and stared at the bookshelf for a few minutes, contemplating what my next book to read should be. My eyes were scanning along, very eager to grab something when I stopped at this book. I've had this for a while but hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. Yeah, that happens a lot. But anyway, I love anything to do with the Vatican and secret societies or groups secretly fighting the darkness of this world... it's why I've got such a soft spot for my character Trina's world... Anyway, picked it up to read the Prologue. Y'know, see how it grabbed me?

Well, the Prologue wasn't enough. I got suckered into the story so deeply that I'd read about 70 pages in one sitting before my body told me it was time to go to sleep.

Here's the short blurb:

At the end of the First Crusade, the church created a monastic military order known as the Knights Templar. Now, rising up from the ashes of history, they are the Vatican's last defense in the war between good and evil...

This was enough to hook me in the first time I spotted this book.

The story is told in different POVs but the main one was Cade Williams. He's one of the Knights, with some very uncanny powers that help him battle evil. But his heartbreaking inner demons are what really grabbed me. And although he's a tough guy with a bad rep, I really liked him. Sean Duncan was also pretty interesting.

HERETIC is a fast-paced tale that keeps you glued until the very last word. I think this is the start of a series, so I'm really looking forward to reading more about these characters and the evil they have to fight.

I really enjoyed this book, it was an excellent read!

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