My December Posting Schedule| CarenzaOnBooks

Today's post is another quick update about what to expect from me in December when it comes to content creation. I feel I need to make this post because of how busy I'm going to be in December and I want to make sure that I don't vanish from social media. So let's get into it!

The short answer is that in December you can expect less content from me. Having completed my first three weeks at work and it's already quite busy, I have a feeling December is going to be even more busy than these past weeks. So rather than put a lot of pressure to continue at my normal rate of content creation, I've decided that it's better for me to take a little step back. It gives me a chance to still create content and give myself a break on my days off. 

Here are my plans for each platform I currently post on. On here I'm going to go to one post on Monday's. They're probably going to be mostly reviews as I have a lot of proofs to read and post reviews for. I am going to try and create at least one Christmas themed post. On Instagram, photos will be on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's, while reels will just be on Sunday's. Finally on Twitter, I'm going to go to three tweets a day as I'm currently alternating between 3 and 5 a day. I'll still be active on my stories on Instagram and I'm going to try to get back on top of my Goodreads reviews. 

I'm hoping to be back to normal content creation in the New Year and will update you guys then. I'm excited to still be able to make content, but make sure I have time to rest and read during this chaotic month.   

That's It, I'm Going on a Book Buying Ban| CarenzaOnBooks

Today's post is a small post about why I am going on a book buying ban and to make it actually official. As of this post going live, I am going to go on a book buying ban until I have made a significant dent on my TBR. I fully intend to stick to it this time. The only exceptions to this rule are for new books in series I'm already reading, so I can continue them, and special editions I'm worried I'll miss out on. Even then, I am going to be super strict about this list. 

The reason I am going on a book buying ban is because I have reached maximum capacity for my TBR books. I have almost 200 on my Goodreads list, which is more than enough to keep me busy for the foreseeable future. From 2017 till the start of the pandemic, I actually had a very strong control on my book buying habits. I was at uni and a student, so I had limited resources to buy books. However, since the pandemic started, that restraint went out of the window. I don't regret my decisions because these books have provided me with so much joy during a terrible time, but now it's time to stop. 

By writing this post, it's something I have to hold myself accountable for. It will make sure I actually stick to this book buying ban. And it's not like I'm short of books to read. I have plenty to keep me busy, probably enough to read for the entirety of 2022, seeing as my average is around 80 books a year. I also think that by having this ban, it will encourage me to tackle my backlog so I can then make space for the new books in the future. My TBR piles around my bedroom are getting out of control and it's time to tame them. I want a collection of books I've read, so I can go, look at all the books I've read and loved! 

So this was just a small post to say it's time for my book buying ban to begin. I will resist temptation, especially from work as I'm surrounded by books all day. So if you follow me on other social media platforms and you see me talking about books I've bought, you have my permission to shout at me because I need it.  

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Detransition, Baby

Author- Torrey Peters

Series- N/A 

Published- 2021

Page Count- 340 pages

Publishing House- Serpent's Tail

Genre- feminist, LGBTQIA+, contemporary

Rating- 3.5/5 stars

About the Author

Torrey Peters is the author of the novel Detransition, Baby, published by One World/Random House, which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. She is also the authors of the novellas Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones and The Masker. She has an MFA from the University of Iowa and a Masters in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth. Torrey rides a pink motorcycle and splits her time between Brooklyn and an off-grid cabin in Vermont.

Taken from Torrey's website. 

Plot

A whipsmart debut about three women—transgender and cisgender—whose lives collide after an unexpected pregnancy forces them to confront their deepest desires around gender, motherhood, and sex.

Reese almost had it all: a loving relationship with Amy, an apartment in New York City, a job she didn't hate. She had scraped together what previous generations of trans women could only dream of: a life of mundane, bourgeois comforts. The only thing missing was a child. But then her girlfriend, Amy, detransitioned and became Ames, and everything fell apart. Now Reese is caught in a self-destructive pattern: avoiding her loneliness by sleeping with married men.

Ames isn't happy either. He thought detransitioning to live as a man would make life easier, but that decision cost him his relationship with Reese—and losing her meant losing his only family. Even though their romance is over, he longs to find a way back to her. When Ames's boss and lover, Katrina, reveals that she's pregnant with his baby—and that she's not sure whether she wants to keep it—Ames wonders if this is the chance he's been waiting for. Could the three of them form some kind of unconventional family—and raise the baby together?

This provocative debut is about what happens at the emotional, messy, vulnerable corners of womanhood that platitudes and good intentions can't reach. Torrey Peters brilliantly and fearlessly navigates the most dangerous taboos around gender, sex, and relationships, gifting us a thrillingly original, witty, and deeply moving novel. 

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions 

I borrowed this from my local library after stumbling across a copy while looking for something else. I had wanted to read this after seeing it was nominated for the Women's Fiction Prize, which some people challenged as Torrey is a trans author. Having read it, I can say that I believe it deserved to be nominated as it tackled important issues for women and was written by a woman. I felt that this had a strong start, I was immediately hooked in and wanted to find out what happened next. 

The premise was very strong. The discussions around what it is to be a mother or a parent in the modern age was interesting. I liked that we had three very different perspectives on womanhood from three people who experienced it differently. I felt that bouncing between Ames and Reese's perspectives helped with what the other was saying. I would have liked a bit more insight into Katrina's perspective as it wasn't always easy to connect or sympathise with her. We got to see what Ames and Reese were thinking, where as we didn't with Katrina. I think it would have added something to the story.

I loved the three main characters. They felt so real, raw and chaotic. Reese in particular, with some of the decisions she made, felt like someone you will probably meet at some point in your life. Her emotions and life were always all over the place. Even though we are told she had everything, we got to see that she didn't and that she was just human. I think I enjoyed reading from Ames/Amy the most. He felt grounded in reality, with all the different stages in his life. His journey from when he transitioned to Amy and then back to Ames was an interesting one. I personally like reading about flawed characters with engaging backstories and I certainly got this with this book.

I didn't like the ending. I found it too rushed and it wasn't quite what I wanted from this book. We've spent all this time reading about these people becoming ready to be parents, only for it not to happen. I would have loved to see them form a queer family and raise this child. We spent so much time reading about them wanting to be parents, all those decisions and then Katrina's choice to have an abortion, kinda came out of nowhere. I felt let down by the ending, as otherwise I would have given this 4 stars.

A small qualm I had with this book was that I found the chapters too long. I would have preferred shorter chapters, especially as they were covering quite large amounts of time. I'm someone who likes to read to the end of the chapter and then finish my reading sessions, but the longer chapters in this made it difficult. This is a personal preference, but did impact my reading experience.   

 

What did you think of Detransition, Baby??

What We Do in the Shadows Series Three TV Show Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Taken from Google Images 

Title- What We Do in the Shadows 

Creators- Jemaine Clement (based on the 2014 film of the same name)

Cast- Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen and Mark Proksch

Genre- mockumentary, sitcom 

Length- 10 episodes, three series 

Platform- BBC iPlayer (UK)

Rating- 4/5 stars  

Plot

Set in Staten Island, What We Do in the Shadows follows the lives of three traditional vampires, Nandor, Laszlo, and Nadja; Colin Robinson, an energy vampire; and Guillermo, Nandor's familiar. The series revolves around the centuries-old vampires interacting with the modern world and other supernatural beings.

Taken from Wikipedia

Opinions

Taken from Google Images

After adoring the first two series, I was desperate to watch this series. There was quite a long gap between them, partly because of the pandemic and partly because the UK gets a delayed release date. I believe this series started in like August-September in the US, but only came out earlier this month in the UK. I watched in about three sittings because it was so fun and I needed to know what crazy things these guys would get up to this time. 

Taken from Google Images

I feel like this series they really went all out, especially with the storylines and comedy. It's been a while since I watched them, I haven't seen the first series since 2019 and the second one since September 2020. I remember them being good, but this one felt different. It feels much more established and easier to connect with the characters. My favourite character would have to be Nadja because she just gets stuff done and bosses the men around, which is great. The plot line with her and Gail was so funny. I also really liked Guillermo this series, he's grown so much as a character compared to the others and feels well developed. I'd love an episode just focusing around him and his non-vampire related life as I think that would be great. 

Taken from Google Images

Probably my favourite set of stories from this series was Nandor's storyline. I did not expect him to go down the path he did. I liked how they tackled mental health and made it link to the vampires, but also got the balance between funny and series right. I think the other characters reactions were great. Nandor just wanted to find love, but it kept going wrong for him. He had the strongest and most engaging storylines this series as we got to see some personal growth.  

Taken from Google Images

Sadly, I already knew about the big twist for this series, which was that Colin Robinson died towards the end. I had accidentally seen a spoiler that he died, which was sad. However, I did not expect that he'd come back as this weird baby thing, that scared me when it sort of jumped out of the crib. Colin is a character that you love to hate and hate to love, so it was shocking when he died so quickly.

I am so excited to see what happens in series four, which has already been confirmed. My theories so far are that Lazlo is going to be looking after the weird Colin Robinson baby, Nadja and Guillermo are going to have a great time in London and bond, while Nandor is going to somehow end up stuck in New York. I just wish that series four was already out as I am desperate to see it, just like I was with this one. I know it's going to be brilliant.

A Little Life Update| CarenzaOnBooks

Today's post is a bit different from normal, because I wanted to do a very little life update. I have some very exciting news to share. This is a post about jobs and the future, content creation, and just a little catch up.

So the big news is that I am currently working as a Christmas Bookseller at my local Waterstones! This is a temporary position, but I couldn't be happier working here. After applying for jobs for 5 months, on my 25th application, I got lucky. I'll be working at Waterstones for the next few weeks during the Christmas period. I've had my first day as I'm writing this and honestly, I can't wait to go back and be surrounded by books again.

As I'm now working, I have less time to create content. Which leads me onto my next point. I might have to change my schedule across my three main platforms. I currently post on Instagram 5 times a week, with daily stories. I tweet every day and I'm writing two blog posts a week. As I get busier in December, I'm planning on going to one or two posts a week on here. I might also go to one reel a week as filming more than that (especially in winter with limited day light) is going to be a challenge. So, if my content schedule changes, that's why.

This is just a little post to say that I'm working as a bookseller (and loving every second) and that things might change. My priorities will be work, reading and then content creation as if I'm not reading, I can't do my job or create content. But, I am one happy bookworm. There's now a million books to add to my TBR. Working in Waterstones has been a dream of mine and I can't believe it's actually happened.   

Why I've Decided to Use a TBR Jar| CarenzaOnBooks

In October, I decided to make myself a TBR jar with almost all the books on my TBR in the jar. At the time of writing this, I have 98 books on my main TBR shelves. This does not include the books I want to borrow from my family, my miscellaneous books and releases/books for review. Basically, I have a lot of books on my TBR and I want to start to tackle them. This post is about why I've decided to use one to help me do that. 

How Did I Make My TBR Jar?

I started by writing out the almost 100 books I have on my main TBR on pieces of paper. I then cut them up and sorted them into three categories. These categories are green (books I want to read in the next month/couple of months), orange (books I want to read within the next six months) and red (books I'm not too fussy about when I get to them). Once I had them sorted into these three categories, I put them in my jar, ready to pick my November TBR.

So, Why Did I Make a TBR Jar?

The short answer was to help me get to the books I will still have on my TBR in a year or two's time. These are the ones I've had for the longest and are starting to gather dust. Most of these are classics or sci-fi/dystopian as they tend to be the books I gravitate towards the least. I want to make sure I do actually read them at some point. My plan is to pick one of each colour every month so then I can have a range of books to read.

So for November by green book was the Loki comic I got for my birthday, my orange book was The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper and my red book was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnet. I also have some books I need to read for review and a couple of library books, which is why my use of the TBR jar was so small. 

Without a TBR jar, I would probably continue to avoid reading certain books as I have others I'd rather read. This will help me to make sure I do read them and that I can expand my reading beyond my comfort zone of fantasy and historical fiction. There's also something fun about having no idea what books I'm going to read each month. 

So this is a short post about why I'm going to be using a TBR jar to tackle my ever growing TBR pile. I'll probably do an update about it in the future.

Do you use a TBR jar??  

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

 

Title- The Devil and the Dark Water

Author- Stuart Turton

Series- N/A

Published- 2020

Page Count- 548 pages (UK paperback)

Publishing House- Sourcebooks Landmark

Genre- murder mystery, supernatural, crime and detective

Rating-4/5 stars

About the Author

Stuart lives in London with his amazing wife and daughter. He drinks lots of tea. What else?

​When he left university he went travelling for three months and stayed away for five years. Every time his parents asked when he’d be back he told them next week, and meant it. Stuart is not to be trusted. In the nicest possible way. He’s got a degree in English and Philosophy, which makes him excellent at arguing and terrible at choosing degrees.

Having trained for no particular career, he has dabbled in most of them. He stocked shelves in a Darwin bookshop, taught English in Shanghai, worked for a technology magazine in London, wrote travel articles in Dubai, and now he’s a freelance journalist. None of this was planned, he just kept getting lost on his way to other places.

He likes a chat. He likes books. He likes people who write books and people who read books. He doesn’t know how to write a biography, so should probably stop before he tells you about his dreams or something. It was lovely to meet you, though. Stuart's debut novel is called The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the UK and The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the US. They're the same book. Don't fret.

Taken from Goodreads.

Plot

A murder on the high seas. A detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.

It's 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered.

And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel. Could a demon be responsible for their misfortunes? With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger onboard. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.

The breathtaking new novel from Stuart Turton, author of the The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, winner of the Costa Best First Novel Award.

Also taken from Goodreads.

Opinions 

In 2018, I was trying to find a copy of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I stumbled across the Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle instead. I realised it was not the same book, but the blurb intrigued me, so I bought it. I read it and I knew that this was an author I wanted to read from again. Stuart Turton is a very clever writer. He crafts these clever mysteries that feel fresh and unique. I'd highly recommend reading his first book as it's an incredibly good mystery. So when I saw he had written another book, I patiently waited for it to come out in paperback. I thought this was as good, if not better than his first book.

I just kept on wanting to read more. There were so many layers to this mystery that it kept you hooked from beginning to end. You had to know if each mystery was connected and what lay around the corner for these characters. I read it in 8 days, some days I would easily read almost 100 pages, where as others I would read a chapter or two. I think for a book of this size and complexity, I'm happy with how quick I read it. It's always a good sign to me if you want to read more and have that "one more chapter" mentality with a book. 

I adored the enclosed setting of this book. Aside from action at the very beginning and end, this mostly took place on a ship. That really added to the mystery and creepy elements of this book. The ship was the perfect location for a mystery like this as while it had limited places for the action to take place, there was also enough variation in the settings. You really felt trapped alongside those characters and that danger was lurking near by. Some of the action, such as the leper appearing outside Sara's cabin, was so good because until it was revealed how it was done, you genuinely couldn't figure it out as a reader. 

Speaking of the characters, I really liked Sara and Arent. Let's talk about Arent first. He was definitely the John Watson to Sammy Pipps' Sherlock Holmes. Yet he also felt like his own character. Like Turton's mysteries, his characters also have layers. The backstory of Arent's father and his time as a soldier really added to his character. He also felt real because he was balanced in believing in his own abilities and experiencing periods of doubt. I also really liked Sara. She was a strong, practical woman, but she was also a realist. In a time when a woman's role was to raise children and do her duties to the family, she had just enough spark to feel bright, but also knew when to be sensible and look out for herself and her daughter. She always put her daughter's interests first, even if that meant having to encourage her to hide her intelligence. Sara and Arent compliment each other nicely, making for an excellent detective duo. Their romance was a bit rushed, but as they worked well and seemed to care for each other, I didn't mind as much.     

Probably the main reason I didn't give this book five stars was that I didn't really like the ending. I had personally been holding out for a big supernatural reason as to why these terrible things had been happening and in the end it came back to the people on the ship. The reveal that Sara's best friend killed her husband because she was one of the wronged people from the witch hunter past was okay. What I didn't like was that Sammy was actually her brother. He was a very interesting figure as a detective, but to learn that he had done all of that so he could get back at someone didn't sit right with me. I did like the idea of them going off and righting more wrongs as a little team. But the overall reveal as to why all these things happened and so many people died didn't blow me away. I just wanted something a bit spookier and I didn't quite get those vibes. 

I am very excited to see what Stuart Turton will write next as he just keeps on bouncing from strength to strength and having such interesting ideas. I wasn't a big murder mystery fan before this, but if there are more mysteries to read like this, then I will be reading them. He has become an auto-buy author for me.  

What did you think of The Devil and the Dark Water??

What I've Been Reading Recently- Winter Edition 2021

2021 really has flown by and suddenly we're into the final two months of the year. This means it's time for my "what I've been reading recently this autumn" post. Across September and October, I read 14 books. This was a step down from my summer reading, but I'm still happy with what I've been reading. Here's to hoping the end of 2021 will be as good as the last few months as I'm well on my way to hitting my Goodreads challenge.  

September 

In September I read 6 books, two of which were rereads. September ended up being kinda of a busy month as I went on a mini-holiday with my family, which meant I didn't have much time to read. 

The Foundling by Stacey Halls 

My first read of September was a book I was excited to read and had been leftover from my August TBR. You might have seen in my last what I've been reading recently post, that I loved The Familiars by Stacey Halls. So much so that I immediately bought her second book to read. Sadly, I didn't end up enjoying this one as much. I really didn't like one of the characters and struggled to connect with the story. I have a full spoiler filled review, which you can read here. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This book had some of the most beautiful writing I have ever written. SMG has become someone I am dying to read from again. Thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the story and the setting. My only qualm with this book is that the main character could be a bit annoying and repetitive at times. I will be making my way through her other books as that was just some of the best writing I have ever read. I gave it 4/5 stars.

  

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The first book I reread this month. After really enjoying the TV show adaptation, I have been giving the books a second chance. I wasn't wowed by the SoC duology when I first read it in 2019, but I'm happy to say I enjoyed it a lot more this time. It still didn't quite live up to the hype for me, but you can really see the improvement in the quality of writing and characters. I cared a lot more this time, perhaps because I knew what was going to happen at certain points. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

My other reread was the other half of this duology. Again, this book grew on me with this reread. I can see why it's so beloved. I am interested as to why it's getting a sequel, as I felt the ending was strong. It would take away from some of that mystery. I'm now interested in reading the Nikolai duology, which I'm finally going to read at some point. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Autumn by Ali Smith

I have wanted to read this series for a while and am so happy that I've started this. At first, I wasn't sure about it, but I ended up really enjoying it. I liked the intertwining storyline. I liked the themes being discussed and how Ali Smith approached them. It was a nice, short and easy book to read. I am looking forward to continuing this series throughout the year. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

My final read of September was the prequel to The Hate U Give. I was looking forward to this as Angie Thomas is such a good writer, however this ended up being my least favourite of her books. I found Maverick a hard character to connect with and this didn't add much to what I already knew from THUG. It was an important story to tell, but just didn't have the same emotional punch as THUG. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

October

During October, I participated in Spoopathon, a month long readathon for Halloween. This really helped me stay motivated with my reading and I managed to read 8 books this month. Most of them were for Spoopathon, but I did fit in three non-Spoopathon books. 

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

I decided to join the new local book club in my town and the pick for October was this. It's a translated fiction book and I did not like it. I didn't like the characters, I found them too similar and whiny. I didn't like the story. I just didn't like it. I don't think I'm the target demographic for this book, especially as I'm the youngest in the club by 10-15 years. I would not recommend this book. I gave it 2/5 stars.  

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

On the other hand, I would highly recommend this book. I read this in one sitting and I adored it. It has such a sweet message at it's core. The artwork is beautiful. It's one of the most heartwarming books I've ever read and I wish I could read it for the first time again. I loved it. An easy 5/5 stars from me. 

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

This book was so hyped and beloved, that I had wanted to read it for a few months. In short, this book just wasn't for me. While I liked the characters, I didn't like the story or the writing. I think this is a case of a celebrity getting to write a book. This was a murder mystery and I still don't know who committed which crimes. I won't be continuing with this series and I'm going to give my copy away. You can read my full spoiler filled review here. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

I adored Stuart's other book, the Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, so I was excited to read this as it was finally out in paperback. This did not disappoint. This was another clever murder mystery. I liked the characters and I loved the confined setting of the ship. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but aside from that, I had a great time with this book. I cannot wait to see what Stuart Turton writes next. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Mina and the Undead by Amy McCaw

This book had a very rocky start, which meant I leant towards giving it 3 stars for most of my time reading it. However, it grew on me. I liked Mina as a character, she felt realistic. I wasn't convinced by the instalove storyline. Overall, this was quite a fun and easy read. I do plan on reading the sequel when it comes out next year. I gave it 3.5/5 stars.

Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

This was probably one of the most disappointing books I have read. I went in expecting spookiness and witches and I did not get that. I didn't like the characters or the story. This reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing, which was another book I didn't like. I will not be keeping my copy as I was just so disappointed by it. I gave it 3/5 stars.

Mouseguard: Autumn 1152 by David Petersen

If you are looking for a fun, fantasy graphic novel with mice in it, then I'd recommend this. I liked the world building and the premise of this. I also really enjoyed the artwork. I struggled with working out which character was which at times as some of the mice looked similar and you could only tell by the colour of their cloak, which they wouldn't always wear. I am interested in continuing this series as it was entertaining. Kinda like a mice version of Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. I gave it 3/5 stars.

The Places in Between by Rory Stewart

The final book I read in October was the November book club book. This was a non-fiction book about a guy walking across Afghanistan in 2002. I don't read much travel writing, it isn't a genre I naturally gravitate towards. I found Rory a difficult narrator to connect to. A lot of what happened became quite repetitive. The only thing I really liked about this book was the parts featuring the dog he adopted along the way as I wanted to know if it was okay. I gave it 3/5 stars. 

So those conclude my reads for autumn 2021. What books did you manage to read this autumn??

Macbeth Almeida Theatre Review| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Macbeth
Writer- William Shakespeare

Theatre- Almeida Theatre, London

Running Dates- final performance November 27th. Tickets are sold out, but you can watch this at home via a livestream until October 30th (this is how I watched it)

Running Time- approx 3 hours and 5 mins, including an interval 

Cast- Saoirse Ronan, James McArdle 

Genre- Classic, Shakespeare, Tragedy

Rating- 4/5 stars 

Plot

Yaël Farber directs James McArdle and Saoirse Ronan, in an elemental production about a world in transformation, the shadows in all of us, and one couple’s spine-chilling quest for power.

Olivier Award-nominee James McArdle plays the title role of Macbeth. His highly acclaimed theatre roles include Louis in the National Theatre and Broadway production of Angels in America, Peter Gynt, Platonov and James I in The James Plays (National Theatre). His screen work includes HBO’s Mare of Easttown, Ammonite, Mary Queen of Scots and Man in an Orange Shirt.

Four-time Academy Award-nominated Saoirse Ronan makes her UK stage debut as Lady Macbeth. She made her Broadway debut as Abigail Williams in The Crucible on Broadway in 2016 to glowing reviews and has been celebrated throughout her career for her performances in films including Atonement, Lady Bird, Brooklyn, and Little Women.

Yaël Farber is an internationally acclaimed director and playwright, whose recent work includes Hamlet (St Ann’s Warehouse, New York); Blood Wedding (Young Vic), Knives in Hens (Donmar Warehouse) and Les Blancs (National Theatre).

Taken from the Almeida website.

Opinions

It's been an age since I did a theatre review on here and I'm really happy I can start making this content again. With COVID, I haven't been to an in person performance since March 2020. So, I've been watching a lot of livestream theatre. I was desperate to see this production of Macbeth because I love Saiorse Ronan and James McArdle. I was planning on seeing it in London in November, but due to the COVID rates in the UK and me having to travel to London to see it, I decided it wasn't safe so I was very happy when they announced these livestream dates. 

Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle were phenomenal in the lead roles. This is my third Macbeth production, but this one really stood out to me. Unlike previous productions, these versions of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth felt human. They started as a normal couple, then they descended into the madness/power obsession. I actually felt sorry for them as you could see they regretted their actions and wanted no part in what they had done towards the end. Lady Macbeth is often portrayed as manipulative and pushing Macbeth to do these deeds, but in this version, she was a wife supporting her husband. There was genuine love between them. You understood why she went mad with guilt and grief, why she died. I think Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle brought out a softer side to these characters that we haven't really seen before. This was a motif carried by the rest of the cast, including the actor that played MacDuff. His grief when he lost his wife and children was palpable. He was sad and didn't set out for revenge immediately. It was a very strong cast.

This was one of the grittier versions of Macbeth I have seen. I loved the set and costume designs. The use of "we'll meet again" gave it this old wartime feel, which made it feel timeless. The staging was quite simple, with plastic screen dividers used to create different rooms. The costumes were also quite simple, with a lot of monochrome being used. I think the only time we saw colour was in the camouflage military uniforms or the blue of the royal outfits worn by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It gave the play a spooky undertone, which it should have. The lighting was good, but at times didn't translate well to viewing it at home as the shadows were too dense, which is something I'll talk about later. I really liked the creative choices they made for this version. 

The music was another incredible part of this production. They had a cellist and a singer, who were also performers in the play. The singer had this beautiful voice that created haunting music. In the more intense scenes, when characters died it was like their pain had been turned into music. The music was just as a stand out as the rest of this production. It was never over the top or got in the way of the performances, it enhanced them.     

It's time to talk about the only thing I didn't like about this production and it wasn't even a fault of the production. The way it was filmed meant at times certain scenes were lost. Like there was quite an intense fight scene between Banquo and the assassins who kill him, and we at home only saw Macbeth's reaction. I would have loved to have seen the fight. At times the cameras were trying to get close ups, but kept on catching other cameras in the background and would have to move quickly to get out of the way. They would try and avoid getting camera shadows in shot, which made for clunky filming. I think if there had been a bit of variety in the shots, it would have worked so much better. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this production and I now wish I was seeing it live in London as I think that would have been a totally different experience. I think the whole creative team did a wonderful job at bringing this show to life and changing certain elements for the better. I gave it 4/5 stars, as while I enjoyed it, I really struggled with some of the filming choices.

What did you think of this production of Macbeth??

My Favourite Halloween Entertainment- Books, Films and TV Shows| CarenzaOnBooks

Back in the day, when I first started this blog, I used to do something called Spooky Week. As the title suggested, for a week, I would post spooky related content. I did it for two or three years, but for various reasons I stopped. However, I still love making Halloween content. In today's post, I thought I would share my favourite/ultimate Halloween entertainment guide. I am going to pick one book, film and TV show to share and talk about how much I love them. These are just my personal preferences, but these are guaranteed to put my in a Halloweeny mood.

Book- Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

You are probably sick to death of me talking about how much I love this book and this series, but that's not going to stop me from talking about it. I believe Serpent and Dove is the perfect Halloween/autumnal series because of two things- witches and a gritty/dark tone. These books aren't perfect, they have their flaws, but they're so entertaining. If you love an enemies to lover romance, witches and witch-hunters, iconic characters and a beautiful magic system, then look no further. 

Shoutouts for other books that could have featured in this category are The Diviners series, The Once and Future Witches, The Devil and the Dark Water and If We Were Villains. 

Film- The Nightmare Before Christmas

Taken from Google Images

I am one of those people where it isn't Halloween unless I've watched this film. The story is great, the songs are great, the characters are great, the art style is great. In summary, it's great. It can also pass for a Christmas film, so you can watch it twice a year. I've watched this so many times I've lost count. Having now seen Schitt's Creek, I refuse to believe that the same person who played Moria Rose, also played Sally and one of the spooky kids. My brain can't cope.

TV Show- The Living and the Dead 

Taken from Google Images

This is probably the most unknown on this list as it's a criminally underrated show. If you like historical fiction, supernatural things that go bump in the night and Colin Morgan, then you'll love this show. It was a BBC show that got cancelled even before it aired, so the ending leaves you wanting more, but sadly you'll never get it. I have watched this at least once a year every year since it came out (in 2016). Some of the things that happen in it are genuinely quite scary and it's one of those shows I have to watch with the light on because it kinda terrifies me. It has a wonderful story, with a beautiful soundtrack and incredible performances. It is on BritBox or you can buy it on DVD. If you take anything from this list, then please take this show because I need more people to watch it. 

What are your go to Halloween entertainments??

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Book Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- The Thursday Murder Club

Author- Richard Osman

Series- The Thursday Murder Club series

Published- 2020

Page Count- 396 pages (UK paperback)

Publishing House- Penguin

Genre- murder mystery, cosy crime, crime 

Rating- 3/5 stars

About the Author

Richard Thomas Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English comedian, producer, television presenter, writer, and the creator and co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show Pointless. He has also presented the BBC Two quiz shows Two Tribes and Richard Osman's House of Games and has been a team captain on the comedy panel shows Insert Name Here and The Fake News Show. He has gained recognition for his appearances on many British panel shows.

Osman worked at Hat Trick Productions alongside Ben Smith before becoming creative director of the television production company Endemol UK, producing shows including Prize Island for ITV and Deal or No Deal for Channel 4. He is the writer of the 2020 novel The Thursday Murder Club.

Taken from Wikipedia

Plot

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE #1 BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES BY TV PRESENTER RICHARD OSMAN

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

Taken from Goodreads

Opinions

Prior to me reading this book for my second pick of the Spoopathon, I had listened to members of my book group talking about their feelings on it. I think I was the only person who hadn't read it and there were some mixed feelings. Some liked it, others didn't and there was one individual who passionately didn't like it. It just so happened that I was about to start reading it that evening. I was interested to see where I would fall on the wide spectrum of readers. 

I'll start with the positives. I found this book very easy to read. I read it in three days. Despite the problems I had, which I'll discuss later in this post, there was a part of me that wanted to find out what happened next. It moved at quite a natural progression and I didn't mind moving between the characters. I'm glad that it was an easy read as that's one of the things I gave it stars for. 

Another positive is that I didn't mind the characters. Let's talk about the main four. They were an odd bunch, but they seemed to work well. I have seen a few comments that said Ibrahim was only included to have a more diverse cast and to some extent I have to agree. Elizabeth was the most interesting out of them as she had the most layers to her characters. Joyce was okay, as was Ron. I felt that in some of the side characters, the hairdresser in particular, there was a very fine line when it came to stereotypes. The hairdresser being gay and loving gossip just felt a bit cliche. I realised quite early on that I was not the target audience for this book, but I thought the characters were okay.

Let's get into my main problem with this book. I personally felt the writing was bad. I think this is a case of a celebrity getting to write a book as the quality of the writing wasn't great. It made it hard for me to follow the plot of what should have been a quite simple book. Things kept on being revealed that weren't linked to the two main crimes of the story, which has left me confused as to who committed which murder and why. Going back to my point about the characters, PC Donna was a great character, but one I only realised was a person of colour after reading about her for a while when someone specifically said it. It felt like it was just a throw away comment. I know this is a fiction book, but some of the things that happened were unbelievable even for a murder mystery. The police wouldn't just give away information the way these characters did. It just frustrated me to no end. 

It probably won't come as a surprise, but I won't be reading the sequels to this series. I can see why people like it as it's a unique premise and certain parts of it remind me of my own relatives, who live in a residential home. Sadly, it's just not for me. I am planning on giving my copy to my grandma as I think she'll like it.

What did you think of The Thursday Murder Club??

The Power of the Readathon| CarenzaOnBooks

This post is inspired by the Spoopathon, which is a readathon I am currently taking part in. If you want to know more about it and what I'm reading for it, then click here. In today's post, I want to talk about the power of readathons and how they've made me motivated to read.

Prior to this, I have taken part in one or two readathons during my time in the book community. I like the ones where you can fit whatever books you want to read to prompts, rather than having a specific group book to read. In recent years, there hasn't really been a readathon that has captured my attention. Either the timing didn't work for me or the premise wasn't one I was interested in. Then Spoopathon came along, created by the wonderful Holly from @spoopyhol. A Halloween themed readathon? Sign me up. What was great about this one was that I could already fit my TBR plans for October around the prompts. The prompts are very generous and you can get quite creative with how you pick books for them. 

Since taking part, I've noticed that I am more motivated to read. In the first week of October, I read three books. I don't remember the last time I read that many books in one week. Compared to normal months, where I'm just reading for me, I'm more likely to pick up a book. I think that's because of two reasons. One, I have a goal to complete and two, I want to collect points for my teams. This is the first readathon I've taken part in where there's a bit of a competition element. It feels like I'm working towards something and that at the end, there's going to be a reward. 

Readathons are a community event. I know for this one, there are reading sprints you can take part in at certain times, where everyone reads at the same time. There's teams and obviously, you want to see to see your team win. You can interact with other people and see what they're reading or what content they're making around the readathon. I think the community spirit created around readathons makes them a wholesome event to take part in.

The Spoopathon isn't finished yet, but I'm certain I'd take part in more readathons in the future. I've had so much fun challenging myself to read more this month and it's given me a chance to create content that's a bit different from what I normally do. Readathons are very powerful and lovely events. I'd recommend taking part in one. 

These were my short and somewhat ramble-y thoughts on readathons.      

Sex Education Series Three TV Show Review (Contains Spoilers)| CarenzaOnBooks

Taken from Google Images

Title- Sex Education

Creators- Laurie Nunn

Cast- Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Aimee Lou-Wood, Connor Swindells plus an ensemble cast

Genre- teen drama, comedy, drama 

Length- three series of eight episodes

Platform- Netflix

Rating- 4/5 stars

Plot

Sex Education primarily follows Otis Milburn, a student at Moordale Secondary School. Otis begins the series ambivalent about sex, in part because his single mother Jean is a sex therapist who frequently has affairs with male suitors but is unable to maintain romantic relationships.

Brief summary for all three series taken from Wikipedia 

Opinions 

In case you didn't know, Sex Education is one of my favourite shows of all time. When it first dropped in 2019, I watched the first series four times in a row because it was that good. This series has been anticipated for a while because of how series two ended and because of how long we've had to wait because of COVID. I have more to say than I can fit into one blog post, so I've picked what I think are the key points/things I want to talk about. My very brief summary is that compared to the first two series, this one was weaker but still good. I wasn't disappointed or bored, I just didn't quite have the same connection as I did to the first two. I easily gave the first two 5 stars without a second thought, but this one gets 4 stars because it just missed the mark for me. 

Taken from Google Images

I think the main storyline was the love square that we had going between Otis, Maeve, Ruby and Issac. I am not a big fan of love triangles or any other shapes, but this one kinda worked. Let's talk about the Otis and Ruby romance first. I was quite surprised by it, but after the events of series two, it did work. It allowed us to finally get to know Ruby better after only getting small insights in the first two series. It was inevitable that the two would break up as they weren't 100% compatible and it would have been cruel of Otis to lead her on when he didn't love her. I hope we get to see more of Ruby following her breakup with Otis as she faded into the background after their relationship ended. This then leads us to Maeve and Issac. I think they work wonderfully as friends, but not as romantic partners. They understood what the other had been through and they brought the best out in each other. A romance would have complicated that. I never hated Issac, I thought that while his actions were wrong, he was just trying to protect his friend. I would like to see them just as friends for the next series. Finally, let's talk about Otis and Maeve. We've had this big "will they, won't they" plotline going since series one and we've still got it going. I am getting a bit tired of it at this point, but if they don't get together properly at some point before the show ends, I will revolt. 

Taken from Google Images

One of the things I really didn't like about this series was how they treated Eric. His actions throughout just felt completely off character. The way he treated Adam was appalling. As someone who had struggled with coming to terms with his own sexuality due to lack of support, Eric should have been much more supportive of Adam and his journey. They've turned Eric into someone who will cheat on his boyfriend without a second thought. He isn't the same character as in series one, he isn't even recognisable as that character. I was very disappointed with his storyline this series. 

Speaking of Adam, he has had one of the best, if not the best, story arcs throughout the shows run. We got to see that he wanted to become a better person, not just for those in his life, but for himself. He's slowly beginning to accept his sexuality and he wants to do better at school. We get to learn why he is so quick to violence and why he struggles with his emotions. One of the things that bugged me a bit was how the media reported Adam's journey with his sexuality. They called him gay, when he has clearly stated he was bisexual. This could have been such a good chance to have some strong bisexual rep and it fell a bit flat for me. I hope they return to the topic of Adam's bisexuality. The final episode made me smile and cry for him. He has become one of my favourite characters and Connor Swindells deserves an award for his performance as it was incredible. Michael's storyline was just as beautiful and very similar to Adam's. Series two did him a bit dirty as he wasn't a textbook villain. We got to see that just like his son he wants to change and undo the years of damage by his own father. They were some lovely scenes, especially the ones when he stood up to his arrogant brother. Their storylines were probably my favourite this series and were the ones I found the most interesting. 

Taken from Google Images

Aimee's storyline was another powerful one. It showed her slow recovery from her sexual assault. I liked that they didn't gloss over it and say that she was magically fixed after the bus scene. Her interactions with Jean during her therapy sessions were so strong. The fact that we get to see her hear being told that what happened wasn't her fault was another important moment. Aimee Lou-Wood 100% deserved the BAFTA she won for playing Aimee in series two and she just goes from strength to strength in her performances. Her friendship with Maeve finally saw a few bumps in the road, which is what it needed for it to progress. They are very different people but they are able to fix that and still love each other. It is one of the best relationships in this show. As sad as it was for her to breakup with Steve, I think it needed to happen. It will be nice to see Aimee without a boyfriend. 

Taken from Google Images

I genuinely cried when I thought they might kill Jean off after she experienced complications with her labour. The idea of Otis and Joy not having a mum was so sad. Her overall storyarc was a bit dull. She did have some great lines, such as shouting at the tea and the doctors at the hospital. The show just wouldn't work without her. I am excited to see who could be the father of her baby as it clearly isn't Jakob. My theory at the moment is that it's motorbike Dan as we saw him outside the hospital and we wouldn't have seen him unless it was a clue.  

Taken from Google Images

I think one of my problems with this series was that there were too many characters, which resulted in too many storylines and it felt diluted. There are so many characters that I have't even touched on, like Lily's storyline was heartbreaking. Ola didn't really have one and I found her a bit annoying this series. We didn't get to see some characters, such as Jackson's other mum and Remi Milburn this series. Speaking of Jackson, he just felt like a background character and didn't really have a storyline. The same went for Viv and they were great characters with an iconic friendship. The new characters didn't really add much, other than for Cal to be introduced as a non-binary character and for that to be their sole personality trait. They had one good scene with another non-binary character and that was it. I didn't mind Hope as the villain. I felt that she was under a lot of pressure and that it had damaged her own morals. The parallels with her needing total control in her professional life compared to her lack of control over her body was a strong one. I'd like to see her return, but then her storyline also felt complete. Compared to previous series, there's was just too much going on, but not enough big events.      

I am of the belief that series four should be the final one. Have the students finishing their time as secondary school pupils and go off to university. I think a fifth series wouldn't work. We've already reached a point were there are too many characters and therefore too many story arcs to resolve. The writing, performances, directing and overall production were great. This show should go out on a high while it still can. 

Here is a list of things I would like to happen in series four:

• Otis and Maeve get together properly
• Adam and Michael to fix their relationship or work towards it, plus Adam competing in dog shows
• Eric figuring out what he wants in a boyfriend and not cheating on them
• Either Mr Hendricks or Miss Sands becoming the new headteacher of Moordale 
• Aimee continuing on her journey of recovery 
• Ruby to become a more developed character outside her relationship with Otis
• A strong ending of them going to university, with Otis training to become a therapist and Maeve studying English Literature

I could probably list a lot more things, but these are the ones I really want to see. What did you think of Sex Education series three??