Self Challenges:- Elle for 2014

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "Ooooo Desley!

Sorry, Peanut. Hope you don't mind me posting this here. :)

Desley, have you read Dolan's Cadillac?

Stephen King at his best. Ramping up the tension. Brilliant characterisation.
..."

No, since not going to the library I've missed out on a few SK books. First book of 2014 will be Duma Key

[Patti (baconater)]

I liked Duma. Was hard to pick back up when I put it down but I'm glad I finished it. The ending satisfied me but then went on for another twenty pages.

[Elle]

I don't mind at all guys. Talk away!

I wish I had a real life friend who read just as much as me also. I always attempt to engage people in book talk but I've yet to find someone as keen as me. :(

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Elle wrote: "I don't mind at all guys. Talk away!

I wish I had a real life friend who read just as much as me also. I always attempt to engage people in book talk but I've yet to find someone as keen as me. :("

Ditto, and the ones who do read don't read the same as me.

[Elle]

Ye - I do have some friends that read some but they read the really really popular books like hunger games or 50 shades and thats it

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Yep, 50 shades dominated a lot of our kitchen conversation. I'm not one to read a book cos everyone else is, never buy a book as soon as it comes out, and have a lot of random authors on my bookcases. I'll go off the back, not who wrote it. Prob why I'm happy to read indies.

[Elle]

the genre i read is huge but obviously im not friends with the right people xD

[Patti (baconater)]

You guys need to hang out with more teachers. Can't go into the staff room with tripping over a book conversation.

[Elle]

i do know a lot of teachers and teachers-to-be but they also love the more practical subjects so book talk is generally math/science related... yawn.


im having a good run of reading lately and hopefully will be able to keep it up for new year. i also have made a list of both books and movies that i definitely want to get to in 2014 that i might copy into here when i have time. you know those 'ye i really need to read that' books but you been saying that for you like 5 years?

[Patti (baconater)]

Yeah, I've got a kindle full of those.

Got your essay done?

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Elle wrote: "the genre i read is huge but obviously im not friends with the right people xD"

Ditto, I don't think horror, thriller and crime are that unpopular. True life crime is slightly different though. I'm doing well for reading with being off work, its fab.

[Elle]

oh yes its been done since last monday! friend is just doing the final presentation stuff (fixin footnotes etc) as i type :P

i need to revise though. i need all my notes written up by thursday so i can take them with me to london.

[D.D. Chant]

Hope it all goes well, hon.

[Patti (baconater)]

Elle wrote: "oh yes its been done since last monday! friend is just doing the final presentation stuff (fixin footnotes etc) as i type :P

i need to revise though. i need all my notes written up by thursday so ..."

Atta girl.

One of my nephews is studying maths. He sez he wishes he had essays cos then he'd know that not his entire grade would depend on the exam.

He's enjoying it tho.

[Elle]

My 2014 will be off to a very slow start as I go away to London on Friday for 5 days then have revision!

I haven't got all my notes done for London but I have just over a week when I get back and no time in London really anyway so not a big deal.


I'm about to make a list of books (probably in first post somewhere) of books I *really* need to read this year.

[Elle]

Movie 001: Star Trek Into The Darkness

Seen it before (in the cinema actually and again when it came out on DVD with a friend) and loved it again. Don't quite understand all the references like a true Star Trek fan but I'm a big fan of the first film and I like this reboot. Cumberbatch is great as Khan and I love the chemistry between Pine and Quinto. Great film. Need to purchase the DVD myself.


imdb

[Elle]

Movie 002: The Breakfast Club

One my favourite movies ever. Was quite disgusted when I found out one my good friends hadn't seen it so we are forcing it on her!!

imdb

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Good start Elle

[Elle]

Movie 003: Chicago

After mentioning to a friend how much I love musicals, she remembered that she had taped Chicago of a sky movie channel earlier in the week. We sang and attempted to dance along while polishing off a bottle of wine. Love this movie, even though I've seen the stage show several times and the movie even more.

imdb

[Elle]

Movie 004: Marius

The first part of a trilogy, this french film is everything I love about french film: absolutely freaking ridiculous. Can't wait for the second part 'Fanny' to come into work in a fortnight.

imdb

[Elle]

Movie 005: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

This has a cloud of indifference hanging over it at work. It hasn't really blown anyone away but it hasn't annoyed anyone enough to really get a complaint yet. I liked it a little more than others but I didn't love it. It's long - REALLY long at 2hrs and 27minutes. But timing isn't just a problem, it covers EVERYTHING and you come out feeling like you have watched several films bunched together, rather than one cohesive epic. It was very nice to certain people in Mandela's life but definitely didn't brush over things to make him seem perfect.

imdb

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Wow, you are doing really well with films Elle.

[Elle]

Thanks Desley! My film challenge really isn't that much of a challenge, I have to be honest.

Another two to watch tonight as well.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

No, I suppose with your job it isn't! My watching challenge isn't going well!

[Elle]

Movie 006: Rough Cuts

So terrible it doesn't even deserve a comment. It was a documentary about a failed film idea and it was crap.

imdb

[Elle]

Movie 007: 12 Years a Slave

Going into a movie with so much hype always leaves me a little on edge. I tend to go against the grain on so many things that I never have high hopes for films that people claim to be the greatest. In saying that, I spent a good 90minutes of this movie completely inconsolable. I'm not even sure I can watch it again. I spent the entire day yesterday revising the American South and slavery so seeing it on the big screen with such heart breaking performances was tough, really tough. The topic is laden enough with emotion and the story is downright heart wrenching but those performances...guh. They deserve every little bit of praise. There wasn't one person in that movie that was 'weak'.

Absolutely fantastic.

imdb

[Elle]

I watched 4 TV episodes over the weekend. Using them as revision breaks or in the background as I cooked/cleaned.

2 episodes of Elementary, 1 episode of Bones and 1 episode of Castle (which had me crying)!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I like all of those, have both Bones and Castle amongst my pile

[Elle]

we definitely have very similar tv taste Desley!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Yeah, we do. I was trying to tell someone about Elementary on Sat, couldn't remember its name tho. I'm getting more reading time than TV time at the moment tho, and that many new things I've lost the 10% I watched over Christmas

[Emma]

Wow Elle!! Only just had an opportunity to catch up with the group a bit!! This is some challenge!!! I feel inadequate jus picking a number and aiming for that!!! Feel like I should maybe put more thought in to it!!!
Good luck with it!!

[Elle]

Haha thanks! I find splitting up my challenge is the only way ill read different books. Plus you know me...love a challenge!!

[Jud]

And organisation!

[Elle]

Yup :D

[Elle]

Movie 008: Blade II

Seen this movie many times before but it was on Channel 4 before Christmas and I had my Mother tape it so watched it again the other day. Been a while since I watched it so it was nice to revisit an old favourite. The Blade movies are pretty ridiculous but they were the first type of vampire/action movies that I got into when I was younger so they will always hold a special place in my heart

link

[Elle]

Movie 009: Fanny

Fanny is the second in the trilogy, of which I watched the first earlier in the year (Marius). While Marius was the typical French cheese feel-good movie, Fanny had a much sadder tone to it. The third part is still in production but I'm hoping it comes out soon as parts 1 & 2 were released in quick succession in 2013.

link

[Elle]

Movie 010: 12 Years a Slave

My second watch of this, and definitely not my last (yo, work.. sometimes I hate you). I managed to not cry this time although that is probably due to spending a lot of movie eyeing up the slightly loud customers who came to watch it yesterday. The end did make me weepy again as even though it's the happiest part of the movie, the movie cannot in anyway be described as happy and that was not a happy ending at all! *weepy again just thinking of it*

It holds its own a second time but this time around I realised how completely AWFUL Brad Pitt is. His accent is actually cringeworthy. He has this weird American Southern accent then in the next breath states he's Canadian *head desk*. His acting was also a black mark in an almost perfect cast..

[Elle]

6 TV Episodes over the last few days

1 Sherlock
2 NCIS
1 NCIS: LA
1 Criminal Minds
1 CSI

I might consider putting my TV challenge up as I'm knocking them out rightly.

[Elle]

Book 1: The Song of the Sword and Other Verses by William Ernest Henley

3*

I absolutely adore Henley and have read all of these poems before in larger collections. I thought I would go back and visit the smaller free collections on my Kindle but was highly disappointed that somehow they managed to put every single one of my least favourite works in a single book. It's quite extraordinary how they managed that...

Had on my Kindle from January 2013. 116pages

Counts for several challenges including; Shortcut (counting anything below 150pages this year), shelving unit (dipper books), home alone (on my TBR from previous year or before) & edingus (read on my kindle)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Elle wrote: "Movie 008: Blade II

Seen this movie many times before but it was on Channel 4 before Christmas and I had my Mother tape it so watched it again the other day. Been a while since I watched it so it ..."

That's on this week, and I'm really tempted, think its my fav of the trilogy

[[deleted user]]

Wow - you have been doing well, Elle!

[Elle]

Another episode of Sherlock bringing my total up to 11 for tv episodes.

Only one left in the series to watch - scheduled it for tomorrow night so I'm nearly there!

[Elle]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Elle wrote: "Movie 008: Blade II

Seen this movie many times before but it was on Channel 4 before Christmas and I had my Mother tape it so watched it again the other day. Been a while since I watc..."

It's definitely a very fun movie :D

[Elle]

Karen (Kew) wrote: "Wow - you have been doing well, Elle!"

haha it looks it doesn't it? Unfortunately my screen challenges aren't much of a challenge... I really do need to put my TV one up. Or I may leave it just to see how many I end up watching.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

You are doing well with your tv challenge Elle

[Elle]

Thanks Desley. These are my regular shows. I didn't think I watched too much TV but when you look at the numbers I suppose I do..

Suppose some people watch like 10 episodes a day though haha

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I wish I could have some of those as regular shows, but I don't have sky. At first I thought that was a lot, but I probably watch more, so think I'll stick to no of series!

[Elle]

I download all my TV since I don't actually have a TV in my room

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Ah right. I only have a computer in my room, although I do live alone so have a TV to myself too

[Elle]

I sit on my bed which is directly facing my computer and watch all my TV via that. Exceptions are Doctor Who/Sherlock which are on the TV