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Monday, 6 January 2020

Green Valley Book Review

IMMERSIVE AND ENGAGING

Green Valley - Louis Greenberg

Photo from when I finished reading the book.

Have you ever had one of those books you picked up because it looked interesting, even at the expense of it possibly being cliché? This was one of those books, and I'm pleased to say my expectations were thoroughly blown out of the water.

Green Valley predominately follows the character of Lucie Sterling, a Stanton police officer who wants to find answers about her missing niece. But it won't be easy. Invasive technology has been banned, there's no big companies holding data on private citizens, or phones tracking their every move. Green Valley is different - its inhabitants have retreated to the comfort of full-time virtual reality. Inside of Green Valley, beyond the ideal virtual world it presents is where Lucie will have to go to get her answers.

I was immersed from the beginning, and had I had the time, I'm sure I would have read it in one sitting. The atmosphere and description really made me feel like I was with Lucie as she navigated Stanton, and Green Valley. A techno-terror, that had me on the edge of my seat and surprised in all the right places.

There were a lot of characters that I really connected and engaged with. It was so refreshing to read a strong female character, who was strong because that was who she was, and not for the sake of a man. Come to think of it, a lot of the important female characters in this story were strong and definitely carried the narrative in their own ways. They said a lot, without having to have to write a backstory for each of them.

However, there were certain characters I struggled to really care for. For example, Lucie's boyfriend Fabian was mentioned throughout, and whilst the way he was mentioned fit into the story, I couldn't see the moment where his motivations changed. There was another character, who was particularly important, but his backstory was only briefly mentioned, and honestly until writing this, I completely forgot half of what brought him to that point.

There were parts in this book I struggled to distinguish the narrator. Greenberg uses a first person narrator, which was good until you switched perspective. This was tackled by the change in perspective by then writing it in third person. Whilst this didn't happen very often, it was enough for me to notice it and withdrew me from the story in what I felt were crucial moments.

Overall, I highly recommend that you read this book. It's unique, immersive and has a few unexpected twists and turns. A techno-thriller, with mystery and engaging characters and plot points.

Score: 4 out of 5.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Stock Happy New Year Photo.

Happy New Year! So this is what 2020 vision looks like. I couldn't resist using the joke everyone will be using. I hope you had a safe start into the New Year, whether you were staying in or going out. Did 2019 treat you okay?

To all my friends and family, thank you for making 2019, and indeed the 10s a wonderful experience, and supporting me through highs and lows. I can only hope I did a good job at helping you through your highs and lows.

With a New Year comes resolutions. Last year, which I actually kept to, was to reconnect with old friends. I have four friends in my life who I dip in and out of contact with, and 2019 allowed me the chance to not only speak to them more regularly, but meet up with them in person at least once. Which was the most rewarding thing.

So what are my resolutions for 2020? This year I'm combining my personal and professional resolutions and only having five between them, in the hopes that I'll be able to stick to them. In no particular order, here are my resolutions:

Enjoy writing. This includes blog posts as well as stories, reviews or any other writing I may do.
Stick with things even when they seem tough.
Keep learning.
Read and/or watch a classic each month.
Try to cut out the toxic things in my life.

With any luck I'll be able to stick to those, so we shall see come the end of this year.

Once again, have a Happy [and safe] New Year! May 2020 be kind to you!

-Emmaberry-

The 10s: A Decade in Review

10 Years of Change

The last 10 years can only be described as constant change and personal growth. That does come from starting the decade as a child, to ending it as an adult.
In 2010 I was 11 years old, and at the time being bullied by some of my peers. Now, at the end of 2019, I'm 21 years old and have become someone my 11 year old self never dreamed I'd become.

In this decade, I discovered the moral I live by, from an actor in Broadway's 'Dear Evan Hansen.'

I mean, I think it's impossible to try to worry about fitting in because no matter what happens somebody isn't gonna like you. Whether they're projecting onto you, or, you know maybe you just don't gel with that person. So I think as difficult as it is, just be your most authentic version of yourself. It's truly the only thing you can do. Because if you spend time not doing that, I think you're wasting time getting to know yourself, and you should be your own best friend.

If I could tell my 11 year old self anything, it would definitely be this. I spent so much time worrying about what I liked, who liked me, being too nerdy (believe it or not at one point I refused to wear fandom tops because I was worried about judgement), and even my writing. I tried for most of secondary school to keep it a secret because I didn't want the judgement from my peers.

But moving on from secondary school, I decided to do a round up of some of my favourite things from this decade. There won't be any photos on this post, but the list I've compiled is:

Age
Favourite Singer/Band
Favourite Song
Favourite Film
Favourite TV Show
Favourite Book
A High Moment
A Low Moment

I'm relying a lot on memory here, but I'm going to do my best to keep it true to what it was back then as I possibly can.

2010

Age: 11/12
Favourite Singer/Band: Taylor Swift
Favourite Song: Everybody in Love - JLS
Favourite Film: Twilight
Favourite TV Show: Doctor Who
Favourite Book: Bloodlust by Alex Duval
A High Moment: Achieving my yellow belt in TaeKwonDo.
A Low Moment: Being dragged into drama that I didn't want to be involved in.

2011

Age: 12/13
Favourite Singer/Band: Big Time Rush
Favourite Song: What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction
Favourite Film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Favourite TV Show: Victorious
Favourite Book: Divergent - Veronica Roth
A High Moment: Starting KickBoxing.
A Low Moment: Being dragged into more drama - the first two years of secondary school brought me a lot of unnecessary drama.

2012

Age: 13/14
Favourite Singer/Band: One Direction
Favourite Song: Wings - Little Mix
Favourite Film: Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1
Favourite TV Show: Big Time Rush
Favourite Book: Initiation - Alex Duval
A High Moment: Getting guinea pigs.
A Low Moment: The car accident.

2013

Age: 14/15
Favourite Singer/Band: One Direction
Favourite Song: Best Song Ever - One Direction
Favourite Film: Man of Steel
Favourite TV Show: The Fosters
Favourite Book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
A High Moment: Going to my first tattoo convention.
A Low Moment: It seems ridiculous, but having my writing outed to a lot of the year group by one of my classmates.

2014

Age: 15/16
Favourite Singer/Band: Lyon Estate
Favourite Song: Catch Me - Lyon Estate
Favourite Film: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Favourite TV Show: The Fosters
Favourite Book: Two Boys Kissing - David Leviathan
A High Moment: Getting a short story published in an anthology.
A Low Moment: Discovering that I have exam anxiety, and low blood pressure.

2015

Age: 16/17
Favourite Singer/Band: Lyon Estate
Favourite Song: Carry on My Wayward Son - Kansas
Favourite Film: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Favourite TV Show: Supernatural
Favourite Book: Divine by Mistake - P.C. Cast
A High Moment: Seeing the short story I wrote adapted into a short film.
A Low Moment: A holiday that went horribly wrong and awakened my travel anxiety.

2016

Age: 17/18
Favourite Singer/Band: Shawn Mendes
Favourite Song: If You Know What I Mean - Lyon Estate
Favourite Film: Me Before You
Favourite TV Show: MacGyver
Favourite Book: Me Before You - JoJo Moyes
A High Moment: Getting into Derby Uni through clearing.
A Low Moment: Not getting the grades I wanted in my A Levels and missing out on my first two choices for uni.

2017

Age: 18/19
Favourite Singer/Band: All Time Low
Favourite Song: Somewhere in Neverland - All Time Low
Favourite Film: Beauty and the Beast
Favourite TV Show: Stranger Things
Favourite Book: Memories - Lang Leav
A High Moment: Going to FanFest with one of my best friends.
A Low Moment: Living with my first year housemate. It wasn't the best environment to live in.

2018

Age: 19/20

Favourite Singer/Band: The cast of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

Favourite Song: Talk Too Much - COIN

Favourite Film: Call Me By Your Name

Favourite TV Show: You

Favourite Book: Mythos - Stephen Fry

A High Moment: Cosplaying when I went back to the Studio Tour.

A Low Moment: Having an early piece of writing criticised without it being constructive.

2019

Age: 20/21
Favourite Singer/Band: 3ree
Favourite Song: Sincerely, Me - Dear Evan Hansen Cast
Favourite Film: Beautiful Boy
Favourite TV Show: Mindhunter
Favourite Book: Machines Like Me - Ian McEwan
A High Moment: Graduating uni with a 2:1
A Low Moment: Having a breakdown in Singapore airport - I was so overwhelmed that all I could do was cry for three hours.

And there we go. It's so interesting how much I've changed, just based on my tastes in music, literature and songs. Some of the high and low moments took me a long time to think of, particularly the 2019 one. I don't see that as a low moment, just an overwhelmed one, but it took a lot to share the photo on my personal Facebook.

Anyway, I hope the 2020 and the 20s will allow me to grow even more as a person.

See you soon!

-Emmaberry-

You Will Be Found: Dear Evan Hansen Review

You Will Be Found

Dear Evan Hansen Theatre Review

My photo of the stage and programme.

A 'Part of Me' has been so excited to see this musical, since before the production started their North America tour. I’ve followed this show go from Broadway, to Toronto and all the way across America, before it was finally announced that it would be coming to the Noël Coward Theatre this Autumn.
I got to see it on Tuesday 12th November, during previews, and it was definitely worth the two year wait!

Dear Evan Hansen London announcement.

This was my 21^st birthday present from my friend, and fellow blogger, Imogen. I shared my initial thoughts in a Dear Evan Hansen group on Facebook, but wanted to do a full review to release after yesterday’s press night.

Without spoiling the play, Dear Evan Hansen follows the story of Evan, a senior in High School who just wants to fit in. After a letter that was never supposed to be seen gets out, Evan takes the opportunity to experience things he’s never had. A powerful, emotive story that had me smiling, laughing and crying throughout.

The photo I took of the stage and my ticket.

I was sat in the Grand Circle, which had a really great view. I did have to angle my head every so often because of the person in front of me, but it really didn’t impact my view at all. Only the very front of the stage was slightly restricted, but since there wasn’t any acting there, it didn’t bother me at all.

Meeting Marcus Harman - Alternate Evan.

The West End company were spectacular. I won't go through and list every cast member, but be rest assured, they were all incredible! I was worried I’d have reservations because I love the Broadway company and how they sing the songs. There was no need to be worried, each song sounded similar and uniquely different. Marcus Harman nailed Evan – you wouldn’t have believed he was the alternate Evan, or it being his second performance! I’ve heard wonderful things about Sam Tutty, who plays Evan for 6 out of the 8 weekly performances too, so I’ll be sure to check him out when I can next afford to go.

Sam Tutty - Evan Hansen - Photo from Daily Mail Article.

The songs fit so perfectly within the narrative, and after hearing them in context, it’s so hard to casually listen to them now. I also see why some songs were cut from musical and released only as the debut. ‘For Forever’ is emotional enough, let alone ‘Part of Me’ being played instead.

However, there were a few minor issues before and during the show that I hope will be fixed now that previews are over.

There was no cast board in the foyer, and the photo rules weren’t made clear. Some theatre goers were told no photos and others took photos, but no one was told to delete any that they'd taken.

During the show, I noticed that some of the music overpowered the singing. Most notably during ‘Sincerely, Me.’ It’s an upbeat song anyway, and although we could hear the singing, it was a big off putting at certain points. I’ve heard it’s an improvement from earlier previews, but I think it still needs a little bit of fine tuning to be perfect.

On the steps outside the theatre. One of the most powerful songs in the show.

I highly recommend you go and see this show. Despite needing some minor fixes, it doesn’t take away from the overall theatre performance at all. It’s emotional, moving and highly relatable. Also, if you’re interested in the use of technology in theatre, this is definitely a must – I was reminded a lot of Curious Incident in that respect.

I’m definitely going to see it again when I get the chance.

5 out of 5 Stars!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

I'M BACK!

It's been 16 months since I uploaded anything on this blog, and now I'm finally back! Also, I totally titled it because all I could hear was Molly Weasley asking the boys that.

A lot has changed in this time, and I wanted to update you on that.

Third year of uni happened. I was part of the committee for the walking society, and in between doing that and coursework, there was no time to dedicate to blog posts.
I graduated! I left uni with a 2:1, which I am so pleased about.
I spent the summer volunteering and looking for work, as well as trying to do Camp NaNo in July.
I went off to Fiji for a few days. I was supposed to stay longer, but my overall health was getting worse each day I was there, so I came home early.

I'm still looking for work, but think I'm in a good enough mental place to start writing blog posts again.

So what can we expect from my next trial at writing blog posts?

Theatre Trip Reviews.
Book Reviews.
Film Reviews.
Film Analysis.
Film Theories.
Looking Back Posts - Do I agree with what I said in my previous blog posts? What about my old writing?
Posts dedicated to specific months - I have a Pride month collaboration in the works for 2020.
Possibly Writing prompts - Writemas is just around the corner, so I might share some of those prompts.

It's essentially going to be a mishmash of inconsistent themes and posts, so I'd love to know what you think when they come out.

I can't wait to get back to blogging, so I hope I'll stay consistent this time!

-Emmaberry-

Sunday, 5 August 2018

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again Review

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

Rating: 9 out of 10.

Here we go again with another film review. I've seen this film three times now, and already parodied one of the songs to someone I know on Twitter.

Ever since I saw the first teaser, I was so excited for this film. Anyone who knows me, knows Mamma Mia is my go to feel good film. Over the past couple of weeks, I've been obsessed with watching the press junkets for the film, so I probably have a variety of knowledge I probably will never need to use again in my life, but hey, maybe there will be a question on Mamma Mia on quiz shows in the future.

What do I love about this film? The story! Even though there were some twists, and continuity differences between the first film and this one, I didn't mind them so much. I think they were needed to help tell a deeper story. I liked that it was a prequel, sequel, and the transitions really worked with bringing the two together. As it was described in the pitch, "The Godfather 2."
I also love the casting choices. Though there were subtle differences, such as eye colours, or height, the acting was phenomenal. Everyone praised Lily James (Cinderella, Baby Driver), and yes, I found her to be the perfect choice for Young Donna, it was actually Jeremy Irvine (War Horse, The Railway Man) who stole the show for me. My heart broke when he sung Knowing Me, Knowing You, and I don't know whether it was because I was so emotionally invested in the story, or if the acting was so spot on that it just broke me.
Another part that destroyed me, was Pierce Brosnan (Goldeneye, Mamma Mia) singing acapella. I can not laugh at all the memes my friend and I had about him singing, because it was just a heartbreaking scene.

What didn't I like? Where were Sophie's friends from the first film? They didn't even make an appearance at the end of the film! It's bugged me every time I've seen the film, because they were such a prominent part of the first film.
I didn't like having to wait for the entire credits to play through to get the extra scene, even if it was worth it.

It's honestly so difficult to find things that I dislike about the film, because I just adore it. My final rating is 9 out of 10.

***

Thank you for reading! I decided in the end to have a week off, rather than spend time playing catch up. This is because I was away, and I wanted to make sure I was really happy with this review before posting it.

See you Monday, with the first of the August musical posts!

-Emmaberry-

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Saturday, 21 July 2018

Eleanor & Park Review

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I need to talk about this book. I'm on holiday and I've just finished reading it, and now I don't know how to feel. So if you're expecting formatted, coherent thoughts, then this probably isn't the review you should read.

I've been a fan of Rainbow Rowell's work since I read Fangirl for the first time. I think I did a review of that on my Tumblr when I first read it. And I was excited to read this book, especially since from the blurb, Eleanor reminds my friend of herself.

Eleanor & Park does fit into the YA category. Despite this, there were certain points I wanted to say, "you're sixteen!" However, it was these moments that added to my emotions upon finishing the book.

I've never been in love, and even I felt like I was reminded of being in love with someone from my past. I 100% agree with John Green's review on the front. I adore this book, and didn't want to put it down.

I love that this was set in the 80s, rather than the present day. To understand the pop culture references gave me great joy, and physical mixtapes over Spotify playlists made me smile. Even the use of a landline bought a smile to my face.

The story itself progressed so naturally, and fluidly, that I got lost in the book, and before I knew it, I was one hundred pages in, and invested in these characters lives. Not just Eleanor & Park's, but every character we came into contact with. I want more!

Naturally I have also come across fanart to sate my need for more, so I will probably spiral into the depths of Tumblr fandom once more.

If you enjoy love stories that don't revolve around dystopia, or the picture perfect, all-white characters, then you should definitely read this book.

Overall, I give Eleanor & Park, a 9 out of 10.

Thank you for reading through my ramblings.

I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless, and I'll see you next weekend!

-Emmaberry-

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Saturday, 14 July 2018

Norse Mythology Review

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

I am a mythology fan, and have been excited to read this for a while. Truth be told, one of my reasoning's for reading this books is because of Supernatural. I can already see someone reading this rolling their eyes, but one of the characters goes undercover as Loki. In Season 13, they make a return, and from a shot I saw, I wanted to know if it followed the mythology, as the Supernatural writers do really well with incorporating mythology, and origins of different characters.

Admittedly, I read the Last Days of Loki, before I went back and read the book through. But I did manage to read the book in one day. I know for some people that's nothing, and my fourteen year old self would scoff at it, but I fidget a lot. I read a chapter, then did something else for a few minutes, then went back to the book. Despite this, the book held my attention, and I learnt a lot more about Norse Mythology as I read it.

I definitely think that this is a brilliant interpretation of the Norse myths, although I wish within the glossary, there was a section on phonetic transcription, as I did struggle pronouncing some of the names and places mentioned.
As I read through, I was actually surprised at how the knowledge I already have on Norse Mythology, fell into place. It just cleared up a lot of my questions on my missing links.

Do I think this is the definitive guide to Norse Mythology? No. This is just one interpretation of the myths, out of hundreds of different interpretations. Is it my favourite one? Currently, yes. I'm excited to read more interpretations of these Gods and Goddesses, and to reread this book again. I actually wish I'd had this during my first semester or first year, for my Storytelling module, because the way this was presented was in a way that I'd like to present my own retellings of Myths and Legends.

Whether you are reading this book for fun, to learn about the Norse Myths, or you're thinking of using it for an essay, I definitely recommend reading this book. I'm going to read some of the books Neil Gaiman mentioned in his introduction and bibliography, as well as some of Gaiman's other books, so hopefully we'll see another Mythology review in the future.

Thank you so much for reading this review. I hope you've enjoyed it.

I will have an announcement concerning this blog over on my Facebook page in the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

See you next week!

-Emmaberry-

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Saturday, 2 June 2018

My First Con: A Year On

My First Con: A Year On.

During this past week, Facebook memories informed me it had been a year since I attended my first con. Attending a con was something I wanted to do, it was just a decision of which one. At the time of booking the tickets for Heroes and Villains FanFest 2017, there were a lot of actors I wanted to see. Whilst the ones I saw on the day were fantastic, some of the ones I originally wanted to see had to cancel because of filming commitments.

I plan meticulously for events, I like knowing my transport, the plan for the day, and the level in which I have to "parent" the person I'm with. But the friend (who I am leaving nameless, and I forgot to ask if they were okay with being named) I went with didn't need that much help navigating London, although travelling from London Waterloo station after a weekend of being at the con meant my patience wore a little thin with the question, "are you sure we're not the right train?" I digress though, for the rest of the weekend was fun.

I enjoyed the con, though there are a few things I wished I'd known beforehand. I'd done my research into the venue, and transport links. Even so, doing your con research, and attending it in real life are two different things.

What I leaned being there? I learned that you should always know where your nearest cash points outside the venue are. You should always allow twenty minutes before and after a meet and greet/photo op/talk etc, to allow for longer wait times for these things. If you want to attend a talk, make sure you get into the queue fairly early. Always take cash, especially if you are taking part in the meet and greets - most of them didn't accept card payments. And never be afraid to talk to the people cosplaying.

Would I have changed anything? The only think I'd change is not getting a picture with the Kylo Ren cosplayer. The story is great, but I was just in awe, overwhelmed and tired at that point, that I just got all shy - cosplayers don't bite! The rest of it, I wouldn't. I got to explore more of the high streets, and it was a nice enough weekend that I didn't mind the extra walking. I adored the meet and greets and though I spent way more than I should have, it's the memories that count and make it more special.

There are cons I wish to attend in the future, however, I haven't bought tickets for them. I'm sure I will definitely attend some more in the near future.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post! Below are a selection of pictures from the con. A lot of them are merch items I bought.

I have permission from the friend I was with to post the Stephen Amell photo of us. I have more than these, but those are of my friend and I thought I'd only post the one with the two of us in it.

Any vendors I remember buying from, I'll list them with the photos.

Newt Scamander Pop Vinyl. The Flash Pop Vinyl Key Ring Vendor: A Place in Space

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ScriptSupernatural Season 1 Episode 1 Pilot ScriptAll autographs are reproductions of the originals.Vendor: Cowazinga