Netflix

The Magician’s Elephant // Book Review

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About The Book
 What if? Why not? Could it be? When a fortuneteller’s tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller’s mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3NnQVyy

My Rating

This book follows a young boy on a mission to find his sister. Honestly, I had no idea this book existed until I saw the trailer for the Netflix animated film adaptation for the movie. Than I discovered that it was written by the author of ‘Because Of Winn-Dixie’ and ‘The Tale of Despereaux’.

I’ve actually seen both of those movie adaptations and I read ‘The Tale of Despereaux’ book. Yet, I didn’t particularly love either of the stories. And, truthfully, ‘The Tale of Despereaux’ creeped me out a little. So, I didn’t have high hopes for this book.

There are a lot of different characters within the story, and most of them have sad backstories. I did find that there was a found family component with the book, which I really enjoyed.

“Magic is always impossible…. It begins with the impossible and ends with the impossible and is impossible in between. That is why it’s magic.”

Although the story wasn’t as magical or fantastical as I would have liked, I did enjoy it. I was just hoping for more of this adventure filled journey about this boy and an elephant looking for his sister.

However, the book is a quick read, and a simple children’s novel. I would say this is perfect for kids between the ages of 9 and 13. For me wasn’t anything that particularly stood out about the plot.

Overall, it is a book that you could read in one sitting, and I’m looking forward to seeing the film. But, I wouldn’t say you necessarily have to read it before watch the movie.

In the comments, let me know if you will be reading the book or watch the Netflix adaptation. Don’t forget to support my blog by giving it a follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

5 Summertime Films // Toss-Up Tuesday

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
Fall is just around the corner, which means that it’s your last chance to watch some summer movies. Although I’m much more of an autumn and winter girl myself, I thought I’d share some summer films you should check out before the season changes!

There’s Someone Inside Your House (Netflix)
“The graduating class at Osborne High is being targeted by a masked assailant, intent on exposing the darkest secret of each victim, and only a group of misfit outsiders can stop the killings.”

This is a teen thriller based on the Stephanie Perkins book of the same name. I personally wasn’t a fan of the book (read my review) but I think the film seems like it would be a good summer slasher flick.

Love and Gelato (Netflix)
“Lina makes a promise to her sick mother that she’ll spend the summer before college in Rome, where she falls for the city, the people – and the “gelato”.”

Yep, another book-to-movie adaptation, courtesy of Netflix. I read this book as well (see my review), but the movie looks quite different than the book. However, if you separate the two from each other, then you’ll get a fun summertime teen movie.

Moonshot (HBO Max)
“This romantic comedy with a twist follows two college students as they join forces in order to be reunited with their significant others, embarking on a lively journey that takes them wildly off course.”

This is a cute movie that is all about finding love in space. The film is one of those feel good teen flicks that is perfect for a summer date night. Or, just a good watch for a summer night in.

Teen Beach Movie (Disney+)
“Two surfing lovers, whose doomed relationship is nearing to a close, find themselves swept into a dimension-traversing wave that sends them into a beach movie musical in the 60’s.”

If you like summer and musicals, then this one is for you. It’s Pleasantville meets Grease, but more kid friendly. This film gives off all those summer vibes that you might be looking for, before the season ends.

Secret Headquarters (Paramount+)
“While hanging out after school, Charlie and his friends discover the headquarters of the world’s most powerful superhero hidden beneath his home. When villains attack, they must team up to defend the headquarters and save the world.”

This film is essentially a new twist on the Spy Kids movie. There’s action, comedy, and a superhero element. Honestly, it’s a great pick for a summertime family movie night.

Those are my picks for five awesome movie to watch before the summer ends. I can’t wait to watch them myself! Before you go, give this post a like, and follow my blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Love And Gelato // Book Review

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Synopsis
A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping New York Times bestseller filled with romance, mystery, and adventure. Kirkus Reviews called Love & Gelato “a sure bet for fans of romance fiction,” while VOYA said readers “will find it difficult to put this book down.” Readers are about to discover a new place, a new romance, and a new talent.
Synopsis from Amazon

My Rating

My Thoughts
In the book, we follow sixteen year old Lina, who is dealing with the passing of her single mother. However, her mom’s dying wish is for her to move to Italy and get to know her estranged father, Howard. I could understand Lina’s frustration about the prospect of moving all the way to to Italy, and leaving behind her friends and loved ones. Her mother just died, and now she has to say goodbye to the people she’s known for years.

At first, Lina took out her frustration and grief on Howard. Sure, he wasn’t around for years, but you could tell right away that it wasn’t his choice. Also, you could instantly tell that there was more to her mother and Howard’s story. As a main character, Lina frustrated me, because she seemed completely clueless about Italy. Actually, she just seemed clueless in general.

A big part of the story is that Lina is given her mother’s old journal, which helps her see who her mother was before she had Lina. We learned a lot about her late mom, since she was almost like a second main character. It was interesting to see Lina discover a new side of her, and find out about her secret college romance.

“I thought I wanted caprice and fire, but it turns out that what I really want is someone who will wake me up early so I don’t miss a sunrise.”

There weren’t many other characters, at least not ones we got to know. There is Howard, and his co-workers, Sonia as well as Ren, who is Lina’s love interest. Honestly, Lina and Ren’s romance wasn’t a major part of the story, since it focused more on her mom’s life, and Lina trying to piece together her mom’s past in Italy.

Actually, the story focused a lot more on her mother’s love life, which I found to be way more interesting. I want to note that there are a few minor characters, such as Ren’s friends, Lina’s mom’s college friends, plus her mothers stuck-up ex-boyfriend that all play small parts in the story.

The ending was nice, and wrapped things up well, but there was still a slight twist, albeit one that was very easy to figure out. Still, I liked that Lina started to trust Howard more, and realized that her mother wanted to share all her secrets with him as well. But, I did think the outcome of her and Ren’s romance was a little too intense for teenagers.

A con was that being in Italy wasn’t a huge part in the book. There were some moments showcasing different places in Italy, and a lot of talk about gelato, but, I wish the author described the beauty of the country more. I wanted to feel like I was in Italy, and the book didn’t do that for me.

Overall, the writing was fine, and the story was well done. It isn’t my favorite contemporary – especially since the plot was fairly slow moving. I wouldn’t read it again, but it wasn’t a disappointing read.

In the comments, let more know what your thoughts on the book are, because I’d love to hear your opinions. Don’t forget that following the blog lets you know about new posts!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Heartstopper // Book Review

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Synopsis
Charlie and Nick are at the same school, but they’ve never met … until one day when they’re made to sit together. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is more interested in Charlie than either of them realized.

If you’re in the mood for a cute male/male romance, then look no further. This is the first book in a graphic novel series. It follows two teenage boys that end up falling for each other. They start off as friends, but their relationship continues to grow throughout the story. You can see their attraction growing right before your eyes.

The book is fairly lighthearted, but it slightly touches on consent. Charlie is an openly gay over-thinker, which was fun to read about. He is likable, and I could see why Nick was drawn to him. Nick is a rugby-player with a kind heart. Honestly, him and Charlie make an unlikely pair, but one that fits together nicely.

Sexual confusion is a part of the plot, since Nick is unsure about his feelings for Charlie. Being someone who has never been attracted to boys, he doesn’t understand this newfound connection. He even goes as far to search if he’s gay on Google. Let’s me be completely transparent here –  Google can tell you a lot of things, but not how you feel about somebody else. That part is up to you.

“You can’t tell whether people are gay by what they look like. And gay or straight aren’t the only two options.”

Another great point the story makes, is that you don’t need to put a label on yourself.  But it’s  still okay to label yourself anyway. These days, the focus is on telling people that they don’t need labels, which is amazing. Still, we should make the same effort to let others know that it’s fine to define yourself and your relationship. If you want to, that is

The book talks about the important issues, but in such a fun and easy going way, which is exactly what young people need. They don’t make them a huge focus in the story, but just enough to get the point across.

The is a fast read and a easy one as well. Before you know it you’re at the last page. Alice Osmen has a way of drawing you in with her writing and storytelling. Her book ‘Radio Silence’ is just as amazing. The ending of this book makes you want to keep reading Charlie and Nick’s story.

Overall, I understand all the hype behind these books. And, I hear the Netflix series adaptation is wonderful. However, I am not the biggest graphic novel fan, but the book was so fast paced that I will most likely finish the series. In the comments, let me know what you thought of Charlie and Nick’s love story. As always, you can support my blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Dash and Lily // Series Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

Title: Dash and Lily
Network: Netflix
Released: 2020
Genre: Series/Romance/Holiday
Rating:Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder

Synopsis
A whirlwind Christmas romance builds as cynical Dash and optimistic Lily trade dares, dreams and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations around New York City.

After reading the book, I knew that I had to watch the Netflix adaptation. First off, I want to say that the book and series are fairly different. I have seen a few of Netflix book-to-movies, and suspected that the series wouldn’t be exactly like the book. However, in this case I think that the changes that were made worked well.

The movie did have the same major plot as the book, which I have reviewed. Lily and Dash meet during the holidays, through a red notebook left by Lily at their favorite bookstore. By exchanging the notebook, the two getting to know one another. And, every pass of the notebook has a dare the other must to complete.

I found the show to be adorable, and definitely something that I would rewatch every holiday season. I enjoyed the acting, and connected with the character in a way that I didn’t with the book. A change that I liked was how they met (before they actually met). In the book, I felt that it took too long before they met in person. It was nice to see Lily’s quirkiness in real life, and Dash was far more relatable in the series.

I liked how Dash wanted to meet Lily, and he couldn’t even think about any other girl. He was all in with Lily. One of my major dislikes of the book was changed in the series, which probably added to my enjoyment of the show. One being, Lily seemed stronger and didn’t apologies for her mistakes, because she’s a teenager. Making mistakes is part of the job description.

“Sometimes Words Aren’t Enough.”

As for the family aspect, it was interesting to actually meet Dash’s dad in the series, since we didn’t get much info on his parents in book. The scene with his dad though brief explained a lot about Dash’s cynical personality. I noticed that Lily and her brother had a lot more scenes together than in the book, and seemed to have closer relationship. He was even the one to encourage her to leave the notebook, and wrote the first dare. This is a major change from the book, since Lily did it all on her own due to her lonely Christmas. It was refreshing seeing their close sibling bond.

Some of the characters in the series were pretty different, but still really likeable. And, there were some other relationships that I liked seeing develop as well. The ending wasn’t exactly like the book, which you can probably tell by now is a theme with the series. However, I absolutely preferred the series ending over the books. Honestly, it made my heart swoon and even my husband was a fan of the show.

I didn’t hate the book at all, but out of the two I completely favor the series. It fixed all the issues I had with the book, as slight as they may have been. It was such a heartwarming holiday teen romance show that I would recommend to everyone. In all honesty, I would even say that you could skip the book and just go for the series. Also, Nick Jones produce the series, which I find to be interesting.

Let me know if you agree with me on the series vs. book comparison. Please share this post, and like it as well. And, give the blog a follow to support my blog!

Until the Next Chapter,
Bunny

3 Books // 3 Adaptions

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Hi Friends,
Lately, there have been many book adaptations released. I have seen the trailers for each of them and wanted to share my thoughts. My opinion is from a readers standpoint, since I have read each of these books.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (Peacock)

This is a series coming to the streaming service of Peacock. I was very excited for this adaptation, since I was a fan of the book. However, I noticed many changes. Of course, most adaptations are modified, but something felt off about this one. There were a lot of character differences, which could turn out to be a good thing. However, throughout the book none of the main characters suspected each other. Sure, they had their doubts at times, but they stuck by one another for the most part. From the looks of the trailer, they aren’t as united. Still, I will probably be giving the first couple episodes a chance. Here’s hoping it surprises me.

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins (Netflix)

If you read my review of this book than you know I didn’t enjoy it. Although, I wanted to give the movie version the benefit of the doubt. Yet the trailer looks as dull as the book. No offense to anyone who liked the book, because I know a lot of people did. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. Netflix does a lot of book-to-movie adaptations, but sadly I haven’t cared for many of them. But I might watch the film at one point since I do love my horror movies. And, I am genuinely curious to see if the story works better as a film.

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan (Amazon Prime)

This is another series release, and after seeing the trailer I am highly disappointed in the direction of the show. I loved the original movies, because they were scary without being gruesome. But, I guess Amazon saw the attention the Gossip Girl reboot was getting, and decided to go the sexualized, glamorized route. It seems like some weird Gen-Z version of a horror series. I am not into it at all. Out of all the adaptations, this is the one I am least likely to watch.

Keep in mind that these are solely my thoughts on the adaptations. If you want to hear my opinions after watching them, please check out my Twitter. Lastly, you know the drill follow, like and share the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My Top Binge Worthy Shows

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Hello Book Lovers,
I am not only a bookworm, but a TV junkie as well. I won’t say that I watch a ton of shows, still I do have some favorites that I enjoy and rewatch. I thought it would be fun to share my top binge worthy shows with you. I know that these shows can be streamed on one service or another, which I generally appreciate.

Gilmore Girls:This is probably my all time favorite show that I can watch time after time. I have the urge to say that I liked the show before it was cool. The WB original series follows mother and daughter Lorelei and Rory Gilmore as the navigate work, school, relationships and family drama. The show is set in the fictional small-town of Stars Hollow, and is still one of the most quotable shows ever, if you ask me. You can watch all seven season plus the 2018 revival on Netflix. I could go on about this series forever, so if you want me to do more Gilmore related post please let me know.

Grey’s Anatomy: Would this be a true binge worthy list without Greys? I think not! I have a season love, hate relationship with this medical drama. The show follows the personal lives of interns, residents and attending physicians at a Seattle hospital. Although, this is a medical drama most of the show centers around the physicians personal struggles with Dr. Meredith Grey being the main focus of the series. I must admit that I haven’t caught up with the past two seasons, and feel a bit like the show has run its course. I am a big fan of seasons 1 through 10, and gosh do I miss Dr. George O’Malley. You can watch past season on Netflix and the current season 17 on Hulu.

ER: Yep, another medical drama! I cannot be the only one that love and miss this series. Just like Greys, the plot centers on the physicians of County General Hospital in Chicago. However, the series focused more on the medical side of things than the characters lives. Not to say that the doctors didn’t play a huge role in episodes, but was more about the ins and outs of working in a hospital. We still got to see their relationships and struggles outside of the hospital, which was always nice. Also, before there was McDreamy, there was Dr. Ross. I personal was a Dr. Carter girl myself, but to each their own. You can stream all the seasons of this classic gem on Hulu.

911: This is the last medical show I promise. I don’t even know if I can classify this as a medical drama, but I am going for it. I would say this is more of a drama-comedy since there is a lot of lightheartedness to the episode, yet some of the medical “cases” are bizarre. The show centers on first responders such as firefighters, paramedics, police officers and of course 911 operators. I can truly attest to how binge worthy, and addictive, this series is because me and my mom binge watched the first and second seasons in just a matter of days. You can catch up on all the episode on Hulu.

Law and Order Special Victims Unit: I feel like this is another no brainer binge worthy show. The show follows the New York City police force that handles crimes of sexual nature. I cannot believe that it is on the 22nd season, but show is still kicking ass. Excuse my language. I think the plots haven’t been as interesting as I would like this season, but I am still watching. I watch old episodes when I get a chance and still enjoy them just as much as I did the first time around. Also, I have a major crush on Carisi. Sorry not sorry. It was available on Netflix, but I don’t know if that is still the case. I do know you can watch every season on Hulu.

Superstore: I am going to through this in here, because it is a show that I have been dying to binge. Yes, I haven’t seen the entire series yet, but me and my husband loved the first season of this comedy. This is a half-hour comedy about the employees of a “Wal-Mart” type store, and their hilarious work days. I want to say it is The Office, but set at a retail store. However, I have never actually seen the office so I cannot be sure. I will say that this is a very underrated series that I need to catch up on. The sixth and last season has already aired, so I hope to marathon series soon. I know that you can watch most, if not all, the seasons on Hulu.

I had a lot of fun taking about some of my favorite series. I hope you like this post and please feel free to leave me post recommendations in the comments. It would mean a lot if you liked and shared this post. Also, don’t forget to follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My Top Binge Worthy Shows

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hello Book Lovers,
I am not only a bookworm, but a TV junkie as well. I won’t say that I watch a ton of shows, still I do have some favorites that I enjoy and rewatch. I thought it would be fun to share my top binge worthy shows with you. I know that these shows can be streamed on one service or another, which I generally appreciate.

Gilmore Girls:This is probably my all time favorite show that I can watch time after time. I have the urge to say that I liked the show before it was cool. The WB original series follows mother and daughter Lorelei and Rory Gilmore as the navigate work, school, relationships and family drama. The show is set in the fictional small-town of Stars Hollow, and is still one of the most quotable shows ever, if you ask me. You can watch all seven season plus the 2018 revival on Netflix. I could go on about this series forever, so if you want me to do more Gilmore related post please let me know.

Grey’s Anatomy: Would this be a true binge worthy list without Greys? I think not! I have a season love, hate relationship with this medical drama. The show follows the personal lives of interns, residents and attending physicians at a Seattle hospital. Although, this is a medical drama most of the show centers around the physicians personal struggles with Dr. Meredith Grey being the main focus of the series. I must admit that I haven’t caught up with the past two seasons, and feel a bit like the show has run its course. I am a big fan of seasons 1 through 10, and gosh do I miss Dr. George O’Malley. You can watch past season on Netflix and the current season 17 on Hulu.

ER: Yep, another medical drama! I cannot be the only one that love and miss this series. Just like Greys, the plot centers on the physicians of County General Hospital in Chicago. However, the series focused more on the medical side of things than the characters lives. Not to say that the doctors didn’t play a huge role in episodes, but was more about the ins and outs of working in a hospital. We still got to see their relationships and struggles outside of the hospital, which was always nice. Also, before there was McDreamy, there was Dr. Ross. I personal was a Dr. Carter girl myself, but to each their own. You can stream all the seasons of this classic gem on Hulu.

911: This is the last medical show I promise. I don’t even know if I can classify this as a medical drama, but I am going for it. I would say this is more of a drama-comedy since there is a lot of lightheartedness to the episode, yet some of the medical “cases” are bizarre. The show centers on first responders such as firefighters, paramedics, police officers and of course 911 operators. I can truly attest to how binge worthy, and addictive, this series is because me and my mom binge watched the first and second seasons in just a matter of days. You can catch up on all the episode on Hulu.

Law and Order Special Victims Unit: I feel like this is another no brainer binge worthy show. The show follows the New York City police force that handles crimes of sexual nature. I cannot believe that it is on the 22nd season, but show is still kicking ass. Excuse my language. I think the plots haven’t been as interesting as I would like this season, but I am still watching. I watch old episodes when I get a chance and still enjoy them just as much as I did the first time around. Also, I have a major crush on Carisi. Sorry not sorry. It was available on Netflix, but I don’t know if that is still the case. I do know you can watch every season on Hulu.

Superstore: I am going to through this in here, because it is a show that I have been dying to binge. Yes, I haven’t seen the entire series yet, but me and my husband loved the first season of this comedy. This is a half-hour comedy about the employees of a “Wal-Mart” type store, and their hilarious work days. I want to say it is The Office, but set at a retail store. However, I have never actually seen the office so I cannot be sure. I will say that this is a very underrated series that I need to catch up on. The sixth and last season has already aired, so I hope to marathon series soon. I know that you can watch most, if not all, the seasons on Hulu.

I had a lot of fun taking about some of my favorite series. I hope you like this post and please feel free to leave me post recommendations in the comments. It would mean a lot if you liked and shared this post. Also, don’t forget to follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Mid-Month Reading Update

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Hello bookish friends.
This is a quick little mid-month reading, watching and listening update.I thought it would be fun to let you know how my reading has been going. Also, I thought I would throw in what I have been watching and listening too lately. I plan to do this type of post each month, so I hope you guys like it.

Reading
I have read three books this month, which isn’t bad in my opinion. I am hoping to finish two more books before the end of the month. I know my original goal was 9 books, still I am very happy with how my reading is going. I am sticking to my monthly tbr as well.

Movies
Netflix’s Prom The Musical (8.0/10.00 Stars): This was such a cute and fun musical. It is based on a Broadway musical, and stars some amazing actors. All the songs were great, yet my favorites has to be “Love Thy Neighbor.”

The Live Action Tom and Jerry Movie (4.0/10.0 Stars): I have never been a Tom and Jerry fan, so I might not be the target audience for this movie. I can appreciate the modern day take on the classic cartoon, but I felt it lack something. It was slow at times and not very funny.

Legally Blonde (9.0/10.0 Stars): Yep! We watched this 2000s gem. It was a good time and I fell in love with this movie all over again. Need I say more.

Valley Girl (5.0/10.0 Stars): This movie was a 2020 release, and is a musical with a Romeo and Juliet type plot. The songs where covers of classic 80s hits, still the over all story was a bit mundane. However, despite my low rating I would watch this movie again. Yeah I am strange.

TV
Me and my husband are making our way through a few shows right now. Below are the shows we are watching and the episode we are on.
Avatar the Last Airbender (Season 1, Episode 3)
Fringe (Season 1, Episode 1)
Nip/Tuck (Season 1, Episode 3)
House MD (Season 1, Episode 6)
Gilmore Girls (Season 3, Episode 8)
Pretty Little Liars (Season 1, Episode 1)

Listening
I have only been listening to the Prom: The Musical soundtrack and Willow by Taylor Swift. I need some knew music recommendations.

There is my mid-month update! Let me know what you have been reading, watching and listening too. Please support my book blog by liking and sharing this post. You can follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny