Where To Next?

  I first became aware of Andrew Rannells from his role of Elijah on Girls. I also noticed him in one of the episodes in the last season of How I Met Your Mother. Then I heard that he played Elder Price in the Broadway production of The Book of Mormon, and I thought it just seems like the perfect role for him, I would have loved to see him in it. As I'm writing this, I realise that I haven't actually been exposed to that much of his work, and it's so funny how quickly we form an opinion of actors. Whether that's falling in love with them, or disliking them for no discernible reason, these feelings become so strong from what can often be very limited exposure to them. But I digress. I really like Andrew Rannells and I was really excited to read his book. Apart from the fact that it was an entertainment memoir by someone I admire, I knew it was also a tale about being young and finding yourself in New York, and as these have turned out to be two of my favourite ca...

The way people were talking about 13 Reasons Why all over the internet, I felt like I had to watch it. I saw the first episode and I knew I had to watch it. Hooking you in from the very beginning, 13 Reasons Why will make you want to call in sick to work just so you can binge-watch all the episodes. The series follows Clay Jensen, a high school student who has received a set of tapes from his classmate and friend, Hannah Baker. Hannah recently committed suicide, and on the tapes are the 13 reasons why. Each reason is a person Hannah knew, someone that hurt her in some way, and they each get their own tape. Hannah's plan for the tapes is for each person to hear them and pass them on to the next person. When they arrive on Clay's doorstep he struggles with his emotions as he listens to each tape. He feels the need to confront each person when he hears their tape, to question them, to make sense of it all, to try and make things right somehow. 13 Reasons Why is so captiv...

Amy Schumer. Schumes. One of the hottest comedians in the world right now, and my best friend. Ok, that second part is obviously not true, though I wish it was. I have admired Amy Schumer for awhile now, and after reading her book I feel validated in my (definitely not creepy and stalkerish) feelings. Having had a stage, as well as her own TV show, as a platform to talk about many issues, such as body image, sexism and gun control, Amy has now used her book to discuss these serious issues in more depth. Always with her trademark sense of humour. With such sensible views on gun control that are so eloquently expressed, we can only hope that America listens, but let's be honest, these stubborn, close-minded people are probably unlikely to read views that don't align with their own. That's a topic for another day, but damn it, it's just infuriating. Amy also writes candidly about her dad, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, which would be hard to live with yet alon...

Here it is. Your parent's worst nightmare. This is beyond what old people in the fifties worried about when Elvis first came on the scene. They wouldn't have even been able to envision the level of sin and depravity that is depicted in this book. It's dirty, it's disgusting, it's dangerous. It's the very epitome of rock and roll. Think of any possible thing that comes to your mind when you think of the typical rock and roll band, and you will find it in this book. Sex, drugs, music, fights, destruction, tattoos, tours, dysfunctional relationships, rehab, accidents and so very much alcohol. The story was set out well, with each chapter alternating between band members, so that we get each member's individual story as well as different points of view on the same incident. Often necessary considering that some stories are very different depending on whose eyes they're seen through. I wouldn't call myself a fan of Motley Crue, I don't even ...

You probably have a general idea of what you're getting yourself into when you start reading this book. It's been around for a long time, so you have an idea of the premise, maybe even seen some of the movie. You might be totally into Law & Order, Dexter and biographies of serial killers. You might be interested in psychology, and have a natural curiosity for what makes people tick. All of these reasons are valid, and contribute to my reasons for wanting to read it. However, as much as all these things are interesting, it is still confronting to read. It isn't the number of people he kills, or the emotionless way in which he does, but the horrific methods that he uses. Prepare for some graphic details of murder and sex. That's not to say it isn't readable or you shouldn't attempt it at all, just a warning for those who get a bit queasy in the face of gore.  It is a strange read, not quite what I expected. The book is from the point of view of ...

I chose to read this book because, like many books before it, it has been made into a movie. I don't know about you but I find it incredibly difficult to read a book if I've already seen the movie. I already know what's going to happen, and the characters and places have already been determined as looking a certain way, leaving nothing left to my imagination. So, Me Before You is set in England and is from the perspective of Lou, a girl in her late twenties who gets herself a job as a carer for Will; a young man in his mid-thirties who is paralysed and wheelchair-bound. Before his accident, Will was a very active person; travelling, participating in extreme sports and being amazing at his fancy job in London. As expected he is in a bad place mentally, with his independence and life as he knew it stripped away. Enter Lou, a bit of a quirky personality, who has found her life in a rut, living with her family and not really having any major ambitions. I won't give...

I have read many biographies, in fact I would say that about half of my book collection consists of assorted biographies, memoirs and autobiographies. I'm not particularly fussy about them either, actor, writer, singer, politician, sportsman, serial killer, it's all good. Manson really stood out to me though, and not just for its subject matter. I think Guinn did an amazing job of researching Manson's life and presenting all the events in a diplomatic, in-depth way, despite having to put all the pieces together from many different people's accounts. Guinn sets the scene for us, describing the hippy culture and political issues of the era, which gives us insight into what the world was like at the time for these atrocities to occur. He explains the mood of society at the time, and how it got to that point, somehow drawing our interest in rather than making us feel we're back in high school history class. I personally didn't actually know the details of ...