Hi all!
Welcome to my September Favourites for 2017! Wow! I was super busy this month! I attended Jay Kristoff’s book launch for Godsgrave, saw the incredible Alice in Wonderland ballet, finished The Reading Quest, read lots more books and went on some fun adventures. I was so happy that spring had sprung and new beginnings/chapters were starting to bloom. Let’s get into the best of the best!
THE BEST OF SEPTEMBER:
1.) Book Series – The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff
Order a copy of Nevernight here!
Order a copy of Godsgrave here!
On September 8th, I was lucky enough to attend Jay Kristoff’s book launch for the sequel to Nevernight: Godsgrave. It was held at Dymocks Bookstore in the Melbourne CBD and the entire event was really fun. One of my favourite BookTuber’s, Catriona (Little Book Owl) flew down from Sydney to make an appearance, which made me so happy. It was really nice to meet her and Jay in person. I was able to get a photo, plus both copies of my books signed. If you have not heard of The Nevernight Chronicles, let me give you a quick summary. The series follows Mia Corvere, a girl who witnesses her father hung for treason, at only ten years of age. Six years later, she has made it her life’s mission to seek revenge on the men who executed him. This leads her to joining the Red Church, a school for assassins that shape her into a killer. As you know, I absolutely adored Illuminae and Gemina so I was very excited to delve into this series. I am currently reading Nevernight and I can already claim it is one of the best books I’ve read in 2017!
2.) Television Series – Big Little Lies
I was planning on mentioning the Will & Grace revival but as it aired at the very end of September, I’m going to save it for my October favourites. I Will (ha!) say that the very first episode gave me life!
In September, Francis and I started and finished the seven-episode miniseries, Big Little Lies. I had been wanting to watch it due to the high-profile cast and premise. The show (based off the book by Liane Moriarty ) follows Madeline (Reese Witherspoon), Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and Jane (Shailene Woodley), who all have children commencing the first-grade together in the wealthy town of Monterey, CA. After one of the kids is accused of choking another girl in class, drama ensues and a murder soon follows. This show was amazing and very suspenseful. I loved every gripping second. The acting was incredible, especially every scene with Nicole Kidman. For a short series, it is worth checking out.
3.) Clothing – ‘Read’ Raglan Top from Redbubble
How awesome is this top? I love how you can literally find anything and everything on Redbubble. When I saw this item, I knew I had to have it. It’s really nice paired with black leggings or underneath overalls. Reading is my life and I wanted to express that in a subtle way, which I believe this raglan does perfectly. I ordered it from the men’s section but it looks just as good on women too. It is so comfortable!
4.) Game – Life Is Strange 2: Before The Storm
You may recall in my May Favourites 2016! that I had fallen in love with a game called Life is Strange. On September 1st, the prequel: Life is Strange 2: Before the Storm, was released and I was in nerdy heaven! It is set three years before the first game and this time, you play as Chloe Price, Max’s best friend. I love the story and the beautiful graphics but most of all, I adore the soundtrack. There is an instrumental piece of music (played in the main-menu) called The Right Way Around by Daughter, that I can’t stop listening to. It makes me think of sunsets and solitude. If you haven’t played Life is Strange yet, please do. You actually need to own a copy of it, in order to play the prequel. Remember, you get to travel back in time and change things. There is nothing cooler than that!
5.) Mini Haul – Disney & Harry Potter Goodies!
I really wanted to share this little haul because I absolutely love each and every item. All of them were gifted to me by my sister from her recent trip to the United Kingdom. I’m really grateful to have such an awesome sibling who knows me so well. From left to right, she got me:
– Ravenclaw Socks (my Hogwarts House)
– Chip and Gaston Tsum Tsums from Beauty and the Beast. So cute!
– A mini Ravenclaw mug
– A postcard from Scotland of J.K Rowling, sitting in the restaurant where she first began writing Harry Potter. My sister wrote this lovely message on the back: “Dear sis, I hope this postcard of J.K will inspire you to write your own masterpiece. Love from Scotland – Loz xxx.”
– She also ate a Chocolate Frog and gave me the Rowena Ravenclaw card inside. It’s not pictured because I already stuck it in my special journal.
Thank you sis! I love everything!
6.) Movie – IT by Stephen King
Oh hail all that is good in the world! There are no words to describe how excited I was the day I found out that IT by Stephen King was being re-made. I put the release date down in my calendar and vowed to see it the second it hit cinemas. This story is so much more than just an evil, killer clown called Pennywise. Set in a town called Derry, Maine, we follow seven outcast teenagers that form ‘The Losers Club.’ They band together to face Pennywise, whilst being forced to confront their own personal demons in the process. The original mini-series was split between two halves: ‘The Losers Club’ as adolescents and later on as adults. The films will operate in the same way, as a duology. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was every bit as terrifying and layered as the original. Tim Curry will always be my favourite Pennywise but Bill Skarsgard did a great job. I realise this film isn’t to everybody’s taste but what I love about it is the unexpected depth. Watch it and see what I mean!
7.) Store – The Source Bulk Foods
I have shopped here many a time, but recently, I have been loving how eco-friendly, pro zero-waste and diverse The Source Bulk Foods are. There is a store right near our home, which I visit every couple of weeks to restock my essential supplies. The Source has canvas bags, steel water bottles and glass mason jars, so you can reduce plastic consumption as much as possible. At the moment, I love the four goodies pictured above. From left to right, I have acai powder, super-greens powder, organic maple syrup and nutritional yeast flakes. Their jars are only $1.50 each, which you can keep re-filling. If you live in Australia and haven’t visited this store yet, I highly recommend it. There are endless options that are healthy for you and the planet!
8.) Memory – Best Moment of September 2017
For my 28th birthday in May, my mum and sister bought tickets for the three of us to see the Alice in Wonderland ballet in Melbourne. I had never seen a ballet before, so needless to say, I was excited to finally watch one based on classic literature/Disney. We saw the evening performance on Tuesday, September 19th. From the moment the curtain rose to the final bow, I was entranced. The performances were so mesmerising and beautiful. I was really blown away by the costumes, sets, talent and the way Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical story was told without speaking a single word. I’m so happy I got to attend.
TOTAL BOOKS I READ IN SEPTEMBER 2017: 10
– Will Grayson/Will Grayson by John Green – 5/5 STARS
– Demon Apocalypse by Darren Shan (Book #6 of the Demonata series) – 5/5 STARS
– A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (Book #2 of the ACOTAR series) – 5/5 STARS
– Death’s Shadow by Darren Shan (Book #7 of the Demonata series) – 5/5 STARS
– Wolf Island by Darren Shan (Book #8 of the Demonata series) – 5/5 STARS
– Dark Calling by Darren Shan (Book #9 of the Demonata series) – 5/5 STARS
– Hell’s Heroes by Darren Shan (Book #10 of the Demonata series) – 5/5 STARS
– Cress by Marissa Meyer (Book #3 of the Lunar Chronicles) – 4/5 STARS
– Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas (Book #6 of the Throne of Glass series) – 4/5 STARS
– Koyasan by Darren Shan (World Book Day – Special Edition short story) -5/5 STARS
I truly hope you enjoyed this post! I’m really looking forward to October. I am off to Queensland/Byron Bay for a few days, celebrating my 1 year wedding anniversary and working on some exciting/life-changing projects. Stay tuned!
Peace & Love xoxo
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