Hello and welcome to another Sims 4 speed build commentary. I really enjoyed the last so I have decided to grace you all with some more wonderful Sims 4 content. The new expansion pack, The Sims 4: Eco Living is now available, but I built this house before that was released therefore does not showcase it all. I’ve been a bit slow on The Sims content currently. I am the worst.
Now without further ado lets get into the build. Below you can find the video that was originally posted on Youtube channel and the commentary underneath!
I struggled fairly with the layout of this house (although you can’t see it because I cut it out of the video) and had to redo do it a good few several times. However, i’m pretty with how it came out in the end. I tried to keep it as open plan as I could and really utilize the space, although at time I did struggle finding things to fill in the space, that is why you are hit in the face with a grand piano as soon as you enter the living area. This house features a pretty large kitchen, equipped with an island, a separate laundry room, dining room, office, 2 master bedrooms and a children’s bedroom furnished for 2 children and 3 bathrooms. It is very much a family-friendly house with plenty of space for kids to run around, bookcases and skill building objects around the place and remnants of mess less behind by little fingers.
I wasn’t really sure as to what style I wanted to make this home – at first I was trying to go for a very homely, wooden kind of vibe but as I was building it just became a fairly generic, yet homely kind of house. It’s nothing too special but I think it’s perfect for any family, little or large. Whenever I furish houses I always try and have a family in mind that I am building for, which in this case is two parents their twin children who love games and adventure and their teenager daughter who is artistic and shares her bedroom with the families beloved pet cat. I did use a fair amount of the packs in this house and unlocked the career mode items to get that beautiful sunflower bed – a bed which I don’t use nearly half as much as I wish because I always forget its there!
I did build the house fairly large and the plot isn’t the biggest so the back garden isn’t the biggest or the best but we have all the necesities – a BBQ, a table and chairs, plenty of trees and flowers and activities for the kids. I even included a bird feeder, because you know, you’ve got to care for the wildlife! I am very fond and proud of this house – I don’t usually build houses of this size and although it was a challenge, I had so much fun building and furnishing it. Next time I’m definitely going to make a smaller house, but it was nice to step out of my comfort zone for a while.
I have previously stated, I am not generally a builder in The Sims 4, most of my time is usually spent exploring the game play features and doing continuous rags to riches challenges, but I can’t exactly speed build that! If you would like to download this house it is on the gallery, my ID is zoeplant96.
Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed another Sims 4 inspired post.
I was supposed to do be doing a review of this book today, but unfortunately the book hasn’t arrived in the post and I didn’t have time to finish the book on my Kindle that I only obtained a few days ago (I don’t really like reading ebooks so it’s taking me some time, I’m sorry!!). I’m so sad I’m not able to have a review ready, as I love being apart of blog tours and I was so very excited about reading and reviewing this book, because it sounds like a really interesting and immersive read. Although I haven’t read any of E. Lockhart’s books before, I know a lot of people who have and love her work. So instead, I’m going to use my spot on the blog tour to tell you a little about the book and post my review, at a later date, when I finally finish the book.
Summary
In this novel full of surprises from the New York Times bestselling author of WE WERE LIARS and GENUINE FRAUD, E. Lockhart ups the ante with an inventive and romantic story about human connection, forgiveness, self discovery and possibility.
When Adelaide Buchman’s younger brother succumbs to a drug overdose, she saves his life. In the aftermath, looking for distraction, she becomes a stylish, bright charmer who blows off school and falls madly in love – even though her heart is shattered.
Adelaide is catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times while finally confronting her brother, their history, and her own strength.
A raw and funny story that will surprise you over and over, Adelaide is an indelible heroine grappling with the terrible and wonderful problem of loving other people.
E Lockhart is the author of many novels including the bestselling WE WERE LIARS, a New York Times bestseller, and GENUINE FRAUD; also THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS, a Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book, a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Cybils Award for Best Young Adult Novel; FLY ON THE WALL, DRAMARAMA, and the Ruby Oliver quartet: THE BOYFRIEND LIST, THE BOY BOOK, THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS, and REAL LIVE BOYFRIENDS. She co-authored HOW TO BE BAD with Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski. Her latest book is AGAIN AGAIN. Visit her online at: emilylockhart.com
Even though I do not have a review of my own at this current time, this book is currently on a book tour where lots of amazing bloggers have reviewed this book, so please check out their reviews!
Alright there my lovelies? Welcome to another Sims 4 themed post. You will be seeing a fair few of these from now on, because if you didn’t know, alongside books, The Sims franchise is another great love of mine. I’ve been wanting to do a Sims inspired Youtube channel for years but never had the confidence – I have created an account and plan to post speed builds on there, but after years of people telling me my accent is ‘very Mancunian’ and that I should ‘speak properly’ I have discovered I am very self-conscious about it, therefore I will not be doing voice overs. (yet)
Whilst I was trying to sleep the other night, I came up with a solution – why not do the commentary as a blog post? So here we have it. An experiment if you will. I’ll post the video and write up a full commentary about the build. If you’d like to subscribe to the Youtube channel you can here. Might be a flop but it’ll be fun for me. Now, on with the show!!!
Grandma’s House Speed Build
There are two things that are understated in The Sims 4 and that is the elderly and children/toddlers, so I wanted to make a house for both of these things. My idea was that the child’s parent passed away, therefore it was left for the grandmother to care for them.
I aimed for this house to be modest, but still spacious enough that it wasn’t cramped for the both of them. It features 2 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, a kitchen/dining combo and a decently sized side garden that the grandmother uses to grow her produce. In my mind the grandmother loves plants nature and the theme of this house pertains to that, as well as keeping an ‘old-timely’ feel with the flower wallpaper and dated furniture. I did skip a little of the build as roofing isn’t my strong point and I was very indecisive when planning the kitchen and dining room with it not being a large space. I loved how the kitchen turned out though, as I think it gives off a country-style feel and can imagine a little old lady baking in it at the early hours of the morning.
A lot of the children/toddler’s stuff is kept to their bedroom as I didn’t want the house to be overrun. Although the child lives here, it is still grandma’s house and I feel like she’d like things just so. However, I did put down a few items to indicate the presence of a child as I’m a family gal and believe children should run free. I’m not an animal. There is a kiddie pool outside which I absolutely adore, the toddlers look so sweet when they’re in their swimming costumes splashing around, in addition to a highchair in the kitchen (the kids got to eat), in addition to a few decorative items around the place. I even added a cat tree, litter-box and bowl, because what is a home without a pet?
I’m far from a builder, I am much more of a player (if I do say so myself), but I’m really happy with how this house turned out. I think it’s really sweet and suits the characters I had in mind (you can see them at the beginning of the video). I’ve played in this house with these characters and it worked a dream. The grandmother had a beautiful garden, overflowing with fruit and flowers and the toddler thrived in the spacious home. Landscaping is not one of my strong points, in my mind, the more flowers I add the better it will look and you can’t go wrong with hedges. I tried my best ok!
The house costs 57,791 Simoleons and is placed on a 30×20 lot. You will need to enable the ‘bb.moveobjects on’ cheat before placing this build and some things may get deleted. I built this house in Windenburg, the Queen of the worlds in my opinion and it fits in so nicely. This house is on the gallery if you want to download it, my gallery ID being: zoeplant96 . I hope you enjoyed this style of post. I promise they will get better in the future, practice makes perfect! I did forget to put screenshots in the video so I’m going to insert them here instead.
Britain, 1940. When her mother is killed in the Blitz, Louisa Adair feels she has lost everything. The country she has called home since her family left Jamaica is not a friendly place for an orphaned girl with brown skin. She finds work looking after an old lady at a pub near an airfield in Scotland. There she meets Ellen, a drive for the RAF, and Jamie, a pilot – two other young people just as exhausted by the war and just as desperate to fight back.
Then the impossible happens. A German defector lands at the airfield carrying a precious package, and Louisa, Jamie and Ellen find themselves hiding a code-breaking machine that could alter the course of the war. But there are powerful people hunting for the machine, and soon Louisa and her friends are playing a deadly game that threatens everything they hold dear.
Book Information Title: The Enigma Game Author: Elizabeth Wein Genre: YA Historical Publication Date: 14th May 2020 Page Count: 424 Publisher: Bloomsbury Rating: 4.5/5
The Review
Hello and welcome to my stop on the blog tour, discussing the wonderful book that is ‘The Enigma Game’ by Elizabeth Wein. Before I get into the review and start telling you how wonderful this book is, I would just like to point out a few trigger warnings as this book deals with issues surrounding the war, racism, death, WW2 and a hint at suicide.
I must confess, I’m not usually one for historical fiction, unless it involves witches, medieval or the Greek gods, but reading this has definitely opened my eyes to a new genre that I love reading. Throughout we follow three protagonists: Ellen, Jamie and Louisa as we see the world through their eyes and how each one experiences and is affected by different aspects of the war. Despite all being from varying backgrounds: Louisa being brought up in Jamaica, Jamie from a wealthy ‘posh’ family and Ellen a traveller, all three characters create a bond that is untouchable, through life-threatening secrets, trauma and respect. I loved each one of these characters equally, and would protect any one of them as if they were my child. I loved that although we got the point of view from each of the characters, information was left out about each persons situation to be revealed later by another one of the protagonists, which really helped the flow of the book and progressed it whilst still keeping it interesting. I never longed to reach another characters POV, something that rarely happens with a book that has multiple protagonists.
Although this book is categorised as a YA novel it deals with such traumatic and unthinkable things that you almost forget how young the characters are. I liked how Louisa was thrust into such a terrible situation as it showed how many young people, during the war, were forced to grow up way before their time and experience the most horrific things. Despite this, Louisa still came across as a 15 year old girl. It is common for YA novels to give a character an age but never let them act like it. Louisa wasn’t just scared about the war, she was excited by it – eager to get involved and help anyway she can. Her excitement arose from both the big things and the small and much like Ellen and Jamie, although all three are incredibly strong characters they all have their vulnerabilities that remind you how young they actually are. Neither of them have the luxury to act their appropriate age, but each still maintain some of their childish charm (some more than others) such as curiosity and adventure.
I was very much surprised at the lack of romance in this novel and was thrilled when it failed to show up. A common trope of YA novels, despite their attaching genre, is a romance of some sort and god forbid, a love triangle. Romance was touched upon ever so lightly, but it came and then it went because it was not needed. The story and the characters knew what was the most important thing and that the discovery of the Enigma Machine, brought by a rogue German to intercept the oppositions messages. This isn’t to say that romance didn’t play a major role in the war, because it did, love brought a lot of people home and kept them going even in their final moments, but for this story is wasn’t necessary. However, a particular characters love for their dogs was beautiful. It was refreshing to read a book where the protagonists are all young and attractive and not have one of the main storylines following the premise of the usual ‘will they or won’t they’ scenario.
Much like the war, things seemed to happen quite quickly in this book. One second everything is fine and the next, without any warning, all hell has broken loose and there’s no stopping it. You feel helpless and want to help the characters you love but all you can do is read on and hope that everything resolves itself. It really did encapsulate the chaos of war and how literally anything can happen.
I truly enjoyed and cherished this book and I can’t wait to read more historical fiction and novels by Elizabeth Wein.
If you would like to buy it on Amazon, click here. OR If you would like to add it to your Goodreads list, click here.
The Sims team has just dropped a brand new trailer for the Eco Lifestyle expansion pack that is coming out this June. The trailer focused on the gameplay features that we can expect from the upcoming pack and let me tell you I am pumped. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, then here it is for you to enjoy:
I’m going to admit, when the pack was first announced I was left feeling a little let down. However, after seeing this game play trailer and dwelling on it a bit, I am super excited for this expansion pack. I’m going to dissect this trailer and point out a few game play features that have caught my eye and am most excited for! I may do some build/buy and cas posts soon too! Just saying.
The Overall ‘Eco’ Message
The main thing I admire about this pack is that it promotes such a good message about living a more Eco conscious lifestyle. Being a vegan and a lover of animals and the planet; sustainability and living a more conscious lifestyle is very important, so being able to live my best Eco life in The Sims is going to be *chefs kiss*. Additionally, it shows people the benefits of being for environmentally conscious and friendly to the planet and we could all be doing that right now. Recycle, reuse and go vegan pals.
Of course, we do have the whole Island Living game play aspect where you ‘bring back to life’ one of the islands in Sulani and become a conservationist, which too is very enjoyable, but I think this offers more depth to the game. The fact that the smoggyness and the overarching theme of ‘caring for the environment’ affects all the worlds, bar the destination worlds and Strangerville, makes it a lot more expansive and immersive throughout the whole game, instead of one small corner.
New Interactive Career
Fight me if you want, but it is very clear that we’re going to get a new career, much like the conservationist, gardener and fashion stylist that allows Sims to either go to work or work from home. I enjoy these types of careers as it allows you to be more hands-on within your Sims lives and include more immersive game play.
As the young gal I once was, playing The Sims 2 and 3, I always dreamed of being able to follow my Sims to work or school and see what they get up to and these types of careers allow me to live out that childhood fantasy and I am living for it. It’s also suggested that as you advance in the career you can create new inventions that can benefit the world and the environment, which for me, motivates you to work hard to advance a career. This is reminiscent of the scientist career that came with Get To Work, where you too, unlocked new inventions and potions within each promotion – this can sometimes be tedious, but it gives you something to work towards and it sometimes lacks in stuff to do. Sorry not sorry.
Dumpster Woohoo
If there’s one thing that I know excites Sims players, it is the prospect of a new woohoo spot and that is exactly what we’re getting.
Personally, woohooing in a dumpster isn’t really my thing, like imagine the smell! But you know, doing it in The Sims is totally acceptable and wonderful! I’m looking forward to spicing (or smelling) up my Sims lives, am I right?
A Possible New Death?
Speaking of things that players love, another thing we simply can’t get enough of is death. This is just a conspiracy but I’m thinking that maybe there is a new one?
If you look at this sequence, this is very similar to that of a cowplant eating your Sims: they grab something…
Then they get pulled in…
And then they eventually get spat back out. I wonder, if they try this again with a negative moodlet will they drown in the machine? Who knows. But maybe.
Community Involvement
There are many things lacking in The Sims 4, such as a baby that isn’t an object (no shade) but also, it is that your sims aren’t really involved with the outside world. Yes they can go fishing and go to nightclubs and restaurants (if you have the Dine Out game pack), but it always feels like your active household is progressing and doing things and everyone else around you just exists, except from Eliza Pancakes who likes to stalk your Sims, but shes an exception.
This community board where different Sims can vote on what they want the abandoned space to become seems like a very nice way to immerse your Sims into the community and make it feel like such. I hope this works as expected and we can expect surprises, because gals, I want to be surprised, its very vanilla at the moment, very Oscars 2019 if you’re catching my drift.
The Varying World
I’ve touched upon this slightly but I need to talk about it some more. First of all, I absolutely love the fact that we have a smoggy and ‘ugly’ (beauty is subjective, don’t forget) world that is unlike any of the worlds we have already. One thing about The Sims 4, it is that they are all about aesthetics, they want things to look pretty and pleasing to the eye and this pack just throws a big fat curve ball into that ideal with its trashy streets, disgusting air and people woohooing the dustbin. I LOVE IT.
Of course I’m going to make it a clean and green world, cos ya girl is all about the planet, but I just love that we have the option to make not just Evergreen Harbour a bit disgusting but the other worlds in the game too. I want Tory town Willowcreek to experience the smog of the working class and have Eliza Pancakes to know what it feels on the other side, where the grass isn’t as green.
Creativity
Gals I love creativity. I’m a writer myself and I love creating me some stuff. This pack offers me all the creativity. You can make candles, you can have more fun creating the garden of your dreams (I do love gardening in The Sims), you can up-cycle your waste and even create fizzy juice. I love making things in The Sims and making money from things that your Sims have created, adding more of a challenge to their lives and having different ways to make money. Honestly, this is going to be perfect for a rags to riches.
Honestly I think I’m going to have so much fun with this pack. It adds so much more depth to the worlds and the gameplay aspects where we have to consider our actions that affect the environment around us. At first I was like nah, but now I’m totally like yah.
There seems to be so much you can within this packs, whether its create a sustainable and off-the-grid lifestyle for your Sims, make a living from selling your handcrafted goods or simply explore a new, dirtier way of living. My expectations have been risen, I hope they don’t get crushed to the ground when it actually comes out. I have hope.
I’ve very recently come out of a nearly 2 year reading slump and now I am hipped, hopped hyped and ready to go on catching up on all the new releases and books I have been accumulating during that difficult time. Some of these books are beginnings of series that I’ve been meaning to read for a long while and others are new releases. Honestly the majority are books that have been sat on my shelves for years, yelling at me to be read. Don’t you worry little books your time is coming soon!
It has also recently been brought to my attention that this list may stay this long for quite some time, due to the fact I have recently invested in a Nintendo Switch and Animal Crossing. I’m super excited for this and I can guarantee that all my spare time will now be spent playing this. Do not fear, I shall be giving regular updates on my reading via Goodreads (follow me here) and Twitter (also follow me here).
Circe by Madeline Miller If there is one thing you should know about me, it is that I love mythology, especially Greek mythology. When this book was first released, I was all over it, I was like “yeah this is going too be great, I’m going to read this straight away”, but alas, I have not. UNTIL NOW!!! This is my current read and I am really enjoying it so far, I’m loving the mythology and the magic, although I am about 200 pages in and I must admit, it’s not blown me away yet. The plot seems somewhat repetitive and a bit bland, but I’m hoping it will start to spice up soon. I’m getting good vibes from it.
Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare I think this book is on any YA fans list, I mean why wouldn’t it be? Cassandra Clare’s books are what introduced me to the wonderful world of fantasy and young adult fiction and no matter how many books she’s brings out I’ll just have to read them, I can’t help myself. My mum read this book in two sittings, so I’m only expecting the best.
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon I’m both excited and scared to read this book. Excited because I love Samantha Shannon and everything she does, I just know this book is going to be a solid 12/10 but I’m also scared because it’s so ginormous! I’m not usually one to shy away from a big book, but I’m worried that once I start, I won’t be able to stop and I’ll come out of my bedroom 3 days later, with chip pan hair and bloodshot eyes from the exposure to fresh air. But I am super excited for this one!
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir I read An Ember in the Ashes some time ago (will most likely have to reread it) and I absolutely loved it, however, it wasn’t soon after that my university deadlines came knocking and my reading slump started. I really want to delve back into this series as it’s 100% a bit of me and the reviews of the full series have been exceptional.
Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman Aha! I recently read Scythe – the first book that pulled me from the infamous slump and now I am ready to complete this series. Scythe got me very riled up and I am super eager to read Thunderhead as I need to know what happens next. Honestly, waiting for this book to be delivered was an absolute nightmare, longest 2 days of my life. If you want to read my review on Scythe you can find it here.
Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings I have recently watched the first 2 seasons of Killing Eve, the television show that came from this novel, so obviously I was going to want to read the book next wasn’t I? I LOVED this series and honestly, the more Villanelle action I can get the better. I’m also intrigued to see if there are many major differences from the show and the book, adaptions always do fascinate me – I wrote my dissertation of musical adaptions, in case you were interested.
Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb This book has been on my shelves for many years and every time I look at it, the intrigue and desire to read it never disappears. So this time, I am determined to finally get around to it. Plus I love a good assassin story.
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton Ever since this book was released, it always fascinated me. I was originally hooked by the plot, but then I kept seeing people reading it and saying how much they enjoyed it and then it made me want to read it even more! I am very interested to see what all the hype is about. I really do hope it lives up to my large expectations.
Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas I used to be a huge fan of all Sarah J. Maas books, I read all the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, but after while I got a little bored with them and came to the conclusion that the hype surrounding the books is what made me trick myself into liking them as much as I did. However, I’ve seen many people say that they enjoyed this book, and again, my mum has already read this book and she thought it was great, so I’m willing to give it a go. Who knows, it may be pleasantly surprising.
Vox by Christina Dalcher I started reading this book some time ago and got quite a few pages into it and gave up on it as I just couldn’t give it my full attention. However, I really want to start it again as I loved the premise of the book – women are only allowed to say a certain amount of words a day and men are allowed to say as many as they want. Being a feminist, this really peaked my intrigue and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the story takes us.
The Bone Season (series) by Samantha Shannon I absolutely love this series! ABSOLUTELY!!! The fourth book in the series The Mask Falling is due to be released January 2021 and I am pumped. It has been sometime since the last book in this series came out, so I would ideally like to reread the entire series to refresh my mind and delve back into a series I know and love dearly. If you haven’t read this series, I highly suggest that you do.
So there we have it, the current list of books that I want to read. This is 100% guaranteed to change as my mind is like the weather, completely unpredictable; there are also some amazing books being released this year so I may just have to pick those up in between too. Thank you for sticking by me during this terrible reading and blogging slump, my gratitude to you forever and always.
During these strange times that we are currently living in, it is difficult to know what to do with yourself when you suddenly find yourself with so much spare time. You don’t have to do anything, simply existing is enough, but if you find yourself going a little stir crazy staying inside all day with nothing to do, then maybe do a some of these things. And don’t forget: stay home, stay clean, stay sexy.
Read a book – escape to a new world, get lost within the pages and their worlds. And only come out when you realise it’s too dark for you to read the words on the page. Reading allows you to be able to go on an adventure without leaving the comforts of your home – because you should be staying at home.
Live vicariously through The Sims – you may not be able to leave the house in real life but there’s no stopping your sim self from living their best life. Create yourself, or any random person and live your life to the fullest. Live in that mansion, have a steamy one night stand in the night club, adopt that puppy or kitten you’ve always wanted to. The possibilities are endless. Go wild.
Do some exercise – now I’m the last person to tell you to get some exercise to make yourself feel better, but let me tell you, I’ve been doing a little bit every day and it’s so nice to get some fresh air, produce a little sweat on my top lip and get my heart pumping. We’re all stuck in the house, staring at the same four walls, day in – day out but maybe it’ll help to just move around a little. Do a dance, sing a little song, get down tonight.
Do that thing you’ve been putting off for ages – no matter who you are, you’re lying if you say there isn’t an odd job or 12 you’ve been meaning to do but simply haven’t got around to it yet. Now is your time to shine. There’s no excuse to put it off any longer, get it done and think of how accomplished you’re going to feel afterwards.
Work on a project – this might be starting a novel, doing something creative, learning an instrument or learning a new language. We’ve all found ourselves with copious amounts of time (if you aren’t a key worker and if you are, thank you for you’re service) and now is the perfect time to do something that we’ve always told ourselves we’d do if we ‘had the time’. Think of what you could achieve if you put your mind to it.
Relax – if you’re usually working full time and don’t find yourself having any time to focus on yourself and now find yourself unable to go go work, then now is the perfect time to simply relax and unwind. Consider this a well deserved break. Have a long soak in the bath, do some cooking, treat yourself to an at-home spa day. Anything that allows you to loosens the muscles in your shoulders and sigh with relief.
Binge a tv show – what better way to spend your time than getting comfortable on the sofa or in bed, wrapped up in your comfiest clothing and all your favourite snacks and binge watching a television show or film series until the sun comes up again and the birds are signing their morning songs. I’ve personally binged both seasons of Killing Eve that I’ve been meaning to watch for aggeeess and it was glorious! If you need any recommendations, please give me a shout.
No matter how you spend your time, simply enjoy it. But most importantly, look after yourself and others. Stay inside and be sure to keep that 2m distance and wash your hands if you go out anywhere. We can all get through this if we stick together and use our common sense.
In a perfect world, the only way to be die is to be gleaned by a professional scythe. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to be apprentice scythes, they know they option but to learn the art of killing. However, the terrifying responsibility of choosing their victims is just the start.
Corruption is the order of they day and Citra and Rowan need to stick together to fight it.
Then they are told one of them will have to glean the other…
Details Author: Neal Shusterman Series: Arc of a Scythe #1 Release date: 22nd November 2016 Rating: 4.5
Review
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but not enough for me to give it a 5 star rating, but it was close. This is the book that revived me from my almost 2 year reading slump and I’ll tell you as for why. If there is one thing I love, it is a good, solid dystopian novel, where the main characters rebel against the system, with one of the protagonists being a strong, independent female – this book delivered on all of this. Although the novel follows the perspective of both Citra and Rowan, Citra was at the forefront of the novel, and rightly so that girl is an icon. She is resilient, brave, perceptive and dangerous but with the right amount of compassion and sympathy to not make her an arsehole. We grow with her and Rowan as we follow them on their journey from being two average teenagers in a world where everything is provided for them and deemed ‘perfect’ to when they are thrust into an entirely alien environment and taught to be ruthless.
The world in which Citra and Rowan reside is set many, many years in the future where there are no governments or ruling bodies, but something called the Thunderhead, that provides every citizen with everything they need – there is no poverty, starvation or desire for anything – everyone is very well looked after. To make things even more perfect, no one dies – not of old age, disease, falling from a building or any bizarre accident, there isn’t even any pain. Now, this is where the scythes come in, once you’re gleaned by a scythe then that’s it, it is game over for you. These are a select group of people, who are the only people who can permit death. Some are kind, gentle and do the work they do because they know it is necessary, but take no pride in it, yet there are others that relish in the power they have, committing mass murder and soaking up all the fear they bring. In a world where no one wants for nothing, there is always someone who wants more – power. You are constantly rooting for Rowan and Citra throughout, their mentor on the right side of humanity, but when they are pitted against each other and told that the loser will have to be the bearer of death to the other, tensions rise. We follow both of them as they undergo brutal physical training, learn fighting techniques and how to use weapons and administers poisons and learn the ways of becoming a scythe, dealing with the responsibility of administering death, choosing targets and manoeuvring the inner workings of the scythedom’s politics – a corrupt and difficult thing.
The entire novel takes you on an adventure, that is one that reminds me of The Hunger Games – two nobodies that were plucked from the flock and have their lives changed forever. There was never a dull moment when reading and most times it was very difficult to put down. The switching of perspectives always left you craving for more and always withheld the right amount of information, so you’d be shocked at the big reveal – and there were many.
I’ve already ordered the next book in this series and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. If the next two books in the series are anything like the first, then I can safely say that this series may become one of my favourites. It has a lot of potential, lets hope it delivers.
If you’ve read this series or have any other recommendations of books, stand alone or series that are similar then please let me know, because I simply can not get enough of dystopian novels, especially since we are currently living in one.
Back when I first started this blog, books were all I talked about – I literally could not get enough them. I remember the time, many moons ago, when I bought books and actually read them. But then darkness fell, and the reading slump made its way into my life and only now, almost 2 years later, have I managed to slay the beast and begin to enjoy what I loved doing most – reading.
I had tried very hard to regain my love for reading, but time and time again I was defeated – my TBR pile growing bigger by the minute. But now, I am ready to conquer it. The slump came to me due to varying factors – finishing my degree, having bad mental health, an inability to switch my brain off and concentrate on a book and last of all, time. However, now I have graduated from university, quit my master’s degree and my job (lets not talk about them) and although my mental health is still in tatters, I know reading is what I love doing and it has helped me through some terribly rough patches before, so who’s saying it won’t again?
This week alone I have read nearly 2 books and honestly it feels amazing. I finished Scythe by Neil Shusterman yesterday, which was glorious, hopefully a review coming your way soon and am now currently reading Circe by Madeline Miller which I am thoroughly enjoying. Both of these books have been on my shelf for years now, longing to be read and now they are fulfilling their purpose and I couldn’t be happier.
Additionally, I know I’ve said it many times before, but this time I mean it – I WILL BE POSTING AGAIN. Due to my anxiety, it is always difficult for me to produce content as I’m always worried that I’ll be judged on what I produce or whether it’ll be to a good quality standard, but I’m working on it (still) and this time I vow to stick to my word. To further this statement, I have also vowed to myself I will start a Youtube channel focusing on the two things I love most, books and games – something that I’ve been wanting to do for many years, but have had the same anxiety issues, but more on this if I actually pull through.
Thank you for reading my words, I hope they were all grammatically correct (I didn’t spend 3 years of my life obtaining an English degree for them not to be) and I will 1000% see you soon.
If you didn’t know, I have a degree in a English and film, so films are kind of a big deal to me. My goal in life is to become a screenwriter, so watching upcoming films aren’t just fun, but they can also be considered research. Win win.
Today, I’m going to be showing you all the 2020 film releases I’m most excited for. Hopefully, you’ll discover some new movies and have a decent time reading this post.
PS: some of the movies don’t have trailers yet, so you’re just going to have to take my word for it.
Bad Boys for Life Release date: January 17. Directors: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
Besides this film oozing with nostalgia, it has everything you could ever want – action, comedy, Will Smith, crime, the classic ‘one last time’ line that every reboot has and honestly I am here for it. I grew up watching Bad Boys, so it’d be a sin if I wasn’t a little bit excited for the new film. From looking at the trailer, there doesn’t seem to be that much of a plot line besides two guys who refuse to leave the dangerous life behind, but when you’ve got a cast and a reputation that Bad Boys have, I suppose it doesn’t really matter.
Dolittle Release date: January 17 Director: Stephen Gaghan
Robert Downey Jr + animals + adventure, what more could you ask for? In all seriousness, this movie just screams magical to me and I believe it’s going to have many important life lessons throughout – vital for any family friendly movie. I’m certain everyone is familiar with the 1996 version of Dr. Dolittle starring Eddie Murphy, a movie we all love, but despite the same concept, these movies are so different from each other, I don’t think they’ll be any room to even compare them. Although Eddie Murphy is the OG for me, I’m sure Downey Jr. will pull it straight out the bag. Ps: getting strong Sherlock Holmes vibes from Dolittle, and let me tell you, I am living for it!
Sonic the Hedgehog Release date: February 14 Director: Jeff Fowler
I thought I’d be tired of all this ‘games to movie’ concept by now, but I’m not ashamed to say I’m not. I used to love playing Sonic growing up and now to see him on a the big screen, takes me back to playing the game on my Game Cube. This film was initially supposed to be released earlier, but due to them designing Sonic like a blue person with a large head and very skinny legs, they revamped Sonic so he actually looks like himself. Best decision they ever made. Plus Jim Carey looks so natural!
The Call of the Wild Release date: February 21 Director: Chris Sanders
Sometimes you just can’t beat a heartwarming movie about an old white guy and his dog. Although the dog is faker than the tories pretending to care for the working class, he is adorable nonetheless. A good old adventure movie that has beautiful imagery, with scenic landscapes and nature galore, what more could you ask for?
Onward Release date: March 6 Director: Dan Scanlon
Disney has not let me down in the past and I’m pretty certain it won’t let me down in the future. I love the mix of the modern day and the fantasy world, it adds to the magic and the comedy of the movie. The two boys received a magical staff from their (presumably) deceased father to put him back together for one day, but it goes wrong and they only have the bottom half of him, therefore must go on a mission to try and fix him before the 24 hours is up. Action, adventure, a time-limited mission, a Disney animated movie AND Tom Holland, this has got me written all over it.
A Quiet Place Part Two Release date: March 20 Director: John Krasinski
I absolutely adored the first movie, it was expertly written to ignite the right amount of emotions all at once – thrill, suspense, sadness, fear and hope. It was done to perfection. When I read they were releasing a second part, I wouldn’t be lying if I said I clapped. I’m not usually one for thrillers/horrors, but this movie and definitely the exception.
New Mutants Release date: April 3 Director: Josh Boone
My opinion on this movie is very torn, on the one hand, I am looking forward to watching this movie as I have always loved the X-Men series. However, I can’t help but feel that adding a complete new movie to the franchise, when they’ve just wrapped up the the X-Men is kind of pushing it. However, I adore Marvel and have always enjoyed the concept of mutants and their diversity therefore, I must admit, I am looking forward to it. From what we can see in the trailer, it does leave me hopeful as we’re getting to see a story-line about mutants away from the X-Men, but still get a decent degree of action and suspense.
Trolls World Tour Release date: April 17 Director: Walter Dohrn and David P. Smith.
There are two things I love most in this world – animated movies and musicals and this film combines the two of them. The first movie was *chef’s kiss* and I have no doubt this film will follow suit, especially with the added addition of various genres of music.
Promising Young Woman Release date: April 17 Director: Emerald Fennell
There are many reasons as to why I am thoroughly excited for this movie. 1) It is directed by the Killing Eve executive producer and we all know that show is 10/10. 2) Raises awareness of how vulnerable women are when drunk and men easily take advantage of that and won’t accept what scumbags they are for doing it. Additionally, on how women are always perceived as being liars when it comes to sexual abuse/rape and how the man is always believed over her. 3) Features a top notch quality female protagonist who stands up for herself, is definitely no damsel in distress like most movies and can inspire women to take no shit and be cautious (obviously don’t go killing people, just don’t take any shit). Please just go watch this movie, it looks fantastic and I have no doubts that it will prove me right.
Antebellum Release date: April 24 Director: Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz This film is brought to us by the producers of Get Out and Us and my, can’t you tell. The teaser trailer doesn’t give much away, but anything that highlights and raises awareness of the atrocities that black have faced and have to face, is a positive in my book. I’m sure this movie will bring with it tonnes of suspense, thrill and goosebumps and I am 100% not ready for it.
Free Guy Release date: July 3. Director: Shawn Levy
Much like many of the movies that Ryan Reynolds stars in, this one is bound to bring laughter. I mean the first 10 seconds made me chuckle and we hadn’t even seen anything about the movie itself yet. I have high hopes for this one. I’ve always wondered about the lives of the ‘other people’ in superhero movies and video games and this one is feeding my curiosity. My only qualm is, is that I had a movie idea surrounding this thought and now it’s been done. Guess I’ve got to write movies quicker. Plus have you seen who is starring in it: Ryan Reynolds, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi and Jodie Comer AND it is directed by Shawn Levy, the same guy who does Stranger Things – how can this movie be anything short of fantastic!
Jungle Cruise
Again, another film by Disney. This does remind me a lot of Jumanji and the fact that Dwanyne Johnson stars in it, only reinforces that idea but I loved Jumanji, so I don’t see nothing wrong with it – except maybe you could be slightly more original with your ideas, but why fix what ain’t broken? Plus, we have Emily Blunt and she is wonderful. I also went to Disneyland for the first time last September (I haven’t been happy since, I long to return) and this movie is based on the ‘Jungle Cruise’ ride there, so this movie will have to do for a substitute until I can make it back to the place I belong.
The Witches Release date: October 19 Director: Robert Zemeckis
I think it’s safe to say that I’m pretty sure everyone is aware and totally excited for this movie! Roald Dah’s ‘The Witches’ comes to life once again in this wonderful 2020 adaption of the well-beloved novel. The original movie was released in 1990 (did not think it was that long ago) and that was a cinematic masterpiece. I’m certain Anne Hathaway will lead the movie and make a wonderful villain and Robert Zemeckis also directed the Back to the Future franchise (one of my all time favourites), but will it comes close to the original that we know and love?
The King’s Man Release date: September 18 Director: Matthew Vaughn
I absolutely adored Kingsmen, 1 and 2 and although this movie has no Taron Egerton and Colin Firth, there is not a doubt in my bones that I will enjoy this just as much as I loved the others. This movie delves into first of the King’s Men (and women) and gives us every bit of action and humour as its predecessors. If anything it’s better because of good old Voldemort.
Eternals Release date: November 6 Director: Chloé Zhao
Just when you think a franchise has finally ended, you’ve dealt with the loss of your beloved characters, they bring out another franchise to fill the void. This movie occurs after Avengers: Endgame and focuses on a group of immortal aliens who have lived on earth for thousands of years, who reunite to (once again) protect earth from otherworldly creatures. As I said earlier, I am a huge fan of Marvel, so yes please.
Uncharted Release date: December 18 Director: Travis Knight.
Another game-movie film and another Tom Holland movie – I am sucker what can I say. I used to love playing the Uncharted games, I loved the adventure, the action and the mystery throughout. I think it has wonderful potential to make a great movie!
This list was longer than I expected it to be, but I can for sure say that 2020 will be a good for one movies. There are so many more amazing movies being released this year (such as horrors, but they’re really not my thing) but these are the ones I am most excited for and are definitely up my street. Hopefully, all these amazing movies will give me inspiration for my own movie that I am writing – maybe one day my movie will appear on a list like this!
abooktasia 