I tried a London Fog from Tim Hortons and it was really good. I found a London Fog recipe (Original London Fog Recipe) I liked and I've made it quite a few times now. Essentially a London Fog just tastes like a really good cup of Earl Grey Tea. It's worth it though, and it tastes better the longer you let the tea bag steep in it so I usually just leave it in.
1 c. Strong Earl Grey tea (the recipe said to let it steep for at least 3 minutes)
1/2 c. scalded milk (the recipe said that any milk is fine)
I'm going to be talking about the Queen's Gambit (on Netflix) and shockingly I won't be mentioning actual spoilers. Before I begin though, I have so many thoughts about this show and I can't mention everything without making this post miles long so there is a lot I've left out. I'm going to paste the basic summery of this show. It doesn't really tell you anything but it does give you the basic plot.
The Queen's Gambit follows the life of an orphan chess prodigy, Beth Harmon, during her quest to become the world's greatest chess player while struggling with emotional problems and drug and alcohol dependency. The title of the series refers to a chess opening of the same name.
This mini-series is so well done. The story, the execution, the lighting, costumes, colour palate, general atmosphere, character choices, everything. Everything they did fit together so well, even if there were a couple things that I just found a little awkward. It's one of those shows that just feels solid all the way through and it has that weighty feel of something complete. Sometimes, even shows/movies that I like will have a sort of slightly plastic feel. It doesn't feel solid even though I do still like it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this show doesn't feel 'cheap' in any way.
Obviously not everything has to have that specific feeling to it, but when I do find it, it just feels so 'right' and it feels like it will stand the test of time. I think that I as a person like to think in the 'whys' of something. I like to know why someone chose that particular thing, or why they react to things the way they do, etc. I usually don't feel like I understand something until I feel it deep in my gut. This show subtly shows the 'whys' without ever necessarily pointing them out; I understand the 'why' of everything in my core. Everything is just so clever that there is so much you miss so much at first. This show portrays things in such an immersive way that it feels real. I kept expecting to find out this was based on a true story but it isn't, it's based on a book. Some of the details, like the games that were played, were taken from real life, but Beth Harmon was not. Although I think she was inspired by a real person.
I love how the entire show is so shaped by Beth's perspective. The atmosphere of the show and the style that it is shot in is so attuned to Beth's movements. The energy of the atmosphere is so classy, intentional and styled. It's delicate and yet it can feel like a gut-punch. The atmosphere of the show perfectly captures the whirlwind energy of self-destruction, power-dynamics, genius, and intensity. It's stunning. It's almost as if her mind feels too big and it consumes everything around it. The way it's directed is so...intense and so full of feeling. It has the stunning intensity of a creative montage in a movie when someone throws their mind into the work they are passionate about. You feel incredible understanding and empathy while you watch it. It's also gorgeous in so many ways, so you can't help watching it with absolute awe as well. The director of the Queen's Gambit is American but the show feels heavily influenced by European culture as well as American. I also love the uncertainty of this show, because they've shown you a clip of something that happens later right at the beginning and you genuinely don't know if she will spiral completely out of control. I also love just how angry she is as a person.
I love the colour palate of this show. I love how everything around her has this slightly hazy desaturated look to everything. It's like seeing through her perspective and seeing how it touches everything. It also helps incorporate the feel of the 60s timeframe because while the shots are all very easy to see, it has the haze of listening to a vinyl record. It makes everything seem very lived-in and natural even though it is very structured.
I love the textures of her clothing and the little details like the colour of the pills she takes match her clothes at times. The clothing, colours and textures of the show were so engaging. Everyone's clothes seem so suited to their personality. I'm always obsessed with how some clothing can sit on someone like a second skin while other clothing just looks wrong for them. I usually can't tell that in real life so it's always interesting to me when it seems so obvious in the thing I'm watching, I don't know anything about different eras or anything but the stylized textures and lighting and clothing felt incredibly 60s. Nothing looked 'weird' either, if someone wore something that I wasn't used to, it always felt 'right' and I never questioned anything. Between the Queen's Gambit, the Man From Uncle (2015) and even the 2nd season of Umbrella Academy I've been in a 60s style rabbit-hole.
Beth is very aware of her own personal style. At first it's a self-conscious awareness of her 'lack' of it. Then she adopts the styles around her. She'll buy the dress she saw on a mannequin, she won't know a song that everyone else knows and then later she'll tell someone to turn it up because she loves the song. The way she carries herself changes throughout the years and it's all very intentional. Her self-awareness of her movements feels like it's own little chess game. She takes the things she finds and makes them her own. The things she finds become a part of her image. Her look is very collected and immaculate. Beth is described through the show at times and is known to be on the offense while playing, she's very intuitive, she's very affected by her emotions, she likes to have control, she's obsessive and she herself is always balancing the line of wondering whether she is insane or a genius. Her clothes and her general surroundings are subtly affected and portray her personality. I love how she noticed people using different tactics to throw her off her game, like yawning, showing up a bit late, and using it against them. The visual psychology of this mini-series is astonishing and beautifully done.
I love the contrast between her and everyone around her. How her personality mirrors or contrasts between the other people in the show in different ways. I love the dynamics of everybody, and that phone call that her friends did for her was so cute.
Again, I just love how complete and well done this mini-series feels. I love that, despite the fact that Beth thought her addictions were helping her, the show didn't leave that as the explanation. Mr. Shaibel and Beth's somewhat mentor/slightly father daughter relationship was so heartwarming. The newspaper wall made me emotional. Her relationship with her adopted mom was great. I loved the interesting dynamics she had with everyone really.
All the actors/actresses portrayed everyone so well. The director did an amazing job. The whole crew of this show did a fantastic job really. The music suited it so well. The 'Venus' song by Shocking Blue is stuck in my head now.
The way the show incorporated things and reused things was clever. Just everything was so intentional and solid. The mini-series format of this show paired perfectly with the Dark Academic style of this show. This show absolutely blew me away.
I just... I love it. I know that media is subjective and this show won't be for everyone, but I adore it and highly recommend it. There is some content in it, with language, there's a couple 'scenes' but those can be quickly skipped and they aren't long, and there is addiction portrayed. Like I said at the beginning of the post, there's so much I could say about it but that would take forever. Sorry if this post is kind of all over the place, in my head everything I've said makes sense, but I don't know if it makes sense to anyone else. I'm sorry that I'm terrible at checking the grammar in my posts, I never notice most of the problems until I've posted it and reread it a few times. Then I'm usually too lazy to fix it.
This was the other tag Skye tagged me for and I'm grateful. I don't have much Christmas content planned so these are great.
When do your decorations go up?
Most of them go up in December but we usually start sometime in November.
If money were no object, how and where would you spend Christmas?
Somewhere in England. Or Ireland. An Irish Christmas could be interesting. I have no idea what it would be like but it sounds amazing. I'd spend Christmas pretty much how I spent my slapdash Thanksgiving a couple months ago. With the basic food things that I associate with it, watch movies and possibly take a short walk in the weather.
What Christmas film do you have to watch every festive season?
The usual ones generally. Home Alone, The Grinch, Elf, Edward Scissorhands, Jack Frost... The most recent additions have been The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018), Klaus (2019), and The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008).
Who do you find the hardest to buy presents for?
Parents in general but my step-dad is THE hardest to get gifts for. He thinks he likes everything except for the few things he doesn't and it's not entirely true. He always gets us so many gifts and I always feel bad that he doesn't get as much. Part of it is his fault though, trying to get information out of him is ridiculously hard.
Would you rather buy lots of little presents for a hamper, or buy one big/main present?
Little presents for a hamper. I've done main presents but it doesn't feel personal enough so I usually end up adding little gifts to it anyway.
What did you leave out for Santa when you were a child?
My mom didn't really do Santa Claus but my dad did. With my dad we left out milk and cookies. Occasionally with carrots for the reindeer.
I think the carrot thing started because my grandpa had a friend who dressed up like Santa Clause and my sister and I sat on his knee to tell him what we wanted. My mom had told me that Santa wasn't real and while I believed her, there was the other part of my young mind that realized that if this was the real Santa Clause I had one shot at asking for something I could only ask Santa Clause. Because I was in a major horse girl phase at the time, I asked for a horse. There was a bunch of back and forth with 'Santa' telling me that he can't fit a horse in his bag and me telling him that he carries toys for kids all over the world surely he can fit a horse (I was that kid). He asked me if there was something else I wanted. So I took my final shot at asking Santa Clause for what I wanted, which was to feed Rudolph a carrot.
Santa said that it was too dangerous for me to do that since Rudolph was on the roof. He told me to bring him a carrot and he'd feed it to him for me. I rushed upstairs and grabbed a baby carrot and gave it to Santa. I don't remember what happened after that but he left (we were in a basement so as far as I knew he was going to the roof) and he'd forgotten the carrot.
It truly was a tragic day for me as I realized that that particular Santa was a fraud XD My sister had already figured out he wasn't real because apparently she'd given him a cookie and he'd pulled his beard down to eat it. I'd missed it however.
Clearly I was always a dramatic person. Also very hard to please apparently. Most kids would have just asked for something easy.
Essentially my dramatic reaction to Santa
Where did you spend last Christmas?
Christmas (officially) changes for me every year. Last year on Dec.25th I was at my dad's. I think I did Christmas with my mom a couple days after that. It was good both places. My dad's was a little awkward at the time because of some personal reasons but it was still good.
Which Christmas song makes you cringe?
I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. It's always the first one that comes to mind for me.
If you could be a character in a holiday movie, who would you be and why?
I usually range from Buddy the Elf to the Grinch. But that's also just me in general.
My genuine first thought after the Grinch and Buddy the Elf was that one dog in Edward Scissorhands. The one near the end of the movie when he runs up to Edward and Edward snips off the fur covering his eyes so he can see. The dog seemed content and happy after that.
Also 'Kim' played by Winona Ryder simply because it's Winona Ryder. That scene of her dancing in the snow is me internally during the first 'proper' snow of the year.
Have you ever had a White Christmas?
Most years have been White Christmases for me. Depending on where I've been, it's been rainy on occasion but it's still had a Christmas feel to it.
Is your tree real or fake?
Currently it's fake. Generally my mom has used fake trees although once someone gave us a real tree when I was little.
With my dad in the past, it's been real trees. Although for the last few years we've used a fake tree and we put a Santa hat on it. I don't think it's come down for the last 4 years.
Choose a holiday drink: Spiced Apple Cider or Eggnog?
Spiced Apple Cider. Although I do like eggnog. My mom is always on the look out for the specific brand of eggnog that we like but I don't remember which one it is. We're not picky about most things but this one is tradition at this point.
I highly recommend Lynch's Original Apple Cider. It's so good.
Rules
Put on your favorite Christmas Playlist to listen to while answering!
Have a Christmas drink and/or snack while writing
Thank the blogger who tagged you and link to their site
Answer the 9 original questions
Answer the questions set by whoever tagged you
Ask 2 questions of your own
Tag 6 bloggers to take part
My two question are...(If anyone feels like answering them)
What is one of your favourite Christmas memories and why?
What is your least favourite or weirdest Christmas memory and why?
Actually I'll add one more question... Have you discovered a new holiday movie/show recently and if so what is it? (it doesn't have to be a 'proper' Christmas movie) or, my alternative to that question, Is there a holiday movie that really sticks with you? (again it doesn't even have to be a proper Christmas movie)
I don't currently know enough bloggers to tag anybody so whoever wants to can feel free. I tag
I watched the Queen's Gambit in November and I need to talk about it. So I decided to combine my need to fangirl over it with an explanation of why I think the Mini-Series format is amazing and should be incorporated into more shows. I'm not going to get into the Queen's Gambit until Part 2, so there won't be any spoilers for that in this post. I will be mentioning other shows in this post but I don't think anything I will say requires a spoiler warning.
Obviously the mini-series format doesn't work for every show, but I feel like a lot of shows could benefit from it and I'm going to get into some of my reasons. I've tried really hard to keep this as short as possible.
Most of the time, shows tend to have a very solid 1st season, although I guess it depends on the show. One example could be the tv show Once Upon A Time. While I wouldn't call it a strong show by any means, the first season had a very clever concept with Storybrooke. Storybrooke is a town set in the 'real' world, and it is inhabited by fairytale characters who don't remember they're fairytale characters. Henry, the adopted son of the Evil Queen from the Snow White fairytale, has a book that makes him realize what is going on. He brings his biological mom Emma, daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming back to Storybrooke to break the curse on the town that is making everyone forget who they really are. The concept is solid, but after all of this gets resolved by the end of season 1, they had to find find another plotline. This was fine for a couple more seasons but by then, they pretty much had to use the same different plotlines over and over again but with different characters. Things just became kind of stupid, I still watched it, but it was still stupid. I don't mean to offend anyone that loves this show, it's just my personal perspective and opinion. Obviously not everything was terrible all the time.
The problem is, the original vision had been accomplished by the end of the 1st season because honestly dragging it out longer would have been kind of ridiculous. This happens to a lot of shows because they don't know if they will be renewed or canceled at first. The shows get renewed for another season and then the writers have to scramble to find something to fill it with. Sometimes shows just go on too long. Mini-Series are essentially the original concept, the solid 1st season if you will, without the extra filler stuff.
A show that seems to have prepared for this is Stranger Things. Each season is almost it's own Mini-Series in a way, but it all cohesively works together. Despite some of my issues with the 3rd season, they still seem to be following the basic format for each season.
Shows usually carry on because the people watching care about different characters and what have you. Sometimes there is a slow-burn relationship that takes seasons to finally go anywhere. Sometimes it's something else. When shows go on for an unspecified amount of time, they can't stay anywhere too long. They have to add in some relationship drama to drag out the conclusion a little longer. Someone dies and then comes back later, but in the meantime you deal with the fallout. These plotlines are all fine, but eventually it gets too over-used and then everything starts to feel like filler.
Movies and T.V. shows are hard to make, so I completely understand when shows just get dumb. There's just not much else the writers can do anymore. Which is why I think the shows shouldn't be as long as they are. A Mini-Series doesn't necessarily have to be one season. Mini-Series don't even have to be sorted into seasons. As far as I know, Stranger Things only plans to make 4 seasons which means there will be a conclusion to everything and the show will end there. It's not necessary a mini-series, but it is prepared as if it were.
On the other hand, shows like Blacklist lose sight of the concept that made it a good show. The initial concept was that Redington, a man involved in an incredible criminal network, makes a deal with the FBI saying that he will help them find the criminals that are on his personal 'blacklist'. The character dynamics that keep the show interesting become so twisted up in the 'shocking' reveals or changes that the characters sort of lose what made them compelling or made you like them. (As far as I've heard anyway, I haven't watched all of it. I'm currently somewhere in the 3rd season)
Do I watch too much tv? Probably. That's not the point. Then again maybe it is
Eventually, despite the draw of the money, some shows just need to end. And I know while Mini-Series don't have the financial gain of a unlimited length show, the integrity of it gets lost. Mini-series are like long movies. They get to have the depth of a show and the cohesion of a movie. It's the best of both world's when it's done right.
Essentially my point is that shows eventually just end up feeling like a cheap money grab. Which, to be fair, they sort of are. To be honest, I like a lot of trash shows, but my point is, even trash shows can be decent given a little bit of structural respect. Shows can have the dimension that you can lack in the short length of a film, but the story needs to be respected. Hence why I feel like Mini-Series have more integrity. Obviously this isn't true for everything. My argument is that maybe we can use this format a little more and these are some of my personal reasons why. Part of what confuses me about some tv shows and movies is that they spend enormous amounts of money on something that feels 'cheap' to gain a bunch of money, when sometimes they can spend less or even the same amount for something that is actually good.
To be fair, some shows like Community do absolutely ridiculous things for 6 seasons but it works perfectly fine in their case. I will watch everyone having a melt-down because Annie can't find her purple pen multiple times. Not everything has to be about an over-arching plot. Some shows like Xfiles, don't even know what their over-arching plot is. Are aliens real? Was it faked? What is the government really hiding? Was Mulder's sister plotline number 3 the correct timeline? Was it that time he hugged a ghost version of his sister? Who even knows what the heck is actually going on anymore? Personally I'm here for Mulder/Scully's interactions and I don't particularly care about much else. Give me the monster of the week episodes, I don't care about the government conspiracy ones much. I will watch literal seasons of that.
Gilmore Girls is another show that goes on for 7 seasons and while there were some dumb plotlines, the show just worked well.
Derry Girls is currently only 2 season and there's about 6 episodes a season. It's short, but it's so good, and that part of the reason I like it. Shorter things tend to get more care and attention.
Some shows like the Mandalorian have an over-arching plot, and really the only thing we actually care about is Baby Yoda's and Mando's interactions. We will happily watch a hundred side quests just to see Mando be a dad.
I don't mean to offend anyone. Like whatever show you want, I just complain about a lot of things and this is a big one for me.
At the end of the day it is just a movie/tv show, but I also care about them even though they aren't actually real. Though the show itself may not be real, but it can reflect processes and a whole multitude of other things.
Anyways, I'll be fangirling about The Queen's Gambit and attempting to point out the reasons why I think it is an incredibly solid, well done mini-series in Part 2 hopefully.
Skye tagged me for a couple tags (thanks again btw) and it's perfect for Christmas content.
1) A favorite Christmas tradition?
Aside from doing pretty much nothing and watching movies, leading up to Christmas I do really like that we cut paper snowflakes out and tape them to windows.
A more interesting one is the fact that we occasionally make Krumkaka when we remember too. It's a Norwegian tradition apparently and our Grandma would get after us if we didn't. Krumkaka is really simple and it's similar to a (incredibly easy to break) waffle cone that tastes a bit like a fortune cookie.
2) Say it snowed at your domicile, would you prefer to go out or stay curled up inside?
Both. I'd run outside, have a quick snowball fight, build a snowman if I'm feeling energetic, (all the things really) and then stay inside after that. I stay inside more often then not but I do like to do the usual winter things at least once.
3) Tea or hot chocolate?
Tea. Although I do like to have at least one cup of hot chocolate with whipping cream if possible. Hot chocolate is great but I can't seem to drink much more than half a cup of it.
4) Favorite Christmas colors (i.e. white, blue, silver, red and green etc)?
This one is hard. I love pretty much all the Christmas colours so it depends on what it is really. I really like those warm sort of multi-coloured lights. Also warm white that look kind of like yellow pixie dust when it's strung up. Although the pixie dust look is probably because I need a better glasses prescription.
I don't have a photo for the warm multi-coloured ones
5) Favorite kind of Christmas cookie?
Candy Cane cookies. We have a specific recipe that is kind of a pain to make hence why we only do it roughly once a year. Also sugar cookies.
Obviously ours don't turn out like this at all, but this is the general idea
6) How soon before Christmas do you decorate (more specifically, when does your tree go up)?
Depends on the year. Usually as soon as December hits, although we have started in November other years.
7) Three favorite traditional Christmas carols?
Carol of the Bells
We Three Kings
Jingle Bells (sung by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters)
I got this white teddy bear that danced one Christmas when I was little and it sang this song. It was a very specific version of it though and I have a hard time singing Jingle Bells without adding in all the weird little beat-like laughs and whatever. I'm weird to walk in on sometimes.
(Sorry, adding one more here. No one can stop me anyway)
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- Frank Sinatra makes me nostalgic
8) A favorite Christmas song (i.e. something you might hear on the radio)?
For the last couple years it's been Peppermint Winter- Owl City
Jingle Bell Rock- Bobby Helms
Jingle Bell Rock is one of those songs that brings me back to an incredibly specific memory of decorating a tree. It doesn't seem important but I've carried it with me for some reason for more then 10 years. Broken branched, multi-coloured light, Christmas trees really stick with you apparently.
9) A favorite Christmas movie?
Favourite Christmas movie...
...
Why would you ask me to pick just one?
I have always adored Edward Scissorhands
I'm leaving so many out it's physically painful
Home Alone/The Grinch (a tradition with my dad. We also seem to watch the 101 Dalmations 1996. I wouldn't say it's my favourite Christmas movie but we always seem to watch it with him)
10) Have you ever gone caroling?
I have not. My mom wanted to at one point but it's the one time in my life I was glad I can't sing. I appreciate the people that do it, I've just never been interested enough to do it personally.
11) Ice skating, sledding, skiing, or snow boarding?
Sledding. I've tried skiing once and it's just not really my thing. I just don't have enough confidence to have control over doing something really fast. Hence why driving freaks me out.
I like the concept of skating. I can glide. As for stopping I either slow down eventually, run into a wall, or fall over. Watching Ice Princess (2005) usually makes me want to try do it again.
12) Favorite Christmas feast dish?
Boxed stove-top stuffing. It's just so good. Also mashed potatoes and gravy.
Christmas is coming and I've been trying to get into the feel of it. Oddly enough I haven't been able to settle into that cozy sort of feeling that you get around Christmas. I've felt like this since November and I've been trying to come out of it. November was good and I had some really great moments it's just that I've felt oddly detached from the things I'm doing and it's annoying. I think it has to do with the fact that my sleep schedule has been actual crap and it's finally catching up to me.
Essentially how I expected I would be
Vs.
How I've been
I've definitely been trying to break this feeling. I've been watching Christmas movies, been listening to Christmas music, wrapped gifts, and been trying to remember to slow down. It snowed finally today. Since my petty feud with Winter in October it's been afraid to show up again and I've apologized several times reminding it that December is the time for snow. It seems to have worked so I'm hoping that we're on good terms again. It didn't snow much, but it was something.
My reaction to the snow
My family has been cutting out paper snowflakes, decorated the Christmas tree, all the things really. My step-dad has been decorating the outside of our house which is something he's been doing every year for the last few years and it's always stunning. Although this year we reached a peak somewhere when he rented a lift so he could reach the top of our roof better. He's become that lady from the Grinch that had that decorating canon to shoot lights onto her house.
Taylor Swift released Evermore and I've been really excited for it. My personal favourite at the current moment is No Body, No Crime. She's such a good writer. The lyrics of this album are stunning. I am biased towards Folklore, but this one was good too. I still can't believe that she did Folklore let alone another album entirely.
A family member gave me $20 in a Christmas card and I immediately used it to buy some of the random food items I've been dreaming of for the last 3 months. Things like Guava Juice, specific tubs of ice-cream, liverwurst/ Triscuit crackers, and a pomegranate. 10/10 Would walk to the Underworld for a pomegranate. The story of Persephone makes complete sense to me.
My list of Christmas movies I try to watch every year are pretty much the ones that everyone watches but I'll put them anyway. Maybe there's a couple less known ones in there, but I doubt it.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
The Grinch (2000)
Home Alone (1990)
Elf (2003)
Santa Clause (1994)
Klaus (2019)
Jack Frost (1998)
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
How the Ghost Stole Christmas (X-files s.6 ep.6)
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Polar Express (2004)
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2008) (I'm not really a big fan of Hallmark movies but this one has been the exception. Also it has Henry Winkler in it and he's hilarious.)
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
There's some photos from last year that I've really wanted to use so maybe I'll do a post with a few older photos. When I say older, I mean January so still this year technically.
Anyways, Merry Christmas!
And I hope everyone's been having a good December so far.
November slipped away so quickly. I almost missed it. But I did manage to do some things for November. I watched 'The Queen's Gambit' (it's so good!!), 'The Truth About Murder', and 'The Lady Vanishes'. I read 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie, 'Scorpio Races' by Maggie Stiefvater (I made November Cakes to go with it), and 'I Capture The Castle' by Dodie Smith. There were other things too, but they're not as related to the aesthetic.
Earlier this month Skye invited me to go walk along a trail she'd found that was absolutely stunning. The whole trail felt like a moment really, it was so pretty. The pictures really don't do it justice.
Another day earlier this month there was this group of trees that had dropped a thick mat of yellow leaves on the ground and something about it just felt like the Secret Garden.
There's something magical about the smell of decaying leaves on the ground in the Fall.
I've had a new obsession with the Hadestown musical along with its soundtrack. It's so good.
I've baked things, survived general chaos, and I hope to carry on doing that. I also finished my Literary Studies course this month. Finally.
Anyways,
I suppose this is my farewell to November before December hits.
I'm going to miss November. It was really good, despite how quickly it flew past.
I love the feel of November when it's feels like November and not December. It has a feel of teeth and mist and blood and memories. At least for me. It feels soft, but I don't know how to explain how teeth and blood can feel comforting or peaceful. It also feels like tea and sweaters and that certain shade of soft white that the sky gets. It feels like moments, quiet walks, and it's just a little bit desperate. I'm a bit of a dramatic person, if I haven't given that away yet.
My point for this whole spiel thing is to recommend Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. There's a ton of reasons why I adore this book, but the whole feel of it is a huge reason- It just feels like November in book form to me. Which is great since it's set in late October/First of November. I have a lot of emotions about it...
I'm terrible at summing things up. I usually explain the entire plotline, have about three different tracks of the story going, and by the end you either know everything about the thing or you're left very confused. It's usually the latter, so I'm just going to paste the summary of Scorpio Races.
Some race to win. Others race to survive.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
Honestly, I picked up this book last year because I love the Raven Cycle series and because it's Maggie Stiefvater. I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not but I thought I'd give it a try and now it's one of my favourites.
I made November Cakes earlier this month and they turned out stunning which was amazing because I thought I'd messed it up. Two things I might add about this recipe, I follow everything except I don't bother adding the orange extract (I just replace it with vanilla since the orange taste doesn't really come through) and the dough is going to be very sticky. You'll think you need to add more flour but you don't. (At least in my experience. I've only made it twice.) The recipe I followed was from Maggie Stiefvater's blog. November Cake Recipe
I had been planning on doing this post earlier this month but then I ended up not doing it. Then I read Samantha's blogpost for November Cakes and it inspired me to actually end up doing it, so here we are.
