Saturday 7 February 2015

8 Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Things (5)

Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly blogging event hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. It allows
book bloggers (and non-book bloggers) to write about pretty much anything, bookish or otherwise (i.e. sharing
exciting plans for the weekend, rants on things they've encountered during the week etc.)
1. Hello dear people, I´m back! Well, I already posted a book review earlier this week, but just wanted to let you all know that the hectic period in my life of moving and refurbishing is (mostly) over, so I'll have time to regularly post here again, yay!
I moved three weeks ago now and have unpacked and furnished almost everything by now. When I moved in, there was no kitchen yet, so they've been working on that for the last few weeks. The kitchen is now almost finished, it's all set-up, but I don't have gas or hot water yet, but hopefully next week. Here, have a few pictures of my new place, you can see the chairs I mentioned in my last 'Bookish and Not So Bookish Post', which I'm really fond of!
 

2. For my new place, I bought some new furniture at IKEA and, for the first time in my life, I assembled these things myself! If you follow the instructions and take your time, it's really doable, I must say (and I was quite proud of myself!)

3. I think my books are also really happy with the move, because they have much more room now. Because in stead of one book case, I now have two, yay! (Time to buy some more books to fill up the empty spaces ;-) )

4. Right, these posts are supposed to be about books mainly, but I have no really great bookish news I'm afraid. Just after New Year, I decided to stop my read of Bleak House by Dickens. I've had it from the library for over two months already and I was still only at page 200. It just wasn't the right time for such a big book. Maybe I'll try again in summer.

5. Not quite a book, but I did find some interesting new literary web series on YouTube: From Mansfield with Love, an adaptation of Mansfield Park and East & West, an adaptation of North and South. I wasn't too sure about the Mansfield one at the beginning, but now the Crawford's have arrived and it's really getting interesting. I'm already totally into East & West, even though it's only 6 episodes so far, but you know, Thornton!

Has any of you already seen these?



6. Last week I (finally?) watched Divergent. I'm a big Hunger Games fan and felt like I could never like Divergent because it was a 'rip-off' of The Hunger Games, but boy, was I wrong. It was an amazing movie which gives you so much food for thought.

I don't know if I'm going to read the books, because I've heard the stories about the ending and I don't know if I'm 'up' for that. But this first movie is definitely a new favourite.

7. The Jane Austen society of The Netherlands is organizing an Austen-themed trip to England later this year. It will go to many places Jane lived and to places that were used in the adaptations. But best of all, it will be during the Jane Austen Festival in Bath! I would really love to go, in fact, I'm seriously thinking about it! (Eek!!)

That's it from me this week, I hope you're all doing well. I'm a bit behind with blog reading, but I am catching up! 


11 comments:

  1. Oh wow! That would be so amazing if you could go on a Jane Austen tour! I would love to do that. I hope you can!

    And I really like some of IKEA's stuff. I'm not as fond of the look of a lot of their furniture -- too modern and angular for my taste -- but their shelving and fun storage ideas for kids are awesome. And our IKEA store has a really fun play area, so I take the kids there a couple times a year so they can play, maybe we have lunch, and I can pick up whatever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could book the tour as we speak, but it's quite expensive if you're going by yourself and book rooms for 1 person. So I'm really hoping to find someone to go with me.

      All the IKEA stuff I have in my house is from their classic/romantic range, I'm definitely not into modern interiors. But they are indeed famous for their storage ideas. Now, in my new place I have 5 build-in closets, so I hardly need any storage anymore!

      Delete
  2. Confession: I have never been to an IKEA store. I've just never lived near one. But a friend recently told me this was a big deal, so I guess I need to at some point. I like your new furniture, and your new place looks comfortable--I like how you have it set up.

    I've needed some space from big books recently, too, so I can understand how you're feeling about Bleak House.

    I hadn't seen the two web series you listed! I HAVE to watch these now, because I'm so fascinated by all of them that have been coming out lately. I did find one based on Little Women, which is put out by Pemberley Digital (the same people who did The Lizzie Bennet Diaries), but I haven't watched it yet. They're probably all fantastic.

    I like The Hunger Games better than Divergent, but a lot of that was just the authors' writing styles. The Divergent books have the same tone and style as the movie. I've read the first two, and there's so much action, I really felt like I was watching a movie as I read it. My biggest beef with the movie was that they changed the dynamic between Tris and Four somewhat. And they cut out my favorite scene! It's a tiny five-second action of no real consequence, except it says so much about their relationship! Also, Tris was supposed to be very short, small...petite...and weak, while Christina was supposed to be tall and thin. I'm not saying they had to cast that way (because the acting was well done), but I do think casting opposite body types for each changed their characters some. Anyway, let me know if you read it, so we can talk about my favorite part!

    That trip sounds amazing! I'm very jealous, and you should definitely do it! Not to mention I want to see the pictures. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IKEA is great fun, if you have the chance, I definitely recommend you have a look sometime (and you probably won't come away empty-handed!)

      I'm also really into the webseries, but there are so many lately, I can't follow them all. I've also seen the Little Women one, but I'm putting that 'on hold' as I watch the two I mentioned first.

      I really liked the relationship between Tris and Four from what I saw in the first movie. I liked that there was no love triangle, just two people falling for each other and I loved how she 'brought him back' by saying she loved him. It's definitely weird when they cast actors with a different look in movies compared to books. When I watch a movie after I've read a book, this is a thing I'm often bothered by.

      Delete
    2. If you like their relationship in the movie, I think you should definitely read the book. It's just...more. You see more of the development between them, and you understand better how they interact and learn to lean on one another. I think you'd enjoy it.

      Delete
    3. Thanks, that's good to know, I'll keep that in mind!

      Delete
  3. Your move & refurbishing... Sound like a wonderful new adventure! It's fun to hear your books enjoy their new home! I still love real books, too... Although space can be quite an issue!!!

    Thank you for sharing this update... Hope all the renovations go well! Net

    ReplyDelete
  4. Am so late replying to this post but congrats on the move! Your new place looks positively cozy :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congratulations on your move! That's wonderful. Have you added any new books to those empty spaces yet? :)

    A Jane Austen themed trip to England?!?! Please say you're going, so I can be properly envious. ;) That would be so awesome!

    Are you still watching East & West? I haven't tried it yet, but thinking about it. What are your current opinions?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually bought two books yesterday as I came across a nice discount book store.

      I have booked for the JA trip, but it's not 100% sure I'm going. The trip needs to have enough participants to go through.

      Unfortunately East&West has been on a hiatus almost since I made this post. I read on their Twitter they're having personal problems....

      Delete