to kill or not to kill a mockingbird

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to just sit and write. If you had all the time in the world and if you didn't have to waste time at a shitty job to pay the bills, if you had the luxury to sit and take your time and write, would you actually do it?

Or is it just one of those things that we say we want to do but don't have time to, and when we have the time, even just a bit of it, we let it pass by I don't know, playing games on Facebook? Is it one of those things for me, that's what I wonder. Since I can't really talk for the rest of humankind. The part that think about writing, that is.

I recently read somewhere that that's how To Kill A Mocking Bird was written. If a friend of her hadn't stepped up and gave Harper Lee a year's worth of salary and told her to quit her job and write whatever she wants, if that didn't happen, To Kill A Mockingbird wouldn't either.

Which I shamefully admit, I still haven't read.

But anyway, that's not the point. The point is, I like real life stories like this.

It gives me hope, if I need to be really corny about it. Not about the chances of someone giving me a load of money and telling me to write whatever I want. But knowing that most great writers have struggled with the same daily shit all of us do. And they somehow managed to shine through. Not that I'm comparing myself to them, since I haven't really written anything and don't have a ginormous ego that won't let me take that fact into consideration. 

But, why do I think I can't do it? You know? Why the hell not? 

That's what I keep finding myself thinking about lately. 

Monthly favorites: March

Hi fellas!

I'm late for this post, but March has been pretty uneventful (except for my EIT and Dex obsession which I'll be mentioning in a sec) so I didn't have much to write. Besides I'm working and blah blah, you know, life stuff. Anyway, off we go to my unfortunately very short list of March favorites.

Experiment in Terror Series by Karina Halle

This series was another one suggested to me by Goodreads. Seems like I can't manage to read a word without looking it up there. I've read the comments and people were like "You won't be able to read this in the dark", "I dare you to read this alone" etc etc. I'm not a fan of horror reads, I would shamefully admit that I haven't even read one Stephen King novel. But anyways, I got curious. The thing I wonder about these kind of books is how can the author manage to spook you by just writing. I always feel like all those scary movies wouldn't be half as scary without the soundtrack that shoots your nerves to the moon. So, I gotta admit, the books weren't all that scary to me. I did read all of them alone and in the dark, well with a night light so I could see obviously, especially before I go to bed cuz that's when I do most of my reading, and I wasn't attacked by nightmares or such. This doesn't mean I didn't like them though. I actually loved them. Read parts of them over and over again. Had (ok have) a Dex obsession. I'm crazy about the in between books that is written from his POV, and can't wait for the next full novel, Come Alive, that will be entirely from his POV. The relationship between Dex and Perry is madness. You know those scenes in scary movies where you tell off a character for going to "investigate" something instead of getting the heck out of there? Well, that's what they do, over and over again. At a point you ask yourself if they've really lost their minds, till they eventually pull it together and get the heck out of there. And you see the personal Dex/Perry relationship develop more and more with each book and you just fall in love with their banter, and friendship, "harmless" flirting, and just everything. I can go on and on and on obviously, but I won't, so, READ THEM!! 

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Third book of the Infernal Devices series finally came out this March, something I'd been waiting for a while. I love the shadowhunter world, and enjoyed reading the whole story of Will, which will sound familiar to those who read Mortal Instruments series of Cassandra Clare, the here and there mentioned Will of Magnus. But this series still lack something I can't quite put my finger on, though it is in the same world, it isn't Mortal Instruments, or maybe I like Jace too much, I dunno. Still it was a good ending to the series, I liked the bit about Jem, which I won't mention since it'll be hugely spoilery.

Shawn James cover of John Legend's "Who Did That To You"

I saw this link on wimp and listened to it for like a week straight. Really good cover of an awesome song. Which you can find here if you want to listen to the original. I've been obsessed with this song for almost all of March. On that thought, almost all songs in the Django Unchained soundtrack are pretty sweet, if you're itching for something to listen, I'd recommend that also. 

March 17th, 2013 MIKA Concert 

I'm kind of cheating with this one, since Mika isn't a March favorite, he's been a favorite of mine for years. But I kinda loved him even more than before in this concert when he called that fan of him to the stage, the girl who threw a note to the stage, and asked her to play one of his songs. She was so overwhelmed, bless her, so she couldn't play much of anything, but she sat on the stage for the whole song, and they finished it together. It was the sweetest thing I've seen in a while. Who wouldn't love this guy, seriously? Here I'll link a few of my favorite songs, and you decide whether to like him or not.  But the concert was amazing, he really lights up on stage. Though it made me feel pretty old, cuz most of the audience were in their teens, meh.  Anyway, songs: Grace Kelly, Billy Brown, Good Gone Girl, Love Today, We Are Golden, Lollipop ... I can actually go on for a while but let's stop here.

That's actually all I can think of from March. Sorry my writing's kind of weird today, I can't really focus, and I've been listening to Bob Dylan's The Hurricane on a loop for hours, which doesn't help with focusing.

Laters. 

The Legend of Korra News!! and a bit of Avatar geekiness

Hello hello!

I have news! That may be only news to me! But I'm excited!! Can you tell from the exclamation points?!

Ok ok, so last year there was this amazing sequel to an amazing series. Avatar The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, anyone? Yeah! Though Korra doesn't really compare to the amazingness of Last Airbender, it was still pretty amazing. That last episode is a masterpiece all by itself. But anyway, it ended and I (and friends around me) didn't know if there was gonna be a Book 2. You would know if you've watched it, it ends in a way that could really be the end to the series.

Buut I just found out, there IS a Book 2! There is! It is being made as I type! I should follow the blogs of the creators so I won't be kept in the dark like this again. Tsk me tsk.

And here's a picture from Book 2's color correcting sessions. How badass does Korra look, seriously! Click on the picture and it'll take you to the actual tumblr post of Bryan Konietzko, co-creator of Korra and Last Airbender.

I can't wait, I literally can't!

Because Goodreads decided to be down in just this second I'm typing this post, the Avatar geekiness part will be a little lacking. Anyway, do you read the official comic books of The Last Airbender? There are 3 so far, that tells what happens in between the end of Last Airbender and the beginning of Korra, development of the new republic and all that. The Promise Part 1-2-3 are out, read them if you haven't already! The next issue, which is called The Search, will be out on 20th of March! Less than 10 days!

Here's the cover! It will be about Zuko's search for his mother. An arc about Zuko? Can you wait? Cuz I can't! My inner geek is having a panic attack tonight!

I probably should have put these two in March favorites update, because I still don't have anything for that post, (though I started another book that looks promising), but news can't wait, much like I can't. So there you go, my fellow Avatar lovers..

Let's "can't wait!" till the Book 2 and the new issue.

Over and out.

Monthly favorites: February Part 2

Well hello there!

Once again I'm procrastinating, ahem updating my blog, because I don't have a magazine to translate at all, nope! Fine, I do, but I promised a Part 2 for February and it's been a week since Part 1 already. I'm gonna do my actual work as soon as I finish this post, promise.

Enough justifying, on with the favorite-ing.

Sherlock

I know, I'm way too late for this. I sometimes stubbornly not watch some tv shows. But did you know that there's only 6 episodes and each of them are like 90 minutes? Why can't Brits do their shows in normal schedules? That being said, this show is a-mazing. My brother made me sit with him and watch this last month for a whole weekend, and I sacrificed my back watching it because we just couldn't stop. And holy guacamole, Benedict Cumberbatch, though has an unfortunate name, is an excellent Sherlock. It's like he is the man himself. I mean who doesn't love a Sherlock adaptation? But with all other actors (which will bring me to my second favorite in a minute), even yes with Robert Downey Jr, you know it's the actor acting as Sherlock Holmes. This guy though, I mean wow! So yeah, watch it if you haven't already, and lose your mind till the next season starts in September.  

Elementary

I started watching this show the same weekend I finished BBC's Sherlock. After only 6 episodes, I was Sherlock-deprived when it ended. Hence Elementary. Though it doesn't reach the excellence of Sherlock, this is still a lot fun to watch. The Sherlock-Watson relationship is sometimes awkward, sometimes laugh-out-loud hilarious and sometimes aww worthy and it keeps the show interesting. Watson is Lucy Liu, which is a new twist all by itself, a female Watson. But, though I liked Jonny Lee Miller ever since Hackers, I can't really bring myself to call him Sherlock. The way he portrays him doesn't really fit if you ask me. So I suggest, if you decide to watch this, don't watch him as Sherlock but as a character with high deductive skills.

And I just love this photo of them, so I couldn't help but share.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

This one isn't a book (though it technically is) or a movie or a tv show, but it's a vlog. And let me tell you, I don't watch a lot of Youtube aside from occasional make-up tutorials (no judging!), but this got me hooked! If you've read and enjoyed Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, I guarantee you will love this. Just imagine if Lizzie Bennet lived in this century and made a vlog about her life. Every episode is 3-5 minutes long, and it's updated twice a week, so it doesn't even take a lot of your time to watch. And if you're like me and your youtube video attention span doesn't go over 10 minutes, this will be perfect for you too.

Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner

OK, let me be a girl for a second here. I've been obsessed with eyeliners for quite a while now. I have them all, pencils, kohls, liquids and gels. My discovery of gel liners was the latest and my first gel liner was a MAC and I though that was it, I was never buying another liner, I had found my perfection. Until I bought this. I have it in 01 Black and it's actually blacker than MAC's and stays on longer, doesn't transfer on my lid, and it comes with that brush which is really easy to use. It literally takes me 5 minutes to do a winged liner makeup (though I'm not as swift when using it on other people, like a few days ago, it took me half an hour on Burcu to get both wings identical, but we were bored waiting in the hairdresser so it was a nice distraction, anyway!) And it's cheaper too! So if you're looking for a good eyeliner I definitely positively absolutely recommend this. I'm actually gonna buy the purple one too, the minute I got my paycheck that is. 


Soo that's all for February. I actually went through a brief Jeremy Renner loving phase when I saw him singing, but it was fleeting, therefore not really worth mentioning (though I just did, didn't I?). The first week of a brand new month is over and so far I've read 7 books, and nothing worth mentioning yet. Which bums me. Maybe you could recommend stuff for me to read and save me from myself?

Till next time. Take care.

Monthly favorites: February Part 1

Hello peeps!

Is it March already? The spring just around the corner? I won't freeze my butt off every time I leave the bed? Can life get any better? Yes it can. Here I am, in the beginning of yet another month, writing about my favorites of the last one. Isn't nagging the best? Cool. Glad you agree. Off we go then.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I resisted reading this one for a while. It seemed so done a million times already, but it isn't. It's really good. I hear now they're making it into a movie with Kate Winslet and Shailene Woodley (the rest is undetermined) but forget about the upcoming movie, the book is good. I'm not really a fan of dystopian novels, I feel the world is pretty fucking bad already as it is, and I had the same prejudice before reading Hunger Games too and I'm glad I got over it. The story is captivating, the writing flows, the heroine is one tough cookie and the guy is swoon worthy. What more can you ask for?

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

This book. This. I feel like no words can do it justice. Mr. John Green has created the perfect book. And I'm saying this about a sad story. Do you know how many times I read the synopsis of this thing and went "umm no thanks"? Do you? Well, a lot. But Goodreads, good ol' Goodreads wouldn't give up on me, and I won't give up until I make everyone around me read this little perfection. Don't just read the synopsis and go "I don't feel like a sad story right now..", just don't, just dive in to it. It is a sad story, eventually, but sadness isn't all there is to it. You will laugh out loud, you will catch yourself smiling, you will cry your eyes out, and at the end you will be glad you've read it. Trust me.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Not much to say about this one. It is fun and sweet and the chemistry between the characters really works well. It is like a good romantic comedy movie, but a book version of course. If you're looking for a light sweet book, look no more, you've found it. And it takes place in Paris, 'nuff said.

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I've been obsessed with this movie ever since I found out they were making it. GetGlue really fueled my obsession too, so thanks a lot for that, yeah. I've read the book years ago, and it was one of the books I immediately fell in love with. And whenever I love a book to its every last word, I always worry when I hear they're making it into a movie. I get excited to see it but at the same time I dread that they will butcher it. But then the trailer came out and it literally gave me goosebumps. And I finally got to watch the movie last month and it blew me away. I couldn't even criticize it. The characters were perfect. The emotion in the movie was perfect. And the actors? Man, I have a new found respect for Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. I liked them before, but this was something else, they really became their characters. Logan Lerman is the perfect Charlie, Emma Watson is the perfect Sam and Ezra Miller is the perfect Patrick. And the writing, it was so true to the book. Probably because Stephen Chbosky, the author of the book, wrote and directed it. He really took the whole thing out of its pages and reflected it on the screen without losing any aspect of the book. Did I mention I talk a lot when I really really really like something? Well, there you have it.

 Django Unchained

Mr. Tarantino did it again. Though, who else thinks he should comb his hair and button his collar when he's at the frikking Oscars?! Ahem, anyway. This is such a guy movie, but I've been known to enjoy guy movies so I loved the heck out of it. It was long, really long, but I didn't get bored for even one second. It is a humor filled action movie about a dramatic story. It has it all. I would take my hat off to Quentin Tarantino, if I was wearing one.

I have more stuff to talk about but I decided to make it into two parts because my guilt is eating away at me, since instead of working, I'm here updating my blog. If procrastination was a country I would be the president, the mayor and the owner of that bookstore around the corner.

Hence. To be continued..

monthly favorites startiiiing... now! January.

Hey there my ever neglected blog!

"What's up?" you say? Hmm. Not much dearie, not much. Just that for the past two months I've been reading like a book-starved maniac.Goodreads has become my new-old best friend. Though wish I could say quality over quantity, sadly that's not really the case.

I've realized I come running to the msn (and yes I know, I could be the only one left in the planet to still use that old thing) in search of my friend Merve everytime I finish something that I think is spectacular, so that I can bash it into her head and not leave her alone till she reads it too.

And I said to myself, "Why Melis, you must be going soft in your old age. Why only bother one measly poor tortured friend, when you can write about it and torture more at the same time?"

So that's the genius behind this post. I'm gonna share my monthly favorites. Starting with January. Be warned though, this isn't a what's new this month kinda post, it's a what I have enjoyed this month kinda post. So whatever I've just read/watched/ate/wore/see/went etc this past month could have been a hype for centuries, and it may be nothing new whatsoever for you. In that case, allow me to quote some very famous words: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Alrightie then. January, since this month isn't yet over. Let me start with books, since that's what I was yakking about in the beginning of this post.

Easy by Tammara Webber

Man oh man, what to say about this one. I can say it saved me from ever hating the romance genre. I was on a streak of crap books when I started reading this, so I didn't get my hopes up about it. Saying it exceeded my expectations is an understatement. Lucas, dear Lucas, may be one of the best book boyfriends there is. Read and fall in love, is all I'm saying. 

Good For You by Tammara Webber

This is actually the 3rd book of Between the Lines series, but I wasn't really a fan of the first two books, so this is the one I recommend. I can't (and don't want to) go into detail explaining what the book is about, unless I'm really really crazy over something, hence the links to Goodreads. Which does synopsising (is that a word?) books far better than I ever could.

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

Alright, Immortals After Dark series, and its similars, where hunky gorgeous supernatural men fall in love and have lots of steamy sex, while continuing to be bad-asses, are my guilty pleasure. But I'm not ashamed to admit whatever book I'm reading and enjoying, so here it is. If that's something you enjoy, this series is hotness (though I've read only 3 books so far).

No doubt, I will be recommending such books in the future, I still look for quality in what I read, and though I do read crap most of the time too (don't these two statements contradict each other?) you would never see me recommend those utter craps that I make myself suffer through (Fifty Shades, anyone? I puked a little in my mouth just saying that).

So put your trust in the lil ol' me. And here I will shamelessly advertise myself, if you wanna be my buddy-buddy in Goodreads, don't hesitate to do so. Here is a link to my profile.

And now on to the movies!

Silver Linings Playbook

I know I knooow, this has been a hype for months with Globe and Academy nominations and all, so it's hardly anything new. But it was really really good. And that's saying something coming from me because where I completely adore Jennifer Lawrence, I despise Bradley Cooper with passion. And I didn't even care about that in this movie. So for whatever reason if you still haven't seen this (you live under a rock maybe?), just do it! And if you already have, well watch it again.

Actually that's all I can remember from January. It feels like ages ago. Here's to hoping my memory will be better for the February update.

Ta-ta for now!