• Home
  • Chilli Pepper Scale
  • The Early Research
  • Hall of Fame
    • The List
  • Genres
    • Drama
    • Horror, Thriller, Supernatural
    • Comedy
    • Action, Crime, War
    • Science Fiction, Super, Fantasy
    • Art House, Musical, International
    • Gritty, Challenging, Documentary
    • Romance, Matters of the Heart
    • Kid Friendly
  • Blog
SPICYWATCH

Listen to Something Good

25/7/2021

0 Comments

 
As lockdown 5.0 extends for more days than any of us would have liked or could have predicted, I continue to search for happy distraction in my life. So far  I have cooked, exercised, cleaned, sketched, meditated and baked away some of my free time in an endeavour to not be glued to the screen for hours on end.
God knows that there are literally thousands of movies on my 'to see' list not to mention the numerous TV series that I could dive head first into right now but as I said, that does mean a lot of screen time, and when you are already average around 5 films a week, you need to have other outlets.
​Thankfully, I also like nothing better on a cold winter's day than curling up with a good book. I like to listen to audio books and I also like to sit and relax with a good old fashioned print novel as well, I will take my books in any form and I try to get through at least a couple of books a month, regardless of the weather.
During this particularly frigid spat of weather that we are experiencing in Western Victoria right now and the lockdown restrictions keeping everyone at home for most of the time, it's good to have something lovely to do. Reading for me, is one of those lovely things. A great book, a big cuppa and a comfy couch...hmmm, simply heaven and a terrific way to pass a few lockdown hours away on the weekend. 
So what would I recommend for a good, cosy Winter read? Well, I have made a list of the 10 best books to read yourself and the 10 best audio books that I have listened to on Audible in the last 2 years for you to consider. All of the ones to read to yourself are also probably available in audio format if you like to read on the go, the choice of how to digest the material is of course completely up to you. 
All of these books are excellent and will provide you with a fabulous distraction from any lockdown annoyances, happy reading/listening!
​READ TO YOURSELF:
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delta Owens
  • Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
  • Honeybee by Craig Silvey
  • Circe by Madeline Miller 
  • Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline 
  • Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe 
  • Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones 
  • Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton 
  • Educated by Tara Westover 
  • Modern Love by Aziz Ansari 
LISTEN TO IN AUDIOBOOK FORM:
  • Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Narrated by Frankie Corzo) 
  • Working Class Boy by Jimmy Barnes (Narrated by Jimmy Barnes on Audible) 
  • Bunny by Mona Awad (Narrated by Sophie Amos) 
  • Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (Narrated by Neil Gaiman on Audible) 
  • So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson (Narrated by Jon Ronson on Audible) 
  • The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath  (Narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal on Audible) 
  • Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jnr. (Narrated by James Franco on Audible) 
  • The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock Serong (Narrated by Rupert Degas on Audible) 
  • Teresa Raquin  by Emilie Zola (Narrated by Kate Winslet on Audible) 
  • Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid  (Various Narrators on Audible) 
Picture
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
Release Date: 2004
Rating: PG
Running Time: 119 mins 
Produced by Studio Ghibli, this Japanese fantasy animation was scripted and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and is based on the novel of the same name by British writer Diana Wynne Jones. After its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Howl's Moving Castle went onto become one of the most financially successful Japanese films of all time, and it is easy to see why, this film is truly a delicate and beautiful piece of children's cinema. 
Sophie, a young hat maker, encounters a powerful and extremely odd wizard named Howl. Unbeknownst to Sophie, Howl is being pursued by the evil Witch of the Waste, who puts a spell on Sophie after she refuses her service due to her rudeness. Sophie is transformed into a ninety year old woman and must travel through the Wastes, to seek a cure for her transformation. 
Howl's Moving Castle is a sophisticated children's film, with lots of adult emotions and concepts and at the heart of it all, it is essentially a romance tale. Christian Bale does a fabulous job of voicing Howl, and Lauren Bacall is the perfect choice for the voice of the Witch of the Waste. There is something here for children and adults and alike, and although I didn't like it as much as Spirited Away, it was an enjoyable watch and definitely a good family viewing experience. 
FINAL SAY: A heart's a heavy burden.
3.5 Chilli Peppers

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Hi, my name is Barb.
    I crave excellent, high quality viewing experiences. 
    ​Share in my addiction. 

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Action
    Art House
    Comedy
    Disasters
    Drama
    Eating Out
    Fantasy
    Foreign
    Gatherings
    Gritty / Documentary
    Horror
    Kid Friendly
    Life
    Mum Stuff
    Romance
    Science Fiction
    TV
    War

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo used under Creative Commons from Crysco Photography