What's Up Wednesday (15)

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, so we can check in with each other. To join, just check out Jaime Morrow or Erin Funk's blogs for the link widget and sign up!


WHAT I'M READING

I'm still reading Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, but that is partly because I had to stop to read a library book before it was due. That book was Holly Black's newest The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.

I'd read her short story by the same name a few years before, and I loved the premise - our world altered because vampires exist and vampirism can spread like an epidemic. So I was pretty excited to hear she was writing a whole novel set in the world. And I loved it.

I think this is maybe my favorite Holly Black novel (though I've only read Tithe, a short story collection, and the Curse Workers series). It's a new-old take on vampires, where they are seductive and charming but also unmistakably dangerous and far from their former humanity. It explores identity, self-discovery, survival, and the nature of humanity and monstrosity. Loved. It.


WHAT I'M WRITING

Nothing! But I have an idea for a scary short maybe, and there's an idea I had the other day that might be just what I needed to revitalize an old story. I may possibly plan for NaNoWriMo...


WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

The wisdom of the poet Rumi.

[Photo/ mine]

Here are more Rumi quotes to motivate you.


WHAT ELSE I'VE BEEN UP TO

Other than reading and trying to get more sleep, I haven't done much. The sister and I are trying to figure out our TV schedules with new and old shows starting up. We're pretty into Sleepy Hollow, but a bit disappointed in both Agents of SHIELD and the current season of The Legend of Korra. We're also enjoying all the drama of the BBC & Starz 1-season series The White Queen and CBS's Elementary continues to be fun.

We're also trying to find a Halloween costume for us and for Loki. Last year, he was a shark.

He's kind of rocking these Yoda ears we got from the Petco booth at SDCC.

Oh and the other fun thing is that thanks to a couple weird circumstances, I got to exercise some work perks. Good thing I love food/ Asian snacks.

Cases and cases of Pocky.

ONE MORE THING! We also saw the movie GRAVITY this weekend, and it was INCREDIBLE. I think it is seriously the best movie I have seen all year. It is gorgeous, breathtaking, heart-wrenching, and terrifying. I even recommend seeing it in 3D, which I normally hate, but since the movie was conceived as a 3D film and filmed in 3D, the extra dimension is actually used to enhance the storytelling. I think that's the only time 3D is worth it.

I was iffy about seeing it because the idea of being adrift in space kind of freaks me out and because the trailers make what the story is kind of unclear (like...is she just out there floating?), but then Comic Con convinced me otherwise. (I know, SDCC really is a gold mine for early access info - like it's weird to me that some things that are stirring up excitement now were things I saw in July...)

By that I mean, hearing Alfonso Cuarón talk about the conception of the movie and what they had to do/build/innovate to make it got me more curious to see the final result. Then at the actual panel for GRAVITY, they showed us an extended clip from the movie, and it was so intense. I was stressed out just by that, holding my breath, but I was also so gripped by the scene. That ultimately convinced me to go see it, even though it was still stressful. I literally felt relieved when the movie ended! But in a good way! My body could finally relax, haha.

So unless being adrift in space is likely to induce actual panic attacks in you, the Sister and I both HIGHLY RECOMMEND you go see GRAVITY. It is an experience, and so, so beautiful.

Q4U: What's up with you? Got your Halloween plans figured out yet?