Top Ten Tuesday: Let's Talk TV

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

We all know I love books. You do too if you're reading this blog. But us bookworms seem to have a love of other types of stories as well and that's what this week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about. I've decided to list my favourite TV shows of the past and present (trying to choose favourite  movies is WAY too hard). What are some of your favourite TV shows? Are there any that you think I should watch?

Past

Gilmore Girls is my all time favourite show. I own all the DVDs and would watch them over and over again as I did homework in university. I loved the women, the humour, the boys, and the story. I wish with all my heart that Amy Sherman-Palladino had concluded the series but I suppose what we got wasn't too horrible (ok, just think that it could have been worse). Also: I never missed a single episode when it was airing live. Big deal in the time of no DVR or easy online watching.

I got into this show a little late but I adored it. It lasted four seasons (which was the plan) and it was amazing. Being Erica has a bit of fantastical twist (time traveling!) but it's so real. Plus, I loved that Erica was trying to make it in publishing in Toronto. 

My family and I started watching House because we loved Hugh Laurie in Jeeves and Wooster (a must watch!). He played Dr. House so well and I watched this show religiously. Confession: I still haven't watched the final season so don't tell me what happens! (The boyfriend and I are working on rewatching the series but got side-tracked with trying to rewatch all of 24 before the new season started!)

Oh, be still my teenage heart. I was the perfect age for this show when it started (just a year older than the characters). I already knew (and loved) my future husband, Adam Brody (thanks to Sausage Factory and the aforementioned Gilmore Girls), so that's why I started watching it. I was hooked after the first episode. A friend of mine and I have actually been rewatching the series and it's been SO much fun.

Current

I was a latecomer to Bones. My mom watched it and a couple of roommates in university watched it so I had caught quite a few episodes here and there. A friend lent me the DVDs one summer a few years ago and I powered through the series in time to start the new season. I was feeling "meh" about it prior to last season but they had a stellar season and I'm looking forward to next year.

Castle is another one I was late to the game to. My sister got into it and, thanks to her DVDs, I caught up and now eagerly look forward to the new episodes every week. Nathan Fillion is fantastic and I love the chemistry between him and Stana Katic. I like that the show is so funny as well as dramatic.

Sigh. I love Downton Abbey: the story, the actors, the scenery, the time period. Just love it. I bingewatched the first couple of seasons and am addicted (I believe I watched season two in one day...). I'm actually behind on this one too, thanks to being busy/away for a few weeks, so as soon as I get a permanent job I will be buying the DVD set of season four so I can catch up. 

Speaking of bingewatching, the boyfriend and I signed up for Netflix and I saw that Sherlock was available to us Canadians. I had had many people tell me I would probably love it so we decided to give it a try. We could not stop watching it. We didn't realize when we started it, though, that each season was only three episodes so we quickly finished the first two and were all "what the hell?" Absolutely cannot wait for the next season.

I love fairy tales so I was excited when I first heard about Once Upon a Time. I still love it and I love that it is a little bit cheesy. It plays with the stories we know so well thanks to Disney and puts their own spin on them. It's so much fun to watch and I cannot wait to see what happens with Emma and Hook (swoon). 

Yep, I like both Sherlock AND Elementary. I started watching the NYC show first (since it was readily available on network TV). It filled the hole House had left (which makes sense since House is loosely based on Holmes). And I just love Lady Watson! 

Honourable Mentions
24 - I only watched one season but I am LOVING the rewatch the boyfriend and I are doing. Jack kicks ass.
The Crazy Ones - I don't watch a lot of sitcoms but Robin Williams' new one is freaking hilarious.
Justified - This show is so bad ass but clever (and lacks the extreme violence of Sons of Anarchy which kept me from sticking with that show).
Parenthood - I started watching this because, duh, Lauren Graham. I've missed a bunch of episodes but it really is a great show.

Review: Someday, Someday, Maybe

Like most Gilmore Girls fans, I just about lost my mind when I found out Lauren Graham had written a novel. I've been a little bit in love with Graham since she first showed up on my TV screen as the beautiful and hilarious Lorelai Gilmore. Someday, Someday, Maybe, Graham's debut novel, was a really enjoyable read and had the same kind of tone and characteristics we've come to expect from Graham's work.

Here's the synopsis:

It’s January 1995, and Franny Banks has just six months left of the three-year deadline she set for herself when she came to New York, dreaming of Broadway and doing “important” work. But all she has to show for her efforts so far is a part in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters, and a gig waiting tables at a comedy club. Her roommates―her best friend Jane, and Dan, an aspiring sci-fi writer―are supportive, yet Franny knows a two-person fan club doesn’t exactly count as success. Everyone tells her she needs a backup plan, and though she can almost picture moving back home and settling down with her perfectly nice ex-boyfriend, she’s not ready to give up on her goal of having a career like her idols Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. Not just yet. But while she dreams of filling their shoes, in the meantime, she’d happily settle for a speaking part in almost anything—and finding a hair product combination that works.Everything is riding on the upcoming showcase for her acting class, where she’ll finally have a chance to perform for people who could actually hire her. And she can’t let herself be distracted by James Franklin, a notorious flirt and the most successful actor in her class, even though he’s suddenly started paying attention. Meanwhile, her bank account is rapidly dwindling, her father wants her to come home, and her agent doesn’t return her calls. But for some reason, she keeps believing that she just might get what she came for.
Someday, Someday, Maybe is a story about hopes and dreams, being young in a city, and wanting something deeply, madly, desperately. It’s about finding love, finding yourself, and perhaps most difficult of all in New York City, finding an acting job.

I liked the fact that this novel took place in 1995. In a way it reminded me of watching older Sex and the City and Friends episodes (in fact, Franny's dad suggests she tries out for that new sitcom.) I loved that she had a Filofax (and that there were illustrations from her planner throughout the novel) and received scripts via fax. Sometimes I forgot that this book was taking place almost 20 years ago. Which, I suppose, is a good thing? Perhaps not for aspiring actors since they're still struggling in the same way they were in the nineties! I also found myself wondering, probably far too often, how much of Franny's life was similar to Lauren's own experiences as she was trying to make it as an actress.

I absolutely loved Franny's dad. Their interactions were mostly through phone calls or messages but their relationship added amusement to the novel. One of the parts that stood out the most in this book was when her dad finally leaves a message on the answering machine because it's been so long since they've talked. I don't have a finished copy so forgive me for paraphrasing...he says something along the lines of "Franny, it's your father. From Connecticut. In case you've been mistakenly calling your other father." Basically, he had a good sense of humour and you could tell through the various interactions that he really cares for his daughter.

I went into reading this novel with really high expectations and, while I still really enjoyed reading it, I think I wanted a little something more from the story. I think I struggled with really connecting with Franny. Sure, I cared about her and was rooting for her but I didn't have that "Oh my god, I wish she was a real person because we could totally be best friends" feeling that I sometimes get.

Overall, I really did like Someday, Someday, Maybe. Lauren Graham wrote an entertaining debut novel that provided a little bit of insight into the world of a struggling actress. It was cute and real and I think Graham's fans will be pleased. I hope that Graham continues writing and look forward to what she comes up with next. For now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to have myself a little Gilmore Girls marathon!

Happy reading :)

*I received a copy of this novel from Random House of Canada in exchange for an honest review.*

September Chick Lit Review: Arranged

Ever read a book that you almost didn't want to finish because you didn't want it to be over but you desperately needed to find out what happened to the characters? Arranged by Catherine McKenzie was one of those books for me. I did not want to put it down! As much as I wanted to know what happened at the end of the story, I also didn't want it to be over because I wanted to stay engrossed Anne's life.

Want to know what this amazing book is about? Well, no need to wait any longer - here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.

After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service, and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it-and the company's success rate-the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?

A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, it seems to be working out-until Anne learns that Jack, and the company that arranged their marriage, are not what they seem at all.

 Wondering why the name Catherine McKenzie sounds familiar? Regular readers of my blog (and I love you guys!) will know that I read her first novel Spin awhile back (read my review here!) and absolutely loved it. I had actually picked up Arranged while I was in Chapters before I read Spin but didn't buy it. Once I got Spin from the library and devoured it I went right out and purchased Arranged. I'm so glad that I did.



Oh, Anne with an E. I love you.

 First of all, I LOVE that the main character's name was Anne Shirley Blythe. Yes. Named for that Anne Shirley. Anne of Green Gables was one of my favourites growing up and I know I'm not alone. Many Canadian girls grew up reading about this innocent red headed orphan. Highly recommended! Anyway, it was a little extra something in the novel that I just couldn't not mention. :)

Staying with Anne - I loved her. I think she was an amazing character and McKenzie made sure that the reader really got a sense of what Anne was like. She's a much more "with it" character than Katie in Spin but she still had some, shall we say, flaws that she had to work on throughout the course of the novel.

Anne also had a great cast of supporting characters - her best friend Sarah, boss/editor/friend William, brother Gilbert (yes, Gilbert Blythe), and sister-in-law Cathy. The only thing I'd say is that there were perhaps too many secondary characters and I didn't get a real sense of any of them. However, they were all there for Anne and that's quite important.

The story itself seems a little crazy but it really isn't. You just don't hear about arranged marriages very often anymore. I'm actually very curious as to how McKenzie came up with this idea. It's just such an interesting topic that I found myself wondering how many people have arranged marriages these days.

As for Jack? Loved him too. He really does seem like a perfect match for Anne but a good story can't be, well, good without some twists and turns. McKenzie delivers and makes you wonder how everything's going to turn out. The chemistry between Jack and Anne is just sexy enough and pretty realistic. Granted, I don't know what it would be like to jet off to Mexico to marry a man without ever meeting him before, but, hey, anything can happen on "vacation" :)

Finally, one other tidbit about this book that I loved - after a catastrophic revelation Anne is watching a marathon of Gilmore Girls on tv. As it turns out, Anne and I have the same favourite Gilmore Girls episode! It's the episode when Luke and Lorelai finally kiss for the first time (though the episode before that, Liz's wedding, is also a fave episode). I just thought it was pretty neat that we loved the same episode. Kinda geeky, I know. But I'm ok with that!
Exciting side note: While checking out Catherine's website I discovered that she has a third novel, Forgotten, coming out sometime...well, sometime. SO EXCITED! :) You can bet that I'll be reading it as soon as I can get my hot little hands on it.

Any readers from the States concerned that they can't get a copy of this easily? Not to worry! You can buy Arranged for Kindle (ok, it won't let me link which is SUPER annoying but go to Amazon.com, search for the book and it's there. Unless it's lying to me. I'm sorry if that's the case) AND Spin, Arranged, and the forthcoming Forgotten will all be published by HarperCollins in the US next year. Canadian friends, on the other hand, have no excuses. Buy Arranged and Spin right now. Read and enjoy. You won't be disappointed!

Happy reading :)

Silver white winters that melt into springs...

...these are a few of my favourite things!

I had a couple of snow days this week and I got to thinking about my favourite movies, books, and tv shows. Yeah, I had quite a bit of time on my hands :) But come on, look at this picture of where I work (well, one of my jobs...and by the way, they barely ever get snow!)

Good times, no?

Anyways, back to my lists. I have decided to include the top five from each of the categories. Hope it's not too boring for you, but I'm in the mood to talk all about myself! Some of these were chosen because they really are beyond amazing, but others I really like because they're comforting and familiar and never ever get sick of them. So don't judge too harshly!

Books

1. Harry Potter series
2. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series
3. This Lullaby or Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (ok...I cheated a bit here, but I love all of hers, hard to choose just one!)
4. The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton
5. Jessica Darling series - Megan McCafferty (Sloppy Firsts was the first...five in total)
What almost made it: Pride and Prejudice and Twilight Saga

TV Shows (fun fact, I own at least the first season of the top five)

1. Gilmore Girls
2. House
3. Bones
4. The O.C.
5. Glee
What almost made the list: Being Erica and Parenthood

Movies

1. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

2. Princess Diaries
3. Bull Durham
4. Lucky Seven

5. Pride and Prejudice
What almost made it: Devil Wears Prada and 500 Days of Summer

Disney Characters (for something whimsical)

1. Cinderella (the story was like a lullaby for me when I was young!)
2. Winnie the Pooh
3. Ariel (The Little Mermaid for you non-Disney folk)
4. Princess Mia (from The Princess Diaries)
5. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
What almost made it: Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Feel free to add your own favourites in the comments below! Can you think of any other lists I can add? You can also be curious and ask why I may have chosen a particular title or thing to put on my list :)