The Familiars by Stacey Halls | Book review

You probably know by now how much I adore history, considering I used to be a history major and find any excuse I can get to watch period dramas or read historical fiction (by a big plot twist, I even miss historical research a lot these days). So of course, I always browse the historical fiction section of Netgalley and that's how I stumbled upon The Familiars, which I added on Goodreads really quickly: I mean, 17th century England and witch trials? I'll read that, thank you very much. I got really excited when I was approved to read an e-ARC of it and as it's releasing today, it's time I talk about it some more!

The Familiars by Stacey Halls

Published on: February 19th 2019 by MIRA

Genres: historical fiction, paranormal

Number of pages: 352

Goodreads summary: Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.

Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

Rich and compelling, set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this novel explores the rights of 17th-century women and raises the question: Was witch-hunting really women-hunting? Fleetwood Shuttleworth, Alice Grey and the other characters are actual historical figures. King James I was obsessed with asserting power over the lawless countryside (even woodland creatures, or “familiars,” were suspected of dark magic) by capturing “witches”—in reality mostly poor and illiterate women.

MY THOUGHTS

Disclaimer : I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.  All quotes I used in this review might have been changed in the final copy.

"She certainly looks like a witch. She is very thin and rough-looking, with black hair and a sullen face. My mother says never trust someone with black hair because they usually have a black soul to match."

"I have black hair." (p. 26)

I have to admit that going into this, I didn't know much about the Pendle Hill Witch Trials, I only knew Pendle because of Joseph Delaney's Wardstone Chronicles (he got inspired from history so much for his Pendle, and my favourite book of the series is the fourth one, set there, what a surprise). Reading about those events was both frightening and fascinating, because of the awful fate these women were to know and it became even scarier when I read the author's note and that Stacey Halls explained that all her characters had actually existed. In any case, I felt like I was in early 17th century Lancashire, Stacey Halls did a great job at recreating its atmosphere.

The names of the Lancashire Witches

Moreover, as said in the summary, The Familiars explored the rights of women in different ways, from gentry-born women to the poorer ones, who didn't have wealth or status to protect them and it was really interesting. It showed how little choice, on their different scales, women had at that time. For Fleetwood, our gentry-born main character, it was about making a good marriage, then having to produce an heir for her husband, whereas for Alice, it was about keeping a job and surviving, when no one really cared about her: in a way, both only could count on themselves, and later on each other. On another hand, The Familiars explored the way men had power over women, whether it was through their marriages or even when it came to the law: they barely were held accountable for their actions, which the author discussed through the main character's point of view. 

"I remembered Alice's words: I am afraid of lies. Now I knew what she meant: lies had the power to destroy lives but also create them." (p. 198)

I adored the main character, Fleetwood, because I could relate to her so much. While she felt helpless, she never gave up and tried to do all she could to stay alive, then to save Alice, when she could have stayed in her comfortable, but imperfect, life. Her friendship with Alice was so heartwarming, because it was portrayed in a healthy way: the both of them had been brought together by Alice's job as a midwife, but came to mean so much more to each other and to always be there for the other.

The Familiars started with exciting chapters before slowing down, then I wondered where the author was going and thought I knew, until it took me by surprise several times, which I loved. It had such a gloomy atmosphere as the story progressed, to the point that I could be as tense as Fleetwood. From the moment this novel first took me by surprise, I couldn't stop reading, because I had to know what would happen next. It might have been a bit slow in the beginning, but it was all worth it as I kept thinking about the story, even when I wasn't reading this novel.

On top of that, I really liked that the author always made me doubt whether the "witches" had magical powers or not. I found the theme of the familiars really interesting, as it had to do with natural magic and the way Fleetwood encountered magic was really well-written, as she was an outside point of view on the topic of magic. 

Last but not least, I can't say much because it would be a spoiler, but I adored the very last chapter! I am often disappointed by endings, but it wasn't the case at all here, I thought it was a perfect way to conclude!

Overall, if you love historical fiction and are intrigued by witch trials stories, I would totally recommend you this one! It portrayed a friendship between two women from different parts of society in a healthy way, had a gloomy atmosphere like I love and discussed the rights of women at the time. It was Stacey Halls' debut, so I'll be sure to keep an eye out for more of her works, because this one sure was amazing.

Do you like historical fiction? 

What is your favourite time period to read about?

Reading wrap-up + Favourites | January 2019

… and we’re already done with the first month of 2019! January was such a busy month for me, so I barely feel like I got anything done outside of university and working, but it was still a good month, so I don’t mind that much.

I started the year by spending New Year Eve with my family, my best friend and my boyfriend, which was perfect, then enjoyed the last of my holidays. On January 6th, I went on my first trip outside of Europe… I travelled to Algeria for a uni project and it was quite interesting. We got a lot of material for our project and had such a nice weather, it was a bit hard to go back to France in that aspect. The morning after I got back from Algiers, I started my four month long internship in a cultural institution and I've been working full time since then. I’ve been there for the past three weeks and I’m loving it, I’m working on interesting projects and everything I learnt in my new master is really helpful, it definitely is the right fit.

I feel like I didn’t have time for much outside of all of that, as I always was really exhausted when I got home, but I realize now that I’ve been out a lot in January, so that explains it as well. It was different from usual and I got out of my comfort zone a few times, but it was all for the best.

Truth be told, I didn't read as much as I usually do in January, but I didn't mind at all, for I was super relaxed about my reading and whether I was reading or not. I was doing my best, I was happy whenever I found time to pick up a book, and I think that's pretty great.

Here are the books that I read:

• Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo, 5/5 stars (reread)
• The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, 3/5 stars
• Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, 3.5/5 stars
• Mera: Queen of Atlantis, by Dan Abnett and Lan Medina, 3.5/5 stars
• A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin, 4.5/5 stars

I decided to start the year by rereading my favourite book, Les Misérables, and it made me the happiest as it had been so long! If we don't count that one, though, my favourite was A Clash of Kings: it took me almost three weeks to finish it, but I am so obsessed with this world and didn't mind at all!

MOVIE // On the Basis of Sex (2018)

I went to the movies five times in January (we love having an unlimited movie card) and the best movie I watched was On the Basis of Sex. This movie is based on the life and early cases* of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with Felicity Jones portraying her. I had really high expectations for this movie, as I had been waiting for it for so long and Felicity Jones is one of my favourite actresses. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed: it was such an empowering movie, it had amazing family dynamics (especially between Ruth and her daughter Jane, who was so inspiring as well) and Felicity Jones delivered a stellar performance. Please watch it if you can!

*those cases were about discrimination on the basis of sex.

BOOKS // A Song of Ice and Fire

In December, I finally got started on A Song of Ice and Fire and adored the first book - it actually was my last book of the year - to the point that I only wanted to pick up the second book after that (I don’t usually like to binge-read series?). That’s exactly what I did: I started reading A Clash of Kings when I left for Algeria and finished it at the end of January, so I spent almost all of my month in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. I have a weird relationship with the show, I either couldn’t be invested less or can’t stop thinking about it depending on the seasons, so I can already say that I adore the books a lot more. I'm constantly thinking about ASOIAF, researching little details about it and apparently I follow a lot of people who love the books and show on Twitter too? So basically, I can't get out of this world and it makes me so happy, I had missed fantasy so much.

TV SHOW // The Good Place

I already watched and loved the first two seasons of The Good Place (it made it into my favourite TV shows of 2018) and I’ve started catching up on the third one now that it’s over. This TV show is just perfect to binge-watch, so I wait before getting into it because I always want to know everything straight away and not wait in agony every week (how dramatic). I'm now watching it with my boyfriend as I got him addicted as well and it's so much fun. I’ve been loving this third season so much, it is so clever and I adore these characters more than ever!

MISC. // Knitting

During my holidays, I picked up knitting again and I’ve been loving it again. I can’t sit still while watching movies and TV shows, I always end up checking my phone, so knitting is the best alternative, because I’m still occupied while watching something. It’s also quite a calming activity and helps me a lot when I’m stressed. This time, my mom taught me how to knit socks (so very useful when we’re getting snowy days) and I’m knitting my second one at the moment. Once I’m done with my pair of socks, I am planning on knitting a sleeve for my new e-reader, it would be perfect.

MISC. // Aquaman

Yes, yes. How predictable, it already was in my favourite last month. I always follow the same patterns when I fall for a movie from a franchise: I'll rewatch it ten thousand times and get started on extra content... Which is exactly what I'm doing because I loved the 2018 Aquaman movie. I can't explain how much I needed this movie when it arrived in my life and that's one of the reasons I'm so obsessed, the others including the actors and the fact that it deals with the sea and I'm a sea person. So anyway, on top of rewatching the movie, I have started reading comics set in the Aqua-world through Mera's comic and I'm loving that! I need to read the entire Aquaman (2016) series to continue and it makes me so excited to read comics and have found a new  fictional world to love. Mera and Arthur, I love you so.

I’m always really excited to get into February, because it is my birthday month and I intend to make the most of it! I don’t have anything planned, as I’ll still be working full time at my internship, but I’m hoping to finally get started on master thesis #3, continue outlining my work in progress, be more creative with my bullet journal and continue reading as much as possible.

I am beyond happy because both The Favourite and Mary, Queen of Scots are being released in France this month and I’m always there for period drama. I’m also already late with January book releases, but I intend on reading February releases as they come out: I’ve been waiting for The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (my most anticipated fantasy book, already pre-ordered) and Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers (I can’t believe we’re getting more His Fair Assassin books!) and I have an ARC of The Familiars by Stacey Halls to read, so that will pretty much be my TBR, haha.

What about you? How was the first month of 2019?

What did you read? Any new favourite TV shows/movies?

My favourite TV shows of 2018

I'm a bit late with all 'my favourites of 2018' posts, but better late than never I guess? Anyway, 2018 was such an amazing year when it came to TV shows and I found so many new favourites. Those who made my list didn't necessarily aired in 2018, but I watched them during that year. I also managed to rank them and I'm so proud of myself, as I'm unable to do that with books and movies for 2018. So without further ado, here are my favourite TV shows of 2018!

10. Peaky Blinders

I finally started watching Peaky Blinders last year* and I fell in love with it, I even watched the first season in less than a day. I'm a huge period drama fan, as you probably know, but I had been reluctant to watch this one, for I was scared it would be a bit too violent for me (I was wrong). The universe kept sending me signs for two days, between seeing articles about the show everywhere or Sam Claflin announcing he would play in series 5 (!!), so that's how I ended up starting it, and I couldn't be happier to have watched it. It is full of morally grey characters, which I adore, and I admire the female characters' of the show so much (okay I fell in love with two of them, but shhhh): Peaky Blinders was one of the reasons I cut my hair shorter in November, I wanted to live the 1920s aesthetic, so yeah. #noregrets

*Fun fact: I finished catching up with it today!

9. The Good Place

Another show I watched after everyone else was The Good Place. I didn't even know what it was about when I started it, just that people were obsessed with it and I feel that it's the best way to watch it. I had no idea what was going on at first, but I was so curious and needed to have answers: that's the magic of the show and that's how you end up binge-watching it in three days or something. The characters are absolutely hilarious, there are so many iconic lines it's very addictive and I adore the photography of it!

8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I started watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2017, but completely caught up with it last year. I'm usually not a use fan of cop shows, because I often find them repetitive, but that's absolutely not the case for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. All the characters are amazing and picking a favourite is next to impossible for me: they've all helped and inspired me in different ways and I'm so grateful they exist. This TV show is perfect to watch when I'm feeling a bit down, it always makes me laugh a little. I am so excited about the newest season, thank god it wasn't cancelled in the end! *cries*

7. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is such a breath of fresh air: I started watching it because I wanted a 'lighter' period drama to watch... and it ended up in a binge-watch and my boyfriend joining in and falling in love with the show as well. This American period drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (who also created Gilmore Girls!!), is set in 1958 and follows Myriam "Midge" Maisel, an upper-class Jewish housewife. After her husband leaves her for his secretary, she delivers an impromptu comic performance in a bar where her husband used to act for fun, and after some time, she is inspired to become a comedian. I adore Midge so much and Rachel Brosnahan, who portrays her, delivers such amazing performances (she won two Golden Globes in the past two years?).

6. Jane the Virgin

I've been watching Jane the Virgin since 2016 and I've always considered it to be one of my favourite TV shows (even though season 2 disappointed me a bit), so truly, it's no surprise that it's making the list. And then, season 4 happened and changed my life. That's not even me being overdramatic, it's true. 2018 was the year I accepted myself like never before and the show helped me immensely: if it weren't for that scene with Petra, I would still be doubting myself... Her dream scene was exactly what happened to me, so when I saw that for a fictional character I loved, it truly meant the world to me. I cannot wait for the last season, I just want to see these characters happy. That's all I need.

5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

It's no secret that I'm so obsessed with The Last Jedi that I watched it eleven times on the big screen. While I was on a Star Wars roll, I decided I would finally get started on the new Expanded Universe, whether it was TV shows, books or comics. I wasn't too excited about watching The Clone Wars at first, as I'm not a huge fan of Episode II or Anakin, but as the first two seasons were on Netflix, I gave it a go. Little did I know that it would make me love the Fall of the Republic era so much, that I would meet one of my favourite Star Wars characters in the person of Ahsoka Tano, that I would get super obsessed with the show. It's so worth it and a great place to start if you want to go beyond the Star Wars movies!

4. Everything Sucks!

Everything Sucks! means the world to me, because it's the show that finally gave me the strength to come out. I'll always remember how much I cried and how I wrote all the words I had always been too scared to say. Truly, I will always be heartbroken they decided to cancel it. I dedicated a blog post to it if you want to know more about it, but this is the show I had always needed in my life. It's set in 1996 (the year I was born!) and it follows high school misfits in the AV and drama clubs who brave the ups and downs of teenage life in the VHS era. It is full of pop culture references, it has amazing characters and a great coming out story. I have to admit that it's hard to watch at first, because there is bullying and homophobic slur, it truly shows how life can be awful in high school, but it gets better and better with every episode. I miss this show so much, I need to rewatch it.

3. One Day at a Time

One Day at a Time already was in my previous favourite TV shows list and of course, it kept its spot.  It is one of the greatest and most important TV shows that was ever made and if you still haven't watched it, please do. I made all my friends watch it and they all got obsessed, because clearly I have good taste (I'm joking of course). It tackles down such important and contemporary topics, has a diverse cast of characters and it's hilarious. Most of all, it has Elena, one of my favourite fictional characters ever, she's so inspiring, she makes me want to fight to get what I want and to be myself, without hiding. No, but really, can you believe that we have a Latina, gay, feminist, vegetarian and super clever main character as awesome as she is? I cannot wait to rewatch the first two seasons to be ready for the third!

2. The Bold Type

When I started watching The Bold Type, it truly felt like the one and it's definitely one of the TV shows that has inspired me the most. It is a feminist, empowering, diverse and topical show, tackling down so many contemporary issues and doing it in such a clever way. It follows the lives of Jane, Kat and Sutton, who works for Scarlet, a global women's magazine. There three girls mean so much to me, because not only the portraying of their friendship is one of the healthiest I have seen on TV, but I see myself in all of them, and they all are my role models in a way. They still are at the beginning of their professional lives - they've worked for four years or something? - and it's so encouraging for me, as I'm almost done with my studies. If you asked me who was my favourite, I wouldn't be able to answer, because it changes with every episode and I love them in different ways. I dedicated a blog post to this one as well because I love it too much. 

I think that it is my favourite currently airing TV show and it could almost

have been number 1 on this list as well, if it weren't for...

1. Parks and Recreation

*everyone pretends to be shocked* I don't think that my words could ever do justice at how much I adore this show, but just know this: I watched all seven seasons in a month and a half. Parks and Rec is set in Pawnee, Indiana, and follows the team from the Parks and Recreation department (duh) on their adventures. It's funny, always makes me feel good, has relatable characters and I would almost move to Pawnee to work in the department by day and be a Mouse Rat groupie by night. *starts singing The Pit* My favourite character was of course my wife April Ludgate, she's the best and I adore Aubrey Plaza, so that's no surprise! I miss the show so much, I need to rewatch it, I need to buy the DVDs, how have I been holding on without it for the past seven months and six days?? H O W??

What were your favourite TV shows of 2018?

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Ever since I heard about The Gilded Wolves, I was so curious about it: Roshani Chokshi's writing and I hadn't gotten to a great start, but so many readers kept praising her works and I wanted to know what the hype was all about. Besides, this book is set in 19th century, which is right up my alley. Of course, when I saw the book up on Netgalley, I didn't hesitate and I'm so glad I got approved for it! I didn't love this book as much as everyone else, but I flew through it and it was really entertaining. So, without further ado, happy publication day to The Gilded Wolves and here's my review of it!

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi 

Published: January 15th 2019 by Wednesday Books

Genres: young adult, historical fiction, fantasy

Number of pages: 464

Goodreads summary: Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.

Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

MY THOUGHTS

Disclaimer : I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The quotes I used might have changed in the final copy.

My favourite element of The Gilded Wolves was its characters. This novel had such a diverse cast of six main characters, whom I adored. They were so complex and had rich backstories, which made me get to know them pretty well and I'm a bit sad to leave them behind now that I've finished the novel. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't get every main character's point of view: I feel like I didn't care as much for one of them, I *almost even* forgot about them at times and so I didn't really care about this character's storyline or ending? That's too bad because I cared about everyone else; at this character, I am really sorry. Moreover, they all had amazing group dynamics and I loved every little interaction they had together. My favourite character was for sure Zofia, because I related to her in so many ways, but I also have a soft spot for Hypnos!

I had high expectations when it comes to the world-building of this novel, especially the parts about late 19th century Paris, as I'm French and a history major, but I can tell you that Roshani Chokshi did her job splendidly! You could tell how much research she put into her book and I loved that she didn't only show an idealistic Paris: she also showed France's ugly colonialist past, how unaccepting and racist society could be. As she said in her author's note:

"History is a myth shaped by the tongues of conquerors."

Shameful events can often be glossed over and this shouldn't be. This past needs to be acknowledged, discussed and I'm glad that voices that have been ignored for so long can finally be heard. So many important topics were talked about in this novel and Chokshi did a good job at that. The Gilded Wolves was also full of historical, philosophical and scientific references, which I adored!

While I was impressed by the way Chokshi portrayed Paris, I wasn't as convinced when she presented the novel's magic system. It was complex and a bit confusing at times, especially when paragraphs upon paragraphs were explaining the world: it felt a bit like info-dumping to me. Still, it was a bit more interesting once I understood everything.

To talk about the elephant in the room, that many reviewers have discussed: in many things, The Gilded Wolves is quite similar to Six of Crows for some aspects of it. I am not saying that this is a bad thing: The Gilded Wolves has amazing characters no matter what and a different world building, but because of those similarities, the plot didn't take me by surprise, because it wasn't anything I hadn't read before. It could be thrilling at times, but overall I was left being unimpressed by it. Besides, I wasn't too convinced by the villain: I would have liked to know their motivations more; it has to be more than "I want to take over the world" to me, I need more explanations and very morally gray characters. Despite that, I adored the fact that it was all about a secret society!

I had tried reading Chokshi's debut in the past without success, but I really liked her writing style in this one, it flowed nicely and I got through this book really quickly. While I don't really want to pick The Star-Touched Queen again at this point, I'd be interested in reading more of her works.

To conclude, I thought that while being a bit too similar to Six of Crows for my taste, The Gilded Wolves is a novel with amazing characters and a compelling setting that many readers will adore. Some aspects of the novel, such as a confusing magic system at first and a plot that didn't take me by surprise didn't convince me as much, but maybe that's just me? I'm always super picky, haha.

Have you read The Gilded Wolves or are you interested in it?

Reading wrap-up + Favourites | December 2018

I have so many blog posts planned for the beginning of the year, from lists of everything I've loved in 2018 to what I am planning to do in 2019, that I would almost have forgotten to post my December reading wrap-up. *shocked gasps* So before we're too far ahead in the month, it's time to wrap up December 2018!

December was quite an eventful month: it was made of my last few weeks at uni, being accepted into the internship I wanted the most, getting in the Christmas spirit and so much more. It was also a difficult month, as my anxiety was a mess because of university, but at least that part is over and I've been on vacations since December 19th, so it's alright. Anyhow, let's jump into what I read during the last month of 2018.

• Lord of Shadows, by Cassandra Clare, 5/5 stars (re-read)
• Queen of Air and Darkness, by Cassandra Clare, 4/5 stars
• Mr. Dickens and His Carol, by Samantha Silva, 4/5 stars
• Assassin's Quest, by Robin Hobb, 4.5/5 stars
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling, 5/5 stars (re-read)
• The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov, 3.5/5 stars
• Hickory Dickory Dock, by Agatha Christie, 4/5 stars
• Muse of Nightmares, by Laini Taylor, 4.5/5 stars
• A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, 5/5 stars

      + three French graphic novels

At the beginning of December, I set myself a very ambitious TBR, because there were many huge books I wanted to read and I nailed it (I was very scared I wouldn't finish A Game of Thrones in time, but I did it!). Reading and loving fantasy again is such a wonderful feeling, so it won't be too surprising if I tell you that I got a book hangover after finishing The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb and that it would have been the same for A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, had I not started my reread of Les Misérables at the beginning of January. My favourite book of the month, then, was A Game of Thrones, I'm so proud of myself for starting the A Song of Ice and Fire series at long last! Now I need to binge-read every book set in this world.

EVENT // Meeting Lin-Manuel Miranda

On December 10th, a premiere of Mary Poppins Returns took place in Paris, in the presence of some of the members of the cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was just a premiere for press (um, I still haven't watched the movie, which is really sad) and no one was talking about it, but somehow we heard it would take place and I got there with some of my friends. We were just waiting, hoping to get a glimpse of the cast and... We met Lin-Manuel Miranda. I mean, we actually talked to him?? This entire moment was surreal, he truly was the nicest, he signed something for everyone, did group selfies... I still cannot believe it happened, it was a perfect way to end the year. I'm beyond happy for my friends Clara and Lydia, as he means the world to them and they had been wanting to meet him for forever, I can't believe they finally did so!!

TV SHOW // The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)

In December, I finally started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and this TV show has been making me so happy. I had been hearing my friend Fatima talking about it for so long and my friend Clara had also started it some time before, and as I wanted to watch a period drama that would make me happy, I gave in. This American period drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino*, is set in 1958 and follows Myriam "Midge" Maisel, an upper-class Jewish housewife. After her husband leaves her for his secretary, she delivers an impromptu comic performance in a bar where her husband used to act for fun, and after some time, she is inspired to become a comedian. This TV show is such a fresh breath of air and binge-watching it has been amazing! My boyfriend got addicted as well when he hadn't watched the first four episodes, so yeah... Just watch it!

*she created Gilmore Girls!

MOVIE // Christmas movies

At the end of November, I made a list of Christmas movies I wanted to watch and slowly made my way through it during the time that led to Christmas. I discovered that I loved cheesy Christmas movies and binge-watched all the Netflix Original ones, my favourite being The Holiday Calendar. I also finally got to older Christmas movies I had wanted to watch for so long, such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I also watched The Man Who Invented Christmas, which is about how Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol and it was my favourite of them all! I had wanted to watch it for so long (of course I did, Dan Stevens plays Charles Dickens), they never released it in France, and it was as amazing as I thought it would be! I'm hoping that watching it for Christmas will become a new tradition!

WRITING

At the beginning of my holidays, I got an idea for a new novel... and I haven't been able to get away from it since then, because my characters keep talking to me. Oh, well. I haven't written consistently in four years, but got some ideas for historical novels that I've always been terrified to write. However, this one might be the one, because it's not set too far away in the past, and the entirety of it is so me. A lot of it is coming from my personal experience, which makes it hard to write, but this project has made me so happy. I've started doing research for it, which is a lot of fun, and getting to know my characters is amazing, I love them so much. Writing this book will be one of my biggest challenges of 2019, but in any case, December was our honeymoon phase with my WIP, so it was all good.

MOVIE // Aquaman (2018)

I didn't really expect that to happen, but at the end of December, I watched the Aquaman movie and I absolutely fell in love with it. Now, you probably know that I adore Marvel's movies, but the ones from DC Comics... Well, not so much. I always go watch them (except for Suicide Squad that I never watched and don't want to), but I always have mixed feelings about them. Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of expectations when I went to watch Aquaman, I just knew I had to watch it because I've always been obsessed with the sea, and I fell for it. Yes, I do have a crush on both Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, but I also adore the world-building, the story, the aesthetic, the inspirations for it and the soundtrack of the movie. I've already watched it twice in December and by the time I've published this, I'll probably have watched it a third time, because I can't get enough out of it. It also (re)taught me something that I had forgotten and needed to remember, so I'm grateful it did. I'm so happy it was my last movie of the year and I cannot wait to read Aquaman's comics now (even though he's blonde in them *cries*).

As you're reading this, I'm currently in Algeria for a project with my university, which is exciting and a bit scary, as it's my very first time out of Europe! Still, I am so happy to start the year by traveling to a place I've never been before and I'm sure it'll be really interesting. Moreover, I'll be starting my internship on January 10th and I'm so excited about it, I'm sure that it'll be an enlightening experience! So basically, that's what my month will look like and I'm so there for it!

There are also so many releases I'm excited about for books, movies and TV shows. I've already talked about my most anticipated book releases for this winter recently and I'm not quite sure I'll be able to read January releases, but I have an e-ARC of The Gilded Wolves, so that's exciting. For movies, I am so looking forward to watching On the Basis of Sex (Felicity Jones <3), Colette, and The Hate U Give, which is finally coming out in France! I also need to catch up on some movies I didn't watch during the holidays, so I'll probably spend my whole free time in theaters. Oops. I also have several TV shows that will start airing again, the third season of A Series of Unfortunate Events is already there, but I'm also impatiently waiting for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Victoria, I have been waiting for so long!

How did December 2018 treat you? Any new favourites?