What I Was Into in November

There is only one month left in 2017 - this is NOT a drill! I repeat - this is not a drill! How did November pass so quickly?!? Better yet, how did this whole year pass so quickly? Is anyone else starting to feel anxious about getting presents bought and wrapped in time? Eek!

Books I Couldn't Put Down

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin - The fourth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series; I figured once I started, I might as well read the whole series through again. I remember not particularly liking this book the first time around...but I actually quite enjoyed it the second time around.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - Inspired by my movie outings this month, I decided to start my Christmas season off with a Christmas classic. I don't know that I've actually ever read A Christmas Carol before...and it's a really quick little read! I enjoyed it so much and I think I'll make it a tradition!

A Dance of Dragons by George R.R. Martin - The fifth book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series; this one barely makes the cut because I literally started reading it on the 29th! It will definitely take a chunk of December to get it finished and this will be my second read through of this book!

Books on the Shelf

I say this every single month...but I've still got all those books I bought on a whim earlier in the year. Perhaps they'll be my 2018 reading list? I'll get to them eventually...

Must See TV

Outlander - Gosh, how much am I enjoying the third season of Outlander? The third season is based on the third book in the series, Voyager - which is my personal favorite and I'm enjoying seeing so much of it come to life on screen! The story spans across not just time and oceans but also continents...moving from Boston to Scotland to England to the American Continents when it's all said and done. Sam Heughan and Caitrona Balfe continue to be perfect in their roles as Jamie and Claire and I can't wait to see the final two episodes!

This Is Us - No show makes me feel all the feelings quite like This Is Us and season two has been such an excellent follow up to the stellar first season. The story lines feel so real and the lives of Pearsons seem so true...which is probably why their heartaches make me feel so much emotion, ha-ha! Especially when ol' Randall does that single tear... Sterling K. Brown kills me every time! Can't wait for this one to return in January!

Movies of the Month

This month I finally made up for the lack of movies that I haven't been seeing over the past few months...and I went to see ALL the movies, ha-ha!

Thor: Ragnarok - I absolutely loved this movie! So much so that I've contemplated seeing it a second time...it's hilarious! I have always had a fondness for Thor...although I guess technically I have a fondness for Loki and he always appears in the Thor movies - but this was hands down the best of the three Marvel films that feature Thor. I cannot say enough about how hilarious and fun this movie is - if you haven't seen it, GO!

Murder on the Orient Express - I had such high hopes for this movie...alas, it was only alright. *sigh* I absolutely enjoyed the book, so very much..and with a cast so multi-talented, I felt like the movie had to be a knock out. Sadly, for me it seemed to drag just a bit too much and the final twist at the end wasn't nearly as satisfying on the big screen as it was in the book. Oh well...

The Man Who Invented Christmas - An unexpected delight; if you're looking for a film to get you in the Christmas spirit, this one is it! Granted; I would watch Dan Stevens paint the walls...but that's not just because he's nice to look at - the man can act. This movie follows the six weeks surrounding the writing of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and the fevered pace and mindset that brought about Christmas legends Scrooge and Tiny Tim! I'd strongly recommend catching this one while you can - it's wonderful!

Justice League - I went into this movie with extremely low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. I'm a big fan of Superman and I thought Wonder Woman was excellent...and while there are some plot holes and "huh" moments, all in all I really enjoyed Justice League! The film benefits from lightening up and adding comedic moments that other DC films are sorely lacking - and I hope DC continues in this direction. Although...the one thing that I couldn't get over - the digital removal of Henry Cavill's mustache. Ya'll. No.

Tasty Treats

So many goodies this month - then again; the month of November is pretty famous for delicious food, right? I started the month in Mississippi with yummy food at Mugshots and delicious wedding cake from my cousin's wedding... the rest of the month held delicious goodness in the form of afternoon tea, fruity drinks, bagels and coffee, macarons and of course - Thanksgiving dinner!

   

 

 

Earworms

Confession: I started listening to Christmas music around the middle of the month and I haven't looked back. Some of my Christmas favorites include Josh Groban, anything by Pentatonix and Straight No Chaser and of course, the classics Christmas tunes by the likes of Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, etc...

In between the jolly tunes, I've been listening to a couple podcasts - The Big Boo Cast, A Storm of Spoilers, the Outlander podcast and the Popcast...just to name a few.

What I'm Looking Forward To

The Crown: Season Two - I didn't immediately jump on The Crown with the first season, but once I finally watched episode one, I was hooked and blazed through the first season in a weekend! I can't wait for season two to premiere on December 8th!

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - I've had my ticket for Episode 8 for over a month and I can't wait for Friday the 15th to plop down in the theater and be transported to a galaxy far, far away... Will Rey turn to the Dark Side? Who are Rey's parent's? Is Finn okay? What has Luke been doing on the secluded island? What the heck is a Porg?

The Return of the Sister - Not a movie but an actual event! My little sister will be returning to Northern Virginia for a week and then some of Christmas goodness and even though I just saw her, I can't wait to see her again - I kind of like the kid!

Christmas Eve & Christmas - I love everything about the Christmas season but I especially love all the traditions my family has on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day... Baking together, attending a candlelight service at church, watching White Christmas together, sharing gifts with one another on Christmas Day and just spending time together. So wonderful!

New York City - This is becoming a bit of...well...we'll call it a habit for now; it's not quite a tradition yet. We are headed to NYC for a quick 48 hours after Christmas and I can't wait to take in the tree at Rockefeller Center, the gorgeous store windows (especially Saks) and explore some of the city! Another reason we are headed to NYC...

Downton Abbey: The Exhibition - We have tickets to the Downton Abbey Exhibition in NYC and I cannot wait! It's so exciting to get to see the gorgeous costumes and lavish sets that played such a huge part in the show for it's six seasons! I'm sure it will be...smashing!

Wow - it's November 30th and December already looks to be packed full of amazing things! I can't believe there are just thirty-one days left in the entirety of 2017. Surely I'm not the only one who feels like this year sped by? Oh well - on to December!