I think the only thing that holds a candle to my love of books is my love of movies and TV shows. As such, many of my favorite films reflect the exact sort of thing I enjoy reading, with my #1 being historical fiction! I also adore a good romance, and something about all the restraint, be it of manners or clothing, makes the romance that much better for me. I've set out to list some that aren't often mentioned, in the hopes that others will learn to love them like I do!

The Handmaiden directed by Park Chan-Wook (2016)

An adaption of Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith by Award-winning Korean director Park Chan-wook, this movie had been on my radar ever since it came out. I finally watched it this month and was completely blown away. The actors were amazing, the cinematography was beautiful, and I loved how it stayed true to the story even while changing the setting from Victorian England to Japanese occupied Korea! This movie is one to go in without too much prior knowledge as the twists will shock (and delight) you.

"1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a new girl (Sookhee) is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress (Hideko) who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering Uncle (Kouzuki). But the maid has a secret. She is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce the Lady to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until Sookhee and Hideko discover some unexpected emotions."

Belle directed by Amma Asante (2013)

This beautiful romance has the added bonus of being based on a true story, that of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race British heiress who lived 1761 to 1804. (And for those curious, it does have a happy ending).

"This movie was inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Royal Navy Captain Sir John Lindsay. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield and his wife, Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change, who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England.

Firelight directed by William Nicholson (1997)

This film utilizes a favorite trope of mine: the governess who falls in love with her employer, only with a much bigger twist. Beautiful Sophie Marceau is subtle and wonderful, and her leading man is one of my favorites, Stephen Dillane.

"In 1830s England, debt-ridden governess Elisabeth Laurier consents to bear a child with aristocrat Charles Godwin, whose crippled wife cannot conceive. So long as Elisabeth relinquishes any maternal claims, he will pay off her father's debts. Though the arrangement is meant to be perfunctory, a forbidden romance blooms between them. Years later, she is hired as governess to a young girl on a remote estate -- who turns out to be the daughter she surrendered."

Lust, Caution directed by Ang Lee (2007)

I loved Lust, Caution from my very first watch, and highly recommend it for those who are fans of relationships along the lines of those in Dangerous Liaisons and Fatal Attraction. It is very deep and dark, with absolutely outstanding performances by Tony Leung and Tang Wei.

"During World War II, a secret agent must seduce, then assassinate an official who works for the Japanese puppet government in Shanghai. Her mission becomes clouded when she finds herself falling in love with the man she is assigned to kill."

The Piano directed by Jane Campion (1993)

One of my absolute favorite films, The Piano tells the story of the forbidden romance between mute and married Ada and her husband's friend. This haunting film will stick with you long after.

"After a long voyage from Scotland, pianist Ada McGrath and her young daughter, Flora, are left with all their belongings, including a piano, on a New Zealand beach. Ada, who has been mute since childhood, has been sold into marriage to a local man named Alisdair Stewart. Making little attempt to warm up to Alisdair, Ada soon becomes intrigued by his Maori-friendly acquaintance, George Baines, leading to tense, life-altering conflicts."

Book Review: A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell

A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell
Length: 320 Pages
Genres: YA Fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings for this book include Violence, Blood, Guns, Death, Mentions of Depression and Anxiety, and Abandonment

"The magic we perform doesn't have words. It is felt. It is the roots beneath our feet. It is the string connecting our fates to each other and to the rest of the world. It is the life-giving water, it is the power in ourselves."

There is one word to some up this book and it is...meh. The plot, characters, the writing, all of it was overwhelmingly okay when I was expecting WOW! My main draw to this book was that the protagonist is plus-sized and, being plus-size myself, I was so, so excited to see an explicitly plus-size/fat character get the spotlight, and to be something other than a skinny person's comic relief! Hollowell really delivered on that aspect -- Derry is fat and it has little to no impact on her plot and life which was a breath of fresh air.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into A Dark and Starless Forest. It seemed interesting enough, with nine magical sisters living in a secluded house and being raised by the mysterious and cruel Frank, a pseudo-father figure with teeth. Derry's magic is related to nature, so she has the ability to grow flowers and vines and connect with the earth in a powerful and sometimes frightening way. The other sisters tended to run together for me, and with only a few little descriptions of their looks, personalities and powers thrown in once or twice I was left feeling a little lost. The catalyst for A Dark and Starless Forest comes when one sister after another starts to disappear and the girls start to question Frank's motives. Meanwhile, the forest surrounding the house starts to call to Derry in familiar voices. It's only when she ventures inside that she starts to discover the dark truth.

I think this was a pretty run-of-the-mill YA fantasy. To be honest, I'm beginning to think YA and I just don't get along. I keep getting swept away by their shiny covers and amazing blurbs but 9 times out of ten I'm disappointed. If you'd be interested in a sort of girl-power X-Men retelling with a malevolent and powerless Professor X pulling the strings, then I think this would be the perfect book for you! I have no doubt there are many who'd enjoy this and I also recognize how amazing it is to have a kick-ass plus-size heroine front and center. Hopefully, Derry is the first in a long, long line.

Book Review: The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke

The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Length: 368 Pages
Genres: Mystery and Paranormal
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings in this book for Violence, Gore, Body Horror, Death of a Loved One (Cancer) and Sexual Coercion (17 year old of a 15 year old)

This year I've made a concerted effort to get my Halloween celebrations started early and to get as much spooky reading in as I can! It seems that, without any planning on my part, I've picked books mostly about witches. I love a good witch film/show/book, but honestly, they can are very hard to pull off, usually falling on the side of cheesy instead of creepy. Happily, that is not the case in C.J. Cooke's newest book!

I was immediately drawn to this novel, set on the mysterious isle of Lòn Haven, Scotland, not only because of the fabulous backdrop but because it promised mysterious disappearances and lighthouses and witch trials (did you know that Scotland experienced four major witch hunts, between 1590-1727?), all things I'm absolutely crazy about. Told through various sections, from the POVs of single mother to three girls, Liv, who has arrived on the isle to paint a mural in the crumbling lighthouse in 1998, Sapphire, also in 1998, her eldest daughter, and Luna, her middle child, now pregnant in 2020. Luna is still desperately searching for her two sisters who went missing all those years ago on Lòn Haven, along with their mother, and can't reconcile her few, happy memories with the woman who abandoned her -- and possibly, killed her sisters. 

But then the impossible happens. Luna gets a call, saying they've found Clover, only she's the not grown woman she's expecting, but a little girl, the same age she was when she went missing twenty-two years ago. Could she be one of the fabled wildlings, faeries disguised as missing human children, borne of a witch's curse hundreds of years earlier? Or is there an even stranger explanation?

The Lighthouse Witches is not only teeming with beautiful writing, evocative of the beauty and wildness of Scotland, but is a thoroughly enjoyable story with a bittersweet ending that had me almost tearing up! I really, really enjoyed this one, and highly recommend you pick it up this Halloween season.

Book Review: In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace
Length: 336 Pages
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Trigger Warnings for the Death of a Loved One

"October nights in Evenfall were made for witches, and this one was no exception.
The yellow moon was rising up from behind the trees of the hemlock forest at the edge of town while bats swooped against the darkening sky. The crisp wind with its traces of wood smoke skittered dried leaves across the pavement as a dog barked endlessly in the distance. The stirring of night magic put most creatures on edge."

I was so pleased to be accepted for an ARC of In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace! So far, Berkley Books and I have a pretty great track record, and I was so entranced by the cover, and the idea of a witch-owned B&B in New England! Could there be anything more perfect for Halloween?

Brynn Warren, along with her aunts Izzy and Nora (and Uncle Gideon, who refuses to leave the attic), are a part of a magical family that has cared for the little town of Evenfall for nearly 400 years. On top of that, they run a B&B out of their family home, the Queen Anne style Ivywood Hollow. Together, they can do anything -- even deal with a rude and demanding guest. Constance Graves is known around town for being bitter, mean, and a downright challenge, and when she stays at Ivywood Hollow, even going so far as to pay for every room so she's the only guest, emotions run high. Hot-headed Nora jokes maybe they should bump her off. Unfortunately, someone does the job for them, and fingers point to the "odd" Warren women.

It could be easily solved if Brynn could use her specialized powers to talk to Constance's ghost, but ever since the untimely death of her husband, Adam, her magic has all but disappeared. To prove her Aunt's innocence, she will need the help of nosy neighbors, friends, and even Fautus the Maine Coon and Dog the crow. One things for sure about Warren women -- they don't give up.

I adored this little cozy mystery, and loved the portrayal of witchcraft and the sometimes overbearing but loving Warren family. It was such a refreshing and happy little book, which came at exactly the right point in my life. If you're feeling a bit blue, like I was, this is the perfect way to bring a bit of magic back into your life!