Butterflies Are Free

Just a blog about some of my favorite things. I can live in my dreams when the real world proves to be too much. Dreams are the only place I can be free.

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My thoughts on Little Women (2019)

Brilliant film and I’m not a huge fan of the Little Women story. It jumps around in time which actually works quite well. The acting here is lovely - each sister gets her own moment - not just Jo, even though this is very much Jo’s story. Eliza Scanlen as Beth is heartbreaking. Timothee Chalamet isn’t as good a Laurie as Christian Bale in the ‘94 version (still probably the best version) but his romance with Amy is more believable. Florence Pugh’s Amy is less annoying as in other versions and we get to know her better since she’s plays both young and older Amy. Florence makes Amy spoiled, but not heartless. Emma Watson has some lovely scenes as the more-overlooked Meg. Saoirse Ronan as Jo owns the film, and she carries it with ease. I’ve loved watching more work from Florence Pugh (she’s brilliant in Little Drummer Girl) and it was nice to discover Eliza Scanlen. The film also features great supporting performances by Meryl Streep as Aunt March and Laura Dern and Bob Odenkirk as the Marmie and Father March. Greta Gerwig has done a marvelous job. 

The movie resonated for me on a personal level in so many ways. Jo has a speech about women only being good for loving and marriage and not for thinking. I know exactly how she feels. I’m used to people thinking I’m an idiot. Since I don’t talk about football or hunting or cars or politics, nobody ever asks my opinion on anything. And when I give it, no one really listens anyway. All I want to talk about are the books I’m reading, the films I’ve seen, the great thing I baked the other day. The only compliment my father ever gave me (he doesn’t really give compliments to anyone in general) was that since I was a good cook, I’d make a good wife some day. Because, apparently, that is all I”m good for. It is nice to be independent but it would be nice to love and be loved. Because it is so lonely sometimes. 

Also, like Jo, I know what it’s like to live on your own with no hopes, no prospects. I don’t have a husband/partner/whatever. I don’t have anyone to help pay the rent, etc. I don’t have any savings. I have nothing. And when you have no prospects or hopes, that makes you feel even more alone.

And finally, during the ending when Jo watches her book being published, I cried. That is what I want - I want to be a writer. I want to create a world and characters. I have characters in my head, but I can’t see what they’re doing yet. The books may be more whodunits, rather than great novels, but I want to write them. I wish I could spend all day just creating, but I can’t. I have to work at jobs that i despise that take all my time. By the time I get home, I’m too tired to do anything else. I just wish I had the courage and the time and the ability to be as brilliant and smart as Jo. Instead, I just muddle through life. I wish I had a supportive and loving family like Jo. I’ve never gotten along with my sister. My family doesn’t really show any emotions and look down on you if you even cry. Plus, they rarely have any advice to give. They rarely offer any support. A big family like the March family might drive me nuts, but I do miss I had that support and love. 

So I was just weeping my heart out throughout the film. I wasn’t the only one. There were quite a few sniffles in the theater!  

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The Henry Tibbett series by Patricia Moyes.

We meet mild-mannered Chief Superintendent Henry Tibbett who tends to solve a lot of murders while on vacation or coming back from vacation. He’s not as flashy as some detectives and it’s his famous “nose” (or instinct) that helps him solve the mysteries. Another difference from most detectives is that his wife, Emmy, comes along for the ride. Sometimes she’s more help than in other cases, but she and Henry have a nice chemistry. 

I’ve only read a handful of the mysteries and Murder Fantastical was the first one. Most feature interesting, though sometimes down right bitchy suspects. Drugs play a part in a lot of cases. The actual mysteries aren’t as tricky as say Christie or Marsh, but they’re still entertaining. Tibbett at least seems to travel more than other detectives. I’ve noticed that poison plays a part in a lot of the mysteries, but shootings or stabbings can also occur.  In Who Saw Her Die? the cause of death is so obsure and bizarre, only a doctor could really appreciate the details. 

For the most part, I’ve enjoyed the series. I’m not really reading them in order and you don’t really need to. I enjoy the dynamic of Henry and Emmy. They make a super sweet couple - though I think sometimes Henry takes advantage or under appreciates Emmy. In Night Ferry to Death, Henry uses Emmy as bait for a thief looking for stolen jewels. It’s only when she’s attacked that he finally changes track. Yes, Emmy’s pretty tough and can take care of herself, but it would be nice to be a little protective of her. He does show his appreciation later.  In Who Saw Her Die?, he flirts with a young female doctor right under Emmy’s nose. Sure, the doctor is a big help on the case, and I don’t think he really means anything by it, but it’s still makes him kind of an ass to Emmy. I find that I don’t like drama between these two - they work better as partners, not adversaries. 

When reading the books, I picture Daniel Craig (probably due to the excellent Knives Out) as Tibbett and Rachel Weisz as Emmy. It would be more of a mellow Craig and Weisz isn’t as plump as Emmy, but I still love these two as Henry and Emmy. 

I can’t wait to read more in the series, and some sound better than others. I’m just continuing my search through my local library for random vintage mysteries that I haven’t heard of. I hope I find more soon.  

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The Lady Emily Mystery series by Tasha Alexander. 

Lady Emily is a feisty amateur detective. A recent widow living in late Victorian England, Emily is a young, recent widow. She barely knew her husband before he passed away while on expedition in Africa. Too bad she soon learns he was murdered. It doesn’t take long for her to work on solving his murder.

This series is a fun trifle with many, many books. I’ve gotten through five of them so far. Sometimes the mysteries aren’t that great and the villains (and red herring villains) are all nasty with few redeeming qualities. The main characters are still fun and interesting. 

Emily soon falls in love her late husband’s best friend, Colin Hargreaves. He’s kind of James Bond-type agent for the Crown. This romance isn’t as slow a burn as the Deanna Raybourn series, and when the two are together they are the most darling, adorable couple. Too bad Colin can sometimes play the over-protective husband who’d rather Emily studied Greek than solve murders. She’s too stubborn and independent to be banished from crime solving, so it causes trouble between the two. 

Another series with a female detective heroine with a smart, sexy love interest. I picture Jenna Coleman as Emily and Matthew Goode as Colin Hargreaves. I just wish the mysteries were better. 

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The Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Rabourn. 

I’ve discovered this wonderful series about mystery solver, Lady Julia Grey. Set in 19th century England, we first meet Lady Julia as her husband lays dying. Turns out he was murdered. An inquiry agent - tall, dark, dreamy and moody Nicholas Brisbane is hired to investigate. Soon the two are bickering like lovers as they try to solve the crime together. The romance between these two is a slow burn (I’ve almost finished book two, but they don’t get married until book four) - both have a crazy amount of baggage. Brisbane has a mysterious background and Julia has a crazy, wacky family (besides the fact that her husband was murdered). 

I do like this series so far - the mysteries are pretty layered. Too bad I suspected who the killer was in book one from the beginning of the book, really. But there are lots of twists and turns to make things exciting. 

I know it’s set in the late 1800′s, but I do wish people wouldn’t treat Julia like she was a brain dead potted plant. I know women had few rights and were only good for getting married. But Lady Julia is a rich widow and has more freedoms than most. I just wish Brisbane, in particular, didn’t treat her like she was an idiot. Sure, sometimes she makes stupid choices, but she has good reasons. Brisbane will do anything to keep her safe - including take her out of the investigation.

I love a good detective series. I love a detective series featuring a female heroine and a smart, sexy love interest. It’s when they work together ala Nick and Nora Charles that these kind of books are perfect for me. Can’t wait to read the other books!

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Amy Adams and Mathew Goode were just adorable in Leap Year (2010). I hope they can act together again soon. They have amazing chemistry. 

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Matthew Goode and Vanessa Kirby were so electrifying as Tony Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret in The Crown (2016-). 

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He’s just lovely. 

Matthew Goode in Downton Abbey (2010-2015). 

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Black Narcissus (1947) starring Deborah Kerr, Flora Robson, Jean Simmons, David Farrar and Sabu. A group of nuns are sent to open a convent and school in the Himalayas. Things quickly unravel. Directed by Michael Powell (who also directed The Red Shoes). Jack Cardiff won an Oscar for the excellent cinematography. 

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The Crown (2016-)

Season three picks up with a new cast as it covers from the mid-60′s to the mid-70′s. I”ve heard said this season is more filler until we get to season four which will feature Margaret Thatcher and Charles and Diana. 

Stand outs for me are Erin Doherty as Princess Anne and Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles. Growing up Windsor could not have been easy at all. Charles had enough baggage and then to fall in love with someone his family didn’t approve of - oh, my. Anyway, O’Connor does a great job as the awkward, troubled Prince of Wales - complete with awkward, slouching posture.

Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies portray a kind of more mellow Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. It’s hard not compare them to Claire Foy and Matt Smith from the first two seasons. I think Tobias does a better job playing Prince Phillip - the Apollo episode is one of the best episodes of the season. Olivia does well as the Queen, but is maybe not as flashy as Foy. 

Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Daniels replace Vanessa Kirby and Matthew Goode as Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon. I’m a bit biased, but I missed seeing Matthew Goode as Tony - especially since we only saw him for a handful of episodes in season 2. Both do great jobs though as Margaret and Snowdon. It was quite the dramatic relationship. 

Can’t wait to see what happens in season four!

[emaline5678]

I’ve discovered a new-to-me book series by Tasha Alexander. Her heroine is Lady Emily Ashton, a recently widowed young woman in the late 1800′s. She learns her late husband was wrapped up in a art forgery scheme. She begins to investigate and learn more about his passions - namely art and Greek history. She learns more about herself and learns that she enjoys her newfound freedom and fortune and doesn’t rush to get back into the typical role of proper Victorian English lady. As I was reading, I pictured Jenna Coleman as Emily and (of course) Matthew Goode as Colin Hargreave, Emily’s late husband’s friend and future suitor. I enjoy reading more of these books and the future adventures of Lady Emily!

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Airport 1977 (1977)

The second sequel to Airport (1970), this one is about a bunch of thieves that hijack the plain and end up crashing it into the ocean in the Bermuda Triangle. Jack Lemmon is the captain, Brenda Vaccaro his girlfriend. Christopher Lee, Lee Grant, Olivia De Havilland, Joseph Cotton, and Kathleen Quinlan are all passengers. Most work for James Stewart who owns the plane and is having all his artwork flown to a new location - hence the attempted art heist.

The heist is kind of cool, but never gets pulled off. I like the love story between Lemmon and Vaccaro - it’s very sweet. Lemmon can save the day any day. 

There’s a more melodramatic love story between Lee and Grant. Way too much screen time is devoted to this drama. She’s a lush who is cheating on Lee and she treats him like dirt. He’s just trying to do his job and she keeps heckling him. Eventually, Lee is killed trying to send up an emergency buoy (he plays the floating corpse very realistically). 

Another powerhouse is De Havilland. She makes a grand entrance and immediately tries to win a few hands of poker. She rekindles a love with Cotton and tries to get her friend {and maid} to have a relaxing trip. Unfortunately, De Havilland loses her friend by the end of the film. I could have used more of this plot line than Grant’s screechy histrionics. 

Eventually, the film turns into a commercial for the Navy as they try to raise the plane before it floods completely. 

Overall, this is my favorite Airport movie. It’s not as soapy as Airport (1970). I like the idea of this being a heist gone wrong. Too bad it then kind of turns into a Navy training film with no suspense - we know the Navy will save the day! 

[emaline5678]

 The Black Hole (1979)

This is a weird and strange sci-fi/horror movie that scared me as a kid. I watched it again to see if a Disney movie could be a horror film. It’s not as terrifying to me now, but waaaaay creepy. If you’re trying to make your own Star Wars, best not to feature scary music, part human-part robot people, or Maximilian Schell in crazed maniac-mode. Also, best not to have one of the creepiest robots of all time (I’m looking at you Maximilian) next to one of the cutest (Vincent is freaking adorable!). 

Robert Forster and his crew (including Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, Anthony Perkins and Joseph Bottoms) get pulled off track by a black hole. When they try to scan the area, they come across Schell’s ship that just seems to be hanging around outside of it. Turns out it’s a lost American probe ship that’s been missing for 20 years and also had Yvette’s father as crew member. Against Forster’s instincts, they go take a look.

It’s not long before the crew is introduced to Schell’s creepy robot army of sentinels and black robed worker bees. They also meet his giant, evil robot servant (master?), Maximilan, that controls all the robots. Schell’s goal is to travel through the black hole and discover what’s inside of it. Unfortunately, it’s made him insane. Forster just wants to repair his ship and get the heck out of there. Too bad Schell’s not quite ready to let non-believers go so easily. 

Soon we get extended laser gun fights as Forster and crew try to escape. Perkins (actually playing a normal smart doctor) wants to stay and work with Schell - that is until he realizes that the black-robed worker robots are the former crew members that weren’t hip to Schell’s plan to take over the universe. When he tries to get out, Maximilian kills him. 

Eventually, Forster and crew escape (after Borgnine turns coward and tries to escape without the others, resulting in their ship being destroyed), leaving Schell to go through the black hole alone. Too bad a really weird asteroid shower (why are the asteroids glowing red? Why isn’t everyone killed immediately when the hull is breached?) destroys what’s left of the ship. 

Forster and crew and also pulled into the black hole, but after a truly trippy adventure, they manage to get through alright. Meanwhile, Schell manages to meld with Maximilian and become a real humanoid/robot as they seem to be left to rule Hell (?) in the middle of the black hole. 

This is such a weird, strange movie, that really is not intended for kids. The cute robot, Vincent (voiced by Roddy McDowall) does help save things. I’m sure he’s based on R2D2 from Star Wars, but he’s great in his own right. Plus, Mimieux can mentally chat with him! He makes a friend in a similar robot, named Bob (voiced by Slim Pickens) that was badly mistreated by Maximilian and the other robots. When Bob sacrifices himself to save the others, it just made me want to cry. 

After watching this movie years after being traumatized as a kid, it’s really not as scary as I thought. It’s still hella creepy and strange. Apparently, Disney tried to license some toys, but I imagine that didn’t go very far at all. Great to see Robert Forster playing a heroic captain (such a great actor and he will be missed) and Roddy McDowall saves the day as the voice of Vincent. I almost wish we could get spin-off Vincent adventures. Are you listening, Disney +?! 

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I’ve decided that in another life I was an artist/mystery writer/librarian/something that was married to either an aristocratic private detective (ala Lord Peter Wimsey) or a Chief Inspector from Scotland Yard (ala Inspector Roderick Alleyn) or wise-cracking ex-detective (ala Nick Charles).  I’d have my career, but I’d still be able to help solve cases with the hubby if time permits. Sometimes I’d be caught up in them - but we’d be able to work it out in the end. That would be the perfect life for me! (I’d love to be a mystery writer anyway.)

Yes, the picture is from Downton Abbey, but I’ve been reading a lot of Ngaio Marsh lately. I feel like Matthew Goode would be a perfect Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn and Michelle Dockery would be a great Agatha Troy. I think we’re due for a new Roderick Alleyn series (just like we’re in need for a new Campion and a new Wimsey series). Just sayin’. 

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If I could talk to younger me

If I could go back in time and talk to the young me, this is what I would say: 

1) Don’t let anyone bully you out of your dreams. Otherwise you’ll be left with no career and hating yourself.

2) Don’t let fear overrule your world. Move to a different state and stay there. Try new and scary things. Don’t be afraid to show emotion and be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to fail - at least you tried. Don’t be afraid to be different. Normal is so boring.

3) It doesn’t get much better but it can always get worse.

4) It’s ok to be single. Some people just are.  And if there’s no happily ever after for me, that’s ok too. 

5) Learn to drive. Life is much easier if you can. Plus, folks won’t look down on you like you’re a freak. 

6) Save your money. Even if it’s a little bit a week. 

I wish I had done a lot of things differently. Hopefully, it’s not too late to change. 

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). It’s the opening line of a fairy tale or fable and that’s what this movie certainly is. It’s a myth of what the 1960′s were like for LA, the movie business, TV, etc. It even has a happy ending - if only real life could have such a happy ending.

Leonardo DiCaprio is Rick Dalton, a former TV star that’s slowly fading into a round of guest spots on other hit shows. He’s in despair of his career and wondering how to recapture it - is the part in a Spaghetti Western the way to go? 

Brad Pitt is stunt man Cliff Booth. He’s Rick’s right-hand man, best friend, driver, dogsbody. They’ve got a great bromance going between them. Cliff tries to keep Rick out of trouble and keep his hopes alive. Meanwhile, Cliff lives in a trailer behind a run-down drive-in theater with only a dog for company. He’s got some nasty skeletons in his closet that may or may not be his fault. He’s a loyal friend that doesn’t seem to let it worry him that Rick’s golden ticket days are almost over - just like the 60′s. 

Margot Robbie is Sharon Tate. We meet her as she’s preparing to leave for Europe with husband Roman Polanski. She’s fun, girlie, giddie. She loves to party and dance to Paul Revere and the Raiders. She’s just loving life. If Rick’s on the way down, Sharon is on the way up. She even goes to a theater showing one of her films (Don’t Make Waves - in which we marvel along with Robbie and watch actual footage of the film with the real Sharon Tate). It’s a Sharon Tate that the world never really knew and it’s a refreshing sight.

The movie is a fairy tale with long takes of people driving through LA, just listening to the radio. And I’m ok with that! I could watch Brad Pitt or Margot Robbie drive around town listening to classic rock as the California wind flows through their hair. Seeing the vintage signs and buildings was a real trip. It’s a myth of what LA was - minus, I suppose, the smog and garbage, etc. 

It’s a pretty narrow fairy tale that really only focuses on the lives of three people. We don’t see what else was going on during that time - some mentions of Vietnam. No mention of civil rights, Nixon, the space program, etc. 

Also, this may be the first Tarantino film in quite awhile, without Samuel L Jackson. He’s not even doing the voice-over like he did briefly in Inglourious Basterds (2009). 

Is this the best Tarantino film? My heart always goes out to Jackie Brown (1997) or the Kill Bills (2003-4). But it’s still pretty good. It’s probably DiCaprio’s best work - it’s a real show part for him. There’re long scenes of him just acting in the TV show within the movie and you forget you actually paid to watch a different film. Brad Pitt’s refreshingly good and brings a sexy cool to the role of put-upon Cliff. Robbie does well as Tate, but doesn’t have much to do but be a shining bright 60′s star on the rise. 

As for Manson and his followers - we briefly see Manson (as he creeps on Jay Sebring), but we mainly meet the girls and Tex as they sponge off George Spahn and his ranch. They’re all as crazy as you’d think, (especially Squeaky played by Dakota Fanning) and you do get a sense of evil from the place. But if you know the history of Manson and the murders, the countdown to the end sends chills. I had a feeling a different outcome would come about - a nice fairy tale ending with the good guys winning and the bad guys ending up shot, stabbed, beat to death and/or torched in a pool. If you want a more in-depth view of Hollywood, Manson and Sharon Tate - listen to the riveting You Must Remember This podcast, Charlie Manson’s Hollywood. You learn all about Manson and his family, how he affected Terry Melcher, Dennis Wilson and others. You learn about Sharon, Sebring and Polanski and you learn about what really happened that horrible night of the Tate Murders. Some say that is what really killed the 60′s. 

The movie is a brief minute in the lives a few folks at the end of the 60′s. The end of the studio system - even the end of the hippie era. Some say the end of innocence before the jaded 70′s hit us with Nixon, Watergate, Vietnam, the economy tanking and all the rest of it. 

[emaline5678]

A Dorothy L Sayers Mystery (1987). 

I’ve re-watched the excellent Lord Peter Wimsey/Harriet Vane mystery series. Based on the Dorothy L Sayers books Strong Poison, Have His Carcasse and Gaudy Night (the production team sadly couldn’t get the rights to Busman’s Honeymoon. The series features Edward Petherbridge as the aristocratic sleuth and Harriet Walter as detective writer, Harriet Vane. 

I just love this series. Petherbridge brings a romantic vibe to the quirky sleuth and Walter is lovely as the plucky mystery writer. Wimsey falls head-first in love with Harriet in Strong Poison as she’s on trial for murder. When he helps clear her name, Harriet goes on holiday and stumbles upon another body. Peter races to the seaside to help investigate. After solving this murder together, Harriet’s on her own when someone is causing trouble at Harriet’s old college in Oxford. Peter arrives to help in the end, continuing to woo Harriet along the way. They come together in the end, but it’s a slow burn all the way. 

Fans of this pair will enjoy the Jill Paton Walsh books(I do) that continue on where Dorothy L Sayers left off. Peter and Harriet continue to solve mysteries, make babes and basically be lovely to each other. 

One of Harriet’s lines to Peter in Strong Poison is perfect: “If anybody does marry you, Peter, it will be for the pleasure of hearing you talk piffle.” He does talk piffle, usually to camouflage his true feelings or to make others thing he’s sillier than he really is. 

The two sleuths suit each other in so many ways. Peter loves and worships Harriet, but he doesn’t control her or smother her. She still keeps her career as a writer. He comes to her aid when she needs it, but never forces himself into her business unless asked. Harriet is always on Peter’s side and is never afraid of his darker, vulnerable moods. It would be nice to find someone like Peter - someone who can make you laugh and comfort you and love you and think you are the smartest woman in the world and still be your champion when you’re in trouble. 

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A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life. All by Deborah Harkness. 

Episode 2 of the TV show A Discovery of Witches (starring Matthew Goode and Teresa Palmer) airs on AMC and BBCAmerica tonight so I thought I’d write down why I love this show and this series of books so much! 

I first read the books last summer. I was in a really dark place. I was stuck in a dead in job with a company that is now going out of business. I was broke with few friends. I had no future prospects either. I was having VERY dark thoughts - like what would be the point of living when there was no future for me?  Then I saw the SkyOne trailer for this new show that would air shortly in England. I was hooked. I started reading the books and soon bought copies for myself. There was suddenly nothing else in the world for me but this wonderful and rich All Souls Universe. 

A Discovery of Witches centers on  Diana Bishop, a college professor who discovers an ancient magical book in the library. She’s a witch who’s ignored her powers. She’ll need them when a vampire scientist, Matthew Clairmont finds her soon after she discovers the book. Their frosty relationship turns to friendship and then to love. They’ll need each other as other creatures (vampires, daemons, witches) go after Diana’s power and the ancient book, Ashmal 782. 

Throughout the series (a fourth book, Time’s Convert came out last fall), Diana and Matthew go through life and death to find the book. They travel back in time even to the 1590′s in search of it. There’s a council of creatures that may try to kill our heroes if they catch them. We meet Diana’s witchy aunts and learn how her parents really died. We meet Matthew’s sometimes scary vampire family - including hunky Gallowglass - and delve into Matthew’s very dark past. We also have a plenty of villains, including evil witches and evil vampires (like the monster Benjamin - who just happens to be Matthew’s son and has some pretty sick motivations that we learn about in The Book of Life). 

Not only did the supernatural elements attract me to this series, but the romance was a big draw. I’m a sucker for an epic romance and these poor lambs go through A LOT. There’s mystery, suspense, horror, thrills and so much more. Many folks have compared it to Twilight or Harry Potter. I think it’s more like Charmed. That show also had a forbidden romance (a couple actually), an ancient book (Book of Shadows!), all kinds of creatures (demons, whitelighters, witches) and a shady governing body that tries to keep humans from noticing creatures (the Elders). 

My favorite character in the books is Matthew. He’s a 1500 year old vampire with layers and layers and layers. He’s such a complicated person. Not only does he have blood rage, which can causes him to go mad at times, his conscience is killer. When they first meet, Diana finds him exasperating. He’s moody and sometimes too controlling. He’s got secrets that have secrets and Diana only finds them out a little at at time. Yet, he is also loving and loyal and kind to his friends and family. He is the perfect support for Diana.

Now, Diana may have a powerful vampire by her side but she eventually learns that she doesn’t need him to protect her. She has so much power on her own. Early on, she’s kidnapped by an evil witch and while Matthew does come to save her, Diana is the one who uses her powers to save herself. There were times when I wanted Matthew to come in and save the day (call me an old-fashioned romantic, alright!) but it’s better when Diana can discover the power within herself and save herself. Matthew may not like how Diana’s power can attract evil baddies, but he also knows she can protect herself. He won’t stop her from saving the day (and that she does in the end of Book of Life), but he’ll be there to support her when she needs it. He may not like that she can be put in danger, but he knows he can’t stop her either- no matter how hard he tries.

Finally, another thing I loved about this series is that Diana is a college professor. Matthew is a scientist. They’re after a lost book, not an Infinity stone or ring or anything like that. They first meet in a library. She’s got an actual career! He’s not just brooding in the shadows either. I’ve always loved learning - the best part of college was listening to lectures. I just loved talking and hearing about all this stuff I was learning. I wanted to know more. I would have loved to have become a professor and spend years researching history. I would have loved to have become a librarian even. I made too many wrong choices over the years out of fear for me to feel like that those paths are now closed (maybe not - I like to be optimistic).

Anyway, I just like the books and now the TV show. It sparked a Matthew Goode obsession that I may never get over! I’ve binged the series on SundanceNow, I don’t know how many times. I’ve re-read the books dozens of times. I may not be 100% happy, but I’m not quite in that dark, unhappy place I was last summer. I have to thank Deborah Harkness and the wonderful world she created for us. She’s inspired me to try my hand at writing again - another way to find a way out of the darkness.