Best of February

Spring are you here yet? 

Here are the bests of Feb!

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Cocktails & Chloroform by Kelley Armstrong

"Best book was this novella. I really need to start book 3 soon."

Carole -  The Tempest by William Shakespeare

"Def best book. An oldie but a goodie!!"

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole -  Wuthering Heights (2026)

"I actually went to the theater twice to watch this. So yes. Best of Feb for sure."

Blodeuedd - Sisu (2022)

"I watched a Finnish movie(they speak English) where the Finn did not say a word . He just killed nazis. Good, but gore and blood."

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Stargate (s1)

"Stargate is on netflix! So I binged season 1!"

Carole - Bridgerton (s4)

"Season 4 of Bridgerton!! I laughed. I cried. I need more."

Best Cover of the Month:

B's pick: Best cover because it is just so 90s

C's pick: Look at that dress!

Movie Review: Wuthering Heights (2026)

Title: Wuthering Heights

Length: 2h 16m

Released: 2026

Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: R
Where I Got It: Theater

SUMMARY:

A passionate and tumultuous love story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw.

Trailer

REVIEW:

When I saw the trailer for the first time months ago, I knew I had to go see this. 'Wuthering Heights' is one of my favorite books to date. I read it every few years. I would read it every year, but it is a tragic read for sure. 

Here we have Cathy and Heathcliff. We all know the story. They are toxic, and their love is destructive. He misunderstands her conversation and leaves. She marries Linton. He comes back rich and ready to either have her or destroy everything. 

I will admit....I was nervous about the casting here. Mainly so our Heathcliff. I've seen this acting, and I like him, but I didn't know if he could pull off the dark side of Heathcliff. The youthful and in love version is doable, but the toxic side? I was nervous. HOWEVER, I was proven wrong. He did a delightful job. I wanted to clap. 

The rest of the cast was lovely. They all did a great job making you hate them and/or feel pity for them. I also loved the kid versions they cast. They actually looked like mini versions of our characters. Lovely. 

So, I went with Hubby and our mutual friend. Hubby barely remembered the last version I made him watch, but our mutual friend had never seen or read the book. After the movie ended, he said, "Man. I started off liking them, but I hated them by the end." I replied, "Yep. They are all terrible, terrible humans. Minus Linton, who didn't deserve any of this." And that is why I love this. They are all so toxic to each other. Maybe if everyone just sat down and talked ALL of this drama could've been avoided. So many hurt feelings. So many betrayals. So dang tragic. 

The aesthetic and music choice was interesting. I was a little unsure at first, but I grew to like it a lot. The colors were bold. 

The ending was different from the book. Which is fine. They cut out a whole part of Heathcliff's schemes, but it isn't the first movie adaptation that has done this. 

I was also really annoyed that they didn't include a huge part of Cathy's monologue describing her love for Heathcliff and Linton. It's classic! It is what all of booknerds wanted to hear! Disappointing!

In the end, I did enjoy this. I can see myself watching this again. It was intense and delightful, but in a dark way. They changed the ending, which didn't bug me too much. My biggest complaint is so minuscule, but I LOVE that whole quote. I'll give this 4 stars. 

 

TMST: My Romance Recommendations

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

Romance Recommendations

I LOVE romance books. I am a sucker for all different types of romances. My main type I lean towards is a doomed, tragic, love story. However, I hate Romeo and Juliet. Try to figure that one out, eh!! But yes. Love and romance are always fun. Here are some of my few that I highly encourage everyone who likes the genre even a tiny bit (mind you there is no order - except the last three books will be my favorite romance books).

Here are my three favorite romances that I recommend!

Book Review: Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Bronte

Title: Wuthering Heights
Genre: Romance, Classic, Gothic, Historical Fiction
Pages: 464

First Published: 1847
Where I Got It: my shelf (Goodwill)

"Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine's father. After Mr Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine's brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries. The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature."

This is about the fourth time I've read this novel. However, its been a while and I was having an itch for it, so I picked it up and began reading it. Within hours I was done. I just can't get enough of this book. Now I'm desperately on the hunt for the movie with Tom Hardy (he's so yummy). The nearest one is some random town a couple hours away, so I have to sit here and wait. Gah. Patience is not my virtue...however, I would want an eon to watch the movie. Not only is Tom Hardy yummy, but this story makes me happy as a clam.


Anyways, I hate pretty much every character in this book, but I still adore it. I love the hate-love that is formed between Catherine and Heathcliff. I feel that after he runs off like an idiot and then came back to seek his revenge that the romance bloomed more. Yes, love shouldn't be like that, but for them...it worked. They are both crazy and rather mean people and when they had some hatred mixed in with their love it just seemed fitting. 

Though Heathcliff did have valid reasons as to why to hate Catherine, Hindley, and even Linton, I was angry that he took his revenge on the innocent. Yes, take revenge on those three. That is fine, but when he turned his focus onto Miss Linton and the next generation, that was going too far. I don't want to ruin anything for anyone, so I shall not go into detail. I shall say though...that Heathcliff went waaaaaaay to far though. Oh well, it was entertaining to see how far he would go.

This certainly is a classic and a masterpiece that will live on throughout the ages. I pray that my children will love this book as much as I do.

In the end, I love this book more then I can say. Not only is there a tragic romance, but it is filled with revenge, mystery, and a ghost. It is a Gothic novel, just as a heads up to those that don't fancy  the genre. I would recommend this to everyone. Everyone should read this because it is a classic and its just a generally good story. I shall stamp this with 5 stars, of course. ^.^

Favorite Character(s): Nelly (the rational one of them all), Linton (yeaaaah, I just felt so bad for him), Heathcliff (I have a love-hate thing with him. I love to hate him. bahahaha), and Young Hareton.
Not-so-Favorite Character(s): Catherine (I don't understand why ever Tom, Dick, and Harry loved her), Heathcliff (love-hate), Hindley (a drunken fool), and Lockwood (useless human being)
Favorite Quote(s): "My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary." Catherine, page 74 (one of the most famous quotes, but I sure do love it)

==========================

<3CaroleRae

Wuthering Heights Movie Review

Length: 105 mins
Released: 1992 (UK)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rating: PG, some violence
Directed By: Peter Kosminsky
Where I Got It: Borrowed it from Library


This is the 1992 movie version of the classic novel 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. Ralph Fiennes plays Heathcliff and Juliette Binoche playes not only Cathy, but Cathy's daughter Catherine (a little baffling). I've seen many versions, but I've always wanted to see this version, however the film kept eluding me. Maybe it was meant for me to make a review and post to you all. Who knows. The fates are funny like that.

 "Heathcliff is Cathy Earnshaw's foster brother; more than that, he is her other half. When forces within and without tear them apart, Heathcliff wreaks vengeance on those he holds responsible, even into a second generation"


Well, officially this has become my second favorite version, my first will probably always be the 2009 version with Tom Hardy (yum). However, I was HIGHLY pleased with this film. It had all the characters in it and the second generation being part of Heathcliff's revenge. In a lot of movies they just seem to "forget" about Cathy #2, Hareton, and Linton Heathcliff. I loved how they used many of the same quotes from the book. They had Heathcliff be mean and heartless at certain points, which was what he was suppose to be like. However, they made him into a bad guy that you feel sorry for. I loved it. They made the characters seem real and believable. Even grumpy-old Heathcliff, who is full of hate.

  

                                                                                                          Ralph Fiennes was a wonderful Heathcliff. He was cold, bitter, angry, and completely and utterly in love with Cathy. He played the character the way he was suppose to be played. Also, he is a hunk. Besides that, great job Ralph! Now Juliette Binoche played both the wild and vain Cathy and Cathy#2. I enjoyed her performance, she did wonderful as Cathy#2 better than the first Cathy. Cathy is suppose to turn vain, however she played her as if she didn't care about the nice things. It's hard to explain. She played her too innocent too. The perfect Cathy was Merle Oberon in the 1939 version. But now Cathy#2 is a completely different story. Juliette played her to a key. Sweet, but has a touch of wild in her, not much. She's more a Linton then a Earnshaw. Besides that, all the characters were represented wonderfully.

          I would have to grant this movie 5 stars! Yayy! Wooo! Everyone who loves this novel or just loves a good movie should track this movie down and watch it. I think I may even buy it...

              

Wuthering Heights~~Happy Valentines...

I LOVED this book and I've seen the majority of the movies. I haven't seen the 1992 version of it. My favorite, so far, is the 2008 with Tom Hardy. I have high expectations for this film. I'm in love with the story and I hope they didn't take too many liberties with it. *fingers crossed* I like Ralph Fiennes, so it won't be too horrid.

Here's a trailer:

I tend to forget every year....happy Valentines Day.

<3