Book Review; Mostly Void, Partially Stars; Welcome to Night Vale Episodes 1

Hi readers and welcome to Night Vale! 

I've been a fan of the Night Vale podcast for sometime now. I've written about it before but if you don't know about it; Night Vale is a desert town which weird things happen, the normal becomes scary and nothing is ever as it seems. The stories are narrative in the form of a radio show which I think just adds to the mysterious and creepiness! 

About two years ago, I reviewed the first Night Vale novel which I totally enjoyed and have linked below. I read the second novel - It Devours! Last year and loved that too, though I must have missed out reviewing it on here. Today we are looking the third book but not an actual novel from the Night Vale creators because this is actually the first volume of the podcast scripts! 

Unlike with the novels, I strongly recommended listening to Night Vale before reading this book. There is so much more 'weight' to hearing aloud the scripts then reading them. There are events that come across so much better and stir emotions. Plus, the weather is a music piece which of course you can't listen to in the book! 

This book was really brought out of the fans. There are introduction to each podcast which gives a small insight into how that one came about and I always liking learning that kind of stuff. It's not written like a lot of scripts I've read before and I guess that's because it's mainly one character. Though there are some stage directions and other characters do come in. 

Cecil Palmer is the host of the show and I love is almost monotone voice. It's so calming and he just gives this natural feel to everything that's happening - though it's mostly unnatural and often scary! My favorite character is The Faceless Old Woman, maybe it's just because she's voiced by Mara Wilson, but I love the idea of her character - she lives in every home, is everywhere else and watching everyone and all the happenings of Night Vale all the time. She's an interesting, supernatural being.  

Reading the podcasts actually showed me how much I'd not taken in from listening to them the first time around! I think because Night Vale has now developed more, it's strange to look back at the beginning when it wasn't so whole and defied. The little side stories and characters that appear and then don't come back until something bigger happens, it was interesting for me to see the seed of those ideas. The narrative isn't a consent flow and can't really be read in a novel form way. So, it's hard to talk about the plot. There's just a lot of things going on and some of those things become more important and others get lost. 

For me, I did find reading the podcasts easier then listening to them because I have to force myself not to do anything whilst listening because I'm easily distracted by multi-tasking and then I realise that I've missed whatever has just been said. I need to make time to get back into Night Vale and catch up! I have the second volume of scripts to read next, so maybe after that I'll try and set some time aside in the evenings. I might not do a review of that book though, got some other stuff I want to write about, including; a series of manga I've been reading for the last few months, a few novels I read last year that are worth talking about and possibly reviewing the Harry Potter books which I plan to re-read all of for maybe the second or third time. I've re-read some of the book individual but not the whole set.

Overall, if you are a Night Vale fan and fancy seeing how the podcast scripts are created and/or you fancy some nostalgia of the desert town, then this is a good book to flip through. If you've not hear of Night Vale then give it ago. It's surprisingly gripping! 

Thanks for reading, until next week. Goodnight, Night Vale, Goodnight!

Links;

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29634931-mostly-void-partially-stars

http://www.welcometonightvale.com/

http://hailscrazyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/book-review-welcome-to-night-vale-novel.html

Book Review; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Hi readers,

Today's post is going to be a little short as I'm not very well. I've an ear infection and this is the third day I've spent on the sofa doing very little. I'm watching repeats of Ghost Adventures on TV in the background and trying to do little bits of things. Hopefully, this book review will get up today. 

There's been a lot about Harry Potter again recently with a new play, new movie and rumours of a new novel coming. I was caught up in it when the books first came out and I'm still a fan but I'm not that big into it. I enjoy the stories and characters for what they are and like the originality of the magic world. To be honest I wasn't that bothered when this new book came out and actually the only reason I decided to get The Cursed Child and read it was because a friend at my Dungeons and Dragons role playing group told me it was rubbish. 

There are two problems straight a way that fans had with this book;  it's not written by J .K. Rowling and it's not a novel but a play script. I think what people really wanted was a new novel to start a new series of Harry Potter. The plot and characters of this play could easily have been in a novel and a part of me does see that the play's writing would have been better as a novel too.   

I forget who said this quote; 'plays are to be seen and not read,' but it's true, I remember all the times I've had to study a Shakespeare play and how watching it on screen or in the theatre made it so much more better and different from reading the words alone. I would love to go and see The Cursed Child but it's still only showing in London and it's so expensive for tickets even if it wasn't almost sold out already! If it does come to Manchester or I get the chance to go to London when it's on then I really do want to see it. I've heard a rumour there's plans to make it into three movies! What is it with people and movie trilogies? Another rumour is that Rowling is writing a new Harry Potter book, but I'm sure there's always a rumour about that! However, the movies would be a good plan. 

Anyway, The Cursed Child is set when all the characters from the books have grown up, got jobs, married and had kids. There was an end scene in the last book which did this and the play seems to fit on to that ending. The plot focuses on Potter's and Malfoy's sons who have become best friends, despite their fathers not wanting them too! The sons decided to travel back into time to stop Cedric Diggory from dying in the fourth book. Of course, things don't go to plan they change history three times with dramatic changes each time. Then they uncover that all really isn't what it seems when they learn it's not actually Diggory who they have been believing they needed to save. 

I found that even though, Rowling didn't write this, it was well written and the characters are realistic. It fits in well with the Harry Potter world too. I found it enjoyable and fun to read though I got through it fast as it's a play script so lacks in detail and description as scripts do. Still, there was enough there to be able to imagine it all and I totally see it working well as a play. The twists do work well and it did feel very much like Rowling's writing. 

I would say that even if you are a die-hard fan then give it a go. Just take it for what it is and enjoy it. I really hope I do get to see it as a play soon. 

Next week, I'm sticking with the Harry Potter theme and reviewing the movie script for Fantastic Beasts. 

Hopefully, I'll be feeling better too! 

Thanks for reading and see you next week!   

(Image from Goodreads)

Scriptwriting

The fresher's flu caught up with me on Sunday, so now I'm in bed sniffing loudly and wishing for hugs. I seem to be coughing a little too and my head is so fuzzy. Luckily, I've no classes today or yesterday, so I've had time to recover, but I've had to do some uni work as well. I can't drop everything because I'd be two days behind the rest of the world and catching up at this stage is tough. So to sort this out I've been doing the easy work; watching short films online for my scriptwriting class and also doing research into trucks.

Sounds a bit strange that, but I'm thinking about writing a short film which involves trucks; like the one above. I think this happened because I had a strange dream about it, but then as if by fate channel 5 decided to show a documentary about ES trucks; Demand.five.tv/series.aspx?/seasonbasename=eddiestobarttruckstrailersseries1

It's not my normal thing, but I become fascinated by the facts and the stories of the truckers' lives. I've seen the first two now and I'm looking forward to seeing the 3rd tomorrow. I'm also hoping the information I'm gaining will help me with my script. So watch this space!

Oh, my training for student guide went okay, I'm working on Saturday now in Hale Hall. Have to be there at 8am and I'm hoping my cold will be gone by then, though the fact I'm in all day tomorrow won't help. At least I've done my reading for my classes, though N/S is still giving me the run around...The never ending tale of struggles for sure! Time is running on again now, so its time to get moving and do some more work.