Top 10 Soundtrack

Tbh I really got into soundtrack music for writing/reading because of Fran and Sarah J Maas, and now I'm addicted (thanks). Picking a Top 10 is so hard but I'm going to attempt it. Mine will actually be a countdown to my favorite soundtrack piece of all time so here we go...

10. Welcome to Jurassic Park by John Williams
9. Land of Shadows by Audiomachine
8. Short Hair from Mulan
7. Tales of a Jedi Knight by John Williams
6. Forest Battle by John Williams
5. To Die For by Hans Zimmer
4. Transformation from Brother Bear
3. One Summer's Day from Spirited Away
2. King of Pride Rock by Hans Zimmer

and the ruler of my soundtrack playlist:

1. Ihojin No Yaiba from Sword of the Stranger 

I could write an ode to this song oh my god. First off the fight scene that goes to it (scene from it on the right) is bloody brilliant and beautiful but also when taken out of context the song remains to be a terrific score excerpt for me to read/write to. When listening to it, I can easily imagine worlds I'm trying to create, journeys I wish my characters to embark on. It's honestly the best and I can listen to it for the rest of my life and never be annoyed. I can't do it justice but please do yourselves a favor and listen to it.

FRAN'S Top 10ish Soundtracks

FRAN'S TOP 10:
These tracks are in no specific order. Because I've experienced playing in a string orchestra, I tend to listen to a lot of orchestra-type film scores because I appreciate them more. All of these are non-lyrical. John Powell, Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli), and Disney comprises most of my favorites.

1. Arrival of the Birds by The Cinematic Orchestra
2. Suns and Stars by Really Slow Motion
3. The Stag from Disney's Cinderella
4. Romantic Flight by John Powell
1. Battle of the Bewilderbeast by John Powell
2. Battling the Green Death by John Powell
5. Simple and Clean by Utada Hikaru
6. The Wind Forest by Joe Hisaishi
1. Howl's Moving Castle Main Theme by Joe Hisaishi
2. Day of the River by Joe Hisaishi
7. The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams
8. The Last Airbender Suite by Jeremy Zuckerman
1. Red Lotus from Legend of Korra
9. Flying from Peter Pan
10. Mermaids by Hans Zimmer

Film adaptations

Hello misses and misters,

Woke up this fine Veteran's Day to big news for Sarah J Maas and her fans: A Court of Thorns and Roses is getting a movie!

Source: http://deadline.com/2015/11/tempo-court-of-thorns-and-roses-piers-tempest-jo-bamford-sarah-maas-the-journey-im-global-paisley-mcguinness-1201618575/

Out of the four Maas books I read this year (wow, I can't believe I read that many of her works) this one was definitely my favorite. It was nice to get a break from the world of Celaena Sardothien, a character I remain to be conflicted about. Feyre and her Fae Lords offered a nice new perspective for me to take on. Plus, as I mentioned in my Goodreads review, I'm a sucker for a fantasy world filled with sultry romance and high-points of action. Guilty pleasure, I guess.

However, in my enjoyment of ACOTAR, there lies a fear in this news. Will the film do the book any justice? Then, the bigger question. Will I enjoy any of the screen renditions of YA fiction that are dawning upon us?

In addition to ACOTAR, Maas' main work, the Throne of Glass series, has been auctioned off for a TV series. The 5th Wave will be washing over us in theaters in no time. The Shadowhunters is another attempt of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments to be brought to life. Anything can be better than the movie based on City of Bones that totally flopped, but still?

I also read The 5th Wave this year and freaking loved it (ty Fran for your recommendation). Moments after finishing the novel, I looked up the movie trailer and was met with disappointment. I can't explain it really. It's true that I'm excited for my favorite pieces of YA literature to be put on the big screen, but it also breaks my heart a little. It took me some time to realize this but I'm not one for movies. They're okay but I will always prefer the movie, except maybe Breakfast at Tiffany's. (see http://booksaf.blogspot.com/2015/09/alys-thoughts-breakfast-at-tiffanys-vs.html for my review of both film and book versions of Breakfast at Tiffany's) This said, I may be biased in my dislike for upcoming adaptations of novels dear to my heart.

The 5th Wave film has me heated over the casting for Evan (who is a literal babe in my head but definitely not on screen). Throne of Glass as a TV series might be the most hopeful out of this bunch. That is until they get past Season 1/Book 1. The casting for this also terrifies me in a way. I can't imagine a Hollywood actress embodying the overwhelming confidence and lethal grace of Celaena Sardothien. The Shadowhunters will obviously be better than its TMI on-screen predecessor, but will it be good enough to renew for a second season? Let's hope because TMI is a series I still love despite the fact that I read it years ago.

So this was my excessive rant to celebrate ACOTAR's film news! Very excited as you can tell haha. But sincerely, I can't wait to see who takes on the roles of Feyre, Tamlin, Lucien, and Rhys. I hope that the world of ACOTAR is properly brought to life so it may do the novel some justice. The same applies to all of the film adaptations I have mentioned above.

FRAN'S THOUGHTS: NanoWrimo

Halloween is over! and aside from the automatic transition into Thanksgiving preparation, the time has also come for NanoWriMo!

For those who are not familiar with the term, NanoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Yeah, it's a thing. Writers commit themselves to starting and finishing a novel within the month of November, and you become a winner by achieving your desired word count by November 30th! (AKA WHEN UC APPS ARE DUE HAHAHA H8 LIFE) 

Click here to participate!

Anyone who joins this insanity has my immediate respect. I have never been one to finish a novel even if I get a whole year as opposed to a month. So to honor this special time for writers all over the world, I thought I'd share with you the stories-that-I-thought-about-writing-24/7-but-never-actually-spent-the-time-to-finish.

• 2009: Love Story
• It was about a love story.
• 2013: Stonehaven Academy
• A story of long-lost twins named Lennon and Emerson who ran cross country for a living.
• 2014: Ryland
• A girl named Ryland who did the most badass things because her name was Ryland.
• 2014: Hero Battles Fanfiction
• Damn right I wrote fanfic
• 2014: A Story for my Mother
• A 5-page fictional message to help my mom cope with claustrophobia during her solo trip on a plane. (She never read it)
• 2014: Elite
• In which a group of Sherlock Holmes' prodigies come together to solve crimes throughout the universe. They may or may not have been spies as well. 
• 2015: Forest
• A treasure hunt occurs within the mystical forests of a parallel universe.