bookshistorybyafrenchstuden-blog

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Black Mirror

Black Mirror, released in 2011 on Netflix, is a British science-fiction anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. It explores a twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide.

It centres on dark and satirical themes that examine modern society, particularly with regard to the unanticipated consequences of new technologies.

Set in a world only minutes from our own, Black Mirror unveils how modern technologies can backfire and be used against their makers, every episode, set in an alternative present or near future, shows different characters combating different types of technologies.

What makes this Netflix series so powerful is that it doesn’t just present another collection of stories where technology turns on us, but where we use technology to turn on -- or tune out -- each other. Each segment on all the seasons is the perfect blend of satire, grimness and mirror to our society. All very different but all very close to how we live and interact.

Quotes

“Well, no man can choose his death...” - Detective Collier

“I am not stupid. Maybe a little bit, but not much.” - Ralph

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Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is an American fantasy drama television series produced by the HBO cable network. It is based on the novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, written by George R.R. Martin, who serves as a Producer, creative consultant and scriptwriter on the television series. David Bénioff and D.B. Weiss created the television series and serve as executive producers, showrunners and the main writers.

To date, the series consists of seven fully transmitted seasons, comprising sixty-seven épisodes in total, while the series is currently in production for its eighth and final season, which will consist of six épisodes.

Production of the series is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, mainly at the Paint Hall Studios. It is the largest and most expensive television production ever mounted in Northern Ireland.

Filming for the series has also been conducted in Malta, Iceland, Croatia, Morocco, Spain, France and the USA.

The series is set in a world where the seasons can last for years at a time.

The main setting is the continent of Westeros, which was home to seven feuding kingdomsuntil they were united by the Targaryen family using dragons some three centuries ago. The dragons died out and the Targaryen Mad King was unseated in a civil war led by Lords Robert Baratheon, Eddard Stark, Jon Arryn, and Hoster Tully, seventeen years before the series opens. Robert has ruled as King ever since, but when the series opens his rule is increasingly undermined by other factions. At the same time, the only two known surviving Targaryen children, Viserys and Daenerys, having grown to adulthood in exile on the eastern continent of Essos, are now planning to return to Westeros and retake the Iron Throne, and to this and are seeking military alliances with other factions.

As both civil war and an external invasion threaten Westeros, another danger arises in the lands to the far north, beyond the vast Wall that forms the realm’s northern border, where a supernatural threat believed to be mythical seems to be stirring after millennia of sleep. The only defense lies with the Night’s Watch, an undermanned, underfunded order of soldiers once held in honor but now used as a dumping ground for criminals and exiles.

Westeros is ruled by nine Great Houses, who in turn command hundreds of lesser vassal houses. Houses Stark, Arryn, Tully, Greyjoy, Lannister, Baratheon, Tyrell, Martell and Targaryen are the nine original Great Houses. Each of the Great Houses rules a large region and commands significant armies and power in their own right.

It all started when David Bénioff was sent a collection of the first four novels in the series (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crowns) by George R.R. Martin’s agent.

Initially sceptical of the fantasy genre, Bénioff became a big fan of the books and invited his friend D.B. Weiss to develop the project with him for a screen adaptation. They initially considered a movie adaptation, but realized this would mean losing most of the plot and characters from the books. Instead, they began working on an adaptation for television.

The first season aired on HBO on 17 April - 19 June 2011, garnering critical acclaim and steadily rising ratings.

By the end of the second season, the show had become the third most successful series in HBO’s history, behind only The Sopranos and True Blood.

By the end of third season the show had supplanted True Blood as the second most successful HBO show in the United States and The Sopranos as its most successful series worldwide.

With 250 speaking roles, almost 90 of them names, the cast was the largest ever assembled for the debut season of a HBO project. The cast grew even larger in the second and third seasons.

The cast includes Sean Bean as Lord Eddard Stark, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Mark Addy as King Robert Baratheon, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Nicolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen, Richard Madden as Robb Stark, Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister, Aidan Gillen as Petyr Baelish, Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy, Conleth Hill as Varys, Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane, Jérôme Flynn as Bronn, John Bradley-West as Samwell Tarly, Lain Glen as Jorah Mormont, James Cosme as Jeor Mormont, Joe Dempsie as Gendry, Sibel Kekilli as Shae and Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo.

The cast is also notable for including a number of teenage and child actors in prominent roles : Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark, Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark and Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon.

Quotes :

“Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.” - Tyrion Lannister

“The only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid.” - Ned Stark

“People will whisper. They’ll make their jokes. Let them. They’re so small, I can’t even see them.” - Cersei Lannister

“Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than Swords. Quick as a snake. Calm as water.” - Arya Stark

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Sherlock Holmes

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the most famous detective of all time.

Over 125 years after his creation, Sherlock Holmes remains the most popular fictional detective in history. Arthur Conan Doyle is best known for the 60 stories he wrote about Sherlock Holmes. His body of work includes nearly 200 novels, short stories, poems, historical books and pamphlets.

Ever since he made his first appearance in A Study In Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes has enthralled and delighted millions of fans throughout the world.

Rivers of ink have flowed about Sherlock Holmes since 1887 when he was introduced to the world in A Study in Scarlet, first published in “Beeton’s Christmas Annual”. Over all, Sherlock Holmes was featured in 4 novels and 56 short stories.

It is commonly agreed that the character traits of Sherlock Holmes were inspired by Dr. Joseph Bell, one of the teachers at the medical school of Edinburgh University. Arthur Conan Doyle was seventeen years old when he first met Dr. Joseph Bell, who was then thirty-nine. The doctor left an indelible impression upon the young student.

This is how Conan Doyle described Dr Bell: A “thin wiry, dark” man, “with a high-nosed acute face, penetrating grey eyes, and angular shoulders.” Dr. Bell “would sit in his receiving room with a face like a Red Indian, and diagnose the people as they came in, before they even opened their mouths. He would tell them details of their past life; and hardly would he ever make a mistake”.

Conan Doyle dedicated The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to Dr. Bell, who gave credit to the author for Sherlock Holmes's genius: “You are yourself Sherlock Holmes and well you know it,” he wrote him

Holmes has essentially an obsessive personality. He works compulsively on all his cases and his deductive powers are phenomenal. He can get engulfed in periods of depression between cases and is known to take cocaine when he cannot stand the lack of activity. Money and prestige don't interest him, simply the chance to flex his intellectual muscles and practise his unique method of deduction are enough. Following him through a series of problems, you are able to watch a great mind at work and delve into the criminal world of London.

In His Last Bow, set in 1914, Holmes is described as being 60, indicating that he was born in 1854. He lived in London at 221B Baker Street and shared rooms with Dr. Watson until the latter’s marriage in 1887 and then again after his wife’s death.

Holmes worked as a detective for 23 years and retired in the Sussex Downs shortly before 1904. The details of his death are unknown.

I love the Sherlock Holmes books and really enjoy following the various mysteries that Watson and Holmes deal with through the years.

However, I would have liked to know more about what went on between Holmes and Moriarty. Doyle writes that they were sparring and the problems faced had been numerous and difficult, but doesn't go into details.

I would recommend his books to anyone who enjoys mystery and adventure and any budding sleuths.

Quotes

“Crime is common, logic is rare.” - The Adventure of the Copper Beeches (1892) “My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know.” - The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (1892) “You see, but you do not observe.” - A Scandal in Bohemia (1891) “Never trust to general impressions, my boy, but concentrate yourself upon details.” - The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (1892)

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Harry Potter : a History of Magic

The Harry Potter books make up the popular series written by J.K. Rowling. The series spans seven books. The books have been made into movies by Warner Bros.

The books concern a wizard called Harry Potter and his journey through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The stories tell of him overcoming dangerous obstacles to defeat the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort who killed his parents when Harry was 15 months old.

The first book, Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone, was published in 1997 by Bloomsbury in London. The last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold more than 12 million copies in the US.

It is said that J.K. Rowling sent her preliminary copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to 12 publishers before it was accepted and published by Bloomsbury.

The author published seven books in the Harry Potter series, as well as numerous complementary books. A sequel to the original series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was released July 31st, 2016.

Original series

The following is a list of the seven books in the Harry Potter Series. Each novel corresponds to a year-long period of time, usually in reference to Harry Potter's year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 1- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (UK release : 26/06/1997) 2- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ( UK release : 02/07/1998) 3- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( UK release : 08/07/1999) 4- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ( UK and US releases : 08/07/2000) 5- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ( UK and US releases : 21/06/2003) 6- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ( UK and US releases : 16/07/2005) 7- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ( UK and US releases : 21/07/2007)

Sequel

This sequel takes place nineteen years after the events of the final book in the original series. It is unknown whether this will be a stand alone novel or the start of a new series Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (screenplay) (UK and US releases : 31 July, 2016)

Complementary books

The following are complementary books, which correspond to the series - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001) - Quidditch Through the Ages (2001) - The Harry Potter Prequel (11 June, 2008) - The Tales of Beedle the Bard (6 December, 2008) - Pottermore Presents : (1) Hogwarts : An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (6 September, 2016) (2) Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (6 September, 2016) (3) Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (6 September, 2016) - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them : The Original Screenplay (19 November, 2016)

Random facts

- The first and last books of the Harry Potter books of the series came out ten years apart. Coincidentally, the first and last movies of the series also came out ten years apart. - There is a dinosaur that has been named Dracorex Hogwartsia, with Hogwatsia being based on the name of Hogwarts, in honour of the series. The name translates to « Dragon King of Hogwarts » - With the exception of the third book, there is always at least one character that dies in the final chapter(s) of the books (although in the second book this is a basilisk, not a human character) - In total, the Harry Potter series spanned 36 years, beginning in 1981 and ending in 2017.

Harry Potter fact file

FULL NAME – Harry James Potter BIRTHDAY – 31 July 1980 WAND – Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple, it shares its core with Voldemort's wand HOUSE – Gryffindor PATRONUS – Stag PARENTS – Lily and James Potter SKILLS – Parseltongue, Defense Against the Dark Arts, skilled Seeker

Quotes

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your ennemies but a great deal more to stand up to your friends” - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good” - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals” - Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire “Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more that what we are now, students. If they can do it, why not us ?” - Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix “It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more” - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince “Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears. “After all this time ?” “Always”, said Snape.”

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The Gospel of Evil

Patrick Graham is a french thriller and crime novel writer.

International business intelligence consultant, the author is fascinated by the history of religions. Themes he explores in his novels to become master of the mystico-religious thriller. He lives between Paris, Rome and New-York.

His first book, The Gospel of Evil (Original title :L’Evangile selon Satan), was awarded with the prize Prix Maison de la Presse in 2007.

With only two novels, Patrick Graham became one of the best thriller authors of Europe. Translated into nine languages, his books entered the lists of best-sellers in France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

    “Ceci est l’Evangile selon Satan.                                                                      Ici commence la fin, ici s’achève le commencement.                                           Ici sommeille le secret de le puissance de Dieu.                                              Maudits par le feu soient les yeux qui s’y posent.”

1349, year of the black death, convent of the Augustines of Bolzano. Taking possession of an apocryphal Gospel, Mother Yseult de Trente, the Mother superior, immures herself alive with the manuscript to escape the massacre of her congregation by a demonic monk. The killer crucifies his victims and carries the signs of the worshippers of the Devil.

2006, Hattiesburg, Maine. Rachel, the assistant of the sheriff, is investigating on the disappearance of four young waitresses. She also disappears. Marie Parks, FBI's profileur who posseses a psychic gift and is specialized in the tracking of cross-killers (serial killers who travel) is charged with the investigation of the disappearance of Rachel. She finds her tortured body and remains of four missing persons crucified in a crypt. The murderer, killed by the FBI, is a monk who carries the signs of the worshippers of the Devil.

Several days later, at the Vatican, the cardinal Oscar Camano, boss of the Congregation of Miracles, learns that the four young women murdered are the nuns he send to the United States to investigate on the wave of murders striking the order of the Recluses, an age-old order responsible for protecting and studying forbidden manuscripts of the Christendom since the Middle Ages. He entrusts to the best of his exorcists, the Jesuit father Carzo, the care of finding the track of this Gospel which the Church lost six centuries earlier.

The enquiry of Parks and that of Carzo are going to cross and will lead them to the Rocky Mountains up to the convent of Bolzano and to the secret library of Vatican. What contains this Gospel of so dangerous for the Church ?

I totally recomend this book, I really liked it. I finished it like two weeks ago and I already want to read it again !

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DOCTOR STRANGE

From Marvel Studios comes DOCTOR STRANGE, directed by Scott Derrickson.

This is the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands.

When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to put ego aside and look for healing and hope in an unlikely place : a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj.

After meeting a mystic known as The Ancient One, he quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality.

Strange learns the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions and before long, armed with newly acquired magical powers, he is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, DOCTOR STRANGE must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Cumberbatch, who plays DOCTOR STRANGE, is both a natural comedian and a subtle one, he knows how to get a big laugh from nothing more than an arched eyebrow. They aren’t afraid of humour, and they know what’s funny. Indeed, DOCTOR STRANGE has one significant quality that most Marvel adaptations lack : a sense of humour about itself, which it wears as lightly as the most gossamer Cloack of Levitation.

The pacing is extremely well balanced, I didn’t feel a bit of boredom throughout the entire movie, the script writing was excellent and all the humour felt in place. The plot was very good and was explained using a very good story, it didn’t have any boring or uninteresting sub-plots that have no relevance in the movie. The action sequences are very well done, the visuals were amazing : the space-and-time warping and mirrored realities are a blast. They’re inventive enough that they awaken wonder, provoking that delicious question : how did they do that ?

Probably the only downside to this movie is the villain, Kaecilius, who wasn’ t really flushed out like all the other characters. His motivation was very unclear and was left unexplained throughout the course of the movie.

To summariez it, DOCTOR STRANGE is an amazing movie with very minimum downsides. Marvel continues to impress in their universe. 

Some quotes :

Mordo : “Might I offer you some advice ? Forget everything that you think you know.”

The Ancient One [to Strange] : “You’re a man looking at the world through a keyhole. You’ve spent your life trying to widen it. To see more, to know more. And now on hearing that it can be widen, in ways you can’t imagine, you reject the possibility.”

The Ancient One : “You think you know how the world works? You think that this material universe is all there is? What is real? What mysteries lie beyond the reach of your senses? At the root of existence, mind and matter meet. Thoughts form reality. This universe is only one of an infinite number. Worlds without end; some benevolent and life-giving, others filled with malice and hunger. Dark places where powers older than time lie, ravenous and waiting. Who are you in this vast multiverse, Mr. Strange ?”

The Ancient One : “We never lose our demons, Mordo. We only learn to live above them.”

Doctor Strange [to Wong] : “Try me, Beyonce.”

Doctor Strange : “I’m fluent in Google Translate.”

The Ancient One : “ You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current and use its power as your own.”

Kaecilius : “Mister ?                                                                                            Doctor Strange : Doctor.                                                                                    Kaecilius : Mister Doctor.                                                                                   Doctor Strange : I’m Strange.                                                                           Kaecilius : Maybe. Who am I to judge.”

Doctor Strange : “It is Doctor Strange. Not Master Strange. Not Mister Strange. Doctor Strange.”

Doctor Strange : “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain !”

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ROCK MAFIA

ROCK MAFIA is an American record production/songwriting team, consisting of Tim James and Antonina Armato who have been active since the early 2000s. They have worked with artists such as Demi Lovato, Vanessa Hudgens, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, No Doubt, Wyclef Jean, Green Day, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, Flo Rida, Ellie Goulding, A Great Big World, Tokio Hotel, Bebe Rexha, Armin van Buuren, and Laura Marano.

In late 2010, ROCK MAFIA released a song featuring James' own vocals entitled "The Big Bang". The song was used as the theme song for the VH1 reality show "Mob Wives."

The Big Bang" music video featured Miley Cyrus and Kevin Zegers and currently has more than 27.7 million views on YouTube.

ROCK MAFIA were reportedly in talks with potential writers and producers to bring the music video for "The Big Bang" to the big screens as a feature film, with Armato revealing on her Twitter that she had been meeting with Tish Cyrus (Miley Cyrus' mother) and Jennifer Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland and Memento) to work on creating the movie.

"The Big Bang" is featured on the video game FIFA 12, which launched in September 2011, and their song "Fly or Die" is part of the soundtrack in FIFA 13. Their song "I Am" featuring Wyclef Jean, Bill Kaulitz and David Correy featured as soundtrack on EA Sports game, FIFA 14.

ROCK MAFIA scored a hit in Europe with Aura Dione's hit single "Friends," a song written and produced together with David Jost.

Tim James and Antonina Armato are really good artists, I liked their songs from the first listening, you should check out their work, it’s worth it !

Some quotes from their songs :

The Big Bang - "Some people like to talk,                           But I'm into doing                           What I feel like doing                           When I'm inspired"

 Fly or Die - "The world is what you make of it"

 I Am - "I got my feet on the ground             And my head in the clouds             And nothin' can keep me down"

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PATHFINDER

This action/adventure saga, written by Nils Gaup and Laeta Kalogridis and directed by Marcus Nispel, recreates one of the most riveting, yet never-before-seen, eras in human history — when Viking "dragon" ships from the mysterious Norse lands arrived out of nowhere to invade a pristine North America.

Inspired by historical findings, yet forged with the magic and style of a modern graphic novel, PATHFINDER comes to life in a cinematic experience filled with intense and primal action.

Set around 1000 A.D, PATHFINDER unfurls the legend of Ghost, a young Viking boy left behind by his people in North America, and rescued by the Wampanoag chief's wife.

A stranger in a strange land, the boy is raised by a tribe of American Indians — the very people the Vikings had sworn to destroy. First identified as an enemy by the native North Americans, he matures into a robust wannabe brave (played by Karl Urban) determined to prove himself. He gets his chance when the Vikings again storm the eastern shores, waging a barbaric campaign. They slaughter the tribe that adopted the young man. Intent on revenge, Ghost turns to another tribe — led by the venerable Pathfinder (Russell Means) — for both support and doubt. In the bloody battle, Ghost confronts his father's old warmongering partner, Gunnar (Clancy Brown). In the end, a successor for Pathfinder is in place and a white hero anointed.

Boasting a prettified brutality that rivals that of 300, PATHFINDER also explores a similarly basic theme: manly men pursuing revenge at any cost. Ghost's story includes the usual touchstones for an outsider: he's mistrusted at first, then he transforms into an excellent warrior who is obsessed with proving that he's one of the tribe.

The main battle goes on for most of the movie, and after lots of cacophonous violence (blood sprays, eye-pluckings, impalings, and more), the movie ends neatly, with a muted lesson on the costs of vengeance.

In spite of all its flaws, PATHFINDER is a unique little action film.

Some quotes :

Starfire: “There are two wolves fighting in each man's heart. One is Love, the other is Hate. Ghost: Which one wins ? Starfire: The one you feed the most.“ Pathfinder: “If you are not strong enough to kill the bear, use the bear's strength to kill it.”

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THE REVENANT

Inspired by true events and based in part on the novel by Michael Punke, THE REVENANT is an immersive and visceral cinematic experience capturing one man’s epic adventure of survival and the extraordinary power of the human spirit.

In this action/adventure movie, Leonardo Di Caprio plays the legendary 19th century bear trapped Hugh Glass, left for dead by members of his own hunting team. In a quest to survive, this man, so incensed by being abandoned, endures unimaginable grief and finds the strength to crawl 200 miles in a vicious winter in pursuit of his faithless friends, bent on furious revenge.

THE REVENANT is directed and co-writted by renowned moviemaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Leonardo Di Caprio has been rewarded with a Golden Globe award and a Best Actor Oscar (finally!♡).

“Pain is temporary, but a film is forever” Iñárritu said when collecting a Golden Globe for Best Director.

THE REVENANT, like the land it depicts, is beautiful, brutal and unforgiving. It is the lethal force of a wild animal, the savagery of man against man, the sustaining power of revenge, and the beauty of vast, snowbound lands seemingly untouched...

Some quotes :

Hugh Glass : “As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe... keep breathing.”

John Fitzgerald : “It turns out Jesus is a squirrel. A big fat meaty one. And I shot and ate that son of a bitch.”

Hugh Glass : “I ain’t afraid to die anymore. I’d done it already.”

Wife of Hugh Glass : “When there is a storm, and you stand in front of a tree, if you look at it’s branches, you swear it will fall, but if you watch the trunk, you will see it’s stability.”

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Hi, I’m the Whirlwind Woman !

Welcome on my Tumblr !

On this account, I will talk about movies, books, music, paintings and photography. I will give informations, and I will also give my personal opinion and rate the work.

You will be able to discover new things, and I hope some of my posts will make you want to find out more things about the creators, or the work itself.

I will only talk about artists from Britain and USA (this account is originally for my English class, so I can't speak of creations from other countries)

Tell me if you want a post on something in particular and I will do it !

Happy reading !