I don’t tend to really snack when reading, probably because I usually read when I’m in bed, or in work while I’m eating lunch. I also don’t really snack at home. I snack at work, and it’s usually just a packet of crisps or some chocolate, and I snack at lot at the BF’s when I’m playing video games, but not usually outside of that. But I can think of what sort of snacks I’d enjoy if I was settling in and planning on reading for a good few hours.
For reading, I think a hot drink is best, especially on a cold, crisp night. Hot chocolate, or perhaps my favourite – a flavoured latte. (Not even kidding, Greggs do an amazing caramel latte and McDonalds do a good toffee one – I prefer them over Costa and Starbucks!)
Some biscuits as well of course – I love chocolate covered biscuits, but some custard creams would also go nicely, just make sure you don’t get any crumbs on the pages!
And chocolate. My favourite chocolate is Galaxy, though honestly I love trying different kinds, as long as they don’t have nuts in! I also often tend to go through phases with different chocolates. My recent one was Dark Milk, which tastes amazing.
Cake! Of course. Cake is always good, whether it’s a simple Victoria Sponge, or a trifle cake which one of my colleagues makes (any cake she makes is just really, really good). Can’t beat a good slice of cake or a delicious cupcake.
Now, excuse me while I go raid the kitchen for some biscuits!
Do you snack while reading? What are your favourite snacks?
Anyone who has spent any time following me on Twitter probably knows by now that I love Disney. Disney films bring a lot of comfort to me, I was lucky enough to spend my fifth birthday in Walt Disney World, and I’ll be spending my 30th at Disneyland Paris, because I am, indeed, a very lucky woman. And, let’s face it, Disney villains are freaking awesome, otherwise we wouldn’t have had a whole spin off dedicated to Maleficent.
But how to sort them into a top 5? It feels like there are so many different directions this could go. Top most stylish? Top 5 best songs? Top deserve-their-own-live-action-film?
I’ve pondered this, and I’ve come to a conclusion.
This list will be my top 5 most frightening villains – from an adult’s perspective. The darkest villains. Sure, Maleficent can turn into a dragon, and the Evil Queen is terrifying when she transforms into an old hag, but have you ever stopped to think about the villains who are actually abusive? Or sing about, well, rape?
Top 5 Terrifying Disney Villains
1. Lotso
Ain’t he just an adorable, fluffy bear of evil
Lotso, the pink cuddly bear from Toy Story 3, is evil. He twists the minds of those around him, convinces them they’re unwanted, unloved, and only he can give their lives purpose. And he tries to destroy anyone who tries to escape, or who doesn’t fall in line. Lotso is a cult leader; one intent on clinging to power, anyway he can.
2. Lady Tremaine
Can we have a nice step-mother for once, please, Disney?
Ahh, Lady Tremaine, the widow with two daughters who remarries and then, after the death of her second husband, enforces a strict life of servitude on Cinderella. I’ve seen the argument that Tremaine is a grieving widow, but plenty of people grieve without inflicting child abuse on those under their care. And that’s not to mention the way she treats her daughters – yep, they don’t get out lightly either. She forces them to dress a certain way, to act a certain way, all with the aim of finding a rich husband. She uses her daughters, step- and bio, just to try and better her own life, rather than ensuring her daughters are able to live full, happy lives. She’s selfish and abusive, and if Cinderella was set now, social workers would be knocking down their door before the Fairy Godmother could say bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.
3. Judge Claude Frollo
Who is the monster and who is the man?
Frollo is a villain who, as I get older, gets worse and worse. There’s so much more to him than I thought as a kid, because quite frankly, so much of his character went straight over my head. For starters, he’s a religious fanatic – he doesn’t follow Christ’s teachings, but uses God and Christianity as a shield for his own actions, positioning himself as a champion of good and using religion as an excuse to enact his own evil, cruel policies. He threatens people. He’s the reason Quasimodo’s mother dies in the first place, as he chases her down and onto the steps of the cathedral (though seriously, where was the archdeacon when she was banging on the doors asking to be let in?) and he almost DROWNS A DAMN BABY. He convinces Quasimodo he cares for him, keeps him locked up and warns him against going outside. Like Mother Gothel, Frollo’s power over our hero is only there because the hero loves them back, because Quasimodo and Rapunzel love the people who claim to be their parents. And on top of that, HE FULL ON WANTS TO RAPE ESMERALDA. Hellfire is one of the most underrated, terrifying Disney songs, where Frollo basically states that if he cannot have her, no one can. Manipulative and abusive, Frollo feels sometimes way too realistic, with the kind of attitude, belief and power that combined, make him a very dangerous man indeed.
4. Hans
Hans is the guy who posts on AITA; “I convinced a girl I loved her after knowing her for 5 minutes so I can take over her kingdom, but I was left with no choice…AITA? I really don’t think I am. Her and her sister should just give me the kingdom I can rule it better”
Seriously, this guy. He targets the sisters, and only goes for Anna because he can instantly see how vulnerable she is, how easy it would be to win her over. He manipulates her, and right at the crucial moment, breaks her poor heart (and probably half the audience’s, too!). And yes, there are fantastic parallels between Hans in Frozen and Littlefinger in Game of Thrones, and not just because THAT moment feels so eerily similar. But Hans is the kind of guy who lures you with his looks, who acts like a nice guy while he’s drip feeding abuse into your ear. Let’s face it, if he and Anna HAD married, it wouldn’t take long before her self-esteem was at all time low and she had no one to turn to but him. He’s more than willing to kill Elsa, not because he thinks she poses a threat, but simply because he wants the kingdom all for himself. What an arsehole.
5. Zira
‘My Lullaby’ is a massively underrated Disney song.
Okay, here me out.
Zira is the antagonist for the sequel to Lion King, aka the big bad of Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride. She’s a devoted follower of Scar, and as such, sets up her son, Kovu, raising him with the goal of Kovu killing Simba, then taking the pride for himself. Though of course he’d be little more than a puppet king, with Zira as the main power. Zira makes the list because not only is she hellbent on revenge, she is more than willing to use her children to achieve her goal. In some respects, she does care for them – she is honestly upset when one dies – but like Lady Tremaine, there are elements of abuse in the way she treats them, and she is happy to manipulate them in order to achieve her goals. Again, she doesn’t want to see Kovu as alpha male so he can have a better life, she wants it so she can have the power.
And ‘My Lullaby’ is an absolutely awesome song, and a brilliant follow up to Scar’s ‘Be Prepared’.
So there we have it, 5 Disney villains. What are your thoughts? Are there any particular Disney villains you love to hate, or ones you think are downright evil?
I’ve always wanted a proper reading nook. It was one of those things I dreamed of as a kid, imagining a large landing in a big house, a huge bay window with a cushioned seat instead of a windowsill. Where I could look out on a large garden, and of course the seat would open, and it would be hollow so I would have somewhere to store the books I hadn’t yet read.
My dreams have changed a little as I’ve got older, but I still like to imagine the nice cosy reading spot I can one day call my own!
My perfect reading nook would be a corner, of course, with bookshelves either side, and a seat in the middle. Preferably something I can stretch out on. I’m very much used to reading laying down now, legs stretched out, so I would either need something like that or a big, comfy armchair and a footrest. A little table where I can put a reading lamp, and a dog-bed at my feet, for my future dog, of course! And maybe a curtain I can pull around the area, something that clearly says to everyone else DO NOT DISTURB.
A little extra wall space would be good too, so I could put up, maybe, full prints of my favourite book covers, or maybe some of my own book covers – or would that be too egotistical? Perhaps the covers of books I’ve edited would be best.
In all reality, one day I’ll probably end up with just a sofa to read on, or just keep reading in my bed. Though the amount of bookshelves I have is likely to grow!
I don’t usually do bucket lists, mainly because if there is something I want to do, I don’t like setting a time limit on it. It makes me feel awful if it’s not completed, and I have been really busy lately.
But, okay. I’m going to make this a sort of writing & bookish list.
Read creepy/spooky stuff. As you can tell from my Day One list, I have a lot of good horror to read. I’ve just finished Whisper’s In The Dark, and there’s plenty more for me to dig into next. I’m currently reading Under My Hat, and hopefully will get that finished soonish.
Edit, edit, edit. Not my own work, but things have been picking up for my Fiverr beta reading gig, and I’m honing my skills as an editor. I’m not far off levelling up!
Birthday! Yep, my birthday falls sort of autumn, right on the cusp of autumn and winter (November 12th). This year, I’ll be spending it in Disney Paris with my amazing boyfriend, and it’ll definitely feel more like winter there with all the Christmas decs up. And hopefully, the coach to the airport + flight will include lots of reading! I’ve got the Frozen Twisted Tales lined up ready for it.
Write! I’ve recently been working on a couple of horror short stories, one that I hope to submit to an amazing horror podcast I absolutely love, one where the idea dug in and wouldn’t let go, and another I hope will be the start of a horror story collection. So we’ll see how that goes.
Unfortunately I don’t have any annual leave from work this month, so I’m relying on evening and weekends to get stuff done. We’ll see how it goes, but you can probably guess (especially if you follow me on Twitter) what I’m most excited for!
I saw this Blogtober list over on Anniek’s Library, and thought it sounded like a lot of fun. I was a little caught up the last few days trying to make sure I got some other stuff written, so I am a little behind, but hopefully I can get a few of these up and try to keep up with it for the rest of the month!
The full list is at the bottom of this post, and definitely pop over to Anniek’s Library to check out the blog there!
Spooky TBR
My horror TBR has increased a fair bit recently, mainly because I’ve started reviewing for Dead Head Reviews, which is awesome as it means I’ve recently read some absolutely fantastic horror.
At the moment, I’m reading two books. One for the website, and one anthology. The anthology isn’t ‘horror’ as such, but it is all themed around witches. Perfect for October. The anthology is Under My Hat, which includes authors such as Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Tanith Lee and Garth Nix. I’ve only read a few stories from it so far, but they have been really good.
I’m also reading Laurel Hightower’s Whisper’s In The Dark which, if you are any kind of horror fan, you really should pick up. Strong female MC, creepy but adorable kids, and scenes where I’ve literally had to put my Kindle down and take a moment. Which doesn’t happen to me a lot. I’m just under halfway through the book, and I already absolutely, without a doubt love it.
For the TBR, there’s a few spooky books I’d like to get to this month, if I can.
The Sea Was A Fair Master – Calvin Demmer
Danse Macabre – Stephen King
World Of Horror Anthology
Dear Laura – Gemma Amor
It’s doubtful I’ll get to read much more than that, but I will try! And of course, you can look out for my reviews of the books I’ve read on this blog, Dead Head, and on Goodreads.
The anthology is Under My Hat, which includes authors such as Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Tanith Lee and Garth Nix. I’ve only read a few stories from it so far, but they have been really good.
halfway through the book, and I already absolutely, without a doubt love it.
World Of Horror Anthology
