About Me
Hello!
My name is April Lilly James, and this is my blog - The Cinephile Bookworm.
Why do I love books, movies and tv shows so much, you may be wondering? I think the reason is that when reading a book or watching a movie/TV show I can immerse myself in the story and not think about anything going on around me. I love that just a few words or pictures can immediately make an entire story and just by watching or reading it, you can step into that world and be away from everything for a bit. It's especially helpful if you have a lot of things going on that you just want to forget about. This can also explain how I personally like happier stories or fun mysteries rather than something depressing or sad, as then I can just have fun while I'm watching it rather than thinking about actual things that are happening. I understand that some people like to not feel alone and watch a movie that reminds them of their own problems (and sometimes I like this too - if it's done in a fun way - like with Turning Red for example), but sometimes I don't want to think of my problems, I want to forget them, so I don't want a movie that reminds me of them. This can also be a reason that at times, I don't really want a thought-provoking biopic as then it might be depressing, and just make me sad - when I go to a movie in theaters, I want to be entertained - not preached to, it's a way to get my mind off of things.
The other big question would be, which do I like better: books or films (movies/TV shows - I credit these both as film)? This has always been an extremely hard question for me. When I was younger, I definitely would have said books - I read all the time and would generally finish a good book in just a few days. I still do this, but recently I have become more interested in movies and TV shows as well. My mother even says my first word was "book" so that would seem to be my favorite then, correct?
Personally, I love both now. I can not choose. I love books because you can imagine the characters the way you want in your head and imagine how you want scenes to be. While the author is writing it, it almost seems as if you have say in what you want the story to be like in your head as well - as if you're drawing the pictures from their words.
However, there are times when I don't want to "draw the pictures", I just want to sit back and relax and enjoy someone else's take on something. In that case movies and TV shows are fun, as you almost get to see inside someone else's mind. This can be especially amazing (or not) when it is an adaptation of a book - two of my favorite things combined! It's cool as you get to see how someone thought certain scenes would be and you get to see other points of view. However, this can also make it hard, especially if you don't like their take on it, as then you will just be thinking - I didn't think of it that way! or They got that wrong - it isn't right! If I like it though, it can be a good and bad thing, good as then I can always remember how awesome that is, but slightly hard when I am rereading the book and having that character now that way in my head instead of how I used to think of them. Sometimes I also like that though.
Now that you know a bit about me here are 🎶 a few of my favorite things! 🎶 (In no particular order!)
Favorite Books
(You can see I love musicals by looking at my above favorite movies. These are, however, my favorite stage musicals.)
Well, that's a bit about me (haha - I know, that was long - I'll try to make my posts shorter)! I hope that helps you to get to know me better and I can't wait to share all my thoughts and opinions with you.
Also, if you ever need a suggestion (movie, tv show, book, podcast etc. - anything from the list above, honestly) I would love if you connected with me through the contact me page! Please give me a bit to go on - what kinds of movies, TV shows, books (or others) you like and I will try to make a good suggestion.
Talk soon,
April Lilly James
My name is April Lilly James, and this is my blog - The Cinephile Bookworm.
Why do I love books, movies and tv shows so much, you may be wondering? I think the reason is that when reading a book or watching a movie/TV show I can immerse myself in the story and not think about anything going on around me. I love that just a few words or pictures can immediately make an entire story and just by watching or reading it, you can step into that world and be away from everything for a bit. It's especially helpful if you have a lot of things going on that you just want to forget about. This can also explain how I personally like happier stories or fun mysteries rather than something depressing or sad, as then I can just have fun while I'm watching it rather than thinking about actual things that are happening. I understand that some people like to not feel alone and watch a movie that reminds them of their own problems (and sometimes I like this too - if it's done in a fun way - like with Turning Red for example), but sometimes I don't want to think of my problems, I want to forget them, so I don't want a movie that reminds me of them. This can also be a reason that at times, I don't really want a thought-provoking biopic as then it might be depressing, and just make me sad - when I go to a movie in theaters, I want to be entertained - not preached to, it's a way to get my mind off of things.
The other big question would be, which do I like better: books or films (movies/TV shows - I credit these both as film)? This has always been an extremely hard question for me. When I was younger, I definitely would have said books - I read all the time and would generally finish a good book in just a few days. I still do this, but recently I have become more interested in movies and TV shows as well. My mother even says my first word was "book" so that would seem to be my favorite then, correct?
Personally, I love both now. I can not choose. I love books because you can imagine the characters the way you want in your head and imagine how you want scenes to be. While the author is writing it, it almost seems as if you have say in what you want the story to be like in your head as well - as if you're drawing the pictures from their words.
However, there are times when I don't want to "draw the pictures", I just want to sit back and relax and enjoy someone else's take on something. In that case movies and TV shows are fun, as you almost get to see inside someone else's mind. This can be especially amazing (or not) when it is an adaptation of a book - two of my favorite things combined! It's cool as you get to see how someone thought certain scenes would be and you get to see other points of view. However, this can also make it hard, especially if you don't like their take on it, as then you will just be thinking - I didn't think of it that way! or They got that wrong - it isn't right! If I like it though, it can be a good and bad thing, good as then I can always remember how awesome that is, but slightly hard when I am rereading the book and having that character now that way in my head instead of how I used to think of them. Sometimes I also like that though.
Now that you know a bit about me here are 🎶 a few of my favorite things! 🎶 (In no particular order!)
Favorite Books
- Anne of Green Gables (the whole series actually - but specifically #3 and #4)
- Little Women
- The Princess Bride
- The Fault in Our Stars
- John Green
- L.M. Montgomery
- Holes
- The Westing Game
- Moon Over Manifest
- Walk Two Moons
- The Giver
- The Sound of Music
- The Greatest Showman
- Leap!
- Cruella
- Mostly anything by Studio Ghibli (special favorites: Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Totoro and Ponyo)
- Psych
- Corner Gas
- Gilmore Girls
- Monk
- Odd Squad
- Anne With an E
- Little House on the Prairie
- Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street
- Just Add Magic
- Horrible Histories
- The Partridge Family
- Loki (which leads me to my...)
- Iron Man
- Spider-Man
- Loki
(You can see I love musicals by looking at my above favorite movies. These are, however, my favorite stage musicals.)
- Wicked
- Aladdin
- Anastasia
- Old music specifically 60s through 90s
- Soundtrack music from movies, tv shows and musicals
- Combining these two favorites and getting two more favorites - Guardians of the Galaxy and Cruella soundtracks!
- Riptide by Vance Joy
- You're Beautiful by James Blunt
- Vance Joy
- P!nk
- Ed Sheeran
- Christian music
- Six Minutes
- The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
- Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
- Kathleen Madigan's Pubcast (Kathleen Madigan is also my favorite comedian)
- Research ANYTHING about my favorite things
- Reading
- Watching movies/tv shows
- Going to movies in movie theaters
- Scrapbooking my movie tickets
- Writing (I'm writing a book right now)
- Art (I've been doing art of my favorite tv shows recently but I'm going to expand to movies, musicals and books)
- Look up movies coming out this year and in the coming one so I can plan ahead which I want to go see
- Listening to cassettes on my Sony Walkman
- Hunting for DVDs at thrift stores
- Boba
- Cats (or any cute animal)
- Anything from the 70s. I love bell bottoms, the word groovy etc.
- Stickers of my favorite things
- Pins of my favorite things
- Movie theaters
- Movie trailers
Well, that's a bit about me (haha - I know, that was long - I'll try to make my posts shorter)! I hope that helps you to get to know me better and I can't wait to share all my thoughts and opinions with you.
Also, if you ever need a suggestion (movie, tv show, book, podcast etc. - anything from the list above, honestly) I would love if you connected with me through the contact me page! Please give me a bit to go on - what kinds of movies, TV shows, books (or others) you like and I will try to make a good suggestion.
Talk soon,
April Lilly James