The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

On Wednesday, I managed to catch a second showing of The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey with a friend. For the first showing, I watched it in normal 2D. This round, it was through the new technology, IMAX 3D HFR. 

I have to say, despite all the naysayers, I feel that the much improved 48 frames per second is so much clearer and coupled with 3D, the whole movie experience is made cooler, more stunning and awe-inspiring. Some parts of the movie feels like one of those 4D shows in theme parks. Additionally, as a special treat, we got to have a 9 minute preview of Star Trek into Darkness and saw Benedict in 3D! How awesome is that? I was crossing my fingers in hope of seeing this trailer and wow, was it a treat! 

There is much doubt about the need to spilt one book into 3 separate movies but I find that by doing so, the characters are given more breadth and the storyline has more depth. The typical movie-goer gets to enjoy, understand the different characters and their stories better as compared to a movie that is rushed.

The cinematography is gorgeous and the scenery shots are simply breathtaking! Of course, Sir Peter Jackson did the right choice by insisting that Martin Freeman played the role of Bilbo Baggins. Martin Freeman is simply brilliant in portraying the main lead with the right amount of wide-eyed innocence for a middle-aged man. He's made for the role, or rather, the role is made for him. The other supporting cast are just as brilliant!

I had a bit of a giggle when I saw how "adorable" he was portrayed in the film. It's so different from the other well-known role that he plays, Dr John Watson. He's so steadfast and reliable in Sherlock.

It has been ages since I last read the book and to be honest, I can barely remember a thing in it. Thus, I do not feel that the movie is unfaithful. I know the scriptwriters has woven in additional material to beef up the characters and boost the excitement and intensity. 

Now, of course, I can't wait for the second instalment - The Desolation of Smaug which features Smaug the dragon played by Benedict Cumberbatch!  

Back to Reality

My summer holidays has officially ended and the next summer couldn't come fast enough. It's back to reality, back to being a student, back to being a zombie.

Has it really been 3 months since I last touched study notes? Has it really been 3 months since I last stepped into the University. I can scarcely believe it! Oh, how the weeks fly! I now fully understood the phrase "in the twinkling of an eye".

Sighs. Yes, I'm already sighing and classes haven't even begin.

I've had to be a better student now, spending less time on Tumblr and fanfiction. If I thought that 3 months is enough to wean me off Sherlock and its related media, I am sorely mistaken.

It's Rather Fine

The year 2012 is shaping out to be a rather nice year, isn't it? Studies aside, 2012 is a year filled with promises and exciting events.

Of course, Sherlock series 2 premiered in the UK in January, and I managed to watch them all. The London Olympics is just around the corner and while I'm always interested in the Games, this time round it is a larger dosage of anticipation. This is probably due to it being held in London, one of my favourite cities, with the additional love for it from British TV influence.

Near to the end of the year, there'll be two hugely anticipated movies - Breaking Dawn Part 2 and The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey.

I'm more drummed up over The Hobbit, naturally. The leading character (Bilbo Baggins) is played by Martin Freeman, an exceptional actor and the John Watson to BBC's Sherlock. My love for The Hobbit has increased and became more "personal", because the actors from Sherlock co-starred in the production as well. How can I be expected to just look on with detached interest?

A note to myself, I've to go to the annual Comic-con one of these years. The temptation is just too great and I feel that I'm losing out so much of the awesome stuff that is happening in the entertainment industry. This year's convention is obviously marvellous since I've so much interest in the movie offerings. Gods, I've missed out...

Everything is Sherlock

and everything hurts...

Pardon me for all the Sherlock "feels". It's extremely intense today seeing as I was completely caught by surprise when I realised that Sherlock series 1 premieres in Singapore tonight.

This is the moment I've been waiting for since I got hooked on the TV show. Finally, this glorious moment arrives in Singapore, after nearly 2 years since it debuted in the UK and nearly 1 year since I first watched it. I must say, I'm terribly pleased I discovered it way before it became so cool.

Sherlock is a testemony of how beautiful TV can be if effort is put in. It is a high quality show celebrating the brilliant minds of the crew and the fine acting of the best calibre of British actors. This is a TV series that showcases British style and identity and contains an element of charm missing in mainstream TV nowadays. It pays tribute to one of the finest authors (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) and yet manages to weave in enough originality to make this show an absolute treat.

And so it shall be, tonight, at 11pm, I will rewatch this lovely series again, even though I've rewatched A Study in Pink over and over again.

Good Omens book review

Once every while, one will have the good fortune to find hidden gems amidst the mountains of books published and available in the market each year. When you do, sit back, relax with a cuppa and while your time away with the good read.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett is one such gem. It has been published for more than a decade and in terms of picking it up, I'm late in every sense. However, I can take heart that an adaptation for a television series is coming up in 2013.

I caught wind of it when I was reading Sherlock fanfiction and chanced upon Sherlock/Good Omens crossovers. These fanfictions are truly lovely featuring the Sherlock characters as angels/devils on Earth. Hence, I now have to track down this "elusive" novel. I placed a reservation in the library and voila!

The novel is an absolute treat and deliciously witty. It is exactly my cup of tea when it comes to books - a hint of sarcasm and wit with lots of brilliant ideas. I find myself bursting into laughter at the 'ridiculous' stuff made up by the very human-boy Antichrist - tunnelling Tibetans, Atlantians with diving gear and raining fish creatures.

Good Omens is described as a quasi-parody and touched on topics such as the Apocalypse, angels, demons, Good, Evil, Heaven, Hell and witchcraft. I'm not particularly religious so it's perfectly fine for me to read such things written in such a light-hearted manner. But, I can imagine some (overzealous) people being touchy over it.

I highly recommend it to those who appreciate witty dialogue and comical characters.

Pinch

One will only feel the pinch when one is spending one's own money. It's the holidays which means that the pocket money has ceased and I'm "living" on my savings. Thank goodness I have a part-time job or else the situation will be worse.

After spending a sum on painting stuff and books, I have to earn back what I spent. As much as I hate working for longer hours, 4 days a week, I've not much choice. If I want to have the autonomy to buy what I want, then I've got to work for it, isn't it?

It's the third week of the summer holidays and I'm slacking at home, which is good as it is what I want and have been dreaming of. When else is there a chance for your brain to shut off completely? This is what I call a holiday; less worries with less burdens and full relaxation. I have more control of how I want to spend my time and my activities, which more or less means sitting in front of the laptop.

Unfortunately, there's no plans of going overseas this holiday. Else, it would have completed my goals. I'm 21, and I've yet to fulfil my goal (going to Florida).

I guess I have shifted my perspective a little. It's still on my agenda but now I'm more interested in Europe, in particular, England. This interest is of course, brought on by my love for Sherlock (BBC) and the upcoming Summer Olympics. The places which were shot in the series look inviting and beautiful. It is inevitable that people are going to gain awareness about London from these 2 events.

The Fall

Source: Sherlock - The Reichenbach Fall

This is me, right now. 

In which I talk about Fandoms

I'll be honest about why I am reluctant to watch what is now known as the "hottest blockbuster" of the year. The last thing I want is to get stuck in another fandom-war.

I'm already sick of reading all those articles and comments comparing this franchise with another successful movie franchise. Why do people like to compare and pit the fandoms against each other? It's almost like they are doing it with glee watching the fans fight verbally. I have seen some pretty ghastly and nasty remarks during the "infamous" Harry Potter fanbase hate everything Twilight. It's still going on but on a more subtle scale.

That's part of the reason why I decided to drop out of the scene. The childish behaviour of people who should know better put me off. I still get excited over Harry Potter matters and still considered myself as an avid fan, but I'm much less active in other areas such as reading forums and stuff. In a way, I've moved on.

Of course, there's a part of me who feel indignant at the blatant way people insult the whole Twilight phenomenon, from the fans to the author to the books to the movies. To be fair, I did enjoy the books tremendously because I found it quite well-written despite all the naysayers. I did like the romantic aspect and the idea of the supernatural living amongst us.

It's fine if one doesn't like it. But to go to the extent of insulting everything on sight and making it the butt of the joke is going too far. It's one thing to hate a book/movie and another to degrade the author or the fans.

Anyway, I'm glad that this movie franchise is ending because I wish the uproar would die down.

I'm trying to put the young adults genre behind me and move on to better stuff like classics and fanfiction. Besides, I'm still relatively new to the Sherlock fandom and am having too much fun to join another fandom. It's most enjoyable with fans that are mostly pleasant and talented. Most of all, I love how the actors and writers are able to chat/troll with fans. It's almost like a closely-knitted family and this makes it wonderful.

Hottest blockbuster, maybe. I am counting on The Hobbit to topple the record though. Shhhh.

Famdom is my way of Life

Fandom is a way of life.

I like the sound of that, very much. I've been part of different fandoms for a long time. The most prominent three fandoms I belonged or used to belong to are "Potterheads", "Twilighter" and recently, "Sherlockians". I refused to use the term "Twihard" because it doesn't represent the spirit of the original fandom.

Indeed, for all budding fandoms, I think original fans who have been there since the start have it tough with all the attention and newcomers. Once something gets famous and a cultish-fanbase grows, there's no stopping it and let's be honest, suddenly everyone wants in or proclaimed themselves to be "true fans".

The problem with the new found attention is that it tends to attract all kinds of unpleasant people who do not understand what boundaries are.

It's the situation Sherlockians are facing now and it will be worse in the future. I understand that awareness is great because it means people are spreading the word but that magical feeling is gone, isn't it?

That's what happen to the Twilight fandom. I still love the books and will still watch the last movie when it comes out, but I've lost my passion due to all the (mostly bad) publicity and influx of "immature fans". The original spirit is gone, majority of them are just gushing over the movies and not the books.

It's like having a limited edition bag which is so dear to you and the next moment, you see everyone on the street carrying it. The special feeling is gone and the bag has become another ordinary accessory.

That being said, I wasn't part of the Sherlock fandom since its start in 2010. I was late in every sense as I only heard about the TV show in June 2011 and was only properly introduced to the fandom in December 2011. Still, I feel as if I belonged. The fandom is great and glorious, full of wonderful and talented people who make awesome fanart and write interesting fanfiction.

But when something grows in awareness and gains momentum, fans will have to deal with unwanted attention too, from haters and unsavoury fans. It's a double-edged sword.

In the fandom world, I would be considered a "lurker". I know the inside jokes, the good fanfictions, the fanvideos etc but I have never interact much with the other fans. It's both a choice and circumstance.

Oh well, it is out of my hands. I will bask in the glory of this fandom for as long as the spirit remains. It's a long wait for series 3 anway.

John, what John?

I think enough have been said on the news whereby CBS decided to change John Watson into a Joan Watson with the recent casting for their re-make of Sherlock Holmes set in modern time, in New York no less.

We'll see whether this remake will flop or not, won't we? If it does, Sherlock fans will be laughing. If it doesn't, then it's all fine. It's not as if the BBC original version pales in comparison or will lose their revenue to them. The BBC version will always be in the hearts and minds of devoted fans.

The first thing I thought of when the cast was announced was "wow, it's like fanfiction coming true". They even used the first name, Joan, which is what most fanfic writers go for when they create a female Watson.

The demographics has already shifted 180 degrees. From what I've seen, this programme will be targeted at more conservative, older Americans who will frown at a platonic bromance or any underling sexual tension, so as to speak.

Like so many other Sherlock fans, I do find it atrocious and silly, on so many levels of wrong basically but I doubt I will be getting myself up in a tizzy over it. This post is more for my reference than for anything else.

Of all the direction for originality the team could take, they choose this. Many people have said that it was because they and the audience couldn't deal with any sort of ambiguous relationship that may arise between Holmes and Watson. To make it more acceptable to the general public, they made this radical move.

Why must people always be afraid of homosexual undertones that everything has to become heterosexual just to have a romance?

I've seen a great quote somewhere that goes something like this, "it is easier to fake sexual chemistry than platonic chemistry" which is quite true. By having a female Watson, it changes everything. The possibility of a romantic relationship between Holmes and female Watson will almost be cemented, won't it?

Furthermore, it just spoils the direction Arthur Conan Doyle took with his books. The whole essence of Sherlock Holmes is the friendship and loyalty between Sherlock and John, two housemates with two very different personalities. The relationship dynamics between the two is crucial in the development.

I will probably try it out for the laughs provided I could access the programme in the first place. If it's really funny and ridiculous as people made it out to be, it will be more fun.

Inspiration

Inspiration. It's a funny, little thing, isn't it? It can hit you when you least expected it and at the same time, it can be the bane or boon of your life. After all, inspiration is what provides jobs for so many people.

For me, inspiration is about whether I have something to write for my blog or do something I normally would not do. There are good periods and bad ones. Sometimes, I hit a "writer's block" and it will be a drought here. Other times, I will go on and on about entries.

This time round, I have been inspired to play my keyboard (piano) after a long, long while. There are times when I lament about why didn't I continue my lessons in Primary 1. I wasn't trained to play with two hands nor was I trained to read the notes. But, I know enough to play really simple songs. I can play if I have the notes translated to letters.

Why the sudden interest? It's because of Sherlock, of course. Lately, everything has been about Sherlock. I picked up Conan Doyle's books, watched all those past shows starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman etc.

It's just too bad I couldn't carry it through since it is really an awful time to start, what with school and stuff. At least I have the notes translated into letters.

The Reichenbach Fall

Sherlock. Now, this is what I call superior TV. It enthrals the viewer and evokes all sorts of emotions within. It redefines what TV is and proves that with the right amount of attitude and effort, quality shows can be made.

Sherlock is full of win because of fine acting, skilled execution of filming style and of course, the modern adaptations. There is an element of charm that grabs your attention right from the start.

The Reichenbach Fall is the finale of season 2. It is the modern retelling of The Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle where the author originally killed off both Moriarty and Sherlock. Thankfully, all those years ago, readers worldwide protested so much that 3 years later, the author brought Sherlock Holmes back alive again in The Empty House.

The producers of Sherlock BBC kept the best secrets in the world, as soon as episode 3 came out yesterday in the Britain, they made the announcement that season 3 was commissioned at the same time as season 2! What a tease! They must be having a laugh at all the anxiety and pleading by fans.

With this in mind, I felt that I could tackle the onslaught of emotions I was sure to face much better. At least, I will know that Sherlock will come back.

Reichenbach Fall starts off on a heavy note, with John Watson back at his therapist after an 18 months hiatus. Sherlock Holmes is dead. It then faded to 3 months earlier, where Sherlock and John were getting famous for their detective skills.

The dry wit and snappy dialogue are still present but cut down. Viewers know what is coming and the episode did nothing to glaze over this fact.

Moving on without focusing on the plot too much, Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch ought and deserve every award they will subsequent receive for excellent portrayals of their respective characters.

My eyes did well up when John and Mrs Hudson visit Sherlock's grave. One powerful scene was when John saw the "leap of fate" by Sherlock. I don't know what it must be like, seeing your friend jumped to death in front of you. I love how John didn't actually cry out loud but fans all know that he is grieving inside. I love the wiping of eyes and the hitched voice - all those subtle gestures build on the scene. I think that seeing John's anguished look is even more intensive than watching him cry.

Kudos to Benedict Cumberbatch as well. His portrayal of Sherlock utterly won me over, right from the start. In this episode, he gave his best performance yet, playing a wide spectrum of emotions, from rage to sadness, in one episode.

I do hate seeing him vulnerable, so uncertain of himself and the way he loses control around Moriarty.

The scene where he told John that he is a fraud and the things he does are magic tricks is an extremely heart-wrecking scene. There he is, doing the most human thing ever, to thoroughly disgrace himself and protect John from Moriarty's marksman. He finally gain humanity or putting it in another way, thaws the coldness around his heart. Indeed, caring does not help save lives and it certainly is not an advantage, but why did he cry when he knows this is just an act? He truly cares about John and his friends.

I hate how people, even Lestrade, started to doubt him, his skills and the side he is on. He does not see himself as a hero or an angel, but like what Lestrade said in A Study in Pink, "Sherlock Holmes is a great man, and some day, if we're very, very lucky, he might even be a good one".

I don't understand why quite a lot of viewers think that Andrew Scott isn't a good Moriarty. To me, he is an extremely creepy and unstable-minded villain. His character is not a straightforward, in-your-face bad guy. The way he talks seriously creeps me out. Moriarty does not hesitate to manipulate people's thoughts and actions. This is evident when he wooed Molly and pretended to be an actor who has been wronged by Sherlock. He is so good an actor that even Sherlock seems to doubt himself.

I am glad that he is dead, or is he? He did shoot himself in the mouth, but what if he returns once again? I can't stand him any longer but he is the only one who can challenge Sherlock in his own game.

And so, the curtains shall fall on this season. Altogether, it was a brief but satisfying 3 weeks of three 90-minutes of brilliant TV. For many countries, this is just the beginning because Sherlock is not even aired yet. I am resourceful enough to go for downloading as soon as possible.

It is foreseen that Sherlock season 3 can only start filming in late 2012 and the earliest schedule for its release is 2013. As long as it's not another 18 months wait, eh? Something to look forward to this December will be The Hobbit.

Reichenbach Feelings

Times passes so fast, doesn't it?
At the beginning of the new year, I was still extremely excited about the new Sherlock series and the debut of A Scandal in Belgravia. Then, a week past by and I started to feel a bit of doom and gloom about the second episode, The Hounds of Baskerville, because it means that final episode will be upon us soon.

This week marks the end of another season of Sherlock with the Reichenbach Fall coming out in less than 24 hours on BBC One. This episode will break so many hearts and maybe, even tears will fall.

The last time I was so emotionally invested in fiction was when I cried over the deaths in Harry Potter. Other than that, I couldn't remember any times where I feel so depressed over a character death. Can't the producers just confirm that season 3 is in the making? I get it that they want to maximise the suspense for the finale but the way is so cruel. How could they do this to us?!

The whole Sherlock fandom is probably going to be writing angsty fanfiction for many weeks/months to come. All those post-Reichenbach stories about how John, Mycroft and Lestrade will cope without the existence of Sherlock. Sigh.

I am going to be melancholy for days to come and comfort myself by reading lots of fun fanfiction. On the other hand, I can probably focus better on my school work since there is nothing to look forward to once episode 3 is done.

Please, do not give us another 18 months wait for season 3. I don't know how I could bear it. But, I will take 18 months when compared against 3 years wait, like what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle put his readers through. Oh please, let The Empty House happens sooner than later.

I Am Sherlocked

The second day of 2012 got off in a good start.

There's no way I can wait for the Sherlock season 2 episode 1 to be released in the States or for it to even be shown in Singapore, therefore, there's only one way to go about doing this. I managed to get into BBC iPlayer and caught 'A Scandal in Belgravia' hours after its debut in the United Kingdom.

The episode is everything I could have hope for and more. It is brilliantly executed and very emotional. In fact, many viewers have declared that this episode surpasses all of season 1. Steven Moffat really tugs our heartstrings like a violin. Episode 1 does things to my heart when I saw how lost Sherlock was.

Irene Adler is portrayed amazingly as a dominatrix and the power play with Sherlock is deliciously thrilling. The rapport and chemistry between Sherlock and John is stronger and better than ever. The acting was really stellar. There were good effects as well, with the return of the text overlays such as blog posts and text messages.

Viewership in UK alone was estimated at around 9 million at present and looked set to rise above 10 million once the final figure comes in. Besides, this figure is just in UK, it is not even released in the States or other countries yet.

Even though I am miles away from the land of origin, I am still proud to be a fan in this rising fandom. Sherlock is going to be a phenomenon. It is a testimony of how TV programmes can be if effort is put in. Sherlock is an example of the new TV show with intelligent humour for thinking people. Amidst in this era of dull, repetitive and mediocre TV programmes, Sherlock shines like a jewel. It is refreshing, smart and charming.

Kudos to the geniuses behind Sherlock! I think everyone out there will be on the lookout for news of series 3 in making. Fingers crossed. If BBC knows what is good for them, they will pass this motion. Sherlock is literally the best thing that happens in TV for a long time.

The Good & Bad of 2011

I can hardly believe that 2011 is ending! Hold your horses though, because I intend to make good use of the last day of 2011.

Year 2011 is a year full of ups and downs, personally, locally and internationally.

For me, I graduated with a Diploma with Merit and an award for the Kingsmen Creatives Prize. That was the glory of my life, my pride and joy. I was at the top of the world. Then, came the task of choosing a University. I fretted over whether I am good enough to enter a local University and thought that I lost my chance. In the end, I chose NUS and am planning to major in Geography.

I wouldn't say that 2011 is good to me because it isn't. The year seems to hover between good and bad, besides, I am not entirely pleased with myself and the way things are heading. Indeed, I would say that the earlier half of the year was so much better than the later half.

If there is one regret I have for 2011, it is that I failed to fulfil my goal and dream of going to USA. All these years, I worked so hard and am going to reward myself with a bang but yet, it failed to materialise. That goal is still standing. I can only hope that I can fulfil it sooner not later.

In Singapore, this is nerve-wracking year. Toes are trod-on and fingers are pointed at. We witnessed the watershed General Election and Presidential Election. I finally realised that Singapore is not what I thought it to be. I thought that people will be more grateful and thankful for we have, alas, that was not the case. People, especially, the younger generation, have grown contemptuous and cynical. They have grown "fat" from all the coddling and protection.

2011 is a year full of disasters that one can almost say it's a disastrous year. Not only are there earthquakes, floods and tsunamis with thousands of lives lost, there is also the financial crisis that sent countries into debt and the stock markets a-tumbling. The powerhouses of the world are not so powerful after all.

The technological world lost a visionary, Steve Jobs, who redefines technology. The world, too, lost dictators such as Gaddafi and Kim Jong Il.

All in all, it's been a roller-coaster ride of a year. However, I will still miss it simply because the year is gone. The new year ahead seems daunting and tough, for the world economy and for myself. Not to mention, the supposedly end-of-the-world will arrive. I will be entering into my second semester of studies and I have to grit my teeth to bear with it.

For all the pessimism I show, I still have hopes that 2012 will be wonderful as it can be. Besides, the year 2012 is made better already with the thoughts of Sherlock season 2 in January and The Hobbit in December starring both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in both shows. Oh, it's Christmas!

BBC Sherlock: A Review

This holiday, I am in love. It's not very often I find myself in love with something. Perhaps, rather than calling it love, I should called it 'passion' or a worse word, 'obsession'.

I love Harry Potter (the book series and the movies), Lord of the Rings (the book series and the movies), Twilight (the book series, not so much the movies), and a couple of less epic book series and movies.

Fanfiction has play an important role all these years, I started out with good old Harry Potter fics of course. After which, I branched out. I must count my good fortune that I am exposed to so many wonderful and inspiring fanfiction. It kind of binds the world together, don't you think?  All these great writers, not professionals, but still manage to spellbind so many readers, drawing in reviews, be it good or bad.

My latest "obsession" is Sherlock from BBC One. The British really does amazing films. In this area, I would like to bring out the phrase, "quality not quantity". The mini series consists of only three 90-minutes episodes, but it has already won the BAFTA Awards that very year it came out. The series is critically-acclaimed and at the same time, well-received by the general public. There is always a line between what critics like and what the public like but it looks like Sherlock struck gold.

I know that it was released in England in August 2010 but I got wind of it only in the early months of this year.

Indeed, just after the first episode, I can't help but to get drawn into the 21st century reboot of the beloved series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock is so witty and sarcastic, filled with British humour. It is ingenious, cleverly executed and a fast-paced, intelligent and fun series. Sherlock is like a breath of fresh air and it actually allows the viewer to think things through. I often find myself rewinding to truly understand the deductions. I enjoyed it tremendously.

What adds fuel to the fire is the fact that the Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are played by two good-looking, British actors namely, Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Supporting cast are up on par as well. I guess this is where the main appeal lies.

Audience do appreciate good-lookers in films, I can firmly attested to that. Of course, that doesn't mean I only watch shows with good-looking guys but it does affect one's decision, doesn't it?

I quickly moved on to the world of BBC!Sherlock fanfiction and found out just how big this fandom truly is. It has only been slightly more than a year old!

With series 2 coming up in the January 2012, the BBC!Sherlock fandom looks set to expand and grow to new heights. While I am excited over the prospect of the new series, I am thrilled by the thought of new fanfics that will be inspired by the new season. I simply cannot wait for the new and existing authors to contribute and share their work with the rest of the fandom.

Let it not be said that viewers these days only appreciate the TV adaptations and fanon writings. I read a wide spectrum of works, ranging from literary writings to novels to amatuers' fanfiction.

I do take the steps to read up on the history of the original author and the book series.I have done it for Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Not only did I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I also dabbled in Tolkien's other works such as The Silmarillion and previously unpublished commentary in The History of Middle Earth. I was 14 going on 15 at that time.

For Harry Potter, other than the the 7 books, I too read literary, analytical works such as Looking for God in Harry Potter and The End of Harry Potter.

As for my new interest in Sherlock Holmes, well, for the first time, I picked up Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work. It's certainly baffling why I didn't have the interest in it when I was younger. The thought of reading this worldwide renowned series never did cross my mind. Perhaps, it's because I was never into the mystery and crime genre.

As I grow older, the time I can devote myself to novels and books lessen. These days, I mostly read fanfiction on the Internet.