What I am looking forward to in 2012

1. The Avengers – Joss Whedon. Enough said. Hopefully Scarlett Johansson won’t be in it enough to ruin it.

2. The Muppets – it is ridiculous that we have to wait until February to see this but reviews in America have been great and I love the Orange trails so can’t wait to see this childhood classic relaunch themselves (much more successfully than the Smurfs, I think)

3. Watch channel – last year they showed Sanctuary and rescued Primeval. In 2012 they are the first channel to show Grimm and Alcatraz. They are becoming a favourite channel.

4. Snow White and the Huntsman – this has been a massive trend in Teen fiction for a while so it will be great to see how a movie can capture this genre (ignoring Red Riding Hood and Beastly from this year)

5. The Amazing Spiderman – wasn’t convinced that this would work but the trailer has be intrigued. What happened to his parents? We will no doubt find out in July 2012.

6. Sherlock – very relieved to find that they managed to get another series of this filmed before disappearing off to New Zealand to film some movie...

7. Hunger Games – I hadn’t been interested in this until I saw the trailer now I have asked for the books for Christmas!

8. The Artist – The Cannes winner for Best actor this amazing French movie explores the end of the silent era in Hollywood and its impact on its star via black white silent movie. Singing in the rain but without the singing!

9. Brave – A female heroine who is goes off to fight the beast herself? Yes please!

10. The Dark Knight Rises – I really wasn’t excited about this. Batman is not my favourite character and after being massively disappointed by Inception (Did no one tell him hearing about other people’s dreams are boring) Kind of put me off getting to invested in this. Nolan will no doubt do a fantastic job, I thought. Oh Anne Hathaway is Catwoman? Oh Ok I like her. That’s good. Oh the trailer is up. Wait the Batmobile FLYS!!!!!! Ok officially excited.

What I will missed about 2011

1. Misfits – I honestly didn’t think that they could last without Nathan but they managed to replace him with someone equally crawly and it continues to go from strength (Episode 3 and 4 this season were probably the most the best)

2. Smallville – We said goodbye to Smallville and boy did they treat us with one of the best seasons so far. Still abit ropy. Still massive plots holes (Didn’t Michael Rosenbaum look old?) but the moment ‘Superman’ flew was so bittersweet I watched the episode again and wished that they were making a Superman tv series. Until the Man of steel comes out with Amy Adams, Erica Durance is my definitive Lois Lane.

3. Morning Glories – This comic goes from strength to strength. Like a series of Fringe – just as one question gets answered another pops up. Cannot wait for the next instalment.

4. Doctor Who – I have to admit much as I like the Rory/Amy/Doctor dynamic, I haven’t found the plots very good (no follow through) and now there is a 9 months wait? I’ll watch it but it won’t be a favourite anymore.

5. Merlin – is my new favourite show at the moment - giving the knights more space to develop their characters and the bromance between Arthur and Merlin is amazing. Cannot wait for the next season.

6. Super 8 – the movie of the year. Spielbergian childhood wonder and JJ Abrahm tension creating an amazing film of epic proportions.

7. Beastly – This was such a great film it is a shame it was dismissed as a teen movie. A great adaptation of Alex Finn’s book. Star roles from the whole cast special mentions for Ashley Olsen and Vanessa Hudgens (I know!)

8. Tangled – I honestly didn’t think that Disney could follow up Enchanted but they did with one of the funniest and catchiest films ever. Welcome back Alan Menken!

9. The Secret Circle – I am so glad this turned out to be good as it was my favourite LJ Smith book as a kid. Following on from the amazing The Vampire Diaries it modernises and de – smultifies the story. I will be tuning in for next year.

10. Fringe – Continues to be amazing. I am now massively confused. Is Peter in an alternative universe or has he just helped Lee get with his girlfriend? The second part will (hopefully) explains all!

Dracula by Bram Stoker

I have just finished reading by email Bram Stoker's Dracula. I used Dailylit.com who were excellent with a great selection of public domain books and the ability to adapt the length of the email you get sent. I have now started A Study in Scarlett after the recent brilliant adaption of Sherlock on the BBC.

Anyway back to Dracula. This is the second time I have read the book I was inspired by my favorite living author, Meg Cabot publishing her new book Insatiable. It is a modern retelling of Dracula (but not very similar to the original). Meg Cabot mentioned how Mina Harker is a feminist character and not remembering that the first time I read it I decided to reread it. Dracula is unique for being one of the first books to have the entire narrative written in letters and journals. This breaks up the story nicely and means that the reader gets to see how each character learns about Dracula and how they come together to destroy him. The problem with this style of narrative is that just as in real life diaries, there will be lots of activity and then lots of sitting around and talking which gets very dull.

Despite Meg Cabot's endorsement of Mina's feminist credentials, she too becomes annoying and the men spend the majority of book being very condescending. I realise that for the time Bram Stoker is being very empowering of women by writing a woman who has a job, writes short hand and knows the train timetable however in these modern times this view is as condescending as James Bond in 'Live and let die' towards the emerging Civil rights movement. It is uncomfortable to read and insulting when it refers to you.

Ultimately Dracula should be read as the definative vampire lore bible. What to write your own twilight novel? Read Dracula and learn the vampire lore, some of it is as ridiculous as sparkly vampires!