Life Lately: What I've been reading, eating, watching & pinning

With the semester drawing to a close and final assignments and tests looming, life hasn't been all that exciting. When I'm not at University, you'll find me at home, probably in my pajamas, researching or studying the whole day away with about five mugs of tea spread across various intervals to keep me going.

But in the in between moments, I've found reasons to stay optimistic and avoid grumpy tendencies, so I thought I'd share a few things that have been of interest and keeping me going over the past couple of weeks.

Reading: All the Light we Cannot see by Anthony Doerr. I was surprised I hadn't come across nor heard of this novel sooner, considering it won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014. I finished it just a few days a go and thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that I gave it a 5 star rating on goodreads. I wont elaborate too much on what it's about as I'm hoping to write a review on it soon, but in the meantime, I would definitely recommend getting your hands on a copy if you can.
Eating: These orange and rosemary shortbread biscuits. My god, they are divine. I first tried orange and rosemary flavoured shortbread at HolyBelly Cafe in Paris and I made sure to make a note of the flavour combination so I could recreate it when I returned home. This recipe tastes as good as what I remembered!
Asides from that, special mention goes out to the Nutella brioche French toast with butterscotch syrup that I had last week at a cafe near university. It was just as good as it sounds and I'm tempted to go back for more or re-create the dish at home
Watching: Exotica by Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, which is about a group of characters whose lives are interconnected by the murder of Francis's, the main protagonist's, daughter. Much of the film takes place in the strip club of the film's name, where Francis goes every night solely to get a lap dance from Christina, who is always dressed in a uniform and performs a school girl strip tease every night.
I say I've been watching this film but I'm more analyzing it, as it's the topic for  my final English essay. The first time I watched Exotica I felt so uneasy and was adamant that I wouldn't go near it ever again...but oddly enough, I became so intrigued by it. It's such a mysterious film. I wouldn't say it's a thriller but it definitely leaves you feeling unsettled by the end. Don't be put off by the synopsis, which sounds highly perverted. It's a really intelligent and complex film that explores themes such as isolation, identity and psychological trauma. I've grown to really love this film; it's haunting in a kind of unconventional way and will leave you thinking.
Pinning: I've noticed that my activity on Pinterest has increased the past week..it's so convenient to get distracted by pretty pictures of, say, long table dinners à la Kinfolk. I'd love to host a dinner party over the winter break, and my board 'Shared Meal' poses as the perfect inspiration.