October Reads Wrap-Up

    Hi guys!  As promised, I'm bringing you my October wrap-up for all the books I read this month.  If you recall, I wanted to set my goal for ten books this month.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet that goal.  I only read 8 books, and I'm currently still reading one of them, so I finished 7, (I will be posting the review for that book once I finish it, so I'll update the blog this weekend).  I think I wasn't able to meet my goal because I stopped reading before bed, since I got sucked in by The Vampire Diaries.  That being said, I'm still pleased with what I accomplished and I'll refrain from setting my reading goals too high from now on, unless I really think I can handle it.  Anyway, here are the books I was able to finish this month!

(goodreads.com)

    Finnikin of the Rock:  I really enjoyed this book.  Being the first book in the series, there was a lot of world building and explanation.  I liked that there were alternative points of view for different characters as well as different voices for each character.  Although I think there was steady character development going on, it was frustrating to read at times.  The relationship between Evanjalin and Finnikin was also frustrating in the sense that I didn't always understand what was keeping them from being together until the middle of the book.  Lots of tension!  The beginning dragged for me, but after the first 100 pages, I was engaged.  There was a lot of traveling and not too much action in this book, so it definitely felt like the first book in a series.  The next book in the series follows Froi, who was sort of a slave and a thief in this book, so I'm interested to read something from his point of view.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Graceling:  I liked the first half of this book more than the second, which I feel is really rare.  In most cases, the book picks up after the second half, but for me, in this case, it dragged.  I thought the premise was interesting and everyone told me to read this book, so I made it a point to put it on my list.  The characters were great, although I found Katsa to be a little annoying, but Po was definitely my favorite character.  I felt like the resolution happened too quickly.  After their initial encounter with King Leck, they kind of just ran away and hid from him for months, until Katsa killed him almost by accident.  In between, there was a lot of agonizing travel, but I did enjoy the part with the pirates, because who doesn't like pirates?  I just felt like the ending was a bit rushed and anticlimactic.  I ended up giving this book 3 out of 5 stars.  I may still read the other books because I've heard Fire is very good.  We'll see what happens!

(goodreads.com)

    Clockwork Angel:  I think this was, by far, my favorite book of the month.  I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and the world building was spectacular.  I also love this time period, (1800s London), so it was easy for me to picture and wrap myself into.  This book had everything from sword fights to sabotage to romance.  The only thing I didn't like about this book was Tessa.  She seemed a bit too helpless for my tastes, although she seemed courageous at times towards the end.  Will, however, can have his way with me anytime.  Jem and Tessa deserve each other because Jem is so sweet, but more of a wet blanket compared to Will.  Mysterious, but dull, whereas Will is a mysterious, sarcastic prick, more or less.  Although I favored Will over Jem, Will's attitude was atrocious!  I know it will be explained in the second book, but there really is no reason for him to be such a douche.  And Tessa didn't have to take everything so personally.  When all the characters were together, I loved it.  My hope was to want to read the Mortal Instruments series after this one, because I had difficulties getting into that series.  I think I accomplished my goal and I will pick up the Mortal Instruments series soon.  I can't wait to pick up the other two Infernal Devices books and read them!  I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The Demon King:  This was a really good book!  Another recommendation from a friend that I'm glad I picked up.  At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to get into it because it started off a little slow.  After I passed the 100 page mark, I was hooked.  I thought the world was similar to others I've read about, so it was easy to picture.  I also like the way all the characters and the types of people living within this world interact and coexist with each other.  Wizards are feared, but rely on the Clan people to make their power sources, thus creating a balance.  However, much like in LOTR, "men are easily corrupted," so the High Wizard has the annoying queen wrapped around his putrid finger.  The queen was the most annoying character in this book, by far.  I wanted to strangle her the entire time, every time she opened her vapid mouth.  I liked Raisa because she seemed more independent and brave than her mother and sister.  I felt really bad for Han, almost the entire time.  Amon is BAE and Micah can suck it.  Overall, I'm curious to see where this series goes.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    The Archived:  I was looking forward to reading this book because I loved V.E. Schwab's adult novels.  I didn't love it or hate it, to be honest.  I loved the premise and having Librarians be the people who curate the dead.  The beginning was slow for me and I was confused by the 2nd person journal entries.  They started to make sense after awhile, but not until about half way through.  I just didn't think they were necessary.  I also didn't really get the sense of character development or description in the first half of the book.  I thought Mac felt a little like a Celaena Sardothien type of character, but I liked her a lot more after she met Wes and they developed a cute friendship/love interest.  Wes was awesome, very dynamic and intriguing to read.  The twist at the end was great and I loved that the second half was a whirlwind of realizations.  I will most likely read the second book, but maybe not for awhile.  I gave this one 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Ink and Bone:  This book was another one that had grabbed my attention because of the premise, but I also didn't love or hate this book.  I had no idea that it was a regressed future society until about half way through.  Another slow start for me, but it picked up as soon as Jess got to Alexandria.  I wasn't a huge fan of the letters in between the chapters, (much like the journal entries in The Archived), but I understood why they were there and knew they had a purpose when they started revealing important information.  Regardless, I felt like I knew what was going to happen the whole time, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.  There is also a lot of diversity in this book, including race, sexual orientation and gender.  It was an interesting portrayal of the future, which isn't that far off from today, (the year was 2025).  This book definitely emphasizes the benefits and consequences of freedom of speech and ownership of books.  I thought it was interesting that the library was a place to be feared and served.  I thought the war zone in England against the Welsh was the most interesting and action-packed part of the book.  I was surprised to see a lot of death and suffering here, very reminiscent of the Holocaust.  It was tough to read at times, but very eye-opening.  I ended up giving this book 3.5 out of 5 stars as well.  I will be looking into the second book in this series, once it comes out.

(goodreads.com)

    The Raven Boys:  I liked this book, but I didn't love it until the second half.  Like most of the other books on this list, it didn't really grab me until half way through.  It wasn't slow in the beginning, per say, just not interesting I guess.  Before Blue meets the boys and after, there's a stark difference in her character.  I liked everyone a lot better when they were together.  Everyone had their own personality and they all really shined through.  No one overshadowed the other, unless it was on purpose.  I didn't quite understand or grasp the first time they found the woods and what was happening inside.  By the second time, I mostly understood, but it was still confusing and I had a hard time picturing it.  The realization about Noah and the whole thing with Adam and his father KILLED ME INSIDE.  Very raw, emotional stuff, but, although it was unexpected, it made the story that much better and gave it a little twist in the end.  Everyone had their own secrets and they propelled the story.  The fact that the ending left off on a cliff hanger bugged me because now I have to read the rest of it!  I didn't even realize it was a cliffhanger until I read the back of the second book.  Overall, I gave this one 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children:  Although this book was absolutely not what I was expecting, it was still really good!  Again, it started off slow for me and I actually wasn't sure if I would end up liking it, but I'm glad I stuck with it.  The book definitely picked up speed after Jacob and his father went to Wales and weird stuff started happening.  I started to put the pieces together about half way through, after he found the secret passageway.  Although this book didn't have a lot of world-building or character description, there were a lot of pictures and I found them both creepy and helpful.  I loved the children's different personalities and the way they help each other.  There are some twists in the story that I didn't anticipate, so that was refreshing to read.  The cover definitely betrays the true story within, so do not judge this book by it's cover!  It still has creepy elements, but this book isn't scary at all.  I would say that the book is simply "peculiar," as the title suggests.  I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and definitely plan on finishing the trilogy.

    So there's my wrap-up for October!  Have you read any of these books?  What did you think?  Are any of these books on your TBR list?  Let's discuss in the comments below or shoot me a message on any of my social media platforms.  I'm always down for a good book discussion!  Next week I'll be introducing the books for my November TBR.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

October Comic Book Wrap-Up

    Hello everybody!  October is already winding down and it's been a bit of a tough month for me, reading-wise.  I admit that I've been more focused on reading my books, since I allowed myself a lofty goal of ten, (which I still didn't meet due to unforeseen circumstances I'll elaborate on Thursday), so I didn't put as much effort into reading comics as I have in the past.  That being said, I managed to get four of my six picks done this month and I'm very happy with that.

(goodreads.com)

    Hellboy:  I wanted to read this obviously because of my love for the films as well as the month being solely about Halloween, so this fit in really nicely with the theme.  I was pleasantly surprised by the story and how truly dark it was, which is what I was hoping for.  It was very similar to the movie, considering the movie is loosely based on the comics, but still had it's differences.  For instance, there is absolutely no romantic interest between Red and Liz in the comics, as it had been in the films.  Also, I do wish Professor "Broom" had more of a role in the comics because I was so enthralled by his presence in the films.  I thought his short time in the beginning of the first issue pegged him as a helpless and crazy old man instead of the proud and investigative explorer scientist we know from the movies.  Also, his relationship with Red is more fatherly in the movies; although he does mention in the comics that they had more of a father-son relationship, there was no time to really develop that claim.  Overall, I gave Hellboy Vol. 1 4 out of 5 stars.

(goodreads.com)

    Hellboy and the B.P.R.D:  This was a comic I was excited about reading at the beginning of the month, so I'm glad I was able to get to it.  This comic is not related to the films at all, which was probably why I was so excited about the premise.  This comic takes place in the 1950s during the aftermath of the war.  Hellboy is a young man, (I think even possibly a teenager, since the other guys all refer to him as "kid"), who gets to go on assignment with the military members of the beginnings of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.  I loved the slight difference in art style to this one as opposed to the original comic series as well.  There is a lot of mystery and sabotage and I liked how vulnerable Red was at the beginning, trying to find out his place among the team, outliving most if not all of them in the end.  I gave this one 4.5 out of 5 stars.  I was very impressed with how good this was, I just wish there was more of it.

(goodreads.com)

    Shutter:  Honestly, I just read this one today during work, so it's still fresh in my mind.  This series seems to be about an alternative Earth future where dinosaurs and mythological creatures and talking skeletons exist in harmony with humans.  The story follows a young woman named Kate and she ends up getting dragged into a situation involving her father and her mystery siblings.  She has a side kick in the form of a talking cat clock that looks like Felix and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.  He made this comic for me because he's a glass-half-full sort of personality, plus he's a talking cat clock.  I was also intrigued by the fact that this human woman, ex-explorer, can co-exist in a world where a humanoid fox warrior can ride a triceratops shooting a machine gun.  There was also a lot of diversity in this comic, like Kate having a trans best friend and her father being red-headed and white while she is dark haired and dark skinned, (I'm not going to guess her ethnicity, but she's at least really really tan).  Regardless, the story was mostly easy to follow, except for some times when it wasn't.  Sometimes the text ran together too much for my tastes, but I was able to pick it up and continue without too much confusion.  I ended up giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars, but I am planning on picking up the second volume to continue with the series.

(goodreads.com)

    TMNT: Change is Constant:  This series I had started years ago and never got to finish, so I thought I would.  I love me some Ninja Turtles, so obviously this was a no-brainer for me.  I love them as I knew them in cartoon form from 2007, so I have always been interested in reading the original comics, (now that I have a few), and reading about them in alternative time lines and worlds.  This story line takes place in a world where Splinter and the turtles still start off as lab experiments in StockGen, Baxter Stockman headquarters, and are taken care of by April O'Neil.  Ninjas of unknown origin end up stealing the turtles, with Splinter sabotaging their efforts and knocking them all into a storm drain.  A cat ends up walking away with Raphael before transforming into a humanoid figure, leaving Splinter with only the other three.  In the present day, the brothers are searching for Raph while Raph scours the streets for food until he finds Casey Jones and they team up before running into the cat again, who was also effected by the mutagen.  This was an interesting arc because I've never thought of the turtles not being together as a family.  Since Raph has been separated, this may effect his judgement and character in later issues once he is reunited.  I'm still getting used to seeing them all in red bandannas, but I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.  I'm planning on picking up more TMNT comics in the future to check out other story lines as well.

    Well, that's all I was able to read this month for comics.  I'll try to be more invested in my comic book reading next month as I work on continuing series that I've already started.  Check back next Tuesday when I lay out my TBR list for the month of November!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Halloween Movies That Aren't Scary!

    If you're anything like me, you aren't really a huge fan of Halloween.  October is one of my favorite months, but Halloween always makes me a little anxious.  Almost all of my friends love Halloween, (as most of the rest of the world would agree), so it's difficult for me to participate in the Halloween festivities when it most often includes a scary movie marathon.  I can't do scary, so, as a result, I get scared easily; I HATE the dark, I don't do haunted houses or corn mazes and I cringe at the sight of porcelain dolls.  I just don't enjoy being scared, and that's OK!  Not everyone enjoys those gory, suspenseful messes, so I thought I'd come up with a list of acceptable alternative movies to watch if you're not into that scary business.  Now that Halloween is almost upon us, the Halloween-themed movies will be starting.  Most of the ones on my list will even be on ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween, if you're interested, (check your local listings).  I will list my top five favorites first, (in no particular order), followed by five honorable mentions.

(www.imdb.com)

    Beetlejuice:  This is still one of my favorite movies to watch during Halloween.  I didn't always like it, but I've grown to appreciate it over the years.  This movie allowed me to fall in love with Winona Ryder.  If you still haven't seen it, (the movie came out in 1988), the movie is about a married couple, Adam and Barbara, who die in a tragic car accident.  Their house goes in the market after years of vacancy and is purchased by an art dealer and her family, including young Lydia Deetz.  Adam and Barbara are still coming to terms with their predicament, but loathe the new owners of their home, so they make a deal with the devil to get them out of there.  This movie is horrific, as any Tim Burton movie should be.  The characters are great and dynamic, the story is morbid, tragic and funny at the same time, and the acting by Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice is fantastic.  I highly recommend if you're a fan of Tim Burton and his other works, mainly Edward Scissorhands.

(www.imdb.com)

    Casper: The ORIGINAL Casper, from 1995, is another one of my all-time favorite Halloween movies.  If you've seen any other Casper movie, this one beats them all.  Kat Harvey follows her father, who is a "paranormal psychologist," to Maine to explore a haunted mansion, all the while on a quest to track down Kat's dead mother.  Kat is determined to stay put this time around and befriends a "friendly" ghost named Casper.  Her father ends up running into Casper's nasty uncles and hilarity ensues.  The ghosts want them out, but Kat's dad isn't leaving without answers.  This movie is hauntingly beautiful and a great coming-of-age story.  The ending gets me every time with ALL THE FEELS, so if you haven't yet, go watch it.

(www.imdb.com)

    Hocus Pocus:  I can't make a list of Halloween movies without including this one.  It's a cult classic and everyone loves it, regardless of what kind of Halloween experience you prefer.  Three witches are resurrected on Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts to finish a ritual started centuries ago.  Two teenagers and an adorably brave little cat/human named Binx embark on an epic journey to save their town.  Easily one of Sarah Jessica Parker's best performances and who can forget Sean Murray as Thackery?!?  UGH, I need this movie in my life right now.

(www.imdb.com)

    Hellboy:  I know this isn't technically a Halloween film, but I still love a little Guillermo del Toro to round out my Halloween playlist.  Since most of his stuff is terrifying, quite frankly, I thoroughly enjoy this non-creepy(ish) take on a demon reborn.  Hellboy follows a paranormal research team that was founded close to the beginning of World War II, in which this team stumbled upon a Nazi camp during a ritualistic opening of a door to Hell by Rasputin.  Although they managed to defeat the Nazis and close the door to the other side, a small demonic humanoid being came through and was adopted by the team and codenamed "Hellboy," because of his red skin and horns. Flash forward to today and he's working with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence, (BPRD), to stop an influx of paranormal events from taking over the city of New York.  This movie has tons of action and sarcasm, so if you're into that, this movie is for you.  I really prefer this one to the second one because it's a little darker and has an element of mystery around it, plus a lot more humor, which I love.  Hellboy is also a comic book that I've been reading this month and it is similar, yet different to the movie, so if you're into reading your films, have at it.

(harrypotter.wikia.com)

    Harry Potter:  I can't make this list and not include a little Harry Potter!  Obviously with it's heavy focus on magic and the supernatural, this is a perfect series for Halloween, (or any event actually).  Clearly I'm not suggesting a Harry Potter marathon next weekend, (unless you really want to), but I would definitely recommend The Sorcerer's Stone, due to it's Halloween-specific scenes as well as The Prisoner of Azkaban, just for a little dose of magical creatures and creepy scenery.  Those two are the most suited for Halloween, in my opinion, (which is almost always right when it comes to Harry Potter).  So go have yourselves a HP marathon!

    Now we're getting into the honorable mentions.  These movies are perfect for Halloween, however they aren't my absolute favorites, (even though some of them are classics).  Definitely make time for these before next weekend!

(www.imdb.com)

    The Nightmare Before Christmas:  Unlike the rest of the world, I'm actually not a huge fan of this movie.  It used to scare me as a child, so I never took a liking to it like everyone else did.  I watched it again last year and I thought better of it this second time around, so I'm adding it to my list.  It's obviously a cult classic and made for Halloween, (and Christmas), viewing.  The fact that this movie bleeds directly into Christmas territory still irks me, but to each his own.  Tim Burton's crazy like that I guess.

(ed.wikipedia.org)

    It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!:  I love the Peanuts, so I'm going to include this lesser-known work of theirs on this list.  Everyone I know shits on The Great Pumpkin, but I LOVE IT!  While Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang celebrate Halloween, Linus sits out in a pumpkin patch to await the arrival of The Great Pumpkin, of which he is the sole believer.  It's so cute and perfect for kids and I'm so glad they're still airing it on television.  The Peanuts are like family tradition and everyone has their own personal favorite that they watch every year.  Even if it's not yours, make the effort to watch this one.

(www.imdb.com)

    Batman Returns:  As I've figured out, any Tim Burton film is perfect for Halloween.  Case and point, the second Batman movie.  Although the original Batman was also a Tim Burton film, I found that the second one, featuring the Penguin, (courtesy of Danny Devito), was a lot darker and more Halloween-esq.  This one also has Catwoman, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.  Lots of black leather.

(www.imdb.com)

    The Crow:  I'm not a huge fan of this movie, but my husband loves it.  Set on Halloween, this movie is about a couple who are murdered the night before their wedding.  On the anniversary of their death, Eric Draven is resurrected to exact vengeance for his beloved.  This movie is extremely creepy and dark, has an inner-city setting and interesting visual effects.  There are some decent fighting scenes as well and a lot of killing, so prepare yourself for some gore if you're planning on watching this one.

(www.imdb.com)

    Ghostbusters:  This last one was an obvious choice.  I tend to lean more towards funny Halloween movies and this one is no exception.  If you've never heard of Ghostbusters, you don't deserve to know.  Three unemployed parapsychology professors start ridding their neighborhood of poltergeists and hilarity ensues.  This is another cult classic with an all-star cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis.  It's currently going through a reboot, so check it out if you're interested.

    Well, there you go!  There's my list of Halloween movies to watch if you don't like scary movies.  Are there movies I missed?  Which ones are your go-to favorites for Halloween?  Let me know in the comments below.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Nerd Alert!

    Hey guys!  I hope everyone had a great weekend.  Now that football is in full swing, I've enjoyed watching my beloved New England Patriots annihilate their revenge tour.  That being said, last night, during Monday night football, a significant final trailer dropped for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and I CAN'T EVEN.  This movie is coming out SO CLOSE to my birthday, (December 19th), that I've already purchased tickets.  Best birthday present to myself ever!  So today, I thought I would break down that trailer for you and review it.

    The first trailer had me crying, even after the fourth time watching it, so I had been eagerly waiting for another trailer to occupy my feels.  In the first trailer, we got our first look at some of the cast, including John Boyega, (Finn), Daisy Ridley, (Rey), and, most importantly, Harrison Ford, (if you don't know who he's playing in the movie, you shouldn't be reading this post).  We also got a glimpse into what the Dark Side may look like and it's players, including a female Sith leader.  This trailer is quite different in the sense that it builds onto that first trailer and adds more detail, so now we can investigate more into the lives of the characters and what their roles may be.  Here is the trailer for your viewing pleasure:

    At the start of the 2:35 trailer, we see Rey clad in desert gear, very much resembling those of the people on Tatooine. She looks to be scavenging for something, probably parts, considering the later shot of her working on some mechanical device/piece of junk in a tent.  Rey looks to be scouring an old, abandoned ship for something, maybe just parts.  She also carries with her a large staff, not a light saber, which is typical of a lone wolf scavenger.   Someone off screen asks who she is and she replies, "I am no one," while walking across the desert with a new, rolling droid figure before taking off in a space craft.

    We see the familiar gathering of storm troopers in front of a red banner and then Finn claims he was "created" to do one thing. "But I've got nothing to fight for." As a ship falls out of the sky propelling towards another planet.  We can guess that Finn is probably a product of cloning, which we saw the beginning stages of during the last Star Wars films.  His purpose seems to be marred, so we can assume he goes on a quest to find out what that may be.  We can also safely assume that he ends up crash landing on the same planet that Rey inhabits, which is how they meet up.  We also see later in the footage that he's facing off against the "villain" Kylo Ren, who my husband insists isn't on the Dark Side, but the Grey Side, as in the Grey Jedi Order, who serve neither side, but more themselves.  This would be an interesting theory if it's true, considering there are at least two Sith lords presumably running around the galaxy.  Speaking of the Sith, Kylo is seen confiding in the melted head of Darth Vader, vowing to finish what he started.  What does that mean?  Could he be talking about the Death Star, which is now the Starkiller base?  Or some greater plan known only to those close to Vader?  Then we see one of the Sith lords apparently torturing someone before a group of trees explode somewhere.  No idea what that's all about.

(www.ew.com)

    After that, there's a lot of Millennium Falcon action, flying through what looks to be larger ship debris.  Rey says, "There are stories about what happened," to which Han Solo replies, "It's true.  All of it," before the Millennium Falcon blasts into hyper speed.  Then we get a lot of action shots, one of Kylo Ren, (I believe), and his group of dark soldiers, holding something in the background.  Then there's a lot of flying, shooting and fighting among squad leaders and storm troopers while Han continues, "The Dark Side, the Jedi... They're real." He also leads them into a colorful, rock tomb sanctuary with a red robot thing that looks like a walker from when they were on Hoth.  Then we see the familiar shot of someone who could very well be Luke Skywalker with R2D2, followed by more storm trooper fighting and a glimpse of Captain Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie, aka Brienne of Tarth.  Rey is crying over someone's body, Chewbacca, Han and Finn have their hands up in surrender, (but are slowly lowering them), as someone is saying, "The force, it's calling to you."  More storm trooper action, Han and Leia finally make an appearance together, Rey shoots something, Kylo Ren faces off against Finn with his blue light saber, (see?), and then the voice finishes, "Just let it in."

    

    I will say that this trailer gave me goosebumps all over and I literally can't stand the fact that I have to wait two more months to see it.  I have a lot more questions after watching this trailer: What is Kylo Ren's true purpose, if he is in fact one of the Grey Warriors and not a Sith?  How many Dark Side leaders will it take to bring down both the old and new Jedis?  When will Luke come into play?  Why does Rey carry a staff instead of a lightsaber, (although we did see her take one from someone in the first trailer)? I'm not the only one who broke down this lovely trailer.  Nerdist News, one of my favorite platforms for news, has done their own breakdown of the trailer, which you can watch below.

    So what do you think of this new trailer?  Did I miss anything? (I bet I did)  Are you Team Star Wars or are you a Trekky?  What is your favorite Star Wars movie, out of the 6 existing ones?  What are you most excited to see in this movie and what are your predictions?  Let's discuss!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

LONG LIVE JAR JAR!!

(www.hollywoodreporter.com)

Nerdy Recap

    Hey everyone!  I apologize, (again), for not posting on Tuesday.  I've had a lot going on and I've gotten back to working on my unfinished colloquium, which is supposed to be done at the beginning of December.  That being said, I'm going to try to make an effort to remember to post on the days I've set aside, if not for your sake, then for mine, just to have some sort of distraction at least.  I'll be moving my Nerd Alert to next Tuesday and in the meantime I thought that today could be a recap of the TV I've been catching up on.  We're talking Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Arrow.

    Although I don't have cable, I do have a Hulu and a Netflix account, (like any normal person would), but that means I have to watch my shows the day after they air, which puts me at a slight disadvantage.  Regardless, my husband and I try to get caught up as soon as possible and we just caught up with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D last night.  Oh my Lord has it gotten complicated!  For those of you who aren't aware, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D follows a team of people from the Marvel universe who work closely with the Marvel superheroes and tie in directly with The Avengers, etc.  We're entering season three now and things have gone haywire from where they started in season one.  Season two's finale tied in directly with the beginning of Avengers: Age of Ultron, which was awesome!  Marvel is working to connect the cinematic and television universes together and they are doing a great job so far.  Beyond this point are SPOILERS galore, so aver your eyes, unless you're an Inhuman!

(comicbookmovie.com)

    Anyway, season two also ended with Simmons getting sucked into an inter-dimensional alien portal monolith, (otherwise known as a giant, black rock which can liquefy at random).  At the beginning of this season, we see Fitz attempting to discover the mysteries of the alien stone and try to get his true love out of her prison.  We find out that she's actually alive at the end of the first episode of this season, which aroused more questions, like where the hell is she?  We also get introduced to the Advanced Threat Containment Unit, (ATCU), created by the government to fill the empty hole left by the destruction of the old S.H.I.E.L.D.  Episode two saw more of Fitz scrambling to get into the portal, breaking an old Asgardian ally out of prison to travel to a remote English castle to experiment with ancient technology.  Needless to say it was risky business, but Fitz was willing to do anything to get Simmons back.  Meanwhile, Skye/Daisy, (I'm never going to get used to her name change), is still searching for Lincoln, who's now on the run from everybody, thanks to this new agency attempting to flush him out with press coverage.  We see Simmons and Fitz finally reunited after a harrowing rescue ordeal with the help of Daisy's quake abilities.  Episode three saw Simmons in recovery mode, trying to fight off the horror of surviving that hell hole mystery planet.  Fitz tries to show her that he's kept everything as she left it, but Bobbi mentions that maybe she needs some change, something different to make her feel more comfortable and move on from her ordeal.  So, naturally, Fitz uses his long-standing reservation at a nice restaurant to clear the air, only she spends the evening crying on his shoulder.  The ATCU is still on the hunt for Lincoln and that poor bastard can't trust anybody but Daisy now, so he ends up giving in and finally asking for help, but not before he accidentally kills a friend of his.  And kisses Daisy, which I've wanted to happen for awhile now and I'm SO GLAD it did!  But now they have to find him again... Also, Ward is back in the picture, trying to reform Hydra with the son of von Strucker.  This should be a very interesting season indeed.

(screenrant.com)

  Arrow has only had two episodes so far and I've only seen the first one, (we'll be catching up tonight with Flash and Arrow).  Season three saw the disengagement of the team Oliver led with him fleeing into suburbia to a life of quiet and quiche.  That didn't last long.  Season four begins with the gang disarming a truck full of vagrants, with Speedy, aka Thea, joining their task force in a nice red getup.  Soon they discover this goes far over their heads and the city is now in danger, thanks to Damien Dahrk, the villain of season four.  I've heard he's a force to be reckoned with in the comics, so we'll see if that plays out in the show, but so far, I fear him completely.  He has some modifications to the comic version of himself, including mystic powers far beyond those of most professional human beings, which incapacitate his victims easily, including Oliver.  We see Oliver attempt to propose to Felicity before being interrupted by Laurel and Diggle, asking for his help.  I really hope it doesn't take him the whole season to propose to her or I'm literally going to scream.  We've been waiting for this for FOUR SEASONS NOW GUYS.  Also, what concerns me is the end scene, with Oliver at a grave site in the near future, six months from the present.  We don't see whose grave it is, but Oliver swears painful vengeance on whoever is responsible for the death.  WHO COULD IT BE?!?  I can't even begin to discuss the theories I have for this cliff hanger.  For one, it could be Felicity, just because the CW people are cruel and refuse to satisfy the fan shipping we all want to happen and to destroy Oliver once and for all.  Another option would be Diggle, since his warrior outfit is literally the worst and he still has to forgive Oliver for what he did to his family last season, so there's obvious tension there.  Then there's Thea, an obvious choice because it's his only remaining family and it would devastate him to lose his beloved sister.  Those are my three choices for who ends up dying, probably by the end of the season, so we'll have a lot of time to think about it before they actually show us who it is.  I'm excited and frustrated at the same time.

(comicbook.com)

    So there you have it, my recap and slight reviews of Arrow and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D so far.  I'm looking forward to following these series this season because I feel like they've both reached their apex.  It can only get better from here.  I've also reached season three in The Vampire Diaries after only a week of excessive late-night Netflix binge-watching.  I've even hooked my husband into watching it with me, (against his better judgement).  I'm addicted now, so if I keep going like this I should be able to catch up before the newer seventh season is over.  Fingers crossed!  What about you guys?  Do you watch Arrow or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D?  Vampire Diaries?  Thoughts on any and all of these shows can be left down in the comments!  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Recaps and Chill

    Hey guys!  Sorry I didn't post yesterday.  I got side tracked after work.  I'll be cramming two blog posts into one this week because I have my internship tomorrow and I need to work on preparing myself for a second job interview on Friday.  Next week should be back to normal.  Today, I thought I would recap my weekend, which included the Powderkeg Beer and Chili Festival in my hometown of Exeter, NH and the second episode of Once Upon a Time, because I promised do some TV recaps.

(powderkegbeerfest.com)

    My husband and I attend the Beer and Chili festival every year and it's a really great time!  This year was the fourth year of the festival and it has grown leaps and bounds since it started back in 2011.  The festival brings craft beer brewers and local restaurants together to create the perfect fall atmosphere.  Local restaurants will compete to see who's chili reigns supreme in the area while beers from all over New England service the milling public.  I really enjoy getting to taste not only the chili from some of my favorite places, but also beers and ciders that I would normally not have access to.  Two words: FREE PRETZELS.  I highly recommend attending any local fall festivals in your area.  It's a great chance to celebrate the season and sample some local fare with friends.

    So, as you know, I'm a huge OUAT fan and this season is starting off incredibly Dark Swan.  For those of you who haven't caught up with the current season yet, SPOILERS AHEAD.
    At this point, Emma is struggling to balance her light and darkness with her new-found power while her poor family is stuck trying to figure out a way to save her.  We were introduced to Merida in the very first episode as she runs into Emma and eventually agrees to help her find her way to Merlin.  The Storybrooke gang is still blissfully unaware where Emma is and Hook deceives his way into accidentally helping Zelena get out of her imprisonment.  At the end of the first episode, the gang rides a tornado into the Enchanted Forest in the hopes of finding Emma and Merlin, but end up running into the Camelot Crew.  Flash forward to a few weeks later and they're all back in Storeybrooke, at Granny's, with Emma in full Dark Swan mode, turning dwarfs to stone.  What the hell happened?

(comicbook.com)

    Last weekend's episode revealed a little more about the gang's missing memories.  This episode included a lot of back and forth between present day evil Dark Swan Emma and when they were back in Camelot adjusting to court life yet again.  Regina has claimed herself to be the new Savior, unsure of whether or not she can actually do the job like Emma had.  Henry believes in her, (obviously), but how much influence does he really have?  Robin is taken by a random Fury who shows up to claim a debt owed to it by Regina, (supposedly), and she spends most of the episode trying to figure out a way around it.  Belle sheds some light on the situation because book smarts and Regina finds out she must trade a life for Robins if he's to be saved.  Instead of trying to sacrifice herself again, Snow, Charming and Hook all contribute to the Fury's sacrifice in order to free Robin.  In another area of the woods, Hook is still trying to get Emma back to normal, to no avail, and Emma happens to have the sword AND the dagger in order to reforge the blade that was broken, (see what I did there?).  Needless to say, it's not as easy as it looks and the spirit of Evil Rumple is still trying to help her turn over to the dark side and do what no other Dark One has ever accomplished: free themselves of everyone they've ever loved so they can become completely submerged in the darkness.  Scary, right?  I don't think that will happen to Emma, but I bet she gets really close.  We'll have to see what happens next.
    My favorite part of last week's episode was actually Henry, my precious cinnamon roll, and his NEW LADY FRIEND VIOLET.  I keep forgetting Henry is actually probably like 15 by now and so ready to have a love interest in this show.  I still see him like I did in the first season when he was ADORABLE so I'm not sure if this was just for this episode to break up the tension or a recurring plot line, but whatever it is I'm totally shipping Violenry/Henlet (?).  Help me out here with a ship name please.

(pinterest.com)

    While we're talking about shows we're obsessed with, I'll mention that I've been perusing Netflix for a show to binge watch this month, something relatively scary, maybe supernatural in nature and nothing that will give me nightmares.  I started watching Supernatural, and I'm enjoying it thoroughly, however I've found that Vampire Diaries is my new favorite guilty pleasure show to Netflix and chill to and I'm ashamed to say that I am hopelessly addicted after only 6 episodes.  You would think that it would scream Twilight TV, but it doesn't.  In fact, there are points in the show so far that have blatantly made fun of Twilight, so I approve of that wholeheartedly.  I have no idea what's going to happen to my free time now, but I'm willing to run with it.  TVD is entering it's 7th season, as opposed to Supernatural, which is entering it's 11th season, (SO MANY EPISODES TO WATCH).  I don't think I mentioned either of these shows in my frequently watched series post a few days ago, but I'm going with it!  Which one would you watch?  Are you team Vampire Diaries or Team Supernatural?  Let's discuss.

    That's all I have for this week.  I'm putting most of my energy into Netflix and preparing for my interview tomorrow, so wish me luck!  Next week I'll have a new Nerd Alert and an Author Spotlight for you.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

October TBR

    As promised, this will be my enormous TBR for the month of October.  October is probably my favorite month, not because of Halloween, (since I really don't like Halloween to begin with), but because this is the month when all the trees change color, pumpkin stuff starts happening and I can finally start wearing my chunky sweaters!  I will definitely mourn the day I finally have to put away my flip flops, but Fall is by far my favorite season, so it's worth it.  I'm currently snacking on a bag of candy corn that I bought myself earlier today because ADULTING.  October is also a good reading month, due to all the great opportunities to get into a cozy reading space, whether it's outside or inside.  Can't you just picture yourself, curled up on the couch with a blanket and an amazing Fall-themed Yankee candle, reading one of these books?  I know I can.  I will be attempting 10 books and 6 comic books this month, so hopefully I can make it happen.  A few of the books I chose work with the Halloween/spooky theme this month.  I have a feeling I'll end up reading over what I projected, but we'll see.  As always, I will be listing my comic books first, followed by regular books.

(goodreads.com)

    My first pick for comic books this month is Hellboy, Volume 1: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola and John Byrne.  I love the Hellboy movies and realized that I have yet to read the actual comic book it was based on, so I think it's time.  If you've seen the two movies, you'll understand what it's about, but for those of you who don't know, I'll provide a brief synopsis: The story revolves around a group of investigators and monster hunters known as the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, a secret government program meant to rid the world of the evil that lurks in the darkness.  In 1945, during an expedition in Germany during WWII, this group of scientists and adventure seekers witnessed the opening of a portal to another dimension.  Due to a series of unfortunate events, the team discovers a stowaway after the portal is closed and adopts him as one of their own, despite the fact that he's a demon.  Hellboy must rid the world of evil while avoiding his destiny to destroy the world.  It's very dark and gritty, which I just what I need before Halloween.  Hellboy is a great character and he portrays that bad-boy, smart-ass, give-no-fucks bad ass that I like to see every now and then.  I've heard that Guillermo del Toro based his movies off of this comic arc, so I'm excited to read it!

(goodreads.com)

    I'm also going to be reading Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952, Volume 1 by Mignola, John Arcudi, Alexander Maleev, and Dave Stewart.  This obviously has a similar story line to the first one, but takes place after WWII in 1952.  This series follows young Hellboy as he explores the responsibilities that go along with being a member of the BPRD.  With a different team than the original I'm used to seeing and a different time period, this should be great.  New, but still familiar.

(goodreads.com)

    Shutter by Joe Keatinge, Leila del Luca, and Owen Geini was recommended to me by a customer at the comic shop that I work at.  I knew nothing about this series until I read the description and it sounded great!  A female explorer, Kate Kristopher, returns to her lost life of adventure after a family secret threatens to tear her world apart.  It claims to be Indiana Jones-esq with some urban fantasy thrown in there, so I'm not sure what to expect, but it sounded interesting enough to pick up.

(goodreads.com)

    I don't know why it's taken me so long to pick up a TMNT comic, but I'm righting that wrong NOW.  This one is called TMNT: Change is Constant, Volume 1 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz and Dan Duncan.  I actually already started this series awhile ago and never finished, so I'm looking forward to picking it up again and actually getting to the end.  This series follows the turtles as they try to reunite with Raphael, who has been separated from his family since they had the accident.  He's been wandering the sewers with no real sense of purpose, so it's up to his brothers and Splinter to find him and become a team again.  I've never read about Raphael in a vulnerable situation, so this story line is really interesting to me.  I may expand and try other arcs from other publishers, (because the TMNT universe spans multiple publishers and arcs at this point).  I was looking into the Casey and April adventures, which seemed pretty interesting, but I'm still excited to see this take on the TMNT.

(goodreads.com)

    Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn is another comic that was recommended to me by a patron at the comic shop.  This one I'm not as excited about, but I'm willing to try it.  From what I can gather, this series is about a human guy falling in love with an android robot he never wanted.  Other than that, I have no idea what this is about and I'm not even sure that I'll like it, but I'm willing to give it a try because I've heard great things about it.  I may end up loving it, so you never know!

(goodreads.com)

    The last comic book I plan on reading this month is one I've had my eye on for awhile, and that is Long Walk to Valhalla by Adam Smith and Matthew Fox.  I was drawn to this one initially because of the title and the obvious viking/Norse influence, but the cover art is STUNNING.  You have to look at it in person because there is some white background design behind the main cover art and it's breathtakingly beautiful.  This comic is about a boy named Rory growing up in rural Arkansas with an older brother with a mental disability and he doesn't have the best life.  When he crashes his car and a Valkyrie named Sylvia comes to take him to Valhalla, he walks through the memories of his life through the eyes of his brother and has to face the good and the bad things.  I honestly can't wait to read this book!

    Now onto books...

(goodreads.com)

    The first book on my list is Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta.  I'm actually already reading this book and I'm enjoying it so far!  This book follows a young man named Finnikin as he attempts to restore his homeland after a curse ruined it for the last ten years.  He's been in exile along with his mentor, Sir Topher, and they end up picking up a girl named Evanjalin, although she's not what she seems.  I enjoyed the premise of this book, so I'm hoping it only gets better from where I'm at right now.

(goodreads.com)

    I had been planning on reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs closer to Halloween because of the creepy cover.  I also heard they're making this into a movie, which is awesome!  This story is about a boy named Jacob and his journey to an island of the coast of Wales after a family tragedy.  He comes across an abandoned orphanage and all hell breaks loose.  I don't know if I want to know more about this book before I read it because I feel like it'll be creepy enough for me, but not scary in the sense that I won't be able to sleep at night.  Here's to hoping!

(goodreads.com)

     Graceling by Kristin Cashore has been on my radar forever, so I'm excited to finally pick it up and read it.  Katsa is out female main character and she lives in a world where people are bestowed with gifts of magic, called "graces," from the time they are born.  Katsa has been given the gift to kill, so she is an expert at killing people, which doesn't sound like the best gift.  This book is right up my alley, since I apparently have a thing for strong female assassin-like characters and romance.  I have heard nothing bad about this series, so I'm pumped to finally get to it!

(goodreads.com)

    The Archived by Victoria Schwab is on my list solely because I wanted to read something else by her, since I can't get my hands on A Gathering of Shadows.  The Archived is about a world where "Librarian" can actually read the memories of the lives of dead people, called "Histories."  When people die, they rest in the Archives.  "Keepers" like Mac are tasked with keeping the Histories inside the Archives.  Someone has been breaking in and altering the histories, so Mac has to solve the mystery before the Archives are destroyed.  This sounds like an interesting take on an alternative presence for libraries.  It also has a bit of a creepy twist to it, so I may read this closer to the end of the month too.

(goodreads.com)

    The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater revolves around a girl named Blue as she becomes involved with the Raven Boys, a group of boys from the local private school, as they venture on a quest that will take Blue with them and possibly cause they're demise.  Another dark book for Halloween with lots of death, ghosts and the promise of danger.  I'm not sure if I'll like this book or not, but again, it got great reviews from all the people I trust, so I'm willing to give it a shot!  Hopefully I've found a new series to latch on to.

(goodreads.com)

    Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine is another book about libraries.  It takes place in a world where the Great Library of Alexandria still exists and governs the entire world's knowledge and the personal ownership of books is against the law.  Jess is an avid reader and his parents sell and buy books on the black market, but once he attempts to join the library to act as a spy, his loyalties will be tested.  I'm interested enough in the premise of the story to give this a shot.

(goodreads.com)

    I've wanted to read a Neil Gaiman book forever, so I'm excited to actually put one on my list.  American Gods is about a prisoner who was just released from prison to find that his wife has died in an accident.  Shadow is approached on a plane by a Mr. Wednesday, who claims to be a former God and king of America.  Together they embark on a preternatural journey across the country that I can't wait to find out more about!

(goodreads.com)

    I've tried to read the Mortal Instruments series and couldn't get into it, but I've heard more good things about the Infernal Devices series that I'm willing to pick it up and give it a go, (although I will probably watch the Shadow Hunters series on TV when it premiers).  Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare introduces us to Tessa Gray in 1800s London as she searches the underworld for her missing brother, aided by the shadow hunters Will and Jem.  I'm actually pretty excited for this one, so maybe I can find more than one new series to get into this month!

(goodreads.com)

    The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima is another book recommended to me by a friend.  From what I understand, it follows two different perspectives, a reformed thief named Han and a princess named Raisa.  There are wizards and an amulet and magic and everything I love about fantasy, so I'm eager to get to this book.

(goodreads.com)

    Lastly, (I know, there are a lot of book here), I'm going to try to read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  I've wanted to read this book for a year now and the only reason I haven't read it yet is because SOMEONE took it out at the library and hasn't returned it in AT LEAST three months, which is blasphemous if you ask me.  As I've been waiting for it to come back, they still have a copy in large print that I may pick up just because I'm tired of waiting for that douche to bring the book back.  Anyway, The Night Circus is about Le Cirque de Reves and it's operations underneath the moon.  Two young magicians, Celia and Marco, compete in the areas of both magic and love.  I loved the premise of this book from the moment I saw the beautiful cover and I think it would be fitting to read it during the Halloween month.

    Ok, I think that's quite enough books for one day.  I didn't go into too much detail, for obvious reasons, but I'll do a more in-depth wrap-up at the end of the month.  I may even split it up again, one post for comics and then split the books down the middle and do a post each.  I may even read more than I listed here, so we'll have to wait and see.  If you have any book recommendations for next month, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment below or contact me via social media.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.