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.
   

Carpe Diem

    Hey everyone.  Sorry I didn't post yesterday, but we ended up having a family emergency, so I really didn't have time.  One of my childhood dogs passed away yesterday.  He was 14 years old and it was devastating for our family.  We've had him since I was eleven, so I grew up with him.  I'm glad I was there with him during his final moments, but it was still difficult to accept.  It still is.  It's going to take some time for me to cope with his loss, but eventually I think I'll be alright.  I gave some extra love to all my other animals just because.  I'll miss you bud <3

    Despite the fact that I'm still grieving, I'd like to perk up my spirits a bit by giving you my list of five movies that you should watch to get in the mood for the fall season.  Fall is by far my favorite season.  There's almost nothing I hate about it, (except Halloween, but I don't "hate" Halloween as much as it just makes me uncomfortable...I HATE being scared).  So as August slowly comes to a close, (seriously, could this month move ANY slower?!!? I've been dying here on the East Coast with all this heat and humidity!), I'd like to review and recommend some movies I will be watching, not only to help me feel better, but also to help me prepare for this wonderful Fall season.

(amazon.com)

    Who doesn't love a good Disney movie?!  Pocahontas is one of my favorites and it was one of the first to portray a strong, independent female leading character, (which seems to be very "in" right now).  If you live under a rock or refused to pay attention in history class, Pocahontas is about a group of English settlers coming over to the New World to colonize, where one of them meets a native woman who teaches him about the land and about humanity.  This Disney version tweaks the historical facts a bit, (as in John Smith and Pocahontas had no relationship and she ended up marrying Kocuom and then got captured by the English and sent to live among them where she fell in love again with John Rolfe, who was in the second Disney adaptation, among other inconsistencies).  Regardless of the historical inaccuracies, the movie screams Fall with all the colored Virginia foliage and the harvesting of food.  This Native American and English settler interaction is also reminiscent of the Thanksgiving feast between the two peoples, that may or may not have actually happened.  It's just a really great Disney movie, ok?  Go watch it, it's on Netflix.

(nickelodeon.wikia.com)

    This is definitely not the horrible remake "Blog Wars" that I had the unfortunate opportunity to witness.  This, my friends, is the original 1996 Nickelodeon movie Harriet the Spy, featuring Michelle Trachtenberg, in her film debut, and Rosie O'Donnell as the admirable Golly.  As an owner of the original VHS, I can say that possessing this orange tape was one of the crowning achievements of my childhood.  This is my favorite movie of all time, no question.  I've been watching this movie since I was five years old and have been more than influenced by the main character Harriet as she described the world from her perspective inside her "Private" composition notebook.  I have about 20 notebooks myself, having adopted her knack for discovery and her investigative tendencies.  I was obsessed with this movie, to put it lightly, so it's no wonder why it's on my list of fall favorites.  This movie takes place during the beginning of the school year in New York City I believe, (they never actually say, but you can make inferences from the setting), and follows a young spy named Harriet M. Welsch along with her friends Janie and Sport as they enter 6th grade.  Harriet writes about all of her classmates and everyone else she meets in her notebook, including those lucky few on her "spy route" throughout her neighborhood.  Eventually the notebook catches up to Harriet and gets exposed, forcing her to deal with the consequences.  This movie tackles a lot of heavy issues, including poverty, neglect, mental instability, friendship, acceptance, and coming of age, just to name a few.  I can quote this movie verbatim and I would highly recommend it if you're into quirky, coming-of-age movies dealing with a young writer and her quest for the truth.  Not to mention the gorgeous setting of NYC in the fall with the parks and inner-city gardens, etc.  I can't say enough about this movie!

(imdb.com)

    Any excuse to watch Robin Williams is a good one.  Good Will Hunting is one of my favorite Robin Williams films, not to mention Matt Damon isn't bad to look at either!  This movie, written by some of my favorite Bostonians, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, (who is also the lead in the film), follows a young South Boston man, Will Hunting, as he deals with his unknown future after he assaults a police officer.  He becomes a janitor at MIT and begins seeing a therapist, (Williams), who helps him reevaluate his relationships.  He also begins taking courses with a professor of advanced mathematics, learning that he has a rare gift.  This movie has all sorts of feels, even by just watching the scenes with Robin Williams.  This is easily one of Matt Damon's best performances to date.  Obviously the setting of this movie, collegiate Boston, screams fall.  Just look at the poster!  This movie is a bit heavy on the emotional side, so be prepared to cry during some or all of this film.  This movie is also on Netflix I believe, so if you're in the mood for some foliage, some authentic Boston accents and a good cry, you're in!

(en.wikipedia.org)

    Another Robin Williams flick!  This one has to be my favorite Robin Williams film, obviously because of his incredible performance, but also because of the literary references throughout.  This movie is perfect, not only for those of you who love fall, but also those of you, like me, who are literary junkies.  This movie has poetry, intrigue, romance, rebellion, and a lot more.  I watched this movie with my freshman last fall at the end of their poetry unit and it received great reception, (as it should).  There are also some pretty big names in this movie, besides Robin Williams, including Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson and Kurtwood Smith of That 70s Show fame playing Mr. Perry, Neil's father.  Dead Poets Society follows a group of prep school boys on track to become lawyers, doctors and such when they meet an extraordinary English teacher named John Keating, who teaches them to leave the boundaries of their education and follow their passions.  This film takes place at a conservative prep school somewhere in the Northeast during the first semester of school, (fall and winter).  The setting alone will increase your need for colored foliage and crisp New England air.  This movie is also on the heavy side toward the end, which scarred my freshman for life I bet, but this movie's message is worth it.  It's also ridiculously quotable and you'll find yourself speaking like Dr. Keating in no time after watching this movie.  "O Captain, My Captain" still makes me tear up a bit...  Easily my second favorite movie to watch to get pumped for the fall season.

(imdb.com)

    This movie is everything!  Another one on my top favorite movies of all time list.  Remember the Titans is literally the perfect movie to watch to get ready for fall!  I know a lot of people like Friday Night Lights, and that's all well and good, but this movie is SO MUCH BETTER because this is based on a true story.  If you enjoy football, the civil rights movement, Denzel Washington, and the late 1960s, you will LOVE this movie!  Remember the Titans follows a high school football team in Virginia during the integration of black and white schools.  T.C. Williams High School head coach Bill Yoast is introduced to Coach Herman Boone, who ends up taking his job solely because he is an African American.  As Coaches Yoast and Boone deal with their new rankings on the football staff, the players have to deal with each other as the integrate during a time of turmoil in the south.  Coach Boone changes the game, (literally), and leads the Titans into a battle for race and the championship.  You can tell this is a Disney film because there are so many good messages in this movie about acceptance, brotherhood and hope.  Denzel Washington has a truly stellar performance as Coach Boone and Ryan Gosling actually makes his film debut as Alan Bosley.  He's hilarious!  I can't say anything bad about this movie and it is completely quotable.  The soundtrack is to die for!  So many great 70s rock hits and soul music to propel the story forward and get you pumped for football season like you've never been before.  I even tried to use one of the lines in the movie during a soccer game, which didn't help, but it got me excited, which was all I needed.  Seriously, it's better than Friday Night Lights.  Go watch it!

    So that's my list of my top five favorite fall movies.  I wanted to do a list that wasn't full of your typical fall movies, but movies I really enjoy watching and hope you do to.  Perhaps there's at least one of these movies you've never seen or heard of before that you'd be willing to try out?  Let me know in the comments what you think!  "Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent..."(Which one of those movies is this quote from?)