Five Star Book Review: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Author| Leslye Walton
Edition| Library Book
Genre| YA- Historical/Whimsical Fantasy
Publisher| Candlewick Press
Rating| 5 Stars

This is one of those books that, after finishing, will hang around for a few days.  It resonates long after the last page has been turned, the last word read.  I'm rather upset with myself that I checked this book out of the library instead of buying it because now I have to give it back.

One of the best parts of this book is that it reads like a family history.  It starts with Ava's grandmother's story, then the story of her mother, and then, finally, her story.  It's really indescribable.  Nor would I want to describe it, because it's one of those books that it's best going into not expecting anything.  You come out so much better off.

As with all five star books, I find it hard to write a review.  I have no gripes with it, and loved every part.  It's rather heartbreaking, though.  It becomes brutal in the final chapters, during the climax, so take care when picking this book up.  Because of everything that happens, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who's uncomfortable with sex.  There's nothing super graphic, but there are several scenes where it is more than implied.  One of these scenes is a rape scene.

While it is heart wrenching, it is also uplifting.  The book is all about love.  Falling in love, falling out of love, losing those you love, discovering those you love.  All types of love, too.  Romantic, parent to child, mother to daughter, friend to friend, neighbor to neighbor, brother to sister.  Because of all of this, it ends on a hopeful note.  It lifts you up in the end with a very beautiful image of what the future holds.

So, I recommend this to absolutely everyone.  It's amazing- and don't make the same mistake as me and check it out of the library.  Buy it so you can have it forever.

Sunday Comics

Sunday Comics is something I do every other week.  Rather than review each comic individually, I wrap them all up in one place.  Lately I've been reading quite a few, but you can expect that number to start going down soon.

Blackest Night (Issue #0) written by Geoff Johns with art by Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert and Rob Hunter
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Definitely a little confusing at first, but with classic characters and a pretty good catch up on what's going on.  It sets up a very interesting concept, and many pages at the end are dedicated to the different orders of Lanterns etc.

Batgirl Preview (2011- ) written by Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart with art by Babs Tarr
Rating: 5 Stars
So much fun!  I really want to dive into the series for real now.  The characters come right off the page and our heroine is spunky in all the best ways.  Plus, she's good at what she does.  Top of my list now.

Black Canary Preview (2015- ) written by Brenden Fletcher with art by Annie Wu
Rating: 1.5 Stars
Ugh, no.  I enjoy the character of Black Canary quite a bit and was excited to see that she had a new series starting.  For one, the art is hideous (in my opinion) and the story is stupid as can be.  She's in a band now, fighting off members of other bands.  Like, it makes no sense to me, and I dislike the direction her character is taking.  Sad, because I was looking forward to this one, too.

Supergirl (Issue #1) (2011-2015) written by Michael Green and Michael F. Johnson with art by Mahmud A. Asrar, Dan Green, and Dave McCaig
Rating: 5 Stars
I loved it!  The only thing I wish is that it were longer.  I'll be picking more of these up in the near future because it was such a wonderful change.  Both the art and the story were fresh and it gets me even more excited for the upcoming TV show.

Silk (Issue #2) (2015-) written by Robbie Thompson with art by Stacey Lee
Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this again, though it wasn't as interesting as the first issue.  It did a good job at starting to dive into her old life and how her new life was vastly different.  It also expanded her powers and how they worked exactly.  The villain was silly, but that's okay.  It's only issue two, and I'm still very much looking forward to reading these for some time.

Grayson Preview (2014- ) written by Tom King and Tim Seeley with art by Mikel Janin and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 5 Stars
I have no idea what's going on in this series or how it gets there, but I enjoyed every second of what I read.  It was great in every aspect, and now I look forward to reading it some day.

Midnighter Preview (2015- ) written by Steve Orlando with art by ACO
Rating: 2.5 Stars
And on the flip-side of Grayson, is Midnighter.  I'm not a fan, at least not yet.  I may give this another chance someday, perhaps when I'm more familiar with the character, but until then, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Harley Quin Preview (2013- ) written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Chad Hardin
Rating: 2.5 Stars
My cousin is a huge Harley Quinn fan, so I was eager to give this a try.  It wasn't really my stride, though it does have potential.  I think it was just a bad place to start.  I did like the writing and the cast of characters very much.  Just, perhaps, not enough to carry the story itself, which seems nonexistent.  Perhaps someday I shall continue the series.

Robin: Son of Batman Preview (2015- ) written by Patrick Gleason with art by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray
Rating: 2.5 Stars
I'm not a huge fan of Damien in general, and this did little to help me like him.  Although, it didn't do anything to make me dislike him, either.  It was confusing from the get-go, story and art.  It didn't end on a good note, either.  Rather than getting me intrigued in the future of the series, it left me wondering what was even going on.

Wolverine (Issue #42) (Civil War) (2003-2009) written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Humberto Ramos
Rating: 4 Stars
I liked this more than I thought I would.  The character of Wolverine is normally a miss for me (I enjoy Jackman's portrayal of him for the most part, but as a supporting character in other comics I always consider him a jackass).  I am in love with the Civil War story line, though, so knowing this would tie in helped.  Wolverine's role in the whole arc is going to be great.  He's the only character actively looking for revenge for what happened, and I couldn't have asked for a better character to do it.  I eagerly await what comes next.  On a side note, I really dislike the art, it's too cartoon-y, especially for this character.

Starfire Preview (2015- ) written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Emanuela Lupacchino
Rating: 5 Stars
Sign me up, I'm hooked!  The preview's a good taste of what's to come, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.  I like where the story's headed, and the interaction with other characters was a lot of fun to watch.

Teen Titans (Issue #3) (2003-2011) written by Geoff Johns with art by Mike McKone, Marlo Alquiza, and Jeromy Cox
Rating: 4.5 Stars
This one was less personal than the previous two, and the story itself was left a little weak because of it.  However, propelling into the major story line and a confrontation with Deathstroke helped.  The ending was a bit strange, but I'm willing to see where it goes.  Overall, a very good issue, though, seeing as it manages to balance several different story lines and characters.

Weekly Wrap Up and Book Haul

So tons of extended family have come into town this week, which has been a pretty good time.  Because of this I may have overestimated how much I would be able to get done this week.  I don't really mind, though.

I did manage to finish watching Star Wars: Rebels and a review will be coming soon.  I absolutely loved it and can't wait for season two later this month.  I also finally caught up on Supernatural.  It was an interesting season, to say the least.  I was going to start watching The Messengers, but I don't have the first few episodes, so I'm going to wait until it (hopefully) comes to Netflix.  I'll be starting Star Wars: The Clone Wars (because I'm on a Star Wars kick) and maybe watching some of The Tomorrow People, since I never finished it.

On the book front, I finished The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender and loved it.  I also started Angelfall, and have a few chapters left.  I plan to finish it today.  I like it a lot, but I do think it was over-hyped.  As soon as I'm done I'll start A Court of Thorns and Roses and then The Storyspinner.

Sunday- "Sunday Comics"

Monday- Review of Ava Lavender

Tuesday- Top Ten Tuesday

Wednesday- Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday- Review of Thor: Goddess of Thunder and a TV Talk

Friday- Review of Courtesan Duchess

Saturday- Wrap Up and Haul

I picked up a few things this week, and am super happy with my little tiny haul.

• Wolverine Issue #42 (part of the Civil War story line)
• Teen Titans Issue #3

•  The Serpent's Shadow (this is the third book in the Kane Chronicles)
• Cloak Society (I've had my eye on this one for a while now)

So how were your weeks?  Let me know in the comments!

Book Review: Proven Guilty (Dresden Files, #8)

Author| Jim Butcher
Edition| UK Paperback
Genre| Adult Urban Fantasy
Publisher| Orbit
Related Reviews| Dead Beat
Rating| 4.5 Stars

There may be SPOILERS for the first seven books in this series.  If you aren't caught up, I strongly recommend you do not continue to read this post.

"Blood leaves no stain on a Warden's grey cloak," are the opening lines.  They left a shiver down my back and got my heart racing in excitement for this book.  Proven Guilty picks up some time after Dead Beat and doesn't take its time in getting the ball rolling.  A new twist: Harry finds out about the crime before it happens.  These warnings must be pushed to the side when the daughter of his friend, Michael, calls him for aid.  Soon he discovers that the mysterious evil at work and Molly are tied up.

After Dead Beat, my favorite Dresden novel to date, I think I expected too much of this one.  It wasn't bad, and actually ranks up with the best of them, but didn't compare to the previous one.  Another major downfall was how predictable the story was.  Not in your face predictable, but I had the big twist penned down within the first few chapters.  It's set up well- too well, since all arrows pointed right at it.

There was still major pay off in this book, particularly in the form of old characters reappearing.  A lot happens with the faerie courts, so everyone's favorite Summer Lady and Knight have a rather large role.  Plus, some cameos from other key fey players (Maeve, who's a personal favorite, for one) held just enough tease to get all the fans excited.  And, of course, there's Molly.  She's absolutely fantastic.  I'm fairly certain she'll be upgraded to an even more major character in the next books, and I couldn't be happier.

There's a lot of character development in this one.  Charity gets pages and pages dedicated to an interesting and unexpected backstory.  Thomas starts to drift away from his brother, revealing what really happened at the end of the last book.  Murphy and Harry cement (for now) their relationship.  We finally (sort of) discover what breed Mouse is and he turns on a new level of bad ass.

So, all in all, great book.  As always, I'm looking forward to the next adventure (which hopefully will be soon).

TV Review: Person of Interest (Season 4)

Watch| NBC when it's live (I don't know where you can catch up right now)
Starring| Jim Caviezel (John Reese), Kevin Chapman (Lionel Fusco), Michael Emerson (Harold Finch), Amy Acker (Root), Sarah Shahi (Sameen Shaw)
Rating| B-

There are certainly SPOILERS for seasons 1 through 3, and possibly major SPOILERS for season 4.  If you aren't caught up on the show, you may not want to read ahead.

This show finished its run awhile ago, and I've been sitting on this review for no small amount of time because I was still formulating my thoughts.  The beginning of the season got me very excited!  Everything was different.  Not only was Carter gone, but the Machine, and her cohorts, were in hiding.  I loved that the main cast were given practical jobs, particularly Reese.  While the others all had their new secret identities explored somewhat, his was the most intriguing, and, overall, most important.

The high lasted for a few episodes before it petered off into same-old, same-old.  I wasn't bored- the show manages to always keep me on the edge of my seat- but I also can't recall any episodes immediately.  There were a couple here and there, particularly the ones that dive into Elias' back story.  That was a rich well that could have been used more than it was.  In the smack dab middle of the season when they had their big trilogy of episodes that changed everything, particularly If-Then-Else, I got excited again.  This was one of my favorite episodes this season, and was incredibly innovative.

It dragged again after that, but not for nearly as long as the first time.  From episode 18, Skip, onward I was thoroughly hooked.  This episode rejuvenated the show, introducing a new character and exploring another recent one.  Both new girls were bad-ass and incredibly fun to see on screen.  I want more of both Harper (who I'm fairly certain we'll see again, in a great capacity) and Frankie.

The show catapulted into an incredible final three episodes.  If I remember nothing else, I will remember the bittersweet heartbreak of Terra Incognita (episode 20), the nail biting Asylum (episode 21), and the heart pounding, breath stealing YHWH (episode 22).  These are the true shining stars of the whole series- TV doesn't really get any better than this.  They made the rough patches incredibly worth it.  Even for someone who's become numb to many surprises, this one had me several times.  And it also left my eyes watering.

I know the show may not last much longer, but I'm so glad to have been able to see these episodes.  If you've considered giving it up, or don't watch it anymore, I ask that you maybe give it a chance.  It always manages to deliver.  And as a quick side note, can we take a moment to just admire the poster this season?  It's one of my absolute things on the planet.

Music Review: Lovestrong. & Summer Music Thoughts

Artist| Christina Perri

Now, I haven't done a music review in quite some time, and I know this CD came out a while ago, but I thought it was a good time to talk about it.  I will forever associate this song with summer because of what happened last year.  I was on a plane, stuck next to a complete stranger (because the airline messed with my ticket) and trying to fall asleep.  The plane had a wonderful selection of music to listen to, and I ended up listening to this.  I had it play on repeat for a couple of hours, drifting in and out of consciousness.  When I got home, I still couldn't stop humming the lyrics.

As summer faded I stopped listening to it; things grow old when you hear them so many times.  But a few weeks ago I listened to it again, and it was wonderful.  Like the song Arms says, I felt like I was home.

Lovestrong. is one of those compilations that can conjure up so many images.  The melodies are whimsical, and the words are both heartbreaking and heartwarming.  I've never come across another album like this, where I can close my eyes and let my brain wander, showing me a myriad of beautiful things.

If I had to narrow it down to only a few favorites, Bang Bang Bang, Mine, and The Lonely stand out immediately, though I love the whole thing to death.

I only bring up these thoughts because it is summer (finally!) and that means summer music.  I've already found a few songs that just get my pulse racing and my heart flying.  They reek of summer in every word, and they're played throughout the season.  On one hand, it's pretty nice, getting these perky and fun songs that the winter seems to lack.  On the other, I feel like they're washed out within days of replay.

Are there any songs that have jumped out at you this summer?  And have you ever just listened to an album and enjoyed it as thoroughly as I have this one?  Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Heir and the Spare

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.  Click here to join in on the fun.

I saw this book on someone's WOW a few weeks ago, and haven't really seen it anywhere else, but it sounds so very amazing!

Family can be complicated. Especially when skeletons from the past pop up unexpectedly. For American Evie Gray, finding out her deceased mother had a secret identity, and not one of the caped crusader variety, was quite the surprise. Evie’s mom had a secret life before she was even born, one that involved tiaras.
In this modern day fairytale, Evie is on a path to figure out who her mom really was, while discovering for herself what the future will hold. Charged with her late mother’s letters, Evie embarks on a quest into her past. The first item on the list is to attend Oxford, her mom’s alma mater. There, Evie stumbles upon a real life prince charming, Edmund Stuart the second Prince of England, who is all too happy to be the counterpart to her damsel in distress.
Evie can’t resist her growing attraction to Edmund as they spend more time together trying to unravel the clues her mother left behind. But, when doubts arise as to whether or not Edmund could ever be with an untitled American, what really ends up unraveling is Evie’s heart. When Evie uncovers all the facts about her mom’s former life, she realizes her mom’s past can open doors she never dreamed possible, doors that can help her be with Edmund. But, with everything now unveiled, Evie starts to crack under the pressure of new family responsibilities and the realization that her perfect prince may want her for all the wrong. reasons

It sorta sounds like Princess Diaries, honestly.  Anyways, I'm eagerly awaiting this one (unfortunately it doesn't arrive on shelves until next year).  What are you waiting for this week?

Graphic Novel Review: Daredevil Ultimate Collection (Vol. 1)

Authors| Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev
Edition| Kindle eBook
Publisher| Marvel
Genre| Superhero Comic
Rating| 4 Stars

Yes, I am still a little hungover from the Daredevil TV series, thanks for asking.  It has abated some, but every once in a while I just have to re-watch parts of it and dream of the next season, which is still much to far away.  This is the first Daredevil graphic novel I've read in a while, so it was a treat.

My biggest issue was the first story arc.  It was four or five issues (read: chapters) and seemed really out of place.  It wouldn't have been as bad if it was advertised a little clearer that it was there.  It takes place from Ben's point of view, and the art is very confusing.  In fact, I really hated the art.  Each issue got very little done expect Ben's inner monologue, and that grew very tiring, to say the least.  Were I just reviewing this short arc, I would give it merely one star.  Luckily, I'm not.

The rest of the story was pretty good, and I think it may even be a direction the show starts to head next season, or in a few seasons.  I'd love to give a summary, but it would be rather spoilery, so I'll refrain.  I'm sure there's a description floating somewhere around the internet.

My favorite part of the whole collection was how naturally the story built on itself.  One problem occurred, and while working on resolving that story, another, related one, would pop up.  They slowly culminated until I can determine there are at least three very distinct and interesting things happening at once.  I do wish there had been some closure, but I'm sure there is in the next two volumes, which I'm eager to get to.

There were also several fun cameo's that I couldn't get enough of.  Both Spider-Man and Black Widow make appearances that I wasn't really expecting, and it was really interesting to see that interaction within the superhero community.

If you're just coming off of watching the Netflix show, then I recommend this collection for sure.  You won't be too lost, though there is a gap, and you'll have a lot of fun trying to predict when, and if, the show will get to this point.

TV Talk: CW New Shows

Like I did a few weeks ago, I'm going to be talking about the new shows coming next season.  This one will be rather short since the CW only picked up three shows.  While I try to be informative in these little reviews, they're pretty loaded with my own thoughts and opinions.

Legends of Tomorrow
Here's my recent review of Arrow/Flash, and if you scroll to the bottom you'll find my thoughts on the Legends of Tomorrow trailer and what the show may hold in store for us.

This one will air during the mid-season.

Containment
I absolutely hate quarantine dramas.  Which this is.  It takes a lot for me to like disease and plague drama's.  The only one in recent times that I've actually sat down and watched is 12 Monkeys, and that was for the time travel aspects.  The one shining star about this show is that it looks like it will focus more on the relationships and is merely using the disease as a sort of setting.  It could be interesting, but I'll be staying very far away from this one.

This one will also air during the mid-season.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
I won't watch this one either, but it looks genuinely funny.  A very cute take on an old idea and told from her perspective instead of his.  I hope with time it moves away from a stalker-ish plot and becomes something else.  Either way, I think this will find a nice niche with fans.

This one will be on Mondays at 7c.

Weekly Wrap Up and Book Haul

Hey guys!  It seems like it's been forever since my last wrap up; probably because it finally feels like summer.  I wasn't able to really reciprocate on Tuesday and Wednesday (more so Wednesday) because I had a horrible headache.  TTT's and WOW's are automated posts.  I feel bad and tried to at least stop by and comment on everyone's blog who commented on mine, but I don't think that happened.  The headache continued into Thursday, though I did exist a bit better on that day.  I still didn't have much of a presence, though.  On Friday my family and I took an all day road trip, which I why I was missing yesterday.  Sorry about all that!  This week, unless I get sick, I'll be around the whole time and as soon as I finish this post I'm going to catch up on all the blogs I wasn't able to over the last couple of days.

Now for the state of things:

I found a groove in my writing right now, so I plan to really stick to it.  Hopefully I don't get stuck any time soon.

For TV, I'm still catching up on Supernatural, but I only have two episodes left, so I'll knock it out of the park before the week is over.  Then I plan on watching the Messengers even though it's already been cancelled.  I also got hooked on Star Wars: Rebels the other night.  It's so very good, and you can consider me obsessed.  I'll be finishing the first season of that in time for season two to premier later this month.  I've also got the craving for Six Million Dollar Man, so I'll be popping in a desk of that later this week.

Reading wise, I was going to start Angelfall after finishing Proven Guilty, but then The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender caught my interest and, well, you could say I'm in love.  Which, considering what the book is about, that's a bit ironic.  After I finish this (tonight or tomorrow) I'll start Angelfall, which shouldn't take me super long.  And then I'll be reading Court of Thorns and Roses (finally!).

So, here's the schedule for the week:

Sunday- TV Talk (CW)

Monday- Daredevil Ultimate Edition review

Tuesday- Nothing

Wednesday- Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday- Person of Interest review & my summer music

Friday- Proven Guilty review

Saturday- Wrap-Up and Haul

And now the part of the post I've decided to title: "Help!  I bought too many books!"

I picked up several comics this week.  I've already reviewed one of them, the others you'll see reviewed during the next Sunday Comics, since I've read them all since buying them.

• New Avengers (Dark Reign) The Reunion Issue #1
• Blackest Night Issue #0
• Supergirl (New 52) Issue #1
• Silk Issue #2

I also picked up a few eBooks (no surprise there).  I'm very excited to start all of them.

• The Master Magician by Charlie Holmberg
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
• Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron

I also stopped by the library this week:

• Vampire Knight Vol. 1
• Soul Eater Vol. 1
• The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
• The Storyspinner
• Anna Dressed in Blood
• The Chaos of Stars

And my local Half-Priced books:

• White Night
• Turn Coat
• Cold Days
• Skin Game

Anyone else agree I have a problem with my book buying?  Anyway, I'm really happy with my haul this week, and hope you are all as happy with yours.  Have a great week, guys!

Book Review: Hunted (Spirit Animals, #2)

Author| Maggie Stiefvater
Edition| Kindle eBook
Genre| MG Fantasy
Publisher| Scholastic
Related Reviews| Wild Born
Rating| 4 Stars

I jumped into Hunted quickly after finishing the first book in the series.  It took me awhile to finish because I would read a chapter a night, tops.  Many nights I didn't even get to it.  It would have been a quick read, had I just sat down with it, but it didn't manage to keep me interested for that long.

Here's what I liked: the continuous character and world building.  The spirit animals continued to gain a personality, and a mythology really started to build up around their existence.  The plot moved fairly quickly, though the side characters it introduced were much weaker than those from the first book.  I liked the division among the characters, and the hard choices they had to face, and how they dealt with their decisions.  This book made the series seem more real, throwing in heavier issues.  The characters' roles were easier to distinguish as well, and the form of their team started to come into shape.

Here's what I didn't like: as quickly as the plot moved, it felt like it skipped a lot.  The actions scenes felt abrupt and there was little detail given to the fighting.  Like I said earlier, the newly introduced side characters were weaker, and I never got a good image of any of them.  As much as I like having creative power over how the character looks in my head, I wanted more of a framework for them.  There was also a clear difference in the writer's.  Don't get me wrong, I love both Brandon Mull (who wrote book one) and Maggie Stiefvater, but their writing does not mesh.  At least for me.  I get the impression that Mz. Stiefvater had to be held back in her writing, which crippled the story, while Mr. Mull had much freer reign.

Overall, the book was good.  It wasn't great, but the story still interests me.  I'll take a short vacation from this series before I return to it, but overall, I recommend it to younger readers out there.  It can entertain older readers as well, don't get me wrong, but it's aimed at a younger group and it fits nicely there.

TV Review: Arrow (Season 3), The Flash (Season 1), and Legends of Tomorrow (trailer)

Watch| The CW has been airing reruns of Arrow and Flash all summer, plus the first two season's of Arrow are on Netflix
Starring| Arrow- Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen), Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance), David Ramsey (John Diggle), Willa Holland (Thea Queen), Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance), Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak), Colton Haynes (Roy Harper), Brandon Routh (Ray Palmer), and John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn); Flash- Grant Gustin (Barry Allen), Candice Patton (Iris West), Danielle Panabaker (Caitlin Snow), Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon), Tom Cavanagh (Harrison Wells), Jesse L Martin (Joe West), and Rick Cosnett (Eddie Thawne); Legends of Tomorrow- Arthur Darvill (Rip Hunter), Ciara Renee (Hawkgirl), Franz Drameh (Jay Jackson), Victor Garber (Martin Stein), Caity Lotz (Sara Lance), Wentworth Miller (Captain Cold), Dominic Purcell (Heat Wave), and Brandon Routh (Ray Palmer).
Rating| Arrow Season 3 B-, Flash Season 1 A, Legends of Tomorrow Trailer A

These shows finished airing a bit ago, but I wanted everyone who watches to be caught up.  There will be SPOILERS down below, so read at your own risk.

I'll be making the reviews rather short, because, while I will talk about some details, I really just want to give my overall impressions.  I'm a major fan of both shows- I watched the series premier of Arrow with my family; same with Flash.  They're great shows, and I'd recommend them heartily if you haven't started them yet.

This was not my favorite season of Arrow.  Season two is easily the best, having the best villain so far.  But this season relied to heavily upon making the fans happy and trying to entertain new and old audiences.  I know they had some trouble with getting characters they wanted thanks to the new roster of DC movies.  Before the season started they wanted to use Blue Beetle and were stuck with the Atom, which is why that character feels more like Iron Man.  They also wanted to rely more heavily on Suicide Squad, but with that movie just on the horizon, they had to back off.  Not super happy about that.  I'll see the new suicide squad movie when it hits theaters, but I much prefer the cast from this show.  The fact that they killed of Deadshot makes sense, but it was still pretty upsetting.  Of all the characters who left, though, I'm most angry with Colton Haynes.  I can't STAND that he left.  And they gave him the most ridiculous exit.  (I could rant about him all day, to be honest.)   I also didn't like all the sex scenes; they'd have been much better if they were just fade to black.  The ending was cute, but that means things can only go down hill from here.  I also dislike how Merlin is now in charge of League of Assassins, and not Nyssa.

So what did I like?  After all that complaining, you may think there isn't much left.  But, I really think Stephen shown this season.  I've gained a bunch of respect for him as a person and as an actor recently.  They also did an incredible job with Black Canary.  I went into the season hating Laurel.  Now I'll defend her with my dying breath.  I was hoping that the villain would be a bit more... villainous... but I thought he pulled it off.  The flashbacks kept me interested, and I liked that they took place in Hong Kong rather than the island.  The shakeup helped keep me awake.  The story was pretty straight forward, and it did have some twists.  They didn't really catch me off guard, but I enjoyed them all the same.  Plus, Nyssa was in a ton of episodes and I adore her.

As for The Flash, I went into the season only thinking of it as a lighter version of Arrow.  Which,it pretty much was for the majority of the season.  This sort of whimsical feel took away from some of the draw, though the actors seriously knocked my socks off.  Later, when it started to get darker, it really held me attention.  The final few episodes were so emotional, and the show tied up nicely.

It took me a while to like any of the villains.  There were a couple that shown out, but I wasn't a fan of many of the actors.  It took until the second half of the season before I even started to see many of them as threats.  Besides that, though, there isn't much to complain about.  Oh!  Except that one tiny little thing at the end of the season when that small character named Eddie Thawne dies.  Yeah, I can complain about that.  Eddie was my favorite character.  I'm not kidding.  People laughed at me for it, sure.  But he was my favorite.  And they killed him off.  Some of my friends actually offered their condolences.  It made sense, but I'm very unhappy with it.  (Same goes for what happened to Tommy in the Arrow season 1 finally.  He was my favorite character, too!)

Like I said, though, the show was pretty amazing.  The special effects took some time to improve, but they were generally done very well.  The Easter eggs in this series just made me so happy.  There were so many of them!  I live for Easter Eggs.

And, then there's Legends of Tomorrow.  Not gonna lie, I think the title is so very stupid.  But I like the cast, and I like the characters, so I'm more than willing to follow this one.

The trailer looks pretty decent, and I love that it's airing in the off season when Flash and Arrow are on their breaks.  I'm curious to see how it fits in, and whether some of the characters will be introduced via the other shows.

Overall, I'm getting a good vibe from it, but only time will tell, I suppose.

Sorry this review seems like it goes on forever.  it kind of does.  But if you took the time to read it, thanks!  And even if you didn't, thanks just for stopping by.

What's Next: The Strange and Unbreakable Winner

What's Next is hosted by Iceybooks.  Click here to be taken to their blog and join in on the fun.  This weekly meme offers readers the chance to vote for what book should be read next (or very soon).  The three options this time are ones that I have had as the first book in a series for over a year.  I really need to get to all three of these, but I don't know which one to start with.

Something Strange and Deadly

Philadelphia 1876. The Dead are rising. A zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor Fitt. Whoever controls the Dead Army has her brother. She avoids her mother's choice of husband for the lab of Spirit Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel. The situation threatens her reputation, and the lives of everyone in the city.

Unbreakable

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia. 
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.
Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.
Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

The Winner's Curse

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Leave a comment with your vote!

Waiting on Wednesday: What You Left Behind

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.  Click here to join in on the fun.

This week's book was one I saw around the blogosphere last week.  I don't remember what blog it was exactly that turned me onto this one, but I'm super excited for it now.  Unfortunately, I must wait until August (sigh).

Here's the description from goodreads:

It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.
The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?

I'm excited!  What are you excited for this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Love to See on Screen

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and the Bookish.  Click here to be taken to their blog and participate!  This week I have the top books that I would love to see play out on screen, whether big or small.

10. Cinder

I feel like this will be a popular one this week.  The Lunar Chronicles lend themselves to what could be a beautiful and colorful movie series. 

9. A Darker Shade of Magic

This is another I think would make a great movie.  I think that the magic system would be the greatest thing to see in action, and would love to see how they tackled Kell's jacket.

8. The Selection

Twice.  The CW tried to make this a show twice.  I'm still not ready to give up hope that it will eventually make it onto a screen somewhere.

7. Riyria Revelations

If you know me, you know I love this series to death.  I think it'd work well on TV in a sort of mini-series format.  Like, short, six episode seasons.  As much as I'd like to see it on TV, I don't want it over-complicated.  It's already perfect and, in my opinion, shouldn't be added to.

6. Graceling

If this could be a movie that'd be great.  It's another magic system that I just want to see in action so bad!

5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone

I'm pretty sure this is in production somewhere? but I could be wrong.  It would make for such a cool movie, but the two sequels are so long, they'd each need to be split into two movies each.

4. Let the Sky Fall

Is it weird that I've always sort of pictured this one as a classic Disney princess movie?  I think it's be adorable in that format, and I feel it could still tell the same story.

3. American Gods

I know Stars has the rights to this one, and I'm really hoping it works out.  More than anything else, I want to see who they cast.

2. Throne of Glass

This would make such a great TV series.  I don't know where they could go wrong!

1. Mistborn

And of course, this would be my ultimate wish- to see Mistborn on screen.  While reading it, I pictured an anime series, honestly.  I think that it'd have to be animated in order to get all the magic right, but I'd be okay with anything just to see it on screen.

Book Review: The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight, #1)

Author| Melissa Grey
Edition| egalley courtesy of Netgalley*
Genre| YA Paranormal
Publisher| Delacorte Press
Release| April 28th, 2015
Rating| 4 Stars

I was super excited when I got approved for this one on Netgalley.  I didn't think it would happen- but then it did!  Immediately it shot to the top of my TBR list.  Before I get to reviewing the actual content, can we take a look at the cover?  It's absolutely gorgeous (and rather symbolic after you've finished reading the book).

The Girl at Midnight follows Echo, an orphaned human who was raised by bird-like creatures.  When she discovers a treasure map that takes her into the path of the Avicen's dangerous enemy, the Drakharin, she must learn to work with her enemy.

The first thing I really noticed when I was reading this book was how similar it was to many of my other favorite books.  At first, this was a charming familiarity, but as the similarities continued, I couldn't help feeling that Girl at Midnight was trying to be these other books.  And trying too hard, for it wasn't living up to it's promise.  The two books I really felt it mimicked were Mortal Instruments and Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  Fans of these series may still enjoy this one, particularly how similar.  I just couldn't get over the idea that it wanted to be books I loved so much.

The book is pretty good overall, though.  The writing was pleasant, and the characters were decent, though a little two dimensional.  They started to really break the mold towards the end, but weren't always given enough room to grow.  The main characters of Echo and Caius were the standard YA fair.  The side characters of Jasper and Dorian weren't much more original.  The wild card, and most interesting, is Echo's friend Ivy, who doesn't get enough screen time.  She could honestly star in her own novel and I wouldn't mind.

While I'm glad I didn't have to buy this book to read it, I probably wouldn't have minded if I did.  I'd also easily recommend this one to a lot of people.  Because, at its core, it's pretty decent.  For me the plot twist at the end was no surprise, but it was a good ending regardless.  I wish I could say more, but it's really best if you read it for yourself.

This one would be particularly good for people who are newer to YA.  I think it does fall to many tropes, but if you haven't spent a tone of time in the genre you will be pleasantly surprised.  Or, if you see this one in your library, don't be afraid to pick it up.


*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one.