Monday, August 31, 2015

August 2015 Recap

August was a slightly better reading month for me; I read 3 books compared to *1* in all of July. On the upside, all three of those reads were 5 stars (as if I'd give anything less to the two Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novels that I read, lol). And, is tomorrow really September?! Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas releases tomorrow, and seriously, I feel like I only just read Heir of Fire!

Reviews Posted:

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Fandom Mashups (17)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
You find a time machine. Yay! Who do you take with you through time?

  1. The Tenth Doctor: Because why WOULDN'T you want the Tenth Doctor, as portrayed by the phenomenal David Tennant, along for this adventure?! :D
  2. Tessa Gray (The Infernal Devices): Tessa has lived a very long life and would offer helpful hints on how to fit in with whatever era we were visiting.
  3. Captain America/Steve Rogers: Cap knows all about being a man out of time, and like Tessa, can offer advice on adapting.
  4. Hermione Granger: Hermione would remind us about the dangers of accidentally altering the future with our travels and would keep us from getting into too much trouble.
  5. Claire (Outlander): This lady's got the time travel thing DOWN.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (97)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Would you rather be locked in a room with Voldemort or Bellatrix?

If I had to pick between being locked in a room with Voldemort or Bellatrix I would definitely take my chances with Voldemort. First of all, Bellatrix is just batshit crazy. She had a hand in killing one of my all-time favorite characters, Sirius Black, and I wouldn't be able to stand the sight of her. Her maniacal laughter would also probably give me a headache. I also feel like Voldemort has some kind of logic behind his actions, even though his logic is twisted and corrupted. Part of me likes to wistfully think that I can maybe have a decent conversation with the guy. Maybe I can try to sway him to the good side? Or maybe I can just kill the Dark Lord while I have him trapped in one location, but that all depends on all of the other horcruxes having been destroyed lol.

Monday, August 24, 2015

Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise

* This review contains spoilers if you haven't watched the complete Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise
By Gene Luen Yang (Script), Gurihiru (Art)
Publisher:
Dark Horse Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: With the help of his friends, Avatar Aang finally brought an end to the war. But there’s growing unrest in the Earth Kingdom, where Fire Nation colonists who have been ordered to return to the Fire Nation are prepared to defend their homes and their way of life. Newly crowned Fire Lord Zuko wages a fierce internal battle with himself on how to handle the situation and is ever fearful of becoming like his father. As conflict between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation seems inevitable, it’s up to Aang to find a peaceful solution once more.

Review: WARNING: lots and lots of fangirling ahead! I can’t help it—Avatar: The Last Airbender is my current obsession, and said obsession knows no satiety. So it’s very, very fortunate that graphic novels like The Promise exist, because I’ve now seen all of the Avatar episodes but still need more, more, MORE!

The Promise picks up where the TV series left off. Aang and Zuko (my absolute FAVORITE character. LOVE. HIM.) are working together to restore peace throughout the nations, but there’s trouble a-brewing in the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. To the colonists, they are home, and when they’re ordered to leave the Earth Kingdom to go “home” to the Fire Nation, they are not receptive to the plan. While watching the TV series, I was constantly in awe of the depth and complexity of the story lines, and the main plot of The Promise is every bit as profound as any you’ll find in an Avatar episode. Just because Aang defeated Zuko’s father, Ozai, at the end of the TV series doesn’t mean that the Avatar crew’s work is finished. Undoing all the years of the Fire Nation’s rule isn’t accomplished overnight, and it presents an especially heavy burden for the new Fire Lord, Zuko, on both a political and personal level.

Ah, my poor Zuko. Just when you think he might have found a bit of peace at last, his damn father messes with his head. To say the scenes between the two are tense is like saying Aang’s airbending skills are just average. Zuko so badly wants to do the right thing, for his people and for peace between the nations, but if often seems as though he’ll be forced to choose one over the other. The thought of turning into a ruler like his father also figures largely in Zuko’s story arc, and it haunts him so much that you just want to give the guy a hug and assure him that all will turn out well in the end.

Although The Promise explores some pretty weighty themes, much like the TV series did, there are also plenty of bright spots. First, the gaang is together again! Toph is as badass as ever and has opened her own metalbending school (and refers to her students as lily livers, lol). Sokka is his lovably hilarious self; he made me laugh out loud a couple of times with his Sokka-isms. Aang and Katara are officially a couple, which is very sweet, even though poor Sokka complains about getting the “oogies” every time Aang and Katara call each other “sweetie.”

The artwork throughout The Promise is absolutely stunning and effectively captures the element bending. All of the characters look amazing, and as I read, I could hear their voices from the show in my head. It’s so easy to imagine that you’re in an extended episode of the TV series, back among the characters you love, just like old times (or in my case, like two weeks ago). This particular hardcover edition collects all three parts of The Promise, originally published separately, in one volume and also features margin notes from writer Gene Luen Yang and artists Gurihiru; I totally loved reading their insights. Avatar fans: this is a MUST-READ if you haven’t picked it up already!

All in All: Once I started reading The Promise, I could. Not. STOP. It is absolutely worth reading if you loved the show and long for more adventures with the gaang.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Fandom Mashups (16)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
You come face to face with an actual ghost. It seems friendly but you're not sure what to do next. Who's going to help you figure it out?

  1. Cas Lowood (Anna Dressed in Blood): Cas is a ghost hunter and a solid judge of whether a ghost is harmless or not. And he's totally prepared to handle the situation when it's not.
  2. Yelena Zaltana (Study): Yelena is a Soulfinder, and she definitely knows a benevolent spirit from an angry one.
  3. Rory Deveaux (Shades of London): Rory can see ghosts and is also equipped to deal with them when they get out of hand. She also tells the best anecdotes and would just be fun to hang out with.
  4. Will Herondale (The Infernal Devices): With all of his Shadowhunter training and skills, Will's got this.
  5. Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender): Aang has lots of experience communicating with spirits and also has amazing diplomatic skills. He'd do his best to first try and make peace with an unfriendly ghost. If the ghost is friendly, Aang would quickly become its new bestie!

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (96)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
If You Could Change One Thing in the First Film, What Would It Be?

This is a little bit of a tough one. I saw the first movie before ever reading any of the books, and it was the film that finally motivated me to read HP. For that reason, the Sorcerer's Stone movie has a special little place in my heart, and I feel kind of guilty nitpicking it now, lol. But, after I read the first book, I did miss Peeves not making it into the film, and by the time I read Order of the Phoenix, I really wished he'd been in the movies because I would have loved to have seen him make trouble for Umbridge!

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Book Loot (18)

So I recently finished binge watching Avatar: The Last Airbender with Ally (it was a re-watch for her) and absolutely LOVED every single minute of it! Of course I needed MORE, especially after that finale, and I remembered hearing about some Avatar graphic novels. I very quickly headed over to Amazon and found exactly what I was looking for, and even better, I had a gift card that I feel was used most resourcefully. :D I picked up two of the graphic novel collections, which were both originally published in three parts. These are really beautifully packaged hardcover editions, with notes from the creators in the margins and sketches of the characters.

I also picked up Asunder by Jodi Meadows for $1 at the dollar store, which has become my new favorite place to check out for bargain books. The selection is small, but it changes often and you never know what you might find. I also grabbed the eBook of The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand, which was on sale for $1.99.

Bought:

Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Promise by Gene Luen Yang
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search by Gene Luen Yang

eBooks Bought:

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

Monday, August 17, 2015

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1)
By V.E. Schwab
Publisher:
Tor Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Kell is one of the Antari, one of the few who possesses magic that enables him to travel between alternate versions of London: Red London, Kell’s home; Grey London, where King George III sits on the throne; and White London, ruled by twins with an insatiable hunger for more power. Black London has long since been sealed off to travelers, destroyed from within, but when an extremely dangerous object from that forbidden place finds its way into Kell’s hands, he knows that he must return it to its origin, no matter the cost.

Review: It took me about a month to read A Darker Shade of Magic, and let me tell you, that had absolutely nothing to do with the book itself. Nope—it had entirely everything to do with lots of real life stuff imposing on my reading time. I had to read this in bits and bursts, when all I really wanted to do was devour it in one sitting. A Darker Shade of Magic is the kind of novel that demands—and deserves—your undivided attention to the point where you wish that you could just press a pause button for the rest of life so you could curl up with this book. Hey Kell . . . maybe a little help here with that?

Aside from Harry Potter, which I regard on its own plane of amazingness, I don’t know if I’ve ever been so thoroughly impressed by a book about magic. Every time our hero Kell cast a spell, I got a little chill because the magic felt so real. The world-building is absolutely stunning here and leaves you with no doubt that alternate Londons could exist in parallel. I found the four Londons utterly fascinating, even the versions that didn’t sound quite as appealing to visit. Each London is given a distinct vibe, and whenever Kell journeys between them, it’s as though you’re right there beside him and not simply reading about his travels.

Like the Red London that he calls his home, Kell is an endlessly intriguing protagonist. One of the first things we learn about him upon being introduced is that he dons a very unique, multiple sided coat. And like everything else about the world of A Darker Shade of Magic, of course you believe that such a coat exists. Kell is every bit as faceted as his coat is, too; it’s hard for me to individually list all of the reasons why I love him because I just love everything about him, including his flaws. It’s his little smuggling operation that rains a heap of trouble down on his head, but were it not for Kell’s rather large dilemma, we wouldn’t meet the wonderful Lila Bard.

Lila is a thief from Grey London who aspires to be a pirate. Yes—a pirate! How freaking cool is that?! It’s very fortunate for Lila that she’s so game for adventure because once she crosses paths with Kell, there’s a lot for someone who’s unaccustomed to magic to absorb. But Lila is keen to leave her London behind, even though Kell warns her of the potential dangers of the travel for a non-Antari, as well as what may await them in the other Londons. These two—despite their occasional squabbling (which is very amusing, by the way), they make an incredible—and formidable—team.

There’s some seriously intense action in this book, thanks in part to Holland, an Antari like Kell, but that’s about where their similarities end. Holland oozes lethality with every word and every move, which isn’t surprising when you get up close and personal with the folks he answers to. They would Astrid and Athos Dane, the twin rulers of White London, where the throne has traditionally been seized by force. Not only are the Danes more than okay with striking down anyone who gets in their way, but they revel in their cruelty. And they’re crazy. As much as I wanted to see Astrid and Athos’s horrible reign end, I have to say that they were compelling antagonists; you never knew what their next move was going to be, only that it involved copious amounts of evil. Guaranteed.

Finally, I must mention how exquisitely written A Darker Shade of Magic is; it’s as though the prose itself is enchanted. Nothing makes me happier than reading a book that makes me fall in love with its words as well as its characters, its setting, etc., and I adored EVERYTHING about A Darker Shade of Magic. I cannot wait to catch up with Kell and Lila in the next book!

All in All: Simply brilliant. This is truly one of the best, most immersive magic books I’ve read, and I don’t know what else to say to convince everyone to read it, too!

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Fandom Mashups (15)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
You've decided to set off on an adventure across the world. Who are your travel companions?

  1. Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean): How fun would it be to travel by ship with this guy?!
  2. Fred & George Weasley (Harry Potter): Speaking of fun, there would be no shortage of that with the Weasley twins tagging along!
  3. The Eleventh Doctor: Someone who has tons of experience traveling to new places. And with the TARDIS, we could even visit other worlds!
  4. Kell (A Darker Shade of Magic): Another seasoned traveler here. Kell can also do magic, so between his skills and Fred and George's, we'd be prepared for any situation we might encounter during our journeys.
  5. Indiana Jones: Indy is one of the greatest adventurers ever, and his knowledge would be invaluable. We just have to stay away from snakes. XD

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (95)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Rename the Books from Ron's Point of View

Ally and I collaborated on this week's HPMotW and had a lot of fun bouncing ideas off of each other. We tried to think of the big Ron moments in each book, and here's what we came up with:

  • Ron Weasley and the Amazing Game of Wizard's Chess
  • Ron Weasley and the Giant-Ass Spider
  • Ron Weasley and the Traitorous Pet
  • Ron Weasley and the Case of the Green-Eyed Monster
  • Ron Weasley and the Kingly Keeper
  • Ron Weasley and the Obsessive Girlfriend
  • Ron Weasley and the Locket from Hell

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Fandom Mashups (14)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
You've encountered a new monster you've never faced before and you need to learn more about it in order to take it down. Who do you want on your research/fighting team? Keep in mind that ideally, these people are both book smart and able to fight.

  1. Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk: Hello—he has a doctorate in physics AND can turn into the Hulk if this situation suddenly requires brawn over brains. XD
  2. Bobby Singer (Supernatural): He's the Dumbledore of Supernatural!
  3. Mad-Eye Moody (Harry Potter): Mad-Eye has gone up against some serious Dark stuff and thoroughly does his homework before going into battle.
  4. Dr. Warthrop (The Monstrumologist): The doctor has lots of experience studying and hunting monsters.
  5. Emma Swan (Once Upon a Time): Emma knows magic, which may come in handy, and she's the Savior!

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Harry Potter Moment of the Week (94)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows Reviews. The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/films/J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! A list of upcoming topics can be found here.

This week's topic is:
Favorite Ship

To me, the Harry Potter series is unique in the way that it doesn't showcase romance as a major theme. Yeah, there are relationships and forms of romance within the books but I always felt that friendship is more important to the characters. My favorite ship in the HP series is one that's not really given a lot of book time but I still adore the idea of these two characters together–Dumbledore and Grindelwald. I love the whole background of their relationship and it's so interesting how things turned out for them. I'm a huge sap for any kind of romance that comes with hurdles and Dumbledore and Grindelwald definitely had some major issues. I just love the idea of these two characters, who have totally different views and opinions on things, loving each other and then ultimately fighting each other. I definitely ship those two.

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Fandom Mashups (13)

Fandom Mashups is a feature hosted by Lunar Rainbows Reviews. There's a different scenario each week, and you choose a "dream team" of five characters from five different fandoms whom you think are best suited for the situation.

This week's topic is:
You've just found a GIANT hidden library but you can only explore it for a day *the horror* Who do you take with you to make the most of this trip?

  1. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter): Pretty self-explanatory. Hermione would also be great at planning the whole adventure and could bring her charmed bag to hold lots of books. AND maybe she could use the Time-Turner a few times so we could get around the one day limit? ;)
  2. Belle (Beauty and the Beast): Belle also loves books and would totally appreciate this expedition, plus she'd probably improvise a book-themed song that we could all join in on!
  3. Captain America: Cap is a chivalrous hero and would be more than willing to help us carry books if necessary. Plus if we run into any kinds of trouble, he'll take care of it.
  4. Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender): If we need to reach books that are on super tall shelves, Aang can do a little airbending to reach them.
  5. Evy (The Mummy movies): Evy is book smart AND can kick ass.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

July 2015 Recap

July was all about Harry Potter Month, and what a fun event it was! Participating reminded me how much I love everything HP, and kudos to Ally for really cranking out the posts on behalf of Slytherin House! And, of course, a big THANK YOU to the awesome hosts of Harry Potter month, Faith at Geeky Zoo Girl and Micheline at Lunar Rainbows Reviews!

Reviews Posted:

Harry Potter Month Posts: