Recent Obsessions #1 | Faith

Since it's summer, I have been finding ways to occupy myself. Some of the things on this list have been on my mind for a while, and I only just recently got into it. Most of the things that are on this list are not actually book related, but I think that's okay and hopefully it's okay with you as well. In this post, I will be telling you all about everything that I am currently loving at the moment!

I would say that I am definitely a lover of TV shows and movies. There are a lot of TV shows that I wish I could put on this list, but that wouldn't be fair because they aren't really recent obsessions. As mentioned before, IT'S SUMMER and I need to occupy myself somehow. This time is usually where I start discovering and watching movies as well as TV shows. Having Netflix doesn't really help with me trying to cut down my watch list...

The first thing that is on my list, is Guardians of The Galaxy. If you don't know what this is, it is a Marvel movie set in space. I honestly kind of feel like I am the last person on the planet to watch and fall in love with this movie. This has been on my watch list for a while now, but I never got around to it. There's something about space that I don't like very much, and I'm very picky when it comes to this sort of stuff. I remember seeing the trailers everywhere, and it just didn't appeal to me. For a while, I put this movie on as background noise but I never actually sat down and watched it. It's kind of like what happened with Ant-Man.

One day, I just decided to watch it because I was getting frustrated at myself for not watching it. First of all, I LOVE THE SOUNDTRACK. Second, I think this is probably my favourite Marvel movie. It was one of those things where I didn't have to think about it, it just set itself in my brain as my favourite. There hasn't been a day where I haven't put this on the TV.

THINGS I LOVE:

The Comedy | This is probably one of the funniest movies I have ever watched. I would say that the script was really well done. I found that every character in this movie each had their own comedic traits which made the film really special.

The Characters | If you have seen this movie, you would know how FREAKING INCREDIBLE these characters are. The characters were part of the reason why I became so obsessed with this film. While I do love most of the characters in the movie, I would say that my favourites are Gamora because she's green and she's just super cool. Another character would be Groot because he is Groot. I feel like you can't mention Groot without mentioning Rocket, Rocket is obviously another favourite character of mine.

The Fight Scenes | I love a good fight scene, and this movie has plenty. You know sometimes when it comes to CGI and space, I will usually not like it but in this case I really liked it. There were a lot of explosions but they didn't consume the entire movie.

The Infinity Stone Scene | If you have seen the movie, you would know exactly the scene I'm talking about. For those of you who haven't watched it, I won't say anything about it that's detailed. All I will say is that it's my favourite scene in the entire film and it's EPIC. I mean there are a couple of scenes that involve the stone, but the last scene was the best!

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The second thing is one of my favourite TV shows of all time, and that is How To Get Away With Murder! This show is FANTASTIC. I just finished watching the second season not too long ago and HOLY GUACAMOLE! Somehow, the creators of the show manage to make things more and more messed up than it already is and I love it.

This was a show that I actually started watching last year, and like many others I was hooked from the beginning. For some reason, I just stopped watching the second season and I don't know why because the second season was a roller coaster. Every episode, you're left with a horrific or jaw dropping cliffhanger and it's just so crazy.

THINGS I LOVE:

Viola Davis | I don't think I have to say anything. She won an enemy and had a fantastic speech. She's an amazing actress.

The Story lines | This is an area where I'm not really going to go into detail. But let me just say that every arc that this show has had is SUPER intense and MIND BLOWING.

The Diversity | How to Get Away With Murder is very diverse compared to various other TV shows and movies. While a lot of shows stopped with one or two characters who are of colour or who identified themselves as part of the LGTBQ+ community, How to Get Away with Murder didn't. The characters who are on this show that fit into those categories don't really fall into the stereotype that often surrounds them. I think it's super important that we have that, because not every person in the world fits into a stereotype. Another great thing is that they showcase interracial couples! 

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The third thing that I've become obsessed with is Buffy The Vampire Slayer! This show is literally what the title says, it's about Buffy who is The Slayer. I honestly cannot tell you why I avoided this show for so long. I had seen random episodes but I never watched it from the beginning. 

At the moment, I have taken a break from Buffy. There is no reason behind it, I just stopped watching and I'm hoping I can finish all of the seasons soon. However, I am not really in the mood for a vampire hunting show.

THINGS I LOVE:

The World | This show has a really complex and well built world. It's such a fascinating show to watch mainly because of all of the hidden gems that randomly pop up throughout the seasons. I also love the history that is behind the slayer. There is always some sort of intricate back story that goes behind a character or group of people.

Story ARCS | Obviously, the season does have a main problem but one of my favourite parts of Buffy The Vampire Slayer is how there is a new storyline every episode. I don't think I've ever been bored with any of the episodes that I have seen.

The Characters | A lot of the characters that are on Buffy are very memorable in my opinion. They each have their own qualities that make them who they are.

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The fourth thing is definitely one of the more random things on this list, and that is FUNKO Pops. I have always loved FUNKO Pops but I never had one until recently. It was kind of like once I got one, I suddenly just wanted every single FUNKO pop that fit my interest. At the moment, I'm only collecting the Harry Potter ones, but now I really want ones from Arrow (The Green Arrow & Felicity), The Flash, Mulan and now Guardians of The Galaxy. I kind of want someone to pin me down and yell SLOW DOWN.

This is just a really random fact, but I found the FUNKO Pop community on youtube and I am now just having a marathon watching all of their videos. It's so interesting, and in a way I kind of understand because I collect books but some of these people are so intense. The thing is, it is only making me rethink my FUNKO pop purchases because now I'm paying attention to paint jobs and conditions of the boxes.

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I wouldn't say that I am a lover of modern music. On occasion, I will listen to the popular songs that everybody else is listening to but overall, I don't follow it that much. What I do listen to is Journey, Whitney Houston and a lot of musicals. OH--and Disney! Duh.

The fifth thing that's on my list is Melanie Martinez. I don't really follow or continuously listen to artists when they come out with albums and songs, only because I am more of a stage/musical person.  However, I love Melanie Martinez. At first I will admit, she kind of scared me at first just because she was unlike anyone I had ever seen before. I don't know what it was, but I was pulled in by her entire look and her music. I also just love her hair. She is a very creative person, and I love how her album Cry Baby tells a story.

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I have been a horrible book blogger. A lot of the blogs I used to follow kind of just "disappeared" from the Internet so I didn't really read many blogs for a LONG TIME. There were obviously very few that I did read, but I never went out to discover new ones until recently. I'm actually quite proud of myself because, I have been discovering at least one new blog that I love a day. While there are now many, I do have a few of my favourites that I will list.

The first is Cait at Paper Fury. This blog is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing blogs I have ever seen. Paper Fury also has BEAUTIFUL pictures. This blog also has really great posts! I found that they're actually pretty creative, and I haven't found a post that I didn't like. Their posts are really fun to read. Not only is their blog awesome, but they have a really cute Etsy store.

If you'd like to view this blog, click the banner.

The second book blogger is Naz at Read Diverse Books! I believe I discovered his blog through Twitter. It amazes me how he's only been blogging for 6 months, because I think that he's so good at it. His blog has a very sophisticated and professional look to it. The content on his blog is really interesting to read about. If you're looking for a diverse read, I highly suggest that you go and check his blog out because I actually got a lot of suggestions from there. And I'm really excited to pick them up when I can. 

If you'd like to view this blog, click the banner.

The third and final blog is aBiblioTopia! I just had to put this on my list because not only are Charlotte and Hannah, Raquel and I's friends but they have a really great blog! I know this isn't a new blog for me, but it could be for you! They a few new posts that you can read. All of their reviews are Spoiler-free which is a plus because you probably don't want to be spoiled if you haven't read the book yet.

If you'd like to view this blog, click the banner.

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I really hope you enjoyed reading this. If you noticed a difference in the format/layout of my post it's because I wanted to change the way I wrote. For a long time, I just wasn't happy with how I was formatting my posts, so I decided to test it out in this post. This post was really fun to create. Not gonna lie, I kind of want to do this monthly.

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June/July Wrap-Up | Raquel

This wrap-up will be super short since I this was the first summer I started working full time I wasn't able to read nearly as much. Anyway these are the few books I read in these two months.

The first book I read in June was Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. I really liked the concept of this book. The whole idea of time travel and a plot line it just sounded so amazing. However I was a bit disappointed as the beginning part of the book was very slow and boring for me. It was really only at the end that the story got interesting. I think the idea of this book is good, but I think it could have been written in a more fascinating way. I rate this book 2.5/5 stars.

The last book I read in June was The Last Star by Rick Yancey. This again was another ending to one of my favourite book series... sigh. Either way I actually really enjoyed the book. I know a lot of people really were upset with the ending but I actually think it fit the story pretty well. Because I am writing this late I will admit I don't remember too much about the book which is why I am planning to re-read it eventually. However I do remember going through the book quickly as it was fascinating and kept my attention. I rate this book 4.6/5 stars.

The first book I read in July was The Hidden Oracle  by Rick Riordan. I actually really enjoyed this book. I would say these books or more for junior readers but can be appreciated by people of all ages. I always had a strong appreciation for his books as I genuinely love stories that are tied to mythology. This book uses the world he has built from his other novels and continues on with new characters and a new storyline. I think it is cool how he can do this and it doesn't really feel in anyway an infringement on his other series or just another book to make more money. Itself is its own unique and in my opinion interesting book. I would suggest reading it if you liked his other books! I rate this book 4.5/5 stars.

The last book I read in July was Reality Boy by A.S. King. In my last wrap-up I read one of her other books which I totally loved. I will be honest and say this particular book wasn't my favourite. I think in general I wasn't really into the storyline. It wasn't that it wasn't interesting necessarily, but more that it just wasn't for me. I also found the book to be a bit slow and dull. I couldn't really relate to much so I didn't find myself having a connection with the character either. I wouldn't say this book is necessarily bad, just that it wasn't for me. I would say if the summary sounds interesting to you, pick it up you may just like it. I rate this book 3.5/5 stars.

April/May Wrap-Up | Raquel

Hello! How have you all been.... So this post is late. Like really really really late. I apologize. I did mean to finish it and well it just didn't happen. I mean I kind of had an excuse? I just graduated so WOOO!!! I'm done high school! It is kind of scary and exciting! Anyway... as a graduation gift to me I hope you can forgive me for this very late posting. Either way this is what I read waay back in April and May.  Enjoy!

The first book I read in April was Half Lost by: Sally Green. Anyway who has read my other wrap ups involving her books would know how much I really love this series. This was one of the first fantasy book series I really got into (thanks to faith) and yeah... I honestly don't remember too much about the writing style in this book but I remember thinking it was different from the first two. Not necessarily in a bad way just different. I think that should be expected considering the author does continue to grow when continuing to write a series. I'll let you judge the style for yourself but as far as the plot goes I thought it was well planned out and it wasn't too predictable which I really enjoyed. I rate this book 4.3/5 stars.

The next book I read was a graphic novel based of Marie Lu's book Legend. I really enjoyed Legend when I first read it and I always like reading visual versions just to see how other people pictured the characters and settings in comparison to how I do. It's always interesting to see how different people interpreted the same descriptions especially when they are completely different. It's by doing this that reminds me how for every person who reads a book they really have their own version or perspective of the story that is completely unique to themselves. I rate this book 4.0/5 stars.

The third book I read was When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi. I originally read this book because Indigo suggested it to me after I told them Kite Runner was my favourite book. I really really enjoyed this book. It honestly broke my heart into a million pieces but it was a very interesting read. I always like reading books like this because it brings such a new cultural perspective that I really enjoy reading about. I feel whenever I suggest these types of books they don't think to read them because of the type of book but if you haven't read this sort of novel before I high;y suggest you try because though they are tragic there is also a sort of gratefulness and inspiration that they can make you feel. It is hard to explain, so just read it... trust me. I rate this book 4.5/5 stars.

Next up is Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr. I was looking into new series I could pick up since so many of mine are ending... I found this one! I really had no expectations when  picked it up but I thought hey what could it hurt to try right? So I put it on hold at the library and I took it home and ended up reading it fairly quickly. If I had to compare the books to any others I would say they are similar to Rick Riordan's books so if you enjoyed those you probably would enjoy this one. Though similar in some ways I think these books still have their own unique story and in no way are just a copy of his books. I personally am a big mythology lover. I know almost nothing about them but I love reading them. I do eventually want to start learning more about them but that's more a future goal.... either way these books are cool and if your looking for a new series to pick up this wouldn't be a bad choice! I rate this book 4.2/ 5 stars.

The next three I read where the manga's for the clockwork series by Cassandra Clare. I enjoyed the book series which I read quite a long time ago now and as I said with legend I appreciate reading the visual work for these stories as I feel I get a new perspective while still reliving a story I already have read and enjoyed. I personally think the manga's were all done really well. I rate the first 3.9/5 stars, the second 4.0/5 stars and the third 4.2/5 stars.

This next thing was something I had to read for english. I don't think I personally would have chose to pick to read this if it hadn't been for school. I read Othello by Shakespeare. I didn't even read the whole thing since I didn't have too... Like it was alright, but I am not really a fan of shakespeare. Yes I think his worth has historical worth, but I don't find it appealing to read personally. I give it 2.0/5 stars.

 

The next two books I read were the last two in this series. I read the first book early on in this month and I loved the series so much I quickly went to the library and took out the last two! I am not going to bother talking about the books themselves as I don't want to spoil anything but I would suggest picking up the series and with these books I feel that the quality of writing continues throughout! I give Odin's Ravens 4.2/5 stars and Thor's Serpents 4.3/5 stars.

The last book I read in May was I Crawl Through it by: A.S. King. I absolutely loved this book. I wrote up a review/discussion on that so to see what I thought of it click the link below.

Review

So these are all the books I read for these two months! I have totally failed at doing this on time but thats okay I am working now to catch up! Hope you have been enjoying Faith's posts! (Of course you have)

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!

I shall post my June/July wrap-up shortly after this one.

Suicide Squad | Movie Review | Faith

Figuring they're all expendable, a U.S. intelligence officer decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. Now armed with government weapons, Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and other despicable inmates must learn to work together. Dubbed Task Force X, the criminals unite to battle a mysterious and powerful entity, while the diabolical Joker (Jared Leto) launches an evil agenda of his own.

- Wikipedia Synopsis

This review WILL be SPOILER-FREE!

Killer Instinct: Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Raquel

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

 -goodreads  

It's been awhile since I've written a real review so if this is kind of odd then well that's why.

When I first started writing on here I tried to write really formal I guess. Since then I have changed to write more in my own voice. I understand that we don't and shouldn't write how we talk, but I feel if you change the way you write too much then your personality is lost in your work whatever it may be.

Note: I wrote this review up a while ago and never posted it.. I decided to post it so here it is!

This book is the sequel to "The Naturals" by: Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I read the first book to this series this past summer. I had gone on a streak of reading a whole bunch of Jennifer's books. "The Naturals" was one of my favourites that I read the whole summer. It was the first mystery type book that I had read in a long time and I really enjoyed it.

Now going onto this new book that came out I was very excited for the release of this book. Unfortunately it took me a while to get my hands on it however when I finally did there was nothing that was going to stop me from reading it every minute I could! Lucky for me it was I Love to Read Month and I was able to read the book in class! Not only that but I went on a trip for a tournament and I read during the drive there. The book itself was very easy to read. The language in it is not very advance which makes it a simple book to read.

I don't want to spoil anything about this book because I truly think that everybody should try reading this series! I will say these books may not be for everybody. The books are not fantasy or dystopian books. There isn't anything "out of this world" in these books. They take place in everyday society. The story is about a group of teens who have unique abilities of observation who have been recruited as a part of a special program for the FBI. The books themselves are quite realistic so for those who enjoy more fantasy type fiction may not find these books as enjoyable as I do.

For those who have read my wrap-ups and have seen the books I read you would know that I like realistic fiction books. Though this book is more cheesy per say compare to The Kite Runner nonetheless is just as interesting. Unlike some of the other ones I read this book is a little lighter in that it is much less tragic. That being said these teens are very involved with killers and the way they think, what they do and their motivations. They use their abilities to get into the minds of these killers, to figure out their next move or even their next target.

There is honestly nothing I dislike about this book. Killer Instinct is written in the point of few of Cassie. Throughout the book it mentions the love triangle of Michael, Dean and Cassie. This books does have some similarities with the first book except in this case it includes more of Dean and his past instead of Cassie and her's. The way it's written and the story are really interesting and once you pick up the book it is extremely hard to put down!

I highly suggest this series to any teen looking for a good realistic crime/mystery novel! I would give this book 4.3/5 stars!