Reviews Week 25

 Reviews Week 25

June 20th- 26th

Book 69: Howl's Moving Castle

by Diana Wynne Jones

Read June 19th-20th

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I read Howl's Moving Castle for the first time almost two years ago and fell in love with the tale. Sophie was a character that I related to on a level, unlike any heroine that I have read before her. I loved how she interacted with everything that was going on around her. Especially, with Howl. She's a character that I loved so much during my first read. This time around I believe that I loved her and this story even more.

“I think we ought to live happily ever after.”

First, I would like to talk about Diana's amazing writing style. She has a style so unique to her stories that just pull you into the world. It makes you never want to leave them. I know that I wanted to pick up this book again right after finishing it both times. Her fantasy books are beautiful masterpieces to read, and I cannot get enough of them. The setting of Ingary and the house itself were detailed in such a way that made you believe you were actually there. Fantasy worlds like that are my absolute favorites. 

“Howl’s voice was presently heard shouting weakly, “Help me, someone! I’m dying from neglect up here!”

Next, I'd like to talk about the title character himself, the Wizard Howl. I love our introduction to this character through the stories that are told about him in Sophie's town. The citizens believe that he steals young women's souls and hearts. This is a trope in many fantasy books about characters like Howl and I love how Diana plays with that through this character. Howl is such a fun character to read about. He's so dramatic! I loved seeing Sophie's way of handling him and his "tantrums" as she called them throughout many parts of the book. You could always tell how much he enjoyed her and the fact that she didn't let him boss her around. He is so eccentric, sassy, and so much fun to read about. I cannot help falling for him along with Sophie. He's a piece of work but I love him so much for it!

“Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?" she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet.

"I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying.

The world that Diana has created in this tale plays with popular fantasy and fairy tale tropes creating a fantasy world that feels unique and authentic. I loved following Sophie, Howl, Michael, and Calcifer (Howl's fire demon) in their adventure. During this reread, this novel cemented itself as my favorite book of all time. I adored it so much this time around and am so glad that I read it again. It's a beautiful book that I can never get enough of. 

“Go to bed, you fool," Calcifer said sleepily. "You're drunk."

"Who, me?" said Howl. "I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold sober." He got up and stalked upstairs, feeling for the wall as if he thought it might escape him unless he kept in touch with it. His bedroom door did escape him.”

Started Book 70: Les Misérables 

By Victor Hugo

Started June 23rd

I started Les Mis this week and will be finishing it during week 26. So far, I'm really enjoying it.

Reviews Week 24

Reviews Week 24

June 13th- 19th

Book 67: The High King

by Lloyd Alexander

Read June 13th-14th

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I have really enjoyed my time in the world of Prydain. This series has become one of my favorite series that I have ever read in my life and I'm so glad that I decided to finish it this year. 

In this final book, we get an ending that felt like the ending of The Lord of the Rings series. But this was not in a way that felt like the first book did. It felt much more like a homage, and I enjoy the ways that it differs more than anything.  I won't spoil what happened, but I love where Taran's story goes in this book, especially at the very end of the book.

 Taran has come so far in his story from The Book of Three until this book. I know that I could not stand him at all in that book and now he is a favorite character in this series for me. This was a great coming-of-age story and Taran's growth as a character was one of the best aspects of the entire series.

Book 68: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

by George R.R. Martin

Read June 17th-18th

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One of my favorite things about this book is George's writing style. George has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are a part of the world that he is creating. It is so enjoyable getting back into it every single time. 

This time around we are following characters almost 100 years before the events of The Song of Ice and Fire. I really liked reading about Duncan and Egg's tales and adventures throughout Westeros. Would love to have more of them eventually, though I would like to have an ending to The Song of Ice and Fire series first if I'm going, to be honest.  

It was a lot of fun reading these tales from George and I cannot wait to pick up A Dance of Dragons sometime soon. 

My Favorites of Spring 2022

🦋 My Favorites of Spring 2022 🌸

Below, I have listed some of my favorite music, movies, movie trailers, Youtube videos, and TV that I have watched or listened to this spring. These are in order by when I watched or listened to them. 

Movies:

    1. Home (watched on March 28th) ~ My gosh this movie really surprised me. I remember when this movie came out vividly because I thought it didn't look that good. But man, I was wrong. This movie was so darn great. I'm glad that the little girl I watch wanted to watch it! I loved the main character who is known as Oh and also Tip. These recent Dreamworks movies keep surprising me with how good they actually are. I don't know why because I really enjoyed a lot of their movies over the years but still. This was such a heartfelt story that had some really funny scenes that Dreamworks has always had. I loved the overall plot and how Tip and Oh connect on their journey together. I will always be a sucker for a road trip, even if it's an unconventional one with a flying car. This was also one of my favorite takes on aliens in a cartoon. I love the way that they talk especially Oh. It was just a wonderful movie that I highly recommend. Also, the cat named Pig was just so darn cute.

2. Thor (watched on April 10th) ~ What a great movie! I have been looking forward to watching this movie for a long time. Mythology is one of my favorite things and I looked forward to seeing Marvel's take on Norse Mythology. Great adventure, Great characters, and a Great story. My favorite character was probably Loki. I love the morally grey characters. His story was just so interesting in this piece. 

    3. Fantastic Beasts 3: The Secrets of Dumbledore (watched April 15th) ~ There's nothing like seeing a Wizarding World movie for the first time for me. I have loved the magic of the Harry Potter world for most of my life and I'm glad that I get to see new adventures in that world to this day. The Secrets of Dumbledore was a great movie that I enjoyed a lot. Definitely, the best of the Fantastic Beasts movies. Loved the focus on the Dumbledore family, especially Albus. He'll always be a favorite of mine. Jude Law's portrayal of him is perfect. 

Mads Mikkelsen was a great addition to the cast. I was upset when I had first heard that they had replaced Johnny Depp but was looking forward to seeing Mads in the role. He was absolutely incredible, and I believe that he is the best choice for Grindelwald. Loved watching the scenes between him and Jude Law's Dumbledore. I have been waiting so long to see more of Albus's story and I'm so glad that we got so much of this story. Their love story is so tragic, and man did this movie make me feel so bad for Albus. 

    4. Captain America: The First Avenger (watched on April 16th) ~ I love how many different genres that we got from the Marvel movies and are still getting. This one was great, especially seeing it from the time period where the movies are now and then going back almost 70 years to World War II. Steve was such an interesting character from the beginning. I loved watching him as he tries so hard to fight for his country and how important it was to him. His friendship with Bucky was great and also his relationship with Peggy Carter. I love the scene when he first gets his famous shield. I have enjoyed every one of the Marvel movies so far and cannot wait to continue with them. Especially, to see Cap with the other Marvel characters. 

5. Soul (watched April 20th) ~ This movie was absolutely beautiful. From the music, the animation, and the overall story. Jo's and 22's story was special in so many ways that just had me laughing and in tears. I loved the overall message about your purpose in life and how to live a fulfilling life. I won't spoil where the movie takes this, but I will say that it is one of Pixar's best. This will be one that I would like to watch over and over again. 

6. Coco (watched April 21st) ~ Made me cry pretty hard in multiple scenes. I have heard so many good things about this movie over the years. It took me way too long to watch this one.

I love the diversity that Pixar is having with their movies. This movie is about a Mexican holiday called Day of the Dead. It is about a young boy Miguel who dreams to become a guitar player like his hero Ernesto. But his family is completely against music and bans it because of their family's troubled past with music. Miguel travels into the world of the dead and adventures ensue.

The animation in this movie was impeccable. It was so beautiful to look at the entire time, especially in the Land of the Dead. The character design was also very creative and really stood out to me. Also, the music... The lullaby version of "Remember Me" is one of my favorite songs in an animated movie. Definitely, my favorite from a Pixar movie. I cried real hard during a certain scene in this movie that I will not spoil. Man, this was so special. 

7. Sonic the Hedgehog (watched April 22nd) ~ Well, this movie was just as much fun as I wanted it to be. Jim Carrey will always be one of my absolute favorite comedic actors. His version of The Grinch is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. I adore his comedy so much and he was gold as Dr. Robotnik. He played the role amazingly and made this movie for me. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between Sonic and Tom (played by James Marsden, who I have loved ever since I saw him in Enchanted). They played so well off of each other. Loved the bar scene so much. Now, I am excited to see the 2nd movie when I get to. The ending of this movie was perfect. 

8. Inside Out (watched April 25th)- Another great Pixar movie that I should have seen way before now. Pixar does such an incredible job melding such universal themes into their stories. They don't create just children's movies as many people think. This and the other two of their movies that I just talked about above are great examples of this. Riley's story in this movie is something that many people deal with. With rough emotional days, you just don't know how to react. You try to control your emotions and put on a brave face when something happens that you are not happy with. I really loved how they showed such heavy topics. It's funny I watched this with a four-year-old, who after watching the movie wanted to keep discussing what happened in it. It was interesting to hear her take on this movie. 

9. The Avengers (watched April 25th) ~ Holy smokes, this movie was epic. It was great to see all of these characters that I have come to love over the course of all of their movies, join together to form such a team. Just wow. April as you can see, was a very good month for movies. So many great Marvel movies and I cannot wait to see more of them next month. Gotta, say I loved seeing Loki as the villain in this movie and what he did. My favorite scene was definitely the one that I have pictured to the side. Made me laugh so hard. "Puny god". I really liked watching this team throughout the movie and I cannot wait to see as they add to it throughout the rest of the MCU movies. 

10. Iron Man 3 (watched May 16th) ~ This might be my favorite of Tony's movies. He goes through a lot throughout the course of it, and he learns a powerful lesson. We see a lot more development with him and Pepper over the course of this movie. I really enjoy their relationship and cannot wait to see more of it throughout the rest of the Marvel movies. Also, I really enjoyed seeing him mentor the little boy in this movie. 

11. Avengers: Age of Ultron (watched on June 7th) ~ These movies just keep getting better and better. I really liked this movie a lot and am having a hard time deciding which of
the Avengers movies I have liked better. It's great seeing the team working together. You can definitely see the different mindsets that are forming in the group though. Especially, with Tony and Cap. I really enjoyed seeing the creation of Vision. Also, seeing more of Hawkeye and his family. He was so funny in this, and I can't wait to see more of him. The humor in these movies is just gold. Though they do great with more poignant moments, I won't spoil the scene in this movie for those who have not seen it. But it did hit hard. 

12. The Adam Project (watched on June 18th) ~ I have loved Ryan Reynolds movies for a very long time and had heard nothing but great things about this movie earlier this year. Oh my goodness this movie was wonderful. Especially, Walker Scobell who played young Adam in the movie. He did a great job of playing a younger version of Ryan's character. This made me so excited to see him in the Percy Jackson tv show that they are making, even more. He did a phenomenal job. 

Everything about this movie was perfect for me. I love movies with a lot of humor but when they also have heartwarming moments. This had so much of both. Also, time travel stories are always a favorite of mine. Along with Ryan and Walker, I really enjoyed their mom and dad, played by Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. 

Songs/Music:

    Some of the great music that I have been listening to all throughout the Spring. 

    1. "She Had Me at Heads Carolina" by Cole Swindell ~ This became a new favorite as soon as I listened to it. 

    2. "Girl" by Jukebox the Ghost 

    3. "Keith" by Kaylee Bell

    4. "Remember Me" lullaby version from Coco ~ The best song from a Pixar movie that I have ever heard. So heartbreakingly beautiful. I adore it. 

    5. "The Best" version by Noah Reid for Schitt's Creek ~I have loved Tina Turner's original of this song for most of my life. This version really stands out and I love the story of how Noah wrote the version for the show. 

    6. "Heartfirst" by Kelsea Ballerini

    7. "Maybe it was Memphis" by Pam Tillis ~ an oldy that I really fell in love with over the course of the Spring. 

    8. "This Love" Taylor's Version by Taylor Swift ~another of Taylor's songs that she has redone. It will always be a favorite. 

    9. "Life's a Dance" by John Michael Montgomery ~ an old favorite that I have listened to quite a lot over the last couple of months that I had to mention here. 

    10. "Till You Get There" by Ty Herdon ~ had a lot of country favorites this quarter. Ty's music was definitely some of the many songs I listened to over and over again throughout the spring. Cannot wait to listen to more of his new music.

Movie and TV show Trailers: 

    1. Thor: Love and Thunder teaser (released April 18th) ~ First of all, that song. "Sweet Child of Mine" is such a great song and I love the vibes that it gives the teaser. Just with that song, it feels like a Thor/Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I  am absolutely loving the Marvel movies, and this was such a great way of showing this movie. It didn't give too much away at all and it got me beyond excited to see what will happen. Loved seeing Zeus in the trailer. I love Greek Mythology and I think it is so cool that they are having the Greek Gods in this movie alongside Thor. Also, the interactions between Peter and Thor are just perfect. They play so well off of each other. I have watched this teaser a lot and it's only been out for a day. 

2. The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent (saw it on April 15th) ~ I absolutely loved seeing this trailer before seeing The Secrets of Dumbledore. It looks so darn funny. I love Nick Cage and adore Pedro Pascal. He is such a great actor and he looks great in this movie. I cannot wait to see this movie! Nicholas Cage is one of the most iconic actors of all time and this movie looks just incredible. 

    3. Where the Crawdads Sing (saw it on April 15th) ~ Oh my gosh, this looks so good. I heard about this book when it had first come out, but I never really looked into what it was about. This looks so good and now I really want to read the book. Also, I adore Taylor Swift, and the song that she wrote for the movie sounds amazing. Can't wait to hear the entire thing. It definitely has "No Body No Crime" vibes which excites me. 

    

    4. Thor: Love and Thunder Full Trailer (saw on May 24th) ~ I have watched this trailer a lot over the last 24 hrs and I'm sure by the time I post this it will be even more times. This was so enjoyable and I love every second of it. Especially, a certain part. Haha. I'm interested to see what they are going to do with Gorr the God Butcher, who looks very menacing. 

Youtube:

    1. BooksandLala: 

            Kayla's videos are some of the most fun that I watch. I really enjoy the bookish content that she makes. 

        - Some of my favorite videos from her during this season were:

            - attempting to draw book covers from memory

            - reading books I SHOULD have picked for videos

            - Reading Cozy Mysteries for the First Time

            - designing & reacting to book covers

            - Scavenger Hunt to Find My Next Read

    2. SuperCarlin Brothers: 

         - Some of my favorite videos that they made in the spring:

             - How do Time-Turners Work? | Harry Potter Theory

            - The Elder Wand Has A BROTHER | Harry Potter Film Theory

            - J vs Ben: HARDEST Care of Magical Creatures Harry Potter Trivia Quiz

            - Ridiculously Cool Things You Haven’t Noticed In Encanto Yet | Disney Film Theory

    3. The Library of Allenxandria: 

       - Some of my favorite videos from him during this season were:   

            - The Longest Wrap-Up in History, Part One: January Edition  

            - Booktube Birthday Tag: 2022 Edition!

    4. John Campea: 

        - Some of my favorite videos that he made in spring: 

            - Obi-Wan After Show: Episode 5 - TJCS

            - Thor: Love And Thunder First Trailer Drop With A Hammer

            - Guillermo Del Toro Reveals First Look At Pinocchio

 TV Shows: 

    1. Heartstopper!!!! (watched on May 4th): Oh, my goodness this tv show is everything an adaptation should be. I have adored Alice Oseman's Heartstopper comics for years. Bought the graphic novels as they came out and am eagerly reading the comics on Tapas as they come out. I'm so happy that Alice got such a loyal adaptation that really embodies the overall story of Charlie and Nick's romance. This is just beautiful in every way and it had me in so many happy tears as I was watching it. I love the actors and actresses they picked to play each of the roles. They were the perfect picks for each. Please watch this show Heartstopper fans it's incredible and I just want more of it. And if you're not a Heartstopper fan check it out for yourself. It's beyond beautiful!! So many great messages for teens but also for anybody really. I know it touched me in so many ways. I'll be watching it over and over.  

 

2. Schitt's Creek (started watching May 10th- finished watching June 10th): I have been wanting to watch Schitt's Creek for years at this point and just never had for whatever reason. Now, I can finally say that I have watched it. It was wonderful. I love the Rose family, especially David. Their development over the entire show was some of the best that I have ever seen in a show. This show was so much fun and I loved the sense of humor throughout the entire thing. Also, David and Patrick's romance was one of my favorites ever in a show or in any medium really. They were so cute together and I adored every scene that they had with one another. The town and its residents were perfect too and brought even more to a great show. I have not laughed as much as I laughed while watching it, in a long time. It brought me so much joy and I know that I will watch it again and again. 

Reviews Week 23

 Reviews Week 23

June 6th- 12th

Book 65: Under the Whispering Door

by TJ Klune

Read June 6th-11th

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This was one of the most beautiful books that I have ever read, and I adored every little bit of it. I originally planned on reading it last year right when it came out but never felt like it was the right moment to pick it up. Knew that this would be a heavy-hitting book and man, was I right about that. 

“It’s never enough, is it? Time. We always think we have so much of it, but when it really counts, we don’t have enough at all.”

 TJ Klune has such a great writing style that stands out so much throughout this book. This is my first of his books, but I will be rectifying that very soon with The House in the Cerulean Sea. This had such a quirky style that I have heard he is quite famous for. I look forward to seeing if that is true.

I adored the romance in this story so much. Wallace and Hugo were so cute together and I didn't want it to end. Loved the found family aspects throughout the entire book with them, Nelson, Mei, and Apollo. Also, the humor was another part that really stood out. I love when Nelson teaches Wallace how to be dead throughout the book. Their whole dynamic was so funny. 

Under the Whispering Door had me laughing and crying so hard throughout. There are a lot of heavy scenes. I believe that this book will hit people differently based on their experiences. There are a lot of discussions throughout about life, love, death, and what comes after. It just really makes you think about life in general. 

 I highly recommend this gem of a book. It is one of the best that I have ever read.

“The first time you share tea, you are a stranger. The second time you share tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share tea, you become family.”

Book 66: Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt's Creek

by Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy

Read June 11th-12th

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I started watching Schitt's Creek on May 10th and finished it on June 10th. Over the course of that month, this became one of my top favorite shows of all time. I adored the humor so much. It was the most I have laughed in such a long time. It was just comedy gold. But I believe the best part of this show was its wonderful character work. They work so well off of each other and their dynamic was everything. I know that I will be watching this show over and over again. Especially, certain scenes. Dan and Eugene Levi made such an incredible show, with a great cast. 

This book was a great addition to the show that I'm so glad that they made. It holds so many behind-the-scenes features, that I really enjoyed reading about. I love that they had the whole cast contribute to this book. Also, seeing how much they all loved being in the show. We got so much information on each of the episodes, characters, the clothes, Moria's wigs (lol), David's sweaters, and so much more. It was just a lot of fun to read, and I know I will come back to it over and over again just like the show. Perfect for any Schitt's Creek fan. 

Reviews Week 22

 Reviews Week 22

May 30th- June 5th

Book 62: Red Butterfly

by A.L. Sonnichsen

Read May 30th

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This book was wonderful, heartfelt, and absolutely beautiful. I love that it was written in verse, which I think made it even better. It had such a great story that drew me in from the beginning.

Book 63: Other Ever Afters: New Queer Fairy Tales

by Melanie Gillman

Read June 5th

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I really enjoyed this collection of stories. Especially, the way Melanie Gillman took these popular fairy tale tropes and flipped them in new ways. I only wish that it could have been longer and had more tales. Maybe eventually Melanie Gillman will come back to this. I know I would pick up another one if they did.

Introduction and Conclusion- I wanted to talk about both of these parts together because they were both connected, and the conclusion is a continuation of the introduction. These were great ways of starting out the collection and also ending it. I love the sentiment at the end.

"The King's Forest"- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A sweet story with a beautifully sad message.

"The Goose Girl"- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Definitely, a different take on The Goose Girl story. I did not know going into this one if it would be similar to the original fairy tale or not. But I really like where this story went.

"New Name"- ⭐⭐⭐

This was a pretty good story, but it was probably my least favorite from the collection.

"Sweet Rock"- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this take on offerings to a giant and where that goes in this story.

"Hsthete"- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

God and Goddess stories are always my favorites, and this was a great little story about a goddess of Mishaps. I knew exactly how the story was going to end but I loved that so much.

"Fish Wife"- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This and the last story were my two favorites from the collection. The take on mermaids and tales of them was clever and different.

"The People's Forest"- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A great story with a powerful message for the reader. I also like how this is connected to "The Goose Girl" story earlier in the collection.

Overall, this was a great collection of queer fairy tales that I thoroughly enjoyed. I only wish that there could have been many more.

*I received an ARC of this book for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley. *

Book 64: A Hat Full of Sky

by Terry Pratchett

Read June 3rd-5th

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The 32nd book in the Discworld series and the 2nd in the Tiffany Aching Subseries.

I am really enjoying this subseries a lot. This book follows Tiffany as she apprenticed with another witch named Miss Level. Miss Level was such an entertaining character and I hope that we will get more of her in later books. It had many different hard-hitting topics as Terry's books always have, such as family, finding and accepting oneself, and traditions. 

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

Tiffany is not only learning how to become a witch, but is also dealing with getting possessed, accepting what it means to be a witch, and also trying to accept who she is as a person. She goes through quite a bit in this book. Along the way, she meets many different types of witches who all believe that being a witch is something different than the next one. 

One of the most formable is Granny Weatherwax, who is a witch that has played her role in many Discworld books before this one. She is also my favorite character from the Discworld. Tiffany learns quite a bit from her time with Granny. Granny is set in her ways as most witches are and is quite the teacher throughout the novel. She teaches Tiffany that there is much more to witchcraft than just waving a wand and casting a spell. A lesson that Tiffany is not so willing to accept at first. I like seeing two headstrong characters working off of each other and I cannot wait to see more of them together in future books. 

“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”

The return of the Nac Mac Feegle was also a great part of this book. I enjoyed their part in this book quite a bit and look forward to seeing more of the little buggers in the next book. Also, the new character Miss Level was quite entertaining, especially with her two selves. I will not go into that too much but Tiffany's time with her was also fun to read about. 

I believe that this would be a great young adult subseries for young readers to read, though I believe that they should also read the other Discworld books along with it. Anyone could get something from this subseries though. 

“There's always a story. It's all stories, really. The sun coming up every day is a story. Everything's got a story in it. Change the story, change the world.”