August 9, 2021 - Week TBR and a Little update of where this blog is going

(Here are a few books I will be reading this week)

Let's plan what to read during the week, shall we. Hopefully I can pull it through. It's been a while since I posted anything here and I hope to have a set routine. I feel like it's a really relaxing hobby to have. It would be something to keep me motivated. Also, I have been reading so much this past year that I actually want to start writing reviews and thought about the books. I will also try to review pass books I read this year. Hopefully I can get into a routine. 

I have picked up audiobooks this pass year and been loving it. It's a relaxing way to consume stories and also really engaging. I am loving it. 

Audiobooks TBR: (For the week)

Billy Summer by Stephen King

I'm watching you by Karen Rose
Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole
Gods & Monsters By Shelby Mahurin

Shielded by KayLynn Flanders 

Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It's usually hard to finish physical books in a week. But will be trying to pick a book. Still don't know which one I will be picking at this moment. I have been reading a lot of romance novellas lately. So hopefully I can read a few during the week. 

Wicked Saints | Buddy Read #1

Author: Emily A. Duncan
Title: Wicked Saints #1
Release: April 2, 2019
Rating: ★.5
Pages: 385
Format: Hardcover
Series: Something Dark and Holy
Summary: 

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.
A prince in danger must decide who to trust.
A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.
Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.
In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy. (Goodreads)

Me and my friend Calrissian18 started a weekly buddy read challenge to motivate us to finish books we have for a while that we both own.

Thoughts: I was excited going into this book. The premise was promising and new to me. Sadly, it let me down. The story seemed like it would be a good starting point to a series and it felt like the characters had so much potential. However, there was just so many moments that I was confuse throughout the story line.
The story itself felt like it was too many different books set in one book. It didn't feel like the book had an identity. I wish it was just focus on one theme instead of multiple for at least this first book. I felt like the author didn't know what to focus in her book, that she ended up putting all of them in it. It just didn't work for me. I wish that she just focused one one element.
There wasn't really any emotional connections with any of the characters in the story. I felt like the characters were just there to be set ups for future books. Many of the minor characters were shown but they weren't given reasons for us to care for them. I felt like we needed more development.
Maybe if the second book has a more clear path it could be turn around.


Buddy Read Book #1 week of 5/13/19-5/19/10 

Next Buddy Read: Sea of Rust by C. Robert Cargill  5/20/19-5/26/19

Will be posting my Buddy Read review until I am currently caught up to date.

March Wrap up | 2018

Books read in March

  
Within These Walls - Ania Ahlborn: ★★★★★

The Killing Lessons - Saul Black: ★★★★

Maus I - Art Spiegelman: ★★★★

Danse Macabre - Stephen King: ★★★

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza - Shaun David Hutchinson: ★★

Children of the Night - Dan Simmons: ★★★★

The Troop - Nick Cutter:  ★★★★
Strange Weather - Joe Hill: ★★★
Falling Like Snowflakes - Denise Hunter: ★★★

Films Watched in March

  
Love, Simon: ★★★★★
Pacific Rim Uprising: ★★★★★
Batman Ninja: ★★1/2
Veronica: ★★★★
Ready Player One: ★★★★★

Things I discover this month and love: 

Books In The Frezzer (Podcast) - Loved this podcast. Discovering so many Horror Novels.

Supernatural Re-Watch | Post #6: Bloody Mary 1x05

It's been a while. After returning back from San Diego Comic Con my schedule ended up being all over the place. I didn't ended up getting back into the swing of things until this month (Yeah I know It's been almost over a month since SDCC). But hoping to getting back into swings and watching as much of Supernatural as I can. Let's begin. 

Bloody Mary 1x05 

Got to love urban legends. Children will never learn. Leave it to them to conjure unwanted guess. It's insane how young they look. How time has fly. It's been over 10 years and the show still connects with people.

The sound department is awesome. I always love the creaking sound of the impala it always brings her to life. It's funny how easily they can get the information from the morgue and the victims houses. One other thing that also has changed a lot from season one is the acting from the guess star actors the acting has been cliche from the early 2000s and some 90s. 

The emotions of watching again Sam go through the lost of Jessica. 

YES! It's awesome when they do the pop culture references of the time. 

"Do I love like Paris Hilton", Dean

This show one time liners are always the best and Dean's timing is perfection. It's crazy how Jensen's voice is so different now. There something about the earlier seasons. It feels like he wasn't really forcing his voice like he is now. Or maybe his voice just changed. LOL 

The timing is always horrible for the boys and brother always comes to the rescue. 

Dean: Sammy?.. 

Sam: It's Sam... 

Dean: This got to be 600 years bad luck. 

Oh boy, you don't even know the half of it with the bad luck. On top of that the secrets you guys keep from each other. I always wonder in this episode what Dean felt guilty about. Maybe it was all the people he couldn't save. 

Great episode. Something I did like about the earlier episodes was all the urban legend stories they used. 

The Reading Quest Challenge | Character Rogue/Knight

I am so excited to participate in this challenge. My friend discovered it and send me a link. I am hoping that this will motivate me to read more than what I was planning to read this month. 

(sign up post readatmidnight.com all designs by CW of Reads, Think, Ponder)

Challenge begins on August 13th and ends on September 10, 2017. We will be using #TheReadingQuest on social media. 

I will be choosing two character in case I do finish one of their journey. Going for Rogue for my main one and then will be jumping to Knight if I complete all of the Rogue's challenges.

I will be adding my Exp and HP point as the challenge progresses. 

Current points: 

(Level up every 50 EXP)

Level: 1

30 EXP | 54 HP

Social Media Points :
(instagram up to 20 HP and twitter up to 20 HP)
+1 HP: Tweet - Here
+ 1 HP: Instagram - Here
+ 1 HP: Instagram - 1st book complete

Books complete Points:
(1 book = 10 EXP, 1 Graphic Novel = 5 EXP additional 50 EXP if challenge is completed before it ends. Also 30 EXP for additional character challenges)
+10 EXT : Gwendy's Button Box (5/5)
+ 10 EXT : Frankenstein (3/5)

 Pages read Points:
(10 pages = 1 HP, Graphic Novel 20 Pages = 1 HP, 20 Min Audiobook = 1 HP)
+17 HP: Gwendy's Button Box (175pgs)
+ 24 HP: Frankenstein (8hrs Audionbook)

TRB Rogue:
Banned Book: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (audiobook) (+10 Exp, +24 HP)
Obscured Face: Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chimer (+10 Exp,  +17 HP)
Book with <500 ratings on Goodreads: The Grip of it Jack Jemc (+10 Exp, +27 HP)
Small Press: The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones (+10 Exp, +21 HP)
One Word Title: Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (+10 Exp,  +38 HP)

TBR Knight:

First in a Series: Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel (+10 Exp, 
Verb Title: I am not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells (+10 Exp, 
Weapon on the Cover: John Dies at the End by David Wong (+10 Exp, 
Red Cover: A Head Full of Ghost by Paul Tremblay (+10 Exp, 
TV/Movie Adaptation: The Mist by Stephen King (+10 Exp, 

(This is the challenges that correspond to each quest)

There will also be side challenges if we would like to accomplish them. Here is my TBR for those if I do decide to do them.

Side Quest TBR:
A book w/ 2 Authors: Chasing Cars by Mindy Hayes and Michele G. Miller
Buddy Read: Artemis by Andy Weird
A Book w/ 500+ pages: The Waste Land by Stephen King
Book set in either the past or Future: Noumenon by Marina J. Lostetter
Any book I want: Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero 
Read a book you Previously DNF: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin
Read a companion Novel or Short Story: Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
Read a Graphic Novel: My Favorite Thin is Monsters byEmil Ferris
Book Represent an animal in the title: Blackbird by Chuck Wendigo

Supernatural Re-Watch | Post #5: Phantom Traveler 1x04

Phantom Traveler 1x04

THIS EPISODE IS HILARIOUS! I really do like the intros at the beginning of the series. With the line of "the family business".

We immediately see an actress I recognize from something else. Looked her up and I see that she will be coming out on the new show "Marvel's The Punisher". ALL THESE ACTORS ARE CONNECTED.

Nice shot of Dean in the bed being jumpy. We then jump right to the case. We get to the location and we jump to the awesome one liners.

WE GET THE BOYS IN A SUIT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! "Looks like the Blue Brothers". But they do look good.

This episode reminds me of Final Destination. Everyone that was on that plane has to die. But instead of this one being death it's a demon who is trying to kill all the people who were on that plain. It's so funny how Dean tries everything in his power to stop going on the plane. 

We find out his fear of flying which is hilarious. He gets calm by humming Metallica. 

We also get the screaming Dean which is hilarious. We also get some more clues about Jessica which shakes up Sam. 

We also end with more information about their dad leaving their information if they need help. 

Overall a great episode to watch with little bread crumbs to the mystery behind their dads disappearances . 

Film Watch | Post #6

Okja ★★★★★
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Writer: Bong Joon-ho, Jon Ronson
Wow... This movie. Really emotional journey. Really makes you think about the food you eat and where it come from. Also about the relationship between your pets and how deep it goes.

 
The Void ★★1/2
Director: Steven Kostanski, Jeremy Gillespie
Writer: Steven Kostanski, Jeremy Gillespie
This movie was just weird. It felt all over the place with not really a good story line. I wish there was something more that would have connected the movie more. But it really didn't make much sense. You really have to put attention to it. I did like the special affects and the creature designs. But other than that. I wasn't really drawn to the movie. 


Spider-Man: Homecoming ★★★★★
Director: Jon Watts
Writer: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers
This was the Spider-Man movie that I have always wanted. Everything I had expected from a film and more. This is what Spider-Man should have been from the beginning. I appreciate Sam Raimi's films and enjoyed them. I like what they did to the superhero genre. But this movie just blew every single one away.


Beyong the gates ★★★1/2
Director: Jackson Stewart
Writer: Stephen Scarlata, Jackson Stewart
Fun movie to watch if you are into the 80s set in today's time. Great independent film. Something a little different. Feel of Jumanji with horror.