TV Talk! And lots of it!

I've been doing a lot of TV watching this past week... lots of catching up, finale watching, finishing things, etc. And because I know so many of you also enjoy a little lot of TV, I thought I'd share my rambles.

I'm sure there'll be spoilers for many different things, so proceed with caution.

Survivor: I loved this season, as you may be aware already. I enjoy it when there are returning players. I also enjoy new players that are fans of the returning players. So much fun. Some of the returning players this time around were my favorites anyway, so it was hard to choose who to root for. But I picked Cochran from the beginning because of his lovely endearing nerdiness and yay for him! Anyway, it blows me away that after so many years of this show, I still find myself completely into it.

Amazing Race: I also still love this show like crazy, but this past season was a little less exciting for me than some of the others. It all depends on how well you like the teams I guess. And while I LOVED Dave and Conner (I did tell you that he, Dave, lived next door to me when I was a tween, yes?) they got out way too early and made the rest of the season just ho hum. Though I loved seeing their travels through Europe!

Revenge: I watched the first season of this one on Netflix and then caught up to the second season to the point of watching the last few episodes live. I found the first season to be very gripping, but the second season waned quite a bit for me and there were times I found myself falling asleep while watching. What? But the finale... wow. CRAZY beans! I will be dying for the next season to start after all! And I've totally fallen in love with Nolan. He is such a sweet guy and so funny. Anyway, the plot is a mess of complication, but it's a fun show nevertheless.

The Vampire Diaries: Ah, just watched the season finale last night and wow. My head is spinning! Poor Stefan, he always always gets the bad things happening to him! I was so happy to see a little Elijah there these last few episodes, because his character fascinates me. And Jeremy is back! (How DO they do that?) Anyway, the plot here is getting a bit complicated too, but it remains a fun guilty pleasure show for me.

Once Upon a Time: I lost a bit of interest in this one over the course of this past season. (It doesn't help that it competes with Amazing Race on Sundays!) But I decided to catch all up with it and I really do love the way they have been able to weave so many fairy tales together into this one story, and how they are changing things up a bit and continue to keep us all guessing. Peter Pan? I mean, wow, I guess he's going to be the next evil bad villain? I love the love story with Belle and Rumple and Captain Hook is just swoon worthy on all counts! Fun fun show.

Dr. Who: Yay! I finished all the seasons all Netflix (the new ones I mean) which means I've watched through season six. I haven't been watching the new current season  but wish I could have been. Oh, well, hopefully they'll show up on Netflix soon. Anyway, this show is pure and simple awesome. I'm amazed by how you never know which emotion will be featured in any given episode. Sometimes, you are laughing, sometimes crying (The Girl Who Waited so very much got to me) and sometimes scared to death! The crazy plot line and the twists and turns through time are so much fun! River and all her shenanigans?!  Wow. I just love it so much and I'm glad to have finally be "in the know" as far as this show is concerned  Anyway, I'm still a 10th doctor fan and once I finished season six, I immediately started a David Tennant episode to re-watch just for the heck of it!

Merlin: I haven't been keeping up on the current shows here either, but did watch through season four. Hoping season five shows up on Netflix soon. I think it's the last one and then then series will be over. Sadness. This show gets into my head and I end up dreaming about the characters. Love it!

American Idol: Blah! I'm so sad that this show is no longer what it used to be! I hardly watched this season. I watched a few and picked Candice to win. Yep, and was I right, or was I right!!?? Anyway, the judges are weird, and now Randy is leaving? What? Yeah, I think this show is on its last legs. And I've loved it for so many years. Sad.

The Voice: To take the place of that space, I tried to watch a few Voice episodes, but I'm just not sure I get it yet. I will keep giving it a try. All I know is that I'm fascinated with Adam Levine and can't seem to take my eyes off him. What's up with that? Oh my word. He's, he's..... mesmerizing!

Buffy: My Buffy watch has suffered of late, but now that I'm "done" with Dr. Who, I think I'll start up with this series again and watch one or two episodes a week. Or while I walk, or fold clothes, etc. I need it to get really really good so I am totally hooked. Obviously I'm not really at that place with it right now. (Middle of season 3.)

Parenthood: Love this show so much! I have no words. It has all the emotion, all of it! And the most awesome characters and actors. Wow. Can't wait for more. Dying for it. Please let Jason Ritter be back! I can't even imagine what Sarah is thinking!! Speaking of which, I hear he has another show that's going to happen, co-starring with Rory from Gilmore Girls. Funny, don't you think. I may have to watch just for him. I seem to really like him....

Downton Abbey: So fun to watch a show that the whole world, literally, seems to be in to. What a crazy sad season this last one was. I can't wait to see what they have planned for this next year. It seems like a long long time to wait. Frustrating.

Sherlock: Another one that we seem to wait for a lot. The ending of that last season was mouth dropping. Must have more!


Ummm... so how's that for a TV talk line up?  I may have even yet missed a few. I used to tell myself that TV was a bad bad thing and that I should stay away from it, but in my old age I have decided that it's a pleasure that I will allow myself and to heck with the naysayers. I think TV shows and reading books are a very similar pursuit and go hand in hand. Thus, the TV watching continues.....

How did all your favorites turn out this season?

Looking at the line up of my favorites, which shows am I not watching that you think I'd love?

Movie Review: Oblivion

Movie: Oblivion
Genre: Science Fiction
Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman
Rating: PG-13
My Rating: Two thumbs up

I loved the trailers for this movie. It looked like a wonderful, crazy, twisted post apocalyptic tale. And who doesn't love those, right?

It took us awhile to get to it, but when we finally did see it, it turned out to be just what I expected, though the trailers lead us to believe some things that weren't quite right. Anyway, they do that, those trailers!

And I thought Tom Cruise was in a perfect Tom Cruise sort of role. I know some people can't stand watching him anymore these days because of his crazy personal life, but I'm still okay with seeing him in the movies. So, I had no problem with him. There was one scene of him doing some crazy space ship flying and I thought... ah!!! Top Gun!!!

So the story. It's a crazy one. I loved the twists and shockers. Awesome! If you go into this movie knowing nothing and you are able to figure out what's going on... you are one plot figuring out machine dude! Let me know if you can!

However, if you think about things too hard, you'll probably find some inconsistencies and inexplicable stuff, so if that kind of thing bothers you, beware. But my suggestion... don't think about it too hard!

Anyway, fun fun movie, great effects, great music, great story.

Bottom line: I was enthralled the whole time.


And the awesome trailer I was talking about:

Book Review: The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison

Book: The Rose Throne by Mette Ivie Harrison
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: ★★★☆☆
For: Review and Support Local Authors
From: NetGalley

This is the story of two kingdoms who have been at odds with each other for a long time. In an attempt at reconciliation, the king from one kingdom is going to marry his daughter to the son of the other king.  Sadly, the prince is only 13 years old and the princess is 17, and to top it off, she falls in love with the duke who has come to her kingdom to make the arrangements! Hate it when that happens! :)

There is also a princess in the one kingdom (sister to the 13 year old prince) who is having her own issues, one of which is her truly awful father, the king. The book flips back and forth from the points of view of both these girls... the princesses in each kingdom. Through them, we learn about the interesting magic system, which is that men and women each have a different kind of power. Women have a "gentle" magic that grows things and keeps things pretty and nice. The men have a more wild magic that helps them to hunt and be strong and aggressive  If you are born with the wrong kind of magic... it's bad bad news!

One kingdom is ruled and guided by the men's magic, while the other is led by the women's. Will it ever be possible to join the two again? Will it the two magics ever have a chance to come together again? In fact, there is a prophecy that says just such a thing will happen.

And it may be that the doings and happenings of this story is that prophecy coming to pass. Or not.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It took me a bit to grasp the concept of the world and magic, but once I understood that, things started falling into place. I envisioned the one princess to be just like the girl in Brave, and the other was a much softer gentler sort, maybe like Belle or something. It was a fun contrast.

However, I wish I would have connected with these characters a bit better. I always find it interesting that in some books you just love them to death and feel so invested in them, while in others you like them okay, but really don't have much emotional attachment. Sadly, for me, I felt the second way with these guys. I wish I could put my finger on why that happens. Do we blame the writing? The story line  Our own moods? I don't know!

It probably didn't help that I'd just read a Melina Marchetta fantasy. Nothing can quite compare to her characters.

That being said, I still found the book fun and engaging.

Bottom line: I enjoyed it!

Other Reviews:

This book induced some kind of delicious reading addiction for me. I wanted to know what happened - I was dying for the ending and I wanted to see all my characters resolutions. From One Librarian's Book Reviews

One thing I really liked about this story was that it wasn’t a light and fluffy princess story. There’s cruelty and a fight for power, characters that I absolutely hated, and some that I truly loved. From Reading in Winter

If the prose were more alive, and the magic system less sexist – or conversely, if Harrison had really explored how society would be affected by such a system, in addition to focusing on one man's abuse of power – I would have enjoyed the book more. From The Bookwyrm's Hoard

Random Wednesday

Stuff I'm thinking and doing and wondering:

-- John Cochran,  you've just won Survivor! What are you going to do now? WRITE A BOOK, he says! YES! If he writes a book, I'm so there. I love how he talks, and if he writes at all like he talks... awesome!

-- So... I bought tickets to see Josh Groban. Seventh row on the floor, I think. If I understood the weird numbering system right. And then, the next day I thought, what the heck, and bought Muse tickets. Yep. And then, earlier, I bought season tickets to our outdoor theater  and guess who's coming again this year? Richard Marx, and he is one of the best concerts I've ever been to! So, it's going to be a fall full of concerts (yes, they are all this fall, long time to wait!) for me this year.

-- I've got to send out graduation announcements soon I guess. Can this really be happening? Three out of four kids done with high school?

-- There is going to be a lot of cool bookish events for me this coming week! I will be reporting! Seems like it's been awhile. Tonight, Stephanie Perkins and Margaret Stohl!

-- I'm wondering why we always seem to skip over the 70 degree temperatures around here. Straight from the 60s to the 80s and 90s? I really have a problem with that.

-- Well, I guess that's it for now! I'm off to actually accomplish something.. .maybe.

Book Bloggers International!

Hey! Guess what? I'm being featured today over at Book Bloggers International! It would be awesome if you could come say hi! Maybe haven't learned everything there is to know about me yet...you better come see!

Anyway, I had a blast writing that post. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Tough Stuff

Last week was light, this week is heavy. And strangely enough, heavy is easier!

Top Ten Heavy Tough Stuff Books

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (rape)
2. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (holocaust)
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (drought, starvation, discrimination)
4. The Fault in our Stars by John Green (cancer)
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (more holocaust)
6. Room by Emma Donoghue (kidnapping, abuse)
7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (foot binding and other old China customs)
8. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (poverty, discrimination, corruption)
9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (more racial discrimination)
10. The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons (war)

And yes, I love my heavy books!

Be sure to link up your list over at the Broke and the Bookish!

Allons-y a Paris!

It's quite possible, in fact very very possible, that I'll find myself in Paris this summer! I am still freaking out about this thought. So excited. 

Anyway, awhile back I got a letter (dang I'm so behind in my letter writing!) from Melissa (Avid Reader Musings) and, knowing this Paris plan of mine, she suggested some awesome reading material for me.

Which makes me wonder what else you all think I should read before going?  (Melissa comment with your suggestions again if you remember them!)

Some books that I have already read with Paris as the setting include:

A Tale of Two Cities
Les Miserables
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Anna and the French Kiss
Just One Day
The Davinci Code

... and I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

So, assuming I had any time to add them to my immediate TBR, what else should I read before going?

And while you are at it, what should I read with Spain as the setting? :)

Speaking of Paris, I'm currently going through some Pimsleur lessons to remember all the years of French I had... so many long years ago. Sad how you lose that stuff, but cool how it sort of kind of comes back to you too.