Review: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

 Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

(overall and with no spoilers)

 

I remember back when these were being published individually as ebooks, and I remember thinking that there was no way that they could be anywhere near as good as The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices. Of course, I had to read them though, especially after reading Lady Midnight, and I really REALLY enjoyed them. Simon Lewis has grown to be one of my favorite characters from the series-es- I had always loved his character's humor and personality, but know he has climbed even higher on my list.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy have all of the humor and character greatness as the rest of Cassandra Clare's books. There may not have been as much of a plot line, but I think it was totally ok. It really was more of an anthology, and I appreciated that it was done this way instead of trying to make it another great overarching plot. I'm not sure if many people would be looking at this if they haven't been already introduced to the Shadowhunter world, but if they are- Cassandra Clare's books are some of my all time favorites and I highly recommend reading them, starting with City of Bones. If you have read the others, I recommend trying to read this one before reading Lady Midnight. I read it after reading Lady Midnight, I still loved both of them tremendously.

Thanks for reading!

View all my reviews

Shadowhunters Season 2

Shadowhunters Season 2

Thoughts and Feels

Episode 1: "This Guilty Blood"

SPOILERS

Shadowhunters is finally back and I am SUPER PUMPED for this season! The first episode for this season came out January 2, 2017 and it went right into it, which I greatly appreciated. This episode was pretty good in my opinion and had some really great lines (lol, of course, by none other than Simon Lewis). Overall, I think that this season is going to run much better than season one did. Not only do I think this based on the first episode, but also because the cast was saying that this season is going to be much more dark and gritty, which I think is part of what was missing in season one.


The acting was so much better in this first episode than it was in the first season. Of course, there was probably a gigantic learning curve where the actors and actresses needed to learn how to become their characters and how those characters were going to develop. They did a very nice job in this episode though, which makes me very optimistic for the rest of the show. Some of the lines in the script are still super awkward (maybe not as much as before), but I think overall the plot for the episode was smoother and I think they have the capability to really create an impressive adaptation of the show.

Two big things I missed from this episode (only as a die-hard Shadowhunter fangirl, not really a viewer): the greenhouse scene, and the pasta-bathtub-story. I know there was no real chance for the greenhouse scene to happen, but having a greenhouse in the show made me really miss it!! Perhaps they'll find a way to sneak the scene into a later episode???? And there was a PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to put in the little anecdote of how Jace took a bath in spaghetti when he was a child. PERFECT! But instead, there was this kinda awkward line about making pasta.....???

SIDE NOTE: One of the reasons I am super excited for this season is because, supposedly, we might be getting a chance to see Sebastien toward the end? (Source) I won't say anything about him in case there are readers who have not read the books, but for those of us who have.... OH. MA. GAWD. That actor needs to be spot-on. I'm scared to say more because I don't want to accidentally spoil people.



Only a week until the next episode!!!! Seven days? Gonna feel more like seven years.....

Thanks for reading!

Sherlock Season 4 Episode 1

Thoughts and Feels from

Sherlock

Season 4 Episode 1

"The Six Thatchers"

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY FOR TWO YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!
3.8 out of 5 Stars

 I am so excited to have a new season of Sherlock airing this year; last year's Christmas special was lovely, but I need a full three-episode season to at least temporarily sate my craving for this show. And then after these three episodes..... well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there.  

SPOILERS AHEAD

Writing this after just seeing the show, my thoughts are running all over the place, so the organization of this post is as the things rotate to the front of my mind.

Sherrinford: "Please put me through to Sherrinford" (Mycroft). Um. Ummmmm. UMMMMMM??!!!?!?!? ARE WE FINALLY GOING TO SEE THE THIRD HOLMES BROTHER? Who's playing him? Is there a chance that it's Tom Hiddleston???

Mary..... I did not see that coming. Obviously, with a background as dangerous as hers, there was always a big chance of it happening, so it wasn't too too alarming, but still. With the baby, and John, and she was just getting settled... that was rough to watch. And now John is angry with Sherlock! I'm not sure if I fully agree with him on that point, because on the one hand, Sherlock is not responsible for Mary's actions. On the other hand, it was Sherlock that asked Mary to be involved in the case which led her to be there in the first place. And he provoked her, but John didn't know that did he?

As reluctant as I am to say it, I was not as thrilled with this episode as I was the others. It seemed very scattered in a way and there was so much in the episode that it was slightly crowded. There was still great humor though, and the mystery of the episode itself was great. It just didn't seem like the focus to me; rather, there were so many tangents (The baby, Moriarty, the woman John meets) that it seemed slightly forced.


We have two more episodes to look forward to!!! I am thrilled to see what is coming next and what the makers of the show are going to put into it. Sherlock is phenomenal and I adore this show. Instead of waiting two years, I only have to wait another week to see another episode! :):):)

Thanks for reading!

January TBR Pile

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm hoping to start out this new year with lots and lots o' books before I head back to school. Some of the titles are books I wasn't able to get to last year, some are coming out this month, and some are good old favorites. I also just set my reading challenge on Goodreads to 101 books for the year of 2017, so to keep on track with that, I need to read about 8 or 9 books per month. If you have not reset your reading challenge, or do not have a Goodreads account, I highly recommend it. I adore goodreads.com and this challenge is a great way to motivate yourself and keep your reading organized.

So Without further ado....

My January 2017 TBR Pile

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
I love Veronica Roth's books. I cried back when this book was announced and I will be going to the book store the day it comes out and finishing it the night I get it.
 
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
I started this a few month ago and haven't finished it yet..... I really need to.

Rook by Sharon Cameron
A friend loaned my their copy and I haven't gotten it back to them yet!!!

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
I'm really looking forward to this one. I had planned on reading it last year, but alas, 'twas not meant to be.

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
I actually am in the middle of this one, and I sort of picked it up by chance, but it's really good!

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
I'm just in the mood for some Twilight.... not really sure why....


Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken
This book comes out TWO DAYS and I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick 
Remember those celebrity books I talked about before?? (Click here) Finally reading some. ;)

Thanks for reading and good luck in your new year of reading!

Celebrity Books: A Literary Observation

Celebrity Books

A Literary Observation

So I was scrolling through the nominees for The Goodreads Choice Awards (which are up for the year! Go check them out!) and it really caught my attention that a lot of celebrities are writing their own books now. Granted, to me, all authors are my celebrities, but that's beside the point. I know, I know, they've been doing this... but I'm a YA reader (for the most part), so, not that I wasn't paying attention, but it didn't really catch my attention. However, I'm looking through these various pages on Goodreads, and I want to read them! Here are some of the books, written by celebrities, that I really want to read. (I would also LOVE recommendations)

Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham
Pub: November 29, 2016

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
Pub: August 16, 2016


Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
Pub: November 15, 2016

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler
Pub: October 28, 2014

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
Pub: September 15, 2015

Binge by Tyler Oakley
Pub: October 20, 2015


There's so many more out there and I've still got exploring to do. For example, Lily Collins is coming out with a book in March that is going to be called Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me that I really want to read. I really hope that more celebrities keep doing this. I'm really curious about these books and I can't wait to start reading! Feel free to comment with recs or anything :)

Thanks for reading!

Film Review: Moana

Moana MovieReview

4.9 out of 5 Stars

Disney has yet to really fail me when it comes to their production of "princess" movies. Moana was incredible. Not only did it rise to and above any expectations from Disney movies, but it was so engaging and reminded me of why I love Disney so much. Everything from the animation to the music to the the little quirky jokes created a ninety minute long blissful escape to a tropical island that spits you out of the theatre happy and ready to face your dreams and the challenges that are whispered inside your head.

I love the graphics!!! Her hair is a little frizzy!!! <3

The exact opposite of Frozen, this movie took place surrounded by lush tropical islands and warm seas. With all of the snow and ice around me, that was so welcome that I may or may not have looked at how much it would cost to visit an island right about now. Sadly, nothing in my budget; luckily, I could go see Moana again and visit those tropical places in my head.

The one thing that I missed from the movie was the romance. Please don't freak out! I totally loved this movie and everything about it. There really was nothing wrong with it and no way they could have fit in romance. I actually really appreciated how Maui was Moana's friend only. But maybe I'm just that much of a romantic where I wish there was something, even minor, in the story that was romantic. Call it cliche, but I love when there's a happy romantic ending. For example, in Frozen, there was some romance, and it didn't undermine any characters at all. Anna was still just as strong and independent even though her and Kristoff had a thing by the end.

I fell in love with the music of this movie---- so many great songs are on this album. I'm not just talking about the ones with words either, the entire score is great. If you don't believe me, look at the Golden Globe nominations and you'll find that the song "How Far I'll Go" is up for Best Original Song-Motion Picture.

I hope you go out and see this movie! It is uplifting, relaxing, and another great Disney movie to get put into the books. Really, anyone, any age, can see this and enjoy it.

Thanks for reading!

Aniticipated 2017 Releases

Hello! Sorry for not posted in ages, but the end of the semester got super super busy with finals and holiday stuff. Now though, I'm ready to dive right back in!

2017 Releases I Am Dying to Read

Before I go into the list, please note that there are so many books coming out this year that I am so looking forward to reading, but I also know that there are so many that I do not even know exist yet! :) I would love comments on what you are looking forward to and anything that you think I missed!

JANUARY

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Frostblood by Elly Blake

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Dawn Study by Maria V Snyder

FEBRUARY

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

Wintersong by S Jae Jones

The Wish Granter by CJ Redwine

Lifeblood by Gena Showalter

 

MARCH

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Unflitered by Lily Collins

The Struggle by Jennifer L Armentrout

Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

 

MAY

Always and Forever, Laura Jean by Jenny Han

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

AUGUST
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

SEPTEMBER
ToG #6 (Untitled) by Sarah J Maas

NOVEMBER

Gatlon School for Vigilantes by Marissa Meyer

UNKNOWN
Untitled (Stream Raiders #1) By Sara Raasch

Untitled (Shaw Confessions) by Michelle Hodkin

Happy New Year and thanks for reading!!!