It's been three weeks since I wrote one of these, which is pretty much what I expected once summer break started. There's nothing noteworthy going on that I can write about. One thing I'm very thankful for is that I've had more time to write, and I've been trying to take advantage of that recently. There have been other things going on, but they're either not significant or feel too far away (like getting a new filling at the dentist) for me to talk about them now.
The main reason I wanted to post this (other than the fact that it had been three weeks) was to mention what I've been posting elsewhere on the Internet.
Over on my writing blog, I wrote about my current progress with the novel I've been writing.
I've been much better about posting to Youtube since summer break started. I posted a video about why I love Harry Potter the character, not the series, since he often gets less love than other characters. I talked about my thoughts on the new information about the Ilvermorny houses that were leaked. I reviewed Catching Fire: The Illustrated Movie Companion. And I made a video on my thoughts of Jia leaving Miss A, which was new for me since I don't talk about kpop in videos (or here on the blog).
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Book Review: Starfighters of Adumar (Star Wars: X-Wing #9) by Aaron Allston
ISBN: 0553574183Published: August 1999
Publisher: Del Rey
Received: Christmas present
Read from May 22nd to 24th, 2016
Synopsis from Goodreads:
The X-wing fighter pilots have earned their reputation as the Rebel Alliance's ultimate strike force by overwhelming enemies with their rapid-fire assaults. But now they are about to embark on a diplomatic mission that will prove to be even more hazardous than all-out combat....
The neutral world of Adumar has decided to pick a side in the war to control the galaxy. Delegates from both the New Republic and the Empire have been invited to Adumar, and each camp will be given a chance to plead its government's case. But there is one small catch: since the Adumari prize military skill above all else, they insist that both delegations be composed exclusively of fighter pilots. For pilot Wedge Antilles and his company, it's an unfamiliar exercise in diplomacy--and one that's filled with unexpected peril. For once they arrive, the X-wing pilots are challenged by Adumar's fierce warriors and attacked by Imperial assassins bent on eliminating all competition. But these challenges pale in comparison to the threat posed by a rogue Republic agent...one who is determined to win Adumar's allegiance once and for all--even if it costs the X-wing pilots their lives.
Review:
I'm going to try to keep this review brief as this is the ninth book in a series, and I typically don't like spoiling previous books in a series in my reviews. This series does feel different in that there's not a larger, overarching plot that links the story in this ninth book with the others in the series. But still, this is the ninth one, so I feel like anyone who has gotten to this point is invested in the series and knows whether they want to read this one or not. That makes going into a lot of detail feel pointless.
For me, I read this book three years after reading all eight of the other books, since those were the ones I had at the time, so I was worried that I'd be confused going into this one, having forgotten the events of the last eight books. That wasn't a problem though. Any information that I needed to know came back to me quickly. It was almost shocking how much I remembered once I was back in the series again. The familiarity was nice.
That being said, I think this was my least favorite of the series, and I don't think I'm saying that because it's been three years since I read the others (although maybe that is why). It was only a minimal drop in enjoyment. I still want to read the tenth book. I'm even more curious about it because it was published so many years after the ninth.
The ninth book was enjoyable and fun. I really did like it, and I think anyone who read and liked the first eight would get enjoyment out of this one too. I did. It's just that, if I were to rank the series, I'm not sure what order they would be in, but this one would likely come last for reasons that I can't quite place my finger on.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Book Review: Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw
ISBN: 1101917806Published: April 5th, 2016
Publisher: Tundra Books
Received from: Netgalley
Read from May 17th to 21st, 2016
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Noor has lived all of her fourteen years in the fifteen lanes of Mumbai’s red light district. Born into a brothel, she is destined for the same fate as her mother: a desperate life trapped in the city’s sex trade. She must act soon to have any chance of escaping this grim future.
Across the sprawling city, fifteen-year-old Grace enjoys a life of privilege. Her father, the CEO of one of India’s largest international banks, has brought his family to Mumbai where they live in unparalleled luxury. But Grace’s seemingly perfect life is shattered when she becomes a victim of a cruel online attack.
When their paths intersect, Noor and Grace will be changed forever. Can two girls living in vastly different worlds find a common path?
Award-winning author S.J. Laidlaw masterfully weaves together their stories in a way that resonates across class and culture. Fifteen Lanes boldly explores the ties that bind us to places and people, and shows us that the strongest of bonds can be forged when hope is all but lost.
Review:
Considering the subject matter, I'm finding it difficult to write a review of Fifteen Lanes that I'm happy with. The book's narration switches between two girls with very different lives. Noor is the daughter of a sex worker who has lived in the same brothel her entire life, and despite her mother's determination to give her an education when those around her say that educating a female child is worthless, Noor's odds of escaping are almost nonexistent as the brothel owner already views her as his property.
Then there's Grace, a rich North American girl whose father runs a large company in Mumbai. She's never felt like she fits in and becomes even more ostracized by her peers when she's betrayed by those she was trying to befriend.
While you learn both girls' stories, Noor is undoubtedly the focus of the book. The point-of-view of the chapters does not just go back and forth between the girls each chapter, and while I didn't count, I do believe that Noor has quite a few more chapters than Grace.
In the end, Grace's story is there to support Noor's story, which is interesting to me because what happens to Grace throughout the novel would be enough to support a novel on its own. For that reason, I would have thought the book wouldn't work well, but it actually did in my opinion. While I think the novel could have been great without Grace's story, I did enjoy reading both girl's chapters and seeing how their stories intertwined with each other.
From the author's note at the end of the story, you learn that the author of the book works at an NGO like those described in the book itself, and it is also clear that she wanted to tell this story the "right" way. She says that it took her a long time to write for that reason, and I think it comes across in the book how important of a topic this is to her and how carefully she approached this story.
It's hard to call this an enjoyable read when it's heart-wrenching and often difficult to read. Laidlaw doesn't shy away from sharing the horrors of Noor's life, but there is also so much good within the story inside Noor and many of the other characters. I would highly recommend this book.
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Naruto Shippuden Review: Episodes 326-330
I'm in love with this set of episodes. Wow. There was a lot of focus on the tailed beasts, which I found fascinating. I've always liked Kurama for his place in the story if not because he was a kind, wonderful being, but my love for him grew in these episodes.
The tailed beasts have been such an important part of the story, particularly since the start of the storyline about the Akatsuki going after each of them, but it isn't until these episodes that you get to meet each of them for the first time, and meeting them is something that I'm completely behind. I love the idea of these creatures that, in the beginning, are portrayed as little more than forces of pure evil gradually become more complex until you are introduced to them for the first time and see that they have personalities and aren't quite as black and white as you were led to believe.
Not only does it makes the beasts intriguing as they're now more complex, it also makes seeing how Madara is controlling them, even putting them in chains, seem much worse than if the audience still viewed them as the faceless forces of evil from the beginning of the story.
While I did appreciate meeting each of the tailed beasts, there was a definite focus on Kurama in these episodes for obvious reasons, and like I said, my love for him grew over the course of these episodes.
Can I just throw out there how adorable little Kurama was in that one flashback? It didn't help that the flashback included "you'll all be reunited" and was placed in the middle of the scene where they're being reunited. That was one of my favorite moments from these episodes, although it's tough to pick just one favorite moment since I'm in love with so much of it.
If I had to choose just two favorite moments though, my second choice would be Naruto and Kurama fighting together for the first time (as opposed to Naruto taking and using Kurama's chakra). That was an epic scene that got me sucked into the episode. That entire episode had such a "this is what I've been waiting for" feel to it that I loved.
Also, I can't end this review without mentioning the tailed beasts counting song, which I'd listen to over and over again. When it started, I was kind of like "what's this and why is it happening?" but by the end I was enjoying it. I get why they'd want to create a way to help people remember each of the tailed beasts and the jinchuriki, and I think the song was effective. It keeps replaying in my head since I watched that episode, and I imagine I'd be singing it to myself if I knew more Japanese, which means that it's probably a pretty effective way of remembering the tailed beasts for Japanese speakers.
Here's hoping the next five episodes are as excellent because those last five have gotten me pumped up for what's coming next. However, there's a part of me that feels like they can't be as good as the episodes I just watched because those episodes were that good. Either way, I'm thrilled with the story currently, and I'm excited to get to the next episode.
The tailed beasts have been such an important part of the story, particularly since the start of the storyline about the Akatsuki going after each of them, but it isn't until these episodes that you get to meet each of them for the first time, and meeting them is something that I'm completely behind. I love the idea of these creatures that, in the beginning, are portrayed as little more than forces of pure evil gradually become more complex until you are introduced to them for the first time and see that they have personalities and aren't quite as black and white as you were led to believe.
Not only does it makes the beasts intriguing as they're now more complex, it also makes seeing how Madara is controlling them, even putting them in chains, seem much worse than if the audience still viewed them as the faceless forces of evil from the beginning of the story.
While I did appreciate meeting each of the tailed beasts, there was a definite focus on Kurama in these episodes for obvious reasons, and like I said, my love for him grew over the course of these episodes.
Can I just throw out there how adorable little Kurama was in that one flashback? It didn't help that the flashback included "you'll all be reunited" and was placed in the middle of the scene where they're being reunited. That was one of my favorite moments from these episodes, although it's tough to pick just one favorite moment since I'm in love with so much of it.
If I had to choose just two favorite moments though, my second choice would be Naruto and Kurama fighting together for the first time (as opposed to Naruto taking and using Kurama's chakra). That was an epic scene that got me sucked into the episode. That entire episode had such a "this is what I've been waiting for" feel to it that I loved.
Also, I can't end this review without mentioning the tailed beasts counting song, which I'd listen to over and over again. When it started, I was kind of like "what's this and why is it happening?" but by the end I was enjoying it. I get why they'd want to create a way to help people remember each of the tailed beasts and the jinchuriki, and I think the song was effective. It keeps replaying in my head since I watched that episode, and I imagine I'd be singing it to myself if I knew more Japanese, which means that it's probably a pretty effective way of remembering the tailed beasts for Japanese speakers.
Here's hoping the next five episodes are as excellent because those last five have gotten me pumped up for what's coming next. However, there's a part of me that feels like they can't be as good as the episodes I just watched because those episodes were that good. Either way, I'm thrilled with the story currently, and I'm excited to get to the next episode.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Reign Review: 3x14 "To the Death"
After not being a tremendous fan of the last episode, I hoped this one would be a lot better, but I still felt annoyed with a few story decisions that I feel like I need to talk about. Overall, my views are probably along the lines of "It's complicated" because maybe the show will surprise me and actually make something good come from what they've done so far, but I'm becoming less optimistic.
They seem to be focusing on transitioning the show from France to Scotland, and I think it's clear that they're trying to figure out the specifics of how that's going to work. While I've been unbelievably excited about the possibility of Mary going back to Scotland for more than a season, I'm not sure if I'm pleased with some of the decisions they're making that seem to have come about because of that move.
For one thing, I do hope we continue to see France once Mary leaves for Scotland, and there's no way to be certain if we will. It's true that Mary is the main character, and if she isn't in France, it could make sense for them to pay less attention to the characters still in France. But the Red Knights storyline would, at the very least, need to be tied up before that happens, and they've been showing England for a while now in a way that I think is very effective. I think they could do a good job of keeping France tied enough to Mary that continuing to show events there would make sense. Plus, the audience is attached to certain characters in France, which is another reason for them to not suddenly drop those characters from the show.
What I do think they're doing is whittling down the number of characters in France that they need to worry about, thereby making it easier to incorporate them into the story when Scotland becomes a focal point as well. I think that's why we saw Greer leave in this episode, which is the decision that leaves me the most frustrated out of all the decisions made in this episode.
I think it's safe to assume that we won't be seeing Greer again, which means that three of my five favorite characters have left the show. I think Mary and Catherine are safe, but that's still a lot of characters gone. It's not so much that I expect all of the characters to stick around forever. There is a bit of sadness over losing one of my personal favorite characters, but I also feel annoyed that Mary has lost all of her ladies. That's what's making this a bigger problem to me.
From what I can tell, the show is trying to play the decision as Mary not needing her ladies anymore. Supposedly, she's stronger now, so she just doesn't need friends? I don't understand that, and it seems to contradict previous depictions of friendship on this show and the importance Elizabeth's newly formed friendship with Lola to the current storyline. Yes, Mary has other friends. Namely Sebastian who seems to be the only familiar face she'll have in Scotland (more on that in a minute), but I don't like the show trying to play it like, "Mary's ladies are gone because she has no use for their friendship anymore."
Would the particular dynamics of their friendships change over time? Yes, but the way their departures are being played like Mary is strong enough to not need her past friendships at all seems like the wrong way to go to me. She needs more support than just Sebastian in Scotland, especially when Sebastian's motivations seems at least partially (but actually almost entirely as far as I can see) driven by his romantic feelings for Mary.
Which is another thing that annoys me. So, Mary is losing her friends except for the guy that has feelings for her? That annoys me even more than Mary just losing her friends. Look, I like Bash. I want him and Mary to remain friends. But this sudden return of his romantic feelings that haven't come up for about two seasons annoys me. It's like: Francis is dead, Mary's going to Scotland, and we need at least one familiar character to go along with her on that journey. Who should be choose? Not one of her oldest friends. Let's have her bring along the guy who used to have feelings for her, and even though he hasn't seemed to have those feelings for the longest time, we'll bring them back up like they've been there the whole time. Then we'll have a nice new romance plot too. Just as we've gotten rid of Mary's last love interest. Brilliant!
Except it's not. To me at least. I don't like any of those story decisions, and despite enjoying other, smaller aspects of the episode (Lola and Elizabeth's story in England is going great in my opinion because I love the friendship developing between them, and the scene with Lola seeing her son again was adorable. Big surprise that I'm more enthralled by them than anything else on the show right now.), Greer's sudden departure (when I was so excited to see what would happen to her storyline too) and Bash suddenly tagging along with Mary (more the way they did that than that Sebastian is coming along at all) have just left me feeling even more annoyed with the show than I was this time last week.
What's most disappointing about the way the story is going is that I've been looking forward to Mary returning to Scotland for the longest time, but while I knew that would necessitate certain changes on the show, I don't like the direction they have decided to make in an attempt to make that change. They really do feel, to me, to go against a lot of what the show has been about in the past, including my personal favorite parts of the show, and I'm worried about what is coming next after the events of the past couple of episodes.
They seem to be focusing on transitioning the show from France to Scotland, and I think it's clear that they're trying to figure out the specifics of how that's going to work. While I've been unbelievably excited about the possibility of Mary going back to Scotland for more than a season, I'm not sure if I'm pleased with some of the decisions they're making that seem to have come about because of that move.
For one thing, I do hope we continue to see France once Mary leaves for Scotland, and there's no way to be certain if we will. It's true that Mary is the main character, and if she isn't in France, it could make sense for them to pay less attention to the characters still in France. But the Red Knights storyline would, at the very least, need to be tied up before that happens, and they've been showing England for a while now in a way that I think is very effective. I think they could do a good job of keeping France tied enough to Mary that continuing to show events there would make sense. Plus, the audience is attached to certain characters in France, which is another reason for them to not suddenly drop those characters from the show.
What I do think they're doing is whittling down the number of characters in France that they need to worry about, thereby making it easier to incorporate them into the story when Scotland becomes a focal point as well. I think that's why we saw Greer leave in this episode, which is the decision that leaves me the most frustrated out of all the decisions made in this episode.
I think it's safe to assume that we won't be seeing Greer again, which means that three of my five favorite characters have left the show. I think Mary and Catherine are safe, but that's still a lot of characters gone. It's not so much that I expect all of the characters to stick around forever. There is a bit of sadness over losing one of my personal favorite characters, but I also feel annoyed that Mary has lost all of her ladies. That's what's making this a bigger problem to me.
From what I can tell, the show is trying to play the decision as Mary not needing her ladies anymore. Supposedly, she's stronger now, so she just doesn't need friends? I don't understand that, and it seems to contradict previous depictions of friendship on this show and the importance Elizabeth's newly formed friendship with Lola to the current storyline. Yes, Mary has other friends. Namely Sebastian who seems to be the only familiar face she'll have in Scotland (more on that in a minute), but I don't like the show trying to play it like, "Mary's ladies are gone because she has no use for their friendship anymore."
Would the particular dynamics of their friendships change over time? Yes, but the way their departures are being played like Mary is strong enough to not need her past friendships at all seems like the wrong way to go to me. She needs more support than just Sebastian in Scotland, especially when Sebastian's motivations seems at least partially (but actually almost entirely as far as I can see) driven by his romantic feelings for Mary.
Which is another thing that annoys me. So, Mary is losing her friends except for the guy that has feelings for her? That annoys me even more than Mary just losing her friends. Look, I like Bash. I want him and Mary to remain friends. But this sudden return of his romantic feelings that haven't come up for about two seasons annoys me. It's like: Francis is dead, Mary's going to Scotland, and we need at least one familiar character to go along with her on that journey. Who should be choose? Not one of her oldest friends. Let's have her bring along the guy who used to have feelings for her, and even though he hasn't seemed to have those feelings for the longest time, we'll bring them back up like they've been there the whole time. Then we'll have a nice new romance plot too. Just as we've gotten rid of Mary's last love interest. Brilliant!
Except it's not. To me at least. I don't like any of those story decisions, and despite enjoying other, smaller aspects of the episode (Lola and Elizabeth's story in England is going great in my opinion because I love the friendship developing between them, and the scene with Lola seeing her son again was adorable. Big surprise that I'm more enthralled by them than anything else on the show right now.), Greer's sudden departure (when I was so excited to see what would happen to her storyline too) and Bash suddenly tagging along with Mary (more the way they did that than that Sebastian is coming along at all) have just left me feeling even more annoyed with the show than I was this time last week.
What's most disappointing about the way the story is going is that I've been looking forward to Mary returning to Scotland for the longest time, but while I knew that would necessitate certain changes on the show, I don't like the direction they have decided to make in an attempt to make that change. They really do feel, to me, to go against a lot of what the show has been about in the past, including my personal favorite parts of the show, and I'm worried about what is coming next after the events of the past couple of episodes.
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