Random Wednesday: You Should Watch This!

I know, I know, Wednesday is supposed to be Top 5 Wednesday, which is the topic of Top 5 Books You Will Never Read. I didn't have anything to contribute to this topic, because I never say never to reading a book. Sure, I might regret having read it, but I like to give all books their fair chance and fair shot. The only books that I probably would never read are books in a series where I absolutely despised the first book, or if the series has just petered off on my interest level. Like the series has dragged on forever, or is just generally mediocre.
But I still wanted to post something this Wednesday, and as I was watching TV, I knew what I had to do! Well, what I wanted to do. I love TV. I love finding great shows, funny shows, shows that are just so weird I can't stop watching. So I thought I'd recommend some shows! Maybe this will become a regular thing, maybe not, who knows. It all really depends on how lazy I am.

Stranger Things on Netflix (Season 1 Episodes Streaming)

This pick isn't the most original, just because everybody and their mother has been talking it, but it's just soooo GOOD! It's this weird mix of the 1980's, family, friendship, powers, monsters, and mystery. All these separate parts come together and just mix so well. Once I started watching, I was hooked. One of the many great things about Netflix is that you can just binge watch a whole season in a day, week, whatever you want. I'm still thinking about writing a full review on this. Again, I have to get un-lazy for that to happen. I'm eagerly anticipating a Season 2, because I have so many questions left to be answered!

Bottom line: Just watch it. It's so good.

Better Late Than Never on NBC (Tuesday's at 10:00 EST)

** I don't know how many episodes this will be or if it will be happening again. So I'll date this as it premiered on August 23, 2016**

I'm glad I stuck around on NBC after America's Got Talent ended for the night, because this show just makes me laugh. The premise is four famous old guys (and sidekick) traveling around Asia and just having fun. There is William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw, Henry Winkler, George Foreman, and sidekick Jeff Dye. They are ridiculous and amusing, I love it. It just really makes me laugh. Terry Bradshaw is crazy and hilarious, Jeff is pretty funny, Henry Winkler has a great sense of humor, George Foreman likes his sleep and is quieter than the rest, and William Shatner continues to wonder how he got stuck with these idiots.

Bottom Line: Watch it if you want a good laugh. If you're one of those people that have no sense of humor, don't watch it, because it's not the show for you. If you're one of those people that thinks all Americans' are stupid, you won't like it. Anyone who has a good sense of humor and likes to laugh, you'll like it. I like it.

So that's it for this Random Wednesday of Shows I Think You Should Watch. What would you recommend for me to watch?

Review: Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier

Title: Razorhurst

Author: Justine Larbalestier

Published by: Soho Teen

Released: 2015

Source: Library

Summary: 1930's Australia, where the Razor Gangs run rampant through the streets. Since guns have been outlawed, crooks have taken to carrying razor blades and using them with deadly accuracy. The lucky ones wind up with scars on their faces, the unlucky wind up dead.

Kelpie has been living on the streets of Frog Hollow for most of her life. Everyday is a struggle to find food and survive. Kelpie also has the rare ability to talk to ghosts. Ghosts have helped her survive on the street, led her to food, and even taught her how to read. Ghosts are not always helpful though, sometimes they lie just to get you into trouble. That's what happens this day, when Tommy the Ghost tells Kelpie there might be apples to be had in a boardinghouse frequented by criminals. Instead of apples, she finds the dead body of Jimmy Palmer, sliced to ribbons by someone's razor. Kelpie also meets Dymphna Campbell, the Angel of Death herself. Dymphna's men have the unlucky habit of dying, and Jimmy Palmer has just become the latest victim.

So beings the longest day of running from cops, running from crime boss Mr. Davidson, and deciding if they can trust rival crime boss Glorianna Nelsen. Razorhurst is a dangerous place, but its the place Kelpie has always known.

A novel rife with the interesting and dangerous history of a place known as Razorhurst.

My Thoughts: I love learning interesting tidbits about history. Criminal history is even more interesting to learn about. That was probably my favorite part about this novel, being introduced to a piece of Australian history that I'd never heard about before. What a time to experience. What a story to hear.

There were things about the story that didn't grab me. It was a little jumpy. There were a lot of characters that were introduced and we learned about. The story took place in essentially one day, and it was the longest day ever.
I also love a good story with a paranormal twist, and the twist in this one was ghosts. I felt like more could have been done with the ghosts, Kelpie's gift could have had a greater part to play then it did. I just thought maybe more would happen with the ghost bit then it did.

I liked this story. I had a lot of fun learning about a history that I'd never heard of before. This book definitely deserves more reads than it's gotten. This book just guarantees that you'll want to google Razor gangs Australia, and learn the real story of its players and places. I just enjoyed this and recommend that you pick it up and give it a read.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

A fascinating, fictionalized version of a dangerous history. Worth the Read!

Reading Right Now! (80)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

-- Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland- It's about this girl who's been possessed by Furies and has to help them punish the wicked, but she doesn't really want to do it anymore, and she doesn't know how to escape their clutches.

I'm really really really close to being finished with this one. I really want to finish it and be able to move on to something else. I feel like I've been creeping my way through this. I'm just kind of eehh about it. It has a cool concept and idea, but I don't know if I'm really the biggest fan of the main character or the whole little love story it has going on.

What I Plan To Start Next

-- A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston- Don't really know that much about this one, but it looks pretty. I think it's a retelling of something.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

Review: The Walking Dead: Compendium 2 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn, Rus Wooton, and Sina Grace

Title: The Walking Dead: Compendium 2 (Issues #49-96)

Authors: Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn, Rus Wooton, and Sina Grace

Published by: Skybound

Released: 2012

Source: Library

Summary: The phenomenon of The Walking Dead continues. Before there was a great T.V. show, there was a great comic. Rick and the gang are back in this colossal Compendium 2, which includes issues 49-96, or books 9-16 (whichever way you want to look at it). Since the prison has been lost, Rick, Carl, and the other survivors must once again venture into the wilderness filled with the walking dead. As the group struggles to survive and more members are lost, they try to find another place to call home. In this world where the dead walk and eat the living, Rick and the gang must watch out for the greater enemy. The biggest threat is now the Living! Will your favorites survive? You might just have to read to find out.

My Thoughts: I Love, Love, Love The Walking Dead. When I read and reviewed Compendium One, I think I was a little too rough on it in comparing it against the AMC television show. My love for the show hindered my perception of the book. With Compendium Two, I began to fully appreciate the greatness of the original comic. 

Although comic and television show are intertwined, they are also visibly different, and those differences help me to enjoy each medium. I just really enjoyed Compendium Two, and how the characters are growing and changing, and hardening to the world they live in.

There were some gasp-worthy moments, cringe-worthy moments, tear-inducing moments, and every other kind of moment that makes The Walking Dead what it is. Just a great comic series that inspired a great TV show. 

This volume had me liking characters I'd felt ambivalent about before, like Michonne and Andrea. It also had me realizing that zombies aren't the real enemies or monsters, it's the other survivors. 

Just a great story and I can't wait to read more of it. The only thing I do wonder is if Kirkman will ever end it, or will he stretch it on forever.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 5/5

I Love The Walking Dead! I wonder who's going to die next.

Review: The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1) by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Title: The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse #1)

Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke

Published by: Strange Chemistry

Released: 2012

Source: Library

Summary: Ananna of Tanarau, Pirate Princess, wants nothing more than her own ship and crew to sail the seas. Instead, she's being forced into a marriage to the son of the Hariri Clan. Ananna is not one to go meekly, she is a pirate after all. So Ananna makes a dashing getaway on a camel. Unfortunately, the Hariri Clan doesn't appreciate the insult and sends a Shadow Assassin after her. The Assassin eventually catches up to Ananna, and fortunately, he doesn't kill her. Unfortunately, she ends up being bound to this Assassin through an Impossible Curse. Now Ananna is stuck with Naji, on a journey to break themselves of this curse.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this. It was a lot of fun. Our main character Ananna is sassy, spunky, and tough. Naji is a man of mystery and danger. Having two such different personalities stuck together was fun. In a small way, it reminded me of reading books by Tamora Pierce, that same feeling.

My favorite parts of this book were probably the characters, getting to know them and watching them form a friendship. Sometimes the world could get a little confusing, and the different types of magic weren't always well explained.

This was just a fun, adventure story. It had pirates, assassins, camels, and magic. I need to read the next book soon to see how everything ends, and because the first book didn't really conclude. If you want a book that's just fun, then The Assassin's Curse just might be the one for you.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Pirates and Assassins? Sold! I'm in.

Reading Right Now! (79)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

-Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) by Rae Carson- I am really enjoying this one. I've got about 120ish pages left. It's about a girl who has the magical ability to sense gold. When gold is near, she is able to follow its siren song like a compass and grab it up. Her family has hid this ability from the outside world, because it can be a dangerous one to advertise. It's set in 1849, right when the California Gold Rush starts. When tragedy befalls her family, Leah disguises herself as a boy and makes her way to California.

This book really reminds me of my childhood, reading The Little House on the Prairie books. It's historical fiction, and I'm a fan of historical fiction. The time period of wagon trains, the gold rush, and just pioneering is interesting to me. I'm liking this, a lot.

What I plan on reading next. I have a couple choices.

 

- Arata: Volume 2 by Yuu Watase - Yayy Manga!!! Yuu Watase is one of my favorites for manga. I read the first volume a couple weeks ago, and it was alright. I don't know if it's going to be my favorite series by her. But I have the Second Volume, so I'm gonna read it. The synopsis is too convoluted for me to try to explain, so I'd say google it. Plus, I'm lazy.

-Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland - I think this one is about Furies, which should be interesting. I stumbled across this book on goodreads, I think it recommended it because of something else I was reading. I looked to see if my library had it, they did, and end of story. Just another great reason to use your local library system. If it's free to read, you can test out all kinds of different books that you wouldn't necessarily buy. Not that I wouldn't have bought this book, but free is always my first choice when it comes to reading. Can't wait to see how it is.

So that's what I'm Reading Right Now! Tell me what you're reading!

Review: All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Published by: Square Fish

Released: 2011

Source: Library

Summary: In a world where chocolate and caffeine are illegal, paper and water are luxuries, and oddly, alcohol is okay for everyone!, lives Anya Balanchine. Anya has a lot of responsibility and weight on her shoulders. She comes from a renowned crime family that specializes in the contrabrand substance of chocolate, and is currently an orphan after both of her parents were killed in planned hits, her father right in front of her very eyes. Anya must take care of her mentally handicapped brother and her little sister. Then Anya meets Win, the son of the new D.A. Commissioner. Although the two come from completely different backgrounds, love blooms anyway. But Anya must be careful, something's stirring within the Balanchine family that could put her immediate family in danger. She must also worry about her relationship with Win and keeping him safe, and his father out of her business. An exciting novel of a dystopian world, mixed with organized crime.

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The world Zevin created was so interesting and odd, and I was kind of sucked into it. It was just really weird trying to imagine a place where chocolate and caffeine were contraband. It honestly just made me really crave chocolate. Water and paper were luxuries that were in short supply, and expensive. Just an odd world that was very hard to imagine living in, but interesting nonetheless.

I also really enjoyed the mob/organized crime aspect of the story. It really made me think I was viewing The Godfather or something.

The one con I would have about the story was the main character Anya Balanchine. I understand she was under a lot of stress and came from a different type of family, but she could be really mean sometimes to people who really didn't deserve it. She would lash out and say hurtful things to her friends and family who hadn't done anything wrong. I think Anya was kind of into herself, and she didn't really listen to other people around her, or take into account their feelings. Just throughout the story, I never really felt great affection for Anya.

All in all, a really cool little story. I will definitely be checking out the next one to see what happens with Anya, her family, and Win. If you love a good dystopian world, then I would highly recommend you check this story out.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse, and then go stuff my face with chocolate!