January's Stories I Ate This Month

I got this idea from one of the many BookTubers that I watch on YouTube all of the time, Christine Riccio. Her channel name is polandbananasBOOKS. I will link her most recent "Stories I Ate This Month." The reason that I prefer this over a monthly reading wrap up is that it includes all of the stories, no matter the format that they are in, that I have consumed over the month. So here are my stories. Also, any reviews that I have posted so far, I will link. 

Movies

• The Greatest Showman 
• Such a good movie!! I have not stopped listening to the music since seeing it. 
• A+
• Pitch Perfect 2
• I decided to watch this after seeing the third one because I realized that I hadn't watched it. It was pretty good. I think that the first one will forever be my favorite though. 
• B+
• Pitch Perfect 3
• Went and saw this on New Years with my best friend. It was good. I've been listening to some of the songs still actually. I just loved that it was surrounding a USO tour. 
• A-

TV Shows

• Marvel's Runaways - a Hulu original
• SOOOOOOOO GOOOD!!!!!! I am so obsessed with this show. It made me read the comics as you will see further down in this wrap-up. It was so damn good!!! I can not wait for season 2. 
• A+
• Good Girls Revolt - an Amazon original
• I'm really sad that there isn't going to be a season 2 of this. It was really good and I wish that we could see what would happen now that the girls' lawsuit went public!!
• A+
• Shooter (season 1)
• It was a good, suspenseful show. Exactly what I wanted. When season 2 comes on Netflix, I definitely will be watching it. 
• A
• She's Gotta Have It - a Netflix original
• This was such a good show. I binged it in two nights! It does a great job of going against the stigma of casual sex for women, deals with PTSD like symptoms after a sexual assault, artistry, etc. I loved the cinematography. 
• A+

Audiobooks

• Our Revolution - Bernie Sanders; narrated by Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo
• Such an inspiring read. It made me understand why Sanders believes what he does and I think that is important when you are supporting someone or not for that matter. 
• A+
• The Last Black Unicorn - Tiffany Haddish; narrated by the author
• Hilarious!! I was laughing the entire time I read this. It also made me feel other things for her as well. I'll elaborate in my review. 
• A+

Books

• The Sign of The Four - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Exactly what I expect from a Sherlock Holmes story.
• A-
• Far From The Tree - Robin Benway
• I cried, a lot! I've never watched This Is Us but this has been compared to it often in reviews and if they are similar then I can guarantee that I will be watching This Is Us as soon as I get a chance. 
• A+
• The Nowhere Girls - Amy Reed
• At first, I wasn't sure that I was going to really get into this. It seemed like it was going to be very similar to Moxie by Jennifer Mattieu, which I loved, but I just knew that I wasn't going to want to read the same story again. Thankfully this is very different even though it has many similarities. So good!
• A

Comic Books/Graphic Novels

• Runaways Vol 1: Pride and Joy - Brian Vaughan
• Runaways Vol 2: Teenage Wasteland - Brian Vaughan
• Runaways: Vol 3 The Good Die Young - Brian Vaughan
• Runaways Vol 4: True Believers - Brian Vaughan
• Runaways Vol 5: Escape to New York - Brian Vaughan
• Runaways Vol 6: Parental Guidance - Brian Vaughan
• Runaways Vol 7: Live Fast - Brian Vaughan
• Runaways Vol 8: Dead End Kids: Dead End Kids Premiere - Joss Whedon
• Runaways Vol 9: Dead Wrong -Terry Moore
• Runaways Vol 10: Rock Zombies -Terry Moore
• Runaways Vol 11: Homeschooling - Kathryn Immomen
• Runaways #1 - Rainbow Rowell
• Runaways #2 - Rainbow Rowell
• Runaways #3 - Rainbow Rowell
• Runaways #4 - Rainbow Rowell
  
  *I did a collective review for all of those!
• 
  *The rest of the books that I read or listened that I have not provided links for will have reviews going up throughout the coming weeks.

TV Review: Marvel's Runaways (Hulu Original)

If you do not know, I have been very into watching superhero shows and so when I saw this on the Hulu homepage, I got really excited. The cast looked very interesting... I also might have a slight celebrity crush on Gregg Sulkin, maybe. To be honest, I have been crushing on him since his days on Wizards of Waverly Place.
 
I am obsessed with Marvel's Runaways, the Hulu original. I was hooked from episode one all of the way through. I watched the first two episodes before starting to read the comics, which I have completely read and have a review up for (check that out). It was kind of slow going for me once I finished the comics because I really wanted to see their dynamic once they had run away but it takes forever for them to runaway. I am really excited for season two though because we will finally see more of that dynamic develop.

I believe that the casting was spot on! I am obsessed with each of them and their characters. However, I do favor Gert the most. She is the most mysterious character. A lot of people would think that Nico would be the most mysterious due to her goth aesthetic, but for me it is Gert. Nico has a dark appearance because of the loss of her sister. We know that from the very beginning. Gert, on the other hand, has so many layers to her character and I am really excited to see some of those be pulled away and have her be slightly more vulnerable. I'm hoping that Chase can really help out with that. If you haven't realized, I am a Gertchase shipper!!! I won't say much because I do not want to spoil anything for those of you who have yet to watch, but I will say that if he doesn't fight for her now, I will be absolutely furious!

Rate: 5/5

Runaways Comic Book Collection Review

** I am reviewing the entire collection that I have read that is a part of this series. I read them on my Kindle. This collection includes: Runaways Vol 1: Pride and Joy, Runaways Vol 2: Teenage Wasteland, Runaways: Vol 3 Th Good Die Young, Runaways Vol 4: True Believers, Runaways Vol 5: Escape to New York, Runaways Vol 6: Parental Guidance, and Runaways Vol 7: Live Fast all by Brian Vaughan and various illustrators. Then I continued with Runaways Vol 8: Dead End Kids: Dead End Kids Premiere by Joss Whedon, Runaways Vol 9: Dead Wrong, Runaways Vol 10: Rock Zombies both by Terry Moore; then I finished this collection with Runaways Vol 11: Homeschooling by Kathryn Immomen. I then decided to move onto a series written much more recently including Runaways #1, #2, #3, and #4 by Rainbow Rowell. 

Review:

Every time I get in a bit of a reading slump, I try and pick up something that will be quick and fun to read. This time around, it was Marvel Comics, which I tend to enjoy anyways. I decided to delve into Runaways after watching the Hulu Original version of the story. (I will probably write a review when I finish this season of that.) I really enjoyed the entire story from Vol 1 to Vol 11. However, I haven't quite decided how I feel about the new issues yet, I will get to that later though. 

In the original issues that I read, I enjoyed how the dynamics between the characters changed and strengthened. I enjoyed watching as they figured out their spot on the team, developed their powers or tech, and how they separated themselves from their evil parents. I enjoyed the relationships between the group, I mean this in both the romantic side and friendship side. I also mean this a guardian/child relationship. Everyone in the group was a few years older than Molly Hayes, and they all looked after her and did what they thought was best for her but they also let her have an opinion. My favorite character was probably Gert Yorkes. She and her telepathic link with her dinosaur was great as well as how she spoke to everyone. I feel like she would be my best friend! I hate Alex though and I won't say why because you need to read it and figure that out on your own. 

Beyond the character development and relationships, I really enjoyed how the core group brought in and accepted other orphans/runaways as the series continued. I thought that the new characters brought and interesting dynamic to the storyline. I wasn't a big fan of the issue where they get themselves sent back in time and end up bringing Klara back with them though. I just didn't really see the point in Klara's character, other than being a peer to Molly. 

Now, let's talk Rainbow Rowell's issues. I love everything that I have read by her previously, which is why I decided to buy these comics even though this would be her debut into that style. Maybe, I should have read other issues before hers, but I couldn't find a Vol 12 or beyond so I figured Rowell's issues would pick up where the originals left off. They didn't. There is a whole score of issues that come up in the first few pages of Rowell's first issue that we never see happen in the original ones that I read. It just left me a bit confused and not fulfilled. They weren't terrible, the characters were still what I wanted (for the most part), and the storyline was interesting, I just feel like I missed a lot. 

Rate for original 11 Volumes: 4/5                                

Rate for Rowell's Issues: 2.5/5

Please let me know what comics to delve into next and if there are issues that I missed inbetween the original set and Rowell's.

Holding Smoke ~ Elle Cosimano

John "Smoke" Conlan is serving time for two murders but he wasn't the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke's new home and the only one he believes he deserves.

But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they're asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn't care that the "threads" that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who is sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name. 

Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink's help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he's willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.

Book Review:

This is such a good YA thriller with a paranormal twist to it. It deals with juvenile incarceration which is what drew me to it in the first place, as I am a Criminal Justice minor. The character is so likeable. He uses his "powers" for others asking for little back. 

I really enjoyed the relationships that were formed in this novel, especially the friendship between Pink and Smoke. The character development within Smoke was incredible.  Every new chapter gave us a little more of him growing and prospering. 

I did find the result of his "investigation" as being shocking but not enjoyable. I was hoping for something more fascinating, more intricate, more detailed and elaborte. What I got was lacking. 

Pages: 336                                                                                                                                               Rate: 3/5

Favorite Quotes:

"All of us are broken, John. I just think that once you've lost everything, maybe there's nothing left to hold you back."

Moxie ~ Jennifer Mathieu

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her small-town Texas high school that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes and hallway harassment. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules.

Viv’s mom was a punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, so now Viv takes a page from her mother’s past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but other girls respond. Pretty soon Viv is forging friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, and she realizes that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.

Book Review: 

I decided to read this book because it was part of the Zoella Book Club for the year. Although, it wasn't profound, it was good. It gave good insight to the minds of teenage girls who are experiecing the world of mysogony and who are coming into their own feminism. They are paving their own path for the fight. 

I thought Vivian's character development was vital to the story. Had she not moved forward personally, she never would have been able to inspire the Moxie movement or keep it going. She never would have been able to establish the comraderie  between her classmates, etc. It was great to read, I won't lie, but I did wish that Mathieu portrayed Vivian and the other characters in a more profound and intelligent manner. Like many other YA novels, she made them seem less than real teenagers are. 

Pages: 330                                                                                                                          Rate: 4/5

Favorite Quote:

“it occurs to me that this is what it means to be a feminist. Not a humanist or an equalist or whatever. But a feminist. It’s not a bad word. After today it might be my favorite word. Because really all it is is girls supporting each other and wanting to be treated like human beings in a world that’s always finding ways to tell them they’re not.” 

Turtles All The Way Down ~John Green

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
   
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 
 
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

Book Review:

This was my most highly anticipated book of 2017. I knew that I was going to read it, even if its above premise, sounded a bit strange because it was by John Green and I read everything by that man. I'm so glad that I did read it!!!

John Green depicts Aza's OCD so realistically, that even I, who doesn't suffer from OCD, felt as I was experiencing what she was. The feelings were so real that my anxiety was even heightened when reading some scenes because the way Aza's mind spirals, mine does as well, and it felt so real how he explained it. Much of its authenticity comes from the fact that John Green suffers from OCD himself. 

I was so in love with this book that I finished it in two days. I cried when it was over, not because it was sad but because I didn't want it to end. I literally cried for at least ten minutes. This book didn't have the same impact on me as Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars did while I was in high school but that may be because I'm no longer in high school. However, this book holds a unique place in my heart as being the most impactful representation of mental illness that I have read to date. 

Thank you once again, John Green. DFTBA.

Pages: 289                                                                                                                                Rate:5/5

Favorite Quote:

“Anybody can look at you. It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see.” 

2018 TBR

Here are some of the books that I want to read in 2018. I'm sure I won't get to some and I will choose to read others, but here it is anyhow.


Made You Up ~Francesca Zappia

This book surrounds a character who suffers from schizophrenia that has been at bay for awhile but as it resurfaces she has to figure out how to deal with it. It sounds like it is going to be a great perspective on mental illness and one that we don't get very often either.

The Thing With Feathers ~ Hoyle McCall

The main character suffers from epilepsy and has been homeschooled but now that she has been able to get it under control, she is starting public school with her seizure dog by her side. She wants to hide her condition but how much is she really going to be able to hide?

Love, Hate, and Other Filters ~ Samira Ahmed

The main character is a Muslim American but she doesn't feel as though she fits in with either of those cultures. She is artistic and independent but she still wants to please her parents who are very close to their Muslim culture. 

The Art of Holding On and Letting Go ~ Kristin Lenz

The main character, Cara, is thrust from a nomadic life with her parents after tragedy strikes and forced to start a quaint life with her grandparents. She has to deal with whatever the tragedy is, as well as cope with first love, friendships, and other life things. 

Dear Martin ~ Nic Stone

I was obsessed with The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas and have been informed that this is a different yet similar take on the issues experienced in that novel. That is all I need to know.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter ~  Erika L. Sanchez

She has ambitions but her family would never accept her pursuing them. 

The President is Missing ~ Bill Clinton and James Patterson

I only want to read this because I am obsessed with everything by James Patterson and the fact that former president Bill Clinton co-wrote this is incredibly intriguing.

History Is All You Left Me ~ Adam Silvera

I've heard amazing things about this book and about this author. It's about a boy who's ex-boyfriend dies and the only person who understands his pain, is his ex-boyfriends current boyfriend. I'm curious how that relationship will be.

The Nowhere Girls ~ Amy Reed

This seems to be a new take on how girls come together to avenge the sexual assault on one of their own and happen to take on the whole mysogonistic culture itself.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies ~Louise Gornall

This follows a the story of a girl who is afraid to leave her home and how she faces those fears with the help of an unlikely friend.

Far From The Tree ~Robin Benway

This is about adopted siblings who find eachother at just the right point and that is all I want to know. I have a fascination with the adoption system, the types of relations that come about when biological siblings or parents are reunited, etc.

Stalking Jack The Ripper ~ Kerri Maniscalco

I've heard some really good things about this from so many of the booktubers that I follow. If I like it, I will move on to the second installment, Hunting Prince Dracula.

I also want to finish the Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin

I've read the first book and am slowly making my way through the second.I'm enjoying it but as the world is so complex and the books are so long

I'm hoping that I can read all of these and more but we will see where it goes! What are you guys looking forward to reading in 2018? Keep up with my reading on my new Goodreads page. I made a new one that isn't synced to my kindle because that has my textbooks on it and it was annoying me that they were being entered into my profile.