Beautiful by Christina Lauren

After walking in on her boyfriend sleeping another girl in their Flat, Pippa decides to leave London for awhile. Jensen is buried by his drive and workload, he rarely takes time for himself or even real romance. But when his sister Hanna convinces him to join their gang on a two-week wine tour, he has a rare moment of weakness and agrees.

Beautiful follows the same CL pattern, the-you know what you're getting into and are completely 100% okay with that- style. As in most (all) quirky, personality powerful, funny girl is going through some big life change and is looking for something to mix it up. Guy's chin deep into work and is taking life too seriously.

Pippa is exactly as I said; funny, quirky, and has an overwhelming (but good) personality. After finding her boyfriend in bed with another women she decides she needs a break from her everyday life. She is going to head state side and see some old friends and go on a wine tour. Jensen is also your classic Beautiful guy. Super sexy, dry but cute humor, and weighed down with work. The meet-cute between the two however, was a fun new way for Christina Lauren. The two have a hilarious meet on their flight back to the US. Jensen never thinks he'll see the embarrassing Pippa again, but of course is wrong. I loved both of these characters so much, but they weren't my favorite two in the Beautiful Series or in the Wild Season Series either. Both had a little bit of flaws. Pippa's personality is cute..... but sometimes I think it was a little too much. Something about her over need to be "unique" sometimes got to me. Jensen has a similar, but different issue for me. He was a little too dry? I say that with a question mark because I don't know if that is the right word. I think he was charming, handsome (of course), and had a nice bit of humor to him... It was just his way of avoiding things or brushing them off that left me a bit put off.  Don't take that the wrong way, I still loved these two characters. I'm a big sucker for opposites attract stories, and this the true definition of one. When these two spend time together you'll undoubtedly be rooting for them to happen. Their need to have fun and enjoy vacation will really rub off on you.

When it came to Beautiful's plot it's really cutesy. As you could have probably guessed Jensen ends up going on the wine tour too (don't know why I said guess, I've made it very clear they are both on it by now lol). And of course since they go on the tour with a bunch of couples the two are kind of paired off.... so this leads the two slowly but surely falling for each other (trust me you read the synopsis you know that's where it's leading). Everything from the moment  they meet, to the moment they meet again, to the end of the trip is filled with adorable blush worthy moments. Another thing that happens in the Christina Lauren form is that there is a bit of a surprise... not so much a plot twist like in a lot of the other ones, but there is a nice surprise. It's a little less "realistic" than I would say some of the other ones have been in the past, but it made this story classic fun. Going from wine vineyard, to cottages, to more wine vineyards really gave this plot a little something extra. It was nice getting a change of scenery and getting it often. I loved the start of this book with how things really just took off no beating around the bust, the middle made me feel like I was touring with them, and the end is what I wanted. The only downside was this book wasn't as steamy as some of their others. Yall know I love my steam, so was hoping with this being the last in the series they wouldn't hold back... Sadly felt they kind of did. At least they brought back dry humping and made that super sexy.

I know this review seems a little back and forth. I say I loved it, but then I give a few negatives. I just felt like these are things I need to warn about, because even though this is very CL there are things that they tamed down some. It was still such a good time read for me, and was the first time in a bit that I've had a lot of fun reading. This isn't one of their books that you can go into without reading the others (like pervious ones) I would suggest reading the others in the series first or you might be confused some. Other than the few VERY minor things that I didn't love I would highly recommend this book to fans of this series or anyone who loves new adult. Sad to see this series come to an end, but excited to see what these two writers give us next.

9/10 Stars

Spooky Reads Recommendations

It's that time of year again! Spooky reads time. Here are some of my favorite choices.

You by Caroline Kepnes

When a beautiful, young writer goes into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do... he Googles the name on her credit card. From there Joe becomes more and more obsessed with Guinevere Beck. She puts so much of her life out there that it makes it so easy for Joe to get all the ammunition to get Beck to fall for him... All of this while stalking her. This books gave me the creeps. Mainly because all the stalker things Joe does are things that are so easy for all of us to do. Him getting Beck to fall for him was so easy, because now a days we just put so much of ourselves out there without even second guessing what we are doing. After reading this book I kept having that creepy feeling that I was being watched.


Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, she knows things are off. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode clues to find out why she was taken, but she wasn't taken alone.
This book perfectly balances these dark settings and themes with stunning jaw dropping quotable moments. It's one of those book that will have you guessing up until the last moment about who brought Senna to the house. My favorite part of Mud Vein is that there is a story within a story. Which is just a moving a deep as the other.

172 Hours on the Moon by John Harstad

Three teenagers are chosen to go on the trip of a lifetime. It's been over 40 years since NASA sent the first man to the moon, and hype surrounding it has died down some since. So to revamp the space program they've decided to hold a contest in which the winners will get the next trip to the moon. However, once the teens actually arrive things take a turn for the worst, and they discover they might not be alone. This book is perfect for anyone who loves turn YA books. It read easy and has just the right amount of spook to it. 172 Hours was creepy from page one and didn't let up until the last page.



Vicious by VE Schwab

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates but swiftly became best friends. Two boys that know what it is like to be both brilliant and a loner. When they start their college thesis Eli starts to take his from more than just theories to actual experiments. The two quickly realize that under the right set of circumstances that a person could gain extraordinary powers. I wouldn't say this book is "spooky" per se, but it would be my top recommendation for Halloween reading. It has a little bit of everything. It also has this amazing ability to deep into a grey area of what is right and what is wrong, and how you perceive it. This book nails dark, and if you only plan on reading one book this fall Vicious should be it.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until the age of thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound". This means all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Every time I am asked what the scariest book I ever read was, this is the book I say. Holy Jesus this read freaked me the F out. I don't know what else I really can say beside how creeped out this book left me feeling. Having my organs harvested is one of my biggest fears, and this book did nothing to help that. This whole book is freaky, but there is one scene in particular that left me speechless. After reading it I had to set it down just to gain composure again.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary Amy disappears. Nick to most would seem like the husband of the year, but a look inside Amy's diary would say other wise. Nick is evasion and most signs point to him... but could he really be Amy's killer? Even if you haven't read or seen the movie yet you've more than likely have still heard of Gone Girl. This book is another great who done it book. If you're like me you will go back and forth with ideas of who might have killed Amy. This book is so well written with so many well placed WTF moments. There's so much I want to say when it comes to Gone Girl, but it's one of those books that going in with less is better.


The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there. After an accident killed her friends and left her unharmed she has more questions than she's able to find answers for. This series... This series is one of my all time favorites! Every book in this trilogy is creepier than the one before it, and each ending will have you floored. Michelle Hodkin really thought this series out before starting it. Everything down to the title is perfection. Each one she so cleverly undercover perfect little Easter eggs that you had no clue were even there. If you love paranormal thrillers with lots of perfect romance pick up Mara Dyer.

Book Buying Problem?

Some might say I have a book buying problems... others might say I have a healthy obsession. I wont agree or disagree with either of those statements. What I do know is that I recently reorganized all six of my books shelves and decided now was the best time ever to make a list of my top ten most owned authors. in my opinion if you love an author there's no such thing as owning too many copies of their book. Also thought it would be a nice twist to add what book was my favorite of theirs.

Charlene Harris- 8
Okay, so this one is a little funny. I actually received the entire boxset as a gift from my boss. So... Yeah I've actually never read a single book by her. I've never watched the TV show either.
Favorite: N/A

Richelle Mead- 8

Confession time! So I don't even really like Richelle Mead. bought the Vampire Academy boxset

because it was on sale at Barnes and Noble and was almost the price of buying on book. The others I was sent to for review. One day I will get back around to finishing the VA series and hopefully I will find one I love or have a change of heart.
Favorite: N/A

Christina Lauren- 10
Yall know I love me some Christina Lauren. Basically counting down the days until they release a new book. These two authors get New Adult and aren't afraid to make it funny either.
Favorite: Dirty Rowdy Thing or Dark Wild Night.

Abbi Glines- 10
One of my favorite guilty pleasure reads. For some reason I can't stop buying Abbi Glines books. I wold say half of them I haven't even read! I really need to take a long weekend and just marathon the crap out of her Sea Breeze Series.
Favorite: Because of Low or While it Last. While it Last I believe is becoming a movie next year.

Veronica Roth- 10 
Oh V Roth. How I love to hate you. I both love and hate The Divergent Trilogy. I think that this series was a little tainted for me after both meeting Veronica and after seeing the latest movie.
Favorite: Divergent  

JK Rowling- 14  
How can a "most owned" list be completed without JK Rowling not being on it? It can't! I'm not even ashamed to say that I wish I owned even more copies. 14 isn't nearly enough! Not only is this one of the best series in history it's also one of the best movie franchises ever! Not like I need to tell anyone that (right!).
Favorite: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 

Sarah J. Maas- 15
We all know she is one of the Queens of writing both fantasies and bad-ass females. I love a good fantasy as much as the next person, but I love anything with a super strong female lead.
Favorite: Crown of Midnight or A Court of Mist and Fury.

Jennifer L. Armentrout- 18 
Favorite: The Lux Series. To narrow it down a little more I would probably go with Opal and Origins. I really wish they could find some way of taking this entire series and making it into, I don't know, like three solid movies. I don't think I'll ever truly get enough Daemon Black.


Cassandra Clare- 21 
Favorite: Round of applause for Cassandra Clare for getting the title of my most owned author... Winning by a land slide! The sad thing is I don't even own a few copies of her books. Yeah, this is only some of them. My favorite book of all of her books, in any of her series is... *drum roll* City of Glass. Without a doubt it's my favorite. I liked Cassie Clare before this book, but this is the one that made me fall in love with her. After this novel there was no going back. I was praying to all things fandom that the movies would at least make it to this one, but sadly I think I'll be waiting forever for this.

Colleen Hoover- 25
Colleen Hoover is my all time favorite author, and is one of auto-buy authors. This is probably why I own so many of her novels. One of them isn't even in English. Asking me to pick a favorite CoHo book is like asking someone to pick their favorite child... it changes everyday (lol).
Favorite: Maybe Someday, Maybe Not, and Ugly Love.


I know I cheated on a bunch of them by selecting more than one favorite book, but I'm a junkie and couldn't help myself.

Fall Favorites

I have so much to talk about this season!!! Like always it's still as hot as all get out here, but hopefully cooler weather will get here eventually. I was in a bit of a reading slump, and in a TV binge these past few month. I wont beat around the bust and I'll just get right into things.

Fall Reads
The Force of Gravity by Kelly Stevenson- Kaley is living the teenage dream: perfect grades, perfect

boyfriend, perfect friends. Her world gets shaken when she starts to fall for her new chemistry teacher. I think this forbidden romance would be perfect for a winter read. Had such a good time reading this book, and would say if  you've liked books like this in the past than this one will probably be the same.
A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin- The 5th book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. You all know what Game of Thrones is about by now, and if you don't what rock have you been living under?! In this book we still wait to see who will take the iron throne. This series continues to blow my mind, and I find myself in a constant state of theory guessing on how things will end.
Vicious by VE Schwab- Two college friends figure out that under the right circumstances you can get extraordinary powers. This book need to become a movie! It might have the look of a YA book, but reads as a new adult without the smut (labeled as adult). Vicious did dipping into the grey area of what is right and what is wrong so well. I loved everything about this book and think it's perfect for anyone.
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas- The 5th book in the Throne of Glass series. Celaena Sardothien is still fighting to take back her lands and claim what is rightfully hers. This series is giving me life! I can't wait a year for the 6th and final book. If there is something you want out of a fantasy read you're sure to get it from this series. Also, that ending. Good lord! That ending.

Movies
The Fundamentals of Caring- A man suffering a great amount of loss enrolls into a care-giving

class. There he meets Trevor. I'd never (really) heard of Craig Roberts before, but he knocks playing the roll of sarcastic a-hole perfectly. This is another hit for Netflix.
The Legend of Tarzan- Events that take place after Tarzan is no longer in the jungle. Seems like I'm the only one in the world who liked this movie, but I don't care! I can't wait to re-watch this dark epilogue to the classic Tarzan again when it comes out.
Captain Fantastic- A father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave the wilderness and enter the world after his wife dies. Lindsey and I went to see this kind of on a whim, and boy was it a good idea! I really like George McKay and getting to see him again in another indie movie was a joy for me. I've said on several occasion how underrated I truly think he is. Please pick this movie up when it comes out. It's funny, witty, moving, and filled with actors I think we should all be looking out for. Doesn't hurt that the soundtrack is great either.
War Dogs- Two men weasel and figure out a way to win over a government weapons contract. I love any and everything based off a true story, so deciding to see this was grand for me. I wont lie, I don't think this movie is going to be for everyone, but it was the movie for me.
Amanda Knox- This documentary covers the Amanda Knox trail and events that took place before,

during, and after the case. This movie was barely released in time to make my list, but the moment I saw this was being made into a documentary to come out on Netflix I knew right away that it was going to be good. I was right too. Everything from the powerful introduction from Amanda, to the incredible ending quote, this doc was done right. Everything is laid out for us in a way that is so easy to follow, the events aren't over-shadowed by one thing, and the fact that we really finally and truly get to see things from Amanda's point of view was done masterfully. The whole tone of this movie is perfect. As someone who followed this case closely when it happened there was so much in this film that I had no clue had happened. Highly recommend this film to anyone who loves true crime.

TV Shows
The Returned season 1- In a small town several people have just shown back up after being dead. They haven't aged and have no idea that they have even been gone. Again, something else that is right up my alley. I'm am dying to see if this show ends up having another season! There are so many unanswered questions! Sadly, the chances of another season aren't looking too good at this point in time. If you're a fan of shows with multiple and intertwining storylines this will be for you.
Hemlock Grove season 1- In a town full of people keeping secrets a girl is murdered. I know that is

the worst synopsis ever, but seriously after watching an entire season and a half I still have no freaking clue what I witnessed... but God was it addictive. Also very visually stunning, and I'm not just talking about Bill Skarsgard.
Game of Thrones season 7- Several families battle it out for the Iron Throne. If you haven't started watching this show you're an idiot (see book list above). That's not a statement it's a fact. This season... Holy mother of pearl; it was simply perfect! I've watched the last two episodes of the season probably seven times now. Best two plus hours of TV I've witnessed in forever.
Shameless season 4- A poor family in Detroit continues to be poor and struggling. Shameless is hands down one of my all time favorite TV shows. The characters are hilarious, the plot line is insane, and it does this all while making you laugh the whole time. I wish I was also putting season 5 on this list, but sadly it dipped a little bit.
Pretty Little Liars 3-6- A group of girl's friend is killed, and someone is haunting them with it. This is a show I can't stand watching, but I'm in so deep now the only thing I can do is continue swimming down. This show continues to keep it's hooks in me. I need Netflix to upload the next season already. Seriously though, who the F really is A?!
Friday night lights seasons 1-5- Following a football team and it's staff in a small town in Texas  that is obsessed with the game. Yall... yall... How has no one ever told me about this show! Now that I have done the ultimate binge of this show I see people talking about it all the time. This show is one of the best things I've ever watched. Not just that, but it has one of the most stratifying endings to any TV show I've ever seen. If you've never seen this or even really heard of it I would recommend doing as I did and marathoning it on Netflix before its gone.

Parenthood season 3- A show following a family and their families. Showing their struggles and growth as a unit. I never thought this show would be something I was into, but the further I got into the show the more I liked it. It's message is so powerful and real. This is such an accurate portray of how real life goes. Season three though is the one that got me. I think I cried every single episode of it.
Broadchurch season 1-2- A small town is shaken by the murder of a young boy. This show had me hooked! I had to know who did it. The twist, turns, and acting will pull you in, but the not knowing will keep you there. Pumped for season three.
Atlanta- Two cousins, with very different views on the world, work their way up through the Atlanta rap scene. This is something I usually don't do. I usually don't post a show on my list unless I have watched a complete season. This show however, only has a few episodes out. I refuse to let that keep me for highlighting it. If you know me at all than you know I love Donald Glover. LOVE HIM! So that's why I wanted to start the show, and with his presence I knew there would be a lot of comical moment, but had no idea though how great it would be. This show is for sure going to make more of my list. Begging you to watch it.

Since I've been in a reading slump these last couple of months binge watching has been my thing (clearly)!

Music
The Girl and the Dreamcatcher- Basically anything by these two I will listen to. They are so Disney

and that might be a reason I like them even more. Their music is fun and very pop-ish. Basically good
beach music and driving in the car with the windows down jams.
Wrabel 11 Blocks- I can't stop listening to this song!! The first time I heard it it went right pasted me, and I had to give it another listen. Like really, play this song, and really listen to it. Heart-breaking while still being so catchy.
Chainsmokers Closer- Yes, I like everyone else have fallen for this song. It's a fungus and grew on me.
Superfruit, Mary Lambert, Brian Crum, and Mario Jose Rise Cover- This haunting and beautiful cover of Katy Perry's Rise will leave you breathless. The very last note too; goosebumps.

Now to talk about my two ultimate favorites and a new section.

Podcast
Serial- I obsessively listened to this every chance I got! This podcast has seasons instead of just episodes. Season one follows Adnan Syed who was arrested and convicted of  murdering his girlfriend in 1999 when he was just 17. Sarah Koenig, a reporter and journalist, goes over the details of the trial while remaining neutral to rather she believe Adnan is innocent or not. All she is doing is trying to show everyone all the evidence and uncover things that might not have been brought to life during the trial. In season two she does the same thing, but with the Bowe Bergdahl case. Which has just recently went to trial. Bowe abandoned his post, captured by the Taliban, tortured, and held captive from 2009-2014. She again presents the evidence for both sides of the story and leaves it up to you to decide. Take the time to listen to this podcast. This will change your life and view on the world.

My Favorite Murder- Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark two friends who are life long lovers of true crime basically decided to get together and talk about it! These two take a more comical approach on the topic by sitting down together and gushing about their favorite crimes. Each week they both tell a different story about crimes both solve and unsolved and go over the crazy details. All this while cracking jokes and getting real. This is not just one of my favorite podcast it just flat out one of my favorite things. I wait all week for a new one to come out. Stay sexy and don't get murdered.
Sword and Scale- Yes, if you haven't guessed it by now, I'm kind of obsessed with all things true crime. Sword and Scale takes a more professional look at true crime. Hosted by Mike Boudet, this high quality podcast is a must listen. He covers all sorts of cases both high profiles and ones that also have gone less noticed.

Alright, alright, alright. that is it for this season. See ya next, and don't forget...Winter is coming.

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

"Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.

Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her." -Goodreads Synopsis

I had a lot of issues with Seven Days of You. When I received this book at BEA and read the synopsis I thought this was going to be a contemporary unicorn. Thought it sounded so good, unique, and oddly right up my alley. If you know me you know I'm picky about my contemporary books. Picking maybe 3 up a year, and this one had to be one of them. Sign, regret.

Our main character is Sophia or "Sofa", as her friends like to call her... Yep, you probably read that sentence and knew this was my first problem with the book. If they just called her Sofa once and awhile it probably would have been cute, but no they have to whine it every two sentences. After about 6 chapters of her friends calling her Sofa I was over it. It also didn't help her case that it took me forever to figure out how old she was. She dressed like she was 7 and talked like she was 10. This made me connecting with her almost impossible. She's clearly one of the love interest in a kind of love triangle. The love triangle was another issue of mine. Sophia's had  school girl attitude with how handle relationships. Hearing her explain things was like listening to one of my nieces explain their elementary school crush playground fake boyfriends. Sophia is overall a selfish, clingy, and immature character.

“God,” I said. “I am actually a horrible person.”

You said it Sofa Super Store not us.

Not only are her "relationships" poor with her potential boos they are also poor with her best friend Mika. All Mika and her do are talk down on each other and other people. Struggled so much with understand Mika's character as well. Sophia would say that Mika would never do something, and then Mika would do it like it was second nature. It could be something as simple as "Mika never wears eyeshadow", then would cut to the next paragraph and it would say "Mika applies silver eyeshadow". Now on to the other sides of the tringle David and Jamie. Lord, I don't know how one would choose between complete dick bag or a guy who you stood up for hours. Here an idea, neither. They both kind of suck. Some will probably read this book and say I was hard on Jamie, because he is kind of sweet. Mainly picking on him because he is an exact replica of every ya contemp boy ever written.

Here is my last major issue with the book. The setting. 7 Days takes place in Tokyo, and this might be what shoved it so high on my tbr list. It's not often you get YA contemporaries set in Tokyo so this was suppose to be a nice added bonus... However, the setting is so poorly used. She could have easily have made the setting New York or Jersey and no one would be the wiser. She could have seriously ctrl f'd the whole book and changed the word Tokyo to New York and if you weren't told you'd never find out. You tell us you're going to give us this amazing, colorful, and culture filled landscape..... and then that's all you do; tell us. This was probably the biggest letdown, because I was truly excited  for this setting. Also, she would overuse Japanese words and expect us to be okay with it. "Hey look I'm just throwing in a bunch of Japanese words, look over here and not notice how I'm ignoring the setting completely!". If that didn't have me wanting to set this book down the rest of the plot did. Nothing happens. I felt like this book wanted to be a book with all these fun sub stories with a lesson in self growth, but missed the mark. If you can think of a clique high school event that happens in any ya contemporary then you probably already know the plot of 7 Days.

Sadly Seven Days of You had the set up to be a summer fav but had a failure to execute properly. This book could have been good, but ended up wasting all its opportunities.

1/10 Stars

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children Movie Review

Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children is a story that follows a boy named Jake. Jake as a child was told stories and shown pictures of gifted children who were hiding out in loops from a world full of monsters. After the death of his grandfather Jake sets out to find these children and their teacher Miss Peregrine. Once he finds the locations, goes to the island, and stumbled upon the kids shenanigan ensued.

I went into this movie with low expectations. I love Tim Burton as much as the next person, but really thought I was going to leave the showing thinking it was just alright. So, what did I end up thinking? Well let me break it down for you...

In my usual fashion I'll talk about the characters first. There are so many in this movie and all of them were so interesting. First off we have Asa Butterfield who plays Jake. His character took a little bit for me to warm up too. I really like him as an actor so when we were really getting into the movie I felt myself being kind of letdown by him... Fortunately this disappointment doesn't last long. As the movie goes on I started to feel like Asa was really understanding and getting into his role as Jake, who is very mundane compared to the people he is surrounded by. Saying that, maybe that's how they wanted his character to be? Maybe they wanted us to be like "ehhh he's alright", and then to be surprised by his growth throughout the movie. Next up is Miss Peregrine herself, played by Eva Green. When I think Miss P she is instantly who I think of. She's so over the top without managing to be over the top, yeah that makes no sense, but it's really how it was. It worked so well for how her character was suppose to be. Felt as if she was as knowledgeable as her character was suppose to be and that she really did love these kids. There were a few moments when she even made my eyes a little misty... Plus it didn't hurt that her wardrobe in the movie is fantastic.

The last "main" character I want to talk about is Emma, who is played by Ella Purnell. She is stunning! Her scenes, especially the wind and boat scene, were done so well. Even when animation had to be added to her she still really looked like she had the power to control air. She had this lightness about her and she was very 40's romantic. Hopefully she is an actress well be seeing more of in the future.  Those in my opinions were the main characters

throughout. I want to mention however, how much I really liked Enoch's character. Finlay Macmillan completely came out of left field. He has this creepy Tom Riddle thing going on, and ya girl dug it! I saw someone mention in an interview about his character being "too much" and that they couldn't believe that in a family movie they would put something so vile.... UMMM I completely disagree. I think him as a character and his gift were so unique, presented fabulously, and still family film friendly. He was my personally peculiar. The other children were all adorable. Their powers were all funny and cool. I do wish we would have gotten to see more of them, and their gifts; particularly the twins. I get why they were kept low key, but I would have liked even more of them.

When it came to the plot and story I wont lie, it started off a bit slow. The first half of this movie we just get Jake dealing with the loss of his grandfather, getting to the island, and wandering around asking a lot of questions while getting no answers. Definitely felt that the second half of this movie surpassed the first by miles. Once we started getting answers and action started happening is when I became fully invested in this film. Going on this adventure with these kids was such a good time. Watching them use their unique powers to fight Samuel L. Jackson was all so a lot of fun. I always think that he makes such an interesting villain in films. The fight scenes weren't what I was expecting and that is very much a good thing. When I thought of how things would play out and how the Hollows would look I never imagined them so vividly. This Burton really hit the nail on the head with visually portraying everything. The last 30/40 minutes of this movie was my favorite part of the entire film. I liked how everything came together, the villains were funny while being spooky, and how everything was neatly wrapped up by the end.

I know so many people were wondering if the changes from the book to the film would be too much, or something they didn't like. Personally I rather liked the changes. They didn't seem forced and really made the movie flow. A lot of times I feel that even if you haven't read the books you can still point out what's been changed. This wasn't a problem with Miss P's. I left the theater completely stratified with my movie going experience and the film for sure surpassed my expectations. This movie might have started slow, but it ended strong. This film has this Peter Pan meets Xmen thing going on and I think it worked in its favor.

If you're a Tim Burton and Ransom Riggs fan I don't fell you'll be letdown. It's very rare I like a film more than it's novel but in the case of Miss P's I prefer the film. Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children is the perfect film to bring in the fall season and is fun for all ages.

8.5/10 Stars

Sidebar: Since I saw the film with my sisters Amanda, I also asked her what she would rate it. She gives it a 9/10

September Wrap-Up

The Light Between Oceans- ML Stedman
November Rain- Shannon A. Thompson
172 Hours on the Moon- Johan Harstad
Empire of Storms- Sarah J. Maas

Clearly, this is going to be a slack wrap-up. As you might have read in my previous wrap-up I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I just haven't been feeling it. I've been in more of a movie/podcast kind of mood. So that's all I've been doing. I do think that I have gotten to the bottom of my slump though. I think the reason I haven't been reading as much (besides working) is because I haven't had any books I've been super excited about. The only book I was dying to read this month was Empire of Storms, so when I got it I gobbled it up and then was back to not wanting to read again. I think October will remedy this because there are three or four books out that I'm so amped up to read and have already pre-ordered. Just can't believe that I went from reading like 3 books a week to reading 1 book a week. Feels like I'm letting people and myself down, but I have to remind myself that sometimes when you get in a slump you just have to ride it out. Forget that forcing it can sometimes make it worse.  I'm only 3 books ahead on my reading goal for the years so I also need to get on it. Guess with that I'll get on to my favorites and fails.

Favorites: Empire of Storms and 172 Hours on the Moon. EOS is the 5th book in the Throne of Glass series, and I feel like I've been waiting forever for it. I needed to know what happened. I got this book the day it came out instead of preordering because I knew I wouldn't be able to wait! This book was a beast racking in over 700 pages, but it was so worth it. The first section of this book is slow, but it really builds up for an amazing EPIC out of control ending.... and now I'm waiting again-just dying- to get the 6th and finally book. God, that ending! I just can't. 172 Hours on the Moon was the book Sandra and I buddy read together, and just gonna brag for a second, we've been picking out amazing books! I tried to read 172 Hours before and ended up putting it on hold. I think a big release came out around the time I was reading it and then I set it down and never came back. Not sure why though, because the first time I read it I was really enjoying it. Well, picked it back up to read and it was such a good idea, because I had so much reading it. It was so spooky!!! I thought that it was just going to be creepy once they got to the moon, but nope it was creepy the whole time.

Fails: Zero. I don't have any. The other two books I read weren't fails. The Light Between Oceans movie might have blown, but the book was fine.

Currently reading: Wait by AL Jackson and Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse
October TBR: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, Beautiful by Christina Lauren, The Long Walk by Stephen King, and Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.