Angela's Fall Favorites

Recently I started doing a post where I do a complete recap of my seasonal favorites. The seasons might be a little slurred, but only because this is new and something I just started mid-year. That and I live in the south and our seasons are all over the place. Just a heads up I plan on missing December and picking this back up in January.

What I really enjoy about doing this post is I don't just talk books, I talk about all my favorite things. Movies, television, events, and more. My last seasonal post only included things from the months June through August... So yes this one is going to be my favorites from September, October, and November.

Top Five Fall Reads:

These are my favorite reading picks of this fall. They're the books I gave the highest ratings on Goodreads and our blog. These will only include fresh reads for me, nothing that I happened to re-read, and are in no order:

1. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas. Celaena has returned to the empire and is seeking vengeance for everything that has been taken from her.
2. Darken the Stars by Amy A. Bartol. Kricket is being held against her will and the man holding her wants to combined forces so they'll be unstoppable.
3. Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren.  A comic book writer and a comic book store owner go from friends to something more.
4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Six misfit criminals are hired to pull of the an impossible heist.
5. November 9 by Colleen Hoover. Ben and Fallon meet on the same date once a year for five years and pick up their relationship right where they left off. But only for one day.

Top Fall Movies: 
As with the other catergories not all of these came out during this time perio.

The Road Within- Vincent (Robert Sheenan), a boy suffering from Tourette's syndrome is sent by his father to a treatment center. He then runs away with two friends (Zoe Kravitz, Dev Patel)  from the center with plans to head for the beach to spread his mothers ashes. The Road Within was a really fun short film. Each character brought something so interesting to the table. For fans of Me Earl and the Dying Girl and Men, Women, & Children.

How I Live Now- Based of the Ya novel by Meg Rosoff. Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) is sent to live with cousins she's never met before in England. While there a war breaks out and the kids decide to stick it out and go on as if the world around them isn't falling apart. While waiting out the war Daisy and her cousin Edmond (George McKay) start a romantic relationship only to be torn apart and sent to different locations. This movie visually is stunning, the cast is perfect, and it ended up being one of my favorite ya movie adaptions I've seen this year.

Mockingjay Part 2- Duh right? You had too have known this would be on my list. I mean its the last freaking Hunger Games! It was done oh so right too. I left the theater 100% satisfied. This was an amazing series, that turned into and amaze set of films. Perfectly casted, and perfectly portrayed. This will probably always be one of the most successful book to films I'll ever see. It's right up there with Harry Potter. Really just can't believe that it's over.

Favorite Fall TV Shows:
These might not all have aired this year, but that doesn't stop them from being my favorites.

Misfits Season 1-2. The season part is very important because after season two the show really drops off. This show is so freaking hilarious!!!! It's about several teens who are doing community service when a storm breaks out and people get meta powers from it. Each teen has a different power each of course getting them in and out of trouble. The best part of this show is Robert Sheenan. Good Lord! Every second he is on the screen is amazing and would have me laughing until I cried.

The Flash- I think we all know what this is about. And it happens to be another show were someone is struck by something and forms powers... What can I say; I love meta humans. This wasn't a show I thought I would easily fall into, but before I knew it I was marathoning it on Netflix. Grant Gavin is the perfect Barry Allen. My favorite part is how Arrow is brought into it. Just makes my love for Oliver Queen that much stronger.

Survivor Cambodia: Second Chance. Yeah, I might be one of the last people on earth watching this show, but ask me if I care?! I DON'T. I have watched every season of Survivor and I aint afraid to admit it. This show is just as fun as it was when I watched season one. Team Joe!

The Walking Dead Season 6- Pretty sure this season wont be over by the time I post this... Again don't care. This season has been amazing so far. I've even liked the episodes where they've focused on a single character, and usually I find those so boring. So stoked to see how and where they leave this season off... Who will survive.

Favorite Fall Book Reviewer:

Problems of a Book Nerd. Recently stumbled upon this review and she is freaking adorable. She's currently studying aboard and even manages to work that into her reviews. She's one of the few reviewer I watched who will show you a list of books she's hauled and then within a few weeks will have reviews posted about them. Most will haul books hen well never see them again. She also has a vast taste in books and is constantly recommending things I've never heard of before.

Top Fall Music:

Last time I picked an entire album this time I just have a few songs.

Adele Hello- Who isn't blaring this song right now?! Pretty sure everyone is not just obsessed with this song but with the music video as well. Can someone please tell me what makeup she uses because it is so on point it hurts.

Justin Bieber Sorry- Uh yeah, never thought a Bieber song would make any kind of list of mine, but hey there's a first time for everything. I've honestly really been enjoying the music he's been putting out lately. Also completely in love with the "dance" version music video he has up of this.

Hailee Steinfeld Love Myself- You don't want to like this song... But really can't help it. It's so freaking catchy.

Favorite Event:

This is an easy one.

Yallfest! Leah and I went ham on Yallfest. We managed to see every single author we wanted to, go to every event we wanted to, and get to every giveaway we wanted to. We snagged massive swag and a ton of ARCs. We brought both our husbands along with us so it made getting to everything and the wait in lines so easy! The only thing we were letdown about was that Rick Yancey had to cancel due to being ill. It seems like we can't catch a break when it comes to him. Every time we try to met him something happens. 2016 though we will meet him!

-Angela

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, she nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where things start making a lot more sense to her.

At the end of January I asked my friends on goodreads to recommend me their favorite books/the books that brought them to tears. I got A TON of responses... messages, comments, direct recommendations. So I decided to pick the ones that were most recommended and do a massive haul just off books recommended to me. I got around 15 books. One of the books that was suggested several times to me was This Song Will Save Your Life.

I was really skeptical at first about reading this because the first one of these recommended books I read I was let down by... This isn't the case with this book. Even though This Song Will Save Your Life was a suggested book, recently I've decided to go into books blind. So within the first few chapters I was really shocked about what this story turned into. When the "issue" happens and then is carried throughout the story I never originally saw it coming. It hit me hard too... Pretty sure I said "someone call a barista because this roast just got dark"... And I was worried that this heavy cloud was going to rain all over this book for me. It didn't

If my bookshelf at home wasn't arranged in alphabetical order than I put place this book right beside The Truth About Alice. I would more than likely say they were sister reads as well. This book hit my heart the same way that story did. Because Elise is someone I could easily relate to. Her struggles were some of the same I had to face when I was in high school. Elise's character development doesn't truly start toward close to the end of this story and I that would normally be a turn off for me, but it wasn't. The fact that it started so late into her story reminded me so much of my own life tale... because my character development didn't start till later either. I was also very lucky for two reasons in high-school one) that I had my very own Vicky and two) I was wise enough at the time to know that high school wasn't going to determine the rest of my life. I only had one real friend in high-school (who is still my best friend), who didn't judge me, didn't care that I wasn't the popular girl, didn't care that I wasn't interested in designer jeans, and was completely fine with my head always being in clouds because I'm a special breed of weird.

Books like This Song Will Save Your Life and The Truth About Alice are books that I wish were written and read when I was in school. They are coming of ages stories that just SHOULDN'T be missed. I'm writing this short and vague review just to rant in general about the amazing-ness that is this book. In hopes that you will just go out and buy it yourself. People will relate in some way to this book. There’s at least one character in this book that you know in real life. Or that you might even have been at some point... Good or bad. On top of all the wonderful things this book has to offer it also managed to flawlessly intertwine music into it. Being a big music person, going to a school of the arts, and taking so many theory classes I was relieved to find myself not having any complaints about it. 

I'm so thankful I was recommended this story. A story with a strong lead, a strong plot, and a stronger message.

“You think it's so easy to change yourself. You think it's so easy, but it's not. True, things don't stay the same forever: couches are replaced, boys leave, you discover a song, your body becomes forever scarred. And with each of these moments you change and change again, your true self spinning, shifting positions-- but always at last it returns to you, like a dancer on the floor. Because throughout it all, you are still, always, you: beautiful and bruised, known and unknowable. And isn't that - just you - enough?"

This Song Will Save Your Life isn't the perfect book, but it has the perfect message. This was a book that I thought was going to be slammed with mess, mix messages, and tons of cliches'. It wasn't.

8/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(This Song BookDepo)