Review: RADIANT and BOUNDLESS by Cynthia Hand

*WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS for Books 1 and 2.*

Proceed at your own peril. 

Titles: Radiant and Boundless

Author: Cynthia Hand

Series: Unearthly #2.5 and #3

Why I read it: To finish the trilogy and find out what happens!

Thoughts: I liked Radiant, but Boundless was my favorite book in the trilogy.

First of all, I'll briefly discuss Radiant. This novella is the bridge between books 2 and 3 in the trilogy, and it follows the POVs of both Clara and Angela as they spend their summer between high school and college in Italy with Angela's family. I really enjoy Angela as a character, but I didn't like being in her head. For most of the series, I questioned her intentions, but this glimpse into her mind doesn't really lend itself to continue that speculation. \

In my opinion, the best novellas for series change your perspective on something, whether that be a plot point or character. Take for instance Destroy Me, the first novella from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi. Since Destroy Me is written in Warner's POV, we see a completely different side of him than we saw in the first book, and it changed how I reacted to him in the second book. We also got to see events in Destroy Me that are important to the plot, but would have been impossible to learn about in the main trilogy since Juliet wasn't there to witness them.

With that in mind, I don't think Radiant is a successful novella. The Angela and Phen plotline is essentially summarized in book three, so I don't think this novella offers anything new or important. It also didn't really change my opinion on Angela very much; if anything, it made me like her a little less, but I don't think that's what Cynthia Hand set out to do; I just didn't like being in her head at all.

My official recommendation would be to skip this one and save your two dollars.

Boundless, on the other hand, I absolutely loved. I loved seeing Clara's relationships with Angela, Tucker and Christian, and how they all developed in different ways. One of the things I love the most about this series is the way it deals with morality, and good vs. evil. For a book about angels, there are few characters who are entirely good or entirely bad. Sometimes good people make bad decisions, and sometimes bad people can be influenced by love and sympathy. I loved it. I also loved the way the angel-bloods mythology is even further developed and utilized within the story.

This book, more than the first two, really twisted in unexpected ways, especially toward the end. I was not expecting that ending at all, but I think it fits the story beautifully. And I am more than pleased with how it ended. I think I even cried there in the last few chapters.

I admit that I had been hesitant to read this for a while, but I am so glad I decided to pick it up. For anyone who is wary of angel books, I would recommend giving this series a try!

Ratings: 

Radiant: 3/5 stars

Boundless: 5/5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read this book yet? What was your opinion? Let me know in the comments below!

Film Fridays! -- August 28, 2015

*movie titles link to IMDB pages*

Reviews

Okay, I promise. This is going to be the last ALL-review edition of Film Fridays! It's been a busy month, but I've managed to watch quite a few movies. So here we go!

Mission: Impossible series

Title: Mission: Impossible

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Ving Rhames

Thoughts: For the longest time, I had absolutely no interest in watching this series. The first came out when I was little and my parents never really cared about it either, so it wasn't part of my childhood. But when Ghost Protocol came out a few years ago, it just looked so good. So we bought the boxset of the first three, and then the fourth when it came out. And this summer, when Rogue Nation came out, we decided to finally marathon through them.

And I am so glad we did!

This first film is fun. It's got a great cast and the action is always fantastic. The famous scene where Tom Cruise ends up dangling an inch from the floor? I knew it was going to happen, and I still gasped when it did. I was rooting for Ethan Hunt the entire time, and it was fun trying to figure out who the real bad guys were. Better yet, it set up the tone for the rest of the series. After I watched this first movie, I knew exactly what I was in for with the rest. And because of all the awesome spy technology used, it hasn't dated itself...very much. They do still use a floppy disk, which made me laugh. Overall, it got me really excited for the rest of the series!

Rating: B

Title: Mission: Impossible II

Starring: Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott

Thoughts: After watching the first movie, I looked up the Rotten Tomatoes score of all five movies. And once we started watching this movie, it was easy to see why it had received the lowest score of all. 

This installment was directed by John Woo, and even from the opening credits, it is highly stylized. Blurred movements and weird camera angles abound, and the action sequences are the worst offenders. Even Tom Cruise seems slightly ill-at-ease in this movie, making strange facial expressions and wearing the Vanilla Sky-era longer hair that pretty much no one liked. He's less charming here, for which the film definitely suffers. Plus, the acting here is probably the weakest in the franchise.

But all that's not to say that I didn't enjoy this movie. Because I did! I enjoyed Ethan's relationship with Thandie Newton's character, Nyah. I loved seeing Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) again. And the story overall was thorough and engaging. However, this movie almost feels more dated than the first, just because of the overly-stylized sequence and camera work. 

Subjectively, I really liked it for what it was. Objectively, I can see why it's the least-liked entry in the franchise. 

Rating: C+

Title: Mission: Impossible III

Starring: Tom Cruise, Michelle Monaghan, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Maggie Q, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Simon Pegg

Thoughts: I loved this one. Tom  Cruise is definitely back on top of his game here, charming and sexy and intense all at once. Have I mentioned that Tom Cruise does his own stunts? I mean, the guy nearly slides off an inclined glass roof in this movie. It's insane, and awesome. 

I loved Ethan's team in this movie: Maggie Q and Jonathan Rhys Meyers are both fantastic, as well as Ving Rhames, as usual. They worked together so well, and unlike in other movies, I never questioned any of their loyalties. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a pretty fantastic villain, as well. 

Of course, the plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, and I was never sure exactly what was going to happen. The relationship between Ethan and his girlfriend Julia (Michelle Monaghan) also gave me plenty of feels. This movie has it all: emotions, action sequences, amazing spy gear, and an engaging plot. This was my favorite of the first three!'

Rating: A

Title: Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol

Starring: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner

Thoughts: Now this is my favorite so far. 

Tom is still super charming, yet a little melancholy. I liked Paula Patton's character, and I loved Jeremy Renner's character. And Simon Pegg is basically always the best, so I am so glad he stuck with the franchise after a relatively small part in the third movie. 

Even more than the third movie, this one really has it all. Everything the third movie had, this movie has it in spades. Plus, this movie has some downright hilarious moments. Between Simon Pegg's usual humor and Jeremy Renner's dry, skeptic humor, I laughed out loud more in this movie than the previous three. 

I just loved this movie so much, and I can't wait to see Rogue Nation when it comes out on DVD.

Rating: A

Title: The Gift
Starring: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton

Thoughts: I was pretty skeptical about this movie for a while. But I heard so many great reviews and my mom wanted to see it so badly that we went to see it last weekend.

I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

What I didn't realize until the end of the movie, was that Joel Edgerton had written, produced and directed it, in addition to starring in it. That's a talented man, there, because he excelled in all aspects.

All three of the main actors are superb. There's this overwhelming sense that nothing is as it seems all throughout the movie, but very few things are explicitly spelled out. The audience is given snippets of things and expected to suss out the implications, which made it a very smart thriller.

I don't want to say much, but the ending is a little abrupt. When the credits started to roll, I felt a little unsatisfied. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized, that it was a perfect ending for the movie, because I couldn't imagine what more of the story would need to be told. I appreciate the movie for taking a risk, because it paid off. I'm still thinking about it almost a week later, so it has done its job.

Rating: B+

Title: Unfriended
Starring: Shelly Hennig, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz

Thoughts: A new scary movie came out. Of course we were going to watch it. This movie follows a group of friends who are harassed online by someone who claims to be a girl who committed suicide one year before after being the victim of cyberbullying.

When I watch a scary movie, I usually ask myself three questions.

1) Was the storytelling original? Yes. The entire movie is shown through the main character's computer screen. We see her Skyping a group of her friends, Googling things, playing music from Spotify, checking Facebook, and using iMessage.

It's a very unique movie in that respect, though I do have a feeling that the Millenial generation would understand it more than anyone else. One picture that shows up on the Facebook profile of a character uses the acronym "STFU" and my mom had to ask what that meant. And to someone who is not as used to multitasking on a computer, the mere use of so many applications at once might be confusing. But I really appreciated the unique format the film took. There's so much to look at on the screen to catch easter eggs and small hints, which is fun for a filmgoer such as myself, who revels in finding the details.

2) Was it predictable? A little. Once the movie got going, it was very easy to see what was going to happen next. Even though the way the story is told is extremely original, the story itself takes a very typical route, through to the ending. Though I knew what was going to happen in the end, the way it happened still took me by surprise.

3) Was it actually scary? Not really. There are a few creepy moments, and the death scenes are certainly unique, but nothing really made me jump out of my skin. I was definitely intrigued, and the way the story was told had me on edge a little, but most of it was because of the technology aspect instead of the actual scares.

So would I recommend this movie? If you're interested in seeing a movie with a really cool, unique format that's interesting to watch, then yes. Especially for the ending. Tell me if you're as taken by surprise as I was. But if you're looking for a great scary movie that will make you want to sleep with the lights on? I'd skip this one.

Rating: C-

Tell me: what movies have YOU seen recently? Any that you'd recommend to me? Let me know in the comments below!

Waiting on Wednesday (31): DREAMLAND

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!

Title: Dreamland

Author: Robert L. Anderson

Release date: September 22, 2015

Summary: Odea Donahue has been able to travel through people's dreams since she was six years old. Her mother taught her the three rules of walking: Never interfere. Never be seen. Never walk the same person's dream more than once. Dea has never questioned her mother, not about the rules, not about the clocks or the mirrors, not about moving from place to place to be one step ahead of the unseen monsters that Dea's mother is certain are right behind them. 

Then a mysterious new boy, Connor, come to town and Dea finally starts to feel normal. As Connor breaks down the walls that she's had up for so long, he gets closer to learning her secret. For the first time she wonders if that's so bad. But when Dea breaks the rules, the boundary between worlds begins to deteriorate. How can she know what's real and what's not?

Thoughts: That cover was what immediately drew me to this book when it was first revealed, but it sounds kind of dark and creepy and fantastical, and that sounds like such a perfect combination. I've heard mixed things so far, but it's definitely one that's on my radar!

Tell me: what are YOU waiting on this Wednesday? Does my choice sound interesting to you? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 14 -- Final Wrap-Up!

Wow! This past week has been a whirlwind. I am so sorry that my update posts (and posts in general) went by the wayside. The end of the week was kind of crazy, and I had such a fun weekend that I totally forgot to carve out some time to blog! BUT, I did keep reading, so let's get on with my wrap-up for the entire read-a-thon!

Final Wrap-Up

Total pages read -- 1437

Total Books Read -- 7.3

Books finished -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins -- 5 stars

                             Avengers: Enemy Within by Kelly Sue DeConnick -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 3: L.A. Woman by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Hawkeye Vol. 4: Rio Bravo by Matt Fraction -- 5 stars

                             Matilda by Roald Dahl -- 4 stars

Currently reading -- 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

     So far? I'm a third of the way through this one, and I'm definitely enjoying it so far. I love the 

                  format of each chapter being one of the 99 days, and I especially appreciate the fact that 

                  every day is accounted for; none of the days are skipped, even if there's only a single 

                  sentence for that chapter. 

Final thoughts -- I think I had another successful read-a-thon! Could I have been better about doing my daily updates? Of course. Thursday I had a legitimate excuse, but on Friday, I was definitely just lazy. But at least I kept reading! I ended up completing my TBR by Saturday, so I even got to start an extra book on Sunday! I am so proud of myself again, and so happy that I participated once more. The next Bout of Books will be held in January, and I will definitely be participating again. Click HERE to go to the Bout of Books site for the exact dates and more general information. 

Tell me: how did YOU do during Bout of Books 14? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 14 -- Day 2 Progress and Day 3 Challenge!

Day 2 Progress Report

Pages read -- 212

     Total pages read -- 491

Books finished -- 2: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins and The Avengers: Enemy 

                                 Within by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Currently reading -- Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon by Matt Fraction

     So far? I haven't actually started it yet; my plan for today is to (hopefully) finish at least two 

                  volumes of Hawkeye, so as soon as this post is up, I'm off to read!

Day 3 Challenge -- Bookish MASH

Today's challenge is hosted by Sarah over at Rocky Top Real Talk, so go check out her blog!

The challenge today is to play the bookish version of MASH! You remember MASH, right? The game you played when you were young to find out where you were going to live and who your husband would be...all that jazz. Well today, we're playing the bookish version! Instead of using celebrities or real people for our husband choices, we're using book characters! I also used some book-related items in other categories as well. Also, whenever we play MASH in my circle of friends, we always pick a "bad" choice for each category, just to make things interesting. 

AND, of course I took pictures. Whose blog did you think this was? 

I started out with a brand new notebook and turned to a random blank page.

Then I wrote out all my categories and left 5 blank spaces for each one. 

Then I got to the arduous task of figuring out how to fill them! This is what I came up with. 

I then did a little spiral and came up with the number 8 by counting the spaces! (Outsides included.)

Then I got to work! By the time I was done, it looked like this. 

Then I turned to a new page and wrote out my summary. (If you can't see the picture very well, I typed it out below, as well.)

"I live in a mansion in the underworld with my husband Roger Sullivan (from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson) and out chimera cat, Sadie. (For an idea of what a chimera cat is, click HERE for a link to Venus, the Chimera Cat, even though she's probably not actually a chimera. They're just really cute!) We have no kids, but we do drive an SUV. I work as a receptionist. 

...I want a do-over! 

So as you can see, I didn't get the best outcome in today's MASH, but that's part of what makes it funny! And there's always another tomorrow, another MASH to play. I was very pleased that I ended up with Roger because he is so sweet and understanding...and let's face it. He's the only contemporary character on  my list. So he could really exist! And I still can't believe I got stuck as a receptionist among all those choices. *facepalm* But c'est la vie! '

I love MASH. Even in college, my friends and I used to play it all the time. This was such a great challenge. Thanks, Sarah!

So that's it for today, everybody! Be sure to check back all week to see my reading progress and to see me complete the challenges. If you're participating as well, I wish you all good luck! 

Tell me: how is YOUR reading week going so far? If you participated in the challenge for the day, link your picture(s) below so I can see them! Let me know in the comments below!

Waiting on Wednesday (30): THE SHADOW QUEEN

WoW is a weekly  meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!

Title: The Shadow Queen

Author: C.J. Redwine

Series: Ravenspire #1

Release date: February 23, 2016

Summary: Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common--magic. She'll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen. 

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol's father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic--and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman...and bring her Lorelai's heart. 

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected--beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable--and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman--who she likes far more than she should--Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn't going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose. 

Thoughts: THAT COVER. *drools* But in all seriousness, this is obviously a Snow White retelling, but the fantasy setting and the way the tale is twisted feels so original. And come on, who doesn't love a sexy huntsman? (Chris Hemsworth and Jamie Dornan both come to mind.) I've been on kind of a fantasy slump lately, but it's looking like early 2016 is going to bring up a breath of fresh air in the genre. I haven't read C.J. Redwine's Defiance series yet, but this one is definitely peaking my interest!

Tell me: what are YOU waiting on this Wednesday? Does my choice sound interesting to you? Let me know in the comments below!

Bout of Books 14 -- Day 1 Progress and Day 2 Challenge!

Day 1 Progress Report

Pages read -- 279

     Total pages read -- 279

Books finished -- zero so far

Currently reading -- Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

     So far? Still loving this, though my heart hurts a little lot. 

Day 2 Challenge -- Scavenger Hunt

Today's challenge is hosted by Kristen over at The Book Monsters, so go check out that blog!

The challenge is to take photos that fulfill the items on the scavenger hunt list! I managed to complete four of the five hunts and (as befits the challenge) posted my pics on Instagram, so follow the link HERE to my profile to check out my entries! And once again, make sure to follow me if you haven't already!

The only hunt I didn't do was "Books in your favorite genre," because I'm wondering if I even have a favorite genre anymore. I used to think it was fantasy, but I've read more contemporary this year than anything else. But I still wouldn't say that contemporary is my favorite genre...so I think I'm an equal opportunity book lover! 

Also, fun fact: I don't actually have a full-on TBR shelf, so for that fifth hunt? I took all the books off those two shelves, collected a bunch of books from around my house, and rearranged those shelves with those TBR books. And after I took the picture, I put them all back where they belonged. What we do for the sake of good book pictures! 

So that's it for today, everybody! Be sure to check back all week to see my reading progress and to see me complete the challenges. If you're participating as well, I wish you all good luck! 

Tell me: how is YOUR reading week going so far? If you participated in the challenge for the day, link your picture(s) below so I can see them! Let me know in the comments below!