Top Ten Tuesday (7): Movies to Get You in the Halloween Spirit

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish!

So not all of these are strictly Halloween-themed because some are just straight-up horror films, but I do what I want! Scary movies always get me in the Halloween spirit. :)

Disclaimer: Not all of these movies are "great" movies, critically at least. Some of them are definite guilty pleasures. But I GREATLY enjoy all of these! Also, it was really hard to narrow this down to just ten. So I fudged a little...

10. The classics: Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. I'm lumping these all together because it's hard to put one slasher flick over the other, but these are all such classics in their own right! So I just HAD to include them. 

9. Stay Alive. This is super corny, but I still love it for some reason. It's just fun, and seeing Frankie Muniz in a scary movie? PRICELESS. 

8. The J-Horror craze: The Ring and The Grudge. For both of these movies, I love the originals AND the American remakes. After these movies came out, my mom and I got really in J-Horror for a while, and every time we were at Best Buy, we bought all the Asian horror films we could find. Some were great finds, and some were so not great, but these are the two that started it all! 

7. Zombieland. Zombies are like my FAVORITE paranormal creature. (Seriously, I own more zombie books than any other creature.) And this one has it all. Awesome zombies, tons of humor, clever dialogue, and a little bit of heart. SO GOOD. 

6. Thirteen Ghosts. I know this didn't get great reviews, but this is another one that I can watch all the time. Matthew Lillard is fabulous, and the ghosts are super awesome. And bonus: the DVD has a special feature that explains the backstory of every single ghost. Which is so awesome. 

5. Paranormal Activity. All of them. The first one, especially, was super original. It's a fairly short movie, but almost nothing happens for almost the entire movie. And then all of sudden, all hell breaks loose. And it is fantastic. And the sequels are more of the same, so it gets a little less original every time, but they're still a lot of fun. 

4. The Cabin in the Woods. JOSS WHEDON. Need I say more? Yes? Okay. This is a fantastic scary movie, but it TOTALLY turns the genre on it's head. It's scary but it is HILARIOUS. And full of attractive men. (Okay, so I'm a little shallow. It's fine.) 

3. Scream. This is a modern classic, and I still love it. Even though I know who the killer is and I've seen it a million times, I will watch it pretty much every time it's on TV. Because it's still that good! It manages to be a really great horror film while being super satirical at the same time. 

2. Oculus. This is a brand-new favorite of mine, but MAN, did this movie just get under my skin. It has the scare/jumpiness factor, but for the most part, it's a slightly quieter horror film. So much of the scary is psychological, and the non-linear structure is SO COOL. Like nothing I've seen before, and the second it ended, I knew it was one of my new favorite scary movies that I can watch over and over again. 

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas. This is one movie that is basically a must-watch for me for both Halloween AND Christmas. It's definitely part of my childhood, and it just wouldn't be either holiday season without this movie. So it gets the number one slot! 

Tell me: what are YOUR favorite Halloween or scary movies? Let me know in the comment below! 

Book Birthdays! -- October 28, 2014

Today is a VERY exciting release day in the YA community, so let's jump right in!

*Note: when celebrating birthdays for books in a series other than Book 1, I will not list the summary, in the interest of avoiding spoilers. If you've read the first books in the series, or are just insanely curious, follow the book title link to the Goodreads page to read the summary there!

Standalones

Title: Atlantia

Author: Ally Condie

Summary: Can you hear Atlantia breathing? 

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above--of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio's true self--and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden--she has nothing left to lose. 

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother's death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths. 

Buy here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Series Starters

Title: Compulsion

Author: Martina Boone

Series: Heirs of Watson Island #1

Summary: Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse. 

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt's South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions. 

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn't what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead. 

Buy here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Title: Talon 

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: Talon #1

Summary: Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser. 

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George. 

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons. 

Buy here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Series Enders

Title: In the Afterlight

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Series: The Darkest Minds #3

Buy here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Tell me: what new releases will YOU be buying immediately? Let me know in the comments below! 

Waiting on Wednesday (8): ALL FALL DOWN

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: All Fall Down

Author: Ally Carter

Series: Embassy Row #1

Release date: 

Summary: Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things: 

1. She is not crazy. 

2. Her mother was murdered. 

3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay. 

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her--so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands. 

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace--no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. 

Her past has come back to hunt her...and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world all stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down. 

Thoughts: I have read the first three books in Ally Carter's Heist Society series, and absolutely loved them. They are the perfect mix of contemporary and adventure. And they're so wonderful because the situations may be crazy out there, but the characters are so real and relatable, even when they're doing the unimaginable. What I love the most about Carter's books are that they are just so much FUN, even when the plot may be a little serious. So I can't wait to pick this new series up! 

Tell me: what are YOU waiting on this week? And have you read any Ally Carter books? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! 

Top Ten Tuesday (6): Top New Series I Want to Start

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish! 

1. The Winner's Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski

I have been pining for this book for SO LONG. And if you saw my new unboxing video, then you know that I just placed a Book Outlet order revolving entirely around getting this book. So I finally have it in my possession, and hopefully will actually be getting to it soon, in time for the second book to release! 

2. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

I'll be totally honest. When this book first came out, my mom kept seeing it and asking "Does it sound good? Should we get it?" And I was super "meh" about it. And I DON'T KNOW WHY. It sounds so awesome, and it has gotten so many rave reviews. Since the sequel just came out, I'm know DYING to know what all the hype was about! 

3. The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

Dude. This book is a YA, dark, SUPERHERO series. I am SO there. Since I wrote my "Favorite TV Shows" post, you should know how much I love superheroes. Another clue? My favorite blanket is a Spider-Man blanket that we found in the kid's bedding aisle at Walmart. Yep. Definitely want to read this series! 

4. The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson

I honestly hadn't even heard of this book at all until it was being raved about on booktube. And I listened! I've heard great things about this book, so I'd like to read it as soon as possible, to get a jump start on this series! 

5. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I own the first book and my mom has read it, but I haven't gotten around to it. YET. But it sounds absolutely amazing! 

6. Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

There is no end to the praise of this book, and with the second book being released later this year, I feel like it's definitely time for me to buy this book and get into this series! 

7. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd 

The third book comes out soon, and these sound SO COOL. Retellings of classic literary stories? I LIVE for that kind of thing. Retellings are where it's at. 

8. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Another book that I hadn't heard much about until booktube. Some people have really loved it, and I keep seeing it at Half Price Books. With the second book's cover being revealed recently, I'm getting more and more intrigued! 

9. Reboot by Amy Tintera

This is only a duology, so it's definitely something I'm interested in picking up and marathoning through. And it has SUCH a cool concept. Totally dying for this one! 

10. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

My mom and I are total horror buffs. We love every horror movie: slasher, ghosts, vampires, aliens, disease, possession...you name it, we are there. I've heard really awesome things about this creepy read, so it sounds like something we would both enjoy! 

Tell me: what new series do YOU want to read? Be sure to check out the Broke and the Bookish for their post, as well as the Linky to other Top Ten Tuesday posts! 

Book Birthdays! -- October 21, 2014

Time for another book birthday round-up! This week, there are too many new BIG releases, so this should be short and sweet! 

*Note: when celebrating birthdays for books in a series other than Book 1, I will not list the summary, in the interest of avoiding spoilers. If you've read the first books in the series, or are just insanely curious, follow the book title link to the Goodreads page to read the summary there! 

Standalones 

Title: Beware the Wild

Author: Natalie C. Parker

Summary: It's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp--the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed. 

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance--and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her. 

Buy here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Series Continuers

Title: Stone Cold Touch

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: The Dark Elements #2

Buy here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository 

Title: Blue Lily, Lily Blue

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Raven Cycle #3

Buy here: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Tell me: which of these new releases are YOU the most excited for? Let me know in the comments below! 

Favorite TV Shows

I'm almost finished with Shiver, so I'll have another review up soon. But for today, I thought I'd take a mini-break from talking about books and talk about something else I'm completely obsessed with: TV shows! I have about 50 TV shows on my Netflix queue, and I watch probably way too much TV live, but I absolutely love it! And I'm always discovering new shows to check out. Today, I'm just going to mention a few of my absolute FAVORITES, and a couple new shows that have already captured my heart.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I'm a diehard fan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so of COURSE I was going to make the jump to the TV show when it started last year. And when I realized it was a Mutant Enemy show (which is Joss Whedon's production company), I knew I would absolutely love it. While Joss is not actually the showrunner, his brother and sister-in-law are, and it has all the hallmarks of a Whedon production: twisty plots, loveable characters, and ridiculously snappy dialogue. It's so much fun to see who from the MCU will make fantastic cameos in the show, both in person and just in reference. It's also great to see how the show and the movies get tied to each other. Last year, the show and the MCU became inextricably twined together, with the show foreshadowing the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the movie having huge plot ramifications on the show. I've always been desperate to see the movies as soon as they released in theaters, but watching this show has made seeing the movies on opening weekend almost a necessity, and I'm totally okay with that. 

Once Upon a Time: Fairy tale retellings are pretty much where it's at, and I've been obsessed with this show since before it even started. I love the way this show twists all of the most familiar tales into this amazing mythology specific to the show. For instance, Rumplestiltskin is not only the land's most dangerous sorcerer, but he is also Captain Hook's crocodile, as well as the Beast to Belle's beauty. I've loved their take on the Wicked Witch, and though I was wary of how they'd pull it off, I am, so far, very intrigued with season four's Frozen storyline. Also, this show has no end to its swoonworthy men, featuring Sheriff Graham (*sob*), August W. Booth, Prince Charming, Neal Cassidy, Robin Hood and my personal favorite, Killian Jones, aka Captain Hook. This show pretty much has it all! 

Red Band Society: This one is a brand new show for the fall 2014 season, and I'm already in love with it. I was a little wary about it at first, but after watching the first episode, I knew I was hooked. The show has so much heart, obviously, but it's also funny as hell, thanks in great part to Octavia Spencer's fabulously snarky Nurse Jackson. All of the kids are fabulous, and of course I love Dave Annable. This is one new show that I just can't wait to tune into every week! 

Doctor Who: Confession: I just became a Whovian last year. But in that year, I watched all seven seasons of the new series, catching up in time to watch the 50th anniversary special live with the rest of the world. And God, do I love it now. I cried, I laughed, I gasped. I just couldn't stop watching it. I've been horrible at keeping up with this season (Saturday nights are usually spent watching movies, not TV), but I've got On Demand, so I can catch up whenever I've got time! Confession 2: Christopher Eccleston is MY Doctor. As much as I adore David and Matt (and Peter, at least in the two episodes I've seen so far), I will always have a special spot in my heart for the leather jacket-wearing Doctor who brought the series back. (The first series finale KILLED ME. Buckets of tears.) 

Scandal: This should come as no shock. Many people love Scandal. I am just one in the crowd. Though you may be shocked to hear that I ship Jake and Olivia, not Fitz and Olivia. I love Fitz, but once Jake came in the picture, I was all over it. Also, this show has made me absolutely loathe the state of Vermont. 

How to Get Away With Murder: This is another new show for the fall 2014 season, but it's a Shonda Rhimes show, and since I love Scandal so much, obviously I was going to tune in for Viola Davis. Also, Dean Thomas (Harry Potter), Officer Bennett (Orange is the New Black), and Paris Gellar (Gilmore Girls) are all on this show about lawyers and murder. How could I NOT love it?

The Mindy Project: Last spring, I discovered my love for this show. That means that I missed the first season and a half, but I'm totally hooked. I love Mindy Kaling and her sense of humor, and DANNY CASTELLANO. Chris Messina is seriously perfect on that show. His dance to Aaliyah's "Try Again" was one moment in TV last year that I literally replayed at least a dozen times. Here, just watch it. You'll fall in love with Danny Castellano, too. 

American Horror Story: I only joined this show during the second season, Asylum, but man it is SO GOOD. My mom and I are horror buffs, so a show like this was right up our alley. I love that every season is different, so we get a complete story every year. I also adore the actors on the show. Jessica Lange is a goddess, and Evan Peters is so wonderful (and adorable.) Freak Show started last week, and I'm loving it so far! 

Haven: Why is that Syfy Original Movies are SO BAD, but their shows are SO GOOD? One of my professors watches Haven, and my mom loves Stephen King, so I decided to start this show on Netflix earlier this spring. I flew through the first three seasons in a few weeks, then the fourth season released on Netflix in August, just in time to marathon it before the fifth season started. Now we're in the middle of season five, and it's still so good. I've always loved Eric Balfour. And I have shipped Audrey and Nathan for SO LONG. This show plays on all my feels so well. 

So that's just a FEW of the shows I love so much. If any of these interest you at all, I definitely recommend giving them a shot! Most of the earlier seasons can be found on Netflix streaming, too. 

Tell me: do YOU watch any of the shows mentioned above? Or what other shows do you watch that you recommend I try? Let me know in the comments below! 

Review: THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers

Title: This is Not a Test
Author: Courtney Summers

Summary: It's the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won't stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn't sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she's failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she's forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group's fate is determined less and less by what's happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life--and death--inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to? 

Why I read it: I've heard so many great things about Courtney Summers books, and especially This is Not a Test. So when I made my rather large Book Outlet order and saw this on the site, I knew I had to pick it up. Since it's got zombies, I decided it would be a perfect October read!

Thoughts: I totally understand why everyone loves Courtney Summers so much.

I had high expectations for This is Not a Test, and it fulfilled every one of them. This book has been described as The Breakfast Club with zombies, and I can see that. I've also heard from many a reviewer that this is not really a "zombie book." It's more like a contemporary that just happens to have zombies in it. I honestly think it's a bit of both. I'm having a really hard time putting my feelings into words here.

I really can't go into too much detail on plot or characters because it's a book best read blind. Read it without knowing too much, and just let the words speak for themselves.

However, I do love the characters. All six survivors in the high school, Sloane included, have such a variety of motivations and personality quirks that make them all different. And none of them are purely good or bad. Courtney's teenage characters are extremely realistic, each one having both their own strengths and flaws.

And the writing is marvelous. As I said above, I think this is both a contemporary book AND a zombie book. The heart of the book is the character development for all six characters--especially Sloane--but that doesn't mean that Courtney skimps on the action scenes. Every time the main characters interacted with the dead had me on the edge of my seat.

After I finished this book, I had to go back and read the last few pages again a few times, and really let it all sink in. This is definitely one of those books that make you think, and it's so wonderful and heartbreaking.

Oh, and Courtney is releasing an e-novella sequel in January, titled Please Remain Calm. I am literally jumping up and down in anticipation of another glimpse at this world.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Tell me: have YOU read This is Not a Test? What were your thoughts? 

AND have you read any other Courtney Summers books? If so, which was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!