Random Thought: Upcoming Movies/Adaptations

Okay, this one may be kind of long, but a friend of mine got me thinking about all of the movies I wanted to see this and next year. Some of these movies may not be confirmed yet that they are actually coming out (Some don't make it after they're announced), but these are my top few and why.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy. HOLY CRAP I cannot wait for this movie to come out. It cannot come soon enough. I love all of the Marvel movies and am extremely ashamed to say I haven't read many of the comic books. (I do plan to, though, when I have more money and time) Stan Lee deserves so many awards for coming up with ideas this amazing, I mean, come on, a raccoon, a tree, a green woman and a guy named Star Lord are off to save the universe. ASDFGHJKL. Honestly, this movie looks amazing and halarious and it has Vin Diesel and Benecio del Toro.

2. The Amazing Spider-man Two- Why? Andrew Garfield.

 Need I say more?

No, but really, The Amazing Spider-man charmed me in a way that the originals didn't. To me, Toby McGuire made a really whiny version of one of the coolest superheroes out there. In other words, so much wasted potential. Emma Stone and Andrew just made a better fit, both of their characters are capable, and they don't complain all the time. Plus, #EnemiesUnite !!! What?!? Rhino, Electro, and a gorgeous Green Goblin?! Well, at first anyway, he sort of turns green after a while... (Hopefully he's complicated)

3. The Hobbit: There and Back Again. How could you not want to see this? It's got Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman and Ian McKellan and it'll have Elijah Wood as Frodo in this one *grins happily*. Not only is the cast amazing, the graphics are going to be so amazing, the storyline is awesome, even if it doesn't follow the book, and for God's sake it's The Hobbit!

4.  The Maze Runner. My brother and I both read the book, so now I kind of feel obligated to go. He doesn't read many books. Although, I have seen the trailer, and it looks as though it's going to follow the book fairly well. The book was awesome and new and original, and I really hope that the movie follows it as well as it promises too.

5. How To Train Your Dragon Two. I really love animated, Disney-esque sorts of movies. They're fluffy and adorable and Hiccup has stubble in this one. Cate Blanchet is his mother *.* and I just am so excited I even have a poster :D

6. Mockingjay Part One. Do I really need to explain why I want to see this? Francis Lawrence is a gift from God, and Jennifer Lawrence deserves all of the awards. But Finnick...*sobs*

7.  Malificent. Oh, I think this one is going to be cool. Angelina Jolie stars as Malificent, and you get to see Sleeping Beauty from her point of view. Oh, Jolie is going to be a perfect Malificent, she has a great voice for the part. (It's not animated though)

Malificent when she's going to go see the baby princess...

8. Into the Woods. I've watched the play a whole bunch of times at my school, and I really think the plot line is interesting. A whole bunch of fairy tales combine so they are all happening on the same night in the same woods. Besides the totally cool story and the fact that I already love the play, the cast consists of: Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine, and Anna Kendrick. And those are only some of them!! 

9. The Other Woman. This really doesn't have to do with anything, it just looks hilarious. It stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton, and Nicki Minaj is in it as well. It appears as though it's going to be witty and fluffy, and I figure I have to see just maybe one sort of movie of this kind before the end of the year, so not everything is so angsty.

As for movies I don't want to see. 

The Giver. I read the book for my English class last year, and it isn't that bad of a book. It wasn't my favorite, but then again, it was for class. I was planning on going to see the movie, until I saw the trailer. It's like they took the book and changed it into some sort of action movie with heart stopping action and romance and while I like Brendon Thwaites he's too old to be Jonas. Weird, how you can have amazing book to movie adaptations like the Hunger Games and then you have this. I won't judge yet though, if the reviews are good enough I might go see it.

Godzilla. I have a feeling this movie is going to be one of those shaky-camera action movies, where you can't see the fight, you can just hear the grunts of pain from the two participants. It's going to have a lot of angst and debate and a little romance in there and a monster who destroys New York. Nothing we haven't all seen before. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yes, it's becoming a movie, and yes, it has Megan Fox. While it looks like a cute, comedy, superhero movie, I don't think I want to spend seven dollars plus gas to go see it. Maybe if a friend buys it when it's out on DVD I'll see it, but it just doesn't have that 'wow' factor with me.

Batman vs. Superman. I didn't like Man of Steel, and the only Batman I really liked was The Dark Knight, with Heath Ledger as the Joker. Once again, I don't like the shaky-camera action scenes all that much, and that is just about all that Man of Steel was. Over the top violence does not make a movie good! Another thing, why would Batman and Superman fight?

Anyway, so that's an abbreviated list of the movies I do and do not want to see in the future. :D

xxAvalon

DNF Review: The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

Title: The Brokenhearted
Author: Amelia Kahaney

Rating: One Star

Synopsis:

 Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it.

The Dark Knight meets Cinder in this gripping and cinematic story of heartbreak and revenge. From Alloy Entertainment, this inventive new superhero story is sure to captivate any reader.

Cover:

Why it sucked:
When I saw this book, it looked awesome. It had a gorgeous cover, a pretty cool name, and an interesting synopsis. And yet...

Our main character was not only just inconsistent, she was inconsistent to things she claimed to be consistent about. She was loyal to her ballet, she skips practice...everyday. She was a level-headed girl who made clear choices, she follows a cute stranger around like a puppy dog. She was afraid of losing her virginity, she knows a guy for one week and sleeps with him.

The characters were not only inconsistent, but unbelievable. I couldn't even force myself to believe that this was 'actually' happening.

Gavin. What the fuck, mate? Seriously, you just meet this girl in a club, mind you, so you think she's pretty and paint a gorgeous, breathtaking, life size picture of her...in less than a few days. Yeah, okay, that's totally believable. And then you take her to your secret lair where almost no one has ever been before the second day you've known this chick. And then you sleep with her?!?

I took away one star for the the stupidity of Anthem. Another for the unbelievable characteristics of Gavin. Another for the zero world-building. Another because the author's presence was clearly felt in the story, and I'm not talking writing style. You could feel the author breathing down your neck as you read, it was sort of obvious that she got too excited about the story while writing it, and didn't take any time to actually develop anything properly.

I can't say I'm entirely sure why I even gave it one star. Maybe because I didn't finish it and I felt bad about that? Whatever.

For anyone who read the synopsis, just please know that this was nothing like Cinder, which was a fantastic and captivating retelling of Cinderella, nor was it like The Dark Knight, where at least the Joker was pretty freaking awesome. The instalove and the pathetic-ness of Anthem and Gavin just distracted me from the actual plot of the book...actually, I think that was the plot...


xxAvalon

Most Highly Anticipated Books of 2014

For me, anyway. :D

1. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
My NUMBER ONE favorite series. I absolutely LOVE these books, mostly because I admire Hodkin's ability to craft a book mixing such haunting and disturbing elements together, and still being able to make the story line crystal clear with little staccato bursts of hilarity.
2. The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
I really like all of Julie Kagawa's books, including her other series, the Iron Fey. I like the originality of the series, and how she crafted two mythological things (faeries for the Iron Fey and vampires for the Immortal Rules) and she not only made them good, she made them badass.
3. The One by Kierra Cass
I'm not really sure why I like this series so much. It's just so...frustrating.
4. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
I generally don't like realistic fiction, but between John Green and Stephanie Perkins my love for the genre has increased dramatically.
5. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Before I begin here I just want to put something out there: I truly hate Rick Riordan.
This series has been beloved by my brother and me since we were little kids, and as soon as I heard there was going to be a spinoff, I was a little bit skeptical of how it was going to turn out. So, I borrowed the first book from the library...and then I bought every single Rick Riordan book there was. Which, by the way, cost me a TON of money. Anyway, time went on and my heart became crushed because of his characters and if you get one thing out of this, don't read a Riordan book unless you are prepared to get your heart ripped out of your chest.
6. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bugardo
I really like the Russian feel of these books. I honestly think it may be the only worthwhile piece of Russian mythology-ish dystopian book out there. All of the characters are well-developed and interesting, even if they aren't likeable. Like the Mara Dyer series, it has a very haunting feel with little bits of humor that make it interesting.
7. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
I seriously considered not putting this book on the list because I am seriously NOT looking forward to the heart wrenching pain I know I am going to go through when I finish it. Seven character deaths. NOT FUNNY CASSIE
8. Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins
This series is seriously adorable and hot. I really like Kaidan, and while some of the writing makes it a bit obvious that Higgins is a new author, the idea for the series in itself had great potential, and she really worked with that potential well. I truly enjoy reading these books and they always make me smile.
9. Between the Spark and the Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke 
I liked Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea a lot, and while it was a little bit odd, I'd give the first book a four star review. The second book I hope is as good as the first, although I have my doubts about Neely :(
10. Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout
(Is that what it's called???) Anyway, the final book in the Lux series. I love Daemon and Katy, and the pacing in these books was the most perfect thing ever. I like that Armentrout realizes that not all of the beginning stages of the plot has to happen in one book. It takes time for things to develop and escalate, and not all series have to be crammed into three books.

Anyway, this is my list of the books coming out this year that I will buy and read ASAP. Really, they're just continuations of series I've grown attached to over the last few years.


xxAvalon

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I'm back!!! I'm sorry about the long...long...LONG break...haha...really.  I'm quite ashamed. Anyway, I finally have some time thank you Spring Break so I'm hoping I'll have some more time to post a whole bunch now. :D (maybe even some videos)

Anyway, back to the book review.

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Source: Bought it off of Amazon.com
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:  I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?
Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.
What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.
My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!
Cover:

Dorothy Must Die was definitely one of the best re-imaginings I've read in a long time. Amy Gumm was likeable and fiery, (Side Note: I think YA authors are finally getting the message that strong heroines = GOODNESS) and the book kept me hooked all the way through.

I've never been a big fan of The Wizard of Oz, or any of the Hollywood productions of the film. Before Dorothy Must Die, I'd  never heard of or taken any interest into any re-tellings of the story, but I have to say, this book made up for all of my misgivings.

Amy Gumm. Amy is sarcastic and rude, and she's not afraid to push the limits. One of the first scenes in the book is when she gets into a fight with a pregnant girl, right before having to go home and deal with her alcoholic mother who stopped caring about her when she was nine. Amy transformed a lot during the story, and maybe that's one of the reasons I loved it so much was the character development. She could take an experience of any type and take a lesson out of it, or at least appreciate it's worth later on, no matter how upset she was about it at first.

When a tornado hits Amy's small town in Kansas, she is whisked away to Oz, where she is greeted by a mysterious boy and a punk munchkin named Indigo. When she is taken in by Princess Dorothy's new hooligans, Amy is facing a certain death sentence. Until, that is, she is rescued by a powerful witch and taken back to the headquarters for the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. The Wicked witches who once hated each other are working together now, recruiting whoever is willing to stand up to evil Dorothy, to take the princess down. Above everything else, one thing is ranked atop their priorities: Dorothy must die.

The love interest(s) in this story was a bit odd. I wasn't entirely sure how to feel about Pete, other than I found Amy's reaction to him a bit harsh. I liked him well enough, but he wasn't even a big character until about the end of the book. Then there was a big plot twist (which I won't reveal). But anyway, Pete really wasn't an object to drool over. The other love interest (if you could call Pete a love interest), Nox, was a bit more drool worthy, although we didn't really get a good picture of what he was like.

Which is why I had to take a away the last star. Despite the fact that I really enjoyed this book, it lacked some serious descriptive qualities. Paige would explain certain things, but it was never enough to paint a clear picture of the scenery, or the characters. One of the reasons I was so confused on how to feel about Pete was because I never really got a clear depiction of his personality, his looks, or even how he sounded.

All in all, this was a great book, it just needed a bit more of a clear picture. It had a great setup for a sequel, and I fully plan on reading the ebook prequel No Place Like Oz. I'm hoping for a bit more developed relationship between Nox and Amy in the next book, and I can't wait to hear more on how she's going to be completing her task given to her by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

xxAvalon