Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: 14 June 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 1416963839

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 400

Websites:

Sarah Rees Brennan - Official Site

Sarah Rees Brennan - Blog 

Sarah Rees Brennan - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: London, England

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: Magic was like a special guest in Sin’s life.

Demon's Lexicon Series Order

Book 1: Demon's Lexicon

Book 2: Demon's Covenant

Book 3: Demon's Surrender

As with Demon's Covenant I was really wary about the POV changed that occurs with Demon's Surrender perhaps even more so this time since I had liked Mae going into Covenant and didn't really know what I thought of Sin prior to Surrender. I shouldn't have worried though as Brennan has once again provided me with an amazing story that I hated to have end. While I didn't like being in Sin's head as much as Mae's or Nick's I did still like seeing the story from her perspective. I enjoyed learning more about her and what makes her tick and this book changed my opinion of her entirely. I think that parts of her story were a little predictable but I don't really mind that. I am glad that certain events happened because sometimes you really just need for things to work out. 

As with the previous two books there is lots of action and humor packed into this story. The events pick up shortly after Covenant ends and all the story lines from the previous books are wrapped up nicely. What's nice though is there there is still enough left for the reader to imagine and hope that there might be more set in this world. But at the same time it all ends so perfectly that even if that never happens (which probably won't) then the reader is left satisfied with how things ended up. Nick and Jamie's scenes also continue to be my favorite and my one complaint is that there weren't enough of them in this book. Though I probably wouldn't be satisfied if Brennan wrote an entire book of just Jamie and Nick interacting so I'm probably not a good judge of just how much they were in the book. 

Of the three books in the series, Demon's Surrender isn't my favorite (that belongs to Demon's Covenant) but I still enjoyed it and the series wouldn't be the same without this installment. This book also fully cemented my love for Sarah Rees Brennan's writing and I can't wait until the next thing she comes up with. If you haven't checked out her books yet then what are you waiting for? They are filled with smart, witty writing, believable characters that you fall in love with and some really amazing story ARCs. I'm a total fan girl for life and I can't believe I waited so long to read her stuff. Although I am glad at the same time I was able to devour all books in the series at once. That waiting between books can be such a killer!

What I Watched This Week - 30 Oct 2011

What I watched this week is a weekly feature here on the blog where I discuss the tv shows and movies that I watched during the week. This post has been inspired by Galleysmith's weekly TV Talk and Pop Culture Junkie's monthly TV/Movie Recap. As always if you haven't watched the episode mentioned then you might want to skip the recap as I will not be avoiding spoilers.

What I Watched 

This week...the tv junkie in me really comes out to play as I try to catch up on some shows. This will probably continue next week as I have a whole season of Merlin to catch up on.

Merlin - The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Part 1 (3x01) and Part 2 (3x02)
Merlin - Goblin's Gold (3x03)
How I Met Your Mother - Noretta (7x07)
Hart of Dixie - Faith and Infidelity (1x05)
American Horror Story - Pilot (1x01)
Merlin - Gwaine (3x04)
American Horror Story - Home Invasion (1x02)
American Horror Story - Murder House (1x03)
Merlin - The Crystal Cave (3x05)
American Horror Story - Halloween Part 1 (1x04)
Revenge - Intrigue (1x06)

Sunday 

Merlin - The Tears of Uther Pendragon: Part 1 (3x01) and Part 2 (3x02) -  Finally getting around to watching series 3 of this wonderful show. This one picks up about a year after Series 2 ends with Arthur and Merlin searching for Morgana. I love the bromance between Merlin and Arthur their scenes are always so funny and I'm glad to see it continuing this series. I don't like this weak willed Morgana though and even though its all just a ruse its a bit hard to watch on screen. She tends to excel at scheming and being evil. I've also got to shake my head at this show that no one ever sees all the things that Merlin does magically. AND that Morgana  somehow managed to take credit for saving the kingdom when she is the one who is trying to bring it down from within. Oh Uther you are so blind and it will be your downfall. Though I am sure it will make for some good tv to watch Morgana and Merlin battle it out.

Monday

Merlin - Goblin's Gold (3x03) - In this episode Merlin accidently releases a  goblin....seriously when will the boy learn that sometimes things in locked boxes in hidden rooms are locked and hidden away for a reason...but as he hasn't learned that yet there are many shenanigans to be had. Part of the shenanigans involve the goblin possessing Gaius and then him going about the castle stealing gold and putting small curses on people. What I found a bit out of place with this episode is that it took so long for people to realize that Gaius was possessed. But then, if they realized it right away then there wouldn't have been an episode. And I really don't mind them taking so long because this was one of the funnier episodes in the series.

How I Met Your Mother - Noretta (7x07) -  Jake is back! I love when Barney's brother comes to visit. Though I don't like the images he put in my head of Barney dating his mother. Lol I also loved the brewing bromance between Kevin and Ted. Kevin fits in so nicely with the group and I liked how he sacrificed a night just to go with Ted to the Weird Al Yanovic concert. That's love. I also think that with all the disasters that Nora and Barney faced on their date they should see the writing on the wall and know that the universe doesn't want them together. All in all I enjoyed this episode. Even those crazy awkward bits when Lily and Marshall where imagining that the other was their dad.

Hart of Dixie - Faith and Infidelity (1x05) - I know that I saw this every single week...but why can't Zoe and Wade just get together already?!? Its like sex on screen when they are together...so much chemistry. I'm glad this episode showed Zoe doing something more than making goo-goo eyes at George and vice versa...AND that George was seen outside of Lemon's orbit and doing guy things with the mayor. Although it wasn't long before Lemon roped him back in, threw a tantrum and got everything she wanted. There are moments when I like Lemon and then there are others I just want to smack her and toss her into a big city so she can see that the world doesn't revolve around her. This episode was fun though as Zoe thinks that she broke the town because she thought the pastor (or his wife) was having an affair since they both had syphilis. She felt so bad and did what she could to fix it....go Zoe...you'll find your place in Bluebell before you know it. And could Wade get any cuter by going up on a roof every month to sing badly to talk his father down? Why can't boys be like that in real life?

Tuesday

American Horror Story - Pilot (1x01) - Its really hard seeing Coach Taylor's wife in another role. I know she has to move on but I still haven't watched Season 5 of Friday Night Lights because I'm in denial that the show is over. Overall I'm not really sure what to think about the pilot. It was really weird and a little hard to figure out what is going on. I'm sure that this is all just set up for some big reveals that will happen over the course of the series...but for now I just find it so odd. I'm also amazed at all the stuff they this show got away with airing on tv. I really am curious about Constance and why she is always in the house...and her statement to Moira about killing her again? That is just so mystifying. I'm not entirely sold on this show but I think I might check out a few more episodes before I fully decide one way or the other.

Merlin - Gwaine (3x04) - We get to meet Gwaine in this episode...I adore me some Gwaine. I also don't get why everyone seems to fall for Guenevere. Merlin has his moments and then there was Lancelot and Arthur and now Gwaine. I think she's nice and I like her a lot but I don't think she's all that beautiful...though since she is one of the only really female characters on the show the guys don't have many options. Its not like Morgana is available...she's too busy being all evil and plotting to overthrow Uther. I should also mention that I did like Gwen and Lancelot together. I love how this one explores just what it means to be a knight - actions vs title alone. Its also sad how yet again an able and experienced fighter is turned away because they don't think he is of noble blood. Granted Gwaine is keeping his parentage a secret but Lancelot was turned away too. Its positively amazing that they are able to maintain a while army of knights. Though I am sure that it won't be long before Gwaine returns.

Wednesday

American Horror Story - Home Invasion (1x02) - Wow...so much death happened in this house! Its crazy. Though I do like how the start of every episode starts with an event from the past. So now Violet is friends with the girl who used to bully her and she then terrorized in the basement of her house? Weird. Constance also gets weirder and weirder as the show progresses. Why is she always at the house and why does she want to poison Violet with those cupcakes. Why is Tate always there and so willing to do crazy and psychotic things? This time he actually kills the intruders and then helps Constance to hide the bodies. I'm beginning to think that maybe Tate might not be real. Or maybe Tate is one of Constance's other children. I admit...this show is spooky but I am curious now to see where things are going.

American Horror Story - Murder House (1x03) - ZOMG...we finally got a few answers about Constance. She used to live in the house and killed Moira...but how did she bring her back? How can Moira be so corporeal if she's dead? And does this mean that Constance's husband will be lurking about too? I'm also really curious about the first owners of the house - the doctor and his wife in the 20s. What is their full story? I think its safe to say that I am totally hooked on this show now. I want to know all of the things. Just who is real and who might be a ghost. Is the burned man really real? Or not. And poor Hayden. She was one crazy girl but she didn't deserve to be killed and then buried in the back yard. How will Ben be able to live with knowing what is under that gazebo? And if Hayden comes back...she's gonna be one angry ghost.

Merlin - The Crystal Cave (3x05) - Why is it that The Doctor or Silk from the Belgariad can say trust me and I"m all comforted and trust him...but then someone such as Prince Arthur says it and I have the exact opposite reaction? Arthur says trust me a lot at the start of this one...and it never ends well. I love that the Great Dragon returns once again and stupid stupid Merlin for not listening to him....again! You'd think that he'd have learned his lesson by now. And its not a good thing to bring Morgana back from certain death. Merlin knows she is up to no good and they'd all be better off. But Merlin burdened by the sorrows of those around him and learning that she is Arthur's sister....well...he was moved to go against what might be right for the kingdom. Just as Uther's guilt at having a bastard daughter allows her to get away with everything. Which is rather an about face from Series 1 Uther who was tossing her into dungeons and threatening to kill her. It will be curious to see where things go from here but all in all this was a great episode in the series.

American Horror Story - Halloween Part 1 (1x04) - I felt so bad for Addy in this episode! She is such a nice girl...albeit a creepy one. But Constance was so mean in constantly telling her she was ugly and could never be a pretty girl. Then do that about face and help Addy to become a pretty girl after all. I swear I don't understand that woman...at all. I also wonder if Addy will be brought back to life from being pulled onto the lawn...and if so just what is it about that house/lawn that can do that? I liked how this one showed more of the ghosts appearing at once and I am more convinced than ever that Tate is a ghost and also Constance's son - the non-deformed one who died. I also think that Tate might be the creepy figure in the black latex suit. Who knew latex could be so scary? And its not like the suit does much of anything but stand there. Yes it killed the gay couple and has probably killed others...but mostly it just stands there creepily in the background and oozes potential violence. This show is just so creepy and I am so baffled and curious by it at the same time. I can't wait until next week to see the rest of this two part episode.

Saturday

Revenge - Intrigue (1x06) - Oh security man you were a bad bad boy last week and now Emanda is gonna make sure you are taken down. This will work out well for her plans for the Grayson's as without their security man to do their dirty work then they will be more vulnerable. I also love how petty Conrad was when he fired him. "You breached my trust when you told my wife about the check I wrote to my mistress. I can't trust your loyalty so you are gone." But no mention how he tried to kill Lydia (at least I don't think he did, there was an issue with my DVR recording so missed part of their convo). Speaking of petty, can Jack be more petty in making Daniel work the 4th of July?And Tyler...silly Tyler...you really don't know who you are messing with when you cross Emanda. She is on to your little con to try & steal Daniel's life and she is going to make you fall very hard. So enjoy being all buddy buddy with Victoria and Conrad while you can because its only a matter of time. I also wonder how Emanda is going to take the news of Nolan defecting....and who knew all it took was a a few threats and punches from security man Frank? But as much as Emanda says she doesn't want Nolan involved in her little plots to destroy the Hampton elite she is probably not going to let her little puppy go so easily. Its one thing for her to tell him to go away...quite another for someone else to meddle in her affairs and get him to quit. Poor Frank....you were getting off easy before...you should have bowed out gracefully. Not sure what went on with Declan this week as I mostly turned out his scenes....though I did see eh almost got his ass kicked by some burly fisherman. Tragically though big brother Jake and Daniel stepped in to save the day. *le sigh* As campy as this show can be it is delightfully fun.

#YASpooktacular Party Time Continues with You Attack by Amy Garvey

For those of you just coming into the story please be sure to head over to Reading Teen and start at the beginning. For those who are making their way through Party Time I hope that you enjoy this installment. First up here is a little background:

YA Spooktacular is hosted by Nikki at Wicked Awesome Books and Danielle at Frenzy of Noise. Here is what they have to say about it:

This year, there are three stories written by some of your favorite authors that will be posted throughout the week. Each story is a choose your adventure, where you get to decide what path to send the character down. Sometimes you live, sometimes you die, and sometimes you fall into a pit of no return.

There are also some TRICKS or TREATS scattered throughout the story, where you can enter to win prizes and get bonus points toward the prize packs. On Halloween day, the grand prize pack will be posted. You can click the banner above to see a full list of the YASpooktacular prize packs! 

All caught up? Good.  On to the story!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You attack by Amy Garvey

You don’t even think – you simply launch yourself forward, screaming like no one has ever screamed before.

You’re pushing, swinging, anything to get to Stace – and around the thing that’s standing between you.

You’re operating on pure instinct now, blood racing hot and fast as the smell of the thing swamps you. It’s dark and dirty, rotten animal and stale sweat, and when your fist makes contact with its chest, all you can feel is greasy fabric, stiff with something you don’t even want to imagine.

You don’t even know if he—she, it—is human. Your other fist lobs out, brushing matted hair and something wet, and you just screaming, over and over.

“Stace! Stace, where are you? Stace!”

The thing grunts, swings back, and something ragged and sharp slices into your cheek. You scream louder, twisting away, one hand to your face. Blood oozes through your fingers, sticky and sickening.

“Stace!”

You hear her muffled whimper somewhere to the right, and then a crash.

You open your mouth to yell again just as the thing lunges at you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Continue to the end at Supernatural Snark (http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/)

Make sure you visit Lisa M. Potts (http://virginsheets.blogspot.com/) tomorrow and enter to win the prize pack for story 2! 

And visit http://www.wickedawesomebooks.com/ or http://www.frenzyofnoise.net/ on October 31st to enter the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY for a ton of books and a ton of swag!!

Author bio:

Amy Garvey has always been a reader. She’s also been a movie theater ticket taker, a nanny, a camp counselor, and a romance editor. Now she’s a wife and a mom and a writer who still spends most of her free time reading (when she’s not watching too much TV). After starting off in romance with books like Hot Date and Pictures of Us, she’s writing in the genre she’s always loved most, young adult fiction. Cold Kiss is now available from HarperTeen.

You can find Amy on Twitter, on her blog, and on Goodreads:

Blog: http://amygarveywrites.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/amygarvey

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146986.Amy_Garvey

You can order her books at the following places:

Amazon

B&N

The Book Depository

Click the image to be directed to the YA Spooktacular main page

What I Watched This Week - 23 Oct 2011

What I watched this week is a weekly feature here on the blog where I discuss the tv shows and movies that I watched during the week. This post has been inspired by Galleysmith's weekly TV Talk and Pop Culture Junkie's monthly TV/Movie Recap. As always if you haven't watched the episode mentioned then you might want to skip the recap as I will not be avoiding spoilers.

What I Watched 

How I Met Your Mother - Mystery vs History (7x06)
Hart of Dixie - In Havoc and In Heat (1x04)
Revenge - Duplicity (1x04)
Grimm - Pilot (1x01) (online preview)
Revenge - Guilt (1x05)

Once Upon a Time - Pilot (1x01) (online preview) 

Monday

How I Met Your Mother - Mystery vs History (7x06) - This dress really made me realize just how perfect Robin and Barney are together. They were just so in sync with this episode and had many awe moments. I loved how they ganged up together to do background checks on all of Ted's dates. That was too funny. Though this episode also made me like Robin's new boyfriend Kevin. He fits in well with the group. Its strange though you see Kevin around the gang alot but rarely see Nora. To me this doesn't bode well for her future. Part of me kind of wants Kevin and Nora to get together and be added to the group and then have Robin and Barney get married. I also agree with Ted that there is much about our modern life that kills some of the fun of debates and ruins that mystery. My friends and I would argue for hours sometimes about something and be fine with never coming to a conclusion. Now the debate can be instantly settled with a simple google search. So that is a bit sad making. So I enjoyed Ted going on to try and do a background free date and loved his regression when he learned just how amazing ex-GREEK Ashley was. I also though it was really cute how they revealed to Lily & Marshall they were having a boy. Now they can get rid of that horrible yellow paint that they putting in the room. Speaking of colors....could Robin's pants have been any more red? So bright!

Hart of Dixie - In Havoc and In Heat (1x04) - I love Wade!! There is just so much chemistry between Wade and Zoe you can almost touch it. It was s heartbreaking when she came so close to giving in to her feelings and then backing away at the last moment. Wade looked so crushed. I know the writers will probably draw them out for as long as they can...but grr...I just want them together now. This episode also really made me feel for George. He's a nice guy but he doesn't have much chemistry with Zoe or Lemon...and this episode made it clearer than ever that Lemon is in love with LaVonne Hays. I don't get why Lemon and LaVonne aren't together. Hopefully that mystery will be solved soon. This episode also sees Zoe settling into Bluebell a little more and she even got some patients from her curmudgeon of a partner...progress! Though she still doesn't quite fit in...she is getting closer.

Tuesday

Revenge - Duplicity (1x04) - The revenge plot continues. This time Emily/Amanda (hereby called Emanda - thanks Sarah Rees Brennan for that) is all set to take down the therapist she had as a child that kept her locked up and away from her dad. Like with some of her other revenge plots she's put a lot of time into this one and has been seeing this woman in a professional basis for over a year. That's some sort of crazy going on that you can talk to a therapist for a year and remain in character and not get the help that you so desperately need. Emanda also furthers her plot against Victoria by driving some wedges between her and her daughter with the release of a tape that has Victoria admitting she wishes her daughter was never born. Oh the drama! Speaking of drama there was lots of puppy man Nolan creeping around in this one. I don't get why he is so determined to help Emanda when she is nothing but evil to him. Although when she needs something from him she doesn't hesitate to use him. I just don't get his motivation. I also don't get why he is so determined to get Emanda together with her childhood friend Jake. I just don't sense the chemistry between them. Although that could be because Emanda spends much of her time being all cold and calculating and Jake is not that. I also don't get what is up with Daniel's friend. Why is he so determined not to just break up Emanda and Daniel but to ruin Daniel's life. Who needs friends when you have enemies like that?

Grimm - Pilot (1x01) - I love the internets! Because of the internet and Twitter I was able to get a link to see the pilot of Grimm. This was one of my most look forward to shows and it did not disappoint. I love the whole concept. I also love that it made me jump within the first few moments. Like I knew once I saw the figuring on the log that something not so nice was going to happen to the runner...but I still jumped when the wolf came in from off screen and tackled her. I like how this show combines my love of fairy tales and my love of crime dramas. Its also got this whole creepy vibe to it that I adore. Awesome special effects and a good mystery to keep the view guessing. I am quit curious to see what it means to be a Grimm and just how all the different fairy tales are going to come into play.

Wednesday 

Revenge - Guilt (1x05) - Oh Nolan...just when I think you can't get any creepier you go and bug Emanda's house. Really? I think she's made it quite clear she doesn't want anything to do with you. Well unless you can aid her in getting her revenge on the elite of Hampton. Although because of his so cleverly disguised whale camera it was mistaken thought to be Lydia's and then shipped to her...so Nolan got to see Lydia come close to discovering Emanda's real identity. This then allowed Nolan to rush to Emanda to confess his creepiness and beg to aid her once again by hiding all the evidence that Emanda isn't who she says she is. Whale cam also allowed Nolan to see Lydia getting murdered by Victoria's goon and so I don't think it'll be long before Nolan is handing that footage over for Emanda to use in her evil plans. One thing I did like in this episode is that it wasn't one that focused on getting rid of someone and didn't conclude with Emanda being all dramatic in drawing an x over someones face. This show is still fun but it is starting to become really cheesy with its drama...the background music just aids to this and often makes me laugh. I'm invested though because I want to see how Emanda continues with her plans and I also live in hope that maybe Declan (of the uber bad accent) will become an innocent casualty and be taken out by a plan gone wrong.

Thursday

Once Upon a Time - Pilot (1x01) - This was another show that I couldn't wait to air. Because as I said above. I adore fairy tales! Unlike Grimm this one is more solidly based on fairy tale lore and I loved the switching back and forth between our modern world with the fairy tale one. Snow White's hair made me laugh in its uber badness and just when you don't think it could get worse she goes and chops it all off in her modern world life....and her ears! Oh my. I also thought that Snow was going to be this kick ass heroine...because I mean...hello...she drew a SWORD at her wedding! But that quickly fizzled and she became this whisy washy girl that I wanted to smack. Hopefully this will change as the series progresses. I did really enjoy Emma and I can't wait to see what effects she has on Storybrook, Maine. Though I think my favorite was Rumpelstiltskin. He is just so delightfully creepy and sinister and seems to be the only one (other than the mayor and Henry) who seems to know the truth about the histories of the towns inhabitants. I also loved trying to place the modern characters with with their fairy tale ones. I thought that the effects were great and the story was wonderful and I long for more. Although I am not sure of its sustainability as once Emma exacts the prophesied revenge on the evil queen and returns the stories to the fairy tale characters....where will things go then?

Press Release: Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow Commericals

 

Photo source: http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/76

YA author Daniel Nayeri makes his solo writing debut on October 25th, when his collection of four novellas,titled Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow releases from Candlewick Press.

In an ambitious promotional project, Nayeri worked with a leading production studio, Plywood Pictures, to produce a series of four commercials to accompany each story from the book.

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow - Toy Farm Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.
 

 

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow - Doom With a View Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo. 

 

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow - Wish Police Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow - Our Lady of Villains Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Says Nayeri about the final clips, "Each of these commercials tries to give a sense of the tone of each story. I tried as hard as I could to keep my nose out of it. The Plywood Pictures guys are pros. They've done this for companies WAY bigger than me. So I said my peace and got out of their way. I love what they came up with. I'd love to see more book commercials, instead of trailers. From a writer's perspective, they didn't mess around with a story that I spent years laboring over. They made their own thing."

Fast Facts about the Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow videos:

1. The visual effects side for "Our Lady of Villains" took about 45 hours..not including at least a day of screen tests and noodling around with the technology.

3. "Toy Farm" was filmed entirely in Plywood Pictures studio with green screen backgrounds. (photo attached). Using stills and some digital camera tracking tools, they were able to fill in the rest of the scenes digitally. The impressive train and trestle were filmed on the green screen, as were the puffs of cotton, but everything else was a conglomeration of various photos of national parks which were sourced online.

4. The real trick for the "Wish Police" commercial was simply the machine. The machine took a couple days to design on paper and then about 2.5 days to build. (early blueprint attached with photo of assembly)

 
About the book:

This bold collection of novellas by Another series author Daniel Nayeri features four riveting tales. These modern riffs on classic genres will introduce young adult readers to a broad range of writing styles that explore universally compelling themes such as identity and belonging, betrayal and friendship, love and mortality.

Straw House: A Western sizzling with suspense, set in a land where a rancher grows soulless humans and a farmer grows living toys.

Wood House: This science-fiction tale plunges the reader into a future where reality and technology blend imperceptibly, and a teenage girl must race to save the world from a nano-revolution that a corporation calls "ReCreation Day."

Brick House: This detective story set in modern NYC features a squad of "wish police" and a team of unlikely detectives.

Blow: A comedic love story told by none other than Death himself, portrayed here as a handsome and charismatic hero who may steal your heart in more ways than one. With humor, suspense, and relatable prose, this hip and cutting-edge collection dazzles. 

Written entirely on an iPhone, this quartet of YA novellas by Another Pan and Another Faust author Daniel Nayeri showcases four different genres.

http://danielnayeri.com/

What I Watched This Week - 16 Oct 2011

What I watched this week is a weekly feature here on the blog where I discuss the tv shows and movies that I watched during the week. This post has been inspired by Galleysmith's weekly TV Talk and Pop Culture Junkie's monthly TV/Movie Recap. As always if you haven't watched the episode mentioned then you might want to skip the recap as I will not be avoiding spoilers.

What I Watched 

How I Met Your Mother - Field Trip (7x05)
Hart of Dixie - Gumbo & Glory (1x03)
Glee - Asian F (3x03)

 

Monday

How I Met Your Mother - Field Trip (7x05) - I am not a fan of the almost beard that Ted is growing. It is not a good look and I hope it goes away soon. I did like the field trip he took with his class though. That was funny - well it became funny when Barney joined in. The focus group part was good and of course the ducky tie was still present. Go ducky tie! I also enjoyed Barney freaking out a bit of Nora and the Ewoks and how he showed real progress in being able to overcome something so randomly important to him (age and love of star wars). Our little man whore is growing up. *wipes away a tear* Though the whole thing with Robin and her therapist was a bit weak. I do like to see her maturing a bit too but....her therapist? Really?

Hart of Dixie - Gumbo & Glory (1x03) - Already I miss the old receptionist but the new girl does have some potential. I also still think that Zoe has better chemistry with Wade than what's his name...the lawyer...and I'm not a fan of this whole potential love triangle thing. The other doctor is still a pompass ass. Why can't he just accept Zoe in the practice? Granted that would relieve tension and there would be this huge plot issue with the show...but still. I'm also over jealous Lemon - its so unbecoming especially since its so hypocritical as she still has feelings for the mayor and so is not totally in love with her lawyer husband. 

Wednesday

Glee - Asian F (3x03) - I really liked how this episode focused on Mike Chang...and I loved that solo dance routine he did - no music and responding to his dad and tina without words. So good. This reminds me a big of the old Glee. And OMG he can really sing! So glad that they FINALLY allowed him to do so. I really hope to see him do it more often. I also loved the scene at the end with his mom. I loved how she encouraged him to follow his dreams and how he taught her to dance.  And of course I loved the football player back up dancers - that is always an entertainment. I'm so over Mercedes as well...this attitude is just uncalled for. Seems everything is everyone elses fault and she is just misunderstood and people look down on her. Why can't she be happy with the double casting? Seems so petty for her to turn it down just because of pride. She'd still have a staring role. I also don't like that it seems she might be pregnant....so what...is that going to be a yearly storyline? Can't the writers come up with something new? I'm also over Rachel. I can't believe that she is trying to take the election away from Kurt. So much for what she said at the start of the episode and I hope that Finn votes for Kurt instead of her. I'm was also not a fan of the random breaking into song/this show is now a musical feel this episode had. Its a Glee Club. Not a musical. Words/scenes should be spoken and the singing should be part of glee club activities. Not as a way to move the story along. Ginger supremacists? Emma's parents are really weird but at least now we know why Emma is the way she is. Best part of the whole episode though...it was a Sue free. Praise be for the little things.

Who wants to go on a Blogger Retreat?

If you are like me then chances are you are probably behind on blog related activities....this could be anything from doing blog maintenance, getting caught up on reviews, or to just have some uninterupted reading time.

So I was thinking about hosting a blogger retreat - the where is still TBD  but will most likely be some where on the east coast and for the when I was thinking of 04-08 October 2012 (although this date isn't set in stone). The idea would be to get 15-20 bloggers together to just do blogger related tasks and to spend a weekend discussing books.

There would be a cost related to this though I'll try to keep it as cheap as possible. This retreat would also be for blogger 18 and up. If you are interested then please fill out the form below and I'll continue to plot ideas out behind the scenes.

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT A FORM IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO THE RETREAT.*

*This is to get an idea on who might be interested and doesn't commit you to going on the retreat.

What I Watched This Week - 09 October 2011

What I watched this week is a weekly feature here on the blog where I discuss the tv shows and movies that I watched during the week. This post has been inspired by Galleysmith's weekly TV Talk and Pop Culture Junkie's monthly TV/Movie Recap. As always if you haven't watched the episode mentioned then you might want to skip the recap as I will not be avoiding spoilers.

What I Watched 
Castle - Heroes & Villains (4x02)
How I Met Your Mother - Stinson Missle Crisis (7x04)
Lost Girl - BrotherFae of the Wolves (2x05)
Hart of Dixie - Parades and Pariahs (1x02)
Revenge - Betrayal (1x03)

The Big Bang Theory - The Wiggly Finger Catalyst (5x03)
Grey's Anatomy - What is it About Men (8x04)   

Sunday

Castle - Heroes & Villains (4x02) - Death by sword? And cut in two? What a way to open. I also loved the Game of Thrones line (which reminds me I really need to get back to watching that show). I love how excited Castle gets over some of the odd cases that Beckett and company get. Like in this weeks one that involved a superhero. He is really just a little boy in an adults body. lol I really liked Alexis in this episode. There was a return to her sweet quirky side but then there is that rebellious teenager that is more typical of her age. She's so wrapped in the boy that she loves that she's losing herself and doesn't even fully realize it  and when daddy points it out rather than face an ugly truth she turns it back on him and gets all teen angsty. I really hope though that Alexis doesn't leave for California in January. I think Castle would be a bit lost without her there.  I'm still not sure about the new captain but time will tell with that one. As for the killer....like Castle I did not see that one coming.

Monday

How I Met Your Mother - Stinson Missle Crisis (7x04) - This was a very odd episode. Robin is seeing a therapist for assault and there is a whole long winded tale as to why the whole thing happened. While on one hand I applaud what she did on the other I can't help but feel sorry for her. She is so into Barney but doesn't want to ruin his happiness by saying so. I also find his whole relationship with Nora to be so over the top sicklingly sweet and it just doesn't seem like Barney. I also really hope that Nora isn't the one he is marrying at the start of the season. I liked her at first but now she just bugs me.

Lost Girl - BrotherFae of the Wolves (2x05) - Why is Dyson always looking for an excuse to take his shirt off? He's not that cute...now his friend Caden on the other hand. Him I like. Too bad he turns out to be a wolf in wolfs clothing (to quote Kenzi). *le sigh* I did like how this episode showed us a bit of Dyson's past though the whole set up to the meeting of Ciara was a bit predictable. Though I do hope that she remains for a while to further help Bo in moving on. I also loved the Mongolian Worm as an old woman controlled by a tv. It was both funny and a sad reflection of how we are obsessed with our shows. 

Tuesday

Hart of Dixie - Parades and Pariahs (1x02) - This show continues to surprise me. I find myself laughing at some of Zoe's small town faux pas. I also really like watching as she tries to find her place in this new life of hers. I enjoy her scenes with neighbor boy and think she has more chemistry with him than with the lawyer. Lemon continues to amuse as the uber debutant and I liked seeing some of her history in this episode. My heart broke a little when I learned how her mother left when she was very young and how she does some of the things she does in the hopes that her mom will return. 

Wednesday

Revenge - Betrayal (1x03) -  There is a part of me that is beginning to wonder about Nolan's motives and if he is as naive and good as her pretends. He is always lurking about and taking much crap from Emily/Amanda and I have to ask myself why? What is in it for him. I also wonder how Declan was able to patch into that video of his love interests bf and the girl he was cheating on her with. Though part of me applauds him not showing it to his love interest (name is escaping me) the video there is this other part that wishes he would. Nice guys shouldn't have to take crap for being nice while the jerk gets away with everything.

Thursday

The Big Bang Theory - The Wiggly Finger Catalyst (5x03) - This was a Raj centric episode and involved him dating a deaf girl. I liked how Holowitz showed some hidden depths in learning sign language and in not translating all that Raj was saying to her. As this would have gotten them both slapped. Though I'm surprised she didn't know more lip reading. Most of the deaf people I have met can do this. But that aside it was great seeing him connect with a girl. Even if she turned out to be a gold digger....and who knew....Raj is rich?! I also liked how Amy Farrah Fowler was barely in this episode. For once I was able to really enjoy the bulk of this episode and not be annoyed every two minutes when she jumps in with a comment. Though the random time jump in the middle of the episode was a bit odd and I did not like. But I'm not a fan of time jumps so this is to be expected.

Grey's Anatomy - What is it About Men (8x04) - An episode without whiny Meredith narrating....sign me up for more of these! I used to like her but now she just rubs me the wrong way and makes me wonder why I am still watching this show. This one was from the view points of the men and I loved it. It was like a breath of fresh air into the show and brought me back to its beginings. I loved the scenes with Sloane and Sofia! He is such a good dad. I also laughed when Sloane went over to Shepard's to steal Avery back and telling Shepard to back off. It was just so little boy cute. I hope that there will be more episodes from the guys POV in the future as this one was a total win for me.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (Audio)

Publisher: Brilliance Audio (Audio); Simon and Schuster (Print)

Source: Publisher

Publication Date: 20 Sept 2011 (Audio); 04 May 2010 (Print)
Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN:  1455824313 (Audio), 1416990666 (Paperback)

Format: Audio

Audio Length: 9 discs (~10 hrs)

Narrator: Suzy Jackson

Websites:

Morgan Matson - Official Site

Morgan Matson - Blog 

Morgan Matson - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Raven Rock, California // Yosemite National Park, California // The Loneliest Road in America // Eureka, Nevada // Delta, Utah // Colorado Springs, Colorado // Wichita, Kansas // Fairfield, Missouri // Louisville, Kentucky // Memphis, Tennessee // Asheville, North Carolina // Richmond, Virginia // Philadelphia, Pennsylvania // Connecticut

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: I sat on the front steps if my house and watched the beige Subaru station wagon swing too quickly around the cul-du-sac.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!

For a long time now I've really wanted to take a road trip across the country but I just haven't had the time to do it. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour allowed me to take that trip and still remain firmly in boring old Massachusetts. It both satisfied my wanderlust but also fed my travel bug as well. 

Amy and Roger meet for the first time in years (they were childhood friends) when Amy needs to get herself and the family car from California to Connecticut where she is moving to. The only catch is that Amy no longer drives - enter in Roger - who is being forced to spend the summer in Pennsylvania with his dad & stepmom. 

At the start of the trip Amy and Roger are very stiff with each other as they are rebooting their friendship. But as they progress across the country you get to see them grow and get to know each other and this makes for a very heart-achy book. Morgan Matson did such a wonderful job with the way the emotions flowed in this book. It was gradual and real and as a listener you find yourself routing for Amy & Roger to become more than friends because you can see that there is something special there. If they just let go of their baggage and open themselves up to something new.

I really liked how Amy and Roger decided to chuck Amy's mothers pre-planned trip and just go where the road led them. It was was healing trip for them both as they faced memories of their past which then allows them to move forward. It also allowed us a reader to get to know them both even though the book is told from Amy's POV. I also liked the little flash backs that occurred throughout the novel where we learn about Amy's demon's and why she has an aversion with driving. Her past isn't some big reveal and its pretty obvious from the start what happens but its not so much about what happened as it is about how Amy remember's what happened. And its through the remembering and the interactions she has with those she meets as she travels across America that help her get over the past.

As with many YA books parents are mostly absent throughout the book. First Roger's mom just drops him off in front of Amy's house. We only see her from a distance through Amy's eyes and she gets no dialogue. I found it odd that she didn't even say hello to Amy. Then there is Amy's mom - who could be a royal b&@#h through most of the phone conversations that we saw her through. I couldn't believe some of the things she said and did. I mean of her two children Amy is the one who was always miss goody two shoes. She was the model child. She got good grades and never got in trouble. The one time she does something radical her mother goes a bit crazy. And yet her brother was constantly doing something wrong and it took YEARS before he faced any consequences. So she was just a very frustrating character for me. With all that Amy was going through taking a few extra days to travel from her old life to her new one shouldn't have been as big a deal as her mother made it into.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour  is an excellent book to listen to in the car (if only I'd been able to listen to it on an epic road trip of my own!) If you haven't checked this one out yet then do so now. It was amazing and I can't wait to see what Morgan Matson writes next.

About the Narrator: 

I loved how Suzy Jackson narrated this book. She really brought Amy to life. She was very believable as a teenage girl and handled the male voices well. She even handled reading off the playlists well. The only thing I wished she had done differently was to try to find a way to articulate the pictures and drawings that were in the physical book. I think that those aspects add to the story and so there was just something missing in the audio since there is no way for the listener to know that they were there.

Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguie (Blog Tour)

Publisher: FaithWords

Source: netgalley

Publication Date: 07 Oct 2011

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 0446570869

Format: ebook

Pages:304

Websites:

Debbie Viguie - Official Site

Debbie Viguie - Blog

Debbie Viguie - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Prague, Czech Republic // French Countryside

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

First Line: The young mother had been by her child's bed throughout the night. (Prologue)

Kiss of Night Series Order

Book 1: Kiss of Night

Book 2: Untitled (assumption its a series based on ending of KoN)

When I was approached a few weeks ago to be on the blog tour for Kiss of Night I jumped at the chance as the premise sounded so intriguing....and have you seen that cover?!? These two things gave me high hopes for this book. Though sadly, I almost put it down after the prologue and the first chapter didn't help much to change those feelings. The prologue was just so out there and even now after finishing the book I still don't get where it fits into the book as a whole.

The story focuses around three different points of view: Susan, David and Raphael. Raphael is a centuries old vampire who was cursed for the sins he committed in his life. He is on a quest to get something back (the something is never really disclosed) and stop a war among vampires from happening. To help him, there is Susan and David and a vampire monk named Paul. Susan and Paul have clearly defined roles in the story but David's was always a mystery. And I found myself bored with his narratives. They seemed more like filler and never really did much to advance the plot. I thought at one point that he might be a potential love interest for Susan but it was quickly made clear that wasn't the case.

I think that I would have liked this book better if it wasn't so opened ended. The plot set up took so long that by the time you find out about the big bad that Rafael needs help with the book is pretty much over. And there were some plot points (like that whole epilogue scene) that was just too predictable that I found myself rolling my eyes. I really wish that there were more plot points that were closed by the end of this novel. I am in such a series fatigue that it takes a lot for me to really want another book and I hate feeling like I'm forced into it. But the only way to know what happens is to read the next book. If there is a next book. I haven't looked super hard but a quick search didn't really reveal much on the issue.

In the end, this was a book that seduced me with a pretty cover and a charismatic synopsis but the first date was a bit of dud. It was hard to retain interest and the dialogue was choppy at best. I gave the book a big chance and read it cover to cover - normally when a date doesn't go well. I make an excuse and leave in the middle but I stuck this one out. So that is something. Though what exactly I couldn't tell you. Kiss of Night wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't for me.

Kiss of Night Blog Tour Schedule

October 3

http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/
http://torilounge.blogspot.com/
http://www.bittenbybooks.com/
http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com/
http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/
http://www.moonlightbookreviews.com/
http://www.edgyinspirationalromance.com/

October 4

http://www.a-fair-substitute-for-heaven.blogspot.com/
http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/
http://www.kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com/
http://www.heartofabookworm.blogspot.com/
http://practicalfrugality.blogspot.com/
http://www.electrifyingreviews.com/
http://myonlyvice.blogspot.com/

October 5

http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/
http://ashleysbookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com/
http://overweight-bookshelf.blogspot.com/
http://www.seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/
http://www.mikeduran.com/
http://www.tickettoanywhere.net/

October 6

http://rbclibrary.wordpress.com/
http://www.reviewsbymolly.com/
http://www.bibliophilesretreat.com/
http://www.bookswithbite.net/
http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
http://www.tinasbookreviews.com/
http://itstimetoreadmamaw.blogspot.com/

October 7

http://books-movies-chinesefood.blogspot.com/
http://afewofmyfavoritethings-michelle.blogspot.com/
http://bookzone.atwc1.com/
http://proudbooknerd.com/
http://www.amusingreviews.blogspot.com/
http://www.talesofwhimsy.com/
http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Publisher: Spectra

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: 06 August 1996 (original)

Series or Standalone: Series

ISBN: 0553588486

Format: ebook

Pages: 835

Websites:

George R. R. Martin - Official Site

George R. R. Martin - Blog 

George R. R. Martin - Twitter

Place(s) Traveled to: Westeros - The Seven Kingdoms - Winterfell, Kings Landing, Castle Black (aka The Wall), The Eyrie // Essos - Pentos, The Dothraki Sea

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First Line: "We should start back," Gared urged as the woods began to grow dark around them. "The wildlings are dead."

A Song of Ice and Fire Series Order

Book 1: A Game of Thrones

Book 2: A Clash of Kings

Book 3: A Storm of Swords
Book 4: A Feast for Crows
Book 5: A Dance with Dragons
Book 6: The Winds of Winter (Pub date unknown)

Book 7: A Dream of Spring (Pub date unknown)

This is a book that I've had on Mt TBR for years. I've always been meaning to read it but then I look at the size and all the other books on my TBR pile and I get intimidated and move away from it. Then HBO started to air the tv series based on it and I started to watch. I got through the first three epiosdes and I was hooked! I loved the characters and the world and just everything. So I thought to myself. If the tv show is this good then the book must be amazing! But somehow I misplaced my hard copy and so was looking at maybe buying a new one so I could read it. Instead I ended up downloaded the 4 book bundle offered by BN.com and began to read. 

Reading was slow going as I was reading in between other books but I was hooked almost from the start. The HBO show follows the books almost exactly and that was a bit spooky as no book to screen adaption is ever so accurate. I don't know if the trend continues from episode 3 on but I sure hop that it does! The only thing that the show misses is that internal thoughts and deeper background in each of the scenes. The books are told in the third person so you aren't in a characters head but you do get to know their motivations and feelings and I always hated when the point of view shifted from one character to another. But at the same time I hated not knowing what was going on with all the other characters that I was falling in love with! It was a horrible Catch 22.

The plotting was so rich and detailed and there were times where I thought I could almost hear the swords clashing or the horses neighing as I read. The political intrigue so intense that I wanted to sleep with one eye open and not turn my back on anyone. When I was reading the places and characters felt real. I love when that happens in a book. 

The book is LONG. Like seriously long! And if you get attacked while reading it you could probably use it as a weapon. But at the same time its not long enough. This is a world that you just want to live on forever. These are characters that you fall for (even the not so nice ones as you really want to see them get their just desserts!) and you don't want to part from them. So I'm glad this is a series. I'm glad that its a long series with lots of books out already to keep me busy during the long wait until the next book is published. (I believe it was a 5 year wait from Book 4 to Book 5!?! *gasps*). I am eager to dive into A Clash of Kings to see where things are going but at the same time I hope to drag things out a bit so that I can live in this world for as long as possible. Next up? To finish the HBO series.