YA Book Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Paperback
356 pages
Expected Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles, Book 1
HUGE thank you to S&S Canada for sending me this book to review!

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil. Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

This book was my introduction to Lauren DeStefano. I have the Chemical Garden Trilogy sitting right over there on my shelf, but I haven't read it yet.

After reading Perfect Ruin, that trilogy will be moved waaaaaay up in my TBR pile.

This book was AMAZING.

You know when you read a book, and the plot just makes you go, 'WHERE DID THIS EVEN COME FROM IN SOMEONE'S BRAIN?!'? Like The Hunger Games or Harry Potter or the Uglies series? Where the author just blows your mind because you have no idea how someone could be so brilliant and have an imagination so wild that it thinks up the most wonderful things?

Yeah, THAT'S what this book is.

Hundreds of years ago (probably), a huge chunk of the earth is somehow taken from the ground and put up into the sky. Way up, like, miles and miles and miles. And it just kind of...hangs there.

The people who live on the earth have no contact with the people who live in the sky--which is called Internment.

The people who live on Internment pretty much believe that their 'sky God' is responsible for everything that happens in their lives. 

But some question that, and some feel like they want more out of life. Some even try to go to the edge--something that is strictly forbidden--and see the ground for themselves. And sometimes those people even try to jump off.

Perfect Ruin is the story of Morgan, who's brother was one of those jumpers.

Morgan is a normal girl on Internment, with normal friends and a normal boyfriend--her betrothed, because the people of Internment can't choose who they want to marry.

But Morgan, like her brother, wants more. 

And so the story begins.

I really enjoyed the romance in this book. It's not shoved in your face with constant make-out sessions.

It's subtle and sweet and just really normal. 

I loved pretty much every character, with the exception of Royals--who we're supposed to hate--and Thomas, but I think even he will grow on my throughout the series.

Pen, Morgan and Basil are particularly easy to relate to.

I'd definitely recommend this book to all kids 12 and up, and to their parents. 

It's definitely a great book to read together and discuss.

The only downside? 

Now I have to wait until 2015 for book two! [Vader]NOOOOOOOOOOO![/Vader]

What Am I Watching? Fall 2013

Better late than never!

Here's what I'm watching this season!

New Shows:

Sleepy Hollow

Agents of Shield

The Crazy Ones

The Originals

The Tomorrow People

Once Upon A Time In Wonderland

Reign

Dracula

Almost Human

The Michael J Fox Show

The Blacklist

Hostages

Returning Shows:

American Horror Story
Arrow
Beauty and the Beast
Bones
Castle
Grey's Anatomy
Homeland*
Glee*
Nashville
New Girl
Once Upon A Time
Sons of Anarchy
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries
The Walking Dead

Dropped Shows:

Chicago Fire
Elementary
Revolution
Grimm
Person Of Interest

(* I'm a few seasons behind and plan to watch live if/when I can catch up)

Shows That Will Be Cancelled First:

Dads
The Goldbergs
Lucky 7
Sean Saves the World
Trophy Wife

And there it is!
Of course, many of these shows will be PVRed to watch when I'm able, and I'll have to catch others On Demand because tons of shows conflict for me this year (Thursdays are insane!).

So what are YOU watching this season?!

Book Review: HERO is a Four Letter Word by J.M. Frey

eARC

Expected Release Date: Sept. 23, 2013

Publisher: Fast Foreward

Author: J.M. Frey

Big thanks to JM for providing this book for review!

Good and Evil. Two sides of the same coin? Or something less defined, something more liminal? Entertaining and always thought-provoking, author J.M. Frey offers three remarkable stories that explore the grey area of the hero/villain dichotomy in this debut short story collection. Funny and irreverent, "The Once And Now-ish King" finds King Arthur reborn. "Just A Four Letter Word" follows Jennet, descendant of mythic lovers. In "The Maddening Science", a former supervillain is forced to return to a life of crime to save his stalker. Heroes. Villains. Monsters. Fairy Tales. Myths. Legends. Who is the good guy, who the bad, and who gets to decide which is which? After all, 'hero' is just another four letter word.

JM has done it again, you guys! This is such a fun book!

First, lets look at that cover. LOVE, right?! It's so great!

HERO is a Four Letter Word is a collection of three short stories.

In the first story--which is the weakest of the three--King Arthur is reborn. 

I can't say much without spoiling it, but this one was a bit too weird, even for me. It was amusing, yes...but just a bit too odd and out-there. 

The second story was right up my alley, and very familiar.

You ST:TNG fans will remember the episode where Dr. Crusher's Grandmother dies, right?

This story was so similar to that episode...but it had fae! I love me some fae. ;)

The third story was definitely my favourite.

Being a former City of Heroes player--a superhero MMO that shut down just about a year ago now (and that I will miss until the day I die), this one hit close to home.

It's about a former supervillain, who is doing his best to try to live a normal life,  who unknowingly meets his stalker and saves her life.

HERO is a short book that makes a great afternoon read. I definitely recommend it to you grownups who enjoy genre or romance.

Hello, New Doctor

So the internet exploded today with the announcement that Peter Capaldi is the new Doctor.
And then my inbox exploded with people who wanted to know what I think of the choice.

First, I love you guys. I really do. I'm seriously honoured that you even bother to ask me my thoughts. You have no idea how flattering that is. ♥

Secondly, I find that I'm having a very hard time putting my thoughts into words, but I'm going to try.

We've seen Mr. Capaldi's work in previous Doctor Who timelines. He was brilliant in both Fores of Pompeii and Torchwood: Children of Earth.
He was also recently seen in World War Z.
He's much more high profile that previous Doctors, and I'm okay with that.

I'm very happy that he's older, and I'm very happy that there will be no more potential romance with Clara.
I'm rather hoping that the next companion is an older woman or a man of any age.
I'd love to see the Doctor have a best friend again. I miss Donna and Amy in that regard.

I also like his face. Yes, that matters to me. Sorry.
He's handsome in an awkward way. Perfect for the Doctor, in my opinion.

Now, here's what worries me--
Can he bring the humour and fun to the role that both David and Matt has for the last 6 seasons?
Yes, I love it when the Doctor goes dark, and Peter will be amazing in those situations...but what about the childish fun? That sense of wonder that surrounds the Doctor?
I truly, truly hope that Mr. Moffat keeps that part of the Doctor's personality, and that Mr. Capaldi can play it as well as his two previous successors have.

It helps to know that he's been a big fan his whole life. We know the last huge fan turned out to be wonderful--David Tennant.

So, colour me optimistic, but cautious.
Like Matt, Peter will have to make me love him. Unlike David, it's not going to happen right off the bat.

I am very excited to see what he can bring to the role. He will be an amazing Doctor, regardless.

And that's how I feel about Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. :)

Goodbye, My Doctor...

"Watch The Eleventh Hour", my brother said...And that's how it all began.

I watched and fell in love with Matt Smith and with the Doctor.
Sure, I used to watch as a kid, when it aired on TVO and starred Tom Baker, then Peter Davison...But I wasn't a 'fan'. I only watched because it was the only thing on TV. And because my dad watched.

The Eleventh Hour, with it's flashes of previous Doctors, Matt Smith's brilliant acting and the fiesty and wonderful Amy Pond, made me go back to 'Rose'.
Back to where it all began...again.
"Run."
And I didn't love it.
Honestly, I hated Chris Eccleston. But I made myself keep watching.
And then came, 'The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances', and, oh, did I fall head over heels for that wonderful, fantastic man. THAT was when Eccles shone and I finally, FINALLY understood him.

Then came Tennant. Oh, my beloved David Tennant.
And with him came 'The Girl in the Fireplace', 'Doomsday', 'Blink', 'Turn Left', 'Midnight' and 'The End of Time'.
Wilf and Donna...My dearest Donna, my favourite of all the companions
And tears. So many tears! 'I don't want to go...'

And I was back to Matt. But this time, with more knowledge.
I thought I was ready.
Then he threw 'Vincent and the Doctor' at me...and I realized that I was so not ready.
The feels that man made me feel. My favourite of all the episodes.

This will be the first time I watch a Doctor regenerate with the rest of the world.
And I'm still not ready.
Baker was my first Doctor. Tennant is the Doctor who has my heart....but Matt is MY Doctor.
It all started with him....

Goodbye, my Doctor...

Doctor Who-- The Name of the Doctor

Dear Mr. Moffat,
I forgive you for this whole sub-par second half of the season.
I'm so sorry I doubted you. It will never happen again.
Sincerely,
OMG, THAT EPISODE WAS AMAZING AND IT ALMOST KILLED ME WITH ITS AWESOME AWESOMENESS!!!

Right, guys? Right?!?

Yes, yes, it had a few little annoyances and, yes, it was somewhat predictable, but I'm more than willing to overlook all of that because the writing, the directing, the acting, and, well, everything was absolutely wonderful.

I even liked River, and that's saying a lot because I'm usually not a fan! I find her too Mary Sue-ish. :(

Strax was so perfect. He needs his own show!
"Madame, boy, adopt military positions! They're unarmed!"
"So are we!"
"DO NOT DIVULGE OUR MILITARY SECRETS!"
I laughed so hard!

The creepy poems were a great touch. Moffat really seems to like those!

"Do you hear the Whispermen? The Whispermen are near.
If you hear the Whispermen then turn away your ear.
Do not hear the Whispermen whatever you may do.
For once you hear the Whispermen they'll stop and look at you."

Once again, Matt's acting... My God, he's brilliant. I see Oscars in his future, as long as he chooses the right scripts after Doctor Who!
Those tears when Clara tells him about the conference call?! My heart! :(

But the BEST parts--
The whole opening, inserting Clara into the old footage. GOOSEBUMPS! That was absolute perfection!
And then later, seeing her in the library with my beloved Ten, watching Nine and Four and Ten walk past her while she's listening to her Doctor in the timestream.
Moffat, you brilliant, brilliant man.

Lets go back to River--
My opinion is that she'll be back. They left it open with her famous, "Spoilers.", and they even gave her a way to come back to life, permanently.
BUT, if not, I think that was a wonderful, fitting, beautiful end.
"Goodbye, Sweetie"
So many tears...

A few things I wonder--
-Is one Clara Gallifreyian? O.O
-Since Clara remembered being in the Dalek asylum and her Victorian self, does she also remember the Doctor's name?
-Why did the GI hate the Doctor so much that he wanted to go back through his timestream to make him suffer? Seems to me that the Master would have been a much better big bad.
-How will they get out of the timestream? Perhaps that's the plot of the 50th? Or perhaps the whole special takes place INSIDE the timestream? Would be a great way to show old Doctors, no? ;)
-Why didn't Souffle Girl and Victoria Clara remember the Doctor, exactly? I didn't get that bit.

Okay, NOW lets get to the elephant in the room....
WHO THE HECK IS JOHN HURT?!?!?

BRILLIANT ending, wasn't it?! Came out of NOWHERE!

Here's my theory--
John Hurt is going to play an incarnation between 8, Paul McGann, and 9, Christopher Eccleston.
John Hurt is going to be the Time War incarnation, and he will not be seen as 'the Doctor', because, as was said in the episode, he's NOT the Doctor.

Doctor = healer. Hurt did something NOT in the name of the Doctor. He did NOT heal. He killed.
He killed a whole race of people, the Time Lords, and he destroyed a planet, Gallifrey. He had to to end the Time War.

"I said he was me. I never said he was the Doctor....the name you choose is like a promise you make. He's the one who broke the promise. He is my secret."
"What I did, I did without choice, in the name of peace and sanity."

We see Chris's Doctor in pain and suffering from guilt and pain and sadness....all things that Rose helps him get through.
We assumed that Chris regenerated from McGann...but what if not?
What if McGann died during the Time War...or just couldn't do what needed to be done? Enter Hurt, who could...and did. But not in the name of the Doctor.
Yes, he's an incarnation of the man...but he's NOT the Doctor.

We know that he can't be before the first, Hartnell, because this is the Doctor that broke the promise.
Hartnell was the one who made the promise. Who called himself 'Doctor' first.

We know that he's not after Eleven because Matt recognizes him. Eleven wouldn't recognize Twelve, etc.

The Valeyard? I just don't feel like that's right.

In The God Complex, the Doctor opens his door--number 11--and says something like, "Of course..."
Who wants to bet that it was Hurt behind that door?

Will the 50th be about the Time War? Or about Hurt trying to redeem himself? Or about Eleven and Clara trying to get out of the timestream?
I have no idea....but whatever happens, it'll be fantastic. :)

Oh, and lastly?
Remember way back when I said Clara was just normal, human girl Clara with no ties to the Doctor?
And remember when I said that she was scattered through his timestream?
Yeah, BOOM. I told you so! :P

Well, you guys, looks like this is the end for now.
I'll miss you and I'll miss the Doctor!
Please come back and visit sometimes? It gets lonely 'round here without you. ;)

See you in six months!

Doctor Who-- Nightmare in Silver

Sorry this is late! And short!
Here we go, to the point--


Nowhere close to as good as The Doctor's Wife.

Matt Smith was BRILLIANT. He amazes me over and over, every episode!

The kids sucked...although I'm not a fan of most kids in TV shows. Especially Doctor Who.

Warwick Davies was absolutely wonderful. Refreshing and fun. I hope we see him again.

Clara...Meh. I want to like her. I really, really do. But she's just not up to the standards I'm used to in the Doctor's companions. Hell, I even like Martha better than Clara at this point.

The directing was great. I loved the planet and the characters.

I didn't like the way the Cybermen were used and I felt like I was missing whole chucks of the story. I wonder how much was left on the cutting room floor...

So, didn't hate it, didn't love it. :(


One left, you guys. The Name Of The Doctor.

STAY AWAY FROM SPOILERS! They're out there and they're BAD this season! :(

See you next week!

Doctor Who--The Crimson Horror

Nope, nope, NOPE. This episode is right up there with Fear Her, Love and Monsters and Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks for my LEAST favourite episode of all time.
It was just bad.
Am I biased? I'm not a Mark Gatiss fan at all. I've only enjoyed ONE Gatiss episode, Victory of the Daleks.

And, you guys, I'm hating Clara more and more. We know nothing about her. I can't relate to her at all.
Even after six episodes, I still feel like there's a strange woman travelling with the Doctor. It makes me cringe every time he kisses her forehead because I don't know who the heck she is!
This whole Clara mystery was a big mistake, Mr. Moffat.
I miss Amy and Rory so much. :(

Anyway, I only made two notes while watching, it was that tough for me to watch.
Here they are--

I really LOVED the Tegan nod. 'Gobby Australian', 'Brave heart, Clara'. That made me smile. It was especially touching for me because I just said goodbye to Tegan and the Fifth Doctor in my classic watch.

There were a few laugh-out-loud moments. Jenny kicking butt and Strax almost assassinating that poor horse.
I do enjoy Strax.

So, yeah. That's all I have to say about The Crap-son Horror!

BUT WAIT, YOU GUYS!

THIS is going to make up for this whole sub-par season!
THIS RIGHT HERE!

Did you LOVE The Doctor's Wife?!
Do you LOVE Neil Gaiman, American Gods, Neverwhere, Sandman?!
AHHHH, ME TOO!

So 'Nightmare in Silver' and the 7b finale, 'The Name of the Doctor' are COMPLETELY going to make up for this whole season, right? RIGHT?!

Can you believe that we only have TWO FRICKIN' EPISODES LEFT?! And then another 6 month wait for the anniversary special.
That makes me so sad! :(

Okay, so lay into me!
Did you love The Crimson Horror? WHY?!
What are your feelings about Clara? Am I way off base here?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter!

Doctor Who-- Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

Okay, is it just me or are these 7B episodes just really sub par?
Journey was GREAT...amazing, fabulous, wonderful, magical...until that damn ending. Again! Like last week!
What the heck is going on?!
[Moffat] 'Lets use a crack in time to reset the universe--AGAIN--so that Clara, who now knows everything, INCLUDING the Doctor's name, forgets it all! Muahahahahaha!' [/Moffat]
Um. WTF?!

Argh.
So here are the notes I made--

Clara's wearing red again. Has anyone else noticed that she's always wearing/carrying something red?
Does it mean anything? I have no idea. :P

It was really cool to see the observatory, the swimming pool and the library. I feel like I've been waiting years for this episode. The TARDIS scenes didn't disappoint at all.

Didja all hear Nine? "The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through those doors.."
Did I also hear One and Susan? It was so hard to tell.

What did Clara read in the Time War book?! "So that's who." Who what?! What is his name?!

This episode again reiterated to me that Clara IS scattered through time somehow.

And now a confession--
I honestly don't know how I feel about Clara. I know, I know, don't hate!
I'm just not feeling the chemistry between her and the Doctor. Not at all.
I wasn't a HUGE Amy fan, but I could easily see that chemistry.
And Clara is a bit annoying. And she doesn't follow the Doctor into trouble like, in MY opinion, a good companion should.
This is her fifth episode as companion, and it still feels like her first.
Am I alone in this?

Okay, so I'll be truthful here and say that I'm not expecting much from next weeks episode, The Crimson Horror. It looks like a 'Doctor-light' episode, and those have never been my favourite--aside from the amazing 'Blink'.
But the last two will MORE than make up for this crappy latter half of the series...right? RIGHT?!

What are your thoughts on 'Journey'? Any thoughts on the Doctor's name? Am I way off base in disliking these endings?
Let me know your thoughts here, on Twitter or Facebook!

Doctor Who--Hide

HOLY COW YOU GUYS, THAT WAS THE BEST EPISODE, RIGHT?!
Well, until we got to that crappy ending... ;)

I haven't been that creeped out by a Doctor Who episode since The Empty Child!
The monster was chilling, the 'ghost' was spooky and the scenes in the forest were scary as hell!

A few notes I made--

'A sliver of ice in his heart'. Yep, that's pretty accurate. Remember, this is the man who let Cassandra die, who questioned whether or not he should let Wilf die, who's committed genocide more times that I can remember, not to mention what he did to the Family of Blood.
A sliver of ice indeed.

Ten's spacesuit was nice to see, wasn't it? Aww, I miss him SO MUCH. I can' even wait to see him again in November! TOO EXCITED.

I wonder how many 'pocket universes' there are. There was one in The Doctor's Wife too.
But the scene between Clara and the TARDIS was great.
My theory on that-- It was written in to remind us that the TARDIS can do holograms. A good way to bring back classic Doctor's without having to age them, no? ;)

What was with the whole missing umbrella stand? That was odd. Will we be seeing what that was all about in an upcoming episode?!

It was good to hear Matt's 'Geronimo!' again! It's been too long!

But a weird thing--That crystal from Metebelis 3? Yeah, the Doctor MISPRONOUNCED Metebelis.
The Third Doctor pronounced it a completely different way.
Coincidence? Am I seeing things that mean nothing?
...probably. ;)

Clara is 'just an ordinary girl'. Which, in my opinion, means that whatever is going to happen to her hasn't happened yet.
Interesting...

Okay, now that ending. Ugh.
Yes, I get the metaphor. The similarities between the 'lonely monster needs a companion', like the Doctor--a lonely monster himself--needs his companions.
But man, that was just badly written, wasn't it?
"Okay, lets send him back to the pocket dimension--where the TARDIS could be killed within seconds--to find the monster there and bring him to his monster girlfriend--who we barely saw and never did get an explanation for--in 1974 (the year I was born, eff yeah! :P)."
Um. Wut?

But!
All in all a MUCH better offering from Neil Cross, who's first story, The Rings of Akhaten, was pretty horrible.

In closing, OMG DID YOU SEE THE NEXT TIME TRAILER FOR JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE TARDIS OMG AHHHHHHHH IS IT SATURDAY AGAIN YET???

Ahem!
So what did you think of Hide? Love it? Hated it?
And who the hell is Clara?!

Doctor Who--Cold War

Loved this episode! LOVED!
I didn't love it like I love Vincent and the Doctor or Blink or Midnight or Turn Left or...um, I should stop there. ;)
But Cold War reminded me very much of classic Who and it was just a fun old, non-thinking romp!

And because it was non-thinking, I don't have much to say! Ha!

One thing that I did make note of--Clara stays put. When the Doctor says, "Stay here.", Clara stays.
Unlike Amy. And Rose. And Donna. And Martha. And Sarah Jane. And...er....yeah, apparently every other companion he's ever had.
I found that very interesting.
Is it that she's more cautious than his other companions have been? Or that she's less trusting of the Doctor? Or is she just an obedient person?
Only time will tell, I suppose!

I thought the Ice Warrior was really cool--I loved that they kept the retro look and added that they wear armour--and I was so happy to see the sonic screwdriver go missing for this episode. He uses that thing entirely too much for my liking!

So how about you guys? Did you like Cold War as much as I did? Let me know here in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter!

Doctor Who: The Rings of Akahten

Y'know, I'm having a hard time with this episode.
On one hand, it was pretty bad. I mean, probably the worst episode since The Beast Below.
On the other hand, Matt was SO GOOD that I was moved to tears during his 'take it all!' speech. Like, literally moved to tears, sitting here on the couch, crying. He was THAT AMAZING.
Not to mention Jenna, who was also great during her big speech, right?!

I just...I'm not a big fan of child actors (sorry, sorry!), the songs were bad and the story was just silly.
But man, did Matt make up for all of that. Phew, I can't get it out of my head!

I DID like some of the aliens. They were cool. The barking one? Not so much.
The Susan mention was wonderful ("I came here a long time ago with my granddaughter.").

I DIDN'T like how, apparently, Clara and the Doctor can breathe in space while on a space-moped. Um. Wut?
Also, was the leaf completely different, or am I crazy? I could have sworn the leaf the Doctor took out of Cara's book was a maple leaf.
The leaf she gave to the God was NOT a maple leaf.

But the first few minutes before the opening was great, and the last few minutes as well...which brings me to my theory.
I mentioned it a few different places to a few different people, but never posted it here.
Tonight's episode really cemented in for me, so I think it's time I bring it up to you guys!

I think the Doctor is slowly going to lose his memory, which will lead us into the 50th anniversary special and the Fields of Trenzalore.
I think Clara is a kind of 'key'--possibly sent by the Doctor's future self--to help him remember who he is so that the ultimate question can be answered, "Doctor Who?"
To be clear, I DO NOT mean the Doctor's name. Your name is not who you are.
I mean his memories. His hearts. WHO he really is.

Oh, and a last note--
Clara's mother died on March 5, 2005.
Rose Tyler went missing in the episode 'Rose' on March 6, 2005, which means that the mannequins came to life and the building exploded on March 5, 2005.
Coincidence? When it comes to Moffat? Never. ;)

I'd love to hear your theories!
And what did you think of this episode?
Let me know in the comments, on Facebook or Twitter!

Doctor Who-- The Bells Of Saint John

We did it, you guys! We got through the long, hard winter and finally, FINALLY, welcome back another episode of Doctor Who!

I'm not going to do a full recap--you guys can find that anywhere and, also, you JUST watched it! You don't need me to tell you what happened! ;)

As a mid-season premiere, I thought it was just okay.
But as a basic episode, I loved it. It DID take me 2 viewings to figure that out, though! I was on the fence at first.

Here's a quick rundown of my thoughts--

I loved the beginning. Did it remind you guys of Sherlock? Me too! Tricksy Moffat!

What the heck was that 'say it again' thing all about?! Why did the Doctor make Clara say his name so much there? Was it just another nod to the whole 'Doctor Who' question?
Weird.

Two BIG questions--Who put that password into the families WiFi (Run You Clever Boy) and, even more important, who was the lady in the shop that gave Clara the TARDIS phone number?!
My guess about the latter? River.

Clara skipped age 23 in her book of 101 Places to See. Why?

What's the leaf all about?

How much did you LOVE that Amelia Williams wrote the book the young boy was reading? *sigh*, I miss you, Ponds!

Looks like the Great Intelligence is going to be the big bad for the second half of the series. Veeeeery interesting!

And did you notice that Clara is now a total computer genius? Familiar, no? Don't know about you, but that clinches to me that Clara and Oswin (Asylum of the Daleks) ARE the same person, and now we know how Oswin got to be as savvy as she is!

Oh, and off topic, because I've been asked many times today, OMG YES I'M VERY OKAY WITH TENNANT AND PIPER RETURNING FOR THE 50TH AHHHHHHHH!
I just REALLY hope it's Ten and not 10.5 (the DoctorDonna Doctor, remember?) returning.

Okay, your turn! Did you enjoy The Bells of Saint John? What are your thoughts about Clara? The GI?
I'd love to hear what you guys think!

The Best of 2012--My Thoughts

Before I get to my 'best of' post, I really owe you guys an apology and an explanation.

I haven't kept up with my blog in the last month, and for that I'm truly sorry. The truth is--I got completely burned out. It started to feel more like work, and that was not the goal that I had in mind when I started posting my thoughts here.

There's also just too much stuff going on right now in my real life to even consider keeping up-to-date on my TV shows...so I'm going to have to stop recapping OUAT. Sorry, guys.

I can't promise that I'll post here regularly, but I will do my best to post reviews of any movies I see, books I read or TV shows that I REALLY need to talk about--and that may include some OUAT episodes from time to time.

I really hope you all understand and I really hope you'll all stick around. I appreciate every single one of you for supporting me and my little blog!

Now, on to my Best Of 2012 post!

I'll start with my top book picks, because that was the toughest.
1) Ready Player One.
2) Westlake Soul.
3) The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen.
4) The Dark Side of the Glass.
5) Rift Healer.
Honourable mentions go to Starters, Partials and The Mine.

Next, movies. Another tough one! My top 3 are really too close to put in any order.
1) Avengers.
2) The Hobbit.
3) Les Miserables.
4) The Cabin in the Woods
5) The Grey
Honourable mentions to The Hunger Games, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man.

And lastly, TV series! I'm doing this one in two categories. Recurring series and new series.
Recurring--
1) Once Upon A Time
2) Doctor Who
3) Fringe
4) Grey's Anatomy
5) The Walking Dead
Honourable mentions to Breaking Bad, New Girl and Supernatural.

New series--
1) Nashville
2) Elementary
3) Revolution
4) Arrow
5) Beauty and the Beast
Honourable mention to Chicago Fire.

There you have it!
Now, what did I forget? What would you add? What were YOUR faves in 2012?