There is
a lot to look forward to in 2014 pop-culture-wise so to kick off the first Friday5 of the year (and celebrate the fact that super-downer-of-a-month January is behind us!), I'm going big or going home (and here's a hint: I'm not going home). I present to you the
Friday510: 2014 Expanded Edition!
1.
Veronica Mars. I never thought I'd be able to say this, but on March 14, 2014, our dear, beloved Veronica is back. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. If you've never seen
Veronica Mars the TV series, you need to look into it like, yesterday. Because it definitely belongs on many a "shows that shouldn't have been cancelled" list. And as a bonus, Veronica Mars books are on their way too!
Behold the trailer:
2.
Rebel Belle. A new series by kickass YA author Rachel Hawkins is upon us! Rachel's
Hex Hall holds a special place in my heart, being one of the books that made me realize that I didn't just want to be an author, I wanted to be a YA author! It came a time in my life when I needed something to just click, to help me find my real voice as a writer. After that, I was off to the races! Rachel's new series kicks off with
Rebel Belle--how fun does this book sound?
Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a
Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with
incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird.
She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super
strength and lethal fighting instincts. Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper
finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject
of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But
things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that
David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.
With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a
touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is
going to make y'all beg for more. (Summary from Goodreads.com)
3.
Mockingjay, Pt. 1. I would be remiss to not mention the third film in the
Hunger Games franchise. Count me in as one of those people who is critical of the decision to split every book adaptation finale several ways from Sunday (it made sense with
Deathly Hallows because yes, that book was massive, but everything else? Just no.), but I can't be too upset about the
Mockingjay split, because really, it means more scenes will make it to the screen, more J-Law, and quite frankly, more
Hunger Games! I'm not ready to say goodbye to this franchise, so if
Mockingjay must be split, that's okay by me.
4.
How to Train Your Dragon 2. If I have to explain this one, you obviously haven't seen the first film. You should go and do that right now. Go ahead, I'll wait.
5. More Shailene Woodley. Whether it's
Divergent or
The Fault in Our Stars, Shailene is rapidly moving on on J-Law's YA adaptation crown. Okay, not really. Shailene will never be J-Law, but she will be popping up all over the place in 2014. In the event that you've been sleeping under a rock all month, peep the trailer for
TFiOS below:
6.
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. There could not be more buzz surrounding this book, and despite the terrible "
Game of Thrones for girls" comparisons I've seen thrown around, the hype definitely has my attention. Oh, no big deal, but rumour has it that Emma Waatson is teaming up with
Harry Potter producer David Heyman for the film adaptation. For a book that hasn't even been published yet. Like I said, that's some serious buzz.
On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn,
raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth
to ascend her rightful throne. Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and
learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous
Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not
defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense
magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave
knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to
survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped
assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.
Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much
as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about
which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will
change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of
singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the
vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a
sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover
whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.
But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has
only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that
will make her a legend…if she can survive. (Summary from Goodreads.com)
7.
X-Men: Days of Future Past. I know. I know. More J-Law, but like Shailene, the girl is hard to avoid these days. There's a lot to love in this next instalment in the
X-Men series, which will feature actors from across the franchise. Plus, Nicholas Hoult! And Nicholas Hoult and J-Law together with real life chemistry! I know I'm a little late to the party, but I caught up on the first few seasons of
Skins only recently (thank you Netflix!) and I'm definitely 100% more aware of Nicholas Hoult than I was before (and that's even
after seeing him rock the zombie look in
Warm Bodies!)
8.
Talon. There isn't a lot of info out there yet about
Talon by Julie Kagawa, but like
Queen of the Tearling, the movie rights have already been optioned and the gears are in motion. I've talked about the fabulousness that is Julie's
Iron Fey series here on the blog before, but in November,
Talon will introduce us to a whole new world:
The series revolves around dragons with the ability to
disguise themselves as humans and an order of warriors sworn to eradicate them.
The dragons of TALON and the Order of St. George have been at war with each
other for centuries. The fabled creatures, whose existence is unknown by the
general public, are determined to rule the world. Their foes, a legendary society
of dragon slayers, are equally bent on driving the fabled beasts into
extinction. However, when a young dragon and a hardened slayer unknowingly
befriend each other, it has severe repercussions for both organizations. (Summary from Goodreads.com)
9. Epic finales.
Boardwalk Empire, The Newsroom, Sons of Anarchy, How I Met Your Mother, True Blood...the list goes on. A lot of big shows are ending in 2014 and regardless of which ones you tune into, there is the promise of some seriously epic final episodes on the horizon. Thankfully, a lot of the networks these shows air on have been busy replenishing their quality TV buffets with new, intriguing offerings, but that doesn't mean we won't miss these classic series when they're gone.
10. SO MANY MORE BOOKS! RT Book Reviews has posted a list of their
most anticipated YA books of 2014 and I have to say, this list has me drooling (and wondering if I should invest in another bookshelf...). And to think, it's only February. There are more amazing books in the pipeline that we don't even have details on yet. Get excited, blogfriends. 2014 is going to be a good one.
Limiting this list to 10 items was a) challenging and b) something that obviously results in a lot of contenders being left out. So if there's something you're really looking forward to in 2014 that I didn't mention, please so share it in the comments! I'd love to hear about it!
Happy weekend!
