pretty little recovery: catching up on season 4b

4.14 - 4.20

Hello fellow PLLers! It's been a while, but there have been many episodes of PLL that I'm all caught up on and it's time to do a catch-up recap! I recently shared my thoughts on the PLL spinoff here, and well, let's kick things off by addressing the dead black bird-shaped elephant in the room. Ravenswood has officially been cancelled. Obviously I feel a bit bad that Tyler Blackburn's show didn't make it to a season two... And I'm never a fan of when a show ends with a bunch of dangling cliffhangers and unresolved plots... But overall, am I sad about this news? Hells no. I want Hot Caleb back in Rosewood stat! The possibility of that not happening (there is no confirmation yet that he's returning, at least that I've seen, but come on! They'd be stupid to not bring him back!) is something I don't even want to think about. But enough about that, we're here to talk PLL!

These girls know how to do edge-of-your-seat TV. And look totally fab while doing it. Photo credit: ABC Family

Pretty Little Highlights

1. Everything Hanna says/does. It's not secret that I love the girl, but losing Hot Caleb to Ravenswood has done nothing to slow this girl down when it comes to one-liners and being the hottest little liar in town.

2. Last week's black and white noir homage episode. I didn't think they could pull it off, but they totally did. I'm generally not a fan of dream/drug-induced haze episodes, but it was entertaining enough that I let that aspect of it slide. The hair! The clothes! Even Creeper Toby played his role well.

3. Minimal Creeper Toby. Or maybe I've just been ignoring him (aside from the above mention). The only downside is that the times we do see him, he's still drawing out the Creeper Toby's mom storyline (see below). I will give him the exception of this week's episode though. I actually felt kinda bad for him.

4. I feel weird typing this but... Aria! Yes, I'm as shocked as you are. Maybe it's the fact that she's been the unknowing prey (until recently) to Ezra's hunter, but I've actually been enjoying Aria's storyline this half-season. Yes, she still dresses like a crazy person who tripped and fell into a dumpster full of designer rejects, but I've barely been annoyed by her at all during these six episodes. And the ski lift scene between her and Ezra in this week's episode was chilling, revealing, and so good! This is why I love PLL!

5. Ezra's cabin/lair. It's isolated and spooky and has made for some seriously tense scenes during these episodes. I can't help but think the whole thing is going to go up in flames before the season is out.

Pretty Little Mistakes (a.k.a What Aria Did)

1. Spencer's drug problem. I was so, so over this story before it even began. I think they're trying to recapture the magic of Spencer's descent into madness last season, but it's not working. It just feels a little PSA-y to me. 

2. Emily's mistrust of everything and everyone. I get that our little liars have a lot on their plates on the reg, but Emily is handling it almost as poorly as Spencer is with the drugs. Only Emily is a lot more annoying about it. It's like she's campaigning to be the next town Aria or something.

3. Mona and Ezra. Just ick to even the thought.

4. Why are we still talking about what happened to Toby's mom? Nobody cares! Oh, you care? Okay fine. One person cares. It's still not something I'm interested in unless his dead mom is somehow A.

5. Not nearly enough Hot Caleb! Yes, this is a bit of a no-brainer and I already covered it quite a bit in my aforementioned post about Ravenswood, but it's worth mentioning again, because his absence makes me sad, even if the show is still quite strong without him. 

Pretty Little ZOMG WTF?!

1. Ali is all over the place! It feels soooo weird! We go from seeing brief flashes of someone who may or may not be Ali and then suddenly there she is, having conversations with the liars like no time has passed. It feels unreal every time it happens. That said, I'm not convinced that's actually Ali.

2. Ezra is Board Shorts and has weird taste in pie/beer. Yes, we know Ezra is maybe/possibly A, but we didn't know he was Board Shorts--and now Aria knows it too! That was a big reveal and I feel it came together nicely. And made him so much creepier because seriously Ezra, have you ever dated a girl your own age? Gross.

3. Emily in the schoolhouse of horrors. Now THAT was seriously creepy. And poor Emily's dad! I was so happy when he came to her rescue, but then so certain that something bad would happen to him. And sure enough...

4. Hanna's emergency dental procedure. Again with dialing the creepy factor up another notch! Teeth stuff is bothersome enough as it is, but the thought of her lying unconscious while A worked away on her teeth is terrifying. Poor Han. Hot Caleb would not have stood for that if he'd been around!

5. Aria's brother's hookups. I don't even know what to say about this one. The Hanna bit was actually kind of endearing, but then the Mona stuff. Again, ick. Mona is a pretty girl, but she's too creepy to be with anyone in that way.

I know the above really only scratched the surface of what happened in these past episodes, but now that I'm all caught up, I hope to have some more in-depth recaps in the coming weeks!

How have you been enjoying this season so far?

~PLR~

the friday5 for february 7, 2014: expanded 2014 edition!

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!

let's talk ravenswood

The time has come. Let's talk Ravenswood, shall we?

I know I don't need to tell you how...displeased I was with the idea of Hot Caleb leaving Rosewood for the distinctly murkier backdrop of Ravenwood, population 74923 (but really, more like 8). There are so many reasons this was not a good thing as far as I was concerned, the main one being that the Haleb relationship would surely suffer. How could it not? But as with all spinoffs of shows I adore, I had to give it a shot once it aired, and now that we've reached the 10-episode winter finale benchmark, I think it's finally time to weigh in with some thoughts:

THE GOOD

1. Is there really any way to start this list other than with the below video? No? Good, I'm glad we're on the same page (apologies for the excessive video bookends--this was the only version I could find online!):

2. All Hot Caleb all the time. I love getting to see plenty of Tyler Blackburn on my screen when I'm watching Ravenswood. It makes up for all those episodes of PLL when he was curiously absent, and not to get into The Bad while we're still discussing The Good, but Tyler is really carrying this thing. Boy can act and sure, he's (mostly) not making out with Hanna (though see point #4!), but he is getting a chance to show off his skills beyond ridiculously attractive computer hacker boyfriend extraordinaire and sometimes bromancer of Creeper Toby.

3. It's actually quite spooky. PLL still takes the prize for most creepy points overall, but Ravenswood is paying its dues with scary imagery, terrifying little blonde girls, and plenty of things that go bump in the night. My only issue here is that sometimes the creepiness leans a little too far toward horror, which I'm personally not a fan of, but I think they're still finding the right balance. Overall, the fright factor seems a bit more adult than on PLL, and that allows the show to stand on its own two legs.

4. Occasional appearances/mentions of the irrepressible Ms. Hanna Marin. Thank goodness there was no attempt to move Hot Caleb to Ravenswood with nary a mention of the love of his life. One of my main issues with a Hot Caleb spinoff is that PLL had done such a good job of building up the Haleb dynamic so that it was interesting and enjoyable without the show having to keep breaking them up for drama. Sure, that happened, but only when it really made sense to the plot. The rest of the time, they were an excellent representation of how a strong couple works. To break that apart for the sake of a spinoff felt wrong, but I'm happy to say that the show runners are handling the separation with a lot of respect, keeping Hanna on Hot Caleb's mind and occasionally in his sights. Their deep, complex and passionate relationships seems to be weathering the transition okay. At least for now.

5. Miranda. I know, I know. Not where you thought I'd go with this, right? Yes, Miranda is "the other woman", and part of me hates her for that, but again, this whole situation has been handled fairly well so far (hell, Hanna was even the one to push Hot Caleb toward Miranda in the first place!). Obviously, as a diehard Haleb fan, I do not want to see Hot Caleb and Miranda together, but Miranda as a character on her own? I actually kinda dig her. Aside from Tyler Blackburn, and a few of the adult actors on the show, she's the only other person who's really bringing something to table here. And hey, based on that finale, maybe she'll hook up with Flashback Caleb and leave Hot Caleb for Hanna. That way everyone gets a Caleb and everybody wins! I am on board with this idea.

THE BAD

1. The kids who aren't Hot Caleb or Miranda. I tried to give these guys a chance, but so far, I'm not feeling it. There's a certain spark that's lacking here. A certain dynamic that exists between the Liars that the Ravenswood crew just doesn't have. They aren't as quippy, aren't as fashionable, and aren't as easy to be emotionally invested in. And sorry, Olivia, but you're no Spencer Hastings, so step off with that hair and those clothes. They don't even compare.

Accept no imitations!

2. Remy's sleep issues zzzz...... I just. can't. bring. myself. to. care. If it had been a 1-2 episode arc, sure, that would have been fine, but they drew the whole Remy is having nightmares that may or may not kill her and everyone she loves thing out for waaaay too long. Or maybe it just felt that way because it was boring. Remy is fine enough as a character for the most part, but she can also be kinda bland and cardboardy. I wish she had a bit more spunk, and a little less sleep drama.

3. Rehashing the same issues. I have to admit, I may have some of my facts wrong because I tend to tune out when Olivia, Luke and Remy are on the screen without Hot Caleb or Miranda, but how many times are they going to rehash the fact that Olivia and Luke's mom didn't kill their father? Hasn't she been arrested at least twice at this point? Can we introduce a few more characters and start steering away from trampling already worn-out tropes to death?

4. Luke's kind of an asshole. I have no idea if this will be a super unpopular opinion or not, but Luke can be questionable at times. Maybe he just seems dull in comparison to Hot Caleb and his amazing boyfriending skills, but Luke also seems to fail as a brother and a son on a regular basis. Not only does he suffer from not being able to sit still long enough to listen to reason, but he does things like get jealous over the fact that his twin sister had sex before him (How dare she? She's a girl!) and then tries to leverage that info to re-open a discussion about getting it on with his girlfriend, who, by the sounds of it, has already made it perfectly clear that she doesn't wanna cash in her v-card until after graduation (which seems arbitrary to me, but you gotta respect the gal's decisions).

5. Where is this all going? I understand that the point of a spin-off is to have two successful shows under your brand instead of just one, but seriously, where is this spin-off going to go? The basis for Ravenswood is this old curse, which apparently Hot Caleb is a part of, but correct me if I'm wrong, it didn't seem to have any effect on his life prior to moving to Ravenswood. So by that same token, wouldn't the whole curse thing kinda just go away if everybody affected by it moved out of Ravenswood? I guess I'm just not seeing the longterm plan for this show. I suppose the same could be said for PLL and its mystery-at-large, but PLL has so much more going for it that I don't care if they find stupid ways to drag that story out.

IN CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I'm not 100% sure I'm feeling it with Ravenswood, but I'm going to stick around for Hot Caleb and the hope that the show is still working out its kinks. I'm not planning to recap it on a regular basis as I do with PLL (season catch-up recap coming soon!), but I'm sure I will mention it from time to time, especially as it effects our favourite Little Liars.  For now, I'm okay with Hot Caleb and Hanna being apart, but I would be pleased and quite impressed if the shows manage to maintain that cross-show connection without slowly pulling away from it to allow Hot Caleb to be with Miranda and Hanna to be with that guy who I'm pretty sure was on Friday Night Lights or something. Basically, as long as Haleb still have a shot at being endgame, I'll go along for the ride. But I still think Miranda should hook up with Flashback Caleb. He's a ghost and everything! What more could a modern post-mortem girl want? :)

two zero one four

Happy New Year! Okay, yeah, we're kinda at that point in the month where you're not really supposed to be saying that anymore, but hey, I want your new year to be happy so I'm saying it!

There's much to catch up on so this is going to be kind of a crazy mix of topics, but I wanted to get up to speed with the blog to get back into some good blogging habits :)

There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to in 2014 and as far as books and pop culture go, I will be doing a separate post sometime soon listing my top things to be excited about in 2014, but on a personal level, one of the biggest is that my family will be growing in July with the addition of another baby Studer. Yeah, anything else that's going on this year kinda can't compare to that news, but that's why it gets a mention here and everything else will get a separate post. I know it's no excuse, but this pregnancy has definitely contributed to my lack of posting. I've been pretty tired between work and chasing a toddler around, plus I've had a cold that materialized sometime in mid-December and still doesn't seem to want to leave completely. I blame the frigid weather. And the lowered immune system. It's kind of a perfect storm of badness. But I am trying to focus on the good things on the horizon. Like spring coming...eventually. Have winters always been this long? Or this cold? I miss the sun.

I've also been feeling like I'm in a huge holding pattern. Yes, I'm technically in a literal holding pattern as I wait for my internal tenant to be big enough to vacate the premises, but things on the submission front have been unsettlingly quiet. I think the entire publishing industry is going through a fairly slow phase right now where the rapid fire deals of the past are fewer and farther between than ever. But I remain optimistic and while I'm waiting for word on the books that are in the can, I'm settling into the first draft of my next book, a YA contemporary mystery. It's my first experience writing a contemporary novel so it's been a really interesting and educational experience so far. I hope to have something of that to share on the blog here soon. And maybe a bit more of the books I've finished, to give you guys a better taste of what they're all about too.

So that's almost all for now, except for one topic I want to touch on... my little PLLer heart is kinda broken right now, guys. With the new season of Pretty Little Liars already under way, I'm going to be doing a recap soon, but for now, I want to quickly address the fact that Hot Caleb is off in Ravenswood and the dreaded Haleb break-up has happened. I knew this was coming. But it still super sucks. I'll share my thoughts on Ravenswood in my recap too, but the topline is that this is like Angel and Buffy all over again. Except this time, I don't see the potential for the spin-off to get better. More on that soon.

I hope your January is off to a good start! I am hoping to incorporate a little more variety into this blog in 2014. Have you made any resolutions (unofficial or otherwise) for the new year? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

Until next time, bloggies!

the writer's arsenal: the fly on the wall

Let your reader be a fly on the wall

Write what you know. It's one of the most common pieces of advice that writers are given. And no, it's not just meant to save you time on research. That's important too. Write what you know doesn't necessarily mean write your life story (though for some people it does, and those stories can be quite compelling). Authors write about all kinds of things that have never happened to them personally, but that doesn't mean they aren't writing with an authenticity that keeps the reader believing they could have. Write what you know simply means don't stray too far from yourself when you're writing. That thing everyone talks about called voice? That's actually just you. That's the authenticity you can bring to a story by putting a piece of yourself in the writing. The one thing you have as a writer that nobody else has is your unique perspective based on your lifetime of experiences. That's your advantage and it should be a part of everything you write. That's writing what you know. 

Regardless of how fantastical your plot may be, you want your reader to feel like a fly on a very real wall. You want them to feel like they're not just reading a story, they're stepping into a rich, colorful, fully-developed world and are spying on it for a while, if not stepping right into the shoes of your protagonist. I'm not a vampire, or an astronaut, or a twelve-year-old boy, and simply outlining what those beings are like isn't enough to grab my attention. What does is the magic that mixes our world and the other--the voice that connects "I know nothing about this" with "But I'd like to learn more" and "There's something about this that I can relate to". If an author doesn't put a piece of their own humanity into their story, doesn't "write what they know", it'll show and the story will be weaker for it. The plot will be there, but the life behind it will fall flat, lacking in the kind of compelling voice that engages us to keep turning the pages. There's nothing wrong with being inspired by other authors, but make sure your writing always comes from a place that's authentically you. Giving your story a real voice is the best thing you can do.

friday5 for November 8, 2013

Hello my bloggies! Welcome to November. November?!? Yes, November. I don't know how we got here either, but we need to accept it and move on. That said, there are a few snowflakes in the air toady and I'm kind of in denial about that... It's weird because I like Christmas and I like the first snowfall of the season, but then that's about it. Come January 1st I'm done with the whole winter thing and that's what I'm already not looking forward to. But there are lots of things to be excited about this week so let's get friday5ing:

1. I haven't blogged since Allegiant came out so I figure I really ought to say something about it. The truth is, I haven't finished reading it, but I do know what happens. I've started reading it slowly, but the husband and I listed to the first two books on audiobook together when we're in the car and I feel like I should experience the third one with him, even if I also read it on the side a bit. As for the ending, I'm reserving judgement until I actually read it. Despite my  best efforts to avoid spoilers, the ending was posted somewhere I wouldn't have expected to see it and I was kind of blindsided by the reveal. I won't ever know how I would have felt about the book without knowing the ending ahead of time, but I'm going to try and keep an open mind. I will probably share more thoughts down the road.

2. Speaking of books and book series that are headed for the big screen (which Allegiant eventually will), my fav go-to news site, Hypable, has compiled a great list of hot upcoming book to film adaptations so you can make sure you check out the books before you see the stories play out in the big screen. I for one am currently about halfway through my re-read of Catching Fire (my 4th read overall) and I'm loving it every bit as much as I did the first time. I'm definitely finding that for the most part I remember the plot and didn't need to re-read to enjoy the movie, but I like to re-read so that I can pick up on the little things that the movie might not capture. Not in an effort to then complain about it. I don't have unreasonable expectations when it comes to adaptations, but just so that I can fill in the gaps in my brain as I watch.

3. Maybe bit's just my highly sensitive Veronica Mars radar going off, but Rob Thomas is showing up all over the place these days. Most recently with the news that he'll be producing a new zombie series for the CW called iZombie. It's Rob Thomas so I kind of have to assume this will be amazing, even if the concept it a little out there. As much as I enjoyed Warm Bodies, both the book and the film, the concept of sentient zombies isn't one I have a lot of faith in, but if iZombie turns out to be anything--anything--like Veronica Mars then I'm on board.

And speaking of Veronica Mars, did you see this? If you're a fan, I promise you'll LoVe it :)

4.A Hunger Games theme park? It worked for Harry Potter. Looks like it's at least being discussed, but can we talk about the fact that there's a very big difference between a magical Wizarding World and the depressing post-apocalyptic setting of the Hunger Games? I could get behind this, but can we please stay away from rides that involve starving to death or having to throw knives at your enemies?

5. For this week's Noteworthy YA I want to take a look at Marie Lu's Champion. I'm yet to read any of the books in Marie's Legend series, but I've heard wonderful things and now that the trilogy is out in its entirely, it seems like a good time to give them a look:

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.(Summary from Goodreads.com)

I've never been a fan of the covers for this series. I think they're appropriate for the genre, but they don't blow me away. The stories on the other hand sound pretty compelling. Obviously, if this is your sort of thing, you should go back to the beginning and start with Legend, but the good news is, when book 1 leaves you salivating for more, there's no waiting for books 2 and 3. Gotta love that.

Happy weekend!

the nature of grief

This was meant to be little more than a bullet-point on today's Friday5, but I found I had so many thoughts about it that it was worth a post on its own. So in lieu of today's Friday5, I want to take this opportunity to be a bit serious and weepy about a show that's usually quite silly, on a blog that's usually lighthearted.

This both is and isn't a post about Glee and Cory Monteith and the tribute the former paid to the latter this week. It is about that because of obvious reasons, but it's not totally about that because I don't consider myself to be a huge fan of the show and it really doesn't mean much to me in the grand scheme of things so it's not like you have to be a fan to read this and hopefully relate.

For a little context, I remember watching the pilot for Glee online before it aired on TV. I thought it was good. It was fresh and original and yes, there's a place in my fangirly heart where musicals go to soar. Seeing Spring Awakening live on stage (though without Lea Michelle I should add, since we are talking a bit about Glee here) was one of the most stirring experiences I've ever had as a consumer of art. I just love the way music adds layers of emotion to story. It hits me in the gut every time. But I digress... I've watched Glee ever since, even though my interest in it has waned over the years. I don't even know or like much of the music that's featured on that show, but it's still easy to enjoy if you don't take it too seriously. It's popcorn entertainment. Something you can easily watch while you're also trying to fold laundry or manage any other task. So that's me and Glee. I watch, but I could just as easily not. It's not must-see-TV for me.

When I first heard of Cory's death, I was shocked, as I think many people were. He was so young. Sure he looked even younger than he was, but still, he was young. And I liked his character on Glee. He was definitely one of my favourites. There were moments when he felt like the only real person on that show, surrounded by caricatures who were constantly making bad decisions. Yes, he made bad decisions too, but they felt natural and real. And he was so very sweet. Plus, Cory was Canadian, something I've always noted with actors, being Canadian myself. He was very much so the boy next door.

Everything I knew about him from watching him on Glee seemed so distant from the news that he struggled with addiction. It seemed impossible. And then, even though I really had no specific/heavy attachment to him, the news broke that he'd died and I felt kinda heartbroken. Moreso than I would have thought, given my casual feelings about Glee. It was just so tragic. And there was just something about Cory. It didn't seem fair that someone who was working hard to better his life, both for himself and his loved ones--someone who had been to rehab and seemed to really be trying to turn things around--would have to die because of a bad choice he made one night. It wasn't an accident. Not really. Not in the car accident kinda way. But I guess in the way that I'm sure he was just trying to relax and have a fun night. He didn't know he was going to die. He should have realized. It makes me mad that he didn't. It was a sickness, but not in the way where you can tell someone's time is coming. If only he hadn't... yeah, it's easy to say that, but of course, he was struggling. And he lost. But I still find myself thinking about the what ifs and if onlys... because it feels like this shouldn't have happened. And that's what gets me. I think that's what gets a lot of people when someone young dies tragically. It hurts us, whether we know the person or not, because there's such a strong feeling of injustice that goes along with it. It shouldn't have happened. It didn't have to happen. And whether or not you actually know someone doesn't change the fact that a death such as this one makes you realize how unfair the world is. And that can be haunting.

When Cory died I didn't write about it here on the blog. I was taking a bit of a summer break from blogging and though it was big news, I just didn't know what to say about it. I was still sorting out my own grief I guess, which sounds silly because a) I didn't know him and b) again with the whole not a diehard Glee fan thing. But deaths of pop culture icons mean something to us because we feel like we do know them. And now that we've seen the show's tribute to their quarterback, I feel it's time to write about it. I didn't think I'd cry watching the show because I'm historically not a big crier. That's changed a bit since my daughter was born (hormones maybe or perhaps just the emotions of caring about someone else so ridiculously much more than you care about yourself), but in general, I don't cry much at fiction. I'm usually more thoughtful about it. I think on it and come close to crying, but don't weep. Glee's tribute episode had me crying at times. Finn's mother had me balling. I don't know if that's a mother thing or not. But I can tell you that the very thought of losing a child--of losing my child--is the worst kind of torture I can imagine. It makes me feel like I can't breathe. Like I have no control over anything and in the moment I consider it, I hate the world for even having the potential to take her from me. The place where a parent loses a child is a very, very dark place. Every news story I read about a parent's tragic loss makes me want to throw up and then hug my daughter in a way that would somehow shield her from the world forever. So yeah, there was that.

But the part I find myself musing on the most is the fact that it still feels unreal. While watching the episode, I kept finding myself convinced that it was a plot device, a ratings stunt, a "character building moment" for everyone else. That Finn was dead, but Cory wasn't. But at the same time, I really wasn't convinced because shows like Glee don't kill off characters like Finn. Finn was an endgame character. You could put him through a lot, but you couldn't kill him. Not unless you absolutely had to... which of course, they did. So it was this weird back and forth where it felt like dreamed-up fiction, but then I'd see the extreme grief on the faces of his castmates--the people who loved him terribly and miss him fiercely--and it would hit me. Yeah, he's gone. He's actually gone. And I'd look at his picture on the screen and try to see some sign that he knew this was coming. Because even though it's basically impossible, I want people to know if their time is short so they can live life to the fullest. But of course he didn't know. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave his loved ones behind. My heart breaks for Lea. And his family. It's not that I can't imagine, it's that I don't want to. My heart also breaks for the rest of us, because this whole thing is so tragic and sad and it really highlights all the things that make life both precious and terrifying.

Goodbye Cory. You are missed.

Photo credit: FOX

friday5 for October 4, 2013

1. Let's kick off this edition of the Friday5 with some match-made-in-heaven news--Nathan Fillion is going to guest star on Community! I can't think of any possible scenario in which that isn't going to be epic. Fandoms collide and my fangirl heart may not be able to take it. Dare we dream he become a recurring character (in my fantasy world where we get #sixseasonsandamovie)??

2. Last week, anticipation building up to the Breaking Bad finale was evident everywhere you looked. This week? It seems to be mostly sighs of content (and maybe some cheering). I watched the series in a very condensed amount of time so I'm not sure that I can fully grasp the gravity of the journey longtime fans have been on, but I greatly appreciated what a satisfying conclusion the series was given and I have nothing but praise for Vince Gilligan and his team for treating us to such a masterfully crafted series. (Oh, and for all the work he did on The X-Files too! Man, what a career!)

3. I recently started listening to a few of Kevin Smith's podcasts. Not sure what took me so long since I've always admired Kevin for his storytelling ability. Regardless of how you feel about his vulgarity, he's a smart guy with a lot of heart and man, does he ever spin a good tale! Anyway, this week I found myself absolutely immersed listening to him interview a young filmmaker (and fellow Canadian), Matt Johnson about his film, The Dirties, which tackles the issue of bullying in a realistic and effective light. I officially need to see this film. It sounds fantastic by any measure, but hearing Kevin and Matt talk about it, I couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to check it out. If you don't have time to listen to the interview, at least check out the trailer. This is one you probably shouldn't miss (despite the screenshot, this is not a "sexy" film--I think that was chosen solely for YouTube hits...):

4. And while we're viewing things, let's talk about the trailer for Ravenswood, which didn't come out this week, but I haven't mentioned it since it came out and I'm still trying to decide how I feel about it, so here we go.

Sigh... I know. Hot Caleb, right? How can I say no to Hot Caleb? And yet, I feel like this is Angel all over again. Yes, I grew to love Angel, but I was not cool with one of my fav TV couples being split up for the sake of a spinoff! I've voiced my Haleb worries on here before in the Pretty Little Recap and I have to say, the pretty new girls in this trailer have me more worried than ever. How can Haleb survive this? They won't. Maybe I just need to accept that. And maybe I just need to accept that being on Team Hot Caleb isn't as good as Team Haleb, but it's better than nothing. Am I the only one with concerns? (...and yet am still totally planning on watching Ravenswood?)

5. Slight change to this section of the Friday5--The YA book rec of the week will henceforth be known as....Noteworthy YA (because rec implies I've already read all of these books but most of them are still on my to-read list and accuracy is important!). This week, I'm taking a look at Unbreakable by Kami Garcia, the first in her new series, The Legion.

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.(Summary from Goodreads.com)

 I'm actually kind of on the fence with this cover. It's creepy for sure, but it almost seems more horror-ish than paranormal/fantasy. That said, the plot sounds twisty and chilling and I'm intrigued to see how Garcia reads as a solo author.

Happy weekend!

friday5 for September 13, 2013

It's baaaaack. The Friday5 took a little summer hiatus of sorts, but now it's back, and while my schedule will dictate whether or not it manages to be a weekly feature here on the blog, I have missed dishing on the latest news with you, my dear bloggies. There is so much I could catch up on from the past several weeks, but in an effort to keep things on track, I'm going to focus on recent news only. So let's get to it!

1. Is it even possible to start with any other news item when there is major Harry Potter film news to share? No, it's not. A Wizarding World spin-off movie is in the works, based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and holy crap, the internet hasn't been this excited since we found out that Queen Rowling is also King Galbraith. Though I'm a little sad we won't be seeing Harry, Ron and Hermy, the premise of this spin-off is truly worthy of our excitement. Plus. it will mean new characters for us to fall in love with, living in the HP universe. Excitement!!

2.So this is interesting. Tumblr has announced an official book club, aptly called the Reblog Book Club. I like the idea of this, but it does have me wondering (and maybe I just haven't done enough digging) if this is a genuine freestyle book club or are marketing dollars driving their selections? I don't really have a problem with it either way, but I like my book clubs to be transparent :) Regardless, I think it's a good platform for something like this and I'll definitely be watching to see where it goes!

3. Hooray! The Fall TV season is upon us! Maybe it's just because I was super busy all summer, but the annual hiatus didn't seem that long. Not nearly as long as it seemed when I was a teen, waiting for my favourite WB (now CW) shows to return. Plus, new shows, including one from Joss Whedon! Let's just assume that everyone is planning to watch Agents of SHIELD because, obviously, but what other debut shows are you planning to check out?

4. Speaking of fall...actual fall-ish weather is finally here! Okay, yes, this doesn't necessarily apply to you, depending on where you're located, but after a brief September heat wave, the usual beloved September cooling off is happening, making way for perfect weather to pop on a sweater and go for a stroll. I see leafy paths and pumpkin patches in my future. Give me a comfy sweater, a good book, a mug of cider and some country air and I'm a happy girl. I think my small town is showing...

5. YA book rec time! Ah, it's been so long since I've done one of these and there have been so many good books! But since we're keeping things timely, and since I already mentioned the Tumblr book club, let's take a look at its first pick, Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

"Hey baby. That's a really strange position to be typing in..."

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? (Summary from Goodreads.com)

That was a long synopsis, right? But it definitely has my attention. Actually, the title itself is what first caught my attention because I consider myself to be a fangirl (as does everyone on Tumblr, which is why it's a good pick for them). Before I go any further, it's confession time. I have not (yet?) read Eleanor & Park, Rowell's NYT bestselling breakout title. The truth is, I've been avoiding it. It looks like the kind of book I usually hate. Cute, hipster cover. Cute, hipster title. And Rainbow Rowell? Doesn't that sound suspiciously like a pseudonym for someone who is actually James Frey running young creative minds through his fiction machine? (It's not, by the way. From what I've read, Rainbow Rowell is her real name.) Okay, so fine, I don't read E&P, despite the hype, but then along comes the synopsis for Fangirl and ugh, it sounds so good! And the reviews of Rowell's writing are so good. And she sounds like a genuinely nice and awesome person so I think I need to get past my own weird hang-ups about hipster covers and just read Fangirl because it sounds delightful. What are you reading this week?

Happy Friday the 13th and happy weekend!

pretty little recap: sleight of hAnd

4.12  Now You See Me, Now You Don't

LONG OVERDUE 4A finale recap! I had the best intentions to write this up BEFORE I went on vacation, but I seemed to have forgotten to factor in all that other stuff I needed to do before going on vacation. So oops. The good news is that though I've had too busy a summer to blog regularly, I have been keeping my blog idea file well stocked so I have lots of goodies to come as we head into what I hope is a slightly quieter fall.... A girl can hope, right? :) But that's for later. For now, let's discuss the season 4A finale of PLL!!!

Okay, you know you're in trouble when the town hobo is better dressed than you and your friends combined. Photo credit: ABC Family

Pretty Little Highlights

1. I actually kinda awwwed at the sweet couple snuggles in this episode. Awww, you guys! Too cute. Even with Creeper Toby involved--that's quite an accomplishment!

2. Speaking of Creeper Toby, Team Caloby lives! I don't know how I'm going to survive this show moving forward without Haleb or Caloby. I need these pairings in my life!

3. Hanna trying to do magic is priceless. In fact, all of the magic in this episode was entertaining. A's magic trick was creepy and I'm only a little ashamed to admit I didn't see the bait and switch coming.

4. Aria fighting Cece also made my life a little bit. And then the red coat being Cece's downfall? Love it. Though the fall did feel a little too Ian all over again.

5. Hooray for A (or an A-teamer at least) having a layer in Ravenswood! This raises my hope for crossover episodes! I refuse to accept that Hot Caleb is going to be gone from PLL proper.

Pretty Little Mistakes (a.k.a What Aria Did)

1. Okay, girls? It's time to stop opening packages from A. I mean, really. It's clear that A craves the attention she/he/it gets from you opening her creepy obsessive little gifts. So why do you keep giving her the satisfaction? Okay, yeah, a lot of the time said gifts give you a decent heads up that nefarious tidings might be headed your way, but maybe, just once, try not opening one of her packages and see what happens. That's all I'm saying.

2. This is really picky and more an issue with high school dramas in general, but what's up with Teachers on TV introducing a topic only for the bell to ring a minute or two later? I know we the audience don't want/need to sit through an entire lecture, but can't they at least try and make it seem like we're catching the tail end of something instead of starting some new (coincidentally relevant to the storyline) discussion that instantly gets cut short? And then the teacher reminds the kids that their term papers are due or hands out essays or something and then asks one particular student to stay behind so that they can't talk about something slightly more personal? How many times do we have to see this same scene play out on our TVs?

3. Why are the liars leaving their creepy doll coffin just lying around? What if Ashely sees it? Or are the girls just assuming that after prison life, Ashley no longer questions stuff like that. Inquiring minds would like to know, liars. You're really not that good at keeping secrets.

Pretty Little ZOMG WTF?!

1. A is a guy. And probably not Creeper Toby again. Maybe. Err, okay, at least one of the A team is a guy. This we kinda know. Is this really a WTF moment? Maybe.... Whoever this man-A is has been tracking Aly. Maybe.

2. A has a payroll. This explains so much. I feel like I can finally stop asking questions about the practicality of As many arbitrary stunts. That said, I can still question the time/money investment...

3. Ali is alive! And possibly a zombie. Or maybe not. The Halloween hand rising from the grave is real though! Or maybe not. Hmmm. Most of these ZOMG WTF moments are non-starters......

4. OR MAYBE NOT BECAUSE CREEPER TOBY IS A! I mean Ezra. Ezra is A. Okay. Alright. This feels like the Creeper Toby reveal, but it also feels different enough that I'll allow it. (Also, can we please go back to Creeper Toby being evil? That was so much more fun than Creeper Toby being mopey, though admittedly I wouldn't want to give up Caloby...) I guess we'll see where this whole EzrA thing goes. That's right, old Fitz has earned himself a capitol A. I'm intrigued and ready for more answers. And yet we must wait... Damn you PLL!

Until the Halloween Special!

~PLR~

pretty little recap: where my hoe down at?

4.11 Bring the Hoe Down

This post is a few days overdue. I spent last week working on revisions and synopses and blurbs (and real work) and then was all ready to get this up before the 4A finale aired last night, but then I got sick. Which really sucks when it's humid outside and you're trying to fly through a million things before going on vacation next week. But enough about that. I'm getting this recap up now so that I can continue to recover from illness and watch and recap last night's finale!
For the record, this might be my favourite episode title of PLL ever. Cause I'm mature like that.

Creeper Toby = Creeper Cowboy. Photo credit: ABC Family

Pretty Little Highlights

1. I think the biggest highlight of the episode is pretty obvious.... Hot Caleb dressing and speaking like a cowboy! Is this what Ravenswood has in store for us? Cause I'm starting to come around... except no! I want my Haleb. I'm not ready for change! And Hot Caleb just continues to be the most awesome boyfriend in the history of ever.

2. Is it just me or is Jake getting cuter? Or maybe he's just looking more put together next to Ezra, who is looking kinda rough, but in a still mostly hot kinda way.

3. I'm not a country music fan, but I love themed dance episodes so I can get behind it. Plus, the outfits are cute and again, Hot Caleb as a cowboy. You really can't go wrong.

4. Team Caloby for the win! Man, I am loving the Hot Caleb/Creeper Toby scenes we've been getting lately and this one was great too. Now Ravenswood is poised to ruin a romance and a bromance. Can't he just do double duty? Or get Ravenswood going and then return to PLL? PLEASE????

5. Though Hanna's, "Are you pregnant?" was a close second, the quote of the episode goes to Aria with "I told you she has the best flashlight." (about Spencer). Love it.

Pretty Little Mistakes (a.k.a What Aria Did)

1. Detective Bitchface is really starting to get under my skin. And really, are detectives even allowed to just show up at a school and harass the students like that? Seems sketchy. She's probably A.

2. Okay, Mr Stare-y McStarerson needs to back off. Hanna is Hot Caleb's dude so stop it with your stalkeresque glares and secret information! Even if you are one of the interns from Bones. That charm isn't going to fly here, buddy so move it along!

3. Aria's wardrobe, which has been decent lately, was bound to make a comeback appearance in the PLM section. Tiger shirt + claw-like necklace = do not want.

4. Oh Creeper Toby. You're such a wreck. I'm starting to think nothing can be done to help you. I miss legit Creeper Toby. Weepy Toby is just... so weepy.

5. While I like the theme dance in general, the music at this hoe down is neither hoey nor downy. It's so somber. Aren't hoe downs supposed to be fun? Okay, yes, there was that terrible dance sequence, but can we please just pretend that never happened?

6. Pretty Little Almost-Mistake: Emily going after the suspect in the back of the truck with the intent to.. what? Murder her? Was Emily really going to beat Red Coat to death? That's suspicious Emily. And the last thing anyone in Rosewood needs to be is more suspicious.

Pretty Little ZOMG WTF?!

1. Not sure of this is worth of a full ZOMG WTF or not cause I feel like we mostly already knew this, but are we officially allowed to say that Cece is Red Coat now? Can we just call her Red Cece?

2. Grand prize ZOMG moment goes to the stabbing through the floor holes. Holy crap did I jump. Not really a revealing moment, but definitely tense.


Finale time... Though it aired last night, I've remained unspoiled. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some big reveals + no death for Hot Caleb (as is being speculated elsewhere on the web) + some resolution to Creeper Toby's dead mother storyline so that we can move on already!

~PLR~

pretty little recap: someone is always watching

4.10 The Mirror has Three Faces

Whew! What a doozy of an episode! Lots of clues in this one, and a lot to fret about too... Let's dive in!

Go home, Spencer. Let Haleb make out in peace. Photo credit: ABC Family

Pretty Little Highlights

1. For me, the big highlight of this episode was getting to see Hanna and Hot Caleb actually acting like a couple (well, for the most part). I feel like it's been ages since we've seen that, despite their plan hatching and Hot Caleb's bamf protection of her. Sure, it took a bit of arguing to get there, but we got some street makeouts and that's not a bad thing. That said, I'm getting worried... I've been in denial over Ravenswood and all that spin-off implies for Haleb. I don't know how everything is going to go down, but dammit, I need there to be an open window for these two to be together again one day! I feel like this is Angel leaving Buffy all over again :(

2. Crazy Mona. I don't even think I need to elaborate on this. She's rocking the crazy and I'm totally digging it. I can't get a read on her motivation--could she actually be "doing the right thing"? Time will tell.

3.  Big Cece reveals! At least now we know she has a good reason to hate the liars (even if it's her misunderstanding the situation). If Mrs. D's story about Aly and Cece is true, then it sounds like the girls really did have a toxic relationship, one that leaked all over Rosewood...

4. Jake and Aria. I'm still digging this pairing. Not only has Aria's wardrobe been mysteriously decent since she started seeing Jake, but Jake himself is really likable. But here's the catch--good guy Ezra is clearly being left out in the cold. I definitely needed a break from Ezria, but I do still like Ezra so now I feel kinda torn. I'm cool with her going back to Ezra eventually, but maybe Jake could somehow be the one doing the dumping? Like, maybe have an ex show up with a child he never knew he didn't actually father? Oh, right...

5. Best quote of the episode goes to our dear Hot Caleb:

"It's a box at the post office, Hanna. She's not going to pop out like a girl in a birthday cake and yell 'boo'."

Pretty Little Mistakes (a.k.a What Aria Did)

1. Not a lot to complain about in this episode. But I am still less than impressed with the amount of time being spent on Creeper Toby's dead mother. This storyline had better pay off big time... I did like the scene with Spencer on the piano though. Spencer redeems the storyline marginally...

2. Ezra's non-babymomma needs to go. But what will Ezra do about the relationship he's already developed with his non-son. I don't know if this storyline can possibly have a satisfying conclusion. 

Pretty Little ZOMG WTF?!

1. A few big moments in this episode, but none made me ZOMG WTF?! like red coat appearing behind Hanna in Aly's room. I SO SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING! Mirrors and windows and cars and forests and closets and attics and basements (and this list goes on) never amount to anything good in this show!

2. Mrs. D and Emily have discovered the hidey-hole! Was anyone else on the edge of their seat waiting for someone to suddenly roll over in that sleeping bag, wearing one of the creepy Aly masks? In retrospect, that wouldn't have made any sense cause where would they escape to, but I was still waiting for it to happen. Or for Em to find some piece of evidence in the trespasser's slovenly pile. Oh well. There's always next week!

3. This isn't relates to this episode directly, but seeing Mrs. D made me think of Jason and his pouffy hair and why haven't we seen him in FOREVER? Also, did they ever explain why he suddenly disappeared from his hospital bed that one time and then was just casually mentioned off-screen as though disappearing from hospital beds is totally a normal thing to do? Weirdness.

~PLR~

pretty little recovery

4.06-09

I'm finally all caught up on PLL! And seriously, you guys, my head is spinning right now. I was going to break this recap down by episode, but then I accidentally marathoned all of the episodes I missed and they're like one big twisting PLL web in my brain right now. It's probably not healthy, but I'm okay with it. So let's do a jumblefest recap so that we're all up to speed for next week's episode, okay? OKAY!

Oh Hanna. Maybe you should stop talking for a while, mmmkay? Photo credit: ABC Family

Pretty Little Highlights

1. Team Hot Caleb/Creeper Toby left me feeling torn initially, but I think I ended up squarely on Team Caloby. While Creeper Toby is never aces in my book, Hot Caleb more than makes up for his creeperness and honestly, these two were just entertaining to watch. Okay, fine, we can call them Team Boyfriend.

2. I'm actually enjoying Fitz these days. I never really had a problem with him, but obviously his storyline with Aria needed a shake-up. I'm digging the tension. He's actually kinda interesting at the moment.

3. Jake is still all good in my books. I know he's received some criticism, but I'm cool with him. He somehow makes Aria less annoying, which is quite the feat.

4. I think my standout giggle moment from these episodes was definitely Hanna wanting Emily to cop a feel on her behalf (when Em is hanging out with Caleb in 4x06). Hee.

5. Hooray for Team Moms! (That's Team Moms, not Teen Moms) Mama Spencer is working her magic on Ashley's behalf and Emily's Mom is even getting way deep in the PLL action. I bet Mrs. Aria is wishing she didn't disappear to.. where did she go again?

Pretty Little Mistakes (a.k.a What Aria Did)

1. So many missteps in these episodes so I'll try to keep this brief. Emily and Hanna BOTH need to start running every plan they come up with by Spencer first. These girls should not be allowed to scheme on their own! They do really dumb things and need to stop. Burying guns, confessing to murder, stealing keys, other evidence, etc etc is not smart, girls. Yes, Spencer is guilty of sneaky plotting on occasion too, but she's (mostly) smart about it.

2. Aria's little bro seriously needs to take a lesson from Steven R. McQueen on how to be an awesome younger brother on a hit teen show.

3. Hanna and Hot Caleb fighting. I can't even talk about it.

4. Oh Paige. Just stop trying to make everything you're trying to make happen happen. And yes, that makes sense. Just say it slowly.

5. Am I the only one who thinks Red Coat should probably stop wearing that Red Coat? It would be so easy to go into hiding at this point...

Pretty Little ZOMG WTF?!

1. Obviously some of the cliffhangers experienced in these episodes are less dramatic than they would have been when they aired a week apart, but the car through Emily's house is deffo worth a ZOMG WTF?! The A teamers seem to commit a lot of crimes involving cars. Can't any of them be traced back to anything that might help? Seems odd.

2. Aly is alive? Again. Maybe. Probably not. But the question is still being asked.

3. Can we finally say that Red Coat is CeCe? Cause.....

4. Our anonymous A teamers' flare for the dramatic knows no bounds. And who knew A could play such delicate piano with those gloves on? That's talent! Maybe if somebody had encouraged A's art, he/she wouldn't feel the need to murder people? Just a thought.

I know that's just scratching the surface of these episodes, but I wanted to clean my PLL slate so that I'm all ready for next week's episode! I can't believe this season is flying by so quickly!

~PLR~

breaking july

This is another "where have I been?" post. The good news is, I've been in my revision cave and almost have a fully revised manuscript ready to send out into the world! And that's always a good thing, right? Oh, and I've also been busy with lots of work-related reading. They don't call it conference season for nothing. Pitches are fun and exciting and they result in piles of submissions to keep you cozy on an already hot summer night.

The bad news is, there's been no Pretty Little Recap because I've been unable to access new episodes! I knew cancelling our cable service would remove our ability to watch our favourite shows "on demand" as opposed to "with a little effort", but it turns out that sometimes (like when you're really busy with other things), that little bit of effort makes all the difference. That and I've been marathoning Breaking Bad to catch up before its final season premieres in less than two weeks. You know you can't blame me for that :) Anyway, all of that is to say that I plan to catch up on PLL imminently and when I do, there will be a catch-up PLR and I will make every effort (since I'm a few episodes away from being caught up on BB) to actually be on a normal PLR schedule again. Plus, yes, the neglected Friday5 will make its glorious return sometime soon. I have to confess, for a while there, the news was pretty heavy, with the passing of fellow Canadian Cory Monteith, plus Comicon, plus lots of Catching Fire and Divergent news, and I actually felt too intimated by it all to try and capture it in such a limited format. But there are book recs to catch up on and fun stuff to discuss so it shall return!

That's the latest with me. How've you been?

pretty little recap: pledging 4 life

4.05 Gamma Zeta Die

In any teen series, I always love the obligatory check out college and hit up a frat party episode! Classic stuff. And of course, nobody does it like PLL with the character drama, the lesbian-straight fake-out, and of course, the creepy torture den, amiright? There's much to discuss so let's dive in!

Going Greek with booze and, of course, murder. Photo credit: ABC Family

Pretty Little Highlights

1. We finally return to the Tippy the bird storyline! Huzzuh! I like a good bird-phone number mystery. Yes, some of the answers were convenient, but hey, at least they returned to it! Some shows never follow up on the plot threads they introduce (I'm looking at you, Glee).

2. College party! As I said above, the college party episode always makes for great TV, even if your friends are acting weird or trying to bury evidence. Gotta love all those drunk extras.

3. Best line of the night (and this was not easy, considering Spence's entire chat with the college nerd) goes to Hanna, regarding Hot Caleb spending the weekend camping: "The closest thing he has to a phone is a can of beans."

4. But also, yeah, let's talk about Spence's geektastic convo with nerdboy.Crazy eyes. Hufflepuff. A Lannister always pays his debts. Move over Creeper Toby, I think Spencer has found a new soulmate.

5. I'm actually going to give Aria some points for her tie skirt, which was pretty cool, but she loses them all because of the horrific yellow top she wore with it. You just can't figure it out, can you Aria? Also, you lose even more points for "Four Wheel Hive". That's just bad.

Pretty Little Mistakes (a.k.a What Aria Did)

1. Was Aria's brother always this useless? Yeah, I guess he was. He makes Aria look slightly less useless. But only slightly.

2. Speaking of useless people in Aria's family, why did her mom just sit in the car swatting at bees when she could have just opened the door and bailed? Yes, I know. Drama. But I would have been out that door at sight of bee #2. Maybe even bee #1.

3. Oh Hanna. I love you. But bringing a gun to a frat party with a plan to go bury it in the woods is just stupid. It's almost as stupid as trying to sink a cop car. I still love you, but you need to learn to listen to your friends.

4. Emily needs to STOP wandering off on her own. I swear she does that in every episode and when has it ever worked out for her? Okay, to be fair, I'm not putting a lot of thought into whether or not it's ever worked out for her, but I'm fairly certain that more often than not, it's just creepy/scary/awful and she usually hits her head/shoulder/whatever.

5. No Hot Caleb. Yes, the line about his can of  beans was pure gold, but still. Where's Hot Caleb???

Pretty Little ZOMG WTF?!

1. It ain’t Tippy the bird. I should have known the mystery phone number would lead to a crazy abandoned murder room with claw marks on the inside of the door! Of course. Nice pink phone though.

2. Clearly Housemother Crazy has been up to no good. But what's the connection to Aly? Is Housemother Crazy part of the A team?

3. And finally, the big ZOMGWTF moment of the night--Hanna being cuffed and hauled off by the police for TRYING TO BURY THE GUN THAT PROBABLY MURDERED WILDEN. Not smart, Hanna. Not smart. I know she'll somehow get out of this, but I'm having a hard time imagining what that will entail. Is it next week yet??

~PLR~