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!