The Shortlist: Best Of 2016

Another year has just about passed, and so yet again I tasked myself with compiling a list of my favorite things from 2016. Although this year was a bit disappointing in terms of what was released, there were a few gems that I managed to uncover. I finally settled on choosing my top three books, top three movies, as well as my top ten songs from the year. The only rules that I set for myself while creating this list were that every book, movie and song had to be released/published in 2016, and I only selected one song per artist to allow for diversity. So here it is, my final list of my favorite things from 2016. Enjoy, and let me know what you read, watched and listened to this past year!

BEST BOOKS OF 2016:

Dark Matter
Blake Crouch

The Way I Used To Be
Amber Smith

If I Was Your Girl
Meredith Russo

BEST MOVIES OF 2016:

Arrival
Denis Villeneuve

Jason Bourne
Paul Greengrass

Tallulah
Sian Heder

BEST SONGS OF 2016:

Somebody Else
The 1975

[listen]

Full Circle
HÆLOS

[listen]

Underwater
HANA

[listen]

You Don't Get Me High Anymore
Phantogram

[listen]

Hurts So Good
Astrid S

[listen]

I Remember
AlunaGeorge

[listen]

Shore
Daniela Andrade

[listen]

Cry
Carly Rae Jepsen

[listen]

Elizabeth Taylor
Clare Maguire

[listen]

Mind Games
BANKS

[listen]

Book Review: Dark Matter

David Crouch's newest novel Dark Matter was easily my favorite book that I read in 2016. This science fiction thriller follows the character of Jason, a physics professor who lives in Chicago with his wife and teenage son. One night he is abducted by a mysterious man wearing a mask and wakes up in a world that is not his. In this new world, he is an esteemed physicist who has an amazing career. Jason must figure out how to get back home to his family, but to do this he will have to embark on a seemingly impossible journey that will unleash an enemy he never thought possible.
What Crouch does incredibly well with Dark Matter is blends a multitude of varying genres together into a cohesive story. This book has elements of science fiction, romance, action, and drama that allows for a wide audience to enjoy reading it. The plot is also fast-paced and there is not a single moment where the storyline is vapid. Dark Matter is written incredibly well, with the words smoothly flowing from page to page; there is no clunkiness slowing it down. I also really appreciated how unique this book is; I've never read anything quite like it before. It is not afraid to branch away from the many cliches that authors often fall on to support their material. Dark Matter is a book that makes readers question life and our ultimate existence, which is something that I personally love.
The only hangup that I had with Dark Matter is that it ended with some elements still up in the air. For example, what happens to the character of Amanda is never explained. There are just some loose ends that leave the reader questioning what will happen next. The ending of this book almost makes me think that Crouch might be considering a sequel, and I certainly hope that this is the case.
Overall, I would strongly recommend reading Dark Matter if you have the chance. I am personally not a huge fan of science fiction, yet really enjoyed this book because it blends a lot of genres together. Between its uniqueness, expeditiously constructed plot, and the ability to make readers critically think about the world as they know it, this book pretty much has it all.
Author: David Crouch
Genre: Thriller/Science Fiction

Pages: 342

Year Published: 2016

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Movie Review: Suicide Squad

Perhaps one of the most anticipated movies for the year 2016 was David Ayer's Suicide Squad. It promised the reappearance of The Joker since The Dark Knight and an all-star cast with the likes of Viola Davis, Jared Leto and Will Smith. Needless to say, I was one of the many people that was excited for this film, and after watching it I wanted to share my thoughts and opinions about it.
Suicide Squad begins with Amanda Waller, a high ranking government official, assembling a team of hardcore criminals. Together they must destroy the evil Enchantress who is quickly taking control of the city with her monster army. Meanwhile, The Joker is attempting to reunite with Harley Quinn since her release from prison, leading to even more complications. Will this ragtag gang of bad guys be able to work together to save the world from complete annihilation?
My feelings were very mixed after watching Suicide Squad. There were some shining moments in this film, primarily with its smart use of humor. It manages to blend action and comedy really well, delivering some great lines but not taking the humor over the top. I also loved Viola Davis as Amanda Waller and I wished that her character had made more appearances in the film. Will Smith surprised me by playing a great Deadshot and conveying the right amount of emotion behind his character. A final positive note is the aesthetic of Suicide Squad. I love how this whole movie is dark but punctuated by bright colors. One of my favorite scenes in the film is the acid scene, where paint colors from The Joker and Harley Quinn are bleeding into the vat of acid.
My reaction to Margot Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn was polarized; I loved the attitude and humor of her character, but her "Boston" accent was terribly executed. This movie also flubbed with Jared Leto's portrayal of The Joker. I was really looking forward to how he would make this iconic character his own and take The Joker in a different direction that Heath Ledger's version. However, the final result just didn't work for me. The Joker's laugh sounded more like an old man's cackle than something ominous and evil. I also found the look of The Joker to be perhaps a little too over the top with unnecessary embellishments. The evil Enchantress, played by Cara Delevingne, was also a huge downfall for me personally. Her character was simply boring, that's the only way to put it. There simply wasn't anything about Enchantress' personality that made her a good villain. Adding to this insipidness was the action in Suicide Squad. The problem was that because the main characters are so good at what they do, there simply isn't really much action. An entire sequence of the main team "fighting" bad guys ends with Deadshot shooting an entire group of monsters dead without breaking a sweat. The last negative point I want to make is how the main characters are introduced in the first twenty minutes of Suicide Squad. Good movies should be able to tell the audience about all of the important aspects of a character through the progression of the storyline. However, Suicide Squad relies on a series of flashbacks simply because hardly any character development occurs in the actual storyline of the film.
Overall, Suicide Squad proves itself to be superficially entertaining with fun humor, action and visuals. At the core of this film is a massive void though, with no substance or character development. I don't want to completely bash this movie, as there are some really well executed aspects about it. But they are significantly outweighed by how badly everything else was done. If you've been highly anticipated to see Suicide Squad, then watch it but with restraint. If you build it up to be the bad-ass superhero movie of the year, you will likely be sorely disappointed.
Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action/Adventure

Run Time: 123 minutes

Release Date: August 5, 2016

My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Movie Review: The Girl On The Train

One of my favorite books from the year 2015 was Paula Hawkins' fast-paced thriller The Girl On The Train. So when it was announced that a movie adaptation of the book would be made, I was very excited to see how it would turn out. I finally got the chance to watch it a few days ago, and wanted to share my thoughts about it here on my blog.
The Girl On The Train follows the character of Rachel, who is recently divorced and self-medicates by drinking heavily. Every day she commutes into the city on the same train and fantasizes about a couple she sees along the route. Their life appears perfect, but one day Rachel sees something shocking from her seat on the train. She quickly gets ensnared in the resulting mystery and begins to discover what really happened.
My initial reaction to The Girl On The Train being made into a movie was mostly positive, and I was actually really pumped about seeing the story on-screen. What made the announcement even better was the casting of Emily Blunt as Rachel, as she is an actress whom I find rarely disappointing. There was a lot of initial skepticism about this film taking place in the United States as opposed to England where the book is set. I actually found that this location change did not hinder the movie at all, but sadly it did let me down in a lot of other aspects.
Essentially the movie is just a watered down, sped-up version of the book with a lot of shots of Emily Blunt looking extremely depressed. If you've read the book, there is nothing at all surprising in the plot and you will be mildly bored through the whole film. If you haven't read the book, then this movie will most likely be a mediocre thriller at best. The acting was very mixed; while Emily Blunt did a great job portraying Rachel, I found Edgar Ramirez and Laura Prepon to be especially cringe-worthy in The Girl On The Train. Another part of the movie that was executed poorly was the feeling surrounding the three main female characters. I loved how the book made them all out to be incredibly flawed and made the reader question their disposition. What the movie does is overlook this nuanced characterization altogether and instead pit the three women against a single "bad guy" that is the movie's only villain. What made the book so great was that everyone had the potential to be evil; there wasn't the generic plot of "good characters" versus "bad characters."
Overall, The Girl On The Train was not the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat blockbuster that I had hoped it would be. The few positives that this movie possesses, such as Emily Blunt playing the lead and its eerie aesthetic, are almost completely lost by just how unexciting everything else is. The Girl On The Train had potential but got derailed somewhere between conception and delivery.

Rating: R

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Run Time: 112 minutes

Release Date: October 7, 2015

My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Book Review: Everything That Makes You

As author Moriah McStay's debut novel for teens, Everything That Makes You certainly gets her literary reputation off to a good start. Filled with well-rounded and relatable characters, as well as a unique storyline, this book is definitely one to add to your reading list.
Everything That Makes You begins by introducing two alternate versions of the same teenage girl. In one, Fiona struggles to find her inner strength after her face was deeply scarred as a child. Meanwhile, Fi is excelling at lacrosse and has a scar-free face, having never been subjected to the accident that Fiona had to endure. The teenage lives of these two girls plays out, revealing how even the smallest experiences can dramatically change the course of events in a person's life.
There are numerous elements that make this novel a great read. Firstly, the creative storyline that splits the book between two versions of the same character is very intriguing. It makes for a compelling read that will hold your interest. The characters in Everything That Makes You are also very well-written and dynamic. Both main characters, Fiona and Fi, are real in the sense that the author makes a point of making sure that they are complex, with relatable emotions and interests. This book also does a good job with creating a wonderfully written storyline. Little touches such as altering the font between the two main characters and adding poetry and song lyrics makes it that much more absorbing for the reader.
Clearly I found many more pros than I did cons with Everything That Makes You, but there were two slight issues that I did have with this book. The first is that, at times, I would confuse details of Fiona's storyline with Fi's. This being said, I do think that the way the author wrote the book did a great job of creating the two different plots, but sometimes they blurred together. The other issue that I had with Everything That Makes You was simply the predictability of it. There were no surprises, and several major moments in the plot I saw coming long before they were introduced to the reader.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Everything That Makes You to anybody looking for a unique teenage fiction book that exemplifies real-life issues and challenges. With its relatable characters, creative storyline and compelling synopsis, it is certainly worth picking up at your local bookstore.
Author: Moriah McStay
Genre: Drama/Romance/Teen Fiction

Pages: 344

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Molly's Recipes: Easy & Delicious Vegan Pancakes

Pancakes are often written off as something that you just cannot make without eggs and milk. When the occasional recipe for vegan pancakes does pop up, most people automatically assume that they will either taste bad or be way too convoluted to make. However, this recipe disproves all of these assumptions big time! Not only are these pancakes fluffy, yummy and ridiculously easy to make, they're also inexpensive too. So give em a try and let me know what you think in the comments.

Ingredients:
-1 and 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
-2 tablespoons water
-1/2 cup milk alternative (I use almond milk)
-1 cup Bisquick original pancake mix

1. Start by mixing the egg replacer and water together in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat until thoroughly combined.

2. Add the Bisquick pancake mix and milk alternative to the egg and water mixture and stir well, until all ingredients are combined.

3. Place a frying pan over medium heat. After the pan has heated up, pour 1/2 cup portions of the batter onto the frying pan. Cook pancakes for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.

4. Serve while hot, and make sure to pour some pure maple syrup on top to make them even yummier!

Serves: 1-2

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Notes: using 1/2 cup scoops of batter will make 3 large pancakes. You can opt to instead use 1/4 cup scoops to make 6 small pancakes which will serve two people instead of one. You can also double this recipe to make pancakes for a larger group of people.
This recipe is also one that you can make tons of additions to. Just a few ideas include mixing cinnamon into the pancake batter before cooking, adding blueberries or chocolate chips, or making a fruit compote to serve on top of your finished pancakes.

Book Review: Every Last Word

One of my recent reads was the young adult novel Every Last Word, written by Tamara Ireland Stone. This book offers a unique perspective into the life of Sam, a teenager living with Obsessive Compulsion Disorder. She deftly navigates both the secretive inner world of her mental illness and the external world of her friends and high school, finding solace in her passion for swimming. Upon meeting Caroline, a new girl at her school, Sam is introduced to a group of teens who are not only supportive but push Sam to reveal more of herself. She gradually begins to grow away from her old friends, but when a reality comes to light Sam begins to question just how deep her OCD has affected her.
There is a lot that this book gets right, the first being that it features a complex and relatable protagonist. Sam is quite fragile in many ways, but her inner strength still manages to radiate from the pages of Every Last Word. Many of the other characters, namely Sue, AJ and Hailey, are also wonderfully developed and play unique rolls in Sam's life. This novel is also well-written, and the author does a great job of incorporating poetry into the fabric of the narrative. A final positive element about Every Last Word is just how well it manages to dive into the essence of someone's mind who is dealing with OCD. This book doesn't make Sam out to be a victim of an illness, but rather makes her seem like a normal and relateable human being just like anybody else.
Where this book falls just a bit short for me personally was creating an emotional attachment to the characters. Although I thought that Sam was very well-developed and complex, I still didn't have much stake in her journey throughout the plot. I didn't feel for her at all, nor did I feel any sort of emotional attachment to any of the other characters. Another element that didn't work was the plot twist towards the end, as I was expecting it from early on in the book. Lastly, I found the character of Caroline to be a bit bizarre. I liked that she represented Sam's strength and positive traits, but how Caroline was developed and introduced to the reader just didn't sit quite right.
Overall, Every Last Word is a well-written young adult novel that certainly delivers on creating a relatable and likeable protagonist, an intriguingly unique storyline, and it gives great insight into the inner world of suffering from OCD. However, it still falls somewhat flat in a few areas and perhaps doesn't quite reach its full potential. Overall, if you are looking for a new book to read that has equal parts real-life issues, romance, tenderness, and humor then this might just be a book that I would recommend you give a try.
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Genre: Drama/Mental illness/YA

Pages: 355

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

How Photography Has Changed

Making pictures in both an authentic and creative way is truly an impressive art. As a photographer I often feel that this amazing form of communication and self-expression is slowly being lost to the modern world that is completely saturated with visual content on a 24 hour basis.
There is absolutely no denying the fact that many incredible steps have been taken in the world of photography since its inception. I am extremely grateful that I can pursue my passion for making pictures without the need of a darkroom, bottles of chemicals, and regular purchases of film to fulfill my impulses. I have the ultimate luxury of making essentially as many photos as I want and within a couple minutes viewing them all on a screen in front of me. I can manipulate and edit to my heart's desire, and I know that Ctrl-Z will always be there for me if I screw up, rendering my original image undamaged. I have had only a minimal level of experience working with film, but still experienced enough problems to know that I should be thankful for the photographical modernities that exist in today's world.
But I also sometimes ask my self, what has been lost? Making photography easier and accessible to a wider audience has rendered it less of an art, and the handful of people out there who are truly passionate and gifted simply need to work that much harder to become known in the photographic world. There is also the problem with image overload, as websites and apps like Instagram and Flickr have made photos become things that nearly everyone interacts with on a daily basis. As more people start seeing images constantly, there is less appreciation for just how much time, thought, and passion went into making that photo.
So maybe next time we're all scrolling through our Instagram feeds, we should take a few moments to really look at each photo we're viewing. Why was the image taken in the first place, and what is it trying to communicate? What do you feel when you're looking at it? Photographs are amazing works of art that communicate myriad emotions, beliefs, cultures, and people from all corners of the globe. Just because there are more than ever before doesn't mean they should be any less valued.

Album Review: Full Circle

The three-member band HAELOS has just recently entered my musical world, thanks to the recommended section on YouTube. As I got listening to more and more of their songs, I realized that I wanted to review their debut album Full Circle here on my blog. Managing to blend a beautiful contradiction of angelic and powerful sounds in their music, HAELOS has created a standout debut album that many listeners will eagerly consume.
Overall Full Circle is laden with masterful instrumentals and vocals, and honestly there is very little to critique about it. Perhaps the only area where the album falls just slightly short of its potential is the repetitious nature of many of the tracks. This results in a slightly insipid sound throughout the entire album, marginally dulling its brilliance.
With this being said, the album Full Circle is highly effective in just about every other aspect of its delivery. The vocals in particular are just enough in the sense that they are powerfully conveyed and filled with meaning, but do not detract from the instrumentals at all. There is also a strong sense of calmness that this album gives the listener, and it provides the perfect soundtrack to listen to while falling asleep or on a late night road trip.
The sound that HAELOS has produced with Full Circle is truly distinctive, making the album stand out from the uniformity of most mainstream music today. If you are looking for a musical artist that delivers on both amazing music and uniqueness then I would highly recommend giving this album a listen.
Artist: HAELOS

Genre: Dark euphoria/Alternative

Number of Songs: 11

Release Date: March 18, 2016

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Molly's Music: Entry 4

So here is yet another blog post detailing my current favorite songs. Maybe it will help you find some new artists to check out. Enjoy the jams, and let me know in the comments what you've been listening to lately.

AlunaGeorge - I Remember:
This upbeat track combines pop and electronic musical elements to create a very catchy earworm. Between its smooth vocals and artistic lyrics, it is certainly worth a listen.


Haelos - Dust:
I recently discovered the band Haelos and love the sound that they create with their music. Their song "Dust" features paradoxically subtle yet extremely powerful vocals, layered magically with a unique blend of instrumental notes.


The xx - Fiction:
I've actually known about this song for a while now, and I'll be honest and say that at first I didn't really care for it. However, for some reason beyond my understanding I've been drawn into the unique sound that The xx manages to create with their music.


Chelsea Lankes - Paralyzed:
The last song on my recent favorites list, Paralyzed is a discovery I made just a few days ago. It's just a good blend of ethereal vocals and a catchy melody that results in a great track to listen to.

Book Review: The Memory Of Light

The Memory of Light by author Francisco X. Stork is a newly published book that I had recently added to my "to read" list. So when I happened to see that my local library had it available, I jumped on the chance to give it a read.
The book begins by introducing Vicky, who has just been admitted into a hospital for attempted suicide. Upon recommendation from her doctor she stays at the hospital for an extended period in order to receive treatment for her depression. It's here that she is introduced to several influential peers who help her sort out her problems and realize what life has to offer. After Vicky leaves the hospital and faces her old life that drove her to the brink of ending her own life, she must find the strength inside her to face the dark thoughts invading her mind.
While reading The Memory of Light, I found myself constantly going back and forth on what my opinion of it was. There were brilliantly written moments that did a fantastic job of describing the visceral feeling of mental illness. The author was very poetic in the way that he described several themes throughout the book, and his personal experience with depression and suicide certainly lended themselves to this strong descriptive writing. I also liked all of the main characters in this book and thought that they all captured unique points of view regarding just how varying mental illnesses can be from each other.
However, this is where the positive elements end. First of all, I had an issue with a lot of the writing and the general flow of the words in this book. Several paragraphs needed to be read multiple times in order to grasp who was saying what. There was a clunkiness that was hard to overlook and it impeded the reading process. I also found myself not emotionally connecting with any characters in The Memory of Light. They were all well-developed and likeable enough, I just simply did not care what happened to them or have any empathy for their conditions at all. A final issue was with how this book deals with the treatment of the main characters. Their doctor randomly up and takes them to her ranch for two weeks, which simply struck me as odd and extremely unrealistic. I understand that this is a work of fiction, and authors have the freedom to write whatever they desire in the pages of their work. However, it just seemed out of context with the rest of the book and didn't bolster the storyline at all.
So in conclusion, The Memory of Light was a somewhat disappointing book. I wanted to love it, but in reality it was somewhat of a struggle to get through. I had to mentally motivate myself to pick it up and read a few chapters, and ended up just marathoning through the last 100 pages just so I could finish it and write this review. There are a few short-lived moments of pure brilliance and wonderful writing where the author transcends the printed word and you can physically understand what mental illness feels like. But these moments are severely masked by the mundaneness of the rest of the book. Overall, I would let this novel be and choose a different book to quench your thirst for a good read.
Author: Francisco X. Stork
Genre: Drama/Mental illness/YA

Pages: 325

Year Published: 2016

My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories are something that come with the territory of our internet-saturated world. These crazy beliefs usually start with one person making claims about someone or something, and after making a post online their idea can spread like wildfire to scores of many more people.
Although some conspiracy theories are truly wild and crazy and clearly stretch the truth to make them seem more believable, I do believe that there can often be some truth behind many theories that exist. Lately I've been interested in doing research surrounding some seemingly unimaginable conspiracy theories floating around the internet, and lets just say that many are not as far-fetched as you would think.
Most people seem to laugh off conspiracy theories as bogus claims that have no scientific basis whatsoever, catering to a completely ignorant and uneducated audience. But this is far from the truth, and if more people began to even scratch the surface of them they might be surprised by the amount of fact that is to be found. Why do so many people simply allow the media to spoon-feed them information that could be completely false, yet the minute a conspiracy theorist makes a statement it's ignored?
My personal belief is that as a society, we all need to start questioning everything that is told to us. Don't agree with everything that CNN is reporting, and also don't laugh at every conspiracy theory you hear. We need to start approaching news events from a very unbiased position, taking in every bit of information we can find from every resource available: news websites, YouTube videos, blogs, eyewitness reports, etc. Only then can we make an educated guess as to the truth surrounding these events.
To conclude, I'll say that it is pretty much impossible to obtain a completely unbiased account of the news unless you personally experience an event. What other people tell us is not always the truth. The next time you find yourself shaking your head at the absurdity of a conspiracy theory, ask yourself why you have this mindset. Does the conspiracy theory in question truly have no factual basis, or are your preconceived notions just getting in the way? We need to stop relying completely on news corporations to receive the events of the world and open up our minds to a larger spectrum of information.

Book Review: The Program

The Program, both a science fiction and romance novel bound into one book, is my most recent addition to my list of reads. This book was overall pretty solid, but I feel that I should review it here on my blog for anyone who is looking to give it a read. There are both positive and negative elements about Suzanne Young's novel and I want to share my thoughts on them.
This book begins by introducing the main character Sloane and describing the suicide-ravaged world that she lives in. Young people are killing themselves at unprecedented rates and so a program has been enacted to cure them of their illness. Both Sloane and her boyfriend, James, are coping with the suicide of her brother and several close friends, and trying to avoid falling prey to the illness themselves. They must persist through the toughest of times in order to hold on to their love for one another.
The begining of The Program I found to be a particularly good read, and I thoroughly enjoyed the well-developed characters and the unfolding storyline. I also found the entire premise of a world infected by suicide very intriguing and unique, something that made this book stand out to me. The author did a good job of describing the strong bond that exists between the two main characters, Sloane and James, and I also liked how the book is divided into multiple parts.
However, there are some things about The Program that left me sorely disappointed. Although very alluring at the begining, this book took somewhat of a strange turn at part two. The character of Roger was just bizarre and frankly unnecessary in my opinion, and I also didn't enjoy the relationship between Sloane and Realm. These two characters are introduced around the same time in the book, and this is right when The Program starts to take a downhill turn. The last part just wasn't strong enough to save this book, leaving me a bit dissatisfied with how things end.
In conclusion, The Program is a unique novel that is very appealing but is likely to disappoint readers somewhat. Essentially, part one is brilliantly written and engrossing, part two begins to take the reader down a very bizarre path, and part three tries unsuccessfully to redeem any remaining pieces. I think whether you will enjoy this book or not depends entirely on personal taste and what genres you typically enjoy.
Author: Suzanne Young
Genre: Science Fiction/Romance/YA

Pages: 405

Year Published: 2013

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Molly's Music: Entry 3

I have decided to do yet another rundown here on my blog of the songs that I have been listening to a lot lately. Hopefully this will help introduce a few people to some new and interesting artists that I think are pretty talented. Enjoy, and hopefully this list will get you inspired to seek out some new songs that you can add to your Favorites playlist.

Moxiie - Jilted:
This song is a bit more on the pop side of my taste in music, but I've found myself listening to it quite a bit in the past few weeks. I initially was drawn to this song's music video as I think it is really well done, but the song grew on me over time.


HANA - Clay / Underwater:
I recently discovered the singer HANA and enjoyed the style of her music from my first listen. She just released the music video for her song Clay, and soon after unveiled a second song titled Underwater that is equally enjoyable.



Oh Wonder - Without You:
The music video for this song by the duo Oh Wonder randomly appeared in my recommended section on YouTube, and after giving it a listen I found myself really liking this song.


VÉRITÉ - Underdressed:
Although it admittedly is not my favorite song that VÉRITÉ has released, I still am really enjoying this most recent track of hers. It's got a catchiness to it that's slightly addictive.


Grimes - Vowels = space and time:
This song has a very unique sound to it, one that you probably will either love or hate (that pretty much sums up all of Grimes' songs). Although this is one of her older tracks that has been released for a while now, I only just discovered it and I think it's one of her better songs.

Book Review: The Last Time We Say Goodbye

My most recent read was Cynthia Hand's novel titled The Last Time We Say Goodbye. This emotionally charged family drama was just the book I was looking for, coming into my life at the perfect time to help pull me out of the literary slump I've been in and reinvigorate my passion for books.
The Last Time We Say Goodbye introduces the character Lex, a teenage girl living in small-town Nebraska who is dealing with her younger brother Ty's recent suicide. Having cut herself off from her friends and with her family life unraveling in the wake of her parents' divorce, Lex's therapist suggests that she write in a journal every day. Through doing so, Lex begins the slow and delicate process of healing, forgiving, and letting go of the events surrounding the death of her brother.
Hand tackles the sensitivity surrounding the topic of teen suicide with a deft hand, mastering a perfect balance between Lex's multitude of emotions. The main character Lex was very well developed, with her mathematical prowess and headstrong attitude. In fact, all of the characters in the pages of this book were deep and complex, drawing the reader into each of their own personalities. I also loved how The Last Time We Say Goodbye was interjected by Lex's journal entries, allowing the reader a look back on the events leading up to Ty's suicide.
The only area where this novel fell just slightly short of its potential is regarding the storyline. Although well written I didn't get overly engrossed in the events occuring in The Last Time We Say Goodbye. That is, I felt for the characters and what they were going through but their struggles never struck me on a deep emotional level. I also thought that many of the issues that Lex was going through were all of a sudden fixed at the end of the book, something that is very hard to believe. It was as if a magic wand was waved and all of her troubles were taken care of in the last few chapters.
Aside from these minor issues, I feel that The Last Time We Say Goodbye is not only a well-written novel that will no doubt strike a chord with most readers, but gives a touching and realistic glimpse into the life of someone going through a tragic event in their life. Overall I would definitely give this book a high recommendation.
Author: Cynthia Hand
Genre: Drama/YA

Pages: 390

Year Published: 2015

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Monthly Amusements: January 2016

I've decided to add a new element to my blog where I review entertainment-related things that I have been enjoying within the past month. This may not be a regular thing as I might not do these reviews for every single month of the year, but I figured I would try my idea out for January and see how I enjoy writing one. Feel free to give feedback in the comments, and also tell me your favorite January things.

Movie: What Maisie Knew

I didn't watch a lot of movies in January, but one of the few that I did choose to view surprised me. What Maisie Knew was honestly just one of those Netflix movies that I selected on a whim, simply because it had a pretty high rating. I didn't know who was in it or what it was about, but I found myself really enjoying the movie as it progressed. I found it to have most of the elements needed to create a touching story about a young girl trapped between her battling parents.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

TV Show: Broadchurch

I'll be honest and say that I don't watch many TV shows, but occasionally I'll give one a watch. I had heard good things about Broadchurch, and upon watching the first episode I was hooked. It's an extremely well-executed TV show that gets just about everything right. The plot does fall a little short for me and is somewhat typical of most murder mysteries, but the acting, cinematography, music, and setting of the show more than make up for this.
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Book: The Delirium Trilogy

Lauren Oliver's science fiction romance trilogy, consisting of the books Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem consumed most of my reading time in the month of January. Overall I enjoyed this series of books more than I thought I would, but it still fell a bit short of the bar that Oliver set with her books Panic and Vanishing Girls. Still a good read for the month though, as the Delirium trilogy offers a unique look at a loveless world.
My Rating: ★★★☆☆

Music: Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

January has been pretty lackluster for music, and I haven't been very lucky this month with finding new additions for my soundtrack. However, I have listened to the album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming by electronic band M83 several times. This album provides some really unique-sounding songs that blur seamlessly together when the whole album played, and it is definitely worth a listen.
My Rating: ★★★★☆

My Most Anticipated Movies Of 2016

I was recently looking at a list of movies that are set to be released this year, and realized that there are some pretty awesome looking ones in the making. So I thought I would share my most anticipated movies for this year with all of you. I don't necessarily think that all of these films will be good, but I'm very intrigued by them nonetheless. This list is simply the movies that I look forward to watching, and isn't necessarily a list of what I think the best movies of 2016 will be. Enjoy the list, and feel free to share your most anticipated movies for this year in the comments.

Knight Of Cups

This experimental film, starring Christian Bale, doesn't really give much of its plot away in its trailer. However, this movie certainly masks itself in intrigue and therefore is one I will be giving a watch in 2016. If nothing else, I want to see what exactly Knight Of Cups is about.

Release Date: March 4, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Not one for superhero movies, I surprised myself by putting this film on my list. However, I actually loved the Batman trilogy with Christian Bale in the title role and am curious to see Ben Affleck's interpretation of the character.

Release Date: March 25, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Snowden

This biographical thriller has the potential to be amazing or tremendously cringe-worthy. But regardless, I want to see Snowden when it's released. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has not disappointed in previous roles, so hopefully this movie will not take its dramatizations of Edward Snowden's life overboard.

Release Date: May 13, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

X-Men: Apocalypse

I stated before that superhero movies usually aren't my thing, but the X-Men franchise is certainly an exception. I am really looking forward to seeing the familiar characters in the X-Men world reemerge in this 2016 action flick.

Release Date: May 27, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Now You See Me 2

I really enjoyed the 2013 caper thriller Now You See Me, so when I realized a sequel was being made I was pretty excited. I have fears that the second movie will fall short of the first, but I'm still willing to give it a watch. I do hate the name though. How much more unoriginal can you get than simply putting a number after the name of the first movie?

Release Date: June 10, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

The BFG

One of my favorite childhood books was The BFG by Roald Dahl, and I recently learned that it was being made into a movie set to be released in 2016. To be honest I think that this movie will probably be a flop, but I hope that Steven Spielberg proves me wrong!

Release Date: July 1, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

Bourne 5

Although its official name hasn't been announced yet, I am very excited for the fifth installment in the Bourne movie franchise. In fact, it's probably the number one movie set to be released in 2016 that I am looking forward to watching. I only hope that it will live up to my expectations, but with a cast including Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, and Alicia Vikander it very well could.

Release Date: July 29, 2016

Suicide Squad

This movie has been so hyped that it very well could be a major disappointment, so I'm trying to not expect a lot from it. With that being said, I am very curious to see Jared Leto's interpretation of the joker and also how the entire cast portrays their characters. I'm trying to set the bar low in my head, and hopefully Suicide Squad will pleasantly surprise me.

Release Date: August 5, 2016
[Watch The Trailer]

The Girl On The Train

This movie is based on the 2015 novel by Paula Hawkins, which was one of my favorite books of the year. I am looking forward to seeing how the book is crafted into an interesting movie, and I hope that Emily Blunt can portray the lead character well. I'm not sold on the idea of this book as a film, but I certainly hope a good movie will result.

Release Date: October 7, 2016

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back

Not knowing what to expect, I watched the action film Jack Reacher back in 2012 and actually really loved it. I look forward to seeing how Tom Cruise will continue his portrayal of the title character in the sequel movie.

Release Date: October 21, 2016