The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel--demon-assassin--has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting--and falling for--Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this "mortal" with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't....(from Goodreads)

With each new Lords of the Underworld book I find myself feeling more and more....confused. Which ends up being a good thing! The first three books in the series had me hook, line and sinker. I really enjoyed Ashlyn and Maddox in The Darkest Night. We were introduced to each of the Lords and their basic backstory and I COULD NOT wait to read more! The Darkest Kiss is probably my favorite and I equally enjoyed The Darkest Pleasure. This is the point where the confusion started to settle in. The Darkest Whisper was the next in the series and it featured Sabin who was not one of the original six Lords first featured in The Darkest Night and I didn't feel a strong connection to his character. I enjoyed the story but actually put it down for months before finishing it. When I did eventually pick it up again, I came in right on all the action and was immediately drawn back into this world and was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next!

For me The Darkest Passion was the same way. Even though Aeron was one of the original six warriors we came to know, I never felt like we really got to see HIM. He was consumed by bloodlust for much the first books. Olivia who is his angel heroine is introduced in a previous book but we really only get glimpses of her presence. When The Darkest Passion starts we are just thrown right into their story and I felt like I was missing something. We don't get to see Olivia in heaven at all. We don't see her struggle with choosing to fall to be with Aeron. I felt that I'd missed out on important character building, BUT Gena Showalter has a handle on this series and she knows what she needs to do to bring the story together. I was charmed by both Aeron and Olivia. Olivia's actions sometimes seemed so out of place that I had to laugh out loud and realize I was underestimating her character (punching Legion in the face is one such thing that comes to mind). Much like with The Darkest Whisper, the climax of the story happens at the very end of the book. Hence the confusion! I had NO clue how Showalter was going to fix the mess that she had gotten us into with so little time left to do it. I was quite literally sitting up in bed going, "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" and then BOOM! It's solved. I will say that it felt like the problems were tied up a little too nicely but I was just so happy to have a cohesive ending that I didn't mind that at all!

There were numerous other threads started in this book to set up future stories and battles. I'm still waiting on tenterhooks for Paris's story and am now also pretty excited to see what happens with Strider. All in all a great addition to the series that keeps the story moving forward.

Summer Movies

Just a quick little movie weekend update!

Went and saw Eclipse today! I hadn't decided if I actually wanted to go or not. I saw Twilight at the midnight showing but held off on New Moon since the Twilight theatre viewing experience was so awful. Too many crying, laughing at inappropriate times, chatty girls! I ended up Netflixing New Moon and it was just as bad as Twilight. I am a sucker though and liked it just the same.

At our AMC Theatres they have $6 (used to be $5!) showings before noon on weekends. My friend Mimi (she loves that nickname ;)) and I braced ourselves for abs and overacting! I must say that I was pleasantly surprised! Someone finally told Pattinson to take it down about 5 notches and Kristin Stewart seemed to have a little more personality this go round. Speaking of abs...one thing I don't get is how Lautner is SO ripped and all the other werewolves look kinda puny. If it was me, I'd be hitting the gym everyday trying to keep up with Abs McGee!

One thing I really enjoyed was the backstories for Jasper and Rosalie. One aspect of the books that was always my favorite was the interaction of the Cullen family and getting to find out more about them. That seemed to be missing from the first two movies but played a much larger role in Eclipse.

The scenery was amazing but that is something that has stayed consistent throughout all the movies. All in all I'm glad I went to see it on the big screen. I'm also glad I only paid $6! I think I'll stick to the same formula for Breaking Dawn. I wish they'd keep the same director. Bill Condon will be directing both parts of Breaking Dawn. He directed Dreamgirls and a couple other smaller, well received movies so it should be interesting to see what he does. Maybe when Bella is having her daughter ripped from her womb someone will break into "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going".

Pants and I also saw Toy Story 3 a couple weeks ago. He was not excited to see it at all, (he doesn't like that Pixar does sequels and wishes they would just keep making new material), but I was very happy with it! Almost all the same faces are back and the plot felt fresh. It made sense in the timeline of the story. I will say that it didn't always strike me as a movie best for small children. I'm sure a lot of the material would go over their heads but the scene at the end at the dump...whoa! I won't give too much away but they were all so resigned to their fate and it was just.....heavy. The final scenes with Andy and Bonnie had me in tears! I swear Pixar is like Tears Crack for me. They ALWAYS get me. I literally can't watch Up without crying for the first 20 minutes. I've tried. Four times. Not possible.

As far as summer movies go the only things that we are looking forward to are Inception and Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World.

I seriously love this poster!

Sometimes I with there was a movie version of book club. It would be movie club and everyone would get together to watch a movie and then talk about it. I think it's a good idea! Plus you'd only be committing two hours, maybe three, of your time instead of the amount of time it takes you to read the book PLUS the two hours where you get together to talk about it. Movie Club! Who's with me!?

Netflix Challenge #7 - Say Yes to the Dress Season 4

My seventh pick for my Netflix Challenge is admittedly, a guilty pleasure. I had no intention of making Say Yes to the Dress-Season 4 my next challenge but once the holiday weekend was over and I'd watched the whole season on instant, I figured why not?!

When I started this challenge I created some vague boundaries and rules in my head. One of these rules was that I couldn't just watch one disc or one episode of a tv show. If I was going to use it as a pick, it would need to be the whole season. Mission accomplished! (Another rule is that it can't be anything that I've seen before and so far I've stuck to that one too!) There are 18 episodes in season 4 but they are only 21 minutes each so the time flies as you are watching bride after bride find her dress. Or in many cases, NOT find her dress.

When it comes to reality tv, I turn up my nose a little bit. In my day I've watched a season of Survivor here, a season of American Idol there, but it's not something I really enjoy. The premise of most reality tv ridiculous and sad. The few exceptions are shows like Project Runway or Top Chef where having a legitimate ability is what lands you on national television. The drama and hissy fits are not the focus of the show...for the most part. ;) While Say Yes to the Dress doesn't feature talented chefs and there are no weekly challenges, I feel that it's pure in what it does offer. Women shopping for their wedding dress. That's it! Some are nice brides and some of awful bridezillas. Some are sample sizes and others fight to find a decent plus size dress for their big day. You have supportive families who cry when the dress is discovered but also family members who criticize and name-call. It's fascinating!

In case anyone isn't hip to my TLC guilty pleasure, Say Yes to the Dress is a show that goes behind the scenes of wedding dress shopping in a large NYC shop called Kleinfeld's. Each episode features 3 brides,usually two who are looking for their dress and one who is having a fitting. There are all manner of divas and snafus and it's just ridiculous! Pants HATES it! If I'm flipping through and see it on, I immediately stop and keep it on that channel even if I've already seen that episode! When I saw that Netflix had season 4 on instant I might've screamed out loud a little bit. Maybe. Yes, I did. :)

I am aware this post and choice is frivolous but come one! I'm at about the half-way point and I needed something fun and quick to keep me going! :) I don't expect everyone to want to queue this one up but I still recommend it if you're looking for fun, fluffy stories about what can be the happiest day in people's lives.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

One Dance with a Duke- Tessa Dare

From Goodreads:

"A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members — yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke — until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love?"

I don't know how eloquent of a review I can write for this book. At multiple points during my reading I was yelling out loud with displeasure! It's hard for me to put into words what drove me up the wall exactly. Well...there are two words: Amelia d'Orsay. UH! The heroine in this story deserved a good smack as far as I'm concerned!

Now with that off my chest I can hopefully give a more clear-headed review. Everything starts off well enough. I love the 'spinster becoming the Duchess' type stories. I actually liked Amelia quite a bit for most of the story. She was clear-headed and knew herself. She wasn't a great beauty by Society standards. She knew her strong points and wanted to be of use. I felt the story stayed true to it's time period in the sense that what Amelia was good at was being a wife. She loved caring for others and being in charge of a household. She was well-read and intelligent and didn't want to change herself just to suit a man.

As for the hero, I LOVED Spencer Dumarque aka The Duke of Midnight. He was in no way perfect but really what good romance hero is? We love them because they AREN'T perfect. In his defense, Spencer also had a firm grasp on himself and his faults and also his admirable qualities. He never tried to be something he wasn't and he quite often made an effort to change when he realized he was in the wrong. Which actually made him perfect...sigh! :)

The interplay between Amelia and Spencer was a good thing indeed! Neither one shied away from the other or held back. They were honest and up front and all the sexy time scenes were scorching! It took me back to some of my favorite romances of old where I would get butterflies in my stomach from a conversation between the two! Not the sex mind you, just the words the hero and heroine would SAY to each other. Getting inside their heads and seeing how desperate they were for each other. This book has that in spades!

Now that we've covered what I liked, I'd like to address what had me yelling out loud. Amelia is described as a nurturer and giver. Her joy comes from her family and taking care of others. She has a brother, Jack, who quite frankly I don't think added ANYTHING to the story. His character fell flat for me and just felt like someone there to stir up trouble between Spemelia. He is a wastrel and pathetic and I didn't care one way or the other what happened to him. Throughout the book Amelia goes on and on and ON about helping her brother find his way and "if only Spencer would help him!" but it's NOT Spencer's job to help Jack. Jack made his bed and it's HIS problem to try and figure out how to sleep in the mess! Amelia frequently gets upset with Spencer and claims he is making her choose between her family and him. As far as I could see...not the case in the slightest! Spencer could see how Jack was taking advantage of Amelia and wanted to save her heartbreak! He never said she had to give up her family, (she had 2 other brothers) he merely wanted to know that HE came first in her love. Instead she kept picking her brother who, not once was given a redeemable quality.

The clearheaded part of me said, "Megan, this is a book! Deal!" With that I tried to decipher how irrational I was being. If I was Amelia and it was my brother and my life, what would I do? If I had a husband who wasn't always the most forthcoming with information and tenderness, how would I interpret it? The answer was: not too much differently. Family has a way of getting under your skin like no one else. From a young age she had to become mother to her younger siblings and for reasons discussed at the end of the book, she feels guilt and that she owes them much. As the reader I was allowed inside Spencer's head and saw how much she mattered to him but she had a slower journey to that discovery. I still felt that for as much as she was supposed to be a nurturer, she sorely neglected how her siding with her family might affect her husband. The man who is her new family! When all was said and done, I liked Amelia better by the last page but she still wasn't a heroine I could completely sympathize with.

I wish I could give half stars. As of right now I want to give One Dance with a Duke 3 and half stars but I decided to go with 4. The writing was excellent! Spencer was a magnificent hero and I enjoyed most of the side storylines. I think that my problems wouldn't effect everyone reading the book. It would be very easy for anyone else to find no fault with this book. I definitely recommend it if you are a fan of historical romance and I'll certainly be seeking out the rest of this trilogy.

Netflix Challenge #6-Herb and Dorothy

a fascinating true story about a girl and her herbs. <-----Pant's summary :)

As with last week's pick, I let Netflix do the choosing! Herb & Dorothy was recommended as something I might like based on my interest in...well I don't really know anymore! I tend to go on sprees adding things to my instant queue and don't always remember the path I took to get there.

From Netflix:

"Chronicling the story of unlikely art collectors Herb Vogel and Dorothy Vogel, filmmaker Megumi Sasaki demonstrates that it's not necessary to be wealthy in order to build a significant collection in this fascinating documentary. A postal clerk and a librarian, the Vogels share a passion for art, which they pursued over decades, becoming two of the most important collectors of minimalist and conceptual art with more than 4,000 pieces."

To be honest, much of this documentary went over my head. I am not an art aficionado and know basically nothing about minimal or conceptual art. Of the countless artists mentioned and interviewed in this piece, I was familiar with two or three of them. I had never heard the names Herb Vogel or Dorothy Vogel before. Regardless of that, I still found their story immensely watchable.

The Vogels were not beautiful people, or rich people. They live(d?) their lives in a small, one bedroom New York apartment. Into that apartment they stuffed what amounted to almost 5,000 works of art! Not all at one time, of course. When they decided to donate their collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. they were able to clean out and start again!

A few things that stood out to me:

-I loved their choice to GIVE their collection to the National Gallery. They could easily have sold their art for millions of dollars but made a vow in the beginning to never sell one piece. They had a strong desire to keep the collection together as they felt it was meant to be. Herb worked for the Postal Service his whole life and Dorothy was a librarian. They loved the idea of being able to continue their government/service jobs by giving their collection back to the people. The National Gallery, as all museums and national art galleries in D.C., has no admission and they wanted the people to have access to art easily and cheaply.

-I couldn't help but think of the show Hoarders as they showed footage of the Vogels apartment. Boxes, crates and loose art are stacked from floor to ceiling and entirely covers the walls. The idea of collecting being an addiction is touched upon and I feel like the Vogels are prime examples. Their entire life was devoted to the act of collecting art...and having cats. :)

-There is a little extra scene at the end showing Dorothy buying her first computer. I love it. LOVE IT.

One thing I will say about this Netflix Challenge is that I'm keeping my mind open to any and all choices before me. Knowing that I have to fit nine more movies in before August 31st has got me a little panicky. I'm not allowing myself to be choosy and I think it's working out pretty well! I've now watched at least 2, if not 3 or 4 movies I might not otherwise have taken the time to see. I certainly feel like a more well-rounded individual!

If you're interested in the art world or eccentric pop culture figures, I would recommend giving Herb & Dorothy a spin.

Challenge, One, Two, Three, Four, Five

Netflix Challenge #5 - TiMER

My latest pick for my Netflix Challenge is TiMER. It was a complete unknown to me when it popped up in the suggestions as I was browsing the latest Instant choices. It had a fairly high rating and sounded like an interesting premise. I was in the mood for something a littler lighter and romantic and thought it might fill the bill. I'm extremely glad I decided to watch it!

Here's a little description from Netflix:

In this comedic fantasy, science has facilitated the search for a soul mate via biotechnological implants that count down to the moment one is supposed to meet his or her match. But Oona (Emma Caulfield) is worried: She's nearly 30, and her TiMER isn't ticking yet. Will her dream guy get snatched up by someone else?"

Completely related to nothing I really like the name Oona now :)

The movie takes place in a time that in most every aspect is current day except for the introduction of the TiMER sometime in the last 10 or 20 years. The TiMER tells you to the instant when you'll meet your soul mate or One. My initial reaction is absolute delight. It delved into very true aspects of relationship that everyone deals with and how society portrays this NEED to know who our One is and when they'll show up. There is so much pressure on single women (and men) to wait for The One and that you only get one and how do you know them and on and on and ON! It reminded of Sex and the City episode where they talk about this exact issue at the diner. Do you only get one? What happens if had your one and it doesn't work out? Is that it for you?

The story doesn't follow only Oona but her whole family. Her mom and stepfather, her stepsister Steph and their half brother Jesse. Each of these characters has different experiences with the TiMER. Steph for example isn't supposed to meet her One until she's 43! This brings up the issue of what do you do until your One shows up? Is it cheating if you have another relationship? Oona faces this when she embarks on a relationship with Mikey. I don't want to give too much away but I just loved how everything worked out at the end. The reality is that even if someone isn't your One, those relationships and loves shape you. They scar you and it can be a beautiful thing.

It's currently available on Instant and I highly recommend it.

Netflix Challenge #3- Mystery Team

I'm on a roll with my Netflix Challenge! As you may have noticed, I've been posting my recaps/reviews on every Monday and Friday but in reality I watched these first three movies all in the same day! It was an extravaganza!

Choice #3 was Mystery Team and to be honest, Pants picked this one. I can't even TELL you how many months ago he showed me the trailer for this movie on YouTube. We weren't living together yet so it was AT LEAST a year ago. The movie was produced/written/acted by the members of the Derrick Comedy group. It didn't get a very wide release at all but got a lot of indie/underground attention. As soon as Netflix had it available it went to the top spot of the queue! I myself am not familiar with Derrick Comedy but I still recognized a lot of actors who currently are part of much of NBC's Thursday night line-up.

The story revolves around 3 best friends who are....naive to say the least. Jason, Charlie, and Duncan created a Scooby-Doo type Mystery Team when they were kids and came to some acclaim in their neighborhood for their skills. Only problem...their 18 now and are still looking for missing bikes. A real mystery falls into their laps by way of a double murder. The victims youngest daughter asks the Mystery Team to find out who killed her parents. Hilarity ensues!

What basically happens from here on out pokes fun at all the kid detective movies/tv shows. Only raunchy. They read an article in the newspaper that basically solves the crime if you have half a brain cell but lucky for us, they might not. The three guys go all over town using 'disguises' to get into a strip club, lumber yard, and to get in good with a 'hobo'. The disguises were probably my favorite part of the movie because of the sheer ridiculousness of each one. The hobo scene made me snort. Duncan has a book about the history of hobos that was easily 50 years out of date. Their hobo is actually a homeless drug addict but the Team seems blissfully unaware of this.

By the end of the movie it comes out that everyone but Jason is ready to grow up and move on. They know they aren't taken seriously and have made plans for college. They manage to solve their last mystery although I think everyone comes out a little worse for wear.

I'd recommend this movie because while it doesn't break any new ground, it recycles old jokes in a fresh way with some new faces. There's a lot of funny people in this movie and I expect to be seeing a lot more from all of them. Also hearing Donald Glover scream like a girl is hilarious.

Netflix Challenge #2- Julie and Julia

The second choice in my Netflix challenge was the Julie and Julia based on the book by the same name. When this movie came out I had no overwhelming desire to see it in theatres and even poked fun at Pants because he did! He watched it illegally online somewhere and loved it and I poked fun AGAIN. Now I'll have to eat my words!

The movie follows the lives of both Julia Child and Julie Powell. It's supposedly based on the book 'Julie and Julia' by Powell but I know that for much of the Child scenes they used Julia Child's book 'My Life in France' as a reference. For the most part I enjoyed both sides of the story but Meryl Streep as Child is so memorable. Stanley Tucci as her husband Paul tips the story in their favor. It didn't feel like two actors portraying a couple in love. Tucci and Streep had a wonderful chemistry and came across so comfortably in the characters skin.

One thing I liked about the Julie side of the story was the conversations between she and her husband about her blog. She questions whether anyone actually reads numerous times. When she gets her first comment she is overjoyed only to find out it's from her mother so "it doesn't count". I empathize with that SO much! One thing that especially hit home for me was when she was trying to explain to her mother why she kept doing it. She tells her it's good to have short term goals and that it basically sets a regimen for her, something she has to do everyday. It helps keep her on the path forward. This pretty much sums up why I started blogging. I wanted to see if I could do it. If I'd be any good or anyone would care. Since I started only about a month ago, projects have been accomplished, books have been finished, movies watched...all things I meant to do but haven't found the time for. As her husband accuses in the movie, blogging is a very personal almost vain/selfish thing to do but I think it can also help make you a better person. I hope that ramble made sense!

I highly recommend Julie and Julia. It's not often you get a movie that features two strong female leads and is centered around their story. The acting is terrific and it made me laugh and cry and want to learn to cook!

Oh! I had 'My Life in France' on the bookshelf so I'll be starting that next I think :)

Netflix Challenge #1- The September Issue

Fascinating.

That's the first word that comes to mind after finishing The September Issue. This is a documentary about the creation of the September 2007 issue of Vogue magazine. It's an in-depth look at what goes into creating the magazine and the people behind the curtain. It's currently available instantly on Netflix and I highly recommend queuing that sucker up!

I have so many thoughts and I don't know where to start! I think Grace Coddington is my hero now. I was familiar with the fashion director before this but didn't honestly know much about her. She has such spirit! She truly loves what she does and says herself that she wouldn't still be doing it if she didn't. I can't imagine putting so much of yourself and your time and creativity into a photo spread just to have someone come and slash half of it away. What you found beautiful, they find "toothy" or "too dark" or say it doesn't fit in with the story of the spread. Direct quotes from Anna Wintour there. The two woman have a relationship that can only be shared by people that have worked together in a very tough industry for decades. They seem to share this antagonism toward the other but then go on to call the other a genius or a visionary. I didn't realize Coddington had been a model herself and worked at British Vogue for 20 years before coming to American Vogue. She and Wintour even started on the same day! I would love to be a fly on the wall in those offices.

Anna Wintour herself is character that is hard to define. I realize she is a real person but I think she, like most famous people, put on an act in public. Seeing her interact with her daughter or talk about her father/family was very telling. It was obvious how much she loves her daughter. I also detected a tear in her eye when she was talking about her siblings and how they were 'amused' by what she did for a living. Her daughter even went so far as to say she respects her mother but finds the fashion industry laughable and the people in it ridiculous. I'm paraphrasing there but she certainly wasn't singing it's praises. I can't imagine how that affects Wintour. During the day she has people cowering in fear of her, kowtowing to her every idea and whim, claiming she is the most influential woman in America! Only to have her family basically laughing at it.

I recently watched the documentary about Valentino called The Last Emperor and I highly recommend both movies. They show a side of the fashion industry that is not widely publicized. I honestly feel anyone would enjoy these movies, not just Vogue subscribers. Having a love of fashion only enhances the experience.

Fascinating.

The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman

I've been trying with VERY little success, (none in fact) to be a part of a bookclub. For various reasons, many being that I have to work, I have YET to attend a meeting. The latest selection is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and I'm happy to report I JUST finished it! Now, if I can just attend the meeting...

It's always interesting to me when I read a children's book or young adult title. I find myself having to reconcile the fact that it's a story meant for young people when I myself no longer fit into that category. A quote at the end of the book helps to put into words this feeling:

" You're always you, and that don't change, and you're always changing, and there's nothing you can do about it" ( page 325)

Neil Gaiman has a vast backlist of books that I have not gotten around to yet. There are a few in my pile, (Sandman, Good Omens, Coraline) and I have no doubt that I'll enjoy them as much as this one. I read Stardust a few years ago and had the same reaction when it was done. I didn't feel immediately in love with the story but found it very satisfying. His books seem to be filled with other worldliness and magic and when your main book of choice tends to have a half-naked couple clutching on the cover, it takes some brain rearranging to appreciate a story that does not focus on romantic love.

The Graveyard Book follows Nobody Owens through his young life starting with the gruesome death of his family, his adoption by a new ghostly family and eventually into his young adulthood when he must finally go out onto his own. One complaint that I had while reading was the lack of sufficient backstory or explanation. I realize that with this being a children's book, Gaiman might not have felt the need to delve so deeply into the why-fors. Having a little more explanation as to why his entire family had to be killed as opposed to just him would've been nice. Finding out more about the Jacks of all Trades was something I was hoping for too. Maybe Gaiman could write an adult title that delves into the society a little more. These were my only real complaints with the tale. I felt there was so much potential that went untapped. It certainly didn't make the story less though. You are equipped with all the important information you need to understand what's going on and why.

My favorite parts of the story were when Bod was with his family in the graveyard. He had such a vast array of people to interact with and teach him. I loved how his schooling consisted of learning how to Fade and Dreamwalk and HE had to be the one to ask to go to real school with books and papers and libraries.

It was sad how at the end it felt as if Bod was going out into the world with no one. He'd in essence lost any and all families he'd ever had. He didn't see it that way though. He learned so much and was ready to just go out and experience life, clean slate and completely on his own terms. Once the story ended I found myself imagining what his world would be like. Where would he go? Who would he meet? Would he see Silas again? Would he eventually be buried in his graveyard and be reunited with his family there? (Seriously Neil Gaiman, write Bod's story as an adult!) In my mind he lived a full, exciting life only enhanced by the way he was brought into the world.

Part Two: The Sequel

If you thought Part One: The Beginning was super duper awesome, then just wait for this! I've finally caught up and I'm about to impart my TV watching wisdom to you. You're welcome.

Castle- Castle, Castle, Castle. I want to love this show more, I really do. Love Nathan Fillion! Firefly anyone? He's got the charming/funny mixture of a Cary Grant and who wouldn't love that? As for this show though, to me it's the poor man's Bones. Cop and Someone of a profession who would never work with a cop, solve mysteries together, have sexual chemistry, never act on it, have a back-up group who helps solve the murders. Don't get me wrong...LOVE Bones (see next review) but I don't need to watch it twice in one week. I also feel like Castle is missing something. There just isn't that spark. Castle's relationship with his daughter/mother is cute and endearing but there isn't much else I care about. I honestly don't care if Beckett and Castle get together. I think it would be MUCH more interesting to have them find love elsewhere but still keep that partner vibe. To be honest I feel asleep watching the finale! I really don't know if I'll pick it up again in the fall. I feel bad though because of the Nathan Fillion love. I just wish he could be on a show I could really get behind.

Bones- Oh Bones. I love this show. Really I do. It's just...sometimes...meh. It drives me crazy! When it's on fire, all the characters are interesting and you care for them and want for them and are amazed by them. Then sometimes the writers just drop the ball. This season felt like that SO much! It was almost there SO often. All season long it just felt like they were trying to make up for past transgressions (Hodgins and Angela) or keep the cash cow apart so they could keep milking it (Bones and Booth). It was frustrating! But I love it. The finale felt so meh to me but I think it opens up a lot of potential for next season. I think they'll come back and a year will have passed. This will allow for some Lost/Veronica Mars like flashbacks to show what everyone was up to. I think Angela will have a baby! Bones will want Booth but he'll have found someone new. Poor Cam...everyone just up and left her. Which, I'm sorry, but everyone just leaving at once would NOT happen in real life workplace. I'm can suspend belief with the best of them but, really? No. As long as Sweets is there I'll be happy :)

Glee-Last night was the season finale of Glee! This show makes me so happy. I just sit with a stupid grin on my face for 60 minutes. Well, more like 45 once you subtract out commercials. Even when I'm thinking, "They are not seriously doing that, are they?!", I STILL love it. I also don't understand the stigma of the Glee Club. I was in choir from 6th grade to 12th and NEVER, not once EVER got made fun of for it. Granted our football team was awful and my high school eventually became the target school for the arts...but still! I thought last night was a lovely summary of the whole season. We got to see Quinn have to her baby and actually give it up for adoption. I have to admit I was convinced she would end up keeping it. I think it's smart to have her totally on her own now. It's not like baby Beth will be far away either. I'm sure Shelby (!!! loved that twist!!!) will be more then happy to let Quinn be a part of her life if Quinn chooses. People, I've loved Journey looooong time! The New Directions performance made my heart happy. Queen was a tough act to beat though. I thought it was a bit of a cheat because Jesse did all the singing! It was mostly just dance. Seemed a little unfair to me. I kinda love Jesse St. James (or more accurately Jonathan Groff) so I hope he will be back next season. I'm thinking he comes back as the Glee director for Vocal Adrenaline!! He was a senior this year, right? I loved it and I love the weird sexual tension between Shue/Sue. Can't wait for next season!!

Brothers and Sisters- I will fully admit that after the writers strike I never picked this show back up. At one point this past fall, (when I was out of work) I got bored and starting catching up. Unfortunately I still have 4 (5?) episodes on my Hulu queue so no review. Maybe once I actually watch them I'll do a little post. Stay tuned.

Modern Family- This show like many if not all sitcoms doesn't really leave you with a cliff-hanger ending but it doesn't need one either. I was hesitant of the show when it first started. I'm an Arrested Development fan and there have been a few shows since it ended that felt like they were trying to recreate that wacky, family environment and it just never worked. Upon actually watching Modern Family though it's clear that was not their goal. Yes, it features a wacky family but it's got SO much heart as well. I literally laugh out loud every week, (same as 30 Rock) and I love seeing how they interact. I honestly feel like that is my family. We yell and fight and don't like each other sometimes but when it comes down to it, all we have is love. And if you can't laugh at/with your family there is something wrong!

Chuck- Don't tell Pants but I when it comes to Chuck- I Want to go to There. I thought I had outgrown all those Tiger Beat crushes but I have SO got one on Zachery Levi/Chuck Bartowski. They are one in the same for me. This for me is another one of those shows with a lot of heart AND humor. And killer music montages. I wasn't sure I'd really be able to get with Chuck being able to flash legitimate skills but it worked. I was so happy that Ellie FINALLY found out about Chuck's life too! I think that now everyone who SHOULD know about Chuck DOES know. It seems like each season they aren't sure whether there will be a next season of the show and the final episodes reflect that. There is always a little tying together of loose ends so that if that was the end of the show, we as the viewer could be happy. This season definitely ended with us left guessing as to what will happen next! While Chuck isn't a show I obsessively watch each week, I love playing catch-up with it because I forget how much I really do like it.

Netflix Challenge

On an almost daily basis I check in with many of the Sugar sites. I'm obsessed! Fancy giveaways, (I'll have to post about my winnings!) coverage that spans fashion, media and more, and each mini-site is updated constantly throughout the day.

Well Buzzsugar has just started a fun challenge! The Netflix Challenge is your call to movie watching arms! Their approach is to pick one actor, director, etc and watch their entire repertoire. You've got until the end of summer so this is an easily achievable task. I'm going to take this Challenge but change up the terms to suit me. Take that Buzzsugar!

Pants and I have had Netflix for over a year now and have amassed QUITE the queue. Both instant and DVD (207 DVD and 154 instant). It's quite daunting when I stop and think about it. I've decided my Challenge will be to watch at least 15 selections from either instant or regular DVD. I'll give myself until August 31st to complete. September is no longer Summer to me no matter what the temperature is.

As I watch a selection I will post a review of the movie/tv show. Between catching up on the Hulu queue, the Busy Bookworm Challenge and now this Netflix Challenge, I should have quite the busy Summer! Wish me luck!

Part One: The Beginning

One thing you should know about me--I'm a TV lover. Pants might scoff at me saying that but it's true! All he hears is me complaining because I've got 25 shows saved in my Hulu queue and no time to watch them. It's just work that gets in the way of my TV watching ;)

I thought I'd do a run down of the Spring finales for all my favorite shows. I'm a little behind with some but I just started blogging people! I gotta get myself caught up! :) For point of reference I'm writing these as if you've watched the shows too and we're on the same page. If this is all gibberish to you...Netflix these suckers and get caught up!

I think this is gonna be a two-parter so get your excited pants on!

Grey's Anatomy- HO. LY. SHIT. I was going to try to not be as foul-mouthed on the blog as I am in real life but seriously! I know many people feel that Grey's has lost it's shine but I still enjoy it every week. It makes me cry more then any other show I watch or have ever watched. Even if the season is lackluster they ALWAYS pull it out for the finale and this year was no different. I loved that the shooter wasn't some random person, we had a relationship of sorts with this character. It was terrifying watching him cold-heartedly killing so many people. The worst for me was Bailey and Percy. Knowing that they could've saved his life if those elevators worked! So sad! And Meredith sobbing in the OR, I'm so happy they've finally got her character matured and grown up. I'm looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

30 Rock- Hilarious as usual. Not going to recap too much but loved Wesley Snipes and wished Michael Sheen would stick around, loved Matt Damon. This is another show I've heard people say has lost it's touch but I don't think so. I snort laughter everytime I watch it!

Office- Kinda meh...exciting thinking that Holly might be back! Watching her and Michael was kinda like watching the dorkiest, sweetest train wreck ever.

Vampire Diaries- This show is fantastic. For serious. Started out CHEESY with the fog and the crow and the diary reading narration, but it matured into a consistently exciting hour of television. I can't even tell you how many times I screamed out loud while watching it this past season and the finale was no different. Love Boone! I was sad for him with the little twist at the end :/ I would highly recommend catching up on this show over the summer if you haven't watched it yet. It becomes less about the vampires and more about the relationships all the time.

Fringe- Confession: I have a couple crush on Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger. I think they are adorable! Back to my thoughts :) I think this might've been my favorite finale. Grey's was a close second but the mix of sci-fi and family won the top spot. I didn't start out watching Fringe when it initially aired. I only started season 1 because I'd caught up on everything on Hulu and was bored. It was the only show that still had the majority of the season available. The pilot put me to sleep. 3 times. Coming in mid-way through the season I realized I'd been missing something good! I'm now a huge fan. I love Walter Bishop with my whole heart. The finale was a superb end to this season. We finally got to see the the alternate universe in it's entirety and I thought it was just so different from anything else on TV. Walternate is EBIL and I think Other Olivia might be too! Pacey made it back where he is supposed to be but I knew something was up with Olivia as soon as Bell woke up from the explosion. Oh I can't WAIT to see what happens!

Lost- I'm not going to go into any detail or speculation because SO many people have done it better then me. My favorite is this recap. I'll just say that I loved it. I went into it with an open mind and I cried almost the whole time. As time passed I came to appreciate it more and am very happy with the end to the show. Vincent at the end just about broke my heart!

Alright campers! That's it for Part One! I still have to catch up on quite a few more shows in my queue but hopefully Part Two: The Sequel will be ready by the end of this week!