Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Re-Read

I was surprised while reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows because of how much of the book translated to the movie. It was a smart decision to split this book into two movies because there’s so much detail about the horcruxes and the attempts the trio makes in finding them. This book is the grand finale between Harry Potter and Voldemort. I wanted to share all of the details I forgot about in this book.

  • Voldemort has glowing red eyes with vertical slits for pupils (in the books)
  • Voldemort tells Bellatrix about Tonks marrying Lupin. Voldemort says she needs to “prune her family tree” to keep it healthy
  • Dumbledore’s father, Percival, died in Azkaban after attacking three Muggles
  • 1945 is the year when Dumbledore first pursued Grindelwald
  • The Dursleys actually liked Kingsley Shacklebolt (only because he learned how to dress like a Muggle).
  • Dudley says Harry wasn’t a waste of space. Cute.
  • Petunia doesn’t say anything to Harry before she leaves. Dudley is the one who has the meaningful interaction with Harry instead.
  • Thestrals were used besides broomsticks in the Seven Potters chapter.
  • Harry is supposed to be heading to Tonk’s parents instead of the Burrow, like the movie.
  • Hedgwig’s death in the book is FUCKING HEART WRENCHING. She’s killed and remains dead in her cage.
  • Harry is forced to explode the sidecar with Hedwig’s cage in it, like make me cry more..?!?!
  • Hagrid leaps off the motorbike to attack a Death Eater. I love Hagrid
  • Mr. Weasley is trying to put Sirius’s bike back together, aww.
  • Not mentioned in the movie, but Hermione stole Mad Eye’s Polyjuice potion (from the Seven Potters incident), and that’s how they used it in the Ministry
  • The opening scene where Hermione uses Obliviate on her parents comes from the book. It’s not seen, but Hermione made her parents believe they were Wendell and Monica Wilkins and that they wanted to move to Australia. Hermione says if she survives the war, she will come back for them. She tells Harry this story to remind him how serious she is in wanting to help him defeat Voldemort.
  • Ron went so far as to catch a ghoul, give him his clothes, and have his dad tell everyone Ron is sick with Spattergroit. The reasoning for this is that no one will know Ron is with Harry, finding Horcruxes. BOOK RON IS SO SMART.
  • This also prevents the Weasleys from being harassed by Death Eaters
  • Remorse is how you put the soul back together, but the pain of it can rip you apart.
  • Ron’s random Quidditch facts are adorable.
  • Mrs. Weasley gives Harry a watch with stars for his birthday. It’s a tradition for any wizard who comes of age.
  • Mrs. Weasley throws Harry a birthday party with a golden snitch cake and invites Lupin, Tonks, and Hagrid to the party.
  • During Bill’s wedding, Harry was giving the Polyjuice Potion and disguised as one of their “cousins” named Barny
  • Arthur sends a Patronus after Bill’s wedding, letting them know they are safe.
  • Harry sees a vision of Draco being forced to torture Rowle, a Death Eater, in the café.
  • Harry finds a letter addressed to Sirius from Lily. Within the letter, Harry learns Sirius bought him a broomstick. His parents knew Bathilda and Dumbledore on a personal level. Finally, James lends Dumbledore the invisibility cloak. Also, they apparently had a cat.
  • Kreacher was volunteered by Regulus to put the locket in the cave, along with testing all of the spells Voldemort set up.
  • Voldemort left Kreacher there to suffer.
  • The reason why Kreacher was saved was because Regulus summoned him home, and that magic allowed Kreacher to apparate back to Grimmauld Place.
  • One of the reasons Kreacher betrayed Sirius to Voldemort (despite his horrible treatment of him in the cave) is that Kreacher was loyal to Cissy and Bella. When they wanted info, he was happy to oblige. Sirius was never kind to Kreacher, so why not betray him?
  • Death Eaters are watching 12 Grimmauld Place because they know Harry was given the home by Sirius in the will.
  • After the wedding, Death Eaters tortured Tonk’s parents (SAD)
  • The Muggle-borns are rounded up because they’re stealing magic.
  • The thought of rounding up cute eleven-year-old muggles who are attending Hogwarts for the first time is terrifying.
  • In the book, they give one of the Ministry members a puking pastille instead of stunning them.
  • In the book, Harry stuns Umbridge, but in the movie, he says to her, “I must not tell lies.” This was added for the movie.
  • In the book, Ron loses a layer of flesh. In the movie, it looks like a deep cut.
  • During Ron’s departure, Harry pulls out the Maurader’s Map and watches Ginny. It’s sad.
  • Rita used Veritaserum on Bathila to write her book. Appalling.
  • Inside the locket, there’s an eye.
  • Xenophilius has an Erumpent horn, which can explode at the slightest touch. (Hermione read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
  • Hermione says the cloak is the best Hallow, Harry says it’s the resurrection stone, and Ron says the wand. I think this says a lot about what these characters have gone through. Hermione has wanted to be invisible as she has been persecuted for her background. Harry wants the stone based on everyone he’s lost. Ron wants the wand because he feels inferior.
  • In the book, the trio are caught after Harry says Voldemort’s name
  • In the book, Bellatrix drags Hermione by her hair. ICK, this scene where she tortures Hermione is the worst.
  • Dobby is so scared because he’s back at the Malfoys, where he endured all that abuse.
  • I wish they kept Wormtail’s death in the movie.
  • When Dobby actually dies, all he says is “Harry Potter”. This stuff about his friends was all added for dramatic effect. Personally, I think the book is sadder because Harry doesn’t get a chance to say goodbye.
  • “He dug with a kind of fury, relishing the manual work, glorifying in the non-magic of it, for every drop of his sweat and every blister felt like a grin to the elf that saved their lives”
  • Harry, Ron, and Dean helped bury Dobby. Ron puts shoes and socks into Dobby’s grave, and Dean puts a hat on Dobby’s head. (This is the point where I started crying)
  • Malfoy’s wand (now Harry’s) is Hawthorne and Unicorn Hair 10 in.
  • Ron is now using Peter Pettigrew’s wand. Chestnut and Dragon Heartstrings 9 ¾ inches.
  • I love how the other two names for the Elder Wand are Wand of Destiny and Deathstick < my favorite.
  • Lupin comes to Bill’s cottage to announce the birth of their son, Ted.
  • The Goblets in Bellatrix’s vault have Gemino and Flagrante curses, which cause the cups to multiply and burn.
  • In the book, this scene is more life-threatening. At one point, Griphook falls underneath the treasure. He’s blistering and burning.
  • When the trio meets Aberforth, he reminds Harry that he’s only 17. That’s the issue. Dumbledore places this burden of carrying on the war when he shouldn’t have to worry about that to begin with.
  • Neville has been standing up to Death Eaters. He refused to perform the Cruciatus Curse on students, and he defends muggles in the Muggle’s study class.
  • The Death Eaters at the school went after Neville’s grandmother (since Neville was protesting at their school) and his grandmother kicked their asses. Imagine a little witch lady dueling two government dudes. The imagery. She lets Neville know she’s okay and tells him that he is his father’s son
  • Ravenclaw’s entrance, of course, would make you answer a riddle for a password.
  • McGonagall is fierce. “I will not permit your ineptitudes to pass onto the Hogwarts students.”
  • Harry fires off a Cruciatius Curse against the Death Eater who spat in McGonagall’s face.
  • The original Quidditch team (Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet) come back to fight at Hogwarts.
  • Helena Ravenclaw, Rowena’s daughter, stole the diadem from her mother. She wanted all the wisdom. Her mother sent the Bloody Baron aka. Slytherin’s ghost after her. When she rejects his advances, he kills her, then kills himself.
  • Neville lobs mandrakes over the wall.
  • Neville’s grandmother comes back to fight.
  • Hermione kisses Ron after he suggests evacuating the house elves. This is such a Hermione thing to do.
  • Nagini is protected in a magical sphere, unlike the movie.
  • Peeves dropping stuff on Death Eaters makes me happy.
  • Ron punches Malfoy in the face after they stun the Death Eater who wanted to attack him.
  • Luna, Ernie, and Seamus all cast Patronuses to save Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Luna has a hare, Ernie has a boar, and Seamus has a fox.
  • In the book, the cage Nagini is in encases Snape, and Nagini wraps herself around Snape while attacking him.
  • Snape was killed in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. It’s ironic because this is the place where he was saved by James Potter, yet this is where Snape dies.
  • Petunia begged for Dumbledore to accept her to Hogwarts even though Lily got to go. Dumbledore even wrote back with a kind response
  • In the King’s Cross scene, Dumbledore wears midnight blue robes (I wish they kept these in the movie)
  • Dumbledore equates himself to Voldemort as he wanted to escape death and rule over Muggles with Grindelwald.
  • The reason Dumbledore turned down the Minister position is that he was afraid he would be selfish with all that power.
  • Voldemort summons the Sorting Hat and puts it on Neville’s head. He then lights the hat on fire which holy shit burning someone alive!?
  • Neville, when confronting Voldemort, grabs the sword and decapitates Nagini.
  • OMG, Mrs. Weasley telling people to stay away from Bellatrix because she’s here to finish her is a whole mood.
  • As Voldemort attacks Molly after she kills Bellatrix, Harry holds a shield up to Molly. This is the moment where Voldemort knows that Harry is alive.
  • Voldemort doesn’t turn to pieces like in the movie; he falls dead like any normal person would
  • When Harry took Ron and Hermione to Dumbledore’s headmaster’s office, all the headmasters cheered and Dumbledore is seen crying in his frame.
  • Harry uses the Elder Wand to repair his own wand, then returns the Elder Wand to Dumbledore’s grave. This will end the control it has.
  • “The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years; all was well.”

When I re-read the book, the two deaths that were the hardest to accept were Dobby and Hedwig. When Dobby arrives to save Harry, there are a couple of paragraphs talking about how scared Dobby is. Malfoy Manor is a place where Dobby has been abused for decades. Despite his fear, he shows up because Harry Potter is one of the few people who respect him.

Hedwig’s death is more brutal in the book because she was killed while still in her cage. Due to various circumstances, Harry is forced to blow up Hagrid’s motorbike, which had Hedwig’s cage in it. He couldn’t even bury his owl, who provided him peace while he lived with the Dursleys.

2019 was the year I re-read the Harry Potter series. It was touching to re-read these books that meant so much to me.

Image is a photo of me smiling at the camera. In the background is Hogwarts. I'm at Universal Studios in Orlando.

Girls & Can We Enjoy Unlikable Characters?

Image is a promo poster for the show Girls on HBO. It shows four women clearly in NYC. They are looking at the camera.

After seeing The Rise of Skywalker twice, I wanted more Adam Driver media to consume. His portrayal of Kylo Ren was outstanding. One of Adam Driver’s roles was in the HBO series Girls, written by Lena Dunham. After getting access to Amazon Prime, I decided to dive right into watching this show. Many of the main characters in Girls are extremely unlikable. This made me wonder, to what extent do our characters have to be “likeable” to be able to sympathize with them?

Before I go through answering this question, I wanted to provide background on this show. Girls is a Sex in the City for this generation. It tells the story of four 20-something’s living in NYC after graduating from college. Hannah (played by Lena Dunham), Marnie (played by Allison Williams), Jessa (played by Jemima Kirke), and Shoshanna (played by Zosia Mamet) are the main characters this show focuses on. The girls go through breakups, hookups, and career shakeups throughout the series.

Each of the four girls is unlikable in a different way. Hannah can be selfish regarding her view on relationships. Marnie can be super judgmental. Jessa is flaky, and Shoshanna talks extremely fast to the point where it’s hard to carry on a conversation with her. It became difficult to continue in the series because I never felt I could relate to their struggles.

There are a couple of shows I like where the characters aren’t likeable, but I’m not sure what makes Girls different. For example, I watch The Big Bang Theory. However, if you pay closer attention to the four male friends, they make fatphobic jokes towards Howard’s mother and act misogynistically towards women they find attractive. I like the show, but the characters can be awful at times.

One reason why I believe Girls became hard to watch was because I didn’t see the girls maturing into better human beings. Hannah can’t take personal criticism when she goes off to graduate school. Marnie sleeps with men in relationships while Jessa is rude to her friends. Shoshanna is probably the most likable girl in the bunch, but I don’t see her maturing either. For me, I don’t want perfect characters in media, but I want to see them learn from their mistakes and become better human beings. I didn’t feel this way from watching Girls. 

Let’s go back to Adam Driver’s character. His character is also named Adam, and for most of the show, he’s dating Hannah. Adam’s character is a douchebag who only sees Hannah as a hookup. He’s a slob and has quite a bit of growing up to do. As the seasons progress, Adam starts to develop. In season #2, we find out Adam is in AA. This information makes me love Adam’s character. When Hannah is having an OCD episode, Adam makes his way across the city to comfort her. Adam isn’t a perfect character, but he’s the only character who has grown up throughout the seasons.

I stopped watching Girls mid-way through season #4 because I discovered this show wasn’t for me. I don’t regret watching the show because I believe Girls does a couple of things right. The sex positivity in this show is what makes watching the first couple of seasons worth it. Lena Dunham doesn’t have the stereotypical Hollywood body, and it’s refreshing to see a different body type on TV. Some of the sex scenes were hard to watch, while other scenes felt accurate.

If you want to watch Girls because of Adam Driver, go for it. I recommend watching seasons #1-#3 because that’s where you will see the best of Adam Driver.

2019 Pop Culture Year in Review

Happy 2020! This year marks the beginning of a new decade. The 2010s were a decade of personal growth. I developed a sense of self and became comfortable with who I am as a person. I’m excited to see what the next ten years will bring for me. I wanted to recap everything I did in 2019.

Movies I saw in Theaters:

Image is a photo of me with both hands on my face. I look surprised. Behind me is a t-shirt that says Jaws and has Hello Kitty swimming in the lake with the shark coming to eat her.
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Shazam 
  • Captain Marvel 
  • Avengers Endgame 
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home 
  • It Chapter #2 
  • Joker 
  • Rise of Skywalker 

My favorite movie of 2019 was Shazam. This is a biased answer as I lean more toward DC Comics. DC Comics is not known for making great movies, and Shazam was funny, not too depressingly dark, and worth re-watching.

TV Shows I Watched:

Image is a poster for the TV show, Lucifer. It shows a man adjusting his cuffs on  his suit. He has a serious face as he looks ahead. Behind him are devil horns. It says Lucifer - Hot as Hell.
  • Ted Bundy Interview Tapes 
  • Queer Eye Season #2 
  • Shrill 
  • Hot Date 
  • Lucifer 
  • New Girl 

My favorite TV show in 2019 was a toss-up between Shrill and Lucifer. I believe Shrill’s second season will release sometime this year. Lucifer is a fun show too, because it’s a Los Angeles, Law & Order-style show with demons flying around and wreaking havoc. Lucifer’s final season premieres sometime in 2020 on Netflix.

The two shows I watched in 2019 that I couldn’t get into were Castle Rock and Homeland. Castle Rock has potential, but I couldn’t follow the story. Homeland had a strong start, but I lost interest halfway through the first season. Life is too short to waste time watching shows you’re not interested in.

Video Games I Played:

  • The Order 1886
  • Until Dawn 
  • Heavy Rain 

This was a light gaming year for me. I’m looking forward to gaming more in 2020. I’m currently playing Kingdom Hearts III, and I plan on purchasing Jedi: Fallen Order sometime in the future. My favorite video game of 2019 was Until Dawn. This game got me through the polar vortex in Minneapolis. By Polar Vortex, I mean the weather was -32 degrees. -32 degrees!?!?!?!?!? I stayed inside, so I wouldn’t freeze to death, and played Until Dawn. 

Gaming in 2019

Image is a selfie of me holding a Magic: The Gathering pre-release kit for War of the Spark. I'm smiling at the camera.
  • War of the Spark Pre-Release in April of 2019 
  • Modern Horizons Pre-Release in June of 2019 
  • Cultists & Cthulhu 
  • Star Trek Ascension 
  • Throne of Eldraine Pre-Release 

My favorite game I played in 2019 was the War of the Spark pre-release. I did really well. I didn’t win a match, but I won a total of three individual games. This set was wild. There were a bunch of planeswalkers wreaking havoc in everyone’s games. I’m looking forward to the next Magic: sets in 2020.

Graphic Novels + Comics I Read this Year (probably not everything I read, I may be forgetting some)

  • My Giant Nerd Boyfriend (web comic on webtoons) 
  • Hush: Batman Graphic Novel 
  • Batman Knightfall series (series I received at CONvergence in 2018)
  • Watchmen
  • Midnight Task Force (Mad Cave Comics)
  • Battlecats Vol #1 Hunt for the Direbeast
  • Runaways: Find Your Way Home
  • Knights of the Golden Sun Issues #1-#4
  • Hellboy Volume #1
  • Afterglow
  • Paper Girls Volume #4
  • Badass Girl 3 issues 
  • Prometheite 
  • Riri Williams #1 

My favorite graphic novel and/or comic I read in 2019 was either Watchmen or Midnight Task Force. When I first started reading Watchmen, I thought that this series wasn’t going to be for me. When I finished the graphic novel, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. With Midnight Task Force, I loved the gritty environment of futuristic Detroit. The series left on a cliffhanger, and I’m hoping the second trade paperback will be released sometime in 2020.

2019 Pop Culture Moments

  • Rami Malek winning the Best Actor at the Oscars
  • Jussie Smollett’s “fake” hate crime

I truly believe Rami deserved the Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. Many people were upset because they felt Bradley Cooper was snubbed for A Star is Born. This is the 4th? remake of this movie, unlike a biopic of Freddie Mercury, who meant so much to so many people. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I’m sticking with it.

Podcast I Couldn’t Stop Listening To:

  • This Podcast Will Kill You 
  • Babes at the Table 
  • Science Rules: Bill Nye’s Podcast 
  • Not Another DnD Podcast 
  • Generation Bond 
  • The Love of Comics 

Last year, I picked Anna Faris’s Unqualified podcast as my favorite podcast of 2018. Sadly, I don’t listen to this podcast anymore. Apparently, there was drama between Sim and An, who were the co-hosts. Sim isn’t on Ana’s podcast anymore, which destroyed the vibe I originally liked.

My favorite podcast of 2019 has to be Not Another DnD Podcast because it got me through the extremely long drive from Minneapolis to Indianapolis for Gen Con. My brother enjoyed this podcast too.

Catchiest Song in 2019:

This is a toss-up between any song by Lizzo and Bad Guy by Billie Eilish.

Conventions I attended in 2019:

Image is a photo of me and two friends. I'm in the middle holding the camera. I'm sticking out my tongue. My friend on the left is looking serious at the camera, while my brother on the right is smiling.

I attended six conventions: Con of the North, C2E2, MSP Spring Con, CONvergence, Gen Con, and Fallcon. This increased by two conventions from 2018.

Personal Memories

Top Three Memories from 2019:

Getting Engaged! 🙂

Image is a photo of me and my fiance. I have my hands around him and you can see the ring on my left ring finger.

He popped the question on May 4th, which happened to be Free Comic Book Day and National Star Wars Day. This is something I will never let him forget.

Getting a New Job

Working in downtown Minneapolis has been a blessing. I get to take the bus to work on most days, which has saved me money on gas. I like my new coworkers. This job has better benefits and pay. This wasn’t something I was predicting to happen in 2019, but I’m glad it did.

Orlando Trip

Image is a photo of me wearing shorts and a floral shirt. Hogwarts is in the background behind me.

SO COOLLL!!!

My Resolution for 2020?

I have no specific resolution. I wish for a safe and happy 2020.

2019 End of Year Book Survey

This is my fifth year filling out Perpetual Page Turner’s End of Year Book Survey. I discovered this survey back in 2015, and I like how detailed the questions are. 2019 was an exceptional reading year for me, as it was the year when I read the most! I came in at 53 books, graphic novels, and comics this year. In past years, I had a few life events come up that prevented me from reading more. If I could sum up my reading year in 2019, it would be: the year I re-read all the Harry Potter books, and I put an emphasis on re-reading my favorite books. In 2020, I’m going to attempt to re-read more of my favorite books, along with trying to read more nonfiction books. Here are my 2019 reading answers:

**2019 Reading Stats**

Number Of Books You Read: 53
Number of Re-Reads: 7 with all the Harry Potter books. 
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy and Comics 

best-YA-books-2014-900x244.jpg

1. Best Book You Read In 2019?

Image is a book cover for Stephen King's Finders Keepers. It shows an open book with blood droplets dropping like if it were rain.

I started reading the Mr. Mercedes trilogy while on vacation in Orlando. I didn’t mind the first book, but this book made me continue with the series. Stephen King does an excellent job creating this cat & mouse chase between Mr. Mercedes and Bill Hodges. The chemistry between Bill Hodges, Jerome, and Holly is great, and I like seeing them solving various crimes. I highly recommend reading this series by Stephen King because it proves, after all this time,that he can still write a thrilling series.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Image is a book cover for the book Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks. In the wording of the book, it has comic book panels within the words.

Comics are one of my favorite genres to read. When I heard about this book about a romance between two characters of rival comic book companies, I felt I would truly love reading this book. This wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t my favorite read of this year.

3. Best Series I Started? Best Sequel of 2019? Best Series Ender?

Image is for a book cover for Legend by Marie Lu. The background looks like concrete and with yellow dust a symbol is spelled out on the cover.

I became a fan of Marie Lu after reading Warcross last year. I decided to revisit some of her earlier books, where I started reading Legend. This series appealed to me because of the action sequences, the twists, and the romance between June and Day. Additionally, I read Prodigy, the second book in the series, and it’s still a great story. I plan on reading the third and final book in the series in 2020.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Image is for the book cover for Jonathan Van Ness's memoir called Over the Top. It shows five different Jonathan Van Ness's. One is sad, one is talking on the phone, one is posing, one has pom pom's in a cheerleading pose and the other is eating a poptart on the ground.

Out of all the Queer Eye hosts, Jonathan Van Ness is my favorite. This is the book where JVN talks about how they found out they were HIV+. They also highlight the importance of Planned Parenthood for low-income communities. Reading their story brought tears to my eyes, but it also helped to decrease the stigma that still surrounds STDs. I also identified with JVN’s struggle with the loss of their step-dad to cancer. It hit way too close to home for me, but it was cathartic to read about someone I could identify with.

To answer the actual question, I loaned this book to my friend and she read it.

5. Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?

Image is a book cover for Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. The cover is pink, orange, and yellow. There is a city in black and white on the cover.

This book was really good. It was easily a contender for being the best book I read in 2019.

6. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Image is a photo for the book cover, The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston. It shows a green background with a white tree branching off into many different directions. There are two singular leaves on the ground.

Any book Ashley Elston writes is a must-read for me. My favorite book of 2017 was This is Our Story, which is an Ashley Elston book. I ended up reading over half of this book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. If you haven’t read any of her books, you absolutely need to.

7. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Harry and Hermione are proof men and women can be friends. I personally like Ron and Hermione ending up together because they’re opposite of each other. I feel book Ron and book Hermione are a better couple then their movie counterparts.

8. Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Image is a photo from the book Wildcard by Marie Lu. The cover looks like it comes from coding an the WildCard font is bright yellow and bright turquoise.

Wildcard wasn’t as good as Warcross in my opinion, but I still love this book series. I can’t wait for the third book to be released.

9. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?

I’m nominating Deathly Hallows. Dobby and Hedwig both got to me. Dobby’s death is especially depressing because there’s a paragraph where it talks about how scared Dobby is to be back in the Malfoy mansion. This is the place where he experienced the most abuse, but Dobby overcomes his fears to save Harry because of how much Harry means to Dobby. Are you crying? or is it just me?

10. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Image is a photo of a graphic novel series called Midnight Task Force by Mad Cave comics. It shows a man with glowing green eyes and a robotic left arm sitting on a chair. Behind him is a metropolitan city lite up in dark purplet, violet, magenta, and black.

Mad Cave Comics is a comic studio I discovered earlier this year. They graciously sent a couple of comics to me, so I could review them. Midnight Task Force was my favorite out of the three series I received, but this studio is seriously going places. I wouldn’t be surprised if I see them at more comic book conventions I attend in the future.

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1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2019?

I recently started subscribing to Whatpaigeisit as she does comic book reviews. She also does cosplay makeup tutorials and general vlogging. I adore her work and I find different comics to read because of her.

2. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2019?

Reading 53 books! This is the most I have ever read and I want this to continue into 2020.

3. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

I had no challenges. This was a great reading year for me.

4. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Image is a pint of beer. The pint glass says Cream and Amber. Separating the words cream and amber is a pint glass with an ampersand in it. At the bottom of the logo it says Books Beer and Coffee.

Making Cream & Amber my new go-to bookstore. Shop local if possible!

looking-ahead-books-2015-900x244.jpg

 1. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?

I’m interested in reading the third book in the Legend series by Marie Lu.

2. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?

I want to re-read more books this next year in 2020 and I want to read more nonfiction books.

Happy Reading in 2020!

Games By Bicycle Haul

I promise this is my last board game haul. Games By Bicycle is mostly known for its 52-card decks used in bridge or solitaire. This company was founded in 1867 and prides itself on being around for 130 years. Besides standard playing cards, they have been creating interesting board games. I was able to demo two of these at Gen Con, although Games by Bicycle sent me a third game I haven’t played yet. Let’s look at the games Games By Bicycle graciously sent to me.

Tattoo Stories

Image is a photo of a board game called Tattoo Stories. On the left and right columns, it shows various tattoo art. The board game says on the cover, "Good Ink or Bad Ink The Art is How You Sell It"

Tattoo Stories is a party game where one player is the customer and the other players are the tattoo artists. The customer describes a tattoo they want, and the artists have to draw the tattoo. The artists have to sell the art to the customer. Whomever gets their art picked the most by the customer wins. This is the game I haven’t had a chance to play, but it reminds me of Pictionary and tattoo art were combined into a board game, it would be Tattoo Stories. This game is recommended for 12+. This is available for purchase on the Games by Bicycle website for $19.99.

It’s Blunderful

Image is a photo for It's Blunderful. The game is lime green and says on the front "betting on life's awkward situations!" My kitty, Athena is off to the left staring off into the distance.

This was the first game I tested at Gen Con. It’s Blunderful is a game where players guess how the other players would react in awkward situations. Each card has an awkward situation with three responses listed as A, B, or C. For example, let’s say all the players have to judge how I would respond to an awkward situation. I secretly pick which response (whether it be the response associated with A, B, or C) I feel I’m associated with. The players have to guess which response this would be. Everyone (including myself) reveals the card they believe is the one I picked. If I chose B, this would be the correct answer. If the players also picked “B,” they would win points. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game. This is a great icebreaker game to get to know your coworkers or to play with friends. This game says it’s for 4-8 players, but that’s because there are these score cards to track your points with. If you played with 8+ players, you could use a sheet of paper to track your points. This game is recommended for 17+. It’s Blunderful is available for purchase on the Games by Bicycle website for $24.99

Shuffle Grand Prix

Image is a photo of the game Shuffle Grand Prix. It shows a cartoon character on a cartoon motorcycle. They are wearing a brown bandana around their nose and mouth.

When I played this at Gen ConI did win against three other players, so I felt extra special. The best way I can describe my experience playing Shuffle Grand Prix is that it’s the card game version of Mario Kart or Crash Bandicoot. There are a variety of teams to play, as each team has its own special abilities. Cards can be played to speed up your own racing team, along with slowing down other players. Imagine these cards as bananas from Mario Kart. The player who travels the furthest by the time the distance card pile is drawn will win the game. This is a great family-friendly game with cute cartoon characters drawn on each of the cards. This game is recommended for 13+. Shuffle Grand Prix is available for purchase on the Games by Bicycle website for $24.99.

This is my last board game haul for a while. I have a HUGE board game backlog now. In fact, towards the end of December, my family and I are having a board game night, and I’m going to bring all of these games to play. I hope to write board game reviews starting in January. Thank you to everyone who read my haul posts, and happy gaming!

Wonder Woman 1984

When I watched the No Man’s Land scene from Wonder Woman, I had chills go down my spine. This truly starred a female superhero, and despite Steve’s appearance in the scene, Diana held her own. As a DC fan, it gave me hope that DC could establish its own superhero universe. As soon as I saw the announcement of the Wonder Woman 1984 trailer being released, I kept tabs on social media so I wouldn’t miss it. This trailer was epic.

When Kristin Wiig was first cast as Cheetah, many fans were unconvinced. I trust the casting behind this film, and I didn’t want to pass judgment until a trailer was released. I believe Kristin Wiig was a great choice for this role, and I liked her overall look in the short moments within the trailer.

Steve Trevor is back! Gal Gadot and Chris Pine’s chemistry felt authentic in the first film, so I’m glad to see he’s back in some capacity. I’m intrigued as to how they will explain how he survived and appear “youthful” in the 1980s. Comics are a weird medium, as in various comic characters get killed and then are brought back, so bringing back Steve Trevor doesn’t feel odd to me.

Wonder Woman is one of my favorite superhero movies. Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot are a power duo in superhero filmmaking. This trailer has gotten me more excited for this movie, and it’s giving me a reason to look forward to 2020.

Frankenstein & My Latest Comic Reviews

Lately, I have been driving to my local comic book store somewhat regularly. Since my comics reading has increased, I have been reading comics faster than I can write reviews. I wanted to share the comics I read and my thoughts about them.

The Prometheite by Ari S. Mulch

Image is a cover for The Prometheite by Ari S. Mulch. The cover is primarily red, black, and gray. There's a woman standing / slightly seated on a grave. Below the grave, you see a corpse of a woman with one hand sticking out of the grave. It looks like she was stitched together and the stitches stand out as they are red against the gray of the graveyard.

This graphic novel was one I backed on Kickstarter in June of this year. Ari is a LGBTQIA+ creator who launched this campaign during Pride Month. This novel is a sapphic retelling of Frankenstein. Frankenstein and Gothic literature are one of my favorite genres to read. This novel captures the essence of the story. The artwork is dark with the use of black and white panels. The only other color used is red. The red is used sparsely; however, when it’s utilized, it creates this horrific theme within the story. Ari Mulch can be found on Instagram. I rated this five stars on Goodreads.

Paper Girls Volume #4

Image is a photo of the comic book series, Paper Girls. This is volume #4. It shows three characters - one is older and has a bob. She's holding a hand gun. The character in the back is wearing an eccentric head piece that's a half circle. The woman on the right has what appears to be dreads and tribal face paint on.

If anyone else reads Paper Girls, the first few trade paperbacks don’t go into why everything is happening, while this one gives more story background. Paper Girls stars four newspaper girls out delivering the newspaper in the 80s. These girls witness an alien invasion of sorts, which leads them to time-travel. It’s been fun reading all the ’80s references. Recently, the girls traveled to Y2K. I was only six when Y2K happened, so there’s a lot I don’t remember. It’s fun reading about it in this graphic novel. Despite my earlier thoughts, I recommend reading the series. The artwork is great, and it’s clear Brian K. Vaughan has crafted an intricate story. I rated Paper Girls Volume #4 four stars on Goodreads.

Riri Williams as Ironheart Issue #1

Image is of a single issue comic for Riri Williams Ironheart. It shows a girl in an Iron Man suit flying over the water. The water is pushed away from her.

Ever since Riri Williams was announced to take over Iron Man in 2016, I knew I needed to eventually read this. I picked this first issue up in February during my Universal Trip on the Marvel Island side of the park. I loved Riri’s Ironheart suit. I highly recommend purchasing this comic. I rated this five stars on Goodreads.

During Small Business Saturday (November 30th), I picked up quite a few comics to read. There will be more comic reviews, and I will probably write them in this format. Happy Comics Reading, everyone!

New Girl & the Importance of Individuality

Image is a promotional image for the television show, New Girl. It shows five of the cast, two women and three men. They are laughing and smiling.

This was the first time I had a four-day weekend in my professional career. In my previous role, I had to work on Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. Besides playing The Sims 3, I have been watching a lot of New Girl. New Girl is a comfort show that I can put on whenever. One crucial takeaway from watching the show is the importance of individuality.

Jess (played by Zooey Deschanel) is the lead of the show. She moves in with three male roommates after she discovers her boyfriend cheating on her. Nick, Schmidt, and Winston give Jess realistic advice while the roommates start to get to know her. Jess and Nick (played by Jake Johnson) have great chemistry together that builds from their friendship.

Jess’s personality may seem over the top, but I appreciate how she’s always herself. Her male roommates will tease her constantly over it, but Jess hasn’t ever backed down or been less of herself. As much as I pride myself on being comfortable with who I am, I have my moments. For example, at my new job, I was telling my team how much I love reading comics. When I thought back to this moment, I felt regret. I regret it because I don’t want my new coworkers to think I’m weird. However, I don’t want to be someone I’m not.

In these last five years, I have grown immensely as a person. I have become more confident in myself, but the insecurity is there. Watching New Girl allowed me to realize how I’m not alone. I would highly recommend watching New Girl because it’s a great show, but also, it’s a gentle reminder that it’s okay to be yourself.

Friendsgiving & Being Sensitive Around the Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we are all thankful for. I’m thankful for having a family that respects me and encourages me to be my best every day. However, it’s crucial to be sensitive to how we talk about this holiday. Sometimes this holiday gives an impression of how our family is by blood, but there’s also chosen family.

Image is a photo of me hugging my friend.

Last weekend, I celebrated Friendsgiving with a group of us. All of us sipped on our glasses of wine, played party games, and talked amongst the group. It puts into perspective how beneficial my friends are to my well-being. They allow me to vent while still giving me advice I need to hear. I’m fortunate to say my friends accept me for who I am and allow me to grow as a person.

Image is a photo of five women. Some of us are holding drinks and some of us are holding pumpkins.

My purpose for writing this post is to promote being sensitive around the holidays. This includes not assuming everyone you meet has the best family/home life. Offer to host a Friendsgiving for those friends who are struggling. There’s no reason we can’t make someone’s day by being kind and inclusive.

 

 

 

Goliath Games Unboxing

Image is a photo of a white box that is wrapped and was shipped to me. On the white box is a logo for Goliath. On the L and the I is a yellow and black d6 die.

This is my second board game unboxing, but this time it’s from Goliath GamesWhen I secured my Gen Con press badge, I scheduled a time with Goliath Games to test out some of their newest party games. I was impressed with the selection Goliath Games had to offer, and they were kind enough to send me two of the games I played at Gen Con, with an additional game in the box. My plan for these games is to take them to a brewery and play them with my friends. Here are the games Goliath Games sent me.

Image is a photo of three board games stacked vertically side by side. They are Virus, Side Effects, and The Misery Index.

Virus: The Contagiously Fun Card Game

Image is a photo of the game, Virus. The wording of Virus is on a virus type molecule. On the cover of the game is a doctor wearing medical gear. He's holding a syringe and he looks concerned. There are several virus like molecule with eyes and mouths and they look menacing.

This is the game I have never played before. An experimental virus has escaped from the lab, and players need to stop this contagious virus. However, a fun twist to the game is being able to infect the organs of other players with this virus. The first player with four healthy organs wins the game. This game can be played with 2-6 players ages 8+. Virus can be purchased through the Goliath Games website, or contact your local game store to see if they can order the game for you.

Side Effects: The Guessing Game With an Extra Dose of Absurdity

Image is the board game Side Effects. The game looks like a pill bottle which is intentional.

I first played this game at Gen Con, and it was hilarious. Imagine combining Charades with drug side effects, and that’s what this game is. All players are participating in a clinical drug study for a new drug. Of course, there will be side effects. This game is played in two-player teams. The first player is the test subject, while the second player is the lab assistant. The first player has to get the second player to guess a word while performing two drug side effects simultaneously. When I played this game, I had to get my partner to guess “Tuesday” while making kissy faces and making goat sounds. For the record, my goat impression was second to none. I did pretty well, as my partner was able to guess four words in a minute and thirty seconds. This is the perfect game to bring to a housewarming party because it’s going to get everyone laughing hysterically. This game requires 4+ players ages 13+. Side Effects can be purchased on Amazon for 24.95.

The Misery Index: Life Events on a Scale from Zero to Miserable.

Image is of the board game The Misery Index. It shows cartoon people. The I in Misery Index is a person who looks sad. On the bottom are seven cartoon people. All of them are yellow except on in the middle is white. There's a rain storm over the white cartoon person.

This game is based on the wildly successful The Misery Index show on TBS. Hosted by Jameela Jamil from The Good Place, this game show forces players to rank events based on how awful the situations are. This is the card game version of this TV show. Each card has a scenario on it with a number from 1-100. One is tame to one hundred being absolutely horrendous. Players have to rank the cards based on how awful the scenario would be. When I was at Gen ConI had to rank these three events: getting caught masturbating by your mom, drinking a vomit milkshake, or eating worm spaghetti. Players earn points by correctly sorting the events in the correct order of being the most miserable. A couple of the other misery cards include: flat tire, pepper spray in the eyes and smelling like a fart for the rest of your life. Misery Index is for 2+ players ages 14+. The Misery Index can be purchased at Target for $17.99.

I’m thrilled to introduce these games to my friends. Goliath Games is a great game company, and many of these games would be great for friends who aren’t hugely into board games in general. Once I rip open the wrapping on these games, I will be posting my in-depth review of each game. Goliath Games can be found on their website and social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.