Happy Halloween 2013 Featuring My First Elf Cosplay Vlog!

 

Check out my Halloween 2013 vlog now! In it I discuss Elves and ask for Cosplay suggestions. I hope you all had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

Did any of you do anything extra special this year for Halloween? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Blog Tour: The Lair by Emily McKay

Welcome to the next stop on The Lair blog tour! I had the privilege of being sent a copy of this book from Penguin Group USA to review. My review can be seen below.

The Lair

Release Date: November 5th, 2013

The Sequel to The Farm by Emily McKay

SUMMARY:

In the battle against the vampiric Ticks, humanity was slowly but certainly headed for extinction. For months, twin sisters Lily and Mel had been “quarantined” with thousands of other young people being harvested for their blood—food for the Ticks. Finally escaping with a few friends, the twins are separated—and must continue the fight on their own . . . 

After making it to a resistance base camp in Utah, Lily learned to survive at all costs. But when a Tick attack decimates the fighters, Lily and her pregnant friend, McKenna, decide to make the hard trek north to Canada—and safety.

Meanwhile, Mel is being taught how to survive by the very vampire that turned her. Living without her sister is hard, but dealing with the fact that her autism was cured by the vampire bite is an even bigger challenge.

But when a monstrous betrayal places Lily in mortal danger, Mel must set out to find her, save her, and begin to unravel the empire of destruction that the Ticks have built.

REVIEW:

Once again Emily McKay has written a fantastic book! Reading about Mel's struggle with adjusting to becoming a Vampire was really intense and I especially love how her transition into a Vampire cured her Autism. She is such a strong individual both mentally and physically. Mel is probably my favorite character. When Carter, Lily, and McKenna finally get to Base Camp, it seems it is not as safe as they had hoped. Of course, we continue to watch the relationship grow between Carter and Lily and I really think that they are meant for each other. Unfortunately, Carter and Lily end up going in separate directions in order to survive. Lily is entrusted to get McKenna safely to Canada and help deliver her baby, though they do not make it there. It just about destroyed me when McKenna died after giving birth and bled out, but luckily her baby survived. When Carter goes to get Lily and McKenna's baby Josie, Lily accidentally gets infected with the Tick virus. It is so awful and I am still hoping she can be cured in time. Sebastian's lies and betrayal really angered and surprised me. In this book we meet many new characters and learn more details about the feud between Sebastian and Roberto. The book ended with a jaw dropping cliffhanger that put me on on the edge of my seat in shock. All in all this book was another fabulous read and I'm anxious to read the third book in this series.

About the Author:

Emily McKay loves to read, shop, and geek out about movies. When she's not writing, she reads online gossip and bakes luscious deserts. She pretends that her weekly yoga practice balances out both of those things. She lives in central Texas with her family and her crazy pets.  She also co-writes young adult novels as Ivy Adams.

Visit Emily online: escapethefarm.com           Twitter: @Emily_Mc_Kay

'X-Men: Days of Future Past' Trailer Reaction Vlog!

 

Check out my newest vlog where I watch and react to the trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past! I give my thoughts on it and hopes for the movie. As a huge fan of the Marvel universe and especially the X-Men comics, this will definitely be one of my top movies to see in 2014.

 

If you all enjoy my videos, please subscribe to my channel!

Book Review: 'The Farm' by Emily McKay

The Farm

by Emily McKay

Released: December 4th, 2012

SUMMARY:

Life was different in the Before: before the Ticks began devouring humans in a deadly swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined “for their own protection.” These days, we know what those quarantines are–holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other…

And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible.

Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices–like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help…

Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race…

REVIEW:

It is very rare that I am put through such an emotional roller coaster while reading a book, but this book really got to me. The depth to all of the characters and the danger they faced was palpable. When they escaped the farm I felt the same instant surge of relief and also fear of the ticks that they did.  I found myself rooting for Carter as he tried to convince Lily of his love for her. I really connected with Lily and Mel in that I have a sister myself whom I love dearly and would risk my life to protect as well. When Mel was dying and Lily lost it, I felt wretched and happy when she demanded Sebastian save her by turning her into a vampire. All in all I was drawn into this book and recommend it to all.

About the Author:

Emily McKay loves to read, shop, and geek out about movies. When she's not writing, she reads online gossip and bakes luscious deserts. She pretends that her weekly yoga practice balances out both of those things. She lives in central Texas with her family and her crazy pets.  She also co-writes young adult novels as Ivy Adams.                                        Visit Emily online: escapethefarm.com           Twitter: @Emily_Mc_Kay

'DRACULA' Series Premiere Review and MORE!

Tonight was the series premiere of NBC's Dracula. As a hardcore fan of vampires in general and the story of Dracula I was very pleased with this new take on the classic novel especially with the casting of the mesmerizing Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Dracula. In this version Dracula is masquerading as the American industrialist Alexander Grayson in Victorian London. He is freed from a prison by Abraham Van Helsing in order for them to work together to destroy The Order of the Dragon whom killed both Dracula's wife and Van Helsing's family. While making his entrance into a party he is hosting he locks gazes with Mina Murray, who is the spitting image of his dead wife. He learns that she is in a relationship with Jonathan Harker and endeavors to learn everything about them both and of course to win Mina's affections. We learn that Lady Jane is a vampire slayer for the order and see that she is unknowingly flirting with the very vampire she is hunting, Dracula. I am quite excited to continue watching this show and see where it goes. Hopefully, the viewers are vast and it is successful.

Check out some previews and cast interviews for the Season!
 

  

Let us know in the comments below what you all thought of the series premiere!

 

DRACULA airs Friday nights at 10/9c on NBC!

Video: Preview of 'GRIMM' Season 3 and MORE!

GRIMMSTERS, THANK GRIMM IT'S FRIDAY! The Season Three Premiere of GRIMM airs tonight! The majority of the first and second season we spent watching Nick unknowingly getting used by Captain Renard and the second Juliette trying to remember Nick after waking up from the coma Adalind put her in. During all of this both Juliette and Hank finally learned that Nick was a Grimm and what Wesen were. At the end of the season two finale Nick is finally back in a relationship with Juliette. Unfortunately, he gets spat on by Baron, the voodoo Cracher-Mortel Wesen and made into a kind of zombie, then is put in a coffin. The last thing that came on the screen was a note from the writers that said, "To be continued. Oh, come on. You knew this was coming." This past season totally threw us in a lot of different plot directions and I am sure this one will be the same. Get ready to get GRIMM!

Check out some special previews and cast interviews below for Season Three!

 

Let us now in the comments below what you all think will happen this season and enjoy the Season 3 Premiere!

 

GRIMM airs Friday nights at 9/8c on NBC!

Book Review: 'Cinder' by Marissa Meyer

Where To Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Author Website

Goodreads Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

U.S., Italian, and Spanish covers

My Review: This was seriously the most creative twist on a fairytale! Wow. I've never been the biggest fan of Cinderella, mainly because I simply cannot handle how her stepmother and stepsisters treat her. The essence of the fairytale is very much present in this book, but there is so much more to it than just that. The cyborg take on it was a fabulous tangent. 

I really enjoyed the story as a whole, more so than the individual characters themselves. Cinder, Prince Kai, Peony, etc. were a great bunch of characters, but I honestly found myself looking more into what was going to happen to the people of Earth once the Lunar Queen Levana got hold of the earthly throne.

I got so angry with Adri and Pearl because there was simply NO justification for their treatment of Cinder. Jealousy, resentment, and plain old bitterness. Cinder was a firecracker of a character and I really enjoyed her interactions with everyone she came across -- Prince Kai, Adri, Pearl, Queen Levana, Dr. Erland, anyone. She was a spunky girl. Didn't take crap from anyone. Of course that attitude got her into more trouble than not, but I was really entertained.

What happened to Peony, the nicer stepsister who Cinder actually really loved, was an emotional experience. Especially since Cinder was SO close to being able to help her. But I think it motivated Cinder to do more than just focus on saving Peony. There were bigger problems at hand, especially after the chip inside of Kai's android was discovered and accessed.

Moving onto the nasty, but brilliantly written, Queen Levana. This witch is seriously the worst of the worst. She put Kai and the Commonwealth between a rock and a hard place and smiled while she did it. I found myself yelling at her in my head. The way that she can manipulate people into doing/seeing what she wants is a scary, scary thing.

The ball scene was an all over emotional MESS for me. I was happy, sad, angry, scared, anxious... everything! I just couldn't believe that everything Cinder experienced was really happening. It honestly read like a bad nightmare that she just needed to wake up from. I felt so bad for her. Especially with what Adri and Pearl did. And the situation/ultimatum that Kai was presented with, I felt my heartstrings tug. Although, once he found out what Cinder was, his reaction to it and his decision on how to handle it made me a little mad. I just don't know how to feel about Kai by the end of the book, to be honest. I DO feel it'll get better, though.

So, what I actually did see coming (and it still made my mouth drop) was when Dr. Erland came to Cinder and told her who and what she truly was. 

I'm happy that everything is finally out in the open, but now it begs the question -- now what?

And that's where book two comes in!

Rating: 5/5 stars!

Video: Extended Preview of 'Once Upon A Time in Wonderland' and MORE!

Finally, after anxiously waiting for the Premiere of Once Upon A Time in Wonderland...we only have one more day to go! If this show lives up to the same epicness as Once Upon A Time, then I wouldn't be surprised. I have always loved the story about Alice and am quite intrigued with this new take on her character. Just from the previews the casting seems utterly perfect and the sets look phenomenal. I know a lot is done with green screen when it comes to shows like this, but just as in OUAT everything is created so beautifully and realistically. A new extended preview was just released that I want to share along with some gorgeous promo photos and stills. Check it all out below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will any of you be tuning into this show and who do you all want to show up in Wonderland? Let us know in the comments!

 

The series premiere of Once Upon A Time in Wonderland airs this Thursday night at 8/7c on ABC!

Entertainment Tonight Exclusive: On the Set of 'Vampire Academy'

Exciting News Vampire Academy fans!

Entertainment Tonight recently visited the set of Vampire Academy in the UK and just released an exclusive video with the cast. This movie is an adaptation of the first novel in Richelle Mead's best-selling Vampire Academy book series. I read this series when it first came out and continue to love it to this day. I highly recommend these books because they are excellent, well written, and very relatable. Check out the On Set Exclusive below!

In the addicting series, Zoey Deutch plays Rose Hathaway, a half human/half vampire who runs away from her school, St. Vladimir's Academy, with her best friend Lissa (Lucy Fry). When she is brought back by Guardian Dimitri Belikov (Danila Kozlovsky), the two develop intense feelings for one another when he begins to serve as her mentor, but face complications given their age difference and the fact that he's her instructor.

But according to Deutch, their romance runs far deeper than just the idea of forbidden attraction.

"Well I think there's a definite sense of 'Yeah, you want something you can't have,' but at the same time it does feel like from the moment they see each other, it is love at first sight," she tells ET. "There is some sort of undeniable connection that even when they do end up 'doing the do' -- or whatever you call it -- it's just not something that couldn't happen and therefore they're attracted to one another. I really feel like they are in love with each other."

"I love what's happening between me and Rose," echoes Kozlovsky. "It's very special, a very unique relationship, and I love it. It's sort of a lot of tension between me and Rose. I think it's gonna be very interesting for you."

However, the series' author Mead downplays the taboo nature of their romance.

"The idea for Rose and Dimitri's romance was one that was kicking around in my head for awhile. It's difficult being a former teacher to be writing about a student and a teacher who have a romance together -- because we're always taught that that's a very wrong thing -- and certainly it absolutely can be in that situation, so I'm certainly not encouraging that in people," she explains. "The age difference isn't that great between them. Mainly, you know, what the romance's big point is, [is] it's about love that has to challenge society's ideas -- that's what they're facing, and that's what it comes down to."

As for if the film stays true to the book, Mead says that she was pleasantly surprised by the faithfulness of the adaptation.

"What surprises me the most is how true it [the script] is to the book. I came in fully expecting, 'OK, we're going to slash and cut and change all kinds of things from the book to the script,' and [screenwriter] Daniel Waters just did an amazing job. He's got all the main parts of the books -- all the main beats are there -- all the parts from the characters we love, he's got all of those. He really gets it. He gets what I was trying to do with the balance of action and romance and humor."

Watch the video for a peek into the world of Vampire Academy, including Fry on how important Rose and Lissa's friendship is to the film and what Sarah Hyland (Natalie) makes of all the Twilight comparisons.

Vampire Academy will be featured this Friday at New York Comic Con.

Written Interview was found at ET Online

Vampire Academy hits theaters on February 14th, 2014!

5 Reasons To Check Out Marvel's 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

ABC has the honor of bringing us one of Fall 2013's most anticipated television series, Marvel's 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' 

This show follows the missions of a fictional government agency called the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (or S.H.I.E.L.D.) Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg (who is also in the Marvel films) rounds up various agents that he feels have unique skills that, when put together, can aid in the solving of some of the stranger division cases.

The show has only had 3 episode airings, but I'd say it has potential to be the show that it's being hyped up to be.

So I wanted to give you my top 5 reasons why you should check out 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' --

Reason #1: It's Marvel. Marvel deserves our attention.

They've given us a FANTASTIC band of superheroes from Iron Man to Thor to Captain America. Hello? The Avengers! With blockbuster films under the Marvel belt, I have every confidence that they can pull of a television show.

Reason #2: Agent Melinda May is a bad ass.

I love bad ass female leads. Not only does she fly the company jet, which is an AWESOME piece of technology, but she carries the power of a multitude of armies in her pinkie finger. She can kick your butt.

Reason #3: Coulson. Duh.

It's Coulson. What other reason do you need? 

Reason #4: The props. Fantastic technology brings the world of S.H.I.E.L.D. together before our eyes.

Coulson has a flying car named "Lola"! How boss is that?!

Reason #5: Nick Fury. He appears whenever he feels like it.

When Coulson screws up, the Fury appears! When I saw Samuel L. Jackson at the end of episode two, I about peed my pants! I just love how much faith ABC and Marvel (and Samuel) have in this series. He's taking part in the launching of this show! Plus it's BIG bonus points for fans of the franchise when we're able to see familiar faces from the films popping up on the small screens at home.

Overall, I recommend this show. It hasn't reached it's full potential yet, in my opinion, but come on... it's only been on for 3 episodes. There's still time. I'm really enjoying what I've seen so far and it's only getting better with each episode.

What are your thoughts on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Are you a fan? Or will you pass? Sound off in the comments!