January Wrap Up 2018

I didn't read as much as I was hoping to this month but I have lowered my yearly reading challenge because I anticipated I wouldn't have as much time (I'm focusing a lot on my writing and other things...). But, nevertheless, I did get through a few and very good reads, as well!

BOOKS
What's A Girl Gotta Do?- Holly Bourne 
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I got this book for Christmas and jumped straight into it because Holly Bourne is one of my favourite contemporary authors. This is the third book in the Spinster Club trilogy and it focused completely around Feminism which was so empowering to read. I'd definitely recommend this series.
What's A Girl Gotta Do? Book Talk

How Hard Can Love Be?- Holly Bourne
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This is the second book in the Spinster Club series and I kinda knew how it'd finish because I read What's a Girl Gotta Do? first but it didn't effect my enjoyment at all. This book is maybe my favourite of the trilogy because it was such an easy and fun romance along with a lot of humour and serious issues too. Holly Bourne is such a talented author.
Book Talk to come soon!!!

January Birthday Haul 2018

I got a lot of amazing things this month as it was my birthday and my family and friends are amazing to get me so many lovely gifts. Without further adieu...

PRE-BIRTHDAY
Groot t-shirt
I watched Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 in December and I loved it!! Baby Groot is the cutest thing in all existence and, when I saw this shirt on Amazon, I had to get it.

Iron Man ARC Reactor T-shirt
I also wanted to get an Amazon shirt dedicated to my favourite Marvel character because Iron Man is the reason I became obsessed with the MCU and Tony Stark is a brilliantly complex character who I adore.


POST-BIRTHDAY
If There's No Tomorrow- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my favourite authors and she also happens to release at least four books a year... the woman pops out books like nobodies business. And I will forever be grateful for it.

Captain America: The First Avenger MOVIE TALK

75%
I liked this movie. Cap will never be my favourite Avenger but this movie was still enjoyable even if it the worst of all the Captain America movies (let's face it.. Winter soldier and Civil War blew this one out of the park). But, I did love the time period (World War 2) and the idea behind the villain. I also love how epic the love interest was because we need more fight in our women and Peggy showcases this perfectly.
This was a good origin story for Cap and it led on nicely for the Avengers movie to take place.

TRAILER

AMAZON

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This movie had a nice set of characters. Steve was good and you wanted to root for him from the start because he was so weak and pathetic. However, I will say that Cap is one of my least favourite Avengers because there isn't much depth to him- being a 'good guy' is all they've put into his character.

Westworld 1x08 'Trace Decay' TV TALK

This show is beautifully addictive, compellingly genius and utterly brilliant (was that enough adjectives for you?). This show never ceases to amaze me and there is so much to think about and theorise! Every single detail is part of a bigger game and it's captivating to watch every episode. As we get nearer to the season finale, the reveals are getting bigger and better and the plot thickens so much more!

TV TALKS

Season 1: 1x01  |  1x02  |  1x03  |  1x04  |  1x05  |  1x06  |  1x07

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Starting with dear Dolores, her and William finally find the church town that Dolores has been dreaming about. One issue that I have with their storyline is that... they're not really doing anything. They've gone off to find 'home' and now that they've found where Dolores meant, they're turning back? They don't seem to know what they're doing or why.

Taylor Swift BOOK TAG

I'm in a major Taylor Swift kick at the moment and, as always, I'll jump on it and get some decent blog content out there. There's a lot of controversy over Taylor's new music but, generally, I quite like it though I do prefer her older songs.

1. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together- pick a book or series that you were pretty sure you were in love with, but then wanted to break up with.
Shiver trilogy- Maggie Stiefvater 
When I first read this trilogy, I really liked it. But now, Maggie Stiefvater is far from my favourite author and all her books drag for me. It's just my opinion but I find her books a little dull and slow. Sorry but we are never ever ever getting back together.

2. Red- pick a book with a red cover.
Heartless- Marissa Meyer
Paired with a little black, the red in this cover is gorgeous and it it such a beautiful cover for a beautiful book. Heartless is an origin story for the notorious Queen of Hearts and it's a genius twist on fairytales- Marissa Meyer's speciality.

The Incredible Hulk MOVIE TALK

76%
I was surprised with how much I liked this movie. I went in with low expectations because I don't know anyone who's favourite superhero/Avenger is the Hulk and he's seemed like the blandest of all Marvel superheros (I obviously hadn't encountered Captain America at that point- kidding, kidding, I like Cap...).
I was a bit of a dunce and thought this was the first movie instead of a sequel so a few things kinda went straight over my head but I don't think that affected my enjoyment of the film. Unfortunately, it didn't star Mark Ruffalo who's the Hulk in the more up to date Avenger franchise but I still feel like Edward Norton did a stellar job with the character.

TRAILER

AMAZON

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I really appreciated the opening sequence of the Hulk's origin because, stupid me, made a mistake and thought this was the first movie. So it was super useful to get me up to speed on what had previously happened to the Hulk and how he was made- it helped incredibly when going into this movie.

Westworld 1x07 'Trompe L'Oeil' TV TALK

Again, this is my favourite episode to date. Every episode sets a new bar and each following episode smashes that expectation out of the park (no pun intended).

This episode was particularly exciting as we had a big reveal that confirmed a theory that I and many other people had. I'm so excited for how we're going to progress from here and what the consequences of this episode will be.
I also think the title for this episode, Trompe L'Oeil, is really clever (along with everything else in this show) because it actually means 'deceives the eye' in French which describes this episode perfectly. Honestly, the writers for this show are genius.

TV TALKS

Season 1: 1x01  |  1x02  |  1x03  |  1x04  |  1x05  |  1x06

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Starting with Maeve, I'm falling in love with her more and more every week. She ensures that she's killed once more and wakes herself up again so she's back with Felix. This time, she sees that the tech team are decommissioning Clementine and Maeve decides she wants out. With a quick threat to Felix and asshat, she begins her plans to get the hell out of Westworld once and for all and I'm so pumped! It's amazing how her and Dolores have similar storylines (trying to learn about the world and what they really are) but they have completely different ways of going about that.... and Maeve's method is much better. And more effective.

The Lovely Bones MOVIE TALK

54%
This movie was released in 2003 and I'm only just watching so I'm a little late for the train but... I was 2 when it first came out so I have legitimate reason.
This book, The Lovely Bones, is okay. And the movie was okay. It won't ever be on my list of favourite books but it's not my least favourite story in the world. Interestingly, my issues with the movie were the exact same issues I had with the book so I can safely say it was at least a faithful and accurate adaptation.
This movie had a load of great actors in it but was generally average. The best part was probably the very beginning and the very end but the main middle chunk felt like it had a lot of filler and unnecessary scenes.
The Lovely Bones follows Susie, a young girl murdered at 14 years old. It shows her journey in the in-between of earth and heaven and how her family cope with her death.

TRAILER

AMAZON

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I cried at the beginning of this movie. Just like I did with the book. Watching such a young girl get murdered and seeing her family find out the news was heart-breaking. It's difficult to watch parents find out their child is gone and it gets me every time.

Forever Fictional's Second Birthday!!!!

Another year has gone by and it's been a great one! A lot has happened over the past year and I'm gonna go over my personal highlights and favourite posts! Thanks to everyone who follows, comments and supports my blog!!!
(Links to each post are on subheadings)

Mystery Blogger Award
I was nominated for this award not once but twice and I appreciated each nomination so much!! I did two different posts answering questions and it was a lot of fun to complete.

Forever Fictional #Rebranding 
Maybe the biggest change for my blog during this past year was that I changed the name! Fictional Fetish became Forever Fictional and I'm so glad I followed through with the change despite my anxieties. It took a long time to change everything in terms of other social media and all the links within posts but I managed to complete the transition and I'm so happy with it.

Bookish Pick up Lines
This was one of my favourite posts to write because I love books and I love puns... it was a match made in heaven. I had a lot of fun creating it.

Iron Man 2 MOVIE TALK

91%
There are varying opinions on the second Iron Man but I really enjoyed it. The villains may've been a bit poor but the story was still enjoyable and a lot of fun. It had the same brilliant humour and an underline of romance which instantly earns brownie points to me because I'm a sucker for a romance.
Robert Downey Jnr. plays Tony Stark as if he's made for the role like always and we also had the addition of Black Widow which was super cool because I love watching bad-ass female characters.

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AMAZON

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I loved the beginning with the Stark Expo and Tony taking full advantage of his superhero fame. I find it so entertaining to watch because no other superhero does this! They're all too perfect and selfless which makes it so beautifully refreshing to watch Tony make the most of his popularity.
We had the court room conversation which wasn't my favourite scene but it was still great because... Tony Stark was in it. He's so charming, cocky and hilarious that I can't help but love him.
We find out that his arc reactor is poisoning himself and... I was never really worried that it'd hurt him. There wasn't high stakes and resolving it all was pretty quick and minor. With the help of Jarvis, Tony created a new element and... that was the end of that. I will say that I do quite like all the graphics that Tony uses when he's doing sciencey stuff. Considering this movie was made in 2010, the cool holograms are transfixing to watch.

What's A Girl Gotta Do?- Holly Bourne BOOK TALK

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Holly Bourne is one of my favourite contemporary writers and this book was a great example as to why that is. What's a Girl Gotta Do? is part of the Spinster Clubs series. I've previously read Am I Normal Yet? and I loved it so had to move onto this one too. This series follows the same characters but focuses on different protagonists and separate stories.
This book was always going to steal my heart because it's predominantly about feminism and it's a subject that I'm extremely passionate about. Holly Bourne is such a great ambassador for this cause and writes about it so well! There was real sense of girl power throughout the story and I felt really empowered when reading it. It was a lot of fun and I'd recommend it for everyone.

GOODREADS 

AMAZON

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I didn't fully get into the book until Lottie stood up to those van guys and maybe even got them fired. I felt so empowered through that whole section and, even though I'd never be able to do it myself, I was super proud.
I also liked the link of philosophy that threaded through the story. I'm really jealous that she studies philosophy because I wish I could've done a course on it and Holly Bourne uses it to make an interesting connection with Lottie's decisions in what to do. I really appreciated the fact that Lottie is the same age as me and goes to college- our lives are in such a similar position and the feminism empowerment and strength really inspires me.

Iron Man MOVIE TALK

90%
I've never really been a super hero fan. Sure, I've watched the Toby McGuire Spiderman trilogy years and years ago but.... that's it. I have no idea what the difference between DC and Marvel is and yes, I agree that it's shameful. So, I recently decided to give myself a superhero education and me and my brother have now shred through all movies superhero.
Iron Man was the only movie we had so we sat down and watched.
And, man, did I enjoy it! It was so clever, exciting, action-packed and, most importantly, funny. I was instantly gripped by the characters and the plot and, if all superhero movies are like this, I can safely say I'm going to love them.
Now that I've watched all Marvel movies, I can say that Iron Man remains my favourite and it will always have a special place in my heart for being what got me into the MCU.

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I love Tony Stark as a protagonist (and I love how perfect Robert Downey Jnr is for this part). He was hilarious, smart and unapologetically cocky. I love that he didn't get his powers through experiments or getting injected with something- he invented his suit and superpower. I'm a sucker for a genius and Tony is just the man for the job. I also love how honest he is- it seems like every superhero hides their true identity but Tony.... fully admits how awesome he is. It's unique and nicely defies superhero conventions.

Most Anticipated 2018 Releases

2018 is going to be an amazing year because there are so many great releases lined up over the course of the year. I'm going to break down my most anticipated releases into books, TV, movies and more...
This is a mega long post because there's just so many great things in store for 2018!!!

BOOKS
A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOTAR #3.5)- Sarah J. Maas
This was obviously going to be my most anticipated book for the year. This is the first in a few spin-off books following the characters from the ACOTAR series. This book is set after ACOWAR and I'm so excited to see all the backlash of what happened and how my favourite ever characters are coping.

The Prophecy (Titans #4)- Jennifer L. Armentrout
This is the finale of the Titan series by one of my favourite authors in the entire world. The Titan series is a spin-off from the Covenant series and they are all absolutely fantastic. The story is gripping, the characters sassy as much as they are kick-ass and the prose is hilarious! These books are so entertaining to read and I'm super sad this is the end of this world.

Restore Me (Shatter Me #4)- Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me was only supposed to be a trilogy so I'm thanking my lucky stars that another instalment has been announced for 2018. I love Juliette, Warner and Kenji and am so pumped to see them again in this next book. I don't know much about what the next book's about but I've read a teaser and it's hilarious so I have very high expectations. I think Restore Me is actually the first in a spin-off trilogy following these characters (similar to what Sarah J. Maas is doing with the ACOTAR trilogy) and all I say is; the more the merrier.

Best Books of 2017

I don't feel like I read too many books this year but there are still a selection of my favourites. When I looked back over the books I reads this year, I'm quite disappointed with how little new books there were. I'm not a stranger to re-reading books but I found it really hard to comprise this list because there weren't actually that many new reads that really wowed me....  but hopefully next year will be better.

Sidenote: the books in the following list weren't necessarily released in 2017 but were read by me for the first time this year.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3)- Sarah J. Maas
These books may not be in order but this would definitely be at the top of any list. While ACOMAF still maintains my favourite, this instalment was an epic finale and, with Sarah, you can't expect anything less than perfection. I love the characters in this series with all my heart and am so happy we're getting another spin-off trilogy with them in because I was not ready to say goodbye.
A Court of Wings and Ruin Book Talk


The Struggle (Titan #3)- Jennifer L. Armentrout
I read this in the early months of the year but I can still remember how much I loved it. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of my all-time favourite authors and this series gives me life every year. The Titan series is a spin-off of the Covenant series and they have a really big place in my heart. All of JLA's books are fantastic and this one is no exception. I can't wait for the final book in this series to come out next year.... although I'm nervous because I don't want anyone to die.
The Struggle Book Talk