April Wrap Up 2018

This month was an overwhelming month just because so much happened! I got to see Hamilton at the West End, read a tonne of awesome books, saw the much anticipated Infinity War and Westworld Season 2 started!!! My heart is so inflated, I can even think straight- I'm fangirling way too much.

BOOKS
The Prophecy (Titan #4)- Jennifer L. Armentrout 
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This was an extremely hard book to start- not because I dislike the series but because I love it too much. From the first book in the Covenant series, to the end of this spin-off series, I've loved every minute with these characters. I've spent years and years with these beautiful characters and it was difficult to go into this book knowing it was the end. It wasn't just that I feared some major characters deaths but... I couldn't deal with this being the last content I'd ever get with these characters and this world that means so much to me.

I saw Hamilton at the West End!!!

Last weekend I was the luckiest person in the world and finally got to see Hamilton at Victoria Palace at the West End!! We got the tickets in January 2017 so I've waited over a year but I was definitely willing to wait for it. It was so worth the wait and will always be my favourite ever show.
I decided to document the whole day but I will be posting a full musical review soon where I go into depth about my opinions of the casting, choreography and the songs.
The entire day was so much fun and, even thought I was shattered by the end of it, I loved every second.
If you ever have the chance to see Hamilton at the West End, I'd immediately say go for it! Do not throw away your shot! The West End cast were amazing and it was a surreal experience getting to see it live.

They day started with a long long train journey but I was so damn energised!! I went to see Hamilton with my mum and, as she'd never heard the musical all the way through and only knew snippets of what it was about, I gave her a "quick" summary on the journey over. This got me super excited to watch it and... I think you can tell how excited I got.

April Book Haul 2018

My bookshelf may hate me because it's sagging under too much weight and my wallet may hate me because it's getting real lonely in there but... more books!!!!

The Never Dawn- R.E Palmer
I was contacted by Roy this month and he was so kind as to send me a physical copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. From the synopsis, The Never Dawn gives me super Red Rising (Pierce Brown) vibes and I've only heard good things so I'm excited to get into the story and review it soon.





Restore Me (Shatter Me #4)- Tahereh Mafi 
Restore Me came out last month and I finally got around to buying. I love the Shatter Me trilogy so much and as soon as I heard we'd be getting another three books, I was eagerly waiting to get my hands on them. This series has amazing characters, a gripping plot and a beautiful romance that will certainly keep you satisfied.
Shatter Me Book Talk
Unite Me Book Talk
Ignite Me Book Talk

Ready Player One MOVIE TALK

69%
I read the book a couple of months ago simply because this movie was creeping around the corner and I wanted to read it before I watched it. I'll admit, I was a little apprehensive when going into to this movie because it's a difficult book to get right- the blend between reality and video game, all the small details and references building to make an intricate plot, and I was just worried they wouldn't do it justice.
I'd give the movie a 7/10 when considering it by itself by, when comparing it to the book and how faithful it was, I'd give it a 4/10. So, if you're really loyal to the book, maybe take the movie with a pinch of salt.
I will say I did it enjoy it a lot- it was funny and exciting- but it sometimes felt like the writers were so preoccupied with shoving in as many movie and gaming references as possible that they forgot to develop the plot completely. There were a lot of unexplained actions and they left a lot of loose ends which annoyed me a little.
Overall, a good movie but just not as good as the book (no surprises there, huh?).
Ready Player One Book Talk

TRAILER

AMAZON

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We'll start with the reasons why it wasn't very faithful to the book. For starters, I don't think they dealt with the keys and the gates well. I was lost half the time on whether they were looking for a key or a gate, which key or gate they'd got to and it was basically all over the place for me. I also didn't like the clues and hints that led them to each key. In the book, the clues are so well thought out and take a lot of work to figure out. In the movie, they were all a little too obvious and were solved so damn quickly. It almost felt like they read the clue once and, before I could even process what it said, they'd figured it out. It lessened the difficulty of the whole contest, I think.

Riverdale 1x05 'Chapter Five: Heart of Darkness' TV TALK

As always, so much happened in this episode and it was as powerful and addictive in its usual way. I love all the clues being dropped but still feel like they're trying to divert us from who the murderer really is and I think it'll be a massive surprise by the end. And that's what makes this series so damn addictive!!

TV TALKS

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

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We spent a lot of this episode with Cheryl which I didn't actually mind. She may be a grade-A bitch but she has some really nice moments.
She wakes up from a bad dream after sleeping in Jason's bed which was weird from the get-go because all the twincest implications are getting way too cringey now. We find out she was writing a eulogy for Jason's funeral but her mother, Penelope, is having none of that because... all the parents in this show are bitches.

Love, Simon MOVIE TALK

65%
Love, Simon is based off Becky Albertalli's book Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and while everyone went crazy for that book and loved it so much... I liked it but thought it was pretty 'meh'. And, so while everyone loves this movie and thinks it's great.... I liked it but thought it was 'meh'.
I understand that the story has great significance to our society and the representation is brilliant but I think it just lacks with the general storyline. The plot is basic and cliché (blackmail over online secret identities... yawn) and the characters aren't fleshed out enough- they're not complex and are very close to be cardboard cutout characters. (Please don't hate me).
I'd say it was pretty faithful to the book but there were one or two major difference that didn't sit well with me. But, generally, it was pretty spot on.
Nevertheless, it was an easy going and entertaining movie that I liked. Am I crazy over it? No, but it was still a nice movie to watch.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda Book Talk

TRAILER

AMAZON

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I liked the casting for all the characters which is unusual. I was sceptical going in of Nick Robinson because he's become 'YA guy' in my head because of all the YA movies he's been in. However, I think Simon was his best role yet and he played him really well.
I'm really happy they stuck with the whole Martin-blackmailing-Simon-to-help-him-flirt-with-Abby thing. I think it worked really well and Martin was portrayed perfectly- he was exactly the annoying and stuck-up guy in the book.

The Greatest Showman MOVIE TALK

85%
I'm so glad I watched this film in the cinema- it's the best way to get the full experience. And I was instantly blown away because all of the songs were beautiful and the cinematography was stunning all the way through. I became invested very early on and the aesthetic of the movie was truly mesmerising.
The choreography was so brilliantly done throughout and it was an effortless and seamless performance.
This movie celebrates difference and humanity in a beautiful and seamless way.

TRAILER

AMAZON

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I loved how the movie started with a flashback of young PT and Charity meeting, falling in love and starting their lives together. It gave us a nice starting point and the song, A Million Dreams, was super sweet and heart-warming to listen to.
We skip to the older Hugh Jackman, PT Barnum, with Charity and his kids. I have to say, their kids were super cute and I loved their small inputs into the story. Whether it was their own little story arcs of learning ballet and not to quit or just them showing up to the shows, they were super cute and it was heart-warming to watch PT do everything he could for them and their futures.
But the movie really picks up with PT invested in the circus and collecting the acts he wants. The song that accompanies this journey, Come Alive, is such a great tune and is full of energy that really drives the movie.

Riverdale 1x04 'Chapter Four: The Last Picture Show' TV TALK

A lot happened in this episode and all of it as compelling as always. We had major reveals (although, every episode has major reveals) and I'm so excited to see everything progress so quickly. Clues are being dropped left and right but it's still impossible to figure out who the murderer is! The whole mystery is addictive and I find myself falling into a deep obsession...

TV TALKS

Season 1:  1x01  |  1x02  |  1x03

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I like to think of this episode as the Downfall of Grundy which, let's face it, was a long time coming.
From the very beginning, Betty suspects something happening between Archie and Grundy which is a completely fair assumption.

Marvel Avengers BOOK TAG

This tag is a little outdated as it came out when Age of Ultron was released but, regardless, I still wanted to do. Just bear in mind that some of the questions are a little odd since this tag was old (eg. Black Widow's question because she is getting her own movie now. Or Ant man's question because it already came out and we're no longer anticipating it).
So, in honour of Infinity War coming out soon, let's begin the tag...

1. Iron Man- Favourite first book in a series
To All the Boys I've Loved Before- Jenny Han
This is actually my favourite in the series which doesn't happen often- books usually get better. But with this series, the first book remains my favourite and I think they actually go downhill with every book. The first book is the easiest to read as it doesn't have the heavy, depressing or irritating subjects the second two have and you can just enjoy how funny and adorable these characters are. I do love this whole trilogy but the first one will always be the best, in my opinion. Exactly like the Iron Man movies, actually.
Iron Man Movie Talk
Always and Forever, Lara Jean Book Talk

2. Hulk- A book that you can't talk about because it would make you angry. And people wouldn't like you when you're angry
Wear White to your Funeral- Lisa Acerbo
This was a book that I didn't finish because it was so awful. I even have half a book review written but have never finished because it's too irritating for me to even look back to. The writing was poor, the characters fickle and flaky, and I just couldn't get into it. The characters and their decisions annoyed the heck out of me and I just had to give up half way through because I might've seriously hurt someone if I'd carried on. It made me that angry. And you wouldn't like me I'm angry.
The Incredible Hulk Movie Talk

Rebel Spring- Morgan Rhodes BOOK TALK

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I jumped into this book so quickly because they are so damn addictive!
Rebel Spring is the second book in the Falling Kingdoms series and I would describe this series as a blend of Game of Thrones, Throne of Glass and Poison Study. So much happens in each of these books and, while there are a few relationship flaws in my opinion, the plot is addictive and the characters are amazing!
They're such quick reads because you never want to put them down and they have that great element of the fantasy genre where everything is so beautiful intricate and complex. A must-read for fantasy lovers.
Falling Kingdoms Book Talk

GOODREADS

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Cleo and Magnus remained my favourite characters (I love them even more now) because I still find them the most interesting and entertaining to follow. Sorry, Lucia and Jonas, but you're miles behind the others protagonists.
We started the book being introduced to Lysandra. Her village gets attacked and her brother is taken. She manages to escape and is desperate to become a rebel. I don't mind Lys generally, but she can sometimes be a bit full on and whiny. I will say that she's a brilliantly strong character that we needed. Cleo and Lucia are both strong, don't get me wrong, but more mentally- Lys is the kick-ass female character we've been missing with super Katniss vibes due to her archery skill.

Riverdale 1x03 'Chapter Three: Body Double' TV TALK

This series gets more and more addictive with each and every episode. We learnt a lot more in this episode and if feels like we've come so far since the pilot but we're only on episode three! There's so much to take in with each episode and I love trying to piece all the clues together to try and figure out this mystery.

TV TALKS

Season 1:  1x01  |  1x02

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We immediately get the clarification that Cheryl didn't kill Jason- when she said she was 'guilty', she meant for lying about July 4th. And that plot twist would've been really effective... if I hadn't guessed that from the moment the last episode ended. There was no way Cheryl killed Jason.
But she does reveal the real story behind what went down that day: Jason was running away for unknown reasons and Cheryl helped him fake his death. So, this all shows that Jason was killed after July 4th which means the killer could be absolutely anyone!

April Releases and TBR 2018

This month is going to be the death of me because so much is happening!! I'm going to see Hamilton at the West End, Westworld Season 2 starts and Infinity War is finally released! All within six days of each other and, literally, I'm going to break down sobbing in a fangirl overload. This month is going to be epic.

RELEASES
Books
Leah on the Offbeat- Becky Albertalli
The Fates Divide- Veronica Roth
Love and War: An Alex and Eliza story- Melissa De La Cruz
The Savior's Champion- Jenna Moreci 
(I'm a massive fan of Jenna Moreci's Youtube channel and I'd definitely recommend it- it's all about writing and how to get that book written, edited and published. She's really funny and her tips and tricks are brilliant for aspiring writers).

Movies
Avengers: Infinity War
Westworld Season 2


TBR
Six of Crows- Leigh Bardugo (Book of the Month)
Me and Kaitlin (Liber Amoris) have decided to read Six of Crows for our book this month and I'm super excited because I've never read a Leigh Bardugo book even though she has such a great reputation. I haven't read the Grisha trilogy but you don't need to in order to read this books so I'm looking forward to jumping straight into it.