Game of Thrones: Season 3 Rewatch

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Winter is coming. Okay, by now you know the drill. I’m rewatching Game of Thrones from the start to prepare myself for the final season. Normally I try to get a little in depth with my rewatch posts, but it’s going to be a quick one today. I horrifically mismanaged my time today and am scrambling to get myself ready to go back to work tomorrow.

So, without further ado, the spoiler warning because this is a discussion of Season 3 and will very obviously have spoilers.

Okay, let’s start with the Lannisters: Jamie gets his hand cut off and thus begins his redemption arc. Cersei continues to be amazingly bitchy and threatens to strangle Margery. Tywin proves to be a bigger asshole than he has in the past, but he puts Joffrey in his place a few times and it is beautiful to behold. Tyrion marries Sansa and continues to be the only Lannister that I don’t want to murder.

Stannis ran back home and is sulking about his defeat. He throws Davos into the dungeons because he tries to kill Melisandre. Hi, I’m team Davos. Anyways, we also meet Stannis daughter Shireen and her character development definitely lead to future heart break. Melisandre half bones Gendry (more on how he get there later) and throws some leeches into a fire ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Mormont is murdered by the worst member of the Night’s Watch, but also Craster dies and that’s good. Sam kills a white walker with his obsidion blade and gets a baby named after him. Jon climbs the wall with the wildlings, gets laid, gets his face scratched up by a hawk, and then get shot 3 times with arrows by Ygritte.

As much as I don’t care for the white savior thing, Daenerys is pretty damn bad ass this season. She gets an army of unsullied, takes down the slave city of Astapor, and gets a cool dragon fire scene. Then she moves on to Yunki where she gets a hot dude to help her take the city and then she gets to crowd surf.

Theon has a no good, very bad season. He spends his whole time getting tortured by Ramsey Snow (Bolton). It’s awful and as much as I hate Theon, I feel bad for him. Ramsey is a grade A psychopath.

Now, the Starks. Buckle up, because this is gonna hurt. Sansa gets her hopes raised and broken too much this season. Bran and Rickon split up and Bran starts his journey to the three eyed raven. Arya gets picked up by the Brotherhood without Banners along with Gendry, who decides to stay with them. Gendry then gets sold off to Melisandre because the Brotherhood is garbage. Arya then runs off and gets to start her road trip with The Hound. They make their way to the Twins where Catelyn and Robb are for Edmure Tully’s wedding to a Frey girl to mend the rift caused by Robb marrying Talisa.

And this is where it all goes wrong. The Red Wedding. Even knowing it was coming, I was not prepared for how horrific this scene is. The Rains of Castamere starts to play and Catelyn knows something bad is about to happen. The moment on of the Freys stabs Talisa in the stomach I physically recoiled. There is nothing to prepare you for this scene, whether or not if you’ve seen it before. It is visceral and horrible, but so well executed.

General Notes

  • Tormund gets introduced this season but he is an asshole right now so I’m not caring too much.
  • Also, we get the introduction of Olenna Tyrell and hot damn she is the best character ever.
  • “The cheese will be served when I want it served and I want it served now.” OLENNA IS MY QUEEN.
  • “The subtleties of politics are lost on me.” Margery Tyrell learned from the best.
  • Edmure is the worst and the Blackfish is the best.
  • Hot Pie giving Arya a bread wolf and saying goodbye gave me way more feels than I anticipated.
  • Bronn calling Littlefinger “Lord twat beard” is one of my favorite Bronn moments.
  • Ah, yes, we find out that Pod apparently is very good in bed. The callbacks to this throughout the season are hilarious.
  • Varys is one scary dude when you think about it.
  • Gendry telling Arya he is staying with the brotherhood hurts me. God, I hope these kids meet back up and DON’T DIE.
  • Olenna and Tywin’s scene together is perfection.
  • Jamie telling the story of his murder of the Mad King is some of the best acting from that actor.
  • The following scene is another example of Olenna awesomeness:

Lady Olenna Tyrell: [to Loras] So, their son will be your nephew after you’re wed to Cersei, of course. And you will be the king’s stepfather and brother-in-law.
[Loras looks annoyed and upset. He does not respond]
Lady Olenna Tyrell: [to Margaery] When you marry the king, Joffrey’s mother will become his sister-in-law. And your son will be Loras’… nephew? Grandson? I’m not sure. But your brother will become your father-in-law, that much is beyond dispute.

  • Every word that comes out of Lord Frey’s mouth makes me want to vomit.
  • Robb making a joke about making a terrible mistake in marrying Talisa is NOT OKAY.
  • The way Robb’s direwolf was killed is so sad. Especially considering Arya witnessed it.
  • Tyrion has a list. I love it.
  • Davos saving Gendry is my favorite thing. And thus a hundred memes about rowing are born.

Favorite Moments:

  • Jamie going back for Brienne
  • Podrick bringing back Tyrion’s money from the brothel.

Most Painful or Cringeworthy moments:

  • RED WEDDING

Character I’d Bring Back: Robb Stark and his direwolf

Character I’d Murder: Roose Bolton

Who I have an inappropriate crush on: Podrick. Though…it’s not inappropriate. Am I finally not being a trash person in my GoT crushes? HOW LONG WILL THIS LAST?

Who I want on the Iron Throne as of Right now: Olenna “I want my cheese now” Tyrell

FYI: I cannot wait for Season 4 because it brings me great joy in episode 2.

Friday Favorites: Fictional Friendships

On By somethingofthebookIn Friday Favorites13 Comments

HI FRIENDS! We gather here on this Friday to talk our favorite fictional friendships. So many f words already in this post, I love it. Anyways, I’m going to dive right into this one because to be completely honest I had forgotten what day of the week it is and I’m typing this up Thursday night and it is past my bed time. I swear, I’m not normally this much of a hot mess (except I am, I’m just usually better at filtering it out).

As always, if you participate in this week’s Friday Favorites please drop a link to your post in the comments so I can add it to my list of links throughout the day.

Wax and Wayne (Mistborn Era 2) – I make it my personal mission to make sure anyone who says they have or are going to start reading Mistborn knows that it’s not just the original trilogy. There is ERA 2 and it is there that we get to meet the awesomeness that is Waxillium Ladrian and Wayne. They are the perfect buddy cop duo, except in Sanderson’s hands, it’s like buddy cops in a western/steam punkish world filled with one of the best magic systems in fantasy fiction today. Read these books and then try to name a more iconic duo. I’ll wait…

Karou and Zuzana (Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy) – Full disclosure: I thought I was going to hate Zuzana when she was first introduced in this story. How dare this cute little character show up in what promised to be a deep, dark story? And then, I was COMPLETELY won over by her friendship with Karou. They really are a fantastic example of female friendship in YA fiction, which is not something we always get. I will eternally be offering Zuze slices of chocolate cake for ever questioning her awesomeness.

Darrow and Sevro (Red Rising Saga) – Sevro is another prime example of me questioning a friendship choice in a book and coming to change my ways. I mean, Sevro was a bit…weird at first. But Sevro and Darrow play so well off each other and Sevro balances out all the seriousness of Darrow. And the loyalty that Sevro gains from the Howlers is so damned inspiring. I’d follow Sevro into battle. I’d probably die, but with him around I’d be laughing as I go. I have concerns about this friendship going into the next book, Dark Age. I just have a terrible feeling that Pierce Brown is going to do something horrible to my two bros. I wonder why I feel that way…it’s not like Pierce Brown has ever done anything terrible to my emotions before…

The Fellowship (Lord of the Rings) – I mean, this should be obvious. I almost just focused on the hobbits, because let’s face it, I love my hobbit bros more than anything in this world, but it would be a disservice to the other friendships in this series. To be honest, most of my LOTR opinions are based on the movies right now because it’s been a while since I’ve read the books, but seeing the Fellowship grow from arguing over the One Ring in Rivendell to fighting for each other’s lives was kind of wonderful.

The Golden Trio (Harry Potter) – Duh.




Friday Favorite Posts from around the book blog community:

Want Now Wednesday: Ninth House

On By somethingofthebookIn Want Now Wednesday4 Comments

Happy Wednesday my wonderful bookish peoples! I could have sworn I had a Want Now Wednesday pre-written and scheduled for today, but alas, I was wrong. But it works out well because a cover reveal dropped today for a book I most certainly WANT NOW!

Ninth House
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: October 1, 2019
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Synopsis: Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL PEOPLE! Queen Bardugo is dropping a dark academia adult novel and I AM HERE FOR IT! I worship at the alter of Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom, so I am beyond stoked about this first foray into the adult realm from Bardugo. I don’t think I’ve read any “dark academia” books, but the concept makes my brain feel some sort of good.

Unsolved murders, mysterious benefactors, secret societies, and sinister occult activities? SIGN ME THE F*CK UP! AND it’s a series! So, we get more than one book of dark adulty goodness from Queen Bardugo. I can’t wait to read this while drinking bitter black coffee, flicking my imaginary clove cigarette (cause I don’t smoke anymore, but damned if I don’t still hold imaginary smokes sometimes), and tugging at the neck of my fashionably over sized chunky knit sweater.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo comes out on October 1, 2019. Pre-order links can be found at the publisher’s website.

Friday Favorites: Reading Music

On By somethingofthebookIn Friday Favorites5 Comments

Well, hello there my dear bookish people! This post is coming at you from Emerald City Comic Con! I just finished my first day at the con and it was a blast! The last panel I went to for the day was a sing along for Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog and it was AMAZING! Getting to sing along with a whole room full of other fans was awesome and it gives me a great segue into this week’s Friday Favorites topic: Reading Music!

I know that this is a love it or loathe it topic but I LOVE music while I read. I live in a fairly noisy neighborhood and I find the sounds of my neighbors distracting (and highly annoying, but I’ll refrain from a rant).

And quickly, before I dive into my favorite reading music, I wanted to say that since I am at con tomorrow I wont be able to make a link list of any Friday Favorites as early as I normally would. I will definitely pull any Friday Favorites post links that you drop in my comments and make the list at the end of the day when I am home from con. I really appreciate everyone who posts and I try to maintain the link list through the day, but it just wont be possible tomorrow. SORRY!!

Two Steps from Hell, specifically the following albums: Skyworld, Battlecry, Unleashed, and Vanquish – I stumbled upon this group on Pandora about 3 years ago and it was one of the best musical discoveries I’ve had in ages. They are neo classical and TOTALLY EPIC! You’d think they’d only be good for fantasy book reading, but I read the Illuminae Files with Skyworld and Battlecry as my background and it was awesome. I specifically recommend Cannon in D Minor from Battlecry.

Anything by Bear McCreary – Bear McCreary is my favorite. I was first introduced to his work from the Battlestar Galactica soundtrack. He goes from rhythmic drums for battles to heart wrenching violins for emotional scenes with such masterful grace. After BSG, I would start new TV shows and think “Hm, I like this score, I wonder if it’s Bear” and it almost always was. He has also worked on Black Sails, The Walking Dead, Da Vinci’s Demons, Outlander, and many more. His ability to evoke strong emotions pairs well with reading for me. I specifically recommend Roslin and Adama from Battlestar Galatica Season 2 soundtrack.

RetroWave/Outrun playlist on Spotify – I need to say right now that I am so happy I got a Spotify account finally. Their curated playlists are a thing of beauty. The RetroWave/Outrun playlist is synth-y perfection and is awesome for science fiction reading. I specifically recommend Gutterpunk Kids by Sami Matar.

Claissical Noir playlist on Spotify – Hooooooo boy, I love this playlist. Another one that I stumbled upon randomly through Spotify. It is rich and dark and everything I need for reading. I think it pairs better with more in depth fantasy stories, but it really could be good for anything. I specifically recommend They Being Dead Yet Speaketh by Jóhann Jóhannsson.

The Lord of the Rings Complete Recordings soundtracks by Howard Shore – I mean, is there music more perfect for fantasy reading? These soundtracks take you all through Middle Earth, but they blend nicely to whatever story you are reading. I also like the Hobbit soundtracks, but I feel like the LOTR soundtracks just fit reading better. I specifically recommend The Plains of Rohan from the Two Towers soundtrack.

So, do you listen to music when you read? And if yes, what is your favorite music to listen to?

Friday Favorite Posts from around the book blog community:

The Backlist: Charlotte Holmes

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This week I am doing a backlist review of the Charlotte Holmes books from Brittany Cavallaro. I am stoked to get my hands on the fourth and final book in the series, A Question of Holmes, which was released on March 5th. One of my dear friends is getting me a signed copy, so until she gets a chance to send it to me, I will satisfy myself with reliving these books through reviews. The synopsis for A Question of Holmes is at the very bottom of the page for you to check out!

A Study in Charlotte
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s the deal: I strongly dislike contemporary novels, especially YA contemporaries. But a Sherlock Holmes inspired YA contemporary? I couldn’t buy this book fast enough. The story is about the descendants of the original Holmes and Watson (yes, they are real in this universe), Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes. Jamie transfers to the same Connecticut private school that Charlotte attends and from there the games is afoot. Yes, I am also disappointed in myself for going there.

Jamie and Charlotte very obviously come together to solve a murder, one that they are being framed for. The whole mystery behind the murder is wild to say the very least. This book is far darker than I was expecting. Not only is there the whole murder thing, but drug addiction and rape. While these are very difficult topics, I felt they were handled respectfully. I am far from being a teen these days, but I think it’s important have YA stories that deal with harder topics.

I really enjoyed the way that Jamie and Charlotte were similar to the original Watson and Holmes (or at least what I can remember of the original stories. My brain also remembers the TV/movie version too well so I’m sure I’m leaning more towards those interpretations), but in a perfectly modern way. Charlotte is highly intelligent and though she can be abrasive at times, I felt she does care. From past traumas and her harsh upbringing (which you learn more about in later books), it is just hard for her to care for people in traditional ways. And then there is Jamie. The boy is kind of a doof sometimes, but he’s a teenage boy who has been brought up with stories of all the great Holmes and Watson’s before him. We can hardly blame him for diving head first into a not so healthy and fairly co-dependent friendship with Charlotte.

A Study in Charlotte is so vastly different from any YA contemporary that I’ve ever read, and I am so happy I picked it up. If you like Holmes/Watson, wildly dramatic murder mysteries, layers of secrets and betrayals, and high levels of snark, A Study of Charlotte is for you.

The Last of August
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Rating: 3 stars

The tag line for this one is “Watson and Holmes: A match made in disaster.” This describes the relationship of these two characters so perfectly I cannot even. I thought A Study in Charlotte was twisty and turny, but The Last of August dials the chaos up to 11.

I loved that the story is based in England and Berlin this time around, so we get a nice scenery change. I loved the art forgery aspect to the case. We get more background on all the families, most importantly the Moriartys. The three families are endlessly fascinating and dysfunctional.

While I still enjoyed this one, I had two problems: the ending and the Charlotte/Jamie dynamic. The ending was chaotic, and I found myself not really following what was going on. It feels fast paced, but then you suddenly realize you are lost in the plot, but you are reading so fast you feel as though you can’t stop and go back. I felt like I needed a flow chart of how everything came together in that ending.

Then we have Charlotte/Jamie. Look, I love a good angsty romance, but this book took it to the point of me not enjoying it. Its been a while since I’ve read the book, but I just remember having an overwhelming sense that Jamie wanted to fix Charlotte and the PTSD she suffers from her rape. And this is NOT OKAY. The almost love triangle that goes on is not fun either. August Moriarty is probably one of the more sympathetic characters in this whole book and Jamie constantly needing him to be the villain was annoying.

While I still mostly enjoyed this when I read it, looking back I see a lot more problems with it. I originally rated this a 4 star but I’m going to knock it down to 3.

The Case for Jamie
Release Date: March 6, 2018
Rating: 4 stars

Where The Last of August was kind of a mess for me at times, The Case for Jamie really drew me back in. None of the characters miraculously turn into better people, but the writing and plotting was better and I think having Charlotte and Jamie apart for a while was a good idea. Getting more of Charlotte’s POV really helped too. I still kinda want to smack Jamie through the whole book, but he is a teenage boy so that doesn’t really surprise me. Looking back on this book and the series as a whole, I feel like Charlotte and Jamie are my original trash children (current trash kids are Jude and Carden). Like, I love them, but also, they are so terrible. But the author isn’t going for a perfect, healthy relationship with these two. It’s hard because, I’m reading this as an adult, so I know that relationships like the one between Charlotte and Jamie are not great, but I can revel in the drama because the relationships in this book aren’t shaping my views on relationships. I like that the author shows the ugly sides of the relationship and how Charlotte and Jamie work through it. No person and no relationship is ever perfect, so I don’t want them written that way, but toxic relationships shouldn’t be glamorized to teens. I think these books walk that line, though sometimes they are a little too close to the edge. And I’m going to hop off this slippery slope rant I’ve sudden found myself in.

At the end of the day, The Case for Jamie is a vast improvement on the second book. Each book in this series is like pulling back the layers on these families and seeing the flawed humans they are. But like I’ve said, no one is perfect. I really feel like the characters in these books are all too human in a way we try to pretend we aren’t. I cannot wait to read the final book in the series, A Question of Holmes.

A Question of Holmes
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Synopsis: Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson think they’re finally in the clear. They’ve left Sherringford School—and the Moriartys—behind for a pre-college summer program at Oxford University. A chance to start from scratch and explore dating for the first time, while exploring a new city with all the freedom their program provides. But when they arrive, Charlotte is immediately drawn into a new case: a series of accidents have been befalling the members of the community theater troupe in Oxford, and now, on the eve of their production of Hamlet, they’re starting all over again. What once seemed like a comedy of errors is now a race to prevent the next tragedy—before Charlotte or Jamie is the next victim.

Want Now Wednesday: Soul of the Sword

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Happy Wednesday my dear bookish people! This week for Want Now Wednesday I’m screaming about a HIGHLY ANTICIPATED sequel for me! Since it is a sequel, I wanted to put up a spoiler warning for those who haven’t read Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa yet (and if you haven’t, you really should! It’s an awesome book!). So consider yourself thusly warned.

Soul of the Sword (Shadow of the Fox #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Release Date: June 18th, 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Synopsis: One thousand years ago, a wish was made to the Harbinger of Change and a sword of rage and lightning was forged. Kamigoroshi. The Godslayer. It had one task: to seal away the powerful demon Hakaimono.

Now he has broken free.

Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has one task: to take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple in order to prevent the summoning of the Harbinger of Change, the great Kami Dragon who will grant one wish to whomever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, who for centuries was trapped in a cursed sword, has escaped and possessed the boy she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with the Master of Demons in order to break the curse of the sword and set himself free. To overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness, they need one thing: the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross once again, the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

I need this book, like, yesterday! Shadow of the Fox was one of my favorite reads of 2019 (check out my review here) and it ended on one heck of a cliffhanger! I am dying to continue the journeys of Yumeko and Tatsumi! I wanted to try and say what I’m hoping for from the book, but this story is so unique that I can’t predict what this new book will bring. I also very much miss Okame and need that ronin back in my reading life!

June 18th cannot come soon enough! Pre-order links can be found at the publisher’s website.

Game of Thrones: Season 2 Rewatch

On By somethingofthebookIn Non-Bookish12 Comments

Winter is coming. And by winter, I mean the final season of Game of Thrones. To prepare myself for this momentous final season, I am re-watching the show from the start because apparently, I like to torture myself. So, I decided to do summaries of my thoughts, feelings, and general (and sometimes wine-drunk) musings of each season. My season 1 wrap up is here.

FYI: this post very obvious has spoilers for Season 2, but I vaguely discuss future seasons, so here is your warning.

Season 2: The season in which there are a lot of garbage people, but none more garbage than Theon

Where to even begin with this season. I went in to it thinking that it was the one season where not a lot of characters I cared about died. I. WAS. WRONG. I’m going to try and see how well I can filter all the chaos of this season down…

Let’s start with the Lannisters. Cersei continues to be amazingly cruel and awful, but Lena Headey plays her so well and I get hypnotized by her evil smirk. Also, drunk Cersei during the Battle of Blackwater is priceless. Tywin almost fooled me again into thinking he wasn’t that bad when he is at Harrenhal. I love his interactions with Arya (who is hiding in plain sight as a cup bearer for Tywin) so damn much. There is another set of characters I could listen to trade words all day. And then there is Tyrion. Again, Tyrion is the only Lannister I still truly like and I feel so much for him in this season. He plays the game so well, but he does actually care for people and for Westeros. The way he looks at Sansa whenever he steps in to save her from Joffrey cuts straight to my heart. And all he does to protect King’s Landing when Stannis Baratheon shows up that no one appreciates him for. It kills me. I truly hope Tyrion survives the final season. Oh, and there is Jamie too. He basically spends the whole season being a charming asshole tied to a pole. Oh, and Joffrey is still terrible.

We finally meet Stannis and damn, I forgot how much I kinda like this stern, grammar loving guy. I have a soft spot for grumpy characters, so Stannis charmed me at first (not so much in the later seasons). But his whole thing with the Lord of Light prophecy is just meh to me. I really can’t ever see him being a good king, regardless of his legitimacy. BUT with Stannis we also get Davos Seaworth! I love the character of Davos so damn much. He knows no good can come from the Red Woman. Speaking of Melisandre, uggggggghhhhhhh, she bothers me, but she is proper creepy and knows how to manipulate with the best of them. Too bad the Battle of Blackwater totally blows all their plans to hell ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Time to check in with my family, the Starks. Robb is off winning battles, but being dumb by falling in love with Talisa. I yelled at Robb quite a few times during this season. Catelyn is equal parts wise and annoying. I love how she sees through Robb when he first tries to deny his attraction to Talisa, but I want to smack her when she let’s Jamie go (even thought it leads to the awesome road trip of Jamie and Brienne). The only thing that stands out for me about Bran is I like when he gets all creepy psychic for a bit. Sansa continues to impress me with that core of steel he has. She is still naive, but she is learning. I legitimately feel for her this time around. And then there is my murder baby Arya. OMG I love her part in this season. When Gendry finds out she is a Stark, I just about die when he gets all flustered. Even though I don’t think Arya will have a romance in the show, I ship those two more than anything else. I forgot this is the season Arya starts her list too! Of course it happens after a heartfelt conversation with Yoren, who immediately get murdered. *sigh* Arya’s interactions with Jaqen are also perfection *Italian chef kiss*

Who else is there? Ah, yes, the Night’s Watch. This season they pretty much go on walkabout beyond the wall. I’m not going to talk about Craster’s Keep because I just ate lunch and I don’t want to vomit. I 1000% forgot that this was the season we meet Ygritte. I kinda love watching her and Jon, but dear lord her voice annoys me. I am eternally amused that the “You know nothing, Jon Snow” line comes from her teasing him about not knowing how to do it *makes suggestive eyebrows so you know what “it” is referring to*

This season is the death of my inappropriate crush on Littlefinger. I mean, Aidan Gillen is forever a total fox, but the moment Littlefinger tries to basically hit on Catelyn while he is delivering her the bones of Ned just kills it. I still appreciate the scheming he gets up to in this season though. Varys, as always, is my favorite with the witty banter. What he says to Tyrion after the Battle of Blackwater is gold and solidifies him as a favorite. I shall be cross if Varys dies before the end.

I almost didn’t talk about Theon. God. Damn. Theon. I’ve never been a fan of Theon but I forgot just how much I LOATHE him during season 2. He is such a whiny little privileged boy and I cannot even with him. There is not a single moment I feel anything but hate for him in Season 2. He brings about the destruction of Winterfell and I shall never forgive him for that. During episode five one of my notes is “Literally every time I see Theon all I can think is ‘ugh, fucking Theon’.” I won’t go as far to say that he gets what he deserves, but also I’m not going to shed a tear over it.

Oh, right, Daenerys. Her story line is basically her being a privileged brat, leading her people into death, and then her having one moment of awesome with her dragon’s breathing fire. *yawn*

General Notes
  • I’m glad someone finally gave Osha a damn hair brush.
  • The scene of all the Gold Cloaks killing Robert’s bastards is probably one of the most horrific things in Game of Thrones. Which is really saying something.
  • You know, Varys would make a good king…
  • Gilly calling Sam brave is so pure and I love those two
  • OH HAI PODRICK!
  • Gendry calling Arya m’lady is my favorite thing ever.
  • Theon flirting, unknowingly, with his sister is equal parts disgusting and hilarious
  • Seeing Roose Bolton with Robb fucking still hurts. Oh, and here is the check that leads to Robb’s doom…
  • Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell is sheer perfection. “I don’t want to be a queen. I want to be the Queen.”
  • Watching all the horrible scenes at Harrenhal are worth it just for Shirtless Gendry.
  • I love when Jaqen get’s annoyed with Arya asking him to murder someone immediately. Like he is so over his little murder daughter, but kills for her anyways.
  • How many ways can I say “Theon is the worst”?
  • Shae helping Sansa is the only time I like Shae
  • STOP FLIRTING ROBB!
  • Bronn singing the Rains of Castamere is kinda hot and welcome to my new inappropriate crush for the season
  • The Hound drinking wine and saying “fuck the king” is a damn mood
  • Battle Tyrion is awesome
  • The farce of Joffrey breaking up with Sansa in court is ridiculous, but worth seeing Sansa smile. Until goddamn Littlefinger ruins it all.
  • Pretty sure Jamie got a semi while watching Brienne fight
  • I am so happy Luwin got to see the Stark boys before he died *glares at Theon again for being the cause of Luwin’s demise*
  • Watching Bran and Rickon leave a burning Winterfell hurts like hell
  • THREE BLASTS FOR WHITE WALKERS!!!!

Favorite Moments:

  • Basically every scene with Bronn
  • Theon’s inspirational speech to his men at Winterfell that is cut short by his men knocking him out and leaving his bitch ass behind
  • Did I mention Shirtless Gendry yet?
  • Tywin telling Arya she is too smart for her own good. Their verbal dancing was a wonder to watch.
  • Tyrion stripping Janos Slynt of his rank and sending him to the Wall. “I’m not questioning your honor. I’m denying it exists.”
  • Joffrey getting poo thrown in his face

Most Painful or Cringeworthy moments:

  • Every single moment spent at Craster’s Keep
  • Littlefinger’s chat with Roz when she is crying over watching a goddamned baby getting murdered in front of her.
  • Shae saying “You are mine and I am yours” to Tyrion because I know what is coming and it is not good
  • Robb marrying Talisa
  • Dany’s vision of Drogo and their unborn child. I don’t ship Dany and Drogo in any way, shape or form, but this still hurt.

Favorite Line:

I’d follow Tyrion into battle…
My life motto.

Character I’d Bring Back: hard tie between Maester Luwin and Yoren

Character I’d Murder: THEON FUCKING GREYJOY

Who I have an inappropriate crush on: Bronn. Though, you have to admit, he is a right side better than Little Finger. He’s got one hell of a smirk, snark for days, and I bet all that fighting he does means he has stamina for days…

Who I want on the Iron Throne as of Right now: For the good of the Realm, Vayrs. For personal reasons, Shirtless Gendry.

Book Review: Heartless

On By somethingofthebookIn Beat the Backlist 2019, Book Reviews2 Comments

Heartless
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: November 8, 2016
Rating: 4 Stars
Synopsis: Long before she was the terror of Wonderland—the infamous Queen of Hearts—she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next queen.
Then Cath meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the king and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship. Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

FYI: while I try not to say spoilers out right, this review could be viewed as mildly spoilery.

Heartless is a beautifully written origin story for the Queen of Hearts. Knowing what we know of the Queen of Hearts, we can surmise that this doesn’t end well. While I was anticipating some good heartbreak, I found myself oddly unfeeling at the tragic plot twist. But that disappointment in not shedding a tear (I like it when books make me cry), did not overshadow the brilliant and often scrumptious writing.

Cath is a nobleman’s daughter with dreams of opening her own bakery with her maid and friend, Mary Ann. Cath is…not my favorite character. At least not until the end when she evolves into the Queen of Hearts (don’t @ me, that isn’t a spoiler). Cath is wishy-washy and reminds me of those rich girls whose lives are just so terrible, even though they have all the money and boys in the world. I don’t know what it says about me that I only liked her when she became a full on, hardcore B. I will say that she does have a lot of terrible people in her life *glares in the general direction of Cath’s parents*, but homegirl just needed to grow up, drop that toxicity, and do what she needed to do to make herself happy. Also, maybe heed creepy prophecies given by creepy little girls.

Just as Cath is about to get betrothed the wimpy King of Hearts, she meets Jest and suddenly she wants more than just a bakery in her life. Jest is mysterious and snarky and all things I love in a book boyfriend. His backstory is really interesting and I love what we find out about his life. And while I really liked him, I just didn’t feel much for him. His courtship with Cath was tortured, which I love, but Cath’s inability to make a damn decision for herself kinda killed it for me, so I was never able to get fully invested in their relationship.

I absolutely loved all the side characters. Heck, I was more emotionally impacted by a early death of a side character than I was for the big tragic twist. Hatta is sheer perfection. His descent into madness and the reveal of his hidden feelings were the hardest thing for me. I was endlessly fascinated by the different creatures and characters of Hearts, from the flamingo croquet mallets to the cards. Everything was so perfectly whimsical.

Even through all my disconnects with Cath and the tragic plot twists, I will say that the writing in this book was stellar. I am fully surprised that I didn’t gain weight while reading this because I constantly wanted to eat desserts every time Cath baked. I don’t know much about Lewis Carroll’s original story of Wonderland, but I’ve gathered from other readers that this novel was respective of, but built more on, the original Wonderland. Based on Meyer’s writing in Heartless, I am now even more excited about starting her Lunar Chronicles series.

Heartless is a damn fine book and I can see why so many of my friends recommended it to me when I asked for tragic book recommendations. But looking back, I was walking myself straight into the trap of hype. I think because I guessed how things would end, I never let myself get too invested in the romance, and that left me feeling…well, heartless.

I buddy read this with the awesome Sabreena @ Books and Prosecco, who also posted her review of Heartless today. Her reviews are always amazing and well written, so I recommend checking it out!

Friday Favorites: TV Shows to watch when not reading

On By somethingofthebookIn Friday Favorites16 Comments

Here’s the deal: sometimes I can’t read. Sometimes I am too stressed or depressed or tired or whatever to focus on books. That’s when I turn to my TV. As much as I love books and reading, TV is really my happy place. It gives me the ability to disconnect and escape in a much easier way than books and sometimes that’s just what I need.

So, here’s my (shortened) list of favorite TV shows:

Top Gear – I can’t begin to truly describe why I love this show as much as I do. I remember when I first heard of Top Gear I thought it was the lamest thing. Who wants to listen to three old British dudes talk about cars? And then I watched it. Now I can word for word quotes many of the episodes and whenever I am feeling sad and need a laugh I know exactly where I’ll turn to.

Great British Bake Off – This is the show I watch when I hate the world because it reminds me that there is good out there. And that goodness comes in the form of baking innuendos and good bakes. This was another one of those shows that I thought was ridiculous at first. What is so interesting about watching British people crouching in front of their ovens? But this show is everything good and pure in the world. The bakers help each other, everyone hugs and cries when someone leaves, and there is never any of the “I’m not here to make friends” bullshit that plagues US cooking competitions shows. I straight up sob when they do the “what the bakers have been up to” montage because they are always doing awesome things and having get togethers with each other.

Doctor Who – Yes, one of my happy time shows Doctor Who, which is well known for some of the most emotionally traumatic moments in TV history (at least in my opinion). I used to specifically make my friends watch the Doomsday episodes on the morning after my birthday when we were hungover and consuming copious amounts of greasy breakfast food. But even though the Doctor can bring the pain, he can also bring the joy. The snark, the wondrous joy of space exploration, the friendships. Doctor Who has been a FANTASTIC part of my life for a decade. (side note: if you need a scene to make you chuckle immediately go look up “The Unicorn and the Wasp – Harvey Wallbanger Detox scene” on YouTube)

Psych – If you need a show that is part cop procedural and part ridiculous chaos then look no further than Psych. I randomly started watching this brilliant show a few years back and I’ve now probably watched each season at least 3 or 4 times (with the exception of the last season). The sense of humor balances perfectly with the few moments of drama. I have never watched this show and not ended up with a smile on my face.

Cutthroat Kitchen – I love evil Alton Brown SO MUCH. He is such a ridiculously smart man and he has snark for daaaaaaaaaaaays. My old roommate and I used to watch this all the time and it makes me happy just thinking about it. I was forlorn for a while because I thought I couldn’t watch it anymore but I found out it is streaming on Hulu, so now I know what I’m doing when I’m done with my Game of Thrones rewatch…

Anything from Whedonverse– I’m talking Buffy, Angel, Dollhouse, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog. All wonderful. All brilliant. All perfectly capable of making me smile AND ripping my heart out (sometimes at the same time). Even though Firefly and Dr. Horrible are at the top of my Whedon list, it all started with Buffy for me. I wouldn’t be the nerd I am without Whedonverse and I will always be grateful to these shows.

I really could go on with this list for ages but I have a very long day of work ahead of me (as I type this it is Thursday night) and it is waaaaaay past my bed time.

What TV shows do you love to watching when you aren’t reading?

And don’t forget to drop a link in the comments to your Friday Favorites post!

Friday Favorites posts from around the bookish community:

Want Now Wednesday: The Beautiful

On By somethingofthebookIn Want Now WednesdayLeave a comment

Happy Wednesday, y’all! I’m mixing it up with the title on “Waiting on Wednesday” because most of the time I feel stronger for the books I feature than just “waiting on”. I want them NOW! And this week’s book is a huge want for me…

The Beautiful
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 8th, 2019
Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with a sumptuous, sultry and romantic new series set in 19th century New Orleans where vampires hide in plain sight.

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as Le Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of Le Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.

At once a sultry romance and a thrilling murder mystery, master storyteller Renée Ahdieh embarks on her most potent fantasy series yet: The Beautiful

I cannot begin to describe how much I want this. I’ve always been a huge fan of vampires, through good times and bad, and this book seems very promising. Decadence, horrible secrets, enigmatic love interest who just might be the villain of the story? SIGN ME UP RIGHT THE HECK NOW!

I also love that this story is going to be set in 1872 New Orleans. It gives me Interview with the Vampire vibes and I am so here for that. I can just picture reading this book with a glass of dark red wine in my hand.

Is it October 8th yet????

Pre-order links can be found at the publisher’s website.