TV show review: So Weird

Click image for source.

Rating: 4/5; Amazing. Really liked it. Some things I had problems with.

Release Date: none for the f-ing DVD (no, not even VHS) but twas on TV in 1999 when I was 9!

About:
The series at first centered around teenage girl Fiona Phillips (Cara DeLizia) who toured with her rock star mom (Mackenzie Phillips), encountering paranormal activity along the way. Acting as an X-Files for the younger crowd, the series took a darker tone than other Disney Channel Originals. The third and final season saw the replacement of Cara DeLizia with actress Alexz Johnson playing Annie Thelen in a revamped, lighter version of the show. After 65 episodes, Disney Channel halted production on the series due to their strict 65 episode-maximum policy.
-wiki


Thoughts:
I used to watch this show all the freakin' time when I was 9. I loved it and I still do. Now I miss it and because it was never released on DVD or anything else for that matter, I thank the universe for YouTube. :)
If you never saw the show YOU BETTER WATCH IT RIGHT NOW! It's really great. Trust me. It really is x-files for the younger folks, yet still appealing to adults too. A lot of the beginning episodes with Fi were "darker" (1st and 2nd season) than the ones with Annie (3rd and last season) but they were also so much more interesting and entertaining. They were all about supernatural things that were somewhat scary and/or creepy which was the great part. There are episodes about aliens, ghosts, immortals, vampires, banshees, gremlins, angels, and so many more amazing creatures. 
That is all I will say because I just want you to watch the show and see for yourself how amazing it is if you don't already know that. If you're still not convinced, this is the T.V show that managed to keep a 9 year old up till late in the night (I never had a bed time so I guess that doesn't say much now that I think about it). Either way, it is just really good and how can you possibly think of skipping out on this?


I'm off to re-watch it!

Here's the first part of the first episode for your viewing pleasure:

Watch it:

youtube

Here you can see a list of all the episodes and summaries of them. 

For fans of:

Supernatural <---  I love you Sammy and Dean!

X-Files <--I used to watch this one too when I was younger and boy was it scary!

Book Review: Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

click image for source, more reviews, etc.
Rating: 4/5; Really liked it, but didn't love it.

Age R: YA+, a bit inappropriate for the youngsters

Synopsis:
Memoir about a girl's experiences in a mental institution and with her borderline personality disorder.

Thoughts:
Fascinating read, I enjoyed the writing style quite a lot. Kudos to Kaysen :)
The thing about this book that makes it a bit hard to read is that even though the writing style is enjoyable (in my opinion) it is still slow for the most part. I liked reading about Kaysen's time in the hospital and her descriptions of the people around her, but it was done somewhat tediously and I wanted to learn more about Kaysen. She did not really talk about herself as much as I expected especially considering it's a memoir about her. 70% of the story seemed about other people while the rest, specifically near the end, was about her, her diagnosis, and her feelings about it all. 
I found myself really liking the book because of all the feelings it made me feel and how it was about a subject I highly enjoy reading about. I like reading about mental disorders and anything related to psychology. Reading about Borderline Personality Disorder and someone's own perspective on it is quite the experience. I recommend this book if you think you might like it based on what I just said, but be aware that it might take you a while to finish it. 


And no I have not seen the movie. Not fully anyway. I plan to though. In time. 

In My Mailbox -- been a while crocodile + KEANE tickets !!!!!

Thanks to The Story Siren and Alea for the wonderful idea that is IMM. Go to The Story Siren for more IMM's! Trust me it's awesome! Like peeking in tons of strangers' mail boxes. Haven't you ever been curious about what's inside? Oh is that just me? hehe

These past few weeks I've received/bought a few things. Click on the covers for more info, reviews, etc.

Bought:

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan

"It was the summer of her Chevette, of J.P., and letting her hair grow." It is also the summer when, without warning, college-bound Kim Larsen disappears from her quiet Lake Erie town. Her parents, her little sister, her best friends and new boyfriend now must do everything to find her. As time passes and local search parties give way to wider TV appearances, private investigations unearth dirty secrets, and we follow those closest to Kim as they struggle to maintain hope and, finally, as the news cameras turn away, to hang on to both her and themselves. Stark and honest, this is an intimate account of what happens behind and beyond the headlines when those who stay after the media leaves deal with the real consequences of a very American tragedy." Stewart O'Nan's newest novel opens with the suspense of a thriller and soon deepens into an affecting family drama of loss.

Miles from Nowhere by Nami Mun

Teenage Joon is a Korean immigrant living in the Bronx of the 1980s. Her parents have crumbled under the weight of her father's infidelity; he has left the family, and mental illness has rendered her mother nearly catatonic. So Joon, at the age of thirteen, decides she would be better off on her own, a choice that commences a harrowing and often tragic journey that exposes the painful difficulties of a life lived on the margins. Joon's adolescent years take her from a homeless shelter to an escort club, through struggles with addiction, to jobs selling newspapers and cosmetics, committing petty crimes, and finally toward something resembling hope.

Heir to the Glimmering World by Cynthia Ozick

Cynthia Ozick has been known for decades as one of America's most gifted and extraordinary storytellers; her remarkable new novel has established her as one of the most enticingly readable as well. Heir to the Glimmering World received exuberant reviews after its hardcover publication, and Ozick, on her first-ever book tour, was welcomed by standing-room-only crowds. Reading groups, too, have embraced the novel, which was selected by Ann Patchett for NBC's Today Show Book Club. Set in the New York of the 1930s, Heir to the Glimmering World is an entrancing, richly plotted novel brimming with intriguing characters. Orphaned at eighteen, with few possessions, Rose Meadows finds steady employment with the Mitwisser clan. Recently arrived from Berlin, the Mitwissers rely on the auspices of a generous benefactor, James A'Bair, the discontented heir to a fortune his father, a famous children's author, made from a series of books called The Bear Boy. Rose watches as the refugee family's fortunes rise and fall, against the vivid backdrop of a world in tumult. Ozick's novel is a thrilling read that will undoubtedly gain this lauded author new readers in paperback.

The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things by JT LeRoy

The extraordinary stories that brought the author a cult following at the age of sixteen.

These are the stories of a young boy on the run, away from his past, hellbent towards an unknown future. Connected, they form a sometimes harrowing, sometimes bleakly funny, and often tender portrait of a complicated life. Like a modern-day Voltaire, LeRoy bounces his characters from adventure to adventure, each of them unyielding in the belief that the best of all possible worlds lies just around the next corner. Fresh, raw, and absolutely unforgettable, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things has further established the acclaimed author of Sarah as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary fiction.

Let the Right One In DVD - Yes I already had it but I had to re-buy it because SOMEONE (my friend's ex-roommate scratched it like there was no tomorrow). Should've bought it on bluray...

Oscar, a 12-year-old fragile and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl he befriends, who moves into his building.   When Oscar discovers that Eli is a vampire it does not deter his increasing feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent.  When Eli loses the man who protects and provides for her, and as suspicions are mounting from her neighbors and police she must move on to stay alive.  However when Oscar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can.






inFamous PS3 video game -- oooh it's so fun! A bit repetitive sometimes though.

bought this cute bag at Target. It's so cute! I love the color especially since it matches with a nail polish I ended up buying last week (Sinfulcolors This is It) and also with this cute dress I got. It has a flower pattern and is adorable. Yeah too lazy for a pic sorry! But just use your imagination! ;)


















And last but not least...


KEANE TICKETS ARRIVED!!! Me and a friend are going to watch Keane on JULY 25TH!! I am so excited you have no freakin' idea. This is the first time I'm going to see them. Sigh. Ahhh!! hehe ;)

I really hope they let me bring in my SLR so I can take some crappy pictures for ya'll which reminds me. I have not posted those Muse concert pictures. They were just so bad...


I also got their new album of course (not fully loving it especially compared to their first two albums but eh there's like one good one{[Clear Skies]). Gosh it's so disappointing like their last album. I wonder what is going on with them. They are seriously loosing their Keane-ness. Makes me so sad. Wouldn't recommend this one. I hope they don't sing too many from it in the concert hehe I'm so awful, but I speak the truth. "It's a gift and a curse"





Borrowed:

Evil Serial Killers: In the Minds of Monsters by Charlotte Greig - borrowed this one from a friend who also is in the psychology of serial killers. I still haven't managed to convince her to watch the awesomeness that is DEXTER!!!!!!

Murder is one of the greatest crimes against humanity — to kill repeatedly, often in combination with sexually motivated acts that are also taboo, is beyond human comprehension. Why do these people do it? What motivates them? Wildly deviant behavior can sometimes be 'understood' when it is displayed by a lone madman, but what about the killers who are judged normal, or those who act despicably in tandem with others? Charlotte Greig addresses such difficult questions in this compelling examination of the crimes of fifty of the world's most notorious serial killers.

Love It: Jake Gyllenhaal and Jimmy Fallon

This is what I watched 2 nights ago before going to sleep. I just had to share.  :) hehehe I LOVE Jake Gyllenhaal and his adorable puppy eyes and of course I love Jimmy!! Been loving him since SNL. :)

Guest Post: Internet and Television

Thanks to my friend Nancy Parker for this great post.

When preparing to move into my new home, the list of To-Dos kept getting longer and longer. Pack everything, rent a truck to move, get help moving, clean the new house, and clean the old house. These were just the basics of my moving experience. I also had to figure out when I was going to move so I could transfer all of my utilities. Companies make transferring utilities a simple process. Simply call in to the company about a week before moving, and tell them when and where you plan to move, and they will turn on your service at the new location and shut it off at your old house.

I moved to my new house, all of my utilities were turned on, but there was a silence in the home. Then I realized, I had no satellite or internet! So I called and set up a Direct TV Internet Bundle, and my service was installed within a few days. The wires were run with care and consideration of my new home. No ugly cables were left lying out on the floor. All of the wires were neatly tucked into the corner and nailed along the baseboard. Now I can enjoy my home, Cable TV, and internet with out a problem or worry.

Hmm fascinating especially for other T.V addicts!

Pee In Your Pants -- i wanna taste the rainbow!

Pee In Your Pants is a feature in which I post something I've come across that's made me laugh out loud and hopefully will make you laugh too. :) Maybe it'll make you laugh a little too much, hence the pee in your pants title.

About:
Funny skittles commercials. Maybe not PIYP funny but I love them so SUCK IT!

Love It: Keiko Lynn

Here's one of the many blogs I'm currently in love with:

Keiko Lynn

This chick is super awesome and so is her blog. She designs clothes, has her own wonderfully adorable store,  has many giveaways, and will keep you entertained. Just go check her out already will ya?

:)

TV Show/Korean Drama Review: Boys Before Flowers/Boys Over Flowers/Hana Yori Dango

Click photo for source
Rating: 5/5; Loved it very much and will own it one day so I can re-watch it.

RD: 2009

Total Episodes: 25

Favorite ep: 8!!!!!! soooo awesome!

More info on show: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Boys_Before_Flowers

Age R: Teens. Nothing extremely inappropriate (unlike the manga which I haven't read yet sorry!) so pretty much 13+.

Synopsis: 
Jan Di is a poor girl who comes from a family that owns a dry cleaning store. Things happen and she ends up having to transfer to a school full of rich kids. In that school she will come across the infamous/famous F4. The F4 members are 4 guys who have known each other since they were little kids. They are all the richest, the most handsome, and the most powerful guys in Shinwa High School and Goo Joon Pyo is the one with the most power. He's also the meanest. Jan Di unfortunately ends up crossing Goo Joon Pyo and, well, more things happen.

Thoughts:
AHHH!! *fangirl screams*
A little background info. This show is known by many names some of which are: Boys Before Flowers (Korean), Boys Over Flowers, Meteor Garden (Taiwanese), Liu Xing Yu, and Hana Yori Dango. This show was originally a Japanese manga written by Yoko Kamio (yeah her name is Yoko just like you know, John Lennon's Yoko hehe), but later became a tv show in many, many countries like Korea (that's the version I'm talking about here), Japan, and Taiwan and it also became an anime. 
I chose to watch the Korean version before seeing any others because I've heard it's the best version out of all the tv shows and the anime. I shall definitely watch the other versions and read the manga though before I make an official conclusion on that ;)
Back to my thoughts on the drama.
I LOVED it! I wish I had not seen it, just so I could watch it all over again and be so excited for having seen something so entertaining and damn cute. Just by reading the synopsis and knowing that this is a drama, you will probably be able to predict that the bad guy is going to go for the semi good girl. That does happen but so much comes in between them you have no freakin' idea! Then there are a bunch of other things besides that that occur.
The last episode was too soap opera-like for me. I hated it for that reason. I adored the abra cadabra moment, but man, I got upset with all the well, drama. It was not unnecessary per se (considering that's how dramas go) but I did not appreciate how it was unoriginal. I've seen that twist one too many times to care. Another thing I despised about the ending was how one of the characters was the "soulmate." It was a huge WTFruit moment for me. Maybe Koreans have a different definition of soulmate though. Or maybe just the Jun Di. I also hated how some of the characters did not find love. That kills me a little inside. :(
So that's what I didn't like. But what did I actually like?
I didn't just like everything else in the story, I loved it! It's so adorable even though sometimes it's over the top romance. That's what makes it so great though. If you saw You're Beautiful after this show, you probably noticed tons of similarities). That I did not fancy, but I got over it because to me they're different enough to both stand out in a cute unique way.
Just watch them okay?
It'll make you go "aww" more times than there are stars in the galaxy. Okay, exaggeration, or is it? I guess there's only one way to find out. Sort of, since we don't really know the exact number of stars, but I digress.
It's really cute, did I mention that already?
This drama is basically a story about a girl who's tough and brave without needing the help of anyone no matter what. Along comes a guy who's at the top of the world and hates her as much as she hates him. The audience knows these two are going to be together because that's just how these things go. They go through a TON of freakin' obstacles (typical drama) and eventually... you'll see. It's quite entertaining. All of it. The journey is dramatic to say the least, but oh so cute, and well worth watching more than once. 
You will fall in love with the love story and with the hot guy friends in F4. All the secondary characters are interesting and well thought out which I highly appreciated and I'm sure you will too.
Enjoy the ride!

Note:
In the manga I could kind of get over the fact that you know who and you know who did not communicate over 4 years because of no cell phones and such but hello?! What about letters?!! And ditto for the drama. Grr!!

Watch it (you know you're gonna buy it though):

they're English subbed btw

mysoju

youtube 

hulu

You will like this drama if you liked You're Beautiful. 

List of GIVEAWAYS!!

Remember how I'm a broke college student? For that reason I love entering giveaways and since you can enter them too (i also get extra points btw hehe) here's a list (I didn't enter all of them but just in case you're interested there they are).

click on the titles to get to the giveaway page. 
please be sure to read the RULES for each giveaway. they vary (some want you to follow them which I hate or they want you to jump through ridiculous hoops)

Books:

• The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett
• @floor to ceiling books. Ends. May 30.
•  unholy ghost by stacia kane
• @anna's book blog. ends: may 30
• The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker (my review)
• @Bless Their Hearts Mom. Ends: June 13
• Dear Anjali by Melissa Glenn Haber
• @Steph Su Reads. Ends. June 10
• Choose one of the books
• @stacy's books. Ends. June 2.
• the secrets of newberry by victor mcgothin
• @beth's book review blog. ends. june 12.
• the iron king by julie kagawa and a $25 gift card
• @smexy books. ends: june 1
• willow by julia hoban
• @candace's book blog. ends: no end date listed
• poison ink or privilege
• @aine's realm. ends: no end date listed. 
• choose your book from the list
• @bless their hearts mom. ends: june 5
• choose top 3 books from list
• @SOS Aloha. ends: may 28
• the host by stephenie meyer
• @books with a cup of coffee. ends: may 25
• carrie diaries by candace bushnell
• @daisy chain book reviews. ends: may 28
• win a book from the list
• @good golly miss holly. ends: july 31
•  choose prize pack
• @i should be writing. ends: june 10
•  signed twilight book or signed sookie books or signed christopher moore books or dracula books and vam encyclopedia
• @babbling flow. ends: june 3
•   many books to choose from
• @hooked on YA books. ends: june 30

Etc.

• Cute Hawaii bracelet that resembles a tatoo.
• @An Apple A Day. Ends: May 28.
• Pancake necklace or ring or mirror
• @Stalk! Please?. Ends: May 31.

•  Pillow Pet (cute stuffed animal)
• @crayon wrangler. ends: may 30
•  nail polish
• @imperfectly painted. ends. june 5
•  $25 TJ Maxx card
• @Always Nesting. ends: may 27
•  beauty products
• @coco bella. ends: june 5.
•  cute mini diary
• @musings by: mary elizabeth. ends: may 30
•  ereader
• @the bibliophilic book blog. ends: july 15

I hope you guys win some goodies and I really hope that you guys find a new, awesome blog :)

Words: How I Met Your Mother

No spoilers.

After a couple breaks up:

Do you want some food? -friend cheering up heartbroken boy

What's the point? It's just gonna leave me anyway. --heartbroken boy

Undead Much? by Stacey Jay

Rating: 3/5; Okay read.

Age R: 13+

Release Date: January 21, 2010

Note: part of a series, so this review might contain spoilers if you haven't read the first book!

Synopsis:

Q: How many guys does it take to make your boyfriend wild with jealousy?

A: Only one, if he's UNDEAD.

Megan Berry had a perfectly average new-sundress-and-boy-obsessed life--until her power to settle the Undead returned. Oh, and then her best friend tried to kill her--and ruin homecoming--with a bunch of black magically raised zombies. At least she got a spot on the pom squad and a smokin' boyfriend (Ethan). But now Megan is in deep fertilizer all over again.

Why? Well, let's see...

· Feral new super-strong zombies? Check.

· Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening half time as they know it? Check.

· An Undead psychic hottie (Cliff) who's predicting a zombie apocalypse--and doing his best to tempt Megan away from Ethan? Yum. I mean, Check.

· Earth-shattering secrets that could land Megan in Settler prison for life? Um, IT WASN'T ME!!!

Everyone thinks Megan's at fault for the new uber-zombie uprising. Looks like she'll need the help of both Cliff and Ethan if she's going to prove her innocence before it's too late...

Thoughts:

Hmm what to say what to say. I really really liked the first book in the series so I expected the series to get better. I was sorely disappointed. It had it's cute moments but overall I'm starting to not like Megan and Ethan. Their personalities started to annoy the heck out of me. They were both just different somehow. Not cute and it just seemed like they didn't fully respect each other. I don't really want to say how for fear of spoiling anything for ya'll but if you really want to know just email me and ask.

Another thing that ruined the reading experience for me was that the story itself was just not exciting. It seemed ridiculous and not interesting in the least. I found myself not caring one bit about all the bad things that were happening to Megan. The situations seemed cookie-cutter like and I hate that. The "bad" guys just seemed like those Disney channel bad guys, the ones that are all talk, never kill anything, but supposedly will. I'm sorry but I'm just not into that especially in a Young Adult book. It probably won't be a problem for Middle Grade readers but I wouldn't recommend this book for them since there are moments dealing with sex.

Surprisingly I'm still curious about what will happen in Megan's life, but it's still not the kind of book I would run to the store to buy.

Quotes:

Ethan to Megan

"...I love this Frisbee hat. Did I tell you how much I love this hat?"

"A few thousand times. It's called a beret."

Related:

-Buffy the Vampire Slayer

-zombies

-The Mediator series by Meg Cabot

Guest Post: The Deadliest Warrior

The Deadliest Warrior is an original show where battle experts take two different warrior types from different eras and pit them against each other in a virtual arena. Using highly advanced technology, the two different factions test sets of weapons against ballistic dummies to determine effective combat damage. These tests are then input into a massive database and an advanced computer program simulates a mythical battle between the two warriors. The Deadliest Warrior is an astonishingly addictive show that keeps the viewer coming back for more. Each week new combatants face off against each other with new sets of weaponry from different eras and the battles are always epic.

The Deadliest Warrior uses two distinct warrior types for these competitions, ancient warriors who primarily rely on swords, spears, and armor and modern day warriors who rely on machine guns and hand grenades. Personally, I prefer the ancient warrior battles to the modern ones as the weaponry was so varied and ancient fighting relied mush more heavily on the skill of the combatants than modern day warfare does. In Season one of the show there were many great battles, but my personal favorite was the duel between the Spartan and the Samurai for the Deadliest Ancient Warrior title of season one. I remember sitting in my chair watching the show on my DirecTV satellite tv on the edge of my seat as the Spartan and Samurai experts tested their weaponry. When the final battle took place, it was an epic fight that took many factors into account. I don’t want to spoil the show so I won’t give results, just rest assured that the battle was amazing.

The Deadliest Warrior is a creative and unique show that will mainly appeal to history and war buffs, but anybody interested in excellent shows should check it out. It may not be acceptable for small children however, but for teenagers it is quite an informative show regarding history and the different factions that participate, and will make the learning that much more fun.

Shared by Dani Swartz

The show sounds really really interesting!! And it incorporates a lot of historic facts about weapons. I'm curious, very, very curious. I should ask my English prof (ex-English prof) about it since he loves things like this. If you've seen it let me know more about it! Wikipedia talks about it but I would like to know if it's worth watching. 

Edit: Someone told me what they thought of the show:

the deadliest warrior is actually a really cool show

i saw one that had the vikings against the samurai

i think the samurai won 

The Necromancer

Hello all!! If you like Michael Scott's (no, not the one from The Office) The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series you will probably want to check out the Quest for the Codex site. They have a really interesting game related to the new book in the series, The Necromancer, which comes out on May 25th. I was playing it and honestly I'm not very good with computer games (video games are no problem though hehe). 


Here are the books in order (my library doesn't have them right now but I really really want to read this since forever because they seem like my kind of books):

Song: Just Impolite by Plushgun

i walk the line like johnny cash


hehe

Current addiction: How I Met Your Mother

Okay so my current addiction is How I Met Your Mother. Sheesh Mar thanks SO much! Gosh I can't even study because I keep thinking about HIMYM.

The show itself is not that incredible but it makes me giggle often and I...

LOVE BARNEY!!!!!!

"It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY!"

BTW I just realized that the chick who plays the daughter is the girl from Kick-Ass and from Desperate Housewives. The son is the guy from Wizards of Waverly Place. He's pretty hot. hehe Just for the record I am not a fan of the show and stopped liking Desperate Housewives. It went off in so many directions and just bored me.

Here's a clip (not spoiler-y since it doesn't really give anything away):