Avengers: Infinity War

These posters are pretty cool

I had so many feelings. It was tense and intense. So much happened. I have so many theories. Hubby thinks he knows how it will all work out. Since what happens in one movie affects the rest of the MCU, I wonder what's going to happen on S.H.I.E.L.D. or in Ant-Man and The Wasp. I can't really talk about anything without giving away something. If you look at the trailers, they're pretty vague too. They are spectacular images and bits of dialogue... not even dialogue, just sentences, phrases. In Infinity War there is always something happening. The movement of the story never stops.

I am going to talk about Thor meeting The Guardians of The Galaxy, because it is hilarious and it is in the trailers. Thor is amazing, Star-Lord is amazing. They all are. I love how Thor interacts with the Guardians. He somehow gets a moment with all of them. The entire sequence from him hitting their ship, to the end, is fun and funny. In general, when any of the different groups met, it was funny. These were the times where I think Marvel and the Russo brothers could add some hilarity. 

Loving these

I loved Vision and Scarlet Witch. I loved Okoye and Black Widow. I loved Dr. Strange and Spider-Man. As many characters as there were, I think all, if not most of the main ones got to have a moment, something that told the rest of them who there were and what they could do. Is it crazy that I think that? Oh well. Seriously, if you haven't seen this movie yet, go see it as soon as possible. Honestly, I want to see it again already. I don't even know if I've digested the movie yet and it's been a couple days. Like I said, I still have so many feelings. I think I might have a movie hangover. 

Infinity War Trailer

Ant-Man and The Wasp Trailer

Fracture Me

I raced through Fracture Me. It was almost all action. The story is told from Adam’s perspective and follows him from the the final battle in Unravel Me, to the events right after. We find out what happened to some of the people from Omega Point, and we also learn more about what is going on inside Adam’s head. I think I like Adam better now. It’s his devotion to his brother James that pulls me. Their relationship can be very much parent-child instead of older and younger sibling. He would do anything for James, even leaving Juliette to take care of herself. Also, James, what power does he have? After everything we've learned in the series so far, he has to have a power. Will it be devastating or sweet like him?

Again, I find myself falling for Kenji. He's amazing. In his own way, he also loves Juliette. I don't know if Adam understands that. I feel like Kenji sees something in Juliette, connects with something that he has yet to express to anyone. Kenji is brave, strong, intelligent and full of hope. His natural charisma and leadership draw people to him. The other characters want to do what Kenji says. Even though he was a big part of Fracture Me I still don't feel like I know enough about him. I hope Ignite Me and Restore Me will teach us more about Kenji....in addition to how everything will play out, whether people like those living at Omega Point will find freedom, and if The Reestablishment will get taken down.

Omens

I love Olivia. She's amazing. She's smart, but sweet and also ruthless. Omens was perfect. I loved every scene. I loved her. I enjoyed each character. I don't know if Olivia's parents are guilty, but she is certainly going to have a crazy adventure finding out. Gabriel. Damn. He is also amazing. An intriguing, beguiling character. I can't imagine meeting a person like him in real life.

I am without a doubt hooked on the Cainsville series. I also can't believe this is the first book I've read by Kelley Armstrong. I'm a fan now, though. I am going to read all the Cainsville books. I want to read the Otherworld books. I also picked up Sea of Shadows, so it looks like I will be reading Age of Legends too. Basically, after reading Omens, I'm a fan.

I don't want to say too much about Omens because I feel like I'll give the story away. The book starts off with the big revelation that this well-to-do socialite is adopted and actually the biological daughter of serial killers. She discovers this and her world is shaken. The paranormal aspects of the story is subtle, woven in slowly, only becoming more substantial as the story progresses. I enjoyed the light sprinkling, slowly building. I imagine it will continue to build like this throughout the series.

Seriously though, I NEED to know what is going to happen with Olivia and Gabriel. There is something there, right? Maybe by the the end of Visions I'll get to see it. Maybe it will take the whole series. They are what are going to keep me coming back. Olivia is so interesting and intelligent. Gabriel is mysterious, but infuriating (in a good way). Their dynamic is special. Also, Patrick. Who is he? What is he? How will he influence Olivia's life? Will Grace have a larger role? Also, gargoyles. I can not resist a good gargoyle.

International Day of Pink

Yesterday was Pink Day and my children’s school encouraged everyone to wear pink. They sent out an email reminding us about the International Day of Pink and what it means. So, of course, someone laughed at my son for wearing pink on Pink Day. I’ve used this extra day to quell my rage. I called my husband to let him know; he called the school and talked to my son’s teacher. She said that 75% of the class wore pink. She was sad to hear that another student laughed at the boys who wore pink. These children are 6 and 7.

Part of me feels bad. He didn’t want to wear pink. He wouldn’t tell us why, but we could guess. He owns 2 pink polo shirts, which I bought because he went through a faze of loving both polo shirts and pink. Then something happened last year and he stopped wearing them. When we asked why, he wouldn’t tell us. But like I said, we could guess.

It just makes me so sad. My 6-year-old son can’t wear a shirt and colour he loved because he is afraid that someone will make fun of him. We all wore pink yesterday. 3/4 of his class wore pink. But the voice he remembered was the one laughing at him. It makes me want to cry. I’m so sad for him and also for this other boy whose parents are holding him back.

I'm not really sure what else to say. I'm sad. I'm worried. I'm concerned. I am glad though, that his teacher is being supportive and seems to be doing her best to make sure that my son and all the students in the class understand what the International Day of Pink is supposed to be about.

X-Men '92: The World Is A Vampire

The nostalgia factor is high every time I open up an X-Men '92 comic. X-Men '92: The World is a Vampire is not in the same continuity as the rest of the the Marvel Universe. These are the X-Men I grew up watching. (I wish the show was still on Netflix.) Just looking at the cover makes me happy. I'm so happy with the art too, the way everyone is drawn may not be exactly the way they looked in the cartoon, but the essence of the characters are still captured, they feel how I want them to feel.

As the title suggests, the X-Men find themselves battling vampires. They are also without Cyclops and Jean Grey. Cyclops has decided to retire and Storm is in command. They have reopened the school, so there are students to worry about when Alpha Red comes knocking. I love the addition of Psylocke and Bishop, two amazing characters and two characters who do well balancing out Storm and Beast's thoughtfulness. Side note: look who is in love with Storm, not that I can blame him. The battles were exciting. Relationships were tested, new ones were forged. I really hope we get to know the students a little bit more. This edition of X-Men '92 was what I wanted it to be.

I was a little less happy with the final part of the graphic novel, Jean and Cyclop's story. It was still exciting and saw the characters having a pretty big revelation at the end. It was just missing something that the rest of the novel had. Maybe because it was so short, the story didn't get to fully develop. That stuff with Mr. Sinister was creepy though. Something about Jean's hair too. I know that's superficial, but it's just an example of how the art was different and didn't flow from the previous parts of the graphic novel. Maybe it was fine, being a different story, with completely different things happening to Scott and Jean (no vampires), but I don't know, her hair just bothered me.

All together, X-Men '92: The World is a Vampire hit all the right notes. There was the call back to the show in the '90s, and there was also Storm, Beast, Pylocke, and Bishop all being amazing. Wolverine and Jubilee were great. I'm excited to read the next (and final) X-Men '92 installment.

*If you search for, "the world is a vampire" Smashing Pumpkins comes up, not this book. I had to make sure I included "X-Men" to get what I wanted.

https://youtu.be/8-r-V0uK4u0

Unravel Me

Unravel Me was the perfect long weekend read. The children had their games and movies, I had my book. It’s times like these where I’m glad I bought the ebook. When it is late, I’m tired, but I need to stay awake, an ebook can light up the dark.

Unravel Me was exciting. I had no problem reading this book for hours and hours last weekend. It was easy to make my way through each event, each problem, the conflict, and the explosions of power. Tahereh Mafi had me hooked. So even when we were (finally) home and I should be sleeping, I just had to read "one more chapter". I barely had time to think about the story, the plot twists and surprises. There was one surprise, in the last third of the story that I didn't expect at all. I should have seen it though. It makes sense based on other things that happened in this story and Shatter Me. 

Adam drove me a bit nuts though. I'm interested in reading his perspective in Fracture Me. Like Destroy Me overlapped with the first and second books, Fracture Me overlaps with books 2 and 3. I'm hoping to warm back up to Adam Kent. Juliette drove me even more nuts. Just when I though she had finally grown up, gotten some backbone, something happened and she would crumble. I could understand Castle's frustration. Juliette was so positive and happy at the end of Shatter Me, I was surprised at her behaviour in Unravel Me. I think by the end though, Juliette was where she needed to be. 

I'm still thoroughly confused by Warner. I love him, but hate him. I have more sympathy for him now, but he really needs to believe he can change. I have no idea what is going to happen to him. I feel like he could go either way, he could go nowhere.

Kenji was the real stand-out for me though. What is his story? What are his secrets? I can definitely relate to Juliette's curiosity for her friend. She grows to care for him deeply, knows that she can rely on him, but she knows almost nothing about him. She wants to learn more about him and so do I. I'm hoping that happens soon, and I hope he is around for a long time.

I think I am officially out of my reading slump. All I can think about right now are the characters of the Shatter Me series. I'm also still thinking about the characters of Ready Player One. I think I need more fast-paced excitement. I wonder what will be next.

Ready Player One

I finished the book and I saw the movie on the same day. I didn't intend for that to happen, but that's just how things worked out. I don’t feel like I can give a fair evaluation of the movie. I think it was good. It was entertaining. It was fast-paced, so there were no lulls. The effects were good. I liked the actor who played Parzival, I think he did a good job. I liked the energy of the movie. I like the more modern references that the included, it was fun seeing the Spartans in the big battle (part of me was expecting an AT-AT though). I felt like Sorrento could have been more menacing. I would have liked more Og. I wanted more of Aech’s backstory. I would have liked more for Daito and Sho as well.  Also, why did they change Sho’s name. Shoto is a great name. So, while entertaining, the movie left me with mixed feelings. I actually think if I hadn't just finished reading Ready Player One, I would have liked the movie more. My sister-in-law, who didn't read the book, thought it was great.

The book was fantastic. I loved all the references. I liked the tasks after finding each key, having to find each gate. I liked the final gate. I liked the perfect Pac-Man game. Parzival was brilliant. Art3mis was brilliant, strong and fierce, yet shy. I loved Aech, everything about his story was so relatable. I loved how much we could learn from Aech. Og was hilarious. He was perfect. I loved castle Anorak. I loved the final battle, but also the final scenes afterward. Parzival grew so much as a person. He grew up. The contest wasn’t just about escape for him, it became so much more. Ready Player One definitely exceeded my expectations.

I’ve read that Ernest Cline is writing a sequel. I’m excited to read it. I know that some people are nervous because Ready Player One is such a great stand-alone novel, but I’m excited. Instead of being left to wonder if Parzival ever reveals that final secret, I’ll be able to find out. I’m excited to see how Parzival and Art3mis grow together, to find out what happens to Aech and Shoto. What about Og? Does Sorrento get away with it? What about humanity? Can the world become a better place?

So, I definitely recommend the book. It’s just so much fun. I think that I recommend the movie.The movie is good for people who haven’t read the book. For those who have read the book, I recommend taking the movie as it is and not as what you expected it to be.