Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 20 years later

So I was a little late to the Buffy fandom... like 20 years late. I just started watching Buffy slay vampires on Netflix last year because I heard Alyson Hannigan was part of the cast and I love her in How I Met Your Mother. So I started the show for my love of Lily Aldrin, but I kept watching it for Buffy Summers.

Buffy is smart and sassy. She takes crap from no one, not even the undead. Well, let's be honest... especially the undead. Buffy moves to Sunnydale after her parents divorce, moving with her mom and leaving behind her dad in Los Angeles. Buffy just wants to start over. She wants to have friends, have fun, and be a normal teenage girl.

But normal is not her calling.

Buffy is the Slayer. She is given supernatural powers, such as strength and agility, in order to hunt and slay vampires.

She is also given a Watcher, in the form of the school librarian. He guides her through he duties as the Slayer. He helps her train, but mostly researches vampires and other mythical creatures.

Buffy befriends Willow and Xander, best friends who are a little off beat for the popular kids. Willow provides the computer skills and intelligence, and Xander pretty much just adds humor and moral support when he's not getting possessed, kidnapped, and attacked. So basically, Xander is the typical pretty blonde girl of the show.

I love how Joss Whedon came up with the premise of this show. He imagined the stereotypical situation of a vampire following a pretty blonde cheerleader down a dark alley. But then he thought, what if that tiny little cheerleader totally kicked the vampire's butt?


And Buffy was born.

Not only is she the pretty blonde cheerleader, she really is just a typical teenage girl. A typical teenage girl who slays vampires after school, but whatever.

She spends her days worrying about her hair, trying out for cheerleading, and keeping an eye out for suspicious characters. She cuts class, hangs out with the librarian/her watcher, and avoids giving a straight answer to her mom.

It's not just vampires overrunning the town. Willow chats online with demons and dates a werewolf, Xander gets possessed by a hyena and kidnapped by a giant praying mantis disguised as his science teacher.  They run into witchcraft, old legends, and curses.

Essentially, their high school is a truly hellish experience.

But Buffy finds moments of peace with Xander and Willow, when she's not battling with vampires and her destiny of course.

While she may be killing monsters and deciphering ancient legends, Buffy is still a relatable character. She goes to prom, fights with her mom, gets called to the principals' office, and falls in love... with a vampire, but still.

Buffy's determination to have some normal in her life and be a teenager balances all the demon hunting and hell raising.

She's strong, and not even a destiny to save the world is going to take away her right to live her life. She is truly one of the great television heroines.

Happy 20 year anniversary to Buffy and her vampires.

Reign Review

I started watching Reign. I studied abroad in London, and enjoyed studying the European art and history. The parade of Marys, Elizabeths, Charles, and Henrys makes it all a bit confusing. Mary Queen of Scotts is one of the bigger power players.

I love the pilot episode. Mary enjoying her nunnery, reflecting on memories of her childhood with her prince charming, hopeful that he will love her. I especially love Mary with her ladies. They are best friends in a crazy situation, adjusting to life in the French court. 

Mary struggles with the reigning King and Queen of France, standing her ground and defending her own country. Her primary concern is protecting Scotland, and the best way she can do that is through marriage. Mary is strong. She was sent away from home and betrothed at just six years old. She was then sent to a nunnery because the English kept trying to kill her. 

Nothing makes you grow up quickly quite like staring your responsibilities and enemies in the face at six years old. But Mary takes it in a stride. She works hard to ensure the safety of her country. She takes care of her ladies. She devotes herself to Francis, though not so much as her country. 

Francis is a kind prince, if a bit weak willed, but Mary's stubbornness and temper balance out their relationship. Francis's half brother, however, is sassy. He and Mary have a fun friendship, which gets a bit complicated but resolves eventually. Mary's rivalry with the queen keeps things interesting. The queen has a tendency to scheme and manipulate. Mary has a tendency to lose her temper and make demands. 

She's not always a relaxing person to be around, as her friends well know. She tends to start fights as much as she ends them. But she fights for those she loves, which is good news for her country and her friends. And she does know how to have fun and enjoy herself when no one is trying to kill her, which happens occasionally. 

But my favorite part about this show is probably the fashion. The dresses Mary wears... They are gorgeous. She looks absolutely stunning all the time. I love how she and her ladies always wear these fancy little headbands, it sets them apart and marks them as the young ladies of the court. The dresses that Mary, Lola, Kenna, Greer, and Aylee wear are definitely a modern spin off of the 16th century. Mary wears a lot of gold and silver against black, a stunning combination. She also wears a lot of white gowns. Her wardrobe truly reflects her dominant personality. 

Mary, Queen of Scotts, is exceptionally well dressed. 

My Top 10 Literary Heroines

I love to read. I read everything I can get my hands on, preferably fantasy, preferably adventures, preferably with awesome female role models. It's nice when people write about women who are interesting and complex, because that's how women actually are. Some can rock it like Beyonce, others can kick serious butt like Supergirl. And some, like Lorelai Gilmore, are simply fantastic in an average day.

I've come across many amazing women in books, here are my top ten:

Hermione Granger - Harry Potter

First and foremost, the leading lady in fantastical fiction, cleverness, and sheer guts. Hermione is smart. She knows she's smart and even when she gets teased, she doesn't back down. She makes it cool to know everything and anything. Her brain, confidence, and determination pretty much defeated Voldemort. Sure, Harry did the actual defeating. But would Harry have lived past 11 years old without Hermione? No. Hermione is awesome, she is the definition of awesomeness. And I think she was the only one who actually punch Malfoy even though he totally deserved it many times.

Aly Cooper - Trickster's Choice

I love these books. Aly is the cheeky daughter of the King's Champion and the Lord of Spies. She's got great genes. She wants to follow in her father's footsteps as a spy and when the god of mischief takes a liking to her, she sets off on her own adventure. She is fun and clever, loves information, and can take down an empire. Sometimes the most important person is not the princess, it's the girl who gets the princess on her throne.

Kat Bishop - Heist Society

Kat comes from a family of thieves who teach her everything she needs to know to succeed in the family business. Naturally, she takes these powers and uses them for good. She tracks down art stolen from families, specifically during World War II, and returns it to the rightful owner. Super cool, huh? She leads a group compiled of her billionaire boyfriend, her glamorous cousin, her computer genius best friend, and her adorkable Scottish cousins. It's a very entertaining dynamic.


Tessa Gray - Clockwork Angel 

Tessa is also a big reader. She deals with her move to Victorian London with Dante quotes and perfectly penned letters. She is introduced to the shadow world and totally conquers it. She discovers she's a strange new kind of warlock, learns how to fight, masters her powers, and shows up everyone with her literary knowledge.

Emma Cairstairs - Lady Midnight

Emma lives in the shadow world as well, but as a modern day shadowhunter in the city of angels. She's tough, she's sassy, and she doesn't take no for an answer. She's willing to do whatever it takes to uncover truth and find justice. Also, this book incorporates Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" which is beautiful. She manages to uncover this massively messed up organization despite everyone telling her  to give up and accept what they tell her. Also, the cover on this book is my absolute favorite out of all Cassandra Clare's books.

Marianne Daventry - Edenbrooke

Marianne is the kind of girl that just wants to explore, spin in a meadow, and enjoy the weather. Her cranky rich grandmother sends her off to an estate in hopes that Marianne will snag a suitor, but Marianne just wants to have an adventure. She's unconventional. She doesn't care about being fashionable like her sister. But just because she's more carefree doesn't mean she's a pushover. She takes on bandits, kidnappers, and snobs in a stride and with a good attitude, which is its own superpower.


Mustang - Red Rising

Mustang, also known as Virginia au Augustus, is basically a princess. She is a gold, top of the food chain. Does that stop her from screwing with the system and throwing her dad's idiocy in his face? Nope. She's a survivor. She starts out as a wild card, but as the action escalades it becomes clear that she is a necessary part of the impending revolution. It becomes clear that Darrow can't overturn the world without her. She's the cold, calculating brain behind the operation. Seriously, you do not want to mess with her.

Rachelle - Crimson Bound

This modern take on Little Red Riding Hood is dark and sexy and complex. It's an impressive take on a children's story. Rachelle is a villain determined to do some good in her messed up world. She's convinced she's doomed for, but she's not getting dragged down to her own personal hell without a fight. I like Rachelle because she's not too precious. She knows she's flawed and she embraces her mistakes. She sees herself as a demon, yet she's wonderfully human and relatable. She condemns herself for so little, but forgives others for so much. She's easy to root for and believe in. She's also very entertaining and has a wicked streak that makes me laugh. Her friendship with Amelie is adorable, her relationship with Erec is exciting, and her interactions with Armand are cute I guess.


Kendra Sorenson - Fablehaven

Kendra is the ultimate responsible older sister, quiet straight A student, model child. So she should be totally boring, right? No. She follows rules most of the time, but her little brother pushes her to explore more. And she does explore on her own. If she hadn't, she never would have discovered the clues her grandpa left around the house about the secret fantastical reservoir he managed. Once she and Seth are introduced to the world of Fablehaven, they work together to save it multiple times. Kendra becomes a favorite of the Fairy Queen, wields a legendary sword, and escapes several villains, all at the ripe age of 14. She's just a good kid. She's nice to her brother, she takes care of her family, and embraces this crazy new world. She doesn't freak out about unicorns or cry about demons. She takes it and goes with it and does her best.


Anne Shirley - Anne of Green Gables 

We have reached the ONE. Anne with an e, my kindred spirit, and soul sister. I love Anne. She runs around meadows with flowers in her hair, scares herself with her own daydreams, and sobs over her stories. She's a dreamer, an optimist, and a true friend. She's not perfect. She does many strange things, but either doesn't care how odd she looks or pretends not to. She is sensitive about her bright red hair and has a short temper. She sets her heart on things like puff sleeves and somehow making her freckles disappear. She's just adorable and relatable. She works hard and is incredibly smart. I love her friendship with Diana and her competitiveness with Gilbert. She grows up so much in each book and just becomes this stunning young woman.

Reading about amazing women who take on life's challenges despite their flaws is inspirational, especially to young girls. Instead reading about girls who constantly obsess over their insecurities, I want to read about girls who know they're not perfect but are confident anyway. Instead of pouring over pages full of girls who change how they feel about themselves because of boys, I want to read about girls who fight for what they believe in.

Because honestly, girls are awesome.

The Vampire Diaries: Caroline Forbes, from Cheerleader to Vampire Queen

When I first started watching The Vampire Diaries, I was just a teenager coming off the Twilight train and looking for something better. I definitely found it with this show. With a story full of dark humor, fantastical intrigue, and endless sass, it was a good trade.

First and foremost: Caroline Forbes. She begins the show as the Type A, controlling, cheerleading, classic blonde prom queen. With a show full of vampires, witches, and werewolves, you really need someone normal to relate to. No one likes to admit to being neurotic, but we all have our moments. Enter, Caroline. The relatable one.

In the second season, Caroline gets caught in the middle of Katherine's games and gets turned into a vampire. Initially I was like, she is crazy. She cannot be a vampire, this is a bad idea. But Caroline actually turns out to be the best vampire in the whole show.

She figures the whole vampire thing out, embraces her personality, overcomes her insecurities, and channels her frustrations into becoming an even bigger queen of her own little world.

Some people might be crippled by becoming a member of the undead. Caroline rolls her eyes, scoffs, flips her hair and rolls with it. It's awesome.

Caroline isn't the only amazing character. Elena has so much heart, Bonnie just wants to protect her friends, Stefan is a top notch romantic, and I live for Damon's sassy faces.

Damon is the initial villain, but his self-deprecating humor and genuine love for Elena turns him into... if not a good guy, than at least entertainingly helpful. My favorite Damon moments, other than his extreme sass, is his bromance with Alaric. They have a solid friendship built on scotch and recklessness.

One of the great things about this show is the actors really get to have fun. With the flashbacks, doppelgangers, possessions, and freaky dreams, there's a lot of different scenarios in one plot. Elena has an evil twin (who is a seriously entertaining villain), Stefan has flashbacks showing his alcoholic Vampire habits and gets possessed by Silas, Alaric gets possessed by Klaus, and even Caroline changes drastically at one point after her mom dies.

Things get really interesting when the original vampires waltz into town.

If the moonstone-werewolf-doppelganger sacrificing drama wasn't enough, Klaus is suddenly added to the situation.

Klaus is temperamental, possessive, and childish despite being freakishly old. He uses everyone around him like pawns in his own personal game of chess. He warms right up to Caroline, probably because she rolls her eyes at him adorably and clearly isn't afraid of him.

What's interesting about Caroline's love life is she always seems to get chosen second, except with Klaus. She dates Matt after Elena breaks up with him. She and Tyler manage to fall in love because of or in spite of their passionate tempers. Much later in the series, she and Stefan have a thing, which I'm a huge fan of because they balance each other out so well. But Klaus is the first one to just zero in on Caroline and pursue her relentlessly. It's charming and creepily sweet, all murder and manipulations aside.

Speaking of murder, this show is full of it. There's death, blood, betrayal, sacrifice, and many many tears.

Oh, the drama.

The fact that Nina Dobrev gets to make fun of her own character by playing her character's doppelgänger is just really enjoyable. Elena pushes the plot forward, but she sure cries a lot. Katherine, however, is delightfully mean. She's tough and I admire her self-preservation skills. She seems to do everything with relish, which makes her fun to watch.

But as the originals take over town, fanning the fire of crazy plot twists and murder mayhem... I reached my limit. They took the story from high school to college, finally turned Elena into a vampire, traded Stefan for Damon, made Bonnie go through some seriously crazy stuff, and killed off Caroline's mom. Also, Caroline's dad tortures her for being a vampire. Also, werewolves torture Caroline for being a vampire.

Caroline is so picked on.

But I definitely reached that point when I couldn't keep all the plot twists straight, couldn't swallow all the crazy drama... I stopped watching The Vampire Diaries.

I did, however, watch The Originals.

But Caroline did not follow Klaus to New Orleans, though Tyler did. What a punk.

Caroline stayed and protected Elena, cleaned up after Damon, and had long smoldering chats with Stefan... so cute.

I still need to finish the series and with the show coming to an end after eight seasons, it's good to look back. The first half of the show is certainly less complicated, by the second half my ability to believe all things fantastical and crazy fizzled out. But maybe it'll be easier the second time around.

A Series of Unfortunate Events Review

                                                  

This show is based on a dozen or so books. It was made into a movie, which used the first three books to build up a plot. 

I read every single book. Every. Single. One. It's a maze of mystery and intrigue that continues until the very end. Am I bitter over the lack of an ending? Absolutely.

Those books drove me crazy. I made the mistake of thinking they were adventure stories with a super cool mystery that would be resolved in the end.

No.

These books are, quite literally, a series of unfortunate events. 

Which is why it took me a couple weeks to make myself watch the show, but I'm glad I did. I'm not going to lie, part of that decision was because Neil Patrick Harris is legendary. But I also liked how storybook it looked, like a wacky cartoon.

It was dramatic in a cartoon soap opera kind of way, which helped me watch it without getting too worked up over the never ending disasters.

It was fun to see Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders be in another show together, though their characters never crossed paths. I loved her little moments with her husband, her making things and getting them out of trouble...her husband enjoying the adventure. Seriously, he did nothing. And that moment when you realize they aren't who you thought they were, deep betrayal. But then it comes together in the end and it's okay, or at least clever.

The three kids were adorable and smart and sad. They were perfect. Klaus is so intelligent and Violet just wants to take care of her siblings, which no 14 year old should have to do. They look very similar to the movie siblings, especially Violet, but they are definitely different. And the slew of guardians are just as quirky and tragic. Violet and Klaus are just trying to keep everyone alive, but no one seems to believe that children would know more than an adult. They are given impossible circumstances.

The only thing left to do is join some secret society and become spies...

Stranger Things Review

I know I'm late with this review, but I promise I did watch this show last summer when it came out. I love how the first episode started out. It's just these kids hanging out and playing their favorite game and being friends. Then it gets weird, but all the weirdness is continually balanced out with this friendship right here. 

So crazy science starts to happen. Conspiracies, telekinesis, experiments, and all that good stuff. 

Enter, Eleven. 

Eleven is a little girl with a killer poker face and a superbrain. Mike adopts her into his friend group because he is at the age where he's discovering girls can be his friend too. Eleven doesn't know what a friend is, but she's willing to try it out after much persistence. 

Mike doesn't know his new bestie comes with a slew of troublemaking scientists who want to experiment on her and kill anyone else who meets her, but he's willing to roll with it. 

Meanwhile, we have Nancy. Nancy is Mike's older sister who initially seems to be a normal girl with a best friend and a crush. But then Nancy gets dragged into everything after she tries to be nice to Jonathan, also her best friend gets eaten by a monster while Nancy is making out with her boyfriend. 

I really warmed up to Nancy. First of all, she looks like a doll. She's just so cute and little and classic, but then she starts hunting monsters and shooting guns and slapping scumbags. I'm a fan. 

Once Barb goes missing, Nancy gets really interesting. She searches for her friend and stumbles onto a lot more information than she expected. But like her brother, she takes it in a stride. And like her brother, she keeps it a secret. I love how at the end, Nancy and Mike both realize the other knew about the monsters and they could have definitely cross referenced their data. 

Season 2 should be released this summer and while we know the show is in the 80s, they've officially announced that the second season will be set in 1984. I've heard that we'll start to see more 80s trends in this upcoming season, including big hair. 

So much to look forward to and so many months of waiting. 

New Favorite Author

I discovered Jennifer Lynn Barnes last Fall when I picked up The Fixer at the library. Fast forward several months and I have read everything I can get my hands on with her name on the cover, including the Naturals series. Bad Blood came out somewhat recently, which meant I had to go back and reread the first three books because they're that good.

As a devoted fan of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series, along with James Patterson's Maximum Ride books, I was dying to get my hands on something with just as much intrigue, mystery, and tough heroines that didn't make me want to tear my hair out.

In the Naturals books, Cassie seems like a classic girl next door except for the fact that her mother was murdered, the same mother who raised her on the road and trained her to profile people. Cassie works with other teenage FBI agents with extraordinary talents and together they solve mysteries and save each other from serial killers, psychos, and stressful parents.


What I love about The Fixer books is the fact that it's basically the show Scandal on a prep school scale. It's all the political drama of Washington D.C. from a teenager's view.

The Squad books have this beautiful idea of making cheerleaders into spies. It's a fabulous combination and a couple of entertaining stories. I didn't quite enjoy the characters as much as Barnes' other books. Toby especially got a little irritating sometimes, but I could understand bringing in someone who was vastly different from your classic cheerleader.

Some of her other books include Raised by Wolves, Every Other Day, Nobody, Tattoo and Fate, and Golden and Platinum.

I haven't quite finished all of them, but I'm getting there. With all the mysteries, spies, cheerleaders, and social behavior theories, I'm excited to see what Jennifer Lynn Barnes writes next.