[Jan 2016] What I'm Watching

Summary: "Based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson, this contemporary crime drama stars Australian actor Robert Taylor in the title role, the charismatic and dedicated sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyo. Longmire patrols the county with a brave face and sense of humor, but deep inside he hides the pain of his wife's recent death. With the urging of his daughter, Cady, and the help of Vic, a new female deputy, Longmire gains a new appreciation of his job and decides to run for re-election. He's committed to putting his life back together, one piece at a time, and he often calls on best friend and confidant Henry Standing Bear for support." -- From Wikipedia

Will you like it?
Anyone who loves cop dramas will love this show.  There is a Cheyenne reservation located in the middle of Absaroka County, and so the majority of the cases explore the relationships between the sheriff's department and the tribal police.  This dynamic creates new cases; cases that make me feel as if I haven't seen them a million times before.

News about the show:

• Netflix picked up this show after A&E dropped it after season three.  Season five will be available for streaming in September 2016.  Season five has been confirmed as the show's last.

Overall, if you like cop dramas I would enthusiastically recommend this.  This show is different than the same old shows you see on TV.

Waiting on Wednesday: Blackhearts

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which shines a light on eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.  This week, my pick is:

Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date: February 9, 2016

From Goodreads: Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything.

Edward "Teach" Drummond, son of one of Bristol's richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There's just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents' deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she's stuck in England?

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

I rarely read anything remotely historical, but this one has piqued my interest.  Besides, I love the idea of a hot pirate!

TTT: Books I Wish Would Turn Into Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's theme is books I wish would turn into movies.

 Here we go!

The Selection series by Kiera Cass

The Bachelor meets dystopia.  Plus the fashion!  It would be pure eye candy on the big screen.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

There's already a big market for superhero movies, so this would just slide right in.

The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer

There's nothing about this series that I don't love.  I would love to see it on the big screen. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I love the worlds that Sarah J. Maas creates.  

Atlantia by Ally Condie

The main setting of this book are domes under the ocean.  That would be gorgeous to see on film.

The Winner's Curse series by Marie Rutkoski

The rich detail found in this setting is just dying to appear on the big screen.   

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

The setting is simple, but the story is super creepy.  This would be one of those perfect scary summer movies.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This is already in development, and I can totally understand why.  The space setting is amazing.

Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer

This would be the perfect summer friendship movie.  This book has time travel and a little bit of mystery.  

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

As I said before everything by Sarah J. Maas needs to be made into a movie.  I need to see it on the big screen.

Anything you'd want to see on the big screen with perfect casting and a perfect script?

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers in September 2015

"My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster." -- From Goodreads

Will you like it?
The premise of this book was unique.  What if you were so sick that you couldn't leave your house?  Of course, she falls in love with the guy next door.  Olly is the catalyst that prompts Maddy to try to push her boundaries.  This book did a perfect job of balancing the fun and the serious stuff.  If you like contemporary (with a dash of romance) novels, I would really recommend this to you!

News about the book:

• Everything, Everything was optioned for a movie by MGM Studios before the book was published.  The movie is listed as in development on IMDB.

Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from my local library.

Books into Movies [Winter 2016]

I'm excited for the majority of these movies coming out in the early part of 2016.  Over the years of being disappointed by the movie, I have tried to keep them as separate entities.  I try to go in with a completely blank slate.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

Pride Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

How to be Single by Liz Tuccillo

Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Are you excited for any of these movies?

Waiting on Wednesday: A Study in Charlotte

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which shines a light on eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.  This week, my pick is:

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Date: March 1, 2016

From Goodreads: The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

I love mysteries, and to have Holmes and Watson reimagined as teenagers?  Even better!  I've read a lot of good reviews on Goodreads, so I hope that this book lives up to the hype!

TTT: Books Recently Added To My TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's theme is books I recently added to my TBR.

 Here we go!

Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Magic and Sarah Rees Brennan?  Sign me up!

Summerlost by Ally Condie*

I love Ally Condie, but I'm probably going to need a lot of tissues with this one.

After the Woods by Kim Savage*

This premise sounds like it's right up my alley.

  

  

The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century by Sarah Miller

Nonfiction that reads like fiction, and includes murder, mystery, and mayhem? Yes please!

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace*

Main character wakes up in a shallow grave one year after her death?  This sounds fascinating!

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett

Sounds like the plot is a really good traditional rom-com.

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern*

I loved Cecelia Ahern's books for adults, and I can't wait to see what she does in her young adult debut.

Shade Me by Jennifer Brown

Main character sees emotions as colors, and must use that talent to unravel a mystery.

The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich

Any Fox and O'Hare novel is a must read for me.

Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard

Novellas set in the Red Queen universe.

* Denotes debut authors

What have you recently added to your TBR?

Leave a list or link in the comments!

The Youth Media Awards... Or the Oscars for Kid Lit

Last Monday, January 11, the Youth Media Awards were announced at the American Library Association's Midwinter conference.  The Newbery Medal, the Caldecott Medal and more were all announced.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Peña

Winner of the Newbery Medal

Caldecott Honor

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick ; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Winner of the Caldecott Medal

Overall, I'm really pleased with these two and I can't wait to read them both!

Target Haul: Valentine's Day

I picked up some really cute stuff from the Target dollar spot for Valentine's Day.  I picked up some stickers and washi for my weekly spreads in February.  Those pails are now sitting on my desk holding pens and bookmarks.  I think I'm also going to write some Valentine notes for some of my friends with those adorable fox and racoon notecards.

Have you bought any new planner goodies lately?

[Planner] Week 2: Watercolor Snowflake

I was so excited to get my first Erin Condren Life Planner for 2016.  Are you looking to buy your own Life Planner?  Click my referral link to get $10 off of your first planner!

I bought my first set of stickers from Paige at Creating & Co over Black Friday.  I was so excited to use them, but I had to wait over a whole month!  Paige's stickers were superb to work with, and she made it so easy for a beginner like me to create a beautiful week.  The best part is that I still have a lot of stickers left over, and I plan on incorporating them into future weeks.

I also bought a Valentine's Day kit from Paige, so you can expect to see her pop up a lot in 2016!

Where can you find Paige?

Etsy ♦ Website ♦ Instagram ♦ Twitter

Did you plan this week at all?
Leave a link or picture in the comments!

TTT: Books I Meant to Read in 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's theme is books I meant to read in 2015.

 Here we go!

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Nightmares!: The Sleepwalker Tonic by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan

What about you?  What didn't you read in 2015?

Leave a list or link in the comments!