Fandom Friday: Random Fandom Thoughts #4

It's Friday, what fandom or geek topics are on your mind? Well, here are a few of mine:

- Lately, I've been seen a lot of hatred towards 9-1-1 character Dr. Ana Flores. It seems so irrational because Dr. Flores, a former teacher now Vice-Principal, hasn't done anything to garner this much hate from fans. The main reason for a lot of the hate I've seen from some fans is that she's dating firefighter Edmundo "Eddie" Diaz. The problem is most of them want Eddie to date his best friend and fellow firefighter Evan "Buck "Buckley.

What are you reading this weekend?

I love reading no matter when but it's something relaxing about reading on the weekend. You have more time sit back and read and really get into the story and hopefully with fewer interruptions.

Okay, bookworms, what book(s) are you going to curl with this weekend? I'm still reading Star Wars: The Old Republic - Revan by Drew Karpyshyn and it's still really good. I can't wait to read more over the weekend.

Book: Star Wars: The Old Republic - Revan by Drew Karpyshyn

Description:

There’s something out there: a juggernaut of evil bearing down to crush the Republic—unless one lone Jedi, shunned and reviled, can stop it.

Hero, traitor, conqueror, villain, savior—the man called Revan has been all of these. He left Coruscant a Jedi, on a mission to defeat the Mandalorians. He returned a Sith disciple, bent on destroying the Republic. The Jedi Council gave Revan his life back, but the price of redemption was the loss of his memories. All that’s left are nightmares—and deep, abiding fear. What happened beyond the Outer Rim that Revan can’t quite remember or entirely forget? One thing he’s certain of: Something dark is plotting to destroy the very existence of the Republic. With no idea how to identify the threat, let alone stop it, Revan may be doomed to fail. For he’s never faced a more powerful and diabolic enemy. But only death can stop him from trying.

Art of the Day: David Rose

Artwork: David Rose by GingerJen (pastymickmilko)

Anyone else feel like rewatching Schitt's Creek? I really love this show, it was fantastic.

Book Girl Thoughts: No More Pressure to Read

The other day I saw this quote "don't be so hard on yourself" and it made me think about how there is so much pressure among book reviewers and bloggers to read a lot of books. From the pressure some might put on themselves to read a certain number of books each year to all the book reading challenges (which includes the popular Goodreads Reading Challenge) they might join.

I think that pressure factored into the most reading block I had because I felt like I wasn't reading enough books especially compared to how I used to read. But what ended my reading block was realizing that I love to read and review books and that it doesn't matter how many books I read, all that matters is that I enjoy the books I'm reading. It doesn't matter if I only read five books this year as long as they're books that I wanted to read.

I feel like removing that pressure has made it so much easier to get back into reading. I'm really enjoying the book I'm currently reading, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan by Drew Karpyshyn and I'm actually excited about finding my next read after I finish this one. So without the self-imposed pressure, reading has become really fun and enjoyable, as it once was.

Art of the Day: Wonder Woman

Artwork: Wonder Woman #752 variant cover by Jenny Frison

Comic Book Wednesday: April 28th Picks

When do you read your new weekly comics?

A) As soon as you get them.
B) You carve a specific time to read them.
C) You read them whenever you find the time.

I used to be A then I moved to B and now I'm currently at C. My weekly comics have piled up because I was so busy but now that I got my time more organized, I'm slowly moving back up to B. I may never have as much free time as I once did to read my comics as soon as I got them. But I love reading my comics so I decided to make sure I had time for it.

Well here's my list for the week:


DC Comics

Book: Batman/Superman #17

Description:

In a world where Superman’s rocket never reached Earth, the Dark Knight and his sidekick discover a startling rift between dimensions. On the other side? A world where Martha Wayne survived, and Bruce never grew up to be Batman! Not only that, but a strange alien has emerged from the rift who’s faster than a locomotive and can leap tall buildings in a single bound...the Superman of Metropolis! When these worlds collide, the architects of this alternate history are revealed, and the only ones who can thwart their deadly experiments are the Batman and Superman of Earth-0! It’s a dynamic dual-world adventure!

Characters Reading: Henrietta Wilson (9-1-1)

I usually post Characters Reading on Friday but since a new episode of 9-1-1 in on tonight I thought I'd post this today (and maybe another non-9-1-1 one on Friday).

By now some of you know that 9-1-1 is one of my new favorite shows and that Jinx is one of my favorite episodes. What I loved about the episode is that it was so funny and the firefighters kept having nonstop bad luck and getting ridiculous emergency calls. However, they did have a little downtime which gave Howard "Chimney" Han, Evan "Buck" Buckley and Henrietta "Hen" Wilson a moment to read their books.

While Chim was reading about caring for your baby and Buck about love languages, Hen was reading HONORS: The Social Game of Medical School by Dr. Maximus Draconus Arcaknight. And since she's in her first year of medical school, I'm sure the information in this book will be helpful to her at some point.

(9-1-1 season 4 episode 6 "Jinx")

Happy Independent Bookstore Day!

I love wandering into independent bookstores and discovering new books and stories. To celebrate Independent Bookstore Day stop by your favorite bookstore or if that's not possible go to the store's website to discover a new book.

So if you can, go out to a bookstore today. Not because it's Independent Bookstore Day, but because bookstores are awesome every day.

Happy Independent Bookstore Day!

Happy World Book Day!

I love World Book Day it's a holiday for anyone who is interested in reading, from the prolific reader to the newly interested. This day is also about celebrating books and maybe even finding a new favorite one.

I think today (and just about any day) is perfect for grabbing a book off the shelf and sitting back and enjoying a good read or savoring the last one you read.

Happy World Book Day!

Book Review: Frozen Heat

Book: Frozen Heat (Nikki Heat book #4) by Richard Castle

Cover Art by American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.

Edition: Paperback

Description:

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat arrives at her latest crime scene to find an unidentified woman stabbed to death and stuffed inside a suitcase left on a Manhattan street. Nikki is in for a big shock when this new homicide connects to the unsolved murder of her own mother. Paired once again with her romantic and investigative partner, top journalist Jameson Rook, Heat works to solve the mystery of the body in the suitcase while she is forced to confront unexplored areas of her mother's background.

Facing relentless danger as someone targets her for the next kill, Nikki's search will unearth painful family truths, expose a startling hidden life, and cause Nikki to reexamine her own past. Heat's passionate quest takes her and Rook from the back alleys of Manhattan to the avenues of Paris, trying to catch a ruthless killer. The question is, now that her mother's cold case has unexpectedly thawed, will Nikki Heat finally be able to solve the dark mystery that has been her demon for ten years?

Happy Earth Day!

What I love about Earth Day is that it reminds everyone to do what you can to protect the environment. We all know how important it is to think about the effect our lives have on the environment. Which is why I don't think you have to do a lot of big changes to make a difference. There are a lot of little earth-friendly things you can do and some of the things that I do are:

1. Always turn off the lights when I'm not using them or when I leave a room.

2. Turn off the TV and computer when I'm no longer watching or using them and unplug chargers and other items when not in use.

Art of the Day: Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski

Artwork: Sterek by xkxdx

Wow, this artwork is so amazing!

Comic Book Wednesday: April 21st Picks

Happy Comic Book Wednesday!

Another week, another chance to get new comics. What books are you most excited to read? All the books on my list I feel are a must read but I'm always interested in knowing what others are reading?


Boom! Studios

Book: Specter Inspector #3

Description:

* The Specter Inspectors dive deeper into the history of the most haunted town in America by agreeing to be locked-in overnight in the museum.

* Let's be honest, it wasn't their best idea.

* Now it's just the gang and the ghosts... in an old house that doesn't give up its secrets easily.

* But who are the mysterious watchers who've been tailing the gang... and what's their connection to Astrid?

Trailer: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

The trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings looks amazing. I wish I still wasn't nervous about going to the theatre. Although, I will be fully vaccinated before then I'm still leery about going but I really want to see this movie which will be release in theatres on September 3rd.

When I look at this trailer and think of this movie, it feels just as groundbreaking as Black Panther was. It's still so bittersweet that the TV series Kim's Convenience had abruptly ended with the fifth season but I'm so happy that Simu Liu is starring in this movie that I can't wait to see.

Book Girl Thoughts: I Took a Break from being Online

You may have noticed I haven't posted anything for several days, I had decided to take break from being online. I just felt like I needed a break, so from noon on Friday to 5:00 PM today, I took that time to unplug and relax and renew.

I know I've missed a few things such as the trailer for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (which I just saw and I'll post it after this). With no plan to go online, I had plenty of time to get caught up on my reading and watching a few shows and movies. I have read so much over the past few days that I'm nearly finished and I should have my review up for Frozen Heat by Richard Castle on Friday.

As much as I enjoy going online, it was nice taking a break. When was the last time you took a break from being online?

Feel Good Friday: Ernie telling Bert jokes (Sesame Street)

It's Feel Good Friday and I thought what's better than Sesame Street's Ernie telling jokes to a very annoyed Bert. I figure this might brighten your day, too bad it's certainly not going to do the same for Burt.

What Type of Reader Are You?

It's funny, a couple of years ago my answer would have immediately been C because I used to read multiple books at one time. But now my answer is A because for some reason I can only read one book at a time. I'm not sure how or why my reading styled changed but it did. I would like to get back to reading multiple books again, I guess that's a skill I'll have to relearn.


What type of reader are you?

A) I read one book at a time.

B) I start one book, but then get distracted by another book and start reading that one instead.

C) I always have more than one book going.

D) I read different books depending on the time of day.

Beauty: Hairstyles That I Love: The Bob

A hairstyle that I've always loved is the Bob. I had my hair cut into this style a few times especially after my hair would grow out a little too long. It's one of my favorite go to styles. I like the bob because it's a style that is so versatile and easy to wear. From curly to straight or short to mid-length, it always looks amazing. It's a statement-making cut but it also has this casual understated feel to it as well.


Sleek and Face-framing

Ali Martin (9-1-1)

Comic Book Wednesday: April 14th Picks

I think comic books are an interesting and unique art because aside from children picture books where else can you get story centered around art. I love seeing all the new stories and characters that continue to attract new and old readers. Which is why I love reading comics, you never know what you'll get.

As for books on my list, there's a new miniseries (Batman: The Detective) and final issue to a series (Dejah Thoris) along with a few other books. So, what new books are on your list this week?


DC Comics

Book: Batman: The Detective #1 (of 6)

Description:

An epic tale begins that will take Batman on a harrowing, action-packed European adventure in a new miniseries by superstar creators Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert! A horrific tragedy in the United Kingdom sends a very personal and deadly message to the Dark Knight—one that will draw Batman out of Gotham City to investigate! From the moment he lands in Europe, Batman will face a difficult investigation and unheard-of adversaries and find the assistance of a partner once more—all in the hunt for the villain known as Equilibrium! New villains! New allies! A thrilling overseas adventure begins for the Dark Knight!

Book of Interest: If You, Then Me

One of my favorite things if finding exactly what book or story I'm thinking about or looking for and If You, Then Me is the geeky story I've been searching for. I really want to read this book, too bad I have to wait three months before it's released. Yeah, I know, book nerd problems.

Book: If You, Then Me by Yvonne Woon

Publication Date: July 6, 2021

Description:

Warm and funny, this coming-of-age #ownvoices romcom from teen author Yvonne Woon is set in Silicon Valley and delves into the questions we all ask when making mistakes—in life and in love—perfect for fans of Emergency Contact and When Dimple Met Rishi.

What would you ask your future self? First question: What does it feel like to kiss someone?

Xia is stuck in a lonely, boring loop. Her only escapes are Wiser, an artificial intelligence app she designed to answer questions as her future self, and a mysterious online crush she knows only as ObjectPermanence.

Until one day Xia enrolls at the Foundry, an app incubator for tech prodigies in Silicon Valley, and suddenly anything is possible. Flirting with Mast, a classmate also working on AI, leads to a date. Speaking up generates a vindictive nemesis intent on publicly humiliating her. And running into Mitzy Erst, Foundry alumna and Xia’s idol, could give Xia all the answers.

And then Xia receives a shocking message from ObjectPermanence. He is at the Foundry, too. Xia is torn between Mast and ObjectPermanence—just as Mitzy pushes her towards a shiny new future. Xia doesn’t have to ask Wiser to know: The right choice could transform her into the future self of her dreams, but the wrong one could destroy her.

Happy Ramadan!

Ramadan Mubarak to all my readers who will be observing the holiday. Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of Islam, and it's dedicated for worship, charitable giving, caring for family and spiritual reflection.

I really want to wish you all a very blessed and peaceful month!

On My List: April 11th

Happy Sunday, it's the start of a new and wonderful week and I was wondering what's on your list? What books, shows and movies have you found or caught your interest? It doesn't matter if it's new or old, I'd love to know.

I'm going to start posting On My List ever Sunday because there are just so many books, shows and movies that interest me. Here's this week's list.


Books I Want to Read:

There are so many interesting stories that I want to read such as Shadow of the Fox. I just think it has such a cool and intriguing premise. The other two books: Break the Fall and The Cheerleaders which have a sports theme also seem like really good reads as well.

Book: Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli

Description:

Audrey Lee is going to the Olympics.

A year ago, she could barely do a push up as she recovered from a spine surgery, one that could have paralyzed her. And now? She's made the United States gymnastics team with her best friend, Emma, just like they both dreamed about since they were kids. She's on top of the world.

The pressure for perfection is higher than ever when horrifying news rips the team apart. Audrey is desperate to advocate for her teammate who has been hurt by the one person they trusted most--but not all the gymnasts are as supportive.

With the team on the verge of collapse, the one bright spot in training is Leo, her new coach's ridiculously cute son. And while Audrey probably (okay, definitely) shouldn't date him until after the games, would it really be the end of the world?

Balancing the tenuous relationship between her teammates with unparalleled expectations, Audrey doesn't need any more distractions. No matter what it takes, she's not going to let anyone bring them down. But with painful revelations, incredible odds, and the very real possibility of falling at every turn, will Audrey's determination be enough?

Happy National Siblings Day! Who are your favorite fictional siblings?

In honor of National Siblings Day, I wanted to know who are your favorite fictional siblings? I have so many from King T'Challa and Princess Shuri to Thor and Loki to the Brady and Weasley siblings there are just too many to list which is why I only included a few below:


1. Mona and Deirdre "Dee Dee" Thorne (Half & Half)

Characters Reading: Evan Buckley (9-1-1)

In the 9-1-1 fourth season episode Jinx, Evan "Buck" Buckley was reading The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman. Ever since Buck's relationship with his girlfriend Ali Martin ended in the second season, he has been single. And for quite a while.

Each season, Buck has grown and become a better person but he continues to not have the best luck with dating, romance and relationships. And I guess he's reading self-help books in order to help him find love and possibly to better understand it. Will he eventually find romance, who knows with his luck? But it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season will play out.

(9-1-1 season 4 episode 6 "Jinx")

What Are Your Favorite Dance Movies?

Aside from being a huge book nerd, I'm also an equally huge dance nerd. I absolutely love to dance it feels amazing moving my body to the music. I love all types of different dance styles from ballet to street style competitions, I can never get enough. The funny thing is I haven't watched a lot of dance movies. The ones I have seen and really loved and liked are: Black Swan, Bring It On, Dance With Me, Magic Mike 1 and 2, Shall We Dance? and You Got Served. Although, Bring it On is technically not a dance movie since cheerleading is a sport but it does have a lot of cool moves (especially from the Clovers) which is why I included it.

I was thinking of watching (and maybe buying) some more dance movies and was wondering what are some of your favorites?

Shall We Dance?

Quote: Ava DuVernay

Just know that everyone’s writing is terrible. Until it’s not. No one’s stuff is right immediately. You gotta work it. Refine it. Shape it. Spend time with it. It’s a relationship. Between you and what comes from you. Not easy. Gonna be terrible before it’s not. And that’s okay.

~ Ava DuVernay

Comic Book Wednesday: April 7th Pick

Happy Comic Book Wednesday!

Aside from your ususal comics what other books or series do you want to read? I want to read the second and third volume of Black Magick by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott. The first volume was so good that the story really stuck with me and every since then I've been wanting to continue the series.

As for today's comics, I only have one book that I'm getting, the second issue of the America Chavez miniseries. So what books are you picking up today?


Marvel Comics

Book: America Chavez: Made in the USA #2 (of 5)

Description:

LIFE. LIBERTY. AND THE PURSUIT OF A MASKED INDIVIDUAL…

The irony of America Chavez’s life suddenly shattering into a million pieces is not lost on her... But facing a mysterious threat who seems to know a whole lot about her — maybe even more than America herself? Well, now she’s on the brink of breaking apart.

What is something you own a ridiculous amount of?

My answer to this question would be books and DVDs. I love reading books and watching shows and movies to the point that I've found myself with a truly ridiculous amount of both. I no longer have room on any of my bookcases and have just started storing them in boxes. But they are taking up too much space and I need to find some creative ways to store them because at the moment I don't want to get rid of anything. I enjoy my not so little collection that apparently keeps growing.

DVD Pick: The Cleansing Hour

This is probably not the most Easter appropriate movie to promote but a DVD I want to get is The Cleansing Hour. I love watching horror movies, from the good to the extremely bad and I want to see this. I guess faking exorcisms wasn't the best idea especially when it looks like they'll have to deal with a real one. This is why I want to watch this movie, I have to see how it'll end.


The Cleansing Hour

Starring: Ryan Guzman, Kyle Gallner, Alix Angelis, Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill, Emma Holzer, Jynarra Brinson, Tara Karsian, Ana Udroiu and more

Director: Damien LeVeck

Description:

A live-stream exorcism goes viral in this bold, modern take on demonic possession.

Millennial entrepreneurs, Max and Drew run a popular webcast that streams “live exorcisms” that are, in fact, elaborately staged hoaxes watched by millions. However, their fortunes take a turn when during one of their webcasts, Drew's fiancée becomes mysteriously possessed by a real demon that takes the crew hostage. In front of a rapidly growing global audience, the demon subjects the crew to a series of violent and humiliating challenges that expose dark secrets they have been hiding from each other.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone, how are you celebrating the day? Are you going to relax at home and watch some of your favorite shows and movies? Or call your family and friends? Or read a good book? Or maybe even take advantage of some of the good online sales? Maybe enjoying a walk in nature?

However, you plan on enjoying the day, Happy Easter!

Fandom Friday: What TV shows do you want to rewatch?

If you had the time what TV shows would you rewatch? I'm sure my answer will change on a weekly if not daily basis because there are so many good shows that I've watched that I would love to watch again. But for now these are 10 shows I would rewatch right now:


1. 2 Broke Girls

Characters Reading: Howard Han (9-1-1)

In Jinx, which is one of my favorite episodes and it's one of the funniest 9-1-1 episodes, the firefighter crew were enjoying a little downtime in between calls and a few of them were reading books (I'll try to post those as well). Howard "Chimney" Han was reading Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, 7th Edition: Birth to Age 5 by American Academy Of Pediatrics.

Since Chimney and his girlfriend Maddie Buckley are expecting their first child, he was probably trying to read as much as he can about being a good parent before his daughter is born. Especially since both Howard and Maddie didn't have the best experiences with their own parents. If you ask me, I think Howard will be an amazing dad because he's kind, caring and very loving.

(9-1-1 season 4 episode 6 "Jinx")

Fashion Meets Fandom: The Child Leggings

I love pants and leggings in eye-catching colorful prints, it always makes me feel happy whenever I wear them. For anyone a little apprehensive or scared of wearing print pants, an easy way to style them is by pairing them with a solid top. That way you won't feel too overwhelmed by all the print.

When I saw The Child leggings featuring Grogu and other images, I thought it would be cute to pair it with a simple black sweatshirt for a casual look. You could easily pair it with a black cami and long cardigan or a black flowy top for another look.

I think fashion is fun and I don't think anyone should feel like they can't wear a style such as print pants.


Sweatshirt

Vintage Crew-Neck Sweatshirt                 $20.00 (sale, regular price $29.99)                Old Navy (oldnavy.gap.com)




Leggings

Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child Leggings                $21.52 (sale, regular price $26.90)             Her Universe (heruniverse.com)

Happy April!

It's April and I think it's going to be a good month. We have a whole new month to set new goals. What's something you want to achieve this month? It could be something small and simple as reading a big book or something big like training for a marathon. I like that we get to make new experiences along with finding and reading new books, watching new TV shows and movies.

As I'm writing this, I can't help thinking about all the terrible things happening in the world which is why I want my site Book Girl to be a fun place to hang out and we can talk about books, shows, movies, characters, fandom, fashion, health and fitness, etc.

I want to continue creating a fun space and look forward to making it even more so. I also created a Book Girl Patreon account and if you're interested please become a member. I'm still working on trying to make both my blog and patreon fun for everyone.