Current TV Shows

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll probably have seen me tweet about my current Netflix addiction at least once. I find that when I'm busy with school or have spent a lot of time writing, watching a new show can help get the creative juices flowing again. Either that or I start on a downward spiral that ends in watching seventeen episodes a day.

Here are some of the TV programmes I've been enjoying recently (so not my all-time favourites, but just those that I've watched in the past few months). Feel free to recommend some more to me in the comments!

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Rating: 5 by five

Oh, Buffy. I am so under your spell. I started watching Buffy last year, though when my Amazon Prime subscription ran out I had only got through the first three seasons. Jump forward to this summer it Dawned on me how much I loved that show so I binged watched seasons 4-7 on Netflix. Buffy isn't just an obsession: it is the best TV show ever made. I can't put into words how much I utterly adore this show.

I understand that the name is cheesy, I really do. And I know that the special effects aren't great, and that the outfits look like crazy birthday cake. If you just stick with the show, I promise that you will fall in love. Never before have I cared for a cast of characters so deeply, or cried such ugly tears. The truth is that even though this show started airing before I was even born, it's timeless. At its core Buffy is a show about empowerment, friendship, heroism and a girl who saved the world a lot. Some of the episodes (Hush, The Body and Once More With Feeling) are works of art in their own right. Also, you get a point if you notice all the references I slipped in.

CHUCK

Rating: 4.5

The reason I decided to watch Chuck was because it starred Zachary Levi, the guy who voiced Flynn Rider in Tangled (which I am utterly obsessed with). Watching one episode turned into binge watching all five seasons in just a few days. No regrets. Chuck is about a geeky guy working a dead end job who receives an email from his college roommate and accidentally gets government secrets downloaded into his brain, making him a CIA/NSA asset known as the Intersect. 

The first thing I need to say about this show is that it is utterly hilarious. I don't understand why not that many people have watched this show because it's definitely the best thing I've watched in a while (excluding Buffy, of course). I laughed, I cried, and I even lost sleep over it. I like to think that the first two seasons of Chuck are what James Bond would be like if you or I were the titular character. Chuck Bartowski is so relatable and I think I'm kind of in love with him. Have you seen his hair in season three? Who wouldn't be? 

THE OUTCAST 

Rating: 4.5

The Outcast is a two part drama that recently aired on the BBC based on the book by Sadie Jones. I didn't really expect that much when I watched this but it completely blew my mind. Set in 1950's England, it follows the adolescence of Lewis Aldridge as he struggles to deal with witnessing the death of his mother. I should warn you that there are some triggering things in this miniseries (sex, self harm, death) but the result was a heartbreaking and emotional show. 

I felt so much compassion towards Lewis, and hated practically every character aside from him and Kit. Yes, it's very depressing and I would have liked an extra five minutes on the end, but I can't express enough how incredible this was. If you're a fan of the kind of miniseries' that the BBC normally produce, I'd definitely watch this one. 

DAREDEVIL

Review: 4.75

Even though I watched this a couple of months ago I still wanted to mention it as it's so damn good. Daredevil is about Matt Murdock, a lawyer by day and a vigilante by night. Although he is blind, he uses his heightened senses to deliver a whole lot of ass whopping. Daredevil is so much edgier than a lot of Marvel shows/films and I think that's part of its appeal. You really get to see the darker underworld of New York and I love the moral ambiguity that is a cause of conflict for Matt. 

I love all the characters, whether it be Foggy Nelson or Wilson Fisk. Matt is my favourite, but each one of them feels so well developed, no matter if they are antagonists. The entire first season is up on Netflix and I'm getting all antsy in the wait for the second. Daredevil is one of the highest quality superhero things I have ever seen and you really, really should watch it. Please. 

GOSSIP GIRL

Rating: 4

I ended up binge watching the entire first season of Gossip Girl in a day. I haven't watched beyond that yet but I really liked what I watched so far. It has to be one of the most addicting shows out there, and even if it is a little over the top most of the time I definitely enjoyed it. The show follows a group of New York teens through relationships and scandals and fallouts, all narrated by the Gossip Girl (an anonymous blog which is filled with all the gossip from this particular school). It sounds stupid and trivial and yeah, it kind of is, but the show is actually kind of good. 

I have to admit that the reason I started watching it was because Michelle Trachtenberg is in it (AKA Dawn Summers), and even though I got spoilt for who the Gossip Girl actually is I definitely want to continue watching. 

JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR NORREL

Rating: 4

It took me a few episodes to really get into this, but Strange and Norrel is yet another reason why I love the BBC. It's an alternate version of history set around the Napoleonic Wars, depicting magic's return to England. Whilst it is slow building, this series managed to be one of the best things I've seen in a while. Although I'm a bit scared to tackle the book (as I think it's over a thousand pages long), I definitely think that this series is worth the watch.

There are so many unexpected plot twists that it's practically impossible to predict what will happen in the next episode. The characters are amazing--my personal favourites are Strange and Childermass)--and the world building is bloody brilliant. Whilst I didn't fall head over heels in love with this series, I would still recommend it to all fantasy/history fans out there.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Rating: 4.5

I've been watching Once Upon a Time for over a year now and I completely love it. It can be cheesy, there's a lot of instalove regarding side characters and I'm not too keen on one particular plot event that happened in season four, but that doesn't change the fact that it's one of my all time favourite shows. I just love it, okay? Fairytales are my favourite thing ever and the fact that there's a whole show about them makes me so happy. You should definitely watch it if you like fantasy/devilishly handsome pirates. 

Once can get a little OTT but it has a wonderful cast of characters, witty dialogue, clever plots and great world building. The character development is so good it's almost at as good as the transition from crayon breaky Willow to scary veiny Willow (sorry for yet another Buffy reference). I'm already so excited for season five.

POLDARK

Poldark aired on the BBC this March (I think?) and even though it took me a few episodes to get into it, I absolutely loved it. Aside from the romance, the costumes and the drama, my favourite part of this show by far is Aidan Turner. If you want to find someone hotter than him I wish you luck, but I doubt you'd succeed. It also helps that he's an excellent actor and has glorious hair.

Demelza is my favourite character and I loved the romance between her and Ross. Poldark is yet another example of the BBC doing what it does best (historical mini-series') and I'm so pumped for series two next year. The series is based on the books by Winston Graham and I own the first on my kindle, so I'm definitely considering reading them soon. 

My Favourite Fictional Couples

Romance is not necessary in books. Actually, if it's done poorly it can make the book feel a bit flat and any impact the plot has is reduced by the shoddy attempt at a love story. Saying that, when romance is done well it can often be my favourite part of a book and can often reduce me to tears. I'm not ashamed to admit how I reacted to the Clockwork Princess epilogue...

As much as I love romance in a lot of books, there are few couples which just work. These are the ones which I ship wholeheartedly, that I'd willingly argue over on tumblr. Today I want to talk about them. Expect a lot of fangirling, and bear in mind that this changes every time I read a new book or watch a new show. It'll probably be obsolete in a week.

Before I start this post, you may notice that there are no Sarah J Maas couples on this list. To be honest, Sarah J Maas writes my favourite romances of all time. The reason I can't include them on this list is because I have no idea who I want to end up with who. I don't know if I want Aelin to end up with Chaol, or if her and Rowan are my otp or brotp. I used to ship Tamlin and Feyre hardcore, but recently I've fallen in love with Rhysand and yet again I can't decide. Blame Sarah's wonderful characters, but deciding just isn't possible at this point. By September/next May, I'll probably have an answer.

Also, I'm not just going to include book characters because I have SO MANY FEELS about a certain couple involving two badass blondes. If you've seen my twitter it's not hard to work out the couple in question.

WILL HERONDALE AND TESSA GRAY

Team Wessa all the way. I feel like I'm the only person who isn't completely in love with Jem, and I think that's just because a certain Mr Will Herondale stole the stage from page one. Will and Tessa just have so much chemistry, and I cannot explain how invested I was in their relationship. Almost two years later I'm still not over it.

ISLA MARTIN AND JOSH WASSERSTEIN

I was going to put Anna and Etienne rather than Isla and Josh, but then I remembered how bad my book hangover was for Isla and the Happily Ever After and I couldn't not include these two. Their romance was both sweet and sexy, and the sole reason why I think Stephanie Perkins was Eros in a past life.

EMMA SWAN AND KILLIAN JONES

Oh man. These two. Killian Jones/Hook is my favourite part of Once Upon a Time and I absolutely love his relationship with Emma. It was initially slow burning but it's still sexy and spontaneous. I'm terrified for season five after that last finale.

JAMES POTTER AND LILY EVANS

These two are the ultimate Harry Potter couple. I'll fight you over that. James and Lily are so utterly perfect for each other. Yeah, James was a bit of a tool when he was in school but he came through in the end. He didn't just risk his life but willingly sacrificed it for his wife and son, and I just ship these two so bad. Even though they give me all the feels.

THE TENTH DOCTOR AND ROSE

If you think that Eleven and River are a better couple, you can move aside. Rose and the Tenth Doctor were so wonderful together and I cry every time I watch That Episode. They bring out the best in each other and I genuinely don't think that Dr Who has been as good since these two left. Yes, I'm still upset about this nine years (!!!) later.

KHALID AND SHAHRZAD

I only finished The Wrath and the Dawn recently but oh man, the romance was wonderful. I did think it unfolded a little too quickly, but once it started I didn't want it to stop. They brought out the best in each other and I'm both excited and terrified to see what happens to them in book two.

RAPUNZEL AND EUGENE FITZHERBERT

Anna and Kristoff don't come anywhere close to these two. Tangled is my favourite film ever, and personally the romance between Rapunzel and Eugene feels so much more realistic than any other Disney couple. You can probably tell by looking at most of the men on this list that I'm a sucker for a morally ambiguous antihero and Eugene is no exception, even if he came through in the end. I. Ship. It.

SPIKE AND BUFFY

Saving the best till last. If I had to pick one couple to defend until my dying day, it would be these two. I just have so many feels. So many. I know that Spike was a literal monster for so much of the show and he did a lot of unforgivable things (just a reminder: he had no soul at that point), but the speech he gives to Buffy stole my heart. Whilst Angel was good for teenage Buffy, Spike was the perfect match for her adult self. I just...so much love, guys, so much love. The ending of BtVS left me lying dead on the floor.

Eight Things Buffy The Vampire Slayer Has Taught Me About Storytelling

I haven't been blogging as much later, and if you check out my twitter feed it'll be pretty obvious why. Buffy the Vampire slayer has literally taken over my life. Since I broke up from school about two weeks ago, I've watched four seasons of Buffy, and two and a half of Angel (it's spin off series). Basically, I have no life. If you haven't watched Buffy yet, you need to. I just finished the show and although the last season wasn't as good as the rest, it wrapped up with a satisfying and empowering conclusion, solidifying it as my favourite TV series of all time. I cried so many tears. So, so many.

I can't get this out of my head, and I don't even think that I want to:

If you seriously think that Angel is better than Spike, you can
leave. 

I really don't want to neglect my blog whilst I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms, so instead I decided to blog about it. Trying to keep my fangirling (kind of) relevant, I'm going to share eight things that Buffy taught me about writing/storytelling.

I'll try to leave out spoilers, but there will be an abundance of fangirling and GIF's. You've been warned.

TAKE RISKS, AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT

I'm not just talking about cliches, but taking a complete risk away from the norm can really enrich a story. Buffy was the first ever network TV show to have a serious, long lasting lesbian relationship. One episode was done almost entirely without dialogue, and another was a musical. Yup, and it was bloody brilliant. The risks that Joss Whedon took Buffy from being entertaining to amazing. Why write the same things as everyone else when you could do something different and something better? Experiment with a new format, or something which people may not like or agree with. If it pays off, it will set your writing miles apart from anything else. 

FANTASY FICTION ISN'T JUST ABOUT FANTASY

If you've never seen Buffy, I wouldn't be surprised if you dismiss it as a trivial and silly show. A lot of people dismiss genre fiction too, and think that fantasy/sci fi isn't as 'serious' as other fiction. That's a load of bollocks. Buffy explores a lot of serious topics, and if you think that it's not as good because it's fantasy watch The Body. I don't want to spoil it, but it's genuinely one of the best TV episodes I've seen in any genre. Yes, it's a show about monsters, but that doesn't mean that the themes and issues that it explores aren't valid or important. Just because you're writing in one genre, it doesn't mean that you're not allowed to take themes, elements or plot points from others.

CHARACTERS ARE WHERE THE HEART IS

I do care about defeating a demon or closing the hellmouth, but what I care about more is the characters. It sounds bad, but I'm more invested in relationships between friends, lovers, and family than the world ending. Buffy does this really well, and in the end they're not just fighting to defeat this season's Big Bad, but for each other. There are breakups and fallouts, and that's ultimately what keeps the reader going. I'm not watching for the monsters, but instead to see if my ship gets together, or to make sure a character gets over an emotional difficulty. You could have an amazing plot, but if I don't care about the interactions between characters, I'm not going to keep on reading.

BE UNPREDICTABLE YET BELIEVABLE

Have you ever read a book where the plot twist is so unpredictable that it's just stupid and ludicrous? Or a character has died for no reason other than to shock the reader? There is a certain season five death which was so unexpected and shocking, yet it made complete sense. It wasn't as if Joss Whedon killed this character to put the reader on edge, but instead it enriched the story. No matter how surprising it was, it worked because it made sense. Equally, the season five finale ended on a very surprising note but once again, it made sense. It was foreshadowed so the reader didn't reject it, but that was so hidden that I don't think anyone would really work out what was about to happen. That's so much better than the alternatives, and whilst it's so important to keep the reader constantly on their toes you don't want to throw them off their feet too often.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY WHAT A CHARACTER WANTS MORE THAN ANYTHING, GIVE IT TO THEM FIRST

If you want the reader to remain invested, it's always good to raise the stakes and make it seem like nothing is going to plan for the characters. One way to do this is to take away what they want most in the world. This example is going to spoil up to season two. What would be more heartbreaking: Buffy losing Angel as he turns back to Angelus because of some spell, or Angel going bat shit crazy only after he and Buffy finally get together and reach pure happiness. It's definitely the latter (except it isn't because Angel is nothing compared to Spike. Nothing, I tell you). It's sad if a character loses the thing they most desire, but if they get it after days/weeks/years of working hard to obtain it, it's devastating to see things fall apart. That's because both the character and the reader get to see what could've been if things were different.

VILLAINS ARE PEOPLE TOO

Does anyone else hate it when villains have no motive or purpose other than to be evil? In Buffy, the 'evil' characters have a reason to be so (except for that stupid Anointed One or whatever he's called), and even if they are evil it doesn't stop people loving them. Villains are characters too, and even if they're on opposite sides to the protagonist it doesn't mean that the reader can't like them, or if not at least understand them. Actually, it creates more conflict if the reader does like the villain. It's no secret that I'm kinda in love with a certain English vampire, but he's first introduced as someone who is completely and utterly evil. He's gambled for kittens and cheated. He's killed people and enjoyed it.  He created a robot of the girl he was in love with for sex (gross gross gross *shudders*).Yet his characterisation goes so much deeper than his evilness, and after a few spoilery things he's no longer a boring villain, but a character I'm willing to root for despite his questionable motives. Besides, if you want your reader to hate the villain, they're going to do that more if they feel real, compared to a cardboard cut out bad guy complete with an evil cackle.

EVERY ACTION HAS CONSEQUENCES

This example is going to have spoilers. You've been warned. At the end of season five/beginning of season six, Buffy dies but is brought back to life by the Scoobies. Quite a few TV shows bring characters back from the dead, but very few actually explore the consequences of these actions. The effect of Buffy's resurrection was a huge part of the series, just as it should've been. Equally, when Spike tried to rape Buffy (before he got his soul back) it wasn't brushed over just because he's hot (on a separate note, abusive relationships are not okay no matter how gorgeous the guy is. So many YA books portray an unhealthy relationship as true love because he has abs of steel. Please stop doing this). It was dealt with properly, and whilst I personally think that Buffy did love Spike in season seven, she did not love him when he was soulless--no matter how much he changed--because rape is never excusable. It really pisses me off when something big happens to characters and the consequences aren't explored in enough detail. If you're writing something important, really ask yourself how they would react and how long it would affect your character for. As well as not annoying the reader, consequences make your characters and your plot feel richer. Everything has a price, be it magic or murder. 

JUST KEEP WRITING AND IT'LL GET BETTER

The first season of Buffy is good, but it's nothing groundbreaking. The show is both sophisticated and silly, hilarious and serious--all the while being entertaining, honest, and heartbreaking. Based on the first season alone, I wouldn't be able to say all those things. The point I'm trying to make is that if you keep going with writing, it will only get better and better. Yes, just like there are not so good episodes there are bad writing days. There will even be setbacks, though I doubt anything could be as worse as nineties special effects. It takes practice and a lot of hard work, but in the end I promise your writing will be so much better if you just keep going.

And, just before I get all emotional again because THAT ENDING GAVE ME FEELS, I'm going to make a dramatic exit.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Love to See As Movies/TV Shows

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and the theme this week is books that we'd like to see as movies or TV shows. I've been looking forward to this week for so long as there are so many books which I'd love to see as adaptations in some way, shape or form.

TV SHOWS 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

It's no secret I love this series, but can't you imagine it as a TV programme? Just imagine how wonderful the costumes would be, or how amazing it would be to see the story and world develop as the episodes go on? I'd love it if each book would be a series of about ten/twelve episodes. It would be perfect. Also if there's a chance that you know Joss Whedon, please force him to read these books. Imagine how he'd write the dialogue. *drools*

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

HOW COOL WOULD IT BE TO SEE ALLOMANCY? I'd love to see Sanderson's world adapted, but in my opinion the books are far too big for a film and I think that this would make a perfect TV show. 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

I read this book a few days ago and thought it was just wonderful. I think that this would make a good eight part show because the world is fantastically creepy/rich, and the slow building character development would be gorgeous to watch. 

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

I know this has already been optioned for a film, but because of the backstory/size of the books I think that it'd make an even better show. So much would have to be cut out to create a film and I would love to see this on the small screen. 

FILMS

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Can someone please turn this into a film? I'll sell you my firstborn. As long as the writer/director doesn't go down the cheesy route and does it justice, I think that this book would be perfect for the big screen. 

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

If this was done right, the film would be dark, sexy, romantic, weird, and just wonderful. I need this to happen. Please. 

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I want someone to make this into a beautifully written indie film. I think that the plot/characters would translate so well into a movie, and you bet I'd be the first in line to see it. 

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Again I'd like this as an indie film, but the musical element of this book would just be incredible to watch. I absolutely adore this book and I really hope that it gets turned into a movie one day.  

Ready Player one by Ernest Cline

Imagine this as a three hour long epic film, filled with nerdy references, amazing sets and wonderful actors? It would be glorious. 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

I love me some cute romantic films, and I think that Fangirl would be perfect to adapt. It'd be the cutest thing ever. 

Best of 2014

So it's officially less than 24 hours until 2015 and yeah, that scares me. I'm wearing my favourite shirt (it's a super cool Throne of Glass one) and I'm prepping myself for the New Year. I hate this holiday so much.

ANYWAY I wanted to share my top ten books of 2014, but then I also wanted to share everything else I love such as movies and films and the whole shebang. As far as those things go I've had such a good year for discovering new things that I love, and finding old things that I like more than I initially thought. Books have the power to change us and I really do think that I've been changed for the better this year, not just because of what I've read but because of what I've listened to and watched.

I don't think I'll do a top x number for any of these apart from books because I haven't documented the other categories like I have in Goodreads. There is so much to talk about aaahh.

Books:
     5.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - There were so many books that I wanted to put in this spot and I'm still not sure if I made the right choice. Either way I adore this book because the characters are so real and the romance was just a delight.
     4. On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - Melina Marchetta is swiftly becoming one of my favourite authors and I'd read literally anything that she published. I would even read her shopping lists.
     3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Stephanie Perkins gives me all the feels. Seriously after reading Isla I walked around like a robot for two days because all I could think about was her characters.
     2. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson - I've only read the first two books in this series but it is just magnificent. Sanderson is literally a genius and I cannot wait to read the conclusion/other books by him next year.
     1. The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas - This is now my favourite series of all time alongside Harry Potter. I don't think I can articulate how much I love it aside from saying that at the moment I'm wearing a shirt with 'House Sardothien' on the front because I'm obviously a total bamf.

Films:
 My favourite film of all time is Tangled. I've seen it five times (three of which were this year) and although I originally saw it in the cinema, it goes on this list because this year was when I rediscovered it as a favourite. Other movies that I really enjoyed this year were Forrest Gump which I saw for the first time this year and I love it so so much. When people ask me what my favourite movie is I tell them this one so I don't look like a five year old, but in my heart Tangled will always make me see the light. Some other Disney films that I saw for the first time this year were Mulan and Frozen and I love both those movies so much.

Music:
 I discovered a lot of new music this year (which only confirms the fact that I'm a middle aged woman stuck inside the body of a five year old stuck inside the body of a fifteen year old). I've really got into listening to musicals and I love the score for Wicked. Defying Gravity has to be my favourite song of all time. I've also started listening to a lot of movie scores which really help me when writing. In case you were interesting the most played songs on my iTunes library are (in descending order) Defying Gravity from Wicked, This Charming Man by The Smiths, Bad Things by Jace Everett, One Jump Ahead from Aladdin and She's Always a Woman by Billy Joel.

TV:
 I've procrastinated a lot of schoolwork this year with totally unhealthy TV show marathons. I've rewatched a lot of old stuff such as Sherlock and Dr Who, although this year I started watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Outlander and Once Upon a Time, the latter two being my favourites. I also really loved Our Girl which was on the BBC this year. Don't make me pick a favourite. I've lost sleep over them all.

Over all, I think it's been a great year and I really, really am dreading midnight (again.)