What I’ve Been (Binge-)Watching #63

July 31, 2021 Kat Impossible14 Comments

I thought it would be nice to do one more of these posts before the end of the month. I thought I haven’t been watching very much, but in reality, I’ve just not been able to binge a lot. So, at the end of this post, you’ll find shows that I’m currently watching as they release weekly, in case you want to talk about any of those. I’ll keep my thoughts in the post to a brief sentence, but feel free to go more in depth in a discussion! I’m always down for TV talk!

Outer Banks (Season 2)

I was so very pumped to get this show back, because it was my absolute obsession last summer. I like the way it mixes The OC with what feels like the Goonies and has some really well rounded characters in it. Returning to that world now, I didn’t vibe as much with the show as I did last time.

Kiara used to be my favorite character alongside JJ, but they made some very odd choices for her storyline. While there were some unrealistic scenarios before, I couldn’t help but get annoyed or frustrated with certain character changes and choices this time around. Some problems literally would have been non-existent if people could just control their temper (and I’m not talking about the bad guys here), but most of all, I’m surprised that these kids aren’t dead. As much as I want them all safe and sound, I can’t wrap my head around some of them still being alive. It just … didn’t make sense.

But now on to the things I liked. I’m so glad that Pope got a bigger spotlight this season, because I felt like he was a bit forgotten in Season 1. We start to dive into his family more and ultimately manage to continue the treasure hunt element in a way that ties it neatly to previous events and gives us plenty of material for the future. JJ remains a favorite, just because he is super messy and funny and I want to give him a hug. Also, we get a new character that I adore – Cleo! They really did us all a favor by introducing her.

The last thing I want to say is, it very much feels like they are trying to set everyone up as a couple now, all the pairs ready to go. As much as I shipped Kiara and JJ last time and can see them wanting to put Cleo and Pope together, I kind of understand all the people shipping JJ and Pope, Kiara with John B or Sarah and Cleo. Not gonna lie, in that group, almost any pairing makes sense. I hope they won’t shy away from including something a little less … heteronormative.

Never Have I Ever (Season 2)

I had fun with the season, although I have to say that the secondhand embarrassment and cringe sometimes becomes a bit much for me. Where Season 1 had a tendency to go deeper on Ben rather than Paxton, this season switched things around and focused on Paxton instead. It’s really hard to choose a team (although I still think I might favor Ben?), but in the end, I like seeing Devi develop outside of the boys as well. Her family dynamic is always so interesting to me and I like that she doesn’t always have her emotions in check. I hope they can elaborate on these aspects without having to introduce new characters each season.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season 2)

Again, I wasn’t vibing with this season as much as the last, but I enjoyed some different characters getting their due spotlight and especially for Courtney and Carlos getting to sing. My favorite in all of this, however, remains Gina. I love her character and I just want happiness for her. I’m so over the whole Rini drama, it’s the least fun part of the entire show. Ashley and Big Red are a way superior couple, if we have to focus on those …

The Last Letter From Your Lover

When I starte the movie, the aesthetic and split timeline gave me huge W./E. vibes (a film directed by Madonna), which is a plus in my eyes. In the end, it was a lovely movie with very few surprises. I think you pretty much get what you expect and that’s not a bad thing. I would say that it didn’t need a run time of almost two hours, but the visuals were very nice. I was definitely drawn to it by the cast and they all delivered what I wanted from them. I don’t think it will be a story that necessarily lingers in your mind very long, but it’s sweet and hopeful and romantic (if you can tune out all the cheating).

Shows I Watch Weekly

Gossip Girl (Reboot) – I’m really enjoying myself with this one, even though I cannot stand the teachers at all. As for actual teen characters, I need a little bit more development from a lot of them, but it all feels very promising.

Roswell, New Mexico (Season 3) – Last year, I declared Maria and Gregory as my crackship AND THEY ARE MAKING IT INTO A REAL SHIP. (I’d like to think that me campaigning for them as a couple was partially responsible for that new storyline.)

Schmigadoon – It’s a musical. It’s a relationship drama. It’s hilarious and unexpected.

Ted Lasso (Season 2) – Did not expect Ted to have such a hard time with the idea of therapy, but just happy to have my comfort show back!

Superman & Lois – I haven’t talked about the show much, but I kind of love it? The fact that this is so much about family and less about the superhero business makes it really endearing to me. Also, the twins (especially Jonathan) are great.

Animal Kingdom (Season 5) – Eh, I always enjoy this one more when I binge it rather than watching it weekly, but we’ll see how long I stick with it this time around.

Good Trouble (Season 3) – I’m so sorry to say that I mostly watch for Davia, because there’s so many great and important storylines, but … I do.

A bunch of reality TV – I need something that doesn’t require my brain to actively work, so I frequently tune in to Love Island (UK), The Hills: New Beginnings, Siesta Key …

What are your thoughts? Do we watch some of the same stuff? Let’s talk!

TMP – TV Edition: Book Adaptations

July 29, 2021July 29, 2021 Kat Impossible24 Comments

It’s Thursday and I’m back with a new Thursday Movie Picks feature post. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.

As it so happens, we change it up once per month and talk about TV shows instead of movies and today is all about one of my favorite subjects – book adaptations. I’ve talked about movies and shows that were done well (or badly) before, but I’m really happy to do so again. Let’s jump right in!

Shadow and Bone

I’ve talked about this one at length here, but in short, it was a really neat adaptation! I think people who have never read the books might have been a bit lost at times, but in general, I was super happy with some of the developments. The cast is pretty much perfection and their chemistry is what makes this work.

The Rook

I will be forever salty that they cancelled this after just one season. I feel like we had one of the most compelling characters ever with Gestalt and now all of that was just wasted on a story that won’t get continued. I know that people who loved the book were disappointed, but I wasn’t a fan of the book and ADORED the show. You can read more of my thoughts here.

The Magicians

Honestly, I stopped watching after a while, but the show was still a lot better in a lot of ways than the books. I didn’t really love the books, but once again, the cast really made it work and the changes implemented on the show made sense for the most part. If you ever want to read the books, my firm opinion is that they get better over time. The first one really wasn’t it.

The Witcher

You can find my review of the first Witcher book here, but I haven’t read any of the others yet. Silly old me wanted to wait for Netflix covers for the books, but I’m not even sure they will make them. Either way, while I think the show has lost a bit of the innate humor of the book, it really tied in those anthology events nicely.

Dash & Lily

Veering a bit off course to talk about something non-magic related, I can really only recommend the Dash and Lily show on Netflix. It’s so cute. So fluffy. So Christmas-y. I watched it several times and just had a good time and while I don’t remember the books in detail, I think they did a great job in adapting them so far.

Normal People

I had my struggles with the book, but wow, was it memorable! I still think about it every so often, I now also own a copy of the TV scripts and am in awe of the leads of the show. While I think you get some great insights into the minds with the book, the show just furthered that intimate feeling and you really get invested in these characters and their mess. You can also read more in depth thoughts here.

There’s SO much more, but I’m gonna leave it at that for now. What are some of your favorite book to small screen adaptations? What are some you are excited for in the future?

The No Disclaimers Book Tag!

July 27, 2021 Kat Impossible12 Comments

I meant to post another book review, but I just didn’t find the time to read. So, instead you are getting the No Disclaimers Book Tag, which the lovely Orang-utan Librarian tagged me not too long ago. Only needing about two months until I get to it really is some of my quickest work. I hope you’ll enjoy!

Which trope(s) in books annoys you the most?

There’s a couple I get annoyed with, but most definitely the “I’m different than other girls” and the “absent parents” are all up there. I get that you want to differentiate your main character from others, but often it just puts shade on things girls like and/or pits them against each other for no real reason. I also understand why parents can be a hindrance in certain storylines, but at least put some effort into why they aren’t there. You could almost assume that every orphan has a magical life and that’s definitely not the case.

Which writer do you feel is overrated/overhyped?

I have to agree with the Orang-utan Librarian and say Veronica Roth. I’d probably also add Sarah J. Maas, Cassandra Clare and Rainbow Rowell to that list and I say all of those with the clear knowledge that I have read several of their books. If you would ask me why they were super successful and others weren’t, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.

What are your least favorite books you’ve read since you started blogging?

I’ve been doing this for a long time by now (yep, more than 8 years) and I haven’t always liked everything I read. I suppose the most recent books I really didn’t enjoy were Animals, The Pisces and Find Me. The latter was an especially huge disappointment.

What is a terrible ending that ruined an otherwise quality book?

I have a feeling that most books aren’t that great to begin with if you hate the ending, because looking back, I always found flaws in the stories I disliked after I was finished with them. Sometimes, at least I think so, you stick with books in the hope that they’ll deliver an amazing conclusion, but then they just … don’t?

However, I wasn’t a big fan of the continuation of the Shatter Me series. I didn’t hate the new books that came after Ignite Me, but it felt like they negated a lot of the things I enjoyed from the original trilogy … I still haven’t read the final book though.

Which fictional character(s) do you wish was/were not killed off?

Finnick Odair … that one will forever hurt.

What are some bookish pet peeves?

Bad communication is the bane of my existence. Why can’t people just talk? The drama that ensues from it isn’t enjoyable for me to read, but rather just annoys me.

When there’s a lot of typos and word repetition, I feel like there just wasn’t any effort put into editing, but that’s a very important component. I get that mistakes happen and I’m not gonna flip if there’s two mistakes in there somewhere, but if they keep happening, I’m gonna get a little bit irritated.

What are some books you feel should have more recognition?

I did a whole post on books that don’t have a lot of Goodreads ratings and deserve more attention, which you can read here. I’d really like for more people to read Soulswift and The Light Between Worlds. I don’t know why those two in particular, but they just kind of stayed with me.

What are your thoughts on censorship and banning books?

Generally, I’m opposed to censorship. I don’t really understand why most books are banned, but then, every once in a while, I wish certain books weren’t available. They lifted the ban on Hitler’s book in my country and all I could think of was “why would you let people read that demented man’s thoughts?”. So, maybe my answer isn’t that simple after all …

I TAG THEE

As per usual, this is an open invitation for anyone who sees this and feels like doing the tag! Just link back here and I’ll happily check out your take on it! Yes, I’m talking about YOU!

I hope this was some nice bookish content. Let me know about some of your views on the questions above!

Trailers You Might Have Missed … (Jul 19-25/2021)

July 25, 2021 Kat Impossible9 Comments

This week hasn’t been as busy on the blog, but I can promise you, I’m already working on the next reading experiment, some arcs and am considering reviewing “What if …?” when it airs. So, there’s still loads to come this summer. But for now, let’s check out the latest trailers!

Thursday Movie Picks: Summer Break

July 22, 2021 Kat Impossible11 Comments

This week’s theme is Summer Break! We are in the midst of summer and I know that not just because it’s super hot all the time, but also because my birthday is nearing and people were always off on summer vacation, which was why I rarely celebrated. Enough about that useless information about my life. Let’s dive into the movies!

The Way, Way Back

I love this movie so freaking much! The message of the movie is so simple, but you really have to surround yourself with good people. Don’t let the toxic ones get to you. Also, everything Sam Rockwell is very likely to be a favorite. I’m a simple girl.

Adventureland

Ah yes, the time when you take the odd summer job. I keep forgetting who all is in this movie, but there’s so many well-known actors and comedians featured. I also just really like the idea of carnivals and amusement parks.

Magic Camp

I really wanted to include a typical summer camp movie! This one isn’t necessarily the most inventive or funny, but it’s the latest example I could think of. I suppose there was a reason they never even attempted to put it anywhere but direct to streaming though.

Raise Your Voice

Who said you actually had to take a break during summer break? Why not use that time to participate in a special music program to realize your dream? I had a huge Hilary Duff phase and this was one of the movies that stuck with me. Is it corny? Yeah. Do I mind? Nope.

The Lifeguard

Summer is also the time to get lost and take a break to reassess your life. I mean, you don’t have to, but things kind of slow down in summer and that makes it a perfect time to reflect. I can also highly relate to the quarter-life-crisis of it all.

What are some movies with summer breaks you enjoy? Let’s chat!

Like a Love Song by Gabriela Martins (ARC Review)

July 19, 2021 Kat Impossible4 Comments

Publisher: Underlined
Page Count: 303
Release Date: August 3, 2021

*I was provided with an eARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!*

Everything I knew about this book before I started reading it just made me want to dive into it even more. From the fake-dating-trope to the setting among the LA music and film stars – I truly thought Like a Love Song was written for me, because it basically covered everything I love. I’m so very happy to report that it didn’t disappoint!

Natalie, as a narrator, has a fun and easy voice. She effortlessly manages to make herself relatable to the reader, even though she has a couple diva-moments, which the people in her life notice and even shade a little at times. All of that is part of her journey though and what a sweet one that is. Because when you are followed by paparazzi all the time and every moment of your life gets captured for the internet (be it in a professional capacity or by the shoddy phone camera of a fan), it may happen that you lose sight of who you really are. Natalie was vulnerable and anxious, constantly overthinking what the public, but also her friends and family, were thinking of her, and that made her so beautifully human. I really enjoyed watching her find her way back to herself.

Now, enter William. I sometimes wished we had gotten to know his family and his struggles on an even deeper level, but he was so easy to fall in love with regardless. There was a certain dorkiness and cluelessness to him that felt so endearing, but most of all I appreciated his willingness to keep it real despite the circumstances. Even when Natalie sometimes doubted him, I think his sincerity shone through. However, I’d like to add that I will not tolerate any slander of superhero movies, especially not from indie movie snobs.

So much about this story was cute and funny, but it really had a lot of heart as well. I read it in just one day and that’s because it flowed really nicely, but also because it didn’t always go into great depth. Natalie’s feelings were very clear and I loved the glimpses at family and friends, funny text chains and hints at their life off the page, but sometimes I also wanted even more. I’m forever greedy that way.

The one final thing I will say is that the characters didn’t really feel like 17-year-olds to me. They could have just as easily been in their early twenties and I don’t see how that would have changed the story, but then again, I really didn’t mind that they sometimes seemed older in my head. Maybe I even preferred that in some scenes …

Lastly, Like a Love Song will officially release on my birthday and I think that is an especially good omen. I hope that date will put it under a lucky star, because I really think that a lot of people could potentially enjoy this fun story!

Fazit: 4/5 stars! If you like tropey (in the best sense of the word) teen romances, you should check this out!

Do you plan on reading Like a Love Song? What’s one of your favorite romance tropes? Let’s chat!

Trailers You Might Have Missed … (Jul 12-18/2021)

July 18, 2021 Kat Impossible7 Comments

Whether you are currently in a heat wave or the sky won’t stop drowning you in water, I hope you are all alright and safe. I also hope you get to enjoy this trailer post in relaxation. Let’s see what we’ve got!

Are Chris Evans and I compatible (readers)?

July 16, 2021February 26, 2022 Kat Impossible25 Comments

Disclaimer: I do NOT know Chris Evans. All the information is taken from various tweets and interviews and could potentially be outdated.

Welcome to the second installment of this very special feature! For those of you who missed the first one or don’t really know what’s going on, I’d recommend heading over to Are Tom Hiddleston and I compatible readers? I put a lot of work and passion into that post as well as this series as a whole, hoping it will bring you as much joy as it did to take part in it for me. You’ll definitely be able to see an explanation of the reading experiment at the beginning of the last feature, but in short, I read celebrities favorite books and determine if we would be a good match. All of that in good fun, obviously!

Thursday Movie Picks: Non-English Language Movies

July 15, 2021July 14, 2021 Kat Impossible20 Comments

Today we’re going to focus on Non-English language movies! There’s really so much content out there that gets dismissed because people would need subtitles or dubbing to watch them and that’s just not fair. As there’s a whole world of movies that can be explored this way and I find it really hard to pick, I decided to focus on films made in my mother tongue – German. (Please, no one come for me for not including Austrian movies … I feel the shame enough as is.) I also wanted to spotlight films that were sweet or fun and not too much of a downer. So, at least on my post, we have a theme within a theme!

Der Junge muss an die frische Luft/All About Me

This movie is the the biopic of a German comedic actor and had me laughing and crying in the movie theater. It was done so well, the boy is a fantastic actor and will go far. I was just in love with it in a way I never expected to. It hits all the emotional chords.

SMS für Dich/Text for You

I’ve seen this movie so many times, I have lost count entirely. Although it’s kind of messed up to play with the mind of a grieving person like that, I … found it endearing? I really, really love this movie. It’s one of my all time favorite German RomComs and has cemented Karoline Herfurth as a great director for me (even though I don’t love all her directorial work).

Vielmachglas/A Jar Full of Life

I remember being surprised by how deep this movie actually was, despite some really ridiculous scenes. In the end, the message was great.

Die wilden Kerle/The Wild Soccer Bunch

These movies (and I mean all of them!) shaped my childhood. Everyone was crushing on the guys or girls and it didn’t matter if you liked soccer or not – something about them was just magic. I played the soundtrack up and down and just wanted to go on an adventure.

Ruby Red Trilogy

This is based on a popular YA time travel book series and while the movies are super corny, they get better over time. I’m not sure what to think of the English dubbing, but maybe you can find it with subtitles instead?

I totally stuck to my juvenile taste again, but that’s just me. What are some movies in other languages you quite like? Let’s talk about that!

Loki: Episode 6 “For All Time. Always.” Season Finale Review

July 14, 2021 Kat Impossible5 Comments

This is my review/recap of the Season 1 finale of Loki, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, please do not read on! You have been warned!!

What was it about?

Sylvie and Loki finally meet their match at the Citadel at the End of Time. Can they trust each other to make the right decision?

My thoughts?

Well, this was different than what I expected and at the same time, not that unexpected at all? I think “For All Time. Always.” offered a lot of explanations and information by just plain telling us, just to end on a freaking cliffhanger. I think that what such a cruel thing to do, because what does it mean? Where are we going from here? We don’t have more episodes and I don’t know which movie this story continues in, HOWEVER, we now finally have a Season 2 of the series officially confirmed!

Before I talk myself into a rage though, let us break down what we learned:

We start out with a lot of cosmic chatter, almost as if all of Marvel and real life history were happening at once. We got iconic lines from characters as well as actual people from history and it really made the entry into that place beyond time or at the end of time really special.
While Miss Minutes did make a brief (jump scare) appearance in the Citadel at the End of Time, I have to disappoint fans of the theory that she is the big bad guy. Instead, we meet “He Who Remains”, who is never introduced by name, but is definitely a version of Kang. Many people have guessed it and therefore I don’t think it was a massive surprise moment for the majority of viewers, but still a neat introduction of the character.
Back at the TVA, Mobius and Hunter B-15 work together to reveal to the other agents that they’ve been lied to. Ravonna (who seems to be called Rebecca and works as a school principle on Earth when she’s not deviating from her timeline) is still convinced that all her work wasn’t for nothing. That is real dedication to the cause. She fights Mobius, but doesn’t prune him again, telling him that she feels betrayed by him. Miss Minutes/Kang supplied her with some interesting files and now she’s off trying to find free will … whatever that means.

At the end of time, Kang explains how the TVA started, why it is still up and running and that there are only two ways all of this will end. Either the Lokis kill him and the timeline will branch indefinitely, paving the way for other multiversal selves of Kang to conquer this reality. Or, Sylvie and Loki could take over the TVA and run it as they see fit in order to prevent cataclysmic chaos.
The portrayal of Kang was very interesting. It had a silly madness to it, but didn’t seem menacing or threatening at all. For someone who lived eons, mostly by themselves, to preserve cosmic peace, he was a bit loopy but not necessarily unkind. I’d almost say he was goofy, which wasn’t at all how I imagined meeting him, but it was a pleasant change of tone.

When Loki asked Sylvie to contemplate what Kang had said for a second, I thought that was actually very reasonable. They didn’t know if he was lying, but Loki had a solid point in not wanting to unleash something even worse by killing him. In the end, Sylvie could not trust Loki and Loki could not be trusted. It is their eternal cycle. So, Sylvie tricked Loki and pushed him through a portal that led back to the TVA before killing Kang. She did not seem happy afterwards, just slumping to the floor crying, all alone at the end of time.
Sylki is now canon … I suppose. Even at the end of the season, I have no idea how feel about that, although I did want them to clarify the kind of relationship they had. They kissed, but they also betrayed each other. Tough call to say if this is salvageable, then again, they’re Lokis … betrayal is in their blood.

Back at the TVA, Loki rushes to find Mobius and Hunter B-15 contemplating what to do about the branching timelines and I cannot lie, that was one of the most heartbreaking moments. He was so remorseful, terrified of what they had let happen, just to learn that neither of them knows or remembers him. The statues of the Time-Keepers we’ve previously seen at the TVA are replaced by one of Kang. Either this isn’t his/our reality, or the branching timelines changed history? I don’t even know, but I’m taking it as confirmation of the fact that we’ve entered the multiverse.

This season of Loki was action packed and emotional at times. I can’t say I fully understand the ramifications of what we have watched and I’m not too happy about the fact that we ended on a cliffhanger. I’m not a patient person and I need some sort of graph telling me which movies and shows will carry on with this narrative now and how long I will have to wait to see them.

All in all, I loved the characters we got introduced to in Loki. I didn’t like every choice they made, but I’m so very curious where we’re going to go. This final episode was a lot more calm than I expected it to be and I actually appreciated that. There were fights, but they were much more understated than some of the big CGI blow-ups we’re used to (although I suppose that got covered with Alioth last week). Again, I feel like we just got sat down by the showrunners and they tried to explain some of the logistics to us, while only giving way to small emotional moments in between. Tom Hiddleston’s face at the end was heartbreaking, but in some regards I needed more. More Sylvie/Loki exploration, more background information on the mutliverse issue, more time with Mobius and Hunter B-15, more episodes to watch … Maybe I’m just greedy that way, but I just wish it hadn’t left us with more questions than answer.