I more or less just got out of the cinema from watching Wakanda Forever and am still quite emotional (more on that in the weekly recap soon) but maybe the latest TV and movie trailers will be a nice distraction. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of them this week, but let’s get started regardless!
Since I forgot to post this supposedly weekly wrap-up of what I’ve been watching last week, I wanted to make sure, I actually had something to talk about. And I do!
I used to love the Addams Family movies from the 90s and Wednesday is such an iconic character. I’m personally not the biggest Tim Burton fan, so I was completely unsure as to what this show would look and feel like. I wanted to go in with an open mind though and can say that I enjoyed it quite a lot. This might sound like a strange comparison, but it had some strong Veronica Mars vibes, which is always a plus in my book.
Throughout the show, I thought it was curious just how much focus was put on Wednesday’s romantic life, as that wasn’t something I necessarily expected. (Neither did she, I imagine.) But I really enjoyed seeing her facade crumble a bit. She’d absolutely kill me for saying that, but she’s a big softie on the inside. She can talk about weapons and murder all she likes, but in the end she has a pretty straight forward moral compass and is quite the teenage detective, who even willingly reports information to the police.
The CGI on the monsters wasn’t my favorite thing, but I loved the costumes and set design. It’s great when you have characters that fall into certain color schemes so perfectly. Speaking of characters, I thought we had a well rounded cast with some interesting names for the adults. They also did well with the mystery aspect and misdirecting the audience on several occasions. It was easy to think that Wednesday was often on to something as we had similar information to her.
In conclusion, I’d love another season.
I hate the fact that I have to wait until 2023 until I know how it continues. Tom is in peril, Calian is out of town, we’re about to learn a bit more about Abby. GIVE. ME. MORE!
Still a really good show, but I’m annoyed by the breaks. Why is it on one week, off the next and then repeat?
Honestly, I think I’m going to drop the show, I’ve lost interest.
At this point in the season, I can see everyone of them turning into a murderer eventually. Well, except maybe Jennifer Coolidge’s character.
My girls are BACK and I’m so happy. Their friendship is what makes the show so great, but I can’t help and be super excited about my favorite ship (Bela and Eric) thriving. It’s going to be a great season and I think Gavin Leatherwood made a mistake in leaving the show.
I wonder where the Dana and Ian friendship is going to go. I do feel a bit sad that Ian and Poppy’s bond isn’t as front and center this season.
Uncle Buck. Enough said.
As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences!
Just like with Werewolf by Night, this might not technically be a movie. It’s 40 odd minutes long and a Special Presentation by Marvel. While watching it, I definitely had a couple questions, such as: When did Mantis get so assertive? Who decided that Groot should look like this now?? Where did Nebula get [redacted] from!? Regardless of my confusion at times, you could see that everyone had a lot of fun making this Holiday Special. I thought it was on the mediocre side, but then the last third really hooked me emotionally too. I’m actually looking forward to the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie. They’re always entertaining for sure.
Sorry, there was no English trailer available, but I love watching movies Karoline Herfurth not only stars in but also directs. The title roughly translates to “something nice for a change” in meaning and I was fully expecting it to be a romantic comedy. Well, it was not? It was rather a commentary on societal pressure to have kids and family dynamics. It still had very funny parts, but I also bawled my eyes out. If any of you speak German, I think this was a great release, even if it didn’t have enough Aaron Altaras.
Sorry for not posting this week. I fully intended to do the weekly wrap-up yesterday, but then … I accidentally played a video game for 15 hours? It threw of all my plans for the weekend, but I legit didn’t realize for how long I had played already. Anyway, maybe you’d be interested in a post on that game? Let me know!
But today we’re looking at some movie and TV trailers.
This week was so freaking exhausting for me. I always had something to do and fell into a really bad sleeping pattern, I can’t believe the weekend is basically over already. Oh well, sometimes life’s just like that. Let’s check out some trailers and promos for TV shows and movies for relaxation.
I was back at work this week and somehow failed to manage my time properly, so things were super chaotic. Still, I watched some stuff – let’s check it out!
What a fantastic season and general start to what they are trying to do with the Immortal Universe. The acting of Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid was divine (although the entire cast was amazing with many standout performances throughout), the pacing was slow but delicious and the tension impeccable. It was brutal and yet beautiful to watch. Somehow it felt very intimate, despite being a completely fantastical story. I was really in love with the show as a whole and the nuance and intensity it brought with it. They’ve taken the source material and elevated it, while still keeping fun twists that readers will recognize. I mean, I guessed the reveal for episode 6/7, but it was still so fun to actually see it being said out loud in the final scene of the season.
I genuinely cannot wait for more, because the drama is going to be amped up quite a bit next season and it’s going to be oh so fun. But first, we will see if the Mayfair Witches can keep up!
I have so many questions! Is Tom alright? What happened with Calian? Why aren’t there more episodes??
The vampire assassin lady is crazy and that is what makes this fun.
Just like with Season 1, I find it hard to root for any of the characters, while I adore most of the cast. Let’s see where it goes.
I love this show and am so excited to have it back. Especially looking forward to what kind of mischief Brad is up to.
Is it just me or should Buck have really seen it as a sign that he’s not meant to be a sperm donor? I mean, come on, I still smell disaster brewing when it comes to that decision.
The crossover part of this was really negligible, because they could have interacted with each other way more. I was sad to see that Jack’s sister-storyline wasn’t dealt with more, but I loved the spotlight on Hughes and the Fire Chief. I truly wonder what Nick and Meredith are going to do, with her goodbye being imminent in the next episode. If he abandons the intern program, I’ll be sad.
As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences!
I had no time for movies this week. Sorry.
The Atlas Paradox was my most anticipated book of the year, so you can surely imagine that a lot of expectation were involved with the release. I think I’ve been fairly open about the fact that I’ve been a huge fan of Olivie Blake’s the Atlas series ever since it was indie published a couple years ago. Seeing its huge success now fills my heart with joy, even though I know it’s not necessarily for everyone. But how did the sequel fare in comparison to its predecessor? Let’s talk about that!
For all of those of you who are still uncertain whether The Atlas Six is for them or not, I highly recommend checking out my non-spoiler post detailing its strengths and weaknesses here! I’ve heard from fellow readers that it has helped them make up their mind, so give it a try?
Summary according to the publisher: “DESTINY IS A CHOICE”
The Atlas Paradox is the long-awaited sequel to dark academic sensation The Atlas Six—guaranteed to have even more yearning, backstabbing, betrayal, and chaos.
Six magicians. Two rivalries. One researcher. And a man who can walk through dreams. All must pick a side: do they wish to preserve the world—or destroy it? In this electric sequel to the viral sensation, The Atlas Six, the society of Alexandrians is revealed for what it is: a secret society with raw, world-changing power, headed by a man whose plans to change life as we know it are already under way. But the cost of knowledge is steep, and as the price of power demands each character choose a side, which alliances will hold and which will see their enmity deepen?
Now, I’ve posed a question in the title of this post – Does The Atlas Paradox suffer from Second Book Syndrome? – and I don’t mean to keep you in suspense for too long, so I’m giving you the easy answer now, which is NO! However, this is supposed to be a review of sorts and even though words are currently failing me, I do want to share some general thoughts. Later on, there will be a more in-depth spoiler section, where I’ll talk about each individual character, but this part won’t reveal anything too specific.
This book – oh, THIS BOOK! It was a personal attack. My feelings were hurt. My anger bubbled up. My deepest and darkest dreams were fulfilled. It was everything I hoped and feared.
Right from the get go, Olivie Blake‘s writing is still as witty and compelling as in the first book. The philosophical and scientific conversations continue; the moral quandaries deepen. If I had to critique one thing, which a review is sort of the right place for, I would say that she struggles to convey the passing of time in her story. There are so many scenes where we go from people talking in one room to another set of people talking in another room, with often very few action-packed or faster paced snippets in between, so it tends to feel odd when all of a sudden, a couple months have gone by. It’s only a minor flaw in my eyes, but something I have noticed in the previous installment as well.
Where the Atlas Six established our characters and hinted at the greater scheme behind the secret society, the Atlas Paradox only slightly furthered the plot and rather focused on how the initiation changed each of the people involved. It remains a mostly character driven story, which I think is good, because that’s essentially what I signed up for. I, personally, would have been disappointed if we abandoned the in depth analysis of all these different personalities and focused on other hijinks instead. It gives you answers, but just opens up a whole box of new questions, which is both – so very satisfying and absolutely infuriating!
While, overall, I felt like I could predict a couple more twists and turns this time around, I still felt surprised by a lot of new character pairings/dynamics as well as character decisions. This series definitely keeps you on your toes and to be honest, I don’t have the slightest idea how it could possibly end. All I know is that I love these characters and that I support all their rights and wrongs. And I know another thing for sure, I will be first in line when it’s about getting my hands on a copy of The Atlas Complex, the ultimate conclusion to it all.
You have been warned, there will be spoilers for The Atlas Paradox moving forward!
In previous reviews, I’ve mentioned that it felt like some characters got preferential treatment in the first book and that one could sort of deduce who were the author’s favorites, but The Atlas Paradox turned all of that on its head. So, instead of continuing with a “normal” reviewing format, I’d like to take a closer look at each individual character and the new pairings and dynamics.
I was extremely fascinated by Reina in the first book, but felt like she was cut short on chapters for sure. Now, this time around, she definitely had more page time and suddenly I’ve grown quite scared of her.
I wasn’t quite aware of just how attached she had gotten to Nico and how hurtful it was to her that he saw her as nothing special in his initiation. But her spiraling afterwards was just terrifying to me. She really developed a sort of God complex and her teaming up with Callum just makes the potential of the horrors they could unleash together all the greater? I hope she allows herself to connect to people again, because this disconnect worries me. I mean, even nature wanted her to go outside and touch some grass.
“No, Nico, I would have lit on fire anyone with even the slightest intention of harming you, and that is the kind of friend I am, when I choose to be a friend.”
On an entirely different note, I’m very happy about it now being more or less confirmed that Reina is ace. That’s representation that is often sorely lacking in fiction.
Many of you knew this, but I hated Callum Nova. I was so sure I would continue to hate him through this book and then his first POV chapter came along and my resolve crumbled quicker than anything I’ve seen before. It literally took all of one chapter for me to really feel pity for the guy. He’s still insufferable and has a plan (to kill Tristan?) that I cannot support, but I have more sympathy for him than I used to. He was mostly just a drunken mess for the entirety of the book, but still … my heart warmed to him a little bit.
“It doesn’t have to make you weaker, you know,” Callum continued. “You’re allowed to have human qualities. Which inherently means silly things like sadness and longings and flaws.”
Parisa is one of the most badass characters in this series and I felt like she really took a backseat in the sequel. That’s not necessarily something bad, because the scenes and chapters she was involved in, were absolutely fantastic. The way she was vulnerable with Nico (not the least because of Gideon) was maybe one of my favorite bits in the entire book. He would f- her with his whole heart and she proved her point.
“To know what people really are and not destroy them is savagely remarkable. She has exceptional restraint.”
Nico, my chaos child, crumbled to bits and pieces without his twin flame Rhodes. While he was surely one of the characters that felt her absence the most and I especially enjoyed his teaming up with Tristan (look at both her men working together to get her home), I also loved to see his feelings for Gideon being spelled out more clearly (from both sides). This book proved more than anything to me that those two belong together.
Without Libby for a counterweight, there was nothing to temper his recklessness. Nothing to anchor him at all.
Tristan and Libby are my favorites – there, I said it. They are my ride or die ship in this series and I know that many people love other combinations more (there’s loads of Libby/Nico, Tristan/Callum or Tristan/Parisa shippers out there), but they just kind of do it for me. Tristan really blossomed as a person, finding his confidence in his ability and I love that for him. But what I love for myself is that there wasn’t a single chapter where Tristan didn’t mention Rhodes in some way. He’d rather see the world burn than not have her and that is such a problematic villainy thing to say, but I’m here for it?
Still, I also would like to mention that I think Atlas manipulated him to the t and actually got the person to stay that he always wanted to stay. I worry about that at night …
He knew it like his own pulse; Libby Rhodes would be back, and he would be here. Waiting.
Libby. My darling girl. You really aren’t the moral compass of the group anymore, are you?
I felt the paranoia and fear when Libby was trapped in the past. The way she always had to look over her shoulder, worrying that Ezra might show up and imprison her again. It’s always all the more painful when it’s someone close to you, someone you trusted. And it was just so infuriating to see Ezra think he was doing her some sort of weird favor, he got what was coming to him in the end.
Nonetheless, I feel quite conflicted about her choices, which makes reading her chapters so much more delicious, if I’m being honest. She screwed some people over hard, but she has always put others first. This time it was her turn and can we fault her for it? Yep. Yep, we can. The moral complexity is what makes this so utterly great.
“She’s your true error, Ezra. Your biggest mistake was not leading her here, to me, but in allowing her to become dangerous.”
Obviously, a lot happened with Gideon, Ezra, Atlas and Dalton. I’m in no way trying to minimize any of that and have touched upon it when talking about the core six. But, there is one character in particular who I’d like to spotlight – Belen. While I guessed her identity and connections relatively early on, I feel like she deserved so much better. Whereas Ezra felt like the architect of his own demise, she is a true victim of the Alexandrian Society and their scheming. She would have never been involved in anything, wouldn’t even have known about the existence of all that secret knowledge and power, if it weren’t for the narcissistic behavior of the initiates. Not even Ezra, who so continuously spied on Libby in the past, saw who Belen really was. Her anger was more than justified.
Now, this was the prime statement of the book. Whereas in The Atlas Six we learned that knowledge is carnage, The Atlas Paradox claimed that destiny was a choice. But is that really true considering that things, in hindsight, played out exactly like they always have? Ezra always abducted Libby, making her realize her full medeian potential. Libby always risked the lives of countless people in order to get back to the library. Did anyone make a choice that differed from the path they were once put on? I guess that is what we will find out in The Atlas Complex!
Fazit: 5/5 stars! What a wonderful continuation. It has made me all the more excited for the inevitable conclusion in The Atlas Complex!
I had the entire last week off and it was really nice and relaxing, although I could easily do with another week on top of it. For now, I’m trying to not already think about work and instead chill with some trailers. Let’s check out the latest promos and teasers for some upcoming TV shows and movies!
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Sorted Food videos on YouTube for comfort, but I still got quite some regular viewing in as well. Let’s check out the latest TV shows and movies I’ve watched.
If you’ve read my monthly wrap-up, you already know that I fell head over heels into this show. Based on the Half Bad book series by Sally Green, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself would have been the perfect show to watch during the spooky season, but I feel it got lost in the sheer onslaught of content we get these days. I’m not saying it’s a super faithful adaptation, mostly because I’ve only read the first book and can’t remember much, but I still recognized the story in the show.
It’s dark, like really, really messed up sometimes (think “kids in cages” and relentless othering of an individual messed up), but brilliantly acted and well paced. It gives you the necessary time to get to know this particular magical world and to form your own opinion on their system, which is far from perfect. The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is most of all a discussion on morality, on good vs. bad and how history is written by the victors. It’s hard to pick a side, because things are never as clear cut as many would like to make it out to be.
A stand out part of the show for me was the dynamic between the characters, especially Nathan and his potential love interests. I do have a favorite, but I don’t want to influence you beforehand. I just hope you might give The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself a try, because I think Netflix needs the views to give us another season – and I want one. DESPERATELY.
I don’t know when I got so invested in this show, but I did, which sucks, because they didn’t get back orders. So, the first season will only consist of 13 episodes and the future of the show is completely unknown. I love the moral ambiguity of it and I kind of want to know who Abby ends up with. If she is the founder of the Walker Ranch, she must have offspring of some sort, right?
I think the show is actually getting better, but it’s still ridiculous and just doesn’t compare to the fantastic vampire content we’re currently getting.
That reveal. THAT REVEAL! I mean … what do we think? Who is he really? (I kept it vague, because I know not everyone has seen episode 6 yet, but please feel free to talk to me about it in the comments!)
They really know how to play up the family drama, without making the situations at work overly dramatic, if that makes sense? Let’s just say that I really enjoy this, but I don’t necessarily know that it can last several seasons. I wouldn’t want the drama between that certain group of people to last forever.
Leslie Odom Jr. was a great addition. This season has not failed me yet.
Now that the show is officially cancelled, I can say goodbye to it for good.
I asked for more on Jack’s family and the show is giving it to me. However, as a viewer, I don’t understand how so many people on Twitter and elsewhere thought she maybe could have been his daughter. WTF? The siblings plot was so clearly set up.
Lucas got himself into that one with Amelia, he should have clarified it better from the beginning. I’d rather have people think I got something from nepotism than sexual favors? I don’t know why … but yeah. At least this episode explained how Meredith was going to slowly fade out of the show.
As always, don’t forget to add me on Letterboxd if you want to be up to date on all my movie experiences!
I really enjoyed the first Enola Holmes movie and was excited for the next one to come around. While the two-year-wait (not at least because of some legal troubles with the source material) was a bit annoying, the movie definitely delivered again. The fact that they based it on actual historical events made it all the better and honestly got me quite emotional. The way women are portrayed in this franchise, the way they are supportive and capable, smart and determined, is everything!
Now, we got introduced to some very iconic characters such as Moriarty and Watson, which have not been featured nearly enough, so I can only hope that they continue to adapt the books and give us more of this series. The way Enola and Sherlock’s relationship has changed and blossomed is worth exploring more and honestly just so much fun. This version of Sherlock is softer, in a way, than many other iterations, but he is still so true to the character we know, just with more layers. I know that Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill are busy people, but I sincerely hope we get to see them as brother and sister again.
October was a complete disaster on the blog. Even though I posted my usual two posts per week, I really felt like I was on some sort of hiatus, doing the bare minimum. Somehow, I just didn’t find the time to read anything until the very end of the month (currently, I’m knee-deep into Babel and The Atlas Paradox and loving it!). So, here’s what I ended up finishing:
As per usual, click on the covers to get re-directed to Goodreads, where you are always welcome to add me as a reading buddy! OR find me on Storygraph, where I have become more active this year. My own reviews you’re able to find by clicking on the titles in the list above, if there are posts for them.
I had built up quite a comfortable buffer for my reading challenges, which has gone entirely to waste these past two months. I’m still sort of on track with the number of books, but I highly doubt I will reach my (for me, quite ambitious) page count goal. Even with Babel and The Atlas Paradox, it’s a stretch.
October was once again a very busy month. We had presidential elections in my country, loads of my friends and family members had their birthdays and name days (yes, we “celebrate” those too) and in general, I feel like there was just always something going on. I’ve thought about this just recently, but I can’t even recall the last time I was bored. It legit doesn’t happen to me anymore. Once again, I’m sticking to the format of dividing up the month into segments and telling you about them separately.
I have made ZERO progress. I’m not even sure I opened the document during October, if I’m being completely honest. It’s not that I lost interest in it, I just feel like I’m more in a reading rather than writing mood at the moment. However, having said that, it is NaNoWriMo. I have no intention of rushing through the novel, but maybe it will help me just work on it on a daily basis? That would be nice. But we all know I have the worst track record with sticking to NaNoWriMo …
Last month, I heavily teased that I fell in love with the writing of a certain poet, who kept his work out of the public eye. Funny story, the person is actually a former boxer now actor and while his Instagram is still private, he has decided to share some of his work on TikTok. Now, I quite enjoyed having his words all to myself (this is an exaggeration, he did share it with several hundred people before as well), but if you are curious and want to check out Kieron Moore’s poetry for yourself, you can do so here.
One of my favorite voice actors I share a birthday with (serious shout out to the legend that is Travis Willingham) promoted the latest game he did voice work for and I immediately wanted to check it out. I don’t have a proper gaming set up, I only have my laptop, that’s not really made for a lot of processing work. Regardless, Foretales is a really cool story-driven RPG card game. I enjoy games where my decisions have an impact on the story and certain paths are blocked or opened, depending on what I did prior. I have to admit that I sometimes got stuck on really silly things and was frustrated when I had to redo chapters, but overall, it was a lot of fun. You can find more info on it on Steam here.
Again, feel free to skip this portion of the wrap-up. I know it’s a difficult topic for many and I get it, put yourself first!
As I keep at my regular cardio workouts and still haven’t gone on a diet – on the contrary, I think I’m eating more now than ever before and I notice it in my budget – I continue to slowly but steadily loose weight. The most important thing to me is that what I do remains something that is sustainable. There’s no use in starving yourself or overworking, just to go back to “normal” and reversing all that progress. I feel like what I’m doing does push me to go out more and definitely exercise and move more than I did previously, but I found the joy in moving and therefore it’s not so much of a chore, but rather something I feel incomplete without.
I’ve upped my workout time and often end up doing 30 to 45 minutes a day, but sometimes, when I just don’t feel like it, I end up only doing something for 10 to 20 minutes and that’s still enough. So, I’ve lost another 3 kg/6.6 lbs since the last wrap-up, which makes me feel confident that I can reach my desired goal by my 30th birthday.
Here’s the latest workout video I’ve been coming back to, especially with Taylor Swift’s release of Midnights:
There were so many great seasonal shows this last month! I loved the latest adaptations of Vampire Academy and Interview with the Vampire. Two very different shows, but both offering me everything I wanted from them. However, there is another adaptation that I feel got completely lost in the sheer amount of content that is being released as of late – The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself! The show is based on the book Half Bad by Sally Green, which I’ve read eons ago and can’t remember in detail, but still recognized in the show. It was fantastically paced, had super interesting character dynamics and would have been a perfect Halloween watch. I don’t see a lot of people talking about it, but I really wish more would watch it. It has some seriously f- up stuff happen it, but I would love to see what they do with another season.
I’ll never know how to express my utter love for everyone who keeps visiting this corner of the interwebs, even when I barely post any new content. I genuinely adore you! Here are the most popular posts of October.
This is only a fraction of all the great content that my fellow bloggers put out into the blogosphere in October. Still, I hope you’ll give them a visit and share the love!
Life and Other Disasters 