Tag: 2016

December 2016 Wrap-Up

Kat Impossible12 Comments

DecWU

My reading month went a little different than expected, but it was still really good. I read some really stellar books too, so that made it even better. As shite as 2016 may have been for the most part, it was definitely more than decent in terms of reading.

  • The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker (4 stars)
  • Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (5 stars)
    Review is coming soon, also, even though I didn’t read it at the same time as Fadwa, it still felt like she was my buddy reader because I could nag her with my reactions. Definitely make sure to check out her review here.
  • Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
  • Witch’s Pyre by Josephine Angelini (5 stars)
    I legit finished it today, so review will have to wait.
  • Gemina by Amie Kaufman/Jay Kristoff (4.5 stars)
    I read this with the fabulous Marie and it was so much fun, review is also not written yet.
  • Heartless by Marissa Meyer

What wasn’t on my initial TBR, but what I read nonetheless is the following book:

The Animators: A Novel   Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)   Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker, #3)   Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)   The Light Between Oceans

Click on the covers to get redirected to Goodreads! Where reviews are available, you can click on the titles/names of people to get there!

InOtherNews

I feel like this month was not particularly great in terms of blogging for me, even though I definitely did better in actually doing some of the tags I was meant to post. I am tired a lot and on my days off, I mostly just sleep and binge TV. But looking back at this year, I think I did quite a lot. My Top 16 TV Shows post proved that I watch one heck of a lot of shows, but I also read 80 books and blogged at least twice per week all year round. So, YAY ME!

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It feels a little odd to not have the annual WordPress report of the blogging year, but we might still get it? Who knows. I am mightily behind on my reviews, so those will come whenever I have time to write them. I only have 2 more weeks of work left and then I have other stuff to do, but nothing that occupies all day, every day. I wish I could say that one of the first things I will do is post a new chapter of Arcadia, but I have hit a terrible slump. It’s happening for multiple reasons, none of which I want to go into detail now. I could definitely see that part of it is due to self-imposed and unnecessary pressure though.

Final update, I watched Rogue One and loved it. I left the movie theater with such a heavy heart, despite a rocky start the final 42 minutes just killed it! And I also went to see Assassin’s Creed and even though I liked it (it was visually stunning), the story was very meh. They sure set it up to be a series and I think I would like to see a sequel just to make up my mind for good.

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I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Top 16 TV Shows of 2016

Kat Impossible77 Comments

top16

There are a ton of bookish favourites list, but I am not quite ready to do that. However, then I saw Cátia over at The Girl Who Read Too Much doing a post on TV shows and I thought that I’d definitely be up for that! Here are my Top 16 Shows of 2016, but mind you, they aren’t really in no particular order.

Class

As a warning, Doctor Who did not make it onto this list, not only because of the fact that they only had the Christmas Special this year (still not sure if I will ever review that one) but also because I am generally way more excited about Class than I am currently about anything else Who-related. The cast is amazing, Patrick Ness created a great, fast-moving and emotional show. I simply cannot wait for more seasons in the future (which I am sure they will get!) and for the relationships to deepen and to get even more of these cutesy moments.

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The Shannara Chronicles

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I don’t get all the doubts when it comes to MTV’s original programming. They are doing an amazing job, putting real high quality stuff out there and if you didn’t believe it before, The Shannara Chronicles should have been the final confirmation. It’s funny and action-packed and I am STILL not over what happened in the end.

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Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

Not gonna lie, half the time I didn’t even know what the purpose of that show was. It’s based on books by Douglas Adams, but it has very little to do with the source material from what I am told. I guess hardcore fans won’t think so, but sometimes that’s for the better? I enjoyed the show so much, I binged it in one day. It was hilariously non-sensical most of the time. My favourite part were the Rowdy 3 taking Amanda into their fold, I need more of that weird dynamic.

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Wynonna Earp

A demon hunting girl? Yeah, I did not peg that show to be a front-runner for me, but I loved Wynonna Earp so much. Wynonna is such a sassy and reluctant heroine, you cannot help but adore her. The production value might not be up to par with some of the other shows, but it was still such a fun time watching it. For a while I even considered dressing up as Wynonna for Comic Con, but then I wasn’t sure anyone would recognise it …

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Pitch

There’s nothing I don’t love about this show. It is diverse and empowering for women and I need everyone to shut up about how women cannot throw/pitch with as much strength and speed as men. I also don’t want to hear how the show isn’t realistic and it doesn’t look like “real” baseball. Guess what? All the actors and actresses had to learn the game and duh, they aren’t pro-ballers, so it will never look exactly like the major league, who cares? IT IS TV!!! (And they still achieved a lot) I NEED a second season of this glorious show. It is family friendly with a great message. Not everything goes perfectly, and that is what makes it so realistic in my opinion. I mean, I cried – about a sports show!!! – that is so not me.

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The OA

Still not sure what I watched there, but it was beautiful in a very strange and extremely disturbing way. I don’t think this show is for everyone, it’s about one of the slowest stories I’ve encountered as of late (next to another show that will show up later on) and it has gotten a lot of mixed review. Personally I can recommend it and also to go in knowing as little as possible. It was one of those rare surprises for me and I hope that somehow that story isn’t over yet.

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The Royals

The wait for Season 3 was real! I danced through my room when it was finally back. I don’t care that it’s overly dramatic and cheesy, because that’s just how the show is. I can still predict some of the plot twists, but I don’t care, this is one of the shows I enjoy watching the most. With the return of a certain someone, I cannot wait for the new episodes next week!

Younger

You want to watch a fun show about a woman in publishing? Go watch Younger! Bonus, she has to pretend to be in her twenties even though she’s about 40. IT IS SO MUCH FUN!

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Stranger Things

Sometimes I just give in to hype and I am so very glad I did not regret doing so with Stranger Things. It was an 80s nostalgia bomb and I weirdly didn’t find it all that scary. They did the whole monster-thing the smart way, by not revealing it for several episodes. And I read a lot of interviews and it’s so interesting to see how they changed a lot of the story and characters while shooting, simply because the actors/actresses provided more than they hoped for. Also, #JusticeForBarb! (I want her pop funko figurine for sure)

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Sense8

I have a dramatic love/hate-relationship with Sense8. I ADORE the show itself, I HATE the wait for the new season. I was craving something new, so naturally I couldn’t restrain myself and watched the Christmas Special … and I cried and I laughed and I was reminded why I love these characters so much … AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MAY!?!?!? How is that fair???

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Rectify

I found this gem just in time to watch its final episodes unfold. Hidden somewhere on Sundance TV, I didn’t even know it existed a couple weeks ago, but now I am strongly convinced that this was one of the most powerful and gorgeous stories of the year. It’s about a man getting out of prison after having been in solitary confinement for somewhat 20 years. The journey into his mind, the painful and beautiful moments alike, where something memorable for sure. Also, this show manifested my love for Abigail Spencer for sure!

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Animal Kingdom

Very twisted, very violent, very surprised I liked this … but the guys below may have had something to do with it. (also, I’ve never seen the Australian movie this is based on)

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Victoria

Jenna Coleman, who is one of my actress-queens, playing an actual queen – count me in! Even though it’s based no Queen Victoria’s life, I was still as invested as ever when it came to her love life, her relationship to Lord M and Albert. So many feels!

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Poldark

I am so massively disappointed in Ross as a person, however, I wouldn’t miss a single episode of the show … ever? If I could have had my way, I would have had Demelza run off with Dwight, but whateves, he’s happy … for now … Demelza also better not have any reason to doubt her husband again.

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Sweet/Vicious

This one was another surprise. It seems over the top and to the point of silly sometimes, but I like the underlying message and support it offers. I would have never guessed that MTV would present us a show taking on rape culture and really condemning it too.

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Daredevil

I liked the first season of Daredevil but the second one was so much better. They perfectly introduced the Punisher and deservingly gave him a show of his own right after. Also, Karen stepped up her game in my opinion. Generally I just really enjoyed that season, even though it once more got more brutal.

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Honorable Mentions

This is the part where you realise that, yes, I am simply watching too many shows. I am just going to rattle off some more shows I enjoyed, because why not?

  • Gilmore Girls Revival
  • Timeless
  • Conviction
  • Notorious
  • The 100
  • Hit the Floor
  • Humans
  • Westworld
  • Shadowhunters (ONLY because of Malec)
  • iZombie
  • Jane the Virgin
  • The Librarians
  • Travelers
  • Game of Thrones
  • Vikings
  • Dark Matter
  • Lost Girl
  • Lucifer
  • The Magicians
  • Our Girl
  • All the CW superhero shows (Arrow, Supergirl, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow)

Now that I’ve mentioned as many more shows here as I have on the actual list … I think I should quit, even though I am pretty sure I could still come up with quite a couple of shows. Remind me, how do I have time for anything in life? Which shows have you watched? Which ones are your favourites?

December 2016 TBR

Kat Impossible44 Comments

DecTBR

I intended for this post to be more of an info for you, so you would know which books I currently have at home (as a physical copy or ebook). However, then I realised that would be a ton of unread books and I don’t even want to put the pressure on me to read them all. Therefore, here is a selection of what I might choose to read this month. I hope you all got that me being super vague about this meant, no promises!

  • The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker
  • Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
  • Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
  • Witch’s Pyre by Josephine Angelini
  • Gemina by Amie Kaufman/Jay Kristoff
  • Heartless by Marissa Meyer

The Animators: A Novel   Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)   Blood for Blood (Wolf By Wolf #2)   Witch's Pyre (Worldwalker, #3)   Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)   Heartless

Click on the covers to get redirected to Goodreads! I sure have a ton of sequels on my list this month. What are you reading this month? Tell me all about it!

November 2016 Wrap-Up

Kat Impossible35 Comments

NovemberWU

So, I did not in fact have a planned TBR for this month and I think that was a VERY good thing. I didn’t read a huge amount of books, but six is a pretty solid number. I am slowly getting back into shape again it seems and that thought makes me happy. So, without further ado, here’s what I’ve read.

A Monster Calls   The Best Possible Answer   Three Dark Crowns   Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)   The Homecoming   Did I Mention I Miss You? (Did I Mention I Love You #3)

Click on the covers to get redirected to the Goodreads pages, on the titles to get to the reviews and on the names of my fellow bloggers to get to their reviews (if it’s up yet)!

InOtherNews

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy … it’s almost December, which means it’s almost Christmas, which means the year is almost over! *screams internally with all the things that still need to be done* The thing is, I quit my job and I will only work until the end of January, but I am not sure how I am going to continue after that. I have a semblance of a plan, but I am nervous and scared. The thing is, I always knew I wouldn’t just stay here in Vienna, yet every time it comes to leaving for a notable amount of time, I get doubts of what to do. I need to make money somehow, which requires work permits and an immense amount of paper work. Then you need to be able to get from A to B, get food, an accommodation – when am I supposed to organise that all? I am really not good at that kind of stuff … but deep breaths! Everything will be okay in the end.

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Today also marks the last day of NaNoWriMo … well, I did not do all that great this month. I’ve written 7,500 words, so that’s exactly 7,500 more than I had before November, but it’s not a crazy amount either. I am not exactly disappointed, I just really didn’t have the head for it and am hoping that I can write more in the upcoming weeks. As always, this is my plea for you to read Arcadia on wattpad! Vote for it and comment – I love hearing your thoughts on it! It keeps me motivated! (Click here to get to wattpad)

November was a busy month with the Gilmore Girls revival (still uncertain if I will review it), Vienna Comic Con (me working there and visiting it as well) and an amazing OwlCrate box (unboxing coming for sure!). It all went by really quickly, but not in a bad way entirely. It was a pretty good month altogether, aside from the lack of blogging!

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How was your month? Tell me all about it!

October 2016 Wrap-Up

Kat Impossible18 Comments

OctoberWU

So, once again my TBR did not hold up. Life was just too busy, but more about that later. Here’s what I did manage to read:

As always, click on the covers to be redirected to Goodreads and on the titles/names to get redirected to my reviews or the ones of my buddies if they are up yet!

It Ends with Us   Vassa in the Night   A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire, #1)   

InOtherNews

You’ve probably noticed that my posts have become less and less regular and I have settled for myself that I will be downsizing from 4-5 posts to about 3 per week. There have been some changes in my work life (of my own accord), which means I have to woman up and DO something. I generally don’t like to spend my free time on research and applications, but that will ultimately have to be the case unless someone decides to pay me for blogging. All of this can change again at any time, but I am trying to find a healthy balance between work, blogging, reading and writing and I don’t think I have much more than that in me. Also, I won’t post a TBR for next month, simply because I still have so much leftover from October, that I don’t see the point. I will just go and read how much I can, while also working on my own writing. Speaking of which!

Arcadia is still a work in progress, but I am hoping to really make a dent into my word count during NaNoWriMo. You can keep up with the story by clicking here. Also, feel free to add me as you writing buddy if you are doing NaNoWriMo as well! I would love to cheer you on and see how you progress during the month. My user name is the same as almost everywhere, Kat_Impossible!

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How was your month? I hope you are all doing well!

September OwlCrate & FairyLoot Unboxings!

Kat Impossible20 Comments

unboxings

I know, I know – we are coming towards the end of October and I just now decide to do the unboxing post for the September boxes? Well, for one, they came extremely late last month and then I never had good light (still didn’t, but I just gave up on waiting) and it therefore took me a while to get around to the post. However, I did subscribe to not only OwlCrate but also FairyLoot last month (Click on the names to find out more details about each service). So, you will get to see not just one, but two unboxings! YAY!

OwlCrate

This is the fourth time that I have ordered an OwlCrate box and I not once have I been disappointed so far. You can imagine that I didn’t get around to reading the book yet, but let’s break down what was in last month’s “Darkness” box:

The Book

I’ve had my eyes on Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake for a while now and was extremely pleased to find it in this box. It’s a tale about three sisters who have to fight each other (to the death? probably not …) for the throne. As always in the past months, the book was accompanied by a hand-written letter from the author, as well as a signed book plate. I love how my collection of signed books is just growing and growing.

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The Goodies

I hope the picture sort of shows everything that was in the box, but just in case it doesn’t, here’s some more info:

  • A canvas pouch by Out of Print – it has a quote from Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children on the other side. I am not yet sure what I am going to put in it, but I always wanted to have something from Out of Print and now I do!
  • Candle from The Melting Library – it’s inspired by Celaena’s Cake from the Throne of Glass series (which I still haven’t read – SHAME). I quite like it, although I cannot place the smell at all.
  • Fortune Telling Bath Bomb from Da Bomb – I cannot wait to finally try this! Before throwing the bath fizzer into the water, you are supposed to think of a question that can be answered with yes or no. Then, as soon as it’s dissolved, the bath bomb will reveal the answer to said question. SO COOL! (and inspired by our favourite psychics from 300 Fox Way)
  • Crooked Kingdom bookmark by Evie Bookish – I shall read the series soon. The books are already on my shelf!
  • A passport to a new world – it’s a first look at the now already released, but at the time not yet released, novel Moon Chosen by P.C. Cast. Not only can you read an excerpt but there are also two images you can colour in. So, it’s double the fun.
  • Remade – have you ever read a serial novel? I sure haven’t, but Remade is Episode 1 of Season 1 of the Remade series. There are about 14 more episodes I think, however so far I have only found them as ebooks. I will see how desperate I am for answers after I’ve actually read it though.

FairyLoot

This was my first FairyLoot box and I was extremely excited to finally try another service other than OwlCrate (which I still love, but you know, variety is key). I can tell you right away, that you see with how much love and effort these boxes are created and I was not disappointed with what I got. Here’s the breakdown of the “Magic & Mayhem” box:

The Book

The September box featured Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter. From the theme and mention of Russian folklore, I was pretty sure that I knew which book we were getting and I am always happy when it turns out that I was right. The story includes the myth of Baba Yaga, which already has me very intrigued, however, I have a bit of a reading vs. writing struggle going on again, which is why I am not very far into the book.

There was also a letter and signed book plate from the author, which I really appreciated. Also, the book was in a cloth bag, which is so awesome! I never want my books to get hurt, you know? Another fun feature of Fairyloot is that you also get a hashtag and number, which only your personal buddy shares. Mine was #FairyLoot2007, but no one ever answered or I just didn’t find anyone with the same #, which is too bad really. I am just going to read it by myself now!

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The Goodies

The goodies all featured a very common theme, which was mostly related to Leigh Bardugo’s writing. In general, I like theme’s like that, but since I have read neither the Grisha books nor the Six of Crows duology, I felt like I couldn’t appreciate it as much as some people who are fans of the books might have. But I am getting ahead of myself, here are the goodies:

  • Grisha Notebook by Literary Emporium – a girl can never have enough notebooks!
  • Materialki candle from Castle of Fables – there were 3 different candles you could get, all representing one of the Grisha orders. I like the colour of mine, but I am afraid that’s it. The first time I smelt it, I thought it was fine, but then it made me quite nauseated and I just can’t stand it anymore. It’s too bad, because I usually like scented candles a lot.
  • Felix Felicis sticker by BookOtter – it’s cute and I will be forever scared of putting it on anything because I won’t want to waste my one chance.
  • Russian doll necklace by Pastel Cloud – by far my favourite item in the box! It’s so cutesy and adorable and pretty! (and one of the things you definitely cannot really see on the photo … sorry)
  • Shade of Magic badges by BookOtter – I love that series and instantly recognised the badges. They are awesome!
  • Grisha print by GoodNightKittens – as mentioned above. Pretty, but I just don’t have an attachment to the series yet.
  • Vassa bookmark by Behind the Pages – it’s a really beautiful bookmark, with actual sparkly stars. I love it!
  • Bonus: Six of Crows postcards!

So, that was it from my side. I did not order any boxes for October, so there won’t be any more unboxing posts soon. I did order the November box from OwlCrate though. I had to decide between OwlCrate and FairyLoot (the latter being already sold out by now), because I think they feature the same book. If you want to talk about my guess on the book, just ask in the comments. I just don’t want to spoil people who don’t want to know!

Have you ordered a book box lately? 

October 2016 TBR

Kat Impossible23 Comments

octtbr

I mostly stick to my TBRs when I can, but there are times when I simply do not know which books to choose, because I want to read EVERYTHING so bad. Since I am really terrible at making decisions, I am just going to list some books here that I want to read, but I have no idea if I will have the time with work and writing and researching to actually do so.

  • It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
    This month I am going to read it for real, together with my good friend Cátia.
  • Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter
    The book was featured in the September Fairyloot box and is a new take on Russian folklore. It includes the myth of Baba Yaga, so I am already immensely excited to read it.
  • Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
    This one will be in my OwlCrate box, which I know because I have no self restraint. NONE!
  • A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
    Ever since I’ve seen the cover, I’ve just been in love. I want to read this one so bad!
  • Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
    There is no way I would pass up an opportunity to read the sequel to one of my favourite reads from this year.
  • Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
    Time to jump on the bandwagon I guess? I haven’t even read the Grisha books, but I will try and see if I can do without them.
  • The Movie Version by Emma Wunsch
    I have not read the best of reviews for that one, so I am not very eager to read it. However, it’s an arc and I will get through it, hopefully before the release date … I will most likely be reading this with Cátia and Cristina as well.

As always, click on the covers to be redirected to Goodreads!

It Ends with Us   Vassa in the Night   Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1)   A Shadow Bright and Burning (Kingdom on Fire, #1)   Blood for Blood (Wolf By Wolf #2)   Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)   Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2)   

My month is packed with almost exclusively Fantasy and I am quite happy about that, since it’s one of my favourite genres ever! What are you reading this month?