***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: playlist

So, we spend a lot of time here on the blog talking about books, reviewing books, waiting on books, getting books...you get the picture. But reading isn't all we do. So, I thought I'd showcase some of my other interests -- namely TV, movies, and music -- and what's been playing in my house this month.

I had some health issues recently that left me in pain and rather lethargic, so I spent a good deal of time on the couch. It's summer, though, and all of my shows are on hiatus and I'm all caught up, so I resorted to Netflix and discovered a couple of gems. I'm pretty sure I'm, like, the last person to discover these, but whatevs.

Daredevil starring Charlie Cox

First of all, YUM. So much better than Ben Affleck, IMO. Also, this satisfies my longing for more superheroes until the next Marvel movie. Or at least until I finish this season on Netflix. :(

My husband wasn't terribly impressed by the first episode and so he hasn't continued watching with me. His loss. My 7yo daughter thought it a bit too violent and has also ceased watching. But I told her she wasn't supposed to be watching with me, anyway. It's summer. She should be playing outside, lol. But this Daredevil reboot is just right for this mama bear. :D

A shirtless and ab-rific Charlie Cox will make any girl feel better. =)

The 100 starring Eliza Taylor

I'll be honest. I was not at all interested in reading the book this was adapted from when it released. And so I dismissed the show without another thought when I saw promotion for it. And then everyone and their mama was raving about it, declaring their ships and what-not, and I couldn't go a day without seeing it mentioned on Twitter. So, I caved. And I'm soooo glad I finally gave in. I'm not very far into it, but I'm already invested. This show and I are going to have a very unhealthy relationship before you know it.

Anything else on Netflix that I've obviously been missing but need in my life, like yesterday? Always up for recs!

So, I couldn't make myself spend the money to see Vampire Academy at the theater after all of the terrible things I'd read about it. Even if it was from the genius behind Mean Girls. And even if I ~~was~~ am a huge fan of the books. I even re-read the series in anticipation of the movie. But it was on one of the movie channels the other day when I was couch-bound, so I decided to give my curiosity a break and let it play.

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good. It's just disappointing because it could have been SO good. The snark, the vampire-slaying, the banter...were just all so disappointing. The oomph that the book had was just missing completely.

It came on again last night, and I decided to take a nap rather than watch it again.

*****

I've listened to the audiobook version of The DUFF several times. It's probably my favorite of Keplinger's. I even listened again right before watching this. I'd heard the movie was very different from the book, and I wanted to see just how different.

Not the same story at all, really. The characters' names remained and the DUFF premise was the same, but everything else, I mean everything, was changed. But it still ended up being a really cute movie with a pretty positive message.

I watched it at my place while my sis watched it at hers and we texted back and forth in monster voice, which made it all the more funny. And then you have Robbie Amell's abs. Definitely a plus. But poor Toby Tucker, turned into such a douche-nozzle for the sake of comedy.

I would definitely watch this one again when I need a laugh.

I'm also looking forward to watching The Seventh Son (Ben Barnes, YUM) and taking the little one to see The Minions movie soon. =) Those little guys are just too cute.

I'm a mood listener, and lately, I've been in a very chill listening mood, preferring no lyrics and pretty melodies. This is especially the type of music I listen to while reading. My husband thinks it's crazy that I can listen to music at all while reading...he thinks it would be too distracting. Pfft.

My latest discovery is The Answer Team, which isn't new by any means, but I still love it:

Free Electronic Press Kits template from ReverbNation.com

But I don't want you to get the idea that my butt is always parked on the couch. =) Besides finishing up Daredevil and The 100 on Netflix, we've got plans to blow some stuff up for the 4th of July and more plans to get our butts in some water, a la Schlitterbahn and maybe Hamilton Pool. (So pretty!) Once I'm all rested up, I see some hiking in my future, as well. Assuming the 100 degree days hold off for a bit. o_O

Hope you're all enjoying your summers and that you've got lots of great things to read, watch, and listen to!

Labels: discussion, movies, music, Netflix, playlist, summer, the 100, tv

You guys! I am soooo unbelievably excited to be a part of The Unbound Blog Tour...you have no idea! I loved The Archived, but to say the same about The Unbound would be an understatement. The Unbound was an awesomely mind-blowing sequel, and it left me craving more from this world and more of these characters. Please give us more, Victoria!!!

Okay, now that my plea is out there, here's what Victoria has for us today on my stop of The Unbound Blog Tour:

THE UNBOUND Playlist

"The Wolf" by Fever Ray

"I Don't Care" by Fall Out Boy

"Such Great Heights" by Iron and Wine

"Capsize" by Karen O and the Kids

"Make This Go on Forever" by Snow Patrol

"Papercut" by Linkin Park

"Empty" by Ray LaMontagne

"A Sight to Behold" by Eisley

Ahhh! I can't wait to listen to all these tracks while re-reading so I can decipher their significance...in some cases, anyway. In others, it's glaringly obvious. =) I can't wait for you all to read this and experience the gut-wrenching, heart-stopping exhilaration for yourselves! And if you haven't read The Archived yet, get on that...you're seriously missing out.

Here's a bit more about the book:

Title: The Unbound
Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: The Archived, book #2
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Last summer, Mackenzie Bishop, a Keeper tasked with stopping violent Histories from escaping the Archive, almost lost her life to one. Now, as she starts her junior year at Hyde School, she's struggling to get her life back. But moving on isn't easy -- not when her dreams are haunted by what happened. She knows the past is past, knows it cannot hurt her, but it feels so real, and when her nightmares begin to creep into her waking hours, she starts to wonder if she's really safe.

Meanwhile, people are vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they seem to have in common is Mackenzie. She's sure the Archive knows more than they are letting on, but before she can prove it, she becomes the prime suspect. And unless Mac can track down the real culprit, she'll lose everything, not only her role as Keeper, but her memories, and even her life. Can Mackenzie untangle the mystery before she herself unravels?

With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Unbound delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin.

About the author:

Victoria is the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, she has been known to say "tom-ah-toes," "like," and "y'all." She also tells stories. She loves fairy tales, and folklore, and stories that make her wonder if the world is really as it seems.

Find Victoria:

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