My Top 5 Episodes of Voyager Season Seven

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As my husband and I are going through our second full watch of Star Trek as a couple, I thought it would be fun to report on the highlights along the way. So I decided to copy the same format as Charlene. See her top episodes of Voyager season seven. (Spoiler alert: I think this is the first time we’ve had zero episodes in common for our lists! It goes to show though that season seven was pretty solid.)

And the Voyager rewatch is a wrap! My husband said something interesting about Voyager, that it’s the most even-keeled of the series. The others have extreme highs and extreme lows, so Voyager doesn’t stand out as much to me. But I do like the characters and their arcs, and that’s what matters most to me at the end of the day.

First, honorable mention goes to Repentance and Lineage. The latter struck me in a new way to me this time and made me appreciate it more than I had before. Now for the Top 5…

5. Critical Care

This is a good, standard Star Trek episode that acts as a commentary for human ethics, more specifically where health care is concerned.

4. Imperfection

Icheb takes a risk in order to save Seven, and I just love the portrayal of their relationship in this episode. Icheb has become a productive member of the crew and a mature young man, and it’s heartwarming see how he cares for his surrogate mother.

3. Body and Soul

This one is just plain funny. The doctor is forced to inhabit Seven’s body in order to hide from a group of aliens looking to destroy holographic beings. Let’s just say Jeri Ryan did amazing work on this episode playing The Doctor in Seven’s body.

2. Shattered

Voyager is caught in a temporal rift, and Chakotay must find a way to get the crew of Voyager set in various time periods to help him solve the problem.

1. Human Error

Seven is finally exploring her humanity more as she starts using a holodeck program to help her gain new social skills. Fantasy has a way of interfering with her real life, a theme I almost always enjoy exploring.

What are your favorite episodes of Voyager season seven?

Monthly Recap: December

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My slacker self is finally getting around to my last monthly recap for 2017! I have to be honest, December was a bit of a blur, as the Christmas season tends to be. So this recap will be pretty brief.

Books I Read

What Light by Jay Asher

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (reread)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (reread)

I Am Pusheen the Cat by Claire Belton

#bookstagram Images of the Month


Watched

Some Christmas movies, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (I shared my brief thoughts here), and we finished up our rewatch of Star Trek Voyager (top episodes posts coming soon) and started Enterprise.

Looking Forward to in 2018

A fresh start! Some things I’ve got planned: a concert in April in nearby Chattanooga, vacation to Florida in May… That’s all for now. And March Madness will be here before you know it and I’m hoping for another appearance and stellar performance by my Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders! Fingers crossed!

What was your favorite memory of 2017? Mine is visiting Savannah in September. 

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2018

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As I do each year, I decided to share the top several movies I am anticipating the release of this year! Unlike usual, I decided to discuss them in the order they are set to release in the US rather than in order of most interested.

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2018

Black Panther

I’m excited to get a Marvel movie so early in the year! I thought Black Panther was interesting in Civil War and I’m glad to see him further developed in his own movie. I’m also interested in seeing how Martin Freeman’s character’s role will play into the story.

Avengers: Infinity War

ALL THE YES. The trailer got me pretty stoked to see how everything in the MCU is going to come together.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

I’m really hoping this lives up to all the amazing potential it has.

Ocean’s 8

I really enjoy the other Ocean’s movies and this one looks just as good!

Incredibles 2

I really enjoyed the first Incredibles, so yes, I’ll check out the sequel.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

The more Marvel movies I watch, the more I think Ant-Man might be one of my faves of the franchise. I know it’s not the best, but it is so stinking fun and I love the characters. I’m looking forward to more.

M:I 6

I’m a huge fan of M:I 4 and really enjoyed M:I 5 too. I’m sad Jeremy Renner isn’t joining in this time, but I’m still looking forward to another installment.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Jude Law as young Dumbledore = brilliant casting move.

Ashes in the Snow

I almost forgot this one and I don’t see a date for US release other than 2018, but this is the movie adaptation of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys, which I LOVED. (I think it’s pretty obvious why they went with a title change for the movie…) I definitely want to catch this one when it comes out.

Honorable Mentions/Maybes:

The Commuter

I’m sure this will be like every other Liam Nesson action movie, but I’m sort of intrigued.

A Wrinkle in Time

Even though the book made my top 10 of 2017, I’m not 100% sold on the movie yet. I think I’ll wait to see what others think.

Ready Player One

I was very excited when I heard Steven Speilberg was adapting this fun book to film, but the previews don’t feel like the book to me at all. I’ll wait and see what people say about this one too.

The Jungle Book 

This is more of a “probably” because I love Christian Bale and Benedict Cumberbatch, but I was never interested in the other recently released Jungle Book movie, so we’ll see if this one sparks my interest any more.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Again, I’m mostly interested in this one for the talent involved: Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Macfayden… but the trailer piqued my interest too. I love stories about getting lost in another world, so I’ll be curious to hear if the reviews for this one are good.

Mary Poppins Returns

The idea of Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins intrigues me… we’ll see.

And the 2017 Movies I Want to Catch this Year…

Darkest Hour

The first I heard of this movie was January 1 of this year, when a friend told me about a good movie she watched where Gary Oldman portrayed Winston Churchill. Then, I saw a trailer playing for the movie, and even though the TV was far enough away for me to barely see or hardly hear, I was intrigued. And then I learn the director is Joe Wright, the director of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, so sign me up, please!

The Greatest Showman

I’ve only heard positive things about this movie and it does look like fun.

Which movies are you anticipating to see in 2018?

My Ranking of 2017 Movies

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I saw nine 2017 films this year, including all seven of my most anticipated. Below is my ranking of what I saw.

9. The Space Between Us

I wanted to love this movie so much more than I did. It was OK, just not quite as great as I hoped.

8. All Saints (tie)

This movie was filmed locally and my father-in-law was an extra, so I was honestly expecting this to feel like a budget film, but it didn’t. It’s well-done and the story (which is true!) is great. I technically rated this one a little lower than the next film, but my feelings for this one are a little more fond several months later than my next pick…

8. Dunkirk (tie)

Oh Dunkirk. The movie everyone loved expect me, my husband, and about three other people. I LOVE Christopher Nolan. Two of his films are in my top four favorite films of all time list. This movie was so hard to watch; it was very realistic, for starters. But the lack of dialogue KILLED ME. I could not connect to anyone and it was hard to understand a lot of the plot. I’m sure this was a theatrical masterpiece and I am just an uncultured swine who didn’t get it. I want to rewatch it though to see if I can connect with it any better the next time, but I still don’t think it’s ever going to make my list of Nolan favorites.

6. Wonder Woman

While everyone was raving about this one, I was trying to stay strong on my anti-DC stance (based 100% on Batfleck, because see above love for Christopher Nolan). But I did finally catch it on Redbox and thought it was solid. Not the most amazing superhero movie ever made and the way it all resolved was eye-roll-inducing, but I absolutely loved Diana’s character, how she was fierce and strong but feminine and incredibly kind. More characters like her, please.

5. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

I have some issues with this movie in terms of how it chooses to continue the storyline, but I enjoyed it overall. I’ll be curious to see how this movie and The Force Awakens are reconciled in the third installment. Also, while I liked Rey in The Force Awakens, this movie gave me a deeper appreciation for her.

4. Thor: Ragnarock

This movie was a lot of fun… but there was also some really heavy stuff that almost feels glossed over, which is a shame.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

My initial thoughts were that I enjoyed this one more than the first… I’ll have to see if I still stand by that upon a rewatch. But it was fun and I enjoyed the theme of found family. Also, BABY GROOT.

2. Spider-Man: Homecoming

I sound like a broken record with these Marvel movies, but this one is just so much FUN. I love all the high school stuff, how Peter’s character develops, and the fresh feel on a tale we’ve heard a million times before.

1. Beauty and the Beast

We all know there are a couple weird things with this story, but this movie was nothing short of magical. The costumes, the music, the acting… all spot on! Emma Watson was fantastic and Luke Evans as Gaston was perfect. I’ve always loved the animated film, but dare I say it, I love this one even more.

Bonus: My Top 3 Favorite Backlist Films of the Year

I didn’t see a lot of new-to-me-films from previous years, but out of those I did see there were three stand-outs. In no particular order:

1. We Bought A Zoo (2011)

I didn’t love Elizabethton by the same director, so I was slightly wary, but the premise looked really cute. While this film didn’t become a new favorite, I really enjoyed it and some of it resonated with me.

2. Arrival (2016)

This film was intense and surprising. It’s not the sort of movie I want to watch over and over again, but it was incredibly thought-provoking in the way that the best sci-fi is. I really want to read the story it’s based off of now.

3. Sing (2016)

My husband and I randomly watched this one night while on vacation and I honestly was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It was cute but also had depth, and I would definitely recommend it!

What were your favorite films of 2017?

My Top 10 Books of 2017

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I have to admit that 2017 was not my favorite reading year with only two true five-star reads that still don’t quite live up to last year’s five-star reads. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed all 10 of these books very much (all but one are at least 4.5 stars for me), and I enjoyed other books that didn’t make the list, but it was just not a WOW year for books. Of course, last year was the Anne of Green Gables year so of course it rocked. But here are my top 10 books of the year…

10. A Wrinkle in Time

This was my first time to read this classic and I can see why it’s endured. While I didn’t get around to read the second book in 2017, I would like to in 2018. I found the resolution a little predictable, but it was probably not as much of a trope back then as it is now.

9. Rose Under Fire

This book was a tough read but so, so good. It took me a while to get into Code Name Verity but I ultimately appreciated what it did, but I felt like I connected with Rose Under Fire pretty quickly. Would recommend for anyone looking for a compelling WWII story.

8. Take A Bow

Take a Bow follows four students at a performing arts school, and the storyline of two of the four I really adored. Another one I liked and the other was awful, though that was the point, but it did hinder the book from being 5 stars.

7. Love & Gelato

This book was just a lot of fun! Italy! Gelato! Cute romance! Yes, please!

6. All In

While I did really enjoy the conclusion to the Naturals series, it didn’t quite make my Top 10 and it didn’t pack quite as much punch for me as the third book, All In. Just holy cow, JLB.

5. Anne’s House of Dreams

This book was incredibly sweet as we see Anne settle into married life (though I would have liked more Gilbert!). There was also a really sad storyline that took me by surprise, but it was beautifully handled by Montgomery as Anne continues to learn and grow through grief.

4. Shades of Milk and Honey

I devoured this book filled with Jane Austen-esque society, magic, intrigue, and romance.

3. A Dash of DragonOnce upon a time, the authors of this middle grade gem were book bloggers, who occasionally talked about their writing of this book. I was thrilled when I heard it sold and was happy to buy it once released, even if I’m not usually one to read middle grade. This book is just so much fun (though it does have some moments that get a little scary for the main character too)! I’m so excited for the sequel coming out next year!

2. Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

I’ve been a fan of Jon Acuff’s books for a while, and his latest is no exception. He explains the secret rules and lies we feel bound by that prevent us from finishing our goals. This would be a great read for anyone wanting to knock out some things in the new year!

1. Better Off Friends

I became an Elizabeth Eulberg fan this year through Better Off Friends. It’s hard for me to find contemporaries that I really connect with, but I have a lot of love for this one. I still don’t love it quite as much as The Start of Me and You, but I think it will remain a favorite YA contemporary for me for a while.

Faves by genre: 5 YA (1 historical, 3 contemporary, 1 thriller), 2 classic/classic children’s, 1 adult, 1 middle-grade, and 1 non-fiction.

What were your favorite reads of 2017?

 

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