Category Archives: TV

My Top 5 Episodes of Voyager Season Four

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 favorite episodes of Voyager Season Four

Season four, when Kes has departed and Seven comes on board. This is also the season of what I have long proclaimed to be the best episodes of Voyager, but stay tuned to see how my feelings have changed a little. Also, while the show is probably stronger this season than in the previous, thanks to DS9 really getting good I started losing interest and found less episodes from this season of Voyager standing out in my mind.

I will give an honorable mention to the episode “One,” for some nice Seven development. On with the top 5…

5. Nemesis

I’m not super crazy about everything in this episode, mostly how the dialect of the people carries over in a different way than it normally would with the universal translator, BUT the ending of the episode is one of those whoa moments, especially since I had completely forgotten the ending of this one. While many of the episodes from season four blur together in my mind, this one does stand out.

4. Waking Moments

I’m kind of a sucker for episodes involving dreams, and in this episode an alien species poses a great threat to Voyager through their nightmares.

3. Living Witness

This is definitely a very thought-provoking episode that makes you think of how we view history with our preconceived biases.

2. Year of Hell Parts One and Two

These used to be among my favorite episodes of all of Voyager, but aren’t even my favorite of the season this go-around. I think most of the tension was gone for me during this rewatch, and I didn’t remember the villain being the way he was, and I found him underwhelming this go-around. I think I was a little more engaged in part one, but by part two I was kind of over it. Of course, it probably didn’t help that there were several days between my viewing of part one and part two. Also, I think one of my favorite things about this episode this time was the friendship between Tuvok and Seven, which sadly we don’t get to see portrayed in quite the same light again.

1. The Killing Game Parts One and Two

Like how I’m a sucker for dream episodes, I’m also a sucker for anything where we see our crew (in any Trek series) in another time period. In this two-parter, most of the crew is forced into a WWII themed holosuite program by an alien species who thrives on hunting their enemies.

 What are your favorite episodes of Voyager season four?

My Top 5 Episodes of DS9 Season Six

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 favorite episodes of Deep Space Nine Season 6

I seriously can’t believe that my last Star Trek recap post was in October! Timeless, Agents of SHIELD, Designated Survivor, and basketball season seriously slowed my Trek viewing down! Also, stay tuned for my Voyager season four recap coming soon!

So things are getting really real in Season 6 of DS9, but there are still some dud episodes (most notably Profit and Lace… YIKES). But I feel pretty strongly that my top two episodes for this season though are among the best of the series, arguably of the entire franchise. So stinkin’ good. On with my top five…

5. Inquisition

I think I mostly like this episode because it sets up the future of Sloan-Bashir and Section 31, including an episode next season I really love, Extreme Measures. Every time I see William Sadler, I think of his role of Sloan first.

4. You Are Cordially Invited…

Before she can marry Worf, Jadzia has to prove herself worthy to become a member of the House of Martok. But the real gem of this episode is Bashir and O’Brien suffering through Worf’s “bachelor party.” My favorite thing is when Bashir has a “vision” that he’s going to kill Worf.

3. His Way

Odo and Kira… blah, blah, blah… That’s fine, but for me this episode is about Vic Fontaine! I love the introduction of James Darren’s character and look forward to more Vic moments in season 7!

2. Far Beyond the Stars

This episode has a little bit of everything… It’s fun to see our usual characters playing different roles. It speaks on the power of storytelling. And it has a powerful message about racism.

1. In the Pale Moonlight

This commentary on morality in war and those gray places we can find ourselves in make this one of the most compelling episodes of Star Trek ever.

What are your favorite episodes of Deep Space Nine, season 6?

Monthly Recap: February 2017

Books I Read

Take the Key and Lock Her Up (Embassy Row #3) by Ally Carter

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

I only got three reads in this month, but I had more lunches out of office or shortened lunches (which is when I do most of my reading) this month than usual, plus Carve the Mark took me some time to read.

Book Acquisition

My sweet husband got me the perfect Valentine’s Day gift: an illustrated copy of Chamber of Secrets! I actually don’t have the illustrated Sorcerer’s Stone yet, but he knew I was rereading the books this year and have only reread the first so far, so he wanted to get me this second book before I started rereading it.

TV Shows

Timeless had their season finale and I HOPE it’s not a series finale! While they mostly wrapped up the series arc, they opened up two new cans of worms! I really want to see what’s ahead! Agents of SHIELD also had a big episode before they go on hiatus for about a month or so, and WHOA. Any time I start to lose interest in the show they always hook me again, and I am definitely really interested in seeing what happens next!

#Bookstagram Images of the Month

The weather has been mostly mild here this month (YAY) but the grass is also dead, so I’ve been taking lots of Bookstagram pics in the pine needles in our backyard. You do what you can.

Looking Forward to March

A YA book festival, college basketball championships (*fingers crossed for Middle Tennessee*), and getting a new washer and dryer… yep. #adulting

Potential March TBR:

Star Wars: Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno

Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories #2) by Mary Robinette Kowal

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (reread)

What was noteworthy for you in February? 

2016 Faves + End of Year Book Survey

2016 highlights…

Books: See my top 10 books of 2016 here, and see below for my answers to Jamie’s End of Year Book Survey

Book Signings: SE YA Fest (feat. several authors!)Rick Yancey, and Leigh Bardugo

Movies: Doctor Strange and Rogue One (see more about that here)

TV Shows: Timeless and Designated Survivor (LOVE the characters on Timeless and I’m just awed by Designated Survivor every week.)

Music: My two favorite bands, Switchfoot and Needtobreathe, both released new albums this year and both came to Nashville. I loved it all but I spent the last couple months of 2016 specifically really into Needtobreathe’s song “Clear.”

Life Highlights: Built and moved into our new home. Celebrated 7 years of marriage/12 years together with my husband. Traveled to Hilton Head, SC and Asheville, NC. Turned 30.

The Biltmore library decked out for Christmas was STUNNING.

Thanks to Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner for sharing this with us every year. I did skip some questions but wanted to go ahead and answer most of them…

Number Of Books You Read: 45 total, 43 new-to-me

Number of Re-Reads: 2

Genre You Read The Most From: YA

Best Book You Read In 2016? Anne of The Island by L.M. Montgomery

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? I reread The Start of Me and You after reading it last year and I loved it just as much and still push it on everyone, and had at least one or two read it based on my rec!

Best series you started in 2016? The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Best Sequel of 2016? The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (I will not accept that this is the end!) Best Series Ender of 2016? Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Favorite new author you discovered in 2016? Ruta Septys

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? Looking for Lovely by Annie F. Downs

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016? When We Collided by Emery Lord (Salt to the Sea is a very close second)

Most memorable character of 2016? Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe (don’t make me choose between them)

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016? Salt to the Sea

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? Anne of Green Gables!

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016? Shortest: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them//Longest: Illuminae

Book That Shocked You The Most: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Oh my goodness.

OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) Gilbert and Anne!!!!

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year: Joel and Melody in The Rithmatist//Edward and Jane in My Lady Jane

Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously: The Fixer and The Long Game, both by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure: The Anne of Green Gables books

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?  I don’t really do fictional crushes because I am a happily married woman but let’s be real: it’s Gilbert Blythe.

Best 2016 debut you read? I only read one so… Love, Lies, and Spies it is!

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? My Lady Jane!!!

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016? Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray, both by Ruta Septys

Hidden Gem Of The Year? Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Book That Crushed Your Soul? Between Shades of Gray, Salt to the Sea, Nora & Kettle

Most Unique Book You Read In 2016? The Archived and The Unbound, both by Victoria Schwab

2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? Caraval by Stephanie Garber!

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017? I would like to build my blogging base back up a little bit, but much more importantly is what I want to accomplish as a writer, in that I want to find an agent in 2017. If I can’t do that, I hope to have my current WIP in the best shape I know how to and complete a new draft for a new story. As far as reading goes, I just want to read more books that I truly enjoy.

Were any of your favorites from 2016 the same as mine?

My Top 5 Episodes of DS9 Season Five & Voyager Season Three

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 favorite episodes of Deep Space Nine Season 5 and Voyager Season 3

Deep Space Nine, Season Five

5. In The Cards

ds9-5-inthecards

This is a fun episode before everything goes to heck, where Nog and Jake do favors for members of the station’s crew in exchange for something that will help them obtain a rare baseball card for Captain Sisko.

3-4. In Purgatory’s Shadow and By Inferno’s Light

ds9-5-purgatoryshadow

In this epically named two-parter, we find out Bashir has been swapped for a Changeling, who Garak’s father is, and just how tough of a warrior Worf is.

2. Dr. Bashir, I Presume?

ds9-5-drbashiripresume

I was a big Bashir fan from the moment I first saw him in TNG, and it makes me sad that Alexander Siddig doesn’t like this episode and the direction it took his character. While I enjoyed the overly enthusiastic, young doctor, I feel this episode really makes his character richer and more complex.

1. Trials and Tribble-ations

ds9-5-trialsandtribbleations

There’s just no contest. Everything about this homage is pure perfection. I could fangirl over it all day.

Voyager Season Three

5. Worst Case Scenario

voy3-worstcasescenario

This is a fun one where we get to see how the Voyager crew would have responded to a Maquis coup on board the ship.

3-4. Future’s End, Parts One and Two

voy3-futuresend

I mean, what’s not to love about Voyager traveling back in time to 1996 and Tuvok’s do-rag?

2. Blood Fever

voy3-bloodfever

This one definitely has awkward moments but the relationship development that takes place is everything.

1. Before and After

voy3-beforeandafter

Something about this episode just sticks with me. It’s an interesting look at alternate timelines and seeing Kes’ life play out completely differently.

What are your favorite episodes from these shows’ seasons?