Tag: TV | Amy C. Shaw

2016 Faves + End of Year Book Survey

January 7, 2017 • 4 Comments

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

October 7, 2016 • 4 Comments

Deep Space Nine, Season Five

5. In The Cards

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

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?

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

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

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

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

2. Blood Fever

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

1. Before and After

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?

Star Trek TNG Season 3: My Top 5 Fave Episodes

March 20, 2015 • 16 Comments

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 at Bookish Whimsy, who is going through her first-ever run of Star Trek and sharing her favorite episodes for each season. To compare, see her top 5 favorite episodes of season two of The Next Generation.

Season three is definitely when TNG picks up, and I had a harder time narrowing my selection because of good options this time! I also wanted to be sure to mention an honorable mention, The Ensigns of Command, since I did have a hard time choosing it or my #5 choice.

5. The Defector

This was one of those episodes that left me feeling kind of depressed in the end, but it was pretty poignant. It reminds me a bit of the DS9 episode “Duet.” I really don’t want to say too much to spoil the episode for those who have not seen it, but there are some interesting twists in it.

4. Sins of the Father

I’m not a big fan of Klingon episodes, so I was surprised how much I liked this one. I have a feeling I got much more out of it this time around than I probably did the first time, simply because now I’m familiar with Worf’s journey, and his family is a big part of that journey (and I don’t just mean blood family). I also love what Picard does for Worf in this episode.

3. The Hunted

I have a definite love for the psychological episodes of Star Trek, and this one explores the fascinating psychological idea of engineering a group of people a certain way, in this case, to be soldiers.

2. Yesterday’s Enterprise

First off, from a purely productional standpoint, I love the dark lighting of the other timeline’s Enterprise. Second, we see another version of Tasha who is just so much more awesome for some reason. And third, there’s just something about this story, that I can’t really explain, that is just plain great. It’s a fan favorite so clearly I’m not alone.

1. The Best of Both Worlds

Just as a note, this is a wicked cliffhanger two-parter that comprises the season three finale and the first episode of season four. For the sake of simplicity, I am including both parts in my season three recap (though Charlene waited until season 4). I mean, I don’t know what to say about this episode other than the first time I watched it I was just FLOORED. It was the first really huge risk I feel they took in Star Trek and it worked really well. This time around, instead of watching parts one and two in the same fashion they were originally aired, we watched the enhanced Blu-Ray that edits the episodes together as one seamless film. Even when you know the outcome, you still feel the tension in these episodes. It’s one of the best stories of The Next Generation, period.

What are your favorite episodes of The Next Generation, season 3?

My Top 10 (Er, Or So) Movie/TV Heroines (& Maybe Books Too…)

February 24, 2015 • 22 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books, but I did this topic just barely over a year ago for a TTT Rewind, so I thought I would focus on my favorite heroines that I know exclusively from movies and TV. And I got carried away. Ahem.

This week’s list is in no particular order…

1. Peggy Carter from Captain America/Agent Carter

What an amazing coincidence that today is the day of the Agent Carter TV season finale! If you’ve read this blog for a while you know I love me some Peggy Carter. I think she is awesome in basically every way.

2. Jemma Simmons from Agents of SHIELD

You know who is also a big fangirl of Peggy Carter? Jemma Simmons from Agents of SHIELD! Jemma might not have the ability to kick butt the way Peggy does, but she’s incredibly gifted in science and uses her abilities to fight for what’s right.

3. Lady Sif from Thor

And one more from the Marvel universe! Lady Sif is basically like Peggy Carter from another realm. She is also way more awesome than Jane Foster, who I don’t dislike, but she’s not Sif.

4. Kate Beckett from Castle

I’ve been watching Castle since day one, and I’ve always liked Beckett, but I think I’ve come to really like her more and more these past two or three seasons. I’ve definitely enjoyed watching her character grow.

5. Olivia Dunham from Fringe

Speaking of character development, there’s also quite a bit for Olivia Dunham in Fringe! Some of you were here for my Fringe journey back in 2013, and you saw just how crazy hooked I got on the show. That passion has definitely died down now, but I still have a lot of love for Olivia.

6. Dax from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Now that Charlene has finished DS9 (sorry for anyone else who hasn’t but might one day) I can safely say Jadzia AND Ezri Dax! This might be a cheat, because they are two different people, but oh well, too bad. They are different but I love them both. Jadzia is so spunky and smart, and Ezri I can just completely relate to.

7. Princess Leia from Star Wars

I mean, she’s a princess who can shoot and fight for the cause. She’s pretty awesome.

8. Kaylee from Firefly

I love Kaylee. She’s sweet and fun and loyal and good at what she does.

9. and 10. Susan Ivanova and Delenn from Babylon 5

I debated with myself for a while about whether or not to include these two before I finally decided to. I feel quite separated from the show these days, even though I only saw it 2-3 years ago, I think because it doesn’t have the community like Star Trek; and also unlike Star Trek and Fringe, I didn’t find any Babylon 5 podcasts to enrich my experience. But when I think back to the show, and these two women, I’m just blown away all over again. Both of these women exhibit strength in different ways and they go through such interesting arcs. I’ll say it again: if you are a fan of science fiction, you should really watch this show (just look past the production value, they were on a budget).

BONUS Runner-Ups: Deanna Troi from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Molly Mahoney from Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.

AND BECAUSE I CAN’T STOP…

BONUS #2: My Top 6 Fave Heroines from Books That I’ve Read Since Last Year!

(1) Hermione from Harry Potter, (2) Vin from Mistborn, (3) Cress from The Lunar Chronicles, (4) Seraphina from Seraphina, (5)Alina from The Grisha Trilogy, and (6) Deryn from The Leviathan Trilogy

OK I AM DONE NOW.

Who are your favorite heroines from books/TV/movies?

My Top 5 Favorite TV Shows & Top 5 Favorite Movies

July 15, 2014 • 45 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is Top Ten Favorite Movies or TV Shows, so I decided to do my Top 5 of each. These are kind of in order, starting with my absolute favorite, though sometimes the numbers can be shuffled a little bit depending on my mood!

My Top 5 Favorite TV Shows

1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

When I first started watching Deep Space Nine, I had just come off of the best of times for The Next Generation, and starting all over again with a new Star Trek series definitely had its growing pains. But THEN… the multiple episode story arcs, the obstacles the characters had to overcome, how dark the overall tone of the show became and yet how it actually thrived in humor as well (minus those Ferengi episodes… but no show is perfect…)… simply put, I fell in love with it. The characters, their struggles and stories, the station… and then the ending was satisfying and yet left me wanting more. Just thinking about it makes me want to binge it watch it all NOW.

2. Babylon 5

Simply put, Babylon 5 blew me away and I was not expecting it. There are many similarities between it and Deep Space Nine, yet the production budget was clearly lower. But the characters, their story arcs, the overall story arc for the show… while Deep Space Nine did an extraordinary job in very similar ways, in some ways, Babylon 5 honestly outshines it (until its last season… but we won’t talk about that…). The writer/creator of the show actually had the story planned out in advance, as well as contingencies for characters leaving the show, and the thoughtfulness of it really shows (again, until… well, you know…). If you love science fiction or simply amazing storytelling, give this one a chance. (And it’s not too similar to DS9, I promise.)

3. Star Trek: Enterprise

Enterprise doesn’t get a ton of love from the Star Trek community, and it’s too bad. I can understand in some ways… the first season had more misses than hits, some of the characters had vanilla personalities and static arcs, and it didn’t move forward with the Trek timeline. But seasons three and four (er… minus the-finale-that-shall-not-be-named) were so strong. The show got Deep Space Nine level dark and heavy fast and I ate it all up. I also enjoyed seeing the rough stuff that had to happen before Star Fleet could become what it did.

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation

The Next Generation was seven years of hits and misses and everything in-between, but I have got to say, there is something about this particular group of characters that will stay with you always. Apparently the cast all got along really well in real life (and still do when they’re together for conventions!) and I think that helps their dynamics. Plus, there are some really fabulous episodes of Star Trek in the show that explore humanity, love, and make you think a lot.

5. Fringe

If you have read my blog for a while, then you were probably here for my journey through watching Fringe seasons 1-5 (you can read my general recap for the show here). It had some low points, but overall it was really strong and intriguing, and I don’t think I ever felt so deeply invested in a show before. I was listening to episode recap podcasts (The Fringe Podcast by Golden Spiral Media, in case you’re curious) nearly every day, my husband and I were deciphering the glyphs given between the commercial breaks of each episode with the glyph app, we would exchange theories at the dinner table, and simply put I was completely into it. I loved the main characters so much and the storylines were just so interesting.

My Top 5 Favorite Movies

1. Inception

Inception is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite movie. Every time I watch it I have new questions, feel so wrapped up in Cobb’s mind, and am amazed by how these complex strands are tied together at the end. It blows me away every single time and I feel like it is the standard for its genre of film (however you would even classify it, because I sure don’t know). It challenges my view of the world and inspires me to create. Simply put, I love it.

2. Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice (2005) was my very first exposure to Jane Austen, and how thankful I am to have discovered it. The film is beautiful visually, and watching Matthew Macfayden and Keira Knightley as Darcy and Elizabeth is just perfection to me. It gets to me every time. I used to watch this movie so much I almost got tired of it for a while, but after a break I am back to loving it just as much as I did before.

3. While You Were Sleeping

While You Were Sleeping may be a 90’s rom-com, but I have loved this movie for well over a decade now, and it will always be near and dear to my heart. I actually don’t care for most romantic comedies, but While You Were Sleeping feels pitch-perfect to me every time. It’s witty, charming, and interesting, and even if the look is aged, the story doesn’t feel aged. I will always adore it.

4. The Dark Knight

I love what Nolan did with Batman, and the second film in his Dark Knight trilogy was, in my opinion, the strongest and most intriguing. When I watched The Dark Knight for the first time I was in college and minoring in psychology, and I was so blown away by how much a superhero story captured the psyche of mankind. Every time I see it I am struck by how dark, challenging, and bone-chilling it is. And Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker? Quite possibly the best villain to grace the big screen EVER.

5. The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of The Opera was the first musical I truly came to love. I think it is a gorgeous movie and I love the music and the story. Every time I watch it or listen to the soundtrack I get caught up in it all over again.

What are your favorite TV shows and movies? Let me know if you’re a fan of any of my favorites!

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