Reader Rayna

Month: May 2015

  • Shadowhunters Casting: Thoughts So Far

    If you haven’t heard, The Mortal Instruments is getting a remake after the movie flopped horribly in 2013. Now, it’s being turned into a TV show to be played on ABC Family starting in 2016.

    Okay, so I didn’t see the movie because I heard from people I trust that it sucked and was full of cheese. So… I can’t really base anything off of that, BUT I can talk about the casting decisions being made so far!

    I love The Mortal Instruments, and the fact that the show is being called Shadowhunters makes me wonder if they’ll include The Infernal Devices somewhere in there, too, as backstory? That would be awesome.

    Alright, so let me talk about the casting so far:

    Jace Wayland

    • He is being played by Dominic Sherwood, who also starred as Christian in the book-to-movie adaptation of The Vampire Academy (which also flopped). But he also starred in Taylor Swift’s music video for Style and oh my lanta, he is an attractive man (those eyes!). Now, I don’t know his acting skills apart from his music video acting skills, but I’m going to assume that he’ll be good. He looks like he can play Jace with the sexy indifference and the snarky attitude, so I’m hoping that he’ll be a good Jace.

    Isabelle Lightwood

    • Izzy is being played by Emeraude Toubia. Wow, is she gorgeous. And she looks a lot like how I envisioned Isabelle to be. Now I don’t know anything about what else she’s played in, but it looks like some Spanish movies, so I’m not sure how she’ll portray Izzy. I think she looks the part, for sure, and she was obviously good enough to have been cast in this role, so I hope that she does Izzy justice as a badass female Shadowhunter.

    Simon Lewis

    • Simon is being played by Alberto Rosende. He has the most adorable smile! And with glasses, he looks like the perfect Simon. He played a part in the show Blue Bloods, a show about NY cops, and he was in a movie short, but again he’s a person who doesn’t seem to have much acting experience behind him. So far all of the people who have been cast seem to be that way, but they’re all gorgeous people. I do think he’ll do a good job, though, and I can’t wait to see him play our nerdy Simon.

    thmicasting

    So far only these three have been cast. It’s actually really exciting to see who is going to be cast for what part (diversity for the win!). I’m excited for this show and I sincerely hope that the pilot will do an excellent job at portraying the books much more than the movie.

    I am worried, though, since the actors don’t have a lot under their belt, BUT it’s also a great opportunity for them to show the world how they act (literally) and how they’ll portray these characters that we love.

    Honestly, they look the part, but can they play it? I guess we’ll find out next year, huh?

    Other major characters who we’re waiting to hear cast are:

    • CLARY, the main freaking heroine.
    • Valentine, the main villain.
    • Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn (and best character ever).
    • Jocelyn Fray, Clary’s mom.
    • Alec Lightwood, Izzy’s brother and best friend to Jace.
    • Luke Garroway, Clary’s “uncle” and resident werewolf.
    • Church, the cat. (just kidding, but they better get a gray persian cat to play him)

    I think that’s it… Anyway, I can’t wait to hear the rest of the casting, and I’m especially anxious to hear who Clary will be.

    What are your thoughts on the casting so far? Are you excited to see who’s playing Jace, Simon, and Isabelle so far? Who are you most excited to see cast next? Let me know!

  • Rayna Recommends: Romance

    Hey everyone! So, I planned on doing this last month, but never got to it, so I’m going to start doing it this month! What is “this” that I’m talking about? It’s called Rayna Recommends.

    On the first Saturday of every month I plan on doing a recommendation post where I will list five to ten books, movies, and/or TV shows that feature a certain genre or theme that I think other people might enjoy and should check out. Sounds cool, right?

    Okay, so this month’s topic is…. romance! I love love. Like seriously, if it’s not in a novel or movie or show somewhere, I feel a pang of sadness within me. (I mean, I’m totally fine about it if there’s no obvious tension between characters that can lead to it at some point…)

    So, without further ado, here are some of my top picks where romance is a big element:

    Books

    • “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. Guys. I mean, I’ve already read and reviewed this book, and it’s become one of my favorites really fast. Not only is there romance in it in multiple ways, but it’s a diverse read (gay teens), it made me laugh out loud (literally) so many times, and it’s just a fun read that I think everyone can enjoy.
    • “The Kiss of Deception” by Mary E. Pearson. I loved this book (which I listened to via Audible & I reviewed it). It had romance in it – a good love triangle, if you ask me. There were times when I rooted for the main character, Lia, to be with one guy, but then later I really wanted her to be with the other. Frankly, I don’t know where I stand anymore, haha! But it also included betrayal, plot twists, great narrative, and a good plot.
    • “The Selection” by Kiera Cass. I mean, a dystopian book around the themes of The Bachelor? Yes, it sounds cheesy, but it became a favorite series of mine. I did a review of the whole trilogy, and I really enjoyed it. The romance aspect was obviously the most prominent part to the story, but it also included themes of friendship, never losing yourself to pressure, a kingdom and war, and more.
    • “Daughter of Smoke and Bone” by Laini Taylor. This book was awesome, as I did a review of it, and though it features a lot about chimera and it had a lot of fantasy elements to it, it also featured a romance that stretched beyond time. I loved this book. I thought the romance was going to feel rushed and out there, but it was actually kind of beautiful the way it was written and I just loved it so much. I can’t express into words how much, actually.

    Movies

    • The Notebook. Based off of the book by Nicholas Sparks, this movie will always be one of my favorites. It’s romance heavy, yes, but it’s a story that is beautiful and well loved (my mom has watched it over 100 times, I swear). It’s a story about a summer romance and young love, and how that love comes back to flourish years later and how it can transcend even a disease such as Alzheimer’s. If you haven’t seen this, see it. Now. Go. Cry like a baby (because I do, too).
    • The Lake House. I never manage to see this from the beginning, but close to it. It’s about a man and a woman who live in the same lake house built by the guy’s father a long time ago, BUT the man and woman live in different time periods. They go back and forth to communicate with one another in letters and eventually they fall for one another because of that. Even though they’re apart by years, it’s a sweet tale and I really, really loved it.

    TV Shows

    • Ore Monogatari. It’s an anime & manga, but it’s about this guy who’s ginormous in stature and he falls for these girls who are kind of really mean to him. But one day, while he’s on the train, his friend spots a sketchy guy and the girl the guy is next to. So, Gouda (the big dude), goes up and yells at the guy and the girl instantly falls for Gouda and Gouda for her. AHH. So much squee and laughs and adorableness and GO WATCH IT. I can’t even right now.
    • Reign. Talk about drama! Set during the time with Mary Queen of Scots and the French court, it follows Mary and how she is to marry the heir to the French throne, Francis. But Francis doesn’t want to marry Mary and there’s a bunch of drama and twists and turns and sex. Oh my. It is a teen drama, but I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would (and since I only have Netflix, I need the second season, like, now).

    Okay, I think that’s a decent list. GO CHECK THEM OUT! (I mean, if you want. You don’t have to.)

    But yes! These are the recommendations I have for romance! So I’ll do my best to do this every month and give new recommendations every month. I may go back to certain themes and topics as the time goes by, but I’ll be sure to include new content and everything.

    Do any of these recommendations sound interesting to you? Would you read/watch any of these? What do you recommend to me for romance books/movies/shows? Let me know!

  • April 2015 Wrap-Up & May TBR

    Another month has come and gone. I can’t believe it’s already May.

    In the month of April I read a total of four books. That’s not bad considering I was mostly focused on Camp NaNoWriMo the past month, so reading wasn’t really an option for me.

    So the books I read this past month were:

    • “None of the Above” by I.W. Gregorio. A book about a girl who, after having painful intercourse, goes to an ob-gyn and learns that she is intersex. It’s a story that really opened my eyes to the topic and made my heart swell with compassion for those who deal with these kinds of things. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!
    • “Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. A story about not-so-openly gay teen, Simon, and how his secret emails between him and another boy from his school (code name: Blue) are threatened to be leaked if Simon doesn’t help the guy threatening him get a girl to go out with him. I loved this book so much. It had me laughing and squeeing and I just couldn’t stop turning the page. Highly recommend. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!
    • “My Heart and Other Black Holes” by Jasmine Warga. A trigger of suicide follows this book. A girl makes a suicide pact with a boy. The date is nonnegotiable and as the two become closer, the girl realizes that maybe there is more to life than what her father has done or what she potentially could be. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!
    • “Clockwork Angel” by Cassandra Clare. The prequel to The Mortal Instruments, this book follows Tessa as she discovers the Shadow World, and also just what she is and what it means for her now that she knows. We also follow Will and Jem, two Shadowhunters who work at the Institute in London and how there’s a war about to brew between them and someone very powerful. I rated it 5/5 stars. Read my review!

    I had a good reading month in terms of content and how much I enjoyed the books I read, either for the subject matter or the characters or plot.

    Now, I didn’t complete my TBR Jar Challenge, which was to finish a series. Heck, I didn’t even read the books on my TBR for April. So that was a flop. Oh well. I’m okay with it because I was having a really hard time reading wise last month, so… I just said eff you to the TBR and read what I wanted.

    For the rest of April, I did quite a few discussions, as well as a movie review and a book unhaul (and haul). The discussions I held were:

    • We Need Diverse Books – A topic about how we need to read more diversely, whether that’s in subject matter (LGBTQIA+, religious minority, disability, etc) or from an author of color or different gender.
    • Always Having a Current Read – I talked about always having something that you’re reading, whether you started it that day or a year ago. But sometimes it can feel restraining to read so many books in one month or trying to reach a goal of reading a set amount of books in one month.
    • Do You Ever… – I talked about wanting to just toss away the books you planned on reading for the month and reading whatever the hell you like. And wanting to literally read every single book on your shelf at the same time. And rearranging shelves. It’s a hard life, bro.
    • Giving Honest Reviews – I talked about the importance of always giving an honest review. Sometimes people will try to bribe for a positive review, but really giving your honest opinion is the best thing you could do for yourself and the author.

    April was a fairly productive month. I’m rather proud of myself for having done so much this past month here on my blog.

    Now for the May TBR! So I do have just a few books I really want to read in May, and they are:

    • “An Ember in the Ashes” by Sabaa Tahir. This book has been wicked hyped up and I’m really excited to read it. It’s about a girl, Laia, and how she goes undercover as a slave to try to free her brother from captivity. And it’s also about a solider, Elias, who’s very reluctant to be a soldier and wants his own freedom. Eventually the two meet and their destinies intertwine.
    • “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J Maas. Of course I’m getting this book! Loosely following the tale of Beauty and the Beast, this book follows a girl named Feyre and how she is a hunter for her family (you don’t hunt, you don’t eat) and one day she accidentally kills a faerie in his animal form and she is taken away to essentially be a prisoner. This comes out May 5th.
    • “The Heir” by Kiera Cass. This is twenty years from the original Selection story where it follows Princess Eadlyn and her own Selection story. Once the Selection begins she discovers that maybe finding her own happily ever after won’t be as impossible as she had originally thought. This comes out May 5th.
    • “P.S. I Still Love You” by Jenny Han. The sequel to “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” (I did a review), this book follows Lara Jean and how she fell for Peter, even though they were pretending. And when a boy from her past returns to her life, she falls for him, too. Can it be possible to love two people at once? Love is never easy, but maybe that’s what makes it amazing. This comes out May 26th.

    So those are the books I plan on reading in May. As for my TBR challenge for the month, it is to read a book that’s not a novel. So, since I’m still working on the “Assassin’s Blade” novellas, I’m including that.

    I also may or may not read more Cassandra Clare books as reading “Clockwork Angel” really got me wanting to continue, but we’ll see. I may just focus more on my writing this month so I don’t overwhelm myself with reading.

    Accompanying video: April 2015 Wrap-Up & May TBR

    What are your reading plans for May? Let me know!