Monthly HapPENings: October

Whoever decided that we should be five-sixths of the way through the year, I'm gonna hunt you down, and I'm gonna . . . give you a stern talking-to.

I know I did some social stuff this last month, but I can't really remember everything that I did. I went out for coffee with a friend, had supper with two others, got supper and coffee/dessert with my cousin . . . Not sure what else I did. Oh yeah, there was Thanksgiving, with one family gathering and having one of my grandmas over for supper. Other than that, I don't really think I had too many interesting social or life events.

Bookish HapPENings

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So I've given a lot of flack to the Maze Runner series, because they just aren't as good as the movies are--in my opinion. I would, however, say that each book has been better the last, and The Death Cure is no exception. It's definitely the best book in the original trilogy, though it still suffers from some of the same issues of the other titles, such as the lackluster "Thomas felt this" or "Thomas felt that." The ending also felt a little rushed. Other than that, it was a pretty decent read.

HapPENings on the Screen

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When the Assassin's Creed movie came out, no one seemed to have anything positive to say about it. I was still very curious about it and picked it up for pretty cheap, even though I hadn't watched it yet. I finally got around to it, and I must say, it was a great movie! There wasn't anything incredibly stellar about it that would make me say, "You have to see this!" But I also wouldn't tell people that it wasn't worth watching. It's a pretty solid video game movie, as far as they go (Detective Pikachu is still the best one), and the soundtrack really stuck out to me and felt like it belonged in the AC universe. I also think Michael Fassbender really nailed his role; it almost seemed like he had less dialogue to feel more like a game character. Also also, I can really appreciate and respect that all of the historical scenes, which took place in Spain, had Spanish dialogue with no English to be heard. Go watch this and lemme know what you think.

Daaang, S4 of The Flash is getting SO good! I'd heard kinda mixed reviews about the season, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. They're adding a lot of interesting plot points and making things even more difficult for the heroes. I'm still not sure where it's all leading up to, but I'm loving it.

ONE MORE EPISODE UNTIL I'M DONE S1 OF AVATAR AAAAHHHH! . . . Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. I'm enjoying this show way more than I thought I would. Things are definitely not looking up for Aang and the gang (ha, aren't I a brilliant poet?). I can't wait to see where the show goes from here.

Can I just say that Trollhunters is a great show and you should watch it? Because it is, and you should! I'm really digging the current plot structure of the show, which is the protagonists hunting down special items to help them complete their current "mission," if you will. And the villain, man, the villain! There's more than one antagonist, but Angor Rot in particular is both hecking cool and creepy! Add this show to your must-watch list.

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Since my youngest two sisters and I finished S7 of Ninjago, we decided to take a temporary break from it and start Nexo Knights. It's entertaining, to be sure, but I'm not entirely sold on it yet. I suppose I can't really say much, since I've only watched one episode so far. My favorite aspect is that the two villains, Jestro and the Book of Monsters, are voiced by actors from Ninjago. Considering their roles in that show, the dynamic between their characters in this one is extra amusing.

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When I started The Guardians, I found it difficult to get into. I mean, I've never seen a K-drama before, so this was a new experience for me. But now I'm hooked, and I'm really curious to see how the plot unfolds. I sense a vigilante group is going to form to take justice into their own hands . . .

Let me just come out and say it: My Hero Academia is the perfect anime show. It has fantastic and colorful characters, the plot is super intriguing, the humor is always on-point, and I definitely feel like it's going to kick in some really deep emotional stuff when I least expect it. And the best part is that I have a minimum amount of spoilers for the show, which makes me super happy, because I tend to stumble across lots of spoilers. Knowing nothing about what direction the plot is going to take is such a great feeling. I MUST WATCH MORE.

Okay, so I think Attack on Titan is the other perfect anime. I'm so hooked on it; even The Flash hasn't captured me the way this show has. Even when an episode doesn't do much to advance the plot, it's still super interesting. I think the reason for that is that the characters are developing even in those moments, and it makes you really invested in them. It's a good tip for writers: even if there's not much plot momentum, make sure that there's always character momentum. Also, did I mention that I love this so much that I've already bought the soundtrack for S1? I know, I'm a nerd.

Gaming HapPENings

I'm nearing the end of the final chapter of Justice For All. The last two cases in the first Ace Attorney game were pretty intense, and I knew the sequel had a lot to live up to. But it has definitely done the job, because things are getting so crazy. I can't really talk about it without getting into spoilers, but trust me when I say that it's very engrossing. I hope to finish up this weekend! (Not sure how long I'll be able to wait before I play Trials and Tribulations, though . . .)

Writerly HapPENings

I wrote nothing in October, which probably isn't a good thing. I did, however, get published on Havok with From the Mind of the Dead, which is definitely a good thing! So . . . I don't know where that leaves me overall. But I am doing NaNo this month, so you can expect more from me in this category next time.

Okay, I'm done. Tell me how your months went! Are you watching as many shows as I am? Have you finally got around to playing the Ace Attorney series yet? Because if you haven't, you should!