The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – Movie Review

Having recently read (and reviewed) the book, the last part (lucratively split into two films) of the Katniss Everdeen story was still pretty fresh in my mind when I went to see the movie. I knew to expect that the saga that began with a teenage girl bravely competing in a dystopian to-the-death competition has…

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Big Hero 6 – Movie Review

Big Hero 6 represents the true coming-together of Disney and Marvel universes (even moreso than being able to play The Hulk alongside snow-queen Elsa in the videogame world of Disney Infinity). Disney animators (with no small influence from their Pixar brethren) have taken an obscure Marvel Comics super-team and brought them to cute, plastic life…

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Capsule Book Review Catchup

Now that I am listening to audiobooks on my commute to and from work, I’m catching up on so many books that I’ve got a backlog of books to write about on my blog. Of course, this is all thanks to Audible.com (Free credits for the plug, please!) which has been a great way for…

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman – Book Review

I enjoy it when authors perform on the audiobooks themselves. The interpretation of the voices and the inflections of any dialogue are true to their original vision and conveys the intended feelings. That’s especially helpful in the case of Neil Gaiman’s novels because they are full of surreal imagery and magic realism. This story is…

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The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson – Book Review

Featured image is The Mistborn by Hunter Bonyun The Final Empire is the first of the Mistborn trilogy, whose premise is an intriguing one for anyone who has enjoyed fantasy fiction: What if the “dark lord” had won? Imagine if Voldemort, Sauron, or Darth Vader had not been defeated. What would have become of the…

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2014 Fall TV – Returning Shows

OK, so I might not be adding too many new shows to my watchlist this season, but at least my many faves are now returning with new episodes as well. The Big Bang Theory Last season ended a bit sadly, with Sheldon unable to cope with all the change going on in his life, deciding…

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Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – Book Review

Featured image is The Mockingjay and the Rebels by Samuel Teixeira. With the third movie in the Hunger Games series not far away, you just know I’ve got to prep myself by catching up on the books. Despite the dramatic cliffhanger at the end of Catching Fire, I was able to hold off reading the…

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2014 Fall TV – New Shows

It’s that time of year again. Beloved shows are back on air and new shows are vying to find their way into our viewing schedule (and our hearts). The premiere period seems to be pretty tight this year and a lot of shows have started or are starting again within a couple of weeks of…

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Movie #19: Captain America: Winter Soldier

Even after his own first Captain America movie, followed by his major role in The Avengers, I still don’t really see Chris Evans as being a good fit for the title role. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is an awesome action star and leading man, but he just doesn’t really have that blonde,…

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