Doctors, Detectives, and (Adorable) Dorks, Oh My!

Carly at "Books and Etc." tagged me in the Favorite Screen Characters Tag, and because I'm a huge fan of TV shows/Netflix/binge-watching (second only to being a bookworm), I couldn't resist!

Technically I think the list is supposed to be primarily movie characters, but like Carly, I'll bend the rules a little. ;) Writers are nothing if not rebels. (By doing things like using the Oxford comma even when people say it's wrong. Totally dangerous, amiright? We're practically Batman.)

Actual photo of me as a superhero.

Anyways. Time for a list where I'll try to limit myself to one character per fandom! (In no particular order.)

1. The Doctor from "Doctor Who"

Where to begin with this one? He's a character who spans decades of television history, always changing yet remaining the same familiar alien who brings hope to the world. No matter which regeneration of the Doctor is your favorite, they all share a few things in common. They love with a passion, feel loss deeply, and would do anything to protect the innocent. My personal favorite is the Tenth Doctor--as shown above--who can not only be serious and strike fear in the hearts of creatures such as the Daleks, but can be a total goofball. He's a Time Lord mixed with the best parts of humanity, and the chemistry he has with his companions makes the Doctor Who universe that much more enjoyable.

2. Charlie Bradbury from "Supernatural

Charlie Bradbury is a geek, and the world loves her for it. She's a total quirky fangirl, making Felicia Day the perfect person to play her. Charlie is a bright spot in a dark series, making me laugh in every episode she's in. Within the first two minutes of meeting her, I wanted to be her friend. She's compassionate, sarcastic, and knows just what to do to help the Winchesters out when everything else fails. Oh, and she's a computer hacker with a tragic past. So many layers!

3. Sherlock Holmes from "Sherlock"

There are so many things I could say about Sherlock, but I'll keep it brief. Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of this classic character is by far the best I've seen. It's hard to imagine anyone else now when I read the stories or even see the name. Everything we know about him is still part of the character, but with a modern twist. He's aggravating and a know-it-all and sometimes all you want to do is slap him so he'll behave, but you also get to see him soften throughout the series. He's a complex mystery himself, which makes the show so perfect.

4. Sookie St. James from "Gilmore Girls"

A klutzy chef with a sense of humor and is always up for a fun time? Yes please! Bubbly and always giggling, Sookie is the best friend we all want in our lives. She'll drop anything to show up at your door with a plate of homemade cookies when she knows you're having a bad day. Anytime you need cheering up, Sookie's there. She's one of my favorite parts of this show.

5. Severus Snape from the "Harry Potter movies

There are actors you will always see as a certain character, and Alan Rickman will always (see what I did there?) be Snape to me. He brings the character to life on the screen in a way no one else would have been able to. Can you imagine a different actor pulling off his cool "obviously" in the way Alan Rickman did? He was fantastic in all the movies, but the eighth was where he especially got to show off the depths of his character. Sometimes I don't like it when I've seen a movie adaptation and now every time I read the book I see that actor, but I don't mind with Snape. He's exactly how I pictured him.

6. Dr. Horrible/Billy Buddy from "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"

In just forty-five minutes, Joss Whedon managed to cram buckets of awesomeness in this web-miniseries. Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day make up a dream cast. But the root of this geekdom heaven? Dr. Horrible himself. If you've ever seen "Megamind," he reminds me so much of the protagonist in that, too. Dr. Horrible (or Billy Buddy, when he doesn't want to give away his secret identity) is sarcastic (see above), socially-awkward (in the best way possible), and straddles the line between good and evil. His quest is to get into the Evil League of Evil--and yes, that is the actual name--but he's also falling in love with Penny, who couldn't be more good than she already is. She volunteers at a homeless shelter and sees the positive attributes in every single person she meets. If you want to see a little glimpse into Dr. Horrible's personality, just listen to "My Freeze Ray," one of the first songs in the show.

7. Peggy Carter from the Marvel universe

There's no other way to put this really: Peggy Carter is badass. She runs circles around the men who condescend to her and knows how to play to her strengths. Every movie or TV show she appears in is a hundred times better because of it. She's not a side character who gets shoved to the side while the heroes take the spotlight. She is a hero, and an equal, to Captain America and any of the Avengers.

8. Rey from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"

(Some spoilers ahead.) I am beyond excited to have a female lead in the new Star Wars movies who is as cool as Rey. She's strong, quick on her feet, and anything but a damsel in distress. Watching her wield a lightsaber or use the force (UNTRAINED, might I add) on the big screen was epic. I'm just disappointed we have to wait so long for another movie.

9. Richard Castle from "Castle"

Oh, Castle. There are so many words I could use to describe him: impulsive, witty, protective, caring, childlike, clever, oblivious, optimistic, creative, and many, many more. He's a best-selling mystery author who got permission from the mayor to shadow NYPD homicide detective Kate Beckett. They drive each other crazy, and the playful banter is never lacking, but they actually make a fantastic team. He's always there for the people who need him, even if it's at his own expense, and overall has a great relationship with his mother and daughter.

10. Regina Mills from "Once Upon a Time"

I went from absolutely despising Regina the first couple seasons, to feeling conflicted about her, to loving her. Only a character as complex as this one could do that. She's the evil queen from Snow White, but this show has managed to make her so much more than that. You learn all about her childhood and the events that led up to her becoming a villain, but you also get to see her care for a son in Storybrooke. It's been a roller coaster of a ride getting to watch her turn into something other than your typical Disney villain, but it's been a fun one.

11. Rogelio De La Vega from "Jane the Virgin"

"Jane the Virgin" is a pretty recent discovery (thanks to my mom getting me into it). Rogelio is one of the many reasons why I love it as much as I do. Even though he drove me crazy the first couple of episodes I got to see him, he made me laugh hysterically. To put it in the best light possible, he never lacks confidence in himself. He's a huge telenovela star with a heart as big as his ego. He's very naive about most things, which only adds to the humor of his one-liners as he's unaware he's saying something he shouldn't. And he constantly tweets updates about his life or "New Pants Wednesdays" on the show, which somebody took upon themselves to create in real life. I had a blast going through his account: @RogelioDeLaVega

12. Stiles Stilinski from "Teen Wolf"

Stiles is HILARIOUS. Even during the episodes that are just okay, he's always there to pick up the slack. Dylan O'Brien is great in this role, surprising me with pain and tears when I least expected it. Stiles is a great friend. You can't help but want to give him a hug all the time. And if you need to sneak into a strictly off-limits location in order to save the world, he's the one you want on your side to provide a distraction.

13. Jessica Day from "New Girl"

Simply put, Jess is an adorable dork. Nearly every single thing she does or says is so totally awkward, but she's one of the most lovable characters on TV. She's the kind of person who randomly breaks into song or dance in order to ease the tension in the room. She'd also be the one to adopt the kitten that just keeps coming back to her door or bake cookies for the hungry. She's the character who came up with her own theme song for herself. All around, she makes the perfect sitcom protagonist.

I tag any and all who want to use this tag! Who are your favorite screen characters?

Top 14 Tear Jerkers

At first I was just going to make it about books, but then I kept remembering these movies and TV shows that made me cry just as much as all of these books did. So I split them up into two categories: Top seven books, and top seven movies/TV shows. I put them in order from the ones that made me sniffle to the ones that made me go through a whole package of tissues. They're mostly spoiler free, but I'll warn you before I give something away. Here they are.

Top 7 Books:

#7. Bridge to Terabithia

I'd heard this book was sad, but I never thought it'd be that sad. I definitely didn't see it coming with it being a kid's book and all. It's a very sweet story.

#6. Wonder

Is there anything that could make this book more spectacular? It makes you cry, it makes you laugh, and then it makes you cry some more. Guaranteed to make you feel good.

#5. Harry Potter 5-7

For those of you who have read the books, I don't think there's any need for explanation here.

#4. These Broken Stars

What happened in this book was completely unexpected. Never in a million years would I have thought it could be sad just based on the back of the book. Definitely have your tissues handy for this one.

#3. The Host

Ahhh, I can't even begin to tell you how much of a hangover I had after this one. The beginning's a little slow, but the payoff is worth it. I'm positive you'll get a little teary-eyed. (The movie has the same effect, too.)

#2. The Fault In Our Stars

This is one of those books that people disappear into their rooms for hours after they finish reading it. John Green is a genius. I can't wait for the movie.

#1. Allegiant

This series had the best ending of any dystopian trilogy I've ever read. Oh, you'll bawl like a baby and get a massive book hangover after reading it, but the ending is much more satisfying than, say, Mockingjay's ending. It's much more realistic and completely and totally fantastic.

Top 7 Movies/TV Shows:

#7. "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

That scene in District 11 is enough to make anyone tear up. Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing actress.

#6. "Up"

Darn you, Pixar!

#5. "Saving Mr. Banks"

What? A movie about the making of "Marry Poppins" is sad? Um, yes. You've been warned.

#4. "The Help"

Gah, that scene at the end with the little girl banging on the window broke my heart. This is one of the few movies that is actually on par with the book.

#3. "Toy Story 3"

It's Pixar, so it's to be expected that you'll cry, but this was different. I'm very attached to my stuffed animals, so it really hit home. My mom forgot to bring her tissues when we went to see it. Big mistake.

#2. "Gilmore Girls: Bon Voyage"

One of the best series finales I've ever watched. I want to move to Stars Hollow.

#1. "Doctor Who: Doomsday"

Spoilers ahead!!!

I can't tell you how excited many of my blogging friends were when I said I was going to start watching "Doctor Who." After the tenth recommendation, I finally gave in and started watching. I wasn't sure what to think at first, and I didn't really believe that I could get as attached to these characters as everyone else was, but after the fourth episode or so, I was hooked. I absolutely loved the ninth Doctor and Rose and cried when he regenerated. I'd heard that David Tennant was a fan favorite, but I didn't think I would like him as much as Christopher Eccleston.

Well, it took me half a season, but the tenth Doctor grew on me. His chemistry with Rose that made me giggle right along with them had me worried for when Rose had to leave. I knew I was going to be a mess, but I wasn't nearly as prepared as I should've been.

The last twenty minutes of "Doomsday" had me bawling. I went through an entire package of tissues and it still wasn't enough. The scene where Rose and the Doctor had their faces pressed up against the wall made me lose it, almost as much as the beach scene. (I've got to tell you, I think "I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye" might be the most romantic line I've ever heard on TV.) This episode is guaranteed to make you cry really, really hard (unless you're a Dalek, in which case you won't feel anything).

What are the saddest things you've read/watched? Leave a comment!

"The Fault In Our Stars" Movie Trailer OR *sniff sniff*

My parents and I cried while watching this trailer. I think most everyone who watched it did. DARN YOU, JOHN GREEN! (But thanks so much for such an amazing book).


Grab a box of tissues before you watch this. Okay? Okay.

Make sure you check out my review of These Broken Stars below! :)

How Pixar's Brave Represents What I Love in Books

Our family watched Pixar's Brave yesterday. It was really good and I recommend it to anyone and everyone. This is not a movie review, though. This is merely a blog post about how Brave represents what I love in books. My mom gave me the idea to write this post and it sounded really fun so I thought I'd do it.

1. No unnecessary romance. This is a big one. For some idiotic reason, everyone thinks that all twelve-year-old girls want to read about romance. I mean why?! I'm just not interested in that stuff. At least not now. I want to be a kid and not worry about that stuff. Sometimes I'll be reading a book and it'll be adventurous, funny, magical, etc. and then the author suddenly throws in "and then the girl looks at the boy and it was love at first sight and they lived happily ever after the end!" That's when I roll my eyes and think, Was that necessary? Did the girl/boy really have to fall in love with the girl/boy to make the story work? Sometimes the answer is yes, that was absolutely necessary. There needed to be romance to make the plot work. And other times it's no, that was not necessary. There was no need for the romance. This movie had no unnecessary romance. Which I LOVED.

2. Merida was my kind of heroine. She was spunky; stubborn; strong; and she had an attitude of I-can-do-it-myself, I-hate-girly-stuff, and I-don't-want-to-be-a-princess/lady/fair maiden. She didn't need anybody to save her, she didn't wait stranded in a tower for her prince charming to ride up on his white horse, she did everything herself. Merida is the kind of heroine I like. Just like Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, Alanna from The Song of the Lioness, Maximum Ride from Maximum Ride, Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, and a bunch of others.

3. Even though Disney collaborated with Pixar on this one, Disney didn't turn Brave into another princess movie like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. Although I love Disney's princess movies, I was glad to see a different kind of princess. One who shot arrows through the air and fought with a sword. One who took charge of everything herself.

4. Brave had the perfect mix of magic, humor, and adventure. There wasn't too much of one or the other. It's the kind of movie that's good for boys and girls and kids and adults.

5. It had funny characters. Every book needs a unique/quirky/funny/clueless character to make the story good. If all the characters are normal or quiet or shy, the story becomes boring. Brave had clueless characters, funny characters, troublemakers, and more. That made the movie funny. Some characters like that are Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, Grover from Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Seth Sorenson from Fablehaven. Pretty much every main character from Maximum Ride is funny or talkative and they are all sarcastic, and Effie and Haymitch from The Hunger Games made the story more interesting.

Seeing Brave was such a treat and got me thinking about all of the books I love and why I love them. It was funny and adventurous and the princess didn't need a dang prince to save her! Thank you for taking the time to take a peek into my confusing mind.

The Help (The Movie)

I finished watching "The Help" yesterday with my mom and dad. Two words: Awe-some. :D Sometimes I read a book and then watch the movie and I think, "Eh," but the movie was really good. I still like the book better, but the movie was really well done and made me cry at some parts. I don't have a favorite character, but Minny's great. :D I'm not going to give anything away for those who haven't read the book yet, but I love when she's telling the story of, "The Terrible Awful." The actress who played Minny actually won an award for the Golden Globes. :D

For those of you who have read the book but haven't watched the movie, watch the movie. It's awesome.

For those of you who have watched the movie but haven't read the book, read the book. It's definitely worth reading.

For those of you who haven't read the book or watched the movie, I recommend both. :D

The Muppet Movie

We just (literally just) got back from the movies. We watched . . . (drum roll please) (*Maxim walks in with a drum set and drumsticks*) (*Drum roll . . . chhhhhhhhhhh!*) (*Begins gnawing on the drumsticks*) (Me: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?! I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T EAT YOUR DRUMSTICKS!!!!") (Maxim: "Whoops.") Anyway, we watched . . . THE MUPPET MOVIE!!! :D

It was hilarious! :D In the movie, there's a person named Walter (who is a Muppet) that loves the Muppet show. When Walter's brother (Gary), Gary's girlfriend (Mary), and Walter go to Los Angeles, Walter finds out that an evil person named Richman is planning to destroy Muppet Studios and drill for oil. Walter, Gary, and Mary decide to help Kermit the Frog get The Muppets back together and put on a show to raise ten million dollars in order to save Muppet Studios. Will they do it? (Da da daaaaaaaaaaa).

My Day!

Hello everybody!

I hope you are excited to read my blog because today is journaling! I am going to write about my day today.

Today Mommy and Daddy were doing a fast where you could only drink juice. But Mommy ate dinner.

We went to get prizes from the summer reading program. We got bug collectors--jars you can collect bugs with!

Afterwards we had to go to our friend Carl's house to get a hat Maxim left there. (Long story.)

Then we went to see a movie that recently came to the movies. Wall-e! It was very good! It was about a little robot who is in charge of cleaning up earth. He also likes to collect interesting things.




Did I mention I belong to a writers group at Carl's house?

After that we washed the car! I love using the hose! (Mostly because when Maxim is not looking I like to spray him!)

Afterwards we went to violin lessons. I am almost at the end of Book 1!

I hope you are enjoying reading my blog!

Enjoy!