Disney Sequels

If you haven't heard, my favorite live action film Aladdin is getting a sequel. There is no talk of a release date yet, but it is in the works! So far it sounds like all of the original cast is returning, but I haven't heard of anything about Naomi Scott (Jasmine) just yet. Hopefully, we'll hear something soon because I think she did a fantastic job of portraying my favorite Disney princess of all time! Also, Frozen II just came out, I have yet to see it. But I have listened to the songs and Elsa's new hits "Show Yourself" and "Into the Unknown" are amazing! Even better than "Let it Go". Since sequels are on the rise I wanted to talk about some of Disney's sequels that I enjoy and others that I do not. Also, if you can believe it, there are a few I haven't seen, too!

Cinderella II: Dreams Come Tue and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time!
I enjoy Dreams Come True and watched it multiple times when I was younger. This movie explores Cinderella's life during the time she is in the palace. There are three parts to this movie. The first part of the movie Cinderella is expected to be a proper princess and follow the old rules. She makes a bold move by changing a few of the old ways to the king's surprise liking. I really loved this story because it showed us a backbone that we didn't know Cinderella had. Second part of the movie the fairy Godmother grants Jaq's wish to be a human so he can spend more time with Cinderella. He learns later that it's better to be himself. This was a cliché story, but still cute and sweet. The third part was my favorite one out of the three. Cinderella's stepsister Anastasia falls in love with the baker, but she knows her stepmother Lady Tremaine would not approve. Cinderella takes it upon herself to help Anastasia and the baker to be together. Anastasia even stands up to Lady Tremaine so she can be with him. I liked the idea of exploring Cinderella's life inside the palace and other character's. It even showed another side to Anastasia that we didn't know existed. This gets a 6/10 Did I like it more than the first? Yes
A Twist in Time was an even better sequel. I didn't have much appreciation for Cinderella before this film. When Lady Tremaine gets a hold of the Fairy Godmother's wand and reverses all of the events of Cinderella becoming Queen, Cinderella has to save the day. Instead of Charming rescuing her like a typical prince, he's the one who needs saving. Cinderella goes through a lot to restore the love she and Charming had. Everything she goes through gave me more respect for this Disney Princess. 10/10 Did I like it more than the first? Yes, again!

The Lion King 1/2 and Lion King II: Simba's Pride
There isn't much for me to say about 1/2. Honestly, there was basically no point of this movie. I love Timon and Pumba, but this move was just a money grabber and that's it. I hardly remember it, I watched some of it once and I'm certain I fell asleep it was so boring. 1/10 Did I like it more than the first? Hell no!
Now Simba's Pride was an excellent sequel that I feel like we all love! This happens after Kiara (Simba's daughter) is born and now he and Nala rule the Pride Lands. This time the lions are at war with each other. Kiara meets Kovu when they are young and he is a part of the tribe of lions that followed Scar. The two want to bring their people together and exist as one whole population of lions. There are so many good elements to this story! The relationships are excellently built up and I love how it all comes together in the end. 10/10 Did I like more than the first? Yes!

Aladdin II: The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves 
While I enjoyed the sequel and loved it while I was younger, I am not a fan of the lazy animation. If you're going to make a sequel you should put more effort into it. The animation matched that of the Aladdin tv series which makes me sad now as an adult. This movie had potential with making Iago into the hero that no one wanted to trust. It sadly only did not live up to it due to the poor animation. 8/10 Did I like it more than the first? No
King of Thieves had the same animation problem, unfortunately. But this movie was better than Return of Jafar as a sequel. I missed princess Jasmine being in the film, but the series is meant to revolve around Aladdin more of course. This movie was for Aladdin to find his father and rebuild the relationship they never had. It's short lived because his father longs to still venture out into the world, but Aladdin understands this very well. Aladdin and Jasmine also get married which I didn't think had to happen. I always believed they got married at the end of the first film. Their outfits were very fitting while in the third film they were the typical wedding ensemble. This one also get an 8/10. Did I like more than the first? Once again, no.

Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
I thought this film was so adorable and it's another one I watched a lot when I was a little girl. I loved watching Tramp and Lady's son act like a younger version of Tramp. Scamp longs to be free and is sick of being tied to an owner. He meets Angel who is the exact opposite and longs for a home. He goes off with the junkyard dogs who have no home. Scamp learns quickly that life with his loving family was better and that he didn't appreciate it enough. He goes back home and even brings Angel with him and that ending made me so happy for both of them! 10/10 Did I like it more than the first? Yes

Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
In this film Ariel cuts her ties with the sea completely to keep her daughter safe from Ursula's sister Morgana who wants revenge. Melody is the opposite of Ariel in this film where she longs to be part of the sea. While Ariel wanted to be part of the human world. Melody doesn't completely understand why her mother would keep the sea from her. In her fit of anger she makes a reckless decision in order to become a mermaid. It's up to Melody to stop Morgana and bring peace between the sea and human world once more. This is one of my favorite sequels in Disney. It had a wonderful story and I loved the new character's that were brought in. The songs weren't as good though. 9/10 Did I like it more than the first? No

Peter Pan II: Return to Neverland
So this sequel has a similar storyline to that of The Little Mermaid. Wendy's daughter Jane grows up so quickly that she even loses her faith in the fairytales she grew up with. But her mother still enjoys them immensely. When Jane is mistaken for being her mother she finds out how real Neverland truly is when Tinkerbell's life is on the line. This was another great sequel and I loved that it went in the opposite direction for Jane. Even though she made a regretful decision she's able to truly redeem herself. Some people will not like her at first, but you grow to love her. Jane and Peter didn't have as good of a relationship as he and Wendy did, but it made their relationship that much stronger at the end of it all. 7/10 Did I like it more than the first? Yes

Mulan II
After the war Mulan and Shang get engaged to wed even thought they haven't known each other long. This film tests their relationship as they take the emperor's daughters to wed a prince they don't want to. Accompanying them is returning character's Ling, Yao, and Chien-Po who all fall in love with one of the princesses each. Shang and Mulan are put at odds with each other when they discover this which causes tension in their relationship. A horrible tragedy makes them realize how much they really love each other and that they are meant to be yin and yang. This film had everything the first one did, but it was focused more on the romantic aspects. The new songs are catchy, but not as good as the ones from the first film. 9/10 Did I like it more than the first? No

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
I hated this sequel so much I like to act like it never even happened. But I want to talk about my strong dislike for it. I feel like Disney just took the relationship Pocahontas and John Smith had built together and just tore it right back to where it was! Pocahontas is fighting to keep peace between her people and the white men. She wants to face the king one on one and convince him that her people are not hiding any gold like Radcliffe has claimed. Smith tries to stop her and doesn't have faith in her. This dude saw Pocahontas risk her life for him and she ended a war by doing so. A new character Rolf is brought in who tries to change Pocahontas so she can fit in with his society when she goes to meet the king. He does support her in standing up to the king unlike Smith. But she had to prove to Rolf that she can take care of herself and her people while Smith reverted back. Pocahontas and Smith realize that they are no longer on the same path and they part ways for good. She moves on to be with Rolf. What was the point of the relationship between Pocahontas and Smith if you were just going to tear it down? Rolf constantly fought her on every single thing she wanted to do right until the very end. The songs also were not as good at all as the ones in the first film. 1/10 Did I like it more than the first film? Do I really need to answer that ridiculous question for this atrocious movie?

The Hunchback of Notre Dame II
This story takes place seven years after the first film. Esmeralda and Phoebus have a son named Zephyr that does play an important role later in the film. Quasimodo falls in love with Madellaine and she does with him too, but later once she knows him a bit more. Sarousch orders Madellaine to find the bell in the tower filled the jewels and in order to do so she gets close to Quasimodo, not expecting to actually fall in love with him. Madellaine breaks Quasimodo's heart once he discovers her true motives. She redeems herself by saving Zephyr and helping to capture Sarousch. The film is cute and fun, but I feel like it was mainly made just to give Quasimodo a love interest since it didn't work out with Esmeralda. Of course the guy deserves love, but this storyline felt a bit lazy in that sense. I do love the line in the movie though from Sarousch when he's looking in the mirror "I could kiss me, but then I'd fall in love" 6/10 Do I like it more than the first film? No 

This is just my opinion on some of the sequels. I was going to talk about Beauty and the Beast, but these films aren't really sequels. The Christmas movie is during the time that the prince was a Beast. The story is being told from Mrs. Potts afterward, but we only see Belle and the prince for like five minutes at the end of the film. Then Belle's Magical World is the same way where it takes place during the prince's time as a Beast. 
Ones I have yet to see are Bambi II, Fox and the Hound II, Brother Bear II, and 101 Dalmations II which I hopefully will get to soon!
As you can see I enjoyed almost all of the sequels! So, should Disney keep making sequels. I would say yes, even though I don't always like them more than the first film. They are still enjoyable and fun to watch! 

The 100 Books and TV show comparison talk

My favorite TV show is The 100. This show has so much potential and it's used greatly with each season. It doesn't go wasted. Unfortunately, the show is coming to a close this year. The seventh and final season is coming most likely in the Spring and would probably end in the late fall. There will be 16 episodes this season the way the show originally started the first few seasons ending with 100 total episodes. Fitting right? In my opinion I feel that the show should end even though it's going to hurt me since it's my favorite. A lot of popular shows are drug through the mud, just dishing out ideas to keep the show afloat making it lose the potential it had. The director of The 100 Jason Rothenberg stuck to his guns and is ending the The 100 with the seventh season. It had been his plan for awhile and will not budge. But their is going to be a prequel which is currently being filmed. This is going to take place before Earth was destroyed. Hopefully, this show will give us a part of The 100 to enjoy again. I have read the final and fourth book to the series to finish it. This wasn't really to prepare for the final season because the TV show and books are very different!
The book contains character's Clarke, Bellamy, Wells, Octavia, Jaha, and Clarke's mother in book who's name is Mary instead of Abby. There's no Monty, Jasper, Harper, Murphy, or Raven. But the one character in the book Graham is similar to Murphy while Glass (who is a main character) and Luke are similar to Raven. In both the show and books The 100 kids are sent down to Earth to see if their people can live there again. Bellamy does sneak onto the ship to be there for Octavia. There are "grounders" that the group does have to work with, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. 

In the books Clarke's parents are alive. She thinks that they are both dead until the end of the third installment. In the show, only her mother is alive while her father got floated. We also follow four character's POV's in the series. Clarke who is the headstrong leader. Bellamy who is hotheaded and rebellious. Glass who is trying to just survive. And Wells who is brave and loyal. In the show Wells dies off fairly quickly within a matter of episodes. He and Clarke were best friends and that ended when she believed that he was the reason her father got floated. In the books they are former best friends and lovers. The relationship ends with her thinking it was his fault that BOTH her parents got floated. Their relationship does get mended when the truth gets out. I actually preferred the show's take on it more. The book had too much of a happy ending for me. 

That's another way the books and show are so different. The books do have a few sad moments. But the show is hungry to kill off character's every single season. It's compared to the Game of Thrones for this reason. I feel like season three is the closest it gets to being like GOT though. In season one Wells and Charlotte are among the victims. Season two Finn who Clarke fell in love with was killed for murdering at least twenty grounders, because he thought they had taken Clarke. Maya who Jasper fell in love with and other people in Mount Weather also die which is obviously a lot of deaths. Season three claims Lincoln (Octavia's true love) who was a very well liked character for trying to keep the peace just like Octavia. Sinclair who was Raven's mentor dies, but still lives within Raven's mind guiding her. Also, Lexa who is Clarke's next lover for a brief time is killed. This death really pissed the fans off due to the fact that a same sex couple who had great potential was destroyed by her death. Lexa does live on in show as Clarke talks about her in a great sense and never let's her be forgotten. Season four Jasper commits suicide because he no longer wants to live in a world where he's just surviving and killing. Season 5 we lose Jaha and I thought that death was never going to happen. He just kept surviving every single thing thrown his way! Our hearts break when we lose Harper and Monty at the end of this season. They leave us with their son Jordan Green and let me say the character chosen for him was an awesome one! Season six we lose another couple Kane and Abby. Kane was put into another person's body, but doesn't want it so he commits suicide by floating himself. Abby is eliminated by a host getting inserted inside her body, but her body is floated by Clarke along with others later. A new character, Josephine (who tried to be the new host in Clarke's body) is destroyed by Clarke and Bellamy working together as the head and heart. These are just some of the deaths I can think of for each season that were probably the most impactful. This brings me to my next subject of Clarke and Bellamy!

The books and show start the relationship of Bellarke the same way. At first they do not like each other, at all. They go through a lot of disagreements and try to lead the 100 in their own ways. Eventually, they realize it will be better if they come together and compromise on their ideas. This later leads to the head and the heart idea where one of them is the head of the operation and the other is the heart. Both play that role equally. In the books these two go from enemies to lovers. They even get engaged at the end of the series. Their relationship is tested throughout the series and each time it just grows stronger and makes Bellamy realize he wants to make it permanent. The show is a bit of a different story where these two went from enemies to becoming best friends. But their relationship is even rockier in the show. They both sometimes still go against each other's ideas and betray each other. But each time, they do forgive each other. Their relationship is very strong in the show going through so much. Their connection never goes further than that strong friendship, unfortunately. That could change when the seventh season arises, but it also might not because the show and books are still very different! The fans are still rooting for it, even ones who haven't read the books. The show also doesn't focus on romance much at all. It touches on those relationships, but that's about it. Currently, Bellamy is with Echo who used to be an enemy and Clarke is single. Since it's the final season that status may not change in such a short amount of time for Bellarke. But it is 16 episodes instead of thirteen like the last few have been so could they or do they want to fit that in? I'm really hoping so! Plus, I'm a Bellarke fan not really a Clexa fan. I don't think Clarke and Lexa fit as well together. Plus, Lexa betrayed Clarke in a HUGE way. I know that makes them similar as in they would do anything for their own people. But personally if someone betrayed me like that, I would not be in love with them. Nope! Team Bellarke! 

This brings me to the general topic of relationships in the books and show. Clarke is only with men in the books. She was formerly with Wells and got engaged to Bellamy by the end of the series. In the show she is bisexual which I absolutely love! She is the first bisexual main character which is a huge deal! I hardly ever see bisexual character's in shows especially as the lead and this was a nice change. In the show Clarke is with Finn for maybe an episode or two. She moves on to Niylah as a fling. Later she gets together with Lexa which is short lived when Lexa is shot. That leads Clarke back to Niylah for a little, but they are separated by the events of Praimfaya. Clarke has a fling with a Dr. later who betrays and helps in nearly killing her off. Octavia in the books comes out as gay in fourth installment when she meets Anna. In the show she is only seen with men. Octavia is with Atom for maybe an episode before acid fog claims his life. She moves on to Lincoln who is her first real love which ends when he dies in season three. A little while later she has a fling with Ilian and that ends her string of relationships. I found that interesting how the book and show made one of the main character's interested in the same sex, but not the same one. I like both ideas, but I still want Clarke with Bellamy in the end. 

In the show The 100 also eventually travels to another planet. At one point a few of them even go back up to the Ark before Praimfaya can claim their lives. In the books, they stay on the ground. There is no plans to go back up to space. They stay on the ground and make new lives for themselves. During this they are still trying to survive by making peace with the people that are still on the ground. The TV show is the same way, but other chains of events lead them to other parts of the U.S. Not only that, but they have to go back up to space twice due to catastrophic events taking place. The show is even more brutal in terms of survival especially in the later seasons. Octavia becomes a leader and has people volunteer themselves as food so others can live and eat. An event like this does not even come close to happening in the books. But the fourth book goes in a Handmaid's Tale direction. Some of the 100 and grounders are captured so they can plant their "seeds" for the Earth. Luckily, that doesn't happen. Also, there are a lot less deaths in the books and they aren't as impactful as the deaths in the show. The books kill off just a few character's sparing us the heartache and tears. That was actually disappointing because I remember bawling my eyes out during the deaths of Lincoln, Monty, Harper, and Finn. The books didn't impact me as much so I think I like the show just a little bit more for breaking my heart a few times. Sick, I know, but I love when a show can make me love it so much that I feel the pain of it so hard. 

So, that's my take on the books and TV show, what are your thoughts? I would love to know! 

The 100: The Rebellion by Kass Morgan book review

In this final installment of the series all of the chaos has seemed to finally settle down. Clarke and her people are back to their normal tasks of gathering food, hunting, and taking care of each other. But when a new enemy who call themselves "The Protectors" come to kidnap some of the clan members, bigger problems arise. Octavia, Glass, and Wells are among the captured while Clarke, Bellamy, and a few others managed to get away. There are arguments on how to get their people back which brings tension to Bellamy and Clarke's relationship. Bellamy wants to fight back and save their people. Clarke wants to resolve the situation peacefully in order to bring their people back. Majority take Clarke's side. This leads Paul to convince their people that Bellamy is crazy and irrational. Despite Clarke's protests Bellamy is shackled against his will until the plan can take place. When Bellamy hears that Clarke will be the one to be the peacemaker for their people it strains their relationship further. Wells and Octavia have been taken from Bellamy and he doesn't want to lose Clarke too! Bellamy and Clarke both say a choice of words that hurt one another and it tests their relationship. This is going to be weird for me to say, but I liked that this happened. This was an ultimate test of Clarke and Bellamy's relationship. Would this break them apart or bring them back together? There was some miscommunication which happens in relationships. Bellamy and Clarke were both wrong in different ways, but I love that they both realize it later and forgive one another. Plans change sending in another member to do the peacemaking for the group. The plan fails and the group decides it is best to go with Bellamy's plan at this point. They can't keep waiting around because if they do, they could be too late. Wells and Octavia are forced to do tasks while praising the Earth. The whole time he plans to play along so he can earn The Protectors trust in order to escape. Glass is assigned to be the leader's (Soren's) maid. Her plan is to get close to the leader and get rid of her. But as she grows closer to Soren she questions her plan until she hears of the Pairing ritual. Before the Pairing ritual (matching people to make babies) can take place Bellamy, Clarke, and the others fire their plan into action to rescue their people from the horrible fate. Many of the Protectors die, including the leader Soren. Those who are alive are taken back to the camp to resume their life as it was or to join the clan and make a new life. This whole ordeal makes Bellamy realize how much Clarke truly does mean to him. He proposes to her with the Griffin family heirloom stone and she eagerly accepts. I very much enjoy this book just like the rest of the series. I honestly thought more people were going to die that were a main character and not just a side character. I loved how everyone's relationship grew throughout this series too! The friendships and relationships were so beautifully created and well done! I'm going to really miss this crew, but this series ended really well. This final installment had a Handmaid's Tale feel to it, that I thought fit with the series in the way Morgan went about it. The Protectors worshipped the Earth and thought Clarke's people were horrible for not respecting it in their terms of the word respect. So, they made them their slaves basically to the Earth and were going to make them bear children for it as well. This final installment went into an interesting direction and I loved it! My favorite part of this series was definitely all of these character's relationships to each other. They were all so well developed and I enjoy seeing all of them grow throughout the series.
Rating: 5 stars!

Review of Wicked: Witch by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

1 star DNF
I read this book back in middle school and I enjoyed it so, I decided to read it again. I honestly didn't remember much at all from this book. After attempting to reread it I could see why. The book started off strong with a water rafting accident taking place leaving Holly without parents or her bestest friend. But then it started to get jumpy and I found myself losing interest. After trying to push through I gave up 50 pages in. I know that the other events taking place were important to the book, but the character's didn't pull me in. I really wanted to keep reading about Holly and what she would go through during the aftermath of the event. But the book kept jumping around to other POV's and I found myself getting bored with them. I was hoping I would get to relive a book I enjoyed years ago, but it was not enjoyable. Now I remember that the book did have trouble getting to the good parts and it took me until the fourth book to really get into the series. I remembered I kept reading this series to see if the books would get better because they did hold a promising storyline. But I'm not patient enough anymore to wait for the fourth. This book does have a nice cover though that can definitely suck you in and make you want to read it. If you're into witches this may be for you. I usually don't like books on witches so this probably just wasn't a good pick for me. 

Have you heard about Pressed Coffee & Books?

I have always wanted to have a bookshop near me. In the county I live in, there’s hardly anything to do, unfortunately. There's a mall that has maybe about four stores, Kohls, and Boscovs. Sure, there's some fast food places, but what about a bookshop? This is where Pressed Coffee & Books came in December of 2018 to Pottsville, PA. This made my bookish heart so happy and yet, scared at the same time. There aren't many businesses around here, but I had hopes that Pressed would remain a stable business in this boring city. So far, business seems to continue booming for this lovely coffee and book shop. 

I had the pleasure of speaking to the owner Abby Weaver a few times and she's genuinely very pleasant. All of the employees that work in this establishment always have a smile on their face and are ready to take your order. If you are waiting a little bit, please be patient. Their coffees and teas are very much worth the wait and price. You don't need to add any sugar to your drinks either. They have the perfect amount of sweetness. I highly recommend the blue latte, to me it tastes like cotton candy. Yum! That's not all though of course. 

During the holidays, they always have a special drink such as Candy Cane Hot Cocoa during Christmas. So, if you're feeling festive it's the perfect drink for you! 

Feeling hungry? Pressed also has an assortment of delicious food to choose from! If you just want something quick, they have cookies and muffins to help you go on your way! Feeling a bit hungrier than that? Definitely try one of their delicious crepes! They have plenty of options from savory to sweet. My personal favorite is their tomato bacon crepe with mozzarella cheese! 

We can't forget about the best part though. You can enjoy your latte and crepe with a good book! All of the books are donated and resold for a nice price. Paperbacks are only $4 and hardbacks are $6. They also have bins where the books are only $1! If you're lucky, you can find a special edition book like I did. I found The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. Since it's a special edition copy it was pricier for $18, but of course so worth it! 

If you like attending special events, Pressed also holds poetry nights, book clubs, etc. If you give them a like on Facebook you can keep up with all of the events that are happening! 

They are also great at supporting other local businesses in the city! They partnered with Hope Hill Lavender Farms to make a Mocha Lavender latte. If you want a candle, they sell Loki and Layla candles from the local candle shop. Let's not forget, they also hold giveaways featuring gift cards from The Wheel and other wonderful treats you won't want to miss! 

If you haven't checked it out, you are in for a great experience! I promise you won't be disappointed after having one of their delicious lattes along with a good book! 

Toy Story 4 Review

On Disney+ I was finally able to see Toy Story 4! I love all the Toy Story movies and for this lovely series each movie got better as it went on. In this movie we finally find out what happened to our beloved Bo-Peep and her sheep BillyGoatandGruff nine years ago. This was the one toy that Woody could not save. Bo-Peep decided to move on and leave Andy's house. It broke Woody's heart, but he let her go. 
Now we're in present time where Bonnie has Andy's toys. She plays with them all except for Woody. This was strange to me because Woody was Bonnie's favorite out of the collection she received from Andy. Also, Andy trusted this girl to take care of every single one of them and play with them. Of course Bonnie is only five so you can't expect her to just do it. She's a kid and is going to do what she wants. And I know kids can lose interest quickly, but she still played with all those toys, but no longer Woody? My guess is she has Jessie the cowgirl now so maybe she doesn't need the cowboy. Or she just lost interest and got bored with him which is natural, but it was still sad to see. 
Bonnie starts kindergarten where she builds a new friend/toy Forky. Forky doesn't want to be a toy though. Woody makes it his mission to keep Bonnie happy and try to convince Forky to be her toy. Woody feels lost due to Bonnie losing interest in him. This is the next best way he knows how to keep his kid happy. 
Due to Forky trying to escape, Woody runs into trouble when another toy, Gabby Gabby wants his voice box. Gabby Gabby longs to be loved just like all the other toys. Gabby Gabby feels that because her voice box is broken no child will want her. I didn't feel sorry for Gabby Gabby just yet. She has these creepy dummies as her accomplices and seemed a bit psycho. Luckily, Gabby Gabby didn't get what she wanted just yet. 
When Woody escapes without Forky, he finds Bo-Peep and her sheep! They are delighted to see each other. We also get a rundown on how Bo-Peep has been a lost toy for years. She has no intention of changing that because she loves it! I was so happy about Woody and Bo finding each other again! This would be a chance for Woody to bring her back and possibly find his place in Bonnie's life with Bo by his side. 
Bo-Peep agrees to help Woody get Forky back. Throughout this Woody and Bo-Peep realize how much they missed each other. Even though they have missed each other, their relationship hasn't missed a beat. They still care deeply for one another and would do anything for each other. 
The relationship does become strained when Woody pushes all the other toys too hard on getting Forky back. On his own Woody gets Forky back by giving Gabby Gabby his voice box. He knows that getting Forky back to Bonnie will make her happy and makes peace with this. Gabby Gabby has her sights set on the store owner's granddaughter Harmony to be her child. When Harmony rejects her, Woody prompts Gabby Gabby to go with him back to Bonnie to which she agrees. Now, I still didn't feel sad for Gabby Gabby or really like her character. She manipulated Woody by using his feelings to get what she wanted. It confirmed Woody's feelings enough for him to give Gabby Gabby his voice box. I laughed when Harmony threw her in the box! She didn't need a voice box in order to have love. I loved my toys when they lost their voice boxes or when their batteries died just as much. Why wouldn't another kid do the same? The store Gabby Gabby was at lacked interest in the toys department as stated by Gabby Gabby and Bo-Peep (which is why Bo left). Why not just go to another store and see different results? Nope, she had to be greedy and manipulative to Woody instead. 
Despite the whole ordeal Woody saves Gabby Gabby from the store and takes her under his wing. On the way to get to Bonnie, Gabby Gabby spies a girl who is lost, scared, and crying at the carnival taking place during the movie. She knows that this little girl needs her. Woody and the other toys help Gabby Gabby with getting this little girl Rosie's attention. Rosie is comforted enough by Gabby Gabby to ask for help in locating her family which she does. I actually cried at this scene and was finally liking Gabby Gabby. It's emotional because I'm sure a lot of us experienced a scary moment in our lives that made us hug our favorite toy. I still love toys/dolls and this scene was heartwarming. 
At the end of the movie, I really thought that Bo-Peep and the other new toys Ducky, Bunny, etc. would go with Woody. I actually liked though that Bo stuck to her guns and she decided to stay a lost toy. At the same time, I wanted her and Woody to be together again so I wanted her to go with. Instead, Buzz assures Woody that Bonnie will be ok and that he should go with Bo-Peep. It's a very bittersweet moment for everyone. All of the toys and Woody have been together through everything! But they all love him enough to let him go and be found again. I'm a sucker for bittersweet endings and I again cried. I'm so happy for Woody and Bo, but he's leaving the whole gang. So, that makes it really sad and Toy Story tears up my heart once again.
At first, I didn't like the ending because the toys all split up. I didn't want Woody to go, but I realized it was in his best interest. Being with Bonnie made him feel lost and with Bo he felt found again. Buzz even realized that and that's why he convinced Woody to go and be with Bo. 
I'm pretty certain with this ending, there will be a Toy Story 5. I'm completely ok with that because this series gets better and better as the movies go on. Also, I know it's another way Disney can milk the cow, but they're going to make money because they you all will go and see the movies. We all do it!
Anyway, this gets an 8 out of 10 for me. Despite a few bumps I still really enjoyed it!

The Chemist by: Stephenie Meyer review!

I picked this one up because it's by Stephenie Meyer. I enjoyed her Twilight series during my time in middle school. I didn't care for The Host as much, but her writing was still brilliant! It was no different for this book. Her writing immediately captivated me, but I didn't have a desire for the subject matter. It's basically scientists dealing with mob bosses. I really don't like books that deal with mob bosses. It always turns the book flat for me and it was no different here, unfortunately. I was excited for something new by Meyer and I thought I would enjoy this right from the beginning. But I find nothing interesting or appealing about mob bosses so I ended up not finishing and not getting even 100 pages through. I was really excited too because this sounded like an adult version of Maximum Ride which is my favorite book series. This was just more adult than Maximum Ride. The writing was great I loved Juliana our lead. But when mob bosses came in, I was out. This is definitely something different from Meyer which is something good for her writing career. I’m disappointed though because I Twilight is a good series in it’s own way. Meyer has great writing talent and it shows in all of her works. I tried reading this book twice and the second time I dropped the book after two chapters. I wanted to give it another shot because I do see potential, but then I remembered there are mob bosses. I give this book 2 stars because it’s fair even though I didn’t finish it. Again, Meyer’s writing is really good and I respect it so I feel that giving this 1 star wouldn’t be right. I didn’t finish the book due to my lack of interest which I acknowledge. Also, I do have to say I didn’t care much for any of the character’s I got to see during my time reading this book. I do feel like this is a book that some people will enjoy too! It’s just not my cup of tea. Regardless, I encourage any Meyer fan or spy fan to pick this one up because you will like it I’m sure. 
With that said, this book gets 2 out of 5 stars from me! 

Disney Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast make-up

Hey everyone! I'm finally back with a new blog post. I know it has been a little while, but I had to tend to some other matters that really needed my attention. Speaking of, I'm getting married in about a month as some of you already know! It has been awhile since I got some really good make-up for myself. I figured this would be around the best time to do this! Usually, I go to CVS because it's close by and I get eyeliner there also, occasionally lipstick. The past few times I went there, my favorite eyeliner hasn't been in stock. Honestly, right now I can't even remember the name, I bought it a few times. Now it's not even at CVS anytime I go there to find it. Also, I recently got a red lipstick that looks more pink than red. Red lipsticks look great on me so I was disappointed when it showed up as pink. On Mercari I found a set of Lorac Beauty and the Beast limited edition lipsticks! The best part was that it did have a red while the rest of the colors were a nude shade. I don't like nude shades, but I decided to give this a try and go for something different. The lipsticks only cost me $32 and they are five limited edition ones that you can't find anymore unless you search Mercari or eBay. My favorite was definitely Red Rose which is obviously the red shade. I would recommend putting on a bit more than you think you need otherwise it might look pinkish. It gets a 4.8. Next I enjoyed Tres Chic which is a brown color. This surprised me because I'm not a fan of the color brown, but this shade looked good on me. It was a nice and smooth brown. This got 5.0 even though it's not my favorite it was an unexpectedly great color. The next one I enjoyed was Belle-ieve which was a rosy pink. It's cute and simple so it gets a 4.5 from me. Savior Faire would be next. For me it's a good nude color on my lips, but I don't like that it looks like the shade of a newborn. It just feels a bit weird. This one gets a 3.8. True Beauty was my least favorite because I didn't think it was all that beautiful. It looks like the colors pink and brown got into a fight and neither one could win. That's a 3.0 for me. Also, I think it would've been cool if one of the colors were gold. It would've really made the collection that much more special. Also, I loved the design of the lipstick cases. It makes you want them even more! Overall it gets a 4.0 from me.
Next, I went ahead and bought the Aladdin eyeliner from the MAC collection on eBay. It was $23, but again this is another limited edition item that you have to seek out. It is most definitely worth the price! I went all day with this eyeliner on which was almost twelve hours and it did not wear off. Also, I'm pretty sure it's waterproof! I did cry one day while wearing it (from stress) and it didn't run down my face. It was still there! This is my absolute favorite eyeliner ever! I am a huge fan of Aladdin and I'm saying this without being biased I promise! It really brought out the color in my eyes as well which is a huge plus from me. I've heard great things about MAC make-up anyway so I'm glad I went ahead with this purchase. I may try the A Whole New World lipstick next if I can find it for a reasonable price. The design of the eyeliner is perfect too! It matches princess Jasmine's peacock look from the live action film! It gets 5.0 from me for sure. I plan to use the MAC eyeliner and Red Rose lipstick for my wedding if I don't find anything better by then. Also, enjoy some pictures of the lipsticks and eyeliner! 

Fallen Angel by: Heather Terrell Book Review

I decided to reread this book. When I was younger I really enjoyed it, but I didn't this much this time around. Ellie and Michael have no connection other than that they're the same creature. They go on a few dates, but we don't get any good details about those dates. We're just told that they have a good time and enjoy each other's company. It was hard to feel that connection that they had. I wanted to see what they had beyond being similar creatures. You don't just love someone because they are the same species as you. There is more to it than that. Michael is a very nice guy to Ellie which is good. But I still feel like I know very little about him. The best relationship in this book is between Ellie and her best friend Ruth. Ellie went over walls to get close to Ruth. Ellie sticks by Ruth even when the popular girls try to take an interest in Ellie. Ruth is fiercely loyal to the point where she will worry if Ellie acts weird or doesn't respond to a call or text. I know that Ellie really loves her parents and really wants their trust, love, and respect. But I feel the conversations and the times they shared are mostly just told and not really shown. I would have liked to see more of that as well. It's a cute short story for anyone looking for something a little different. It also had a love triangle which I'm not always a big fan of.

I decided to reread this book. When I was younger I really enjoyed it, but I didn't this much this time around. Ellie and Michael have no connection other than that they're the same creature. They go on a few dates, but we don't get any good details about those dates. We're just told that they have a good time and enjoy each other's company. It was hard to feel that connection that they had. I wanted to see what they had beyond being similar creatures. You don't just love someone because they are the same species as you. There is more to it than that. Michael is a very nice guy to Ellie which is good. But I still feel like I know very little about him. The best relationship in this book is between Ellie and her best friend Ruth. Ellie went over walls to get close to Ruth. Ellie sticks by Ruth even when the popular girls try to take an interest in Ellie. Ruth is fiercely loyal to the point where she will worry if Ellie acts weird or doesn't respond to a call or text. I know that Ellie really loves her parents and really wants their trust, love, and respect. But I feel the conversations and the times they shared are mostly just told and not really shown. I would have liked to see more of that as well. It's a cute short story for anyone looking for something a little different. It also had a love triangle which I'm not always a big fan of.

I decided to reread this book. When I was younger I really enjoyed it, but I didn't this much this time around. Ellie and Michael have no connection other than that they're the same creature. They go on a few dates, but we don't get any good details about those dates. We're just told that they have a good time and enjoy each other's company. It was hard to feel that connection that they had. I wanted to see what they had beyond being similar creatures. You don't just love someone because they are the same species as you. There is more to it than that. Michael is a very nice guy to Ellie which is good. But I still feel like I know very little about him. The best relationship in this book is between Ellie and her best friend Ruth. Ellie went over walls to get close to Ruth. Ellie sticks by Ruth even when the popular girls try to take an interest in Ellie. Ruth is fiercely loyal to the point where she will worry if Ellie acts weird or doesn't respond to a call or text. I know that Ellie really loves her parents and really wants their trust, love, and respect. But I feel the conversations and the times they shared are mostly just told and not really shown. I would have liked to see more of that as well. It's a cute short story for anyone looking for something a little different. It also had a love triangle which I'm not always a big fan of.

I decided to reread this book. When I was younger I really enjoyed it, but I didn't this much this time around. Ellie and Michael have no connection other than that they're the same creature. They go on a few dates, but we don't get any good details about those dates. We're just told that they have a good time and enjoy each other's company. It was hard to feel that connection that they had. I wanted to see what they had beyond being similar creatures. You don't just love someone because they are the same species as you. There is more to it than that. Michael is a very nice guy to Ellie which is good. But I still feel like I know very little about him. The best relationship in this book is between Ellie and her best friend Ruth. Ellie went over walls to get close to Ruth. Ellie sticks by Ruth even when the popular girls try to take an interest in Ellie. Ruth is fiercely loyal to the point where she will worry if Ellie acts weird or doesn't respond to a call or text. I know that Ellie really loves her parents and really wants their trust, love, and respect. But I feel the conversations and the times they shared are mostly just told and not really shown. I would have liked to see more of that as well. It's a cute short story for anyone looking for something a little different. It also had a love triangle which I'm not always a big fan of.

I decided to reread this book. When I was younger I really enjoyed it, but I didn't this much this time around. Ellie and Michael have no connection other than that they're the same creature. They go on a few dates, but we don't get any good details about those dates. We're just told that they have a good time and enjoy each other's company. It was hard to feel that connection that they had. I wanted to see what they had beyond being similar creatures. You don't just love someone because they are the same species as you. There is more to it than that. Michael is a very nice guy to Ellie which is good. But I still feel like I know very little about him. The best relationship in this book is between Ellie and her best friend Ruth. Ellie went over walls to get close to Ruth. Ellie sticks by Ruth even when the popular girls try to take an interest in Ellie. Ruth is fiercely loyal to the point where she will worry if Ellie acts weird or doesn't respond to a call or text. I know that Ellie really loves her parents and really wants their trust, love, and respect. But I feel the conversations and the times they shared are mostly just told and not really shown. I would have liked to see more of that as well. It's a cute short story for anyone looking for something a little different. It also had a love triangle which I'm not always a big fan of.

Favorite Couples in Books, Disney, etc!

We have finally hit the month of love! Of course, January was long as usual, but now we're finally into February so I wanted to do a sweet blog post in honor of love. Also, I'm getting married next month! Eeep! What better time to do this blog? I'm going to give you my top ten favorite couples of all time. Whether it'd be from Disney or books. A few may not be from Disney or books! These are just my favorite couples in general. I may do a post later on my favorite couple from books. And one on just Disney couples as well. But this post is on any that are my favorites!

1. Max and Fang from Maximum Ride! These two have known each other since they were kids. They even took care of kids younger than them and made their own flock. For awhile they're just best friends even when Fang makes his feelings known a few times. Max was a strong leader and when she was about to break Fang was there to pick up the pieces. They don't get together until book five, but when they do it's beautiful! When the world is against them they stand together. Unfortunately, they do split at the end of book six when Fang leaves to go fulfill his own duties. But they come back together again in book number eight to take on the end of the world! Fang thought it'd be better if he left Max to keep her safe. He realized he needed to be with her and fight the battle with her. They even have a baby together!

2. Clarke and Bellamy from The 100! Before any of you tell me they're not together, they are in the books! Yep that's right. The books and TV show are very different. But also, I do hope they end up together before the show ends. Clarke and Bellamy have a nice balance of thinking with their heads and hearts. This makes them a great team. Clarke and Bellamy are always supportive of each other and very protective. They are great leaders and I could see them as a great King and Queen if they lived in that kind of society. Also, the actors who play them are married to each other! How sweet is that?

3. Clare and Eli from Degrassi! These two had an epic romance! I didn't always agree with some things that happened in their relationship, but they constantly found their way back to one another. Together they went through Eli's loss of his first love, Eli's bi-polar, Clare's sexual harassment, Clare's cancer, cheating, and a miscarriage. These two aggravated me because they got together and broke up multiple times. In the end when it came time for Clare to graduate they agreed on a long distance relationship. Having hope that they would always find their back, once again. 

4. Lena and Ethan from Beautiful Creatures! When all the popular kids teased Lena, Ethan went against them. Lena let Ethan into her world even though she didn't completely understand it all herself. He was ready to stick by her and assist in anyway that he could. Even their families were against the relationship, but they fought for each other. Even in the darkest of times they conquered all the trials for one another. 

5. Rapunzel and Flynn (Eugene) from Tangled! They had a rocky start to their relationship. Rapunzel wanted Flynn to take her to see the lanterns. Flynn wanted the crown from Rapunzel. Through their journey to go and see the lanterns they start to fall in love with each other. Rapunzel found someone who took her to see the lanterns and it was no longer for Flynn's own greed. Flynn found a dream better than the riches he imagined he would have, which is love. 

6. Jane and Tarzen from Tarzan! I loved Jane's fascination with animals. Even though Tarzan was a human she respected who he was. She did want him to come back to her home so they could be together. Tarzan showed Jane a deeper insight to his world as Jane did to him with her world. Tarzan was willing to leave his home to be with Jane. But Jane realized that Tarzan was already a part of a world she loved so much. She gave up her old life to create a new one with him and the jungle. 

7. Robin and Starfire from Teen Titans! These two end up together in every show and comic created. My favorite though was the Cartoon Network show. You got to see how much these two really loved and care about one another. Their relationship as best friends started with saving each other during missions. Starfire did most of the hugging. Robin realized he liked Starfire and showed more affection towards her as the show progressed. In the final movie Trouble in Tokyo they become a couple. 

8. Pongo and Perdita from 101 Dalmations! The story of these two is so sweet! Their owners get married and they even had their own ceremony right outside touching paws. They end up having puppies and losing them to thieves. Once this puppy couple gets words of the puppies whereabouts, they go off together to rescue them. Not only their puppies, but many others giving them 101 puppies! They successfully work together with some help from their local friends and rescue them all. In the end, their owners even agree to keep all the puppies. How cute!

9. Aladdin and Jasmine from Aladdin! A princess from the palace and a rat from the streets. These two grew up very differently, but yet find themselves in the same lonely boat. They lie to each other and even though it was wrong they understood why and didn't blame the other. Jasmine and Aladdin still fought to be together despite the odds stacked against them. Aladdin wanted to be with Jasmine, but used his last wish to help the genie who was there for him through the whole ordeal. It came back around when Jasmine got to choose who she wanted by her side to rule Agrabah with her. Jasmine could've chosen any rich prince, but she loved Aladdin!

10. Natalie and Ash from Black City! A forbidden romance which I love in the books I read. These two learned a lot from one another and grew from the experiences they faced together. Natalie was seen as a snobby rich girl. But she proved to everyone that she was so much more than that. Ash was a bad boy, but showed what he was fighting for. Together Ash and Natalie take on the world to bring back the peace. Natalie goes against her family and what she was told to help Ash and his kind. 

Those are my top ten couples of all time! Do you like any that I named from this list? I would love to know! Leave a comment or even tell me some of your favorites! 

Review of Lion King Live Action

I've been putting off watching the live action Lion King. I've heard that it was just a frame by frame of the animation (which isn't completely true). Also, I heard Beyoncé a little in "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and she was overpowering the song. But also, I've had a history of enjoying the live action films more than the animations. This one was no exception I am pleased to say. 
The beginning of the Lion King was a frame by frame and I actually really loved that! I was tearing up at how beautifully it was recreated into a live action type of deal. Other than that, it wasn't a frame by frame of the animation. The movie stuck very closely to the animated film with a few small changes. We got to see Nala leave the Pridelands in search of help for the pride. It was significant to the movie because if she hadn't left to seek help, Simba probably would have never returned. Shenzi was the leader of the hyenas. I thought that was a good move because she was the smarter one out of the three in the animation. 
The movie does have a more serious feel to it during "Be Prepared". The song isn't a fun villain song/scene anymore. Scar is more serious and conniving in this film. The scene of this song actually reeks of dark betrayal coming. Scar has to convince the hyenas to join him in his plan to kill Mufasa. 
Of course the scene where Mufasa dies is still a tearjerker. But the film producers didn't linger on this scene as long as the animation. It did leave me a little disappointed. At the same time though before this happened, we saw such a sweet bond between Mufasa and Simba. So, it still really tugged at my heart strings when that scene took place. 
I wish the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was done better. Beyoncé overpowered this song to where you could barely hear Donald Glover. The songs for the live actions always get remade and I usually like them. This one I was not a fan of. Although, I did enjoy the new song "Spirit" from Beyoncé that was added to the film. That song was perfect for the scene where Simba was running back to his true home. 
The scene where the final battle between Simba and Scar takes place was done very well! It was pretty close to how it happened in the animated film. It was tweaked a bit with Nala and Shenzi squaring off for a few minutes. And of course our other character's Rafiki, Timon, and Pumba doing their part to help out. 
At times in the film it felt like I was watching an episode of animal planet which was great! I was afraid even with the "live action" aspect it wouldn't have that real feel to it. But this film really did! Just like The Jungle Book has. The film was beautifully done and even the changes were minimal, but well done. If you're having doubts I highly recommend seeing this, I don't think you'll be disappointed in this film. Or if you're picky and don't like changes to these films then don't bother. Seriously, the changes are small and I don't think they will affect anyone much. 
With that said, I'm giving this a 9/10. I would love to give it a 10/10, but that Beyoncé just really irritated me. Other than this film was great!