Top 10 Female Characters of 2012

 

 

1. Caroline Forbes(Vampire Diaries): Caroline continued to be my favorite character on the show this year and I continued to love of her for her optimistic personality and being a good friend. Although Caroline is an overall cheerful character she had to deal with some hard ships this year such as facing the fact that she's never going to actually grow up and loosing her father both of these things made me sad for her but I also think she handled these things pretty well. Caroline also dealt with Klaus becoming attracted to her and I love how she dealt with this situation by using their moments together to tell him he has to become a halfway decent person before she even considers him a romantic option and she of course distracts Klaus often for the good of the team because she's also been about helping out her friends. I really loved seeing more of Caroline's control freak nature in "My Brother's Keeper" at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant because sadly we don't see that side of her personality often since she became a vampire and I also loved how against Elena getting together with Damon she is because Dam treated her horrible when they were a couple and Caroline is trying to protect Elena from getting in a situation like that. I also love that the show brought back Caroline's friendship with Stefan this season and I continue to love her and Tyler as a couple.

2. Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke(Revenge): I love Emily for being someone who is very driven by vengeance but is also smart about how she goes about seeking it, I love that she plans and I love that seeks to destroy peoples lives rather than to kill them. I love that Emily hides from the world behind

this sweet facade as the girl next door and that she pulls off this role flawlessly even though she's really plotting the destruction of almost everyone around her. I love that she's damaged by her past and that she has trust issues because of it. I really enjoy how she's able to fight pretty well but that isn't the skill set she uses in revenge schemes.I also love that despite being pretty closed off emotionally she still does care for some people although she isn't always great at showing it. I always enjoy watching her take downs and I'm always hoping that things turn out the best for her which I think is a good thing to feel about the main character of the show.

3. Rebekah Mikaelson(Vampire Diaries): I personally believe that Rebekah was one of the best things about season 3 and I love her for her desire to live the life of a normal high school girl despite being over a thousand years old because even though she's been alive so long she never really got a chance to live her life. I love that Rebekah can be very vengeful to the people who wronged her such as her goal of killing Elena after she woke up from the time Elena literally stabbed her in the back or she drained all the vervain out of Damon through torture after she found out he used her and invaded her mind therefore she decided to invade his. I also love that even though she can be bitchy and vengeful she can also be vulnerable and she's forever looking for true love. I really love her crush and Matt because he's one of the nicest and most normal guy on the show and I think that Rebekah wanting to be with someone like that says a lot about her. I also loved how she walked out on Klaus this year for not appreciating her despite the fact she's the one whose been with him through everything. I like the friendship she seemed to have with April and I'm looking forward to seeing how that and her character develops in the second half of the season.

4. Sansa Stark(Game of Thrones): I spent this season of Game of Thrones both admiring and feeling bad for Sansa. I felt bad for Sansa because she was in an awful situation one in which she could have been killed for saying the wrong thing, one in which Joffrey would punish her for her brother Rob's victor on the battlefield and one in which she's basically the Lannister's prisoner but she isn't aloud to act like it and she isn't even aloud to express her desire to see her family again. I admire Sansa greatly for being able to say just the right thing so she won't get punished and for being able keep herself from breaking down in front of anyone even though it's clear that there are times she wants to. I also admire her for being able to use her position in order to trick Joffrey into certain things such as in the first episode of the season when she convince Joffrey not to kill the knight but to keep him as a fool or to get Joffrey fight in a position in battle that is more dangerous, I love that she was able to do both of these things with just a few well placed words and that she has an effect on things despite being a position were she should be powerless I like that she isn't completely. I also love that despite the horrible situation she is going through and despite knowing not to trust in people to be good people that she still believes in human decency which is something many people would have given up on in her position. I love Sansa for being able to survive her situation in more ways than one in both the literal survival and spiritual survival with how she hasn't given up on humanity as a whole.

5. Faye Chamberlin(Secret Circle): I really love Faye for being this bitchy girl who just really wanted to have her own magic just so she could use it for whatever she wanted whenever she could. I also love that despite not being the nicest person around she still really cares for certain people such as Melissa and I personally really loved the friendship between Faye and Melissa. I also really ended up liking her relationships with Lee and Jake which caught me a bit by surprise. I just overall love Faye and I'm sad that I won't be able to see her on screen anymore.

6. Daenerys Targaryen(Game of Thrones): I love Daenerys for remaining the strong Khaleesi she became through out last season and I love that she became very protective of her dragons and her people. I love that she has became determined to make it to Westroes and to claim the Iron Throne for herself and I love that she doesn't want to have to marry someone else in order to get to that position. While I find her story less exciting than her story last season due to the lack of progress she made in getting closer to reach her goal, I still always loved watching her scenes because I really love her character.

7. River Song(Doctor Who): It may seem a bit strange to have River on my list this year since she only actually appeared in one episode of series 7 but I just end up loving her character more and more each time she appears on the show. I love River because she has this fun and flirty personality and I just find her really charming. I also love her because she has this emotional strength to her that I really admire which is something I really notice in this years episode with how she says that she never lets the doctor sees the damage because she knows how it upsets him and how she kept herself together so well while having her parents disappear from her life forever.

8. Cersei Lannister(Game of Thrones): I really love Cersei as a character and I know that may seem a bit strange because she has done some awful things but I just kind of always loved her since I started watching the series. I really loved watching her character this season with how she trying to control Joffrey and rule the kingdom in way in which she won't have to loose everything she has and how these things seem impossible with how she can't control Joffrey at all since he has become king. I really enjoyed seeing the more vulnerable side of Cersei this season because it just helped me understand her character a bit more clearly. I also really enjoyed Cersei's relationship with Sansa because there are moments were see Cersei can empathizes with Sansa's situation but most of the time it seems like she has a certain twisted pleasure in seeing Sansa suffer much in the way that she had suffered in the past. I overall find Cersei to be a very interesting character and I'm looking forward to learning more about her.

9. Juliette Barnes(Nashville): Juliette is a character that surprised me, when  I first watched the pilot episode I never would have thought that she'd end up being my favorite part of the show. I really love how her bitchy side is just mostly there to cover up her vulnerable side. I love how she wants to be taken seriously as singer and song writer and that her career isn't all about making money or going to parties like some people don't know her may think. I felt really bad for her with how she grew up with a mother who was a drug addict and she's never really had any real friends so the concept that someone would like her for who she is, is entirely foreign to her. I also really love her music as well.

10. Lydia Martin(Teen Wolf): I loved Lydia this season as well as last for being that mean popular girl who is actually really smart and I also love to see her on screen. I felt really bad for her because she seemed to be slowly loosing her sanity all season and no one would tell her the truth about any of the supernatural stuff. I'm really glad that she is now in the know and hope that this will allow for her to have more screen time and character develop next season.

Anime Review: Arcana Famiglia: Arcana Duello(1.12)

                                       Arcana Famiglia: Arcana Duello(1.12)Review

In this episode the arcana duel that will decide who will be the next leader of the family and who will marry Felicita takes place. This episode has quite a few good battle sequences but sadly doesn't have a lot of new information in regards to characters or relationships but that was sort of what I expected out of the finale episode of the series. The Gil Amanti also continues to try and have Felicita choose if she'd rather open her heart to Liberta or Nova in order for her Wheel of Fortune card to work and heal Papa.

I really loved that in the end Felicita was the one who won the arcana duel and that in truth she didn't need to choose to open her heart to only one person but to show equal love to all people in order for the Wheel of Fortune card to work. I really loved that Felicita didn't end up with anyone because I feel like she doesn't really know how she feels about either and should wait to choose someone until she does.

I overall enjoyed this episode and I loved the series as a whole. I hope to someday read the manga version of this series because I feel that the series isn't quite complete but it's complete enough to keep me happy at the moment. Please tell me your thoughts about this episode or series as whole.

Top 10 book and blogging for 2013

1. Read more novels: I read quite a lot last year but sadly most of what I read weren't books that I could review for my blog instead of books I was often reading manga, fanfiction and discussions about fandoms online so I made it goal this year for me to read more books than I did last year which shouldn't be hard because I read like only 20 books last year.
2. Respond to comments more: While I always love the comments I get on the blog and I try to be good about commenting on other people's blogs, I'm really not very good at responding to the comments on my blog and when I had respond in the past it's usually weeks or months later so I'm pretty sure the commenter never reads it. So this year I plan to be better about responding to peoples comments.
3. Get more involved in the book blogging community: I don't really feel all that connected to the book blogging community because when ever I read about other bloggers talking about how many friends they made through book blogging I realise that I haven't really made any and I would like to have that experience but I'm not exactly sure how to get more connected to the community.
4. Be more honest about my opinion in my reviews: I've notice that when I dislike something especially if I know a lot of other people love it I tend to try to make it sound like I liked it more than I do. For instance in one of my tv show reviews someone thought I hated a character I actually love and I liked a ship I actually hate so I think I really have to work on making my opinion clearer.
5. Find a reading challenge to take part in: I notice that a lot of people have reading challenges and I think that it'd be a good way for me to read more books this year.
6. Talk about Fruits Basket more: I have talked about my love for Fruits Basket quite a few times on these lists but since I've never really reviewed the series and I don't think I'd be able to because I love and know the series too well but I feel like I should explain what makes this series so great in some kind of post.
7. Review more manga series I love: There's quite a few manga series(Gakuen Alice, Chibi Vampire, Rosario + Vampire, Gentlemen's Alliance Cross, Shugo Chara) I love but haven't review yet on this blog that I'm still reading and I think it would be a good idea for me to review more of them.
8. Try to read more new books: I don't usually buy books the year there first released and since I have an awful library I buy almost every book I read so I don't read new books but since everyone are always talking about those books I feel I should try to read new books.
9. Have some non-review/non-lists posts: I have a lot of ideas that have to do with comparing certain characters and series with each other but I'm not really sure what to call those post but I really want to write posts like that.
10. Be less picky about who I follow: I'm extremely picky about who I follow and I think that I shouldn't be quite as picky considering I only follow two blogs right now.

Manga Review: Cardcaptor Sakura Vol.4

                                                Cardcaptor Sakura Vol.4Review

This volume starts off with Sakura, Tomoyo and Syaoran being trapped in the maze card, to capture the maze card they have to find there way out of the maze. They come up with some ideas to try and make their search easier such as Sakura tries to use the Fly in order see which direction to go but the walls of the maze grew as she fly up, they tried to use Syaoran's compass but since it's used for locating Clow cards it doesn't work since their in a clow card and Tomoyo suggest they put one hand on a wall because she heard that's the way to get out of any maze. In the end their new teacher Kaho Mizuki ends up helping them out of the maze by smashing the walls with an object that contains powerful magic. Sakura seals the card after getting out of the maze but was nervous to do it in front of Kaho so Kaho turned away despite it being obvious she already knows about magic.Also in the first chapter we learn that back in middle school Touya and Kaho use to date but the two broke up when she moved away and she had predicted that the two of them would already be in love with other people the next time they meet.

The next story of the volume deals with Sakura's class going on a school trip at the beach were there is of course a clow card to be capture there. The first half of this story doesn't mention much about clow cards but does mention Sakura fear of ghosts and scary stories. Also Syaoran once again tells Sakura to be suspicious of Kaho but Sakura say she can't help but to like her and then the two of them start talking about their crushes on Yukito which makes them both blush. Sakura then tells Syaoran they shouldn't give up on their crushes because of the age difference and she gives him this smile that makes him blush and then he gets confused about his feelings so he decides to run away.

Later on while on the trip during this thing called the test of courage where the walk in a cave with a lit candle. While on the test of courage everyone starts to disappear which of course frightens Sakura greatly but after she runs into Syaoran he's able to calm her down and get her to sense that a clow card is causing everyone to disappear. After Sakura is done crying she tells Syaoran that he's nice he denies this and tells her he just doesn't like seeing people cry which does nothing to disprove Sakura's point. When they find a candle and Sakura doesn't have anything to light it with she is very impressed when Syaoran can use magic to lite it and she tells him this which makes him very embarrassed and he blushes a lot. Sakura decides to ask Syaoran about why he wants to capture the clow cards while they're approaching the clow card and he mentions the disaster that would fall upon the earth which Kero-chan had mentioned in previous volumes they try to figure out what it is but come up with nothing. The end up approaching the clow card and Sakura ends up capturing the card which turns out to be the erase card. Sakura tries to the card to Syaoran but he tells her that it's her card and after she thanks him for that he gets embarrassed and runs away again.

In the last chapter of this volume Sakura along with Tomoyo, Yukito and Touya go to a festival at Kaho's family's shrine and at said festival Sakura ends up capturing a clow card. The card she captures is called the glow card and it was a very peaceful card and Sakura ended up thanking the card because she had a nice moment with Yukito because of it.

Overall loved this volume the art remains beautiful, I continue to love the characters and their relationships with each other and the plot continues to entertain me. Please tell me your thoughts on this volume.

Fangirl Friday 25

Fangirl five Friday is a weekly meme host Nancy Drew is my Homegirl and what it's meme that has you list the top five things you've been fangirling about this week.

1. Doctor Who: I watched the Christmas special this week and it was an amazing episode that was a sort of introduction or re-introduction of the next companion Clara Oswin Oswald who I love already she has to fun flirty and adventurous way about her that just makes me complete love her. It was also nice to see how the Doctor was coping with loosing the Ponds and it seems it wasn't very well since he gave up on finding anyone or really helping anyone out anymore which of course doesn't last long for the Doctor because he just can't help but to get intrigued by someone or something. I also found the talking Snow to be quite interesting and at times a bit frightening. I'm really interested to learn what Clara Oswin Oswald's story is because so far we met her twice and she died both times and she lived in both the past and the future so I'm extremely excited for the second half of series 7.

2. Elementary: I started watching Elementary this week and I find the series to be very entertaining and fun to watch. I love both the characters of Sherlock and Joan and I the relationship they have with each other. I also find the cases to be very interesting to watch because things don't go the way I'd expect them to go.
3. Heroes of Olympus: I finished reading The Son of Neptune this week and it was great ending to a great book that had an interesting plot and very lovable characters.

Book Review: Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune

                              Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune Review

The second book of the Heroes of Olympus series deals with the camp of Roman half-bloods that was mentioned in the first book and it has been about eight months since the first book. At the beginning of this book we learn that Percy Jackson has lost all of his memories and he then enters the Roman camp, Camp Jupiter. Soon after arriving at Camp Jupiter Percy along with Hazel Levesque daughter of Pluto(Roman version of Hades) and Frank Zhang son of Mars(Roman version of Ares) to set free death from the chains he's tied down to in Alaska, which is the land beyond the gods, and defeat the giant Alcyoneus.

Percy is my favorite character in both the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series and the Heroes of Olympus series and has been since The Lightening Thief. In this book Percy has lost all of his memories except a little bit about Annabeth which I thought was very sweet and romantic that the little that he could remember was of her. Percy is still the brave, sarcastic and all around good friend that I remembered from the first series. I loved the friendships he develops with Hazel and Frank through out their quest and I liked all of the small reference to the first series that come up once he starts remembering things. I find it interesting that Reyna, a praetor of the Twelfth Legion at Camp Jupiter and her sister Hylla, Queen of the Amazons, have sort of met Percy during The Sea of Monsters. I'm a bit worried about Percy during the rest of this series because his fatal flaw of not being to not save his love ones has come up again and since he survived the first series without this being a problem I doubt he'll be lucky enough to survive this one as well.

Hazel is the daughter of Pluto and because of this and a wish her mother made long ago, she is cursed with the ability to bring up precious metals and gems from the earth but if anyone other than her picks up these metals and gems they will be cursed with bad lucky. Hazel is also unlucky enough to have died back in 1942 when after she was tricked into raising the giant Alcyoneus she than dies while insuring that Alcyoneus won't be able to rise for many years to come. Hazel has recently been brought back to life after death had gone missing and her half brother Nico Di Angelo(another one of my favorite characters from the first series) rescues her from the underworld when he couldn't find his sister Bianca. I feel bad for Hazel through out most of the book because she's constantly worrying that once they rescue Death that she might be sent back to the underworld and that she feels guilty for helping build Alcyonues and that she couldn't save her mother from Gaea's influences. I really love Hazel she's a very sweet character with sad past, an unfortunate curse and a love for horses such as Arion, who is the fastest horse in the world and was kept by the Amazons for years and it was said that only a great warrior could tame Arion and Hazel is that great warrior.

Frank is a guy that is rather clumsy and doesn't really feel comfortable in his own skin at the beginning of this book and he was not happy that his father is the god of war since Frank dislikes wars since his mother was killed fighting in one. I liked how Frank is different from what one would think a child of Mars should be like that he doesn't want to fight but he will because it's his duty and he has to do his part in protecting the people and things he cares about. I also love that one of his talents is to be able to think tactical because planning and tactics are often just as important if not even more important than the actual battles in a war. I also find his family gift of being able to turn himself into any kind of animal to be very interesting and useful. I thought that it was strange and scary for Frank to have his life be controlled by a piece of driftwood. I loved Frank as a character because he had a good heart, was a bit awkward and he develops into a good hero as the quest goes on.

I really loved seeing how different the Roman camp was to the Greek one, with the Roman one seeming more military like than camp like and it seemed that people were generally more serious. I really loved the relationship that developed between Frank and Hazel through out the book, I think there very sweet together. I really loved the character Ella the Harpy with how she seemed a bit crazy and also very knowledgeable about a lot of things.

I overall loved this book and I can't wait to read the next book in the series because it will have all of the characters from the first two books working together in that one. Please tell me your thoughts about this book or the series in general.

Top 10 Books I Resolve to Read in 2013

1. The Fault in Our Stars: I've heard only great things about this book and I've read some lovely quotes from this book and since I got this book for Christmas I plan to start on it as soon as possible.
2. A Clash of Kings/ A Storm of Swords: I loved the first book of the series and I'm already over a hundred pages into A Clash of Kings which I'm sure I'll finish this year and I already own A Storm of Swords so both are high on my to read list for this year.
3. Forever: I'm excited to read the last book of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series since I loved the first two books of the series so I'm eager to see how it ends but I'm a little sad that I'll have to say goodbye to the characters I love.
4. The Reckoning: I loved the first two books of The Darkest Powers series and I'm sure that the final book will be exciting so I'm looking forward to reading it.
5. The Mark of Athena: I love the Heroes of Olympus series so far and I see no reason why I wouldn't love the third book of the series and since I got it for Christmas I will probably read it soon.
6. Only the Good Spy Young: I loved the first three books of Gallagher Girls series and I've heard great things about this book and I already own it so I'll hopefully be reading this book soon.
7. Cinder: I've heard great things about this book and it sounds really interesting so I plan to read this book as soon as I can get my hands on it.
8. Hide and Seek: I love the first three books of The Lying Game series so I plan to buy and read this book this year because these are just books I can get through really quickly because of their mystery aspect.
9. Lola and the Boy Next Door: I've heard all great things about this book and I did enjoy Stephanie Perkins writing style in Anna and the French but it wasn't until Aimee at penmanship Smitten, described Cricket as awkwardly endearing that I really decided that I need to read this book.
10. Catching Fire: I want to read this book before the movie comes out because I feel I should read the books and the movies coming out gives me an excuse to make myself read them.