Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

RECAP: San Diego Comic Con 2015

It was that time of summer...again! For many geeks and nerds, we all know that time of year to be the annual San Diego Comic Convention, where fans of all genres of pop culture come together to celebrate and enjoy a 4-day weekend of fandom festivities. I will have to say that those four days was exciting, yet exhausting! Nevertheless, we can plan all we like, plans always changes once we're in the middle of all the festivities.

Quite frankly, we start preparing for this amazing event one year in advance! Oh yeah! This preparation is mainly saving up monies that we will spend at this Con which includes: food, souvenirs, signings, hotel, and etc. So far, our method of saving all our change for a year before has helped us to provide our pocket money...and, it works! For us, anyways!

 Every year, San Diego, particularly the Gaslamp Quarter, gets all decked out for Comic Con. And, every year, they always work at outdoing last year's set ups, especially with the onslaught of new movies, TV shows, books, and, of course, comic books. It's pop culture at its peak! Fans of all ages and all genres of pop culture enjoy a four-day weekend filled with exhibits that are amazing and interactive! Yes, several booths were set up for fans experience their favorite shows up close and personal. Booths such as AMC, ABC, SyFy to NBC's set up outside of the convention center, all to give fans a sneak peek and fun experience of many favorite and new TV shows. Let me just say that every year is always an amazing surprise to see all the cool and exciting set ups.



Oh, can't forget those religious fanatics preaching during this entire weekend....haha!! It's always the same thing every year. We actually saw a couple of ladies getting worked up over it. Wow! Those religious speakers accomplished what they wanted....a reaction! Anyways, just had to throw that out there...haha!

Even in the early hours, SDCC 2015 attendees line up to enter the exhibit hall, Ballroom 20, Hall H, and all the other rooms where many panels are held. There are those that also camp out, especially for Hall H and Ballroom 20, in order to get seats near the stage. Yeah... Mariah and I decided against that. We camped out one year, and that was the last time...not fun at all. Well...maybe a little bit of fun, especially when with friends and meeting new fellow fans
.

Even celebrities and authors were out and about in San Diego for this exciting four-day weekend; hence, the long lines and camping out just so they can get a decent view of their favorite celebrities of whom cast in movies and/or TV shows. Mariah and I got to sit in the panels for A&E's Damien and Fox's Lucifer! Both panels had the cast in the panel. Moreover, we got to watch the pilot episode for Lucifer. That was just awesome...what a sneak peek! A&E gave the audience an exclusive sneak peek with an exciting trailer! As for the other panels we attended, we focused a lot on anime and manga since Mariah is an aspiring artist and this is what her focus is. Sooo...that's what we took advantage of at the Con. Some panels were informative and fun, but others....eh...not so much.

I can't forget meeting authors! I can never get tired of meeting new authors and favorite authors! It's so much fun to catch up with them, especially with their latest books. So, of course, being a booknerd, I brought several books from home to get signed...that is if I can get to the signings...haha! When signings are ticketed, it can be difficult. Luckily, I got most of the authors that I wanted to meet, such as: Sarah J. Maas, Melissa de la Cruz, Cecil Castalucci, Marie Lu, Leigh Bardugo, Mary E. Pearson, and Thomas E. Sniegoski! This last author, Thomas E. Sniegoski, was a chance meeting, too! I just took a chance that maybe he would be at SDCC and brought my books...just in case, and it paid off. Thank goodness I brought my Fallen books with me...haha! 

On top of everything that was happening, it was especially exciting to see and catch up with friends! Even with thousands of people crowded in the convention center, we were able to run into friends...and make new ones, too!

We can't forget all the cosplayers out there! And, wow, there were some that were very elaborate. I am just amazed at how much work they put into these costumes, especially in getting it close to accurate! It's definitely very cool! They even cause a crowd! And...every year, checking out the costumes is always fun to check out.



By the last day of the Con, Mariah and I spent it walking the exhibit hall, snapping photos, gathering swag, and obtaining more signings. Luckily, we were able to get a few signings throughout the entire weekend. Most notably, the signing with the cast of Batman v. Superman! This was a ticketed signing at the DC comics booth. Huge "thank you" to Sue, Chelsea, and Jenevia for getting a couple guys to holler at me as I walked by them...hahaha!!! At the time, I was making my way to another booth to get a ticket for another signing, but the line they were in was a lot more exciting...haha! A chance to meet Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Holly Hunter, Jeremy Irons, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams, and director Zack Snyder...yeah, I definitely got my Con priorities straight...haha! I was definitely swooning after meeting these amazing people, even when the DC crew was ushering us along the line! However, I totally understand why the rush... it's Comic Con, after all!


Now, for those who are after autographs and photo ops with celebrities, the autograph area, located in the Sails Pavilion, is the place to go. However, there are those that charge a "pretty penny," I say it is totally worth it, especially if these opportunities to meet favorite celebrities don't come often. For instance, meeting some of the cast of Battlestar Galactica (2003), totally made it worth it! Oh yeah! Mariah and I met Kandyse McClure, Tahmoh Penikett, Sam Witwer, and Edward James Olmos! I was totally giddy like a fangirl...haha!


Though it was an exhausting four-day weekend, it was expected with all the walking we did. Although we didn't get our usual parking at the Hilton Bayside, due to a lottery by ACE Parking, parking at the Horton Plaza wasn't too bad. However, along with other attendees, I wasn't all too happy with this parking lottery that took place in April. Many attendees, including myself, weren't aware that it even took place....oh well!

We'll be highlighting each panel that we attended in separate posts. I'll also be posting more photos on our Facebook page, here!

Well, another year of the San Diego Comic Con has come and gone...and all the festivities has ended. Time to save up for next year...hahaha!!

View all the photos from all four days, HERE!

Friday, April 17, 2015

RECAP: YallWest 2015


Well, this past weekend of April 11-12, 2015 was filled with fun and excitement, especially for booknerds of all ages. Yes...YA is NOT just for teens...haha! Many adults, including me, read YA. So...what was all the excitement about!?! Well, let me tell ya, the creators and organizers of YALLFEST created and organized this sister festival for the west coast, better known as YALLWEST! Yes, west coasters...we get to have one, too! Just like YALLFEST, the weekend was filled with panels, games, prizes, food, books, and amazing authors!


What is YALLWEST about!?! Well, let me tell you, it's two days (a whole weekend) of panels, book signings, photo ops, games, entertainment, food, and tons of booknerd and nerdy indulgence. Yup, I would call it indulgence for the mere fact that book fans enjoyed a WHOLE weekend with their favorite authors!

After all that fun, I am already all too excited for next year! :)



Day 1: April 11, 2015, Saturday

The first day of YALLWEST was held at the Santa Monica High School where tons of fun awaits! Kicking off this exciting festival was The Morning Keynote: Ransom Riggs Talks Big. But, alas, I ended up missing this cool panel since I was in line for the Veronica Roth book signing. I was bummed, but I was absolutely NOT going to miss it since I missed her signing last year at the L.A. Times Festival of Books...haha! However, the ever so cool Kristen of Recently Acquired Obsessions for her attending this panel and taking notes.

What was discussed? Of course, this weekend was officially declared YALLWEST weekend. Founder of YALLWEST, Margaret Stohl, deemed mayor of this amazing event. Then, Ransom Riggs goes into the frequently asked questions he gets at many events. Here are many points in his background in becoming a writer:

- He knew he wanted to become a writer, but did not know what to write
- He focused on film school, writing screenplays
- For a time, he was a blogger for Mental Floss, which led to working for Quirk Books
- in search for a desk at the Rose Bowl swapmeet, instead he finds a guy selling vintage photographs; hence, the start of his collecting these photographs
- the collecting of these vintage photographs "fired up" his imagination which then led to his Miss Peregrine novels

Whoa! Just reading these notes, I know I missed out on a fun panel. But, 
c'mon, I seriously was not going to miss out on a book signing...lol! I already knew that the line for Veronica Roth was going to be long. No way, no how I was going to miss her...again! Haha...

Day 1 was an extremely busy day filled with book signings with a bunch of cool authors. Well, that's pretty much what took up most of my day. I had to make that decision between panels and book signings....and book signings won! For the most part, I spent my day in line for book signings for Veronica Roth, Richelle Mead, Kass Morgan, and Andrea Cremer! A factor in my decision between book signings and panels was the signing schedule...some authors were only signing one day, not both. Moreover, I was not alone on this mission of getting books signed. Many book fans waited in the long lines and endured the beating sun just for the chance to meet and chat with their favorite authors.

Veronica Roth
Meeting Andrea Cremer!
Meeting Kass Morgan!

It wasn't a total miss with the panels though... After all the book signings I set out on obtaining, I, along with several fangirl friends, was able to go to the final panel of the day... Smackdown & Tiger Beat! Yup! This last panel was filled with so much fun as all these amazing authors gathered to close out the night with author juvenalia, a game of Taboo with Veronica Roth and Leigh Bardugo, and a game of author Hollywood Squares! Filled with fun and laughs, book fans enjoyed an evening with favorite authors. To add to all that excitement, the night ended with the amazing performance of Tiger Beat, the all YA author cover band featuring authors Libba Bray, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Barnabas Miller, and Natalie Standiford!

Shannon Hale & Brendan Reichs
Author's game of Taboo!
Author Hollywood Squares

After all the hilarity, we were treated with a performance by Tiger Beat! But, before they hit the stage, Margaret Stohl announced the keynotes for the upcoming YALLFEST! Yes, we heard it first at YALLWEST!

Margaret Stohl announces keynotes for YALLFEST 2015
Tiger Beat

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Day 2: April 12, 2015, Sunday

On to Sunday! The second day of YALLWEST was held at the Santa Monica Public Library. This time, Sunday wasn't as chaotic as Saturday...haha! Nevertheless, the excitement still filled the air as many book fans lined up outside of the library parking lot for the first book signings of the day...and I was among them waiting to line up for our favorite and new authors. Of course, it was a sunny, beautiful day for this exciting event. We were definitely in for another day filled with exciting panels, giveaways, photo ops, and book signings!

Book signing lines!

While in line for the Epic Reads booth...I spied a fun panel with the following authors: Cindy Pon, Jennifer Niven, Jessi Kirby, Leila Howland, Maria Dahvana Headley, Aaron Hartzler, Jessica Brody, and Katie Alender! This panel was moderated by Veronica Roth and Brendan Reichs! Totally hilarious as these bestselling authors read their own writing when they were teens. Oh the imaginations of these authors...too funny! That's why we love them so much...and their books...haha!

Bad Writing by Good Authors: Juvenalia Panel

Another outdoor panel fans enjoyed! Fave Fandoms panel with Katie Cotugno, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Michelle Gagnon, Abigail Haas (Abby McDonald), Maria Dahvana Headley. This panel was moderated by Kami Garcia.

Fave Fandoms Panel

Checking out this panel! Bad Boys, Manic Pixies, Love Triangles: Tropes We Love & Hate...moderated by Melissa de la Cruz! Authors on this panel:

Bad Boys, Manic Pixies, Love Triangles: Tropes We Love & Hate Panel

In line with friends for this! Epic Reads was giving away advanced readers copy of Robyn Schneider's upcoming novel Extraordinary Means. And, yes, Robyn was on hand to sign these ARCs...bonus!

Robyn Schneider signing ARCs

Even with all these exciting panels, this second day of the festival was pretty laid back. No which way I turned, authors were everywhere...haha! We were all too happy to run into them and get some photo ops in. Oh yeah! Photo ops...haha!!!

With Melissa de la Cruz & Lauren Oliver
With Marissa Meyer
With Jessica Brody
With Katie Alender
With Leigh Bardugo


Here's some more fun I had at YALLWEST!

Love these fangirls!
In line for Lauren Oliver!
Double the aweseomeness! Melissa de la Cruz & Lauren Oliver!
Photobooth fun!

Oh Yeah! We had a blast!

All in all, the first annual YALLWEST was filled with so much excitement and fun that booknerds of all ages enjoyed! I totally enjoyed all the face time with several of my favorite authors! Yes, YA is NOT just for teens. Readers of all ages can enjoy a good read from these YA books, just as much as New Adult and Adult books. I, myself, do not focus on just one...I enjoy reading a variety of books...if the synopsis/summary is interesting, then I will read it. Oh the joys of the imagination..and these amazing authors achieve that in their writing! This is why I attend and enjoy book festivals like this! I am already excited for next year's festivities!

'Til next year YALLWEST!!!


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Amazing April 2015!!!


Spring is here and there is so much happening this month! I am just blown away at how fast this year has been flying by. Just yesterday, it was March....haha! There has been several amazing movie releases, returning of television shows from its winter break, and...several book releases, along with a few book conventions/festivals. Whew! So much happening, and the festivities just continue with more festivities. Whoa!

Although March has been extremely exciting, we are definitely looking forward to the upcoming events this April! Not only are there upcoming movies, shows & books...we have several festivals and conventions coming up that are worth attending!

But...before we get into what to expect this April, here's a few festivals that are happening this month!



Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2015
Weekend 1: April 10-12; Weekend 2: April 17-19




April 24-26, 2015
(Highlights from Stagecoach 2014)

(Sister Festival of YALLFEST)
April 11-12, 2015


As we can see, there is a lot to look forward to this month! Some are sold out and some are free! These events are definitely fun and exciting experiences that is a do-not-miss!

Now on to what upcoming movies, shows, and books to look forward to!

*Movies*

Furious 7

Official Website:
http://www.furious7.com/
https://www.facebook.com/FastandFurious?fref=ts
Genre:
Action/Adventure, Thriller
Rating:
PG-13
Run Time:
2 hr 17 min

Cast:
Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Tyrese Gibson

See full list of cast & crew at IMDB

Synopsis:
Continuing the global exploits in the unstoppable franchise built on speed, Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of Furious 7.

James Wan directs this chapter of the hugely successful series that also welcomes back favorites Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Elsa Pataky, and Lucas Black. They are joined by international action stars new to the franchise including Jason Statham, Djimon Hounsou, Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousey, Nathalie Emmanuel and Kurt Russell. Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.

In Theaters April 2, 2015

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The Longest Ride


Official Website:
https://www.facebook.com/TheLongestRide?fref=ts
Genre:
Romantic Drama
Rating:
PG-13
Run Time:
2 hr 8 min
Based on the novel by:
Nicholas Sparks

Cast:
Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Jack Huston, Oona Chaplin, Alan Alda

See full list of cast & crew at IMDB

Synopsis:
Based on the bestselling novel by master storyteller Nicholas Sparks, The Longest Ride centers on the star-crossed love affair between Luke, a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City's art world.

As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected connection with Ira, whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife deeply inspired the young couple. Spanning generations and two intertwining love stories, The Longest Ride explores the challenges and infinite rewards of enduring love.

In Theaters April 10, 2015

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The Age of Adaline


Official Website:
http://www.theageofadalinemovie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AgeOfAdaline?fref=ts
Genre:
Romantic Drama, Fantasy
Rating:
PG-13
Run Time:
1 hr 53 min

Cast:
Blakely Lively, Harrison Ford, Amanda Crew, Kathy Baker, Michiel Huisman, Amanda Crew, Ellen Burstyn

See full list of cast & crew at IMDB

Synopsis:
After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

In Theaters April 24, 2015

For more April Releases, go to: MovieFone

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*Shows*

Olympus
(Syfy)

Official Website:
http://www.syfy.com/olympus
https://www.facebook.com/OlympusTV

About the Show:
Olympus tells the story of a few brave men and women banished the Gods to the realm of the unconscious - a place they called the Underworld or the Kingdom of Hades. The series follows the protagonist as he seeks the truth about his past, which may be intertwined with the Gods themselves.

View Cast and Info

Olympus Season 1 Premieres April 2, 2015 10/9c on Syfy

~~~

Marvel's Daredevil
(Netflix)

Official Website:
http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/80018294
https://www.facebook.com/Daredevil

Cast:
Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Vincent D'Onofrio

About the Show:
Marvel's Daredevil is a live action series that follows the journey of attorney Matt Murdock, who in a tragic accident was blinded as a boy imbued with extraordinary senses. Murdock sets up practice in his old neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, New York where he now fights against injustice as a respected lawyer by day and masked vigilante at night.

Marvel's Daredevil Season 1 Premieres April 10 on Netflix

~~~

The Messengers
(The CW)

Official Website:
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-messengers/
https://www.facebook.com/cwthemessengers

Cast:
Shantel VanSanten, Sofie Black D'Elia, JD Pardo, Joel Courtney, Diogo Morgado, Jon Fletcher

See full list of cast & crew on IMDB

About the Show:
In the New Mexico desert, scientist Vera Ivanov watches in fascination as a mysterious object plummets to Earth and explodes, sending out a shock wave that briefly stops her heart. But Vera isn't the only one affected: she's instantly connected to four other strangers, who also collapse only to miraculously come back to life hours later. This group of strangers might be the only hope for preventing the impending Rapture...or causing it.

The Messengers Season 1 Premieres April 17 at 9/8c on The CW

Check out of the list for April Premieres at Metacritic.com

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*Books*

Available April 14, 2015


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Available April 14, 2015


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Available April 21, 2015


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Available April 28, 2015




So...April is definitely looking like it's going to be filled with amazing, fun, and exciting events worth attending. I know I will be making it to, at least, one of these events.