To be “fixing to” means that you’re planning to do something. For Southerners, “fixing to” isn’t just an interesting turn of phrase—it’s a whole state of mind. Others might say they’re about to eat, but Southerners say they’re fixin’ to eat.

Whether you’re new to Southern cookery, or just looking for new inspiration, this bounty of homestyle recipes from breakfast to dessert (and every meal in between) is sure to make your mouth water. Between courses, “Libation Lessons” will show you how to pair Southern food with your favorite beer, wine, and spirits.

Add a little bit of love—the secret ingredient that makes good food great—and you’ll be Fixin’ to Eat! (Goodreads)

The recipes featured in this book are pretty easy and I liked how quickly it flowed from one recipe to another. However, to me at least, this was more of a Southern-inspired cookbook than an actual book of southern recipes. I was born and raised in the south, so I am aware that different regions have different takes on things but I had never heard of pretty much any of the variations in this book (except for the biscuits). The versions in this cookbook are interesting though, and I think I may try some of them when I am feeling adventurous.

*I was provided a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

This is one of the most bizarre and at the same time, hilarious things I have watched (or read tbh) this year. Ghost Stories is just your average anime featuring a group of kids who keep running into ghosts. What makes it...different is the 100% improvised English Dub. It seems that the voice actors were given basic descriptions (maybe??) of each characters personalities so they would have something to work with and then they were allowed to be as ridiculous as they wanted to be. The end result reminds me of the commentary from Mystery Science Theatre 3000 and the bad lip reading vids on Youtube. They constantly call out the stereotypical anime moments and frequently mention how certain ghosts are total ripoffs of big Japanese movies. The humor is often dark and offensive but somehow manages to fit perfectly with what is going on. I was using this as just something to have on in the background and it kept distracting me from what I was trying to do. After watching about half of the series, I found myself very confused but entertained and I still have no clue what was actually going on. I also find myself curious as to the contents of the original script and if it did a better job of explaining the actual story.

Rating: 5/10
Watch: Crackle, Crunchyroll

To summon an Angel of Hell…

Ruxandra Dracula, a 250-year-old vampire, wants nothing to do with the fallen angel that created her. But when fellow vampire Kade tells her a group of magicians in Moscow is going to summon that angel, Ruxandra knows she must try to stop them.

In Moscow, Ruxandra finds herself caught in a web of political and supernatural intrigue. Empress Anna of Russia wants the vampires to be her spies. Her secret police have magic that is nearly impossible to defeat. A cadre of Russian nobles wants them to kill the Empress.

And the Alchemist, the beautiful, whip-smart leader of the magicians, wants Ruxandra as more than just an experimental subject.

As the magicians prepare to summon the fallen angel, Ruxandra must choose: will she kill them to keep the angel from coming, or face the angel and find out her purpose on the earth? (Goodreads)

I went into book three of this series with very low expectations because of how disappointing book two was. I wish I could say things got better, but that would be a lie. Mother of Chaos is an absolute borefest full of cliches frequently found in this genre that I grew tired of a long time ago. At this point, the only good thing about the Princess Dracula books are the covers. How such a horribly written series was able to have such beautiful covers is an absolute mystery. I will not be continuing this series.

Rating: 1/5
Buy: Amazon

Join Princess Ruxandra, as she continues to exist in a world that is brutal and cruel and terrifying, but you’ll love to follow her through it. A slave to her own fears and desires, sometimes, but at her core, good. A gorgeous, complicated immortal, who loves art and beauty, and who risks herself to save the innocent time and time again. (Goodreads)

Regardless of all of its flaws, I actually enjoyed Princess Dracula. The same can not be said for book two in the series, Not Everything Dies. All of the characters come off as childish and immature. The complete naivety of Ruxandra is absolutely ridiculous and the cop-out of using a spell as the reason for her complete stupidity just did not work for me. If I wanted a whiny mess, I would have reread a much better young adult novel. Do not get me started on all of the plot holes in this one. Anyone with the ability to think could easily tear this book apart. This has me concerned for the next in the series and I sincerely hope that this was just another case of an author having a bad book two.

Rating: 2/5
Buy: Amazon

After Death takes her love, a young woman manages to convince him to give her an opportunity to bring her fiance back to life.

Although it drags a bit in the beginning and in my opinion is not Fritz Lang's best, this was actually a very good film. The story is a little predictable at times and due to the way it is told, there are some questionable moments involving the stereotyping of multiple cultures. The way it was filmed though was amazing. The tinting was beautiful and fit perfectly. I also feel like I could easily fangirl over how Lang uses stairs in not just Destiny, but all of his films. They are never just stairs and instead are used to help portray the mood of the moment in the movie (from ominous to sad or even peaceful). During the early parts that dragged, I found myself feeling a little disappointed but by the end, I was almost in tears at how powerful some of the scenes and actions were. This is definitely a must-watch for anyone who loves cinema.

Rating: 8/10
Buy/Watch: Amazon, Amazon Video, Vudu, Youtube, iTunes

Ruxandra learned everything she knows while growing up in a convent. Training to be the perfect nobleman’s wife, she relishes the prospect of a simple life. But everything changes when her father, Vlad Dracula, retrieves her on her eighteenth birthday. Securing her a marriage is the last thing he has in mind…(Goodreads)

*Please note that there are some minor spoilers in this review.*

After spending ten years at a convent, Princess Ruxandara is finally reunited with her father, Lord Vlad Dracula. However, the reason behind this reunion is quickly revealed to not be what the Princess expected. Her father hopes to sacrifice her to a demon in exchange for more power. Lord Dracula's plans go awry though, and Ruxandra finds herself changed, with horrifying consequences.
The majority of Princess Dracula is spent detailing the struggles the young woman must now face as part of her transition from royalty to living dead. We accompany her while she learns to hunt (which took up way too much of the book if you ask me) and easily predict the doomed fates of those she comes into contact with. Ultimately, as her failure to contain control over her new primal instinct grows and she experiences a disastrous (and overly dramatic) romance, Ruxandra is left completely hopeless. The book ends by doing a bit of a time jump to set up the second installment of the series by introducing someone I expect will be very important, Elizabeth Bathory.
For the most part, this was an enjoyable read. However, the hunting scenes had so much detail, to the point of being a little too much for me personally. There would be a little development in the story...and then it would go back to hunting. I get it...she needs to feed, but the amount of time spent on just this aspect of the story makes it start to feel like filler. I was also a little in shock at how incredibly cheesy the sex scene was. It was like I put down Princess Dracula and was suddenly reading a Harlequin romance from the 80's or 90's. One line in particular, "She didn't care about being a lady anymore.", somehow left me speechless while laughing hysterically in my head at the same time. Seeing as we start in book one with Vlad Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) and book two will have Elizabeth Bathory, it seems that each book will see Ruxandra's interactions with historical figures connected to the vampire mythology.

Rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

Many went into this film thinking it was a true documentary.

A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar. (IMDB)

You would think that since the villains of this movie are neo-Nazis, it would be easy to cheer on whoever was going up against them. However, it is hard to find an ounce of empathy for the pretentious and whiny punk band. It seems that the Jeremy Saulnier was under the impression that as long as the bad guys were bad enough, he would not have to worry about developing the protagonists. So I was left not liking the neo-Nazi gang and not giving a crap what happened to the little punk band. That left me very bored and a little disappointed. More time to actually get to know the band would have helped with this problem. The highlight of the film is when the band opens their set (at a place known as a hangout for neo-Nazis) with a song that has them yelling "fuck Nazi scum". The rest is a borefest with the occasional moment of gore that came off as trying too hard to be shocking.

Rating: 3/10
Buy/Watch: Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Youtube, GooglePlay

Gary, who has just married Samantha, the woman of his dreams, discovers that her six-year-old son may be the Antichrist. (IMDB)

This would be the perfect film to watch on a family movie night during October if it were not for all of the explicit language. If you have older kids and do not mind them hearing some f-bombs (and some other words) then I would say go for it. Although not a very rewatchable movie, it still manages to be entertaining. It is full of sarcastic and dark humor and features tons of references to classic horror films such as The Omen (I mean...this is kinda obvious) and Rosemary's Baby.

Rating: 6/10
Watch: Netflix

A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun. (IMDB)

As the title of the film states, the city is dark...and grungy. The story is one that would be told better a year later in The Matrix and quite a bit of the imagery reminded me of Fritz Lang's Metropolis. I found myself incredibly bored while watching it and ecstatic when it was finally over.

Rating: 5/10
Buy/Watch: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Youtube, Vudu

Midnight is a safe haven for those who are different, but with the presence of outsiders, the residents band together and form a strong and unlikely family. (IMDB)

This show has me very torn. Individually, without much thinking, the characters all are very interesting. However, when you actually start thinking about things, they quickly become problematic to the point where it has me questioning if I will watch additional seasons.

Quick note: I have not read the books, and as of right now, I have zero intention of doing so.

This show has all of the elements of the kind of show that becomes insanely popular on Tumblr, so when I noticed a lack of attention, I decided to figure out why it did not seem to be talked about much.  So, problem number one? The lead character, Manfred Bernardo (played by François Arnaud), is repeatedly described as a "gypsy". This word is known as a racial slur to the Romani and is very much like having a black character frequently described using the N-word. This issue was the base of the majority of the complaints about the show that I found. At no point during season one is it pointed out that this slur...is, in fact, a slur. I also noticed quite a bit of anger and hurt when it was revealed that Chuy is half-demon. (Chuy is also a gay Latino.)
Things that really annoyed me, outside of all of the issues above, included the relationship between Bobo and Fiji and the relationship between Olivia and Lem. At the beginning of the show, Fiji is Bobo's best friend who happens to be in love with him. Bobo is completely oblivious to this fact until...suddenly he has feelings for Fiji...after his fiancee has been murdered. He acts as if he is head over heels in love with her and it happens far too fast. As for Olivia and Lem, they have an interesting relationship that involves Olivia using Lem so she doesn't have to deal with fear (If you are a fan of the Nevernight Chronicles, this would be like Mia having a romantic relationship with Mr. Kindly). As things progress and demons are closer to taking over, Lem becomes an abusive asshole (but its totally okay, because Hell was basically opening right? He couldn't control himself.) that manages to convince Olivia to marry him even though he beat the shit out of her because she did not want to be turned into a vampire like him.

Quite honestly, the more I think about it, the more I wonder why I watched this and how I was entertained at all.

Rating: 4/10

A teenager who's spent her whole life confined to her home falls for the boy next door. (IMDB) It was adapted from Nicola Yoon's book with the same title.

Amanda Stenberg plays the role of Maddy, a girl who has spent her entire life inside because of a rare disease. After Olly (played by Nick Robinson) and his family move in next door, Maddy begins to take more and more risks that endanger her life due to the growing bond between the two. While the twists are predictable, the film is still very good and perfect for those who enjoyed The Fault In Our Stars.

Rating: 7/10
Watch/Buy: iTunes, Amazon, Youtube, GooglePlay, Vudu

The kingdom needs an heir and Princess Charmaine is quite aware that the job rests solely upon her shoulders. When her elder sister dies, Charmaine has to take her place at the ball designed to find her a husband. With a hundred men to choose between and her wedding planned, all she has to do is pick one. But love can sometimes be found in the most unlikely of places and at the most inconvenient of times.

Cynder knows about the impending war between the people of magic and those of his masters, but working as an underpaid servant in the palace kitchens leaves him with little power to do anything about it. On one hand, he's a staunch supporter of equal rights for his own kind, but he can't deny the attraction he feels for the daughter of the king and queen he works for.
When the two meet, sparks fly and not just the magical kind...

The story of a wonderful little girl, who happens to be a genius, and her wonderful teacher vs. the worst parents ever and the worst school principal imaginable. (IMDB)

Alishia:

This movie is one of my absolute favorites from childhood. I remember thinking that if I just read as much as Matilda did I would be able to move things with my mind too! There’s no better movie out there to get kids motivated to read! The entire cast in this movie is phenomenal. Each actor brings their character to life in the most vivid and memorable ways. When trying to think of the best Book of the Month to go with our very first read-a-thon, I couldn’t imagine anything better!

Rating: 10/10

Sarah:

Although I have watched this movie countless times, there has always been something new that I have noticed each time. This is definitely a classic that I believe will be remembered for a very long time.

Rating: 8/10

Buy/Stream: Youtube, iTunes, Amazon Video, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play
Book: Matilda by Roald Dahl (Amazon, Abebooks)

In the conclusion of our three-part series, we finally list adaptations that we think are actually worth watching. This is in no way a complete list of titles that got it right.

She's the last member of a cursed and deadly clan.
He's the crown prince with a dangerous secret.
Together, they'll save the empire--or destroy it. (Goodreads)
I recently had the opportunity to read Skykeeper by S. M. Gaither and thoroughly enjoyed it. Therefore, when I was notified by Hidden Gems that she had another book available through them, I immediately requested it and was super excited when my request was accepted.
The story immediately drew me in, but as it continued, I slowly grew more and more disappointed. Overall, it just felt rushed, especially as it got closer to the end. I recall seeing the little counter at the bottom of my Kindle's screen that told me how much was left in the book and my thought was "Well this must be book one of a series and it is going to end one a cliffhanger". Nope. Everything is concluded within 10% of the book. The majority of the action takes place...in the last 15% of the book.
Many of the transitions between chapters felt so disjointed that it made it hard to stay fully immersed in the story. We are given hints of the stereotypical YA love triangle, only for it to go nowhere and many of the events that happen at the end of the book did not feel like they fit with the beginning of the story. The Queen of Cursed Things comes off as an idea that Gaither had that was put into a rough draft and then forgotten.

Rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

The second recipe we decided to try was one inspired by The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was also another first for me, as I have neither baked nor tasted a cake like this before.
I made the mistake of not letting Alishia know that we would need a mixer to cream the sugar, butter, and zest together, so we got to enjoy attempting that part of the recipe by hand. It was not perfect, but it still worked out. The batter was a gorgeous pastel yellow and it almost felt like a sin to bake it.
The directions we used said to leave the tea cake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, but even after almost 50, the center of our cake was still a little undercooked. So if you decide to give this recipe a try, keep an eye on that. The directions also stated that you should let the cake cool for a full twenty-four hours...we did not last that long.
It both tasted and looked amazing. The lemon is strong, but the cranberries and butter help even it out so that it is not too overwhelming. Of course, since I am obsessed with dried cranberries, I would have preferred to have more, but they were spread out pretty evenly throughout the entire thing.


Where we got the recipe: lotrscrapbook.bookloaf.net
J. R. R. Tolkien's books: Amazon, Goodreads

What if you’re in love with heaven and hell?

Cassia Delamore is a foster kid. Shuffled from home to home all her life after losing her mother, she’s never known her father, nor what it feels like to be loved. She hopes to start a new life in the idyllic town of Heaven. She has a plan; graduate high school, pack her bags, and leave her tragic past behind her.

Yet fate is about to turn Cassia’s life upside down. On her first day of high school, she meets two very different men… bad boy Thames, who possesses a fiery temper, and cool Cairo, captain of the football team and all-around hero. But there’s more to these men than meets the eye. As Cassia grows closer to the boys, she discovers a world of angels and demons fighting for the souls of mankind. Cassia finds herself immersed in a holy war that isn’t hers, torn between Cairo and Thames in a love triangle straight out of a storybook.

Will Cassia taste forbidden fruit? Or will her epic romance end in a dark destiny?  (Goodreads)

After escaping horrible circumstances, Cassia finds herself in a new town with a new foster mom. Almost immediately after arriving at her new home, strange events begin to happen. When school starts, she quickly gains the attention of two mysterious young men, Cairo and Thames. As the strange events continue to happen and Cassia spends more time with her two new friends, it becomes obvious that they are much more than what they seem.

Torrent seems to be heavily influenced by both Twilight and Fallen. In most cases, I would find this annoying, but Megan Linski did such a great job that it comes off as a much better story than the possible inspiration. It is very dramatic and cheesy at times (in a good way), but I found it hard to put this one down and read it one sitting.

Overall, this took everything I loved about Twilight and created a new, yet familiar, world that I look forward to returning to very soon.

Rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon

After losing his mother, a young boy is sent to a foster home with other orphans his age where he begins to learn the meaning of trust and true love. (IMDB)

This film led to quite a few tears, both happy and sad. In this adaptation of Autobiographie d'une Courgette by Gilles Paris, we are introduced to nine-year-old Icare, who prefers to be called Zucchini. After a heartbreaking accident at his home, Zucchini's alcoholic mother falls down a stairway and dies. At the police station, he quickly bonds with Raymond, a police officer. Raymond takes him to a foster home where he meets several other kids in similar positions. Simon is the self-elected leader who tends to bully the others but has good intentions in the end. Alice is a shy, quirky girl with a very dark background and Bea is at the home because her mother was deported. Georgie and Ahmed are very much Simon's minions. It is insinuated that Georgie may be suffering from Munchausen syndrome due to his mother's extreme case of OCD. The home is run by Miss Paterson with the help of Miss Rosy and Mr. Paul (whose romance is great entertainment to the kids). Finally, we have Camille, a strong and empathetic girl with a big heart that seems to be a direct result of the tragedy she witnessed. Zucchini falls for her at first sight and they quickly become very close. As more events unfold and they are almost torn apart, the gang learns the important lesson that family is not just about blood.
This film treated its child characters with respect and portrayed them as both intelligent and inquisitive which led to them being extremely realistic. While the story is focused mainly on Zucchini and Camille, each character stands on their own and could have easily taken the lead.  I watched the English dub and it was very good, although I do wish that I had time to watch the original French version with subtitles. The stop-motion animation was wonderful and I loved how bright it was. If you decide to give this film a chance (which you definitely should), then I would also recommend watching the making of bonus feature.

Rating: 9/10
Watch/Buy: iTunes, Amazon, Youtube, Vudu, Google Play

Fried green tomatoes is a dish that we have grown up eating and I believe that most families in the south have their own version of it. After Fannie Flagg’s book, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, was adapted into a film in 1991, there was a surge in popularity of not only this recipe but several other southern classics. Therefore, when thinking of recipes to do for “From the Book to the Plate”, this was one of the first that I thought of.

*Quick note: There are three recipes for fried green tomatoes in Fannie Flagg's cookbook. For this installment, we tried fried green tomatoes I. We may try the other two in the future.

When it comes to preparing for this recipe, the hardest (and most important) thing to do is picking out the perfect green tomatoes. I wish I was experienced enough to now go into detailed instructions on how to do this, however, this was our first attempt at making any version of this recipe on our own...and we got lucky. The rest of the prep is actually very easy (as long as you are being careful when cutting the tomatoes).
Frying the tomatoes was a bit more challenging though. I am not completely sure if we did not have the pan hot enough or just did not use enough oil. I am positively certain, however, that the tomatoes were too wet to hold on to the batter properly. The end result was several tomatoes sliding out of their crust or sticking to the pan (these were referred to as “disaster tomatoes”).
Also, the original recipe says to use tongs to flip (only once) but I found that they caused the problems with the batter to increase. Using a spatula, however, just led to oil splashing everywhere. In the end, what worked best for me was to use a spatula to wiggle them free from the pan and then use the tongs to flip them over.
Regardless of the problems that caused things to not turn out entirely as planned, we still managed to fry several that turned out almost perfectly. The tomatoes were very tart and the crust added the perfect amount of crunch. We made a large plate of these that were a mixture of the perfect, messy, and complete disaster tomatoes and they all went super quick. So, even if you mess this recipe up a little, they should still be absolutely delicious.

You can find the recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes I below. Let us know in the comments if you decide to try it yourself!


Buy the book(s):
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe: Amazon, Abebooks
Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook: Amazon, Abebooks

In yesterday's announcement of our first Fall Readathon, I mentioned that there would be a reading bingo challenge. Below, you will find two bingo cards (one full size and one mini). The goal is to complete a bingo on each card which will take care of the eight books set as the overall goal for the readathon. One of the bingo cards has more traditional reading challenges, while the other has a variety of book genres. Alternatively, if you do not feel like participating in reading bingo, you can pick eight challenges from the cards and just do those instead. Under the Bingo cards is a more in-depth explanation of each challenge.





Challenges - This is just explanations for the challenges on the Bingo cards. If you have decided not to do the bingo but still want to participate in the readathon, pick eight of these to do.

1. Published This Year - Read a book that has been published during 2017.
3. Book Set During Fall - Read a book that takes place during Autumn.
4. Manga/Graphic Novel - Read a comic, manga, or graphic novel.
5. Banned Book - Read a book that has been banned at some point.
6. Tree On Cover - Read a book with a tree on the cover.
7. Longer Term TBR - Read a book that has been a long term resident on your TBR pile.
8. Book Turned Into Film - Read a book that has been adapted into a movie and then watch the movie.
9. Underhyped Book - Read a book that you think is not talked about as much as it probably should be.
10. Orange On Cover - Read a book that has orange on the cover.
11. Favorite Color On Cover - Read a book that has your favorite color on the color.
12. Children's Book - Read a book meant for kids.
13. Best Selling Author - Read a book by a best selling author.
14. Book Of The Month - Read Skuggi Drago's Book of the Month. (Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff)
15. Annoyingly Long Title - Read a book that has a title that is way longer than it should be.
16. Book From A Friend - Either borrow a book from a friend or read a book recommended to you by a friend.
17. Overhyped Author - Read a book by an author that you think people talk too much about.
18. Red On Cover - Read a book with red on the cover.
19. Favorite Author - Read a book that was written by your favorite author.
20. Reread - Choose a book you have already read before...and read it again.
21. Indie Author - Read a book by a self-published author.
22. Yellow On Cover - Read a book with yellow on the cover.
23. Author's Debut Book - Pick an author and read the first book they had published.
24. Random Pick - Pick anything!!!
25. Author New To You - Read a book by an author whose books you have never read before.
26. One Word Title - Read a book with a title that is only one word.
27. Horror - Read a book from the horror genre.
28. Fantasy - Read a book from the fantasy genre.
29. Science Fiction - Read a book from the science fiction genre.
30. Biography - Read a book that is a biography or memoir.
31. History - Read a book about history.
32. Romance - Read a book from the romance genre.
33. Classic - Read a book considered to be a classic.
34. Drama - Read a book that would be categorized as a drama.
35. Mystery - Read a book from the mystery genre.

*For the genre specific challenges, it can be any form, so Adult, YA, Middle-Grade...it is up to you.

We are proud to announce that in September we will be hosting a relaxed readathon. It will begin on Sunday, September 3rd and go through Saturday, September 30th.

The ultimate goal for this readathon is to read two books each week for a total of eight during the month of September. While this may seem like an easy goal to reach for some, those of us going back to school and or beginning to prepare for the insanity of the upcoming holiday season will probably find this to be a bit more difficult.

Epielle's Hydrating Socks claims to relieve dry and rough skin. Do they? Let's find out.

A coming of age story involving young love and a mysterious music, coming from a crystal radio left as a memento by an absent father, that leads a young heroine deep into a hidden world. (IMDB)

Children Who Chase Lost Voices, also known as  Journey to Agartha or Hoshi o ou kodomo, is a backup to our original Movie of the Month. The plan was to watch Okja, but due a lack of research, we were forced to change the movie a little last minute. This led to a conflict in schedules, which is why we only have two thirds of the authors participating and why the post is going up a little later in the day than usual. Seeing as this is the first installment of the MotM, I think that it is actually quite surprising that we have not had more problems.

Jenny: I really enjoyed the movie and found it to be interesting even though I did not understand all of it.

Jenny's Rating: 9/10

Sarah: This was the second time I have watched this movie. I originally watched the subbed version, but decided to watched the dubbed version as a refresher. As with most anime, the dub is not very good. The voices do not match the characters very well and the emotions feel forced (especially with Asuna). Both the animation and story are very close to being Studio Ghibli quality and a good portion of this film feels like it could easily be a tribute to the legendary animation studio. It does have a few plot issues and several things are left unanswered. I also found the lack of character growth to be a little frustrating. The score, while absolutely beautiful, sounds the same as all of the other scores in Makoto Shinkai's films (lots of melancholy yet hopeful piano and strings). As a cat lady, I am always very judgemental when there is a feline (or feline-like) character. It is probably a strange pet peeve to have, but I want the cats to actually be believable. Thankfully though, it seems like pretty much every Japanese animator has a very good understanding of how they move and how their personalities can be.

Sarah's Rating: 8/10

Watch/Buy: Amazon, Vudu

What do you do when you discover you’re a witch... And that using your new powers destroys your soul a little each time?  Set in the Swiss countryside, this story blends ancient folklore with a coming of age tale about a young witch on the brink of womanhood. (Goodreads)

I went into reading this book mostly unaware of what it was about. I knew it was a middle-grade fantasy and expected a cute story about a girl who finds out she is a witch. I was very wrong about the cute part and found myself quite surprised at how dark it was. While the story is told from the perspective of a girl who has just turned 13, it does not come off as completely childish at all and found it to be a very enjoyable read even though I am in my late twenties.  The story has great lessons in both showing kindness to others and the battle of good and evil that we all fight within ourselves.
The only problem I had with this book was the constant references to Anne Frank and Malala Yousafzai. At first, I thought it was sweet that Anna Sophia looked up to them, but as the name dropping continued and after a bizarre reference to The Hunger Games, it began to feel less genuine and more like product placement in a tv show.
With all that being said,  I would absolutely love to see a film adaptation and I plan on reading not only the next book in this series but more from this author very, very soon.

*I received a copy of this book from hiddengemsromance.com in exchange for a review. All of my opinions are legitimate and not influenced by this fact.*

Rating: 4/5
Buy it: Amazon

A seven-part docuseries about the unsolved murder of a nun and the horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death. (IMDB)

With the desire to come out on top in their coffee chain war against Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts has released a new and improved frozen coffee drink this summer.  The beverage is the replacement for the restaurant's "Coffee Coolatta," which had been around since the 90's; and let me just say, after trying the new frozen treat, I will not miss the Coolatta at all.

The new drink is made with a much higher concentrate of coffee than any of their other drinks, resulting in a more genuine coffee flavor. This is a more satisfying product compared with the Coolatta, which had an artificial, syrupy taste and left something to be desired.

While I really enjoy this drink, I have to take off a point from my rating due to Dunkin Donut's unfortunate consistency issue. While I've heard that Starbucks has got their measurements down to a science, Dunkin Donuts products tend to taste significantly different from one day to another depending on who is making them.
 
According to the Dunkin' website, a medium frozen coffee without any added flavors comes in at a whopping 630 calories, but lower calorie options are available (small with whole milk instead of cream is 380 cal). However, Don't even consider getting the skim milk version, because without the fat from the milk, the drink just doesn't hold together at all. (see right) The whole milk version, however, seems to keep its texture quite well, and results in an even stronger coffee flavor.

Overall, this drink is for the coffee customer who wants something sweet, simple and delicious for summer without breaking the bank.  This is the coffee drink I have been waiting for.

Rating: 9/10

Cram ten hormonal teens into a spaceship and blast off: that’s the premise for the ill-conceived reality show Waste of Space. The kids who are cast know everything about drama—and nothing about the fact that the production is fake. Hidden in a desert warehouse, their spaceship replica is equipped with state-of-the-art special effects dreamed up by the scientists partnering with the shady cable network airing the show.  And it’s a hit! Millions of viewers are transfixed. But then, suddenly, all communication is severed. Trapped and paranoid, the kids must figure out what to do when this reality show loses its grip on reality. (Goodreads)

Inspired by her childhood, French-Korean filmmaker Ounie Lecomte recounts the emotional journey of a little girl abandoned by her father in an orphanage. (IMBD)