Summary from goodreads: In The Wise Man's Fear, an escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe uncovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's Road. All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, is forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived...until Kvothe. In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This book started off strong. It started off at five stars. Then towards the middle it was 4.5 stars, then 4, and so on and so forth. After reading The Name of the Wind, the first installment of this series, expectations were high, but in all honesty The Wise Man's Fear disappointed. Filled to the brim with filler chapters, the bulk of this fantasy novelwas essentially unnecessary to the grand scheme of the plot. Although the book had its negative aspects, it also had some redeeming qualities such as its prose and its unique stories as well as its consistency.

Before I begin, I would like to point out that The Wise Man's Fear is not a 3.5 stars in comparison to The Name of the Wind, rather its a 3.5 stars simply for its own content.

First, one of the deciding factors for me when I'm reading a novel is the characters: character introduction, character development, character relationships, etc. Frankly, if the characters aren't well written, the story just isn't as good as it can be, and that nagging feeling that there is potential that isn't delivered stresses me out like no other. This is probably the biggest reason The Wise Man's Fear didn't cut it for me.  The characters are interesting in and of themselves. They're all very different and unique, they all seem to have round personalities, and the female characters have strong personalities. However, aside from that, there was not much character development and the introductions didn't leave a strong first impression. It didn't leave a bad first impression either, it was just weak. On top of that, the characters' relationships with one another seemed underdeveloped and rushed and the fact that just about every female character had some sort of romantic relationship with someone was slightly irritating.

Another aspect that I did not like about this novel was that the entirety of the book barely moved the plot along. As opposed to having filler chapters in a novel, The Wise Man's Fear acted a filler novel with the occasional relevant chapter. However, it should be noted that although the majority of the novel seemed unnecessary, the stories that were told were interesting enough to keep a reader going. It had scenes filled with action and scenes filled with humor. Overall, it had a good balance with a little bit of everything.

Last but not least, The Wise Man's Fear was well written and well organized. The prose kept the reader attached even though there were instances in which certain sentences were repetitive. It was enchanting in a way. There was also the organization of the novel. One would assume that since the novel jumps from Kvothe's past to his present, it would be difficult to read. However this particular was not difficult or annoying to read. In fact, I personally looked for to the time shifts.  The author did a great job of being consistent with what to look for in these shifts which made it entertaining to read.

All in all, the novel was both entertaining and frustrating, and I would probably decline the chance to read it again.

If you like fantasy and characters with consistent personalities and good stories, then you should give The Wise Man's Fear a shot.

Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Writers: Joe David Brown (novel), Alvin Sargent (screenplay)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Rating: 9.5/10 stars

Synopsis: Taking place during the Great Depression, con artist Moze Pray (Ryan O'Neal) finds himself working with an unlikely and unwanted 9-year-old partner in crime named Addie Loggins (Tatum O'Neal). What unfolds is the story of their adventures (or business deals) as they head to Missouri where Addie is meant to live with her real family.

Review:
Paper Moon is one of those movies that simply entertain. If you were to study this movie in a fifth grade English class, filling in that plot graph your teacher always insisted was applicable to every fictional story would have been a piece of cake; and that is in no way a negative thing. That just means the plot was amazingly organized. Not only was the plot easy to follow, but the superb acting was in harmony with the dialogue and action which are all aspects that made the film all the more humorous and engaging.

Firstly, an elaboration on what is meant by 'organized plot' is in order. The viewer, in a way, knew what would come next in a very general sense. The movie starts out with the introduction to the characters and the initial setup of the problem, then the real goal the characters wish to achieve is revealed and Addie and Moze begin their adventure. Then there is the middle portion where all the action happens and things are going well for the characters. Then there is the falling action where things go wrong, and then the conclusion. Because of the way the plot was so well organized, the action did not really keep you on the edge of your seat and the drama did not really give off a feeling of suspense. As mentioned previously, the movie was purely entertaining. It made the audience laugh more than anything else.

Another thing that made this movie worth watching is the relationship between the two main characters, Addie and Moze. Addie plays the smart (and sometimes rude) little girl who knows how to get what she wants, and Moze is the adult (or at least he's supposed to be) that probably shouldn't be her role model, morally speaking.
*Fun fact: The actors who play these roles are father and daughter in real life.

As for the acting, if it had been done any other way, the movie would have been completely different. It was not obnoxiously funny and it was not seriously dramatic. There was a perfect combination of comedy, crime, and drama that made Paper Moon so successfully engaging and it could easily be said that this would not have been the case if the acting were done any differently. On top of all this, some of the (arguably) most important aspects of the film that made it as commendable as it is now are the dialogue, script, and directing. It seemed as if everyone who worked on this film knew exactly what they were going for and got exactly what they wanted out of it.

I recommend this movie to absolutely everyone. I don't expect everyone to love it, but everyone should watch it anyway. It's just one of those movies.

Most of us loved Empire and How to Get Away With Murder. We loved that these shows had people of color as lead actors and we loved that these shows dealt with real topics.

It goes without saying that these shows diversified Hollywood. Viola Davis has won several Emmys for her work and Taraji P. Henson has won a Golden Globe, amongst other notable awards.

But now we have Mr. Robot. We have Rami Malek, an American-Egyptian actor who won an Emmy. We have Sam Esmail, an American-Egyptian screenwriter who created Mr. Robot which won an Golden Globe.

We finally have proper representation for American-Egyptians, or any Arabic speaking American for that matter, in the media.

Here's why this is a milestone. Time and time again, Arab-Americans have only seen themselves being portrayed as villains, terrorists to be exact, in the media. Time and time again, Arab-Americans have seen actors of different ethnicities play characters that are meant to be Arab. We have never really seen our own play a role that doesn't make us look bad. And that affects us in the most negative way possible. It's not just about the fact that we are under-represented. It's about the fact that what little representation we got villianized us. It sent a message across nations that Arabs were violent people, that we were inhumane. True, this representation was so scarce that the negativity probably couldn't affect us in the grand scheme of things. But with the events that have been going on in the world, and the already skewed impression that these events gives of us, these characters send a subliminal message that confirms that "Yes, what you thought was right. Arabs are terrorists".

So now that we have an American-Egyptian screenwriter who created a show that chose to cast another American-Egyptian as the lead role, and to include a character that wears hijab on top of that is a huge leap in the topic of proper representation in the media. The fact that these two men are so vocal about the fact that they are Egyptian, the fact that Rami Malek mentioned the reality of his family being immigrants, and that Sam Esmail said 'thank you' in Arabic, that they are not sweeping their identity under the rug, is so tremendously important and thoroughly appreciated.

And now that Hollywood has acknowledged their accomplishments, we are another step closer to diversifying the predominantly white media.

Congrats to Rami Malek for being the first minority actor in 18 years to win an Emmy.

Summary from goodreads: Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Haunting, evocative, and alluring, All the Light We Cannot See captures and depicts the quietest and loudest moments of a devastating war. Its detail and meticulous prose fills the novel with a hushed suspense, one that gives the reader a sense of foreboding and trepidation. It's a novel that teaches and puzzles its readers. It's a novel that, despite its merits, has its flaws.

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr starts off at a crawl and drags on. It's slow, to say the least. While at times its pace certainly establishes the ominous atmosphere, serving as a reinforcement for the foreboding the reader is meant to feel, it could also be seen as a detrimental aspect of the novel, (especially since there were other qualities that served the same purpose of suspense).

With the slow beginning came an arguably unsatisfactory ending. The way the suspense was built up, slowly and carefully, provoked the reader into expecting great things. But the moment the readers were waiting for, the moment when all three story lines collided, was fleeting.

However, this is where the criticisms end.

All the Light We Cannot See is a masterfully written novel with a strong foundation, an organized structure, and an unbelievable amount of detail. Its captivating and descriptive language locked the reader's attention from the beginning and its voice put the readers in a trance. The way the characters were built is also worthy of praise. Each character with their different backstories and different personalities and relationships made the novel all the more mesmerizing. Although the characters moved around the plot and changed with events, the attention given to the characters made it seem as if the plot moved around the characters. As if the characters were in charge and if anything were to happen to any of them there would be nothing to read about, even though logically there would be plenty.

There is so much good in All the Light We Cannot See it easily outweighs the faults. It is definitely a book I would recommend for the patient and historical fiction fanatics.

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Summary from goodreads: Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The premise of this book is nonsense. And to be honest, it's the best nonsense you may ever read.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a sci-fi/fantasy novel you'll either love or loathe. It's an extremely nerdy book, if you will, and its humor really isn't for everyone. But there are aspects to this work that should be appreciated all the same. For example, although The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is more plot (and comedy) driven than it is character driven, the author did not sacrifice the dynamics of said characters and allowed them to have distinct personalities that made the book all the more enjoyable. On top of that, it's innovative (even though that should go without saying).

One thing that should be noted about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that despite its screwball humor, its jokes can be understood and applied years and centuries from now. To better understand this, while and if you read this look out for the  dialogue between two cops and Zaphod & Company. However, with all its jokes and all its sarcasm, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is good-natured and unproblematic; something that really can't be said for many novels.

As for the characters that were previously mentioned, they all have prominent and unique personalities which were somewhat unnecessary but wholly appreciated. Although the characters did not grow in the first book of this series, it is easy to see that they all have room for development which is something to look forward to.

With all this being said, the book did not come without its subjective faults. Aside from the humor that might not be to every reader's taste, the layout and transitioning of the book most probably has the same effect. There is always something happening to the characters, however considering the novel as a whole, the book is not necessarily fast paced. Another criticism that could be made about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that the author's personality shines more  than the plot.

All in all, even though this book is not for everyone, if you have the patience and the right mindset, a lot of people will enjoy this book as many already have.

Summary from goodreads: 2015…All her life, Myra Farrow has been obsessed with medieval castles—and the kings and princes who once inhabited them. Now, wealthy videogame designer Steve Bernard wants her to model for a princess character in his new game. Myra can’t resist his offer, especially when she learns that Steve plans to film inside the mysterious Hue Castle—a cursed, barren, colorless place forbidden to visitors for centuries. But unknown to Myra, her soul is bound to Hue Castle by blood and sorcery. When she enters its doors, she awakens dark powers that will reach through time—stealing her past, torturing her present, and rewriting her future.
1415…Edward Hue, the last of the Hue royal bloodline, has never stood in the sunshine or held a living flower. Cursed from birth to live in darkness and bring death to all he touches, he is at the mercy of his cruel, tyrannical father, who will not rest until he shatters Edward’s soul and makes his son into a diabolical copy of himself. Edward’s one hope is the mysterious woman who haunts his dreams—who will either break his curse and bring him out of the darkness, or destroy him utterly.
For Myra and Edward, past and future collide in a tale of love, obsession, betrayal, and the hope for redemption. 

Representation is great. Having diverse characters or a diverse cast is superb. But what isn't so amazing is throwing in a token gay or black friend because of the assumption that reducing an entire community or race to a stereotyped side character is representation. A character who serves the purpose of comic relief is not appropriate representation.

No black or asian or any non-white child will ever read a book or watch a show or movie with this kind of inaccurate and vaguely offensive representation and think: "Wow. I want to grow up to be Comic Relief. I want to be the butt of the joke".

Even if these 'diverse' characters are present and not a joke, it happens more often than not they are flat and static, making it seem, once again, as if they're just being thrown in the bundle simply for their race and not because they'll be of any use to the plot.

True, there are movies and books that don't have a dominantly white cast. But the problem is that you have to make an effort to find them. You're not going to hear about these movies on award shows and they won't be shown on television. People might think that there is no way there is such a lack of representation in 2016. A quick look at this year's Oscar winners nominees will prove this notion otherwise.

Rating: 6/10

Writer: David N. Titcher

Synopsis: Doyle (writer and doctor) teams up with Houdini (magician) and Stratton (Scotland Yard constable) to investigate crimes with seemingly supernatural causes.

Review: Average is the only way to describe Houdini & Doyle objectively. It is by no means a terrible tv series, but it isn't particularly amazing either. The potential is there in the sense that the characters are well rounded, and its overall concept as well as each individual subplot is well placed. However, that potential falls flat.

The main characters that appear in this series are Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, and Adelaide Stratton. First and foremost and as the title suggests are Houdini, an illusionist, and Doyle, a doctor. Considering the plot of the series and what the general public previously knew about these characters, one would assume that Doyle would rely on facts and data when investigating strange cases as opposed to falling for supernatural possibilities. After all, he was the mastermind behind Sherlock Holmes and it was him that thought of this reasoned and logical quote: "It is capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts". In contrast, one would also assume that Houdini would lean more towards supernatural explanations as opposed to more scientific ones. Contrary to these assumptions, it is the exact opposite in Houdini & Doyle. In theory, that seems...questionable and in effect, the concept is interesting. However, as mentioned previously, it falls flat and the characterization seemed forced at points. Had it been done in a different manner, it would have been more entertaining. For instance, if the dialogue did not have as much of Houdini shouting "SCIENCE" and had a little more subtlety, it might have seemed less obnoxious.

As for Adelaide Stratton, she grows with each episode and becomes more and more three dimensional. Watching her develop and mold into her character, hearing her voice what she stands for, and seeing the way she handles certain situations are all worthy of the viewers' time. Sometimes, it seems as if her characterization does not have a clear direction, but in the end and with her newly introduced backstory, things seem to be clearer.

One thing that should be mentioned is that Houdini & Doyle does not shy away from addressing problems and controversies that were present in the setting and are still present in modern day affairs. For example, there were entire episodes dedicated to equality between genders and racism. The way these episodes were executed should be appreciated, reason being it was straightforward and perfectly appropriate considering the setting and the intended audience.

I would recommend Houdini & Doyle for viewers who like snarky characters, relationships with heavy sarcasm, and 20th century dated settings.

Booming: loud, deep, and attention-grabbing

Dead: if a person's voice is dead, they sound emotionless and probably monotoned

Flat/monotoned: dull, lacking variation in tone, bored

Grating: irritating, unpleasant, raspy, annoying, etc.

High-pitched: shrill

Plummy: describes the way English people of the upper class talk and the word is typically used with derogatory connotations

Soft-spoken: speaking with a gentle or soft voice

Strident: loud and harsh; very similar to 'grating'

Thick: if your voice is 'thick with emotion', it is generally deeper and unclearer than normal

Tremulous: unsteady or shaky because of emotions

Quavering: if a person's voice is quavering, their voice is trembling (usually due to nervousness)