Blog – Page 51 – Zakiya N. Jamal

Book Review: Silver Shadows

Posted on July 29, 2014July 31, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

Synopsis from Amazon:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Anyone that knows me knows that I am absolutely in love with this series and the Vampire Academy series. Richelle Mead has this great skill of writing these strong, determined female characters that you always want to root for.

I’ve loved every book in this series so far and this one is no exception.

For anyone that has no clue what this series is about here’s some helpful terms:

Alchemist – a human who’s sole purpose is to hide the fact that vampires exist from humans; they have very strict and seemingly religious beliefs and although they work with vamps they by no way approve of them or even like them
Moroi – these are the more human like vampires; they’re essential the good vamps; they can live and walk around in the daylight just like humans although it does make them very tired and weary and they do still need to drink blood
Strigoi – the evil vamps; these are the vampires you here about in scary stories; they burn in the sun and have red eyes and will kill vamps or humans with no remorse (they don’t have a soul)
Dhampir – originally the product of humans and vamps getting together, however they cannot reproduce on their own and if a dhampir gets with a vampire it still just makes another dhampir; they don’t drink blood but have more super human abilities than regular humans; they act as body guards to the Moroi

The main character in this series is Sydney, an Alchemist, who used to drink the Alchemist kool-aid but has since learned that they’re a little excessive in their believes. She’s very cool with vamps and dhampirs now and has even fallen in love with one named Adrian.

In Silver Shadows Adrian and Sydney have been separated after the Alchemists kidnap Sydney and send her into reeducation. While Sydney attempts to cling on to her sanity, humanity, and love for Adrian and her other Moroi and dhampir friends, Adrian struggles with keeping his spirit magic in check and not completely losing his mind.

Keeping this review spoiler free I won’t give away too much. What I will say is this book is filled with love, drama, unexpected surprises, some of our favorite characters from Vampire Academy, and adventure with plenty of action.

The love between Adrian and Sydney is still very evident despite them being apart. I found it both inspiring and cute to read. Behind their love however are these very serious issues that they have to face. Besides the fact that Sydney is locked up she has to face the fact that if she does get free it comes at the cost of officially leaving behind everything she once believed and her family, possibly for good. Meanwhile Adrian is forced to face the darkness of spirit and has to make the hard decision between running from spirit or using it to find the love of his life.

Besides Adrian and Sydney all our other favorites including Jill, Eddie, Trey, Angeline, and Marcus show up and we also meet some new characters.

I greatly enjoyed this book and if I had the time I probably would’ve read it all in one sitting. The novel shifts between Adrian and Sydney point of views giving the reader so much to experience because they’re both going through so much. Also from chapter to chapter there’s so many mysteries that need be solved or crises that arise and it just makes you want to keep reading because you want to know what in the world are they going to do next?

Truthfully I’m a little sad I read this one early sense now I have to wait just a little longer for the final book in the series, The Ruby Circle (release date: February 10, 2015), to come out. And trust me you’ll be anxiously awaiting the sequel as well when you get to the end of this book (I have a love/hate relationship with cliff hangers). Still it was totally worth it and I’ll probably be rereading this book until February anyway.

Definitely a must read of the summer. Between all the funny quips, romance, action, adventures, and drama this book will have you on the edge of your seat all the way through. Or if you’re like me laughing (or crying) on the subway.

Favorite Line: Let me just say it was very hard to a) find one quote to use and b) find one that was spoiler free. Therefore I won’t say who said this line although if you’ve read the other books I think you can guess.

“I expected to see the most beautiful woman in the world, to feel my heart skip a beat in her presence, and to want to carry her off to bed for a night neither of us will forget. So to answer your question, I got exactly what I expected.”

Stars: 5 out of 5. I can’t say anymore how much I loved this book. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point.

Borrow or Buy: BUY!!! You will need to reread this. I guarantee you.

Book Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Posted on July 28, 2014August 17, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

Synopsis from Amazon:

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”    Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!   In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

Like many other girls my age I am in love with Mindy Kaling. She is so down to earth, funny, and just real. She literally says all the thoughts I have on a regular basis but in a more coherent and hilarious way.

Because I was late on The Office train I didn’t really fall in love with Kaling until The Mindy Project where she plays an OB/GYN who loves rom-coms and has plenty of dating woes. In summary, she kind of plays herself.

Kaling is much more than an actor though. She’s most well known not for acting on The Office but for writing for the show. If you haven’t watched the show that’s a shame and you should get on Netflix and watch that right now. If you have watched the show then you know it’s freaking hilarious and Kaling is a bit of a comic genius. This isn’t to say she’s responsible for every episode written. That’s not the case. However she did play a big enough role for me to say she’s a comic genius.

Now to her book. I absolutely loved it. I got the audio book because truthfully I got the 30 day trial of Audible and I figured who’s voice is better to listen to on the Subway than Mindy Kaling’s. Answer: no one. Well maybe Tina Fey but I didn’t think about that until after I bought Kaling’s book.

Either way I didn’t regret using one of my free Audible credits on Kaling’s book because as I suspected she kept me laughing the whole time. From addressing listeners directly telling us that it shouldn’t really take us that long to finish the audiobook and if it takes us months we have a problem, to just being very open and honest about her life. I truly enjoyed this book.

What’s great about this autobiography is Kaling keeps it real in a way that’s not self-loathing or self-pitying but is more like, “These are the facts and they were actually pretty funny in hindsight.” For example, when telling us how an exchange student made fun of her for her weight she didn’t say it in “feel bad for me way” or a “this is why you must always ignore bullies” teaching way. Instead she says this guys sucks and he later got what was coming to him when he broke his leg and was no longer the soccer star he once was and dropped out of high school.

Basically, Kaling says everything you’ve probably thought but out loud. She’s rude, aggressive, and somewhat abrasive but all in fun. She gives it to you straight and doesn’t sugar coat things. She’s also pretty strange. For example, she tells readers exactly what she wants at her funeral and has her friend, Mike Schur (creator of Parks and Rec, amongst other awesome things), even write (and read) a eulogy for her.

Besides just generally talking about her life Kaling also gives some sound advice although she lets you know early one that she probably shouldn’t be trusted to give advice. Maybe the whole “the best revenge is acid in the face” thing isn’t so great but the not worrying about being popular in high school is definitely gold. She’s also all about being confident and loving you for you which is something I can definitely support.

If you haven’t read this book you should definitely get to it especially since she’s currently in the process of releasing a new one (thank God!). There are definitely benefits to the audio book as you get to hear Kaling, along with Schur, B.J. Novak, and Brenda Winters tell the story but there’s also drawbacks such as not seeing all the photos in the book. However, as Kaling herself states you can just run to a bookstore real quick and flip through the book to see the photos she discusses in the book. Either way definitely a must read and worth every cent (or Audible credit).

Favorite Line:

One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.

Stars: 5 out of 5. Absolutely loved this book. Awesome!

Borrow or Buy: Buy, duh. You’ll definitely want to refer back to some of these quotes at some point in your life. Make sure you have the book close at hand when that happens.

Other Reviews

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Book Review: Insurgent

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

*This book is part of my Dystopia Book Challenge*

Synopsis from Amazon:

Now includes an excerpt from the upcoming Four: A Divergent Collection.

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful.

Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth’s much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

If you thought Divergent was good, you’ll be blown away by it’s sequel.

Insurgent begins right where Divergent left off with Tris, Tobias, Peter, Marcus, and Caleb arriving in the Amity camp looking for refuge. Although the Amity is willing to help them there’s some conditions: they can’t fight with anyone and the Amity will remain neutral in the conflict between Erudite and every other faction.

Obviously for three on edge Dauntless refugees keeping the peace is easier said than done. I won’t go into anymore detail in an attempt to keep this review spoiler free but Tris and Tobias are forced to confront their own fears and multiple obstacles throughout this book.

Tris is still recovering from killing Will and is having a heard time dealing with her guilt and grief and Tobias has been keeping way more secrets than just his true name. These two struggle with being honest with each other and it puts major dents in their relationship. They just could not keep it together. They were very up and down the whole book but I enjoyed every second of it.

Besides their relationship drama this book was filled with betrayals, surprises, plot twists, great fight scenes, and finally a fantastic cliff hanger. Thanks for putting me on an emotional roller coaster Veronica Roth. I really appreciate it.

Honestly what I loved most about this book, especially, was after reading so many dystopias this book was still a little on the depressing side but was also so packed with action, romance, and funny quips that I really liked it and didn’t feel like curling into a ball and crying when it ended. Actually, I did want to curl up in a ball and cry when I finished it because I realized I was number 60 on the wait list for Allegiant and I’m very impatient.

Overall, definitely a must read. I greatly enjoyed Insurgent even more than Divergent and I’m very anxious to learn what happens next and how this will all end.

Favorite Line:

I am his, and he is mine, and it has been that way all along.

Stars: 5 out of 5. I really enjoyed this book. I don’t remember how long it took me to finish exactly but I know it wasn’t long because I couldn’t put it down. This was one of those books where I caught myself smiling at it on the Subway and quickly changed my face so people wouldn’t think I was crazy.

Borrow or Buy: Buy. I don’t think I would actually sit down and read this WHOLE book over again but there’s definitely some scenes that I just need to read 100 more times before I can truly be satisfied.

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Book Review: Plague

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

*This book is part of my Dystopia Book Challenge*

Synopsis from Amazon:

It’s been eight months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. They’ve survived hunger. They’ve survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building in Plague, Michael Grant’s fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series.

A highly contagious fatal illness is spreading at an alarming rate, while sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they’ll escape—or even survive—life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Just when I think these books can’t get any crazier or darker they do. After reading this and then Insurgent I had to take a break from dystopias. Too depressing.

Even so, I did enjoy this book. It brought me down because it was so nerve racking and crazy but it was overall well written.

In the fourth installment of the Gone series the FAYZ kids are struggling to keep it together. Between the Brittney/Drake monster breaking loose, a plague hitting kids left and right that Lana can’t heal, and new bugs that are very difficult to kill these kids are being attacked on all sides.

In Lies Sam lost it but this time it was Astrid who completely crumbles and with good reason. She has a lot on her plate. Even after walking away from the council people still look at her as the Genius. Also, her boyfriend really wants to have sex but it goes against her morals. And she has to take care of her autistic brother who has these crazy powers and is also getting sick. Of course, she’s going to be stressed.

This book really broke my heart and I felt for these kids. I wanted to just reach into the book and save them. Plus sometimes they would genuinely have happy moments and then everything would just come crashing back down again and they’d be crushed and then I was crushed. I was on an emotional roller coaster throughout the whole novel.

Despite it’s gloomy parts this book still had the comic and loving moments that have been in all the other novels and that’s what made this book enjoyable for me. Even with all the bad these kids were going through they still found it in themselves to laugh, have fun, and love.

So far this was the darkest book in the series and I can’t even begin to imagine what’s going to happen next or how this is all going to end. I just hope my favorites (Astrid, Sam, Dekka, and Diana) make it all the way to the end of the FAYZ. If it does end that is.

Favorite Line:

“Yeah. A feeling. Like the whole point of my life from the alleys in Bangkok to the yachts and private island to coming here like a crazy person trying to fly a helicopter like all of it from birth to here point A to point Z was all some big cosmic trick to get me to meet you.”

Stars: 3 out of 5. This book was a little too dark for my taste. It was greatly written but I need to read something a little more up lifting.

Borrow or Buy: Borrow. I didn’t love this one as much as I’ve loved some of the others.

Other Reviews:

The Book Smugglers

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Switched at Birth Recap: “Girl with the Death Mask (She Plays Alone)”

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in TV

This episode could be summed up in three words: Daphne lost it.

I don’t blame Daphne for losing it, really I don’t. I never liked her but the truth is she just lost someone that she was just starting to really get to know and like and she blames her mother for his death. That’s a lot of emotions to deal with. Even if this episode was two weeks later.

If you didn’t watch this episode yet stop reading here because there’ll be plenty of spoilers. Here we go.

Bay and Daphne are both still recovering from the loss of Angelo and Regina, Kathryn, and John are doing just about everything in their power to help them get past it but to no avail. That is until Bay gets a letter from her grandmother (Angelo’s mother) telling her about a cousin Angelo stayed with a few years back who should know that Angelo is now dead.

Using this to their advantage Kathryn and John suggest taking a trip there (Chicago) and bringing Daphne along so she can visit Northwestern. The switched sisters begrudgingly agree and let John drag them across the country (with snacks provided by Kathryn).

Daphne is still pissed off at Regina and as hard as Regina tries Daphne won’t forgive her making a bad situation even worse for Regina who’s barely holding it together. This is evident by the fact that Regina completely spaced on Abby and one of her father’s visit to the house. Thankfully Kathryn steps in and takes over helping out with Abby as her father spills that Daddy #2 has stepped out and Abby has quickly gone from having three dads to having one. Is she even one yet? Wow.

Kathryn hoping to cheer up Abby’s papa calls Renzo and invites him over which may have been a good idea if Renzo didn’t suddenly turn into a nervous hot mess of a man that decided to make a three course dinner that didn’t turn out so well. Renzo ends up leaving in despair, embarrassed and disappointed but Abby’s daddy appreciates Kathryn’s efforts and thanks her.

Meanwhile in Chicago Daphne goes off with a premed nerd at Northwestern to learn more about the program but instead makes a good nerd go bad and convinces him to do coke with her. Yep, that happened. Things quickly escalate and they end up throwing his couch off the roof and Daphne almost destroys the nerd’s laptop. I personally got really stressed for him then. Losing your laptop in the middle of the school year is never good.

While Daphne was experimenting Bay was learning more about her family history. Although her cousin turned about to be a bit of jerk, not really feeling any kind of sympathy about Bay losing her father and trying to weasel some money out of John, he did reveal some much needed information to Bay. Turns out Angelo had a sister who died at 18 also from an aneurysm. I guess maybe now Daphne should stop blaming Regina for his death because it might just be a hereditary condition. Of course this is not good news for Bay who realizes she’s 18 and there might be a chance she’s next. Hopefully Bay doesn’t keep this information to herself and get’s checked out ASAP.

Later Bay and Daphne reunite at Northwestern where Daphne tells Bay how she kind of lost it and that she thinks Regina caused Angelo’s death. Of course Bay defends Regina because Bay knows the truth but doesn’t tell Daphne that, making Daphne even more pissed off.

Everyone then returns to the Kennish-Vasquez household where Daphne finally completely loses it with Regina even telling her that she got high and asking Regina what is she going to do about. Ouch. To end the show on a happier not there was then a cute moment between Bay and Abby where Bay realizes she had a piece of Angelo closer to her than she thought. Awww.

In the middle of all that upheaval Toby had his first DJing gig which he invited everyone he possibly knows to. Including his upstairs neighbor who turns out to be a teacher at Carlton, Ms. Summers. It is a small world after all.

Emmett and Mary Beth show up at the bar (or was it a club?) and Tank is there. Awkward. Thankfully Tank assumes Emmett is Travis and everyone else just plays along. That is until Travis actually shows up and Ms. Summers reprimands Emmett for drinking, calling him by name.

Tank, drunk and pissed, attempts to take a swing at Emmett embarrassing himself by falling over. I truly felt bad for Tank in that moment. It’s obvious he’s been having a hard time since he and Bay broke up. After Toby and Ms. Summers takes Tank back to Toby’s place Toby even offers to let Tank crash on his couch. Looks like someone just got a new roomie.

Also I totally ship Toby and Ms. Summers. She’s cute, has a great accent, and is just all around awesome. My only question is how old is she? I mean Toby’s legally an adult and can date whomever but I’m just curious. Either way I think she would be a good fit for Toby.

It looks like next week will be even more interesting with Daphne still lashing out and Bay going out with Tank? What’s going on here? We’ll just have to wait until next week. Check out the promo below.

Switched at Birth Recap: “The Image Disappears”

Posted on July 15, 2014July 15, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in TV

If you follow me on Twitter you know that I was in complete denial this whole episode. I still can’t believe it and I’m very upset with the writers. Let’s just get straight to the point. Angelo is gone. After his accident he went brain dead and there was no reviving him. What I hoped was a very bad dream turned out to be very true and I couldn’t be more upset. Let’s start from the beginning.

The episode begins with everyone arriving at the hospital, stressed because Angelo is in grave condition. Although he pulls through his surgery the doctor warns that there could be serious brain damage but also states that since he’s young and healthy there may be a chance (there wasn’t).

After Bay, Regina, and Daphne go in to see Angelo the doctor tells Daphne if the number on the machine that’s hooked up to Angelo goes above 20 that’s no bueno. Regina then convinces Daphne to leave and go take the SATs that she’d studied so hard for. I personally think it was a little ludicrous for Regina to expect Daphne to sit through an exam like that after all she was going through but it is what it is. Daphne leaves, telling Toby to let her know if the number goes above 20. Of course, because everything has to go terribly wrong in this episode, it does.

Meanwhile Kathryn and Regina pray for Angelo’s recovery and Bay decides to donate blood in an effort to help Angelo. While donating she passes out and has this really sweet dream of Angelo helping her as she gives birth to twins. Then she’s gently awakened by Emmett, her knight in shining armor. Aww.

At the test Daphne has to give the proctor her phone and of course it starts to go off during the exam. Having to make a choice Daphne picks up the phone and she is dismissed (rather harshly) from the exam. Running back to the hospital Angelo has been rushed off to the OR. Daphne tells Bay she went to take the SAT and Bay rings her a new one, asking how she could possibly leave to take a test in such dire circumstances. Little does Bay know that was the last thing Daphne wanted to do in the first place.

When Angelo gets out of surgery the doctor says he’s brain dead leaving everyone shocked and wondering what to do. Angelo can continue to live off of all the machines he’s hooked up to but he’s essentially gone. Well, at least this is what the doctors say. Every one is in denial about this point at first.

John, who feels guilty because Angelo asked him for a loan and he said no, is looking for any doctor that can give them a different diagnosis. He fails to find one and is forced to admit there’s nothing he can do. Daphne talks to the doctor who explains to her Angelo’s not coming back. He shows her two x-rays of Angelo’s brain, one that shows the blood flowing there and one that shows no blood flowing at all. The doctor then suggests that the family consider doing organ donation.

Daphne tells Bay about her plan and Bay is outraged asking Daphne how she could possibly want to break Angelo down and “sell him for parts like a used car”. Again, ouch. Bay is throwing some hard punches in this episode. Speaking of low blows when John suggests to Regina they let Angelo go she accuses him of being glad that Angelo’s finally out of their lives. She later apologizes however.

Bay and Emmett go to Angelo’s apartment on a search for a phone number for his mother so they can call her and let her know what’s happening. While searching the apartment they find Angelo’s last will and testament. Surprisingly, Angelo states that in the case that he can no longer function or make choices for himself he would like to be taken off ventilation. Bay, who still doesn’t want to let go, doesn’t want to believe it and even suggests they pretend they never saw it. Oh, dear. Thankfully Emmett is able to talk some sense into her and they bring the will to the hospital where Regina is forced to face the truth as well.

Realizing what Angelo would have wanted they agree to take Angelo off of the ventilator and donate his viable organs. Bay then calls Angelo’s mother in France and tells her the bad news. In a touching moment Bay and Daphne watch as Angelo’s mother says goodbye to him, in French, on the phone.

It is later when they’re talking to a different doctor(?) about what organs will be donated the family learns that Angelo suffered a brain aneurysm. The doctor suggests it could have been caused by extreme stress or anger or a number of other things. However, all Daphne can really hear is anger and once the deed is done Daphne rips into Regina blaming her for Angelo’s death.

Throughout the episode there was also a recurring flashback of Angelo and Regina in the hospital when he accused her of cheating. Towards the end Regina imagines a different ending where he doesn’t leave and they work it out instead wasting all those years apart. Daphne also imagines Angelo coming in on her wedding day and seeing her in her dress. Basically there were a bunch of scenes that made me cry.

As I remain in denial it seems that Angelo is really gone and I will never understand why the writers did this to me. Still this was a very deep and thought provoking episode that I wasn’t expecting from Switched at Birth. The acting was superb and despite all my tears it was a great episode.

Check out the preview for next week below.

Source for Photos/GIFs: ABCFamily and Tumblr

Book Review: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

Posted on July 15, 2014August 25, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

Synopsis from Amazon:

A modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice based on the Emmy Award-winning phenomenon, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

There is a great deal that goes into making a video blog. Lizzie Bennet should know, having become a YouTube sensation over the course of her year-long video diary project. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries chronicled Lizzie’s life as a twenty-four-year-old grad student, struggling under a mountain of student loans and living at home with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. What may have started as her grad student thesis grew into so much more, as the videos came to inform and reflect her life and that of her sisters. When rich, handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck-up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. Suddenly Lizzie—who always considered herself a fairly normal young woman—was a public figure. But not everything happened on-screen. Luckily for us, Lizzie kept a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet provides more character introspection as only a book can, with revelatory details about the Bennet household, including Lizzie’s special relationship with her father, untold stories from Netherfield, Lizzie’s thoughts and fears about life after grad school and becoming an instant web celebrity.

Written by Bernie Su, the series’ executive producer, co-creator, head writer, and director, along with Kate Rorick, the novelist, TV writer, and consulting producer on the series, the novel features a journal-entry format and design, complementing the existing web series, while including plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like it’s never been done before.

I am a big fan of the YouTube series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, even though I hopped on the bandwagon after the show ended. Even so, that then gave me a 100 videos to watch, which was great for binge watching.

After obsessing over the show and re-watching episodes the creators decided to bless us fans by extending the story further by publishing a novel based on Lizzie’s diary and it’s fantastic. Besides retelling some events we’ve already seen on the show, what was great about the book was all the behind the scenes stuff. From actually reading Darcy’s letter to learning more about Jane and Bing’s relationship there was so much we don’t see on camera.

It was hard to remember that the show wasn’t real and these aren’t real people but characters. It’s just so authentic. Also, I got the audio book, which is read by Ashley Clements who played Lizzie on the show, which made the book even more fun. It was cool hearing her voice again and her doing the voices of the other characters as she would do on the show for costume theater.

In addition to behind the scenes things we also just got more information about other characters. There were a lot of things that didn’t happen on the show that happen in the book and it’s great. Especially some special Darcy and Lizzie moments that were very cute. I suggest getting this book and getting the audio one at that. It’s really the only way this book should be read/listened to. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.

Favorite Line: Truthfully I can’t just pick one plus if I could it’s pretty difficult to do that with an audio book (I should’ve written them down).

Stars: 5 out of 5. From getting to hear Lizzie’s wit again and learning more about the characters this was definitely one of my favorite books this summer. I actually liked Lydia more after reading the book (I found her kind of annoying on the show). Also the pie graphs and charts Lizzie uses to explain things are hilarious.

Borrow or Buy: Buy. Definitely buy. I’ll probably re-listen to this audio book again at some point. Also audio books are great because you can listen to them everywhere (except in bed because you might fall asleep).

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Switched at Birth Recap: “And We Bring the Light”

Posted on July 13, 2014July 15, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in TV

Last Monday’s episode ended with a bang (if you haven’t watched it yet stop reading here; spoilers are included). I thought this was a great episode except there was no Emmett so that was sad.

But to make up for Emmett’s absence (sort of), Toby’s back. Yay! Although his facial hair really should’ve stayed in Iceland.

Let’s begin with the Kennish’s because they had a lot of cute family moments. First, Bay didn’t get into Pratt and I think Pratt can suck it because that’s just dumb. She’s great and I don’t understand how she couldn’t get in (other than the SAB writers just don’t want Bay to be happy). And she wasn’t. She was devastated which broke my heart. Poor Bay.

But then big brother Toby returned and her day got a little bit brighter. Not telling anyone about not getting into Pratt Toby is finally able to get the truth out of her and decides to help a sister out. They plan to do a big art piece and using inspiration from Toby, Bay wants to create the Northern Lights. While planning to sneak out they get busted by Kathryn who wants in.

Thus begins the Kennish adventure. The art mission seems like a go until the electricity goes out and Bay kind of loses it. She rips Kathryn a new one basically telling Kathryn she’s not a “real” writer. Ouch. Although I know Bay is hurting because of Pratt that’s still no way to talk to your mom. Like ever. Kathryn, of course, is furious and would’ve stomped away if security hadn’t shown up.

To Bay and Toby’s amazement Kathryn is able to talk them out of getting in trouble by making up this crazy story about how Toby and Bay are twin, deaf Icelandic artists. After the guard leaves Bay breaks down and reveals to Kathryn she didn’t get into Pratt. Then in a very touching moment John shows up with a generator and all the Kennish’s say a time when they failed at something. Bay feeling revived turns on her Northern Lights and it’s magical (again, Pratt I don’t understand). It was a very cute Kennish moment and I thoroughly enjoyed seeming them be one united happy family.

Speaking of cute family moments Daphne and Angelo’s bonding time in this episode was fantastic. Their budding father-daughter relationship is adorable and I love it. Daphne is freaking out because of her SATs and Angelo helps her relax by distracting her in one of her favorite places: the kitchen. He tells her he needs help figuring out one of his grandmother’s recipes and suggests they make various different cakes until they get it just right. After they figure it out and Angelo admits he took no notes so they’ll have to do this process all over again at some point, Daphne finds a foreclosure notice. That’s when Angelo reveals that the restaurant is going out of business and he’s in a bit of a money crisis. After breaking down a little bit Daphne is there for him and then they take the cutest selfie ever.

While Daphne and Angelo are becoming closer than ever Regina is out to dinner with Wes who just gave her a gun for protection that she now knows how to use and shoot. Yeah, this won’t end badly. Regina and Wes go to dinner and guess who joins them? None other than Senator Coto (or is it former senator? Not sure on that front). Anyway some how Coto doesn’t recognize Regina and remember that her daughter blackmailed him. That would’ve been pretty interesting if he had though.

Wes had planned to get into a (not so legal) partnership with Coto but instead refuses to do so once Regina tells him the truth about how she knows Coto. You go Wes! About the only good thing he’s done so far. I’ll admit he’s growing on me. I still don’t like him with Regina and I definitely think he wants to be with her in a more personal than professional way that I don’t approve of but at least he’s becoming a better person.

After dinner Regina heads to K&D and is upstairs when Daphne comes in looking for her SAT book. Daphne calls out but Regina doesn’t hear her. Daphne then heads upstairs because she can hear Regina up there and Regina calls out hearing someone in the store. Of course, Daphne can’t hear her. Regina then gets her gun and gets ready to shoot and Daphne comes face to face with Regina’s gun. Oh, dear.

Daphne is pissed and rightfully so. She’s run downstairs when Angelo comes in and hears the whole story. Now he’s pissed and Regina and him get into a huge, nasty fight. Angelo accuses Regina of cheating and Regina basically tells him he sucks at being a father and a man.

Yes it really is Agent Coulson. Angelo then storms out and speeds off in his car and …

So that happened. Angelo is in serious bad shape. I’m really hoping ABC Family doesn’t kill him off. Angelo and Daphne were really just getting close and truthfully I’m not sure if Daphne could ever forgive Regina if he doesn’t recover. I hope it all works out but honestly I don’t know where the writers are going to take this.

Things. Just. Got. Real.

Dear College Grad Me

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

As I get closer to starting my senior year of college (that came fast) I wanted to write a letter to my future self about some things she needs to do as she prepares to enter the “real world”. Using FutureMe.org I’ll actually get this letter emailed to me on the day of my graduation. It’ll also be here so I can look at it on that day as well but I don’t know if I’ll remember. I recommend all my fellow rising seniors do this too. It’s cool all the things that I found myself writing to myself and these all things I hope to start doing from now. Feel free to add your own letters to your future selves in the comments below.

Dear College Grad,
Congratulations, you made it. After four years of hard work, friendships, drama, and some heartache you’ve survived all the way to the end and I couldn’t be more proud. You’ll thank everyone who helped you get here but don’t forget to thank yourself. It wasn’t easy but you did it.

As you leave Georgetown and head on to do big things there’s some things we have to discuss. I have some hopes for us and not just the usual stuff of making it big and reaching our dreams. I mean the other stuff like being a good person and loving you for you. There’s some things I need to make sure you do as you go out into the real world (or grad school).

First, love yourself. I’m not saying be self-absorbed I’m saying love yourself. Love you for you. Stop comparing yourself to everyone around you and thinking you’re not good enough or pretty enough or even smart enough. Know that you are beautiful and wonderful just the way you are. It’s great when someone else says it but make sure you tell yourself how much you love you. It’s important.

Second, forgive people. I mean really forgive people. Not the fake, “Haha, yeah, we’re all good, no worries.” I mean really forgive them. Don’t dwell on how someone hurt you. Don’t let someone’s hateful words alter who you are. Let it go. Hating someone or resenting them for the rest of your life only hurts you and does nothing to them. Also forgive yourself. Don’t keep reminding yourself of your own mistakes and mess ups. It’ll happen but you just have to learn from it and push on. You have other things to worry about then obsessing over something in the past.

Third, always be open to trying new things. Try doing something you’ve never done before. Go wind surfing or scuba diving. Or audition for something. Don’t close yourself off to things. You can do anything you want to do. Just try it.

Four, let people in. I know this is easier said then done but we’ve never been the most open person. Talking about our favorite TV show or the newest Demi Lovato album, that’s easy. Talking about things that really matter like when we lose someone close to us or when we just feel upset about something or even being honest about how we feel about someone? That’s a bit harder. Truth is we have this tendency to hold in the big stuff. We hate asking for help when we need it and we run from the big stuff. That’s got to change. We can’t just keep writing it all down in our journal. Open up a little bit. I’m sure it won’t kill you. It might even make you better.

Five, never give up on your dreams. We have a lot of dreams. From wanting to be a best selling author to having a family and living in the house with the white picket fence our dreams are big and small. And they vary on a day to day basis. It doesn’t matter what your dreams are just don’t give up on them. Don’t settle for the easy thing and don’t let anyone ever tell you you can’t do it. Not even yourself. Dream big, aim high, and don’t let one “no” stop you from picking yourself up and trying again. Whatever you want to do, do it.

Six, treat others the way you want to be treated. This one is an oldie but it still holds true. Treat people with kindness. Help people when they need help. Don’t turn a blind eye when someone asks for help. Better yet volunteer to help out before someone even asks. Be kind. Be caring. Listen to people. Actually listen to them, not passively but actively. Be there for people the way you might one day need them to be there for you. Just treat them the way you’d want to be treated and you’ll do fine.

Seven, love hard. And tell the people you love, that you love them everyday. We’ve learned the hard way how fast someone can just be gone. Don’t let days or even weeks go by without talking to the people who matter. Let them know how much they mean to you and spend time with them while you can. Whether it’s family, friends, a boyfriend, or whoever. Don’t hide from how much they mean to you. Embrace it. Loved ones are good. Cherish them.

Lastly, be happy. Be really happy. Smile whenever you can. Laugh whenever you’re able. Do whatever makes you happy. Surround yourself with people who make you happy but also know how to be happy by yourself. Obviously you’re not always going to be happy but I challenge you to find a way to smile even through the hard times, the sad times, and the worst times. If you can do that then I know we’ll be okay.

Good luck and conGRADulations. We did it!

Sincerely,
Zakiya

Book Review: Lies

Posted on July 13, 2014May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews

*This book is part of my Dystopia Book Challenge*

Synopsis from Amazon:

It’s been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. It happens in one night: a girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead—or so they thought.

Perdido Beach burns and battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ, but are the kids of Perdido Beach desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

Lies is book three in Michael Grant’s Gone series and it seems these books get progressively darker as we go forward. I enjoyed this book but I also have a few issues with it but let’s start with the good stuff.

I actually liked how dark this book was. Grant doesn’t hold back in the realism of a world with no adults and a lot of chaos. I especially liked that we got to see some character changes and development. Astrid, for one, breaks through her “Astrid the Genius” mold completely in this novel. As head of the council she has all these ideas on how to make Perdido Beach better but is forced to face the fact that some things are out of her control.

Sam, although he did disappoint me at some points, also went through some questions in his character. So far in the series Sam has always been the hero. Even in book two when (*spoiler alert if you haven’t read Hunger*) he kind of loses it and gets beat by Drake, at the end of the day he’s still kind of the hero. He figured out how to take out The Darkness and used his wit (with Duck’s help) to do so.

In Lies Sam really starts to crumble apart and so does Astrid and it really forces them to look at their relationship. One question I think they really need to consider is if the FAYZ ended would they remain together or are they just clinging to each other because the FAYZ sucks and they want to hold onto something good? Who knows? Either way their relationship was seriously tested in this novel.

Now here’s my issues with the book. There will be spoilers so beware. As much as I liked this book the truth of the matter is there were some things in the plot that just didn’t really make sense:

How did no one realize there was an island with a huge mansion and a yacht with a helicopter on it for seven months. Quinn and his fishing crew never saw it? Or in book one when Sam and co. hopped in a boat to the power plant, no one noticed it? Also how did the people on the island not see these people when they were out in the water? Maybe they did but it was never mentioned so I can’t be sure.
The whole half Brittney, half Drake monster makes no sense to me. Lana has the ability to heal and she did give Drake his whip arm but how did The Darkness combine Lana’s healing with Brittney’s immortality. Their bodies weren’t anywhere near each other when they died. Brittney was buried in the plaza and Drake was buried deep in the mine shaft with Caine’s tornado. How did they merge together? It just doesn’t make sense. Of course nothing in this novel is at all plausible but still that’s a big stretch.
The extent of Pete’s powers is getting out of hand. I understand that’s part of the mystery and it does add something to the series that makes it extra interesting but I’m beginning to think Pete can do anything. He can make things/people disappear. He can create things/people. He created the FAYZ. He was able to somehow show Astrid what was happening in some illusion. He can teleport himself and his sister. And he’s The Darkness’ biggest opponent. It feels like with each book Grant makes Pete more and more powerful and although it adds to the story it’s stretching. Everyone else’s powers are focused on one thing (Sam with his laser beam hands, Caine can move things with his mind, Brianna is fast, etc.). Pete has various different powers. Again maybe that’s Grant’s point and we’ll learn more about why Pete’s so different later but at points it feels like Grant is just adding to Pete’s powers to try and make sure the storyline makes sense.

Overall, I did enjoy the book a lot. A lot went down and it was crazy to see just how … well, crazy everything is getting in the FAYZ. Everyone in Perdido Beach is kind of losing it and truthfully I’m wondering how long they’ll all be able to survive like this. Definitely a good read and worth checking out.

Favorite Line:

Yeah, Sam, you’re still necessary. You’re like a god to us mere mortals. We can’t live without you. Later we’re going to build you a temple. Satisfied?

Stars: 4 out of 5. As much as I enjoyed this book I couldn’t ignore the fact that some things just didn’t make sense.

Borrow or Buy: Buy! This is the first book in the series that I bought and I don’t regret it. If I had more money I’d probably buy the whole series.

Other Reviews

The Book Smugglers

Teen Ink

Teen Reads