Today is Harry Potter Day. Everyone is celebrating, including me. I've just started re-reading the series for the umpteenth time and I couldn't be happier visiting all my old friends. That being said, since I am writing on Harry Potter Day, you probably think I'm going to talk about Harry Potter. Well, you would be wrong.
I want to go back in time to October 5, 2005 when a little book, you've probably never heard of was published. It's called Twilight, and who am I kidding, I know you've heard of it because for better or worse it completely changed how we look at a specific genre. Don't worry, I'm not here to talk about Twilight either.
I'll admit, I was a die hard Twi-hard back in the day. I didn't over-analyze everything about the books. I just got caught up in reading the story, regardless of its flaws. As Twilight grew, very smart people who did over-analyze the book started reporting on the huge problems with the morals of the plot and characters. I had no choice but to rearrange my opinions of the books. Today, I am no longer a Twi-hard and while I understand ethically why they are terrible books for children to read, I still enjoy them. They are still sitting on my shelf, and every once in a while, I pick them up again.
Like I said, this isn't about Twilight, this is about what happened because of Twilight. After Twilight there came a giant increase in books about paranormal romance. I know the genre existed pre-Twilight, but I'm almost certain it was only post-Twilight that it had it's own section in Barnes and Noble.
This is not a dinky sized section either.
So once the Twilight phenomena happened I would say readers of the genre were split down the middle. Half the people were like "Twilight has no substance, therefore this genre has no substance and is not worth my time." The other half were like "OMG! SEXY VAMPIRE BOOKS! MUST READ ALL THE THINGS!" I fell into the first group. I was wary of delving into books of the same genre and being disappointed at reading "another Twilight" where the leading lady has no spine or free will and stalking your girlfriend is considered adorable.
Christmas break 2011(Maybe 2010?): I went to my friend Kelsy's house and was borrowing some books to take back to college with me. She handed me several including one called Vampire Academy. I looked at it, then looked at Kelsy with an arched eyebrow. "I don't know. After Twilight, I'm just not so sure." "Trust me," was all she said. So I took it. Kelsy is very wise.
I read a few other books before I got around to reading Vampire Academy. After the first book, I immediately ran to the library for the rest of them. I read all 2688 pages in a week. It's safe to say that not much homework was accomplished during this time.
I fell in love with this series and its author, Richelle Mead. I started to tell all my reading friends about it and encouraging everyone I knew to read it. As far as I know, no one has listened. This is surprising to me. I'll be honest, I haven't been so in love with a series since Harry Potter. (Okay, maybe The Hunger Games, but since then, nothing!) Richelle Mead is a fantastic writer and she knows how to draw you in and leave you begging for more...usually with an UNBEARABLE cliffhangers. Nothing has ever been, nor will ever be like Harry Potter, but there are incredible books out there that are, dare I say it, just as wonderful as Harry Potter! BLASPHEMY, I know...
Vampire Academy has a devoted following, but it is small. It is one of my deepest wishes for this fandom to grow and thrive and become a household name, just like Harry Potter. I love it that much. I know there isn't an entire new world created to blow our minds, but there is a lot to love. We've got a kick-ass heroine, a hunky love interest, plenty of drama and intrigue, an ongoing battle between good and evil, the universal struggle of right versus wrong, and everything in between.
While there are many things about Richelle's books that I love, the best thing has to be her characters. Whether they are vampire, Alchemist, or dhampir they are all so wonderfully human. By that I mean, they have strengths and flaws that make them real. Every single character has a unique personality. They are not carbon copies of other fictional characters. They fit into no stereotypical mold. I love each of them individually and unconditionally for who they are.
One thing I have learned about Richelle Mead is that she gets better with every book she writes. In my humble opinion she is like J.K. Rowling in that way. (Except Casual Vacancy, which I absolutely hated.) The first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I thought it was good, but not exceptional. I fell in love with the series on the next book. When I read Vampire Academy, it was a similar experience. I liked it, but it wasn't till Shadow Kiss that I fell in love. J.K. Rowling gave us a few bonus books for Harry Potter fans. Richelle Mead gave us an entire new spin-off series! For the win!
The Bloodlines series lives in the same world with many of the same characters, but told from a different viewpoint. Rose and Sydney are very different narrators and you get to experience the world of Vampire Academy through new eyes in this series. It's wonderful! Silver Shadows just came out two days ago and it went above and beyond all my expectations! There is one more book in the Bloodlines series called The Ruby Circle which comes out in February 2015.
Richelle Mead loves this world and these characters and it shows in her writing, as well as the fact that she can't seem to stop writing about them! This is great news for fans. There is nothing confirmed on this, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was another spin-off series following Bloodlines. Richelle has never denied that it could happen when the subject was brought up. That would be so AWESOME!
As with any book these days, you almost undoubtedly, have to talk about it in comparison with its movie. Vampire Academy is no different. When I first heard that there was going to be a movie, I was overjoyed. When I saw the first trailer, I was underjoyed. You know what they say:
Or in this case, the movie's poor advertising campaign. The movie itself wasn't that bad. Yes there were things I would have done differently, but overall I actually liked it. The problem was that it didn't appeal to a new audience. This is a problem if we ever want to see a Frostbite movie. There is talk that it could happen, but Vampire Academy didn't do too hot so it's up to the fans to rally for the next installment. Who knows what will happen? I hope they continue the series and the films get better and better. I mean, look at the first Twilight movie versus the last. Huge difference!
A similar problem is happening with the graphic novels. The third novel came out at the end of last year, but depending on sales, we may not get to see the rest of the series in graphic novel form. That would be a shame because they are absolutely STUNNING! I love them and I hope they continue to make them because I want a full set!
Every reader has a special book(s) that they love dearly and want the whole world to love with them. These are mine. While I adore Harry Potter and love coming back to that world and those characters, I feel exactly the same way about Vampire Academy. If you love to read and enjoy a great book with complex characters, lots of witty quips, daring action, a plot full of twists and turns, and a love that never dies then I highly recommend checking out the world of Vampire Academy. I promise you, you won't regret it.
P.S. This is me meeting Richelle Mead and getting all my books signed! It was a pretty amazing night! :)
P.P.S. I'm sorry this post is so long, but I'm really passionate about these books and I just want you all to give them a shot, because I think you might love them too!
Have you read VA? What did you think? Are you going to check them out now that you know about them? What is your book(s) that you want the whole world to know about? Leave answers in the comments!
Last Saturday I went and saw The Fault in Our Stars which I have been eagerly anticipating since the movie was announced. It did not disappoint. I would say it was right up there with Catching Fire for best book to movie adaption. Such an amazing cast and script. I was blown away! Naturally I went through several tissues and was red and puffy when I left the theatre.
If you've read the book: see it. I promise you, it's worth it. If you haven't read the book: see it, then read the book. Be aware that it is hard to watch. It's sad, funny, and beautiful all at the same time. Prepare yourself to feel all the feels. Seriously though, read the book. John Green's books have the most interesting writing style. The are intelligent and witty and hysterical and heart-breaking and honest. The best way I can think to describe The Fault in Our Stars is that it is heart-breakingly wonderful.
Have you seen TFIOS yet? What did you think!? Leave a comment!
It's official everyone. After watching all three seasons of Sherlock I am now a part of the "Fans formerly known as Cumberbitches." It's amazing how this happened. One moment I'm an outsider looking at Benedict Cumberbatch and thinking the only thing weirder than his name is his face. The next, I have a Pinterest board dedicated to him, he's the background on my phone and my computer, I daydream about him at work, and I spend my evenings scouring every social media network for photos and info on him. It's like my life is changed now because he is a part of it. As Boromir so aptly puts it:
This post is hilarious and pretty much nails what happens when you discover Benedict Cumberbatch. Read it! It's wonderful!
One thing I love about this fandom is that my fellow CumberPeople accepted me wholeheartedly. They aren't the type of people to say "We loved him first! You're such a faker!" Nope. They say, "Welcome to our group! We are happy to have another person to realize how beautiful and wonderful this man is!"
So in honor of our favorite heartthrob, I have created this list that highlights all of the reasons we love him. I am not the first to create this list, nor will I be the last. But I assure you my list will be better than the Buzzfeed list where half of the items are about his clothes. Boring. And my list will be shorter than @falloutkaty on Twitter who has at least 932,743 reasons to love him.
Now for those of you who are thinking "Are you kidding me!? He is so NOT attractive in any way!" I've been there. I get it, but maybe this list will maybe start to make you question whether or not that is true. Maybe it will be those eyes that hook you. Maybe it will be The Voice. Maybe it will be his humor. Whatever it is, I hope you will join us soon. As for my lovely CumberPeople, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beauty and wonder of Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch.
1. The EYES have it.
Seriously! What color are they!? If gorgeous were a color, it would be the color of Ben's eyes.
2. Those CHEEKBONES!
You could cut yourselves on those things. I would SHER like to try! And not just the cheekbones either. His jawline and the sharp angles everywhere! Stunning! One of my favorite "how did Sherlock survive?" theories read something like this: He was saved by his cheekbones. His cheekbones hit the ground and it was actually the pavement that was bleeding.
3. What I like to call "The VOICE."
A very accurate description: He has the voice of “a jaguar hiding in a cello"
That beautifully accurate descriptor was coined by The Times’ Caitlin Moran and a never-more perfect description has ever been declared for his voice, nor likely will ever be. It resonates, it purrs, it’s as deep as the Grand Canyon and smooth. And, for anyone with an accent-fetish, his accent is undeniably British.
OMG. That last scene just gets me all hot and bothered every time!
4. Oh yeah. P.S. The Voice can sing!
How unfair is that! This man has every weapon in his arsenal to use against the female species.
5. That cute and quirky smile!
Now some may not agree with me here, and that's okay. But I think his smile is so adorable! I love how one side turns up and the other turns down. Plus his whole face scrunches up and it's kind of dorky, but I just think it's so cute!
6. If you can manage to drag your gaze away from his beautiful face, take a look at his body. Because, that's pretty damn good-looking too!
7. He takes his job seriously.
In preparing for the role of Sherlock, he read the stories and novels in their entirety. It may seem like "Duh, of course he did," but not all actors would do such in depth research. Especially when they are in the middle of other lessons for the role and filming movies on the side.
For The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, it was Ben's idea to do motion capturing. He wanted the dragon to be his own creation. And he made it so.
8. But he doesn't take himself too seriously.
When shown the otter meme in an interview, Ben thought it was totally hilarious.
Skip to 5:53 for his reaction.
9. He's funny.
Here are a couple questions and responses on Reddit that I found particularly enjoyable.
Did I get a little carried away there? Sorry about that. Oh, wait...no I'm not!
12. He loves to read.
Total turn on, am I right?
13. He is humble.
With his mop of curly red hair and oddly angular face, Benedict Cumberbatch hardly has the looks of a typical Hollwood sex symbol.
Yet a series of high-profile roles both on television and in the movies has earned him a growing legion of female admirers…much to his own amazement.
“It’s interesting and it’s something I’m processing,” says newly single Benedict, sounding rather like Sherlock Holmes, the role he made his own in the BBC’s updated version of the Conan Doyle stories.
“It’s new to me and I’m sure I’ll get used to it and find a way of dealing with it, but at the moment, it is quite odd.
“Do I like being thought of as attractive? I don’t know anyone on Earth who doesn't, but I do find it funny. I look in a mirror and I see all the faults I've lived with for 35 years and yet people go kind of nuts for certain things about me. It’s not me being humble. I just think it’s weird.”
Judging from his career, Benedict has a happy knack of being able to adapt to most things. He picked up a best actor award for his take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein at the National Theatre and will be returning in a new series of Sherlock opposite Martin Freeman as Dr Watson.
And he is blazing a trail in Hollywood with a starring role in the upcoming Star Trek 2 after appearing in Tinker Sailor, Soldier Spy and War Horse.
In Star Trek 2 he plays the tyrannical Khan alongside Tom Hardy, Malcolm McDowell and Alice Eve, daughter of actor Trevor, as well as Shaun of the Dead’s Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty.
The film is sure to be a box office hit and cement Benedict’s place on the Hollywood A-list. Yet Benedict, who split recently from girlfriend Anna Jones following the break-up of a 10-year relationship with Olivia Poulet, does not believe it will help his pulling skills.
He says: “I’m not confident in social situations, just going up to someone in a bar and saying ‘hi’ is going to be even more difficult because they won’t know the real me. They will just know me as a fictional person I play on the screen.”
Benedict’s knack of portraying a certain vulnerability in his characters stems from genuine insecurity. He has said the most hurtful thing he ever read about himself was in a blog describing “the talentless wooden acting of arse-named, horse-faced twot Benedict Cumberbatch”.
And he says the part of his body he dislikes the most is “the size and shape of my head,” adding, “I’ve been likened to Sid the sloth from Ice Age”.
14. He is sentimental.
The actor, who plays John Harrison in the sci-fi sequel, heard his co-stars talking highly of his performance and welled up.
"When I heard them saying nice things on the red carpet... that was the thing that really struck [me] to my core, and it got to a point - it was like a tipping point, I'd say - where I was signing something [and] I heard Zachary [Quinto] saying something very complimentary about me and I started to cry," he told Access Hollywood.
"I was looking down and signing and this fan said, 'Are you okay?' I said, 'Yeah, it's really windy out here, my eyes are stinging'."
“The first time we did cavalry charge I was so breathless with excitement I nearly fell off the horse. I actually saw stars in front of my eyes and thought I was going to faint. The second time I had a bit more control but was still giddy with excitement. And the third time I was an emotional wreck. I had to really try hard not to cry.”
15. He makes fun of his own name.
16. He is intelligent.
He attended elite private schools since the age of eight: Harrow School, Manchester University, and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He also reads...a lot, and we all know that the more you read, the more you know. He frequently plays intellectuals such as: Steven Hawking, Alan Turing, Sherlock Holmes, Vincent Van Gogh, and Julian Assange. This, of course, in not proof that he is intelligent; however, I don't think they would hire Larry the Cable Guy for any of those roles. Just sayin'.
Plus go and listen to/read any of his interviews and tell me he's not brainy. I fully admit to having to look up a few words that I was not acquainted with.
17. He is talented.
Don't need to go into much detail here. Obviously Sherlock is legendary, but make sure you check out his other work. A friend told me to go watch Amazing Grace and it was fantastic! Ben was incredible as usual.
18. He does impressions. And they're actually good!
In fact they're so good, he was actually hired to play the voice of Snape in an episode of the Simpsons.
19. He likes Harry Potter.
20. He's adventurous.
After skydiving in New Zealand he is quoted as saying, "It was the most exquisite sensation and when I landed on the ground I wanted to do it again. I felt incredibly horny as well, because it's such an extreme thing. You think, 'God, I've just had the most massive bite out of life and I'm really hungry for more!'" Note to self: Be on the ground waiting after BC's next skydive to fulfill any of his needs.
21. He is spiritual.
Very little is known about his religious views, but he has said that hespeaks of being drawn to the “transcendent” and calls himself a Buddhist (at least “philosophically.”)
22. He enjoys helping others.
In this interview he talks about teaching English to Tibetan monks:
"In my gap year I was teaching English to Tibetan Buddhist monks in a Nepali home near Darjeeling. They were amazingly warm, intelligent, humorous people. Hard to teach English to. I built a blackboard, which no other previous teachers seem to have done. With 12 monks in a room with an age-range of about 8 to 40, that’s quite important – and the reward-punishment thing of sweets or no sweets, or game or no game, worked quite well. But they taught me a lot more than I could possibly ever teach them."
“They taught me about the simplicity of human nature, but also the humanity of it, and the ridiculous sense of humour you need to live a full spiritual life. I also went on a retreat with a lama, several days of incantation to clear the mind and purify, along with a dozen other people. It was incredible, and I kind of floated out of there after two weeks. When you’ve been that still and contemplative, your sensory awareness is so heightened, sharper-focused, you’re taking in detail to the point where you have to pause a little bit, it was amazing."
Here are some of the charities he supports:
He is an ambassador of The Prince's Trust, a charity that aims to help disadvantaged young people of the UK as well as an ambassador of the Motor Neuron Disease Association. He is a supporter of Dramatic Need, a charity that promotes creative expression as a tool for conflict resolution, social development, gender empowerment and the assimilation of health messages in underprivileged communities. He helped launch the now annual London Night Hike for Maggie's Centers, a network of drop-in centers in Great Britain that provide support for people affected by cancer, their families, carers and friends. He is a patron of Teenage Cancer Trust and Myeloma UK among others. Cumberbatch is also known for donating his own drawings and sketches for charities and fundraisers.He is a supporter ofLiberty, formerly known asNational Council for Civil Liberties, a cross party, non-party membership organisation at the heart of the movement for fundamental rights and freedoms in the UK.
23. He is interested in world news and politics.
Cumberbatch’s opinion on politics is a little easier to decipher. He tends to play “posh” roles that make him seem removed from the common Brit. And he didn’t endear himself to the working class any more by complaining about how people are always bashing the upper class:
[I'm] castigated as a moaning, rich, public-school bastard, complaining about only getting posh roles. . . . It’s just so predictable. . . so domestic, and so dumb. . . . It makes me think I want to go to America.3
But that doesn’t mean he’s conservative. He’s just as willing to bash David Cameron as other people seem willing to bash him. When talking about his country during World War I, he said,
Everyone was held in their place, but what was honourable about it was that there was a duty of care from the top down. That shouldn’t be tied in with any sort of fat-faced, flatulent Cameron effort at what Toryism – horribly – is now.4
He also demonstrated his liberal worldview by speaking at a rally of public sector workers protesting government spending cuts. He spoke to the crowd of several thousand in support of the Arts Council. In an interview after the event, he stated why he believes the government should subsidize certain services:
Because you have more money, doesn’t mean should be entitled to more health care and more art or culture. . . . I selfishly as a performer would like to perform to as diverse a crowd as possible.5
Considering the U.K. subsidizes a whole lot more than the U.S., maybe he should stick to his side of the Atlantic.
24. He gets star-struck.
Cumberbatch said he can understand fans being impressed with actors. He gets starstruck himself, he said, recalling Harrison Ford (whose gruff, whispery voice Cumberbatch impersonated) telling him he was a fan of "Sherlock" when both were guests on England's "The Graham Norton Show." Cumberbatch also said he was starstruck by the cast of "Homeland" -- "not Damian Lewis," he joked, because "he's old hat" -- and by Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston, of "Breaking Bad.
25. He's human.
While Benedict has an overwhelming amount of admirable qualities, he does actually have a few flaws. He swears like a sailor, which isn't too bad. The only major turn off he has for me is that he smokes. :( As someone who's had to watch her father battle lung cancer, this is a big flaw for me. Not even Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect, people. But he sure gets close!
26. He is a gay ally.
In fact he actually officiated a wedding for his gay friends. AWESOME!!!
Skip to 1:51
27. He can dance.
And we'll throw this one in here, just for kicks! I almost peed the first time I saw this!
28. He is a family man.
Baby Benny!
Cumberbatch speaks highly of his parents and how hard they worked to put him through school. He speaks of them often and always with love and admiration.
29. And one day he'd like to have a family of his own.
In fact, he's pretty vocal about it: "Maybe it's because I was an only child, but I've always wanted kids." "I was happy as an only child, but I've always wanted to be part of a bigger family." "I've realised now that the reality of children is you have to be in the right place with the right person." "I've been broody since I was 12, but I can't just get anyone pregnant. It has got to be the right person." "It is a wonderful thing to get married young and become a father" "I'm not confident in social situations; just going up to someone in a bar and saying 'Hi' is going to be even more difficult because they won't know the real me. They will just know me as a fictional person I play on the screen."
I know there are a lot of members of the CumberCollective who would volunteer to become Mrs. Cumberbatch. Including myself. Just look how good he is with kids! He's going to be a wonderful father someday.
30. He has really cool friends.
31. He's a bit of a rebel.
And we all love a little bit of a bad boy.
32. He does live theatre.
NT:50 Years on Stage Gala - National Theatre (2013) Look Back in Anger - Royal Court/Duke of York's Theatre (2012) Frankenstein - National Theatre (2011) The Children's Monologues gala - The Old Vic (2010) After the Dance - National Theatre (2010) The City - Royal Court Theatre (2008) The Arsonists - Royal Court Theatre (2007) Rhinoceros - Royal Court Theatre (2007) Period of Adjustment - Almeida Theatre (2006) Hedda Gabler - Almeida Theatre and West End (2005) The Lady from the Sea - Almeida Theatre (2004) Romeo and Juliet/As You Like It/Oh What a Lovely War - Open Air Theatre - Regent's Park (2002) A Midsummer's Night Dream/Love Labours Lost - Open Air Theatre - Regent's Park (2001)
In my opinion, live theatre is more difficult than film. Theatre lives inside me, so this is a huge plus in my book. This is obviously how we will meet and fall in love. I will be designing one of his shows and we'll go out for drinks and the rest, my friends, is history. ;)
33. He's a fantastic lover.
“I always seem to be cast as slightly wan, ethereal, troubled intellectuals or physically ambivalent bad lovers. But I’m here to tell you I’m quite the opposite in real life. In fact I’m a fucking fantastic lover.”
This fact is not confirmed, but I will do my best to collect some hard evidence.
34. He won't allow his fans to demean themselves.
“It's not even politeness. I won't allow you to be my bitches. I think it sets feminism back so many notches. You are... Cumberpeople.”
35. He truly loves his fans.
In a twitter Q&A session to promote The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Benedict was asked how much he loves his fans. His response? "More than I can say in a tweet."
Check out this link to see how some of his most devoted fans describe meeting the great Benedict Cumberbatch.
He immediately rushes up to thank his fans for traveling so far to see him. Such a wonderful guy!
Well there you have it. 35 reasons we adore Benedict Cumberbatch. Just so you know, this list took me about three weeks to create and that was with cutting out reasons because I ran out of time. I wanted to make sure facts were checked and that I found the best interviews, pictures, gifs, and quotes to do this list justice. I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you all have someone special to share it with, even if it's just Benedict Cumberbatch in your dreams or on your TV. I know he'll be my Valentine today!
