When

Goodreads Synopsis:    Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client's young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie's whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it's too late?

My Thoughts:

-    Wow! This was really good! I didn't expect this to be a mystery thriller type book. It was fun!

-    I loved Maddie. Her insecurities and fears made her so relatable. I felt so sorry for her and her situation. 

-    Maddie's mom needed major help, and I'm sad that it took so long for her to get some. It is too bad that so many people are in the same boat.

-    While reading this, I discovered something about myself. It was a pretty big moment for me, and I cried. I can't remember a book that has had the same effect on me. 

-    I couldn't read this book fast enough. I didn't know what was going to happen next, and I didn't know who to trust.

-    There were a couple of eerie moments, and I would suggest this for older teens to adults. Great read though! 

Keep Moving

From Goodreads:    Beloved Hollywood icon Dick Van Dyke will celebrate his 90th birthday in December 2015. He’s an established legend, having starred in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. And yet he’s still keeping himself busy, entertaining America on television, movies, the stage, and social media. Everyone wonders, “How does he do it?” For the first time, Van Dyke shares his secrets and tips on old age: Just keep moving.

In a fun and folksy way of addressing readers, Keep Moving serves as an instruction book on how to embrace old age with a positive attitude. The chapters are filled with exclusive personal anecdotes that explore various themes on aging: how to adapt to the physical and social changes, deal with loss of friends and loved ones, stay current, fall in love again, and “keep moving” every day like there’s no tomorrow.

My Thoughts:

-    I loved this book! Dick Van Dyke's advice and outlook on life is amazing. It is no wonder he is still dancing and singing.

-    I loved the whole idea of not letting the world tell you how old you are. If you feel young, act young. If you don't want to retire, keep working. I hope I keep this advice with me as I get older. I don't ever want to stop moving.

-    I wish all celebrities could be the amazing example that Dick Van Dyke is. I admire him more and more. 

-    I love that Dick Van Dyke practices everything he preaches. He has figured out how to live a fulfilling life, and I'm glad he is sharing his secrets, which really aren't secrets. 

Partials

Goodreads Synopsis:    Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask.

Playing on our curiosity of and fascination with the complete collapse of civilization, Partials is, at its heart, a story of survival, one that explores the individual narratives and complex relationships of those left behind, both humans and Partials alike—and of the way in which the concept of what is right and wrong in this world is greatly dependent on one's own point of view.

My Thoughts:

-    I finally read a Dan Wells book! Yay! It shouldn't have taken me this long.

-    The story is full of action and questions. Questions about human nature and how would I react to things. 

-    I enjoyed the characters. There are a lot of them, and I don't think they are all needed, but it is okay. I love Kira's curious and kind nature. She is also determined and capable to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to. I loved that. 

-    This was a great intro to the series, and I'm excited for the next books. 

Salt Lake Comic Con

Last weekend was Comic Con! It was amazing! I've been going for several years now, and this was my favorite! It was so awesome!

Here are some of the highlights:

(I stole pictures from SLCC's Intsagram because they had better pictures than me.)

I'm a big Stargate fan, so it was a thrill to see Christopher Judge. His pants were crazy! He was so funny, and talked about a Stargate reboot.

I think Michael Rooker was drunk, but he was hilarious! He had everyone in stitches with everything he said. He also gave us the famous Mary Poppins line several times.

Rooker jumped down into the audience, and it was fun to see him interact with everyone.

Rob Schneider was what I expected and so much more. I didn't realize he loved to tell stories, and his impersonations were spot on. He was able to do two panels, and they were both very enjoyable. I enjoyed his stories about Chris Farley, Sylvester Stallone, and Adam Sandler.

This was the Anime from the 90s panel. There is a Utah Author up there! It was fun to listen them to talk about old Anime shows I love.

Christopher Daniel Barnes was so inspirational. His take on Little Mermaid and what it means to girls was so empowering. I loved his enthusiasm for his work.

The highlight of the whole con was seeing the legendary Dick Van Dyke. His panel was cancelled, but on Friday morning they announced that it was back on! I danced on stage and even sang to us. It was so surreal to see him in person. Rob Schneider got in the question line and got to talk to Dick Van Dyke. It was pretty funny.

Jewel Staite, who I know from Stargate Atlantis and Firefly, was so lovely. She is a foodie! She talked a lot about food and her career. She isn't working as much because she wants to spend as much time as she can with her son, and I really admire that. She had a funny story about meeting Benedict Cumberbatch.

I've seen Christopher Lloyd before, and it was a pleasure to see him again, but Tom Wilson really stole the show. He sang a couple songs and was just hilarious! He has so much energy and command of the stage. It was great!

Richard Dean Anderson is a lot like Jack O'Neill. Wow! He mostly talked about Macgyver, but he said his favorite scenes with Amanda Tapping were the make out moments.

Seeing John and Joan Cusack was awesome! They talked about various roles. Joan said that Jack Black is actually a quiet person. John said his favorite moment in Better of Dead is when he is the garbage truck and someone says, "It's a shame to throw out a perfectly good white boy like that."

Elijah Wood said he never gets tired of talking about the Lord of the Rings movies. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and there is a lot to discuss. He would love to have a role in a Star Wars movie. That is his dream.

Zachary Levi was so charming and cute! He is funny and so gracious to his fans. What a great guy.

Sean Gunn and Chris Sullivan were fun. Sean couldn't say anything about the Infinity War movie, but he is in it. Chris couldn't talk about This is Us, but he thinks Maguel murdered Jack to steal his wife. Ha! They talked about Taser Face and how that character came to be and stuff. It was a great panel.

PSYCH!!! Corbin Bernsen was awesome! He is more like Henry Spencer than I thought he would be. He is excited for the Psych movie to come out.

Twisted Toonz is always one of my favorite panels. It was a thrill to hear Invader Zim!

They read the Back to the Future script, and when the first scene with Bif cam up, Tom Wilson came on stage and roasted all the voice actors. It was hilarious! Oh man! It was one of the best moments at the con.

I bought a giant light saber cotton candy. My brother and I couldn't finish it, but I wanted the light saber.

The cosplay contest was a lot of fun, and The Lich King won best in show! He deserved it! It was incredible. The guy's suit was about 10 feet tall, and every detail was perfect. I will never get over this cosplay. No other cosplay will ever live up to The Lich King.

I also saw Will Weaton and Gate McFadden, but we weren't allowed to take pictures of them. I'm not a trekky, but my bro wanted to see them. They were actually pretty funny.

I also got to see Jodi Bensen. She was so fun and charming. She sang Part of Your World for us, and it was so magical!

I loved this con so much! It is a memorable one for sure.

Fan Art Friday: Captain Hook

Continuing with the Once Upon a Time characters, this week I'm feature Captain Hook. There are a lot of good looking guys on OUAT, but Hook is my favorite. I love tall, dark, and brooding. Plus he is Irish.

I love all of these, but the last one stands out to me. I just love the expression on his face with the Northern lights behind him.

Which is your favorite?

All the artwork is linked to the source. Please go check out more from these artists!

Quest for the Keys

From Goodreads:    Welcome to the enchanted world of LEGO(R) Elves, where building a magical adventure is just the turn of a key away!

When Emily Jones was walking through her grandmother's garden, she never dreamed she would end up in another world. But after crossing through a secret portal, Emily finds herself in Elvendale, the mystical land of the elves... with no way to leave! 

Luckily, she meets the elves of fire, earth, wind, and water. Together they set off on a quest to find four legendary keys that have the power to open the portal to Emily's world. But it will take imagination and courage for them to succeed as they encounter riddles and powerful magic on their way. Can they unlock the mystery and get Emily back home? 

Young readers will be enchanted by this exciting chapter book series based on the newest LEGO(R) Elves toys!

My Thoughts:

-    Gnome loves the Lego Elves sets, and she was pretty excited to read this with me. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was a lot better than I was expecting.

-    I liked the characters. They were fun, and Gnome liked them a lot too. I like how each elf represented a different element.

-    The story was good. It was a fun little adventure.

-    I liked reading about some of the Lego sets we already own. It was fun to see what scene they belonged to and the back story. 

The Wednesday Wars

Goodreads Synopsis:    In this Newbery Honor-winning novel, Gary D. Schmidt offers an unforgettable antihero. The Wednesday Wars is a wonderfully witty and compelling story about a teenage boy’s mishaps and adventures over the course of the 1967–68 school year in Long Island, New York. 

Meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh-grader at Camillo Junior High, who must spend Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of the class has religious instruction. Mrs. Baker doesn’t like Holling—he’s sure of it. Why else would she make him read the plays of William Shakespeare outside class? But everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam. His father wants Holling and his sister to be on their best behavior: the success of his business depends on it. But how can Holling stay out of trouble when he has so much to contend with? A bully demanding cream puffs; angry rats; and a baseball hero signing autographs the very same night Holling has to appear in a play in yellow tights! As fate sneaks up on him again and again, Holling finds Motivation—the Big M—in the most unexpected places and musters up the courage to embrace his destiny, in spite of himself.

My Thoughts:

-    The first time I picked this up, I got about halfway and put it down. I just wasn't in the mood for it. I'm glad I picked it up again.

-    I really enjoyed Holling's story. It was full of warmth and humor. Holling was such an endearing character, and I loved his young innocence. It was fun to see the world through his eyes.

-    Mrs. Baker was an interesting character. I liked her a lot. She had a very sly way of teaching.

-    Great characters and a great story! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR