Doctor Who (and Torchwood) Lists

Doctor Who is my second favourite TV show right now and I am always obsessed with it, so here are some Doctor Who lists. All of these lists are in order with absolute favourites as number one.

Top 15 Doctor Who Episodes:

1. The End of Time
2. Utopia/The Sound of Drums/Last of the Timelords
3. Midnight 
4. Badwolf/The Parting of the ways
5. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday
6. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit
7. Stolen Earth/Journey's End
8. The Day of the Doctor
9. Blink
10. The God Complex 
11. Vincent and the Doctor
12. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
13. The Girl Who Waited 
14. Human Nature/The Family of Blood
15. Last Christmas 

Top 5 Torchwood Episodes:

1. Children of Earth
2. Out of Time
3. Greeks Bearing Gifts
4. Exit Wounds
5. Adam
6. Miracle Day: Immortal Sins
7. Miracle Day: The Blood Line
8. Fragments
9. To the Last Man
10. From out of the Rain

Favourite Doctor Who Seasons:

1. 4
2. 3
3. 2
4. 1
5. 5
6. 8
7. 7
8. 6

Favourite Torchwood Seasons

1. 3
2. 4
3. 2
4. 1

Favourite Doctors:

1. Ten
2. Nine
3. Twelve
4. Eleven
5. War

Top 10 Characters:

1. Clara Oswald
2. The Doctor
3. Rose Tyler
4. Martha Jones
5. Toshiko Sato
6. Wilfred Mott
7. Amelia Pond
8. Donna Noble
9. Danny Pink
10. Esther Drummond

Top 5 Romantic Relationships:

1. The Doctor and Rose
2. Clara and Danny
3. Jack and Ianto
4. Amy and Rory
5. Vastra and Jenny

Top 5 Friendships:

1. Clara and the Doctor
2. Donna and the Doctor
3. Amy and the Doctor
4. Gwen and Jack
5. Martha and the Doctor

April 2015 Updates

Here's what I've been reading and watching in April:

• I've been watching Torchwood, and I finished the first three seasons. I only have one left. Why are all the best characters dying?
• I am watching Elementary and the third season is almost over. I'm praying that Moriarty will come back.
• I watched The Giver (finally) and it was better than I thought it would be. Honestly, I was expecting it to be terrible, so that really doesn't say much. It was changed a lot from the book.
• I randomly watched Pitch Perfect because I kept seeing gifs from it on tumblr.
• I watched If I Stay and I actually liked it better than the book. It was a really good movie, and it made me cry (which the book did not do).
• I read the final book in the Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson, and it was good. Overall, I thought it was a satisfactory conclusion to a great epic fantasy trilogy.
• I read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. I liked it, but I actually liked it less than The Darkest Part of the Forest. I thought the romance in this book was kind of creepy.
• I read the first two books in the Mara Dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Evolution of Mara Dyer. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed them both.
• I read Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White, and I really enjoyed it. It was fun and the characters were amazing, and even though it's a standalone, I would love a sequel.
• I read The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson. I liked it, but not as much as I was expecting to. Overall, I thought it was just okay.
• I read City of Savages by Lee Kelly. I liked it more than I expected too. I really liked the characters and the world was really interesting. I would definitely read anymore books that Lee Kelly publishes.
• I read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee for my English class. I was surprised to find that I really liked it. I don't usually like classics.

Let's Talk About Female Characters

I am female. I also like fiction. This post is all about female fictional characters, and stuff that relates to female characters. Please note that I am not in anyway an expert on this topic. These are just the random opinions of a sixteen year old girl.

The Problems:

The vast majority of fiction published today has a larger number of male characters than female characters. This might not seem like that much of a problem to some people, but here's the thing: When female characters are almost always portrayed as being overall less important than male characters, real female people might see themselves as less important too.

"Strong" Female Characters:

"Wait," you might be saying. "I don't actually think that fiction is very sexist, nowadays. Maybe it's true that the vast majority of fiction has a larger number of male than female characters, but that's not what really matters. What matters is how those female characters are presented. And I don't know about you, but recently I've been seeing more and more strong female characters in fiction." You are right. The number of female characters does not matter as much as how they are presented. But I have a question. What do you mean by "strong female character"?

As far as I can tell, the main characteristics that most people think make a strong female character are:

• Can punch people
• Not girly
• Not over-emotional
• Not annoying

Here is the problem: That is not what a "strong female character" means. (Of course people would hear "strong female character" and think that this character must be stereotypically masculine. Of course.) Here is what makes a strong female character:

• Complex
• Dynamic
• Interesting

A strong female character could punch people and be unemotional. But a strong character could also cry a lot and wear frilly dresses. Here are some examples of strong female characters (in my opinion):

Let me ask you one more question before we move on to the next section: Have you ever in your life used the term "strong male character"? Most likely, the answer is no. That's not because all male characters are already strong characters. It's because people see male characters as characters and female characters as female characters.

Perceptions of Female Characters:

A thing that I've noticed is that people (both male and female) tend to hate female characters more than male characters. I have read many negative book reviews in which the reviewer says "the main character was annoying". This is a common complaint, and a valid one. But I have noticed that this complaint almost only arises when the main character is female. (Of course there are exceptions). Is this because female characters in fiction are generally portrayed as being annoying, or is this because people generally tend to see female characters as being annoying regardless of how they are presented?

I'll give a very specific example: Almost all fans of Harry Potter hate the character Dolores Umbridge, who is female. I am one of those people. Umbridge is one of my least favourite characters ever. However, those same Umbridge haters love this other character Snape, who is male. If you actually think about it, Snape and Umbridge aren't very different. They are both teachers who abuse their power. Many people would say that this is an unfair comparison, as Umbridge was always portrayed negatively in the books whereas Snape was supposedly "redeemed" at the end of the series. I agree. It's not a perfect example, but can you see how it's kind of odd that the same people who hate Umbridge completely adore Snape?

Another thing that I have noticed is that the desirable aspects in a female character have changed over the years. It used to be that female characters had to be stereotypically feminine. Now, it's a bit different. Of course I can't generalize about everyone, but most people today seem to only approve of stereotypically masculine female characters, or "strong female characters". These people hate female characters who are feminine or physically weak. In my opinion, this isn't much of an improvement from before.

I'll use another example from Harry Potter. Two characters in the series who everyone seems to hate are Lavender Brown and Fleur Delcour. These two characters are stereotypically feminine. I feel like people treat these characters unfairly, especially Fleur Delcour.

The Bechdel Test:

Okay, I'm going to talk about the Bechdel test. If you haven't heard of it, I would suggest searching on Google. I don't feel like explaining what it is. Anyway, I don't really like the Bechdel test. Or, more accurately, I don't like the way that people use it.

I've seen people who act as if a movie or TV show is sexist if it doesn't pass the test and not sexist if it does. I do not think that this is the way to use the test. First of all, there are many movies and TV shows that do not pass the Bechdel test, and yet they have "strong" female characters. Second (and more importantly), movies or tv shows that do pass the Bechdel test can be sexist.

I understand that the Bechdel test is not meant to be used as a tool to decide whether or not a movie or TV show is sexist, but people sure do seem to use it that way.

Female Characters and Diversity:

I want to see more strong female characters in fiction. And by that, I mean I want to see more well-developed and complex female characters in fiction. I want to see more female characters with questionable motives. I want to see more female characters with anxiety. I want to see more female characters who know that they're awesome. I want to see more female characters who are resourceful. I want to see more female characters of colour. I want to see more disabled female characters. I want to see more queer female characters. I want to see more female characters who are respected by their fandoms. I want to see more female characters.

Final Note:

Does any of this really matter? It's only fiction, after all.

Yes. Yes, it does matter, and here is why. Fiction is powerful. Fiction tells people what to think and who to be. I have heard many people on the internet talking about how much fiction has affected their lives. Fiction has also had a huge effect on my life. It has made me think differently about the world and it has given me new perspectives. Overall, fiction has had a positive impact on my life. But not everyone is that lucky. Fiction can send the wrong message.

Don't tell me that it's just a book or just a movie. If there are problems in today's fiction, we will see the same problems in society. What we read in books and what we see in movies has an affect on us, and there is no point denying it. That is why I believe that it is very important for fiction to send positive messages.

Three Favourite Love Triangles

It seems to be common law that love triangles must always be hated. Here's the thing: I don't get why people hate them so much. Sure, there are some that are really annoying, but it bothers me that so many people think that it's somehow improbable or annoying for someone to love two people at the same time. So, here are my five favourite love triangles from TV shows and books. Warning: This post contains spoilers.

1. Korra, Mako and Asami from Legend of Korra (SPOILERS FOR LEGEND OF KORRA)

This love triangle is an actual triangle, instead of a V-shape, like most love triangles. In the first two seasons, Mako liked both Korra and Asami and both Korra and Asami liked him. At this point, it seemed like any normal love triangle. Asami and Mako were dating. Korra was jealous. Korra kissed Mako. Asami and Mako broke up and Mako and Korra started dating. Asami was jealous. Eventually, though, Mako and Korra broke up too. Then, in the fourth season of the show, Korra and Asami got together!!!! (Sorry, it's just my favourite thing ever.)

Why I like this love triangle: It's an actual triangle instead of a V, and two girls who were originally jealous of each other end up getting together.

Who I Ship: Korra and Asami

2. Tessa, Will and Jem from the Infernal Devices (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE INFERNAL DEVICES)

This is another love triangle that is (arguably) an actual triangle instead of a V-shape. Tessa loves both Will and Jem, and both of them love her. You could also argue that Will and Jem love each other too, but their relationship is canonically platonic. Anyway, Will and Tessa end up getting married. Jem is out of the picture for a while because of complicated stuff. Tessa is immortal, so Will eventually dies leaving her behind. Then, a while later, Tessa gets married to Jem (he was immortal too, for a while).

Why I like this love triangle: Tessa loves both Will and Jem equally, and she, Will and Jem all accept that.

Who I Ship: Both Tessa/Will and Tessa/Jem

3. Raven, Clarke and Finn from the 100 (SPOILERS FOR THE 100)

You might be thinking "Why does she like this love triangle?" Raven and Finn were dating, Finn cheats on Raven with Clarke. Clarke doesn't know that Raven exists, when she finds out, she's upset. When Raven finds out, she is also upset and she breaks up with Finn.

Why I like this love triangle: Despite Finn being a jerk, Raven and Clarke become really good friends.

Who I Ship: Clarke/Raven (Is this cheating?)

Ten Favourite Fictional Friendships

Everyone talks about romantic relationships in fiction, but in my opinion, platonic relationships are just as important. Here are ten of my favourite fictional friendships in no particular order. Some of these friendships consist of more than two people. In the group friendships on this list there may be people within the group who like each other romantically.

1. Clarke and Raven from The 100

"I'd pick you first."  "Of course you would. I'm awesome."
Clarke Griffin and Raven Reyes are from the TV show The 100. In the beginning, Clarke and Raven's relationship was a bit of a rivalry since Finn, Raven's boy friend, was interested in Clarke, but the two girls soon got over their differences. Now, Raven is one of the only people Clarke can trust, and Clarke is one of the only people Raven can count on.

2. Clara and The Doctor from Doctor Who

"Run. Run you clever boy, and remember me."
In Doctor Who, Clara Oswald is the Doctor's newest companion, but she doesn't think of herself as the Doctor's assistant, she thinks of herself as his equal. Clara and the Doctor go on adventures together, and while their relationship has been rough at times, the two always stick together.

3. Blue, Gansey, Ronan and Adam from The Raven Cycle

"But what she didn't realize about Blue and her boys was that they were all in love with one another. She was no less obsessed with them than they were with her, or one another, analyzing every conversation and gesture, drawing out every joke into a longer and longer running gag, spending each moment either with one another or thinking about when next they would be with one another. Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn't all-encompassing, that wasn't blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she'd had this kind, she didn't want the other.”
Blue Sargent, Richard Gansey, Ronan Lynch and Adam Parrish from The Raven Cycle book series have one of the strangest and most interesting friendships I have ever read about. The four each have a very unique relationship with each other person in the group. They often argue, but at the end of the day, they are the only people in the world who really understand each other.

4. Korra, Mako, Bolin and Asami from Legend of Korra

"The new team avatar."
In the TV show Legend of Korra, Korra and her friends Mako, Bolin and Asami work together to save the world on countless occasions. These four would do anything for each other. The group is sometimes pulled apart by political conflicts or love triangles, but they always find their way back to each other.

5. Joan and Sherlock from Elementary

"I consider you to be exceptional, so I make an exceptional effort to accommodate you."
The thing that I love about the TV show Elementary is the relationship between the two main characters, Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. Joan starts out as Sherlock's sober companion, but she later joins him in detective work. At first the two don't get along, but they soon find that they have more in common than they thought, and that the differences that they do have are what make their friendship strong.

6. Clarke and Anya from The 100

"There is no 'we'."
Clarke Griffin and Anya from the TV show The 100 start their relationship as enemies. Over the course of their interactions, they eventually become allies and they form a bond of mutual respect.

7. Harry, Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter

"Why is it, when something happens, it is always you three?"
Obviously the golden trio has to be somewhere on this list. Harry, Ron and Hermione are really the ultimate friends. I don't think I need to go on about them. You all now how epic they are.

8. Tessa, Will and Jem from The Infernal Devices

“They say you cannot love two people equally at once,” she said. “And perhaps for others that is so. But you and Will—you are not like two ordinary people, two people who might have been jealous of each other, or who would have imagined my love for one of them diminished by my love of the other. You merged your souls when you were both children. I could not have loved Will so much if I had not loved you as well. And I could not love you as I do if I had not loved Will as I did.”
Yes. I know this is a love triangle. But if that's all you saw in their relationship, I think you are very wrong. The point of their relationship is that they are all equally in love with each other. They all care so much for one another and they would do anything to protect each other.

9. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and Suki from The Last Airbender

"Team Avatar is back. Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Fan and sword!"
Team Avatar from Avatar:The Last Airbender is probably my favourite group of friends ever. It's true that they argue a lot, and one of their members was originally their enemy, but they really are the best of friends. They worked together to save the world and make it better, and then they worked together to keep it that way.

10. Donna and the Doctor from Doctor Who

"I was going to be with you forever."
Donna Noble is the only main companion in new Doctor Who who is never remotely interested in The Doctor romantically. Instead, the two are the very best of friends, and the travel through space and time together.

The 100 Lists

The 100 is currently my favourite TV show, so here is a post all about it. All of these lists are in order with absolute favourites as number one.

Top 5 Episodes:

1. Blood Must Have Blood
2. Spacewalker
3. Bodygaurd of Lies
4. We are Grounders
5. Remember Me

Top 5 Favourite Episode Titles (Because some of them are just so awesome)

1. Murphy's Law
2. Rubicon
3. Bodygaurd of Lies
4. Blood Must Have Blood
5. I am Become Death

Top 10 Characters:

1. Clarke Griffin
2. Lexa
3. Raven Reyes
4. Octavia Blake
5. Marcus Kane
6. Anya
7. Monty Green
8. Lincoln
9. Abigail Griffin
10. Kyle Wick

Top 5 Romantic Relationships:

1. Clarke/Lexa
2. Lincoln/Octavia
3. Kane/Abby
4. Clarke/Anya
5. Clarke/Raven

Top 5 Friendships:

1. Clarke/Raven
2. Clarke/Anya
3. Monty/Jasper
4. Clarke/Octavia
5. Clarke/Monty

Top 5 Quotes:

1. "I tried to be the good guy." "Maybe there are no good guys."
2. "I bear it so they don't have to."
3. "Maybe life should be about more than just surviving."
4. "Victory stands on the back of sacrifice."
5. "Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two entirely different things."

2014 Movies and TV

I did a thing at the end of last year where I chose my favourite books published last year in several categories. I decided to do the same for movies and TV shows, even though it's no longer 2014.

List of movies and TV shows I have seen published last year

1. Mockingjay Part 1
2. Divergent
3. The Maze Runner
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
5. The Fault in Our Stars
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
7. Vampire Academy
8. The Giver
9. If I Stay
10. Legend of Korra
11. The 100
12. How to Get Away with Murder
13. Elementary
14. Broadchurch
15. Doctor Who
16. Sherlock 
17. Orphan Black

Favourite Male Main Character:

• Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies
• Augustus Waters from the Fault in Our Stars
• Sherlock Holmes from Elementary
• Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock
• The Doctor from Doctor Who

Favourite Female Main Character:

• Katniss Everdeen from Mockingjay Part 1
• Avatar Korra from Legend of Korra
• Clarke Griffin from The 100
• Raven Reyes from The 100
• Octavia Blake from The 100
• Joan Watson from Elementary
• Clara Oswald from Doctor Who
• Sarah Manning from Orphan Black
• Cosima from Orphan Blaxk

Favourite Side Character:

• Tauriel from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
• Asami from Legend of Korra
• Lexa from The 100
• Danny Pink from Doctor Who
• Kira from Orphan Black

Favourite Villain:

• President Snow from Mockingjay Part 1
• Kuvira from Legend of Korra
• Rachel Duncan from Orphan Black
• Missy from Doctor Who

Favourite Relationship:

• Korra and Asami from Legend of Korra
• Clarke and Lexa from The 100
• Clara and Danny from Doctor Who
• Cosima and Delphine from Orphan Black

Favourite Friendship:

• Christina and Tris from Divergent
• Bilbo and Thorin from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
• Clarke and Raven from The 100
• Joan and Sherlock from Elementary
• John and Sherlock from Sherlock
• Clara and The Doctor from Doctor Who

Favourite Actor:

• Peter Capaldi
• Benedict Cumberbatch
• Martin Freeman

Favourite Actress:

• Jennifer Lawrence
• Tatiana Maslany
• Jenna Coleman
• Eliza Taylor
• Viola Davis

Best Plot:

• Legend of Korra
• The 100
• How to get Away with Murder
• Doctor Who
• Orphan Black

Best Episode of a TV Show:

• The Last Stand (Legend of Korra)
• Spacewalker (The 100)
• The Night Lila Died/ It's all my Fault (How to get Away with Murder)
• Dark Water/ Death in Heaven (Doctor Who)
• By Means Which Have Never Yet Been Tried (Orphan Black)

Most Anticipated Movie or TV Show of 2015:

• Mockingjay Part 1
• Paper Towns
• The 100
• How to get Away with Murder
• Doctor Who
• Orphan Black

Best Adaptation from a Book:

• Mockingjay Part 1
• The Fault in our Stars

Best Movie:

• Mockingjay Part 1
• The Fault in Our Stars
• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
• If I Stay

Best TV Show:

• Legend of Korra
• The 100
• Doctor Who 
• Orphan Black

The Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra Lists

I recently finished watching Legend of Korra and I am currently obsessed with Avatar, so here is a post dedicated to it. All of these lists are in order with absolute favourites as number one.

Top 15 Episodes:

1. Sozin's Comet
2. The Crossroads of Destiny
3. Light in the Dark
4. The Last Stand
5. The Day of Black Sun
6. Venom of the Red Lotus
7. The Siege of the North
8. Endgame
9. Korra Alone
10. The Southern Raiders
11. The Blue Spirit
12. The Deserter
13. Tales of Ba Sing Se
14. Beginnings
15. Zuko Alone

Favourite Seasons:

1. Legend of Korra season 4
2. Last Airbender season 2
3. Last Airbender season 3
4. Legend of Korra season 2
5. Legend of Korra season 3
6. Last Airbender season 1
7. Legend of Korra season 1

Top 10 Characters:

1. Korra
2. Toph Beifong
3. Iroh
4. Katara
5. Zuko
6. Jinora
7. Asami Sato
8. Lin Beifong
9. Tenzin
10. Opal

Top 5 Villains:

1. Zuko
2. Azula
3. Kuvira
4. Zaheer
5. Ozai

Top 5 Romantic Relationships:

1. Korra/Asami
2. Aang/Katara
3. Mai/Ty-Lee
4. Opal/Bolin
5. Zuko/Mai

Top 5 Friendships:

1. Zuko/Iroh
2. Zuko/Aang
3. Katara/Toph/Aang/Sokka
4. Koora/Asami/Mako/Bolin
5. Aang/Toph

Top 5 Fights

1. Katara and Zuko vs. Azula in Sozin's Comet
2. Korra vs. Vaatu in Light in the Dark
3. Aang vs. Ozai in Sozin's Comet
4. Korra vs. Kuvirain The Last Stand
5. Aang and Katara vs. Azula and Zuko in The Crossroads of Destiny

February 2015 Updates:

Here is what I've been reading and watching in February:

• I have been watching The 100 season 2 and the show is just getting better and better. Unfortunately, season 2 is almost finished. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my life if I can't watch The 100.
• I finished watching How to Get Away with Murder season 1, and, boy, was that final episode shocking. I can't wait to see season two. Too bad I have to wait until the fall.
• I am still watching Elementary season 3, and I will be for a while longer because there are just so many episodes. Elementary is headed in a really exciting direction and I can't wait to find out more.
• I finished watching Broadchurch season 2. I was a little bit disappointed with the ending, but I still enjoyed it.
• I finally finished watching Legend of Korra, and I am currently kind of obsessed. Season 4 was definitely my favourite.
• I am currently watching Torchwood season 1. It's very... odd.
• I read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. The Raven Cycle is one of my favourite series of all time, and it's by the same author, so I've wanted to read the Scorpio Races for a while. I didn't enjoy is as much as the Raven Cycle, but it was still good.
• I read The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, the first book in a trilogy. The second book is coming out this year. The book was okay. I liked it enough to read the sequel when it comes out.
• I read Eona by Alison Goodman, the sequel to Eon and the last book in the duology. Wow, it was really good. I am annoyed that their are only two books in the series.
• I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, and the sequel, The Crown of Embers. I enjoyed both books, and I plan on reading the final book in the trilogy soon.
• I read The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. It was the first book I have read by Holly Black, and the first book I read published in 2015. I liked it more than I thought I would. I'm definitely going to check out Holly Black's other books.
• I read The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, the first book in a science fiction trilogy. Why didn't I start reading this series sooner? I could not stop reading this book. 
• I read The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead, the last book in the Bloodlines series. I'm not a big fan of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, but then again, I have read all twelve books. The Ruby Circle was okay, like all the other books in the series.

January 2015 Updates

Here is what I've been reading and watching in January:

• I watched series 2 part 1 of the 100 TV show and I am currently watching series 2 part 2. The 100 is heartbreaking and I wish I'd never started watching this show. Unfortunately, it's too late. I'm hooked. I loved series 1 of the 100, but series 2 is even better.
• I am currently watching Elementary series 3. Series 3 is not as good as the first two series, but I like Kitty.
• I watched Broadchurch series 1 which was AMAZING. I am currently watching season 2. This show is really well done and it's British, so why aren't you watching it?
• I randomly started watching Avatar: the Last Airbender. I thought I was just going to watch the first episode and see what it was, but I accidentally watched the whole first season and I couldn't just stop there. I am now watching the Legend of Korra, the sequel show to The Last Airbender. Avatar is great. I love the world and the characters. This is not the type of show I normally watch, but I don't regret watching nine episodes in one day in the slightest.
• In the very end of December I watched The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. I really enjoyed it. It's probably my favourite of the Hobbit movies. I'm also just really glad Tauriel didn't die. When The Battle of the Five Armies comes out on DVD I'm going to marathon all the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies.
• I read The Infinite Sea, sequel to the 5th Wave. The Infinite Sea was even better than the first book, if that's possible. I love the writing style in this series and the characters and everything and I need the final book right now. WHY CAN'T I HAVE IT RIGHT NOW?
• I finished reading The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. The Bane Chronicles is a book of short stories about the best character in the Mortal Instruments: Magnus Bane. This book made me really happy, and it also made me laugh a lot. I would definitely recommend it for fans of the Mortal Instruments.
• I read the entire Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy and it was really good. I can not understand why I did not read this series earlier. I really like the writing style and the characters. I usually hate angel/demon books, but this one was good.
• I randomly read the first book in s series that came out last year, Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. I honestly didn't like it very much. I almost didn't finish it, but I ended up reading the whole thing. I just couldn't really get into it. The world didn't seem real, the plot didn't make a lot of sense and the characters seemed like really awkward cardboard cut-outs. I'm a little disappointed, the description of the book sounded good. I don't plan on continuing the series.
• I read the third book in the Falling Kingdoms series: Gathering Darkness. It was pretty good. Literally everyone dies in this series. I will continue to read the series as it comes out. It's not my absolute favourite, but it's good enough to keep reading.
• I read We Were Liars, which is a realistic fiction book. I actually read a realistic book! I mostly read it because it won a Goodreads choice award last year. I actually really enjoyed it. It's really short, so it didn't take me long to read and the ending is mindblowing. I'd definitely recommend it. 
• I read the first book in the Eon duology. It's called Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. I really enjoyed it and i want to read the sequel. The main character is awesome and this is the first book I've read the has a transgender character in it.
• I read To all the Boys I've Loved Before which is another realistic fiction book. I wanted to try to read some more diverse books this year. I liked it, but it's realistic, so I didn't love it. I will read the sequel when it comes out.

Top 25 Favourite Characters #11

I've written ten "Top 25 Favourite Characters" lists before, as it changes often. Here are the links to my first ten:

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #2

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #3

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #4

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #5

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #6

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #7

 My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #8

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #9

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #10

25. Lexa from The 100
24. Donna Noble from Doctor Who 
23. Ringer from The 5th Wave
22. Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano from The Heroes of Olympus
21. Amelia Pond from Doctor Who
20. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter
19. Guinevere from BBC Merlin 
18. Martha Jones from Doctor Who
17. Cassie Sullivan from The 5th Wave
16. Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle
15. Joan Watson from Elementary
14. Merlin from BBC Merlin
13. Liesel from The Book Thief
12. Rose Tyler from Doctor Who
11. Annabeth Chase from The Heroes of Olympus 
10. Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter
9. Sherlock Holmes from BBC Sherlock
8. William Herondale from The Infernal Devices
7. Adelina Amouteru from The Young Elites
6. Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass
5. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
4. Clarke Griffin from The 100
3. Clara Oswald from Doctor Who
2. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
1. The Doctor from Doctor Who

The 2015 Post

I can't really believe that it's 2015. Maybe time is speeding up or something. Wasn't it 2013 a few weeks ago? But, whether I believe it or not, today is actually the first day of 2015. Soon I am going to be 16 years old. 16 YEARS OLD. If I were not blind, I would be able to get my driver's license.

2014 was a pretty good year for me. I read tons of great books and discovered TV shows for the first time. I can't believe I didn't watch any TV shows before 2014. Hopefully I will discover even more awesome fictional worlds in 2015. This post is dedicated to everything that I am looking forward to in the coming year organized by month.

NOTE: This post has been update since I first posted it.

January:

• How to Get Away with Murder series 1 part 2: With the amazing ending of the first part of series one, I can't wait to see more episodes.
• The 100 series 2 part 2: The 100 is a great TV show. The ending of the last episode was heart breaking and I need more episodes right now. I don't know when in 2015 they'll be coming.
• Fairest: I am almost more excited about the prequel to the Lunar Chronicles series than I am excited about the last book in the series, Winter. Queen Levana is one of my favourite villains.
• The Darkest Part of the Forest: I'm super excited to read Holly Black's new fantasy standalone.

February:

• Red Queen: This is that first book in a fantasy trilogy by a debut and it sounds promising.
• City of Savages: This is a science fiction book by a debut author and it sounds fascinating.

March:

• Insurgent (movie): I enjoyed the first Divergent movie, and I hope the second one will be good as well.
• Shadow Scale: I am eagerly awaiting the sequel to the awesome book Seraphina.
• The Winner's Crime: The Winner's Curse, the first book in a trilogy, came out last year and it was great. I can't wait to read the sequel.

April:

• Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda: This is a book by a debut author. I usually don't read realistic fiction, but this book sounds adorable.
• The Girl at Midnight: This is another book by a debut author and it sounds interesting.
• An Ember in the Ashes: This debut is getting so much hype that I obviously have to read it.

May:

• PS. I Still Love You: This is the sequel to one of the only realistic fiction books I read last year, To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
• A Court of Thorns and Roses: This is the first book in a brand new series by Sarah J. Maas. It's by Sarah J. Maas. Of course I'm going to read it.

June:

• Paper Towns (movie): I enjoyed The Fault in our Stars movie, and I'm excited to see Paper Towns, especially because it's my favourite John Green book. 
• The Witch Hunter: This is yet another fantasy debut book coming out this year.
• The Book of Spirits and Thieves: This is the first book in a companion series to the Falling Kingdoms series and I can't wait to read it.

August:

• The Fate of Ten: The fifth book of the Lorien Legacies was better than I expected. I am awaiting the sixth and (possibly) final book in the series.

September:

• Queen of Shadows: The third book in the Throne of Glass series was amazing and I need the fourth book right now.
• The Copper Gauntlet: The first book in the Magisterium series was better than I expected and had a surprising ending. I want to read the second book to find out what happens next.
• Walk on Earth a Stranger: This is the first book in a new series by Rae Carson. I love Rae Carson, so I'm definitely going to read it.
• The Last Star: The 5th Wave is one of my favourite series ever and I can not wait for the last book.

October:

• The Sword of Summer: While The Blood of Olympus wasn't as good as I hoped it would be, I'm still excited to read the first book in Rick Riordan's new series.
• The Rose Society: The Young Elites was one of my favourite books of 2014, and after an interesting epilogue, I can't wait for the next book.
• The Immortal Heights: The Burning Sky and The Perilous Sea were both fantastic. I can't wait to read the third book in the Elemental trilogy.
• Six of Crows: This is the first book in a new series set in the world of the Grisha Trilogy.

November:

• Mockinjay Part 2: The Hunger Games movies are some of my favourite book to movie adaptations. I am really looking forward to the final movie.
• Winter: The fourth and final book in the Lunar Chronicles series is highly anticipated by many people, including me.
• Soundless: I'm honestly not a huge fan of the Vampire Academy series (it's not my genre), but I am going to read this because it sounds fascinating.

December

• Frozen Tides: I love the Falling Kingdoms series and I am excited to read the fourth book.

Things Without a Specific Date (Yet):

• Doctor Who series 9: After an awesome Christmas special, I'm dying to see more Doctor Who. Unfortunately I'll probably have to wait a while.

CHANGES TO THIS BLOG IN 2015:

I am planning on making several changes to this blog in the coming year. First, I will be posting one post at the end of each month summarizing all the books I read and the movies and TV shows I watched in that month. I'm tired of making random "updates" posts. These new monthly updates posts will not include a few select books/movies/TV shows that I want to write individual reviews for.

Second, I will probably be posting less often (though I hope to post at least once a week). To make up for posting less often, most of my posts will probably be long.

Third, I am currently working on cleaning up this blog. When I started it, I never expected to keep going with it for this long and I also never suspected that anyone would actually read what I write. Surprisingly, this blog actually gets more than 100 views a day. I'm not sure how that happened. Anyway, I figured that if people are actually reading my blog, maybe I should try to make it interesting. Many of the things I posted when I first began this blog are either uninteresting or unrelated to the topic of this blog. Some of my old posts are honestly so embarrassing that I don't want anyone to ever see them again. I've been looking back at my old posts and deleting the worst ones. I'm also editing some of the better ones (I made so many spelling mistakes). As well as cleaning up my old posts, I'm attempting to create better and more interesting posts now.

Thank you so much to anyone who actually reads this blog. You mean a lot to me. You are also welcome to comment on my posts because I love talking to people who have similar interests.

Doctor Who Christmas Special: Last Christmas

SPOILERS!!!!! Read at your own risk.

To be honest, series 8 was kind of a bit disappointing for me. It wasn't that I didn't like series 8, it's just that I expected it to be amazing and it was just good. There were some things that were great about it (the main thing being a female master), but other things just didn't live up to their potential. Because of my slight disappointment about series 8, and because I'm generally not a big fan of Christmas specials, I did not expect much from Last Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised.

Honestly, my favourite episodes are the ones that make you think. After watching some Doctor Who episodes, I just can't stop thinking about them. Sometimes I can't stop thinking about them because the story idea was so weird and complicated that it takes a while to fully understand the plot. Sometimes I can't stop thinking about an episode because of what it says about human nature. Sometimes I can't stop thinking about an episode because it's just FREAKING AWESOME. There have been several of these kinds of episodes in Doctor Who. I'll give a few examples: Dalek, The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit, Utopia/ The Sound of Drums/ Last of the Time Lords, Midnight, The End of Time, Amy's Choice, Vincent and the Doctor, The Girl Who Waited, The God Complex, Asylum of the Daleks and Listen. Okay, that was a bit more than a few examples. Anyway, Last Christmas, for me, fits into this category of episodes that I can't stop thinking about after I finish them.

Why was Last Christmas so interesting? First of all, the story idea was one of my favourites in Doctor Who so far. I did notice that the idea itself was quite similar to the episode Amy's Choice (which I also loved), but the messages behind these two episodes are very different. I honestly don't care that the idea of not knowing whether or not you're dreaming was reused. It's a great idea, and the two episodes approached it very differently. Amy's Choice was more about Amy and her deciding whether she loved Rory or the Doctor. Last Christmas was more about dreams and reality. It's true that it was a little bit about Clara and Danny too, but I think that she was less important to the message of the episode than Amy was in Amy's Choice.

Last Christmas was also an interesting episode because it was deliberately designed to confuse the viewer and to put the viewer in the same position as the characters. I really love this.

As for the characters in the episode, Clara and the Doctor were both awesome. It was great to see Danny again, even if it was only Clara subconsciously talking to herself through Danny. (Or maybe it was the Doctor talking to Clara through Danny? See, this is an example of how I can not stop thinking about this episode.)

I am also really happy that Jenna Coleman will be staying for season 9. Clara is my favourite companion and I want her to stay a while longer because she's awesome. I would like there to be a new companion as well, though. Preferably female. More about my new companion preferences in a bit.

A while ago I made a list of 10 things I wanted to happen in series 8. Three of the things on the list came true and three kind of came true. The other four (new time lords, War Doctor, River Song and more gay/lesbian relationships) have sadly not come to pass in series 8 or in the Christmas special, but I'm still holding out hope for series 9. Here is a list of ten things I want in series 9 (including some of the things I put on the series 8 list). I have a feeling that very few of these are going to come true, sadly. But I can always hope.

1. A new companion. I mean, in addition to Clara, not as a replacement for Clara. Also, can she not be straight and white for once?
2. More gay/lesbian relationships. And can the Doctor be obviously bisexual instead of very vaguely bisexual?
3. More Vastra, Jenny and Strax. Or you could just give them their own TV show. That would be nice too.
4. More Missy. I mean, she's not dead obviously. BRING HER BACK.
5. New Time Lord Characters. I'm mean Time Lords that are not The Doctor or The Master.
6. River Song.
7. The War Doctor.
8. Jack Harkness.
9. An actual scary episode.
10. A main character who is disabled.

Updates: The 100 and the 5th Wave

I am currently watching a TV show called The 100 which is based on a book that I have not read. I am enjoying the TV show. My favourite characters are Clarke and Raven. I am also watching Elementary series 3.

I recently read The 5th Wave. I really enjoyed it. The writing style was awesome and the plot was interesting and I really want to read the second book in the series now. I have a new favourite author to add to my list.

I also read Ignite Me, the third and final book in the Shatter Me trilogy. It was okay. That series is just not my favourite.

I also read the third book in another series: Heir of Fire. Heir of Fire is not the last in the Throne of Glass series (fortunately) but it is the last book that has come out so far (unfortunately). Heir of Fire is definitely my favourite book in the series so far. The books in that series have been progressively getting better. Heir of Fire was pretty amazing. I never got bored once and the characters and plot are so much more interesting and complex than they were in the first book. Why isn't the fourth book out NOW?

In the near future I am planning on reading The Infinite Sea (sequel to the 5th Wave), The Bane Chronicles (Which has finally arrived at the library), the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series, the Girl of Fire and Thorns series and Snow Like Ashes. Also Gathering Darkness (third book in the Falling Kingdoms series) which I hope will arrive at the library soon.

Oh, and one other thing. If you are reading this, I would like to ask you a very important question. Have you read the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater? No? Well here are six reasons why you should.

Male Character Edits

Female Version

Top Ten Male Characters:

Top Six M/M Ships/Friendships:

Top Six Male Characters who are Unfairly Hated

Top Six Male Antagonists:

Top Eight Male Characters with the Best Character Growth:

Top Four Father Characters:

Top Six Warriors:

Top Six Non-Warriors:

Top Six Male Hufflepuffs:

Top Six Male Slytherins:

Top Six Male Ravenclaws:

Top Six Male Gryffindors:

Top Eight Main Male Characters:

Top Eight Supporting Male Characters:

Top Six Non-White Male Characters:

Top Six Queer Male Characters (Canon and not Canon):

Mockingjay Part 1 Review Plus Other Updates

By the way, there aren't any major spoilers for Mockingjay Part 1 in this blog post. I don't really even need to say that because 1. No one reads this blog and 2. Even if you are reading this, you have probably either seen Mockingjay or read the book.

Anyway, I saw The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 yesterday. I can't say that I enjoyed it, but that's not the point. It was an incredible movie, maybe my favourite Hunger Games movie so far. As always, this review is going to be short because I dislike writing reviews. I will say that Jennifer Lawrence was amazing in this film, as always, and the movie made me cry. I was worried that this movie would not be as good as the first two. Mockingjay was my least favourite book in the trilogy because the middle of the book dragged on a bit. I was really worried when I heard that they were going to be splitting the last book in two. Now that I've seen Mockingjay Part 1, I'm not as worried. It actually works quite well to have it split in two. The pacing felt right to me, but I've heard that some people disagree. I actually felt that the first two movies were too short. So, anyway, I'm excited for the final film. I'm hoping they don't ruin it. I'm not too worried, though.

As for other things, I am now caught up with Elementary. I finished the second series and have watched all episodes of the third series that are out so far. I also finished watching How to Get Away with Murder. THAT ENDING, THOUGH. I still can't get over it.

As for books, I finished reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue. After finishing it, it occurred to me that the Raven Cycle is so underrated. By me. It had never really occurred to me before how much I love it. I knew that I liked it, but I didn't really realize that it's actually one of the best young adult series I have ever read. I realized that it has very few flaws, and in my opinion, no large flaws at all. I often have problems with certain books. It's usually the characters (too boring, too good, too evil) or the plot (too slow, too fast, too normal) or the writing style (too short, too long, too confusing). But there isn't anything that really annoys me about the Raven Cycle. I sincerely apologize to the Raven Cycle and to Maggie Stiefvater for under-appreciating this series. I need to read the Scorpio Races.

I also read Clariel by Garth Nix which as the prequel to the Old Kingdom series, AKA, the best epic fantasy series ever. I liked the book, up until the very end when I started to love it. I've decided that Garth Nix is good at endings. Sometimes the endings of books leave me feeling unsatisfied *cough* Blood of Olympus *cough*. But Garth Nix never does this (unless of course the book ends on a cliffhanger, like the sixth book in the Keys to the Kingdom series). The ending of Clariel and the ending of Lord Sunday are two of my favourite endings of all time. They both kind of left me sitting there in shock with my mouth open. Maybe I should do a blog post on my favourite book endings.

Fandom Crush Quiz 2

A while ago I took the fandom crush quiz on thefandom.net. I decided to take it again. Here are my results.

Boys:

Girls:

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #10

I've written nine "Top 25 Favourite Characters" lists before, as it changes often. Here are the links to my first nine:

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #2

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Book Characters #3

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #4

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #5

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #6

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #7

 My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #8

My Opinion: The Top 25 Awesomest Characters #9

25. Tris Prior from Divergent
24. Blue Sargent from The Raven Cycle
23. Clariel from The Old Kingdom Series
22. Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano from The Heroes of Olympus
21. Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter
20. Liesiel from The Book Thief
19. Sabriel from The Old Kingdom Series
18. Katsa from Graceling
17. Guinevere from BBC Merlin
16. Donna Noble from Doctor Who
15. Martha Jones from Doctor Who
14. Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices
13. Annabeth Chase from The Heroes of Olympus
12. Amy Pond from Doctor Who
11. Adelina from The Young Elites
10. Sherlock Holmes from Elementary
9. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
8. Rose Tyler from Doctor Who
7. Joan Watson from Elementary
6. Merlin from BBC Merlin
5. Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter
4. Clara Oswald from Doctor Who
3. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter
2. Sherlock Holmes from BBC Sherlock
1. The Doctor from Doctor Who

Book Awards and Updates

Both the Goodreads and Epic Reads annual book awards are happening right now. I voted for The Young Elites in the Science Fiction and Fantasy category and The Iron Trial in the Children's category on Goodreads. I haven't read any contemporary fiction published this year so I can't vote in that category. What can I say? I've been a fantasy mood. For the past six months. I nominated several books in the Epic Reads Book Shimmy Awards including:

• Clariel (which I haven't read yet, but I know it's going to be awesome)
• Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Which I am currently reading)
• The Young Elites
• City of Heavenly Fire
• Ruin and Rising
• Cress

Anyway, I am probably going to do my own book awards for no reason other than that I like talking to myself.

In other news, I have been watching Elementary and How to Get Away with Murder which are both awesome. I want to watch Orphan Black and Teen Wolf.

I finished reading The Young Elites which I really enjoyed. It is my favourite book that I have read so far published in 2014, but Clariel might top it. I read Crown of Midnight (the second book in the Throne of Glass series) and Unravel me (the second book in the Shatter Me series). Both sequels were much better than the first books in the series'. I am currently reading Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third book in the Raven Cycle.

Female Character Edits

Top Ten Female Characters:

Top Six F/F Ships/Friendships:

Top Six Female Characters who are Unfairly Hated

Top Six Female Antagonists:

Top Eight Female Characters with the Best Character Growth:

Top Four Mother Characters:

Top Six Female Warriors:

Top Six Female Non-Warriors:

Top Six Female Hufflepuffs:

Top Six Female Slytherins:

Top Six Female Ravenclaws:

Top Six Female Gryffindors:

Top Eight Main Female Characters:

Top Eight Supporting Female Characters:

Top Six Non-White Female Characters:

Top Six Queer Female Characters (Canon and Not Canon):