Watch | Read | Listen {May 2017}

It's May! That means flowers springing up, warm weather, and my best friend's wedding! Let's do this! I've already seen the new Guardians movie and it was hilarious. The next on my list is the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I'm a sucker for those. What do you want to see and read this month?

MOVIES

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

The gang is back for another kick-ass space adventure with lots of action, humor, and heart. Old foes are back as allies and now there's a new unexpected villain. I've already seen it and I LOVED IT! (May 5)

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Guy Ritchie brings his dynamic style to epic fantasy action adventure. Tracing Arthur's (Charlie Hunnm) journey from the streets to the throne after his father is murdered, Vortigen (Jude Law), Arthur's uncle, seizes the crown from him. It's only when Arthur pulls the sword from stone that his life begins to change. I have to say this looks really intense! (May 12)

Everything, Everything

Based on the novel by Nicola Yoon; Madeline, a teenage girl (Amanda Stenberg) who lives her life stuck indoors because of her immunodeficiency. When a boy named Olly (Nick Robinson) moves in next store, they develop a friendship and message each other back and forth, but Maddy wants to leave her house and see the ocean. I NEED to read this book before the movie comes out! I hear it's really good! (May 19) 

Baywatch

A reimagined Baywatch follows devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) as he butts heads with a brash new recruit (Zach Efron). Together they uncover a local criminal plot that threatened the future of the Bay. Who else thinks this looks hilarious?! (May 26)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Lies

Johnny Depp is back as everyone's favorite pirate! The latest adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javiar Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea--especially Jack. These movies are so much fun and I need to see it! (May 26)

Other movies:

• Dead Awake (May 5)
• Snatched (May 12)
• The Wedding Plan (May 12)
• Abacus (May 19)
• Alien: Covenant (May 19)
• Fight for Space (May 19)
• Berline Syndrome (May 26)
• Black Butterfly (May 26)
• Drone (May 26)

BOOKS & MUSIC

--Astrophysics For People In A Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson -- The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There’s no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson. (May 2)

--A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas -- Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. (May 2)

--Into The Water by Paula Hawkins -- A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. (May 2)

--The Dark Prophecy (Trials of Apollo #2) by Rick Riordan -- After experiencing a series of dangerous trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships. (May 2)

--Spill Zone by Scott Westerfield -- Nobody's ever really explained the Spill. Was it an angelic visitation? A nanotech accident? A porthole opening from another world? Whatever it was, no one's allowed in the Spill Zone these days. (May 2)

--Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy -- Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever. Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. (May 9)

--Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdhieh -- The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place and her future has always been out of her hands. En route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. (May 16)

--York: The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby -- It was 1798 when the Morningstarr twins arrived in New York with a vision for a magnificent city: towering skyscrapers, dazzling machines, and winding train lines, all running on technology no one had ever seen before. Fifty-seven years later, the enigmatic architects disappeared, leaving behind for the people of New York the Old York Cipher—a puzzle laid into the shining city they constructed, at the end of which was promised a treasure beyond all imagining. By the present day, however, the puzzle has never been solved, and the greatest mystery of the modern world is little more than a tourist attraction. (May 16) 

--When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon -- Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. (May 30)

Paramore's After Laughter (May 12) | Linkin Park's One More Light (May 19)

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Inspired By: May's Best Selling Books

I read two books this past month that I really enjoyed! The first is Dorothy Must Die, which about a young woman named Amy who gets swept via tornado to Oz. There she learns that Oz is not how she thought it would be because Dorothy has taken over, and it's Amy's job to kill her. 

The second book is Adulting: How to Become a Grown Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps. Now that I'm an adult, I figured I should read a book on how to become one, and this book is great! It's a good mix of informative and funny. 

All the Light We Cannot See

{Click here for item info}

Written by Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See is about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths cross in occupied France during World War II. Marie Laure flees with her father to Saint-Malo when the Germans occupy Paris. Meanwhile, Werner joins Hitler Youth because of his talent for building radios and he becomes a tracker of the Resistance, and eventually meets Marie Laure. 

Go for a 1940s schoolgirl-ish look by wearing a sky blue blouse, a blue pleated skirt, a compass necklace, black loafers, and stacked rings. Or wear a dove gray bow dress, blue earrings, gray "gem" ring, and white heeled sandals. 

Buy the book: B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

The Art of Neil Gaiman

Written by Hayley Campbell, this book is about the famous novelist, comic writer, scriptwriter, and poet Neil Gaiman. The Art of Neil Gaiman is the first book to tell the full story of his creative life with peeks into his life through never-before-seen manuscripts, notes, drawings, and photographs. 

Since Gaiman himself wears lots of black and his stories tend to be dark, I went with all-black outfits. Wear a leather-piping gray jacket, a black fit and flare dress, quote ring, and black booties. Or for a professional look, go for a sheer polka dot top, black slacks, sunburst necklace, and black wedges. 

Buy the book: B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

#GIRLBOSS

Written by Sophia Amoruso, #GIRLBOSS is about Sophie Amoruso's journey from petty thievery to founder, CEO, and creative director of Nasty Gal, the $100 million dollar store. In her book, she chronicles her life while also showing women how to channel their passion and hard work, and how to keep their insecurities from getting in the way. 

Wear this fun party or date night look: a v-neck black dress, a pink floral necklace, a Fearless ring, coral-pink heels, and pink lipstick. Or emulate Sophia on the cover by wearing a tight black dress, a black floral necklace, a gold and black watch, and burgundy booties. 

Buy the book: B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

The One 

Written by Kiera Cass, The One is the third and last in The Selection series about America Singer, the ordinary girl who was picked to enter the competition to be the next princess of Illea. The whole time she's struggled between her first love, Aspen, and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon, but now she's made her choice and she's ready to fight for it. 

Based on the cover, wear a pretty white lace dress, a pink ring, a silver rhinestone necklace, and heeled gold and nude sandals. Or instead go a little more casual in a white polka dot dress, a nude bow belt, clear drop earrings, a floral bracelet, and black and nude sandals. 

Buy the book: B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

Will you be reading any of these?

Have you read these books?

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Watch | Read | Listen {May 2014}

May is when all of the big blockbuster movies start coming out and I could not be more excited! If I could go see all of the movies below in theaters I would. There's just something so special about seeing a movie on the big screen, surrounded by strangers who are also anticipating the dimming of the lights, while eating buttered popcorn. It's magical. 

Of the movies below, I'm most excited to see Maleficent and X-Men: Days of Future Past. What about you guys?

MOVIES

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is enjoying being Spider-Man and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone), but he's the only one who can protect his fellow New Yorkers when new villians threaten the city. He quickly learns that his enemies all have something in common: OsCorp. (May 2)

Neighbors

This comedy is about a young couple (Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne), who are forced to live next door to a fraternity house after the birth of their new baby. Also starring Zac Efron as one of the fraternity brothers. This looks really funny! Seth Rogan is the best! (May 9)

Million Dollar Arm

In order to save his career as a sports agent, JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) develops a scheme to find baseball's next great pitcher, so he travels to India to look for a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a Major League Baseball star. He brings two young men back to America to train, but these two boys have never left their rural village and are out of their element in the States. (May 16)

X-Men: Days of Future Past

This movie combines the cast of the original X-Men trilogy (Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin) with the cast of the new X-Men movie (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence), as in their younger selves from the past. Wolverine travels to the past to change a major historical event and fight an epic battle. (May 23)

Maleficent 

Based on the classic Sleeping Beauty film, this new movie is the untold story of the iconic villain Maleficent (Angelina Jolie). As a pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent grew up in a peaceful forest kingdom and protected the land when an army invaded, but her heart turned cold when she was betrayed, and now she's bent on revenge. This looks so amazing! (May 30)

Other movies coming out in May:

• Documented (May 2)
• Walk of Shame (May 2)
• Devil's Knot (May 9)
• Double (May 9)
• Godzilla (May 16)
• Blended (May 23)
• Cold in July (May 23)
• Filth (May 30)
• A Million Ways to Die in the West (May 30)

BOOK & MUSIC

The One by Kiera Cass -- The final book in the Selection Series, since America has joined the competition to become the next princess, she's been on a whirlwind romance with Prince Maxon while also struggling with her feelings for her first love, Aspen. Now she's ready to fight for her future. (May 6)

The Son by Jo Nesbo -- Sonny Lofthus has been in prison for the last dozen years serving time for crimes he didn't commit in exchange for an uninterrupted supply of heroine. When he leaves prison, he realizes he's at the center of a vortex of corruption because of his dirty cop father and people are now after him. (May 13)

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart -- Cadence Sinclair Eastman, heiress to a fortune, suffered a head injury two years ago on Cape Cod. Now two years later, Cadence is trying to piece together what happened to her, even though people refuse to speak about it or have been cautioned against it. (May 13)

The One & Only by Emily Giffin -- Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has lived in Walker, Texas, a small college town, her entire life, but when an unexpected tragedy strikes Shea wonders about the life she's chosen and decides to set out on a new path. (May 20)

Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl -- From the word of Beautiful Creatures comes a new dark tale through the eyes of Ridley Duchannes, the Dark Caster and Siren. She can make you do whatever you want, but when she discovers that there's a price on her boyfriend Link's head that no Caster or Mortal can pay, she has to find out the truth. (May 20)

Sarah MacLachlin's Shine On (May 6) | Lily Allen's Sheezus (May 6) 

The Black Key's Turn Blue (May 13) | Coldplay's Ghost Stories (May 19)

Phillip Phillip's Behind the Light (May 19)

What do you want to see, read, or listen to this month?

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Movies I Want To See (May 2013)

I didn't get a chance to see any movies last month (if you did, what did you see and did you like it?), but I'm pretty sure I'll be going to the movie theater many times within the next few weeks. My brother Ben won six movie tickets, so Ben, Leo, and I get to see two movies for free! Now we just have to decide which two because there are so many that look amazing! 

P.S. -- Check out my guest post on I Believe in Story!

Iron Man 3

When Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) personal world is torn apart by a new enemy called the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), he goes on a harrowing quest to rebuild his life and find the man responsible. He will have to rely on his ingenuity in order to protect those closest to him. But does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? (May 3)

The Great Gatsby

Based on the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby tells the story of Nick Carraway (Tobey McGuire) when he comes to New York City in 1922 in the hopes of attaining the American Dream. He moves in next door to Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), the mysterious millionaire who throws parties every weekend, and across the way from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering husband, Tom (Joel Edgerton). Nick is drawn into the dazzling but deceitful world of the rich. I can't wait to see this one! (May 10)

Star Trek Into Darkness

In this sequel, the crew of the Enterprise is called back home to Earth to find an a man who has sparked terror within the organization and has left the world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) sets out to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction (Benedict Cumberbatch). My dad is a huge Stark Trek fan, so I'll definitely be seeing this! (May 17)

The Hangover III

In the third and final film the series, the Wolfpack (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifanakis, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha) hits the road and all bets are off. This time there's no wedding or bachelor party, so what could go wrong, right? (May 24)

Now You See Me

This adventure thriller pits an elite FBI squad (Morgan Freeman, Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent, Michael Cane) in a game of cat and mouse against "The Four Horseman," a team of the world's great illusionists. These illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco) have pulled off a series of daring heists during their performances while staying one step ahead of the FBI. This movie looks so intriguing! (May 31)

Other movies coming out in May:

• Aroused (May 2)
• Generation Um... (May 3)
• Greetings from Tim Buckley (May 3)
• One Track Heart (May 8)
• And Now A Word From Our Sponsor (May 10)
• Peeples (May 10)
• Black Rock (May 17)
• Epic (May 24)
• Before Midnight (May 24)
• Fast & Furious 6 (May 24)
• Fill The Void (May 24)
• After Earth (May 31)
• Shadow Dancer (May 31)
• The Kings of Summer (May 31)

What movies do you want to see this month?

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(via 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)

Movies I Want to See (May 2012)

There are so many big, early summer blockbuster movies coming out this month that I want to see. You can always count on the summer to bring you comedies and action movies. I say, bring it! Who doesn't love a good bit of mindless fun?

The Avengers

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgard, Sameul L. Jackson, and more, this movie looks like it's going to be one hell of a ride. The Avengers come together to save the world. You can guaruntee that there will be humor and tons of fighting (both against the common enemy and against others in the group). (May 4)

Dark Shadows

Johnny Depp plays Barnabus, a vampire who has been confined in a coffin for two hundred. He emerges in the year 1972 to a very strange world. He stays in his estate with his descendants, who are also quite strange and have their own secrets. It also stars Helena Bonham Carter, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earl Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, and Chloe Moretz. (May 11)

God Bless America

This dark comedy is about a man named Frank (Joel Murray), who might be terminally ill and who has had it up to here with stupid people in society (ie. dumb teenagers, reality tv starts, etc.). So he decides to take his gun and kill them all. His unlikely accomplice is a teenage girl with just as much rage (Tara Lynn Barrr). You can rent it on iTunes now. Check out the red band trailer here. (May 11)