The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner

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The last 72 hours of my life have been devoted to reading The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure. Actually, in my brain it is just one long book. I still need to read The Kill Order. But I had to share my thoughts on this. I will say my sister has been nagging me to read this series for over a year. I saw The Maze Runner last year for my birthday with my best friend. That was the universe's gift to me. The universe is so generous that I will be doing the same thing this year for my birthday too. I loved the movie. While I was curious to read the book I was in quite the reading slump (as you may already know if you follow this blog).  Now that the time for The Scorch Trials is getting closer I just had to find out what happens. The rest is history. I don't really know how to describe how I feel right now. When I finished reading the Divergent series I felt livid, angry and was almost in a rage over the ending. Let me not jump ahead of myself here. Only one other series has gotten me to read the books after watching the movie. That would be The Hunger Games. Ya'll know how much I love that series. That being said, for this series (and Hunger Games too) I feel like the first book is a little hard to get into. I think this is because you already know (mostly) what is going to happen. But like I usually say, stick with it, it is well worth it. Book 2 & 3 just fly by! So suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You don't know what to believe anymore. It is like inception! Let's talk about the ending. I won't give anything away. UGH! I just want more. I need more pages between the last two chapters and the

epilogue. I need more reconciliation with Thomas and Teresa. I need more after.  Clearly I just need more. I would have resolved things a bit differently, but, hey, that's how I roll.  I loved this series but now I just feel numb. I feel like Thomas. Like I have just been mindf&*^ed and didn't even realize it is over. Maybe after the movies come out  I will elaborate in more detail what I want more about. I don't want to ruin it for anyone who may be wanting to read it. I will say I love and agree with the casting. Except for one person. I would have made this guy Ratman, or Janson instead. 

5 stars! #DashnerArmy

Let's talk movies: Predestination

Has anyone out there seen this movie? Ethan Hawke plays a special agent and I just can't get this movie out of my head! It was a total mindf*#k! Remember Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio that came out a while back? How that blew everyone's mind? Well, Predestination even beats Inception at inception-if that even makes sense! I watched this move twice in 2 days! It is based on a short story by Robert Heinlein, "All You Zombies." Of course I had to immediately read this to see if it offered any other insight into the movie. Just pretty freaking amazing and sick at the same time. I will warn you no animals were harmed and no one was raped in the movie. I HATE WHEN MOVIES have those elements. OK, back to Predestination. Here is what www.imdb.com (or MIB as it's called in my household) describes the movie as: 

The life of a time-traveling Temporal Agent. On his final assignment, he must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.

Accurate description but does not give you the slightest hint at the inception you are about to witness. OK, if you like sci-fi, time traveling, psychological thrillers and mind blowing movies:

• stop reading this post
• go rent and watch this movie
• come back and comment with your thoughts

IF you have no intention of watching the movie OR reading the short story and want to know what happens: keep reading. 

WARNING******SUPER SPOILERS AHEAD*********

Ok, Ethan Hawke is a time traveling agent. He goes back in time to prevent crimes, bombings and other horrible things. When we meet him he is a bartender. He is talking to a man. The man tells him a CRAZY story how he used to be a woman...  His life was ruined (while he was a woman) when he met a guy and did what is natural and ended up pregnant. Of course the guy left and her (his) career was over. While giving birth the doctors realized that she had 2 sets of organs, both not developed well. The female organs were developed well enough to get pregnant but after the cesarean they were damaged. They reconstructed the male organs and that is how she became a man. Imagine that! A new "mother" and you wake up from surgery to that news!!! Two weeks later her baby is taken from the hospital. Ethan Hawke tells the guy he can bring him to the guy that changed his life. The guy that got her pregnant and left her to her horrible fate. Of course that sounds like a good idea. He wants to kill that ba$tard for everything he lost. Lost womanhood, child, life, career, family. So they go back in time to where she was about to meet that SOB. Guess who the man who ruined her life is? I know you will never guess. The man who ruined her life was HERSELF. Her future self, in man form, come back to the past to "kill the SOB" but instead was mesmerized by the woman (himself as a woman). Shocker, huh? But wait, it gets better! They fornicate! And she gets herself pregnant? The stolen baby was her?!? How does it make sense? It doesn't. Ethan Hawke is a future version of her! Talk about mindfu#k!  If you are not shocked and amazed by this plot line then you have a very vivid imagination lol. 

I am totally not doing this film/short story any justice-AT ALL.  There is a whole other element I'm not even talking about here because I'm just still shocked at them apples. The moral of the story is don't screw yourself! JUST KIDDING! The moral of the story is somethings are just predestined to happen and no matter how you try to change them to alter the outcome it will always be the same. Whew. I need some chocolate now. :) 

Divergent & Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Well, it has been a while that I have actually read a book. Lately, I have been listening to the Sookie Stackhouse audiobooks. I am currently on the 4th one in that series. I recently saw the trailer for the Divergent movie and figured I should read the book. A few friends have recommended it to me. I think I was just tired of reading the same things. I'm waiting for a few releases this month and I think I have just not wanted to get into anything else. OK, back to business here. Let me start by saying that I LOVED these 2 books. The third book comes out on 10/22. BUMMER! At least it isn't that long of a wait. Yes it does have a Hunger Games vibe but it also has a Matrix vibe. Maybe it is all the simulation, altering reality and mind games. Either way I loved both Hunger Games and Matrix so this series was perfect for me. I wont say much about the story other than it was well written and keeps you going. I love the characters, Four and Tris, I just love them. Although they had their harsh moments I'm really happy there was not a whole book almost dedicated to them being apart-like New Moon. I hate that! Sometimes, I just want their love to keep them together. What is wrong with me! MUSH! Ok, go out and read this book. :)

P.S. This series makes my Favorites list! And Four is totally a book boyfriend!