January Wrap-Up

January was kind of a weird month. Nothing happened, and yet I was busy all the time. Thus, the "life" section of this post is going to be rather boring, because what I was busy with was mostly school. But I did watch a whole lot of Marvel movies! So my "movies" section is excessively full, to compensate. XD (I apologize in advance for the amount of Marvel screaming.)

Blog
(As always, these are all links, even if they don't appear to be.)

My Posts:

Around the Blogosphere:
It was a fantastic month in the blogosphere, so I had a really hard time choosing which posts to feature! 

While we're talking about blogging...I had some questions about what y'all thought about the direction Bookshire is going in! (From what I have seen, bloggers do this sort of opinion collecting from time to time. I'm hoping I'm right about that and it's not hopelessly weird.) The form I've inserted is optionally onymous, by which I mean you can include your name if you want, but you don't have to, and it won't collect anything from you. 
If you have time and would be willing to fill this form out to help me think about what I could/should do with this blog in the new year, that would be great! If not, no worries! Keep scrolling, and enjoy my Marvel ranty-ness. :)

(And I'm sorry there's a gap underneath. I don't know how to html. XD)

 

Books
If you're looking at the length of this list and wondering "Samantha, are you okay? What happened?", the respective answers to those questions are "Yes" and "Les Miserables by Victor Hugo".

*The Green Ember by S. D. Smith
*Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
*Ember Falls by S. D. Smith
Ember Rising by S. D. Smith
Ember's End by S. D. Smith
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Silence of Bones by June Hur
*Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis 
*Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (In less than two weeks!! She finished. Le Mis. IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS. --Legolas) (Not entirely sure how this got here. --Sam)
Blackfoot by W. R. Gingell 
Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson
*An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 
*Lovely, Dark, and Deep by Justina Chen
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
*Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson

Other piece of bookish news this month: I'm on Goodreads now! I have the same username as on Blogger (Samantha B) and the same profile picture, as well, so if you'd like to find me on there, feel free! It's nice, because though I don't have room here to talk about what I thought about every single book I read, I do have room on Goodreads. But of course you are still always always always welcome to comment on my Wrap-Ups and ask what I thought of a certain book. :)


Movies
Just FYI, there will be mild to moderate spoilers for Phase 1 and 2 Marvel movies. I will hide the biggest ones, plot-wise, though. :) 
FYI #2, there are definitely loooooong swoons (read: tomes) about said Phase 1 and 2 Marvel movies. :)
(Please. Tell me if I'm talking too much about these movies. I can tone it down. I think.)

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Iron Man
*starts screaming* *doesn't stop* GUYYYYYSSSSSS this movie was EVERYTHING I was hoping for. Everything. Because TONY STARK. My boi! He is the best, and I will brook no argument about this. Not even from Legolas, whose favorite Avenger is Thor (what. is. this.). 

ARGH this movie was everything I love in a movie, with Tony Stark in it on top of everything, which, wow. Because, HIS PLOT ARC! He is SUCH a spoiled brat in the beginning, with no purpose (and also no moral code, if we're being brutally honest). But by the end, he has a purpose, and he CARES about things (and also, he gets a moral code, at least of sorts. Which is nice, tbh). But also, the way his experiences early in the movie change him is SO realistic (and honestly, I don't mind (perhaps even...like? On occasion?) torture scenes. They do good things for the plot). 

And then PEPPER POTTS IS THE BEST. She's just...there...most of the time, and Tony Stark doesn't know how good he's got it...and never really notices her, except as an assistant (the birthday present scene is fantastic) (and so is the one where he asks her to remove the wire) (and the one where she find the ransom video! GAH) and then...well, I shan't spoil it for those who haven't watched it. (Although, given, I'm about to spoil it with my thoughts on Iron Man. So, yeah.)

And the villain! The villain is PERFECT. And I had no idea who he was for most of the movie, and then...yes. Yes, it was excellent writing. 

And then, okay, don't kill me guys, but I LOVE movies where the hero rescues the heroine. Or, I mean, vice versa is ok too. And here, we get BOTH! New favorite Marvel movie, for sure. 


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*White Christmas
This is one that we try to rewatch every year, so I'm glad that we got around to rewatching it this year before the Christmas season was over! I was pretty tired when we watched it, but this movie is like Christmas comfort food for me, so it was still lovely. I love the dance numbers, the interpersonal relationships, the songs, the quotes ("Let's just say we're doing it for a pal in the army"), everything. 


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*The Avengers
Rewatched this with Legolas! And honestly, it was so much better the second time, having watched Thor and Iron Man. Because I got the references and knew people's names! And could pay attention to the Banner/Romanoff dialogue that points to Hulkiness! And I knew what the heck was going on with Tony Stark! It was great! XD 


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The Mandalorian S2:E6, S2:E8
Episode 6: Honestly wasn't paying attention for the first third...XD But the last two thirds were definitely suspenseful enough to make me look forward to the next two episodes! 
Episode 8: Yes, I skipped Episode 7. Not entirely sure how that happened. XD But this was amazing! The awesome women characters, the fantastic fight scenes, the spoilery guy who shows up at the end...I'm honestly very satisfied with the end of this season. 


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Captain America: The First Avenger
Um, this was kind of amazing? Or, I should say, this was all kinds of amazing! We watched this with Mom and Dad, which is really fun, but a bit of a rarity...Mom doesn't usually go for superhero movies, but she enjoyed this one! (I will say, though, that having her there made me notice the body count quite a bit more. XD) 

Steve Rogers! I love him when he's small--his feeling of obligation to his country, his determination...and his ingenuity, too. Also, his stubbornness! 

Then I also love him when he gets big! And he still has his perfect, amazing WWII morals and is rescuing children and being polite all the time, and just all the yes.

Agent Carter! Is amazing! And sassy! And clever! And doesn't want to let on that she cares about him but she DOES and it's so British, and I just love her. I'm very irritated by the part where, for no reason, the writers threw in a misunderstanding between the two, but...y'know. What can you do. (That scene... at the end... where they're talking... over the radio... *sobbing*)

And the whole plot! The part where they're using him as a mascot is the WORST but it makes the contrast all the better when he actually becomes a hero. And the ENDING ARGH! 

And Bucky! I like him--not as much as I've been told by Pippin I will eventually, but I do. (Not sure how he's going to come back from what happened to him in this movie, though...) (note: I wrote this before watching any further movies. I understand better, now.). He's handsome, nice, and a good friend to Steve. :) 

The villain! So. Creepy. And. Gross. But also perfect for the movie!

On a sheerly aesthetic level, I love how the actual film has a sepia tone which lends it realism as a WWII film!


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Iron Man 2
Okay, this was definitely more chaotic than the first one but GUYS I still loved it. I'm sure you're tired of me yelling about Tony Stark but ARGH HE IS STILL THE ABSOLUTE BEST. And there was just so much in this movie that I loved. And also, this is probably the most quotable Marvel movie I have watched to date. "Tony...I've got my eye on you."

It honestly does an excellent job of continuing his arc, and adding to it as well. And I LOVED how it showed the consequences of all the events in the first movie! Because OF COURSE the government would want to interfere...

Basically the first half is him being dumb, which was honestly kind of painful to watch...because we understand why he's doing it...*highlight for spoiler* I mean, he's dying...*end spoiler* and it's completely in character for what he'd do in that situation (and honestly, wouldn't we all want to drive our race car if what was happening to him was happening to us?), but at the same time, ARGH YOU HAVE TO TELL PEPPER. He doesn't want to hurt her, but not telling her is hurting her more. "We could have been in Venice."

Okay, also, the villain is the worst. I merely disliked him until he mispronounced "Pieta", and then I flipped over into sheer hatred. And he's so immature and irritating and arrogant, and just THE WORST. GAH. But a good and realistic villain, so, I mean...

Let's talk about Pepper and Tony for a moment...their relationship in this is SO RIGHT for what it would be after movie one! It's not a happily-ever-after, it's two fundamentally flawed people with lots of misunderstandings, and they're not even in a relationship for most of the movie, which I love, and while it's slightly excruciating to watch, it's so realistic! (And just, Pepper is awesome. She's the best.) 

I'm a little confused by Rhodes, because number 1, they replaced the actor in this movie, and while the new one is good, I liked the old one better. Also, it doesn't even look like they really tried to match the appearances of the new and old? (News flash, Marvel: all Black men are not interchangeable). And number 2, he's supposed to be Tony's best friend, but really, it doesn't especially seem like he's Tony's friend at all, especially at the beginning. Tony deserves better. Not one of my favorite friendship portrayals. 

And GUYS I FREAKED OUT because NATASHA ROMANOFF is in this, and it's my two favorite Avengers in one movie together, and GAH she is so AWESOME! ("Where are you from?" "Legal.") Legolas recognized her before I did, which was a bit irritating, but speaks to her cover, of course. XD And then! And then!!! She! And! Pepper! Are! The! Dream! Team! I just...the awesomeness is overwhelming. 
(And also--her assessment of Tony? *rolling. on. the. floor. laughing*)

And then the final battle! Soooooo goooooood! The part with the little kid! And then the part where he rescues Pepper and ARGH MY HEART I CANNOT TAKE THESE TWO. And then Rhodes, oh my goodness. "Get a roof!" 

I just. I just can't. Guys, I loved this movie. (Despite my talking about this one disproportionately more, I still like the first one better. But only very marginally. Natasha Romanoff might push it over the edge.) 


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*Frozen
Okay, after watching this...I see why people don't like Frozen II as much. Cuz...Frozen II was good, but Frozen? It has tight plotting! Fantastic music! (I mean, there was a reason people were obsessed with it...) A FANTASTIC sibling relationship! Subverted expectations! (That moment when you think that Kristoff is going to kiss Anna to save her...and then Anna saves Elsa herself? The definition of a plot twist.) Guys. It's a really good movie, okay? Don't let the hype scare you away. 

Also, I love Elsa's arc? I relate to her waaaaaay to much. 

But watching it again, I'm a little confused about what they did with Hans. Because--he does good things! He takes care of Arendelle, and tells Elsa "don't be the monster you think you are", and he's actually really nice to Anna in the beginning? And then a switch flips...and he's bad? Um. There's nothing that points to that. Nothing. And that really bugs me? Because plot twists kind of have to be foreshadowed. That's all I'm saying. (And despite knowing that he's bad...I like Hans throughout most of the movie.)

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*Captain America: The Winter Soldier
I'm not sure why I was skeptical of this movie? But I was a bit. But okay, it. was. amazing. (And I say this about all Marvel movies. For some reason, I'm worried that something is going to go south? Please tell me nothing is going south. Based on how much everyone loves Endgame, I don't think anything is going to go south. I hope nothing is going to go south. Going to stop agonizing now.) 

But okay, I loved it. The plot...just, wow. I was not expecting any of that! None of it! It was the kind of plot I love in action-ish movies--adventure, trying to figure out what's going on, some fighting, but more plot than fighting. (I'm still a little sad about S.H.I.E.L.D., though, tbh.) 

Captain America? Trying to figure out what the right thing to do is? So. Relatable. And the theme of trusting people...beautiful. (The moment where Natasha asks Steve if he would trust her to save his life...that killed me. Broke me. It was amazing.)

And Natasha Romanoff is in this one! Again! And she and Steve? Make the best team. (Not as amazing as her and Pepper. But close.) I can see how this could be the "movie that launched a thousand ships" but I love them as friends, and a team. You can see how they have that sibling/cousin sort of relationship, with banter and teasing and Natasha trying to set Steve up with dates. And I mean, it's not exactly like being siblings. They're just...friends.
(Although, look, it seems like at this point she's being shipped with Clint, which I think would work. But I would also not complain if they ultimately shipped her with Steve. I literally have no preference (yet) and will go with what the franchise does. XD)
I love how their abilities compliment each other--Steve is good at combat and keeping people safe, and Natasha is good at being a spy. And no moment shows that more than the mall scene. Where he's all ready to take down the bad guys and protect her, and she's like, "put your arm around me. Laugh at something I said," and it works (even thought it was the fakest laugh I have ever heard in my life). Because--spy stuff! (And the kiss scene--hilarious. "Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable." "Yes. They do." *yank*). 
And then the moment where he saves her life in the bunker, and then carries her out...*cries*. It's just beautiful! Because obviously she is a spy, and can protect herself, but she's also soft underneath. She has vulnerabilities. And sometimes...she can let someone else protect her. (This is humility, guys. Very attractive. (Not in, like, the romantic sense. Like, in the friend sense)). And then she takes a bullet to distract the Winter Soldier. Because she's awesome like that. 

Agent Carter. *crying hard* Was. Not. Expecting. That. And. Am. Broken. 

I totally, totally thought that *spoiler* Nick Fury was dead. *end spoiler*. I was shocked that he wasn't. Like, floored. In a very happy way, you know. (Of course, Legolas went all creepy and did the hag quote from Prince Caspian, you know, the one that goes *spoiler* "they're never really dead, dearie..." *end spoiler*).

Sam! He was so cool! (It could also be that I'm predisposed to like people with that name...) And so nice, and see, this is the kind of friend that Tony Stark needs. Why does Captain America get all the good friends? (Well, because he's nice to them, but that's beside the point...) And Bucky! I'm starting to see why everyone likes him so much, but oh my word, that was so! sad! and Steve's decisions...*crying*

Hill! I knew Hill was going to be awesome. I love her. 

And just for the record, before I stop raving--I totally called the Natasha Romanoff disguise scene. Called. It. (And also--the fact that raising her eyebrow was the first thing she did when she came to--ridiculously satisfying.)


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Guardians of the Galaxy
This was like Star Wars meets National Treasure meets The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the movie), meets, of course, the MCU (and maybe there's a little bit of Jumanji mixed in, too?). And since I love all of those things, I loved this movie! 

And to make things even better, it was probably the funniest movie I have watched in eons. There are a ton of funny lines, but also situational humor in the way the characters play off of each other, and trope-breaking humor in how the bad guys' rants always get interrupted...there was a whole lot of laughter involved, let me tell you. 

That's not to say that it wasn't serious as well...we've obviously been introduced to Thanos at this point, who is definitely a bad guy...I'm interested to see how all of that plays out. 

The quirky cast of characters is something that Marvel does really well (see: the Avengers), and the members of this quirky cast are probably some of my new favorite characters in the MCU. (Of course, all of the Avengers, Pepper Potts, Jane, Agent Carter, Sam, and Hill are also my favorite characters in the MCU, so the bar isn't super exclusive?)

But seriously, these characters? And the way they work together? The best. I don't know that I can form super coherent thoughts about all of them, but I shall do my level best. 

Peter Quill is so...he's just very Peter Quill-y. He's like Han Solo, but with vulnerability underneath, but at the same time, he's very himself, with that ridiculous sense of humor, and love of dancing. 

Gamora is just fantastic. She' so serious and hard to get around, but at the same time she does start to care very much about what happens to the other characters in the group. I am a fan. (And she and Peter? Very shippable.)

Rocket is AMAZING and I LOVE him. ("Also, I need that guy's eye"). He's just...he's Rocket. He's hard to explain. 

Groot seems to stay in the background a lot, but he makes a good foil for Rocket, and does become an integral part of the Guardians!

I love the way Drax does not know how to humor, and has no conception of anything that's not entirely literal...because it makes for fantastic scenes. ("Finger across the throat means death. Metaphor.") 

The climax scene! Is! Wonderful! And! Suspenseful! And! Perfect! And wow. I'm so excited for the next one! 


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*The Emperor's New Groove
This is just such a fun movie. It makes fun of several movie tropes while at the same time standing on its own as a comedic movie, even for those who don't know those movie tropes. We have a huge number of new family jokes, now!

The visual jokes that come with setting something in the ancient Americas and then trying to incorporate modern-ish tropes...fantastic.

The characters are great as well--Kronk, Pacha, Cuzco...I just love them. Love them all. Their arcs are great, and what I need to know now is...why don't I watch this movie more often? 


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Iron Man 3
Oh man. Wow. That was amazing. 

I’m not actually sure where to start? This is going to be very, very scattered. Sorry in advance. :)

I love, love, love Tony and Pepper's relationship in this. (Okay, I'm not as much of a fan of her moving into his house. I'm just going to pretend they're married, m'kay?) But guuuuuyyyyss he's actually trying to be a better person for her! And apologizing, and not pushing the blame on other people, and taking care of her, and just <3 (Also, that scene in the gif...my heart just blew up.)

And ARGH ALL THE OTHER STUFF WITH PEPPER. GAH. That was just excruciating. Was not expecting that. The villain is just the worst. But at the same time, it raises that stakes for Tony in such a good way, and his face when the villain shows him that video feed…

I absolutely thought that *spoiler* Pepper was dead *end spoiler*. I mean, the villain insinuated that it was true! Tony’s face! I was basically dead inside for like five minutes, while Legolas was thinking “Oh, Sam’s fine. She knows that it’ll be okay.” But reader, I did not know it was going to be okay. So. Yeah. That was fun.
(If this sounds familiar to you from my thoughts on Winter Soldier...yeah. Marvel will never stop doing this to me. I always think that this time they're not going to come back from it. I am going to be an absolute wreck when we get to Endgame.) 

I love Tony's teamwork with Harley. Partially because Harley does almost exactly what I would do in that situation. "What about the Avengers, can we talk about them?" (This would be me. I relate so hard.) But also, Tony does have soft spots and Harley worms his way into one of them, and it's really, really sweet. (And that part where he talks Tony off a ledge? <3)

I really appreciate the way Tony's anxiety/PTSD is represented. Because something like New York would leave marks on someone whose "day job" is just fighting terrorism. I think some of the other Avengers are more used to things like huge alien ships coming out of the sky? And I mean, the scene where he takes the missile into space makes me exceedingly anxious every single time. So it's not surprising that it makes him anxious. And I just love how that's incorporated, how it helps drive the plot, and how irritated he is by it. Frustrated. Because while I've never had PTSD or been diagnosed with a mental illness, I have definitely had times where it feels like my brain is out to get me, and I very much relate to that aspect of Tony in this movie. 
But then it's a good part of his arc, because he's able to eventually realize that the suit isn't Iron Man--he's Iron Man. And you realize that part of the reason he's never put time into working on technology to fix his chest (besides the fact that his PTSD is making him spend SO much time on his suit) is that he thought he wouldn't be himself without an arc reactor saving his life, and suddenly his character arc makes a ton of sense. (Idk. That could just be me.)

The music! The music in Marvel movies doesn't usually stand out for me, but the Dies Irae was worked into it, for all love! So. Cool. (I'm also disproportionately satisfied with myself for recognizing it when the theme was introduced. XD) 

One thing that I was not expecting is that Kim and Penn Holderness are in it! I enjoy their family's YouTube channels (HERE and HERE), and I was shocked to see them as some of the reporters! Possibly the only time I've ever recognized uncredited cameos. XD

I did think that the denouement was a bit rushed. He just? Is able to fix Pepper? And then gets the shrapnel out of his chest? I mean, like I said above, I feel like that particular resolution is part of his arc…but I would have liked a bit more. Idk.


Life

We went snowshoeing with Eomer's scout troop! And by "we", I mean Dad, Legolas and I. (There's not very many scouts, so they usually don't mind siblings crashing. :)). It was beautiful! The snow was really deep and pristine, and it was lightly snowing, and the evergreens were beautiful, and it was really fun! We went three and three quarter miles! It was great! (Until my legs absolutely died and fell off afterwards. That was great. I will forever associate excruciating leg pain with Iron Man 2. XD) 

(Image credit: factfile.org)
I started Winter Quarter! At the community college, I'm taking Calculus (which may kill me yet, but I'm doing okay with for now), Animal Biology (in which I get to write a research paper! yay! (That was completely non-sarcastic, fyi)), and ASL (which is my new favorite thing! It's so beautiful! I'm doing epic amounts of research in my spare time!). So, yeah! So far, it's all going well. We shall see how the quarter proceeds. Plus, of course, I have my omnipresent World Literature class, in which we have gotten to the Truly Gargantuan Books (Les Mis, Hunchback, Brothers K) so that's fun. 

(Photo Credit: I...have no idea. Pinterest? But it is our church. Decorated for Easter. So liturgically correct. XD)
Our church started up Daily Mass again, and I have been going four days a week, and let me tell you, it is amazing. I love Daily Mass. I love what it does for my spiritual life. I love getting to hang out in weird corners like a gremlin/orphan/sanctuary-seeker while my mom helps with sanitization afterwards. (Much as I would love to help, they do not let me near the dangerous hydrogen peroxide, since I'm under 18.) To my Catholic friends: if you can get to Daily Mass, you should absolutely do it. It's a game changer. 

February Plans

  • Getting ready for baby goats! (The first batch is due in mid-March! And yes of course I will post pictures.)
  • Starting Lent! (After how last Lent went, I'm not sure whether to be excited about this...usually I love Lent, especially Holy Week, but last week it was a bit of a train wreck). 
  • Attending my friend Eowyn's (virtual) wedding shower! (Yes, that means two of my good friends are getting married in the space of one year! Isn't that amazing? Also kind of scary.)
    (And I just realized/remembered that...she reads my  blog. So...hi Eowyn! *awkward wave* I hope you know who you are, and don't mind your wedding being discussed on my blog. XD) 
  • Trying to deal with the weather, maybe? February in the PNW goes one of two ways: Spring, wherein everything leafs out and starts blooming by the second week, or Winter where we get a foot of snow. (Granted, that doesn't happen very often...but based on the way this year is going, I wouldn't be surprised). So, yeah. We'll see.
  • Continuing my Marvel obsession! So many fantastic movies to watch! I'm pretty sure I would chop my family's heads off if they suggested watching something else, at this point. I may have a problem. Just a little one. Maybe I should give Marvel movies up for Lent?
  • Reading at least one giant book. *groans*
  • But since there's a little less of that to do, also reading more fun books! (Maybe I'll make progress on my Goodreads reading list? We'll see.)
  • Finding out if I got into my top choice college...*bites fingernails*
Have you ever read Les Miserables? Done any ASL? Have you ever seen Kim Holderness in anything other than Iron Man 3? Have I reached new levels of ridiculous Marvel fangirling? (Do I need to fangirl less about the Marvel movies? Please be honest.)

Comments

  1. Chloe the MovieCriticJanuary 29, 2021 at 9:15 PM

    What is Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford about and what did you think of it? I'm curious. ;) *jaw drops 20 feet* H....h....how dID You rEAd Les Mis ssssOOO FaST? I can't even fathom it. O_O

    *rubs hands together* Ah, the good stuff. :D Your reactions to Marvel movies are THE BEST. I'm so used to being the newbie in the fandom that I never see this so it makes me very happy.
    I just love everything that you said about all of the Iron Man movies! (Don't worry, you'll warn up to the guy playing Rhodey. It bothered me, too, but he gets better) I love Tony working with Harkey!!! So cute!! Tony caring so much about Happy in 3 made me, well, happy! And Tony and Pepper (that scene in the gif? <3333333)!!! Love them!!
    Peggy Carter is one of my favorites ever. <3 You watched Winter Soldier, too! It's hilarious, my reaction to it is the opposite of your comment, "but more plot than fighting" XD. I thought there was more fighting than plot. I was so confused the first time I watched that because of what happens with Nick, you're not the only one. ;) SAM!! I love Sam Wilson! He is incredible.
    I've forgotten almost everything about the first Guardians movie, but now I want to refresh my memory!
    (Btw, I love how you're so willing to ship the people that Marvel throws together. ;D)
    What's next? Thor: Dark World? Age of Ultron? I'm so excited for you!!

    If you get me started on Frozen I will tell you all my theories!! My sister is annoyed by it, but one of my favorite things is to come up with theories for that movie!!! :D They make things make so much sense, especially Hans!! (Another reason that I don't like #2 as much, it makes not all of them fit...;)) I LOVE The Emperor's New Groove! One of the funniest movies in existence.

    I hardly watched any movies this month because I've been into lots of shows instead (including one that my sister and I love so much we watched it twice... *whistles innocently*). You're making me want to step up my game!

    Dude, Lent begins next month?? How are we already here!?? I hope that the best turns out for you and your first choice college! <3

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    1. SamanthaJanuary 30, 2021 at 10:38 AM

      It's the sequel to Greenglass House, which is a fantastically atmospheric MG book that's is absolutely perfect for reading in the wintertime! Those two together are quite possibly my favorite MG series of all time.
      Umm...I kind of read like it was my part-time job, I guess? XD

      Your reactions to my reactions to Marvel movies are also THE BEST! :)
      (I'm glad you think I'll warm up to Rhodey! I want to like him more than I do just yet, I think.) I KNOW their teamwork is ridiculously cute! And I think I forgot to mention Happy in 3, but I TOTALLY loved how Tony pretended not to care, but actually cared so much. (This is part of what I love about Tony Stark. Because I act like that, too. :D) Tony and Pepper! <3333 They are just the best.
      Peggy Carter is so amazing!
      Yeah, there was a lot more fighting in Winter Soldier than in the Iron Mans, and I do like the Iron Mans better for the lower body count, but...compared to The Avengers, which is about 60% fighting and 40% plot...I felt like Winter Soldier was more balanced. (Not that I don't love Avengers. Because I do.) I can't WAIT to see more of Sam!
      I would say that a refresh of Guardians would definitely be worth it. ;)
      (I mean, I just hate non-canon shipping in general, so I like to keep an open mind. XD Whatever the canon does, with very few exceptions, I will agree with. (There are exceptions, though. I totally think that Rey & Finn should be a thing. So I guess we'll see what I think about Natasha's final ship...))
      We're in the middle of Thor: Dark World right now, with Age of Ultron up right after that! (I'm soooooooo excited for Age of Ultron! And I'm enjoying T:DW, too. :))

      Oooh, oooh, I want to hear the theories! If they explain Hans...I will 100% give you a listen. :)
      I KNOW it's hilarious! Love.

      Shows are good, too! (Wow, which show was that?) I do not usually watch this many movies in a month...I may need to cut back a bit for February. XD

      I know, what happened??? Thank you so much, MC! <3

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  2. Jenelle LeanneJanuary 30, 2021 at 10:24 AM

    Okay, I'm gonna have to come back and enjoy your Marvel Movie Reviews in more depth later... I love the MCU and am enjoying your flailing about them. I need to rewatch them... but I'm kind of waiting until I can watch them with my kids (most of whom are a bit too young at the moment).

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    1. SamanthaJanuary 30, 2021 at 10:39 AM

      I hope the reviews are enjoyable! And I'm glad my flailing is fun to watch. :)
      Watching the movies with other people is so fun! I hope you kids enjoy them, when they get old enough.

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  3. ElizabethJanuary 30, 2021 at 11:03 AM

    I loved your reactions to everything! and I hope you get into the college your wanting to get into. Also really glad you've been able to go to Daily Mass, it sounds important to you.

    I think they did foreshadow Hans a little bit in Frozen. That point in the ice castle when that one guy is pointing his cross bow at Elsa. There's a moment when Hans looks at Elsa then the chandelier and then the guy again (could be the other way around) so he pushed up the crossbow towards the chandelier making it look like he was trying to save Elsa when in reality he was cleverly lining things up so Elsa would be crushed and killed by the chandelier anyway. It was something I noticed the first time I ever watched Frozen but then I forgot about it by the time the 'twist' came so I was as shocked as everybody else.

    There's a Youtube theory that Hans is the 'mirror' character (in the original fairytale there's shards of a mirror that do something I can't remember) and they point out that he acts pretty much the same as any person he's with, but then when he's completely by himself he's not mirroring anybody. I don't know, I thought it was a cool theory.

    I have read Les Mis actually a few years ago. Not for school, I just wanted to read it at one point. It is huge XD there is a reason why people call it 'The Brick'. Kudos to you for reading it! I read through it pretty quickly too at the time, but that may have just been because I wanted to read it and it wasn't required for school.
    I found it to be very entertaining actually, sad too, but honestly kind of unintentionally hilarious. Like Marius crying on a tree for 2 hours because Cosette was leaving and she's like 'but you can come with' and he's like 'Cosette, we meet at the fence every day and I've been wearing the same pants. How am I supposed to afford that?'
    Or when Hugo kills off like 5 people in a sentence and then spends (either 4 chapters or one really long chapter) on the Parisian Sewer System. His priorities were definitely apparent XD

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    1. SamanthaJanuary 30, 2021 at 2:38 PM

      I'm glad! And thank you! I'll update about college-ness next month for sure. :)

      Okay, that's a good point! I never noticed that moment when I was watching, but now that I think about it, in retrospect, it's totally there. Interesting!

      Ooh, that's an intriguing theory! I can see it, although to completely be invested in it, I'd need to watch the whole thing again and watch for it. :)

      Wow, you read it for fun? That's impressive! I don't think I would ever have picked it up, except for school...
      It was very entertaining, but yeah, hilarious! I love Marius, but he's definitely...unintentionally funny. Yeah, Hugo's priorities are a little different than the readers'. XD

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  4. Miss KJanuary 30, 2021 at 11:35 AM

    I'm still amazed at the amount of books you read while having to read Les Miserables! I only read three books this month and that was all before school started. I can't focus on reading and school because when I find a really good book, I won't put it down and then procrastination for school will happen. :) I see you read "Memories of Glass"! What did you think?

    What happens if I admit that I've never seen a single Marvel movie? *hides*

    Best of luck getting into your top college! I'm just going to a community college next year so I've already been accepted. And college Calculus? Good for you! I'm taking high school Calculus and it always seems to take up way more time than my college classes.

    I LOVE daily mass! However, we live an hour away from our parish so I don't get to go as often as I'd like to. We do go to First Friday mass every month as a family though, which is a definite game changer. :)

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    1. SamanthaJanuary 30, 2021 at 2:41 PM

      I'm amazed at that, too, honestly. XD It's so true, though, it's taken me a number of years to gain the ability to put down a good book for school.

      I really enjoyed "Memories of Glass"! Thank you for the recommendation! I loved the characters and the setting, and I was impressed at how well both time periods held my attention--when I'm reading a split-time book like that, I usually like one time better than the other, but that didn't happen this time! And the mystery was intriguing and twisty and fun.

      Nothing bad! I've only just started Marvel movies myself, so I totally understand not having gotten around to it yet. :)

      Thank you! Congrats on getting accepted to the community college, though! I've taken community college classes for the past year and a half, and really enjoyed it--I hope you do, too! Calculus definitely takes more time than most of my other classes...

      Hurrah for daily Mass! I'm sorry you can't go more often...but First Friday Mass (especially with family!) is amazing!

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  5. McKaylaJanuary 31, 2021 at 7:13 AM

    SO. MUCH. MARVEL. YESSS! I'm so glad you like the MCU! There are some pretty amazing Marvel movies.
    I do want to read Les Mis at some point (especially since I just recently got into the musical), but it's so long, so who knows when/if that will ever happen. Xd.
    Snowshoeing is so fun.
    I hope your February goes well.

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    1. SamanthaJanuary 31, 2021 at 11:39 AM

      YES! I'm very glad I like the MCU, too. XD I'm really excited to watch all of them!
      I would definitely recommend it...but it is extraordinarily long.
      It really is! I need to do it more often.
      Thank you! I hope your February goes well, as well!

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  6. Hamlette (Rachel)January 31, 2021 at 2:23 PM

    All the Marvel fangirling is delightful. Also, Thor is my favorite MCU hero, so high-five to Legolas on that.

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    1. SamanthaJanuary 31, 2021 at 3:41 PM

      I'm glad "delightful" is the word you would pick. :) I will definitely do that! XD

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  7. The Temperamental WriterFebruary 1, 2021 at 2:59 PM

    I want to read Les Mis...someday. But it's SO LONG. For now I just content myself with listening to the musical and having my sister fill me in on all the extra Gavroche parts in the book :) But let's have a moment of silence to honor how ridiculously fast you read it.
    *silence*
    OK NOW WE CAN SCREAM ABOUT MARVEL. Tony Stark's character arc is SO GOOD. It took me a while to realize how great he was, but he's now one of my favorite MCU characters. And PEPPER. I love her so much! I think Iron Man 3 might be my favorite Iron Man movie (Harley being a contributing factor--Tony's relationship with him is so sweet).
    I love Nat and Steve as sibling/cousin friends :) And the fact that Nat is a spy and can protect herself but is also human and vulnerable and can be saved by other people sometimes? Yesssss.
    I love the Guardians of the Galaxy characters--particularly Peter and Gamora. Ooh, and Nebula--not so much in the first one, but later on I started to really like her as a character.
    The Emperor's New Groove is my JAM. My sister's and I quote it so much. "I've been turned into a cow. Can I go home?"

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    1. SamanthaFebruary 1, 2021 at 7:18 PM

      Quite honestly, unless you're into Romantic period literature (which I'm not exactly, but I do like it on occasion) or have a long period of time with nothing lined up to read...listening to the musical and hearing about the extra Gavroche parts is a perfectly acceptable way to experience Les Mis. XD
      *almost ruins your silence by snorting* *barely holds it in*
      (I know it was really fast! But it still felt like forever!)

      YES LET US SCREAM! Tony's character arc is ridiculously awesome, especially for a movie character! I've loved him since I first watched Avengers, but boy, watching all the Iron Man movies, I just love him more and more all the time! Pepper, too! IM3 miiiiiight be my favorite, too (Harley being important in that for sure), but I haven't quite decided yet--IM1 was amazing, too! (I did love 2. But not as much as the two other ones.)

      They're so perfect that way! There aren't that many good male/female friendships out there, and I love this one. The fact that Natasha is human is key, I think! It's true for all the Marvel characters, the writers make them human very, very well!

      I KNOW! Peter and Gamora are amazing! Gamora is basically my spirit animal. XD I'm looking forward to hearing more about Nebula--I really like Karen Gillan as an actress, and I love seeing her in such an unconventional role.

      Ah, soooo good! I have a feeling that my siblings and I will be quoting it for a long time to come. :) "Riiiiiiight."

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  8. Sarah RodeckerFebruary 2, 2021 at 10:20 AM

    Iron Man is the best and anyone who says differently is wrong. Period.

    Also, if you haven't watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2, please don't watch it...it's awful. Beyond awful. Just...spare yourself the braincells and don't watch it.

    Yep, it's totally normal to do a survey every once in a while to figure out what people are interested in! In fact, I've got one coming very soon.

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    1. SamanthaFebruary 2, 2021 at 10:51 AM

      Completely agree. Absolutely. (But does anyone say differently? That's the question. Because they're deluded, if they do. XD)

      Haha, slightly too late. XD We're halfway through it, since we wanted to watch something with my mom and she picked it over Avengers: Age of Ultron (*irritated growling*), and yeah...I see what you mean. I mean, many parts of it are enjoyable and hilarious, and I have a feeling that it might be important later? But there is sooooo muuuuuuch conteeeeent. Just the movie I wanted to watch with Mom. *facepalm*

      Awesome! I'm glad I wasn't off-base with that. :)

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  9. Sarah SeeleFebruary 2, 2021 at 12:39 PM

    Okay, so I didn't do the survey because having to pick things was just sTreSsiNG mE oUT (I'm sorry, I don't know why I am the way that I am XD), but I really enjoy all your posts and I especially loooooove "In Defense of" and random-thoughts/discussions-of-things posts. So.

    Opinions on The Great Divorce?

    All the MARVEL fangirling was a joy to read. I am in the somewhat odd position of only having watched the Captain America trilogy, Spiderman: Homecoming, and GOTG2 in full, but I want to at least watch the Thor movies as well, and I'm becoming increasingly convinced that I want to see Iron Man also. The thing is that, from what I've seen of him (Civil War and Homecoming), I absolutely despise Tony Stark, and people tell me I need to see where he comes from (okay, fair) and that he has a great character arc but like...I'm seeing him at/near the end of his character arc, right??? So why do I still despise him??? How much of a jerk is he to start with, if THIS is where he ends up??? So, honestly, I'm really interested to see his movies and if they change my perspective (and by how much!).

    Also, NATASHA!!!!! Only know her from the two Cap movies, but SHE'S SO AWESOME. I LOVE HER. YES!!!!!! Like, she's 100% the reason I can't decide if I like the first or second Captain America better. Because, come on. WW2 vibes, Cap's awesome squad, Peggy Carter, the sepia tones, TINY STEVE...clearly the first movie ought to be an easy winner. But I actually really love the kinda gritty-Cold-War-thriller feel of the second one, and the THEMES (OH MY GOSH THE THEMES, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE THEMES FOR A SECOND BECAUSE STEVE'S LOYALTY AND QUIET GOODNESS AND THE LENGTHS TO WHICH HE WILL GO FOR HIS FRIENDS, OBVIOUSLY I'M TALKING ABOUT BUCKY HERE BUT ALSO NATASHA! AND SAM! SAM IS SO AWESOME! ....okay I'm really failing at being coherent. The thing is that the friendship content in that movie KILLED me and I'm still not over it and I love it SO MUCH.) And, NATASHA.
    Also, Legolas's creepy hag quote... That made me laugh so much. It was great. (I totally also thought *spoilers* had happened.)

    Concerning Frozen: I'm so glad you understand! Because Elsa had such a great arc, and then in Frozen 2 it got like...reversed and ruined. D': Plus the movie was too long, had unnecessary parts, wasn't even CLOSE to as well scripted....yeah. I was not a fan. Though honestly I could understand somewhat enjoying Frozen 2 if you hadn't seen Frozen first!
    And in defense of how the writers wrote Hans: that thing somebody mentioned earlier, about the crystal chandelier. Also his line in "Love Is an Open Door" is literally "I've been searching my whole life to find my own place," so like, FORESHADOWING. And obviously he would take good care of Arendelle, he wants the people to like him. My personal opinion was that he met Anna, was like, "Hey, you're cute, I like you, and you're a wonderful route to the throne," and would have been completely happy marrying her and ruling WITH her, but Elsa freezing her heart meant Anna was going to die anyway because he DIDN'T have actual true love so there was nothing he could've done...
    Yeah. sorry that was kind of long. I've heard multiple people say that Hans being a villain was an out-of-nowhere plot twist and I've never understood that? (Also I just was personally quite happy he was bad, because I disliked him and thought he was slimy from the beginning. And I adore Kristoff. So.)

    The Emperor's New Groove, I love that movie so much!!!!!! It's hilarious.

    I wish you all the luck with college!!!!!

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    1. SamanthaFebruary 2, 2021 at 1:27 PM

      Oh, please, don't worry about it! I totally get it. :) And thank you for the feedback!

      I LOVED The Great Divorce. The theology around Purgatory was a little off, but overall there was so much to think about, and so much GOOD and so many good quotes ("Bad cannot succeed even in being as truly bad as good is good" <3). Lewis's thoughts on love and disordered love and love of God...amazing. I would HIGHLY recommend it.

      I'm so glad! It was very fun to write. :) Wow, that is an odd assortment of movies! I think you would much like the Thor ones, so I would definitely recommend them (I mean, I've only watched the first two, but still.)

      I'm sorry Sarah, but you are Not Allowed To Despise Tony Stark. (Okay, that's not true. You are Allowed. And I'm not offended or anything. Just minorly defensive. XD) I've not seen either Civil War or any of the Spidermans (but if Tony Stark is in them...I'm down), so I can't put together a specific defense of him in those two movies (as soon as we watch Civil War, though, I'm definitely going to send you a Goodreads mail. If you don't mind. XD). But I have a feeling that he's not at his best in Civil War. From what I've heard.

      In any case, he is kind of a jerk at the beginning of the Iron Man trilogy, but there is a huge amount of transformation that takes place throughout the course of those particular movies, and by the end, he's, if not perfect, a lot better. One of the things I like about him is that while he is trying to be a better person for the people he loves, he accepts that he's imperfect. In fact, at one point in IM3, he specifically tells Pepper "You're in a relationship with me. Everything will never be all right." Which sounds kind of like a jerk-ish thing to say, except that throughout the movie, we've been able to see how much he really is trying to be a better person for her. And it's rather beautiful. (He's just...such a human character in a way that Captain America...sort of isn't. Tony Stark really shows the flawed-ness of human nature, and I kind of love that. (Not that I don't also LOVE Captain America with every fiber of my being, because I do.))
      And on the more superficial side...his snark appeals to me. And the way he doesn't show that he loves people, but he really actually does is also how I operate. So I relate to him in that way. Also his huge amount of science and technology nerdery. I love.
      (Wow, that did kind of turn into In Defense of Why I Love Tony Stark, which may be a post I need to write one of these days...and you even already said you were going to watch the trilogy. I need to cool it a little, methinks. XD)

      I KNOW! NATASHA IS AMAZING, and I am SO excited for her movie this spring! I can totally see how she would make it hard to decide on a favorite! Because yes the first one is AMAZING (and Peggy! She's awesome!) but GOSH the feels of the second one and the THEMES YESSSS HIS LOVE AND CARE FOR HIS FRIENDS ARE JUST THE BEST! Friendships. All. The. Friendships. ALWAYS NATASHA. (We're watching GOTG2 right now, after watching Thor: The Dark World, and I'm all "why is Natasha Romanoff not in this I need more of her right now because I am in withdrawal".)
      Legolas certainly has a quote for every occasion. :)

      I know, the arc was weird, the script wasn't as good...yeah. I mean, it wasn't the worst ever Disney sequel, but it wasn't great.
      You're right, you're right! It's foreshadowed in LIAOP, and then with the chandelier. And I mean, he OBVIOUSLY wasn't her true love, so he couldn't have saved her anyway...so if she's dying, he doesn't have a chance at the throne at all, so he might as well KILL EVERYONE, and wow, now that I've typed all that out, it makes a lot more sense. XD
      (Please don't worry about length. Your long comments make me extraordinarily happy. :))

      I know, it's amazing!!!

      Thank you so much!!

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    2. Sarah SeeleFebruary 4, 2021 at 2:10 PM

      Thank you for your kind permission to despise Tony Stark if I want to; without that I just don't know what I'd have done. Had to start liking him, I guess. (I do not mind you sending me an email at all! I will in fact be looking forward to that. :D)

      I loved reading your defense of Tony Stark! (And thank you so much for not being offended by my opinion, when you love him so much. XD) Eloquent defenses of well-beloved characters are kind of the best thing, even when I don't personally love the characters...at all. I really am looking forward to seeing the movies.
      (Also, not that this is important, and I'm not sure exactly what you meant, but I...wouldn't say Steve Rogers is less human than Tony Stark? Kind of like how Faramir isn't less human than Boromir just because he didn't have the same obvious flaws and was a really stand-up guy who made the right choices....there's this blog post and I sadly can't find the original link [but I totally copied the text and have it in a document for myself because I loved it so much lol], but it basically talks about why Old-Fashioned Hero types of characters - Cap was an example - aren't less realistically human than Morally Grey types. Actually, have an excerpt: "What if a Hero was someone who was more aware than anyone else of their own demons, of their own potential for evil, of the darkness they saw inside themselves every day? ... Cap is one of my favorite characters of all time, not to mention my favorite Avenger and a true Old-Fashioned Hero. And it’s there. This palpable fear…of himself. ... Maybe that’s why we relate to the Hero. Not because he wears his flaws on his sleeve the way the Antihero does, but because he doesn’t trust himself, not for one second." Anyway, yeah. Hopefully that made sense, apologies if you didn't actually care, and....yeah. XD)

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    3. SamanthaFebruary 4, 2021 at 6:23 PM

      You're welcome. Glad I could help. *smirk* (Lovely! I shall look forward to sending it. When we get around to watching it. Which would be anywhere between next week and next month. :D)

      I'm glad it was fun to read, at least! (No worries! People are legitimately allowed to have differing opinions. XD). (Oh, and when you watch his trilogy, do let me know what you think!)

      Okay, you're right! "Human" was definitely the wrong word there...I do think that Stark is more obviously/relatably flawed, but Steve Rogers is definitely human. He does have flaws, and vulnerabilities, and he's *not perfect*. I totally agree that being an Old-Fashioned Hero doesn't make someone less human than being Morally Grey (which, honestly, a case could be made for Tony Stark not being morally grey, but instead just having a flawed value system (after the first movie) because of the culture, but that is a case for another day. XD) And oh my goodness, I love that excerpt! (Actually, would you be willing to send me the whole document? I kind of want to read the whole thing, now.) Although I'm not sure that Steve's fear of himself is "palpable" per se, it's more that he understands human nature and has seen enough evil that he really knows how humans can be corrupted...but that is just a nitpicky nitpick, so, I mean, take it with a grain of salt. XD

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    4. Sarah SeeleFebruary 4, 2021 at 7:11 PM

      (This is true, differing opinions are allowed to be had. I didn't want to be, like, obnoxious, though. You know how sometimes people make a point, once they know you like something, of telling you allll the reasons they don't like it? I didn't want to come across like that. xD) (I shall! Although it might be a while, because I don't watch movies that often. But I shall! XD)

      Yeah, that's a good way to put it. Stark is more /obviously/ flawed. (And more or less relatable depending, I think, on the individual and her own particular flaws?) I'd be happy to send you the document! Is there an email you'd like me to send it to, or...should I see if you can attach documents through Goodreads messages or something??
      I definitely agree with that. "Palpable" is a bit of an overstatement. Like you said, it's more just that Steve has seen how people work; he has no illusions about humanity, and he also has no illusions that he's somehow an exception. Basically, humility is a prerequisite for being a good old-fashioned hero. xD

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    5. SamanthaFebruary 5, 2021 at 9:35 AM

      (Oh, gotcha. I know what you mean, but you definitely didn't come across like that. :)) (Lovely!)

      That's true, his relatability does depend on the person watching...as most characters relatabilities do, I suppose. (The email listed on my contact page, samantha(dot)bookshire(at)gmail(dot)com will work great! Thank you!)

      Humility is a good prerequisite for a lot of things. :)

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    6. Sarah SeeleFebruary 8, 2021 at 5:48 PM

      (Good, good. XD)

      (Huh, who would've thought the button that says "CONTACT" could aid one in figuring out how to contact you? NOT ME, CLEARLY. ....Anyway I shall send it right away.)

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    7. SamanthaFebruary 9, 2021 at 10:56 AM

      (XD XD. Thank you for sending it! I may or may not email you back with more synthesis/discussion...if you don't mind. :))

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  10. Skye HoffertFebruary 4, 2021 at 11:40 AM

    Loved reading all your thoughts on the Marvel movies! I loved all of those ones, especially the Iron Man movies, so good!

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    1. SamanthaFebruary 4, 2021 at 11:41 AM

      I'm so glad! It was so much fun watching all of them and writing my thoughts!

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