Top Movies Watched in 2017

I've seen quite a few movies this year and I've enjoyed almost all of them. Granted, it's hard to find a movie that I just outright dislike. This list isn't necessarily films that have been released in 2017, just consumed in 2017. That being said here are my favorite films/tv shows of 2017.

1. Hidden Figures - I loved this movie! I was fascinated by the fact that this history was not common knowledge for so long. I can't say I'm surprised though. I loved that these women, who helped change the course of NASA's history, finally get to have their story told. 

2. Beauty and the Beast (2017) - I loved this adaptation. It was a great reimagining while staying true to the idea of the original film. Plus, I love that this movie solved some of the continuity issues from the animated film. 

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Honestly, I could watch the first five minutes of this movie over and over again. Baby Groot dancing is just the best. 

4. Wonder Woman - I was incredibly nervous that this movie wouldn't be good. I firmly believed that its success would affect the future of female lead superhero movies. But it was great! I thoroughly enjoyed the ass-kicking and the incredibly compassionate Diana. I can't wait to see more of her. 

5. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - This isn't new to me, but it remains one of my favorite movies. I don't know why but I'm slightly obsessed with it. I love how ridiculous it feels that some of my favorite characters would come into contact and be badass zombie killers. 

6. The Defenders Season 1 - Jessica Jones is one of my favorite "heroes" and getting to see more of her this year was exciting. This ragtag group of vigilantes fight crime and make friends. 

7. Stranger Things Season 2 - I'd waited a long time for this season (as did many others) and I was not disappointed. Everything that made season one great was amplified and expanded. Without exception the storytelling and acting was incredible. 

8. Star Wars: The Last Jedi - This movie seemed to be either you liked it or you didn't, but really enjoyed it. I liked that it tried different things and wasn't a carbon copy of the original trilogy. I loved all the character development and imminent danger that carried throughout the story. 

  

9. Lion - This movie was so heartfelt and incredibly moving. I cried quite a bit even more so because it is based on a true story. 

10. Christmas Inheritance - This list wouldn't be complete without a cheesy Christmas movie. This Netflix original gem stars Eliza Taylor(The 100) as a well meaning but spoiled daughter of a marketing empire. She has to prove to her father and to herself that she is responsible enough to take over the company. It is a very cute movie.

11. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - This is a last minute addition as I literally saw it this morning. It was genuinely a very cute and enjoyable movie. I laughed out loud, a lot. There is really nice homage to the original movie but it completely paves its own way. 

Notable Quotable: Jessamyn Hope (#179)

"He didn't see how it was possible not to fall in love again. If you were paying attention to people."
     --Safekeeping

Notable Quotable: Francine Rivers (#178)

"Because, for some of us, one mile can be farther to walk than thirty."
     --Redeeming Love

Notable Quotable: Robyn Schneider (#177)

"Words could betray you if you chose the wrong ones, or mean less if you used too many. Jokes could be grandly miscalculated, or stories deemed boring, and I'd learned early on that my sense of humor and ideas about what sorts of things were fascinating didn't exactly overlap with my friends."
     --The Beginning of Everything

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books of 2017

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I read quite a few books that I loved this year, so narrowing it down to ten was difficult. Here's what I've come up with:

1a. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
1b. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: This duology is one of the best that I've read in a really long time. The characters were complex and the world was rich and vibrant. I loved it so much, probably my favorite reads of the year!

2. Geekerella by Ashley Poston: I love a good fairytale retelling and this one delivered. It was everything I could ask for in a nerdy Cinderella. A comic-con, a cosplay, and an actor who may be more than his social persona.

3. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller: I love a good pirate book, but I forgot how much I love them until I read this book. The sequel is coming out next year and I already have it preordered!

4. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer: I'd been putting this one off because I wanted to save this for a time when I needed new content from the Lunar Chronicles world. I read it at just the right time this year. I loved all these stories!

5. Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan: This series keeps getting a weirder but I'm still really enjoying it! I can't wait to see what's next.

6. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman: This is such a magical exploration of life through the eyes of a child. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

7. The Last of August by Brittany Cavallaro: This is the sequel to A Study in Charlotte. I'm loving this series and I can't wait for the next book!

8. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: I really enjoyed this book, a fierce assassin ready to fight for freedom. I've heard mixed feelings about the rest of the series, but I'm just going to have to see for myself.

9. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick: This is the best memoir I've read this year. She is incredibly funny and brutally honest. I listened to the audio book in one day.

10. The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy: This was such a good read. I came across this on a whim and thought I'd check it out for fall/Halloween season. The mystery and suspense wrapped up in a community who believes they've been cursed.

Notable Quotable: Douglas Adams (#176)

"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."
     --The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Notable Quotable: Rick Riordan (#175)

"Being productive. Ugh. It's such a human concept. It implies you have limited time (LOL) and have to work hard to make something happen (double LOL)."
     --The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy