The Fall Five: 2010 Edition

Every year I pick out the top 5 movies, books, events, whatever...that I am looking forward to in the fall. This year it was especially difficult to narrow things down because there is SO MUCH going on and its all so exciting! I think I have finally narrowed my list down and come up with a satisfactory final product. Remember: even if something isn't on the list, that doesn't mean I'm not excited about it.


BOOKS: I always look forward to a good read. I still have SEVERAL books in my "to-read" pile but I am slowly and surely inching my way along. My current project is to reread the last 3 Harry Potter books before the new movie comes out (don't worry...I'll talk about that later) Here are the newest additions to my "to-read" list. These haven't been released yet, but they will be before you or I know what hit us!
1. Vanished is the next novel out by my favorite writer, Kate Brian (aka Kieran Scott...look her up I'm should be connected to her blog on here!) This book comes out August 31 and let me tell you, after the shocking cliffhanger at the end of Scandal I can't wait to see what happens next! I've been holding my breath since the spring waiting for this novel! Kieran's books always make my list....at least once! Usually 2 or 3 spots are taken up by her books....and this year is no exception!

2. Book of Spells is another book by Kieran...It is another prequel to her best selling (and way awesome) series "Private." There has been one prequel already giving background on why one of the main characters goes crazy... This one is going to be even better because we finally get some questions answered that Scandal brought to my mind. What is Billings really about? Is the spirit of Billings still alive---(no not in a ghostly way...) Has the original intent of the Billings Society been manipulated and misinterpreted...and in what ways...Book of Spells is like a historical novel for Private readers....I'm really looking forward to seeing how Billings was started and why. What is the purpose of the specific rituals?

MOVIES: AHHHH! My passion! Ask anyone and they will tell you , I am a true cinephile. I love anything and everything that has to do with movies. So of course, the newest releases are a staple on my Fall Five list. I am obsessed with film! I collect DVD's and spend way too much time and money at the movie theater...and I don't discriminate either! I'll go anywhere. AMC, B&B, Dickenson, Harkins, Silver Cinemas, Tinseltown, and hopefully one day soon I will have my very first "Warren Experience!" There are so many good movies coming out. This was the hardest section for me to Narrow....but alas, I had to choose my top 2 movies to put on the list. Here is what I have come up with.

3. Duh. Of course Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be the #1 movie on my list. After all...I am a self-proclaimed Potter genius and I have no problem admitting I have an obsession. Harry Potter is my favorite everything. Book series. movie series. scene it game....I've named pets after characters from the books (my bird was Ronald Bilius Weasley Gordon). I have dressed up as characters for Halloween (Bellatrix Lestrange...complete with Dark Mark temp tattoo on my forearm.) I've flown to Minneapolis, Minnesota for an opening day showing, been to midnight movie showings and midnight book release parties. I've even taken part in a wizards duel! (using sparklers on 4th of july several years ago!) I have special edition DVD's and all the books in hardback, paperback, and audiobook format, and you can bet anytime there is a Harry Potter weekend on ABC Family, that I'll be watching. The seventh book in J.K. Rowling's best selling series, Deathly Hallows, has been divided into 2 movies (which they should have been doing all along) is hitting theaters November 19th. There is no way I won't be at a midnight showing. NO. FREAKING. WAY.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader-December 25. This series by C.S. Lewis is so great for everyone. Kids, teens, and adults alike can enjoy this series. Everyone on the planet should read it once before they die! I have all these books too...and the audiobooks. There are 7 books in all. Usually I would suggest reading books chronologically, but I am breaking my rule for this and suggest you do too. I would read 1. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. 2. Prince Caspian 3. Voyage of the Dawn Treader. 4. The Silver Chair. 5. The Horse and His Boy 6. The Magician's Nephew. 7. The Last Battle. Magician's Nephew is written as a prequel to LWW but it really doesn't make much sense if you try to read it first. When I first read the series I tried starting with MN but spend the majority of the book asking lots questions and doing a lot of googling. So READ AS-WRITTEN...NOT CHRONOLOGICALLY!!!!!! Anywho, the new movie comes out on Christmas Day! My whole family loves Narnia (or Narnicle as my dad would call it) and we always try to watch a movie on Christmas so I would be willing to bet we end up voyaging out to see this flick (unless a freak storm ruins Christmas again)

TELEVISION: If you haven't heard by now, I watch A LOT of television. Thank God for DVR because I would never be able to watch everything if I couldn't fast forward through all those commercials....

5. The final thing I am excited about this fall is the return of "normal televison." I hate that all the good shows go on hiatus during the summer months and they leave me to choose between the re-runs I've seen time and time again, or trash TV reality shows like Big Brother (which I admit I have a love/hate relationship with...it is my guilty pleasure) I miss Gossip Girl the most though. I'm about to break out my DVD's and have a catch up Party. We are gonna watch seasons 1, 2, and 3! Then Season 4 starts September 13th! (3 Days before my birthday! Expect my full wishlist to pop up on this blog sometime this week!) Rumor has it that season 4 is going to be a lot better than season 3...thank goodness...it was beginning to get a little boring. Blair loves Chuck, Chuck loves Blair, no one know, fewer care, Dan is lost withough Serena, Bart Bass dies, why won't Georgina? Lily and Rufus can't figure things out. Nate is clueless...without a doubt. And then there's skanky "Little J" I wish she would move to Hudson and stay.

And thus concludes my annual "Fall Five" list. I hope you enjoyed my little Gossip Girl poem there at the end....no actually, I hope you enjoyed the entire post...not just the poem. That is a lot to read if you only came for the poem.

-Mattie.