Hi it's me, the person who is still playing catch up. In some ways it's a good thing that my reading has slowed down just a little because it might just give me some time to finally get on top of things... mmm somehow we just all know that that is probably never going to happen.
Writing is still taking up a big chunk of my time along with fitting in my daily walk and some gardening (despite the very up and down weather) plus of course all the watching. Which of course just all means that doing blog posts and some actually reading of books instead of fanfic - because yeah that's going on to too - is being squeezed into what gap in time I can find. Multitasking has never looked so good.
Chick lit and romance are first up though The Songs of Us become a lot more serious as it went on which is kind of not what you expect from a chick lit novel. It was still good just unexpected in the direction it went.
With crime novels I generally have some idea of where they are headed though I love reading ones that completely surprise me. This time round I finished off a another series that I've been working through... or at least I thought I had. I've now found out there are another 2 books following on. Which is at least another thing to look forward to.
After that it was two very similar books (totally untended) surrounding the mysterious death of the main character's boyfriend and then finally a book that I had been wanting to read for ages - The Quiet at the End of the World - a sci-fi YA which was did not disappoint.
Trying to find a sci-fi that I like is always a challenge. So many of them end up being disappointing so it was nice to read one that didn't for a change. Unlike Slayer by Kiersten White which just didn't do anything for me and which I ended up skimming through just to see how it ended. I'll probably just stick to watching Buffy instead in the future rather than read a book that tries to copy it and fails - at least for me.
I'm still watching...
Season 3 Episode 6: Band Candy
Giles unleashes his bad boy Ripper persona when he and all the other 'adult's suddenly start acting like their teenage self.
It's up to Buffy to figure out what's going on and also try and keep her mom and Ripper apart. Because Joyce like so many of us loves a bad boy.
Personally I would have left them as they were because Ripper Giles is totally hot.
Fav Quote: Buffy: "Something's weird." Oz: "Something's not?"
Fashion: Buffy's hair is still got the sunkiss blonde highlights thing going on. Meanwhile Giles manages to make smoking look all kinds of hot.
Body Count: 1
Season 3 Episode 7: Revelations
Faith gets a new watcher, a very sooty and snarky Miss Post who quickly tries to put everyone in their place.
Meanwhile Buffy is secretly helping Angel heal, Willow and Xander are indulging in their own secret make-out sessions and there's a dangerous glove that imbues the wearer with special powers.
You just know it's all going to crap.
Someone should seriously put warnings on all these supernatural objects that are just laying around.
Fav Quote: Giles: That was bracing.
Buffy: Interesting lady. Can we kill her?
Giles: I think the Council might frown upon that.
Fashion: The blonde highlights are I think growing on me. I love Buffy's black camouflage look especially the beanie. Very stealthy and blending in the dark vibe going on there.
Body Count: 1
Season 3 Episode 8: Lovers Walk
Spike is back in town, depressed and out for revenge, blaming Buffy and Angel for his breakup with Druscilla.
Love sucks and Spike's re-appearance is about to make everyone realise this.
Fav Quote: Spike: I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.
Fashion: The cardigan look is back.
Body Count: 1
Season 3 Episode 9: The Wish
Angry and hurt by Xander's betrayal Cordelia gains the attention of a vengeance demon who grants her one wish. Suddenly Cordelia is in a Sunnydale where vampires rule and everyone else just tries to stay alive. Where on Earth is a Slayer when you need one?
Fav Quote: Buffy: I don't play well with others. Now, I'm gonna ask you this once, and then I'm gonna get testy.
Fashion: The whole leather look of Vamp Willow and Vamp Xander is seriously on point.
Body Count: Pretty much everyone in the alternate universe but hey Giles was still alive so I'm happy
Season 3 Episode 10: Amends
It's Christmas time and everyone is preparing for the holiday season. Meanwhile Angel is being haunted by all the people he has killed. Is he going insane or is there something else going on?
Can you just tear out my heart and stomp on why don't you. Because yeah this episode so totally angsty.
Note: This is one of those Christmas that I watch every year (along with the Supernatural Christmas episode and Frasier Christmas episodes).
Fav Quote: Xander: Angel? Weird? What are the odds?
Fashion: OMG someone butchered Buffy's hair and made her fringe so short that it looks weird. Even weirder it changes back to its old look half way through the episode. Huh???
Blue shirt Giles is back. And I'm just a swoony puddle on the floor.
Body Count: 0
Watching all the things is still getting in the way of all my posting. Only this time I'm not just watching Buffy but Angel too and I've started Downton Abbey right from the very beginning. So in case you were wondering what I was doing well there was that. There was or should say is some serious writing going on as well. Suddenly the brain is on fire and in the space of just 2 weeks I've written over 5000 words.
I know right? I'm not sure how that happened either. Well just have to see if it keeps up at this pace.
All of this means that my reading has seriously slowed down. Which might not necessarily be a bad thing, though I'm pretty sure my To Be Read pile doesn't think so and will no doubt go on mutiny and barricade me in my room or something.
In the meantime I can at least catch up with some blog posts...
I just loved these first two reads which were so totally me in every way. The covers are pretty also which always helps I find.
After swooning over beachy reads it was time for the crime.
Sorry bad pun very much not intended.
Two by Robert Bryndza who I haven't read before and which I very much liked which of course gives me yet another series and author to follow. That To Be Read pile really isn't going to go down anytime soon is it?
Then another book by an author I have read before and once again enjoyed.
With all the chick lit and crime I broke completely away and dived into the world of graphic novels. I enjoyed my previous one so much that I hunted some more out. Quite a few were duds. So much so that I didn't even bother going beyond the first few pages but these three were ones that I did like.
I'm not a big superhero fan but I liked the art work and the grittier story line in these.
Two seasons down, only five more to go. Overall what did we learn from season 2, well...
- Dunagrees for the win
- Miss Calendar and Giles were totally cute as a couple
- Spike and Giles make the best bad boys. And very swoon worthy with it.
- Oz is the coolest, most laid back guy on the planet.
- Birthdays suck
- Dating really is the worse
- Xander is a bit of a jealous jerk and not just about Cordelia.
- Buffy's mom is probably the most clueless parent on the planet
Writing wise this season had a lot more going for it though there was still the odd dud (Some Assembly Required and Go Fish). On the plus side though we had Halloween, The Dark Age, Surprise and Innocence, Passion and Becoming 1 and 2 which were my favourites from this season.
On a side note the fight scenes are really good but amazingly you can tell that it's a stunt double doing the fighting which is jarring at times. Something I had never noticed before but definitely did this time round.
It's going to be interesting to see how things go in season 3.
Season 3 Episode 1: Anne
Trying to put the events of season 2 behind her Buffy is now in LA working as a waitress and doing her best to lay low. Naturally of course the supernatural world isn't going to just go away and soon Buffy finds herself in another dimension and fighting off demons.
Being a teen with fighting powers really does suck.
Fav Quote: Willow: Well, we try not to get killed. That's part of our whole mission statement. 'Don't get killed.'
Fashion: There's not much going on in the fashion stakes but Buffy's pigtails are seriously cute. She's also changed her hair colour to a more sunkiss kind of blond. I'm not sure if I like it or not.
Body Count: 2 (neither are from Sunnydale though)
Season 3 Episode 2: Dead Man's Party
Buffy is back in Sunnydale and trying once more to move on with her life. Unfortunately her friends and her mom aren't all that forgiving of her running away and leaving them behind to cope.
Solution? Let's throw a party and pretend it never happened.
And that's another idea to go down in the worse idea ever book, especially when said party turns into the night of the undead and everyone is left fighting for their lives.
Fav Quote: Giles: Unbelievable. 'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead!' Americans.
Fashion: Buffy's pink and red party dress is super girly and feminine and very me.
Body Count: 6 at least and possibly more. It's pretty much a massacre.
Season 3 Episode 3: Faith, Hope & Trick
Faith, the new slayer in town, arrives with a bad attitude and an even trashier wardrobe and is out to cause mayhem.
Meanwhile Buffy might actually have a date with a normal boy. Wonders will never cease.
Fav Quote: Buffy: Date and shop and hang out and go to school and save the world from
unspeakable demons. You know, I wanna do girlie stuff!
Fashion: Buffy's feminine look continues with 3 very pretty floral dresses. Has the short short skirt/dress look finally gone? *cross fingers*. Her lipstick/lipgloss is also very on point.
Body Count: 3
Season 3 Episode 4: Beauty and the Beasts
A brutal death occurs - Shock! Horror! (really you would think that everyone is use to it by now considering how many there are in this town) and it's up to Buffy and the gang to figure out who or what is the killer.
Not unsurprisingly the list of suspects is long... and weird. Could it be Oz the werewolf boy whose escaped from his cage? Or is Angel who is back from the dead while still being dead (I know, it's confusing) and really not himself? Or could it possibly be someone else?
Buffy Girl Detective is on the case.
Fav Quote: Oz: “I may be a cold-blooded jelly donut, but my timing’s impeccable.”
Fashion: More femininity with pretty pastel colours and hair clips. I'm totally loving this whole new look for Buffy. Giles also rocks the shirt, tie and waistcoat look. Very dapper and rather sexy.
Body Count: 4
Season 3 Episode 5: Homecoming
Sometimes you just want to be a normal girl. Date, have friends, kill vampires and be the homecoming queen. Is it really too much to ask?
Probably considering this is Sunnydale after all.
Fav Quote: Giles: I suspect the, uh, finger food contains... actual fingers.
Fashion: Girly looks galore, and there are now even cardigans. Can I just have Buffy's entire wardrobe from this season. Please and thank you.
Body Count: 0
And we're at the end of season 2. Excuse me while I'll go off sobbing into a corner.
Season 2 Episode 19: I Only Have Eyes For You
As if going to Sunnydale High isn't all ready bad enough now the school is being haunted by a pissed off ghost.
Giles, still mourning the death of the woman he loved, begins to think that it might be her, trying to communicate from the after life. Buffy and the gang though think that it's something a lot more serious and soon Buffy and Angelus find themselves compelled to reenact a ghostly tragedy of desperate love.
Fav Quote: Xander: "'Something weird is going on.' Isn't
that our school motto?"
Fashion: Nothing really memorable so can we just talk about how awesome Spike's look has been the entire season. Long black leather coat, red shirt and the slicked back blonde hair. Totally works in every way.
Body Count: 1 teacher
Season 2 Episode 20: Go Fish
It's the fish episode.
Or the one where Xander goes undercover and joins the swim team in an effort to help Buffy find out who... or what is eating the team members, leaving behind just their skins.
Unfortunately Xander might have more to worry about than whether something is going to eat him...
Fav Quote: Buffy: "So something ripped him open and ate out
his insides?"
Willow: "Like an Oreo cookie.
Well, except for, you know... without the chocolatey cookie goodness."
Fashion: Blue again seems to be the theme. A sort of royal blue this time with Giles's shirt and Buffy's simple v neck top. Gorgeous colour.
Body Count: 2 Sunnydale High staff
Season 2 Episode 21: Becoming Part 1
Flashbacks reveal how Angelus/Angel come into being just as Willow and Buffy find the spell that will restore his soul.
Angelus though has other plans...
Fav Quote: Cordelia: How about because you're a tiny, impotent Nazi with a bug up his butt the size of an emu?
Buffy: Sums it up.
Fashion: Buffy wears her hair up for a lot of this episode. It's sort of chignon thingy held up with what look like pencils and some loose side bangs that just soften the whole thing.
Body Count: 3
Season 2 Episode 22: Becoming Part 2
Carrying on from where the previous episode left off Angelus's path of death and destruction has left Willow in hospital, Giles his prisoner and Buffy on the run from the police. Just when it looks like things can't get worse Spike shows with info about Angelus's real plan and a proposition for The Slayer.
In the end Buffy is left facing the choice of making the ultimate sacrifice.
Fav Quote: Spike: The truth is, I like this world.
You've got... dog racing, Manchester United. And you've got people.
Billions of people walking around like Happy Meals with legs. It's all
right here.
Fashion: With everything that is happening in these last two episodes it's kind of hard to concentrate of the fashion aspect. Buffy though rocks the black beanie in her undercover incognito look so there is that.
Body Count: 1
Witches, Werewolves and heartbreak is what it's all about in this post and I'm suffering a serious case of wanting to give Giles a hug.
Season 2 Episode 15: Phases
And the Sunnydale dating curse strikes again when the Slayer and the Slayerettes find out that Willow's boyfriend Oz is a werewolf and there's a hunter in town determined to add yet another Werewolf kill to his tally.
It's hard enough running around in the woods trying to stop the hunter but with the full moon looming they also have to contend with one very hairy werewolf who has a serious case of bite me.
Fav Quote: Willow: Great. I'll give Xander a call. What's his number? Oh, yeah, 1- 800-I'm-Dating-A-Skanky-Ho.
Fashion: Giles is still rockin' the sweater vest and tie look while Willow is happily flaunting her yellow happy face pack back.
Body Count: 1
Season 2 Episode 16: Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
It's Valentine's Day and Xander and Cordelia's romance hits the skids when Cordelia dumps him on the big night due to being worried about dating him and losing her 'popular' girl status.
Xander, naturally of course, doesn't take his dumping well and in a mad scheme of revenge gets Amy the witch to put a love spell on Cordelia. Only thing is it makes every women in a 100 mile radius suddenly desperate to be Xander's one true love, even if it means killing him and everyone other woman to prove their love.
Personally I would have just gone with the time honoured tradition of eating my weight in ice cream and chocolate while crying over sad movies.
Fav Quote: Drusilla: How do you feel about eternal life?
Xander: We couldn't just start with a coffee? A movie, maybe?
Fashion: It's the blue shirt brigade with both Xander and Giles looking mighty swoony. Xander also wears black again and can I just say that whoever in charge of his wardrobe for this episode should totally dress him all the time. On the other side what the hell was Buffy thinking? Short short leopard skirt, v neck black top and messy blonde hair made her look like a 1970s barmaid at some divey bar.
Body Count: 1
Season 2 Episode 17: Passion
Angelus continues his torment of Buffy by stalking her and friends and freaking them out with the 'love' tokens he leaves behind. Meanwhile Miss Calendar is trying to make amends for betraying them all and is working on a spell to restore Angelus's soul.
Angelus though has other plans and I'm left a sobbing mess as he shows them what passion is really about.
Can we just have a hug now?
Note: The filming of this episode is just so spot on especially the emotional scenes and Anthony Head's (aka Giles) just nails it in every way.
Fav Quote: Angelus: Passion is the source of our finest moments: the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief.
Fashion: And the 1970s barmaid look continues - this time with a tiger striped top and white pants. Just no on all accounts.
Body Count: 3 residents of Sunnydale and 1 teacher
Season 2 Episode 18: Killed By Death
Buffy falls ill with a serious case of the flu and ends up in the one place she truly fears... hospital. But even a sick Slayer is never off duty as she finds herself battling a monster that only kids can see.
Is it all a hallucination? Is there really something lurking the halls and killing children?
Fav Quote: Buffy: I'll check Backer's office. See if I can find any post-its marked, "Why a monster might want me dead."
Fashion: As it mostly takes place inside a hospital there's not much going on in the fashion stakes. I'll just keep on swooning over Giles and his glasses. Okay?
Body Count: 1 doctor
