Many people think that the use of social media is diminishing the reading of books, but it's actually the opposite. Lots of books have actually reached their peak in sales because of the social media influence, and a countless number of people have discovered their love for reading for the same reason. 

The use of hashtags like “#BookTok” and “#Bookstagram” has gained popularity within their respective apps. These videos range from reviews, to theories, to recommendations. Books written in past decades, like We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, resurfaced and gained newfound popularity. According to the World Economic Forum, the sale of print books in the US increased by 9% in 2021 and reached 825.7 million, which was the highest it had been since they began tracking the data. 

Alongside books getting recognition, authors have also had an uproar in popularity. In an article published by the Gotham Writers, Author Chris Offutt states “‘One thing I’ve learned from other writers: social media has helped them get visiting writer gigs, invitations to festivals and conferences, and invitations to give readings’’ (DeMarco-Barrett).

As social media and technology usage has increased, some critics argue that media literacy has decreased. The upsurge in online reading communities suggests the opposite may be true. Social media has created an outlet for readers to share ideas, recommend books, and encourage others to engage in reading. In an article from The Campanile the interviewee, Talia Boneh, president of a book club, states  “‘I got into reading because I was seeing so many books being advertised on my social media,’ Boneh said. ‘In the summer before I entered high school, I had a breakthrough where I read one book, and then suddenly I was obsessed with reading’” (Chan). Therefore, social media can have a positive influence on reading and expose people to a hobby they never thought to enjoy before. 

“Nightingale Lane.” is the second single from RAYE following “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” that came out in October. 

Starting off the song, you hear drums, she tells the listeners, “This is a song about the greatest heartbreak I have ever known, this song is called Nightingale Lane.” After that, the guitars take the melody and accompany the background vocals, making it sound soulful. A minute into the song, she’s trying to get herself to move on from the breakup that she’s experienced, she recalls it being in South London, originally where she is from. 

The vocals when she sings, “Somebody loved me once and someday, somebody will again like the way you loved me on Nightingale Lane.” Her repeating the chorus over and over, wanting someone to love her the way she used to be loved.

Her voice becomes more powerful as the song progresses, it is no surprise that she has such a powerful voice from certain performances like “Oscar Winning Tears.” or “Escapism.” that remind people of Amy Winehouse’s singing style. 

The last few remaining lyrics, “When I drive down this road, I’m reminded, though I’ve let him go now. Right here in this ghost town, right here on this ground now, someone once loved me, and someday, someone will again.” The ending chorus is surrounded by her astonishing belt, hearing the instruments build up and up until the song comes to a close.

Her sophomore album, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE is set to come out March 27th, a month after “Nightingale Lane.”

In 2016, the headlines had The Weeknd, Rihanna, Drake, Justin Bieber, Twenty One Pilots, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, just to name a few. I will be talking about four of them that made history that year: Lady Gaga with Joanne, The Weeknd with Starboy, Rihanna with ANTI, and Bruno Mars with 24K Magic.

Lady Gaga’s last album Artpop wasn’t received well from critics, that being said, she transitioned from her heavy pop songs to a more matured Americana sound. Joanne got its name from her grandmother, taking inspiration from her. A popular song from that album was “Million Reasons” that slowly put Gaga back in the public eye.

The Weeknd’s album a year before Starboy came out had many hits, and him releasing Starboy showed how quick he was to release hit after hit. Collaborations were with Lana Del Rey, Future, Daft Punk, and Kendrick Lamar. In the following years, you heard his songs everywhere on the radio.

ANTI by Rihanna has become a favorite among her fans and people who have heard her songs in advertisements or on the radio. Known for releasing songs that you would hear at a party, ANTI came with a more mature sound, four years after Unapologetic came out. She had Drake and SZA work on two songs, collaborated with new writers and producers making this album one of a kind.

Who hasn’t heard of Bruno Mars? Every single time he releases a song, it instantly turns into a hit. 24K Magic had the title track come out as a single and “That’s What I Like”. The album won Album of The Year at the Grammys in 2018.

Movies for 2016 dominated the box office with a family favorite, Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo; Captain America: Winter Soldier, the second installment in the Captain America franchse; and Suicide Squad that plummeted the DC franchise. 

From the humor Finding Dory brought, to the comfort families had watching it, and to reminisce about Finding Nemo made it nostalgic. The original cast came back, having Ellen DeGeneres have a main character moment when her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, was still on.

Captain America: Civil War was the final installment of the Captain America franchise. The film starred Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson and many other stars. The film was praised for its action sequences, the writing, and the direction it was taking. The film was nominated 73 times and won sixteen awards. The film reached 1.1 billion dollars, making it the highest grossing movie of 2016.

Suicide Squad shaped D.C. in 2016, fans were excited to see how it would play out, but between the script and the characters, it wasn’t working well with DC fans. It’s incredible how it got greenlit for a second film. Even though the movie wasn’t that good, fans loved Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

The celebrities of 2016 were Margot Robbie, Millie Bobby Brown, Taylor Swift and Kanye West, and celebrity deaths that were Prince and David Bowie.

Margot Robbie starred in three movies that year, Suicide Squad, The Legend of Tarzan, and Foxtrot. Three years before, Robbie was in The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo Dicaprio, sending her high in Hollywood.

Millie Bobby Brown starred in Stranger Things, the first season came out that year with Brown shaving her head for the role at the age of 12. From her acting to the commitment of shaving her head, she became a fan favorite and a global sensation in a short amount of time.

Taylor Swift and Kanye West were in a feud that year that started all the way back in 2009 when Kanye interrupted her VMA speech. Kanye would later on reference Taylor in a song called “Famous” claiming he was the reason she became famous. He also released a music video featuring Taylor nude without her permission. During this, Taylor was not seen for almost two years until coming back to music in 2017. 

The same year, two icons were lost: David Bowie and Prince. They were best known for their talent and their music. David Bowie was also known for his acting. 

Now, in 2026. Those same movies, music, and celebrities are still being talked about. Taylor Swift is more popular than she has ever been before, Kanye is only talked about for controversial things, Millie Bobby Brown is now married and has a daughter, Margot Robbie is starring in Wuthering Heights, a book of the same name. Prince and David Bowie’s music was used in the last season of Stranger Things ending on New Year’s Eve. Lady Gaga released MAYHEM last year, Bruno Mars is releasing an album this year, The Weeknd just released an album and a film last year, Hurry Up, Tomorrow. Rihanna still has not released any music but has her makeup brand, FENTY thriving. The Captain America franchise is still loved. The D.C. franchise is getting a reboot from James Gunn, and the Finding Nemo franchise is not continued but loved.

The Grammys is a music event that is hosted yearly to represent and award different genres of music with the way they are written, their importance, and the impact the songs, albums, or artists has had.

The Grammys first started in 1958 and just had the 68th Grammys on February 1st. Notable artists in the 50s’ to the 70s’ won: Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Simon & Garfunkel. Artists in the 80s’ to the 00s’ are Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Foo Fighters. Recent artists include Taylor Swift, Adele, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, and Kendrick Lamar.

As the decades have gone on, fewer and fewer people have watched the Grammys. The event used to be a global phenomenon that would happen once a year, seeing icons and celebrities collaborate with one another. Now, due to changes in society from race, sexuality, or religion; viewers are more judgmental to who they “approve” of winning an award not for their approach to their genre of music, but as to what they believe in and if they have truly deserved to win.

The Grammys this year was hosted by Trevor Noah which is his last time hosting as of now. The viewership went down from the previous year only hitting 14.4 million viewers. Previous years such as 2025 had a total of 15.4 million viewers, 2024 had a total of 16.9 million viewers and 2023 had a total of a range from 12.4 to 12.6 million viewers.

Looking back a decade ago, in 2016, there were 27 million viewers. In 2015, 24.8 million viewers, In 2014, there were 28.5 million viewers, and in 2013, there were 28 million viewers. During a span of multiple years, the number of viewers dwindled from over a 10 million viewer difference. 

But what was the reason as to why those numbers were so high? Was it because of the artists that were being nominated? Or was it because people liked music more back then than they do now?

The Grammys used to be of huge importance on artists and of the music that was recognized. Now, from the change that different genres have gone through. Less recognized songwriters, musicians, and artists aren’t taken that seriously from how they present themselves. For example, take Britney Spears and Tate McRae. Britney Spears was an icon from the late 90s’ to the late 2000s’. Now with Tate McRae, she has gotten inspiration from Britney Spears with certain outfits that she has worn and ways that she has influenced her music. But Tate McRae isn’t taken that seriously because she’s trying to “replace” Britney.

This is the difference between taking inspiration from your idols or taking everything from your idol. With a lot of artists breaking through especially with the Best New Artist award, comparison is at an all time high like Lady Gaga and Chappell Roan.

Another award that is always spoken about who should win is Album of The Year. Examples like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Harry Styles. In recent years, Taylor Swift has been the only artist that has won four times. Beyonce has been talked about because of rumors that she and/or Jay Z has been paying people for her to win; and with Harry Styles, when he won Album of The Year back in 2023, fans were saying Beyonce should have won.

Even if it isn’t true, the awards are the main reason from who is nominated, less people watch. The next Grammy Awards is now going to be streamed from Disney+ and leaving CBS. The date for the 2027 Grammys has not been announced yet.

Before the album was released, Taylor Swift started a countdown on her website that would lead to a pre-order for her new album The Life of a Showgirl. She announced a release party in movie theaters titled, The Official Release Party Of A Showgirl, only available from October 3rd to October 5th, which I had the pleasure of attending. She announced multiple different variants on vinyl and CD. In New York, there was a Spotify pop-up event, teasing new lyrics and at the same time, certain songs in her discography were having certain letters capitalized showing unknown lyrics. 

The review is in order of the tracklist. The collaborators on the album were Max Martin and Shellback, who she previously worked with on reputation from 2017. 

Starting off strong with “The Fate Of Ophelia,” the song kicks off with drums, piano and, “I heard you calling on the megaphone.” The vocals were light, but powerful getting deeper into the song. By the chorus, it’s an infectious melody that will make you sing along. The story of Ophelia is from Hamlet by William Shakespeare where she goes crazy from love, “The Fate Of Ophelia” is a twist on how she was saved by love.

Next up is “Elizabeth Taylor,” based off of the late actress who was famous in the 1950s’, Swift references and compares herself throughout the song, feeling like the most ‘showgirl’ song on the album. The beatdrop throughout the album is something to look forward to in the chorus. A lyric that stood out to me was, “Be my NY when Hollywood hates me,” dealing with backlash and finding comfort.

The third track is called, “Opalite”  with lyrics about redemption and finding someone, having the feeling of the end result becoming perfect. The production feels as if it’s surrounding you, the background vocals accompanying it. The bridge is catchy, it’s happy, and it’s sweet.

The fourth track is called “Father Figure” with an interpolation of George Michael’s song with the same name. The song is powerful, raw, and cunning, showing the sides of the music industry, being the doing of taking advantage of someone and having it happen to you. This is one of my favorites on the album, showing the storytelling, and the showcase of her vocals, not to mention the key change in the bridge.

“Eldest Daughter” as Track Five. It is a recurring theme to where every Track 5 on her albums are tear-jerkers, especially from Midnights with “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “my tears ricochet” from folklore. I was disappointed with this one, it’s the longest song on the album and it felt off from the rest of it. The lyrics felt cringy, “So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire,” and random throughout the song, the only parts I liked were the bridge’s melody and her vocals. 

“Ruin The Friendship” was a song I thought would be about Travis Kelce, who is a football player for the Kansas City Chiefs. Since the two may have known each other prior before making their relationship public, Taylor may have had feelings of wanting to have their friendship become more. I was wrong. The song takes you back to her High School years, talking about a crush she had on her boy best friend. The same guy was referenced in “Forever Winter” from her 2012 album Red, after he passed away from purposeful actions. Where she was thinking was that she did not want to miss a chance at love again, and I would have thought this would be a better Track 5 since a line she sings is, “Abigail called me with the bad news, goodbye, and we’ll never know why.”

“Actually Romantic” was a song I wasn’t expecting, being a Charli XCX diss track, which was surprising. Before this song, Taylor gave no hint there was something happening between them. With electric guitars and cheeky lyrics, it lifts your spirits after the past two tracks.

“Wi$h Li$t” is a sweet song, showing different people’s wishlists and then the chorus, she tells us hers. How she wants to settle down and finally be happy. I found it repetitive and thought the song should be shortened down some.

“Wood,” I was sad because I love the production but the lyrics aren’t it. It sounds like a Sabrina Carpenter song, a worse one. The clean version is preferred.

“CANCELLED!” is scandalous and sly; between the vocals, the production, and the lyrics, you can tell it’s a song about not caring what happens to you or what happened to people you know in the public eye. 

“Honey” was Taylor’s way of twisting the use of ‘honey’ from being mean to romantic, feeling loved and grateful of how she’s being treated. The vocals are soft, sweet, it sounds like a modernized love song.

“The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter),” talking about the highs and lows of the music industry of a woman you idolize telling you not to join the industry; not wanting you to experience what they have gone through. A lyric that tells that is, “I took her pearls of wisdom, hung them from my neck, I paid my dues with every bruise, I knew what to expect.”

★★★⯪☆

“Get on the stage and I call her by her first name.” The first lyrics in the first song, the title track, of the sixth studio album by Florence + The Machine, Everybody Scream.  Releasing on Halloween Day, October 31st. Before releasing the album, she released three singles, “Everybody Scream,” “One of the Greats,” and “Sympathy Magic.” 

She worked with new and old collaborators; Mark Bowen, Aaron Dessner, Danny L Harle, and Mitski. The last album was in 2022 called Dance Fever. Everybody Scream has 12 tracks. The review is in order of the track list. The songs I’m looking forward to listening to and reviewing are “Witch Dance,” “Buckle,” “Music by Men,” and “You Can Have It All.” 

“Everybody Scream” is an indie rock song that starts with a choir until drums and electric guitars burst in. The powerful lyrics and the haunting melody is the perfect choice of a song to be a title track and to start the album off. It’s personally one of my favorite songs from her. The song tells the listener how she’s been put back onto the stage, not wanting to leave performing and singing, but also grappling with difficult choices.

The second song, “One of the Greats,” Florence’s longest song ever in her discography, shows the hardships of being a woman in a man-led field of music and talks of retirement. The song starts with an electric guitar off slowly, proceeding to build up in the full six and a half minutes. A lyric that shows the hardship and is personally an iconic lyric is, “It must be nice to be a man and make boring music just because you can.”

“Witch Dance” was shocking, fun to listen to, dance to, it captures Halloween perfectly. The tempo speeding up and down with the drums, the screams of the choir in the background, and how Florence is speaking during some parts, showing off her British accent. One of my favorites from the album.

“Sympathy Magic” starts off slow with harps, light drums, and violins. By the middle of the song when she projects her voice in the chorus, you hear loud drums, synthesizers, and harmonies from all over. It’s a pretty song, feeling somewhat magical, no pun intended from the title. A striking lyric would be, “I do not find worthiness a virtue, I no longer try to be good, it didn’t keep me safe like you told me that it would.”

“Perfume and Milk” sounds haunting, starting with low notes, having an ominous feeling. The song is a slower one compared to the first three production wise, but the vocals aren’t. The visualization throughout the song talking about nature, animals, and her surroundings gives a feeling of melancholy. A lyric showing the visuals is, “The land, it thaws and the leaves turn green, and the blue stars of snow glories with the winter jasmine.”

“Buckle” is an acoustic song, seemingly talking about the difficulties of a relationship, not turning out the way you expected. It’s a vulnerability Florence rarely shows, one of the hidden gems of the album.

“Kraken” starts off slow but gradually builds at the chorus with drums pounding over and over. The guitars create an excellent job of being in time with the lyrics and the storytelling of Florence acting like a Kraken. (A Kraken is a mythical creature which is an enormous octopus).

“The Old Religion” is a song that surprised me. I knew that Florence could sing, but the melody and the production quickly became my favorite. The chorus envelopes you with the production of the keyboard and the drums. A lyric I love in the chorus is, “I’m not afraid, oh, don’t let it find me, but you can’t outrun yourself, you’ll see, and I’m powerless, oh, don’t remind me.” The song seems to tackle self-doubt despite having ‘religion’ in the title. 

“Drink Deep,” the song isn’t my favorite due to the melody, but the lyrics are imaginary and powerful. The production is amazing.

“Music by Men” I was curious as to what the song would be about, it seems to be talking about an ex, about how he wasn’t what she expected. He was below her expectations. One of my favorites, definitely not expecting The 1975 shoutout.

“You Can Have It All,” I was getting ready for another rock inspired song since the last one was “One of the Greats.” The range she is singing and the drums makes the song such a beautifully daunting feeling.

The last song, “And Love,” started off slowly, sounding like a ballad with soft synthesizers, harps, and piano in the background. The repetition of singing “Peace is coming” with those instruments in the background gives a feeling of freedom, determination, and knowing what you want will come one day. The song is also the shortest one off of the album. 

Listening to her previous albums, I knew her vocals were amazing, but one thing I didn’t know was that Florence started taking opera training. Her voice has improved so much, making the songs shine in their own way. My only takeaway would be with some songs she would start them off with the title as the first lyric. Normally, I wouldn’t mind if it was just one song, but it happened in “The Old Religion,” “Perfume and Milk,” and “And Love.”

“There are many paths in life… and then there’s my path, where I found myself 16 and pregnant and I realized ‘I have to get a job, I have to raise a kid and being me, I have to do it all by myself.”  - Lorelai Gilmore. Gilmore Girls premiered on the WB for its first season on October 5, 2000. The show was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Before I watched this show, I always wanted to start it. My sister watched it before me, and my mom wanted to watch it. I could never get over the humor in the show, the cliches, the drama. It was a fun and chaotic watch.

  Gilmore Girls follows the story of single mom, Lorelai Gilmore, and her daughter Rory Gilmore living in Stars Hollow, Connecticut, where they meet new people, see their grandparents on the upper-rich side of town, go to a private school called Chilton, and visit the Independence Inn Lorelai runs. The show is a comedy and drama Television Series set in the 2000s. The main characters are Lorelai Gilmore, Rory Gilmore, grandparents, Emily Gilmore and Richard Gilmore, Sookie St. James, Luke Danes, Lane Kim, Michel Gerard, and Dean Forester. 

The dialogue of the characters is an important part of the show. As Emily Gilmore said and gave great advice to Rory, “You do not go running out the door when a boy honks.” The simple line shows how Emily Gilmore was raised, the rich side of town, debutante balls; the line conveys the difference of her generation and Rory’s generation, not caring about the ways a boy may open the door for a girl. 

      “Life’s short, talk fast.” The quote shows Lorelai’s humor of how she wouldn’t mind hearing stories, but only at a certain time. Due to having a kid so early in life, she could want to value the moments with Rory or anyone she may know.

  “I live in two worlds, one is a world of books.” This quote shows Rory’s relatability with being in High School liking to read. As someone who enjoys reading, maybe not as much as she does, it’s fun to compare fictional worlds to the real world. Even the books shown in Season 1 in Chilton are mostly poetry, showcasing her love for reading it and learning it.

     The visuals of Gilmore Girls through the director’s eyes show Stars Hollow, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut where Emily and Richard Gilmore live; Luke’s Diner ran by Luke Danes; The Independence Inn Lorelai works with Sookie; and Chilton where Rory Gilmore goes to school. When the show first was released, the first episode aired in October, right when Fall was starting. You can tell by the clothes, the sights of Stars Hollow and Hartford where and how it’s decorated, and the kinds of food that is being served throughout the show with Rory’s grandparents and at the Independence Inn. The visuals throughout the show are one of the main contributors to bringing fans back time and time again with the coziness of the show.

The soundtrack of Gilmore Girls is the other contributor of bringing fans to rewatch it. From the opening song, “Where You Lead” sung by Carole King and Louise Goffin, is the catchy hook that makes fans sing along, and the song definitely expresses Fall vibes. A song I sometimes listen to is, “There She Goes” by The La’s. Due to the fact, the song came out in 1990, it had the feeling of a vintage song played while walking in the park with leaves blowing around you.

After watching Season 1, it made me realize how much I value relationships with other people, especially my parents, my sister, and the rest of my family. Since, the show revolves around Rory and her life, seeing her grandparents and friends, and shows the different dynamics. It made me realize how I love spending time with the different people I know, if it’s with my sister and we’re talking about music, or it’s with my mom and we’re talking about movies, or it’s with my dad talking about cars. Season 1 was an amazing watch and I would rewatch it again in the Fall. The target audience would be anyone who would want to see a mother-daughter dynamic, see sarcastic and witty humor, and (mostly) teenagers being able to relate to Rory. A show I would compare Gilmore Girls to would be Friends. Due to how close everyone is, the similar visuals of Fall surrounding both shows, and both being in the Northern cold states. And ending on a quote that explains the show perfectly, said by Lorelai Gilmore and Rory, “It’s a lifestyle. It’s a religion.”

The 1997 film Titanic is a romanticized adaptation of a well known tragedy. Directed by James Cameron, Titanic follows the budding romance between Rose (played by Kate Winslet) and Jack (played by Leonardo Dicaprio) as they voyage to America on the ‘unsinkable’ RMS Titanic. While packed ultimately a love story, Titanic is filled with historical details regarding the actual sinking of the ship in 1912. Having heard a lot about this movie before watching, I knew I would end up crying by the end.

In the beginning, we meet Jack who wins third-class tickets onto the ship through a poker game. Rose is a first-class passenger aboard the Titanic who is engaged to a wealthy Cal Hockley, but she remains unhappy despite this. Jack and Rose meet while Rose is having a crisis at the back of the trip. Jack inspires her not to jump and possibly saves her life by doing so. Their romance grows as the voyage continues and they even talk about departing together when the time comes.

However the movie comes to an abrupt climax when the Titanic hits an iceberg. Everyone scrambles to a lifeboat, yet Jack and Rose are unable to board one and instead end up on a door in the ocean. The movie concludes with Rose, as an old woman recalling her life and looking back on the memories she made on the ship doomed to tragedy.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this movie. The way that the creator puts the collision amidst a lot of drama allows for a significant build of suspense. The extensive amount of time the movie continues even after the wreck allows for a lot of detail to be added. The time really makes you wonder how you would feel in that situation, making those tough decisions.

The acting of this movie was very good. Winslet and DiCaprio were able to show emotion to each other that really made me as a viewer feel for them. I liked the love story aspect as well as how the true story was brought to life in a fictional setting. Details such as the dogs on board as well as the truth behind the iceberg and just how fast it was before the ship was entirely underwater I felt enhanced the story greatly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. Having been to the Titanic museum weeks before I watched the movie, I was able to make connections which I believed contributed to my experience. The ending made me a lot more sad than I thought it would. Just seeing how Rose went on to live such a full life despite not even wanting her life all those years ago made me feel something. I think this movie was done beautifully. I also enjoyed looking at young Leonardo Dicaprio for three hours straight but, that is beside the point.

I give this movie a collective 5/5 rating because it was entertaining and even though it was long, I was able to sit and remain interested that whole time (which is a feat for me). It was historical, emotional and I would highly recommend it to anyone reading!

The well-known writer, Stephen King, has always been known for his thought-provoking, twisted novels. You may know him from other famous titles such as Carrie, Pet Sematary, The Shining, and many other psychological horror films or novels. In this review, we will be comparing one of Stephen King’s most iconic books, IT. This analysis will be about the 1990s miniseries directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, Stephen King’s IT, and the newer version of this, the 2017 adaptation directed by Andy Muschietti, IT (referring to only chapter one, not chapter 2). Both of these movies are performed beautifully, but they tell the story in different ways. 

First, we will start off with a quick summarization of the miniseries version. It starts off in the setting of Derry, Maine; this place may seem normal, but it is far from it. This is also the home to a supernatural alien that feeds off of the fear of people (mostly children). This entity usually takes the form of Pennywise: the dancing clown. The main characters are in a group called the Loser Club that they formed when they were 13 and when they first had their encounter with Pennywise. In the beginning of the movie, one of the members, Mike Hanlon, of their club starts to call the other 6 members (Bill Denbrough, Stan Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak, Beverly Marsh, Ben Hanscome, and Richie Tozier) one by one to warn them about how they needed to come back to Derry to defeat It after he just found a picture of Bill’s dead younger brother, Georgie, who dies by the hand of It. As the members get their calls, you see a flashback that makes them remember horrific things that have happened in Derry. These flashbacks all have some sort of correlation with It, which reminds them of their pact when they were kids. When they were kids they all teamed up against It to defeat this monster. They made this pact in case It was not actually dead. Once they all reunite, they go to defeat It one last time. They soon begin to realise that in order to defeat this entity, they have to confront their own scars, so they have nothing to fear. In this whole movie, you see very little blood but no graphic scenes in this miniseries.

Second, we will now talk about the 2017 adaptation. It starts off at 13-year-old Bill Denbrough, the leader of the Loser Club, and his little brother at his house. In the opening scene, Georgie dies in a very gruesome, graphic way that is very detailed. In this version, the members of the Loser club are all 13, and foreshadows a little bit towards what happens in It: Chapter Two. It goes into deeper detail about the town, the Loser club members, how they got their club name, and so much more. They really go into themes that kids have to deal/dealt with in their childhoods. Each member of the Loser’s club seemed to resemble a theme that causes trauma (abuse, overprotectiveness, ect). In this movie, personally, I think they had better acting skills from the way they read their lines to the look of terror on their faces. Overall, this movie is a very gory and twisted horror movie.

In both movies, they had a supernatural creature that could turn into anyone's worst fear but mostly took the identity of a clown. But there are some major differences on how these “clowns” act in their movies. In the TV miniseries, Tim Curry played as It and stayed in the form of Pennywise the most throughout this series. His character took more of the role of the classic “fun” clown you would see at a balloon party or a circus. In the 2017 movie, Bill Skarsgård also portrayed it. His character took on more of a dark, depressed clown that gave you eerie vibes as soon as you saw him and his outfit. The difference between these two amazing actors is that Tim Curry seemed to have a more friendly outfit and persona unlike Bill Skarsgård who took on a more unsettling look for his costume. Which I think also points out how with the miniseries, it's more kid-friendly while still being a horror. With the 2017 version, it’s more uncanny and dark.

Overall, these are both amazing works of art and both should be watched. My personal favorite is the 2017 version only because I prefer the gore and the more physiological themes. If you want to watch the movie version of Stephen King’s IT, then I would recommend the miniseries since it does portray all the main concepts while leaving out the graphic parts. If I had to rage these I would rate the miniseries a B+ just because I prefer the detailed, gory parts. I would rate the 2017 version an A + because the gore is there, the scare factor, it touches on deeper meanings, and much more.

“Ever had your life ruined by someone with the last name Hawthorne?” (Barnes 21). This is a quote from the brainteasing novel The Inheritance Games, written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and published September 1, 2020. This book has an overall rating of 4.1 stars on Goodreads.

The story starts with meeting our main character, Avery Grambs. She has nothing but herself, her older half-sister, her best friend, and a dead end job. A billionaire, known by the name Tobias Hawthorne, dies and her presence is needed for the reading of the will. We then go on to meet his four grandsons, Nash, Jameson, Grayson, and Alexander (aka Xander) Hawthorne. From here, we follow Avery as she tries to manage inheriting all this money, and having to live in Hawthorne house which was a stipulation for the inheritance. All while having to stay with the people who feel wronged by the will, and trying to figure out the old man's game. 

This novel is told from a 1st person point of view, and we are reading through the lenses of Avery Grambs. It's composed of primarily shorter chapters, around 3.5 to 5 pages long, which is a personal preference as longer chapters tend to bore me. The text can get kind of confusing when a puzzle is being explained, which was a huge inconvenience for me. Barnes’ word choice in this novel was some of the best I have read, aside from some of Maxine Liu’s dialogue since it caused me to cringe slightly. The writing style as a whole was generally okay, minus the confusing riddles and the lines that can give everyone second hand embarrassment. 

The characters are one of the most debated parts of this book. Some reviewers call Avery “annoying” or “flat”, while others called her “that girl” or “iconic”. I personally find myself with a mixed opinion on her. Avery’s overall development was good, and I enjoyed seeing her get comfortable with solving riddles and being in Hawthorne house. On the other hand, she reminds me of Isabel Conklin from The Summer I Turned Pretty with her love triangle with two brothers.

The Hawthorne Brothers were given their roles right when we met them. Nash was the typical wise older brother who didn’t care about the money, Jameson was rebelling, never taking anything serious, Grayson was called the “heir apparent” because he was the serious one, and Xander's only major personality trait was being the youngest brother. Nash’s development was one that I really enjoyed. Seeing him opening up more to the puzzles, and being protective of Avery and Libby was a genuine highlight of the book to me. Jameson started out as a character I was really unsure about, but turned out to be one of the better ones. Grayson was a character that was made out to seem very stoic, and sure that's still seen throughout the series, but he was openly vulnerable to Avery which was a tad predictable but not the worst development he could have had. Xander is arguably the best character in this whole book. His character provides amazing comedic relief and an overall lighthearted feel to the story. As far as development goes, I didn’t really recognize much of it throughout this book. 

Jennifer Lynn Barnes does a phenomenal job at world building. The descriptions she gives of Hawthorne House and the surrounding area makes it feel as if you are standing in it yourself. It allows the reader to feel deeply emerged while the characters are running around solving riddles. She details every inch of the house, from the bowling alley to the grounds that surround it. One thing I did find tricky to understand was when she was mentioning the secret passages. It would get confusing trying to understand where exactly a character entered, and where they ended up. Overall, I found the worldbuilding to be really immersive and allowed me to visualize the places the characters went very easily. 

As a whole, I found The Inheritance Games to be a very intriguing and pleasant read. It's similar to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart since it deals with a wealthy family, scandals, and an insane plot twist. I would recommend this young adult novel to anyone who is a fan of mystery, and even romance. Both genres are featured in this book, and series, heavily. I would give this book 4.5/5 stars. 

The newest Superman movie came out July 11. 2025, and was directed by James Gunn. This movie follows the well known story of Clark Kent also known as DC character Superman played by David Corenswet. This movie captures the essence of Superman's character and true morals in a way that captivates the audience on a deep emotional level. 

This movie is action packed and full of adventure and thrill like no other. The movie Superman, although extremely exciting, portrays a deep connection to the reality of our world using cinema as a tool for symbolism. In several key moments throughout the movie multiple different characters mention how Clark Kent from Krypton is an outsider to the rest of the world due to where he was born.

 Certain characters even go as far as to push the moral line to protest his involvement in the new world that he lives in. The character Lex Luthor played by Nicholas Hoult states “ I can’t stand the metahumans, but he is so much worse Superman he is not a man he is an it”. This quote captures villain Lex Luthor's pure hatred for someone who is different then him. Luthor does not even see Superman as a person due to where he is from and that is what ignites the flame that represents the hate in Luthor's heart.  

As the movie continues Superman does not only fight battles against man-eating monsters but also fights the backlash of trying to start a new life in a cruel unwelcoming world. The switch in humanity's view on him as soon as rumors or phrases of threat are spread represents how easy it is to manipulate society's view on innocent people. 

While this movie is very entertaining it is more so eye opening to the matters of hate that real world people receive for looking different or speaking different than others in a world that has become obsessed with everyone functioning the same. Real world people fight wars that are even too hard for superman, a man of steel, to face on his own. Another quote from character Lex Luthor is “ My envy is a calling, it is the sole hope for humanity, because it is what has driven me to annihilate you” This quote is a significant reflection of society and how ignorance can drive someone to push hate on people who are trying to better themselves. Being unaware or conditioned to hate something or someone different then you leads people to ostracize those who would be welcoming if roles were reversed. 

This movie highlights the struggle that real world people go through in a way that most cannot ignore. Another miraculous yet simple quote from this astonishing movie is stated from superman himself “ I am as human as anyone”. This could possibly be one of the best quotes from the movie solely because of the absolute demonstration of humanity shown from a super hero with very few weaknesses. 

Superman is meant to represent all of us. We are all human and should all be treated as such without facing repercussions for trying to heal themselves and their families. This movie pushes for the cause of equality and uses fans' favorite hero to exemplify this point onto society in a way that should enlighten viewers to real world issues. 

The character foil between Lex Luthor and Superman creates symbolism for our world between people of hate and people of hope. This resemblance should be a main focus point when fans are heading out to theaters to watch this new movie. 

Towards the end of the movie a clip of the American flag is portrayed as the main focus point of this scene. This represents how no matter who you are or what you do everyone strives for freedom and the feeling of resilience that should be associated with the true American name.  America is not only for people who are just like everyone else or are from the same place as everyone else but for people who strive to make a change no matter if it is for themselves like so many hard working people or for the entire world just like Superman.

The flag is left as a reminder to viewers that the main goal for all of us is freedom, independence, equality. And a mission for a second chance that is exactly what superman stands for. The movie Superman is about so much more than just a hero from krypton it is meant to symbolize equality and work as a beacon of hope to all who are fighting for the same chances as everyone else.

** Before watching this movie to fully understand the character plots, you would need to watch Ant Man and the Wasp, Black Widow, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. They are listed in chronological order. It is not a need, but it would help. **

The first words that came to mind watching Thunderbolts* was bold and complex. Thunderbolts* released on May 2, 2025 and was directed by Jake Schreier.

The lead actors and actresses in this movie are Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Harbour, Hannah John-Karmen, Wyatt Russell, and Sebastian Stan. I had high hopes that it was going to be a good watch and my expectations were met. 

Going into this, my predictions for the movie were that I would enjoy it, have a few laughs, and I would have a good time watching it. The trailer showed what any superhero movie would, saving the day against an all-mighty supervillain. The only difference was that this team of ‘superheroes’ was a group of misfits banded together to survive. Yelena Belova - a trained assassin being the leader, Alexiei Shostakov, or ‘Red Guardian’, Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, John Walker, the ‘infamous’ Captain America, Ava Starr, or Ghost, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine being their ‘boss’, and a new character, Robert Reynolds, or Bob. From the start of the movie, it showed that it would be a science fiction and action film. What I didn’t know about the movie was how emotional it was without making it the whole plot. The first few scenes of the movie show Yelena, who is dealing with issues from her past. A quote that shows her willingness and perseverance is, “Even if it doesn’t make the darkness go away, it will make it better.” As someone who thought Yelena was a good character in her debut in Black Widow, the line was impactful and deep. The line foreshadows how the tone of the movie is going to be moving forward. 

The first detail that stood out to me was the pacing of the movie, it wasn’t too slow or too fast. It had humor where it needed to be and serious parts when necessary. It didn’t stay too long on characters that we’ve seen before. Something referred to a lot in the movie was a soccer team Yelena was on as a kid, the West Chesapeake Valley Thunderbolts. We learned that she was the goalie and the ‘heart of the team’. As she continued to play, she would take care of everyone, even for their faults. The referred soccer team throughout the movie was an analogy showing how Yelena was the heart of her new team, the Thunderbolts. How, in this case, she would have their backs even after they didn’t get along. 

The second detail that stood out to me was the cinematography. From the start of the movie, you can see the director making sure this movie has dark tones; monochromatic shades. He makes shadows stand out, the different lighting; it all goes with the theme of the movie as the direction of it gets gradually darker. I especially loved the different costumes and how they stood out amongst the backdrop of New York City. 

The third and final detail that stood out to me was the score. I would find myself rewinding the movie to hear the instruments of how it made the scene sound. The composer understood the assignment of a dark anti-hero film. How there would be crescendos and climaxes when a scene would build up, it would create suspense and thrill, not knowing what would happen next.

After the movie was done, I was content with what I saw. It made me want to watch it over and over and see the characters. This movie was the most genuine Marvel has been in awhile since Avengers: Endgame. The movie talked about serious topics on mental health, showing characters being unpleasant in their daily life; having fans able to relate in some ways. A fact I didn’t know was that the movie was released during Mental Health Awareness Month. I thought that was important considering it isn’t an easy topic. The people who would be the target audience for this wouldn’t only be Marvel fans, it can be for someone who wants to enjoy a few laughs, shed some tears, and smile at some of the goofiness in the characters.  A movie that would be most similar to Thunderbolts* would be Avengers. In both movies, they are a team of heroes, or in Thunderbolts*, ‘villains’. But, they both have the same motivation - to save the world. They are both shown as a team, working through some problems, they both have humor, and some emotional scenes; especially Thunderbolts*. The message that Thunderbolts* is summarizing is you aren’t alone, no matter who you are.