Veronica Mars

At the beginning of the summer, when repeat season set in, I discovered Veronica Mars. It happens every year, I spend the summer watching a show I had never noticed during the veiwing season.

Sometimes this new affection only lasts for the summer, other times I have a new show to pencil into my viewing calender come fall. This year, it's definitly the latter, in fact I've found my new favourite show.

I truly love this show. I'm passionate about it in a way I haven't been passionate about anything since 1998 and my deep Buffy the Vampire Slayer obsession. Veronica Mars is just wonderful and brilliant and I can't think of enough nice things to say about it.

My mother likes it too (which almost never happens), to the point where she's even cheering for a certain pairing. The funny part is that she and I are cheering for Veronica (the main character, obviously) to end up with different guys. She wants Logan, I want Duncan.

For those of you who haven't discovered the wonder of Veronica Mars, I'll fill you in on the basic plot of the first season, without giving away much more than is told in the pilot.

Before the show ever starts, Veronica's best friend Lilly Kane is murdered and that causes a chain of events that sets things up to be as we first see them. Veronica's father, Keith, is the former Sheriff of the town, he lost his job after Lilly's murder; Veronica is a social outcast, but before Lilly died she used to be part of the in-crowd; Veronica used to date Lilly's brother Duncan, but he broke up with her for no apparent reason days before Lilly died. Veronica's mother, Lianne, took off after Keith lost his job and hasn't been seen since. Lilly's murderer is sitting on death row, but the pieces don't fit and Veronica is sure there was a cover up.

Each episode has a mystery of it's own, but it also contains pieces of hte bigger puzzle as Veronica unravels the mystery of Lilly's murder and uncovers all kinds of secrets about the people around her.

The character's aren't perfect, any of them. The adult charachters all have plenty of flaws, as do the teens. Some of the popular characters are a little one-dimensionally dislikable, but what can you do? The main characters are great and the relationships are great.

My actual favourite character in the first season, was the deceaed Lilly Kane, shown in flashbacks and the occasional dream/fantasy sequence. Lilly is dead the entire time, but is very lifelike and likebale, as well as very human. You really get to know Lilly as the course of the season and you mourn her and want her to find justice.

There's a romantic triangle of sorts as well, or at least what looks like it will be one this season. One girl, two boys both in love of them, two best friends at that. Isn't that always fun?

I'm personally cheering for Veronica to reunite with Duncan, just because I really like them together and because I think they should at least attempt to see if it can work out. Not giving it away, they broke up for complicated reasons and their break-up was very unnatural. More like being ripped apart. Besides, in the second-last episode in the first season, the emotion between them is almost painful to watch.

Of course, my mother is actually cheering for Veronica to end up with Logan, the other probable love interest. Logan was Lilly's boyfriend, Duncan's best friend and the four of them were a close knit group, then Lilly died and Logan turned on Veronica. Logan does get nicer as the season progresses and he and Veronica hook up, but hten break-up in the finale. I'm not a huge Logan fan in general, but my mother and Taela both are (though Taela is torn over which pairing she prefers).

The second season kicks off tonight and I for one, can't wait. This is my highly anticpated season premiere, everything else pales in comparison. I'm just so looking forward to this show and I recommend it to everyone else.

The first season of Veronica Mars also comes out on DVD on September 11th, is any remotely suprised that I have every intention of buying it? I didn't think so.

New Blog

I occasionally like to share my opinion on a variety of things (sports, tv, books, etc.) and I'd been doing it on My Blog.

However, since I also use that blog for more personal things, I decided I wanted a seperate place for my random opinions on thing. Thus, I created this blog.

I moved over some old posts from my other blog and I'll slowly start posting when things occur. There's always things that interest me, so always things for me to post on.

That's it for now.

Books to Watch For--Updated

A couple of months ago, I posted my "Books to Watch For" list, with all the books that I was eagerly awaiting. In the last couple months, I've added a couple more books to the list and learnt a few added details about some of the other books I was already awaiting. So I thought an update was in order.

October 25, 2005- Undead and Unreturnable by Mary Janice Davidson.
The fourth Betsy Taylor book. One thing you have to love about Mary Janice Davidson, unlike most of the other authors on this list--she doesn't take forever to write a book. Her last Betsy Taylor book came out in July and already we're getting another one. Isn't that awesome? To be the fair, the books are shorter and fluffier than anything else on this list, but still really good and you don't have to wait forever! This one's even a Christmas book--A Christmas book about vampires, now doesn't that sound interesting?
Books 5 & 6 are slated for release in 2006 and I'll post more information on them once they have titles and such. But don't you love how fast she writes?

April 2006- A Date From Hell- Multiple Authors (including Kim Harrison and Kelley Armstrong)
This is a multi-author anthology that includes authors of two of my favorite series with two short stories from said series'. I love anthologies, I've found some great authors that way, because they were in anthologies with an authout I already loved.
This one has a new story from Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, with a new character--always fun. It also has a new story from Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, set before the series. I'm very excited about this one.

May 2006- Broken by Kelley Armstrong
The newest Women of the Other World book! This new story focuses on Elena, the main character of the first two books, not by favourite of the three narators so far in the series, but I'm sure it'll still be wonderful. One big thing about it: it's set in Toronto! Yay!

June, 2006- Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson
Of all the books on the list, this is the one I'm looking forward to. I loved Enchanted Inc. and I can't wait to read this sequel. Especially now, since she's just posted a little tidbit about it on her website. I still don't know how I'm going to last until next June, but I'll make it somehow. I hope, though I'm sure by the time it actually comes out, I will be in full-obsessive mode, counting down the days and everything.

July, 2006- Danse Macrabre by Laurell K. Hamilton

Anita Blake #13! Of course, this book is still almost a year away--but I am desperatly, eagerly looking forward to it. I love these books and I'm sure the next one will be amazing, even if it's come almost two years after the last one. I already know I will love this book. More Anita; more vampires, werewolves and other creatures; more sex, blood and death; more angst and agression; and best of all, more Jean Claude! How could any girl resist?

There you go, my updated "Books I'm Eagerly Awaiting" list. If you'll note, they're all fantasy/supernatural. Most of them contain magic, half of them contain vamprires and they all have that supernatural theme. What can I say, that's my current book taste (I think it comes from the fact that most of these were recommended by Taela).

The only unfortunate thing about this list, is that half of the books on it don't come out until next summer. Sigh. Oh, well, at least I have school to fill my time until then.