Favorite Childhood Movies

Recently I came across The Baby-Sitter’s Club movie on Netflix and had no choice but to watch it. Ah, the memories. So I decided it would be fun to take a look at the movies from my childhood that I remember most fondly. I tried to limit my picks to ten, but the list took on a life of its own, but I had enough self-control to cut myself off at fifteen. I must add that I experienced a good amount of nostalgia while making this list.

1. The Baby-Sitter’s Club

I remember being so happy when my grandma bought me this. And yes, even then I knew the relationship between Stacey and Luca was totally inappropriate.

2. Harriet the Spy

I actually own this movie and still love it. Harriet just got me like no other protagonist. I practically was her. I even bought those notebooks. I still buy them.

 

3. 3 Ninjas

My younger brother and I loved to watch this movie so much, I can’t count the number of times we watched it. Colt was my favorite. What can I say, I was always drawn to the troubled kid.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I fear the remake. Favorite ninja turtle: Rafael, of course, he had a lot of anger in him and it just made my little heart swell.

 

5. The Sandlot

Whenever I need an instant dose of nostalgia, I look no further than The Sandlot. This movie is a classic through and through. You’re killing me, Smalls.

6. The Mighty Ducks

This is a great movie, and even though I say that about all these movies, I really mean this is a great movie. I feel inspired just thinking about it.

 

7. Now and Then

A movie focused on a group of girlfriends. Some eager to grow up, others hoping to stay a kid. I think I wore out the VHS tape this was on.

8. The Lion King
You will never convince me that there is a greater Disney movie.

 

 

9. Tom and Huck

Because my list would not be complete without a JTT movie. I had a friend who kept a picture of him under her pillow and she’d kiss it every night before bed.

10. Hocus Pocus

This movie usually comes on television around Halloween and I always end up watching it. Binx was my favorite, of course.

 

11. A Little Princess

Every little girl needs to watch this movie because every girl should know she’s a princess. That scene near the end when Sara’s shouting for her papa and being pulled away…it gets me every time.

12. The Secret Garden

I always thought Mary was a bit of a brat, but this movie had its own brand of magic.

 

13. Casper

Can I keep you?

 

 

14. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

I played this with my neighbors all the time. Excuse me while I morph. Sabertooth Tiger.

 

15. Matilda

Because after seeing this movie I closed my eyes and tried to move objects with my mind.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you see any of your childhood favorites on my list? Share your favorites in the comment section.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books to Read If You Like Veronica Mars

Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week bloggers will list the Top Ten Books If You Like X tv show/movie/comic/play etc…(basically any sort of other entertainment). So this week I’ll be recommending books based on my love for the incomparable Veronica Mars.

“Veronica Mars is…smarter than me.”

“Oh you, stop it.”

Top Ten Books to Read If You Like Veronica Mars:

(In no particular order)

1. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Class division plays a prominent role in the VM series and there’s no better commentary than The Outsiders. And the pilot references this classic: Be cool, Sodapop.

2. Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter

I’m pretty sure Veronica would make a great spy and here we got a whole school for spies in training.

3. The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew, #1) by Carolyn Keene

One word: sleuthing.

4. Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance

A cross between Pride and Prejudice and Veronica Mars, two of my favorite things in all the world.

5. Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Because snarky protagonists just do it better and sometimes, you root for the bad boy.

6. Shug by Jenny Han

A lesser known aspect of Veronica Mars is her relationship with her alcoholic mother, something Annemarie can understand.

7. The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer

There’s nothing like a murder mystery that just begs to be solved.

8. Hemlock (Hemlock, #1) by Kathleen Peacock

Living with the constant reminder of your best friend’s murder? Mac can relate.

9. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rape is a consistent theme throughout the Veronica Mars series and a topic few authors are brave enough to take on.

10. The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars, #1) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Because can you really have too much Veronica Mars?

Any books you’d add to my list? What topic did you choose this week?

Once Upon a Time: Captain Swan

Why I believe in Captain Swan:

I love fairy tales. I love stories of true love and happily-ever-afters. I root for the couple who has overcome obstacles and found each other at the end of the journey.

These are good enough reasons to believe in Emma and Neal. I could get on board and it would be simple to follow the obvious formula. Emma and Neal had Henry, surely seeing the three of them together is the happily-ever-after we all expect. It’s good enough.

But then came Hook. Arrogant, vengeful, eye-roll worthy Hook. Could it be that Neal isn’t the one for Emma? Could this one-handed swashbuckler be in fact better for her? I have come to the conclusion that yes, yes he can.

At the end of the episode Good Form Pan visits Hook and tells him that Neal is in fact alive and in Neverland. Hook is faced with a decision: he could withhold this truth and continue trying to woo Emma or he could share this fact and risk reuniting her with the former love of her life. We expect Hook to hold on to this secret, after all he is a pirate (as Emma points out later). But Hook does the very thing you’d hoped he’d do, the honorable thing, the act that cemented my allegiance to Hook and by extension Captain Swan.

I cannot help but see how good Emma is for Hook. His unwavering belief in her has changed him. After all he came back with the magic bean because of what she said to him. He saved David because he cares for Emma. She is why he is able to let go of his first love and the pernicious quest for revenge. In short she brings out the hero in Hook, a hero we know exists inside because he chose Neal over the easy path. When around Emma, he becomes a man of honor. In Dark Hollow Hook makes it very clear, “When I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it. It won’t be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me.” This is no longer a frivolous flirtation. This is a man who has fallen for our dear Emma and it has changed him or perhaps it is more accurate to say she is the path that has led him closer to reclaiming the person he once was.

I also believe that Hook is good for Emma. Our heroine is well-acquainted with people disappointing her. Forget whether their motives justify their actions, Emma’s parents and Neal have all disappointed her. This is why Emma is so self-reliant and why she is so guarded. Hook has yet to disappoint Emma, in fact he surprises her by not disappointing her and challenges her expectations of him. Furthermore, Hook tells her in Dark Hollow, “I’ve yet to see you fail and when you do succeed, well that’s when the fun begins.” His steadfast faith takes her by surprise. Emma needs someone like this in her life. And am I the only one who notices how still Emma gets when Hook talks to her? It is as though she is hypnotized.

I’ve tried my best to avoid bringing Neal up too much in this conversation because I want to show that Hook is good for Emma and not just a good alternative. But I have to point out Emma’s confession in Echo Cave where she admits that she wished news that Neal was alive wasn’t true. Emma sees Neal through a lens of love and heartache. It is impossible for her to separate these feelings from each other. A big reason why she is the person she is today is because Neal abandoned her all those years ago, her worldview is built around being disappointed. To ask Emma to forget her past and the pain she felt is like asking Emma to forget herself. Hook offers something new for Emma. She doesn’t have to forget a part of herself in order to be with him.

And let’s not forget Hook’s utterance of the famous line, “As you wish.” Those three words alone are almost enough to ship Captain Swan with vigor.

When I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it. It won’t be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me. – See more at: http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/shows/once-upon-a-time/#sthash.0eQOvViF.dpuf

When I win your heart Emma, and I will win it. It won’t be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me. – See more at: http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/shows/once-upon-a-time/#sthash.0eQOvViF.dpuf