TV Shows That Are Definitely Worthwhile

Hey! So I spend 97% of my time on here discussing books, and so I should, because, well, it is a book blog. But we can't all be super-readers chewing through 500-page fantasy epics all the time, and so I thought today I'd write up a post about TV shows I've enjoyed over the past year and a bit, in between this post and my last TV shows post.

TV shows are a great way to just chill out after an exhausting day. I often watch a few episodes of something before I go to bed and read. So sit back, make some tea and hit up Netflix with these recommendations!

Parks And Recreation

Summary: Parks And Rec follows the life of the Parks and Recreation department of the small town Pawnee, Indiana. Leslie Knope, the deputy head of the department, is an ambitious, fun loving energizer bunny, and the story starts with her promising to fix the giant hole behind a civilian's house. Mayhem and hilarity ensue as she tries to fix every problem for the town and gives her all to make Pawnee a better place.

No. of Seasons: The show finished earlier this year with seven seasons. The episodes are twenty minutes long.

Why It's Amazing: Parks And Recreation, which was made by the same people who made The Office, is hilarious. It's deadpan, it's funny, it's smart and the characters are so loveable. The whole show just makes me feel happy and bubbly, and it's just what you need after reading or watching something dark and heavy.

Star Rating: I couldn't not give this show five stars.

Pretty Little Liars

Summary: Pretty Little Liars follows the story of four girls whose best friend disappeared. The show starts off a year after her disappearance, when her body is finally found. However, after her funeral, the four friends who've now grown apart all receive a threatening message from the mysterious A. The friends slowly grow closer together as these messages quickly turn more menacing and into actions against the girls, their friends and their families. The show continues on following the major question every character and viewer has- who is A?

No. of Seasons: PLL is in the middle of it's sixth season, and there will be seven seasons in total. The episodes are forty minutes in length and there are normally twenty four episodes in total per season.

Why It's Amazing: PLL is the perfect mix of mystery and high school drama, both of which I love tremendously. The show always keeps you guessing and the frequent unexplained plot twists inspire a strong obsession with the show. The characters may not be the smartest girls ever (like seriously, if you think there's someone in your house, you don't yell out "who's there?" and alert them to exactly where you are!) but their friendship with each other is beautiful to watch. The show mightn't be the most intellectually written TV series ever, but it's certainly very entertaining and addictive.

Star Rating: Four stars.

Sherlock

Summary: In this modern adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous books, Sherlock Holmes is and arrogant, impersonal detective looking for a flatmate. John Watson is an army veteran with no job and PTSD. Naturally, the two begin living together, and John gets dragged into many of Sherlock's cases and weird experiments around the house. The two become the famous detective duo, facing the classic Holmes villains- Moriarty, Magnussen, the Hounds of the Baskervilles.

No. of Seasons: Three, and the episodes are an hour and a half long. There are three episodes per season (we don't talk about that, though). There is a Christmas special and another season coming out at the end of this year and the start of next year.

Why It's Amazing: I always talk about Sherlock on here, and rightly so, because it's truly an amazing show. The script writing in impeccable and the editing is superb. The acting is amazing and I love this show. I always loved the original Sherlock Holmes stories, and I feel like this show really does the original material justice.

Star Rating: Five stars.

Gossip Girl

Summary: Gossip Girl follows the lives of schoolkids living on Manhattan's Upper East Side. These kids have enormous amounts of wealth, and are terribly behaved. The show starts with the reappearance of Serena Van Der Woodsen, the elite "It Girl" who disappeared to boarding school unannounced after a year of extreme drama. The society is rocked by her reappearance as everyone, including Serena's ex-best friend Blair, deal with her mysterious disappearance and with her back in the social spotlight. The show goes on to follow the lives of these students, with all the drama and hilarity that you might imagine.

No. of Seasons: Six, with roughly twenty two episodes per season. The episodes are forty minutes in length.

Why It's Amazing: Don't judge me, friends, because I genuinely love this show. Sad, lonely rich kids are the way to my heart, no lie. Anyways, this show is completely enjoyable for me because I love the characters. I must admit that I have a special affinity for Blair, Chuck and Jenny, although I desperately care for (almost) all the main characters. The show isn't the most intellectual thing I've ever watched, but it sucks me in and I love it. The drama and storyline is addictive in the most undefinable way ever. Of course, my feelings for Chuck and Blair make it very easy to be addicted. The first episode is quite boring, but you really need to get through a few episodes, and then you get to the good stuff.

Star Rating: Four stars (but five for enjoyment factor).

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Summary: Brooklyn Nine-Nine follows the lives of an NYPD division. They're funny, deadpan, silly and just all round fantastic entertainment. In the style of Parks and Rec and The Office, this comedy is an all-round crowd-pleaser. The main character, Detective Jake Peralta, is a hilarious. He's childish and silly but also an incredibly good detective (when he's not setting things on fire or arresting people with no evidence). Despite having the best arrest record, Jake is constantly creating troubles for himself both inside and out of his job, but with the help of his competitive partner, Detective Amy Santiago, and the rest of his team at the 99th Precinct, he always manages to pull himself out — and catch the bad guy.
No. of Seasons: Two currently, though there is a new season coming out towards the end of September. The episodes are twenty minutes long, and there are roughly 20 per season, so there's plenty to watch!
Why It's Amazing: It's a solid hit of goofiness and hilarity. It's funny, heartwarming and a great show to whack on if you're not feeling like the drama of PLL or GG. Not only is it inventive and a fun crime show, it is first and foremost and comedy, and the writers do a fantastic job in making it hilarious.
Star Rating: Four stars, simply because sometimes, it lacks distinct plot and the more intelligent writing comedies like Parks have. But other than that, this show is a pure injection of happiness.

So those are my top five TV shows I've discovered. I'm sure my tastes in TV are fairly obvious now! I'm not a huge fan of epic dramas, mysterious and serious shows, despite being fond of those sorts of books. My idea of TV is something I can just chill out watching, with some snacks and a warm blanket.

I hope these recommendations are of some use to you! If there is a TV show you think I'll like, please let me know in the comments or via any of my socials (all above in the little banner). Also, if you'd like more posts like this, where I discuss shows, movies, maybe even music, let me know! I will totally be cool with catering to what you guys want to read!

As always, feel free to comment below, send and email to mywordsarearrows@gmail.com or send me a message to any of my socials if you want to ask questions, request a free copy of my book in exchange for a review, or just to say hi.

See you next week with another post!

Lily xoxo

Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe Recommendation

I am so sorry for my absence over the last few weeks. I have been busy with so many things (including an untimely reading slump preventing me from writing any worthy reviews) that I have somewhat abandoned you. Fortunately, I'm back to stay now!

So after a long, irritating process in trying to purchase the hardback copy of Aristotle And Dante
Discover The Secrets Of The Universe (do you have any idea how hard it is to get hardbacks in Australia? Well I'll tell you. It's near impossible. And expensive.), it finally arrived and IT IS BEAUTIFUL. The cover, the writing, the characters, the setting, the plot, literally everything about it is beautiful. This is a coming-of-age contemporary by Benjamin Alire Sanez, and I would recommend it to everyone, regardless of age, gender, whatever. Read it. The synopsis is below;

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

First of all, characters. Because we all know Lily loves characters. Aristotle and Dante are the most realistic, loveable, different characters I've ever read. They were wise beyond their years, but not in an obnoxious way. They still retained oodles of boyish-charm that was just perfect to see in contrast with their childish-wisdom. Ari was tough and clearly just needed a hug, and I wanted to dive into the book and wrap him in a blanket, hand him a mug of tea and hug him. The poor kid was so beautifully written he feels real to me. Dante, as the book was not from his point of view, was harder to pin-point, but he was equally as loveable. He was the peace to Ari's anger, and it was more than clear to see that they fir together perfectly. Dante was clever, he was friendly, he was unabashedly open about his feelings, and seeing him next to Ari was beautiful.

The setting worked perfectly. The late 80's were a beautiful backdrop for this gem of a story, and it was really a refreshing break from all the YA that's set in nowadays-ish-era.

The plot was slower than usual, but it didn't feel slow. The book flowed at a nice, consistent pace that really aided the movement of time in this novel. The novel spans over a year or two, but the book never felt like it was dragging on. It had the distinct coming-of-age contemporary feel, and so it wasn't very fast-paced.

Ari and Dante's changing relationship was done so well and I am in awe of how well Benjamin Alire Sanez was able to write their interactions and relationship in such a way that was completely consistent with their characters.

There isn't much more I can say about this book, but I will say that it is completely worth reading. It is adorable and dorky and meaningful, and I have a feeling it will make its way onto my favourites list.

Share your thoughts on Aristotle and Dante below in the comments. As always, feel free to hit me up on any of my social media accounts to discuss all things bookish, and also, if you'd like to buy my book, head to Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble Online and more to get your physical or e-copy. If you'd like a free copy in exchange for a review on your blog, goodreads etc, please email me at mywordsarearrows@gmail.com and I will get you a copy :)

Have a lovely week and I'll see you soon with a new post!

Lily xoxo