Nerd News | The Avengers: The Age of Ultron trailer

This movie, you guys.

I am preparing myself for all sorts of feels. This trailer makes me excited and worried* and happy and scared all at the same time. My nerdy heart can't handle it!

What say you?

*Worried, in particular, because the events of this movie will lead into Captain America: Civil War, and Civil War was a dark time in the Marvel 'verse for our beloved Avengers supes. Will the movie 'verse follow the same storylines? I don't know ... but it still makes me nervous.

Haiku Revieu | The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game
★★★★1/2

Unknown war hero
Father of the computer
Want to hug Turing

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During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.

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WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

Word to the wise: Do not go see this movie unless you want to be seriously depressed for days. Although this movie isn't terribly sad until the end, having to think about how absolutely crappy Alan Turing was treated, and what that treatment led to, and the fact that he wasn't "pardoned" until 2013—and the fact that he had to be pardoned AT ALL—it makes me sad and angry all over again thinking about it now.

That said, this movie is beautiful. It's less about the maths than I was expecting, and more about Turing's life. Had we learned more about his project, and the math/science behind the code-breaking machine, it would have been equally interesting, but it would have been a different movie.

Benedict Cumberbatch, unsurprisingly, acts the crap out of the Turing role. He's awkward and uncomfortable and heartbreaking. I both wanted to punch him for his rudeness and hug him for his innocence. The rest of the cast, including Matthew Goode, Kiera Knightley and Allen Leech as members of the codebreaking team, made for an excellent supporting cast. Mark Strong was particularly entertaining as MI6 agent Stewart Menzies, too. (But that's such an unfortunate surname.)

I think this is such an important movie, as it acts as an introduction to this amazing man and his unparalleled contributions to early computer science/engineering. It also has an important secondary message—the fact that this amazing man was so hindered and abused by the system in which he lived—but it's not heavy handed. Just makes you think.

Check it out:

Recently Read | 2014 recap

At the start of 2014, I set a goal for the year of reading 100 books. I wasn't quite sure I was going to make it—as that's a lot of books—but I did it! I finished my 100th read of 2014 Dec. 30. (One day early!)

To be completely honest, I cheated a little, reading a few short stories and trades, but the large majority of what I read last year were honest to goodness novels. And 68 out of the 100 I reviewed for Forever Young Adult. (You can read any of my reviews by clicking the covers below.)

My top ten reads of the year—in no particular order—were:

1. Cress by Marissa Meyer
2. Jackaby by Will Ritter
3. Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
4. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
5. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
6. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
7. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
8. Storm Siren by Mary Weber
9. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
10. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Honorable mention: The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor, particularly the Night of Cake and Puppets short story. (Mik and Zuzana 4EVA!)

For 2015, I've set a goal of 101 reads. I think that's a reasonable increase. I mean, I did have a whole extra day last year. I'd like to try to read more non-YA books, too, even though I do enjoy the genre a whole lot.

And now, here are my 100 reads of 2014: