Rambling about Captain America Civil War (With Spoilers!)

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So, I rarely watch movies. Like, until this past weekend, the last time I remember sitting down to watch a movie was when I saw Wonder Woman in the summer of 2017. I just don’t do it that often. But, I watched 4 movies in 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday, and I plan to review them all! Starting off with Civil War.

Alright, so I will admit. The only reason why I watched this movie was that I wanted to see Tom Holland’s first Marvel appearance. I love his version of Spiderman, and I wanted to see the story from the very beginning. What I got was far more than I signed up for, and I loved every minute of it.

So basically, in this movie the Avengers get in trouble for accidentally killing people on their missions. This was triggered by Wanda, aka Scarlet Witch, accidentally dragging an explosion to an office building. Only a few people died, but they were people from Wakanda. This leads the United Nations to create Accords to try to limit the power of the Avengers, so that they would have to go through a panel before they do anything. This splits up the team, as some think that they should sign the Accords before they are forced into it, and others believe that they should wait.

Then, Captain America’s old friend Bucky is framed for bombing the UN and killing the king of Wakanda. He wasn’t even there, and Captain knows that, so he decides to seek out his friend. By siding with Bucky he becomes a criminal, and a few Avengers team up with him. This officially splits the team in half, as many others side with Black Panther and Iron Man.

So the final team is Captain America, Wanda/Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Bucky/Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, and Ant Man VS. Iron Man, Black Panther, Spiderman, War Machine, Black Widow, and Vision.

I have to say that at least this far into the film series, I kinda agreed with Iron Man’s side on the Accords. It would make more sense to sign now and try to negotiate later instead of trying to go against human authority, making them not want to trust the enhanced humans anymore. Sure, they could go against the UN if they truly needed to, but for not it would have been the best choice. But that’s just my opinion.

Then, let’s move on to the whole Winter Soldier situation. I know that Captain America wanted to help his friend, but by helping Bucky run, it did make him look guilty when he wasn’t. The UN might not have listened to him, but he could have at least had a chance to make his case. By running and subsequently getting caught, they took away any chance of negotiating with the government. The only reason why they weren’t put in jail was because Iron Man thought that he would be able to convince them to sign the Accords. Bucky was jailed though, as the government had already deemed him a villain. I haven’t seen the previous films, which is kinda needed to make sense of the whole Winter Soldier debacle, but it kinda confuses me how everyone seems to be so split when this guy was clearly brainwashed and has been doing things that were not under his own control.

I love Wanda and Vision’s friendship so much, and I definitely think that they could be more in future movies.  Wanda is around 18-20 years old, and she is struggling with her powers. Vision is a synthetic person, AI if you will, who is technically only a few years old but has the mental capacity of an adult male. Vision is put in charge of taking care of Wanda and making sure that she doesn’t leave the Avengers’ Tower after the events at the beginning of the film. Even though Wanda is technically being kept prisoner, she befriends Vision and he tries to make her feel as if she is at home. Wanda doesn’t fit in with the rest of the Avengers because she is younger and has powers that the public view as being “more dangerous.” Vision doesn’t fit in because he isn’t human and doesn’t understand the societal norms. The two stick together and form a relationship that I don’t think either of them could have had with any other Avenger.

This film also shows the start of Spiderman’s journey with Tony Stark. Tom Holland is honestly a great Peter Parker, he acts the part of a fifteen-year-old boy so well. I wish we had sort of gotten an introduction to how he had gotten his powers, and how he created the cheap suit, and how he was doing in NYC before Tony came into the picture, but we don’t. Instead we are fully thrown into the storyline where Iron Man needs help defeating Captain America and his crew, so he decides to recruit Spiderman onto his new team.

Spiderman is definitely my favorite character in the entire film. He doesn’t really know what’s going on, but he is just fanboying over getting the chance to see all of his favorite superheroes in action. He doesn’t even really know how to fight, but because the other Avengers don’t know him, he brought the element of surprise. I love his little banter throughout the fight as many other Avengers are just like “Who IS this kid??”

Then, the big reveal comes. Bucky killed Iron Mans parents while he was under the control of Hydra, and Tony loses it. He just attacks Captain America and Bucky, even as Cap is trying to explain that it wasn’t Bucky’s fault. I think that is really going to be Tony’s downfall in a way, his temper. Like here’s a guy that you trusted saying that it was not Bucky’s fault that his parents are dead, but you just keep attacking. You are just getting beaten to a pulp but you won’t stop trying to 2V1 two guys who are just as strong as you are. I understand that he was hurting, but that was a pretty dumb thing to do.

Overall, I loved this movie, but I felt as if I didn’t love the right characters? I didn’t love Bucky or Cap or really care about their story at all. I didn’t care about Iron Man. The only people I cared about were Wanda and Vision, and Spiderman. But they made the whole movie for me, so that’s fine. I will be reviewing Infinity War next, so stay tuned!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Crossfire in the Street Blog Tour Plus Review

Crossfire in the Street
by D.L. Rogers

Publication Date: June 7, 2018
Paperback & eBook

Genre: Historical Fiction

Read the first two chapters here.

 

 

The Civil War yielded many bloody battles and the Battle at Lone Jack was among the worst. Fought across a sixty-foot strip of dusty road, brothers fought brothers, neighbors fought neighbors, cousins fought cousins, and the blood of horses and men ran together in the street under the blistering August sun.

The Green family tried to keep from being caught up in the war headed for their doorstep, but their efforts were lost—even before the Yankees came to town.

In their youthful exuberance and ignorance, sixteen and fifteen year old Hank and Jesse sneak into town to watch the battle—and find more trouble than they bargained for. Pete, the oldest brother, joins the Rebels and fights to save his life—and that of his brothers. Cora, the oldest daughter on the cusp of becoming a woman, loves a boy who runs off to fight with the Federals—and breaks her heart.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

I love this author’s historical fiction novels, and this book blew me away. Her previous book Elizabeth’s War focuses more on the war from the eyes of women and children left behind as the men went off to fight. This family stays together, but are still struggling to survive in the dangerous times.

Pete is the oldest boy in his family, and when asked if he will join the Rebels, he decides to stay with his family. Then, the Rebels come to town and force him to join them, and he manages to keep his younger brothers out of the war. As he worries about how his family is faring, he has to fight for his life daily. Many of the soldiers he fights beside are his neighbors, but he also has to fight against his neighbors. The world has been turned upside down for Pete and his family, and they have to learn how to survive.

Cora thinks that a boy named Andrew is going to ask for her hand in marriage, but then he just runs off to join the Yankees. Cora always hopes that Andrew will return, but even if he does, he would be shunned by those around her. She may have lost the boy she thought was the love of her life forever. A typical girl might decide to sit and wallow in her own sadness, but she was determined to still help out her family.

The boys Hank and Jesse were too young to go off to war, but they are still intrigued by the battle. They put themselves in danger when they wander off to one of the battles, and it is up to their brother to help them.

I have to say it, this story might have made me even sadder than Elizabeth’s War! Sure, this family may have not had to walk for miles and miles to safety, but they were forced to literally draw a line down their town and fight their neighbors. Some people were easily brainwashed and acted as if they had been on that side their entire lives. The rest of them were heartbroken to have to consider neighbors and family friends as their enemies. The battles that occur in that town tear it apart, until it is barely recognizable. This book focuses on how harsh life on the battlefield was, and how much the soldiers had to give up to fight. What was the point of all the fighting, in the end, they would still be neighbors? They would just be neighbors who remember firing guns at each other.

D.L. Rogers just throws her readers into the midst of whatever was going on at the time that her stories take place, and the end results are unforgettable. The characters just fly off the page and beg the readers to listen to their stories. Both Elizabeth’s War and Crossfire in the Street are going to be in my permanent collection, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an unforgettable historical fiction novel.

I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 5 books

About the Author

Although born in New Jersey of parents from New Jersey and Tennessee, it was just a matter of time before Diane’s “southern” blood revealed itself. And reveal itself it did, in a passion for all things western and related to the Civil War. Having learned a great deal in her research since her historical journey began, especially in the midwest, Diane has attempted to portray both the west and the war from numerous points-of-view, which is not always the same history as what has been previously portrayed–or taught.

As a kid, Diane played Cowboys and Indians more than she did Barbie, and as she got older, she and her cousin (whose parents were reversed) gave themselves the moniker of “Yebels.” The question of what it would have been like during the Civil War years, when friends and family fought on opposite sides of the war, festered inside Diane until she answered her own question in the form of the novels she writes of the west and Civil War, where everyday people, regardless of what “side” they were on, when faced with difficult situations, rose to the challenge, and survived.

Now living south of Kansas City, Missouri, on fourteen acres of property, when Diane’s not writing or marketing, she enjoys sitting on her front porch, reading when she can or just watching her horses in the pasture and multitude of cats in the yard. When she does venture into town, it’s to work at a lawfirm on the Plaza, or visit her two children and five grandchildren.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 5
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Elizabeth’s War)

Tuesday, November 6
Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, November 7
Excerpt at T’s Stuff
Feature at Maiden of the Pages
Review & Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads (Crossfire in the Street)

Thursday, November 8
Review at Locks, Hooks, and Books (Elizabeth’s War)

Friday, November 9
Review at Bri’s Book Nook (Elizabeth’s War)

Monday, November 12
Review at The Reading Woman (Elizabeth’s War)

Tuesday, November 13
Feature at Book Nerd

Wednesday, November 14
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Thursday, November 15
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review at The Book Junkie Reads (Elizabeth’s War)

Friday, November 16
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Crossfire in the Street)

Monday, November 19
Review at Bri’s Book Nook (Crossfire in the Street)

Tuesday, November 20
Review at Locks, Hooks, and Books (Crossfire in the Street)

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 20th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

D.L. Rogers

Elizabeth’s War Blog Tour Plus Review

Elizabeth’s War
by D.L. Rogers

Publication Date: June 1, 2013
Paperback, AudioBook, & eBook

Genre: Historical Fiction

Read the complete first chapter here.

 

 

In a time when raiders, bushwhackers, and Redlegs rode the Cass County, Missouri, countryside bringing fear and destruction with them, Elizabeth Miers and her family barely survived into the next day. When the enemy, in the form of Elizabeth’s neighbors, comes a-calling more than once with mischief on their minds, Elizabeth fights back to keep her children safe against men she once called friends.

On August 25, 1863, following the issuance of General Order No. 11 by Union General Thomas Ewing, thousands of women, children, and the elderly were forced to vacate their homes in the brutal summer heat within fifteen days. With determination and a plan, Elizabeth sets out on a sixty-mile trek toward St. Clair County. Carrying enough prepared food and water on a rickety built sled to reach her aunt and uncle’s farm, she prays her kin are there to welcome them, not knowing whether they lived through the burning of Osceola two years prior—or not.

Facing more than just the lack of food and shelter and the unbearable heat, they’re set upon by raiders and foraging soldiers who try to take more than just their meager provisions. Much more. Left with little after their supplies are stolen and their property destroyed, Elizabeth and her fellow travelers continue south, facing more indignities before their journey is done.

Through Elizabeth and the thousands of other refugees that traveled ahead of and behind her, feel what they felt in the wake of General Order No. 11, an order that took everything and left them destitute and afraid they wouldn’t live to see one more day.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

My Review

I have never read a book about the Civil War quite like this before. I have read books from the Northern perspective, from the perspective of Southern abolitionists, and exactly one from the perspective of a “Southern Belle” daughter of a slaveholder. Never before have I read one about a neutral Southern family that just wanted to protect themselves and their land. And this really changed my perspective on the entire war.

For starters, they were a family who had already had arguments about the issue of slaves, but they didn’t own slaves. The brother did not want to fight for the Confederacy for the right to own slaves. He wanted to fight to protect the home that he had grown up in, especially since the Union started invading before they had officially even declared a war. Elizabeth and her children were left alone as her husband James went into hiding to avoid being drafted, but being a border state meant that they were being attacked by both sides. The Union soldiers came to try to steal food for their men, the Confederate soldiers were never really there to protect the citizens, and “bushwhackers” would run around trying to protect who they could. But all three groups needed food and were determined to take it nearly by any means possible, even if it meant leaving a family to starve.

Nora was my absolute favorite character in the book. As the oldest girl, when her brother and father left, she had to step up to help her mother. Sometimes her mother would go into full fight mode, and she would have to calm her down and make her see reason again. I wish that there was a sequel just about the rest of her life, She was one of the strongest teenage characters that I have ever seen in writing, but she still managed to be realistic.

This story talks about the horrors of war from a more personal perspective. Usually, the South is portrayed as the “enemy,” but this book showed that there were bad soldiers on both sides. Elizabeth just wanted to protect her family, and she would do anything to keep them alive. I felt like I was living in the hell that the family was living in, keeping watch at night and trying to protect what little food they had. Then, they were forced to move out of their houses, and their situation only got worse. I felt as if the characters were real, and as if I was living their life story, as I was reading this fictional novel.

There was not a dull moment in this book. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I was reading the first few pages around 11 PM one night, and I was only trying to get through around a third of the book before I went off to bed. Before I knew it, the clock read 1 AM, and I had completed the entire thing. It was simply that good!

If you are a fan of historical fiction books, you absolutely have to pick this one up. This one is just incredible.

I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

Overall Rating: 6 out of 5 stars

About the Author

Although born in New Jersey of parents from New Jersey and Tennessee, it was just a matter of time before Diane’s “southern” blood revealed itself. And reveal itself it did, in a passion for all things western and related to the Civil War. Having learned a great deal in her research since her historical journey began, especially in the midwest, Diane has attempted to portray both the west and the war from numerous points-of-view, which is not always the same history as what has been previously portrayed–or taught.

As a kid, Diane played Cowboys and Indians more than she did Barbie, and as she got older, she and her cousin (whose parents were reversed) gave themselves the moniker of “Yebels.” The question of what it would have been like during the Civil War years, when friends and family fought on opposite sides of the war, festered inside Diane until she answered her own question in the form of the novels she writes of the west and Civil War, where everyday people, regardless of what “side” they were on, when faced with difficult situations, rose to the challenge, and survived.

Now living south of Kansas City, Missouri, on fourteen acres of property, when Diane’s not writing or marketing, she enjoys sitting on her front porch, reading when she can or just watching her horses in the pasture and multitude of cats in the yard. When she does venture into town, it’s to work at a lawfirm on the Plaza, or visit her two children and five grandchildren.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 5
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Elizabeth’s War)

Tuesday, November 6
Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, November 7
Excerpt at T’s Stuff
Feature at Maiden of the Pages
Review & Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads (Crossfire in the Street)

Thursday, November 8
Review at Locks, Hooks, and Books (Elizabeth’s War)

Friday, November 9
Review at Bri’s Book Nook (Elizabeth’s War)

Monday, November 12
Review at The Reading Woman (Elizabeth’s War)

Tuesday, November 13
Feature at Book Nerd

Wednesday, November 14
Excerpt at Passages to the Past

Thursday, November 15
Feature at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review at The Book Junkie Reads (Elizabeth’s War)

Friday, November 16
Review at Pursuing Stacie (Crossfire in the Street)

Monday, November 19
Review at Bri’s Book Nook (Crossfire in the Street)

Tuesday, November 20
Review at Locks, Hooks, and Books (Crossfire in the Street)

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 20th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

D.L. Rogers

First Impression Friday: Crossfire In the Street

First Impression Fridays are a weekly meme hosted by J.W. Martin. This week I will be discussing Crossfire In The Street.

I started reading this book on the train today, and I was drawn in immediately. Cora is seventeen and she loves someone who is against slavery. Her family doesn’t own slaves, but they are pro-states rights. She doesn’t know if their father will support their love, and he seems to be wary about marrying her. He only seems to be in it for stolen kisses, and he is about to go off to war. Her brother Pete is also making the tough decisions between going to war or staying to work on the farm.

This is what I got within the first 30-40 pages of this novel. I am SO excited to read the rest of this historical fiction novel! I haven’t really seen anything about the South that isn’t super pro-slavery, but it is interesting to see some people who were kind of caught in the middle. I don’t know if they actually existed in real life, but I would like to think that they would.

Also, I love the cover. It isn’t too flashy, but it shows the true darkness of the war. As of now, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new historical fiction novel about the Civil War.

In A Time Never Known Review

Anna suffers daily at the hands of her abusive husband. She hates being in a loveless marriage and her only solace is her slave Mary. She meets a local shopkeeper named Benjamin, and the two fall in love. When she finds out that he is a Union spy, she is determined to help him in order to spite her proudly Confederate husband and fight for her only friend, Mary. She has to keep it a secret from her husband and her spoiled daughter Kady.

When her daughter fights out, her daughter also wants to join the spy ring. The two start to work together and end up growing closer as Kady learns more about her father’s true nature.

This was honestly one of the best historical fiction novels that I have ever read. It has multiple points of view that are revealed as the story goes on, and each character goes through so many different stages of development that they truly feel like real people. Kady has to go from being a spoiled brat to being a calm and collected young lady that knows how to keep secrets. Anna transforms from a scared sixteen-year-old girl who was forced to marry an abusive husband into the head of a spy ring. The character development was honestly the best part of the novel, as the multiple points of view allowed for some page time in many of the characters’ minds.

Even though this book was longer than what I usually spend my time reading, I definitely did not feel burdened in any way. I looked forward to reading the next 100 pages or so each night until I was finally done with the novel. The pacing was perfect. Even though it was a long novel, the pacing was steady, just enough to keep readers alert but not fast enough to confuse them.

The world-building was also impeccable. By reading this, I was able to see the war-torn South of the 1800s for a few hours. Every scene is so well-described that it feels as if you were actually there. Even with the POV changes, each character leads their own lives in different areas, and the story represents that. The book seemed completely historically accurate, which is difficult sometimes for historical fiction novels to accomplish. This worldbuilding only added pages of description into the novel, but it still did not feel clunky or bulky in any way.

There were no editing errors that I saw in the entire 665-page ebook, which is definitely something worthy of praise. It was a smooth read all the way through, not even any easy-to-miss formatting errors.

My favorite character in this novel would definitely be Anna, as she fights so hard throughout the book just to stay positive and strong. She could have given up and just become silent at 16, never finding Benjamin, because she was so afraid of her husband. But instead, she went behind his back and undermined his work, along with the work of the other Confederates. She fought for Mary,  who was her saving grace since she was sixteen. She could be such a role model, even as a fictional character. My second favorite character was Kady, as she changes from a spoiled Southern Belle who thinks her father could do no wrong to a sneaky and deceptive spy for her mother.

Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this book! You just have to give it a read for yourself.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves historical fiction, romance novels, mystery novels, and novels with amazing world-building and character development.

I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.

Overall Rating: 6/5