Transformers: Age of Extinction was released June 27 and already it’s become the number one film of all time in China. A changeup in leads, along with an entirely new cast, leaves viewers with a fresher Mark Wahlberg replacing Shia LaBeouf, who starred in the first three movies. Wahlberg plays Cade Yeager, a single father and struggling inventor. The film even features the Dinobots, a new kind of alien robot. After the war between Autobots and Decepticons that demolished Chicago, seen in the most recent film, governmental leaders, businessmen and scientists believe that alien robots are a threat. The hunt is on to find and destroy all Transformers. Cade, however, beats them to the punch when he buys an old truck, powers it up and discovers it’s Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobot forces. As to better understand the movie, you may want to catch up on the other three Transformers films; Transformers from 2007, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen from 2009 and the 2011 film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, before hitting the theaters. Not that I recommend it, but even if you haven’t seen the other films it wouldn’t be too hard to follow, there being a new cast and new group of bots. However, with more than a month left of summer, why not relax with some popcorn on the couch away from the heat and rain that is Saint Louis weather?

22 Jump Street came out on June 13, and everyone knows the sequel to a movie is never as good as it’s original, but I’d have to say it’s a draw. This time around officers Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) go undercover to chase more drug dealers and stop the population of a new lethal drug at a local college called MC State. Having graduated high school twice, it only made sense that the duo graduate college twice right? Jenko infiltrates the frat jock guys, befriending a football player Zook (Wyatt Russell), however, Schmidt finds himself swooning for another younger gal, Maya (Amber Stevens) and blends in with her laidback art major crowd. They give the case the ole college try and knowing these two they get lucky along the way but not without some absurd slapstick humor.

When I think of summer often times I affiliate it with country music. Especially now that, like it or not, the genre has changed its image with a more rap twang, giving it a sing-song vibe. There’s something about hearing the strum of a guitar with Brad Paisley singing about rivers and lakes, sunshine and driving a tractor that makes the ice in a lemonade taste a little cooler and the bugs a little less annoying. Florida Georgia Line, whose “Cruise” was featured all summer long in 2013, has a new single that came out on July 8, “Dirt”, which already reached number one in the iTunes top charts. Other related summer country songs are “I Don’t Dance” by Lee Brice, “Somethin’ Bad” By Miranda Lambert featuring Carrie Underwood, “Drunk On A Plane” by Dierks Bentley and “Bartender” by Lady Antebellum. On the other side of the musical spectrum, a top hit rager is “Summer” by Calvin Harris. The song’s title in it of itself should give its reason of popularity away, but the beat throws the listener right into dancing in the mosh pit of a music festival. Another popular song would have to be “American Kids” by Kenny Chesney, with lyrics like “We were teenage dreamin’/Front seat leanin’/Baby, come give me a kiss/Put me on the cover of the Rolling Stone/Uptown, down home American kids”, you can’t help but sing along with the windows down. The patriotic song goes in perfect tune with the national celebration of independence on the Fourth of July.

On the Fourth of July here in the “Lou”, many KHS teens celebrate at Fair Saint Louis. Admission to the fair is free so why not grab a few friends, some red, white, and blue apparel, a couple lawnchairs and head over to Forest Park. This year over 250,000 people were drawn to the park to honor America’s 283th birthday. The Fair Saint Louis Foundation has hosted these festivities since 1981, which include live music concerts, air shows and fireworks.

If you loved If I Stay by Gayle Forman and can’t get enough of Forman’s heartbreakingly beautiful and dynamic tales, then you’ll love the sequel Where She Went, the continuation of Mia Hall’s tragic story. The readers follow the almost ghostlike Mia through the course of one day as she must decide between life with her friends, Adam and Kim, or death, a complete unknown state of possible oblivion. The second book begins three years since the catastrophic car accident that put Mia, now an orphan, in a coma. Not only do we learn what became of her heartthrob rockstar boyfriend, Adam, but also what became of Mia. Where did she go? Who does she choose to go with? Will she ever be the same girl she was? Make sure to at least get caught up with the first book as the film adaption is set to be released on August 22.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is yet another New York Times bestselling book being adapted into a film this year. Divergent and The Hunger Games fans will love this futuristic, post-apocalyptic sci fi. Thomas wakes up in an elevator, forgetting everything about his previous life except for his name. He finds himself in a place called the Glade surrounded by strangers, who are all teenage boys. A vast and continuously altering maze lays outside the Glade. As a towering wall encircles the teens, the only chance to escape is trekking it through the maze, where monsters and other wonders lay. Except no one has ever made it through alive. Life is disheartening until the first girl to ever arrive delivers a message and things change. The only question is can Thomas escape through the maze alive? Like a tape on replay, be sure to read up before seeing the film on September 19, featuring MTV’s Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien.