#and Suzanne is my queen of well written characters

[cloudberriesforaqueen]

The Empress' New Clothes ❄️

Overthinking and overanalyzing Frozen outfits and what they mean for the characters again...

The more I think about Elsa's fashion sense, the more it makes me laugh.

Before Elsa's transformation in the climax of Let It Go, the only clothes we see her wear are... well, for lack of a better word, nothing like that. Of course, this is because those are the kinds of attire "expected" of royals. It's possible that she does get a say in what she would like to wear but just has more pressing things to worry about (concealing and don't-feel-ing) than whether or not she likes the royal outfits given to her. She did say in A Sister More Like Me written by Barbara Jean Hicks...

"It was important, as a princess, that I looked my best."

Obviously, she understands the weight of keeping up such an appearance. That's also not to say that I think Elsa hated her old clothes, but I believe if she was given complete freedom over what she gets to wear, they would be different.

Luckily, we do get that moment of freedom in Let It Go 😁

At first glance, one would think Elsa just "covered" her coronation dress with her magic, and that the gown is still under there somewhere. But we know this isn't the case as she physically alters it by removing the "turtle neck" and adding a slit on the skirt area. Not to mention, she also turns her black flats into pointed heels. R.I.P. coronation outfit!

So... okay... wow... that's the kind of outfits Elsa prefers to wear after all! She likes the slits. She likes the bardot tops. She likes the low necklines. She likes the capes. She likes the sparkles 😌 So much so that it becomes a distinct recurring style for her in the following films, and everyone knows it! In the Junior Novelization of Olaf's Frozen Adventure retold by Suzanne Francis, we even see Anna tease Elsa when she gifts her her party dress which Elsa immediately knows is for her.

"Yup. That one's yours. How'd you guess?" Anna teased.

And how could we forget Olaf (and Kristoff) also teasing her during Charades Night in Frozen II? (I'll be assuming they meant Elsa's fashion or body language, and not the literal "Here I stand!" scene as they weren't there when that happened. Elsa "retelling" the Frohana that musical number frame by frame seems more unlikely 😆)

I'm the last person to ask about historical accuracy, but I don't believe slits were commonplace during her era, especially not for royalty. But I have read that it was normal for queens to be trendsetters. So, I am very curious where Queen Elsa took inspiration from to give herself that look 🤭 I wonder if she's always been curious about other styles since she was a teen. I don't cherish the idea that she was depressed every second of her life hidden away; there must be some moments when she just engages in hobbies she likes. I headcanon that she would draw herself (or random characters) in the outfits she preferred as an outlet, as she was probably too shy to request for something similar. It's so wholesome to me because I knew I was exactly like that when I was little—imagining myself in "big girl" clothes that I couldn't be caught dead asking for. So, yes, I might be projecting quite a bit 😅

Other than dissecting the symbolism tied to it, imagining Elsa as a character who just really really likes those kinds of outfits is a lot of fun for me. I noticed Elsa never really address the clothes she wears, she just lets other people react to them, and thanks them for their compliments. But she doesn't need to say anything to let us know that, as the Gen Z slang for it goes... 🎀 she's just a girl 🎀

Which makes this scene even funnier to me:

— ❄️

[emrystheedgedancer]

Do you have any recs for any other fantasy books that someone could enjoy if they liked mistborn & storm light archive ?

Ooo I love this question!

Okay here are some of my faves in no particular order:

-The GrishaVerse world by Leigh Bardugo. The Shadow and Bone trilogy are pretty good YA fantasy but the Six of Crows duology hits it out of the park.

-The Mirror Visitor series by Christelle Dabos. It’s sort of a mash up of Victorian steampunk, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic that is just really cool and really well done. Fantastic world building and really good characters.

-The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini aren’t the BEST fantasy books every written but goodness do I love them. Again it’s very YA fantasy and uses a lot of common tropes but the world is cool and also you can rarely go wrong with dragons.

-The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner isn’t *technically* true fantasy but I consider it fantasy adjacent enough to recommend it to fantasy lovers. I love this series and the twists and turns in each book will catch you by surprise.

-If you’re into more gritty adult urban fantasy then the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher are pretty good. I haven’t read all of them but the ones I’ve read have some really cool world building and interesting stories.

-Most things Neil Gaiman writes but most particularly The Graveyard Book. It is my favorite of his books but I don’t see people mention it much.

-Okay and finally this is a series that is definitely geared towards younger readers (like 12-13) but I absolutely love it even as an adult- The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins. She wrote this series before she wrote The Hunger Games and I happen to like it a lot more than The Hunger Games. It’s more fantasy-esque and it deals with the morality of war and child soldiers and prophesy in the guise of an underground adventure.

I’m sure there are more I’m missing but those are my top recommendations that come to mind.

-Additional bonus rec: the How to Train Your Dragon books by Cressida Cowell are delightful. They’re also aimed towards younger readers for sure (like 8-12 year olds) but the audiobooks have David Tennant reading them and they’re just fun fantastical popcorn kind of listens where wild things happen that are silly but still emotional.

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Mad Love - Suzanne Selfors

"When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother-and she needs one fast.

That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth-that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real."

Read Date - May 2024

Length - 336 pages

Genre - Romance, Mythology, and Slight Mystery

Rating - 7/10

Stars - ★★★☆☆

Notes: i originally read this in 2017-2018 from the library and it was my first introduction to romance. After i started reading again this year, i decided i HAVE to pick it back up and reread it. it'd been seven years, and i was younger when i read it. on top of having autism, i'm also diagnosed with bipolar disorder so for me, its refreshing to see it characterized in a way that isn't glamorous. Her mothers life itself is glamorous, but her disorder isn't. at least, it isnt written in this manner at all. We're shown her mother to be very cationic at the moment, and stuck in a sort of haze. we're shown Alice's perspective of the disorder, which i believe is a very accurate depiction of a family member's struggle. Alice is left behind to deal with her mothers career as an author. I think this brings an interesting dynamic where her mother is famous, but only in a very specific niche. i LOVE how its vaguely alluded to most of the main characters in this book suffering from delusions of some kind. it makes you question every word you're reading, like you really want to know if its a genetic predisposition or not. If its real or not. it was written so well and i love how, even this book itself has a happy ending that isnt so happy, just like the book Alice is writing. I love how they end if off with the fund going towards cancer research to help Errol.

[flx-res]

yeahhh I don't like Daron too for all the mess she did after Cornonation. As writer she got a ton of stuff she got to work on. And this makes me think of... since Daron obviously is not... Who are your favorite women writers?... y'know those who you think they did almost everything about their story very well, and they seemed very pationate about what they were doing, and you ended up satisfied with their story. I'm only asking for women right now because we're talking about Daron here hehe

Btw I love you and everything you do 💖💞 never leave please

What an interesting question dear ^^ My favorites are Paru Itagaki and Suzanne Collins. There are another writers, but I chose these two because they made a impact on my life. I felt in love with their stories. 💗 Both are very creative and lovely, I'll always love their stories, they're my idols and inspiration.

[reddie-as-ill-ever-be]

Some underrated YA novels that are actually good and you should read right now

-Asylum by Madeline Roux

A boy named Dan goes to college at a school called Brookline, which used to be an insane asylum. He makes two friends, Abby and Jordan and together they try to figure out all the creepy secrets about the place, relating it an old warden who has the same name as our main character, Daniel Crawford

It’s a trilogy (Titles: Asylum, Sanctum and Catacomb), has three novellas (The Scarlets, The Bone Artists and The Warden) and a prequel (Escape From Asylum)

It’s really well written, creepy (horror but not terrifying) and we get five main queer characters: Jordan, Cal, Ricky, Kay and Fallon and one minor one: Martin

I recommend starting in canonical order (not the order of release), so: Escape From Asylum, Asylum, Sanctum and Catacomb and then the Novellas: The Scarlets, The Bone Artists and The Warden

-The Jewel by Amy Ewing (The Lone City series)

After the royalty starts dying out, they start using surrogates to bear children who can control things called auguries which control the how the baby looks and it’s personality. Our main character, Violet is a surrogate who gets auctioned off to the Duchess of the lake. Soon she realises she doesn’t like being treated like an expendable object and wants to get out of the jewel. She meets a boy named Ash who is a companion (basically a boyfriend for hire) to the Duchess’s niece. They fall in love and have to get out together

Trilogy (Titles: The Jewel, The White Rose and The Black Key) and two novellas that are only available as ebooks (Garnet’s Story and The House of the Stone)

It’s super good but the main romance is a little insta-lovey. Even though it takes place over a couple of moths, the chapters are so close together it doesn’t feel that way, but it’s not that bad. The lore of the surrogates is also super interesting and Raven and Garnet are the best and most interesting characters by far 

-Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oaks

A origin story of the queen of hearts and how she became the way she was portrayed in Alice in Wonderland

Trilogy: Queen of Hearts, Blood of Wonderland, War of the Cards

Super good, I loved the plot twist of why she was written that way, I didn't love Wordley’s twist, I thought it was kinda dumb but whatever. The other plot twists, especially the Cheshire one was really good

-The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (The Monatgue siblings series)

We follow Monty, Percy and Felicity as they go touring around Europe. The plan is that they travel for a year, Percy goes to law school in Holland, Felicity goes to finishing school and Monty goes back home to run the estate but boy do things go wrong after Monty steals an innocent looking puzzle box, only to find that it’s not so innocent, all while dealing with his sister’s eye rolls and sassy remarks and his massive crush on his best friend Percy

Trilogy (The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, The Ladies Guide to Petticoats and Piracy and The Nobleman’s Guide to Shipwrecks and Scandal) and one novella (The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky)

Probably one of my favourite books of all time. Queer (and it has pirates, what could be better?) Historical romance, just so good and so well written

-Girls With Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

Trilogy (Girls With Sharp Sticks, Girls With Razor Hearts and Girls With Rebel Souls)

About a bunch of girl who are in a private academy and being trained to be perfect. But soon they realise the indoctrination they’re undergoing and fight back to escape the academy

The theme of sexism is a little heavy handed, the book sort of shoves it into your face that that is the theme but apart from that, very enjoyable. There’s a queer side ship too which I appreciated. The main romance is cute too if a little uninteresting since there’s hardly any drama, it’s just “I like you,” “I like you too,” “Cool let’s date” and I’m okay with that

-Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

About a girl, Amy that gets to Oz in a tornado and it put to the mission of killing Dorothy Gale who came back after the original plot of the wizard of oz, crowned herself as leader and fucked up the place

Series (Dorothy Must Die, The Wicked Will Rise, Yellow Brick War, The End of Oz) and nine novellas (No Place Like Oz, The Witch Must Burn, Order of the Wicked, Ruler of Beasts, Heart of Tin, The Straw King, The Wizard Returns, Dark Side of the Rainbow and The Queen of Oz)

Super creative premise, I think. The book was fun and I loved all the rebellion planning. Dorothy was a great villain and a great character 

[kikuism]

here are the books i've read lately that i want to talk about!! all of them are debuts too.

the witch's heart: a story about the giantess angrboda, whose union with loki produces three unnatural children: the wolf who will swallow the sun and moon, fenrir; the world serpent, jormungandr; and the keeper of the realm of the dead, hel. they live their life at the edge of the world, away from prying eyes, in domestic idyll bliss...until angrboda’s visions plague her, and she sees her children responsible for a large part of the destruction that ragnarok—the end of times—will bring about. are her children monsters? how far does a mother's love go to protect her unnatural children destined for destruction? these are the questions at the heart of the book and they really truly tugged at my heartstrings. i wasn't prepared for how emotional this book made me feel. at its heart it is a story about family, about motherhood most of all. my budding interest in norse mythology also greatly upped my enjoyment of this book. i'm definitely going to keep an eye out for more books by this author in the future. i can't believe this is her debut!

these feathered flames: inspired by russian folklore, twins asya and izaveta are thrust apart by two separate destinies: asya trains to become the firebird that keeps magic in check in the realm, and izaveta trains to be the next queen. however, tragedy brings them back together: the death of the queen. suddenly izaveta is crowned the new queen, and asya prematurely must take on the role of the firebird. tensions rise between the sisters, who not only have not seen each other in years, but whose new positions have never really worked in tandem with each other before. the sisters must navigate growing political tensions as well as try to figure out what—or who—killed their mother.

in my personal opinion this book promised more than it delivered, and i think if the execution were a little sharper I'd have enjoyed it more. i wanted to get more of a feel for the characters. it was there, but i wanted more. i admit i enjoyed izaveta's parts more than asya's—i think i have a thing for ice queens trying to navigate their new roles (god....not to bring up frozen, but i was so excited for elsa's character and....they just didn't do anything with her). izaveta reminds me of what elsa would be like. also, i'm sorry, but...the f/f enemies to lovers romance that was a big part of this book’s hype absolutely failed to do anything for me. i so wanted to like it, but unfortunately i couldn't care for it. and i know it's because i didn't care enough about the characters that i couldn't get invested in their romance. if i can't care about them as individuals, how can i care about them together? also, the pacing of their relationship was just not it. i also expected this book to be steeped in russian folklore and culture the way the bear and the nightingale was—with that book, i felt like i had truly stepped in medieval russia; it was dripping with culture. but with these feathered flames, it felt like just a little dip into what should have been a richer world. yes, there is russian food and clothing and names, but i still felt the impression i was reading about some vague european setting rather than a fully established russian one. all in all, it wasn't terrible, but it didn't really do much for me. i give it a generous 3.5/5. i might pick up the sequel.

ariadne: ariadne and her sister phaedra are princesses of crete, who have grown up hearing the thunderous bellows of their brother, the minotaur, in the massive labyrinth underneath the palace. every year fourteen tributes are brought over from athens to be sacrificed to the beast. until one year, one of the tributes turns out to be the legendary theseus, who vows to defeat the minotaur and end this cycle of violence and bloodshed (yes! suzanne collins was inspired by the myth of theseus and the minotaur). ariadne falls in love with theseus and aids him in killing her brother. but what does this mean for her—is this betrayal worth it?

i enjoyed this book. i think by now i have a soft spot for mythology retellings (thank you madeline miller 🤍), and the writing in these kinds of books is close to my own style, so i love that. i had originally thought the entire book was going to be about the maze and the minotaur, but it's just the first part! i won't say what happens, but...things happen. like all mythology retellings, this story too takes place over the course of the subject's life, so there's a sense of the passing of time. i must say that the writing is gorgeous and so expressive. it was a real treat to read. i think the overall reason i don't Love this book though is because 1) the ending was rather abrupt, and 2) the main theme, to me, really just boiled down to 'men ain't shit'. which....yeah, valid, but also i sort of wish it was a little more substantial than that. i wish it had something more to say too. i remember sometime around the middle of the book i just paused and was like, ‘okay but what's the point? what is this book trying to say?’ but regardless, i really and truly sympathized with the women in these book, mortal and immortal alike. they had it rough....we still have it rough....the universal timeless experience of being a woman.

the poppy war: *shrieks* i'm so glad i gave this book another chance. i could not put this down. it's the better 'orphan goes to boarding school' story. in fact, the first part tricks you into thinking it's going to be cutesy boarding school antics. but holy shit....no. no. this is a horrific story about war.

the poppy war is a historical military epic inspired by the second sino-japanese war and overall china’s bloody twentieth century. knowing a bit about east asian history myself i could actually recognize some of what was going on in this book. main character rin aces the keju, a nationwide exam that seeks to root out only the most talented youth—and is accepted into the most prestigious military academy, sinegard. however, tensions are fraught just across the sea as the federation prepares to make its move against nikan, her home. rin soon realizes she has an affinity for shamanism, a mythical power that calls upon the gods, and which might just be the key for winning this war and saving her people. but is this great power worth the even greater cost?

the best way i can describe the writing in the poppy war: it's a shounen anime come to life. the action is so amazingly written and explosive, from the swords to the magic, especially the way it's interspersed with the emotional moments. the way everything is written, i can see everything happening so clearly in my mind's eye. it's such a visceral experience. the writing just flows.

but this book is about war, first and foremost, and all the horrors that come with it, down to every last garish detail. it takes a lot for a book to unnerve me, but this one did and more. it made me uncomfortable and disturbed and horrified. this book delves into war intimately, not a small dip but rather a full submersion. there's a section detailing carnage in a city that's just going to stay with me forver. it's like that scene in mulan where they abruptly fall silent as they reach the massacred village, except every inch of that carnage is described in full intimate detail. it's not for the faint of heart. at one time i clapped my hand over my mouth because i couldn't believe what i was reading.

and it asks questions about war, too. who's right, who's wrong? is any of this justified? is vengeance the way to go? and the thing is....it's not. duh. venegance is Not the way to go. we all know this. but oh my god the way r. f. kuang writes, you want Nothing more than pain and death for rin's enemies. you want to see them suffer in the worst way possible. like rin, you want to get back at them in the worst possible way. and it's like...yes venegance is not the answer but you want her enemies to hurt So Badly. you start thinking, maybe it's okay, because they're so horrible and vile and inhumane, retaliation is the only possibly course. vengeance Must be served. but then.....what does that make you? what is the cost of vengeance? can you pay it? can you ever? is it worth it?

this book is insane and epic in the best way possible. i'm so glad i gave it another chance. the world building is so rich and lavish and the cast of characters is huge and i care for each and every one of them and i'm just. So Invested in what's going to happen next. SO MUCH happened in this first book, i'm still reeling, i feel like i've read two books in one sitting. i can't even predict what's waiting for me in the next book, which is a whopping 650 pages....i'm going to be fed so well.

also, here is a list of triggers. please exercise caution going into this book as it deals with some very dark themes:

[greatqueenanna]

Revisiting all the Frozen Novels.

Over the past couple of weeks, I took it upon myself to re-read all of the Frozen Novels and chapter books. I had been meaning to revisit Dangerous Secrets, and then I thought to myself - "Why not revisit them all?!" So here we are.

Keep in mind that these are my personal opinions, and I encourage all of you to read the books for yourselves and give your own thoughts! Also, if you guys read any of these books, which ones were your faves and least faves? Let me know!

*Also, my audience scores are based off of Goodreads. Just in case if anyone was curious about that haha.

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Anna and Elsa: Sisterhood is the Strongest Magic

By: Erica David

Released: January 6th, 2015 - January 3rd, 2017

Type: Series

Age Range: 5 - 7 years

Audience Score: Average for whole series 4.9/5

My Score: 3.0/5

Anna and Elsa is an adorable series that tells of fun little adventures that the sisters have. A lot of the adventures seem a bit unoriginal, as the plot lines seem to be similar to that of the Disney Press picture books. I feel that the most original book of the series was Memory and Magic, as it dealt with something not put forward by any other books at the time. Due to its reading level, it might not be all that fun for older fans, but younger fans will more than likely love the stories. I find it a little silly that in book 3, A Warm Welcome, Anna and Elsa apparently don't know what a desert is, but regardless the series is honestly super cute. I also remember how everyone used to ship Queen Marisol and Elsa for a while - what good times haha.

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A Frozen Heart

By: Elizabeth Rudnick

Released: October 13, 2015

Type: Stand-Alone

Age Range: 10 - 14 years

Audience Score: 3.8/5

My Score: 2.5/5

This story was supposed to be the backstory for Hans that everyone was excited about. I was also really excited, as a Hans fan. The story is basically a retelling of Frozen through the perspectives of Hans and Anna. It gives us some of Hans' backstory, along with some scenes before the coronation. Rudnick herself is a good writer, and is great at really setting the overall tone and staying true to the characters. However, I feel that Hans' backstory was a bit predictable and cheesy, and Anna's side of the story didn't really offer anything substantial. The contradictions were also really jarring for me. ______________________________________________________________

Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights

By: Suzanne Francis

Released: July 5, 2016

Type: Stand-alone novel, but part of a Spinoff Series

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Audience Score: 3.8/5

My Score: 3.0/5

Frozen Northern Lights was a spin off series that released this novel, an Adventure Notebook that works as a companion to the novel, 3 picture books, and a LEGO miniseries. I actually remember this spin off series being foreshadowed by A Year With Anna and Elsa, which was released March of the same year. I honestly thought that this was supposed to be Frozen 2, until we got the full background on the spinoff. The story follows the Frozen gang helping a Troll named Little Rock gain his tracking crystal while looking for Gran Pabbie during the Troll's Northern Lights festival. Overall, I thought this series was actually pretty good for what it was. I liked the idea of exploring more of the Trolls' culture while also teaching kids more about the Northern Lights.

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Conceal, Don't Feel: A Twisted Tale

By: Jen Calonita

Released: Oct 1, 2019

Type: Part of a series, but stand alone for the Frozen related story.

Age Range: 12 - 17 years

Audience Score: 3.8/5

My Score: 2.8/5

This story follows the original tale of Frozen; but, as the title says, a twist. In this alternate Frozen, Agnarr and Iduna choose to separate Anna and Elsa entirely, giving Anna away to one of Iduna's friends to keep her safe, and erasing both sister's memories of each other. Overall, the novel is written well and the characters were pretty true to their film counterparts. However, I found the set up doesn't really make much sense - I simply don't feel that Iduna and Agnarr would make Elsa forget her powers or give Anna away. That just seems nonsensical to me. I have to say though, it was interesting to see where the story was going and I actually, ahem, really liked the Helsa crack content. Don't kill me haha.

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Frozen 2: Forest of Shadows

By: Kamilla Benko

Released: October 4, 2019

Type: Stand-Alone

Age Range: 8 - 12

Audience Score: 4.1/5

My Score: 4.8/5

Honestly, I feel this is the best Frozen novel out there. Forest of Shadows tells a story that happens a few months before Frozen 2, and was meant to help set up Anna's dedication towards Arendelle and her questioning her self-worth. The novel follows the sisters trying to stop a strange sleep disease caused by a Nightmare Wolf. This book honestly strengthens the relationship that the sisters have for their parents, and even *lightly* has the sisters talk about the separation. Other than a few pacing issues and couple inconsistencies here and there (like...where did that ice bear go?), the novel is just fantastic and really does add to Frozen 2 as a whole.

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Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets

By: Mari Mancusi

Released: November 3, 2020

Type: Stand-Alone

Age Range: 12 - 18

Audience Score: 4.4/5

My Score: 4.0/5

Dangerous Secrets explores Iduna and Agnarr's relationship before their marriage and how their love blossomed over the years. I wrote a review for this one late last year, not liking the book too much. However, I was told to give it another chance, and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more the second time, with my biases out of the way. I still strongly feel that there was not enough sensitivity and care put into Iduna's connection to the Northuldra, and if/how she chose to handle the discrimination towards her people as Queen. However, I can't deny that Mancusi delivers in giving Iduna and Agnarr fantastic chemistry, delivers in answering a lot of questions put forth by Frozen 2, and gives an amazing take on Iduna and Agnarr's heartbreaking feelings over the separation.

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[oneunexpected]

I love Free Day because it means I can do Whatever I Want and I get to rb it to tucweek along with the incredible art pieces and insightful analysis other people have made and mine’s just, like, TUC as vines.

Anyway. Here’s the definitive power ranking of all minor characters* in the Underland Chronicles. It's quite long, because I tried to use every character.

Icarus -this DUUUUDE. This GUYYYYY. SUCKS! -“uh-oh looks like I’m infected with the plague better fly directly into a social gathering” -would be an anti-masker probably  0/10

Reekwell and Gushgore -Fangor and Shed part two, but unfunny this time. 1/10 y’all suck give me Fangor and Shed back

Purvox -Purvox is apparently a beautiful red spider who teaches Hazard how to “speak” Spinner. That’s cool. -that’s it. Why did Suzanne even feel the need to name her? I’m grateful for the extra details but 2/10

Ajax -mean. -nobody likes him -this is probably why he gets on so well with Solovet -some sort of flier general, it seems, which is pretty cool 2/10

Hero & Kent -twins, I guess that’s fun -they’re only like eight but they still Smirk Evilly. Good for them 2/10 just because there’s 2 of them

Anchel & Daphne -some randos Keeda mentions as dead. They probably had some sort of significance to be mentioned by name but We’ll Never Know. 2/10 RIP though. I’m sure you’re worth higher than this but I don’t even know who you are

Horatio -crony #1 -has a crush on Dulcet. Didn’t we all 3.5/10. Boosted solely by association with Dulcet

Marcus -crony #2 3/10

Wevox -thought her name was Weavox until I began writing this post -sort of “Was Margaret Thatcher a Girlboss?” vibes -“As it is, Vikus, we will not drink. Web them” is a RAW line and it bounces around my head sometimes -the spiders are clearly very crafty about their political relations but she was not going to hesitate for a MOMENT to consider the ramifications of killing the monarch of Regalia and we gotta respect that -docking points for the girlboss thing, though. 4/10

Stellovet -queen of insults you gotta be honest -had an INCREDIBLE amount of impact for only having like three lines. I remember being like 11 and reading so many fics on Fan Fiction Dot Net where she was a scheming villain -funny how Luxa thinks her endgame is just becoming a princess. She doesn’t care beyond that she just wants to be royalty 4/10

Chim -baby -ok she’s 5 -doesn’t do anything but look confused and help provide a gateway for Howard to look like a good person 5/10, for years of life. What’s even your name? Chimney?

Andromeda -she’s good. She is an Absolute Beast when she crosses the Waterway with Howard and Mareth, definitely saved Mareth’s life -loves Mareth very much :) -shuns Ares at first but comes around, we still gotta knock her for this though 5/10

Clawsin & Bloodlet & Ratriff -Some folks who go to Ripred’s side, Clawsin gets blinded from the Bane, Ratriff gets his arm ripped off by the Bane, it is what it is 5/10 collectively

Reflex -man’s got jokes -very helpful with the code -shoots streamers of silk around the room when they break it -came to Regalia secretly... secretly to whom? The spinners? The gnawers? Whatever, he’s a rebel either way -I had to look up his name though, so apparently not a lot of impact. Sorry Reflex 5/10

Treflex -announced he was joining the quest, then IMMEDIATELY died. Yes king give us nothing -made a good snack? Gross. 5/10

Cevian -the scene where they find her body is beautifully written and so heartbreaking. She’s the catalyst for the entire fourth book -gives Aurora the opportunity to make her first ever big impassioned speech. It’s what Aurora deserved -still, she doesn’t get any dialogue so I can’t vote her super high 5/10

Euripides -seems nice -always described as “Vikus’ big grey bat,” never just big bat, never just grey bat -tells Luxa to teach Gregor how to ride a bat because his neck is getting bruised lol -nice of him not to embarrass Gregor though 6/10 speak up for yourself, king

Pend -takes Boots back to Regalia after the moth brings her to the crawlers’ land -Vikus recognizes him by name which is really impressive since crawlers look pretty homogenous, although we are told Vikus is better than most at picking them out. Still, Pend is probably a high rolling crawler. 6/10

The scorpions -I know I’m supposed to be doing named characters but they’re pretty cool. The passage they’re in is a really fun read. Mad respect 6/10 I’ll see y’all in Scorpio szn, baby

Razor -showed SHAME and GUILT in the first book when he got called out by Ripred -raised Pearlpelt as if he was his own. In payment, Pearlpelt knocked him off a cliff and then tried to eat him to hide the evidence 6/10

Fangor and Shed -funny dudes. -apparently constantly drunk 6/10

Gox -Gox got shit DONE, okay? Gox got shit DONE. -would eat your carcass without a moment of hesitation. It’s fine. 6/10

Hermes -this guy is great! -brings Luxa her crown -gets seriously injured while protecting Lizzie on their way to Regalia -might be dead tbh no one ever says 7/10

Keeda -okay listen. Keeda’s great. Keeda is that warrior at the Battle of Marathon who ran all the way back to Athens to report their victory and immediately die, except Keeda was reporting that the gnawers were about to invade -listen I know she was dealing with some other stuff, but Vikus asks, “how many rats?” And she says “many. Many rats” ??? No estimate? “An army?” Whatever. We give her a pass. 7/10 RIP

Pandora -FUCK -her death was possibly the MOST disturbing passage I’ve ever read. I could see it so, so vividly in my head. Man I remember the horror -she just wanted to explore 7/10 but also 2/10 for emotional trauma

Queen Athena -ICONIC one-liner in Curse of the Warmbloods, absolutely demolishes the gnawers over their treatment of the nibblers -I’m really biased towards her because Athena is my favorite goddess -probably could’ve done more for Ares, especially as seeing she’s supposed to be perceptive and a really good judge of character and whatnot 7/10

Daedalus -flinches in fear when Boots says she’s gonna sing a for him, specifically -basically pledges his life to Lizzie in the event the Code Room is attacked so that’s very nice 7/10

Heronian -she’s in a full body cast, but that will not stop her. 8/10

Susannah -can we talk about how she lost both of her siblings and she just keeps trucking along? -REALLY wish we knew more about her -clearly Very Kind. Can you please ask your daughter to be nicer -takes really good care of everyone she comes across :) 8/10

Min -creaky old cockroach dance 9/10

Frill -was cool -taught everyone the marks of secret -taught Hamnet about pacifism and stuff too -I get the feeling she was wayyyyy more important to Hazard and Hamnet and their survival than Gregor’s narrative really dives into 9/10

Mr. Cormaci -nice man. Gave Gregor quarters. 10/10

Gregor’s grandma -cool lady, you can’t deny! -tells Gregor he can’t outrun his issues -has a super cool quilt -who IS Simon??? 10/10

Scalene, Euclidian, Root, Cube, and Newton -felt obligated to include all these kiddos because they are, in fact, named, even though none of them get any dialogue or anything else for that matter, really -Scalene was a little nibbler pup that found her mom in the Arena, Euclidian and Root are two more that the mom was looking for, Newton was one that no one claimed but some other guy was like “any of us will take him” which is :’) but also, so, so sad. -Cube was the pup Luxa named that ended up in the pit in the Firelands -Scalene and Newton survived a genocide and Euclidian which is baller any way you swing it 10/10

Tick -:( :( :( -the selflessness. -I shipped her with Temp when I was 8? I can’t answer for that 10/10

York -LMAOOOO this guy’s a LEGEND -7 ft tall. -fights with a zweihander. -says fuck, canonically. -hosts hundreds of nibbler refugees -very loving uncle to Luxa, helps her learn how to rule - his exasperated affection towards Howard when he finds out Howard stayed in the Firelands even after he got sick was very cute 10/10

Honorable mentions: Perdita and Dulcet Their roles are too big in the last book to be included in this list, but these ladies both get a 10/10.

[carriagelamp]

November 2020: A Months of Familiarity

This November ended up being a month of me either rereading old favourites, exploring new books by favourite authors, or a mix of both.

…Be prepared for so much Terry Prachett, I found his audiobooks on Libby last month and since that I’ve been unstoppable.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents

The first of my Terry Practhett books to mention! I chose to include this one on my list because it’s a beautiful stand alone novel, perfect to read if you’ve never touched on of Pratchett’s works before, and is often overlooked.

The book is about Maurice, an “amazing” cat by his own admission, who has teamed up with a stupid boy and his very own plague of rats. The moneymaking scheme is simple: set the rats loose on a town and after causing a panic let the boy stroll in and offer to play his pipe and lead them away… for a fee. This is working well, until Maurice, the boy, and the rats arrive in the town Bad Blintz. Here the rats are beginning to question the morality of their work, the boy gets entangled with a young, mischievous local girl, and they’re all shocked to find out that the town already has a real rat infestation… or so the rat catchers claim. Things quickly turn sinister and deadly as the group is forced to confront not only the cruelty of humanity, but something even more sinister living in the small, dark, hidden place of the town.

This is a YA book, unlike some of Pratchett’s other novels, so it’s a quick, fun read, while still having all of his dry wit and heavy, complicated thoughts about society, morality, belief, and what it means to be a person. It’s a genuine delight to see Maurice and the rats, recently made sentient by wizards’ rubbish, struggle to come to terms with who they were and who they are now.

Black Pearl Ponies: Red Star & Wildflower

Y’all it ain’t a secret at this point that I enjoy a stupid horse girl book, right? I picked up the first two books of the Black Pearl Ponies books from the library on a whim and they were basically what they promised. Girl lives with family on ranch, father helps train horses, girl goes on pony adventures with ponies. A particular focus is given to horse welfare and care. Very mediocre but a nice thoughtless covid read if you, like me, get a craving for animals books written for seven year olds from time to time. Plus this comes with the added humour of it being written, as far as I can tell, by a British author who thinks all Americans are stetson wearing cowboys which I find unreasonably funny.

Crenshaw

I love Katherine Applegate’s work; I read the Endling series earlier this year and they are overwhelmingly good. Crenshaw was also an enjoyable read, though not my favourite by her. It read a little bit like a book I read last fall, No Fixed Address, which was also a very good read though not my usual genre. Crenshaw is about a boy, Jackson, whose family, though close-knit and loving, is experiencing financial difficulties and struggle with food scarcity, homelessness, and all the instability and stress that results from this. During this tumultuous time, Jackson is surprised by the reappearance of a tall, bipedal, snarky cat — Crenshaw, his old imaginary friend. This is a charming book that blends genuine, real world hardships with whimsy and magical realism.

The Enemy Above: A Novel of WWII

Since it was Rememberance Day this month, I decided to pick up a holocaust novel. This book is about 12-year-old Anton, a young Jewish boy who finds himself fleeing from his Polish farm in the middle of the night with his old grandma when a German raiding party that attacks their village in an effort to make the countryside “judenfrei”. The book is, perhaps, not the most well-fleshed out, but it’s fast-paced and exciting for a child/YA audience that’s being introduced to holocaust literature, without trying to downplay the absolutely horror and brutality of the Nazis. It manages to strike a satisfying balance between fear, tragedy, and hope.

“Everything he had heard was true. He was just a twelve-year-old boy and yet they hunted him. He had broken no laws, done nothing wrong. He was simply born Jewish. How could anyone want to kill him for it?”

Gregor the Overlander

Somehow I never knew that Suzanne Collins wrote anything other than The Hunger Games? I stumbled across this series at a used bookstore and was first taken by the cover and then shocked when I realized I recognized the author’s name. Well The Hunger Games was such a good read, how could I not pick up a book with people riding on a giant fucking bat?

Such a good choice. I’m almost done book two and bought book three today after work. It is exactly the sort of low fantasy that I live for, when a fantasy world lives so close to the real world that you can practically touch it. I also love the fact that while all the wild fantastical elements are happening, you still have the main character taking care of his toddler sister the whole time. It’s at times charming, hilarious, and nerve-wracking!

It’s about Gregor, a normal kid who’s doing his best to help his mom take care of his two younger siblings ever since his father disappeared years ago. Gregor expected months of boredom when he agrees to stay home over the summer instead of going to camp like his sister in order to watch his baby sister, Boots, and their grandma while his mom is at work. He never could have expected that a simple trip to the apartment’s laundry room would lead to both him and Boots tumbling miles beneath the earth into the pitch black Underland, a place filled with giant rats and bugs and people with translucent skin who fly through the massive caverns on huge bats. He also could have never expected that he would get wrapped up in a deadly prophecy that would force him to travel into distant, dark lands into the waiting claws of an overwhelming enemy.

Kings, Queens, and In-Between

A Canadian queer novel that I’ve seen trumpeted everywhere. Libraries, classrooms, bookstore, this book got so much hype (and has such a pleasing cover) that I had to get my hands on it. Now, I’ve got to admit that it’s not really my genre; I don’t love realistic fiction. But that being said, it’s a fun, heart-warming, queer romp through that explores gender, sexuality, love, family, friendship… there’s a lot of lovable, quirky, complicated characters that get thrown together in unexpected ways at a local summer carnival. While there’s tension and misunderstandings and mistakes, this is overall a very optimistic and loving novel, and would be a great read if you want a queer novel that reads like cotton candy.

Love, The Tiger

This book is the graphic novel equivalent of a nature documentary. There’s no text, but you follow a day in the life of a tiger as it moves through the jungle on the quest for food. The art is honestly beyond outstanding, and though it’s a really quick read it is so very worth it. I’ve also read Love, The Lion in this series (also good, though a bit more confusing imho) as well as one of the books from his other series Little Tails which is still very nature and education based, though for a slightly younger audience.

Making Money

More Pratchett! Making Money was the first Discworld book I ever read, and it’s one of my most reread ones — it’s an ultimate comfort read! This is technically the sequel to Going Postal (another book I reread this month), in which conman Moist Von Lipwig is saved from a rightful death at the noose in exchange for agreeing to work for the city. Going Postal sees Moist narrowly dodging death in many varied forms as he tries to get the Anhk-Morpork postal service back on its feet and get the drifts of dead, whispering letters moving again. In Making Money things at the post office have become… too easy. Moist is bored, restless, until he finds himself thrust into a new job: head of the Royal Mint. There he has been given not only charge of the biggest bank in Anhk-Morpork, but also a dog with a price on its head, a lethal family with all the money in the world out for his blood, and the fear that his secret past life may be on the verge of being exposed to everyone, all while he’s desperately trying to make money…

The Moist series is honestly an example of Pratchett at his absolute best imo, and the amount of humour, wit, adventure, and scathing commentary he can build around a bank is outstanding. Cannot recommend enough.

The One And Only Ivan

Another book I’ve been hearing everyone talk about, as well as another Katherine Applegate book. It’s been on my radar for a while, but with the sequel and a movie coming out, it had everything at a fever pitch and I finally picked it up. Fantastic read, I definitely enjoyed it more than Crenshaw. This book was based off the true story of Ivan, a gorilla taken from his home in the jungle and sold to the owner of a mall, where he spent years of his life growing from child to adult silverback in a small, concrete enclosure. In this fictionalized version, everything changes for Ivan and his friends, when a new baby elephant is bought to help revitalize the mall attractions and Ivan makes a promise he doesn’t know how to keep: to protect this baby, and keep her from living the life Ivan and his friends were forced to. This book made me very emotional. Applegate’s picture book that goes along with it is also a great companion read.

Ranma ½

I realized that our library had the 2-in-1 editions of Ranma ½ and honestly that was it for me. This has been a favourite series of mine since I was in middle school and realized that the creator of Inuyasha had written other things. It is unapologetically ridiculous and larger-than-life and you have to love the shameless joy it has at being ludicrous. It does start to feel a little repetitive the further into the series you go, but at the moment, with covid, I find I have a huge tolerance for rereading slightly repetitive things so long as they make me happy. And boy howdy does the vaguely queer undertones, endless pining, and relentless slapstick of Ranma ½  make me happy. This is classic manga y’all and if you’ve never read it you should!

The basic premise, for anyone that doesn’t is that of an bonkers martial arts comedy. It follows Ranma and his father who, while training in China, fell into cursed springs. Each spring has the tragic legend of a person or animal who drowned in it, and if someone falls in they inevitably turn into that creature any time they’re doused in cold water. Ranma had the misfortune of falling into “The Spring of Drowned Girl” and, indeed, turns into a girl anytime he’s hit with cold water. Things continue to spiral out of control when Ranma meets his arranged fiancée, Akane, who is as exasperated by this situation as Ranma. Both would rather be fighting people than worrying about things like romance. And don’t worry, there is lots and lots and lots and lots of some of the goofiest martial arts fights that you can imagine for a bunch of high schoolers.

Through the Woods

A beautiful and creepy Canadian graphic novel. I honestly really don’t even know how to describe it in a way that does it justice. It’s a collection of short horror stories, with beautiful, flowing art style that draws you in and sends chills down your spine. I’ll let the art doing the talk, and honestly beg you to go find a way to read this graphic novel:

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner: And Other Stories

The last Terry Pratchett book on my list (though shout out to the others I’ve listened to this month: Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Men At Arms, and Snuff) and one that I actually physically, rather than listening to the audiobook. I included this one because unlike the others, this was a Pratchett book I had never read before. It collects a number of Pratchett’s short stories that had been written for children over a number of years. These weren’t necessarily my favourite examples of Pratchett’s writing (I prefer his longer work that can really dive into social issues) but it was such a quick, easy, fun read that you can’t really help but be charmed by it. I liked the stories that took place in “the wild wild west (of Wales)” in particular.

[kahans]

i was tagged by @fillippas​ and @radiantsusan​ to list the top 10 books i read in 2020. thank u both so much! <3

so i’ve only read 18 going on 19 books this year (pathetic i know) but it’s still better than last year so we’re going to say this is a good year of literature for me. to narrow things down even further i’m also going to exclude rereads. anyway, in no particular order, here are my favorite books read in 2020! under the cut because i don’t hate my followers lmao

jade city by fonda lee - imagine six of crows but everyone is allowed to swear and it’s set in a fantasy version of eastern asia in the mid-20th century. yeah, it’s that awesome. 11/10 recommend, though it is an adult fantasy novel, the first of three, and contains two (you could argue but that’s my count) explicit sex scenes, some violence, and strong language

emma by jane austen - i don’t have much to say about this book except that i was not expecting it to be so funny? like honestly the whole book was hilarious from the actual plot to austen’s choice of prose.

supernova by marissa meyer - this book is the third of the renegades series, and it has everything you could want from a young adult novel about superheroes: complex morality, exploration of social issues, found family—and most importantly, enemies to lovers—all set in a fictional city analogous to gotham city. if you were a fan of the lunar chronicles, you’ll probably like the renegades series

queen of nothing by holly black - if you like enemies to lovers and faeries, you’ll probably like this conclusion to the folk of the air trilogy. the way the author presented the enemies to lovers trope was healthy and well-written, in my opinion, and the world of the faery, extant parallel to our own, is so aesthetically pleasing and beautifully described. the main character’s fears and motivations are well supported by the plot and her own circumstances. also there was a little kid who didn’t constantly annoy me for once, so that’s also a nice bonus.

the song of achilles by madeline miller - honestly in fifty years i wouldn’t be surprised if this book was considered one of the classics. everything from the characters to the prose to the romance was beautifully done. as an amateur writer, i especially admired miller’s use of language. obviously she had source material to build upon but her choice of words fit so well with the setting and type of novel she wrote. now there are several raw ass quotes from this book that live in my mind rent fee

the secret history by donna tartt - when i first started this book all i could think was, what the heck is this book about? the writing was pretty, if not a little verbose, and the characters intriguing, but the plot dragged so much it took me forever to finish the book. by my estimation, things really started to get going about a third of the way through, and by then i was hooked and really began to enjoy things. like the entry just prior to this one, several of the quotes live in my brain rent free. some of the scenes do also, though mostly because they were delightfully absurd

the foxhole court by nora sakavic - okay, okay, make fun of me for jumping on the bandwagon all you want, but i had to see what all of the hype was about. i haven’t read all three, so i’m just passing a judgment on this book alone: i do not understand why people adore this book so much (please don’t kill me it’s just an opinion). maybe it gets better in the second and third novels, but there were some pretty...yikes things going on i wasn’t too comfy with. but i do like the characters and their dynamic

ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins - if this had been anything but a hunger games book i probably wouldn’t have put it on this list. that makes it sound really bad, but my expectations were high and this book was...so... slow. and dry. it was interesting to read how some of the aspects of the hunger games came to be, and of course i loved lucy gray baird, but she was probably the only highlight in a cast of otherwise bland characters. i feel like collins wrote this book as current sociopolitical commentary to give it a deeper meaning beyond a cash grab profiting off of her reader’s love of the first series.

frankenstein by mary shelley - i think part of what makes this book so good is knowing the details surrounding its creation and publication. i mean, have you ever written a book so unique and good it revolutionized a whole genre of literature? yeah, me neither. i’m one of the few who read kiersten white’s the dark descent of elizabeth frankenstein before the novel on which it was based so i might give that a reread as well because [saoirse ronan voice] women.

we rule the night by claire elizabeth bartlett - so I’m going to be honest: this book was not as good as I expected. The worldbuilding was lackluster and the magic system, while interesting, was not fleshed out enough to fully make the quasi-russian setting really come alive. however, one of the main characters was a disabled girl, and while I can’t speak for disabled people as I am not one myself, i enjoyed the way her disability was integrated into the magic system and how it was portrayed by the author.

Tagging: @opticarrow, @coachday, @cressisaqueen, @venkasring, and anyone else who wants to do this tag! (The whole mini review proceeding each book is not necessary to complete the tag, I’m just extra)

[bookishlyjules]

Review - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - SPOILER FREE

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you know anything at all about me, you know that my one undying true love is The Hunger Games (in all forms). I have been a diehard THG fan since 2008 and honestly, I credit this series with finding my passion for reading and the publishing industry. I cry - and I mean SEVERELY cry - at the end of Mockingjay Pt. 2 every time I watch it (I had to be dragged out of the theatre the first time I saw it). This series means more to me than I can possibly put into words. I found it when I experienced depression for the first time, and it became my coping mechanism. I fell into this series like a never ending well and I just keep falling and falling hoping there will never be a bottom and my love can continue to grow and grow and never end. 

When TBOSAS was announced, I had just signed a lease for my first NYC apartment (a few blocks away from Scholastic’s head office) to begin my career in publishing - something started because of this series, so to finally have this book in my hands feels like a dream come true and something I could never imagine 11 year old Julia experiencing when she found The Hunger Games for the first time.

When I saw this book is perfect, I mean this book is perfect. I wouldn’t call is the best book every written, and it’s certainly not the best book in this series, but it is perfect for every person who has ever read The Hunger Games and is invested in the carefully crafted story Suzanne Collins created.

There were many theories and skepticisms surrounding this book in the THG fandom. Was Suzanne going to make Snow sympathetic? How does he become evil? the list goes on. So I went into this book with a clear mind and open heart, and boy am I glad I did so. YES Snow appears sympathetic... until he’s not. This book demonstrates just how unsettling his character is in the original trilogy, and how he got to be that way. Suzanne perfectly wraps this up in the epilogue (she is the literal QUEEN of writing epilogues okay don’t @ me), and readers can clearly see how Snow begins and becomes who we see him as in the trilogy.

The foreshadowing is literally impeccable. I flagged and tabbed so many sections in this book with how they relate to the trilogy. Knowing Suzanne Collins and her writing, we know everything has a reason in her books which makes the reading experience so much better.

This is the perfect prequel/non-prequel because it perfectly demonstrates Snow and Panem before the start of The Hunger Games, however, I would seriously urge new readers to read this series in order of publication. If I had read TBOSAS before THG, I think it would’ve been ruined for me. There are so many instances when I would GASP out loud when I made a connection to the series, and I think that is so important to the story and the understanding of the world Suzanne Collins built. I’ve been asked a lot if I think there will be more after this, and honestly, I don’t know. My THG heart begs Suzanne for a Dark Days prequel just as much now as it did in 2010 when I finished Mockingjay. But, this book perfectly stands on its own and gives readers another taste of Panem, something we have been wishing for, for a while, in a perfect wrapped package.

I’ll never say never to more THG content, but I can be thoroughly content with what we have been given.

P.S. remember there’s still a movie to look forward to, so THG will always live on!

[ijustreallylovezebras]

Courtney’s Crisis Writing Challenge

So yeah as I’m sure all of you are aware of by now I’m having a crisis

and I figured what better way to deal with an emotional crisis than to do a writing challenge and read all the wonderful thing’s y’all can write to distract myself from my ever-growing list of responsibilities

maybe i should change it to Courtney’s Procrastination and Existential Worry Writing Challenge instead

ANYWAY

This is a whole-ass mega writing challenge, going across ALL the people I’ve ever written for and all the people I lowkey want to write for/kinda have a current obsession/love for atm

I’ll give a full comprehensive list below the rules 

But yeah this is going to have an English Literature theme bc I’m a nerd like that and have been reading too many books lately, again, to distract myself

So the prompts are split into three categories - “The Heartbreakingly Beautiful”, “The Hilariously Relateable” and “Fuck I’m Drowning In Fluff”

yeah the categories are just what went through my mind when I read the things these authors wrote

The Rules

1) You don’t have to be following me but it would be nice because I’m lonely and want friends plz

2) If your piece of writing is over 500 words, please use the ‘read more’ feature

3) Reblog this post to get the word out (and tag anyone who may be interested!)

4) It’s going to be one person per prompt but if needed I can add more prompts

5) Smut is fine but please leave warnings as appropriate (THOUGH NO UNDERAGE CHARACTER SMUT THANKS)

6) On the back of that one, no inappropriate pairings pleaseeeeee

7) Also please make sure you leave appropriate warnings at the beginnings of fics if any sensitive subjects are brought up (e.g. mental health etc)

8) Ships and OC’s are welcome

9) Tag me in your writing! - on any of my blogs or all three if you’re keen whoooo

10) Use the hashtag #CourtsCrisisWC

11) If you want to enter send me an ask with the prompt you want and the pairing you’ll be writing it with - again the ask can be sent to either of my writing blogs

12) The deadline for this is 15th December (this can be extended if y’all need it)

Characters/People/Pairings

Okay so imma split this section into parts real quick

Main Blog

1) Pretty much anyone from the MCU is welcome - with the exception of Tony Stark and Clint Barton

2) Tom Holland & Harrison Osterfield and HOCO cast and the Holland boys (NOT PADDY) 

3) Any of Les Amis

4) The characters from Peaky Blinders as well

5) Poly ships (e.g. Steve x Reader x Bucky or Tom x Reader x Harrison)

Side Blog

1) Ben Hardy (+ Warren Worthington)

2) Joe Mazzello (+ Eugene Sledge, Gardner Langway, Pat Murray, Dr Tim Murphy)

3) Gwilym Lee (+ Charlie Nelson)

4) (BoRhap!)Queen members (Freddie only platonically)

5) Roger x Reader x Ben

6) Joe x Reader x Ben

7) The Hargreeves Children (older!Five only)

8) Richard Madden (+ David Budd, Robb Stark, Prince Kit)

9) Taron Egerton (+ Eggsy)

10) Rocketman!Bernie Taupin and Ray Williams

11) Smosh Members

12) Jake Gyllenhaal (+ all his various characters)

13) Chris Evans (+ Ari Levinson, Frank Adler)

Just For Funsies (i.e. current obsessions I don’t officially write for but lowkey want to)

1) Ashton Irwin

2) Calum Hood

3) Sebastian Stan (+ Chris Beck)

tbh y’all can just send me a person and I’ll let you know if I’m cool with you writing for them but judging by this list I think you can rest fairly assured that I’m going to be okay with whoever you want to write for

Prompts

The Heartbreakingly Beautiful

“I have measured out my life in coffee spoons” - The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S Eliot // the most beautiful and wonderful poem ever written don’t fight me on this // ( @writingsoftheloser w/ BLANK)

“I am so busy keeping my head above water that I scarcely know who I am, much less who anyone else is” - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

“Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do you start missing everybody” - The Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger ( @takenbyheartstrings w/ Peter Parker)

“I should have made it as hard for you to leave me as it is now for me to leave you” - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë ( @bensakindofmagic w/ Ben Hardy)

"The universe is bigger than anything that can fit into your mind." - Love Letters To The Dead by Ava Dellaira ( @petersfreckles w/ Peter Parker)

“You never forget the face of the person that is your last hope” - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ( @tom-holland-stuff w/ BLANK)

“Hope may be the thing that pulls you forward (may be the thing that keeps you going) but that it’s painful and dangerous and risky it’s making a dare to the world and when has the world ever let us win a dare?” - The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

“We can't fight another person's battle, no matter how much we want to.” - Holding Up The Universe by Jenifer Niven

“I'm sure I never used to be so sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition.” - The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

“Sometimes, I feel the past and the future pressing so hard on either side that there's no room for the present at all.” - Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

The Hilariously and Painfully Relatable

“As far as I'm concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain.” - Solitaire by Alice Oseman

“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

"And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good." - East of Eden by John Steinbeck ( @queen-paladin w/ Joe/Eugene/Charlie/Les Amis boy)

"We cross our bridges as we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and the presumption that once our eyes watered." - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard ( @lilulo-12 w/ Bucky)

"It's just that…I just think that some things are meant to be broken. Imperfect. Chaotic. It's the universe's way of providing contrast, you know? There have to be a few holes in the road. It's how life is." - The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen ( @sataninsatin w/ Detective Loki)

“It was books that made me feel that I was not completely alone” - The Night Circus by Erin Mogenstern

“Was there some kind of rule against drop kicking arseholes in the face? Probably. They always had rules against things that needed to be done” - Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

“I would challenge you to a battle of wits but I see you are unarmed” - Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare ( @icantspellanything w/ Poe Dameron)

“Some people are born with an ear for music, some people are born with a talent for drawing, some people...have a built-in radar that tells them where a comma needs to go in a sentence.” - Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland

“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.” I Am The Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Fuck I’m Drowning In Fluff 

“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin ( @mavalenovaninagavi w/ Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker)

“I love her, and that’s the beginning and end of everything” - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Flitzgerald ( @angiefangirlworld-2 w/ Ben Hardy)

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” - Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë ( @fichoe21 w/ Bucky)

"The curves of your lips rewrite history." - Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde ( @sarahp879 w/ Bucky)

"[BLANK] was right. [They] never looked nice. [They] looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something." - Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell ( @writing-of-a-british-bitch w/ Eggsy/Warren)

“Here’s my secret. It’s quite simple: One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“Love is worth everything. Everything.” - Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace,  against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.” - Great Expectations by Charles Dickens ( @natdoesthings w/ Jake Gyllenhaal)

“I just want you to know that you’re very special and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has” - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chebowsky ( @d-is-for-delightfull w/ Enjolras)

“Don’t you understand? You mean more to me than anything in this whole world!” - Peter Pan by J.M Barrie

[papermoonloveslucy]

SORROWFUL JONES

JULY 4, 1949

Sorrowful Jones is a remake of the 1934 Shirley Temple film, Little Miss Marker. In the film, a young girl is left with the notoriously cheap Sorrowful Jones (Bob Hope) as a marker for a bet. When her father does not return, he learns that taking care of a child interferes with his free-wheeling lifestyle. Lucille Ball plays a nightclub singer who is dating Sorrowful's boss. 

Although the official opening night in Hollywood took place on Independence Day 1949, it was premiered in New York City a month earlier, and seen in Australia on June 24, 1949. 

Directed by Sidney Lanfield Produced by Robert L. Welch Written by Edmund Hartmann and Melville Shavelson based on a story by Damon Runyon 

CREDITED CAST

Lucille Ball (Gladys) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in April 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes. She died on April 26, 1989 at the age of 77. 

Ball's singing voice is provided by Annette Warren, who also sang for her in Fancy Pants and later provided the singing voice for Ava Gardner in Show Boat.  Her first screen dubbing was for Lured featuring Lucille Ball, although Warren did not dub Lucy’s voice. She provided the singing voice for Pepper (Iris Adrian) in the Bob Hope film The Paleface (1947). 

Bob Hope (Sorrowful Jones) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career in virtually all forms of media he received five honorary Academy Awards. In 1945, Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s radio show. Ball and Hope did three other films together. He appeared as himself on the season 6 opener of “I Love Lucy.” He did a brief cameo in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show.”  He died in 2003 at age 100.

Mary Jane Saunders (Martha Jane) makes her film debut. She went on to do a season of TV’s “Tales of the Welles Fargo” (1960-61) and made two appearances on “My Three Sons”: one with William Frawley and one with William Demarest. 

William Demarest (Regret) is best remembered as Uncle Charlie on “My Three Sons,” a role created after the death of William Frawley. Demarest and Frawley appeared together on screen in The Farmer’s Daughter (1940). He was nominated for an Academy Award in the biography, The Jolson Story (1946). Demarest did two other films with Lucille Ball: Fugitive Lady (1934) and Don’t Tell The Wife (1937). He died in 1983 at age 91. 

Bruce Cabot (Big Steve) appeared with Lucille Ball in 1934′s Men of the Night. In 1950, he joined Hope and Ball once again in Fancy Pants.  His main claim to fame is rescuing Fay Wray from King Kong (1933).

Tom Pedi (Once Over Sam) did one season of the short-lived sitcom “Arnie” (1970-71).  He was in the 1980 remake of Little Miss Marker, upon which Sorrowful Jones is based. 

Paul Lees (Orville Smith) was blinded by enemy artillery during his service in World War II. He received 32 military decorations and ribbons, including the Legion of Merit. Despite his lack of vision, Lees learned to act and signed a contract with Paramount. He would memorize script dialog by having someone read it to him twice.

Houseley Stevenson (Doc Chesley) was a British-born character actor who had just finished doing The Paleface with Bob Hope. 

Ben Weldon (Big Steve’s Bodyguard) appeared on “I Love Lucy” as the thief who breaks in to the Ricardo apartment to steal “The Fur Coat” (ILL S1;E9).  He was seen in a season one episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Emmett Vogan (Psychiatrist) did four movies with Lucille Ball previous to this one. In 1954 he played Mr. Bolton in The Long, Long Trailer. 

Thomas Gomez (Reardon) was an Oscar nominee for Ride the Pink Horse the previous year. In 1953 he was seen as Pasquale #2 on CBS’s “Life With Luigi”.  He did a 1964 episode of “My Three Sons” with William Demarest.

UNCREDITED CAST (with connections to Lucille Ball)

Ethel Bryant (Nurse) was also seen with Lucille Ball in Broadway Bill (1934), another film involving a racehorse.  John Butler (Jack - Bettor on Green Diamond) was also seen with Lucille Ball in The Affairs of Annabel (1938). 

Bill Cartledge (First Jockey) was also seen with Lucille Ball in The Joy of Living (1938). 

Maurice Cass (Psychiatrist) was also seen with Lucille Ball (and John Butler) in The Affairs of Annabel (1938).

Michael Cirillo (Horse Player) joined Bob Hope in Paleface and Son of Paleface as well as Critic’s Choice with Hope and Ball in 1963. 

Charles Cooley (Shorty) was seen with Hope and Ball in Fancy Pants (1950) as well as a dozen other Bob Hope films. He also was a regular on “The Bob Hope Show” on television. 

James Dearing (Spectator) was in eight other Lucille Ball films between 1936 and 1954. 

Jay Eaton (Horse Player) was in eight other Lucille Ball films between 1937 and 1946.

Chuck Hamilton (Police Officer) was seen in the background of eight other Lucille Ball films from 1937 to 1950.

Selmer Jackson (Doctor) was in six other Lucille Ball films between 1933 and 1949. 

Kenner G. Kemp (Bookmaker) was in seven other Lucille Ball films between 1936 and 1960 as well as doing background work on a 1965 episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Bob Kortman (Horse Player) was in four other Lucille Ball films between 1934 and 1950. 

George Magrill (Horse Player) makes the last of his nine film appearances with Lucille Ball. He started in 1933 with Broadway Thru A Keyhole. 

John Mallon (Horse Player) was also seen with Hope and Ball in Fancy Pants (1950). 

John ‘Skins’ Miller (Jockey) was also seen with Hope and Ball in Fancy Pants (1950) and previously with Ball in The Big Street (1942). 

Frank Mills (Horse Player) makes the last of his ten film appearances with Lucille Ball. He started in 1933 with The Bowery.

Ralph Montgomery (Horse Player) was one of the policeman on the scene in “Lucy Goes To The Hospital” (ILL S2;E16) in 1953. 

Ralph Peters (Taxi Driver) was also seen with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). 

Suzanne Ridgeway (Nightclub Patron) was also seen with Lucille Ball in That’s Right - You’re Wrong (1939) and The Magic Carpet (1951). 

Arthur Space (Plainclothes Policeman) was in four other films with Lucille Ball between 1945 and 1950. 

Bert Stevens (Nightclub Patron) was a background player in four Lucille Ball films as well as one episode of “I Love Lucy,” and many of “The Lucy Show.”

Sid Tomack (Waiter at Steve’s Place) was also seen in The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) with Lucille Ball. 

Harry Tyler (Blinky) did three other films with Lucille Ball between 1937 and 1950. 

Walter Winchell (Himself, Voice Over) was a journalist and radio host who was the narrator of Desilu’s “The Untouchables.”  He also joined the cast in their satire of the series on “Lucy The Gun Moll” (TLS S4;E25). 

The film was made at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, with location shooting in New York City. This was Lucille Ball’s 70th film! 

The New York Times, August 16, 1947.  Note that Lucille Ball is not mentioned.  (Thanks to @ericthelibrarian​ for the scan)

THE STORY

Sorrowful Jones (Bob Hope) is a New York bookie who keeps his operation hidden behind a trap door in a Broadway barber shop. He suffers a financial setback when a horse named Dreamy Joe, owned by gangster Big Steve Holloway (Bruce Cabot), unexpectedly wins a race and Jones has to pay all the bettors.

Jones learns that the race was fixed by Big Steve, who tells him about giving the horse a "speedball." It turns out Big Steve has informed all the bookies in his circle of friends about the fixed race, and demands a sum of $1,000 from each one of them in exchange for this information.

Before the next race, Jones learns Dreamy Joe will lose, but still takes bets on the horse from his customers. He even takes a bet from gambler Orville Smith (Paul Lees), who leaves his four-year-old daughter Martha Jane (Mary Jane Saunders) as collateral. Orville overhears a phone call where Big Steve reveals that the race is fixed, so he is killed by one of Big Steve's goons, Once Over Sam (Tom Pedi). Jones is forced to take care of Martha Jane and brings her home with him. 

The next day Jones gets help from his ex-girlfriend, burlesque performer Gladys O'Neill (Lucille Ball).

Big Steve tells Jones he is being investigated by the racing commission so he is quitting the race-fixing business. Big Steve plans to make one final race before he gets out of the game, where he is fixing it so that Dreamy Joe will win. He also transfers the ownership of the horse to Martha Jane, unaware that she is Orville's daughter. After the race, Big Steve will kill the horse by giving it a high dose of "speedball."

Jones tries to find Martha Jane's mother, but discovers she is dead. Gladys suggests that Jones give all of Dreamy Joe's winnings to Martha Jane to help her survive, or she will contact the police and tell them about Jones' operation. She has no knowledge of Big Steve's plan to fix the race.

Big Steve finds out that Martha Jane is Orville's daughter, so Jones must hide her to protect her from being killed. When hiding on a fire escape's landing, Martha Jane falls down and is seriously injured. In a coma, the little girl calls out for Dreamy Joe.

In order to save Martha Jane and wake her up, Jones and his partner Regret (William Demarest) steal the horse from Big Steve at the race track. They take it into the hospital room where Martha Jane lies. Martha Jane wakes up and the police find out that Big Steve is responsible for Orville's murder.

After Big Steve is arrested, Jones proposes to Gladys. The police want Martha Jane to be placed in an orphanage, but Jones and Gladys, who have married, decide to adopt the girl. They go away on their honeymoon together with their newly adopted daughter.

TRIVIA & BACKGROUND

“Little Miss Marker” (1932), a short story by Damon Runyon, inspired the film Sorrowful Jones.

Damon Runyon’s 1940 short story “Little Pinks” served as the basis for the Lucille Ball / Henry Fonda film The Big Street (1942). 

Little Miss Marker (1934) starring Adolphe Menjou as Sorrowful Jones and Dorothy Dell as Bangles Carson. Shirley Temple as Marthy Jane. The film was directed by Alexander Hall, Lucille Ball’s one-time fiance. 

Sorrowful Jones (1947) starring Bob Hope as Sorrowful Jones and Lucille Ball as Gladys O’Neill. Mary Jane Saunders as Martha Jane. 

40 Pounds of Trouble (1962) starring Tony Curtis as Steve McCluskey and Suzanne Pleshette as Chris Lockwood. Claire Wilcox as Penelope Piper.

Little Miss Marker (1980) starring Walter Matthau as Sorrowful Jones and Julie Andrews as Amanda Worthington. Sarah Stimson as the Kid.

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on November 21, 1949 with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball reprising their film roles. 

“Havin' a Wonderful Wish (Time You Were Here)” by Jay Livingston with lyrics by Ray Evans is sung by Lucille Ball (dubbed by Annette Warren).  

“Miss Beverley Hills of Hollywood” comic book issue #6, January / February 1947 promoted the film. Lucille Ball still is purporting to have been born in Butte, Montana. Here her birth date is also incorrect: August 6, not August 8. Note how much the Drama Teacher resembles Lucy’s mother, Dede Ball.

Lucille Ball advertising both Armstrong Tires and Sorrowful Jones. 

Lucille Ball advertising Sealright Sanitary Containers using Sorrowful Jones.

In “The Bob Hope Christmas Special” (1973) Lucy opens a small wooden box and removes a lock of Hope’s hair she says she snipped from his head when they were making Sorrowful Jones together.

The film was mentioned when Lucille Ball and Bob Hope guested on “Dinah!” in 1977. 

In 1989, after Ball’s passing, a clip from the film was incorporated into “Bob Hope’s Love Affair With Lucy.” 

[blaze-art]

Splatoon 2 Shifty Station References

So you all (or at least most of you) have seen the names of the Shifty Station. This is in case you do not know the reference. Each of the Shifty Stations names are parodies and references to book titles,series,or franchises that had their start in literary works. 

Wayslide Cool 

Wayslide Cool is a parody of the Wayside School books by Louis Sachar,which were adapted into hour long television special,then a cartoon show that aired on Nickelodeon in the US and Teletoon in Canada from 2007 to 2008.

The Secret of S.P.L.A.T 

The Secret of S.P.L.A.T is a parody of The Secret of NIMH film that was an adaptation on the Rats of NIMH series (specifically Mrs.Frisby and the Rats of NIMH) and  by Robert C.O’Brien. The film was directed by Don Bluth and distrbuted by MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc).

Goosponge 

By far my favorite of the references. Goosponge is a parody of Goosebumps,a children’s horror fiction novellas by R.L Stine. The picture shows only just a few of the most popular and iconic books of the original series consisting of 62 books running from 1992 to 1997. The series was so popular it spawned spin off series, (2000,Give Yourself Goosebumps,Short Stories,etc),a Canadian produced live action TV series,loads of merchandise,and 2 movies.

Windmill House on the Pearlie 

Windmill House on the Pearlie is a parody of Little House on the Prairie,part of the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is the third novel in the Little House series,published in 1935. The book and the series have been adapted for stage and the screen several times. One of the successful being the Little House on The Prairie television series that ran from 1974 to 1983. It even got an anime (Laura,the Prairie Girl),different kinds of books (such as cookbooks),among other things. 

Fancy Spew 

Fancy Spew is a parody of Nancy Drew,the character and original series was created and published by Edward Stratemeyer. Nancy Drew was made as the female counterpart to the Hardy Boys. The books were ghostwritten by several authors,all published under the name “Carolyn Keene”. Nancy Drew became popular worldwide,featuring in five films,two TV shows,and a whole slew of computer games. 

Zone of Glass

Zone of Glass is a parody of Throne of Glass,a series of young adult (12-18) fantasy book series by Sarah J.Maas released in August 2012. Beginning with the novel of the same name. The series consisted of 7 other books,one being a collection of stories set prior to Throne of Glass. In September 2016,It was announced there would be a hulu series based off the series called Queen of Shadows,after the 4th book. 

Cannon Fire Pearl

Cannon Fire Pearl is a parody of The Campfire Girls series,a series of children’s books made by various authors. The book series ran from 1900 to 1936,there isn’t much information about it,sadly. 

The Bunker Games 

This one was the most obvious of the parodies,but I’m gonna talk about anyway. The Bunker Games is a parody of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins,the three books were published from 2008 to 2010 with an untitled prequel currently in the works in cited to release in 2020. The books were adapted into films distributed by Lionsgate. 

Grapplink Girl

Grapplink Girl is a parody of Gossip Girl,a series of novels written by Cecily Von Ziegesar,the series ran from 2002 to 2011. The series later got an teen drama television adaptation running from September 19th 2007 to December 17th 2012 with 6 seasons and 121 episodes. 

Zappy Longshocking 

Another rather obvious reference,Zappy Longshocking is a parody of the Pippi Longstocking (known as Pippi Langstrump in Sweden) series by Astrid Lindgren,the three books were published from 1945 to 1948 followed by three short stories,excerpts from the original books were made into picture books. Pippi Longstocking has been adapted into film and TV several times.

A Swiftly Tilting Balance

A Swiftly Tilting Balance is a parody of A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle,first published in 1978. It was adapted into an audio CD version narrated by actress Jennifer Ehle in January 2012.

Sweet Valley Tentacles 

Sweet Valley Tentacles is a reference to the Sweet Valley High series attributed to Francine Pascal. The series ran from 1983 to 2003 consisting of 181 books,later on creating a spinoff series called Sweet Valley Kids. A TV series based on the books ran for 88 episodes between 1994 and 1997. In July 2017,a film adaptation of the novel began production.

 The Switches 

The Switches,though sounding like a bland name,is a parody of The Witches by Roald Dahl,published in 1983. The book was later adapted into a film in 1990 (the year Roald Dahl died),2008 it was adapted into a radio drama,and opera also in 2008,a stage musical in September 2017,and a new film adaptation is to be released in 2020. 

The Bouncy Twins

The Bouncy Twins is a parody of The Bobbsey Twins penned under the pseudonym,Laura Lee Hope. The first series of 72 books were published from 1904 to 1979,another series of 30 books were published from 1987 to 1992,the books went under several rewrites. 

Railway Chillin’ 

Railway Chillin’ is a parody of the Railway Children by Edith Nesbit,first it was serialized in 1905 then published as a book in 1906. It has been adapted into a BBC radio drama serialized into five episodes in 1940,BBC Television series,a film in 1970,and into another film in 1999. 

Gusher Towns 

Gusher Towns is a parody of Paper Towns by John Green,published on October 16th,2008. The book was later adapted into a film that released on July 24th, 2015. 

The Maze Dasher

The Maze Dasher is a parody of The Maze Runner by James Dashner,the series consisted of the original,two sequels,two prequels,and a companion book. The books were published from 2009 to 2016. The first 3 books were adapted into films,the film of the first book released on September 19th,2014,the film of the second book released September 18th,2015,and the film of the third book released January 26th,2018. 

Flooders in he Attic 

Flooders in the Attic is a parody of Flowers in the Attic by V.C Andrews and the first book in the Dollanganger series,said series was published between 1979 and 1986,with this book being published in November 1979. It was adapted into film twice,once in 1987 and the other on January 18th,2014. It was adapted into a stage play,releasing on October 2014 and playing its world premiere production in August 2015 at New Orleans,Louisiana.

The Splat in our Zones 

The Splat in our Zones is a parody of The Fault in Our Stars also by John Green,published on January 10th,,2012. The book was adapted into a film thar released on June 2014. There is even a scheduled Hindi adaptation said to be released November 2019. 

The Ink is Spreading 

The Ink is Spreading is a parody of The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper,specifically parodying the second book in the series,the series went from 1965 to 1977. The series got a film adaptation released on October 5th,2007 that unfortunately didn’t do well in the US and UK. 

Bridge to Tentaswitchia 

Bride to Tentaswitchia is a parody of Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson,published on October 21st,1977. The book was adapted to film twice,one a PBS TV movie in 1985 and the other a theatrical film released on February 16th 2007. It was adapted into a musical stage production,cataloged by the Library of Congress in 1993. 

The Chronicles of Rolonium 

The Chronicles of Rolonium is a parody of The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S Lewis,the series was published from October 16th,1950 to September 4th,1956. The series has been adapted into film,stage,radio,and television,many times.

Furler in the Ashes 

Furler in the Ashes is a parody of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir,published on April 28th,2015 and part of a series. The second book,A Torch Against the Night was released August 30th,2016 and the third book A Reaper at the Gates was released June 12th,2018. 

MC.Princess Diaries 

MC.Princess Diaries is a parody of The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot,the first book being released October 2000,the latest book in the series being released in 2015 and a spin off series released in May of that same year. Two films were produced by Walt Disney Pictures,the first film,The Princess Diaries in 2001 and Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement in 2004. 

[ink-leaves]

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

Publish Date: September 1st, 2015 by Harper Collins

Tarot Card Drawn: Knight of Wands

Star Rating: 2/5

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

           I knew of and had been interested in reading Red Queen since its publication, and after all these years I have finally gotten around to it. I was hoping that the wait would be worth it, but for me, this one fell short on enough levels that I’m comfortable giving it a low star rating.

To start with, I briefly tried this on audiobook and it does not transfer well to that medium. I am beginning to become more and more convinced that a first-person narrator is just not something for audiobook, or at the very least is exceedingly difficult to do at the quality I desire. One specific fault of the audiobook is that there are many thoughts of the main character, Mare, that are italicized within the text. However, with the audiobook, these thoughts are read no differently than the rest of the text and it confused me as what was actually being said and what was just Mare’s personal thoughts. Leading to some situations where Mare was thinking something but I thought she was saying it out loud. All of it led to some weird instances that I don’t have the motivation to expand upon. Needless to say, I abandoned the audiobook and just finished it via regular paperback.

          Pardon my horrible simile, but this novel is like a sandwich made with fresh bread and old meat in the middle. The beginning and end are both strong on their own, but it’s the meat in the middle of the story that really just did a number on me. On more than one occasion I considered not finishing it, something that I absolutely loathe doing. I am glad that I pushed through because the ending raised this book up by half a star all on its own.

           I have yet to review a book on this blog that was heavy on “love triangles”, so for the first time, I will let it be known that I sincerely, whole-heartedly, genuinely, hate them. With a passion. The love triangle is what killed the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver for me among a few others. Thinking about it, the only love triangle I can recall having been able to stomach was in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. And the love triangle in Red Queen was particularly bad. Firstly, it isn’t even a triangle, it’s like a parallelogram, or rhombus, or some sort of three-dimensional shape. There are three(!) guys pining after Mare’s attention and I cannot for the life of me understand why. In addition, I think what made this one particularly bad is that it takes up so much of the book’s focus that the entire story just became bogged down by it. There is no world-building, no atmosphere, nothing, just teenage superficial love and angst with some treachery thrown in. I felt like I wasn’t given enough content to really get to know the characters before I was expected to start caring about them and the presence of this annoying, and frankly intrusive, love puzzle didn’t do anything to help this feeling. I’m sure that it is what some people are looking for, but it’s certainly not for me.

            Upon finishing reading this I went to the reviews on Goodreads to help me process my feelings. One review, that I can no longer find, mentioned that they think the fight scenes were badly executed because the author had a clear idea of what they looked like in her head, and all those thoughts just didn’t make it onto the page in the same way. I couldn’t agree more. And when a large portion of the story revolves around the special abilities the people have, an author just can’t afford to have fights that don’t create clear and exciting images in the readers’ heads.

             I will say, even with all this “stuff” that I disliked going on, Aveyard somehow managed to keep me reading, even when I didn’t want to. I think her style is very compelling and she was good at moving the story along. I just wished I had cared about the story more. As I stated before, I thought the ending was good. I did not see the twist coming. Although I was not quite convinced why the events in the ending were necessary I thought the final fight scene was of significantly better writing quality compared to the other fights in the book. I wished more of them could have been written with the attention the final one received.

Final Thoughts | This was the closest I’ve come to DNF’ing a book in a long time. Unless someone comes up with a convincing argument for why I should pick up the next book, I will not be continuing this series. It had too many elements that I dislike about the Young Adult genre, and I’m over it.

[greenstudies]

My favourite books

This is a list of books I liked and that left an impact on me. I didn’t really put them in any order, I just tried to group similar books together. These are just my general recommendations for when you’re looking for something to read:

Harry Potter series (JK Rowling) -Oh so you... you haven’t read these yet? Oh okay... then go and read.

Inheritance cycle (Christopher Paolini) -It has dragons, elves, magicians... everything your heart desires in fantasy.

Hunger Games series (Suzanne Collins)  -Also very famous YA novels, I don’t think I have to explain these.

The maze runner series (James Dashner) -James Dashner has an amazing wirting style and honestly even though I loved the stroy, the way it’s written is my favourite thing about it.

Shatter me series (Tahereh Mafi) -YA novel with a very interesting story of a girl who can kill with touch. However in all honestly the last book wasn’t that good.

Red queen series (Victoria Aveyard) -The theme is very YA stereotypical. Young girl with powers...again. But it is still very well written and I enjoy it very much (I haven’t read the last book yet so shhh).

Insomnia (J R Johansson) -This one is my favourite. A boy who cannot have dreams on his own, enters dreams of the person who’s eyes he saw last.

Unwind (Neal Shusterman) -Very well written, dynamic story. They use kids as human soare parts. That’s all you need to know.

The shining (Stephen King) -Classical horror

Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris) -I have heard people call this story cheap but damn did I enjoys it.

Futu.re (Dmitry Glukhovsky) -A novel about future where everyone is young forever, future that isn’t too bright. Honestly I hated the main character from the beginning and I hated him for a long time. It did change though. Very well written, keeps you reading for hours.

Pure series (Julianna Baggot) -Dystopian novel set in ruins of a world we know. It’s one of the best books I have ever read.

Between shades of gray (Ruta Sepetys) -Family is sent away into a gulag. I cried more than I ever did reading a book. 

How to be a bawse (Lilly Singh) -Non-fiction book full of advice on how to conquer life.

I recommend you check out any of these and I want you to share your favourites with me! Have a nice day!