#honestly i think he has the most character depth in LoTR

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

I'm a shameless Eomer fangirl, so it's my moral duty to ask for the character opinion thing on his behalf :)

yessssss FINALLY an Eomer ask <3 <3 I was waiting for him to drop into my ask box

previous asks: Elrond, Gimli, Eowyn (cw: I get a little spicy in there)

I just feel like with most of fandom, when it comes to their Takes and Views on characters, it's all wrong. The only people doing it right is me and my friends.

So Eomer is someone who, in the books, gets these great teasers of complexity and depth and then just…it's dropped. Hence the "wasted potential" tile being crossed out. It's tied to "not enough screen/page time".

Most of the teasing at Eomer being a little more complicated than just a truculent, hot-headed, stroppy, lance-happy lord (affectionate) comes from the Voice of Saruman chapter. Of course, Saruman is hardly a reliable son of a gun, so his naming Eomer as a viper in the king's household is really meant just to unsettle poor Theoden who has experienced betrayal close to home already.

However. I choose to read the fact that Saruman went for Eomer as a sign that the man is seen as a threat beyond just military capabilities. I've noted this before, maybe just in comments on the LOTR rewrite, but I like that Eomer is one of the only Rohirrim not taken in by Saruman's voice.

The other men around Theoden are - even Theoden himself can feel it's pull. But Eomer is just sat there like "hey, fuck this guy and all who ride with him. have we thought about literally not listening to anything he says cause he's full of horse shit?"

Grima: excuse me, i would like to remove myself from this narrative

My hot-wasp-nest opinion(s) on Eomer mostly come in the form of how I choose to interpret his relationship with Eowyn which is to say that I don't think they're at all close. Also, he reads as a bit of a controlling older brother who, for sure, was acting from love and deep concern for her, but hovering is hovering, controlling is controlling.

We know Eomer was often absent from Edoras - he had his own marshalate to run and his own house in Aldburg to oversee - so he and Eowyn weren't seeing much of each other. In addition, Eowyn we know was a tinge resentful that her brother and cousin got to be active and worldly and she was stuck inside managing her uncle's household, tending to him as he ailed, kept to the sidelines of politics.

Indeed, she was so sidelined that people forgot she was an option as a leader who could defend Edoras while the King et al rode out to take care of Saruman and his pesky orcs. It took Hama to remind people of her! (Hama, we all know, the real MVP.)

---

Theoden: there's no one left of my house to rule Edoras when I'm gone. Hama: there's one, my lord. Theoden: Eomer wouldn't, even if I asked it of him. Also have you tried getting that man to do something he doesn't want to do? Blood from stone. Hama: there's someone else, my lord. Theoden: name the man! Hama:

Hama: oh my gods it's your fucking niece. Dear Orome this is embarrassing.

---

As for "better when part of a dynamic" - it's mostly because he's hot headed and full of Salt, so giving him someone to bounce off of makes for better screen/page time. He's more dynamic when responding to people than just on his own in his head.

---

ooooh yeah I guess my other "hitting the wasp nest" opinion is the popular pairings suck tile. And honestly, it's not that they suck, it's more that Lothiriel is boring and I find how most people write her very boring and too perfect/self-inserty. Which like, obviously, to each their own, but ehhhhhhhh not my cup of tea. The other popular pairing is with Faramir and sorry, that one does suck. Not Eomer's fault, entirely Faramir's.

Granted, the only person I really pair Eomer with (aside from hypothetical other marriage options because Gondor's hegemony is a problem) is a positively hellish, slightly damp, gremlin of an individual and it's utter crack but I love it. My tastes are clearly, unassailably the best tastes. ;)

---

thank you thank you for the ask! and for allowing me to continue to unleash my Opinions and Hot Takes onto the world! <3 <3

[common-blackbird]

2, 3, 11, 18 & 20

Alright, this has been sitting for so long, im so sorry.

Here are the answers.

2. top 5 books of all time?

I don't want to repeat myself with things you know i love (like lotr and asoiaf) so im gonna choose the books that i know made me go galaxy brain.

Brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky) - best book ever, duh. People are always very emotional about the depth of the book and the big questionsTM, which i completely agree with, but my fave part of the book is the humour. The characters are intentionally lame and silly and over the top, and i just love how the unlikeable characters become likeable ;__;

The Powerbook (Jeanette Winterson) - I want to write as intimately and hit the core of things like Jeanette Winterson. Such a beautiful book. She doesn't waste any words, she gives such visual imagination, it hits you in the heart. Every sentence is poetry. Absolutely love it.

Debt: The first 5000 years (David Graeber) - We read this for our book club, and honestly, i think everyone should read at least one chapter of this book. It's about history of debt seen through anthropology. Or in other words: what do we owe, why do we owe, do we even owe? Each chapter deserves a special analysis and i am searching for a physical copy of the book bc i want to, need to buy it but it's impossible to find it ;___;

Croatian Tales of Long Ago (Ivana Brlić Mažuranić) - The underdog of fairy tales in the world. it saddens me that when you’re in school or see museums or other cultural institutions here praise Brlić Mažuranić, it’s usually in the spirit “she’s one of the first croatian female authors”, “She’s Hans Christian Andersen but CroatianTM” and so on. But i’ve never seen anyone seriously dissecting each fairy tale, analyzing, interpreting her style. Or i have been searching in the wrong places.

It took me some 20 years to figure out what is the point of the fairy tale “How Quest Sought the Truth” and, like, if you ever question your place in the world, that’s THE fairy tale for you. I read this book every year and it still surprises me with its richness in short stories, depth, imagination, all while being accessible from youngest to oldest age. Amazing writing.

Also now that i think about it, that’s the book i read the most times.

Returning to Reims (Didier Eribon) - We're reading this book for the book club right now and im half-way through, but already i have been crying my eyes out and been having so many revelations. It's a memoir about estranged gay many returning to his home after his father (whom he hated) dies, and ruminating on nature of social status and class that effects all of us. He voiced out lot of my thoughts and the way he's self aware of privilege and reality of the underprivileged without idolizing them is refreshing to see.

3. what is your favourite genre? 

I wish i knew! My go-to answer is fantasy, but honestly, with exception of Left hand of Darkness, it’s been a while since I properly enjoyed a fantasy book.

I’d say i love drama, but most books have drama, i more philosophical books, but sometimes i just love trashy stuff. idk. I love themes of figthting against “leviathan”, anarchism in general, ruminations about social classes, cultures, nature of humans, conflicting ideas...

11. what non-fiction books do you like if any?

Well this is where i come in again with the book club (all hail the book club!) where we read non-fiction books, from publicist to theoretical, and it is usually social and cultural themes, like “why do we read?”, “what is art?”, “what is pop culture?”, “what is economy? “let’s start a revolution?” and so on. So far, the best books were by Graeber and Eribon, Bregmann gets a pass, John Berger is great (you should check him out on yt!).

My other passion is history books, but it’s more that i like the idea of reading them and i’m hoarding them in my room, but can’t find or dedicate time for them :(

18. do you like historical books? which time period?

I have yet to read any good ones... Most historical books that i see through the bookstore windows are some romance in court stuff that i have 0.01% interest in. The only historical book that i’ve started reading is Der Spielmann by Oliver Pötzsch which is supposed to be a retelling of Faustus, but i was so annoyed by the prologue already, i gave up very early on... (especially frustrating bc everybody is praising this author as a great author of historical fiction...)

In general, i think it’s very hard to write a good historical book bc there’s always a trap of wanting to be historically accurate too much so you infodump history that has no relevance to the plot. Sometimes it’s better to sacrifice historical accuracy to gain immersion. But you still have to keep it in the spirit of that time and i don’t often see that being the case :/

As for time period, love late middle age/early modern age, especially 17th century lately!

If you have any recs, i’m all ears!

20. what are things you look for in a book?

Narrative, idea and style. If the book executes one of these three factors well, it’s a solid book and i’ll like it. I mostly enjoy the narrative, how do you get the reader to your idea, the way the story is structured, the parallels, the interference of various outside and inside factors, when you can connect the dots from two different poles... it’s always fun, it makes me go all galaxy brain.

That being said, if the narrative sucks, but the sheer idea is original or universal, it can hit harder than anything else and it stays with you forever. Sometimes, a book is really bad but one quote really hits you bc it’s an idea that resonates with you. Like, i didn’t like the book Pachinko at all, but the core idea “Life is like a pachinko” still pops up in my brain all the time.

And style. I think that is what creates immersions, and what makes us reread endlessly. Like, Karamazovs wouldn’t be half as great (to me) if it wasn’t for the slightly ironic, casual and knowing narrator that breaks “the 4th wall” every now and then. When i want something that hits me emotionally, i search for Winterson’s writing bc of the style more than the plot (which is with her always a mess... sighs). Persistent and endless descriptions of grey sky, rain and snow and black-and-white mountains is what makes me fall in love with Left hand of Darkness even more than the incredibly slow plot.

And if this question is about themes, those would be: fighting against the impossible, invisible enemy, “leviathan”, man against society, of human nature, what is love, what is purpose, what is happiness, deep moral conflicts... just happy stuff to think about x)

Anyways thanks for letting me rant!

Bookish asks game

[catofadifferentcolor]

Dragon Age: Origins

Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting.

Having just finished replaying Dragon Age 2 for the first time since I moved (6+ years), I decided to go ahead and give Dragon Age: Origins a replay.

And honestly? It felt like a chore.

Don't get me wrong, I love the setup for the rest of the franchise - DA2 remains one of my most favorite video games ever and it could never have existed without everything DA:O built - and the depth of the world building shows itself particularly well in the Chant and the events of Kinloch Hold. And yet barely twenty hours of gameplay felt like work.

The plot is bland. BioWare gave themselves one of their best antagonists in Loghain Mac Tir - who genuinely, honestly, thought he was saving Fereldan with every action he took - and allowed almost none of the uncertainty regarding what is right or just or moral that DA2 has. Loghain was a hero - that's why his betrayal was supposed to be so shocking - but practically everyone you talk to leading up to the Landsmeet is like "oh yeah, I never liked him anyway."

(Or, DA:O is the entire plot of Mass Effect if everyone had believed Sheppard about the Reapers from day one. It doesn't make for a very interesting story, especially when it seems every other video game is about the end of the world. They can work - the ongoing success of Star Wars and LotR attest to that - but they have to make you care. And DA:O never did.)

The characters are even worse. The protagonist is a write-off even with six possible origin stories, and honestly it sometimes took me a moment to connect that character on screen with the magnificent mustache and mutton chops to that character I've been playing as for 20 hours. It could just be because the protagonist doesn't have a voice actor, but I don't remember it ever being a problem for KotOR or KotOR:II, which are similar. The companions aren't terrible, but I don't like any of them. Oghren is particularly objectionable, but about half the time I find Alistair treading a finer line than I'd like between humor and why am I putting up with this?

And don't get me started on the werewolves.

There are things I like - the horror of the blighted turning into Darkspawn is something that I wish later games had excuse to play into and Hespith's poem is just perfectly creepy in that regard (it gives me chills every time) - the opening lines of "Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven and doom upon all the world," which promises so much more than the game provides - but they're almost completely overshadowed by the rest.

When I first discovered DA2, shortly after DA:I came out, I couldn't put it down. I had exams to study for, but DA2 kept drawing me in. When I first played DA:O shortly thereafter, I could barely bring myself to play it all the way through despite having nothing else to do during break. Despite my love of DA2, it almost completely turned me off the franchise and it would be almost another 2 years before I played DA:I.

And that really says everything. When I get into a new fandom, I obsess. Endlessly. I delve into the deepest and darkest corners and eventually put whatever I love on such a pedestal that reality inevitably comes to disappoint. This process can take months, if not years. DA:O managed to compress this process into a single school break and might have succeeded in turning me off Dragon Age forever if I hadn't stumbled across DA:I on sale sometime later.

At least I have a custom world state I can use for later DA2 replays, which was really all I wanted from this replay anyway. But I think I need a detox before I jump right back in.

[fangirl-erdariel]

So I was just thinking about LOTR and the movies vs the books. And honestly there's a lot of things I wish the movies had done differently and I could rant about them for hours.

But the more I think of it, one of the main issues, or like the largest thing, one of the things that isn't just a small detail, is Aragorn's portrayal. The movies, understandably, cut out a lot of things from a lot of characters, Aragorn included. For the most part what I tend to point out about him is little nitpicky details, mostly certain jokes and funny things they cut out (like Aragorn getting really dramatic about Having To Leave His Cool Sword At The Door at Edoras, because like seriously, that was funny as hell, but he gets Anduril so much later in the movies that it doesn't happen).

But I feel like beyond that, the movies just really left out a lot of the nuance and depth that makes the character interesting to me. The humor/funnier side of him being cut out is in a way part of that, but it extends to other aspects as well. Such as, I feel like, really the sense of age and experience his character has, the feeling that this is a character who's seen pretty much every corner of the known world, who's lived and known so much joy and so much pain already. The sense of wisdom coming from long experience that the character has, that I feel like kind of is what makes him the most fitting leader to the Fellowship when Gandalf dies. So much of it is just kind of lost. So ultimately in the movies he just ends up coming across as... really kind of a relatively basic Fantasy Hero.

And it's like... don't get me wrong, he's still kinda cool, and Viggo Mortensen plays the character he was given very well! Aragorn is still fun to watch in the movies! But it just feels like he's kind of... reduced and altered into a fairly ordinary fantasy hero who struggles with His Great Destiny in a way that I don't feel like he ever was in the book? I'm also not a fan of romance in general so the amount of focus the movies put on the Aragorn/Arwen romance ends up being a little dull to me, but that's a personal preference. But just. Like, the parts of Aragorn that got cut from the movies are largely the exact same parts of him that really make him interesting and make him stand out from other fantasy characters to me. The movie version just doesn't feel as... idk, unique, I guess. And like I get that there are always things adaptations must sacrifice for the sake of the story, and LOTR is just such a massive work that there's no way one movie trilogy ever could include every single moment that brings more nuance to some character or thing or plot point, but I feel like they could have been able to keep more of Aragorn's nuance in the movies if they had wanted to.

Ok so I'm tired and in pain cuz once a month my reproductive organs decide to make my life hell so I wasn't able to articulate this very well, sorry about that. If you want me to elaborate you can ask and I may add onto this when my brains decide to actually be present. Or feel free to add your own commentary if you feel like it!

[insanityclause]

I'm so exhausted by the amount of people who still say "ummm, the show is about Sylvie, actually" under every post that mentions the Loki series in a positive way. Aren't these people tired? Are they okay?

It reminds me of something I read about the Lord of the Rings trilogy... where some people think the movies didn't focus on Frodo's journey enough and gave Aragorn more emphasis and depth, while others said the movies didn't focus on Aragorn's journey enough and so, to this day, a lot of people can't agree on "who is the real main character"... and even though I saw the logic behind each point, I still thought that argument is just stupid. Considering the long history of tLotR, and the fact that it's an ensemble piece and who begins and ends the story... but people kept making it about screen time and turned it into a popularity contest... it's just stupid.

But the people claiming Loki wasn't the real main character in his own show are even more delusional, annoying, and just plainly more stupid than most I've seen arguing over LotR.

He's literally in every episode, has the most screen time, and the story is about him. Yes, it is --- and about how he interacts with people not of Asgard. How he accepts that his previous behaviour was childish and petulant, and there are other ways. That there are aspects of himself that are admirable. That there are aspects of himself that are heroic. That it's about being more than just how people see you. But that how people see you can affect you, as well.

And honestly? Yes, LotR comes to mind a lot. Technically Frodo is the lead. But that doesn't mean Aragorn should just stand by and do nothing, while Frodo directs everything. That's boring.

[lovely-v]

LOTR (films) Review

So I finally watched the LOTR films (20 years later). I’m super excited to review these because I read the books very recently so I feel at least a little prepared to voice some opinions. Overall I loved the films, here’s a very long (but by no means exhaustive) compilation of my thoughts, which are of course, totally subjective:

(Warning: a lot of me saying “well, actually, in the book...”)

THINGS I LIKED

- Casting! not much to say here, I thought the casting was great. One of my favorite actors that I didn’t think i’d have a huge opinion on was David Wenham as Faramir. I was kinda ambivalent on him when I saw pictures but i thought he did a great job. he showed his quality.

- Music. so much has been said about the films on the music front. I can’t offer too much original insight but when a bit of the Shire theme started to play as Frodo tries to make his way up Mount Doom I cried a little.

- Boromir and Aragorn. I liked the scene where they interact a little in Rivendell. I also like how Aragorn saves Boromir in the Moria battle and gives him this little nod of friendship. I think the films did a great job portraying the dynamic they have where Aragorn is clearly suspicious of Boromir’s motivations but grows to respect him to the point where he doesn’t even blame Boromir for being corrupted by the ring because he understands that, at heart, Boromir is a good person. 

- Sam and Frodo in Osgiliath. I expected to be kind of annoyed with the way this plot point played out (I knew ahead of time that it strayed from the book), but I actually liked it a lot. As I’ll say later, there’s some gripes I have with the way the films extremely play up the disagreements between Frodo and Sam, but I loved the scene where Frodo pulls the sword on Sam and then seems so defeated when he realizes what he’s done. I was pleasantly surprised by how emotional this scene made me. It’s admittedly A Lot, but it was done nicely, especially in conjunction with Sam’s “there’s good in this world” speech.

- Treatment of the ending. I almost think I should dislike the ending as it is in the movies, but my heart is soft and I like that they sugarcoated it a bit. I know the whole point of the Scouring of the Shire and Frodo’s depression conveys a lot about war and trauma and I think that is important, but after watching these things for twelve hours I just wanted Frodo & co. to be happy and I was kinda relieved that they cut the Scouring. Does that make me weak and perhaps bad at film analysis? yes. do I care? no. I was also very glad that the movies didn’t portray how depressed Sam was about losing Frodo in the end. Yes, he cries, but when he walks home to his family he seems happy and in the books that scene came off so much bleaker. I definitely liked the lighter tone.

THINGS I WAS NEUTRAL ON/DIDN’T LIKE

- Arwen. (Neutral) I don’t hate her, I don’t love her. I think the story she and Aragorn have is compelling and I 100% get why the filmmakers decided to add it to give her character more depth, but it felt misplaced at times. maybe it’s just because it was the only storyline I didn’t know in depth, but the scenes with the Arwen/Aragorn flashbacks felt a bit confusing and disorienting. Don’t have anything against Arwen as a character though, I think she’s pretty alright.

- Gimli. (Complicated thoughts) I want to start off by saying I don’t dislike Gimli. I like him a lot! I just think the movies did him a bit dirty. He had some good movie-exclusive moments, but I think his character really fell into this place of being the butt of too many jokes. Would have liked to see some more serious Gimli development, especially with his relationship to Legolas. Their friendship felt too much like subtext here, whereas it’s explored far more in the books.

- Two Towers Pacing. (Didn’t really like). The pacing of TTT was...weird. maybe I’m going into this with a closed mind because of the books, but it was odd to have the movie begin with Frodo and Sam and then have them only appear for a few rapid scenes after that. I think the fact that a WHOLE LOT of what happens to Frodo and Sam in TTT is moved to RotK is what makes it feel that way? In the books, Two Towers ends with Sam discovering that Frodo isn’t dead from Shelob’s sting, and I was surprised by how long it took the movies to get to that part. However, I will give the films a little leeway because I think they needed Frodo & Sam content for RotK, since most of what happens in that book is them walking through Mordor basically starving and dying. Doesn’t make for great cinema I guess, so they had to put the whole Shelob/Cirith Ungol saga into the final film. Still, I think there’s a weird lack of Frodo and Sam’s presence in TTT.

- The go home/missing bread arc. (Full of rage abt this one) yeah. so. my criticism of this is gonna sound pretty tired because people complain and complain about this part of RotK. but I’m gonna complain some more!! I don’t think the split between Frodo and Sam does anything for the plot. I really don’t. I guess it emphasizes the fact that Sam doesn’t understand how much Frodo is projecting onto Gollum, but it’s just. unnecessary angst? They had enough angst in the Osgiliath scene! Which I actually liked! And it simply doesn’t make a lot of sense for Frodo to suspect Sam of eating the bread when Sam had already offered Frodo his own food and made it clear that he would very much starve if it meant making sure Frodo could eat. But what I hate most about this scene is not that Frodo gets mad and tells Sam to go home. No. It’s that Sam actually... thinks about doing that? he actually? goes down the staircase? emotionally this is bad because Sam clearly cared enough about Frodo to follow him this far, to nearly drown for him, so why would he leave now. Practically this is bad because 1. how would Sam get out of Mordor alone and 2. where would he go. He turns around almost immediately, yes, but what was his plan. where was he going. why.

THINGS I LOVED

- For Frodo! This line, and every other shoutout to Frodo. In the books, they didn’t really actively talk about/worry about Frodo (and Sam) as much as they do in the movies. I like that they talk about Frodo more in the movies! I like that they’re thinking about him! I know it was implied that they were in the books, but I really like how it’s shown here. I think it gave a more complete picture of how much they all care about him on a personal level in addition to just needing him to succeed from a pragmatic standpoint. 

- Merry and Pippin! I feel like Merry and Pippin were so well rounded in the films. I’ve heard criticism about them being turned into comic relief characters (which they always were a little bit) but it honestly didn’t feel that way to me. They had a bit of a rough start because the films didn’t make their motives for going with Frodo as deep as the books did, but I think that by TTT they were absolutely amazing characters in every scene. In RotK their respective arcs hit really well and the scene where Pippin is singing to Denethor? *chef’s kiss* poetic. beautiful. sad. idk man I just feel like I have such a newfound appreciation for Merry and Pippin.

- Parallels! people have pointed out the parallel of Frodo and Sam’s hands before (drowning scene/mount doom scene) and I love how the movie did that. Just stunning. Also! The moving of the Smeagol & Deagol scene to RotK surprised me because in the books it was like,,,at the beginning of Fellowship, but I think the placement of it in the movies really helped emphasize the similarities between Smeagol & Deagol and Frodo & Sam (and how much Frodo fears this similarity.) There were a lot of other well done parallels between storylines and a few bits of dialogue that were repeated with great timing, but I can’t remember all of them at the moment.  

Edit: here’s one I remembered! when Frodo wakes up after being rescued and sees Gandalf, he says Gandalf’s name in a very similar tone to the one he used at the very beginning of Fellowship. It was a nice little subtle connection.

- I can’t carry it for you...alright this is self-indulgent. everyone knows I love this line. I’m just so glad it made it into the movie intact. Sean Astin’s delivery was amazing. I cheered. My mom cheered. It’s a raw line and it makes me feel secret emotions...like if shrimp colors were feelings. that line makes me feel shrimp feelings. idk i’m so tired i just watched twelve hours of movies this review is decreasing in quality by the minute but i’m about done for now anyway

Various silly afterthoughts

- I would have liked to see Sam kiss Frodo’s hands at least once. This happens 50 thousand times in the books, they could have given me one scene. one little extended edition scene. Please Peter Jackson I’m dyin’ out here

- They literally made Gollum so hateable. kinda the point yes, but I was so on board with Sam’s murderous rage. I know why Gollum’s a profoundly complex character, I know why Frodo pities him, I know why murder is bad, but I too would throw hands with that creature. also he literally body shamed Sam so much what was that skdjksdjksd. Sam is lovely. let him commit a small homicide. 

- the scene where merry and pippin drink the tall boy juice (as someone once referred to it in the tags of one of my posts)... not accurate to the books (since they don’t ever drink it with the end goal of getting tall) but so accurate to life. if I found some water that made me taller than my friends? let me at it

- Frodo panicking when he falls into the spider webs. so real bestie. i felt just as panicked watching that. i am terrified of spiders and Elijah Wood did an amazing job doing exactly what i’d do in the situation. yelping a lot and falling down.

- I feel like it’s never stated that Sam’s a gardener (or at least that he’s specifically Frodo’s gardener) until he tells Faramir he is. Did I miss this. Or do they really never say.  are you just meant to know. are you just meant to pick up gardener vibes from him.

*

This has been a very chaotic lotr movie review. Thanks for reading.

[erosofthepen]

Hello! I had an idea for an imagine that I wanted to get your thoughts on, if that's fine by you. Which Characters from The Hobbit and Lotr do you think would most enjoy dating a Dark Academia-style Writer? So like she dresses in the Dark Academia fashion, reads Classical Literature and her own stories and essays to them while cuddling, excitedly Rants about History and Literature to them, and maybe they even find her journal full of sappy love poems and rambles about how much she loves them? Who do you think would be most down for a s/o like that, if you don't mind me asking. I'd love to get your thoughts on this, and your blog is so spectacular btw!

Oh ho ho, my friend, this is right up my alley. I am obsessed with Dark Academia.

For ‘The Hobbit’:

Bilbo Baggins.

He was literally the first person to pop into my head. He is a perfect mix of cottage core and light academia, and I feel like he would have a lot of love for dark academia as well. When you’d cuddle, you’d both be reading your respective books (or even better, reading the same book with one another, or even even better, reading aloud to one another), and when a particularly deep or meaningful quote or scene happens, you would both discuss it thoroughly. You would both go into rants about history and literature you find interesting, and understand one another perfectly, going into incredible depth about the topics. If he ever found love poems you wrote about him, he would read them with the fondest smile upon his face. Who knows, in a few days, you might even come across a few poems or songs he has written about you.

Bard.

Bard has a lot of respect for history, (I hold firm to the belief that he was one of the very few lake men who really cared about the towns past), and would probably even help teach you some history of Dale and Esgaroth. And if you teach him about our worlds history and mythology, he would be all ears and find it utterly fascinating. He would totally be down to just spending quiet days at the library with you, and would probably read every book you recommend to him (Imagine discussing ‘A Secret History’ with him… that would be quite an interesting conversation). And if he ever came across love rants/poems… this man would get all cute and tell you how much they mean to him. He’s just that kind of person.

Thorin.

This dwarf would be incredibly into Dark Academia. I can just imagine dressing him up in one of those gray waistcoats with the white, long-sleeved undershirt. If he should roll the sleeves up to the elbow… sigh. He could totally dress the part. And he would absolutely love seeing you dressed dark academia style. His color palate is very similar to what is typically dark academia. And get ready for hours of discussing both dwarrow and human history with him. Also, if I may go out on a limb here, there is this headcannon I have about dwarrow museums being carved into old mineshaft used of resources. Thorin would be immensely proud and excited to show you and teach you everything in the museums. Walking down the stone halls and him pointing out various carvings and texts on the walls, your dark academia mind couldn’t be happier. And cuddles with his arm around your shoulders, lying in bed after a long day, ending the night reading. He would occasionally look down at what your reading (possibly asking what’s going on in the plot, depending on if you get annoyed by interruptions or not) and smile to himself. If you read your own work to this dwarf, expect the best feedback possible. He is very thorough with his feedback, and knows how to properly give constructive criticism as well as highlighting the best parts of your work.

Lindir.

This sweet little elf would be beside himself. He loves the libraries in Rivendell, and you sharing and reading stories with him opens up worlds. He would also love the way you dress, and will often ask what has inspired your ‘look’ for the day. He gets excited when you come to him with a new topic to rant about, and will likely contribute some very insightful views on the matter. When you come to him with questions about Middle Earth’s history, he will gladly answer whatever you ask (and probably end up having a history rant of his own. ‘Hey Lindir, what are the Silmarils?’ ‘…how about you sit down, and we’ll chat about it for a few months.’). He would just be the sweetest if he found your love rambles, and would be blushing the entire time reading them. Expect a wonderful thank you and an entire sonnet of his own composed for you.

Ori.

Can’t forget this little scribe. He would be beside himself at finding a fellow reader and writer, and the two of you would have so many reading sessions where you discuss what exactly this word meant in this context, or just ranting sessions where you gush and/or vent about a certain scene or plot development. He would find your outfits absolutely exquisite and probably even help you piece some together. Cuddling with him while reading is honestly the best, because you’ll just be laying side-by-side, surrounded by pillows and blankets (possibly in front of a fireplace in the Great Erebor Library), and just be reading your different books together, content to just read without feeling the need to talk. If you ever read your work to him, he would be beside himself at the level of trust you place in him (being a writer, he knows how daunting sharing your work can be), and he would love whatever you write. Expect him to start sharing his work as well. For the love poems, You’ll probably find his poems/rambles first, tbh. He just loves expressing himself through writing, and expressing his love for you is his favorite thing. You both get all sappy and blushy when you read one another declarations of love.

For ‘Lord of the Rings’:

Frodo Baggins.

Much like his Uncle, Frodo has a healthy appreciation for history and literature. He’d just love pouring over different books with you, and discussing them. His favorite thing to do with you on rainy days is to curl up with a good book and read aloud. Maybe even a walk down the trails and paths with an umbrella as well (Lobelia in the hobbit movies and the end of return of the king has proven there to be umbrella’s in Middle Earth). Hobbits are known for their passion for History, particularly family History, so he’ll definitely go into some rants of his own about the history of the Shire, and will sit and listen to your rants as well.

Elrond.

Lord Elrond is like a living, breathing, history textbook. He would be the absolute best person to discuss historical events and mythology and such. His keenness for knowledge knows no limits. There will definitely be very, very, long conversations about literature and meanings behind what the author writes, and the morals and values of the texts. Honestly, there is just such a depth of understanding between you and Elrond that is incredibly hard to find in others.

Faramir.

This man. This is the man who literally fanboyed over Gandalf and became a pupil to him. He would absolutely be beside himself when he meets you, because another human who is obsessed with learning and history and literature and discussing it and having deep conversations about it??? He would fall hard. And he would always love the way you dress, whether you are wearing a cozy sweater-vest or a dramatic trench coat. The two of you would literally spend hours in Gondor’s libraries, pouring over shelves of scrolls and books, taking notes on them, and maybe with a few older ones, restoring them together. Your favorite thing to do before going to bed is lighting a few candles and reading together. He would especially be fascinated and amazed at anything you have written and willing to share with him. He honestly just loves you so much, and feels so understood when he’s around you. And finding love poems written about him fills him with an indescribable amount of joy.

Aragorn.

When not off doing important Ranger or Kingly duties, Aragorn would just love to spend time reading with you. The kind of quality time where neither person needs to say anything, because the simple presence of the person is enough. He’s very into History, and I can totally see him ranting to you about the story of Beren and Luthien (perhaps the rest of the Silmarillion if he has the time), and would love to hear about your stories and books from our world. He’s the kind of person who prefers to dress practical, but that doesn’t stop him from complimenting your outfits and thinking how great you look every time you walk into the room. He loves the aesthetic of it. And should he ever stumble across a poem about him, he will probably keep it to himself, but memorize every word and repeat it to himself while traveling.

So I may have gotten just a tad bit carried away with this, but it was so much fun doing! Thank you for this ask! I hope this is what you were looking for. Now, i’m going to make myself a cup of tea and go to bed.

[legolasbadass]

Out of curiosity, what is your take on The Hobbit trilogy? Do you prefer the book? I literally ask most of my mutuals this question. lmao. I'm just very intrigued by the less than favorable reputation the trilogy has going for about 9 years.

Hey, thanks for the ask!💙

So, I have mixed feelings about The Hobbit trilogy. I definitely prefer the book, but I still like the movies. The characterization and acting are spot-on for the most part (Richard Armitage as Thorin deserved 1000 awards, and Martin Freeman is phenomenal as Bilbo), and the production is incredible (well, the first two movies, anyway). The fact that they turned it into a trilogy doesn't bother me that much, it allowed them to explore more material, and I get to spend more time in Middle-earth! Of course, they added stuff and changed some other things, but, hey, that's the nature of adaptations!

What does bother me is how lacking in depth some of that added stuff is. The ending of DoS, in particular, is a big mess (and let's not even talk about botfa). And although I think it makes sense to have Legolas there, he had way too much screen time, as did Alfrid (who seriously should never have existed). If you look at LotR, many things are not faithful to the books, but those changes make sense for the story Peter Jackson is trying to tell, which is not the case in The Hobbit (imo, obviously).

And that lack of depth is even more prevalent in the more emotional/dramatic scenes. Ok, fine, Thorin's death is seriously heartbreaking in the movies, even more than in the book. But, honestly, Richard Armitage's fantastic acting is one of the only things that actually makes me feel things when I watch the trilogy. Even in moments that are supposed to be stressful, there is no tension! I like to compare the scene in FotR in the mines of Moria (where the fellowship has to jump over the missing part of the stairs) with the scene of Thorin's company in Goblin Town. Now, everyone knows that the characters will make it out of these situations, but that doesn't mean that there can't be tension. In FotR, Jackson spends so much time zooming in on characters' faces so we can see their anxiety, and the action is drawn out, with the music slowly escalating, which makes you feel all sorts of emotions. In The Hobbit, anytime there's a minor issue, it's resolved within seconds. Oh shit, how are we going to make it to the other side? Easy, just cut the ropes so we can swing our way through! (that's literally the scene lmao)

In other words, I love The Hobbit trilogy because I'm a Tolkien fan and I love being immersed in his world and following his characters. But, other than that, they are not great movies. And I know that a lot of the things that disappointed me were the result of the studio rushing Peter Jackson, so I'm not putting all the blame on him. Still, that's how I feel about the movies. To me, it's almost like reading a fic that is really badly written, but you still love it because it's familiar, and the characters are your favourites, if that makes any sense at all.

[moghedien]

Hey, I'm a big wot fan and I've read the big names like asofi and lotr but not a lot more as far as fantasy is concerned and I wanted your recs as far as major big works are concerned...

Ok I’ve been thinking about this for a day or so and I’m not completely satisfied with what I came up with but I got some recommendations. I’m gonna try to mix this with big, more obvious series and also some newer stuff that definitely deserves attention. 

The first thing that comes to mind is Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere. If you haven’t read any of Brandon Sanderson’s books outside of the WoT books he’s written, then I’d definitely suggest those. The Cosmere consists of multiple series, so there’s a ton to read there. Elantris (standalone), Mistborn Era 1 (trilogy), Mistborn Era 2 (currently a trilogy), Warbreaker (currently a standalone), and The Stormlight Archive (currently three books, fourth coming out this year) are the books in the series. There’s also White Sand which is a comic series (and honestly isn’t very good) and a few novellas and short stories. If you want to get into the Cosmere, start with either Mistborn Era 1 or Warbreaker. Most people would suggest Mistborn Era 1, but I just prefer Warbreaker and it is a standalone so that would be my personal suggestion. Just don’t do what I did and foolishly start with The Stormlight Archive because those books are like a million words a piece and require a lot of trust. I love the books, they’re probably my favorite Brandon Sanderson series, but they are a bad starting place.

The Broken Earth Trilogy by NK Jemisin is my next suggestion. The series comes with big ol’ content warnings for like, everything. Like literally everything, but its all very, very intentionally handled. It’s not intense and rough for shock value, its like that to make a point and I think it does so well. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot or inciting action, but basically, it’s a world in which there is magic that is related with geology (as in rocks) and also the world is ending and also the main character needs to find her daughter that her husband kidnapped. Also every book in the trilogy won the Hugo for Best Novel, and this is the only series that has ever done that. The first book in the trilogy is The Fifth Season.

Next recommendation comes with a little disclaimer because I’ve only read the first book so far, but I intend to read the rest and it is sorta a classic in fantasy, I believe, and that’s The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. The first book is the Assassin’s Apprentice and like I said, that was the only one I’ve read in the series, but I liked it and intend to read the others eventually. I believe that Robin Hobb’s other series all take place in the same world too, and there’s quite a few of those, but I’m pretty certain that the Assassin’s Apprentice is the place to start.

And here is another series that I’ve only read the first book for so far but enjoyed a lot. It’s also a much newer series: The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee is a sort of combination of a mafia movie and a martial arts movie, but actually it’s a book, takes place in a fantasy world, and there’s magic. The first book is Jade City and I enjoyed it a lot when I read it, but just haven’t gotten to the sequel yet though I’ve heard great things about it. The third book isn’t out yet and I’m not sure if that is the conclusion of the series but I think it is.

Obviously I can’t make one of these lists without mentioning the Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski. So the Witcher Saga is technically “The Witcher Saga plus two short story collections and also another book now.” If you watched the Netflix series and thought, “you know, that was somewhat confusing but I’d like to be much more confused just in general but also have in depth knowledge of seemingly random things,” then this series is for you! Ok, so I really do love the Witcher books and that sounds like I’m being harsh on it, but I just think its important to note that the writing style isn’t really traditional. Point of view jumps can seem weird and random and disjointed at times, but it does have a point to it all. If you’re going to read the Witcher, I’m going to just go ahead and give you the reading order because its unclear where you should start and in what order you should read it all. Start with the short story collections, beginning with The Last Wish, then Sword of Destiny, then you read the Saga, beginning with Blood of Elves and going in order from there. Read Season of Storms after the Saga. Also, the entire series in general deals with fairy tale retellings, but the short stories are MUCH more so. 

The last thing I’m going to suggest isn’t a series but a standalone book, though it is big enough that it could be a trilogy of three books rather than one massive book. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon came out last year and was one of my favorite books I read last year. I don’t really know how to describe it, but its told over multiple POVs and multiple cultures and has a genuine slow burn f/f romance that was definitely a highlight of the book for me personally. The author has said that she wants to write more in the world eventually, so there may eventually be a sequel, but at the moment, the book doesn’t require one and is a genuine standalone. 

Some fantasy authors who I don’t really have a specific work of theirs to mention but who I think deserve mentions because I’ve liked their books I’ve read: Mary Robinette Kowal, Naomi Novik, Sarah Gailey, Seannan McGuire, Rebecca Roanhorse

Also I just want to note that there are some gaps, as there are some major series I’ve never read that I know have huge followings like Malazan Book of the Fallen and pretty much every YA fantasy series ever. I don’t really want to outright recommend them because I have no experience with them whatsoever, but there’s a ton out there that’s widely loved that I just haven’t read. I could also make a long list of fantasy “classics” I would actively tell people to avoid, but that’s a whooooole other thing...

[xxbyimm]

001 questions for The Hobbit, please. :-)

Aaaahh I’m still gonna do this one because these questions are so much fun! @swoopswishsward you asked me the same as well, so here you go and thank you so much for asking me!!!!!

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

HOBBIT EDITION

Favorite character: I have to pick one??? Oh lord, well... then I’d say Thorin Oakenshield! ❤️

Least Favorite character: Hmmmm. I have a hard time choosing between Azog and Alfrid, but since Azog at least is clear about the fact he’s horrible, I’d say Alfrid. 😌😫

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): THORIN X ENYA (stating the obvious here... I’m so sorry 😂😂), Thorin x Ruby (a fic on AO3 that I have a love/hate relationship with) and Kíli x Tauriel. Also I love @pistachiozombie ‘s Bofur x Leanna. And sometimes a little Thorin x Bilbo.

Character I find most attractive: Thorin “breathtaking bastard” Oakenshield would be insulted if I did not list him... and to be honest who am I kidding, he’s attractive as fuck. 😄❤️

Character I would marry: Enya wouldn’t allow me to marry Thorin, so my second option is Bard. Damn I wouldn’t mind waking up next to him every day, I mean Héllooo 😌😌😌

Character I would be best friends with: Fíli!!!!! Fíli!!!! I’d love to hang out with him!! ❤️❤️

a random thought: Where are the fucking blue wizards in the hobbit (and LOTR for that matter). It’s such a huge plothole. 🙈

An unpopular opinion: I’m not overly fond of elves. I know everyone thinks they’re badass and cool but I just find them to be over-confident little shits most of the time. “Look I’m an elf and I know everythinggg.” 🤷🏻‍♀️ It doesn’t mean I don’t want to explore characters like Thranduil or Legolas though, because I know there’s lot of depth and it’s not fair to judge a book by it’s cover. In fact- I will be writing my first ever Thranduil fic in the upcoming few weeks and I’m honestly very excited! I want to find out what this king feels like to write about. He’s more than just an angry, bitter soul, just like Thorin is more than his hatred of elves and his stubborness.   

My Canon OTP: Hmmmmm. I honestly don’t know????!

My Non-canon OTP: Thorin x Enya. 😆

Most Badass Character: The eagles. I mean, they solve fucking everything and they are cool! 🦅

Most Epic Villain: Smaug, the dramatic little bitch. 😂😂

Pairing I am not a fan of: Tauriel x Legolas.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): THE FACT THAT THEY REFUSED FÍLI MORE PROMINENT SCREEN TIME!!!!!!! HE IS OUR GOLDEN LION AND DESERVES MORE LOVE!! 😭

Favourite Friendship: Bilbo and Bofur. Their dynamic is so cute!!! 😱❤️

Character I most identify with: OMG I honestly don’t know! Perhaps Dís... In my mind she’s sassy and badass. I imagine her being so done with her kin screwing up all the time 😂.

Character I wish I could be: Ehhh all women in the hobbit are elves... Can I be Enya? And if it has to be canon I’ll be Bard’s unnamed wife 😂. But then I don’t die of course...

[verycorrectlotr]

Hello! First off, I'm so sorry about that rude anon, and you're absolutely right that they should fuck right off. Second, I was wondering if you have any LOTR blog recommendations? I'm somewhat new to the fandom and I find it difficult to gauge if a blog is still active or not :') P.S. you're awesome and I love your art

pretty much anyone i reblog from tbh; i made a post here a while ago but to explain in more depth:

@actuallyfeanor, one of my favourite blogs!! which is saying something because i have zero context for half their content asjdfs. general silm quality posts.

@arofili, a lot of great content! gifsets, character discussions, meta, it’s all here

@cowboylegolas, on hiatus currently but their existing content is so goddamn funny

@earendil-was-a-mariner , please i’m begging you follow this blog it will make you smile and laugh every time you see a post

@eowynmorelikegayowyn , i love this blog not only for the url but also because of the Gay Lotr Posts TM, which are of course a staple here at tolkien tumblr

@femmefaramir, if you like my blog theirs is mine but better and more on track with their content filtering ashjdfkd nic is one of my Most Beloved Mutuals follow them hhh

@femmegimli, i’d die for femmegimli honestly,, you can tell just from the url that the posts are going to be quality

@finwe-the-disappointed , another one i’d die for!!! a wonderful human being, silm posts obviously but also general lotr shenanigans.

@gaybaggins, you gotta follow her. u have to. it’s law.

@gizmojio, i would do anything for gizmojio!! charly if ur reading this ilu. they reblog lotr things with fantastic tag commentary, and also make amazing art at @gizmojioart

@goddesspeggycarter , amloth has a wonderful mix of lotr, marvel, and queen (the band, not the monarch of the uk) content and tbh i love her

@imboromired, i die laughing or sob over boromir’s death every time i open this blog

@penny-anna, if you like lotr and you dont follow this blog wyd,, fantastic hobbity discussions and headcanons,, potential dialogue that jirt wishes he had put into the books 

@silmaspens, my jaw drops every time i open this art blog,, mostly silm art with a dash of other tolkien content,,, if you aren’t going to follow at least go marvel at their recent feanorian week special. please, if you only do one thing all day!!! go look at their blog!!

@thotlegolas , ten out of ten always makes me laugh (good elf content if ur into elves)

@tolkien-fantasy, a really sweet blog!! if you’re looking for heartwarming content her imagines and headcanons are a fantastic remedy for bleakness

@tolkienhoe, ,,, the url says it all sdljfdls i love this blog

@wlwhobbits , honestly just a superb lotr blog

in addition:

@disasterbipippin, god i love this blog it’s alternately funny, heartwarming, and frogs

@art-of-a-diffrent-color, wonderful art and lotr blog who id take a bullet for actually

@cowboyeowyn , a hilarious blog, i always end up wheezing when i open it sjfsd

@essenceofarda , amazing art, headcanons, general humour, this blog has it all, i definitely recommend

@boromirthedad, splendid tag commentary and an absolutely galaxy brain url

@mirkwoodest, a blog that makes you think and laugh at the same time

there are so many more that i follow but this post is getting really long so!! i think you should encounter them through the blogs listed here

tagged blogs don’t feel obliged to respond to this; this is probably like my third post about this sjhsdf. instead, just know that i love you all with my entire being

[janiedean]

What do you think of the points made in the two comments here joannalannister(.)tumblr(.)com/post/166806576091/is-george-rr-martin-literal-garbage-the

anon the OP is from my villain origin story’s former friends and as far as I’m concerned their opinion is garbage 99,9% of the time so like idk how surprising it’ll be when I say that the first replier is 100% right and I honestly don’t have anything else to add

[cut bc it’s long and honestly I could do without the related wank]

about the second reply: meh. I mean, I get what’s the issue with the dead ladies club issue but honestly from what I can deduce from the text the information that’s not there isn’t there because we don’t need it. I mean, let’s be real, we do have all the info about aragorn’s mother and so on, but that shit is in the appendixes of lotr, not in the actual text, and also tolkien wanted to build a mythology which automatically implies giving you a backstory on everything including facts that have no relevance in a specific narrative. asoiaf doesn’t want to build a mythology and like... if ned’s mother doesn’t have any specific role in the narrative and grrm isn’t writing an appendix or a silmarillion-like compendium then I honestly don’t think it’s some author’s fault that I don’t know anything about ned’s mother, and that’s also valid about ned’s father tbh because what the fuck do we know other than ‘he went to KL and died trying to get lyanna back’? nothing, because that’s all the relevancy to the narrative that ned’s father has. and like, tywin is an actual character in the books whose actions have shaped all of his kids’s issues and personalities for bad or good so obviously we know more about him than joanna who’s been dead and gone for years and like... idk how she influenced cersei but it doesn’t seem that much to me, jaime probably took after her and it’s plain because she’s mentioned more in his chapters than either tyrion or cersei’s and tyrion’s issues are all with tywin and he’s never met her so obviously we know less about her than tywin? tbh my opinion is probably skewed by the fact that I don’t particularly give a damn about the targaryen backstory beyond what’s in dunk and egg and I’m not reading AWOIAF because I’m not giving linda TM any of my money so everything I have is either the regular text/dunk and egg but like it seems to me that the women who are relevant for the plot are treated the same as the men and the ones who aren’t aren’t. and like okay aerys has a personality and rhaella has not but honest, everything we know about aerys is that he was batshit insane, an abusive piece of shit and that jaime did everyone a favor by offing him, it’s not exactly the most in-depth depiction ever, and ANYWAY aerys is half the reason why the shit that happens in the books happened so we should know at least that? 

idk man tldr: I love asoiaf but if you want me to actually go and criticize in detail things that I love you’re better off asking me why the last dark tower book is a mess and why stephen king likes to fuck up his endings, i’m nowhere near invested enough in the backstory/characters who aren’t even in the story to actually be angry about it and given that grrm writes the female characters he writes way better than most writers I’ve run into both male and female (honest brienne is the best female pov I ever read in my entire life and grrm’s not even my favorite writer period but come on) I really doubt he’s a misogynist or that he’s ignoring the background characters out of them being female - I have a feeling it’s nowhere near that deep and if he doesn’t think X is relevant to the narration then he’s not putting it in the text, which... I mean, it’s his book. If he doesn’t want to inform me of what happens to all the minor characters in the appendix then it’s not like he has to or that he has a moral obligation to. 

like, if asoiaf had been my dark tower I’d maybe feel more strongly about this but given that my investment is also very much focused on the characters who actually have a role in the story and not in the background people/past stuff that is mostly in AWOIAF I don’t really think it’s that deep or that grrm is making a point (lol what) or that he’s excluding them specifically because they’re women, I just think that what’s not in the text isn’t there because it’s not necessary for the story and he’s not even trying to do the tolkien appendix thing and he shouldn’t be asked to if he doesn’t want to.

never mind that I’d prefer that he actually wrote the next two books rather than worrying about pre-series stuff myself so like... sorry it’s not really my priority when it comes to what I should be concerned re these books /o\

(also: just the idea that grrm is *garbage* or whatever the OPs said is ridiculous like if you think he’s garbage what are you even doing here)

[arc-17]

Estela x MC for the Ship thing :)

Wow... @holly-park you know me or what! 😉So....▪What is your absolute favorite ship?Emma x MC in HSS. Hands down. Followed extremely closely by Estela x MC.▪What ship do you hate most?I don't know if I hate any of the ships... Honestly. They're all so well written and played out.▪What was my first ship and what fandom was it from?Hmm... Faramir x Eowyn from LotR, first in the books, then again in the films.(In fact if one looks closly to my take on Estela x MC and compare it to Faramir x Eowyn, you will see some similarities between them. Though I think Estela leans more into being the Faramir to MC's Eowyn.)▪Explain why I ship Estela x MC.Well... her cynical outlook and stong nature, that covers a soft, caring heart, paired with fierce loyalty, is counterbalanced and accented so nicely by MC's equally strong willed nature, loyalty, positive outlook and outspoken goodness.They both wish they could be more like the other and bring out the best parts of eachother. Estela to be more trusting, MC to be more savvy etc. That and I have a crush on Estela. 😆▪How did I start shipping Estela x MC?Well as I was going through the book the first time I got seriously suspicious of her... like... her constant sneaking around and caustic personality yet... then she'd go and do say something that... lead one to believe she had a heart after all... I remebered they way Strider was described in the LotR books. As rough, weather worn, slow to trust, skeptical... the pure opposet of a king. When trying to decide of they should trust this ruffian to protect them Frodo's dialog here from the book captures it all...《 (Frodo speaking) 'I believed that you were a friend before the letter came,’ he said, 'or at least I wished to. You have frightened me several times tonight, but never in the way that servants of the Enemy would, or so I imagine. I think one of his spies would - well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand.’ 'I see,’ laughed Strider. 'I look foul and feel fair. Is that it? All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost.’  》If anyone deserves to be called Aragorn its Estela not Jake 😆 (is a bad-ass hunter, constantly disappearing to take care of 'things', looks rough, but is a passionate and compassionate person. With a strong sense of family and duty. And who's mom was killed by the enemy) ▪Is there a ship I used to ship but don't anymore? Nope. Not that I can think of.▪Whats a ship that you like that most people don't?Not really a ship per se, but Eleanor Waverley x MC, from THoBM is someone that most folks forget about, or didn't like, or what have you but.. likeSeriously?! She's a freakin 1800's resurrected former ghost who's now going to Hartfield with everyone else from TF/TS and maybe even ES! ▪What's a ship you hate that most people like?Honestly? I don't have one. ▪What's the most underrated ship in your opionion? Well Eleanor like I mentioned above, and maybe Val x Kenna. Or Tevan x Kenna too. Rarely if ever hear anything about them. ▪What is the most overrated ship, in my opinion?Uhh.... also dont have one. If it's popular... it's for good reason! ▪Do I prefer Estela x MC as an otp, brotp or notp? OTP please! But in some of the replays I've done of ES I also did brotp. ▪Why do you think Estela x MC is so popular? She's hot, kicks-ass, but mostly, the depth of her character, the mysteries of her past, and the way they bring out the best in eachother.▪Why do you think Estela x MC isn't popular? Who said it wasnt?! XDNow admittedly, it's tough to compete with the likes of Jake and Quinn. But I think her and my main man Sean can still hold their own. 😉▪Rate Estela x MC from 1-10 and explain why.Ok so...... 11? 😁 and we already know why now! ▪what's my favorite headcanon of Estela x MC? Ok so honestly? The two of them someplace private, talking. Like when they can honestly finally talk openly. And Estela is asking why MC trusted her from so early on, without knowing anything about her. And MC (who I canon as being as much as a film and pop culture buff as Diego) explains what I did above, about her perhaps "looking fouler but feeling fairer""So you're saying look foul?""What? No! Is that what you got out of all that?!""Yes... " deadpans"No that wasnt.. I mean... ""MC?""Yes?""Shut up and kiss me...""Oh.... you!" Tackles Estela.❤💞❤▪What's your favorite canon moment of Estela x MC?Well, I'm still going through the books again since I had a device crash and had to reinstall Choices and start the books all over again, so this will probably change but so far its the moment that Estela gets up the nerve to ask MC if they are like... um.. dating. And MC says in essence "Well yeah!" And Estela gets that rare but oh so melt-me-into-a-puddle-of-lovey-goo-million-watt smile with smiling eyes. ▪Favorite AU ideas for Estela x MC?Hmm... years years down the line, I want them to have kids. And they name them after thier ES pals, except their first daughter. Who is named after Estela's mom. Estela also insists on never changing her last name, being all she has of her family type thing, So MC says He will xD▪Rant about Estela x MC.Ok so like... why. Why can't she be real? I wanna meet her IRL. Buuut I'm probably not her type so... still! Maybe a brotp! LOL Honestly though. So many awesome stories and romances, Pixelberry has done amazing and I cant wait to see more of these two! (I don't believe its gonna be over later this week. Just saying)▪What meme/quote reminds you of Estela x MC?The Aragorn and Frodo quote above, and any and every "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die" meme 😆▪What song reminds me of Estela x MC?I think this one probably the most for me:Friendship to Last by Two Steps From Hellhttps://youtu.be/Iu74pVYkhNI(It has that Island feel with like... Vaanti elements and the old Scottish song speaks of following their friend anywhere,....If it is thy pillow the sandIf it is thy bed the seaweedIf it is the fish thy candles brightIf it is the seals thy watchmen....▪What kind of dates do you think Estela x MC would go on?They love 'just them' time meaning, going off some place just the two of them. I sense hikes, adventures, etc where its the two of them vs. the elemets. Or perhaps a combative sport like paintball or airsoft and they are a duo unstoppable! But also MC helping Estela find something to live for after resolving her mother's death and Rourke. With those things gone Estela's gonna need something new to be the compass of her life and MC hopes to be a part of that.▪Have you ever written fanfiction/drawn fanart of Estela x MC? Would you consider it?No I haven't, but I most certainly want to. Whew! This one took a while to write! Thanks for the ask Holly!

[dachi-chan25]

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (1982)

What is it about? In a post-apocaliptic western setting Roland, the last of his kind travels across the desert to catch the Dark Man and ask him the questions that would put him on track on his quest for the Dark Tower.

Thoughts:

I really loved the western aesthetic mixed with medieval themes such as knights/gunslingers very original, and also the old songs being from the Beatles, hell yeah!!!

I grew up reading and watching epics (my Mother and uncle were completely obssessed with LoTR and I watched all the movies at the theater even if I was too young to really appreciate them, my mom put me to sleep with the soundtrack, we had a sticker-album…) and I absolutely love them, and the Dark Tower series just might become one of my new favorites, it’s so original and amazing, the setting, the characters, the world-building, the depth (the conversation between the Dark Man and the Gunslinger still has me shook), and all this things that are left unsaid. I REALLY look forward to reading the next book (I’ll have ro wait tho, cuz the next one was published in 1987)

TV/Movie Adaptations:

I went to watch the premiere here in México a month or so ago, but I took this long because I wanted to really organize my feelings and thoughts about 'Dark Tower" as an adaptation and as a movie.: As an adaptation the Dark Tower is completely inacurate to the story of the first book "The Gunslinger", I haven't read the rest of the books (I am just beginnig "the drawing of the three") and being the first movie of what I thought would become a new saga of movies, I expected it would at least bear some resemblance with the plot/material of The Gunslinger, I must say I am quite disappointed, there was a lot of dumbing the story/DT universe down and I was just very confused when I was in the cinema trying to find that story I liked so well in the book, Roland's story with his father was changed from what I remember from the book as well as Jack's involvement, like I said I felt it gave too much away, and maybe I am wrong but I think it would have made it a more engaging adaptation if we had a plot similar to the Gunsinger (especially the story of Roland's coming of age which is my favorite part of the book) honestly the movie felt just too evil vs good and the good side wins so easily, they erased Roland's grey morality (without spoiling anything what he does to Jake at the end of the Gunslinger makes him veeery morally ambiguous) and changed it for a defeated hero, there is some of that too in the book, but in the movie it feels as his only characteristic and is where his very fast character development comes from, becoming a hero again and defeating the Dark Man, and honestly I think Idris Elba could have pulled it off just fine. : As a movie I liked some moments but it just kinda fell flat, especially the ending it was a mess, I liked Idris Elba's performance a LOT, especially when he is in our world, I appreciated all the little Easter Eggs from other Stephen King's books as well even if I feel they are just there for the sake of them being Easter Eggs to be picked up by King fans and do not bear any significance to the fact the Dark Tower saga is where all the SK stories connect though it kinda bothered me a little because I feel the Dark Tower series had all the potential to become an epic saga of movies. The casting I liked a lot, Matthew McConaughey pleasantly surprised me as the Dark Man he was good, also there was a very diverse casting which I always appreciate but yeahhh the pacing was wierd and it felt more like a stand alone movie than the beginnig of an epic story, but even judging it as a stand alone movie it doesn't bode well, for a casual viewer (you know someone who isn't really a SK fan and has no context of the books whatsoever) it would most likely be a enjoyable but forgettable movie (I asked my Unlce if he remembered the name of any of the characters a day after he watched it and he didn't). So yeah a flop in my humble opinion.

Quotes:

“I do not aim with my hand; he who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I aim with my eye. I do not shoot with my hand; he who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father. I shoot with my mind. I do not kill with my gun; he who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father. I kill with my heart.”

"Time's the thief of memory"

"Do any man grow up or do they just come of age?"

"Was there ever a trap to match the trap of love?"

The mystery of the universe it's not time but size.

"Shall there be truth between us, as two man? Not as friends, but as equals? There is an offer you will get rarely, Roland. Only equals speak the truth, that's my thought on't. Friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of regard. How tiresome!"

Next Book: “Christine”

[shakespearerants]

Why Modern Y/A Literature Is Shit - Five Lists, A Rant, And A Conclusion

Let’s start with the lists, shall we? First, we have the typical overused y/a protagonists. There are:

1) the incompetent-but-pretty female protagonist. I’m talking about that “oh I’m not like other girls I hate makeup and I’m sooooo clumsy and also a nerd because I don’t like to party” girl, the one that always says she’s ugly but is described as stereotypically attractive. Usually white. Always gets the insanely attractive guy in the end. Relatable ™.

2) the mysterious bad boy that every girl wants a slice of. Usually either rich, a supernatural being, or involved in some sketchy shit. Has a Tragic Backstory™ that is unlocked by the female protagonist after little-to-none probing, maybe some bambi eyes, when the story is at the point where he would look like a real douche if his shitty behavior was left unexplained.

3) the female Leader of the Revolution. Usually white. Fights for Freedom and What Is Good, would actually be pretty ok in my books, if there weren’t…

4) the male love interest of the female Leader of the Revolution. Usually very flat character. We know exactly two thing about him: a) He’s Sexy b) He’s In Love. Sometimes there’s a small bonus and we also know that he has a Tragic Backstory™, usually involving something that is supposed to show that he and the female Leader of the Revolution are Soulmates or at least that they have History Together. And then there’s…

5) the Love Triangle. Im counting this as “one” main character because, lets be honest, most (read: all that I know) love triangles don’t have enough depth to justify analyzing all three parts separately. It goes like this: girl was Normal and had Best Male Friend who was In Love With Her since Forever, but Never Said Anything. Then Something Happens and Guy Two (the mysterious bad boy) shows up, usually quite out of the blue. He is Mysterious and Experienced and Interested In The Girl, who is suddenly Very Important for a Higher Cause. Then Best Male Friend Gets Jealous and Confesses His Feelings when confronted by the Girl. Then all there of them go on an Epic Quest together. A common variation of this is Girl meets two boys. One is Nice™ and one is Sexy™. HOW WILL SHE DECIDE???!11?? (also epic quest in the backround)

And then we have the supporting characters. Who are usually either…

1) the gay OR the racially diverse Best Friend of the Protagonist. Especially if it’s a male protagonist. BUT CAREFUL!!!!!111! He has to be a) male b) EITHER gay OR racially diverse, and c) ok with casually used homophobic/racist stereotypes

2) the Nerd Friend of the (usually male) protagonist. Wears glasses. Doesn’t know anything about sports. Easily hurt. Thankful™ for their Cool Protagonist Friend. Usually bullied. Knows stuff about: a) Star Wars b) Comics c) Lord of the Rings. If the author is really adventurous he also cosplays, usually as a LOTR character

3) the Best Girl Friend of the incompetent-but-pretty female protagonist. Usually very flat character. Comes out of nowhere to Give Advice and disappears back into the void. 

But the most annoying thing is that literally almost every y/a novel or series that you pick up in literally any bookstore/library can be assigned one of these general storylines:

1) the Your Are Different storyline. Girl is Normal™. Maybe has a Tragic Backstory™, but nothing too bad. Then Something Happens and she learns that she is Not Normal, by which I mean that she either has some sort of supernatural powers or that she is The Long Lost Princess or at very least The Chosen One. Then some love triangle comes to spiel, she has to Leave Her Old Life Behind and Save The World. Book ends with some sort of sappy love confession or her deciding which part of the love triangle she chooses. Sometimes seen with a male protagonist, but without the love triangle. 

2) the Love Triangle storyline. Well. I think it’s self-explanatory.

3) the Supernatural Shit Going On storyline. Someone (usually a guy) is the Chosen One. Chosen One has to fight in order to save some recently discovered world/their own world. Meets some friends who are usually two or more dudes and one super badass girl who is only there because Equality™ and is either the one who gets Possessed By The Evil or is the only one who has to be saved at one point in the story. If we have a female protagonist then she and the girl Hate Each Other For Literally No Reason until the protagonist Saves The Girl in some very dramatic way and they realize that the other is Actually Not That Bad. Female protagonist usually teaches girl about Feelings and maybe sets her up with That One Guy In The Group that she’s had a crush on for Literal Years but never made a move because Feelings Are For Babys or she was Scared And Didn’t Know What To Say To Him. 

4) the This Book Isn’t Like Other Books storyline. Some shit that doesn’t have anything to do with interpersonal relationships or at the most bullying is going on. Usually features a Controversial Protagonist™ (read: the one who started the deeply illegal or at least sketchy shit that’s going on and is also the muggle version of Voldemort, character wise). The (usually male) protagonist, who is also a social outcast, now has to work to Stop The Sketchy Shit that he started, but he Can’t Do It Alone. A group of three people (two boys, one pretty girl), who are also a part of the Popular Group At School, are somehow pulled into the shit and help the Controversial Protagonist™ Fix His Mistakes and Become A Better Person. Sometimes they become friends in the end. 

AND, because I can, have some shitty shitty plot devices.

1) the Love Triangle. It’s shitty and unnecessary in every way because it always features at least 3 of these things: bad writing. Heteronormativity. Exclusively white people. Disregard of the feelings of the female lead by at least one of the guys. Use of past traumatic experiences of one of the male leads to justify predatory and/or dangerous/possessive behavior. Related to that: use of mental illness/trauma solely to gain sympathy of the audience. Characters’ (specially the guys’) lives and decisions revolve around romantic/sexual relationships. Related to that: romanticization of unhealthy relationships. Enforcement of gender stereotypes. Objectification of the characters (especially the male characters). 

2) Miscommunication. I don’t even have to say anything, do I.

3) The One Friend In The Group That Betrays Them All And The Subsequent Fallout. WHY. WHY do authors feel the need to have one person in a close-knit group of friends betray everyone. I mean, it would even be THAT bad if most authors didn’t use it as a cheep method to create suspense for the final showdown, or kill off a character, or to distract from the fact that most villains in modern y/a literature are really flat characters with no real motives for their plans for world takeover or whatever it is they’re trying to accomplish by giving them a radicalized follower. 

4) the Love Confession When The Guy Either Thinks She’s Chosen Someone Else Or Is Being Separated From The Girl. Like. NO. Just no. Thats like THE cheapest way to create emotional conflict. Or to subtly manipulate your readers. Because that is essentially what the author is doing: guilt-tripping you into supporting a relationship, because unless that guy was a real douchbag, and if he WAS, 99% of the people who read that stuff will be like “OH MY POOR BBY JUST GOT HIS HEART BROKEN” and BAM, no one’s gonna argue that his feelings aren’t genuine, or say that he doesn’t deserve her, bc bitch did you read this he confessed to her when he thought he was never gonna see her again  

5) the Love Confession From Her Jealous Best Friend. Again, a cheep way to create emotional tension and gain sympathy from the reader. 

6) the Vaguely Sexual Encounter. Usually something comparatively innocent, like a heated kiss or make-out session, usually used to intensify emotional dilemma, either because of a love triangle (I really can’t stand love triangles) or because she shouldn’t be kissing the guy or something. And the thing is, it wouldn’t even be a bad thing if it weren’t completely misplaced (like, a day away from the final battle misplaced) in most cases, or worse: slutshaming. Or, worse still: the cringey sex discussion that ends in either slutshaming or kinda just fizzles out.   

7) the We’re Gonna Die But It’s Okay Because I Love You talk, usually delivered by the male lead to the female lead before all goes to shit. And honestly I have never read a book where this shit happened where they knew each other for more than four weeks. And lemme tell you there is nothing more unrealistic than a teenage dude giving a two-page talk about why he loves a girl that he’s known for a maximum of four weeks. I once read a book where this happened and they knew each other for three days and made out once and he literally gave that speech twice (no, I’m not taking about Romeo and Juliet). Like, do you authors understand the people you are writing books for? Do you have any idea how teenage relationships work? 

8) Bulling That’s Used As A Plot Device But Ultimately Stays Unresolved or, even worse, The People Who Bully Me Are (A Part Of) The Group I Have to Join To Save The World And Suddenly We’re Best Friends. THIS. THIS is almost worse than the fucking love triangle shit. Because lemme tell you something: If bullying isn’t stopped, if the bullies don’t face consequences for their actions, then guess what? IT’S NOT GONNA FUCKING STOP, THATS WHAT. It’ll continue on and on and on until someone won’t take that shit anymore. Yeah, sure, it might seem like it stopped, especially if you’re seeing everything from the view of a character who was suddenly not bullied anymore, but let me tell you: that is an illusion. They just shift to the next victim. And it’s so so toxic to write it like everything is suddenly ok, oh my gosh. Because it’s not, it doesn’t stop, it just shifts to somewhere else, and thousands of bullied kids that read these books are gonna think that it does. And they’re gonna go and look at their bullies and start feeling sympathy for them because they read a hundred and one books where the bullies are actually good guys, so their bullies can’t be that bad, can they? And voila, thats the first step to excusing toxic behavior. The first step to make sure that these kids never speak up against oppressors. 

Some things that I am really sick of in general but even more when seen in y/a literature: 

1) bad and/or lazy writing, especially when it comes to character development

2) casual sexism

3) underrepresentation and/or stereotypization of LGBTQIA characters

4) underrepresentation and/or stereotypization of non-white characters

5) lack of female supporting characters

6) little to no character development seen in male characters, especially love interests/supporting characters

7) reinforcement of stereotypically masculine/feminine character traits

8) little to no explanation offered concerning culture and other specifics of fantasy worlds (also known as WHY WRITE FANTASY IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA INCLUDE SOME ACTUAL FANTASY)

9) romanticization of toxic relationships

10) hypersexualization of teenagers, because no matter how good looking he is, you shouldn’t describe a sixteen year old boy the same way you would a twenty five year old porn star

And the thing is that this isn’t some kind of one time thing. I didn’t just finish a series that i really disliked or read a few bad books in a row. This rant is the product of literal year-long frustration because I literally cannot find anything in the y/a section of bookstores and libraries and publishing companies websites that doesn’t feature at least one of the above mentioned main characters, one of the above mentioned supporting characters, and some variation of the above mentioned storylines. And I am honestly so sick of it, and so are many many more young adults, because in the beginning you just read that shit, you know. And then it comes to the point where you get so sick of seeing the same stories repeated over and over and the same characters used over and over that you start really searching for books that are different. But these books are so rare, and so hard to find! And after some time you start feeling like you’re being bullshitted by authors and publishing companies. Because most of y/a literature is not only cliche and stereotypical and just plain boring after some time, its also often very badly written. And I’m not just talking language here, though that is a part of it. I’m talking major plot holes, complete lack of character development, period novels or novels that feature time travel being so cringe-worthily historically inaccurate that you actually start wonder if the author did it on purpose, a suspense arc that would, drawn, look like a squiggly line or, even worse but sadly even more common, just a downward sloping curve that maybe, if you’re really lucky, curves slightly upwards again in the last five chapters. There are so many y/a novels out there that I seriously can’t imagine ever having been edited or beta read. And lately it seem like most publishing companies out there just don’t care what they publish any more, you know? Its just one love triangle after the other. And honestly society is moving forward at an increasingly fast pace, the current generation of teenagers and young adults is becoming more tolerant and open minded by the second, and the literature that is written for us, marketed towards us is still dominated by heteronormativity, all-white characters, a lack of male protagonists in the romance and of female protagonists in the action/adventure genre, and sexism. Like, okay, if you think a love triangle is necessary for your story, why not write in a bit of representation for the LGBTQIA community and make it a polyamory in the end instead of having your heroine decide between two hot guys? Or just feature a bi protagonist instead of the cliche straight girl? If you wanna write that stereotypical high school romance why not feature a protagonist who is not white for a change? Also there is a huge difference between books written for boys and books written for girls that is honestly, in my opinion, incomprehensible. Especially if you factor that most boys between the ages of 12 and 20 just don’t read novels because they think reading in general is stupid or they can’t relate to the characters that are portrayed. And this is honestly so concerning because most boys are behind their female classmates when it comes to reading and language skills, which scientists say is a result of boys reading less for enjoyment in their free time, especially less fiction. (sources: (x) (x) (x)) And honestly I can see where thats coming from, there is a) very little literature written for boys, and lets be real, how many boys do you know that would voluntarily read something thats explicitly being marketed for girls and b) the literature actually written for boys is tremendously boring and even more stereotypical and redundant than literature written for girls, plus, you sometimes get the very paradox impression that sex is a kind of tabu theme in boys literature. Like in girls literature its ridiculed and treated in some sort of prepubescent giggly way even though most of literature written for girls revolves around sexual and romantic relationships, but it is addressed, even if its done in an immature way. But boys literature is all about action and danger and bros before hoes. Most books written for a male audience don’t even feature a love interest. And again, this is paradox and kind of weird or even ridiculous because boys are expected to be sexually active from a very young age and the teenage years are the years of (sexual) self-discovery, so in almost all media boys are portrayed as very experienced and sure in their sexuality, except for literature aimed towards them, where they are treated the same way little children are treated: you just don’t talk about sex. How can you expect boys to be sure of themselves when you just leave them in the dark about what they are supposed to be sure about? And don’t even get me started on hyper masculinity portrayed in almost every male character I’ve ever seen in a book (honestly, I won’t start on it because I think that a) my point is clear and b) no one would actually have the patience to read this till the end if I did).

So what’s my conclusion? Well, mainly that y/a literature is currently a lot of shit, and it needs to change to fit the needs and interests of the group that it’s trying to reach. The current development in literature aimed towards young women that features a growing hyper-sexualization of teenage boys and a shift to almost exclusively straight romance literature combined with a gradual decrease of writing quality is very concerning, as is the lack of development in literature aimed towards young men, which seems to be stuck in three genres: mystery/thriller, sports, and action/adventure.

[ee-pup]

1, 11, 15 :)

1) if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?That is a really tough question. How can one express their whole personality into a couple media things. I am gunna try with two of each. Read: Probably Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. I know they are cop outs and they are both kinda lame but that also describes me. I picked LOTR because it is imaginative, it is adventurous, it is magical, and it has depth of lore that is really amazing. I picked GoT because of more shallow reasons. It is a lot of intricate politics make up those books, there are a lot of fan theories surrounding them, and there is a large focus on characters and a whole bunch of characters that all have a specific part of a grand scheme.Watch: I chose lotr honestly in the books so i can open this section up. there are two that stand out to me. One is Avatar the Last Airbender. Everything about that show is amazing. The visuals are great, the dialog is funny and kinda lame, the plot is interesting, and the characters are some of the most complex and real characters that you will find in a modern show. The show is deep enough to touch on a lot of different and deep topics (especially adding korra) and light enough to just watch for a pleasant experience. That is one of my favorite shows and I try to emulate some of the lessons. The next would probably be princess mononoke for a lot of the same reasons. The plot is intricate enough that it isnt just a cut and dry movie. They make you really like both the town and the forest people and they make you understand the environmental themes in a way that many others fail to do and there is a gray area that the movie sits that makes you think about your views and the environment. Listen: Im gunna say probably Psyche! Life is Awesome! by Bomb the Music Industry. I dont know why but it kind of encapsulates my depressed but hopeful attitude. Really anything from bomb the music industry. Really anything from Jeff Rosenstock. Jeff is a gem in the music industry and i am really really really glad i started listening to him because I can relate to very very very few other people like i can to Jeff. His songs arent terribly well produced and he isnt the best singer but goddamn if he isnt the most real person in the whole music industry. Im so glad his new album is getting noticed and I really hope he is doing alright. Next song is the Battle of Hampton Roads by Titus Andronicus. There is a million other shows and songs and books that describe me but that is the best i can do right now.11) describe your ideal day.this one is pretty easy. My ideal day would be to get up early make a breakfast of toast and a lunch of a sandwich or something and get out of the house. I would have my camera and I would have my hiking shoes on and I would hike up into the forest on a really awesome mountain trail. While there i would see a lot of nature and get some really good animal photographs and then i would get to the top of a nice ridge that has an amazing view as far as the eye can see and i would just sit there without taking a picture. Then after a bit of sitting there i would try to take a picture then become frustrated it doesnt turn out like how it looks to me then just put the camera away and sit there some more. Maybe read or just think about things for a while then move on. After a long day of climbing rocks and trees and stuff and eating the lunch i would head back then head to one of my friends house and play a board game and have a wonderful home cooked dinner that i would help cook then we would watch a movie or show that i like and i would fall asleep on their couch but they dont care because they love and support me. Sounds pretty ideal to me.15) five most influential books over your lifetime.Im gunna do this one fast because it is way later than i meant it to go and im tired. 1. a science encyclopedia that i read as a child. I havent found the exact one in a long time but i read that book cover to cover so often. I was absolutely amazed by how everything in it worked. How the whole universe worked. I never want to lose that sense of wonder.2. Harry Potter Series. I read all these as a child and loved them so much i wrote to jk rowling sometimes as a little third grader. She always responded even though it usually took a few months and she gave me a picture of herself on a polaroid signed and i never figured out if it was her or an assistant or something but that changed my life3. The transall saga. This book really opened the door for me to get into fantasy and imaginative worlds. I had read hatchet before this book and this book i really vibed with the alone aspect and the fact that he found a beautiful life and it really made me think about what home means. Kinda same with hatchet and brians winter and other books by the author.4. The pigman. Idk why but this book opened up the whole realm of tragedy for me. I never really read sad books before this but this book definitely opened my eyes to that.5. Enders Shadow. Enders game was good but enders shadow actually got me interested in philosophy and religion. Just some of the talks about the backstory and some of the thoughts in this series and the other one are really a basis for phychology and philosophy about what it means to be human. I really like thinking about stuff like that for some reason. Thanks for asking! My writing is probably poor but i gotta sleep now