#i saw this tag floating around Twitter & thought I’d give it a go ^^

[sawamura-daichis-thighs]

💚 a little something for WIP Wednesday 💜

[shadowphoenixrider]

Seeds

(Okay, I’ve had this idea floating around in my head for ages, and this prompt was the best chance to actually put it down! Because it’s canon to Draggka/Khadgar, it’s being treated like a Proper Fic(tm). So people get tagged. YEA: @walkingdisasterofamage​, @sigurdjarlson​, @galleywinter​, @fer8girl​, @elfgirl931​ and @wingslovesfiction​)

(Set in early Warlords of Draenor)

16 - Feeding birds

The weather was particularly mild on the day Khadgar strolled through Frostwall, stepping out of the way of peons hurriedly ferrying crates to and fro. They paid the human mage little mind - even the Darkspear guards merely nodded at him as he passed, and he felt a little swell of pride as he wondered if this was the beginning of some sort of peace between the two factions. Surely if they could tolerate him, maybe they could tolerate each other...?

That wasn’t the main issue on his mind this time, however - it was to find Frostwall’s commander, who he hoped might be in the garrison’s central Town Hall. He had asked a few of the patrolling guards, but all they could offer was that she might be out adventuring. Khadgar hoped not - adventurers could be notoriously difficult to track down, and hunters more so. Only rogues could compete with how completely a hunter could melt away into the background.

The archmage was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the wheezy grunts and coughs that came from behind him. It was only when his robes were tugged with some force did he snap back to reality, and turned around to see the culprit.

Said culprit was a scarred red raptor that Khadgar recognised as Draggka’s companion Spike, peering up at him with bright blue eyes. His mood buoyed - a hunter was never too far from their pet.

“Hello there,” he said, smiling down at the raptor. “I’m looking for your companion Draggka. Could you perhaps take me to her?”

Spike tilted his head, then bobbed it in what looked like a nod, uttering a raptor-bark and jerking his head in a ‘follow me’ gesture.

“Lead on. I’ll be right behind you.” Khadgar said, following in the beast’s wake.

He led the mage out of Frostwall and into the sparse woodland clinging to the rocky hill the fortress was nestled into. He did briefly wonder if the raptor was leading him into a trap, but dismissed the thought with a shake of his head - he was fairly confident that the troll wouldn’t do such a thing.

Spike brought him to a large rock jutting out of the snowy ground, and stopped next to it, looking from it to the mage.

“What? Where is-?” As Khadgar spoke, the raptor snapped at him, shaking his head. To the archmage’s surprise, Spike dipped his head, placing a claw to his mouth in an unmistakable ‘shush’ gesture, before he nodded to the rock again.

Impressed (and slightly unsettled) by the raptor’s intelligence, Khadgar silently hauled himself up onto the rock to see what was on the other side. What he saw made him freeze.

Down below him was Draggka, kneeling in the snow by a tree, her hands cupped together and full of what appeared to be seeds. Movement in the tree drew his eyes to a plump orange and white bird, hopping down to the lowest branch and peering down at the troll and the food in her hands.

Khadgar inched himself a little more onto the boulder, unwilling to move further in case he disturbed the scene in front him.

Draggka didn’t move from her position; aside from the steam lifting from her nose and the occasional blink she could have been mistaken for a statue. The bird edged closer along the branch, clearly warring with itself whether it should take the food that was possibly being held by a predator. It tilted its head, uttering small twittering noises. Khadgar could have sworn he saw the troll’s ears twitch.

The little bird reached the end of its branch, and leaned down towards her. If it stretched any further, it would have to take wing or fall. The mage barely dared to even breathe.

A chirrup, and the bird fluttered to land on Draggka’s hands. After a pensive stare at the hunter, it began to peck at the seeds, at first tentatively, then more hungrily as it felt safer. Khadgar slowly released the breath he’d been holding, smiling broadly.

What a beautiful scene to witness. Had he wanted to tear his eyes away from the sight, he would have thanked Spike for allowing him to see the raptor’s companion so unguarded and tender. The archmage was briefly reminded of all the text books, tomes and lectures about trolls - described as savage, bloodthirsty creatures, who enjoyed death, torture and other horrible things. And yet here was one feeding a bird out of what seemed to be the kindness of her heart. She hadn’t moved an inch as her feathery friend pecked away, but he could see her smile from his perch. Despite the chill, the sight warmed him.

For reasons known only to itself, the bird decided enough was enough, and after a friendly chirrup at the troll, it flew off into the trees. Finally able to move again, Draggka’s smile broke into a grin, looking rightfully proud of herself, and wondrously happy.

Khadgar decided that was the perfect time to leave, and not intrude on her privacy any longer. He’d head back to the garrison and meet her there; he could send his servant out to let her know he awaited her.

Before he could shuffle back and off the rock, however, Khadgar was suddenly pushed forcefully from behind. Balanced as awkwardly as he was, with no grip to speak off and taken by surprise, the mage tumbled off the boulder with a cry, landing in a completely ungainly heap in the snow.

A loud Zandali expletive sounded out from the startled hunter, whilst Khadgar groaned, slowly moving to sit upright and cursing the new aches and bruises that would greet him the next morning. And the snow that had managed to get down the back of his neck.

“Archmage?! What are ya doin’ here?” Draggka demanded, one fist hidden awkwardly behind her back as she strode over to him.

“I-I’m sorry, Commander. I, I didn’t mean to surprise you.” He stuttered, grabbing Atiesh and using it to get to his feet in a hopefully more dignified manner than his entrance had been. “I’ve been looking for you, to speak to you in regards to my plan to find Kairos.” He flashed her a weak smile. “I, um, saw your raptor, and followed him to this area.” His eyes darted around, searching for Spike and finding him completely absent. Despite the fact the raptor was bright red amongst white snow. “And, I, well, stumbled upon you. Quite literally, it seems!” He grinned widely, feeling the awkwardness crawl down his neck and a blush rise into his face. “I-I’m sorry if, if I interrupted anything...private.”

She did not look convinced by his pathetic explanation, one eyebrow arching up her forehead. Thankfully, she politely humoured him.

“I see. Well, if ya be wanting to talk ‘bout what we be doing next, we best be headin’ back to da garrison.” She tilted her head, her eyes taking him in with a critical edge. “Ya be needin’ to get somewhere warm before dat snow chills ya.”

“Snow?” Khadgar blinked stupidly. “Oh, yes!” He chuckled, brushing off the bits that hadn’t yet melted into his robes. “O-Of course. A very good idea, Commander. Please, lead on. Perhaps your friend will rejoin us when he’s finished...doing whatever it is he does.”

“He will. He never be far from me.” Draggka smiled, genuinely now as they began their walk. “Be good of him to be leading ya to me. He must like ya.”

“Oh, really?” He was surprised, both at the information and how strangely proud he felt about it. Yet he couldn’t help but feel the raptor’s intentions hadn’t been entirely pure. Especially since he had mysteriously disappeared after the wizard’s fall.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Usually he just be ignoring people.”

“I see. So he wouldn’t deliberately mislead someone following him, like for instance, leading them into a trap?” Or to make a complete fool of themselves in front of someone?

“Oh no, he can be misleading people, but only enemies.” She replied, giving him a look. “Dat be an odd ting to say.”

“O-Oh well,” Khadgar laughed nervously, face burning up. “I-I’d heard that it’s a tactic some, some hunters use. I was wondering if, if it was perhaps one you used yourself?”

The troll giggled, and the sounds was so pure and benign it made him smile.

“Ah, but dat be a secret, Archmage! I can’t be telling ya my battle tactics. Den ya be using dem against me!”

“Oh no no, not all!” Khadgar hurriedly assured her, despite her mirth. “You are my ally, a-and a trusted one too. Anything you say to me is in trusted confidence. I will not breathe a word to anyone.” He brought a finger to his lips.

“Uh huh.” Draggka didn’t sound convinced, but her smile was still there, which Khadgar found reassuring.

Elsewhere, just out of sight, Spike watched them as they walked back. He sighed, blowing a breath out of his nose.

This was going to take some work.

(Link to challenge)

[nin-jay-go]

Shadows of Envy - Chapter 1

When you dismiss a dark thought, where do they go? To your shadows, of course. Kai’s jealousies get the best of him, and he gives into the temptation of the darkness, his own shadow posessing him. Yeeted from his body, Kai must figure out how to stop his shadow from ruining absolutely everything and hurting the people he loves.

Tagged on my blog as either Shadows of Envy or ekau 3!

Contains no romantic pairings aside from Pixane and hinted Geode

It was a quiet night at the Destiny's Bounty. Too quiet. It was WAYYY too quiet and Kai was getting a bit restless. To kill his boredom, he took to pacing through the halls while performing some Neat Sword Tricks. Flipping it around, spinning around with it, setting it on fire, the usuals.

Eventually, he paced right into the living room, where everyone else was gathered. Cole floated on the couch near Jay, who was bouncing his leg and fiddling with his gi. Zane was probably asleep already, as was Nya, but Lloyd still wasn't. The green ninja sat on the floor near the couch, reading a Fritz Donovan comic, which Jay was looking at somewhat wistfully.

Kai's preparations for starting up a conversation from the doorway were thwarted when Cole took that job from him. “Ugh, I hate not being able to sit on a couch anymore,” he complained. “I just gotta float above it now, instead of actually making contact…”

Jay pat the ghost's shoulder as best as he could and laughed. “You don't like being a ghost? I would've died to become a ghost!” A round of chuckles came from the room's occupants.

“I mean, becoming the Green Ninja and growing up was an experience too,” Lloyd spoke up. “Would it be any better than, uh dying?”

Cole gave an uncomfortable chuckle. “Well I'm mostly fine! I don't get hungry anymore so there's that…”

Jay put a finger up to his face, scratching at it slightly. “Wow, you two have really gone through some rough shit over the time we've been ninjas. It leads me to wonder,” he continued, crossing his legs, “has something exciting and life-changing happened to all of us?”

“I'd say so, yea!” “Yea probably.”

“Ok ok so,” Jay started, “we have you,” he pointed at Cole, “who died and became a ghost, you,” this time at Lloyd, “grew up and got ‘chosen by destiny’ as the Green Ninja-”

“And got possessed by my weird emo cousin and then forced to watch my dad die… twice in a row,” Lloyd added. The others got a good laugh at that traumatizing memory. “What about you, Jay?”

“Well, I was bitten by the Serpentine at one point and almost turned into one. Plus, I kinda found out something pretty big recently..” He panicked slightly when Cole and Lloyd stated expectedly. “It-its private personal stuff!! Nothing you two should worry about, nope totally not haha!” He waved them off quickly.

“Well, uh, Nya became the water ninja,” Lloyd continued, shrugging it off, “and Zane turned out to be a robot.”

“That and the only one with a functional relationship right now,” Cole quipped.

Kai, still semi-eavesdropping, now realized he was the only one not talked about. Either he had some SUPER life-changing event, or…

“What about Kai?” “Kai? Has he had a cool thing happen to him?” “Not that I remember… Oh! He had Chen's staff for a bit!” “Yea, like for a length of not even a minute.” “His sister got kidnapped?” “That adds onto more of a Nya thing though…” “He got addicted to twitter! That counts, right?” “Jay, no.”

They continued debating but Kai didn't want to hear any more. He heard the truth right then and there- he had an absolutely boring life. There was nothing to be talked about. He was worthless. So he left. He walked out of the doorway and onto the patio, sword strapped on his back. Looking into the forest they were currently parked over, he took a deep breath and jumped, activating his Airjitzu on the way down. He needed to release some steam.

The forest was awash with beautiful greens and blues, basking in the light of a full moon. Light crunching noises of twigs sounded underneath Kai's feet as he trudged through. Eventually, he made it to a clearing. A few tall bits of grass lined the trees, and a stump sat in the center.

He went over and flopped himself down onto the stump. Crossing his arms, he began to grumble. “Stupid everyone, thinking they're better than me, being special. Nya and Zane have cool lives, Jay has some big secret, Cole DIED, and Lloyd is the goddamn green ninja! They all think they’re so special, they don’t care about how I also have a cool and special life too! I’m interesting! They’re all just some.. insensitive jerks!”

“Couldn’t agree with you more.”

“Yea, I know ri-” Kai stopped in his tracks when he heard a voice in the clearing. It was… somehow familiar. He stood up and looked around, scanning the area. “Who’s there? Who are you?”

He heard a snort. “That doesn’t matter too much. Just think of me as… someone who wants to help.”

“Help? Help who, me? I don’t need help. I’m just here to blow off some steam,” Kai continued searching, rooting around his memories for who’s voice that was.  

“Yea, but I get what you’re saying,” the voice continued. This got Kai interested. “You do?”

“Well yea, I do. You feel jealous, envious of your teammates and friends. They’re all special, they have exciting lives, and you’re not, and you hate that. I know what you’re thinking, dude.”

“...where are you going with this?”

“I can give you a deal. I can make you… special, like the others. You can finally brag to them about having a cool thing happen and they’d be put in their place. After all, they don’t really like you. They’re special…” “...and I’m not,” Kai finished. “You can do that? Make me cooler?”

“Would I lie?” “I literally just met you, dude, you might as well be.” “Fair enough.”

A soft breeze blew through the night. The moon glowed, full and pale overhead, casting shadows all over. Kai narrowed his eyes, continuing to scan the forest for the voice’s origin, despite noticing it resounding all around him. “What do I need to do?”

A chuckle. “It’s simple. I’m gonna need you to say something, just a phrase or two.” He raised a skeptical eyebrow, hoping the voice saw it. “Just… saying something? And I’ll be cooler?”

He could almost feel the voice nod. “Just repeat after me. Omnis ignis ab umbra..” The voice took on a darker feel, deeper and more threatening. This went unnoticed by Kai, who mulled it over in his head some before taking a deep breath.

“Omnis ignis ab umbra.” No sooner had the words left his mouth when the wind picked up around him and the moon seemed to get even brighter.

“Tenebrae praete eum,” came the voice from directly behind him. He turned around briskly to see nothing there but his own shadow. A shadow that had two red orbs staring straight at him and slowly glowing brighter. A section where the mouth should be parted.

“...et novam vitam accipere.” It finished, and Kai saw nothing but black.

When Kai opened up his eyes, he immediately felt something was off. His feet felt glued in place, and a sense of vertigo and weightlessness overcame him. Somehow he figured out he was on the floor, yet when he looked up he saw…

Himself. His own body standing there, motionless, staring out at the trees. Suddenly, his body began to shake. Seconds later, it was shuddering with peals of laughter escaping, from his own mouth. His head turned to where he was and snapped open his eyes.

They were horrifying.

Where his irises were once a dark brown, they were bright red, almost glowing red, staring daggers at his own. The whites were pitch black, dark as the shadows around him. They stared at Kai with a feeling of madness.

“Hey thanks, dude!” The voice said. His voice. “Thanks for letting me borrow your body for a bit! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it for you while you’re afk.” He cracked his neck casually, not breaking eye contact. “Wh-what? Who the hell are you?!” Kai yelled. He tightened his hands into fists but it didn’t seem to do much. It didn’t even feel like he did it or not.

“...Yea I have no idea either,” the body-snatcher confessed. “I mean, we’re both exceptionally stupid, ain’t we?” He stretched his arm out. “But from what I gathered over how long we’ve been alive, I’m your shadow. I am every negative thought and bad action fused into one formless being, forced to follow you around and eat your thoughts you banish from your mind. They aren’t that tasty, not advertising them.”

“So… you’re my shadow? And, and you.. possessed me?” Kai tried to wrap his head around the situation. “And if you’re me then… then how did you know that spell, or wh-whatever that was that did this?”

His “shadow” clicked his tongue. “I just kinda knew the words for some reason! As for what it did, we most likely switched places!” He sneered with Kai’s mouth, an expression that shouldn’t look so at home on his scarred face, scars that looked paler than ever.

“But yea,” he continued, “clearly those guys need to be put into their places, since they think they’re all so special. Self-centered, all of them. I’m gonna borrow your body to get our vengeance, since I know you won’t.”

Kai did not like this one bit. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Why was this happening?! He didn’t want to be here.

Seems like his brain listened, and he found his feet no longer glued to the ground, and the weightless feeling vanished. Opening his eyes, Kai found himself looking at his possessed body from a different angle, from the shades of the trees. His body looked around, and his gaze settled on him. Smirking, he closed his eyes.

“Well, at this point, I’m so filled with burning hatred I can’t be called Kai anymore, now can I?” Kai grasped his arm. It didn't feel all that solid. “What are you proposing?” His eyes opened, normal and brown once more. “How’s about you call me… uhh…” His eyes filled with confusion. Kai swore he heard him mutter “shit I didn’t think this far ahead uhh what’s a word for really hot- got it.” He cleared his throat. Pretending he didn’t mutter anything, he looked at Kai once more. “Call me Arid.”

“Arid...:” Kai rolled it around on his tongue. It fit such a dry, blazing shadow such as the one in his body. “Now that you have a name, I can call you out on shit you do. Just give my body back, Arid! I just felt a bit salty, you don’t gotta do anything bad to them!” “You don’t understand, Kai,” Arid stalked over to him. “Every bad thought you had belongs to me now. You felt salty, bitter, even, at your ‘friends’ for making fun of you, and wanted them to shut up.” He shrugged. “I’m just fulfilling your wishes, or I guess, my wishes now.”

He began to walk off. “H-hey wait! Where are you going?!” Kai called after him, running in his direction. The second his fingers left the shadows of the tree, they began to burn. He let out a yelp of pain and recoiled into the dark.

“Can’t go into the light now, can you?” Arid sneered. “You’re a shadow now, Kai. You don’t exist like I do anymore. Light will hurt you.”

“Duly noted…” Kai hissed back, cradling his hand. “Where are you going,” he restated.

Arid shrugged. “Back to the Bounty; where else am I supposed to go? I am Kai right now, after all.” He found the edge of the clearing and looked back at Kai. “Cya~!” He stuck out his tongue at him and spun into a flawless Airjitzu as he flew back to the Bounty, leaving Kai to stare up at the blinding moon.

[westfallingforchaol]

Salaam! I’ve started to think that I should just stop apologizing for disappearing for weeks on end because I feel guilty, and then I end up making promises I can never keep, and it becomes a vicious cycle. So, no more apologies. Just that school started, and it’s already kicking my ass. Also, my laptop broke down- I have no clue what happened. One day, it just up and decided to become stupid, and I couldn’t use it for about a week and a half. That happened. But I got it back this afternoon, so I thought I’d start off by doing a much-needed January wrap-up.

Even though I wasn’t blogging much, January was a pretty decent reading month for me. I read a total of 8 books, which is good since I wasn’t reading anything at all the past couple of months. Quality-wise, you probably know how I am by now… it goes up and down. For the most part, the books I read ranged from good to pretty good, and that’s honestly all I can ask, ha. I did read something awful though, but more on that later.

Personal

So… guess who I met? If you don’t follow me on Twitter, you might be unaware of this but I met Zayn a week or so ago. I love him to death- I think he’s both an incredible artist and an incredible human being. I was never a One Direction fan, but I distinctly remember thinking that Zayn was super attractive and had a unique voice; when he went solo, I really began to pay attention to him. Almost a year after his album release, I still listen to his songs almost every single day. I’ve binge-watched interviews and videos and stalked his social media, and he’s such a humble, grounded, adorable person.

Meeting him was incredible. He was so gracious and lovely; when I was taking a photo with him, my hand was shaking out of nerves so he reached out and steadied my phone. He was so kind to all his fans… and just in case you’re wondering, yes, he’s just as attractive in real life. :)

I also saw one of my favorite bands live! I’ve seen Kings of Leon live once before back in 2014, and they’re so incredible that I couldn’t possibly miss their 2017 tour. Protip: there are two things you need to do in your life:

See a rock concert in Madison Square Garden

See Kings of Leon on tour

I won’t pretend like I’ve seen a ton of concerts, but I’ve been to a few big rock ones, and there’s something that sets Kings of Leon apart from the rest. They make sure their fans get their money’s worth of performances. They performed 28 songs. One after the other with minimal pauses in between- so energizing, so rapid-fire but so, so good. If you like even just a couple of their songs, I’d highly recommend seeing them live. Despite not being my favorite band of all-time (that crown goes to Linkin Park) I still prefer their concerts over anybody else’s.

On Choosing a Different Path for Myself

Some of you might know this already, but I’m studying Applied Psychology at NYU. I just started the second semester of my junior year, which means I’ll be graduating in just over a year- which is insane just to think about. But I’ve decided that I want to switch…

Well, not really “switch” per se, but do something more advanced. Which is medicine! Surprise, surprise. When I went to Los Angeles over the winter break, I had a talk with a couple of my relatives, both of whom are psychiatrists. By talking to them and their constant affirmations that I was born to go into medicine, I started thinking. What do I want from my life? What do I want out of my career? And you might judge me for this, and I know this is probably why I’ve been sorted into Slytherin my entire life- I want to be successful. I want to be rich, lol, and I want to work for the money I earn. I want to travel. I want a good house, and a nice car. I want to be able to give my parents the chance to retire and sit back and relax while I am able to fulfill their needs. I want to buy stuff without looking at the price-tag, and I want to be able to give to causes that I support without compromising my day-to-day actions for lack of finances.

But that’s not just it. I wanted to become a psychologist so I could help South Asian youth who suffer from mental illnesses and are stigmatized and dehumanized. And I can do that. I can do that if I become a psychiatrist. I can do something good all while making a decent life for myself and my family. It’s going to take many extra years, particularly because I’ll have to take an extra year after my undergraduate to fulfill my pre-med requirements. But that’s a cost I’m willing to pay, you know? It was a scary decision to make. I wasn’t sure I could do it. I’m still not sure I have the brains to get into med school, but you know. I’ll go down with everything I’ve got. It’s honestly a little terrifying, but I’ve enrolled for the first class that’ll help me get there, and I’m ready.

But that’s all I’m going to ramble about. You came here for a reading wrap-up, so here it is!

Reading Wrap-Up

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon | 1.5 stars | Review

This rating may come as a surprise to many, but I really disliked this book – not because the technical aspects were bad, but because the themes were so offensive that it didn’t sit well with me. I was enjoying it at first; the fun additions of notes and charts and illustrations added character, and I was interested in the character’s experience with her disability. But then the love interest was introduced, which made the book extremely insta-lovey, and that was also when the ableist themes came into play. This book was one big message of: you can’t be happy and you can’t have a normal love-life if you have a disability. Which is wrong on so many levels and completely downplays the experiences of so many. I explain it better in my review, so if you’re interested in learning more, check that out!

Goodreads | Amazon

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo | 3.5 stars | Review

I had high hopes for this book, and for the most part, it did not disappoint. The main character was immediately likable, and you fully empathized with her desire to move on from a traumatic event and to fit in with a new group of people. My favorite aspect of the book was definitely her topsy-turvy relationship with her father; the nuance and complexity of their dynamic definitely added an extra layer to the otherwise happy book. I also thought that the romance was incredibly cute, even though I thought it was a little insta-lovey. Also, let’s talk about how little attention is given to great female friendships in YA- if you’re looking for a good female-friendship dynamic, check this book out. Trigger warning for transphobia, depression, suicide attempt and outing.

Goodreads | Amazon

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire | 2.5 stars

I had very mixed feelings about this book; on one hand, I thought the world-building was incredible. Or rather, the potential for the world-building was incredible. Conceptually, the book was so strong, but I felt that a lot of the potential was wasted in execution. A ton of the world-building happens through dialogue rather than actual action. Which really bummed me out and kept me from enjoying the book. The characters fell flat for me too. I did, however, really enjoy the balance between whimsy and dark; I thought the plot was brilliant, and had it been carried out better, it would’ve definitely gotten a higher rating from me. Look out for my full review!

Goodreads | Amazon

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom | 4 stars

This was perhaps my favorite book of the month, which was a surprise because I didn’t know what to expect when I went into it. I’ve only ever read one other book with a blind protagonist, and this one was completely different in tone from that one. I was wary at first because the protagonist is so bitter and mean and sarcastic, and I approached it with caution because it seemed to give off the vibe that she was that way because she lost her sight. But as the story progressed, as the main character developed and grew through relationships and interactions with the people around her, as she learned more about her past and her life and came to terms with her vulnerabilities, the beauty of the book came to light. It was truly a beautiful book, and another one with really amazing female friendships. Definitely a must-read! And look out for my review!

Goodreads | Amazon

The Young Elites & The Rose Society by Marie Lu | 3.5 stars each

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So, I know I’m late to the game, and I know everyone and their mother loves this series- and I understand why. Even though I didn’t give either book a great rating, I really enjoyed them both and am definitely looking forward to the finale. I think what makes this series stand out so starkly amongst its peers is the fact that it’s basically a villain’s coming-to-power story and then I’m guessing her subsequent downfall. I love the complexity of Adelina’s character; I enjoy how you empathize with her but also constantly criticize her choices because she’s going too far. I love the world-building, and the writing’s solid. I sometimes feel that the secondary characters feel flat, and also that Adelina’s still too likable to be called a villain. I want to see her pushed further so I can fully give her the label of villain, because I don’t think she’s there yet. Which was my main gripe with the second book. I won’t be doing an individual review for each book, but I’ll do a joint review for the trilogy!

Goodreads | Amazon

The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace (ARC) | 3.5 stars

I don’t read a ton of poetry, but I picked this one up because I’m mutuals with the author on Twitter, and it won an award, and it’s been getting a ton of hype. It’s basically word porn. I think a lot of the poems in this are incredibly relatable; it covers topics like mental health, body image, family dynamics, loss and death, abusive relationships, moving on, self-love, feminism and strength. A lot of the values I hold myself were reflected in this, and Lovelace definitely has a way with weaving words together so that they say a lot in very few characters. I enjoyed the first two parts of the book much, much more than the last one- which I felt was a little dragged and didn’t fit in with the tone of the other parts. But if you’re looking to get into poetry and aren’t sure where to start, check this out.

Goodreads | Amazon

Life in a Fishbowl (ARC) by Len Vlahos | 3 stars

Okay, so let me preface this by saying that the premise of this book is very misleading. The reality television aspect of it doesn’t come into play until well past the 30 or 40% mark- and believe it or not, I was really, really enjoying the book before the TV part was introduced. Definitely the strongest feature of the book is the writing. Vlahos is incredibly gifted; he’s clearly honed and polished his voice to perfection. It’s snarky, it’s intelligent, it’s satirical and hilarious and also surprisingly simple. Just reading his words made the experience delightful. His decision to tell the story from approximately eight perspectives was a gutsy move, but he pulled it off. The relationships, the themes were all spot on. It’s just that the storyline began to drag after the 60% mark, and the characters didn’t undergo any development, which I would have really liked to see. Even so, this was such a fun, fast-paced book, and I’d recommend it to anyone. Full review to come!

Goodreads | Amazon

Blogging

So, I’ve talked a little already about how I basically failed at blogging this month- I’ve never been so far behind my reviews. Because blogging sucked so much, I’m not going to do a post-to-post wrap-up like I usually do. But I’ll just leave a link to the Diversity Bingo 2017 event that I, and a few other friends are hosting. It’s basically a year-long reading event where you need to read 36 books that fit into a bingo sheet, each fulfilling a facet of diversity. You can find more information (and my TBR) here.

I also compiled a list of the diverse books releasing between January and June of this year. I know that I could have really used a masterlist, and in compiling it, I introduced myself to so many awesome-sounding books. If you’d like to check it out (and share, if you can please!), you can do so right over here.

The last post I’ll feature is my top 10 books of 2016. If you’re interested in seeing what the standouts of last year were, you can check them out here.

Also, I’m making a massive change to the blog- something that I think is important for my sanity, ha. I’m getting a co-blogger! I’ve already spoken to someone about it; she’s a friend that I got to know over Twitter. She’s incredible- kind, open-minded, thoughtful and just super wonderful in general. I’m not going to announce who exactly it is just yet- we’ll do that together when she writes her introduction post and she can officially be integrated into the website. Which also means that a URL change is in order. I can’t have a co-blogger and keep it my name. I’ll purchase the bookshelvesandpaperbacks.com domain soon, so just a heads up!

What I’ve Been Watching and Listening To

So, y’all probably know by now that A Series of Unfortunate Events was released on Netflix, which I binge-watched and freaked out over. The books were such an integral part of my childhood, and it felt so wonderful to revisit the characters and the story. The show stays so true to the books- from the narration to the sets to the whimsical, weird, magical-realism-type tone, everything feels like home. The casting is spot-on. I love Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, and it took me some time to warm up to the children, but I love them all dearly now. Go check the trailer out:

As for music, I’m going to be fully basic and just talk about Zayn a lot more, ha. I barely listened to anything except for his new track with Taylor Swift. I really don’t like her, guys. The fact that the song is the soundtrack for Fifty Shades Darker really doesn’t help, but come on, it’s Zayn. I had to give it a try- and I haven’t stopped listening to it since. I’ve often wanted a version where it was just him singing, and guess what- yesterday, he dropped an acoustic version where it’s just him and a guitar. It’s honestly heaven-sent, and even though it was released in February, I couldn’t go without including it here. Check it out- it almost seems like a completely different song, and I haven’t listened to the original since!

So that’s it for last month’s wrap-up. I know, I had a lot to talk about- it was a busy month and a lot was happening in life. Kudos to you if you made it this far into the post. Let me know in the comments below what your month was like? As always, thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

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Wrap Up | January ’17 Salaam! I've started to think that I should just stop apologizing for disappearing for weeks on end because I feel guilty, and then I end up making promises I can never keep, and it becomes a vicious cycle.