#there's also the fact that the pride novels are a standalone series

[pricechecktranslations]

Hi so is it okay to read novels and start from lust arc, then gluttony arc ect. Instead of reading pride arc novels first? Because my friend wants to read the novels but the time line is confusing for her and I know know in which order I should tell her to read the novels because I don't want her to get even more confused than she already is.

It's "okay" in the sense that this is a fictional series meant to be enjoyed casually and no one should be shamed about their choices regarding how they consume it (even if I do think it leads to a lesser reading experience), but if your intention is specifically to make the series less confusing then I personally think you're going about it the wrong way.

Issues with the timeline aside, Evillious as a series has a lot of concepts and worldbuilding to learn. Who certain characters are, how magic works, how demons work, the nature of the world, its countries, etc. The Daughter of Evil series (the Pride novels) introduces these concepts gradually. The plot of Cloture of Yellow can be easily described as "Fantasy French Revolution with some magic elements on the side"; the demons are barely even mentioned in them. It's mostly a political and character drama. Wiegenlied of Green, being an alternate perspective of Cloture, is able to explore more of the worldbuilding and fantasy concepts while still having the familiar setting and characters (and mostly being a romance, besides). Praeludium and Praefacio are then able to take the same setting and characters in a new direction that introduces yet more mechanics and character development for the bigger players in Evillious overall (like Elluka and Irina, the demons, etc).

The Lust novel then assumes you are already familiar with these concepts and just drops you immediately into how HER works, demonic contracts, etc.

To put it another way--the Pride novels prime you for the rest of Evillious. You build upon the foundation of your knowledge as you go. Like, I'm not going to judge someone who skips them because they find them boring or just aren't interested but I personally don't find "this book is a prequel to X" to be so difficult a concept that it's worth going out of order.

[alastanor]

In less than a week my feed has been plagued by the "hot takes" of entitled fans of the Hazbin and Helluva universe.

As a result, I know I promised some analytical information regarding what we know of Hazbin's version of hell thus far, which will be included in this post. But there will be some other things added as well to address some of the more frequently expressed "concerns" I have seen being (rather rudely) expressed in posts.

Some of the things I will be talking about in these posts, so while I will be utilizing quotes or things said in @total-mal 's very well articulated response post, I recommend going to read that response post in it's entirety. Like... now.

The complaints I tend to see typically fall along these lines.

So in this post I will be addressing these things and other things I typically see.

Story

As was very well put in the aforementioned post, the series of Hazbin barely has an hour of content. Yet for some reason people complain that it's a mess. How?

The Pilot itself is meant to establish the setting, who the characters are, what their relationships to each other are, establishing dynamic, and establish the premise of future story that is meant to follow. All of these things the pilot did exceedingly well. A pilot is NOT meant to drop dozens of hours worth of world lore and future plot points in one half hour segment. It is supposed to hook people into being interested in and watching the follow up episodes. Which, considering the rather quick cult following that preceded the pilot debut, I would say it did that and more even without the world lore dump people are demanding.

No story is going to give you every facet of the characters and the world they inhabit in the first episode or the first novel. No story worth it's weight in salt, that is. Any good story teller will tell you that content needs to be put on an IV drip as the story progresses, or else you will lose the majority of your audience's interest.

Helluva Boss is it's own standalone project set in the same universe as Hazbin, but it's job is not to provide lore for Hazbin. The kernel of lore we got from episode two was great. But that is very likely not going to be the norm every episode. Nor should anyone expect otherwise.

The comics were also their own projects, meant to strengthen an already existing narrative with Hazbin and establish both Angel and Alastor's motives for joining the Hotel. They are not meant to expand on the lore. Their existence could also very likely be overlooked by fans who only pay attention to what is popping up on Youtube or on their Twitter feed.

As for Addict, that began as a fan-created song Vivzie liked enough to animate into a music video which expanded on Angel and Cherri's relationship. It was not meant to be an entry to any Vivziepop Hell lore.

Hazbin is a story driven by its characters. This is why the characters are the focus and take up the majority of any screen time given to any entry of Hazbin. Mal puts it very well:

World

So this is where we will be getting into what we know so far about the world of Vivzie's hell.

So Vivzie's hell is, from what we understand, loosely based on Dante's inferno with other inspirations and deviations mixed in. For example, there are only seven circles of hell as opposed to 9.

In Dante's inferno only circle two through five are after the Seven Deadly Sins. Whereas in Vivziepop's version of hell, every circle is for one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

From what we understand so far, Pride is the top circle, or Ring. Sinners, AKA those who were alive prior to becoming demons, are only allowed to exist in Pride.

We do not know what "can only exist" means. As this doesn't imply that sinners can't leave Pride. Simply that they cannot exist anywhere else.

And also from what we understand, the big marker that differentiates each of the circles is the colors of the sky.

Pride, from what we have seen thus far, has a red sky.

While Greed has a green sky.

This is further confirmed on Twitter, however whether it was confirmed by Vivzie or one of the other official Twitters, I cannot recall.

Now, I know there are quite a few who keep asking this question.

And there are many who seem to think that this little detail means that the fact dump from official Twitters means the story and lore are ruined. This is actually false. Especially when you consider that Sinners are not a finite population. Nor is their influx a small trickle. So expanding Sinners into other parts of hell is only a temporary solution to a more overarching problem. It may slow down the necessity for purges, but it would also increase the number needed to be purged each time a purge was necessary. Further, it is doubtful that Lucifer would be keen on the idea of angels traveling deeper into Hell just as it is doubtful that he sees a reason to be exceedingly merciful to sinners- the creation he detests and is more or less what brought him to Hell to begin with. It also would erase any place to escape for Hell-born demons.

So in this regard, no. Nothing is ruined. People just aren't paying attention. The devil is in the details, after all.

As for what the difference is between circles and rings, perhaps this will shed some light.

Rings seem to be segments of a circle that separate sinners by the subcategory of their sin in each circle. Whether or not Vivziepop's version of hell follows this, I personally doubt it. Ring and Circle, from observation, seem to be used interchangeably. So the two could very well be the same thing.

The other bits we know are lore facts Vivzie has given previously that may no longer be true as the world exists now. For example, previously Alastor was scared of dogs. But more recently, Vivzie said that is no longer true and Alastor simply just does not like them. So any older facts should be taken with a grain of salt until they are reconfirmed.

Switching gears on the world, there have been complaints popping up that Vivziepop's hell is not "hell-y" enough because there is not enough fire and brimstone.

To take a phrase from total-mal once more, there are countless alternate depictions of hell as hell being other people instead of the place itself. The phrase exists from Sartre's No Exit, but has been revisited numerous times in other media depictions of hell to display that the definition of "punishment" can be broadened to a much larger spectrum than originally imagined.

In the Hazbin universe of Hell, punishment is the constant threat of physical and emotional harm from those around you, not unlike being in prison or living in a ghetto. You have the increased potential to be abused or taken advantage of if you show a moment's weakness.

And while some in the demon hierarchy might have it better than others, there is still the constant threat of being killed or overthrown by someone stronger or someone just wanting to prove themselves.

In the Hazbin universe of hell, you wear clues to your life, your sins, and your death on the outside for all to see (and in some cases, manipulate). You are thrust into a demon hierarchy one wrung up from the lowest class, unless you are lucky and strong enough to become an overlord. In which case, then you are two wrungs up from the lowest class. And your punishment is living every day with the constant threat of those around you. Of always needing to have your guard up because someone will take advantage of you or worse. That isn't even mentioning the annual threat of the purge.

Livestreams

This is another one that I see get mentioned and awful fucking lot in the complaint/concern/hot take posts.

There are always complaints about how the livestreams are useless, serve no purpose, or are just "jerkoff sessions." Mind, these same complaints almost always seem to come from the same people complaining about having no information about the show or having no lore surrounding the universe or the story.

Nevermind that Vivzie and the cast are all under NDA and cannot disclose much that isn't already known about the show and, where VAs are concerned, cannot do any voice lines that go beyond what has already been said in the pilot lines.

The Livestreams serve SEVERAL purposes, however. One of those purposes is to drum up interest surrounding Hazbin and Helluva, as well as to advertise and to disclose any lore that they have permission to disclose to the audience. Something to whet their appetites as they wait for the small Indie studio A24 to finish production of Hazbin's first season in the middle of a pandemic. Because that last bit people seem to forget is still ongoing.

Without those livestreams done by Viv and the cast, many of the impatient fans in this fandom would be practically breaking down the door on Vivzie's DMs demanding to know where Hazbin is or why she seems to have given up on it. Or at least, more than what is currently going on now anyway.

People need to calm down, let the Devs do their job, and pay more attention to the details given in what we have thus far. Vivzie has done a GREAT job at eluding to the bigger picture in her details. Particularly where her characters are concerned. And I for one am here for it.

[lady-whistledowns]

tag 9 people to know more about their interests, hobbies, etc.

i was tagged by @violareys

MUSIC

fav genre? - pretty much anything but I’m not a huge fan of rap or R&B although there are certainly good songs in both categories.

fav artist? - Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, & George Strait

fav song? - As Long As You Love Me by The Backstreet Boys

song currently stuck in your head? - Wannabe by Spice Girls but that could just be cause it’s the one currently playing.

fav lyrics? - “Like a river flows, Surely to the sea, Darling, so it goes, Some things are meant to be” also the entire chorus of Country Roads by John Denver you can’t be from West Virginia and not get homesick just hearing it. And pretty much almost anything Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran have ever written.

radio or your own playlist | solo artists or bands | pop or indie | loud or silent volume | slow or fast songs | music video or lyrics video | speakers or headset | riding a bus in silence or while listening to music | driving in silence or with radio on

BOOKS

fav book genre? - Historical Fiction

fav writer? - I’ve never really thought about that.

fav book? - Pride & Prejudice

fav book series? - A Song of Fire and Ice (and yes I’m resigned to the fact he will never finish it)

comfort book? - I don’t have anything specific. Just whatever I’m reading at the time.

perfect book to read on a rainy day? - literally any book?

fav characters? - Colin Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Luna Lovegood, Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Jo March. I could go on but I won’t.

5 quotes from your fav book that you know by heart? - the only thing I can think of is the opening line of Pride & Prejudice “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”

hardcover or paperback | buy or rent | standalone novels or book series | ebook or physical copy | reading at night or during the day | reading at home or in nature | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | reading in order or reading the ending first | reliable or unreliable narrator | realism or fantasy | one or multiple POVS | judging by the covers or by the summary | rereading or reading just once

TV AND MOVIES

fav tv/movie genre? - any

fav movie? - Titanic

comfort movie? - Pride & Prejudice

movie you watch every year? - A Year Without A Santa Claus at Christmas, Sleepy Hollow & Corpse Bride at Halloween. Star Wars when I need to see my favs again.

fav tv show? - Smallville and Game of Thrones (we don’t acknowledge Season 8 in this house)

comfort tv show? - Smallville. My dad and I would marathon it all the time. I haven’t been able to bring myself to do it since he passed away but it’s been on my list of things to accomplish.

most rewatched tv show? - probably Smallville again. Or NCIS.

ultimate otp? - Jon Snow & Daenerys Targaryen, Ben Solo & Rey

5 fav characters? - Jon Snow, Ben Solo, Daenerys Targaryen, Evan Buckley, Thor Odinson

tv shows or movies | short seasons (8-13 episodes) or full seasons (22 episodes or more) | one episode a week or binging | one season or multiple seasons | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once depends

TAGGING: @pegsccarter, @afirewiel, @bestintheparsec, @oberynmartell, @teamnick, @perfectopposite, @nickblaine, @star-wars, @bencsolos

[dreamsofthescreen]

The Dust Of Bridgerton - Review

Based on Julia Quinn’s obsessively Jane Austen inspired nine novels, we as an audience step into a  world laced with gossip, love and historically inaccurate details.

Regé-Jean Page & Phoebe Dynevor in 'Bridgerton'

Having audiences and the online world jump from their seats at the news of yet another romantically colourful period drama, Netflix’s 2020 Christmas release set off on a high note. However, it may not have been enough satisfaction to cover all viewers, as the overzealous series that is Bridgerton can be perceived as a cute attempt to outline high-society London, rather than a sweepingly romantic love story. From overplayed themes, to the shallow one-liners, saturated costumes and quite frankly, some controversy in a modern series, we’re not so sure that this was a 2020 release. Granted, some of the artistic involvements are wonderfully intoxicating, creating interest and having it for sure be a visual spectacle. Though, this whirlwind historical insight by creator Shonda Rhimes seemed to be a whitewashed teen-drama, instead of a maturely topical period piece.    

Based on Julia Quinn’s obsessively Jane Austen inspired nine novels, we as an audience step into a  world laced with gossip, love and historically inaccurate details. Set in 1813 Regency London, Rhimes’ series is a period drama surrounding the esteemed Bridgerton family, and particularly Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest daughter of the four sisters. All surrounding the pursuit and importance of finding a suitor eligible for marriage at that time, Bridgerton is the glossed over, trivial version of Pride and Prejudice. Yet there certainly still is wit, charm, enchantment and change, grabbing our attention. It is these themes that we are known to love, rather making Rhimes’ series all the more predictable and repetitive. There is beauty and moments to remember throughout, yet all in all I felt as though I was watching a weak showcase of what a mock Baz Luhrmann and Wes Anderson collaboration that exerted a blinding pastel macaron palette might look like. There isn’t really any distinguishable, first class authentic directing or writing style. We have all seen it before, which is what makes it so popular. Bridgerton’s successful reception does not seem due to the fact that it is a beautifully great show, but because of the fact that it is something written knowing that audiences will not tire of yet another stylish, skinny period drama. We have seen many renditions of Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Madame Bovary over the years, making Rhimes’ series simply another period drama that rather latches onto others for inspiration, rather than being a strong standalone piece.

Where Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl, some might say that this show bursts with fervour, yet it can be deemed as shallow in it’s character development and attempted strong plots. Some might say that Bridgerton has riveting grandeur, but it was films decades ago that originated it so, as we have already marvelled at the magic of the many renditions of Pride & Prejudice. And sure, there is drama, eroticism, as well as there are whispers in the streets filling the scenes of Rhimes’ take on a royal drama. But to have to create excitement by only overdoing sex and violence scenes like this doesn’t speak to highly of it’s quality. And it can be that this is what period dramas are about, yet Bridgerton’s over-embellishment of sex, drugs and rock & roll sometimes paints it out to be taking the easy way out; a cheaply written series by just landing on what is easily stimulating to audiences. As though you’re to a stand up only to have the comedian joke about porn and a night out he might’ve gone on, simply to quickly catch the audiences attention. It works, but does not hold as much substance as a joke with true wit, or in this case, a script with deep quality. The character arc’s end quickly, as does the mystery surrounding who ‘Gossip Girl’-like character Mrs Whistledown is. There isn’t much glory in the drama as there wasn’t enough of it. Yet, the focus on female empowerment and rather the female gaze was something that gets points for originality and  undertaking a modern stance during the Regency time period. 

Amongst the budding romance, glory and messy undertone of the series, the art department does deserve a pay raise, as there is no doubt that the costumes, set and overall work on Bridgerton make it all the more alluring. In saying alluring, it doesn’t necessary translate as the costumes being convincing. Yet the production and costume design is something that seems to define the esteemed privilege of the characters, as they dress in flashy tulle, silks and organza. Luxurious gardens, ostentatious palaces and velvet furnishings tie into the greatly pleasing aesthetics, as we are given the scoop on the Bridgerton’s drama’s, we also are taken in by their lavish lifestyles. Delicacy after delicacy in the ballroom scenes, as champagne towers flow & rich candles burn. Even in the overplayed sex scenes, velvet carpets and luxurious chaises sit on the backdrop. The combination of bountiful costumes and turns this show into an elevated treat for the eyes.

However beautiful, it can still be said that the costume & set design was just overpowering & seemed like a parody of other period drama’s aristocracy. The sickening yellow-green or floral orange gowns blinded, rather than astounded, as none of the costumes seemed entirely accurate. There are countless YouTube videos on the lack of historical accuracy in the dress. But not only are they inaccurate, they’re just unattractive. The completely saturated colours, ridiculous feathers and overall lack of style is another element that makes Bridgerton just look like a parody of that time period. Yet, cleverly enough, this may have been the point. By creating a romance-drama tale, we step into a fantasy world anyhow, so to change up the costuming can be seen as a good thing, as it does allow us to escape into it. We understand the era, but there is a twist in the aesthetic. If the intention was to accurately represent the time period, then it was far from a success. But if it was to create their own take on it, then it was an interesting move.

As much as Bridgerton may have looked beautiful, there were certainly bouts of controversy throughout, showing that it may not have been making the progressive impact that it may have hoped to. Rhimes’ twisted world is created & attempts to include actors from different backgrounds, but it rather plays out as just performative diversity. The only main characters of colour are a light-skinned bi-racial man & a snooty looking Asian queen. Obviously and unfortunately historically inaccurate to 1813 London whatsoever, this pursuit to be progressive was admirable, but rather stuck out like a sore thumb & did not blend naturally or seem at all organic. This is because it more so seemed that characters of colour were rather sprinkled in the background with no definitive lines or moments, making even the inclusion of them quite ironic, as it was not fully inclusive, for a show that may have claimed to be diverse. In saying this, of course, along with the blinding costumes and sometimes plastic-like set design, Rhimes’ had created a fantasy version of 1813 London, yet still was unable to do it justice. Colour and race were apart of Bridgerton, but only comfortably and what is suited to the media.

As stringed instrumentals playing Taylor Swift’s ‘Wildest Dreams’ or Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’, a make a modern take on classical music is made, this change much like the series itself. Whether or not Bridgerton was entirely convincing, it surely still was entertaining amongst all it’s inaccuracy or shallow writing. As to why it was renewed for three further seasons with Netflix, we are not sure. The colour and pompous nature of the series does grab our eye, but cannot hold it for too long, as we may see ourselves comparing it to any other period drama we previously loved. Shonda Rhimes’ ‘Bridgerton’ succeeded in becoming a household name on Netflix, thoroughly captivating and charming, it is a good teen-based and glossed over period piece. When it comes down to good filmmaking with Rhimes’ adaptation of the sprawling novels that Julia Quinn wrote, it really wasn’t all there.

Stars Out of Five: 2.5/5

visit at: dreamsofthescreen.com

[nessismore]

Book Rec Time

It’s ur girl V, back with another list because this is how I handle quarantines, I guess? Yelling (or politely typing) about my favorite things makes me happy sooo....

If you’re not into binge watching stuff and are looking for things to binge read, may I present (apparently in series length order)...

The Psy/Changeling Series by Nalini Singh - Paranormal Romance

The Psy/Changeling series is about a world where there are three dominant races: Humans, who are your everyday average joes and don’t have any fancy powers beyond...well, persistence and levelheadedness; Psy who have cool as shit mental powers that uh...may lead to some mental instability and like...murder, so they decided “fuck feelings” and instituted a thing called Silence where they feel nothing, and that leads to problems; and Changelings, who can shapeshift into animals and are very cool and ~primal and will possibly claw your face off if you break their rules and I love them a lot. So these three races kind of live in their silos, Psy feeling superior, Humans with a chip on their shoulders, and Changelings just wanting to left tf alone goddammit, and then things happen and it’s cool.

Nalini Singh is pretty much the queen when it comes to paranormal series, and if you’re into a big immersive world with A+ world building and political development intertwined with romance, this is the series for you. 18 (soon to be 19) novels and countless novellas/short stories strong, there’s plenty to dive into. Each novel is technically a standalone, but the deeper you get into the series, the more history you need to really know what’s happening. 

Each novel, minus one, focuses on a different couple, but you have plenty of interaction with past characters as the characters are all tightly intertwined. Seriously, this series is my fave and I re-read/listen to a selection of my faves at least once a year (usually when there’s a new one coming out). In a series this long, you’re bound to have some duds (and there are def some doozies, the couple in Kiss of Snow is super uncomfortable for me, but a lot of shit GOES DOWN) but they’re all worth reading because the political shit happening is super interesting and cool and I didn’t expect to write an essay on this, but here we are. I am down to talk Psy Changeling basically All. Day. Also, because it’s paranormal romance, there’s lotsa sex.

Series highlights (imho): Slave to Sensation (1), Caressed by Ice (3), Bonds of Justice (8), and also books 12, 13, and 14 basically I love all this shit and recommend it highly.

The Pride Series and associated spinoffs by Shelly Laurenston - Paranormal Romance

The Pride Series is another shapeshifter series, but instead of going the serious political route, she goes absolutely fucking BATSHIT INSANE. My introduction to this series was the 9th and last in the series proper, and in that one alone there are: jousting bears, shifters on roller skates, a cat/bear hybrid shifter who falls in love with a honey badger shifter who keeps burrowing into his house.

The series is irreverent and laugh out loud funny, and it also features a hella diverse cast of characters. Each novel is a standalone, but like in Nalini Singh’s series, the characters from different novels interact a lot and it’s nice to see a lot of your faves. Also, a small thing but I really enjoy the fact that while the characters from previous novels interact, they don’t always like each other? It adds a touch of realism (lol) to the relationships. There’s also a lot of fun female friendships, ridiculous shenanigans, and a surprising emotional core to each one. Prepare to think “WTF” the entire time in the best possible way.

Also, lotsa sex in these, too. Also also, gratuitous violence. 

Series Highlights: The Mane Squeeze, Wolf with Benefits, Bite Me

You may also like the books Laurenston writes under pseudonym G.A. Aiken, which is like the Pride series, but set in ~medieval-y times and with dragons. Also hilarious and batshit insane.

The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn - Historical Romance

Basically, everything Julia Quinn writes is frick fracking delightful, but the Bridgerton series in particular is near and dear to my heart. Each novel focuses on one the eight (8!) Bridgerton siblings, the oldest of whom is a Viscount and the move in high society in Regency Era England and blah blah blah. What I love about this series is that each sibling is very distinct with a very distinct love story. The family is lovely and heartwarming and the characters all have a lot of depth. There’s an element of ridiculousness to them (as there is in all Julia Quinn novels) and if you’re looking for some feel-good romance, this is the place to be.

Series Highlights: The Viscount Who Loved Me, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

(also these descriptions are getting shorter as I am getting lazier)

The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews - Urban Fantasay/Paranormal Romance idk where they fall

It’s hard to choose an Ilona Andrews series, because this husband and wife writing duo is A++. The Kate Daniels series is amazing of course, but if you’re looking for a short and contained series that’s funny and packs an emotional punch all at the same time, look no further than the Innkeeper Chronicles. Dina Demille runs an Inn in a small town in Texas. But not your run-of-the-mill Inn. Nah, this one caters to aliens and interstellar travelers and no one else should even think about staying there. Also, the Inn is sentient. I don’t want to give too much away since it’s such a short series (the original trilogy and a spinoff book that was actually posted on the Ilona Andrews website in serial format) but this series is super great and you should check it out!

No series highlights since it’s like...4 books long. 

I’ve shown you mine, Tumblr. What are your binge reading recs?

[shadowtearling]

11 Questions

Rules:

Answer the 11 questions you’ve been asked

Nominate 11 other bloggers

Ask your nominees 11 questions

Let them know you’ve nominated them!

tagged by @doughtah​ thank you, lovely!

1. What are your top 5 tv/movie/stage adaptations?

GOD I don’t know the name of it but there’s this one Korean company that did a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream utilizing elements from their own folklore and it was great!

Red Velvet at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater was absolutely amazing.

The Fault in Our Stars has a special place in my heart.

Catching Fire/Mockingjay were really good story-/aesthetic- wise...

Pride & Prejudice 1995 BBC Miniseries = perfection

2. What’s a genre that you tend to avoid, actively?

thriller/mystery/horror. i’m a chicken and these types of books often drive my anxiety way up

3. What was the last book you read? Can you give us a blurb about it?

The Storyteller by Traci Chee (the last in the trilogy); the series is about this girl Sefia, living in this world where literacy doesn’t (or barely) exists. she finds a book and unlocks a world of magic. and she has to save the world.

4. Would you rather have an endless library but you only had a week to read each book you check out before you never have the opportunity to read it again anywhere, or a small personal stock of maybe 40 books that you could read over and over but you would have to only read those 40 books from now until your death?

endless library! i didn’t know rereading until two years ago i can learn to live again without (plus i already think about the Tearling Trilogy on a daily basis)

5. Can you cook? What’s one dish you were especially proud of?

I bake more than cook, really. I love making sweets. Crinkle cookies are my Thing

6. Can you read during transit (plane, bus, train, car, etc.)?

ONLY ON TRAINS (and only if i’m facing the reverse of the direction to which we’re headed... and only when i’m sat in the middle... and there’s a lot of conditions lmaoooo); i can never sit still on a plane to read; i get too sick in the car; the bus is a roller coaster so

7. Do you have a Type when it comes to favorite fictional characters? Do you want to share what that Type is?

someone who could charm the pants off me i guess lmaooo also someone cool & collected but has a great sense of humor (basically someone who knows their way around words)

8. Do you prefer standalones or series?

I love series. I love the whole anticipation process, but also I just love getting to spend a lot more time with characters than we do in standalones. Besides that, series are honest about being this long thing; whereas, standalones can deceive you. You think it’s one and done and suddenly, surprise! New book from this world is coming out!

9. What was the first book you ever truly enjoyed?

oh god i don’t know? Number the Stars was the first book i remember finishing in the US; first series i ever obsessed over was the Dear Dumb Diary series by Jim Benton

10. What, if any, are your reading traditions?

I don’t know that I have any? Maybe the fact that I’ve vowed to reread Persuasion yearly counts? Other than that, I never put too much stock into my reading habits. I just do it (or not...)

11. Do you read at work?

I used to! Lmao I just realized that at all three of my jobs, I’ve read at one point or another. The first job I ever had I just straight up read books and ignored my responsibilities (yikes... i was also like 17 don’t @ me). I also used to be able to listen to audiobooks and do my job but somehow I struggle with that now, so I haven’t done it in a while.

My Questions!

What’s your Most Anticipated Read of 2019?

Who’s your favorite Disney animated character? (Can include Pixar)

Do you play Super Smash Bros? Who’s your fighter? (Or Mario Kart? Who’s your racer? OR if neither, your favorite video game as of late?) 

What’s your favorite aspect of a book cover?

What are your three favorite books/series of all time? (Which one would you Burn, Reread, and Rewrite?)

What book do you want to be turned into a graphic novel and why?

Who’s your least favorite character?

What book/series do you NOT want adapted into a show/movie?

Can you read backwards?

Spill the salt! Rant about the last book you really hated.

Who’s your favorite author that you don’t care about? (To explain, it’s really easy nowadays to get updates from authors we love thanks to social media. Which author do you love but don’t care to follow and stay up to date with book news?)

i tag: @all-i-ever-do-is-read @letthebookbegin @ihaveseenthedragons @nerdishfeels @bibliophilicwitch  @katiekat917 @magnetarmaddaboutbooks @librarianlirael  @princessofbookaholics @the-girl-who-lived-to-read @literaery-me

[kiarazuri]

Let’s Chat!

@bookavid I’m more of a writeblr but I used to check your blog every chance I got and loved it :)

Questions:

Who are your favorite authors? (i.e. who do I reread the most)

PC Cast; circa The Goddess Summoning Series (finité)(I like all but the last one, which definitely DID NOT get edited) and Divine By Mistake (Partholon Series, finité)

Sherrilyn Kenyon; circa The League (ongoing) books 6-11 (Silence-Legend) (MINUS Cloak & Silence because Maris deserved so much more than that tiny-ass book!)

Please note that NEITHER of the above authors can do YA. They’re both shit at it, it’s ridiculous - see House of Night and The Chronicles of Nick. They need to stop.

Also, The League Series has major issues with race.

Honestly I want others to join this fandom so that SOMEONE would rewrite the series without any of its blatant -isms.

Zoe Chant, circa the Fire & Rescue Series (which is still ongoing and which I received the newest book during finals and spent 12 hours reading it nonstop instead of studying 😬) as well as the Shifting Sands Resort Series (of which I don’t like the last (third) one and am having issues finishing it. Meanwhile, the second one had wayyyyy too much sex and yet, I finished it within 2 days. I DON’T KNOW why I dislike the last one.)

What’s your favorite book that you desperately want to yell to people about?

Born of Fury (The League Book 8) and Born of Legend (The League Book 11) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I have HUGE issues with Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Andarions. And most of my issues come from her word choice and the fact that she doesn’t have dark-skinned humans aside from the Qillaq - who are also very problematic! Colorism ABOUNDS in this series. That said, I love the Andarion characters. I even love little Darice.

Born of Legend is one of the only time where I’m like HELL YES REDEMPTION ARC because IT ALL MAKES SENSE. (Sherrilyn Kenyon likes redemption arcs and uses them a lot in her other series Dark-Hunters, in which the only time I was like “oh this makes sense” was Valerius) Like - to me, at least - there are very few reaches in his book, and there are plenty of hints in earlier books that the main character in Born of Legend, Jullien, is gonna come back and surprise all of them by being their ally instead of their enemy. I have a friend who refuses to read Jullien’s book because she doesn’t think he deserved a redemption arc even tho in the book before his we haven’t actually seen him in like 10 years, everyone’s just been saying shit like “Is it Jullien?!” every time something bad happens and the inevitable answer is “Apparently not.”

The worst thing about Jullien’s character arc is his weight. Sherrilyn Kenyon is uses the fat = bad, fit = good metaphor for him a lot and literally EVERYONE around is fatphobic.

Which genius book do you think absolutely deserves a movie adaptation and why?

I think the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness would make a good short series. Not a movie but like a 10-part show or something. Like a mix of Practical Magic, Underworld (the sciency-aspects), Twilight, and Pride and Prejudice. Does that make any sense?

Have you made any cool original content lately? Fan art, selfies, book photography, any other kind of art? Share your favorite! (bonus point if you post a pic)

What’s your favorite fandom that you need more people to join? What do you love about it?

What’s a book you discovered in 2017 (doesn’t need to be a new release) and absolutely are obsessed with now? What is it about and why do you love it?

Zoe Chant’s Fire & Rescue Series

I discovered this series over summer. I have a habit of going on Romance novel sprees during finals and midterms (it’s ridiculous) and had downloaded the first one during my Amazon eBook spree. I especially like shape-shifter romance and downloaded it because it was a dragon-shapeshifter who’s a firefighter. I couldn’t not.

The series as a whole is about a team of mythical shapeshifters (dragons, pegasi, griffins, unicorns, etc) finding their true mates.

Why I fell in love with it: It doesn’t start out from the dragonshifter’s PoV, it starts out from his love interest’s. Who is an American Archaeologist named Virginia Jones. As an American Black woman majoring in Anthropology, I KNEW she was black immediately, and I was not disappointed.

Let me add that the fourth book is about a Sea-Dragon from Atlantis who goes by the name John Doe. He’s a tall, dark-skinned black man with indigo dreads whose true love is a tall, fat, dark-skinned black woman. I love them.

The fifth book intersects with a different series by her and isn’t actually about the Fire & Rescue team but it’s about a Shark-shifter whose love interest is an older (she’s already a grandmother by the start of the book) Latina woman.

It’s great. It just. It is.

My biggest issue is a healing bit in the last book but I have mixed feelings since he healed a poison that was slowly eating away at the character’s body and not an irreversible physical condition. I think they went a bit overboard but other than that I like it all.

Which upcoming book release are you the most excited for and why?

Smoke in the Sun by Renee Ahdieh

I’m actually more excited for the cover reveal than the actual book. I just wanna know! The first cover was gorgeous, even if the book was lacking much to be desired.

Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas Book 2) by Zoraida Cordova

I read Labyrinth Lost without realizing it was a series. I thought it was a standalone!

Born of Blood (The League Book 13) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I’m always excited for a new League book, altho, the last one was . . . *cough cough* not good *cough cough.* Before the last book I thought Sherrilyn Kenyon’s most disliked baby was Maris since his book was TINY but damn, she did Bastien just as dirty.

Have you ever met an author you admired in real life? Who and how was it?

Have you discovered any new-to-you tv shows yet that people should probably ALL be talking about? Why do you love it?

Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon (on Netflix it’s titled Strong Girl Bong-Soon)

It’s a KDrama about a girl with supernatural strength. Usually I hate love-triangles but I actually didn’t mind this one. I looked at it more as Bong-Soon learning to grow out of her crush and realize what she really needs/wants in a partner.

I haven’t been THIS invested in a heterosexual relationship on TV since Westallen and Ichabbie.

How much Min-hyuk swoons over Bong-soon could literally give you a cavity. He thinks she hung the moon! He’s the most adorable puppy in the world!

The biggest issue I have with the show itself (there are some translation issues but that’s not the show’s fault . . . I don’t think) is a scene where Bong-soon’s dreaming and Min-hyuk appears in a dress to seduce Guk-doo. It’s pretty cissexist/transphobic. That’s the worst of it. And there’s a gay character in the second half of the show that I at first was super worried about but apart from a bit of them going overboard swooning over Min-hyuk I grew to really like their character. Especially their relationship with Min-hyuk’s assistant, which is really cute and I ship them (as does their whole office I’m pretty sure.)

Has something awesome happened to you lately that you’ve been dying to share with somebody? Tell me!

Do you want to rant about something annoying that has happened to you lately? Tell me!

HOW IS YOUR PET SHOW ME YOUR PET

Tag your favorite active blogs that post bookish stuff, who’s still active? Let’s all follow each other!

This may have gotten a little out of hand. 😳