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hauntedpearl · 3 years

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Book Recommendation #1

Goodreads | Book 1 Book 2 | Tanaz Bhathena

The Wrath Of Ambar Duology by Tanaz Bhathena is one of my most favourite YA fantasy series' ever!! This book series is set an Indian (& Persian) culture and Hindu mythology inspired world, and it is UNPUTDOWNABLE!

There is a distinct lack of books that are *not* retellings of the Mahabharata when it comes to books which take inspiration from Hindu Mythology, and to find this series when I was getting incredibly frustrated with Indian-inspired fiction was a boon, honestly!

Bhathena does an incredible job of building a world that's complex and does not shy away from talking about the more cruel parts of Indian culture. She touches on the atrocities of the cast system and the rampant misogyny, but at the same time, she does not demonize the "common man" as it were. Everyone has a responsiblity to be receptive to change, but the government has a duty to bring that change about, and this book does a great job of showing how sometimes governements keep opppressive systems in place for their own gain.

While all this political and social commentary is heavy and present throughout, there is also some really fun banter, a sweet romance and a very interesting magic system in this series! The story is pretty much your standard Chosen One narrative, but it really did not get the least bit boring for me! Not because of the plot itself, but because the setting and the characters make it so engaging that you just want to keep reading!

Bhathena has talked about how she took inspiration from The Gulabi Gang for the group of all-female rebels in this book called The Sisterhood of the Golden Lotus. Which is like. HELLO??? These women are The Coolest™ part of this series and I adore them so much!!!

I definitely liked the first book more, mostly because it is a story that's character driven and it lets you explore Ambar as a setting and ~feel~ it out a little. The sequel is very plot-intensive and super fast paced, and I felt a little disconnected to all these characters I had grown to love for a good quarter of the book. It didn't dampen the enjoyment of the series that much for me, but it did feel like a little step down from the first book, so....you know.

Overall, though, this series made for a super enjoyable reading experience and made me feel all warm inside because it had characters who looked like me and dressed like me and ate like me in it!! I genuinely forgot that I was reading a book in English, tbvh. Like I'd read a very angrezi word and then realize that 'oh, wait, this isn't hindi!' That's how immersive it was!!!

LASTLY, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THOSE COVERS, HELLO???

(I A M D E C E A S E D)

Definitely pick this lovely series up if you're someone interested in Young Adult fiction because you're gonna have a great time! Also hmu if you've read and/or are reading these books and would like to scream about events etc.,

Rising Like A Storm releases on the 22nd of June, 2021. Links to purchase Hunted By The Sky and pre-order Rising Like A Storm from book depository are up there, if you're interested!

PS: Do NOT read that first book when you're hungry because there is a lot of decadent Indian food described and it will make you want to just eat the book.

CWs: mentions of physical and sexual abuse, torture, death, mild gore, panic attacks, PTSD, casteist and misogynistic violence.

South Asian book recommendations (1/?)

I've been thinking about posting some book related content here for a while now so I just decided to kick things off with a recommendation series featuring books I would like for more people to read! So here we are! I hope you guys find a new favourite or two from this series! we'll see how it goes! Have a good one, y'all! Happy reading! ✨

Find me on bookstagram for more regular bookish content!

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a-nice-and-interpretive-fanzine · 3 years

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[ID: A cream-colored banner that says "A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine: essays and art about the meanings we've found in Good Omens." There is a photo of a book page with a key on it behind the banner text. The photo source is rosy_photo on Pixabay. /end ID]

A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine: Information Masterpost

Welcome!

This is a zine for those of us who love the subtle, complex work that is Good Omens, and who’ve enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the fandom as people interpret how the many moving pieces of the story come together, creating a slightly different meaning for each of us.

To put it simply, it’s a book full of the fandom’s own analysis and commentary about the Good Omens TV show, enhanced with illustrations from our brilliant artists.

This zine is analytical in the sense that all the writers are expressing their own nonfiction thoughts and feelings about the show, rather than writing fanfic, but it is not meant to be heavily academic. Anybody who likes to pick apart the series and discuss it should be able to enjoy it.

The zine will contain essays by fans who are passionate about analyzing and interpreting different parts of Good Omens - the characters, the plot, the writing techniques for the book and script, the cinematography of the TV show, the popular content of the fandom itself. Accompanying these essays will be black and white illustrations from our artists.

How are you organizing this process?

May 1-May 15: Everyone submits their application to do writing or art through a Google form. Behind the scenes, I’ll be setting up a separate email and Discord.

May 16-20: Applicants will be screened during this time.

May 20: I’ll email everyone to let them know the outcomes of their applications. The final participants will get a link to the Discord server for the zine (totally optional, of course).

May 21: If there’s any clarification or solidifying of ideas that needs to happen, I’ll contact you and discuss with you by this point. This is also when artists will be matched up with essays.

May 22 to August 14: This will be a period of just working on our essays and art. The Discord chat and Tumblr will be there for support and for exchanging ideas!

August 15: Participants need to email their full works to the zine’s email address by this date. No special formatting is needed; I’ll do that in InDesign.

August 15 to August 31: I’ll be putting the zine together in InDesign.

September 1: Preorders will open.

September 30: Preorders will close.

October 1: The zine order will be placed!

October 15: Assuming all goes well with printing and shipping, the zines will be shipped out in waves starting on this date. If the printing or shipping from the manufacturer is delayed, then shipping will just start ASAP.

Writer Application HERE Artist Application HERE Asked and Answered Questions on Tumblr The Fanzine's Page on Twitter

Read below for more detailed information about the zine in a Q and A format!

What are the specifications for the zine contributions?

For writers, I’m starting with 3k words or fewer per essay (approximately 10 pages at the size of this book). This depends heavily on how many participants we actually get, so it may change!

For artists, I’d be looking at black and white works, 300 DPI, 5.5 x 8.5 inches or smaller. If your art is supposed to fill up the entire page (i.e. no white space), please make it a total of 5.75 x 8.75 inches with nothing too important around the edges to account for bleed during the printing process.

Can I submit an essay to this zine if I’ve already posted it on Tumblr?

Not as you’ve already posted it. We don’t want to just copy/paste the exact thing that hundreds or perhaps even thousands of people have already read.

However, it IS fine and maybe even a good idea to take the same thought from your post and refine it, preserving your same thesis. For example, a lot of Tumblr posts are just us fans jotting down 5 or 6 paragraphs of random thoughts at 2 AM, but some of them are really cool thoughts! Expanding them and turning them into a bona-fide Essay would make those posts into excellent zine chapters. And you can copy small pieces of your own language as long as the whole thing isn’t just pasted word-for-word.

How long do essays have to be? Is there a limit?

With the number of writers we have, I've calculated that each person should ideally keep their essay to about 6000 words. There is wiggle room.

There’s no real minimum for your contribution; some analytical ideas are really good but can be expressed concisely, so it’s okay if your essays only come out to a few pages typed. For reference, with our book size, a page is about 300 words.

What happens if the zine sells a lot and you end up not only breaking even, but turning a profit?

It’ll go to charity. While I’ll ask the participants what they want to do for certain if we do make enough money, my suggestion will be donating it to Alzheimer’s Research UK in honor of Sir Terry Pratchett.

I’m not really comfortable calling this a “charity zine” up front since I simply don’t know if it will raise a significant amount. For the most part, I just want the thing to physically exist, which means breaking even, and don’t want to make it more expensive for buyers than it needs to be to afford the printing costs.

What kinds of essays are you talking about? What could be included?

In short, any analytical thoughts about the Good Omens TV show - and possibly even the fandom as it interacts with the show - are possible inclusions for the zine.

To expand a bit, think about the meta posts you see floating around Tumblr. Often these involve analyzing characters, or picking up on patterns in the plot. Sometimes fans use their own background knowledge to write posts about the significance of certain costume choices or the way music plays into each individual scene. Some posts examine the ways the series approaches gender, while others might discuss ways that the characters present as neurodivergent. That’s how diverse the pool of possibilities is for subjects in this zine.

How does art come into this?

Images will be black and white, to match the bookish mood of the project overall. Images can range in size from a half page to a full page.

I’m planning to talk to the artists and authors and loosely pair artists with essays that appeal to their personal interests.

I know how to illustrate a story, but how do I illustrate an essay?

There are infinite answers to this! I’ve seen some beautiful symbolic artwork in the fandom already (e.g. a number of takes on Aziraphale munching on an apple with Crowley in snake form curving around him), and there are tons of symbolic motifs to draw from, but these are not the only options. An artist illustrating an essay about cinematography, for example, could draw a well-known scene from an alternative angle. An essay about Heaven as a capitalist corporation could be illustrated with a cartoon of Gabriel giving some sort of excruciating PowerPoint presentation. A character analysis could be accompanied by a simple portrait. And on and on. I’m not interested in limiting the possibilities by trying to make a list, but just know that there are many and you don’t have to make it complicated if you don’t want to.

If the writers can reuse their essay ideas, can artists reuse their drawings?

Similarly to the writers, if you already have an interpretive drawing that you’re in love with, artists can use the same ideas and the same fundamental composition that is present in their own existing work. However, it has to be redone in some significant way. Whether it’s taking something you drew in 2019 and redrawing it using an updated style, taking a sketch and turning it into a lined and shaded piece, or redoing a full-color drawing so it presents more strikingly in black and white, it shouldn’t be identical to the thing you’ve already posted.

So how are you choosing participants here?

It’ll be based on what people are interested in writing about (or illustrating). I’ll be looking for people who are passionate about their essays, but I’ll also be looking for variety. It all depends on what people want to offer, so I won’t know for sure what it will look like put together until everyone’s application is in.

For artists, I’ll be trying to figure out whose style looks like it would adapt well to illustrations in black and white, and also who demonstrates an interest in the same subjects as the writers.

If we don’t get a lot of applicants, I’d love to simply include everyone, but I can’t commit to that without knowing for sure how many people are involved.

Do I have to use a formal writing style to participate?

No. You should use a style that makes your thoughts and ideas as clear as possible, but as long as it’s understandable, you can also get a little artistic with it. You can “write like you speak,” though perhaps in a more organized way. You definitely don’t need to worry about stylistic rules like not using the first person. This is not academia.

Is this zine going to center only on Crowley and Aziraphale?

That remains to be seen! It depends on what ideas show up in the applications. There will be a lot of the ineffable partners for sure, but whether the whole zine will center on them or whether there’s plentiful stuff about other characters will depend on what the participants suggest.

Do we have to agree with all your personal interpretations of Good Omens to be in the zine?

No! In fact, I’m assuming that a number of essays will contradict each other, too, and that’s perfectly okay. The zine is a sampler of fan interpretations meant to inspire, not instruct. It’s not “Here’s a fan-made guide on how to understand this TV show,” it’s “Look at all these moving parts and how many meanings we can find in them. What does it mean to you?”

However, there are some basic rules and assumptions by which I’m working here.

I don’t personally have the energy to include essays that are highly critical (“negative”) in this zine. It’s analytical but also meant to be fun.

I’m pretty focused on the TV adaptation. This isn’t “no book analysis allowed” but just that the essays will end up being weighted toward subjects that apply to either the TV show or both the book and the show.

Each writer should focus on making their own points over disproving other fan interpretations. If you’re writing in an expository style, it’s normal for the essay to contain rebuttals to opposing ideas, but these should be minor supporting points, not the heart and soul of your essay. For reference, I’d say the majority of meta I see floating around on tumblr would follow this rule just fine.

Essay ideas that seem to contain bigoted or exclusionary sentiments will not be accepted (no TERFy stuff, for example).

What kinds of editing will go into the zine? Are you going to argue with us about the contents of our writing?

While I might ask you to elaborate on certain points in your writing or clarify your thoughts about your subject, I’m absolutely not here to ask you to change the thesis, opinions, or headcanons on which your writing is based. If I really have a problem with your initial idea, I’ll tell you that up front and politely decline the contribution.

While formatting the zine, I’ll make minor edits if I think I see a typo or misspelling, something small and obviously unintentional. As with any other zine, your content won’t be changed without consulting you.

Is this a SFW zine?

Yes. If people want to discuss sexuality in a theoretical way, like erotic subtext, that would be allowed. There are canon references like Newt and Anathema’s moment under the bed that might come up, too. But there will be nothing explicit, and since these are essays instead of stories, there will be no “action” going on between characters. Let’s just say sex isn’t a forbidden topic, but it will be like discussing it in English class.

As for other topics that could make the zine NSFW, like gore or extreme language, I don’t think they will be an issue. Some dark topics, like abuse by Heaven and Hell, may be discussed, but they will be warned for, and these are not stories, so you aren’t going to see violent actions playing out.

Will there be any “extras” like charms or stickers?

I’m not sure yet. I’m most inclined to keep it simple, because of the nature of the zine, but would be open to including some bonus items if there’s an artist who’s really passionate about it.

With that said, I am pretty committed to making a hardcover edition of the book available, in addition to the standard softcover version.

You’re doing this with only one mod?!

Yes. I personally find it easiest. While I’ve worked on multi-mod projects in other domains and adore all of my co-mods, it’s a little bit different when it’s a project with this many moving pieces that includes real-life components like printing and shipping. Though there are a lot of individual things to be done, I am experienced with all of them, so it’s less overwhelming to just take on the whole project. That way, I know exactly what needs to be done and when, and there are no issues with assigning tasks.

What qualifies you to run this zine?

The résumé answer: in fandom, I successfully solo-modded a large not-for-profit zine in the past, the @soulmakazine2018, and while I can’t speak for the whole fandom, it definitely seemed to be well-received. <3 In real life, I’m a case manager and this involves coordinating and communicating with a lot of different people including my 100-person caseload, budgeting services, and filling out all kinds of paperwork on the fly, all skills that can be imported into zine work.

The practical answer: well, I’m the one who decided to start this project, so if you like the sound of it, you're stuck with me. I say with encouragement and enthusiasm that if you’d like to do a different take on a commentary zine, you should absolutely do it.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #ineffable partners #fanzine #good omens zine

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minervacasterly · 4 years

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Book Review of The Sisters Who Would be Queen by Leanda de Lisle

The myth of Bloody Mary and Lady Jane Grey is one that riles me up every time people act like know-it-alls and say "but that is what everyone knows, I know that is how it went." Check a history book honeys *tosses a book at them and kicks them out the door*. If you want to instruct yourself, really instruct yourself, and not just be an annoying know-it-all who I bet has not gone beyond two or three books in the Tudor period (and to know more about the Tudor period you have read more than three books, you have to have read at least ten and more than fifteen journal articles and that is a small amount, and they have to come from different authors and show different perspectives otherwise get out of here and say goodbye to your human intelligence) and goes around sites telling adminis. and people what they are saying is wrong and the Tudors are everything they show on TV or in high school books. One of these books that does a lot to debunk this nonsense is Sisters Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle. If you haven't read it and only know what others have said, then don't bother to comment. Read the book first and other blog posts from this author and other authorities on the subject of the Grey sisters. There is a lot we don't know about this period that Leanda clarifies, and even less about the Grey sisters. First off she debunks the stupid notion that they were physically and psychologically abused by their cruel parents, the monstrous ugly chicken faced Frances Brandon and their power hungry father Henry Grey. Their parents were nothing like that and the only time that Jane complained to her tutors was after her parents had scolded her and as you would expect from kids after their parents ground them, she exaggerated things. Nevertheless, Jane was the pearl of their parents' world and there is never any indication whatsoever that her parents hated her or berated her for not being born a male. Frances and Henry would've loved the idea of having a boy but when they realized they weren't going to have anymore children, they invested all of their hopes on Jane and so Jane was naturally their favorite of all the three sisters. That doesn't mean the others were neglected. Far from it! Leanda explains how the girls received top rate education fit for princesses and how the girls always got the most expensive gifts and while Jane was more bookish than her younger sisters, she still invested a lot on clothes and jewelry and she got a lot of her style from Catherine Parr from whom she also shared a passion for knowledge and the same religion. After Catherine died leaving her husband with a baby daughter to take care of, Thomas began conspiring with the Greys and Dudleys to keep Jane with him, something that Henry and Frances were reluctant to do but agreed nonetheless until things got too dangerous and she returned to her parents. Thomas intentions were to marry her to the king, and that way to keep his brother from gaining more power. And while Thomas Seymour's actions were rash, they weren't any different from others at this time. In fact quite logical taking into account his brother was just as power hungry and while very loved by the common people and did a lot to help them, he had no respect for the upper class and one time slapped one of them in public and humiliated him more! It is small wonder why the nobility was siding with his brother but Ned found about his plans and just like Thomas, tried to use Jane against his enemies. He proposed a marriage between his eldest son by his second marriage to Jane, something that her father didn't agree on even after Thomas Seymour was executed. After Ned Seymour was executed, not long after his brother, the Grey and Dudley family became closer and to solidify their union, they married Jane to Guildford. A lot of seventeenth and nineteenth century myths have Jane screaming and crying, begging her parents not to marry her but she never did this. In fact she welcomed the marriage because that fit into the mold of the good Christian woman she was supposed to be and to the end of her days she continued to sign her name Jane Dudley instead of Jane Grey and refer to herself proudly as the wife of Guildford Dudley. She wasn't a quiet girl either. She urged her father many times when Mary's forces were closing on them, to go out there and fight like her father in law, John Dudley was doing and when her father refused she chastised him. She was very angry how things came about and berated all of her friends and family for converting to Catholicism and called her former tutor "imp of the devil" and called on the people of England to rise up in arms against the papists, adding that this was a holy war. Her letter to her father was much more calmer and affectionate which says they got along very well. Her execution was a sad ordeal, so was her father's and husband's. The rest of the book focuses on her two sisters, Katherine and Mary, both who suffered more than Jane because their suffering was prolonged by Elizabeth I's paranoia that if they had children then they would be used to overthrow her. Elizabeth I had good reason to fear them but it doesn't make their fates any less tragic. Katherine was prohibited to marry and Elizabeth kept under a strict watch and eyed her with great contempt for her lineage and when she did marry her, she locked both her and her husband (Edward Seymour -the Protector's eldest son who ironically was meant for her sister) in the tower where Katherine gave birth under terrible conditions. She didn't enjoy the great comforts her sister Jane was given when Mary I put her in the tower. She was in not prepared to give birth under such conditions and yet she did. Afterwards she and Edward found a way to see each other again and she conceived and this made Elizabeth angrier. Both children were healthy but in marrying and producing sons she had sealed her fate. When she couldn't handle her imprisoned life -she was moved around constantly, after the tower to better lodgings but not fit for a woman her station- she finally gave in and her captors wrote to Cecil how they feared she would take her life, something she didn't do but she died of depression not long after. Mary Grey fared no better, she thought she could do better if she married beneath her station like her mother had done but it didn't. Elizabeth kept her under a house arrest worse than her late sister and she died sick and sad not long after Katherine. This is the story of the real Grey sisters and it is not a fairy tale and it has no happy ending. I learned so much from this book and anyone who is interested in a fair and detailed account of their lives should read this book.

#book review #history #dailytudors #jane grey #katherine grey #mary grey

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daniellethamasa · 5 years

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Hey all, Dani here.

I should probably start this post by saying that it is a great time to be a geek/nerd. There are just so many books, shows, and movies that appeal to what we like being released, and it makes me super happy.

So, today instead of talking about books, I want to talk about superhero movies. Okay, fine, I’ve read some of Marvel’s Captain Marvel graphic novels, and I’ll probably try some of DC’s Captain Marvel/Shazam! ones in the future. But I am only reviewing the films today. Let’s get started.

First of all, before I start talking about the movies themselves, I need to talk just a little bit about the history of both of these characters, because the character of Shazam! used to be called Captain Marvel when he was originally created and with his family they were the Marvel family of superheroes.

Billy Batson/Captain Marvel was created in 1939 and made his first appearance in 1940, published by Fawcett Comics. He was actually a pretty popular superhero back then, even outselling Superman, which I think is pretty cool. Fawcett stopped publishing Captain Marvel in the 50s, mostly due to some copyright infringement suits from DC on account of Captain Marvel being a “copy of Superman.” Eventually in the 70s, Fawcett sold Captain Marvel to DC.

In that time between Fawcett stopping the Captain Marvel comics and then selling the rights to DC, Marvel Comics started publishing their Captain Marvel comics in the 60s, and they trademarked the name. This led to some legal squabbling between Marvel and DC, leading to the end result of DC changing their Captain Marvel’s name to Shazam!, which is what the character says to transform from his juvenile alter ego into his adult superhero form.

Because of this interesting history, I definitely find it intriguing that both the MCU and the DCEU put out movies following Captain Marvel and Shazam! so close together.

Oh, and I should probably also say that if you have not yet seen these movies, you should probably skip the reviews below, because I cannot guarantee that they will be spoiler free. I just have too much gushing to do. So come back and read the rest of this post after you’ve seen them…or hey, read on if you don’t care about being spoiled.

All right, let’s do this.

Captain Marvel (MCU. Theater release date: March 8, 2019)

Rating: 5 stars (Dani) and 5 stars (Damian)

Firstly, I should mention that Damian and I saw this movie twice. Once on opening weekend, and then again a couple weeks later. Online I have seen so many people criticizing this film, especially Brie Larson’s lack of emotional range. I say that is utter bullshit. The whole beginning of the movie Vers was being told that she needed to fight with her head, not her heart, and that emotions could lead to deadly mistakes. With that happening, how can you criticize her for not showing all the emotions? Stop being a jerk fan.

Ahem, anyway, I thought that as she started to get more of her memories back, she did start to show more of her emotional side, but as has been seen in countless hero stories before, it is because of emotions, because of fighting for someone else, that a hero is able to overcome obstacles and win.

Oh, and it is also great that this movie takes place in the 90s, so I did get very nostalgic with some of the songs played, and the appearance of places like Blockbuster. It was also fantastic to see younger Nick Fury and younger Phil Coulson. I think they did a great job making both Samuel L Jackson and Clark Gregg look young again.

Also, can I just say that I liked getting to see Fury and Carol put in sort of a buddy cop sort of role as they tried to figure out this whole Skrull-Kree situation. We got to learn so much more about the man who created the Avengers Initiative to begin with. And the whole “buddy cop” bit added quite a bit of humor to the whole movie. Honestly, I can say this humor is probably needed with the upcoming release of “Avengers: Endgame.”

Captain Marvel is a wonderful addition to the lore of the MCU, even if they changed certain elements from the comics. Was it necessary to change Mar-Vell into a woman? No, probably not, but I don’t think it was a change that affected the actual story.

One of the best parts of this movie is Goose, a cat who was called Chewie in the comics. And okay, so Goose isn’t actually a cat, though that’s what he appears to be. He is actually an alien called a Flerken, and frankly, I want to learn a lot more about Flerkens. He has a set of tentacles that come out of his mouth and he can eat far more than you would expect. This is because his stomach is basically a pocket dimension.

I also enjoyed the plot, because you are led to believe that the Skrull are evil invaders and the Kree are these noble warriors trying to save the universe, but the longer the story progresses, the more you start to learn about all of it, not just because of encountering Skrull, but also because of Carol starting to remember more about the accident that took her memories. You start to see that the Kree are hiding their ambitions behind the guise of being valiant and noble protectors.

I think one of my absolute favorite parts is towards the end, when Carol finally starts to fully own her power. We watch several scenes from Carol’s past where she gets knocked down or falls, and it’s meant to make you (and her) think of all the times she’s failed. But the absolutely beautiful part of it is what happens after. Because it doesn’t matter how many times you fall. What matters is if you decide to stand back up. And that is exactly what young Carol does. Over and over again we watch as she stands up after a fall, looking even more determined than ever. And that was just a badass moment for me.

We also see that the Avengers Initiative was going to be called something entirely different, until Fury looked at a photo of Captain Carol “Avenger” Danvers climbing into the cockpit. The fact that her pilot name was Avenger is an awesome one. I love how each film just adds to the lore of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Shazam! (DCEU. Theater release date: April 5, 2019)

Rating: 5 stars (Dani) and 5 stars (Damian)

We’ve only seen this one in theaters once, but I do kinda want to go see it again. On a pure enjoyment side of things, I think both Damian and I enjoyed this movie better. I legitimately have said multiple times that this is my favorite of the DCEU movies to date–with Aquaman at a close 2nd place.

This movie was utterly hilarious! They did such a good job with casting, especially since they needed to cast a young adult and adult version of many of the cast members. Both Asher Angel and Zachary Levi did spectacular as Billy Batson/Shazam! I could totally believe that they were the same person. Speaking of, I don’t think they could have more perfectly cast Shazam! I have been a huge fan of Zachary Levi since his days of being on the show “Chuck” and I thought he was fantastic in that show, so to see him get to be a superhero was awesome.

I very much enjoyed that this movie explores family, and that sometimes family isn’t determined by blood, but instead by those you choose. Billy’s foster family was so loving and rambunctious and lively. It was so cool to watch, and I think we need to see move movies and shows and books with families like this in them.

Speaking of family, there was also Billy’s foster brother, Freddy, and all the scenes of him trying to help Shazam! figure out what his powers and capabilities are. That would also probably also be my only real complaint about this film. So so much of it was Shazam! kind of goofing off, figuring out powers, and not really doing the whole saving people and all of that. Which means that he is still woefully unprepared when the main villain of the movie drags him into the final fight. At the same time, I guess it is cool that we get more than just a training montage; it is more of a whole film of figuring things out. This is especially true since Billy Batson is only 14, so his morality and his inner fortitude aren’t on the same level as adult superheroes.

Oh, and I definitely enjoyed that we saw glimpses of merchandise for Superman, Batman, Aquaman, etc. It definitely solidifies that this movie is part of the same universe, and I look forward to possibly seeing Shazam! and the rest of his family–though I don’t know what they’re going to call them since they probably can’t be called the Marvel family–in future Shazam! films as well as maybe even big team up movies like Justice League.

All right, well I guess that’s all my commentary on these two superhero movies. If you enjoy this sort of post from me, let me know, and I’ll continue to share my geeky thoughts and opinions on future films.

I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Movie Reviews: Captain Marvel and Shazam! Hey all, Dani here. I should probably start this post by saying that it is a great time to be a geek/nerd.

#Comic Books #Movies #Review

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sinfulfolk · 6 years

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Bookstores: Amazon's Bookstores

If you are a connoisseur of bookstores, like I am, then you might find this to be an unusual post, because despite my previous posts praising the shining stars of the indie book world — mainstays like Kepler’s in Silicon Valley, Powell’s in Portland, Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, and The Strand in New York — I am now going to praise a new type of bookstore on the scene.

Years ago, Hugh Howey made some great points about why more physical bookstores — even ones created by Amazon — would be a good thing for the larger marketplace of books, and would create a larger reading base overall.

Like writer Hugh Howey, I love Amazon’s new physical bookstores. They’re located in major metropolitian areas, where readers tend to collect and form bookish communities. And these bookstores are amazingly focused on creating the very best readerly experience ever. Hugh Howey has posted a longer piece on his experience with Amazon bookstores. I’m with Hugh, I think these bookstores will definitely move the needle in a positive direction for people who love books.

Here are a few reasons why I love Amazon’s new bookstores so much. There are comfort-and-reading reasons, and there are commercial reasons, and finally, there are literary reasons. Let me enumerate them one by one.

First, it’s obvious that Amazon Bookstores are employing people who know books well and love books. One of my local indie bookstores is an absolute dream — I love Browsers, and I shop for books there every single week. I know all the staff, and they even pick out books they know I will like. However, I’ve been in bookstores where I am treated like I am an intrusion (I will not name the bookstore). Books are mis-arranged and no one seems to care. They don’t know their local authors. They don’t know their stock, and they don’t seem to really care about building a bookish community. Although Barnes & Noble tries harder (surprisingly), I’m saddened to see their books section gradually getting taken over by other kinds of merchandise.

At Amazon Bookstores, the opposite is true. When I enter the bookstore, I’m greeted by people who clearly know their stock, all the books are face out and easy to read, and they are arranged in “similarity” queues, so if I’m looking for a certain kind of book, I can easily find it. Every book has a review posted, and every book is arranged for optimal scanning. There are troves of books that are good discoveries near at hand, and there is everything I’m looking for in a bookstores. It’s a pure reading pleasure at Amazon Bookstores, and I will be going back many many times.

Second, there are ethical reasons to go with Amazon as a publisher and a retailer. Although there are legitimate questions about a warehouse culture and how they’ve taken over Seattle, there are also good things about Amazon. To start with, as an author, I’d argue that they have essentially saved America from the tyranny of the Big 5 publishers. I know my way around book contracts, and I’ve turned several down because they were seizing IP rights, and treating authors like dirt. Furthermore, their editors were over-worked, under-paid and even ignorant about other imprints within their own publishing house.

It’s important to note that Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Publishing efforts lit a fire under the nascent world of self-publishing, and have made it possible for many authors to make a living across many domains, from Kathryn Le Veque’s wonderful medieval romances to Hugh Howey’s science-fiction writing. (One wonders why no traditional publisher did this first?) I’ve even put my toe in the water here, self-publishing a few science fiction and horror short stories, and I’ve learned the ropes on self-publishing. My longer novels have been published until recently with smaller traditional publishing houses. However, with my novel The Eagle Tree, I signed with a traditional publishing house owned by Amazon Publishing because their contracts were very fair (David Vandagriff reviews all my contracts), and their editors were absolutely a dream to work with. (I won’t even mention the fact that up until 2015, a traditional big 5 publisher put female authors of color in their own ghetto) Amazon publishing definitely lifts up editors, writers and voices of all genders and backgrounds.

Third, for me there were personal commercial reasons to go with Amazon publishing. You might disagree with these reasons, but the data speaks for itself. The high level takeaways are that Amazon now accounts for up to 79% of all ebooks. Furthermore, it’s not just in ebooks that Amazon is making an impact. The data demonstrates that Amazon is now gaining enormous ground in print book sales, at the expense of Barnes & Noble and big-box retailers primarily (note that indie bookstores are indeed resurgent, which is one thing that my little series on bookstores celebrates!). In fact, up to half of actual printed book sales in the United States are now sold via Amazon. The reach and impact of Amazon is impossible to over-estimate for authors. Amazon knows how people read, and how to reach these readers. That’s why the promotion efforts and publicity that Amazon made so much sense to me, and helped to propel my novel The Eagle Tree to national bestseller status.

Finally, it’s clear to me that the literary community writ large has failed the reading public. There’s a real problem when we have a WASP-set of New York City based literati pushing a certain type of Philip-Roth style fiction on the reading public as the highest standard, when the majority of the reading public doesn’t read that kind of fiction. This is a problem for readers, it’s a problem for writers who want to make a living and most of all, it’s a problem for the sustainability of literature. Stephen King has pointed this out multiple times. So have romance authors (who constitute over 50% of all books sold), and science-fiction authors (who sell much better than literary fiction). Hugh Howey, a former bookstore employee and bestselling author, described this situation well in a post:

Part of the problem is that the major publishers ignore the genres that sell the best. This is a head-scratcher, and it nearly caused a bald spot when I was working in a bookstore. I knew where the demand was, and I wasn’t seeing it in the catalogs. Readers wanted romance, science fiction, mystery/thrillers, and young adult. We had catalogs full of literary fiction. Just the sort of thing acquiring editors are looking for and hoping people will read more of, but not what customers were asking me for.

Amazon Bookstores get this big important thing about how people actually read. They use all the reams of data at their disposal to curate a selection of books that are actually of interest to people who actually read. Amazon Bookstores don’t distinguish between some author who received a seven figure advance from some publishing house for his memoirs of picking his nose in Manhattan, or a self-published fantasy author who happens to write about elves and dragons and lives in Montana. They stock the books that people read.

There’s a side question, of course, about whether or not we should treat books as “vegetables” or “dessert.” This little metaphor is meant to illustrate the canard that is sure to rise once I state that we should democratize literature (which is essentially what Amazon Bookstores do for the curated and carefully chosen books on their shelves). Books should be read because they are good for you and improve the world, not just because you enjoy them or are entertained by books. Books should be vegetables — you should read them — not just dessert. I think there’s a middle ground, which is that books can nourish and sustain you, and also be an excellent read. Donna Tartt proved this with her books. So has John Irving. So has Toni Morrison. All of these writers know how to tell a rip-roaring fast-moving story that holds their readers enthralled, yet still communicate deeper, darker, more meaningful truths. These kinds of books are well represented at Amazon Bookstores.

If you love bookstores, you owe it to yourself to visit your local Amazon bookstore and determine for yourself if Amazon is making things better for readers and writers.

Here’s where you can find my books on Amazon (both online in the physical bookstores) [Read more BOOKSTORE POSTS] Pinterest – Ned Hayes Bookstore Board

Bookstores: Amazon’s Bookstores was originally published on Ned Hayes

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