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anulithots · 2 months

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Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

I haven't been asked this question before, so thank you for asking!

I'm not sure if I'm going to run over ten, so I'll include duos/dynamics as well. (That was a mistake.. this is soo longggg. Thank you so much for asking but I don't think you knew what you were getting into. /pos.)

(In no particular order.... and I've written a lot about most of these characters, sorry if it's a bit long <3 )

Just a note that my JJK analysis's are up to the Hidden Inventory arc. I keep rereading that one to avoid the pain of the Shibuya arc... but I should be on my last reread for now!

Character quick list:

Donnie and Mikey from Rise,

Teacher and Shiva from The Girl from the Other SIde,

Itadori yuji, Megumi Fushiguro, and Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen,

Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto from Jujutsu Kaisen

Inej Ghafa and Jesper Fahley (sorry if I spelled thier names wrong!) from Six of Crows

Emma, Norman and Ray from The Promised Neverland

And I really liked Roz from the Wild Robot, and The Magnus Chase series, but It's been a while since I've read them. Currently reading 'A tale for the Time Being' and I like Nao's deep thoughts and unabashed honesty. She's also quite dark and casual about dark themes, and it does feel like how my brain used to be... dark stuff is casual there.

I do like Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. I watched the movies but have not read the books yet, and I want to before I start analyzing. I also want to read Sherlock Holmes so... yea.

#1: Donnie and Mikey from Rise of the Teenage mutant ninja turtles

Donnie is literally me. From the way he pronounces random words from his theater kid energy to his obsession with science. (I don't like physics but I'm writing a fanfiction on biology soooo....) I have a need to be useful otherwise I'm wasted space (because the information is more useful and important than the individual), go on infodumps for hours, get irritated and defensive easily and overall, I've never related to a character more. I just don't have the same empathy levels. For that I share traits with Mikey. I like being overly nice and trying to listen and make everyone feel heard. I also get very emotional very fast and constantly need hugs.

Also his relationship with Mikey reminds me of two of my siblings.

Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles took me out of a depressive period with the most intense hyperfixation I've ever had, and it's the first time I've read fanfiction (Like father like son..... sobs)

#2: Teacher and Shiva from the Girl from the Other Side.

They have the most wholesome found family relationship ever. The pain they give me is insurmountable. Every time I reread the manga I have the widest, dopiest smile because the wholesome scenes are so so so pure. I don't see a lot of stories that let the mundane be that special.

Also the way Shiva's written is just.. chefs kiss. Because she isn't written as an annoying child. She thinks she's being helpful, and she is helpful. All she wants is to keep everyone together, and for everyone to be happy, and the thing she hates the most is people hating her/being scared of her.... and the guilt. The most depth-filled child character in existence here.

And teacher... Just... *screams*. His overthinking and endlessly caring demeanor. The way he second guesses everything he does and worries so much that he gets worried about worrying. He's also quite hard on himself.

And I think they are supposed to represent the two sides of loving others. Shiva is the 'they make me happy and I can help them' part. The wholesome, childlike side.

Teacher is the worrying side. The side that tries so hard to protect the others that their anxiety drives them crazy.

(I got up to the second delux edition.)

#3 The Tokyo Trio (Itadori, Fushiguro, and Nobara) from Jujutsu Kaisen. (my most recent hyperfixation.)

Itadori: His fear of regretting his life, using a role to avoid that, making sure not to think about his execution or his death too much. Him trying so hard to help others in a way only he can do. Using 'dying a natural death' to justify to himself that he's okay with this (he isn't). Fearing death that he doesn't have control over. Structuring his life around caring for others. The sweetest bean here.

Fushiguro: HIs morrallittyyyyy. The way he needs to be the one to deliver fairness because the world isn't fair to him. The way he thinks bad people shouldn't be saved, that they deserve retribution, and that good people will let themselves suffer because they are good. So Fushiguro is going to protect good people as much as he can (see Itadori.) Itadori and Fushiguro's morality struggle is sooo interestingggggg aaaa-

Nobara: She's the strategist of the group, the one who'll keep emotions out of the missions so she can enjoy herself later. Kill people? Well, it's part of the job, she's not going to let that effect her. She tries not to get attached to people, and values enjoying herself in Tokyo. ITADORI AND NOBARA'S DYNAMIC IS SO FUNNY (and she would've gotten along with Gojo... I just want an episode with them accidently meeting each other on a shopping trip and getting into trouble.)

And I'm sorry in advance for all the writing I'm about to include:

Fushiguro:

Nobara:

#4 Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen

(Also I love Shoko despite how little screen time she gets. )

I've analyzed them here and I'll include my notes and written analysis... but overall...

They encapsulate a comfort and trust and love for each other that I rarely see. It's something indescribable and special. They truly transcend labels for each tother and just.... yeah the relationships and dynamics in JJK are on another level. I've ranted about them before <3

AND I'LL RANT ABOUT THEM MORE:

#5? Inej Ghafa and Jesper Fahley.

(I read this before I started writing my analysis's down. Everything from here on out has less writing. Thanks for being patient with me <3)

(I prefer book them to Show them tbh... although I haven't watched all of the show and I prefer books/manga to shows sometimes because it's easier for me to analyze as I'm reading and reread)

Also it's been a while and I'm doing some analysis from memory so I apologize for any inaccuracies!

Why I like Inej: Her making herself a tool for others so that she could survive. She put her own wants and past to the side so she could become dangerous, so no one could take advantage of her again. Her growth to chasing her dreams, living for herself, saying that her heart aims true for making the world better. She has such a good arc.

Why I like Jesper: He's impulsive and silly and him not being able to get rid of his addiction to gambling even though he's aware of how it's making his father more in debt. Him using a skill he has (sharpshooting) to express his Grisha powers and not wanting to acknowledge that he's a Grisha. ALso him and Wylan. Adorable.

#6 Emma, Norman and Ray from the Promised Neverland.

(last one for now!)

Emma's caring nature and will not hesitate to beat you up if you're being self-sacrificial. (I wish they went more in depth with Emma's disregarding other's emotions to do what is best for them. Could've been cool conflict). Her wanting to save everyone no matter how hard it will be, loving her little siblings so much. The betrayal of Isabella towards her. ('She didn't like the tests, but she liked her mother's praise'). How scared and conflicted she became. How much she mourned her old life.

Ray's cold cut nature, practical, resourceful. His backstory in which he had to live with the death of his siblings for years, to the point where he resolved himself to save only Norman and Emma. His preparation for years and years to make sure they were safe. Not wanting to save all of the Grace field children because it would doom them all.

Norman knowing that they might not be able to save them all, but wanting to try for Emma. How much he strategized, how hard he tried. How he's in between. How scared he was for himself, how much he admired Emma's care for others, how he tried to strategize for all of them. How he hid his pain and fear.

______________________________________________________________

ThANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK!

and to all my mutuals/followers, @mylee-sketches, and anyone else who stumbles across this post...

yes I hyperfixate.

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undetectorist · 10 months

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9, 15, 17 for the book asks!

15. recommend and review a book.

i didn't put this one on my "top 5 books" but it was a near thing, so i'm going to recommend sorrow and bliss by meg mason, which is a rare book in that literally everybody i've recommended it to has loved it. the main character, martha, has just turned 40 and her husband has left her. but this is more than a simple divorce chronicle. as we're taken back through martha's life, we learn about her complicated family, her previous friendships and relationships, how mental illness has affected her, her complex feelings about being a mother. and throughout, relation is central. the way martha moves through the world is intimately connected to the people around her. the characterisations are masterful: everybody has such distinct personalities and undergo their own character development/relationship development with martha. and they all have their own agency and moments of humanity. god i just love this novel so much. at its heart it's a book about our responsibilities to the people around us; about forgiveness and the effort it takes. it’s not overly sentimental, not cloying or twee: real hurt is done by people to each other, and they have to search for how to move forwards. more than any other novel i’ve read, it shows how it takes work to be in relation to one other. it feels real. and it's so funny and raw and dryly observant and tender!!!

17. top 5 children’s books?

thank you so much for asking this question oh my god i love my emotional support formative influences

watership down by richard adams the wolves chronicles series by joan aiken little women by louisa may alcott when you reach me by rebecca stead anne of green gables by l. m. montgomery

and SO many more....honourable mention to the belgariad by david eddings and the malory towers series by enid blyton both of which i reread over and over until the covers fell off

#thank you love!!!!#asks

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 10 months

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🦇 Misfortune Cookie Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐

❝ "I guess I can't let things rest. It's not good enough for me to just sit back and let these things happen when I know I can be useful." ❞

❓ #QOTD Write a fortune and tag a #Bookstagram friend! ❓ 🦇 Alongside her sister, Lana Lee leaves Cleveland to attend a restaurant convention in sunny California. With the intention of finding ways to help her family's restaurant thrive, she's focused on making the most of the experience, only to get in the (literal) middle of a catfight between a fortune cookie vendor and the journalist who wrote her a scathing review. Lana can't escape tragedy, though; a few hours later, a body drops from the roof where Lana, her sister, and their aunt are attending a swanky party. The body belongs to Aunt Grace's friend—the same journalist who fought with the fortune cookie vendor hours earlier. Can Lana solve the murder and give Aunt Grace the closure she needs?

💜 It's always difficult to dive into a series nine books in, especially with pre-established relationships and closed cases in the MC's recent past. Thankfully, Vivien Chien does a wonderful job of alluding to her previous books without leaving newcomers in the dark. The little hints we receive about her successfully solved cases, the other Asia Village shop owners, Lana's boyfriend Detective Adam, and the Majong Matrons have me intrigued about Lana's previous adventures. I'm glad I jumped into this series in what operates as a standalone, as Lana is away from home, her friends, and the resources she usually depends on. Her relationship with her aunt was heartwarming. The little shoutout to Laguna, where I was born, was a pleasant surprise, too.

🦇 The writing was, unfortunately, unremarkable. The prose was fluffed up with cliches that felt unnatural or out of place. Given a comment Anna May makes about Lana's metabolism slowing down in her 30s, I assume Lana is in her 20s, but neither sister uses language that feels natural for a modern 20 (or 30...or 40) year-old. Too often, there are random emotional outbursts or gestures (crying, winking, laughing, etc.) that also feel out of place. The emotional whiplash was jarring enough that I had to reread scenes to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

🥠 Anna May's character is a constant annoyance who only seems to exist to put Lana and her sleuthing abilities down, which is unfortunate because I wanted to like her. While Anna May should have acted as a foil for Lana's brash behavior by offering a logical or cool-headed frame of mind (or essential legal advice), she's instead used to spark sisterly tension. I have three younger sisters and I've never spoken down to them the way Anna May does to Lana. With eight solved cases behind her, I would have thought Anna May was prepared for Lana's sleuthing tendencies. Her sister could have acted more as a sounding board. Instead, there's a lot of telling, rather than showing, as Lana closes herself off to process the information she's gathered. The exposition and lack of action only cause the pacing to drag.

🥠 Most frustrating of all was the reveal. If the killer had a handlebar mustache to twist between their fingers or a white, fluffy cat to stroke while explaining their diabolical plan, they would have. The dialogue and tone felt overly sinister, while the killer's physical actions felt awkward and illogical. Having recognized the red herring and anticipated killer early on, the reveal also lacked the tension it desperately needed for a decent ending.

🦇 For fans of the Tita Rosa's Kitchen Mystery and Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series, old Nancy Drew games, or Boxcar Children series as a kid. If you guess the killer before the halfway mark, let me know!

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🥠 Cozy Mystery 🥠 Part of a Series 🥠 Nancy Drew Vibes 🥠 California Vacation 🥠 Female Family Bonding

🦇 Major thanks to the author Vivien Chien and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley . 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

#book: misfortune cookie #book series: noodle shop mystery #book review #arc book review #book lovers #battyaboutbooks #batty about books #author: vivien chien

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thesearchforbluejello · 2 years

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In January, I did almost nothing but read as I waited to start my job. After two years here for grad school, I finally, FINALLY had enough documentation to prove I live in this city even though I'm not a state resident (yet), and I've used this library card for all it's worth. Here's what I read, without any sort of order. Ratings are vague, and like, probably very subject to my mood. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1) Going Postal, Terry Pratchett 5/5

This was actually a re-read since I borrowed it from a friend this summer, but I reread it before finally reading the other two in this subseries. Hilarious, goofy, and I love Moist so much. Also, GOLEMS. I love the Discworld golems so much.

2) Making Money, Terry Pratchett 3/5

Not as good as a lot of Discworld. Not bad, just... not as good. Not sure what to say about this one.

3) Raising Steam, Terry Pratchett 5/5

So many of my favorite Discworld characters in one book. The pacing was a little odd in comparison to other Discworld books because the scale of it is so much larger, but it *feels* like a weird combination of the Moist Von Lipwig series (which it's part of) and the vibe of City Watch. It feels like an ending, and man, it made me emotional.

4) Embassytown, China Mieville 4/5

Delightfully bizarre as usual for Mieville. Sometimes he gets a little too in his own head and the worldbuilding goes fuzzy, but the rest of it is so strange and complex that it's worth it. I'm not sure he actually made his point about language, but the book was still an interesting thought experiment with cool aliens.

5) The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins 5/5

I wasn't sure what to expect, but for once this is a prequel that doesn't pretend that it came first. It acts as an *actual* prequel and exists so well in its role as a book that follows The Hunger Games from a reader's perspective that I'd argue it *should* be read after the trilogy. It explains Snow without making him overly sympathetic, and that's exactly what I wanted from it. The crafting of Lucy Gray as a character (no spoilers!) is done in a fascinating way, and I appreciated how smart a lot of the author's decisions were.

6) Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo 5/5

Y'all did NOT over-hype these books. Loved them. Fantastic. Great characters, great world building, well written, etc etc. A's across the board. Highly recommend.

7) Crooked Kingdom, Leigh Bardugo 5/5

Same deal, loved it. I actually liked this one better than the previous, I think because it got to really use Ketterdam and be so twisted and conniving on a level exceeding the first book. Also the ending. THE ENDING. Perfection, man, I was beside myself with how perfect it was.

8) Carry On, Rainbow Rowell 4/5

Okay. I don't generally read books about high schoolers because they're either portrayed as too old or too young, but I read Fangirl last year and consequently I had to read this when I saw it on the shelf at my library. I LOVED it. It's everything I wanted in a certain other very extremely famous series and didn't get. It's like both a love letter and a huge middle finger to said series, in the best way. It's queer, it's diverse, and certain characters who maybe are reminiscent of other characters get what they fucking deserve and it's great. Anyway. The plot got a little slow at points, but I didn't mind at all.

9) Wayward Son, Rainbow Rowell, 4/5

Not awesome, not terrible. Very much a middle book. Even though I'm older-enough than Simon is in this book to make a difference, so much of what he struggles with is extremely relatable.

10) Any Way the Wind Blows, Rainbow Rowell 5/5

Such a good end to the trilogy. Very queer. Excellent. I really loved how Rowell wrapped a lot of things up while leaving them open-- there's the suggestion of completion without the kind of unrealistic closure from wrapping unanswered questions up in a bow to just be done with them that makes this a really good ending.

11) Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir 4/5

I checked this out without having read his more famous book because my library had it and I was waiting to be able to request holds from other libraries in the system. It was better than I was expecting from the jacket. The problem was creative, the characters were vivid (except for the main character, who's the narrator... he's... pretty bland, actually, but likable enough), and um maybe spoilers sorry but like there are super cool aliens. So. (That's not on the book jacket, BUT I would have been more enthusiastic about starting the book had I known there were cool aliens, so that spoiler is my gift to you, because they're in basically the whole book.)

12) Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir 3/5

Fantastically creative world building and plot, but wholly lacking in character development. Shockingly so. You can't just make a seismic shift in a character relationship in one scene. Sorry. The ending? Ridiculous. Unearned character development to the point where I was stunned I was supposed to accept it. I'd still recommend it, though, because it is such a fucking ride.

13) Harrow the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir 2/5

Unpopular opinion, apparently: Y'all I'm sorry, but this book was not good. At all. Worst book of the 35+ I read. I'm all for having characters that are complete shits and entertaining even when they're unlikeable, but if your characters can't even explain what's going on and your world is so nebulous your reader can't figure it out themselves, you're building a castle on sand and the tide is already in. I could barely get through this book. It was barely coherent. (And yeah, I get that that was the point, but if your reader can't make something coherent out of an incoherent character experience, you haven't done your job. Sorry.) I'll read the next one because I need some fucking explanation after the amount of time I put into the first two, but god. It was exhausting.

14) Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston 5/5

PHENOMENAL. 15/5. LOVED EVERY PAGE. Incredibly vivid characters, total 20-something behavior, HILARIOUS at every turn, very queer, absolutely nothing short of wonderful. McQuiston's writing is just remarkable. She takes the mundane and makes it magical. Cannot recommend this enough. I want to scream about it from the rooftops. The premise is RIDICULOUS and it's so fucking perfect. I almost didn't read this book because I thought it sounded lame, but it was enthusiastically recommended to me and GAAAAAAAHHH it ruined me. It just destroyed me. It was wonderful. 100/10. I need you all to understand. This book. Is. PHENOMENAL, okay? Listen to me: phenomenal. Go read it.

15) The City We Became, N.K. Jemisin 5/5

New York magical realism. Bizarre, funky, and so human. The characters are so vivid and the way Jemisin crafts metaphors of race and just outright discusses race while spinning one of the best fantasy and magical realism narratives I've read is nothing short of incredible. Really great book, looking forward to the rest of the series.

16) Monstrous Regiment, Terry Pratchett 5/5

Somehow the same gag over and over again is *still* funny. Pratchett digs really deep with narratives of abuse in this book in a way that's heavier than a lot of his other work (that I've read). I wish there had been more in this series, because I really wasn't done following Polly and Maladict.

17) The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. LeGuin

You can't rate a cornerstone of the genre, okay. I need to read this again in the future to really dig into it again. There's just... so much happening here. It wasn't at all what I expected, and I think a fair bit of it was lost on me on a first read.

18) The Priory of the Orange Tree, Samantha Shannon 4/5

If I'm honest, I actually gave up on this book about 200 pages in because it violated my #1 rule of writing: if you're going to write an 800 page book, there's a 100% chance you're skimming over a fuckload of plot and you should have written a series instead. I still stand by that, but I ended up finishing this book because my next round of holds weren't in yet and I'd finished everything else. By the time I got about halfway in I actually started enjoying it. The narrative is interwoven in a complex and effective way, but it's very slow. I know that it's meant to be, but I personally felt like I might as well be banging my head into this 800 page brick because *nothing* was happening for aaaaaaaaages. Overall, by the time it really got moving, I was enjoying it, and I am glad I finished it. Also? She describes all the food, which is like a major fantasy requirement, lbr.

19) Moving Pictures, Terry Pratchett 3/5

Did Not Like. Barely funny. Cool concept, but it just... burned out really fast.

20) Kings of the Wyld, Nicholas Eames 4/5

I actually saw this in some random person's tags on a random Tumblr post. Hilarious and inventive while still drawing heavily from all the bedrock of high fantasy. THIS is what people should mean when they refer to "the boys." This book really destroys so much toxic masculinity inherent in fantasy. The main character, get this... LOVES HIS WIFE. And his little daughter. And his dog. I just. GAH. Love for family is a major driving force throughout the book, both with the band themselves as family and the families a few of the men have or have lost. It's just so good. It would have been a 5/5 but part of the plot with one of the characters kind of gets stomped out by everything else that's happening, and I'm still confused about it.

21) Jingo, Terry Pratchett 5/5

I mean, it's City Watch. How could it not be great? Funny and absurd, yet confronts racism and xenophobia. (This is, frankly, something that Pratchett sometimes walks a really fine line on with regards to jokes and sometimes does not land on the right side of, but I think he did a good job with this book.)

22) One Last Stop, Casey McQuiston 5/5

Another fantastic book from this author. Funny and emotional and once again the mundanity of life becomes magical in McQuiston's words. The characters are so vivid and diverse and *alive* on the page. Just fantastic work.

23) Thud!, Terry Pratchett 5/5

This book made me glad Pratchett never decided to write a genuinely scary novel (that I'm aware of) because there are scenes in this book that are genuinely creepy. I like when City Watch gets political, because it's both funny (rip Vimes lol) and real. Also, girls night out? LOVED THAT. I did feel like the climax of the action left a bit to be desired, but overall it was hilarious, smart, and fun.

24) The Martian, Andy Weir 4/5

I think the areas where Project Hail Mary was weakest were the strongest here, and vice versa. Mark is a funny and vibrant narrator, and I enjoyed his journey. I felt like this book lacked depth in places (those places are, namely, "in the book"), but Weir does plot, not emotion, so I can live with it.

25) Hogfather, Terry Pratchett 4/5

What. What? Whaaaaat. This book was... bizarre. The way developed ideas of childhood and humanity was excellent, but also what the hell.

26) The Dark, Jeremy Robinson 4/5

Yeah hi what the everlasting FUCK, Jeremy. This was. Disturbing. Like, I knew it was going to be, and I've read his work before, but goddamn. Not for the faint of heart. Funny, though, and surprisingly wholesome. Overall, one of his best works by far. Legit dying for a Laser Chicken x Chess Team teamup. (Don't be a huge moron like me and read it in the dark. Because. Yeah. The scene with the windows scarred me.)

27) Upright Women Wanted, Sarah Gailey 3/5

What a disappointment this was. Gailey had such a cool premise and interesting characters, but all of the world building and development was shoved into 175 pages and suffered IMMENSELY because of that. This was not well suited to being a novella and I'm so disappointed that I feel as though we all missed out on what could have been a really fascinating world. I'd definitely consider reading more of this author's work, because their prose was good and this had so much potential.

28) Shada, Gareth Roberts and Douglas Adams 4/5

I mean, it's a bonkers classic-era DW jaunt. Roberts manages to capture a lot of Adams' energy and it's a fun read. Apparently, however, Roberts is also apparently a raging terf, so I have mixed feelings about endorsing this at all.

30) Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie 3/5

I like this book so much more after finishing the series. I really struggled with how little actually happens, because it moves *glacially* through this first book. The series is not actually about the plot in a typical sense that I was expecting, and this first book really did not make this obvious. The reflection at the end of the series about how people move through life is something that really should have started to be woven in here. The world building, however, is fantastic. I was a lot surprised that this book won all three Big Awards (and frankly still am), and I'm not sure I would have continued if I hadn't already checked out the second one, but I'm so glad I did.

27) Ancillary Sword, Ann Leckie 4/5

Mercy of Kalr, my beloved. Again, things happen. None of them things you'd expect to contribute to the plot. It's still a ride. 90% of the book is tea, 4% is noodles, 4% is Kalr Five and her dishware, 1% is Tisarwat having tantrums, and the other 1% is plot.

28) Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie 5/5

JUSTICE OF TOREN, MY BELOVED. Hah HAH all those things you didn't think would contribute to the plot? BOOM. They *did* but not in any way you'd be expecting from a neat fictional narrative. It's surprisingly way more organic. But also 97% of this book is about fish sauce. 2% is about tea. The last 1% is just basically the biggest vibe that Justice of Toren would have had a bumper sticker on its hull saying "fuck Anaander Mianaai" but like for obvious reasons (several, in fact) that can't happen, so it's just a vibe. I waited two previous books for Seivarden to just GO OFF and Leckie delivered. I love a messy bitch. Sphene and Zeiat provide much needed comedy. Tisarwat reaches full Plotting Maniac™ potential. Mercy of Kalr has more balls than any human Radchaai. The ending of this series was just... so good. It really capped off the narrative in a meaningful way that explored how actions have consequences, even if they're not what we intended, and really just doing our best is what it means to be a person. Also, I will never recover from this series book-ending with Fish With Great Metaphorical Meaning, especially given how the second one is (re)introduced

29) Provenance, Ann Leckie 4/5

Different than the Ancillary part of this world, I loved the way the events of that trilogy affected people even outside of Radch space. Leckie effectively tied this in politically with the heavy weight of the imminent conclave and potential ramifications of the Presger treaty... stuff (Look, it's spoilers, okay.) while still making the events of this book a much smaller scale that kind of plugs into the greater scheme of things. I didn't love it, but it was decent and I felt fulfilled with the ending.

But my FAVORITE thing I read? By FAR... the Murderbot Diaries. Loved every second. Maybe read the novel twice.

30) All Systems Red, Martha Wells 5/5

Wells really did a great job of spotlighting Murderbot and making it come alive while also juggling a plot and a BUNCH of other characters. The PreservationAux team really have distinct personalities; Wells doesn't trip over having so many characters, and she doesn't shove unnecessary characterization down the reader's throat, especially because Muderbot just does. not. give. a. shit. And I love that so much. Murderbot is so vivid right from the get go, and the entire book really sculpts a starting point for the rest of the series.

31) Artificial Condition, Martha Wells 5/5

ART makes this book. Completely. What an asshole. A lot of Muderbot development happens here and it's just a great read.

32) Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells 5/5

Miki. That's all. Miki is so important. This book is just a great space action adventure.

33) Exit Strategy, Martha Wells 4/5

There was a reason I liked this one less than the others, but I genuinely can't remember why. Either way, it was a great read.

34) Fugitive Telemetry, Martha Wells 4/5

It's a murder mystery baBY! I liked that we got some more development of Preservation here while also, of course, getting so much Muderbot development.

35) Network Effect, Martha Wells 5/5

Listen. Listen to me. I. Loved. This. Book. It did so much world building, but also the PETTINESS. And PERI. Just... Peri. Ugh. Grade A asshole. I love Peri so much. There was something so deeply human about so much of this book (even though Murderbot would say "gross") and the interspersal of the HelpMe file was such a cool narrative move that I really enjoyed. I really like the novellas, but I also really liked how Wells had a lot more space to develop a plot and its emotional ("gross") ramifications here. It's also, in true Murderbot fashion, funny as hell.

And #36-63, I guess? (Idk, I go through these so fast I haven't been including them while I've tracked the list of books I've read, but I firmly stand by them being "books" and that you still "read" comics/manga and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise because no one should police what counts as "reading". It's detrimental to children and adults alike and I won't tolerate that bullshit.) I've also been rereading Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa in chunks that I order with each set of holds because it's been OOF about 15 years since I read the manga. I'm generally not a manga/anime fan; as much as I can appreciate it, it's just not my cup of tea. But this fucking series RUINED ME as a teenager and continues to do so as an adult. The interwoven narratives of humanity, truth, and power are just stunning. I mean, this series is truly a masterpiece, and I by no means say that lightly. It remains one of the greatest series I've ever had the pleasure of interacting with, regardless of media form. (The Brotherhood anime is phenomenal too, just fyi for folks who don't like to read or don't like to read manga. It's almost (just barely not quite exactly) the manga.) 5/5 for the whole series.

Bonus, in February I was busy and forgot to actually post this post, but:

1) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, Becky Chambers 5/5

Loved it. So much. A really great character driven story where the plot is kind of an afterthought, but in a good way. The aliens and their cultures were fascinating and fantastic, and I just really enjoyed this a lot.

2) A Closed and Common Orbit, Becky Chambers 4/5

AIs struggling with being people is my jam. I really loved the juxtaposition of Pepper and Sidra's stories here, and I was fascinated by the narrative decision of Sidra remembering being Lovelace (of course, because she IS Lovelace and that's the entire point) but not Lovey (and the contrast of another fictional Lovelace there just saying), and what that means to her.

3) Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao DNF

I was SO excited for this book... and I hated it. The concept was fascinating, the basis in Chinese literature was brilliant... and yet. The writing. Was absolutely horrendous. It was extremely immature and undeveloped, and the prose was like being repeatedly punched in the face with its startling lack of any kind of deftness whatsoever. I really, genuinely look forward to what this author does in the future, because I think they'll be great with time and perhaps an editor who emphasizes better prose. But this book. I just couldn't finish it.

4) The Last Human, Zack Jordan 3/5

Decent prose, but the detail work was really lacking. I didn't find any of the characters compelling besides Shenya, and sometimes I really felt like I was missing his point when he waxed too philosophical and didn't do the detail work to warrant being so abstract. The concept was really cool, and he made some very interesting points, but there was substance missing under the argument he was making. Definitely a decent read, but his prose was good enough that I somewhat paradoxically was more disappointed with the book's detail failures than I would have been if the prose was weak, if that makes sense.

5) Bloody Rose, Nicholas Eames 4/5

Definitely not as good as Kings of the Wyld, but still good. I'm giving it the same rating, technically, because I think the plot was just as sound, but I felt less fulfilled by this book than the first one. I loved that it followed Tam instead of Rose herself in the same way the first book followed Clay rather than Gabe, and I will forever stan Freecloud for being such a simp. But yeah, it carries the themes of the first book to darker places.

#my to read list is v short now PLEASE drop suggestions #especially scifi I'm on SUCH a scifi kick #but I'll happily take any suggestions #I'm currently reading The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin and it's QUITE good already so no doubt I'll read the rest of this series shortly #plus the rest of Becky Chambers' books #I will say that I'm not much for manga but I can be convinced #I'm certainly not opposed to it #also web stories and other such things #even fiction podcasts but I've already got a backlog since I don't do as much of the work that allowed me to listen to them anymore #so preferably books #also I WILL be requesting the ATLA comics because my roommate and I are both committed to reading them ASAP and system has the collection #jo reads #ETA whoops #long post

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annerbhp · 4 years

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hi! this is a bit random, but what are your opinions on pride and prejudice?

I love Pride and Prejudice in all its iterations. I have probably read at least 50 published P&P variations/retelling and such. In fact, I just finished Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev this weekend! I love all the movies/series too. And the fic! And possibly the greatest re-make of all time: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. (Which has its own amazing amount of fic.)

I think the ultimate magic is that first read/watch (which for me was the 1995 miniseries version), where you just LOATHE Darcy all the way through and the proposal is like OMG WTF, and then the slow magic of you having to completely reconsider every single thing you though and the way you took every scene, and then an immediate rewatch/reread reveals how DIFFERENT everything is with your knowledge of Darcy’s feelings. It’s just...magical. Also, I appreciate Lizzie and her pert opinions, and her being wrong about things but amending them, and Darcy truly taking himself to task and making real change, not so he can have Lizzie, but because it’s the man he wants to be. Just....yes. And I love anything where glances and hand holding and standing near each other is the height of emotional tension.

Two of my fave fics: Miss de Bourgh in Bath and The Part of Her Hair

I am Joining All My Thoughts to You by tosca1390 (P&P, Lizzy/Darcy) “You are pretty, my Lizzy, but you must not be so quick to speak your mind!” Great little snippet of Lizzy and Darcy during their engagement

My fave published P&P spin offs:

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman Trilogy (An Assembly Such As This, Duty and Desire, and These Three Remain) by Pamela Aidan Great retelling of Pride and Prejudice from the point of view of Darcy. Really great look into his motivations, his misinterpretations of Lizzie’s behavior, and his character development. (Not to mention that the vague promise of a fourth book dealing with Miss Darcy’s future made me so excited, even though it has yet to materialize.) The second book wanders a bit from the traditional scope of P&P, but explains Darcy’s change of heart rather well.

Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife and Darcy & Elizabeth by Linda Bedroll A big warning up front, this is the Pride & Prejudice for those who don’t mind a little marital romping. Or rather a heck of a lot of romping. Basically anywhere Elizabeth and Darcy can get away with it, and even some places they probably shouldn’t be able to but do anyway. The book swerves into melodrama and cliché at points (particularly the second book), but I love it too much to care. Here is an Elizabeth still sparkling with wit, a Darcy fighting darker elements of his personality, and an evolving marriage with all the bumps and moments of adoration you would expect without the romantic lobotomy so often seemingly required in this genre. I enjoy both of these and re-read quite often, but I get that these are not to everyone’s taste.

Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride by Helen Halstead This novel is chock full of the unspoken, the restrained, the misunderstandings, and the wit that I so love about the original. This is not the book with steamy sex scenes, but rather titillating scenes of the most treacherous ground ever—the drawing room. I particularly love the evolution of the other characters around the main couple as well, particularly Georgiana and Kitty. They traverse their own romantic grounds and entangle themselves in real, heartfelt situations that feel true to their characters. If you only give one Pride & Prejudice sequel a chance, make it this one.

The Last Man in World by Abigail Reynolds I know, I know. I basically couldn’t even finish a lot of Abigail Reynolds’ other Pemberley Variations, as she calls them, but this one out of the bunch I actually quite enjoyed. It is still a bit overly melodramatic at points, the characters a bit two-dimensional, but my major complaint about her other books, the hyper-sexualization of the two unmarried characters, is not a problem since they are married from the very beginning. It’s not perfect, but it’s an enjoyable read. Think of this as my indulgent pick. Angst and misunderstandings, oh my!

There is so much more, including Lizzie Bennet Diaries fic recs, but I will leave it here for now. :)

#pride and prejudice #jane austen #Anonymous

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beneaththetangles · 3 years

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Reader’s Corner: Bofuri, The Catlords’ Manservant, and Chasing After Aoi Koshiba

Love Me, Love Me Not, Vol. 8

Love Me, Love Me Not is a simple story. The characters are basic, and though they have their struggles—as do all teenagers—theirs are not overly complicated. The obstacles they face are moderate, and growth feels attainable and realistic. I think that’s part of what makes this series special—it doesn’t overreach in any category. Io Sakisaka has settled into a comfortable, appealing tale where 95% of the focus is on the four major characters, and it plays out well for most of the volumes, this one included, as Christmas nears and Rio and Yuna start their relationship together, while Inui and Akari remain somehow both connected and distant. With the former couple now dating, the spotlight is on the latter, and Sakisaka lovingly and patiently develops their story with an authenticity that is marked by the best chapters in this series, while using a Christmas setting, the stress of arguing parents, and the expectations and dreams of impending adulthood to create both romance and nuance in the characters’ growth, particularly for Inui, who after eight volumes receives the fuller development he deserves and is a mystery no more—just in time, perhaps, to receive the love of a girl who’s become more mature and ready to give love than she even realizes. ~ Twwk

Love Me, Love Me Not is published by Viz.*

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 1

I loved the Bofuri anime that aired last year, so I was eager to try the light novel. It is…exactly what you’d expect if you’ve seen the series. Maple’s friend talked her into buying a new VRMMORPG, but then the friend gets grounded and Maple winds up starting the game on her own. Through a series of stupid and/or brilliant choices, she ends up creating an insanely OP character. Silliness and adventure ensue. In contrast to the many stories that put a dark spin on the concept of the VRMMORPG, Bofuri is a lighthearted romp through the game’s fantasy world. The light novel does explain a few things better than the anime does, but in return, you lose the visuals, which I tend to find especially beneficial for a highly comedic story like this one. Of course, the greatest flaw of this book is that it doesn’t include the unfathomably adorable flying turtle, Syrup. I can only hope Syrup shows up in volume two! If you’re only going to do one—either watch the anime or read the light novel—I’d recommend the anime. But since I loved the series, and the novel is giving me details I missed there, I think I’ll happily continue with the next volume. ~ JeskaiAngel

Bofuri: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense is published by Yen Press.*

I’m the Catlords’ Manservant, Vol. 1

Different than I expected in that it felt more like a slice-of-life but in a SCHOOL setting, volume one of I’m the Catlords’ Manservant was an interesting read! It follows the indigent Yukihara as he’s given room and board by shape-shifting cats in return for being their servant. With that setup, I also expected more shenanigans at the house, and while I felt a little disappointed in that regard, this is still a captivating starting volume. The mangaka does an excellent job of introducing readers to each of the cats and making their personalities shine (Susumu is by my favorite and would say Miyako would be a close second, while Akira has something fishy about him, especially given things that happen near the volume’s end). I was fairly surprised at how loving Yukihara is towards everyone given the circumstances, but I think that is probably why he is a hero you find yourself drawn to because despite NOT being happy about his circumstances—I felt bad for him more than once—he still wants everyone to be happy. I was unsure if I would want to continue this series, but I feel this is a good one to continue now that everyone has been introduced. The ending is a chilly cliffhanger that also had me glued to the page and wishing volume two was already available. ~ Laura A. Grace

I’m the Catlords’ Manservant, vol. 1, is published by Yen Press.*

The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya (Haruhi Suzumiya, Vol. 8)

Not all Haruhi Suzumiya novels are created equal—some are more meaningful, some are more complicated, some are funnier, and some are more plain, that last of which unfortunately applies to The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya. With a first half ensconced in a daily life / school club story, with the student council finally cracking down on the SOS Brigade and the group coming together to avoid losing the literary club classroom by putting together a publication, everything seems to come to a standstill, including, unfortunately, character growth and the story at large. There are some interesting bits here, though, including the unusual and perhaps troubling piece that Nagator writes and Kyon’s cute “love story,” but the better portion of the novel is the second-half investigation of a frightened dog caused by perhaps the next supernatural entity in the universe—a ghost. More “classic” in how it involves mystery and sci-fi, continuing to propel the franchise forward, it helps balance out the more soporific first half, though regardless, Haruhi fans will enjoy reading more about their favorite club from the narrative voice of Kyon, who brings life to even the more tepid stories in the franchise. ~ Twwk

The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya is published by Yen Press.*

And Yet, You Are So Sweet, Vol. 1

While I felt slightly frustrated in the beginning due to desiring a little more depth to Kisaragi (I also didn’t like how she kept calling herself ugly), I found that I really enjoyed volume one of And Yet, You Are So Sweet, which was, well, very sweet! I’m a huge fan of the trope where popular boy becomes friends with said unpopular girl and a romance begins to unfold. The manga introduces this in a unique way; I wouldn’t say I find reading the same trope boring (it’s my favorite for a reason), it felt creative and had me especially engaged in this volume. It probably didn’t help that Chigira is one of my favorite kind of male heroes: quiet, sort of “out of it,” athletic, and a kind person once you get to know him. I was bummed when the manga ended because it was fairly fast-paced and found myself getting caught up in these characters lives. It seems like there are quite a few after school activities, and I enjoyed them as settings for a variety of situations (especially the library!). I LOVED the ending, too, but that cliffhanger had me groaning. I’ll just have to wait to see what happens next, and am excited to read more! ~ Laura A. Grace

And Yet, You Are So Sweet, vol. 1, is published by Kodansha.*

Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance, Vol. 1

An absolutely fantastic volume, I did indeed felt “swept away” in this unfolding Yokohama romance! Maria, a young woman who dislikes her appearance, is instantly a character my heart went out to. And while I don’t think the potential object of her romance, Rintarou, is a bully, I do think he’s a major tease. On top of his teasing, Maria’s mother is the WORST (The last time I reallyyyyy disliked a parent in a manga was Kazehaya’s father in Kimi ni Todoke)! She is harsh and cruel, using words that bring her daughter down and which don’t show any kind of love towards her. I strongly dislike her and am thankful that Rintarou (and Maria’s grandmother!) is there to spread some love into Maria’s heart. While I wouldn’t say I was expecting a “fluffy” read when I first started, I was fairly surprised at some of the topics that are presented, including prejudice (even within family), lack of self-confidence, loneliness, and a near-assault (Thankfully someone intervened on that last one!). I think as a result, these more consequential events made Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance a very heart-stirring and relatable story and helped lead to a very strong first volume. I’m super eager to keep reading this series and hope there are wonderful things in store for Maria! ~ Laura A. Grace

Golden Japanesque: A Splendid Yokohama Romance is published by Yen Press.*

Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, Vol. 1

The intrigue at the center of Chasing After Aoi Koshiba is why don’t the two main characters—the beautiful and popular Sahoko and the athletic, confident, titular Aoi, get together? The initial chapter shows Sahoko and others after several years have passed, establishing that she and Aoi have lost touch, before diving into their high school days when earlier, desperate to maintain a high level of popularity after being a “side character” during middle school, falls quick and hard for the latter, whom she admires for displaying the authenticity she lacks. Shown from Sahoko’s perspective, the early chapters of this yuri romance are at once funny and romantic, capturing well the awkwardness and energy of youth, and feature a protagonist whose inner monologue is quite captivating. Sahoko’s desperation for Instagram likes and passing comments about her beauty could become annoying, but instead she comes across as both self-aware and sweet, the type of character whom the audience is excited to see as she matures, while the archetype tomboy Aoi is fleshed out with surprising energy. The two are joined by an intriguing group of supporting characters, and all are drawn in a sharp and beautiful style—as pretty as any series I’ve seen. The artwork by FLY is stunning. And altogether, that leads to an exciting opening volume of what could be a special, special series. ~ Twwk

Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, is published by Kodansha.*

Your Lie in April, Vol. 11

I have finished my reread of Your Lie in April! The final volume hit me like an emotional truck. It deals with Kaori’s surgery, the aftermath, and the finale of Kosei’s amazing musical performance. I’ll mostly avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read it, but I’ll also note a few things. First, this manga is gorgeous and facilitated the wonderful journey as I reread it. Second, the emotions it evokes with the art, characters, and story are top notch. Third, the language used in the manga by the characters feels more like actual angsty teenagers than in the anime, which upped it a little bit, making it closer to a Dawson’s Creek level of pretentiousness. And finally, the concluding volume puts some lovely touches on characterization, with Kosei seeing Kaori’s flaws, but loving her anyway, and with this volume also showing all the people touched by both characters throughout the story (and their lives). This series isn’t perfect, but it is wonderful for exactly what it is—an emotional series following Kosei’s musical journey to work through his own grief. You are intended to feel these emotions as you read this series, and on that front, it succeeds brilliantly. Sorry…I think it just got dusty in here while I’m writing this conclusion… ~ MDMRN

Your Lie in April is published by Kodansha.

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Reader’s Corner is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works their reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works and older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

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voyage-in-the-dark · 4 years

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kate daniels mbti

I reread the entirety of Kate Daniels recently. Also reread some of the Hidden Legacy books and other Ilona Andrews books. Here’s my mbti typings.

Kate Daniels - ESFP

Se and Fi are the two most obvious functions she has. Curran and other characters characterized her as loud-mouthed and reckless. She was a merc before she joined the Pack. And some of her decisions in the first few books were really very rash. Joining the Pack actually gave her a chance to mature. She could no longer blindly charge into situations because now her actions affected not only her, but a lot of other people. She’s very honest and authentic and her values and actions are always congruent. Some of the best emotional tension and stakes in the series comes when she couldn’t act in accordance with her values. Eg. in Magic Breaks, it was so, so intense and the stakes were very high because Kate, a natural protector, wasn’t able to protect her people. Her friends have always said that Kate is loyal, almost to a fault. If she accepted and befriended you, she was your friend for life, no matter what you did. She won’t give up on you. Throughout the series, Kate is always empathizing with people and she’s kind to them because of her empathy. She’s always taking in misfits. She’s also very physical. When she’s upset, she paces or fights or kills something. She’s constantly fidgeting and taking action. In fight scenes, she seems to often experience peak ‘in the zone’ moments, something that Se-doms/SPs seek.

I think the bigger question, for me, is whether she is an Fi-dom or Se-dom? I’m undecided because I can’t tell if Ni or Te is her inferior function. I’m leaning towards ESFP. Firstly, the last word anyone could use to describe her is ‘passive’ or ‘introverted’. She is not someone who could stand in the background and not do anything. She charges into everything. Her arc shows that she grows from a reckless, superficial and unthinking merc with a secret to hide, to someone who thinks before charging into situations, someone who is concerned with living in a way that’s true to her values and what’s right to her. Slightly supporting my ESFP headcanon is Erra’s last words and the ‘bad end’ for Kate - it shows a vision of her looking like a loose canon; a very powerful and reckless villain with no morals, wanting nothing more than the thrill of the battle. It’s also rare for her to really stop and reflect on the future or for her to have a strong sense of purpose (Ni). When stressed, she tends to want to lose herself physically (get into a fight), or kill the person who caused it. She doesn’t withdraw, wallow, or catastrophize, which tertiary Ni is more likely to do. Also, the way she is so persevering and tough reminds me of strong Te. No matter what happens, if it’s someone she cares about (Curran, her family in danger), she will not stop until she’s eliminated the threat. It’s hard to imagine an Fi-dom being so persevering. Her relationship with Curran also shows a bit of lower function compensation - she compensates for his weak spots (empathy) and he compensates for hers (ruthlessness, as Robert mentioned in Magic Breaks)

Curran - ENTJ

I think his mbti is quite obvious. He’s actually quite a stereotypical example of an ENTJ. Te-doms are often natural leaders and they’re often in positions of power in huge corporations or organizations (the Pack). They’re very efficient and effective at managing or leading. He also has no problem taking full responsibility for issues (very healthy Te), in being very tough-minded and fair, being able to put aside his personal feelings to get the job done (how he dealt with Hugh) and having a low tolerance for things that are trivial/waste his time. Ni is obvious in how he’s a long-term and strategic thinker. Eg. the way he maneuvers around pack politics and the way he uses panacea for diplomacy, the very groundbreaking idea to create a Pack. In the book after he leaves the Pack, he said he doesn’t miss the Pack, but he misses taking something very big and complicated and making it work better (very ENTJ) - which is why he started fiddling with the Guild. On a site note, Rogan Connor from Hidden Legacy is also ENTJ, although quite different.

Jim - INTJ

Stab in the dark. He is able to separate the professional and personal parts of his life quite well and doesn’t let personal feelings get in the way of getting the job done, e.g. Kate/the Guild vs Pack (TJ), he’s very much someone who lurks in the background, waiting for all the information before he acts (I), and NJ because he’s overly serious and intense and obsessive when pursuing a goal or when threatened. Also, he’s quite confident in his paranoia and Ni-Se/Se-Ni gives a person a hard edge compared to Ne-Si/Si-Ne.

Derek - ISFP

A guess. He’s a lone wolf - ISxP. He’s quite gentle and introverted. He’s often in the background and doesn’t involve himself in things unnecessarily. I’m very curious how he’ll turn out in the upcoming Ryder book.

Raphael - ESxP

There are a number of Se-dom men in Ilona Andrews’ writing. Kaldar from the Edge, Alessandro from Hidden Legacy, Raphael and Ascanio from Kate Daniels... they tend to be really playful, sensual, doesn’t take anything seriously, and physically/sexually attractive. It explains why Curran/Rogan don’t like them, lol.

Barabas - ExTP, Christopher - IxFx?

Barabas has strong ExTP vibes. He’s mentally very sharp, does well in his position as a lawyer, he’s good at picking apart people’s arguments and exploiting agreements to find loopholes. He mentioned to Kate in Magic Binds that he really likes taking a problem, breaking it apart, and finding a solution for it - Ti.

We don’t know much about Christopher, but from his demeanor, I suspect he’s an introverted feeler. He's quite quiet and he's very gentle.

Roland - narcissistic ENFJ with self-image issues

He’s a control freak and a megalomaniac who thinks he knows best. Whenever someone is a control freak, they are most likely a EJ and are doubling down on a loop, trying to control everything around them when what they need to do is stop and reflect. He likes to appear kindly and fatherly and goes to some extent to manage other people’s perceptions of him - what other people think of him matters to him (dysfunctional Fe). He is remarkably immune to logic and reality, even when evidence of his cruel and harmful actions are shown or told to him, he ignores them or twists them into something else that suits his beliefs (low S, low T). He doesn’t like imperfections and flaws and wants to bring about an ideal vision of the world, as seen in Kate’s conversation with him about beauty and craftsmanship at Cutting Edge in Magic Binds. He also always makes things of beauty and doesn’t like physical ugliness.

#kate daniels #ilona andrews #mbti headcanons #hidden legacy #i actually always thought kate was isfp until i was forced to find evidence for it when writing this

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lizziestudieshistory · 4 years

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Books of 2020 - January

I'm going to attempt monthly 'wrap ups' for my reading as I completely failed with the haphazard groupings last year. I had a successful reading month in January, although there wasn't a lot of variety in what I read... However, I am very happy with what I did read! I'm going to hold back from giving in depth, complete reviews as I've got a lot of books to talk about and I've been properly reviewing books on Goodreads throughout the month.

Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson

This was my first book of 2020 and I really enjoyed it. I could tell Sanderson wrote it earlier in his career, but it was a lot of fun and held some interesting introductions to the Cosmere lore that I've heard a lot about but not read before (do we capitalise Cosmere or not? Help fandom!) It's not my favourite book from Sanderson, however, it was a great start to the year and I'm so happy I met some of Sanderson's iconic (and reoccurring) characters on their own world!

Fool's Errand - Robin Hobb (Tawny Man Trilogy #1; RotE #7)

This book broke me and I loved it. I'm not someone who regularly cries at books or gets overly emotional but I cried on and off for a while after reading a certain moment in this book (you'll know it if you've read it...) I adored returning to Fitz and the Fool, as well as some of the other Farseer characters. The pacing was slow but I love this about the Fitz novels and it really allowed me to get invested in their lives after reading the Liveship series. It was an outstanding instalment in the RotE series and my favourite book I've read from Hobb so far.

The Silmarillion - JRR Tolkien

I have always loved the Silmarillion and I really enjoyed rereading the entire book. I've only read it cover to cover once before and it was such a pleasure to see the entire story of the Silmarils once again. I'd highly recommend to those who loved Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit who haven't read this one yet!

The Fall of Gondolin - JRR Tolkien (ed. Christopher Tolkien)

This was a new Middle Earth book for me and I'd only read the Silmarillion version of the tale before. This book tells and retells the Fall of Gondolin across several different versions of the story that Tolkien wrote throughout his life, and initially it was a fascinating read and I fell in love with this story all over again. However, the editing style was exhausting after a while and I was left fatigued by the end of the book (even when I split the stories up over a week or so...) It was amazing to see more of Tolkien's thoughts about what happened at Gondolin and catch a glimpse at what the finishes story would have been but the editing really made the whole book a struggle. I would have loved a novel along the lines of The Children on Hurin, but I am glad I finally read this one.

The Path of Daggers - Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time #8)

I can't say much here and keep it spoiler free. However, I will say I am still infuriated by the Aiel Wise Ones and their hypocrisy towsrds the Aes Sedai, so much so am being to actively hate the Wise Ones... Perrin and Faile are boring and I'm really feeling the slog with them (as I had been warned previously that I would...) I'm in love with Elayne and Nynaeve's plotline going towards Caemlyn and the Succession War - I thought I would because that's my favourite type of fantasy story! Also BIG development I could actually stand Egwene and I was interested in her as well as the White Tower conflict (I was very excited about this development! Hopefully I will start to get on a bit more with Egwene as we go forward.)

The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Era One #1)

This is a difficult one for me to review. Part of me enjoyed it, didn't adore it like I did with The Stormlight Archive, but I did appreciate The Final Empire for what it is - a heist novel mixed with a subverted chosen one story. My big issue with it was the sheer hype around Mistborn, it seems like EVERYONE has read this series and loved it, which made me expect a lot more from this novel than it's supposed to give. (My views are slowly changing as I read Well of Ascension but that's a different story...) I had expectations on a story of equivalent impact to The Way of Kings - which is really unfair to this book as that's not what Sanderson was going for in this first novel. I'm trying to separate my expectations from the actual book but that's proving very difficult...

Nevertheless I did enjoy it and would really recommend you read it if you haven't. I'd also recommend reading Mistborn before heading into Stormlight because everything I now read from Sanderson feels a little bit less spectacular because I have the constant comparison between Sanderson's magnum opus and his previous work.

Currently Reading...

The Golden Fool - Robin Hobb (Tawny Man #2; RotE #8)

At p.249. This was on a bit of a break whilst I waited for the audiobook to come back on Scribd.

Winter's Heart - Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time #9)

At p.182. I'm enjoying Elayne's plot and the preface was great! But Perrin's plotline in the first chunk sucked and REALLY dragged...

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Era 1 #2)

At p.549. This book is what I was expecting from The Final Empire. I'm in love with the politicking and development of the magic system along with Vin and Elend's character development!

I'll link my Goodreads when I get a chance and I'm still not spell checking these... Sorry ;)

#books of 2020 #brandon sanderson #warbreaker #the final empire #well of ascension #mistborn #Robin Hobb #fools errand #rote #realm of the elderlings #robert jordan #path of daggers #wheel of time #winter's heart #jrr tolkien #the silmarillion #the fall of gondolin

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pandoraships · 4 years

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1 through 20. I wantto know ALL

Okay let’s see tw: abuse, low self esteem.

1. Describe yourself how you would describe a character you’re introducing.

Fairly tall, pear shaped and broad faced she stares out the window of the cafe. Blue grey eyes dart from behind glasses that are so smudged they almost hide the deep circles under her eyes. She seems to be searching the air for words to type with her nail bitten finger nails. Frizzy brown hair rumpled from one to many hands being pushed through it hangs limp to her shoulders, which slump slightly as if hiding from some all seeing eye. Her expression is cold, tired, and done with the world, but When she sees you staring she smiles, and you see hope behind her eyes.

2. Is there any specific ritual you go through while/before/after your writing?

I do have a few. I cue up my music, settle in, and just reread my last chapter. It helps me work up to the next set of scenes. I also try to take a hot shower before hand , as water seems to energize me.

As for while writing I will often act out the scenes verbally and physically , or something close to them, to judge reactions. My so has walked in on that shit more than once.

After writing I go back and just change things around until I can’t recognize what I’ve written at which point I panic, quickly edit and pray I have done well. I also take forever to post because I have to convince my low self esteem I’m not hurting anyone by posting or being a crappy writer.

3. What is your absolute favorite kind of fic to write?

Slow, in-depth and epic aus. I figure the writers of the actual series have a good plan, so I try not to write in canon or at least in current canon, so I can be more inventive and leave their property in their version of the story.

4. Are there any other fic writers you admire? If so, who and why?

A ton actually. anyone who tries really. I know how tough it can be to put yourself out there. That being said I’m a fan of @arxaris and also Let_me-wander on ao3. But for me any good work will earn my respect.

As to why those two specifically? They have the chemistry down pat for my head canon kirishima and bakugo. Also I’m a sucker for just fluff slice of life stories .

5. How many words can you write if you sit down and concentrate intensely for an hour?

5000? Assuming I break to pace wildly and mutter at my cats. 7000 if I’m just really absorbed.

6. First fic/pairing you wrote for? (If no pairing, describe the plot)

ahaha okay so actually if anyone can find it I have a Naruto/ gaara Drabble floating around on fanfiction.net. It’s not even a real fiction , and you can only see the pairing if you squint, but it was there . The rest on that site are collabs which wasn’t mine.

I wrote others but the “first” real paring I wrote for was an angel fanfiction from an anonymous axis powers hetalia that had Germany and italia and involved Prussia falling and ... well life got in the way of that one, but it’s out there, half written.

7. Inspiration, time, or motivation. Choose two.

Motivation and inspiration because you make time for writing. It’s a disciplined art.

8. Why do you choose to write?

I get depressed or overly emotional when I don’t. It makes me feel bland to focus on this world all the time. I like creating and being able to share that with others.

9. Do you ever have plans to write anything other than fic?

I have a couple of books in the works but it’s mostly getting the esteem up to even try.

10. What inspires you the most?

Ahah attention. I kid. It’s mostly the world around us, small moments that allow me to take them and riff on them.

11. Weirdest thing you’ve ever written/thought about writing/etc.?

Uhhh home stuck mage the awakening picture web comic spin off.Primarly because I can’t fucking draw. Pure writing? I have a set up where a guy dies and goes to heaven and becomes the destined one to destroy the machine of the long absent god. But he’s like several kinds of dumb.

12. A fix you wish you had written better, and why?

Ahahaha uh I’m not sure I could have but I did a trading Christmas thing and I just phoned it in. I was having a lot of home trouble at the time but i was a gift. I could have done better.

13. Favorite fic from another author?

Nope, that is like asking a favorite child or your drink of choice. It differs depending on what mood I am in.

14. Your favorite side pairings to put in?i actually sneak in Crowley and his angel from good omens into almost every fic. If it’s not them it’s my first actual concious ship, Kurama and Hiei fromyuyu hakusho. I also add in my favorite player characters from my role playing games and their boyfriends.

15. Your guilty writing pleasure?

Supernatural. Soulmates . Reincarnation, time travel.

16. Do you have structured ideas of how your story is supposed to go, or make it up as you write?

Half and half. I do write out the plots but about half way through a given story I have to stop and like... rewrite .

17. Would yo describe yourself as a fast writer?

Hmmmm?

18. How old were you when you started writing?

11.

19. Why did you start writing?

I was an emotionally and sexually abused child locked in her own mind by a toxic mix of anxiety , slight social delays and having been forced to grow up and use my mind to avoid danger. I didn’t have friends, I didn’t talk , I spent all my days locked in my own head trying desperately to express feelings I didn’t have words for. I had been abandoned on an uncaring relatives door step by a mother who was escaping her own abuse at the hands of said relatives. I was numb, tired and at the same time hated the world. My only comfort were books , manga , anime, video games. My relatives hated all of those but books. So I was given only those.

One day I just... started writing. And suddenly I could process the storm in my mind. It didn’t make it hurt less but I could tell stories to understand my pain from a safe distance. And it saved me.

20. 4 sentences from your work that you’re proud of

Its movement seemed strange, too slow, and too fast at the same time. The purple-green slime that made up the body roiled and morphed over the cement, collecting debris like an abyssal lint roller. As its front came into view, Izuku could see the face swimming about its exterior, like a sick Mr. Potato head. Each bubble that formed in its surface displaced the features, and with each pop, they shuddered violently back to their original locations, like ping pong balls in ooze.

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inknerd · 5 years

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May Wrap-Up 2019

I’ve had so much to do this month; reading wasn’t really my first priority^^ Still, the last week I took the time to catch up to reading, and I read a lot of books I’ve wanted to read for awhile, and I feel like I’ve read a variety of books from ya to poetry to nonfiction, so that’s fun!

POETER TÄNDER BARA LAMPOR by EMILY DICKINSON (translation by ANN-MARIE VINDE) ★★★☆☆

| 130 pages | 3 weeks to read | Published 2017

So this is a collection of some of Dickinson’s poetry, who I haven’t read anything of so this was fairly exciting! It had both the English version and the Swedish translation together with notes from the translator, and so it took me awhile to read... + The more I read the more I liked it? I’m very happy the Swedish translation was available, because sometimes I just didn’t get what Dickinson was writing until I read it in Swedish and then reread the English one again. - With that said, I don’t think I will read any more of Dickinson soon. It was good but not really my kind of poetry.

DISORDER IN COURT: GREAT FRACTURED MOMENTS IN COURTROOM HISTORY by CHARLES M. SEVILLA ★★☆☆☆ | 256 pages | 1 day to read | Published 1992

You might have seen the funny tumblr post about this one. I did, was intruiged but waited to buy it until my friend told me she planned to study law. I saw the opportunity, bought it, read it, and then gifted it to my friend. + So some of these stories were hilarious, and it just shows how silly humans are even in serious situations like being in court for a crime. - Unfortunately, I didn’t find it as funny as I thought I would? Some things flew over my head because lawyer lingo/a bit more complicated English, sometimes it took some time before I got the joke and then it’s not as funny, y’know? Also, some of the jokes were quite dated.

A VERY LARGE EXPANSE OF SEA by TAHEREH MAFI ★★★★★ | 310 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2018

So I was excited for this one, and then people seemed to have mixed opinions on it (not disliking it, just not loving it as much as they’d expected to) so I waited until it came to my local library and then finally started reading it. And I LOVED IT! + PEAK ROMANCE! The main relationship is so cute and heart-wrenching, I wasn’t annoyed at Shirin’s family which is usually the case for me with more contemporary/romance-styled novels. This book had an important story to tell and it succeded in my opinion. - Idk, can’t come up with something totally obvious but I’d hoped for a more closed ending rather than the more open one I got.

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by TOMI ADEYEMI ★★★☆☆ | 544 pages | +2 weeks to read | Published 2018

So I finally read this book! I’ve been sort of struggling with if I should give this three or four stars but in the end... *sweat drop emoji* I feel like I might have hyped this up a bit too much in my head. But in the end it was an enjoyable read and the reason it took my a while to read it was because I was busy, not necessarily that I found it boring. + i loved the worldbuilding, the magic system was interesting and it was explained in a way that didn’t feel forced. - The romance was...not overly good and the ending was...meh. And while the worldbuilding and so on made the story more spectacular the general plot was nothing special.

AVENGERS: DESTINY ARRIVES by LIZA PALMER ★★★☆☆ | 304 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2019

So this is basically Avengers: Infinity War in bookform, and I ordered because I wanted to read it before Endgame came out. Sadly! It showed up on the day of the premiere and I just skimmed through it the first time. Now I read it more carefully and, yeah, it was basically what I expected. + So most of it was just like in the movie, but the artistic take Palmer did on the characters thoughts and emotions during the battle was very interesting to read! And the illustrations were very nice too! - I can’t confirm this without checking the movie (and I don’t have the time) but some small things I remember being slightly different. Just small things, but considering it’s a book of a movie I feel justified in being somewhat picky.

CAPTAIN MARVEL: HIGHER, FURTHER, FASTER by LIZA PALMER ★★★★☆ | 246 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2019

Bought this at the same time as Destiny Arrives, because the cover just looked so pretty and the premise looked cool! + This was a surprisingly refreshing read. Some of the things Palmer came up with herself in Infinity War really resonated with me, and here she has the chance to come up with things on her own without being restrained by a movie (this book happens way before the movie Captain Marvel). It felt like this book had some important things to say. - I wished this book stretched longer, if so only to touch more on the story of Carol becoming Captain Marvel - but at the same time I was fine with how the book ended.

THE PRINCESS SAVES HERSELF IN THIS ONE by AMANDA LOVELACE ★★★★☆ | 156 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2016

This was a reread for me! I’ve worked with poetry together with my students this past month and I was motivated to read this again after seeing that the third collection in this series came out not too long ago. I reread this mainly because I wanted to see if my feelings on it had changed, and was pleased to see that they hadn’t! It’s still an interesting read.

I plan to reread the second one as well before I buy the third one!

THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES by HIRO ARIKAWA ★★★★☆ | 256 pages | 5 days to read | Published 2012

+ This is one of those books were you know what will happen, yet it still carries enough emotional impact that you cry when it ends. Reading from a cat’s perspective was very interesting and overall, this was such a nice read!

KVINNOR I KAMP: 150 ÅRS KAMP FÖR FRIHET, JÄMLIKHET OCH SYSTERSKAP by MARTA BREEN & JENNY JORDAHL ★★★★☆ | 119 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2018

This is a graphic novel depicting some of the history of the women’s rights movement. + The art was nice and they choose to include not only stories from Sweden and the west but also other parts of the world, which was great.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE ★★★☆☆ | 175 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2011/1598

My reading of Shakespeare’s plays continue! I remember watching the movie from ‘93 with Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh in class and really liking it! So when it came to choose the next play this is one I really wanted to read. + Beatrice and Benedick is so funny and charming, this made me want to rewatch the movie! - Outside of Beatrice and Benedick it was a pretty classic, background Shakespearian story going on, that was interesting but not as much as forementioned.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS by KEVIN KWAN ★★★☆☆ | 467 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2013

Finally read this! I wanted to see the movie since I’d heard so many good things about it, but it turned out netflix didn’t have it... I might watch it some other time, though! + I really flew through this. The descriptions of the luxury all around the characters was so much fun to read and the story had so many colourful characters to cling to. I might continue on with this series! - Despite getting through this very quickly, there were definitely parts full of information that I wasn’t interested in reading. I also expected this to be way funnier than it was. For some reason I was under the impression this was a sort of romance-comedy but while some things were funny (or, absurd?) it didn’t really meet my expectations. Some things about the romance parts didn’t click with me, either.

THE POET X by ELIZABETH ACEVEDO ★★★★☆ | 361 pages | 1 day to read | Published 2018

+ I liked that it was written in verse and I liked the story in itself... I don’t know what more to say.

TIGER LILY by JODI LYNN ANDERSON ★★☆☆☆ | 292 pages | 2 days to read | Published 2012

I’d heard shifting opinions on this one, but decided the premise sounded too interesting to not give a chance. I liked this book well enough, by the end, but it was far from a new favourite. + and - The reasons I liked it was also the reasons I disliked it. I liked some characterisations or aspects of them, and disliked some of them. I found the mix between Neverland and the real world somewhat confusing and wished the author would’ve either sticked more the original story or less, if that makes any sense. As far as Peter Pan-retellings go, I think this was interesting, still.

VIPER by BEX HOGAN ★★☆☆☆ | 400 pages | 2 days to read | Published 2019

This was is a brand new ya fantasy trilogy that I probably won’t continue reading... + While the first half of the book was pretty boring and predictable the second half was way better. I liked the main character the best in the middle of the book, same with the romance. - As mentioned, the start of the book was pretty lackluster. The main character seemed pretty meek considering the circumstances, the romance was bleh and the plot unoriginal. This book had several things that I’ve seen before over and over again and it didn’t work too hard on making them seem different than normal. Overall this story lacked any real depth.

#books #julia reads #reading wrap-up #reading wrap-up: may 2019 #book recommendations #book recs #book reviews #ya #booklr #my post

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digital-dragoon · 5 years

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what are some things you liked and disliked about the new watership down mini series?

alright so! first of all, i quite enjoyed it and it’s made me begin to reread the book and contemplate watching the original film again, which is great! however, personally? i think it was a very flawed recreation of the book

i really did like the fur texture on each of the rabbits tbh…. it looks super nice! same as the backgrounds too! and the fact that they made the does a bit more prominent than before is really cool too

the ost is really nice!! it held quite a lot of emotion to it which is really great, especially in terms of building atmosphere and/or tension

i… actually liked how fiver knew that hazel was going to pass away and said everything that he wanted to say to him in farewell. and seeing clover doing some more stuff throughout was cool! especially as i adore the choice of designing her as a harlequin tbh…. (originally she was an angora and they’re these big white puffballs, which…. would have been amazing to see too tbh, but i understand that they’d probs struggle with that)

also! fiver’s visions becoming so twisted around bc of him working them out differently, as well as… trying to (accidentally) change some of the events was. pretty interesting actually! i especially liked how he changed the course of events with the humans picking up hazel into him being getting picked up by them instead

but… there’s. a fair Bit i didn’t like tbh. i really wasn’t fond of how they made kehaar speak lapine so clearly? when he never did in the book or the original film. it takes away some qualities about him, and the immersion of it too as he’s… speaking a different language from his own so it would be difficult for him if he’s not really conversed that much with rabbits before

the 3d models… don’t. look that great. their movements are stiff and awkward a fair amount of the time and some of the structures of the models (especially hawkbit and a few of the other bucks with this odd overly stretched out snout) don’t work at all for rabbits. and the dog… ugh i really wasn’t fond of how they designed the mouth or the way it moved… it just. didn’t remind me much of a living, breathing dog tbh, which is what they should’ve been trying to accomplish

some things being changed, like woundwort’s backstory (which? why??? do that??? just. he had such an awful beginning and they took pretty much all of what makes him into what he was throughout the book away from him), the fact that clover goes to find hazel instead of fiver and also? hazel telling bigwig to let woundwort know he’s defending the burrow for his chief rabbit?? weird

(also, little nitpick but. they randomly started calling man, humans near to the end and. i don’t remember them calling them by that throughout the book so. that irks me a bit)

and lastly, the whole scene where hazel dies. they couldn’t? be bothered to make a new model for him showing his age which is super ??? to me. it’s supposed to be one of the most emotional sections and… well. yes, most wild rabbits don’t live long but, hazel found the perfect place to spend the rest of his years, safe from enemies, at watership down, so… he’d definitely be pretty old by any wild rabbit standards. that lack of thought there just… didn’t sit right with me at all

overall though, it’s gave me a few things to think about! clover having more screen-time made me feel for her more than i would have expected. and little details like fiver’s heterochromia and strawberry being changed to a doe to give a little bit more of a balance was very nice! it’s not a great miniseries but it’s… an okay one. and made me inspired again to draw and write about watership down characters so that’s definitely a good thing!

#thanks friend!!#rorykillmore #watership down

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daisymondays · 6 years

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Five Books

I was tagged by the wonderful @writcraft and marvellous @magpiefngrl (one day imma stop using bad alliteration) to talk about five books that have left a deep impression on me over my life and ngl most of them are my teen ones. I often find myself overly caught up in books as I get utterly emersed in the worlds and they plague my thoughts for days after I’ve finished reading them, but these are the ones that truly stayed with me

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling

Look we all knew this was going to be here, look at my blog name, look at my life choices, i couldnt have made this list without having Harry Potter at the top -- though admittedly while i’ve always loved HP it’s been later years the obsession has grown. It’s a movie quote but Sirius saying “the ones that love us never really leave us.” sums up my feelings on the HP series because no matter what point in my life i’ve been in, it’s always been here for me. It was there for me as a child when i was desperate to see magic in the world. It was there for me when I was 15 and experiencing a rather intense bout of depression and needed reminding that good friendship was real. It was there for me at 17 when I was getting ready to leave school for good. And it was here for me at 19/20 when i came out of a 4 year relationship and had to learn who I was again. These books always have been and always will be sooo important to me and i cant imagine a point in my life where they wont matter.

2. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

Now these were the literal books of my childhood!!! I grew up alongside Percy Jackson and i adored him, i would blame 90& of my sarcastic tendancies on thinking Percy was hilarious and wanting to be like him. I adored the character of Percy Jackson and have the biggest soft spot for this series because I can really trace both from Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief to Blood of Olympus and it goes a fair way through my schooling. This series inspired my love of Greek myths which influenced my studies and thus my life really. Also i just really adore sooo many of these characters and their stories <3 What Would Percy Jackson Do got me through a lot of life issues

3. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

i am literally the least pretentious English student ever so here we go, now this series was one that i utterly fell in love with, the first two books are two of my favourite ever written and i cannot tell you how many times i’ve read The Raven Boys my copy is worn through and high-lighted to shit. I think a lot of my life I have put far too much emphasis on the aesthetic and a need for something more, and books like this filled that hole. The friendship dynamics were what I longed for so desperately the idea of being truly known and I found it in these books with these characters and the beauty of the writing has really stayed with me.

4. Looking For Alaska by John Green

Now this is the official book I have read more times than I can count, I think i read it about twice a year from whenever I first got it till when i was about 17. It was a fair bit of me living vicariously through novel characters and longing for more than I was experiencing, and I guess I stopped having to read it because I finally started living. I think the girl who read this book from cover to cover every time would be pretty happy with the way I’ve ended up

5. We Were Liars by E. Lockheart

I can remember finishing this book and just sitting on my bed with tears streaming down my face at the absolute roller coaster of emotions I had just stepped off. The ending of this book fucking destroyed me in the best way possible and I think I had book hangover for a good couple of weeks afterward just rolling the events I had read over and over in my head. I’ve reread it a couple of times since and while it’s never been as hard hitting as it was that first time I’ve always enjoyed it.

Honourable Mentions: Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer The Secret History by Donna Tartt Both Sarah J Maas series Between by Jessica Warman

I’m unsure who has done this but I’ll just tag @aibidil @gingertodgers @frnklymrshnkly @untilourapathy @violetclarity @thealmostrhetoricalquestion @henrymercury

#tag games #gracie speaks

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siocynder · 6 years

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Main Characters

People will tell you different things based on what works for them. Some writers plan the plot first, some plan the setting, and some plan the characters first. It’s whatever is comfortable for you. I know a lot of people say plan the plot and match your characters to it. But I’m the opposite. I find that if I do that then my characters just end up following along, instead of being immersed and part of the plot. A good majority of the time, the characters and a general outline come to me at the same time.

You do you. No one will tell you otherwise. Do what feels comfortable. If you get stuck, maybe just go back and rework some things. As a writer, you’ll have to get used to changing things. Changing names, changing personalities or characters, changing settings—heck!—changing your entire plot. I had to do this on my own rewrite after my editor got through it. That took forever to fix, but it was worth it in the end.

How do you make a Main Character?

You want to work on your main character, but you don’t want them to be some cookie-cutter, generic protagonist, i.e. not a Mary Sue or Gary Stu.

All right, first off: What’s a Mary Sue/Gary Stu?

Well, that’s when your main character is so annoyingly perfect in every way. They are loved by all, can never do any wrong, have all the powers they need, are incredibly talented and can do everything, but oh! They also don’t think they’re all that.

Did I describe any characters to you? Probably. Most likely because these characters are everywhere.

Bella Swan from Twilight? You guessed it. She’s a Mary Sue.

But she’s clumsy and she’s not perfect, Sio!

I know, but those don’t de-sueify her. Sorry folks! The thing is, many main female characters are Mary Sues. The author is trying to hide that fact by giving them a few flaws. Bella is beautiful and thinks she isn’t—cue generic beauty-insecurity trait. However, she somehow manages to get the attention of a lot of people in her new school, including a hot vampire boy, regardless! She causes jealous reactions from her female friends. She also—and I don’t know how—accomplishes to defy all odds against her, surviving several attacks and self-harming activities, and gets the boy in the end.

Now, these aren’t bad things, don’t get me wrong. Some people love these characters and you’re allowed to. Sometimes it’s nice to read something this simple. The issue is that these types of characters are becoming a norm and we aren’t learning to expand.

Clarke from The 100 has—what my friend and I would like to call—“classic protagonist syndrome”. I love this show, but even I know that Clarke is an annoying main character. Incredibly smart, incredibly pretty, gets the guys (and girls), and she somehow manages to make stupid mistakes, and no one ever blames her for them. That being said, the show seemed to realize what they were doing, and Clarke ended up being told off by all of her friends about her terrible choices and had to go through a redemption arc to prove herself.

Your main character can make stupid decisions, but please, oh please, do not allow them to just walk away with a “you did something dumb, but it’s okay because it all worked out in the end!”. NO! They did something dumb and now they should be reprimanded just like any other character that does the same thing!

Male characters can have the same issues. They’re perfect, they know sixteen languages, they get the girl, and they somehow are never questioned; all because they’re the main character and allowed to do these things that no one else is allowed to do.

People…your main characters are still human! They should have flaws. Self-deprecating flaws are fine, but there are plenty of other options that can be much more interesting to a reader. For example, have them be terrible with their powers. Have them struggle in school and mess up and be called out for it. Have them have anger issues or emotional issues in general. Real people aren’t going to make the right choices every time. Real people are going to be selfish sometimes and lie. Oh my god, make them fail. Make them fail so hard.

But, please, don’t make their plan fail because it was sabotaged. Just have the plan be a bad plan. Not everyone can make a good plan, people.

You know what’s even better? When you plan the plot issues around your character’s flaws. They need to go through a test that determines their honesty, but your character is a compulsive liar? Do it! It makes everything just that much more compelling.

Another thing, what’s with the overly-impulsive characters? I mean, impulsiveness is okay once or twice, but when they do it every bloody time? If you have a side character tell your main character not to do something multiple times because it’ll be terrible for everyone, please, don’t have your main character do it! There are other ways to get this terrible thing to happen. Maybe it’s an accident, maybe they’re compelled to. I don’t know, but if I read one more main character that just thinks, “I can do this because I’m the MC!” I’m going to burn the book. This is used too much and it’s simply because the writer couldn’t come up with a better way to do it.

Your main characters are not invincible.

In my own series, my main characters each have flaws that define who they are. Pride? Prejudice? Lack of emotions? Issues communicating? I’ve got all of those because those are human problems. My main character, Thalia, has trouble expressing her emotions. That causes a lot of issues for her and the group she’s with. They need to be able to bond, and they can’t do that if she doesn’t trust or like them. Do you see what I mean with making the flaws tied to the plot?

If you don’t have anything that makes your character somewhat undesirable, like dishonesty, jealousy, impulsiveness, etc, then your character might be a Mary Sue/Gary Stu.

Your female characters: You know…they’re allowed to think they’re pretty. They’re allowed to be pretty. They’re also allowed to be plain. Your character doesn’t need to think they’re plain but are actually pretty. This is a major Mary Sue thing to do.

Or the male characters: Slender, but they can still kick-butt because, look, they have muscle and can fight! It’s okay to have a clumsy male hero, who’s a stick.

You can also have a main character that’s not male or female at all! Make them agender or nonbinary. These shouldn’t be their overall defining trait, of course, but seeing as we want to get away from the average, always-seen main characters, this would be such a nice change.

Look, I’m not saying that a Mary Sue is a terrible thing. I’m not saying never do it, it’ll ruin your writing career. Sometimes a little Mary Sue-ness isn’t an issue. But that’s only if it’s in small dosages. Mary Sues/Gary Stus don’t tend to evolve in a story. Generally, they remain the same until the end. You want your main character to evolve.

They start the story not being able to communicate their emotions? Well, by the end of the series they should have a grasp on getting out some emotion. I’m not asking you to have them yell their declarations from the rooftop, but there should be a breaking point throughout the series that has them realizing they can trust people and what they’re feeling.

If you’re asking, “What is a cool character?” before “What is a plausible character?” then you need to start rethinking things. Your main character should be someone that you can meet on the street. It doesn’t matter what they look like. It’s the way they act.

Side note: Give them a voice.

You’ve built up this unique character with super interesting personality traits, and then they talk and think like they’re a computer.

Look, I get it. Writing a character can be really hard and writing in general can be incredibly difficult. It’s not an easy task. It takes trial and error to get what you really want. Planning a character as well as you can and digging in deep into their minds, will help you get into that character. You want to become your character in order to really make their voices unique.

Do they tend to think in circles? If they do, make this interesting. Otherwise, the readers are going to get frustrated with it.

Are they sarcastic? Well, why not make them think sarcastically too?

Are they an artist? Have them notice all the colors and details of things. Talk to artists to see what they notice in life.

You want this character to jump off the page with realism, not get dulled down by details and mediocre thoughts. If you reread your novel fifteen times or more (and you will have to do this, so make sure you really like your novel) and you’re starting to get bored of your own character talking, you might want to switch things up.

I always know I’ve gotten into character when the characters start talking and doing things on their own. I know where they need to go, but they’re the ones that are going to get me there. Not every writer will experience this, but it’s a possibility for you.

Now that we have that out of the way: How many main characters should you have?

My thoughts differ on this because it really depends on the story. Odd numbers are always the way to go. One, three, five. I have a book series in process with seven main characters. And this series I’m working on right now, with my co-author, has twelve. Whoa, I know, that’s a lot. But bear with me for a second.

You see, main characters are usually the ones that the story follows. Meaning, they’re the point of view, or the best friends that are always there with your number one main. Harry is the main character of Harry Potter, but Hermione and Ron are mains as well. They make up the trio. The more people you put into a novel, especially main characters, the more things get unclear (I’ve learned this the hard way).

I have twelve main characters in my series. That’s twelve people that the reader follows, and it’s really only the twelve of them—plus a few side mentions here and there, but they don’t matter all that much, and, of course, the villain. Now, if I had twelve main characters, plus the names of all their classmates, and their families, and their neighbors, and—well, you get the idea—that’s just too much for someone to take in. My series is told in third person, which means I get to sort of jump around from character to character. It allows the reader to get to know them better. They also aren’t going to stay together the whole time, so I need a way to show you what they’re all doing at different times. If this was just one person’s POV and I had twelve main characters…well, I’m sure that would be confusing. That one person would need to be in every scene and get to know each of them and that’s more headache than it’s worth.

Do you need seven characters as the mains? I did because the project is about the seven deadly sins, but if I were writing something set in a school where I really only needed one point of view, seven is just a little too much. I could maybe make it three.

So, in the end, it really depends on how you write your character, what you want them to stand for and be like. It’s your choice how many mains you have and how you create them. Nevertheless, you also need to think about your reader. Are they going to like this character? Are they going to be confused? Because, believe it or not, the reader is the one that makes your career. If they don’t like your characters and connect to them, your book will struggle. Do you need to follow all these rules? Of course not! But it’s best to keep it all in mind just in case.

Sio.

#writing tips #sio sit-down #how to write a main character #protagonist

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kallypsowrites · 6 years

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I really want to hear the answers for 20-30, of it's not too much trouble. And definitely take your time! It is a lot.

*cracks knuckles* well no one ever sends me asks so HERE WE GO!

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

No. Even when I rewrote my most major fanfic (An FMA fanfic) it wasn’t the ending that bothered me as much as the execution. For all of my many faults as a writer, endings are one of my strengths and I’m generally confident with my final chapters

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

I don’t know if this question is asking for fanfic writers or not, and to be honest, it’s been a long time since I regularly red fanfiction. There was one fanfic author who’s FMA fanfiction always stuck with me as being so WILDLY different from the source material and yet so damn engaging at the same time. They proved that you could make any scenario work with a deft hand.

If we’re talking none fanfic writers, I’m obsessed with Brandon Sanderson for his world building and VE Schwab for her characterization

22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

Hahahahahahahahaha. Oh DO I! I wrote fanfiction avidly from middle school onward. Anything written in that time period makes me cringe and I removed it all from fanfiction.net. Really most things more than a few years old make me cringe, but I take that as a sign that I am getting better.

My most cringe worthy stories were written in the Cats fandom. Yes, Cats the musical. Yes, that was my first fanfiction writing experience. Cause of course.

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

I am a MUSIC person. I make character playlists, book playlists, emotion playlists. Playlists for everything. And I organize them so that they have the perfect emotional arc too. I LOVE music

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?

TBH I love writing smut and I almost never share it with any living soul. I think only my close friends have gotten to see my smut when I do requests for them. In normal fanfic I tend to fade to black though.

25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

Hehehehehehehe. Yes. Lots of times. All the time. I am known to dabble in the angst and break my characters whenever possible. I’m always torn between the writer part of me, who cackles, and the parental part of me who just wants to hug my babies close. So it’s usually like...cry laughing.

26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?

I think this is where you’re supposed to ask for a specific fanfic BUT I’ll just pick one moment and go with that.

In One Last Spark, the third book in my FMA series, there is a several chapter long final fight scene that I think contains about...oh...seven seperate battles, all going one right after the other and several at the same time, because I did NOT space out killing my villains like I should have. I had to find dramatic ways to kill five villains + two heroes and I had to keep all of the characters engaged throughout. I HATE writing fight scenes. i hate them. They are hard. And writing several is hard to balance without letting some characters fall by the wayside. Those chapters took me forever and I suffered for them. If I ever get around to rewriting One Last Spark I will probably smooth it out.

27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

Outline. Outline. Outline. I am a religious outliner. I love playing with story structure and parallels and thinking about a character’s arc before I write it really helps me. Outlining is nearly as fun as the actual writing. Now, with that in mind, I still discover stuff during the writing process such as character relationships or little pieces of backstory. But I like to have a general shape

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?

That I don’t have to be so ragingly hateful against other female characters as a result of some sort of weird internalized misoginy and desire to be not like “other girls”. That was exhausting.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

My original fiction, lol. I gotta book. It’s called Hour of Mischief. It’s pretty fun and has gotten way more editing than my fanfiction.

No but really, my favorite fanfics have gotten a lot of love. I think that Double Edged Blades (my lesser known FMA fic) was technically speaking better quality than Lightning Strike. But I do love Lightning Strike the most now that I’ve rewritte it.

I actually had a rad Hunger Games fic that I really enjoyed writing but it didn’t get a whole lot of hits. It’s called Hidden Bitter Darkness. It’s not perfect but meh, what is?

30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Dude the fact that people stuck around after the first version of Lightning Strike is AMAZING to me because that shit is unreadable. The rewrite ups the quality a lot but I wrote the first Lightning Strike in the middle of my overly sarcastic, sassy, edgelord phase and Liz was obnoxious as hell. Thanks to everyone who actually stuck around though, cause I’m so fond of the rewrite.

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thaliasbooks · 6 years

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Never Eighteen (Review)

Title: Never Eighteen

Series: N/A

Author: Megan Bostic

Publication: 2012

Rating: ★★

Summary: Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life. Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go. But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

Review: I only read a handful of books this year, and most of those were rereads of things I already knew I loved. This was one of two or three books I read which were new to me, and can I just say that it’s books like this that drove away my love of reading in the first place? I have been struggling since I graduated from college to find my passion for literature again, specifically young adult literature, and it’s so difficult to regain that when it feels like the majority of books I take a chance on end up being boring and terrible.

Never Eighteen seemed like it could be a quick and uplifting read—it’s obvious from the description that our main character, Austin, doesn’t have a lot of time because of some unexplained terminal illness, but that doesn’t necessarily mean this couldn’t be inspiring and heart-warming. Unfortunately, a book like this makes all the Hallmark Christmas movies I’ve been binge-watching look like Oscar winners. There was nothing even slightly likeable about Austin or even his best friend, Kaylee, and certainly nothing Austin did or said to anyone else made me feel even slightly sorry for him. It was cliché and convenient, an unsavory combination when it comes to reading.

What I Liked: Spoilers!

All I can really say here is that it passed the one-star test; that is, it didn’t make me so furious that I was fuming by the time I finished reading it, and it wasn’t written so horrendously that it was laughably funny. It just kind of was, which isn’t a great thing for a book to be. For me, apathy usually translates to a two- or three-star read because I just can’t drum up enough emotion to even dislike it enough for anything less. This wasn’t on the list of worst books I’ve ever read, and that’s really the biggest compliment I can offer.

What I Didn’t Like:

Austin’s relationship with Kaylee is absolutely ridiculous. He says he’s been in love with her since they were kids, but he’s chosen to just treat her like a friend instead because he doesn’t want to lose her. The way Austin thinks about her, though, it unsettling. He takes pictures of her when she’s sleeping; he works to remember the way she looks in her pajamas; he’s constantly imagining what it would be like to kiss or touch her. These aren’t things that “just friends” think about, and while I understand that it’s difficult to turn those feelings off, his constant stream of thoughts about her drowned out everything that made me understand why they were best friends. He doesn’t think about who she is or why he loves her so much, so I never could understand why what they had was special or important. In addition to that, he’s not even kind to her; he makes her drive him around (she literally skips work to drive him places), then tells her she can’t come inside to talk with the people he visits. Midway through the story, the entire focus becomes on telling Kaylee how he feels and wondering how she’ll react—and since this is the kind of YA book that it is, of course Kaylee has always felt the same way and everything works out all hunky dory.

Austin’s visits were shallow and poorly constructed. I can’t remember exactly how many people he goes to see, but he makes a bunch of house calls during a two-day period so he can change everyone’s lives and convince them to be better than they are. This book paints people who have experienced any kind of tragedy as hermits, unwilling and unable to make anything of themselves. Austin, our hero, traipses into their homes, reminds them of everything that hurts them, then casually tells them it’s time to either move on or get help. His biggest selling point is that they should feel guilty for wasting their lives because he’s going to die. These people spill their inner-most demons to this guy they’ve barely talked to in years, and I guess his little spiel is enough to mend every hurt they’ve ever had? Bostic tried to cram every terrible thing that could ever happen to anyone into this novel (sometimes several things in one character), which overloaded the characters and made them very unsympathetic. I don’t believe in playing lightly with topics like rape, drug addition, etc, but these were all merely plot devices in Austin’s “save the world” journey.

The chronology of this book makes absolutely no sense. In one day, Austin and Kaylee visit four or five people, go to the country fair (rides, food, the whole shebang), drive to Seattle, eat dinner, drive home, then go visit some more people. There’s just no way. This was a poorly mapped out weekend that sure had to be longer than a weekend. In addition, I still hate present tense writing as much as I ever had. In case you didn’t see this coming, Austin does indeed die at the end of the book, but never fear! Just because the story is written in first person present tense from Austin’s point of view doesn’t mean the story’s going to end. Nope, no worries because it just continues from the third person as Kaylee deals with her grief over losing her one true love. If you’re going to write in first person present tense, please just commit to it and finish your story with your narrator.

Overall: I didn’t have many great things to say here, but it simply didn’t fire me up enough to write a one-star review. If you’re looking for something meaningful and engaging about death and mortality, there are plenty of other books you could read that deal with these issues in a real, authentic way. Nothing about Never Eighteen was real or authentic, but rather overly convenient and cliché. It’s not one I’d recommend, unless you’re some kind of glutton for punishment.

#never eighteen #never eighteen review #megan bostic #book #books #read #reading #book review #review

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