#i think isabelle is definitely the character who changed the most to the books! i thought it was clary but it's her for sure

[darcyolsson]

i literally can't decide of the shadowhunters tv show girlbossified isabelle or degirlbossified her. she was already very hashtag girlboss but i think what it comes down to is that they made her less #girl and more #boss so where does that leave us

[my-mt-heart]

Dissecting Zabel's Inappropriate Comments

I shared my initial reaction to the Games Radar article, but now that the original SFX article is also out, I want to dive a little deeper into what David Zabel said. From one source to another, the meaning doesn't change.

Regarding Daryl's and Carol's relationship, he says...

Whereas with Daryl and Isabelle, he insists...

Zabel thinks he's shedding light on his male hero's two most prominent relationships [with women], when in actuality he exposes a lot more about himself and what kind of showrunner he is.

He has no interest in the flagship show nor its acclaim.

Had he actually watched TWD in its entirety, tracked the progression of Daryl's and Carol's relationship from S1 to S11, and researched their fanbase as well as their media coverage from over the years instead of just pretending to, he'd see that nothing about their relationship is "obvious" or "easy." Trauma and self-esteem issues hardly ever explored in TV couples—let alone TV couples in their 50’s—have always complicated things, creating obstacles for them to take their relationship beyond intense feelings and helping them grow closer together, feel safer, understood, and loved to a degree nobody else can measure. There are 12 years and 11 seasons of sexual tension, smoldering looks, vulnerable moments, meaningful conversations, and romantic subtext at Zabel's disposal. The natural thing for him to do, the only thing that furthers the narrative already being told is to confirm that they're "in love" and make them "a couple."

If he wants to talk about a "TV book of tricks," he should re-evaluate the tricks he uses to justify a romantic connection between a well-established, unconventional, fiercely loyal man with intimacy issues and a blonde nun who’s only been around for a few months (and 6 episodes from an audience POV). Zabel tries to project what draws Daryl to Carol—broken until the world ended—onto Isabelle. He forces Daryl and Isabelle into intimate situations straight out of fanfiction—bathtubs, bed-sharing, cleaning wounds in hard-to-reach places—and uses other supporting characters like Losang to tell Daryl and the audience that it's romantic. That's not "seeing what happens," that's repeatedly trying to fit a square peg into a round hole and expecting everybody to think he's a genius. On the contrary...

He's completely tone deaf.

If he's calling Daryl's and Isabelle's relationship "mature," then he clearly doesn't realize how deeply problematic it is for a character to gaslight and lie to another character with a history of childhood abuse in order to get something from him, whether it's to help her find their new home or father a boy he just met. It's also triggering for fans who have survived abuse in their own lives to watch their hero fall back into the cycle without it being acknowledged or resolved in a way that helps him (and the fans) heal from it.

A dynamic between Daryl and a nun definitely could've been an "intriguing" dynamic to explore since they're both supposed to be emotionally unavailable. We'd get to see that Daryl's heart belongs to Carol and Isabelle is "married" to God. We'd get to see them bond over the idea of loving someone and/or something so infinitely and unconditionally that it's frightening to feel disconnected from them, whether physically or spiritually, and we'd get to see them help each other keep their faith, whatever that means to them. That's interesting. That's fresh. A romance between Daryl and a nun, regardless of whether or not she dresses like one, is not interesting. Not intriguing. Not edgy. Not sexy. It's disrespectful on multiple levels.

He calls Daryl and Carol coming back together only to realize that they've "changed" the more interesting story to tell? I call it sad. Sad and out of character for Daryl to feel anything other than elated to realize that the woman who represented everything good to him for over a decade crossed a damn ocean to find him. Sad that after "everything she's done" to find him, she finds that he's replaced her and their family back home.

He views the female perspective as irrelevant.

Saying he "respects" Caryl shippers only to invalidate them and then pour salt on the wound shows an air of superiority that is very typical of white male showrunners and executives. Granted, plenty of men ship Daryl and Carol, but it is also true that the majority of their fanbase is female and because of that, Zabel thinks he can mansplain the relationship to us. He tells us that what we want is cute, but he’s the one with the skillset to write a "good" story for the characters. He either doesn't care about our viewership because other men like him are his "real" audience or he assumes we'll come to our senses because he's right and we're wrong.

It isn't about shipping or romance at all though. If it was, he wouldn't just kill Isabelle off after insisting on this wild chemistry nobody sees but him (and Greg Nicotero). It isn't that Carol can't be a love interest either. It's about catering to the male gaze. Carol can't be the love interest for the white male hero that Zabel wants the fanboys to identify with and glorify. She doesn't fit their biases. Not young enough, not blonde enough, so on and so forth. Ignorance like that is generations-long and it doesn't just go away the more time he spends with Daryl and Carol. It only gets worse. Caryl may go to Spain alone, but there's plenty of new shipbait over there for him to introduce.

In what Zabel is actually quoted as saying about romance, which is all that counts, he only vaguely brings up a conversation with Norman, one I suspect is a lot more nuanced than he wants us to believe, but that's beside the point. He doesn't say "Melissa and I talked about Caryl's relationship" or "Clemence and I talked about Daryl's and Isabelle's relationship." Why not? Would the former disapprove of being treated like a sexless intruder in her "friend's" nuclear family? Would the latter hate to feel like a plot device for the brooding hero's manpain? What do the women have to say about their side of this oh so "interesting" emotional arc, Zabel? It's a rhetorical question obviously because if I really wanted to ask, I'd ask the women directly. The only thing is, they aren’t allowed to talk about it so openly and honestly, are they, Zabel? And you took advantage of that, right?

He's vindictive.

He may treat us like a bug on his windshield, but he isn't unaware that Caryl/McReedus have an active fanbase. He isn't unaware that AMC's promo strategy has centered on Caryl/McReedus. He's competing with it. He's aggressive in these articles because he wants to tell a particular kind of story that AMC, plus all of us unhinged shippers, won't let him. Taking a firm stance is how he takes control again (or so he thinks). The way he positions Carol as an intruder in "Daryl's" story, despite a sorry attempt to put a band-aid on it later, also presents itself in the SDCC trailer where everything, including Carol, has to revolve around the main hook: Daryl making a new family in France. For Zabel, it's true to life because he had to fit unconventional Melissa into his outdated "interesting" formula when that wasn’t what he was hired to do. To paraphrase what Melissa said, she was the newcomer who had to be careful not to disrupt a system already put in place before she arrived. What, or who, made her feel that way when she had already been playing Carol for over a decade?

To watch or not to watch

That is not the question. You can choose not to give AMC your money for Zabel's bullshit or you can choose to help the ratings go up for Melissa/Carol. Both are the right choice. The real question is, how will AMC know to blame Zabel and not Melissa if the ratings drop? How will they know that Carylers still need canon and...wait for it...good storytelling if they watched just to remind them how valuable Melissa is to the franchise? I know I sound like a broken record here, but this is why it's so important to be vocal. Use whatever platform you have (and are comfortable with) to specify what's bothering you whether it's the shipbaiting or Daryl's suspenders. Say what you love (Melissa is the correct answer) and what you want more of or what you want to change in regards to performances, relationships, and storylines. For me, I wanted to see both Daryl and Carol make every effort to get back to each other. I wanted to get the payoff I've been waiting for after a god-awful S11 that kept them separated and angry at each other the whole time. I wanted the story to center on Daryl's and Carol's relationship while everything else revolved around them. "To find home is to find each other." Where did that story go? I want it back.

No matter what we say, egomaniacs like David Zabel, Greg Nicotero, and Scott Gimple will spit on us, punch us in the gut, and kick us while we're down (though I guess only the first one is stupid enough to be so literal). If Zabel understood the first thing about Carol or Caryl, then maybe he would've realized that their fans know how to push back.

As for AMC, they don't care about the characters or the relationship or our feelings either, but they do care about their bottom line and these articles threaten that. Keep reminding them.

[ladyhindsight]

City of Lost Souls is definitely a book.

The story picks up two weeks after the end of City of Fallen Angels, and though the problems they are facing in this book are acute, the writing really does its best to dampen all the urgency down. If CoFA ended with a high note, CoLS fails to pick it up. The plot is more solid than the one in the previous installment, not because there’s barely any, but because the characters actually interact with and instigate it and don’t abandon the points in order to focus on something else most of the time. Most of the time.

The story progression was, however, incredibly slow on its way getting to the point. It dragged, because a lot of the pages was filled with Clary and Jace lusting after each other and constantly making out and almost having sex. Though Clare has said that Clary and Jace barely had a relationship in this book for Jace being under Sebastian's control, it’s strange to then write all this “physical activity” over and over to the point of being repetitive as hell. This book is rather too much about just Clary and Jace fawning over each other, some plot and side stuff scattered in between. Side stuff meaning completely unattached side plots concerning Alec, Isabelle, Maia, and Jordan. Delete all that, and the story remains unaffected. The length of the book, because of all the unnecessary and repetitive scenes, took a lot away from what could’ve been better quality.

Much like its predecessor, City of Lost Souls was still about Jace. Clary was the protagonist only seemingly, on her quest to save Jace while others did their own side quests that payed nothing substantial forward (except acquiring Glorious, Simon sacrificing himself in order to save Jace and Clary from their own mistakes and consequences of their own actions). If we take away Maia and Jordan’s part in the book, only the fact that Luke gets a cure from Praetor Lupus they went to seek would be gone. Maia and Jordan and their abhorrent relationship is not necessary at all. Alec and his ventures to meet Camille impact nothing but his relationship with Magnus, which sill adds up to a whole lot of nothing. Isabelle and Simon developing their relationship is inconsequential. Only characters worth to the actual plot are Sebastian, Clary, Jace, and Simon. Magnus is relevant for the fact that he is a warlock and knows how to summon things. And yet, he is static.

City of Lost Souls definitely takes a step towards more mature tone—failing at it spectacularly—and including more mature and darker themes, such as sexual assault to make an idiotic point that has already been made (see later the part about Sebastian) and drug use narratively disguised as some faerie shit. It seems that in this instalment Clare’s “quirks” as an author—her tepid writing style—really solidifies, because she keeps using the same phrases, terms, and descriptions time and time again. Out of all the books encompassing The Mortal Instruments, this was the most repetitive by far and so, consequently, is my groaning about it.

It’s an assault by similes.

CLARY. Clary makes her most substantial transformation as a character in this book via her Shadowhunter training suddenly kicking in. It’s just not genuine character growth. Just because Clary developes a skill, she did not change or grow as a character. In this book, Clary’s thoughtlessness and recklessness is redressed by Luke as her trying to do what she believes is right and consequently what the narrative believes is right. It’s not true just because you write other characters spouting things and supporting your impetuous and moronic heroine who thinks mostly about herself and Jace. She rushes herself into bad situations and is constantly so underprepared that I don’t think there is one brain cell in her head. Yet somehow everything just works out. She just goes through the motions and still never develops or grows.

JACE. There was really no Jace. When there for a moment was, he somehow remembers that he has a family and, to my surprise, parabatai. The epilogue really tries to reform and rewrite those relationships because, I don’t know, Clare experienced some sort of awakening with The Infernal Devices? It’s disingenuous because the series so far has nothing to back it up with. This sudden change in the narrative does not make the relationship with Alec, for instance, in the previous books appear in some new light or mend the shortcomings as to their bond. Jace and Isabelle’s relationship is far more solid and consistent because it barely exists anyway and doesn't experience any (recognized or not narrative) setbacks. Isabelle is Jace’s staunchest defender and Jace sometimes shows his affection to Isabelle. They pretty much adore each other. Compare this to the original trilogy where Jace doesn’t even seem to like Alec at all.

SIMON. Actual character with actual character development. Only that Simon should develop outside of his relationship to Clary as well, because now his development and growth is mostly tied to Clary and what the circumstances being with her and staying in her life basically force him into. Simon does what he does for Clary’s wellbeing, thought the summoning of Raziel edges on the idea of greater good as well. But still mostly for Clary.

SEBASTIAN. Much like his father, Sebastian is a shallow villain. Sebastian’s scars being revealed seemed like an attempt to explain away some of Sebastian’s cruelty and evilness, to show how he too suffered in Valentine’s hands and for the readers to have sympathy for him at that point in the story. Yet it seems rather needless when City of Glass went over how his inhumanity is because of Lilith’s blood—not even Lilith’s per se, but demon blood. That didn’t really leave a lot room for nature versus nurture argument. If we go further and consider City of Heavenly Fire, Sebastian’s evilness burns away with said heavenly fire. There was never room to consider that whatever Valentine did to Sebastian while growing up, how violent and abusive he was, made Sebastian the way he is now. Sebastian’s scars are a point of manipulating Clary and the readers into thinking that maybe he could be trusted since he, too, suffered and thus is the way he is, despite—and I’ll reiterate—his demon blood that was already told to be the absolute reason for his corruption.

In her answer about Sebastian sexually assaulting Clary, Clare says it was included to show that he is beyond redemption. Murdering Max and planning to burn down the world apparently did not make him villain enough, because the intent was to redirect fans who found Sebastian likable despite what he had done and intended to do. My mind can’t fucking register this logic at all. It’s pure authorial manipulation because Clare did not like the original response to Sebastian’s character—because Sebastian as a villain was more interesting than her inadequate excuses of unlikable protagonists.

Sexual violence is the most insensitive and perverse crime, to force yourself on someone, to violate them and their bodily integrity. Sexually assaulting anyone is loathsome, it’s sickening and disgusting. It is by no means a light subject to discuss, to deal with, and definitely to write about, which is why I honestly don’t think it is never needed if the story does not focus on that and handle such a sensitive topic as this appropriately. Sebastian forcing himself on Clary to showcase how his character is so evil is not appropriate, to say the least. It’s not about Clary or how Clary feels about it or how she deals with it: It’s about how evil and bad Sebastian truly can be. It’s just that, a cheap device that simultaneously craps on the issue because it doesn’t take Clary into consideration. Like the points made above, Sebastian was already evil and vile when he murdered a child. That was the whole purpose of Max’s death.

Clare tries to manipulate emotional response by choosing tragic and unjust ideas to stick onto her characters and expect readers to empathize with them because of those unfair circumstances. Sebastian is not just evil, he’s EEEVIL. Look how EEEVIL he is when he does EEEVIL things. Clare writes how she is a victim of sexual assault, and my heart goes out to her on that regard. Much like many others have pointed out over the years in critique of this book, it doesn’t mean Clare can write about it well or even adequately. She has all rights to write about it, the problem is her representation of that is plain bad. It’s the intent behind and purpose of including the sexual assault scene that is skewed and wrong: to make a point about a character being beyond redemption is just not it.

Why do you think a rape is what you need for it to progress? Is there something else that could fill the same function? Unless you have a damn good reason to include rape in a story, you probably shouldn’t. Using sexual assault as a motivation-in-a-box or an equivalent trope will do nothing but steal credibility and respect from a really serious, really important subject.

ALEC. Alec, once again, bore no true relevance to the story. His sole function was to confirm Jace being alive via the parabatai rune. I forgot he had no part whatsoever in raising Raziel. He was just there, and I laughed. Because there is so little of the main plot to even go around, Alec never gets his share. Clare doesn’t know how to weave any of the side characters to the actual plotline, because she doesn’t want it to be about them at all. Just Clary, Jace, and Simon as the agents. All would’ve carried on in the series without Alec even existing. What resemblance of a relevance he had, it was in a side plot that affects nothing but his relationship to Magnus. Nothing but irrelevance after irrelevance in each installment so far.

Alec’s story with his insecurity, his incapability to accept that Magnus has dated before and has past Magnus doesn’t want to talk about, that Magnus is immortal and forever-young and Alec is not, his own feelings of triviality and being not truly wanted can only hit the notes it wants by transforming Alec’s character to meet the demands of each “plot” point. Alec is, especially later, characterized as quiet, thoughtful, selfless, and as someone who turns inward with his issues. Then suddenly he has hissy fits, public tantrums, and gives an attitude loudly, and why? Because someone (Simon) needs to observe the twists and turns in Magnus and Alec’s relationship for wider audience because otherwise who’d know, since they don’t get the necessary room on the page nor consequential interactions with other characters as to their relationship. Alec’s disfiguration as to his characterization—any hope abandoned regarding its solidity—is a vehicle to all that.

MAGNUS. Has a new gimmick of forgetting Simon’s name. Isn’t he funny? Here he is just whiny and immature as hell. What is there to defend in a man who dates a teenager, abuses their naivety and trust, takes more than is willing to give, and eventually shits all responsibility of the relationship failing on said teenager and peaces out. My brain just boils whenever I read comments such as “Magnus was right to dump Alec” or “Magnus should go find someone more deserving of him.” I didn’t think I had so much contempt in me still, but there it is, rearing its head whenever my mind lingers more than a second on this fucking disaster of a dynamic Clare so carelessly concocted. There’s no accountability in the series, Clare understands fuck all about responsibility and human behavior and maturity, so why am I even disappointed again that this is what she came up with? It’s some part of my teenage years and the emotional connection I formed with these characters that still makes me feel incredibly angry over how talentless and thoughtless Clare is as an author.

ISABELLE. Izzy is, dare I say it, the most consistent character. The biggest problem with Izzy is that she doesn’t really do much, doesn’t matter much, and her only development is as to her romantic life and her attitude towards love and trust and opening up in a relationship, learning to show vulnerability and all that. And yet it is with Simon with whom she will always be the second best, though this time the writing actually recognizes it. Woah. Much like most installments so far and much like with Alec, this book would be the same without her in it as there is no plot to spare for her either. Only thing that scratches the main plot is her visit to the Iron Sisters at the Adamant Citadel when the story maps out the possibilities of severing the bond between Jace and Sebastian.

MAIA. Why is she here? Why is Jordan here? All they do is, sure, find the cure for Luke (still lacks motivation and is replacable) but then just date and have sex. Why is her character so inconsequential? Jordan can go fuck himself. Their whole relationship is a carwreck. Maia not once missed emotional aspects to their relationship or companionship with Jordan, she just keeps reminiscing about his looks and smell, because Clare knows fuck all about writing actual deep emotional bonds between two people instead of this passionate, appearance-based one. They are the definition of waste of space in this book.

Coherent thoughts over.

i. Tonally these characters do not know their ages. I cannot believe I’m reading wisdoms of love and life from sixteen-year-olds.

ii. The Nephilim society or the Clave do not go anywhere. The writing doesn’t raise questions about their society, does not intend to develop it, does not develop characters in attempt to change it—just shits on it and makes every agent of the Clave either dumb, oblivious, unproductive or all of that. And for what? Plot convenience.

iii. Why Clary couldn’t create a rune that unbinds Jace and Sebastian? She is able to call runes, create them, outside of the Gray Book, Marks from the Heaven itself, yet there is nothing on this?

iv. Clary and Sebastian talking on their way to meet Sister Magdalena was interesting, not only because we get to learn more about Morgenstern family but also because we get to experience Clary outside and untethered from Jace, even for a moment.

v. Whatever Clary and Jace have is not love. It is codependency and obsession to an unhealthy degree.

vi. Jocelyn is blamed for Clary’s reckless behavior, Raziel is blamed for the current situation of Jace being under Sebastian's control—where is the blame and accountability that rightly falls on Clary and Jace? Nowhere.

vii. Alec and Jace’s parabatai connection severing for a second, a minute, a whatever is brought up here. Not in CoFA where it should’ve been addressed rightaway.

viii. The Iron Sisters are underutilized and shoud've been already greater part of the world in the series. Also they were all regular Shadowhunters once. They all mingled among the Nephilim society. Whatever is the reason the Iron Sisters do not speak to men? Sexism but it is okay because of the faux feminism.

ix. The Battle of the Burren is nonsensical. So much battling happens, but no one really targets Simon. Alec is a sitting duck, but doesn’t get attacked. Jocelyn has time to talk with the opponent... where is the urgency actually?

x. Why does Camille need Alec to kill Raphael? She could do it herself just as well.

xi. Maryse tells about this mark Valentine had put on all of the Circle members in order to track them. Why doesn’t Maryse reveal this long before this? Because it did not exist until it was come up with for the purpose of this story, in a very minimal way too.

xii. Jace prioritizes making out with Clary despite not knowing how long the damaged rune that binds him to Sebastian will give him freedom instead of getting right to the point of revealing Sebastian’s true plan. What a fucking waste of time.

xiii. Summoning Azazel had no result and thus no point (except teasing Asmodeus).

xiv. Magnus says how the revelation of Sebastian's true plans should not be delivered by fire messages rather than face to face, which brings up the question of why didn't Clary communicate with the others via fire messages? She was not in place to receive them safely, but nothing stopped her from sending them. Fire messages are underutilized in the series, and Clare seems to have completely forgotten their existence most of the time. And ever if Clary for some reason or somehow was not able to send fire messages, the writing should've explored and addressed that not being an option, because now it creates a hole.

xv. Alec exchanging his energy with Magnus in CoG and here in CoLS is an imitation of intimacy.

xvi. I just absolutely loved this Goodreads review for its poignancy and simplicity: “someone call the nonsense police because we have a big case on our hands”

[celticbarb]

Book: Almost A Scot

Author: Jade Lee

Series: Always a Scot, book 3

Publisher: Dragonblade

Release Date: October 27, 2022

Print Length: 268 pages

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Blog Rating: 5 Saltire Flags

London…

Iseabail Spalding is in disguise as an unintelligent Scottish debutant and has a living with one of the wealthiest families of the ton. Furthermore, she is also being sponsored by the influential and forceful Dowager of Bryn. However she did this to escape her cruel, butchering Uncle, where he and his traitorous men are looking for his missing niece. Of course it is only for the power they suspect her of having-as a powerful witch. Iseabail believes her Uncle to be a malicious, treacherous, murderer who most likely murdered both her parents which she still needed proof. Iseabail’s Uncle was her father’s own brother and most likely he killed her missing mother too. On top of that he is trying to force her to marry a murdering husband who killed his last wife, as Iseabail had taken care of his wife’s body for burial which made her totally sick! So basically she is in England trying to depretely find a strong, brawny, sassenach she can marry, hoping it is a man who can stand up to her Uncle and hopefully kill him too. Yet, Iseabail is unfortunately finding no success at all in this venture.

Reuben Bates is bored with his life, at one time he would of been happy with looting, sleeping around with lose women and brawling.Yet now he wants to marry an a titled peer of the ton and live high on the hog, raising his future children with titles. Money is no problem as he has many businesses that turned profitable. but he needs to find a titled Lady whose family has financial issues, basically in ruins to accept him as her future husband. The problem is he has to be invited to one of these balls and to get property introduced. He has learned all the propers dances, how to dress like a wealthy peer and have the perfectly folded cravat. However the only way to do this is by using one of their peers to sneak in the ball as he obviously has no invitation and will be thrown out if caught.

So he discovers some of this Scottish debutant, Isabel Spalding’s secrets, so he also blackmails and steals from this beauty too. As he always keeps the weapons people try to use on him. this lady was a fighter which he rather enjoyed, but he does keep her weapon too. He realizes she will probably get some bad treatment she doesn’t deserve but he could not help that At first he tries to pretend he doesn’t care, as long as he gets the titled woman heiress he desires, but soon he changes sides. As both Reuben and Isabael discover a love that is like all consuming, but is it long lasting? Afterall, he is a man who gets bored very quickly. She is also a woman who is willing to use a man to kill her Uncle to protect her own life. So is their love even real or are they both using each other for their own personal desires? Will Reuben stand up to her deceitful, cold blooded Uncle? Is he the one who will stand up to her Uncle and protect Iseabail forever? Or will he realize it is too much and throw Isebail back to the wolves? Read and find out in this phenomenal book!

Again Jade Lee pens another powerful masterpiece that just blew me away! I loved this story so much! It is filled with drama, mystery, suspense, honor, trust, plus a love story that will absolutely sweep readers away! . I think this story is different from any of the books I have previously read and the action packed plotting is absolutely brilliant! As I never knew what was about to happen next which definitely had my heart racing! Even the secondary characters are amazing in this book. I have been reading Jade Lee for over twenty years and her books are always extraordinary from start to finish and have me glued to each and every page. I don’t want to give much away but it is definitely a book readers don’t want to miss!

I absolutely and unequivocally highly recommend Almost a Scot by Jade Lee. You can read this as a stand alone book or in series order. I totally loved it!

Always a Scot by Jade Lee

Book 1: Lord Scot

Book 2: Lady Scot

Book 3: Almost a Scot

https://www.amazon.com/Almost-Scot-Always-Book-ebook/dp/B0BFCPMS2Z

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy and an advance reader copy from Dragonblade publishers. I voluntarily agreed to do a fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

Buy Links:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/almost-a-scot-jade-lee/1142248779

[seaweedinthebrain]

Hi so I just saw your ask to rua and

a) thank you so much for sharing this, because I feel that way about james and Cordelia’s arc too? Like, there’s so much miscommunication and just general chaos when in other scenes they are level-headed, rational teenagers capable of using their brains? Honestly, all the drama is just getting to me (just like with clary and jace with everything that’s going on). At one point i know it‘s necessary but it’s just… tiring, you know? I used to like writing about James and Cordelia when chog was the only drama that occurred but now... I just feel like Cordelia ‘escaping’ with Matthew is so uncalled for and very out of character. We see Cordelia be a badass warrior woman that loves her parabatai and her family (specifically Alastair and Sona) very dearly and she runs off to Paris with a man she‘s only known for like four months? Five? That doesn’t make any sense! (And I’m sorry for making this about myself but I just needed to say that people are just waiting for updates on my jordelia fic and I don’t like them as much now but at the same time I don’t want to disappoint people because of that? Does that make sense?)

b) yes. The thing about cc neglecting platonic (or even familial relationships, any type of relationship that’s not romantic to be honest) relationships? Yes. I just have difficulty seeing the main cast as a tight-knit group when most of the time there’s only developments with romantic interests shown… at this point everyone is just ‘hanging out because you are my friend’s partner’ and not ‘I genuinely want to talk to you and do things with you because you are a very good person that I’d like to know more about’. (And the fact that blackstairs happened was just urggggggggggh she ruined the good and healthy friendship shown in tmi and is, supposedly, develop in tda by romanticising it! It’s like you can’t have a best friend that you’ve known all your life without falling in love with them! This makes ace and/or aro people very discouraged because it seems like the only relationship worth pursuing is romantic relationships!)

hey you! yes to all of this, thank you!!! i'm gonna try and answer this in a sort of organised way

a) exactly. i get the use of the miscommunication trope, specially in YA content, to create conflict and drama and make sure the plot doesn't get flat. but that only works if it's used to a certain extent. the way cc is writing jordelia is just annoying to read because not only is it becoming out of character for them (as you said, they're both supposed to be smart and level-headed people), it is also nearly agonising to read, at least for me as someone who cannot stand feeling second hand embarrassment. miscommunication to create drama is a good trope if the author knows when it's time to stop. which cc clearly doesn't. reading choi i was just waiting for the moment when james and cordelia would finally solve that and when i started breathing easier after the bracelet broke, there comes the miscommunication again. just. no. it's been going for too long and at this point it's annoying. as for your fic, don't apologise for talking about yourself! the best advice i can give about that is: don't worry about disappointing your readers, because you won't. in my (frankly limited) experience as a fic writer of rare pairs with close to no fanbase, recognition and feedback is nice but it's not everything. at the end of day, your fic should be something you enjoy writing about a shipp you enjoy thinking about. if you've lost interest in writing about jordelia than find another pairing that inspires you! it's okay to lose interest in a shipp and abandoning a fic, every writer does it and no one has been burned at the stake for it yet, don't worry.

b) exactly². like, putting romance above friendship or family is a common enough thing in media and cc does not need to contribute to it. it's something that always bothers me and the fact that it's SO present in a saga that is so important to me is terrible. the thing you said about how the characters seem to be only "hanging out because you are my friend's partner" yes!!!! that's exactly the idea i was trying to pass when i used that quote from magnus!!! how am i supposed to believe this people are a close ride-or-die group of friends who save the world together when on page it always seems like they're just hanging out with each other out of "you're friends with my partner so i guess we're vaguely in the same social circle"? as for the blackstairs thing you said? yes. definitely. as much as i rooted for them while reading tda, i feel like cc usually seems to step into that stereotype that a boy and a girl can't be friends without one or both having a thing for the other? and that's in all of her series? like, clary immediately assumes jace and isabelle have a thing before she finds out they're siblings, simon spent years in love with clary and they dated even if they broke up later, simon and maia dated even if they broke up later, luke spent years in love with jocelyn, emma and julian with their whole drama, kit kissing livvy out of nowhere, dru having kind of a little crush on jaime, matthew being in love with lucie and then all of a sudden falling in love with cordelia, etc. i mean???? emma and julian are the best example of this, of course, but there are so many other romantic innuendos that had no need to be there and it would change nothing in the main plot. cc could have much more page time to develop platonic and familial relationships properly if she didn't disregard those in favour of giving more unnecessary scenes and credit to the straight and unrealistically sexualized romance between the protagonists (and i say "unrealistically sexualized" cause, honestly, who takes a condom to a rescue mission in an infernal dimension and has their first time on the floor of a demonic cave, like clary and jace? who has sex, weirdly also on a cave, while being held captive and immediately after finding out your parabatai, who also happens to be the fiancé of the woman you're about to sleep with, is dead, like will and tessa? and how come a 17 year old who had never even kissed someone before, much less gone further than that, is suddenly a "sex god", in cc's own words, like julian with emma?). anyways, cc needs to learn how to develop actual human relationships that don't involve people suffering for a "forbidden" love that isn't actually as complicated as they're making it to be or thirsting over each other in unusual places in her books, because i need close platonic relationships to feed my soul and, as an author with that many characters and such a big universe, she has millions of available opportunities to stop making stories centered around progressively weaker plots that by now mostly just make everything and everyone else the background for the overly dramatic main paring.

[beclynn-herondale]

What annoys me is that the people hating on Jace aren’t thinking about the society he grew up in. The shadowhunter society is so corrupt it’s crazy and they definitely don’t make an effort to make sure their youth knows what they’re doing is right and what they’re doing is wrong. Young shadowhunters have to depend on the people they meet and their life experiences to stay “woke” but Jace literally grew up alone in the institute with three other siblings and no friends. (1/2)

Hi anon, so first

(The Tea is piping Hot, and thank you for bringing this up )

I honestly agree with you, and this is actually something I have thought on a lot and yes it was written so many years ago that yeah of course some things we aren't going to agree with cause it's 2020 and things are different now. And the traits Cassie wrote in Jace were popular back then and Cliches were too and we need to keep this in mind.

And yes the Shadowhunters are terrible with educating their own, most shadowhunters have not been educated in mundane history and terms and other Mundane things, Diana herself said she didn't know the term Transgender until she met Catarina I think right?

And Jace was not educated in what was right to support Alec and that is not his Fault cause the Clave don't allow Mundane education so how exactly would Jace know 100% what was homophobic and not or what fetishization is??? Cause he wasn't educated in mundane terms and something you need to look at is that that truly is on Cassie she should have known that that would be offensive and never had him say some of these things, but also that was years ago.

Also erasing his character development to hate him is wrong and unfair, how about instead we appreciate how he has grown, like how much he loves kids and his family, how he was nervous to meet Kit cause he wanted to make a good impression, how he wants to be a dad, how he wants a big family cause of how close the Blackthorns are and cause he wants his kids to be like them. Or how he loves with his whole heart, also lets not forget that if not for Simon, Clary and Jace, Jem wouldn't have been cured and would still be a silent brother and our precious baby Min Min wouldn't exist and how after the whole Heavenly Fire incident Jace was worried he hurt Jem and went to check on him before anyone, someone he didn't know really.

And how he said to Clary until she came along he didn't feel like he belonged anywhere, and boy do I relate to that, and yes he had the Lightwoods but he didn't truly know how much they loved him until Clary came along, cause Jace was afraid to open up until she came along. And he was told at Six years old that if he loved he would destroy and would be destroyed, he was manipulated, he was abused, he was tortured, he was neglected, he was used and he was used by others not just Valentine, Luke Garroway said himself that he wasn't surprised Jace didn't trust the Adults around him cause they have used him, and so he put walls up cause being used is one of the worst feelings and he had been before he was even born.

And he was lied to about himself pretty much his whole life and during TMI he had been lied to his entire life. He literally went through an identity crisis several times, also he never thought he would have a best friend/Parabatai aka Alec, he never thought he would have a family aka Isabelle and Maryse and Max, and he never thought he deserved or would find love aka Clary Fucking Fairchild, and then later on he got more family aka Blueberry and Rafe and Magnus and Simon as a good friend. He never thought he would be happy, he thought he would be an angry and broken boy all his life. And why do you think Clary and Alec are so protective of Jace cause they know who he really is and know he is fragile and can get hurt easily, that's why Clart is described as his Shield and why it is mentioned several times that she saved him, also he was suicidal when we first met him, even Alec said he was always rushing towards death and reckless decisions and that he is thankful that Clary came along cause she made Jace want to live and now he doesn't have to worry about Jace wanting to get himself killed, and he has mental issues ( yes I am mentioning this again). Also you say he didn't apologize but we truly cannot be 100% sure of that cause for all we know he did and it wasn't in the book and again that's on Cassie cause she didn't give us a proper scene. And you say he doesn't give a shit about Alec, well how about that scene in TDA when Magnus is dying and Alec is saying he wishes he told Magnus how much he loved him and Jace tells Alec he knows and then Alec says he should go on a watch so he doesn't let anyone down and Jace thinks to himself how could Alec let anyone down and tells Alec his watch is taking care of Magnus and I quote "this is your watch brother". Or the scene in Heavenly fire when Jace tells Alec that Alec is a better person then he could ever be, that he has the most faith in people and that he is kind and that there is no one else with more of that then Alec, or again in TDA when he was the one who sat up as soon as the words were off the consuls mouth and Said Alec for the new Consul cause he knew how much Alec wanted it. How about in Tales of the Shadowhunter Academy when Simon is feeling like his Falling is Bad and he tells Simon he did good. Also how about how he went to talk to Tessa and yes Simon encouraged him but Jace had the willpower to do it, past Jace wouldn't have. And how about in City of Ashes when Maia who hated Jace, saw through his mask and saw herself in his eyes.

And he had to fight two wars at the age of 16/17 he wasn't even an adult, and had to help save the Shadow world and had to help clean up mistakes of parents and then finds out that also Valentine killed both his parents, and so not only did Valentine steal his childhood but also stole his chance at having a Mother who would have loved him more than anything cause she never had that but also a father who was going to change for him and most likely would have loved him deeply. Like I can't imagine the grief even though yes he did/does have a family but imagine still. He lost so much before he was born and afterwards, and how about the people who are always telling him he is Valentine's son so he may be like him and his Mother was said to have killed herself ( she didn't Valentine killed her as well btw ) and people probably have said he is Crazy like her and will do the same, guess what the Clave is Toxic and that's why Alec is going to change it cause it needs to be. And I know what it's like to be said to be a crazy bitch cause of your mental illnesses and cause of other things, to have things consistently whispered behind your back.

And this is getting long but bottom line is Jace is so much more then an ass and sarcastic, he has giving me the strength to get through my current life situation and gave me the strength to save myself recently, and has encouraged me to be a better version of myself, he has taught me that love is strength and will heal and change me if I let the right love in, he is there for me at 2 am when I am contemplating giving up and throwing it all away, he is there telling me look how far you have come, don't give up. He is there telling me your scars show how strong you are and all that you have survived and you should be proud of them, he has taught me that my abuse doesn't define me and that the manipulative adults in my life won't always have control over me. He kept me from trying to kill myself again, he gave me the strength to say that something that has happened recently is not my fault, he gave me the strength to own my confidence and my gentleness and fragilety cause that's me.

And I mostly ignore the hate or at least try to but it keeps getting thrown at me and other Jace Stans and it's time to stop.

SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO POST HATE DON'T TAG IT.

Cause tumblrs tagging system sucks and guess what us Jace Stans and Clary Stans and Clace Stans have just as much a right to enjoy ourselves and be here, as much as you haters do, and you not liking him or hating him isn't going to change my mind or make me stop loving him and also WHY ARE YOU USING THE SHORT TIME YOU HAVE FOR HATE, WHY NOT USE IT TO SPREAD LOVE FOR YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS INSTEAD????

How is it fair for us Jace/Clary/Clace stans to deal with your hate be told it's just an opinion, well guess what it's not just an opinion, when it's messing with my mental health. So please just stop and yes he's fictional so 1. Why does it matter so much. 2. Why do you care so much? 3. Why do you care so much about us liking him then? 4. Is hurting people in real life really worth it? 5. Is spreading so much hate in this world really what you want to be known for? 6. JACE is not the only problematic character for Angel's sake, there are many many others so that Is no reason to hate him.

Conclusion please stop, we just want to enjoy ourselves, hell we don't even have to interact ever and just stay in our own lanes, also TSC fandom has become the most toxic fandom I am in and that's saying something cause I have been in toxic fandoms, is this what we want to be known as? A toxic fandom who you should avoid? Cause let me tell you I don't, so why don't we just respect each other and stop being hateful. I have kept quiet about this for months and I am tired of holding it in, you say you respect opinions but if you say that If we stan Jace/Clary/Clace then we don't have rights even if it's joke, guess what it isn't a joke to me and I don't laugh at it, and if we really want to criticize and have equality then we need to judge all of them and Jace isn't the only one who as you say has made homophobic and fetishization comments and he isn't the only one who has done problematic things.

Bottom line I want to enjoy myself and lately the only thing I have had is hate and hurt and getting upset cause I like a character who is actually a good example on growing as a person because of a few scenes how is that fair, basically you are saying you made some mistakes and don't deserve to have your growth acknowledged and you don't deserve second chance cause well you're evil, guess who has been told that many times in her life, me, so it's very triggering for me, the words I hate Jace are triggering for me and I don't say this lightly at all. And don't tell me I haven't thought this through or haven't looked at the bad parts and the cons cause I have but I also look at the good parts and the pros so that is why I love Jace, cause I love his good and bad parts and I acknowledge his growth and change. So to put it simply he is not who he was in TMI, just like Alec is not who he was in TMI.

I am working on a post to clear more of this up but all I am asking is for you to not hate especially in a time that is already stressful and hard for me and everyone else, you aren't doing good and it doesn't make you cool. SORRY but it's the truth, you are hurting people, Imagine if it was your favorite character(s) and how would you feel??? So just stop.

( this is my view on things and my opinion and if you have no intention of being civil then don't interact, I am not interested in a fight with you. Or throwing hateful comments at each but know that I will also not take your hate and will defend myself)

So yeah Anon I agree with you and let's spread positivity cause I would rather this end here and spread love and positivity.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

[lady-plantagenet]

What are your thoughts on Jaime x Cersei, Jaime x Brienne, Tyrion x Tysha, George x Isabel, and Henry VIII x Anne Boleyn? (Sorry for the long list!)

Glad to see someone else feeling charitable and letting me vent my unsolicited opinions 😂. Saved the George x Isabel for the last cause I’m sure it will be the longest lmao!

Asked Via: Send me a ship and I'll give you my (brutally) honest opinion on it: https://lady-plantagenet.tumblr.com/post/627331607624302592/send-me-a-ship-and-ill-give-you-my-brutally

Jaime x Cersei: Despite it’s fundamental flaws, it is... titillating to read. The idea of people falling in love with their own other-gender counterpart is twisted yet so intriguing. I must confess that I am not as disgusted by incest as most people, so bear that in mind. The thing is, Cersei is definitely a narcissist with a lot of internalised misogyny and this ship just feels so justified to her character.

The issue is, and as the books go on, it becomes quickly clear that Jaime’s love is not as deep and as his appearance changes, and they no longer look identical Cersei’s own mental image, Cersei’s love also wanes and then you’re hit with how shallow it was. So I ship these two... but I also don’t because they’re toxic? Honestly, book-wise I am intrigued to see what will happen, if they end up together... or they don’t... either way I’m sure it will be quite a ride. You see, I’m not emotionally invested.

Jaime x Brienne: Oh the Sapphires... Obviously anyone who cares for Jaime’s wellbeing would want him to end up with Brienne as opposed to Cersei. I read this interesting theory recently on how these two don’t actually love each other but confuse their strong platonic feelings of affection for romance. You see, that’s also an interesting take as both characters are quite bereft off opposite gender friendships.

However, I strongly ship them romantically as well, Book!Brienne (hey show as well!) is truly admirable because based on her choice in men e.g. Renly, you can see how she had still not given up on her maidenly fantasies and I just love her for that, because true love isn’t something to which only pretty women are entitled. She in many ways represents salvation for him as she being a true knight in spite of her gender, can veer him back into the path of chivalry. He is most chivalrous around her, I mean, not only because her good conduct influences but also because he performs some of the most knightly deeds by cause of her e.g. rescuing her from the bear pit. I like this ship, it’s a good trope subversion.

Tyrion x Tysha: I find this one of the more heartbreaking ships of ASOIAF, because to me it represents Tyrion’s loss of innocence.

She is a haunting figure because of how small remnants of her memory were enough to pull Tyrion into the toxic relationship he had with Shae e.g. she too hard dark hair and there was music around when he met her. Its one of those weird (as @omgellendean put it in her brutally honest ask tag answer - a character who consists of only a name), but unlike Ashara Dayne, she is not idealised and given this over-the-top tragic story. So this elusive Tysha is an entity by what she symbolises: foregone youth and a sweetness that has no place in the ASOIAF universe.

Henry VIII x Anne Boleyn: As I said in my last ask. I cannot tolerate the romanticisation of infidelity, and that is especially when the male’s spouse is a wonderful woman fit for him and has done nothing wrong. I don’t have strong feelings against Anne Boleyn herself, as I prefer to see her as ‘Anne the Educated and Sophisticated Reformer’ as opposed to ‘Anne the Seductress’. Ugh let me just say... rule of thumb for whether it’s a good pair: Do thousands have to die for your selfish desire to be together? Yes? Then probably not meant to be. Just a thought.

I think Anne knew her own mind and I like to think her strong beliefs influenced her decision to breach this marriage (no I didn’t think she was her father’s pawn gah I’m sick of that term), but they were ultimately unsuited in everything and it was a passion brought about by Henry’s caprice. My heart breaks when I think on how Anne could have been happily married to Henry Percy. I’m also tried of this whole ‘master manipulator of men’s hearts’ reputation Anne is getting. You do realise refusing to be a mistress was not being a tease as much as it was just being a conventionally virtuous woman..? The girl knew her worth.

George x Isabel: Oh god. I promise to not start writing an essay. As weird as it is to ship dead people, they are my OTP, the main characters of my main historyfanfic, and frankly the most unsung couple of TWOTR. The fact that there are no records of letters or any particularly over-the-top romantic gestures by either of them, just intrigues me more because it was very much a relationship defined in subtle deeds. If you peruse the more academic TWOTR literature you can see all the fine but conclusive evidences of a devoted relationship: He posthumously enrolled her in a guild when he stayed there with his children (months after she died), he was buried together with her and her ancestors not his, how during 1470 he sent her to Exeter for her safekeeping while her mother and sister remained at Warwick and when a siege broke out he (and his father-in-law) immediately rode south to lift it and the amount of expenses and care he put into her funeral. Not to mention, the hassle it took for them to get married: years of trying to get a dispensation underneath the king’s nose culminating in them having to cross the channel.

The thing is, it had a lot of politics behind it and to be honest I don’t find that less romantic. It was one right for both of them: for the wealthiest heiress in England and the handsome younger brother and heir of King Edward - truly no one else would do for any of them. One of the things that grabs me is the medievalness of it all, how they were bound together by what was essentially a plan to reverse the country’s inevitable transition out of ‘bastard feudalism’. You also get a sense of how this marriage despite the ultimate failure of its purpose (to make George King) brought George the chance to establish himself as a major magnate through his wife’s lands which ultimately became his main source of power as opposed to his royal status. The relative peace that ensued after 1472 shows that his status as Warwick’s political heir (as Christine Carpenter put it) did something to placate the disapointment of not becoming king. So the way I see it, Isabel’s death took from him any of the satisfaction and peace she brought with her lands and persona as he once again reverted to his old (even more than before) reckless self. Not to mention the people he executed after her death in his grief believe in her to have been poisoned (most historians believe that’s unlikely).

Aside from that, in a society where pretty much everyone strayed (even Anthony Woodville had a bastard daughter), it is quite heart-warming how the man known for his treachery, happened to be one of the only ones loyal to his wife: no bastards or women were ever linked to his name not even in rumour. As for Isabel, she is quite a shadowy figure but you get the sense she was intelligent because of the care her father took in preparing her as his heir, because of her wealth you get this sense of majesty and significance about her. The two times we can deduce anything about her personality is a true supporter of her husband: once, when deciding to treat with the Yorks behind her father’s back to reconcile George to them, second, remaining steadfast to George when he tried to squirrel her sister Anne out of her inheritance. Based on the homage she paid to her ancestors, she seems proud of her ancestry so it’s quite intriguing to think why she made the aforementioned two choices, endangering her father and sister in favour of her husband. And oh god I’m rambling, I can say even more if you can believe it but I shall stop. Overall, one might think I’m wishful thinking but frankly Anne and Richard are touted as star-crossed lovers all the time and with even littler evidence to support it (not that I don’t ship them, I do). I might be subjective, but the story of George and Isabel’s life is just so compelling...

[britishchick09]

the best and worst books i read in school!

ever since 5th grade, i’ve been reading novels in school. with the end of high school looming (and today being the last day of classes), i’ve decided to list the ultimate show stoppers and the bird droppers. let’s begin! :D

the best of 5th grade- maniac magee! i don’t remember much about it besides the twinkie things (which actually exist at walmart!) and shipping maniac and the girl character. my 5th grade teacher reading it made it so much better :D we also read ‘chains’, which is about a slave girl names isabel going to freedom. it’s a very powerful book and the sequel, ‘forge’, which is about a freed soldier boy named curzon, is just as amazing! ‘esperanza rising’, the story of a girl named esperanza who moves from mexico to california during the great depression, is pretty great too from what i remember!

the worst of 5th grade- idk what else we read in 5th grade besides those three (technically four) books. it could’ve been an iconic book year! (it was already an iconic school year)

the best of 6th grade- drums, girls and dangerous pies! it’s an interesting story of a high schooler named steve dealing with a crush and his little brother’s cancer, yet there’s actually a happy ending! the end is really iconic since steve says ‘i-’ to his brother jeff and it’s clearly ‘i love you’ but it cuts off! bonus points to ‘the cay’, a story of a boy named phillip who ends up on a raft with a man named timothy and a cat named stew cat. it’s a neat adventure and timothy saying ‘malar!’ is an earworm of a phrase

the worst of 6th grade- HOLY FRICK ‘THE HATCHET’ IS THE MOST BORING BOOK EVER WRITTEN!!! it’s about this kid who gets stranded in the forest and there’s this skunk pal, so you’d think it would be like ‘the cay’ BUT IT’S NOT IT’S SO FREAKING DULL OMG!!!! bonus points to ‘the gadget’ which starts out cool BUT THEN THE MAIN CHARACTER(also called steve!)’S FRIEND ALEXI TURNS OUT TO BE A SPY AND TRIES STABBING HIM LIKE WOAH THESE KIDS ARE ELEVEN YEARS OLD STOP DOING THAT WTF!!!! if you thought the double digit chapter was bad... oh boy! also ‘boy in the striped pajamas’ was good but very depressing! :(

the best of 7th grade- tom sawyer! this is about a boy and his southern adventures. it was a great story, but the movie is one of my fave live action movies ever!! they say the book is better than the movie but the movie is miles better and it’s so cute!!! bonus points to ‘the giver’, which is about a boy named jonas who meets an old man who shows him life in a better world (and there’s a baby). jonas and the giver were very sweet together and i love how jonas and the baby escape their dystopian society at the end!

the worst of 7th grade- call of the wild! it’s about a sled dog named buck who goes on a wild adventure in the arctic. it’s not a bad book, but the movie was so cheesy and it focused on the humans WHY THO???

the best of 8th grade- the outsiders! it’s about a greaser named ponyboy who runs away with his friend johnny after johnnycake kills a soc named bob. pb and the other greasers were such great characters and the story was so interesting! i also liked how the story is set in tulsa, where my grandpa lived. the outsiders fandom is a lot of fun and i’m so glad the story became one of my faves! :D bonus points go to ‘the diary of anne frank’, which we only read the play, so i sought out the whole book and wow anne’s story is so tragic and inspiring! more bonus points to ‘the good earth’, which is about a man in china and has an awesome movie to it (despite having white actors) and ‘twelfth night’, which is a funny shakespeare play about a girl named viola who disguses herself as a man named cesario. it’s full of romance, laughter and a hot feste singing voice (in the 1987 audiobook at least). and olivia is definitely bi ;)

the worst of 8th grade- animal farm! it’s about an orwell dystopian society (hmm...) but in a barn with animals. it’s not bad, but many of the animals were jerks except old major and the 1999 movie we watched was so cringy! (and the beasts of england song was changed which wasn’t cool)

the best of 9th grade-  the odyssey! it’s the ancient greek story of odysseus, a soldier who goes on an epic adventure to get home. the book was alright, but the movie was awesome and the movie ‘o brother where art thou’ (which is based on the story) is really great too! harrison burgeron, a dystopian society with a bad boi, was awesome too because i remember seeing the short film of it in 7th grade. ‘to kill a mockingbird’, which is about a girl named scout living in the segregated south, is really great as well! i loved how it was set in the 30s and scout was so much fun! (i’m a bit bummed at how we didn’t get to see the movie tho). ‘romeo and juliet’ is shakespeare’s most iconic work, being a tale of two star crossed lovers in fair verona. i really enjoyed the story(not the d jokes tho) and it inspired me to write a story set in 1596 (when the play was made)! i take back what i said about 5th grade being iconic 9TH GRADE WAS SO ICONIC YAS!!!!!

the worst of 9th grade- the scarlet ibis! it’s about a boy who takes care of his sick brother named doobie and tries to make him ‘normal’. it’s sweet how the iris symbolizes the brother, but how they die at the end is so sad! ‘the sniper’ wasn’t that good but the plot twist of the sniper guy shooting his brother was neat (also the ‘romeo + juliet’ movie wasn’t that good besides mercutio)

the best of 10th grade- a thousand splendid suns! the most recent book i’ve read, it’s about two women named mariam and laila who live in the afghanistan as the taliban take over. their story is so inspiring and i love how laila was able to be happy after all the horrifying things she went through with rasheed. mariam sacrificing herself for laila by killing rasheed was very powerful and i wish the stage version had her in it. bonus points go to ‘lord of the flies’! a group of boys are stranded on an island and there’s much boy chaos involved. it’s a great story and the fandom was too!

the worst of 10th grade- where are you going where have you been! this is about a girl named colleen who meets a guy named arnold friend. he’s very creepy and it’s an uncomfortable story to read (even more than rasheed!). equal bonus points to ‘the red bow’, a confusing story of a dead girl, a dog and red bows that i still don’t understand!

the best of 11th grade- the crucible! it’s about a girl named abigail who gets swept up in the salam witch trials. it’s a fascinating story with real life elements (rip giles) and the movie was pretty good. ‘the great gatsby’ was also a great story about how the roaring 20s wasn’t as fun as it seemed through the story of gatsby, all told through the eyes of nick

the worst of 11th grade- into the wild! this is a study sync thing, but we did a lot of those compared to novels. it’s about chris mccandles, a guy who tried surviving in a van in alaska and died, making a terribly tragic tale. ‘an incident at owl creek’ was ok but the best part was the plot twist of the guy running to his wife and being hung right before he can touch her (we saw the twilight zone ep instead of reading it and the twist was *chef’s kiss*)

the best of 12th grade- 1984!!! it’s the story of a dreamer named winston, who lives in the dystopian world of oceania. he meets a girl named julia and the two have a secret love affair, but they soon find out that no one is safe under the eye of bb. it’s terrifying tale that’s a bit depressing, but there are so many little moments that make me smile and the movie is even better. winston is relatable in some ways, julia is awesome and julston is a pretty great ship! it’s a big improvement over animal farm and it’s definitely my favorite adult story. bonus points go to ‘rime of the ancient mariner’, which is about an old sailor recounting his unfortunate journey at sea. the mariner telling his story to a random wedding guest was funny and it was an adventure like the odyssey! another round of bonus points to ‘beowulf’, an ancient norse tale of a warrior who fights a monster named grendel. the parts of the 2007 movie we saw sucked, but the story was really cool! wiglaf gets a shout out because he’s the best warrior :) another half bonus point to ‘hunger games’, which we saw the movie of. it’s about a girl named katniss who competes in a competition called the hunger games, which makes for a thrilling adventure!

the worst of 12th grade- hamlet! all of what we read this year was really good, but someone had to be last. this shakespearean tale is of hamlet, a prince who seeks revenge >:) it’s an ok story and i like the ghost dad!

now for my all time favorites! (and least faves)

the worst of the worst- the hatchet, the red bow, where are you going where have you been and the gadget

the best of the best!- 1984, the outsiders, a thousand splendid suns,  the diary of anne frank, the odyssey, romeo and juliet, to kill a mockingbird, twelfth night, harrison burgeron, rime of the ancient mariner and the good earth (along with the tom sawyer/1984 movies and hunger games)

good or bad, the books i read throughout school were amazing and i can’t wait to see what college brings! :D

[kellanswritingblog]

An Important Meeting

Azu organizes a Harrison Campbell book club for her new companions.

Written for day 3 of @azuweek!  Today's prompt was Colors/Campbell: Pinks and brightness; Romantic novels.  I sort of combined the pinks and brightness with the prompt for tomorrow, so today is all about Campbell novels!

AO3 link in the reblogs

“Oh, In the Fires of Fixation!  How do you like it?”

Azu looked up from her novel to address the person who had spoken.

“Barnes?  You… read Harrison Campbell?”

“Of course I do,” he replied, aghast.  “Listen, there’s a lot of downtime on a ship, and I’ve been serving on ships most of my life.  What better to read than some daring romance in a series that has dozens upon dozens of books?”

“Fair enough,” Azu said.  “It was wrong of me to assume otherwise, just because you’ve got the whole swarthy pirate thing going on.”  She smiled.  “I guess I should know not to judge a book by its cover.  But, I’m enjoying it!  It’s a good tale.”

“It’s one of my favorites.  Don’t get Wilde talking about it; he’ll never shut up.”

“Okay, I know I just said something about not judging a book by its cover and how I shouldn’t be surprised at you reading these sorts of novels, but Wilde reads Harrison Campbell?”

Barnes laughed and nodded.  “Oh, boy, does he.”

For a moment, Azu pondered, then suggested, “We should start a Campbell Book Club.  You, me, Wilde, Zolf, and anybody else who enjoys them.”

“I mean, I’d be open to that.  It’s hard when we’re all out on assignment in different places though.”

“At least for while we’re all together, then.”

Barnes gave an affirmative shrug.  “Sure.  Just tell me when.”

“Will do.”

*

Wilde was staring blankly at an unopened folder when Azu knocked on the doorframe to his office.

“Yes, Azu,” he said officially, greeting her as if she hadn’t just seen him totally zoned out.

“I heard you like Harrison Campbell novels,” she began, and he rolled his eyes.

“Yes, what of it?  Zolf and I spent a lot of time together, travelling and adventuring and what-not, so I eventually wound up reading some of the books he insisted on carrying with him at all times.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Azu exclaimed, waving her hands to bat away any perceived ill-intent.  “Zolf got me into Campbell too, when I was in quarantine.   The first time I was in quarantine…”  She paused, reminiscing, then continued, “I was talking to Barnes, and I thought, since there’s a handful of us here that read Campbell novels, maybe we should set up some sort of book club!  Where we can all talk about our favorite books and characters and how nobody possibly could have predicted the plot twist at the end of Sunlight and Shadow…”

Wilde gasped.   “Having Isabelle be the traitor all along was a masterstroke of genius,” he said matter-of-factly, and Azu couldn’t disagree with him.

“That’s what I mean!  We can all put aside work and fear for a little while, and talk about some fun, exciting romance novels instead.”

After thinking it over, Wilde nodded.  “Where and when?”

“The lounge area, tonight at eight?”

“I’ll be there.”

*

“Zolf?”  Azu peeked her head in the kitchen, where Zolf was covered in flour from a cooking preparation gone wrong.

“What do you want?”  He snapped, then let out a heavy breath.  “Sorry, that was… Anyway, what can I help you with?”  He said more calmly and unantagonistically.

“I was setting up a Harrison Campbell book club,” Azu explained, absentmindedly stacking and putting away clean dishes while she spoke.  “We can all talk over our favorite bits and-”

“Sounds great,” he interrupted.  “Listen, you know I’m not the most talkative dwarf at the best of times, but if you want me to talk about Harrison Campbell, I’m not sure I’ll ever shut up.”

Azu chuckled.  She didn't know if she believed it, but she was definitely sold on the book club plan since she might finally learn more about her curmudgeonly companion.

“We’re meeting in the lounge at eight.”

Zolf stopped in his tracks and looked at her.  “Eight?  How am I supposed to get snacks prepped in only a few hours?”

“You don’t need to make snacks.”

“Of course I do!  I’m going to make all the important snacks in the books; there’s the cucumber sandwiches from Love’s Emboldened Betrayal, those citrus tea cakes… and don’t forget the modified mint julep!”

“There’s going to be four of us?”  Azu added.  “Maybe make only one of those snacks?”

He nodded.  “You’re right.  I’ll make one plot-relevant meal per book club meeting.”

Azu couldn’t help but smile at the idea that this might become a regular thing, a time for them all to put aside their differences and enjoy their favorite books.

“Let me know if you need a hand making anything.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Zolf replied, his head already in a cupboard as he rummaged for the necessary ingredients.

Azu took that as her cue to leave, so she headed on her way to warn Hamid that the lounge would be occupied with talk of his most hated author that evening, and then to gather up the novels Zolf had loaned to her.

*

“Hey, what’s this I hear about a Harrison Campbell book club?”

Azu hadn’t even heard Carter approach, but she spun around to face him.

“We’re having a little gathering to talk over the stories,” she elaborated.

“And you didn’t invite me?  What’s your problem with me?”

“I didn’t know you liked Harrison Campbell!  I didn’t ask either,” she muttered, brow furrowed.  “I should have.  I’m sorry.”

Carter huffed.  “I was interested in Campbell’s work long before he became a world-renowned romance novelist.  Back when he was just getting started.”

“I would love to hear your opinion about some of his older works!”  Azu cried sincerely.  “And how his writing has changed over the years!”

Carter’s eyes scanned Azu’s expression, trying to gauge if she was plotting against him, but then stated, “I’ll be at the club meeting, then.”

“It’s at eight-”

“In the lounge, yeah, I know.”

“See you then?”  Azu called after him as he disappeared down the hall.  She really hoped she and Carter could put aside their distaste for each other during the meeting; she could do so, she believed, but she wasn’t entirely sure about Carter.

*

It was nearly eight o’clock, and Azu was starting to get nervous.  Would this be any fun?  Would the group stop bickering long enough to have an involved conversation?   Would any of them actually show up?

As the clock chimed eight, however, Wilde came sauntering into the room, a stack of his own Campbell novels under his arm.  A few moments later, Barnes and Carter arrived and took their seats.

“Thank you for doing this,” Azu said, beaming.  “I’m glad you all thought this was an alright idea.”

“Thank you, honestly,” Barnes replied.

“You can’t start yet, the snacks aren’t done!”  Zolf exclaimed from the kitchen before bursting out of the door a moment later, a tray of drinks in hand.  “Here, have a drink and wait, I have to finish the decorations.”  Then, he disappeared as abruptly as he arrived.

Wilde took a drink and glanced at it.  “Is this-”

“Jennifer’s favorite mint julep?  It is,” Azu answered, and Wilde chuckled.

“Zolf would, Zolf would,” he murmured before taking the first sip.

The four club members sat quietly if not a little awkwardly while waiting for Zolf to arrive.  Five minutes later, he emerged from the kitchen again, carrying a delicate arrangement of finger sandwiches, each one decorated with a rose on top.  He set them on the table and flopped into a chair.

“Now we can start.”

Azu didn’t know where to begin or how to host something like this, but she didn’t have to worry.  Soon enough Wilde was bringing up his favorite plot points and couples, only for each to be praised or picked apart by one of their companions.  The food and drink were an excellent, delicious bonus, but surrounded by friends, chatting about nothing serious, Azu couldn’t help but smile.  This was what Harrison Campbell novels were really about.

[nonbinarywiki]

hey would you say that izzy is a gender neutral name? my given name is isabel, but i've been going by izzy as a nickname since 4th grade. i thought it was a feminine name but i saw a male character in a book with the name. it would be easier to just solely go by the nickname i already have, but i don't want people to think i'm a woman when i tell them my name. does the name izzy automatically conjure a female image?

Unfortunately 'Izzy' is traditionally seen as a female name —however, language is constantly shifting. The gendering of the name kinda depends on where you live —for example, where I live 'Jessie' is considered a feminine name, but in most of America it's neutral.

If you feel confident enough to do so, though, names are just sounds and letters we assign meaning to, so if using Izzy is what feels right, regardless of what other people think, it's completely valid! Equally, if you do feel like you'd like to change your name but don't because it's "easier" not to, then just remember you and your gender are not an inconvenience. There's nothing wrong with changing your name, and if anyone tells you otherwise then they really aren't your friends. If you want to change your name (and it's safe to do so) then go for it! Anyone who's bothered wasn't worth it, anyway.

Sorry I can't offer you a more definitive answer on whether Izzy is a purely feminine answer or not, but I hope this helps regardless! Have a great day.

—Mads

[purplesurveys]

1037

survey by joybucket

Do you have a vlog? No, but I’ve always thought it would be fun to start and maintain one. Just never got around to it because it’s so much work, from conceptualizing to shooting to editing; and idk if my humor will translate to the camera. Plus I hate being shot in public, so it would never work out for me.

If not, have you ever considered starting a vlog? Yeah, a lot of times. It just looks like such a therapeutic outlet that I can sink my teeth into. Who knows, if I ever gain more confidence in the future I may just try making a video or two.

Did you go to AM or PM kindergarten? AM. As much as I hated waking up early from ages 4-6, it was nice to be home by noon and it also made for good training for the rest of my years in school.

What are your favorite youtube channels to watch? Good Mythical Morning, several wrestling-themed channels for their weekly lists, and KBS for their Return of Superman clips. I have a lot of other subscriptions, but those are the main ones I’ve been tuning into lately.

Which relative(s) do you look the most like? I get my mom the most, but sometimes I’ll be told I look like my dad as well.

Have you ever watched a live birth video? I don’t think so.

Have you ever given birth? Definitely not.

Do you remember when the Internet was a new thing? That wouldn’t be possible as I wasn’t born yet and by the time that I was, the internet had already been around for a few years.

Do you remember Y2K? I was alive when it happened but barely conscious, so no. I was only 2.

How old were you when the year changed to 2000? I was 1, turning 2 that year.

What was your favorite childhood vacation? We didn’t have lots of vacations when I was a kid, because for most of the 2000s my parents were still busy saving up and climbing up their respective ladders at work. We only started to regularly go on vacations by the time I was around 11, when finances started to get easier to handle. That said, as a kid I really loved the time my parents would bring us to the local water park on weekends.

Have you ever wished you were born the opposite gender? As a teenager when hating pink and general girliness was cool, probably. I don’t wish for it now.

What's your birth order: oldest, middle, or youngest? I’m the eldest.

Do you fit the stereotype for whatever birth order you are? Idk what kind of stereotype you’re looking for, tbh. As much as I don’t really like tooting my own horn, I’ve heard firstborns are usually more intelligent than their younger siblings and I would attest to at least that lol

Have you ever worn overalls? Yup, though they aren’t the denim kind.

If you're a girl, how old were you when you started your period? I had just turned 10. I thought I was going to get it while I was still 9 (the signs had been showing for a while by then), but it ultimately came a month after my 10th birthday. Still, I was one of the rare cases in my family who had it at a lot younger.

Do you get cramps? I used to get leg cramps all the goddamn time as a kid, and they always came in the middle of the night. I don’t get them or any kind of cramps anymore, thankfully; and the only time I do is on my fingers when I don’t hold my chopsticks properly.

Is your mom mentally stable? I think there are definitely some things therapy could fix.

Is your dad a complete jerk to you? No, you’re referring to the other parent.

Where do you want to go on vacation next? Oh my godddddd, Thailand plz.

What is one place you want to visit before you die? Wrestlemania.

Has anyone ever committed suicide in your town, that you know of? A neighbor’s kid passed away a few months ago, but I didn’t know them.

What's your favorite type of crackers? Ritz Bits are where it’s at.

What's your favorite spice? Cumin.

Are you sensitive? Yeah. I’m a little soft and I tend to take a lot of things personally.

Are you intuitive? It wouldn’t be the first word I’d use to describe myself, but I guess I have my moments.

Are you spiritual? No.

Do you wish your life were easier? Um, if it was a legitimate option then yeah obviously.

What color hair did your first crush have? Black.

What was the name of your first crush? Andi.

Did you ever play on Mamamedia.com? I don’t think I’ve heard of that site. If we’re talking of websites that host flash games or whatever it is they’re called, I always hung out on Y8 haha.

Do you remember your first email address? I didn’t anymore before encountering this, but this question made me automatically rack my brain and now I do remember and now I’m wincing as well. 

Did you name your lego characters? I didn’t make any characters, I think. I just liked making towers.

What was/is your high school's mascot? Both my schools don’t have mascots.

What is/was your favorite class in high school? All the history classes we had to take under the social sciences umbrella; it was Philippine history for freshman year, Asian history for sophomore year; world history in junior year; and then unfortunately we made the switch to basic economics for senior year which was like ???? Why couldn’t we have gone all the way with history? Economics ended up being super boring lol.

Is college an adventure? It really was. I grew and learned so much in it and I couldn’t have spent the last four years in a better place and a better school.

Do you take medication for anxiety or depression? No.

If so, does it work? Does it help you? Or does it make you feel worse?

If applicable, what form of birth control do you use?

Who is your favorite cousin? My eldest cousin on my mom’s side, who pretty much feels like my older brother and not a cousin at this point.

Do you look your age? According to most, no. I look a little younger than 22.

What's your favorite flavor of frosting? Chocolateeeeeeee.

Do you like toe socks? I’ve never had to wear those before so I don’t have an opinion.

Muffins or cupcakes? Cupcakes.

Have you ever had a bag stolen? I’ve had a wallet stolen, so kinda.

How old were you when you got your first phone? I was technically still 6 because I had an advanced celebration, but it was for my 7th birthday.

Are you ready for summer?!?! Now that I think about it I do want to go back to summer, just because it was such a vastly different – and a lot happier – time...

Is winter your favorite season? It probably would be if we had it.

How many people do you know who've said winter is their favorite season? Zero.

Are you unique in any way? I think everyone is.

Do you have any hidden talents? if there are any left, I’m not aware of them yet.

Has anyone said you and your mom look like sisters? Just about everyone, all the time.

Who was your best friend in high school? Gabie for the most part, but Angela was there as well.

What book or movie gave you nightmares as a child? Commercials creeped me out as a child, not a certain book or movie.

What song makes you cry? Usually it’s 26 by Paramore, but not always.

Does anyone know who your first crush was besides you? Yeah, I’ve told a couple of people.

How many teachers have you had crushes on? I think around three or four. Possibly more, but I don’t remember all too well as I’ve since discarded a lot of memories from my old school.

Did you make your Barbie dolls get crushes on each other? Nah. I mostly stripped them of their clothes and broke their arms and legs, lol.

Did your Barbie dolls go on dates? Nope. I didn’t have enough dolls to do that, anyway. It wasn’t my toy of choice.

How old were you when you had your first kiss? I was 16.

Do you like church? Hell no.

Do you have scars from self-harm? You’d only be able to make them out if you knew I self-harmed, but I think they’re almost unrecognizable at this point.

Do you have cellulite? It’s only present if I tightly twist my skin.

How old were you when you started getting zits? Not sure, somewhere in the middle of high school. I’ve never had lasting problems with acne though; I only ever get one or two at a time and it happens like, once a year.

Did your hair change at all when you went through puberty? Aside from hair growing in places? No, not really. It stayed the same.

Are you taller, shorter, or the same height as your mom? I’m a tad bit shorter, though for a time it seemed as if my growth spurt would lead me to overtake her.

Would you ever consider adopting a child? It’s not a personal choice of mine, but there could very much be situations in the far future where I would consider doing so. I’m not shutting that possibility down.

Who was your first roommate? I’ve never had one; I haven’t tried living on my own yet.

Have you ever had a teacher who was rude? So many.

Is your mom paranoid? Very much so. She shows some signs of OCD and her paranoia is reflected through that. 

Do you trim your own hair? Not my hair, but I do this with my bangs.

Did your mom read you bedtime stories as a child? No. That’s one of the things I’ll change if I myself become a mom.

What are all the things you remember being for Halloween? Pirate, Tinkerbell, Daria, AJ Lee, Dora the Explorer, Sofie.

What was the name of the first pet that you loved? My first goldfish.

Did you have your own room as a child? Not until I was 10.

What color was your nursery? I wasn’t put in one. I shared a room with my parents and siblings until I was 10.

Did your parents know your gender before you were born? I think they waited it out until a few weeks before I was born.

What is your name (first and middle)? My first name is Robyn and my second is Isabelle; I don’t need to share my middle name.

What would you have been named if you had been born the opposite gender? They never thought about it, which is kinda disappointing because I do want to know what my other name could’ve been.

Do you like your name? I’ve ended up doing so, yes.

What would you name your children? I haven’t cemented decisions that far ahead. I have ideas for names, like Olivia, but they’re nothing absolute. 

Do you exercise regularly? Nope.

Do you have a healthy BMI? No, I’ve always been a little underweight.

What is your favorite season? Wet/rainy.

Do you look like your mom? This is like the third time I’ve answered this within just this survey lol, yes I do.

What is the origin of your last name? Spanish/Portuguese.

What is the meaning of your first name? I’ve heard it means ‘fame.’ I just don’t feel like checking.

What month were you born in? April.

Do you share a birthday with anyone in your family? Nope. But my sister and one of my cousins share the same birthday, right down to the year.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Eh, it comes out every now and then but it’s not all the time. I definitely enjoy savory more.

What photo editing software do you use? None lol, photo editing is one of my Achilles’ heels.

Where do you buy most of your clothes? Tianggeeeeeeeees.

[darth-salem-emperor-of-earth]

Do the tag game with your favorite oc ;)

I had this saved but unfinished in my drafts folder so sorry about that! XP

Here is another tag game for my favorite OC when I can’t decide who it is when in reality, I have too many favorite OCs. XD Last time I did Kiri Wallace, my Hogwarts Mystery MC so this time, I’m going do one of my video game characters. 

Xena Hawke

Full Name: Xena Hawke

Gender and Sexuality: Female, Bisexual

Pronouns: She/Her

Ethnicity/Species: Human

Birthplace and Birthdate: Falconhurst, Ferelden / 9:00 Dragon.

Guilty Pleasures: Brothels, going on drinking binges when she feels lost or insecure, and eating or hording a ridiculous amount of hard cardies. She also likes reading super smutty or graphic romance novels, regardless if there is a plot or not. 

Phobias: Has severe abandonment issues, claustrophobia, and really hates/is frightened of rats. 

What They Would Be Famous For: Becoming the Champion of Kirkwall. Sleeping with most of, if not, all of the whores in Kirkwall’s Red District. Killing a mercenary with her bare hands and another by snapping his neck by squeezing her thighs around his throat and face. She’s the type of melee fighter that if she looses her sword, she becomes a total brawler with her feet and hands. 

What They Would Get Arrested For: Resisting arrest after drinking WAY over their limit and refusing to leave the pub. 

OC You Ship Them With: I’d love to ship Xena with someone else’s OC but until then, I look at one of my own OCs. I can totally see Xena and my flirty drow Rolf Dunklestein getting along swimmingly. They’d probably fuck each other with their eyes first before doing it physically and then commit to one another after a few close encounters and more time in each other’s arms and presence. 

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Honestly, I can’t really see any one of my OCs hating her enough to want her dead. Sure, some of them would find Xena downright annoying but even my morally ambiguous or dark side characters might get along with her sometimes (and probably sleep with her) and would only kill her if she got in their way. 

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: Action packed Romance or Smutty Romance

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: The “Kill Your Gays” Trope or just having a character whose personality is just being “the gay one”.

Talents and/or Powers: She’s a mighty warrior who fights with two handed weapons and is known to kill with a single blow. She is also quite the smooth talker and can charm the underwear off of any man or woman she chooses. 

Why Someone Might Love Them: She’s loyal down the the marrow of her bones and despite her philandering habit, she’s committed if someone shows they want something more than simple sleeping around. She cares for all her friends and will fight tooth and nail to protect them and make sure they’re safe, regardless of who is hunting them down. Her gregarious, fun-loving personality and love stories (whether listening or telling them) is one of the many reasons that help keep her merry band together and ceases the more hostile arguments from interrupting into full-blown fisticuffs. 

Why Someone Might Hate Them: Xena really can’t get her shit together. She runs away from her problems or drinks to forget them in hopes they go away eventually. She’s definitely the type who thinks with her heart or gut rather than her mind, which would thoroughly irk or incur the dislike of more logically prone people or those who don’t like it when she muscles her way through many conundrums or battles. 

How They Change: Xena slowly but surely overcomes her abandonment issues (Varric and Bethany mainly help with that) and learns to not always agonize about if a person who enters her life will leave immediately after knowing more about her. She also reduces the amount of drinking she has so it’s not much of a problem anymore and can think more rationally with a clearer head. She is learning that thinking with the mind sometimes gives her smoother outcomes of certain plans. 

Once she realizes her feelings for Varric, Xena stops sleeping around and going to brothels. She works up the courage to confess her feelings, fully prepared to be rejected because she’s use to her love life being a mess but Varric beats her too it because he figured out her behavior earlier and decides he’ll make the first step to assure Xena she’s not the only one who feels this way. After that, her smiles start reaching her eyes all over again. 

Why You Love Them: Because she’s my one Hawke that’s not pinned down by any color or main personality, she’s all over the place. She comes with a lot of problems that are fun to explore and later, help her to eventually overcome and grow from them, in spite of all the suffering, mistakes, and losses she endured along the way. She was my first Hawke so there were a lot of parts I missed or didn’t develop in her playthrough (ex: Isabel forsook her and never returned with the book because I barely used her in my team XD) that still made for an interesting story. She’s the type of character who still keeps living despite how crappy her life can get and how tired she feels, she knows giving up is the ultimate failure and doing so is not in her nature. 

[theomnilegent]

2019 Upcoming LGBTQA Fiction I’m Excited For!

A new year, a new top nine for women-lead LGBT fiction I’m looking forward to reading! There are, of course, a great many more books than the nine I’ve chosen this time ‘round - I think I will eventually make a part two to this post. I am so, so happy to see that this year we have even more diversity, even more stories about characters from all walks of life, from different parts of the LGBTQA umbrella, and even more LGBT novels. I remember a time where it’d be hard to find more than two YA novels with LGBT themes published in a single year - and now we have so many amazing works coming out!

The themes for 2019 seem to be gay witches, space gays, and explorations of mental illness in the LGBT community. I am so excited to read stories about girls and magic! I am more excited to read stories about girls and love! And I am definitely excited to see multiple books seriously addressing the issues of mental illness in young lesbian and bisexual women - it is a serious topic that has often been glossed over in the past, and to see multiple works that want to tackle these issues, and the issues of toxic relationships, in a healthy way is refreshing. 

Below you’ll find titles, summaries, and goodreads links.

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki Laura Dean, the most popular girl in high school, was Frederica Riley's dream girl: charming, confident, and SO cute. There's just one problem: Laura Dean is maybe not the greatest girlfriend. Reeling from her latest break up, Freddy's best friend, Doodle, introduces her to the Seek-Her, a mysterious medium, who leaves Freddy some cryptic parting words: break up with her. But Laura Dean keeps coming back, and as their relationship spirals further out of her control, Freddy has to wonder if it's really Laura Dean that's the problem. Maybe it's Freddy, who is rapidly losing her friends, including Doodle, who needs her now more than ever. Fortunately for Freddy, there are new friends, and the insight of advice columnists like Anna Vice to help her through being a teenager in love.

Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner Sam Jones and Zoe Miller have one thing in common: they both want an escape from reality. Loner Sam flies under the radar at school and walks on eggshells at home to manage her mom’s obsessive-compulsive disorder, wondering how she can ever leave to pursue her dream of studying aerospace engineering. Popular, people-pleasing Zoe puts up walls so no one can see her true self: the girl who was abandoned as an infant, whose adoptive mother has cancer, and whose disabled brother is being sent away to live in a facility. When an unexpected encounter results in the girls’ exchanging phone numbers, they forge a connection through text messages that expands into a private universe they call Starworld. In Starworld, they find hilarious adventures, kindness and understanding, and the magic of being seen for who they really are. But when Sam’s feelings for Zoe turn into something more, will the universe they’ve built survive the inevitable explosion?

The Lost Coast by Amy Rose Capetta Danny didn't know what she was looking for when she and her mother spread out a map of the United States and Danny put her finger down on Tempest, California. What she finds are the Grays: a group of friends who throw around terms like queer and witch like they're ordinary and everyday, though they feel like an earthquake to Danny. But Danny didn't just find the Grays. They cast a spell that calls her halfway across the country, because she has something they need: she can bring back Imogen, the most powerful of the Grays, missing since the summer night she wandered into the woods alone. But before Danny can find Imogen, she finds a dead boy with a redwood branch through his heart. Something is very wrong amid the trees and fog of the Lost Coast, and whatever it is, it can kill. Lush, eerie, and imaginative, Amy Rose Capetta's tale overflows with the perils and power of discovery — and what it means to find your home, yourself, and your way forward.

Tell Me How You Really Feel by Aminah Mae Safi Sana Khan is a cheerleader and a straight A student. She's the classic (somewhat obnoxious) overachiever determined to win. Rachel Recht is a wannabe director who's obsesssed with movies and ready to make her own masterpiece. As she's casting her senior film project, she knows she's found the perfect lead - Sana. There's only one problem. Rachel hates Sana. Rachel was the first girl Sana ever asked out, but Rachel thought it was a cruel prank and has detested Sana ever since. Told in alternative viewpoints and inspired by classic romantic comedies, this engaging and edgy YA novel follows two strongwilled young women falling for each other despite themselves.

The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown Before, Jessica has always struggled with anger issues, but come sophomore year that all changes when Vivi crashes into her life. As their relationship blossoms, Vivi not only helps Jess deal with her pain, she also encourages her to embrace her talent as an artist. And for the first time, it feels like the future is filled with possibilities. After In the midst of senior year, Jess’s perfect world is erased when Vivi suddenly passes away. Reeling from the devastating loss, Jess pushes everyone away, and throws out her plans to go to art school. Because art is Vivi and Vivi is gone forever. Desperate for an escape, Jess gets consumed in her work-study program, letting all of her dreams die. Until she makes an unexpected new friend who shows her a new way to channel her anger, passion, and creativity. Although Jess may never draw again, if she can find a way to heal and room in her heart, she just might be able to forge a new path for herself without Vivi.

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum Ryann Bird dreams of traveling across the stars. But a career in space isn’t an option for a girl who lives in a trailer park on the wrong side of town. So Ryann becomes her circumstances and settles for acting out and skipping school to hang out with her delinquent friends. One day she meets Alexandria: a furious loner who spurns Ryann’s offer of friendship. After a horrific accident leaves Alexandria with a broken arm, the two misfits are brought together despite themselves—and Ryann learns her secret: Alexandria’s mother is an astronaut who volunteered for a one-way trip to the edge of the solar system. Every night without fail, Alexandria waits to catch radio signals from her mother. And its up to Ryann to lift her onto the roof day after day until the silence between them grows into friendship, and eventually something more...   

How It Feels To Float by Helena Fox Biz knows how to float. She has her people, her posse, her mom and the twins. She has Grace. And she has her dad, who tells her about the little kid she was, who loves her so hard, and who shouldn't be here but is. So Biz doesn't tell anyone anything. Not about her dark, runaway thoughts, not about kissing Grace or noticing Jasper, the new boy. And she doesn't tell anyone about her dad. Because her dad died when she was six. And Biz knows how to float, right there on the surface--normal okay regular fine. But after what happens on the beach--first in the ocean, and then in the sand--the tethers that hold Biz steady come undone. Dad disappears, and with him, all comfort. It might be easier, better, sweeter to float all the way away? Or maybe stay a little longer, find her father, bring him back to her. Or maybe--maybe maybe maybe--there's a third way Biz just can't see yet.

Going Off Script by Jen Wilde Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn't quite what she expected... instead of sitting in a crowded writer's room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee. Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer―who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet...maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that's the last straw! It's time for Bex and her crush to fight back.

These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg (read: non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans. But dealing with her ex is the least of Hannah's concerns when a terrifying blood ritual interrupts the end-of-school-year bonfire. Evidence of dark magic begins to appear all over Salem, and Hannah's sure it's the work of a deadly Blood Witch. The issue is, her coven is less than convinced, forcing Hannah to team up with the last person she wants to see: Veronica. While the pair attempt to smoke out the Blood Witch at a house party, Hannah meets Morgan, a cute new ballerina in town. But trying to date amid a supernatural crisis is easier said than done, and Hannah will have to test the limits of her power if she's going to save her coven and get the girl, especially when the attacks on Salem's witches become deadlier by the day.

[cheryls-blossomed]

i wanted your opinion on something, because i know you've pointed out some story changes to the witcher tv series that you wish hadn't been made from the books, i'm always apprehensive when a book i love is being adapted to screen and tv, and what is your take on having to condense the material and whether changes can be both negative and positive?

Hmm, this is a good question. With The Witcher, I actually think it’s a pretty strong adaptation of the book, and I love, for example, how the show fleshed out Yennefer’s back story at Aretuza (and honestly wish we got more of that, including more of her and Triss). I thought it an odd choice for the show to introduce Triss as a mage at Foltest’s court, and I think it would have been a stronger choice, given that the show was fleshing out Yen’s back story AND the fact that we have confirmation Yen and Triss probably were at Aretuza around the same time, to have them be young apprentices there. Most of my issue with the show were changes from iconic scenes in the books, quite honestly. I also think that the show should have focused on Yen and Geralt’s love story more and handled the last wish arc better. 

More generally, I’m going to use Crazy Rich Asians as a way to illustrate my point about when changes are necessary and when changes are negative and when I’m being nit-picky about changes. Astrid and her story with Michael and Charlie is probably a good example of a change that was necessary. In the books (spoiler alert), Michael doesn’t have an affair, but instead he pretends to have an affair, because he’s basically trying to get some kind of reaction from Astrid (plus he’s feeling incredibly insecure and so obviously putting your wife through excessive turmoil is the way to do it). It worked in the books, because it sets up Michael becoming extremely power-hungry when Charlie anonymously buys shares in his company, and then we see just how horrible Michael is (it was clearly hinted at that he was an emotionally abusive and verbally abusive husband, but we really only see that after he’s gained status and money). But by changing the story in the film with Michael actually having an affair (no doubt to streamline the arcs, so that everything could fit in the film’s timeframe), the film focuses on Astrid and her standing up for herself, and Charlie just cameos as a promise of what’s to come. Which indicates that we likely won’t have to see Michael (good riddance) and see Astrid subject to his awful treatment of her in an adaptation of China Rich Girlfriend, and instead, Astrid and Charlie’s love story can be the focus (and I definitely won’t complain if the film cuts Isabelle Wu’s character altogether). But contrast this with negative changes, such as botching Alistair’s characterization. Sure, he’s not a major character, but in the film he’s a misogynistic asshole who really contributes nothing of substance. In the books, he serves as a more down to earth and realistic counterpart to his older brother, Eddie, who is obsessed with wealth and appearance to a point that it is equally comical as it is disturbing. By contrast, Alistair is introspective; he’s reserved, doesn’t carry airs the way he does in the film, is part of the brigade who pretend Colin is dreadfully ill and has to be airlifted, so that they can escape Bernard’s horrifically over the top bachelor party. Alistair, like Colin and Nick, really does not want to be at that bachelor party. Equally, in the film, Peik Lin and her family know right away who the Youngs are, but in the book, they don’t immediately recognize the Young name. I think it was important to keep this in the film, because it emphasized how secretive the Youngs are and how much they detest the noveau riche flaunting their wealth and being in all the papers. And how the Youngs consider themselves of a much higher caliber than their absurdly wealthy peers. It highlights the bizarre distinctions of classicism even the upper echelons of society partake in amongst themselves, and it is the catalyst for providing a closer look at the wealth disparity in Singapore. And then there’s changes which I nit-picked; for example, there’s a character in the book, Mehmet, who is a good friend of Nick and Colin’s, and even though he definitely could have been cut from the film, as he was, I still think he should’ve been in the film, because he provides further levity amongst the absurdity of so many of the characters with his level-headed, good-natured personality.

So, all that to say that at the end of the day, whether you think an adaptation is good or bad very much depends on how you feel about it subjectively. There are always adaptations that are objectively horrendous, but most tv or film adaptations of books fall somewhere in between amazingly perfect to downright horrid, and some people love the adaptation and others don’t. You feel how you feel, obviously, and I know, for example, when I’m being nit-picky and when I’m genuinely concerned about a change, but you know... we’re all human, we’re all gonna nit-pick, lol.

[richincolor]

Everyone, please welcome Ismée Williams to Rich in Color! Ismée’s book, THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD, is out on February 11th. We are every excited to have Ismée here to talk about it:

When private school student Isabelle Warren first meets Dominican-American Alex Rosario on the downtown 1 train, she remembers his green eyes and his gentlemanly behavior. He remembers her untroubled happiness, something he feels all rich kids must possess. That, and her long dancer legs. Over the course of multiple subway encounters spanning the next three years, Isabelle learns of Alex’s struggle with his father, who is hell-bent on Alex being a contender for the major leagues, despite Alex’s desire to go to college and become a poet. Alex learns about Isabelle’s unstable mother, a woman with a prejudice against Latino men. But fate—and the 1 train—throw them together when Isabelle needs Alex most. Heartfelt and evocative, this romantic drama will appeal to readers of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen.

THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD has been likened to a modern-day retelling of West Side Story. The secret is, I didn’t start out with that intention. My inspiration for THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD was the jungle that is the great city of New York, how individuals from opposite extremes of life can pass each other on the street or be smushed together in a crowded subway. I loved the idea of putting two teens together in a train car who otherwise wouldn’t cross paths and exploring what would happen. I thought of what they would look like, what they would have in common and what would differ between them. That ended up being a girl, Isa, who’s privileged in the traditional sense, blessed with money, beauty, and talent, and a boy, Alex, who’s less so, because of who his parents are and where they were born. Alex has his own privileges, to be sure–his own beauty, his own talent, and the love and support of his mom and step-mom. But one of his wounds is that strangers make assumptions about him because of what he looks like–a massively tall, very fit, brown-skinned boy. He is definitely the ‘Maria’ character in the West Side Story trope.

THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD shares West Side Story’s message of tolerance. I read somewhere that the creators of the famous musical, composer Leonard Berstein, idea-man and choreographer Jerome Robbins, book writer Arther Laurents and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, originally intended for the conflict to be between rival Catholic and Jewish gangs on the East Side. In August of 1955 the Los Angeles times ran an article, “Six Jailed in Fight Death”, detailing how the leader of a Latino gang had been killed in a fight outside a teen dance hall. After reading this, writer Laurents suggested changing the gangs in the musical to white and Puerto Rican. That’s when interest and funding took off. It’s interesting to consider the show could have been East Side Story! I didn’t see the original Broadway musical, of course (I wasn’t born yet!) but I do remember watching the movie and the conflicting emotions it made me feel. I loved the power of the romance, the idea that love could rise above existing prejudices. As a dancer, I was drawn to the choreography and the music, especially the scenes that celebrated Latinx experience. My abuela was too. I can still hear her high heels clicking against the terra cotta tiles of our kitchen floor as she merengued to the music. But the movie also crystalized for me that society viewed being Latinx as undesireable. I saw the film over twenty years after it had won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, so I consider it to be terribly outdated. As the child of a Cuban immigrant and a white protestant from New Jersey, I was biased into believing things had changed and that it was easier for my parents than it was for Tony and Maria. I was naive, of course. Couples like Isa and Alex still face challenges, which is something I wanted to explore in THIS TRAIN. But I really wanted to show that love is love and that it is powerful. It might be inconvenient to fall for someone people don’t expect you to be with, but it should never be wrong.

Like West Side Story, THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD revolves around the star-crossed lovers. I intended to show not just Alex and Isa’s attraction, but also their connection which arises from what they share: their passions for dance and baseball and poetry, their love and dedication to their families, and how they both try very, very hard to live up to the expectations of those around them. But I wanted to highlight their attraction, that insistent tug that pulls them together and makes it difficult for them to put the other out of their mind. I hope the reader feels the same draw to the characters and their plight that I felt when I watched West Side Story. For that to happen, there has to be more than just attraction. We need to see the tension, that thing that tears the lovers apart. Just like in West Side Story, there are many external factors that threaten the lovers. Isa’s mother, even though she’s Cuban, doesn’t want her daughter to date a Latino because she grew up with a cheating father. Alex’s friends think he should date a Dominican girl from the Heights, not a blondie from the Upper East Side. One even considers him a traitor. Another friend of Alex’s gets drawn into a Dominican gang, which provides even more parallels to West Side Story. There are internal factors that work against the lovers as well, though here the plot is more Shakespeare than West Side Story, with tragic misunderstandings that stem from not being fully honest with one another. And of course, fate plays its own role. There is another big difference between THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD and West Side Story but I cannot share it without spoiling too much!

I read that the music of the famous America dance scene, sung by EGOT-winning Rita Moreno, doesn’t have roots in Puerto Rico. The rhythms are those of a haupango, a folk dance from Mexico.  Just as West Side Story hold up the ideal of the US as a big melting pot and incorporated different elements of Latin rhythms, THIS TRAIN IS BEING HELD looks at New York as a place where everyone can belong and explores the spectrum of Latinx identity and Latinx families. I hope readers enjoy the ride!

Ismée Williams is a pediatric cardiologist by day and an accomplished author by night. Her first book with Abrams, Water in May, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. She lives in New York City.

[batnbreakfast]

St. Clare’s vs Hanni und Nanni

Being reminded of the St. Clare’s book series by a post about the Chalet school book series, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and have a look at the Enid Blyton books of my childhood. Which made me discover quite some interesting (well, at least to me) facts about the original works of Enid Blyton and their German ‘translations’. In this essay I will...

Yes, I actually wrote an essay nobody asked me for on a school series.

Let’s take St. Clare’s as an example, even though you may take almost every series Blyton wrote and discover it being handled the same way in Germany.

St. Clare’s was and still is published as the “Hanni und Nanni” series in Germany. Which brings us to the first pressing question: Who the heck are Hanni and Nanni?

Apparently the German publisher, Schneider, didn’t really care for British names (and places, but I’ll get back to that later) and decided to almost completely rename every character involved. Goodbye Patrica “Pat” und Isabel O’Sullivan and welcome Hanna “Hanni” and Marianne “Nanni” Sullivan. Seems like getting rid of the O’ made their last name perfectly fine to be perceived as German. (Fun fact: It’s not. Not at all.) Surnames, especially those of the teachers made it almost unscathed - Ms. Jenks is Fräulein Jenkins, but most of them kept their names as they were.

While they were at it with changing all the first names, they noticed that German kids might actually not be able to relate to school books taking place in Cornwall and so Schneider called in the movers and transferred the whole boarding school to Germany. Much more relatable that way! Welcome to “Lindenhof” (TIL that the English word for Linde is “lime tree” and my brain stopped for a moment, because I read about lime trees before and always thought of the green citrusy fruit bearing type of tree. That sometimes happens if you’ve learned big chunks of a language without any translation at all, but still.. mind boggling. Ok, going back to the school named “Lime tree yard” again...)

The Lindenhof is placed somewhere in Southern Germany and while I can’t remember if it is an actual castle in the books, it is depicted as one in the films. (Yes, there are films. Several of them.) I can’t find out if the original series takes place in something like Caerhays, but the Germans, obviously fond of the posh castle school look, definitely went for it.

Now we have Hanni and Nanni, sent against their wills to a castle like boarding school in southern Germany. Time to start translating the actual storyline Enid Blyton wrote, don’t you think? Actually... no. You see, moving the boarding school took some time and while the original books started out in the 40s, by the time the Lindenhof got placed in Germany, we were in the 60s. Gone are the ugly grey school uniforms, changed to bell-bottoms and striped shirts (no school uniforms in Germany). No gramophones, but record players. No jazz music, but Schlager (pity, I say!). No Lacrosse (most Germans won’t know a thing about this sport even nowadays), but handball.

Picture this... we now have books that clearly claim to be written by Enid Blyton, that use different names, places and a completely different era. Can’t get worse, can it?

It can. While there are only nine original St. Clare’s books available in the UK, there are twenty-seven of them published in Germany. This isn’t done by the fantasy literature way as it is often done in Germany - one English book is published as two German ones (this will forever bug me when talking about the GoT books with Germans), it was done by simply getting another author (still doing research on them) to write additional German books for the Hanni und Nanni series. The additional ones where published between the books that are - let’s say loosely, because there are whole chapters missing - based on the original ones and all of them are published as Enid Blyton’s works.

I’m taking a break now.

tl;dr: The German Enid Blyton books that children all around the country came (and still come) to love and grew up with are actually fanfiction. If someone from Germany would have the chance to speak to Enid Blyton about her books, both would probably end up very confused.

Thanks to @fortytworedvines for making me fall into the rabbit hole of Enid Blyton books.