#star wars book community

[fiatluxillustration-portfolio]

Individual elements of my redesign of the book art for Bloodline

Darth Vader | Leia Organa

Created with Procreate

𝙵𝚒𝚊𝚝 𝙻𝚞𝚡 𝙸𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

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[phoenixkaptain]

Reading the novelization of A New Hope already changed how I saw Luke as a character but Splinter of the Mind’s Eye is going one step further and making me question the very fundamentals thought to be obvious about Luke.

Like, Luke is, for lack of a better term, a nerd. He studied languages and cultures -

“”Yes,” Luke admitted modestly. “I used to study a lot about certain worlds, back on my uncle’s farm on Tatooine. It was my only escape, and educational as well. This,” and he indicated the creature resting a massive long arm on his head and shaking him in a friendly fashion, “is a Yuzzem.””

-he wants to study more languages and cultures-

“Empty doorways beckoned to him and he was tempted, very tempted, to enter one of the ruined structures to find out if its interior was as well preserved as the outside.

This was not, he reminded himself firmly, the time for playful exploration. Their first concern was to find a way out, not to go poking around this ancient metropolis. However wonderful it was.”

Luke wants to know about people. He wants to know about cultures and creatures and he wants to be able to communicate and…

He really just. Is a great Jedi. He jumps between Leia and danger and he befriends the Yuzzem the prison guards thought would kill him and he wants to explore the creepy abandoned ruins of a civilization long past and he uses Anakin’s lightsaber underwater to cut the stem of a lilypad they use as a boat and he comments that the rock formations are almost too beautiful to cut down and he knows how to work Imperial explosives and

He’s a Jedi, man. He’s a Jedi. He’s been a Jedi this whole time, before any of us even knew what that actually meant.

[bikananjarrus]

i think one of the things that makes the high republic books so special is just how much love there is in them. all different kinds of love are present throughout the books. romantic love, platonic love, familial love. love for community, for strangers, for the natural world, for learning. queer love and first love and rekindled love and lost love and love that can't be expressed in those exact words. the love and affection the characters all have for each other permeates the whole story, and i think above all it's love (and hope) that drive the story and it's just so beautiful to read <3

[weregonnabecoolbeans]

Obi-Wan really is just a walking ball of anxiety

[kanansdume]

I read a post recently discussing how great Tamora Pierce's Winding Circle Temple from her Circle of Magic series is both as a school and a home for the people who live there and oh boy did it give me Jedi vibes like nothing else. I'm going to straight-up admit I was more of a Tortall universe fan as a kid than an Emelan universe fan, but I recently went back and re-read all of the Circle of Magic books as an adult, so I still feel qualified to discuss this a little.

The post discusses how a religious Temple is actually such an interesting place to use as a location for the main characters' adoptive home, with the little routines and philosophies and general lifestyle woven into the worldbuilding. It's not just a school, although it very much is a place of learning, but it's a HOME. There are people who just come to the Temple to learn, of course, but a large amount of the people who are learning there also consider the Temple their home. And it's this community built of people who have CHOSEN to be there and/or have been cast out of other societies for things they cannot choose or change about themselves.

While Star Wars has not truly delved into what life is like in the Jedi temple (not in high mainstream canon at least), I've seen plenty of fans coming up with detailed headcanons about what life would be like in the Temple, what kind of holidays the Jedi might recognize or practice, what the classes would look like, what kind of food they'd eat and the routines and traditions surrounding their food. Because the Jedi Temple isn't just a boarding school, it isn't a university, it's a HOME and a community made up of people who have chosen to be here above anywhere else and those who were cast out of their own societies. The people who live there consider each other a family.

The adults at the Winding Circle temple aren't PERFECT, but they are genuinely good teachers who take care of the children they have adopted. They're responsible and loving simultaneously.

The Jedi all encourage their children to question things, to tease each other, to take responsibility for their own emotions and their own actions, but also simply to enjoy the moment as it happens rather than getting caught up in thoughts about the future or the past. They love each other and are perfectly capable of being playful, but they also ensure their children learn discipline and good mental health, as well.

Each main child character is raised relatively communally by the Temple, capable of being taught by just about anyone, but are also being housed with two specific Masters and then each taught their specific magical abilities by one teacher who has more of a specialty in their type of magic. We see a similar set-up among the Jedi who have the children brought up by Masters who are specifically assigned to taking care of their physical needs, but are eventually matched up to a Master who can help them hone their SPECIFIC skills, and all the while they are being raised pretty communally with access to every Jedi Knight, Master, and Padawan in the Order who might have something to teach them. The Winding Circle Temple takes a very adoptive/found family approach to their relationships, same as the Jedi do.

What's interesting is I don't know if I've ever seen as much discourse about Tamora Pierce setting her series at a religious Temple as I've seen aimed at the Jedi. I don't know that ANYBODY who's read Pierce's works in the Circle of Magic series would claim these characters not to be a family or that Winding Circle isn't their home or that it was repressive and abusive because they asked their members to take responsibility for their actions, especially when they have such large amounts of power at their disposal.

[bluesey-182]

if i have to see one more person say collecting books is an overconsumption problem im gonna delete all my social media aside from tumblr

[kingofattolia]

Qui-Gon: Hm... I can see that my 16yo padawan who has never been on a mission in his life is stuck in a mental rut and handicapping himself with self-doubt. What he needs is an excursion into the real world to build confidence and learn to trust the Force in practice, not in theory! Take him on his first mission myself? Nah. I think a better idea is to engineer a scenario where he thinks I've abandoned him and goes on the mission alone, into danger with zero way of communicating if something goes wrong. Best way to build character.

[auxxrat]

Shaak Ti is such an important character to me that I-

I feel like she’s MY character. I want to write essays on how her and just all the lore I’ve created for her. I’ve crafted her into such a character that im DEATHLY afraid of anyone from disney touching her.

the amount of lore I have built around her, the THINGSSS I have to say about her character and what she’s been through/accomplished. it would run into so much lore that disney hasn’t even began to touch and just give us a whole other side of the jedi order and the star wars universe as a whole.

AND I have a beautiful death planned out for her that isn’t stupid and actually means something, it’s basically just a more detailed version of her force unleashed death. I also have so much thoughts about her impact as a martyr and her impact on the clones. Not only that but her impact on the future (rebels, luke, new Jedi order etc.) I’m literally so afraid of Dave Filoni or someone else getting their hands on her character and just ruining the potential (that and we know how Dave filoni likes to throw out lore…)

(Not to mention it goes hand to hand with Jango lore 🫶)

AHHH i want to talk about it so bad yet nobody wants to listen 😭 the Shaak Ti community is so small and the Jango/Shaak community is even smaller, I might be the only resident <\3

[fiatluxillustration-portfolio]

Digital Sketchbook - Thrawn Treason Book Alt Cover

Created with Procreate

𝙵𝚒𝚊𝚝 𝙻𝚞𝚡 𝙸𝚕𝚕𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

| Visit InPrnt | Visit Etsy | Visit Digital Etsy | Visit Patreon | Visit the Portfolio |

[bereft-of-frogs]

so the 'Qimir/the Stranger is actually [ insert high republic character here ]' theories have started to escalate, Imri was one thing, today I saw someone suggest the Stranger is Cohmac and I laughed out loud.

But also sure. The Stranger is Cohmac. XD Why tf not. Except for all the, you know, 'humans don't live that long' and 'their descriptions and official character art do not match Manny Jacinto at all' 'it doesn't actually make sense' but people keep countering that with 'energy transfer' so I guess Qimir really could be anybody.

Wouldn't it be fucking hilarious if it was Azlin Rell. Fucking Azlin. That would be SO funny if he energy-transferred himself into Qimir to live another hundred extra years, to continue being the worst. It would be so funny. Absolutely no one else would find it funny but I would personally find it absolutely hilarious if 'scenic route guy' is Qimir

[teabeearts]

Ahsoka from #themandalorian and #thebookofbobafett ✨️

I started drawing this last year but had to stop because I had more important works to do. Now she is finished!

Commissions are open.🩷

Ko_fi

Twitch

[ifuckedyrmum]

Just finished Jedi: Battle Scars and dare I say the pink poncho mention completely forgave the utter atrocity that was the “Cere-ious” pun in the first chapter.

[alberta-sunrise]

When ya should be working, but your books just started to get juicy 🙊

[daisyvramien]

CALLING ALL STAR WARS FANS:

🌟 Ahoy, fellow intergalactic wanderers! 🌟

Listen up, because we're about to blast off into a Star Wars extravaganza like no other! That's right, folks: May is right around the corner, and you know what that means: STAR WARS MONTH, BABY! Time to dust off those lightsabers and channel your inner Wookiee roar! 🚀✨

Now, hold onto your R2 units, droids and x-wings, because I've got some stellar news for you all. I'm gearing up to host a cosmic cavalcade of Star Wars themed Dungeons & Dragons adventures on my Discord server throughout the entire month! We're talking small D&D dungeons, epic games, mind-bending challenges, one-shot adventures, and even a full-blown campaign. And hey, if you've got your own original characters (OCs), you're in for a hyperspace treat!

But before we embark on this epic voyage through the stars, let's lay down some ground rules. Buckle up, because we're going full throttle into the Rulebook of the Jedi!

No Binks Allowed: Harassment, racism, homophobia, or any other form of discrimination is about as welcome here as Jar Jar Binks at a Sith convention. Let's keep it classy, folks, or you'll be banished to the swamps of Naboo faster than you can say "Meesa in big doo-doo".

Use the Force and common sense, Not the Dark Side of the Dice: When it comes to decision-making, let's rely on a healthy mix of common sense and Jedi wisdom. No using the Force to steal your fellow players' snacks, and please, for the love of Alderaan, don't try to mind trick your way out of every situation. Play fair, or face the wrath of a thousand Force ghosts (joking, just a very annoyed DM)!

Punch It, Chewie!: This is a celebration of all things Star Wars, so feel free to unleash your inner smuggler and spice things up with some banter, references, and good-natured roasting. Just remember: Han shot first, and if you can't take the heat from a little friendly ribbing, you might want to rethink your allegiance to the Rebellion.

Don't Be a Sarlacc: In other words, don't hog the spotlight! Everyone deserves their moment to shine, so let's share the spotlight like a band of merry Ewoks sharing a roast Porg. And hey, if you find yourself feeling a bit too much like a Sarlacc, maybe it's time to pass the torch to your co-pilots and let them take the helm for a while, or even dm your GM (yours truly).

So, if you're ready to join the Rebel Alliance (or maybe even the dark side – we don't judge), send me a DM or drop a comment below to reserve your spot on the Millennium Falcon of fun! Let's make Star Wars Month one for the holocrons folks, and remember, May the Force be with you, always! ✨🌌

[theultimatenonbinarynerd]

Mel's Top 3 Reading Recommendations

Introduction

As I enter my third year of reading I can now say that I have read enough books that I can start recommending some of my favourites to people. As of this blog I have read 77 books since 2022 and let me tell you its been a fun ride for sure. One promise I intend to keep though is to try read diversely and not just pick up Marvel, Star Wars and Doctor Who books. I mostly am starting to fulfil that. When I was younger all I read was Daisy Meadows Rainbow Magic Fairies Novels but as an older reader I'm going to do my best to make sure my reading is enjoyable and as diverse as possible.

I'll make another list once I'm six years back into reading but for now these books are books that have made a huge impact on me and are ones I would demand for you to check out if you haven't done so. These books are books that instantly sparked with me and that I found relatable. I can assure that the list isn't just scifi or Star Wars and Doctor Who novels. These are novels that struck a strong impression with me that are some of my favourites. I need to listen to more novels

There's been a lot of highlights but as much as I've loved them I've felt like those highlights haven't been as important to share. The books I've chosen are so important that I believe the 2nd and 1st entries need to be on the English Curriculum instead of outdated poop such as Of Mice And Men. Whilst the third entry is still an important read I feel like the top 2 are good educational tools whilst also being enjoyable books in general. The sad thing is though that I know they'd refuse the two books I've chosen due to their queer themes. So I'm sharing them with everyone is this post so that they can get the hype that they deserve.

Without further or do I'm proud to present

3: Light Of The Jedi By Charles Soule

Now I know what you're thinking but Mel this is a Star Wars book I don't even like Star Wars- Shhhhh. You may not like Star Wars but let me tell you with honesty that The High Republic is one of the best Star Wars eras due to how fresh it feels and who inclusive it is. If your a Star Wars fan and haven't read these your missing out. If your not a Star Wars fan I'd still recommend this one due to how orginal is and how it focuses on community and people coming together during a disaster.

For those who haven't read this wonderful introduction into The High Republic. Light Of The Jedi follows the pov of mutiple Jedi and government figures as they try stop a hyper space disaster from ravaging other planets. The villians The Deadly Nihil may or may not have pov chapters too. Normally stories with mutiple characters pov would be really hard to follow but not only does Soule manage to make it work he also manages to make it super entertaining.

It's such a unique way of story telling and a really good introduction to the Star Wars world even for those who may have never seen the films. If your a prequels fan and hated The Jedi this book will entirely shift your view on them and make you angry they fell so far into The Jedi of the prequels. There's also some really healthy Master Apprentice dynamics such as Bell and Loden as well as Burryaga and Nib. Its so refreshing and made me not only hooked on The High Republic but also desperate to pick up more Star Wars books.

Can recommend enough giving this book a chance as I promise it'll be worth it.

I had no idea that the next book would be so gut Punching. My second recommendation is...

2: When Our Worlds Collided By Danielle Jawando

I have never been more thankful that I picked up a book out of sheer impulse. This wasn't on my wishlist but I went with my friend and once I read the synopsis I impulsively bought it along with the book I went to the store for. At the time I didn't know if I'd made the right decision but now I know I did. This is one of those books that in my opinion needs to be in the UK education curriculum instead of harmful ableist books like Of Mice And Mine. It's so educational and raises awareness of what it's like to be a black teenager in the UK. It critiques society's harmful structure and also shows that tragedy as difficult as it has the ability to bring people together. I loved and if anybody is looking to diversify their tbr I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.

For those who haven't read the novel When Our Worlds Collided follows teens Chantelle, Marc and Jackson as their worlds collide after witnessing the murder of 14 year old Shaq. Their world view gets flipped and they have to question the institutional systems in police. All of the teens are in Yr 11. Chantelle a working class teen has to deal with a teacher who is deeply prejudice towards her, Marc has to deal with a new school and the struggles of being black in the foster and Jackson who comes from a rich background has to find his true friends and discover what he wants in life. All of them are relatable and have like I teased their own struggles to deal with throughout the book and Shaq's death fuels them and their new friendship.

It's a deep and heavy novel but super important novel to read. Of course I'd give a trigger warning for any bipoc readers but if your you must check it out. You want everything to be happy and go well but you eventually get a wakeup call and realise that's not releastic. It does have a lot of black truama but it's also hopefull and allows for these three teens to form a life long friendship. The sad bits are heavy but the lighthearted moments make you smile. My favourite lighthearted moment had to be Chantelle and Marc teasing Jackson over his love for Star Wars.

So I'm begging you please check it out, it's the book you didn't know you needed to pick.

Now my final pick is another book that early teen Mel absolutely needed. It healed my inner child. My number one recommendation is...

1: The Many Half-Lived Lives Of Sam Sylvester By Maya MacGregor

This book saved me. I'm so glad I picked it as one of the first queer books to read. I've had a lot of religious truama and struggled to accept myself being Nonbinary but this book was super affirming and it was so glad to have Sam's identity normalised. The best part though was the incredible Autism representation. Like Sam I'm Autistic and Nonbinary and I felt like the Autism representation was perfect. Nobody was ableist to Sam and they all accommodated them. Even the teachers were brilliant. I also loved how their special interest of studying people who died before 18 wasn't mocked or turned into a caricature. The murder mystery itself was also really gripping. No spoilers but it feels like the scene from Spider-Man Homecoming where Peter opens the door and discovers who The Vulture is. It's a book that slaps and is gonna be a super gripping read.

For those who haven't read the novel. The story follows Sam Sylvester a teen who isn't optimistic about their move to Astoria after experiencing truamatic hate crime in their previous town. Things get much more exciting when they not only meet new friends and a potential partner but also discover they are living in the same house where Billy a teen is the 1980s "accidentally" died. Sam and their new "friend" Shep aren't convinced it was an accident though so they decide to investigate. And let's say the answers don't disappoint at all.

It's an amazing novel with am entertaining mystery to solve, found family and healing from the past. It also really portrayed autism well and didn't turn Sam's special interest into a characteriacture you can tell an actually Autistic person wrote the novel. The queer representation is written just as well too. The author talk really informed how much love Maya put into the novel.

Like I said it healed my inner child and is overall just a wonderful book. You should absolutely check out, it has some of the best Autistic representation ever and has scenes that will leave you a gape when you realise Vulture was Liz Shaws Dad.

Out Of All My 5 Star Reads This Is Definitely The One I'd Pick Out The Most.

Conclusion

So that has been my Top 3 Reading Recommendations I hope at least one book has appealed to you and I absolutely promise to do another once my 5th year of getting back into reading is complete.

There's still so much I want to read and am excited to do so. Whilst I love Star Wars books I am trying really best to diversify my tbr as I don't want another situation where I only read Rainbow Magic Fairy books. Sam Sylvester and When Our Worlds Collided are clear examples of contemporary novels I've been able to enjoy.

Reading is great but remember that even if you want to do it for "fun" diversifying your tbr is important.

-Melody-

They/Them

[lexreadsdiversely]

Asian Readathon 2024

[ID: A black cat laying on purple patterned sheets in front of a stack of four books: Bliss Montage by Ling Ma, This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, and The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir by Jami Nakamura Lin. End ID.]

Even if I wanted to be an aesthetic blogger I couldn't. Not with my baby boy, Lito, taking every opportunity to lay on me.

It's AAPI month and I'm participating in the Asian Readathon! (See withcindy on YouTube for more details). I wanted to share some of the books I'm reading and talk briefly about my thoughts so far.

Sidenote: You should be reading Asian authors year round. If you aren't already, I recommend checking out Cindy's blog, looking at the kickass spreadsheet of books, and expanding your horizons.

Bliss Montage, Ling Ma

Features eight reality-bending stories about relationships with oneself and other people. Character-driven. Less than 250 pages. Check trigger warnings.

I chose this one to fit the prompt of a book that feels timeless based on the vibes of Ling Ma's first book, Severance (a personal favorite). She goes back and forth between past and present often, at times seamlessly between mere paragraphs, and it gives the feeling of time being stretched and almost uncertain. I greatly enjoyed it in Severance and suspected similar vibes in this book, and I'm not disappointed! I'm wondering if this is autobiographical fiction (it isn't advertised as such, but I can spot some of the shared events of Ma's actual life and the MC). This book is deeply intimate and, at times, very heavy. I'm only halfway through, and I already know it's going to be another favorite.

This is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Adult Sapphic science fantasy about two rival agents on opposing sides of a war. Less than 200 pages (can you tell I like novellas?)

I've started this twice now, once on audiobook and once on ebook, before realizing neither format worked for me and buying a physical copy. I'm only two chapters in, but wow, if you enjoy competitive flirting, these two are incredible at it! I'll say more when I'm further along, but this is some quality writing.

Light from Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki

Sapphic science fantasy. A woman makes a deal with a demon to sell her soul for fame in the violin world and must convince seven other violin prodigies to sell theirs in order to get hers back. She finds number seven in a trans girl who runs away from home, and unexpected love with an alien woman who comes to Earth to escape a galactic Endplague. Check the trigger warnings!

I'm 300 pages in (out of almost 400) and this book makes me fucking feral. Apart from the main three characters stories, there are so many side characters with their own stories, and every single one weaves together in some way and packs a punch. I was sold on this book the moment I heard Queen of Hell, and it's just sucked me deeper and deeper. There are so many unexpected events in this book, so many moments that make me go "holy fucking shit?" You think you know what kind of book it is, then some off the wall shit happens and you have to reassess. This is such a deeply trans narrative (written by a trans woman), and as soon as I finish it I'm never going to shut up about it. Probably one of the best books I've ever read and I'm not done yet.

Once more, check the trigger warnings! Aoki is very good at making it super clear what's happening, while also not doing too much on-page (usually by either going light with the details, or fading the scene). But of all the talk about this book I've encountered, no one ever mentioned triggers and I foolishly assumed that meant that there weren't any major ones. There very much are. I'll start you off: transphobia, internalized transphobia, racism, sexual assault, self-harm, parental abuse (the book opens with this one, so mentally prepare yourself).

The Night Parade: A Speculative Memoir, Jami Nakamura Lin

A memoir that users the yōkai and various other figures from Japanese, Taiwanese, and Okinawan folktales to talk about grief in the face of the author's father's cancer and her struggles with Bipolar Disorder. Features amazing illustrations by her sister, Cori Nakamura Lin.

This sentence from the blurb took me out at the knees: "...Jami Nakamura Lin shines a light into dark corners, driven by a question: How do we learn to live with the things that haunt us?"

This is just fucking cool. It's a memoir that basically ripped up the rule book and does it so well. You're never certain if what you're reading really happened (and this is intentional). Stories that show the complexity and humanity of people with Bipolar Disorder are few and far between, so this book has a special place in my heart. It challenges the current narrative of mental health recovery in a way I've yet to see.

Other things I'll be reading:

The Garden of Delights by Amal Singh - Doesn't come out until mid-May, so I'll be waiting impatiently to enjoy it.

Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts. If you've read any of these books, come scream at me!

~ Lex