#this book was really just my favorite characters going through it for 600 pages straight | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

roguestarsailor · 4 years

Text

thoughts on a court of mist and fury *spoilers*

***** lots of spoilers folks *****

- MY GIRL FEYRE IS READING!! SHES READING LIKE REGULARLY AND CASUALLY IM SO PROUD

- RHYSAND MY LOVE I TAKE BACK ALL THE BAD THINGS I SAID IN BOOK ONE AND YOU ARE A BABY THAT NEEDS TO BE LOVED AND PROTECTED AND DESERVE PEACE AND QUIET AND MORE LOVE

- tamlin needs therapy like pronto; we dont stan a unsupportive partner and partner who is unwilling to share pain!! CANCEL TAMLIN 2020

- rhys popping up during the wedding scene was *chef’s kiss* and i noticed that he didn’t “claim” her as he said he would for like three months after everything. i suspect he was being a good person and literally letting her live her life. also for loving someone, tamlin was super chill and just kind of let her go??? idk i thought there would be more of a fight??? when feyre was literally like why are your claws retracting man?? fight for me??? hello??? but then again rhys is definitely more powerful than tamlin and probs some unspoken laws and such between high lords i guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ anyways tamlin aint shit

- page 296-298! fucken shook me to my core. that self awareness, that confrontation, she identified the core of everything and it was such a turning point and im just so proud of her!!! She's recognizing her traumas and is healing!!!!!!!!!!

- yeah i immediately ship cassian and nesta; i hope she fucks shit up in the next book 😀 😀 😀 😀

- maybe az and mor are truly the slowest of slow burns ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

- i pictured pollution from good omens as how Amren is suppose to look like

- rhys is such a strong leader and im just -- baby deserves all the love. He's really good at plotting. He really made feyre learn all these things so they can nurture their love but also be a strategic advantage its interesting that even tho theres love there he still treats her like a weapon

- the joy in his rhys eyes when they winnowed into his regular ass town house that feels super lived in. and his friends banging on the door like he isn’t the feared night court high lord that he is. that was so refreshing to see that hes a regular person and not that high lord man who lives in a near empty mansion. he puts on a mask for everyone but he himself is just a regular fae.

- reading about the peace that velaris was able to live through was beautiful. i imagined a city like san francisco with the hills and views of the ocean but kind of like the peace found in super small towns or cities in asia; maybe even some european cities (which is prob where this location is inspired by but i haven’t visited many euro cities). the scenes of ppl dining out, making art and music and just chilling is so lovely esp given our current pandemic. art is so treasured there and im like thats the epitome of a great society isn’t it? being able to do things because you just can without the pain of financial insecurity, civil unrest, etc. i definitely would love and die and for a society like that. its just so wonderful. i was filled w happiness while reading those scenes. :)

- rhys and his inner circle taking feyre out into the town and just being casual. nobody treats them like theyre royalty or anything special. theyre just a regular group of friends who enjoy hanging out. its super nice and nostalgia inducing esp during this pandemic when friends are so far away and not like it used to be.

- when rhys immediately saw how under weight and dead freye looked when she was in spring court -- AND IT WAS THE FIRST THING HE SAID TO HER WHEN HE SAW HER THROUGH THE DOOR WHILE TAMLIN DIDNT FUCKEN NOTICE

- i also take back my frustrations in book 1 when freye always wondering around the grounds in spring court esp during calanmai. i thought it was because the author needed to move the story forward but its just freye. she doesnt sit still and now that shes w rhys, we are seeing soooooo many things about prythian and thats beautiful. tamlin was truly a hinderance huh

- rhys sent her music when she was in the cell in Under The Mountain which was found in velaris. maybe he wasnt risking a lot but he just showed her a glimpse of the forbidden world right under aramantha’s nose holy shit he saved her from destruction!

- when rhys had his nightmare and feyre came to comfort him and kissed him on the cheeks and gave him such tenderness made my heart sing~

- rhys is literally opposite of tamlin is soooo many ways. RHYS DID THINGS OUT OF LOVE, WHILE TAMLIN DID THINGS FOR LOVE. everything from how rhys made sure feyre can grow into who she is meant to be, to how he introduces her to his friends and how he interacts w everyone in his court, how he handles pain, everything is so different than tamlin. tamlin feels pain and just bulldoze over things, doesn’t think about how his actions are hurting others even as he is hurting. he doesn’t talk, he doesn’t share, he doesn’t try to get himself or feyre out of this misery and just sees threats everywhere and hits them. he was also supper passive honestly. no doubt hes riddled w guilt and grief but can’t figure out how to handle it so he uses feyre as his crutch where if he can “save” her he will be free smh

- rhys PAYS feyre!! HE GAVE HER FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE AND RESPECT FOR HER WORK!! THE INDEPENDENCE THAT TAMLIN DIDNT FUCKEN GIVE.

- THOSE NOTES THEY SEND TO EACH OTHER SINCE FREYE CAN READ AND WRITE NOW

- Ianthe was sus from the beginning!! i knew it!! although i did bet she was gonna sleep w tamlin on the side. But she's a lot worst so we don't like her either

- the throne room scene was steamy af this time its fine because there was ~consent~ and also because we see the dynamic and growth between the two and how they work together. this was great although I was kind of like pls get a room tho

- RHYS SMILING!!! FEYRE AND RHYS LAUGHING TOGETHER UGH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

- THEY ARE MATES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FEYRE AND RHYS FOUND EACH OTHER AND HAD SO MANY SHARED TRAUMAS AND WORKED IT OUT TOGETHER AND GREW TOGETHER AND LEARNED ABOUT EACH OTHERS QUIRKS AND ITS JUST LOVE IN ITS PUREST FORM UGH THAT SCENE WHERE RHYS WAS CRYING AND FEYRE HEATED UP FOOD FOR THE BABY AHH MY HEARTTTTT MY WHOLE ENTIRE HEARTTTTTT IS BURSTING WITH LOVEEEEEE

- LUCIEN AND ELAINE HOLY FUCK WHAT A LEFT FIELDER i hope this is the push that will propel lucien to defy tamlin. going back to the contrast between how tamlin vs his court and rhys vs his court, rhys has a group of unwavering loyal friends and are treated equally esp letting them joke around so much and it feels like a casual group of friends hanging out. tamlin has just as much loyalty from lucien but theres still a power structure that tamlin maintains. luciens words doesn’t have much weight whereas rhys’s friends do. both tamlin and rhys have so much power and sway and similarity in traumas and tragedy but both execute things completely differently. tamlin only wants to upload what he is familiar with, maybe what he thinks his father wants whereas rhys actively tries to think of something better, to change the system regardless of how hard it is.

- tamlin you dumbass. He didn't learn from amarantha. He again let his pride fuck over a bunch of other ppl. He shat on amarantha and fucked over his court. Now he fucked the rest of prythian and human world by bargaining w the king. Smh goodbye tamlin

- I straight up knew the queens were bad!!! I knew they had to be plotting something. The sixth is "ill" my ass.

- LADY OF THE NIGHT COURT LETS GO FEYRE AND WOOWW WE STAN A MAN BREAKING TRADITIONS AND SUPPORTING EQUALITY

- when hybern was destroying velaris. I WAS GONNA THROW HANDS BRO. I'm glad we saw the extend of how powerful feyre could be and how she was clever and we can really see how she's completely different from before. She has bite and fight in her and it's so refreshing!

- how about we let az and cassian live in peace. Those boys had to deal w the blunt of literally everything. from being the only shield in valeris to poison/hurt wings against the king, just beat up all the time 🥺

- suriel is their version of a wikipedia

I read all 600 damn pages in like 2.5 days and I was loving it the entire time! My heart sored when feyre and Rhys were getting close and starting to break down their walls and really connect. This was a truly good enemies to lovers, slow burn tale and the drama is so great. There were good stakes that changes a character and their behavior and a good balance of action and excitement but at the same time so many little moments that let u see the character and how they interact w each other and the world. a lot of big plot moments, slice of life moments, a bit of romance and comedy. overall, an amazing book but super long. thus far this is my favorite book and im hoping the rest of the books can be just as charming and lovely but not too heart breaking. i hope rhys and feyre makes it. i cannot predict what to expect in the other books in the series (isn’t there gonna be 8 books total???)

#amandathoughts #bookthoughts #acotar #acomaf #a court of mist and fury #a court of thorns and roses #book 2 #sarah j maas #acomaf thoughts #i said a lot because this book had so much content #acotr #amandabookthoughts #feyre #rhysand #feyre archeron #feyre x rhysand

6 notes · View notes

iwbfinterviews · 4 years

Text

Jake Brown Interview

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Is there a particular reason you chose to write about music, singers, etc?

I didn’t actually, lol. I’m a songwriter/producer first, I grew up playing and writing music but always wrote as a way to kind of get through school because I was terrible at math, sciences, tests, etc. I think there’s alot of people in the music business who started out like that. It kind of happened accidentally, I was working for a record label right out of college and started writing copy for their catalog titles, press releases, etc and it just expanded from there. I met a literary agent through that who suggested I try to write a book, and we sold the Suge Knight memoir to Amber Books, who gave me my start. Another big early foot in the door moment was when I had the opportunity to write books with Ann and Nancy Wilson & Heart in 2007 and in 2009 with Lemmy Kilmister and Motorhead. Then the book nearly 10 years into my career that really kind of made me appreciate this career was the opportunity to work with legendary guitar player Joe Satriani on Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir. I’d also started specializing in anthology-style books that feature LOTS of exclusive interviews in one book in chapter profiles so you could tell a bunch of people’s live stories at once, including the BEHIND THE BOARDS series, which began 10 years ago as a Rock & Roll producers’ series, the aforementioned In the Studio series with Heart, Motorhead, and others, and then finally about 10 years into living in Nashville I began working on the NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series and most recently the BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE book. SO: the long answer to that question is, because I love telling the behind-the-scenes stories of both the hits and those who make them, be it songwriters or producers or drummers in the case of the BEYOND THE BEATS rock drummers series, or Hip Hop producers with the DOCTORS OF RHYTHM audiobook and upcoming physical version in 2021. I’ve also been fortunate to write memoirs with some interesting characters like Kenny Aronoff, country rapper Big Smo and upcoming Freddy Powers The Spree of ’83 book which features Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. So it's been an interesting run.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I work on several at once usually, that’s kind of my process, half day on one, a day on another, but for BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, I spent 4 straight months day in and out writing this book exclusively as it was over 600 pages. I was reading the audiobook for Blackstone as I was writing it too, which was the first time I’ve ever done that. Usually the audiobook is read after the book is completed. Then it’s about a month of editing before its handed into the publisher. So this was a real push, but it was worth it because of the feedback I’m getting first from the producers I worked quite extensively in many cases with on their individual chapters, and collectively in the book being a first of its kind for country music fans where they can read about how their favorite hits by country’s biggest stars were made while listening along on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, etc.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Oh, I don’t know... I write every book thinking from the outset before I’ve even started putting words down to paper thinking about how that book will be marketed and promoted upon release. There’s no point in writing something no one is going to read because when you get to the finish line you don’t have a gameplan on how to make readers aware of it. Publishers, to be honest, can only do so much in that arena, every publisher’s publicist is usually like a social worker with 30 cases on their desk, so yours can only get so much attention. So for instance, I always recommend to a writer to hire a great publicist and know that while that’s a considerable expense, it may be the best money you spend in getting the word out about your book because that publicist is working for YOU, not for 30 authors at once. It's just a fact of the business that I think should get more light shed on it because you’re competing with that number I mentioned above of 60,000+ books a YEAR coming out. I also negotiate the right to press my own promo runs of 100 if needed because if not, you’ll wind up with a paltry 10 copies from the publisher, who for their own budgetary reasons, might not for instance be able to service all the physical review copies you’ll have to give away during the book’s promotion, whether to a disc jockey interviewing you on the air or the listener he or she is giving away a free copy to during that broadcast, as just one example. If you don’t plan ahead for that, you’ll wind up paying that publisher $6 or $7 per promotional copy, which is something I’m SURE some of my own publishers would hate for me to pull the curtain back on, but its true. Writers are paid LAST usually in the royalty chain, especially early on, but you move up in that order as you build a value into your name as a writer, which only comes with people hearing about you and your book. So again, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST! Your agent can be helpful too, but its typically up to you as an author to maintain your own social media presence and look for every available avenue to spread the word about your book so it has a chance to be read. This is equally important for newer or more established writers, because there’s always a new generation of equally-as-talented new wordsmiths knocking on those publishers’ same doors...

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

In a studio making music or writing books for the various publishers I work for, or recording audiobooks for Blackstone Audio, so it’s pretty time-consuming. I did just sign a worldwide music publishing deal for my songwriting catalog with Streets Music and David Gresham Company. So I’m lucky to stay busy, to be honest, you have to too make a living in the entertainment business. I have a wife and a dog too, so I spend what time I have left with them. ☺

Your 50th book is coming out June 23rd, “Behind The Boards: Nashville”. Can you give us insight on what it will be about?

First, I exhale deeply every time I get asked that because it's finally DONE! I spent 2 years collecting extensive, first-hand – many for the first time in a book – interviews with 30 of country music’s biggest producers, and in some cases, that meant waiting for a break in their busy studio schedules to talk, in others it meant multiple conversations over a couple years as we wanted to make sure we had all their current hits as they kept banging them out, and in other cases, because of the sheer volume of their catalog – some of these guys have been in the business since the early 70s – it took that long to chronicle it all. That’s just the interview process too, then I had to write it and I write everything in one shot vs. a chapter here and there. Its to me like staying in character as an actor throughout an entire performance, and when you’re writing a book like this, you’re in a headspace that never lets you sleep because creative narrative is CONSTANTLY hitting you about specific hits, and there’s over 300 # 1s in this book. Additionally, there’s an EXHAUSTIVE amount of research I do to source out certain critical quotes of praise, for instance, from way back in the 80s, 90s, early 00s, etc from magazines that aren’t even in print anymore, as well as supporting quotes from the actual superstars these producers work with in the studio, which also takes a great deal of time. So after all of that prep, once you begin writing, there’s another 3-4 months before the manuscript comes to life as a finished product.

As a result of that, country music fans here are given arguably the MOST definitive to date book chronicling the stories behind the making of their favorite hits in the studio, again how those artists specifically and uniquely work at their craft – i.e. does George Strait sing each hit over 3 or 4 vocals or 25 or 30 takes, etc – as well as how specific # 1s within those individual catalogs of Greatest Hits were created in the studio. Then from the other side of the boards, so to speak, you get the producer’s first-hand recollections of their own personal journeys from the time they could first crawl and walk and started discovering music to their teenage bands and first tape-recorder or 2-inch reel to reel or 4-track or laptop home recording sessions all the way up through their rise to become the biggest names in the business working in country music today.

Collectively, BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE features Dann Huff, James Stroud, Jim Ed Norman, Dave Cobb, Justin Neibank, Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Chris Destefano, Jesse Frasure, Norbert Putnam, Josh Osborne, Luke Laird, Clint Black, Frank Liddell, Shane McAnally, Jimmy Robbins, Josh Leo, Nathan Chapman, Paul Worley, Jeff Stevens, Jody Stevens, Bobby Braddock, Michael Knox, Don Cook, Frank Rogers, Joey Moi, Ray Baker, and Buddy Cannon, who did the Foreword, which was a TRUE honor. Frankly, it was an honor to have every one of these legends speak to fans so candidly and openly about both their personal and professional lives in the music business. Their stories are inspiring, ear-and-eye-opening, exciting, insightful, and hopefully educational for those kids growing up on their records now hoping to break into the same business. So hopefully, there’s something for everyone who opens the book.

What were the methods you used to get ‘the’ interview with all the big names you’ve written about?

When you’ve been around this long, fortunately you can get in touch with just about anybody, whether they say yes or not to the interview is another story! (laughs) But I’ve been pretty lucky, especially for instance with my NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series, which has TWO volumes and 50 of the biggest songwriters in country music in the first two volumes, and a THIRD volume with another 30 legendary songwriters coming out at the end of 2021, and especially with BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, which has 30 of the most legendary record producers in country over the past 50 years, guys like Norbert Putnam, who ran Quad and produced Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville,” Jim Ed Norman, who produced Hank Williams Jr’s Born to Boogie album, Ray Baker, who produced that whole 70s Honkytonk soundtrack including Moe Bandy, Whitey Shafer, and Merle Haggard and Freddy Powers among others. Then you have the Millennial generation’s biggest names like Joey Moi, Dave Cobb, Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, Ray Riddle, and on and on.

What do you think makes a good story?

Well, for this book, the most common thread woven throughout many of the chapters/live stories of these producers were the long-term working relationships they’ve maintained with many of country music’s biggest stars throughout their entire careers or the majority, for instance, Jeff Stevens and Luke Bryan, Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw, Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney, Michael Knox and Tony Brown, Frank Rogers and Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Frank Liddell, the list goes on and on as long as the Greatest Hits track listings do. Equally as importantly for a book like this, is the fact it takes the reader quite literally inside the studio and pulls back the curtain on how their favorite country music stars record their biggest hits, and almost literally re-creates their recording from behind the boards by the producers interviewed. Then on a totally separate front, from the academic side, its a 600-page book full of tips about how the recording process works from all sides, points of views, approaches, ages, and technologies, old and new, from analog to digital and the hybrid of both in the “in the box” generation of record making. Hopefully, we’ve covered all sides of the process, that was the aim anyway so readers get a 3-D look, so to speak, at how the recording business really works.

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I sold my first book to my first publisher, Amber Books, in 2001 and Tony Rose gave me my start in the business and I wrote for them almost exclusively for the first 5 years and 10 books of my career from 2002 to 2007. So having a stable and still exciting publisher willing to take chances on you and equally-as-importantly, the kinds of books you might approach them with, is KEY for any new writer because writers must remember EVERY time a publisher takes a chance on their book, they’re putting real money behind it before they ever see a dime back. It's a big leap of faith, and carries with it alot of obligations for the author, where it doesn’t just end with handing the book in, but also helping promote it and building a brand for your name so it can become more and more reliable for both readers and new publishers, as any writer’s goal should be to eventually build a catalog where they write for as many publishers as possible throughout their career. But be prepared to start out writing for one, or anyone for that matter, who you can verify has a good track record as a publisher, or if they’re new to the game, doesn’t just want to put out an e-book, which anyone can do without a publisher, and is willing to commit to a physical pressing, and promotion of that pressing. I wouldn’t go looking for advances on your first or even necessarily second book out, but start asking for them as soon as possible as its an important piece of the income stream for any working author, as much as royalties are later on down the road. An advance lets an author know a publisher first can afford to put money into their book, and values them, vs. Alot of these starter deals that promise big back-end but nothing up front. You have to be able to afford to take that hit once or twice out of the gate, but its not a career model any writer should plan on if they want to make a living as a working author. The other reason I mention all this is because being a working writer is not just about the creative side of the process, but the entrepreneurial one too, because you have to be a self-promoter, and not be shy to doing interviews or promotion on social media, etc, as you’re competing with a THOUSAND new titles a week minimum these days between all the digital e-books and print books out there. I think the statistic was to be something like 60,000 books published in 2018 alone, so that tells you the competition you’re up against to even get a book sold to a publisher, let alone compete on bookstore shelves for the reader dollar.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Of my own books, I wouldn’t say any are underappreciated, I’m grateful for the fact that people still read my books after 20 years and 2 or 3 generations of teenagers (which are a primary part of my reading audience) still buy my stuff. I try to give them consistently interesting reading subjects, either in the personalities I co-write with – like country rapper SMO, whose memoir My Life in a Jar: The Book of Smo, was released in 2019, or the Freddy Powers Spree of ’83 memoir, which is presently in film development and that I co-wrote a screenplay for with Catherine Powers last year, that was also something different, and say something like legendary R&B producer/artist Teddy Riley’s forthcoming memoir Remember the Times, which we’ve been working on for the past 6 years off and on and is looking like it might be heading to Teddy’s fans’ hands in the next year. One key thing I tell new writers when asked for input into starting a career in the current climate for our business is be prepared to commit as much time to a book as the artist needs, its similar to an album – if the publisher wants it on a deadline, be prepare to deliver, but getting an artist to open up in depth about their life takes time, both to build trust and to physically take the time to do the interviews not only with them in principle but also with the huge list of supporting cast members between peers in the band and business and family members and friends, record executives, peers, etc that usually wind up on those lists. It's a process you should NEVER RUSH yourself, only move at the rhythm of the people you work with and for, and you’ll wind up working alot longer in the business than those who are in a hurry.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Haha, I actually have a folder called “Projects That Probably Won’t Happen” and its filled with all kinds of “famous” bands/musicians books that just never got off the ground for one reason or another, but they’re all under contractual deals where I can’t talk about them in case they want to put a book out in the future, and I hope they all do. Sometimes you encounter someone who is thinking about writing a book but is really 10 years before they’re ready to, or they aren’t really committed yet past the concept, so you do some sample chapter interviews but it never gets past that starting line. I’ve thankfully left on good terms with the majority of those names, but with 50 published books in my catalog, most of what I have committed my time to has thankfully made it to store shelves. That’s important for any new writer to remember, because with every new book project you take on, you’re committing a year to two years of their life to that process from the start of interviews through the completion, handing it into the publisher, editing, etc. Anyone in a rush usually isn’t going to get anywhere is what I’ve found, it takes time, even if your mind is moving a million miles a minute, and your ambition even faster, pace yourself and you’ll last a lot longer in the race I’ve found anyway (cheesy sports metaphor aside ☺).

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Haha, I’ve had some good and bad experiences there over the years. I have NO problem with a consumer buying my book and then reviewing it one way or the other on say Amazon or Audible, etc, because that’s part of the business, but as far as book reviews from other writers, I just have to hope they like it and write fairly about it as it does matter impressionistically what readers then think of it as a potential product to buy and read themselves. Sometimes, in walking the fine line I have to be between the technical and the creative in a series like this or Nashville Songwriter or say my In the Studio series, which has over 10 books in it alone, so you never know. Its something I don’t pay alot of attention to as well because by the time a review comes out, the book has been out a couple months usually and we’re on the back-end of a promotional push, so if its a good review, it's a nice 4th quarter boost of coverage, and if it's not, then it's pretty buried vs. hurting the book’s launch on the front end. I’m just being honest, sorry, but book reviews play a very MINIMAL role in most books’ launches if they’re properly promoted via author interviews, premier placements as we’ve done with American Songwriter, CMT, SoundsLikeNashville.com and others coming up, and for any newer writer, accept ahead of time that you’re GOING to get a bad review here or there, it's just part of the subjective review process, and doesn’t speak for your larger reading audience.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Not when you write for a living. It's not a luxury I think any of the writers I know who work professionally writing books can afford, that’s why you have to follow the simple rule of A.B.W. (Always Be Writing) ☺.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Probably doing the same thing, writing is how I make a living, so it's will be with me until arthiritis set’s in, but I’ve got 2 screenplays in development and hope to have at had at least one of them produced into a film. I’m not unrealistic to think that it will go to theatres, but I’d be happy to see a streaming service selection with my name on it as a screenwriter, there’s 3 or 4 of my books fortunately in that cycle right now so we’ll hope one or two of them make it that far. Beyond that, I’m in the studio every week as I have been the past 20 years making music and will continue doing that, hopefully to a greater degree with these new publishing deals I’ve signed as I have over 200 released songs in my own catalog, none in Country lol, but I just try to keep putting out new creative product across multiple mediums at as prolific a pace as the muse allows without the quality of the end-product being compromised. That’s the point at which I’d stop I guess, if the quality of the writing lessens to where people don’t want to read my stuff anymore. Thankfully, I have built up a pretty loyal reading and retail-buying audience over the past 2 decades, and hope to keep putting out books that help music listeners understand how hard and still rewarding a business the record business is. It's an amazing world to wake up working in every day, and I love helping musicians tell their stories on paper, so we’ll just have to see. I hope to have hit 60 books by then, although my ultimate goal is another 50 over the next 10 years! (laughs) Thanks again for your time and support of this latest project!

2 notes · View notes

lavellenchanted · 4 years

Note

1, 6, 18, 20

1. What are you reading right now, and what do you think of it?

I am 600 pages through the 900 page epic that is The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I am mostly enjoying it - I like most of the characters and I’m intrigued by the world - although I don’t really remember much of the first book, The Name of the Wind, and there isn’t really an overarching plot driving things that I can describe as yet which I find a bit frustrating.

There are also several moments where you just know it was written by a middle-aged white dude (and I say this as someone who has met Pat Rothfuss and thought he was a lovely person) and I’m eye-rolling hard. So like a solid 3 stars so far? I’m also halfway through First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn, which is the last of her prequel series to the Bridgerton books. It’s a beautiful Georgian blend of marriage of convenience and friends to lovers so it is absolutely my jam and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. 6. What stereotypical “bookish” things do you like or own?

Let’s see ... I have:

a tea towel with the Little Women quote, “She is too fond of books and it has turned her brain”

a “books are my bag” totebag

a Shakespeare totebag

Shakespeare-style bookplates given to me by @windfolaaaa

several Shakespeare quote badges

a “personal library” kit for loaning out my books (also a gift)

lots and lots of bookmarks

a book-themed writing set

lots of book-related postcards people have sent me

18. Favourite and least favorite books read for high school classes?

I liked all the Shakespeare plays we did (shocker) - in terms of actual novels the main ones I read were Catcher in the Rye, Cold Mountain and The Great Gatsby. I didn’t really like any of them that much, but I found The Great Gatsby the least annoying to read, although that’s probably in part because at that point I didn’t know that much about Fitzgerald as a person. Catcher in the Rye and Cold Mountain I just hated.

20. How does your choice in reading material compare to your family’s?

It overlaps a fair amount - my dad and my brother are both into fantasy novels so we share books/recommendations. My dad’s also read a lot of the classics, and before I ever bought books off my reading list for uni I would check his shelves first.

My mum’s more into historical and contemporary fiction, and there are books she’s got that are on my TBR list and that we’ve shared before. And as you I got my granny to read Eva Ibbotson’s romances over the last few weeks, which she thoroughly enjoyed - she said she was only going to read a couple and then probably read something different before she read the others, but ended up going straight through all five back to back.

bookworm asks

#thank you leah!!#book asks #theawkwardterrier

2 notes · View notes

alynnl · 6 years

Text

Iroh’s Backstory (Part 1 of 4)

This is a very large meta-post, almost world-building involving Avatar the Last Airbender. It covers my head-canons surrounding Iroh, who is one of my favorite characters in the series and starts off already completing his redemption arc. These posts, which will be in several parts go into detail as far as what happened during one of Iroh's great battles for the Fire Nation, and the long journey he took around the world before arriving home. A great deal of these posts will contain spoilers, as well as heavy amounts of speculation. I am going solely off animated show canon, so any information from comics or additional wiki pages will be left out!

With that out of the way, let’s delve into Book 1!

Book 1: The 600 Day Siege

The Great Stalemate The Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom were in a stalemate ever since the days of Sozin. Both Fire Lord Sozin and his son Azulon haven’t been able to break through the earthbenders’ defenses, and the Earth King (grandfather of Kuei) hasn’t been able to mount a successful invasion of the Fire Nation. The two nations remained in an extremely tight arms race, each one determined to come out on top. As years passed, heirs were born to both sides and the stakes were raised.

At this point in time, the Air Nomads were wiped out, the Southern Water Tribe was decimated, and the Northern Water Tribe has chosen to live in strict isolation. The Avatar is still nowhere to be found. It’s become clear that this battle between two great nations would decide the fate of the world.

General Iroh, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation made a name for himself in many battles. He was a powerful bender, but also a fearsome strategist. His ability to breathe a great amount of fire and keep it controlled earned him the nickname “Dragon of the West.”

Eventually, Iroh’s son, Lu Ten joined him in the war when he was age to serve. Lu Ten proved to be just as fearsome on the battlefield, clearly inheriting Iroh’s natural talents and charisma that inspired their enlisted men to train and fight. Together, they claimed many lands for the Fire Nation. Many of their battles were sweeping victories, but there was one day where they had to retreat.

It was the Autumnal Equinox, the first day in which the leaves turn colors and fall from the trees, and life begins to return to the earth. On this day, the earthbenders were empowered, and successfully repelled the Fire Nation army during a border skirmish. While his forces withdrew, General Iroh was already planning his next move. He knew that if his armies were to make landfall and storm the Earth Kingdom capital, he would have to avoid fighting during the Equinox.

Preparations and Departure Iroh returned to the Fire Nation briefly to gather his forces, take more warships and assemble those who were able to bend lightning. The plan was to pierce the earth army’s defenses with lightning, and then allow the other firebenders to land and march forward. His plan was met in the War Room with astounding approval. Colonel Lu Ten pledged to fight at his father’s side and help him win the war. Iroh’s brother, Prince Ozai was ordered by Fire Lord Azulon not to join the offensive, since he’d never seen actual combat, and the mission was crucial.

Just before they departed, Iroh and Lu Ten had the rest of their family see them off. Prince Ozai remained quiet and aloof, Princess Ursa urged them to write home, Azula was thrilled at the idea of the Fire Nation winning for good, and Zuko tried (and failed) to keep a straight face.

“Uncle Iroh, do you really have to go now? You just got here.”

“You do not have to worry, Prince Zuko. I will not be gone for long.”

“That’s what you said last time. You were out at sea for a whole year.”

“This time will be different! I have a plan that will take the Earth Kingdom by surprise. If it all works out in our favor, I will be back in time for the New Year’s Festival.”

“Do you really mean that, Uncle? ...but what if something goes wrong? What if you don’t make it here for the new year? It’s only a few months away.”

“Time moves very differently on the battlefield, and has a way of getting away from us. But do not fear, my nephew. Even if I am delayed, I promise I will return. I will overcome any obstacle that stands in my way.”

“I just wish I could go with you, I want to help.”

Iroh chuckles. “You are not quite old enough to join me yet, Prince Zuko. The best thing you can do now is continue your training.”

“Of course, I’ll work hard! And when you get back, I’ll show you everything I’ve practiced!”

“I look forward to seeing your progress. You have much to learn, but I know you will catch on.”

A whistle blows, signaling that it’s time to depart.

“It sounds like it’s time for me to go now. Everyone! Take care, and I will see you in the new year!”

Iroh entered the ship, and it started pulling out of the harbor.

Various civilians, reserve troops, Ursa and Zuko all waved the ships off as they departed, while Azula watched quietly and Ozai already started to leave the docks. Only Zuko watched until his uncle’s ship completely disappeared into the horizon. He was not aware that Iroh was about to enter a very long battle.

The Siege Begins General Iroh and Colonel Lu Ten set sail, with hundreds of Fire Navy ships and thousands of firebending troops. They were both confident in their chances for a quick, decisive end to the war, because of their sheer numbers and firepower. It wasn’t long before they were spotted, and the Earth Kingdom sentries alerted each other of the oncoming invasion. It was about to be the greatest test of their soldiers and the walls of Ba Sing Se.

The first shots were fired from both sides. While the lightning offensive from the Fire Nation appeared to be breaking through, the Earth Kingdom soldiers weren’t giving up without a fight. They managed to hold the line far longer than Iroh anticipated. At this point in time, the battle could go either way. The Earth Kingdom sent a message to the nearby city-state of Omashu requesting their aid, as the Fire Nation’s second and third wave of reinforcements were coming from the rear. Slowly but surely, the Fire Nation’s forces gained the upper hand and had their opponents on the run.

Prolonged Battles Months went by. The Fire Nation made landfall, but the earthbenders dug in their heels and were holding steady. By now, Bumi and his reinforcements arrived. The troops from Omashu were wild and unpredictable, just like their leader, giving the Earth Kingdom a valuable offense. Iroh personally took to the front lines, striking with all his might. The new year came and went, and there were no signs that either side was ready to surrender.

Seasons went by. Winter, spring and summer passed, and each day brought more fighting. Fatigue, restlessness and lower morale started to set in, even among the top brass. Everyone on the battlefield was looking for a sign that would turn the tables in their favor.

Much to Iroh’s horror, the Earth Kingdom soldiers held out long enough for another Autumn Equinox. Their combined might and enhanced bending drove their opponents from the outer wall, which was in plain sight. The Fire Nation rallied to hold its position. They gathered whichever metal scraps they could find to use as cover. The idea was simple: to hold out against the earthbenders and prove that even at their most powerful, they could not force the Fire Nation into surrender.

While they walled themselves in to weather the earthbenders’ storm of power, Iroh and his soldiers saved their strength and waited for just the right moment to strike back. Although some of their catapults, land tanks and ships were destroyed, the Fire Nation felt their second wind when the sun came up the next day. Coming out of hiding, General Iroh, the lightning benders, and Colonel Lu Ten began a furious onslaught. After a week of pushing forward, a combination of lightning, fire and the remaining siege engines hammered into Ba Sing Se’s Great Wall.

Breaching the Wall On day 586 of the siege of Ba Sing Se, the outer wall on the southern side of the city was broken through. Iroh ambushed an enemy camp, taking a knife from a general who surrendered as soon as the doors were burst open. The first Fire Nation troops inside the city went through houses that were abandoned by fleeing civilians for anything that might be useful to them.

Iroh wrote an optimistic letter home, as a well as sending gifts for Zuko and Azula form the pile of stolen goods. He also sent special blends of tea for Ursa and Ozai. For Azulon, he pledged to get him the Earth Kingdom Palace as his personal gift by next spring.

Inside the walled city of Ba Sing Se, Long Feng, the leader of the Dai Li was planning to join the war effort, while keeping it a secret from the young Earth King, Kuei. He ordered his agents to join the battlefield against the Fire Nation, telling them to drive back the enemy troops by any means necessary.

“By now you have heard the news. The Fire Nation is invading our city. The army and the palace guard have not been able to stop them, so the outcome of this fight is up to us. If we are to defeat them, we must act swiftly. Our enemy is ruthless. They have scorched our land, killed many of our soldiers and now they have broken the outer wall. We must show them no mercy. Today, we take no prisoners. When you encounter the enemy, you must strike to kill. That is all.”

Ambush and Aftermath The Dai Li moved out, each of them picking a crucial target.

As soon as the sun set, they began their surprise attacks.

One by one, the Dai Li picked off lightning benders or higher ranking officers. One lucky messenger escaped to sound the alarm, prompting the survivors to retreat. Iroh and Lu Ten stayed together as the wide scale ambush continued, watching each other’s backs and giving frantic orders for their soldiers to remain calm and get to safety.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the agents followed them from the shadows as they headed quickly towards the southern shore, where the Fire Navy ships waited. The agent then dropped out of the trees, sending a pillar of earth towards Iroh. Hearing the earthbender’s footsteps, Lu Ten leaped to his father’s defense. He took a critical blow from the earthbending strike, and fell instantly. In a mix of panic, sadness, and anger, Iroh released a powerful wave of fire, taking down their attacker.

In desperation, and with a small hope that his son was alive, Iroh rushed him aboard one of the ships, practically begging the medics to save him.

A Light Extinguished Unfortunately, Iroh received the news he doesn’t want to hear.

“General Iroh, I’m so sorry. Colonel Lu Ten has passed. He was already gone when you brought him in, there was nothing we could do.”

Iroh’s answer seemed to be drained of all emotion. “I understand. … Leave us.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he was left alone, Iroh began to say his final farewell.

“Lu Ten, my only son, words cannot express exactly how I feel. This entire world feels so wrong now that you’re no longer here. Now that your flame has gone out, I feel as if mine has too. I should do and say so many things. I should be angry, I should fight to avenge you, but I cannot.

It was my arrogance that led us down this path. I have no one to blame but myself. I was wrong to think we could have conquered Ba Sing Se. I was too proud and foolish to see that the earthbenders fought for something far more important than honor, duty or glory. And now, my mistakes have cost us everything.

You will be reborn, Lu Ten, hopefully to a life that treats you kindly. And I will have to live with my regrets. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I know I cannot stay and continue this battle. I must go now, and do what needs to be done.”

There was a long hesitation before Iroh stood up, turned away, and hid his face.

“Goodbye, Lu Ten.”

He shut the door behind him with tears in his eyes. To his surprise, the eyes of many soldiers were looking to him when he stepped out onto the deck. They were wondering what their orders were, now that they’ve made their tactical retreat.

Some of the soldiers were passionate and angry.

“They attacked us from behind, we should give it right back to them!”

“We ought to break through the wall a second time just to show them what we're made of!”

“We should make them pay for what they’ve done to us!”

Others were hesitant.

“I don’t know… those guys in the black robes were the stuff of nightmares!”

“They took out my entire squad, I’m the only one who survived…”

“The intelligence officers didn’t warn us about them! They’re too fast, we need more time to study them!”

Iroh silenced them with one word.

“Enough.”

“General Iroh?”

“I’ve had enough. This fight is over.”

“What do you mean, ‘over’, we haven’t won yet—!”

Iroh grows angry and impatient, still with tears in his eyes. “Take a look around! How many of us returned from that ambush?! And how many of us are truly ready to return to the battlefield?! We must face reality. We’ve been beaten. The only option left is to surrender.”

“Surrender?!”

“We’ve never lost a battle since we’ve followed your lead! We can’t give up now!”

“We can’t sail home under a white flag. We’ll be a disgrace to the Fire Nation!”

Iroh sighed, and shook his head. “None of you will have to bear the shame for our defeat. You were just following my orders. Whatever the Fire Lord has to say to you, he will say it to me. It’s my responsibility, and mine alone.”

The rest of the soldiers went quiet. A heavy atmosphere loomed over the ship, and dark clouds began to hover over it. The Fire Nation banner was lowered, and the white flag of surrender was hoisted. After receiving messenger hawks, the remaining ships did the same.

A funeral ceremony was held aboard the ships for the fallen soldiers. Their bodies were each cremated with the ashes being placed in an urn. Each soldier’s name, rank and great deeds were painted on the delicate glasswork. Although they have abandoned many spiritual traditions in favor of warfare, the people of of the Fire Nation still believed in returning their bodies to the great flame, so that their spirits will transition from this life to the next.

That night, Iroh placed Lu Ten’s urn on a writing desk, where he would pen the final letter he would give to Ursa. The letter spoke of the very serious, solemn news. He sent the letter off with a messenger hawk headed to the capital, and then put out the candles so he could try and rest.

The Storm The next morning, Iroh packed both keepsakes (the urn, royal portraits, pai sho tiles) and necessities in a bag for travelling, while preparing one of the smaller boats aboard the warship. When asked where he’s going by some of the soldiers, Iroh explained that this ship, and others like it simply held too many memories, and that he’d like to travel alone ahead of the fleet to face Fire Lord Azulon.

They let him pass, and he departs.

Just as the fleet of warships are in the far back horizon, the seas became choppy and the clouds grew darker. The sprinkle of raindrops soon became a shower, and the ocean waves grew taller and more powerful. The waves tossed Iroh’s boat into the air, and the strong winds pointed him far off-course.

Iroh clung to his small pack of belongings as the raging storm continued, and lightning flashed close by. The dark clouds, fierce rains, and howling winds continued well into the night, the waves taking the boat wherever they pleased.

As the hours went by, the waves began to calm. There was now a shoreline within sight. Although he was exhausted from the storm and what came before it, Iroh managed to steer the boat onto land, and step out.

He didn’t see them, but a figure was watching from the nearby bushes.

With the last of his waking strength, Iroh tried to call out to see if anyone was around. When he received no answer, he tried to bend a signal flare, only to discover that something has gone terribly wrong. He has lost his firebending.

Overcome by his fatigue, Iroh collapsed into the sand. He heard the faint sound of footsteps heading towards him, and then this entire world faded to black.

End of Book 1

#VERY long post #meta #atla #Iroh #backstory meta #fire nation #Fire Nation Royal Family #Quite possibly my greatest meta #Also my longest so far #heavy amounts of speculation #headcanons #angst #war cw #death mention

49 notes · View notes

fic-dreamin · 7 years

Photo

Look out I was disappointed to see that entire words were missing through out some of the books which made it difficult to read in some areas. By the time I reached those points in the books it was too late for a refund. There is more than this one page that had faded words, but this is the only picture I took to show as an example. Go to Amazon

Kid's Reading Material :) Well, my boy started reading Harry Potter at school. Many kids still want to read so I decided to get this set for my boy so he can read from Year 1. We are not a collector so this set works for us. Go to Amazon

Harry Potter for life! If you do not know Harry Potter, you should! This series is amazing and life changing! Great quotes, great characters, great fun! The books grow as Harry grows, and my seem childish at first, but will leave you bawling like a baby by the end of the series. This is one of my favorites in the series, it really starts to take the darker turn. Be sure and start with Sorcerer's Stone though! Go to Amazon

Harry Potter The Complete Collection Bloomsbury (Red Box Set) I purchased the Bloomsbury red box set, which was published in the UK. I am clarifying because it seems that all of the reviews here are mixed together for various Harry Potter box sets. I have to say, these books do not photograph well. They are absolutely stunning in person. The dust jackets are a soft matte texture with shiny gold foil lettering. The pictures on the covers are deep, saturated, high contrast images, but for whatever reason, probably the matte texture, they show up kind of muted in photographs. They are like glowing jewels! I love them so much! Go to Amazon

"Harry Potter" Better late then Never I must admit that I am a late bloomer when it came to reading Harry Potter. I was not an enthusiast in the beginning. It wasn't untill I got my 40" Hd TV and watched the series on HBO. I slowly got hooked on the charachters and plots and found myself being drawn into the Harry Potter circle. I truly love to read but I was not doing much casual reading mostly I read manuals of some sort or another. I found the Harry Potter book set advertised on my FB page (I follow three or four Harry Potter pages as well as Amazon) and since I have seen all the movies except the last I was interested in how the movies differed from the books. I purchased the books at a good price, recieved the shipment in good time and was off to enjoying one of my favorite relaxing past times. Although I do not know how relaxing it was reading book seven. "The Deathly Hallows" was filled with adventure and danger keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. I have dealt with Amazon numerous times and so far never hit a glitch in their billing or customer service. The books are great but since multi-millions of copies have been sold world wide I don't think it will be news to anyone that reads this review. The seven books in their own display case is a wonderful addition to anyone's bookcase. I purchased the paperback version and I am thinking of also buying the hard cover books because although paperbacks are less expensive they get disfigured easily. As far as the quality of the written word I read the seventh book in just four days. I could not put it down for long, I just had to get to the end to see if Harry, Hermoine & Ron's army of friends was victorious over the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Happy Reading to all. Go to Amazon

I love the Weasley twins!! And you will not know who they are until you read the Harry Potter books. I bought these books because my daughter-in-law loves them and my granddaughter was starting to read them as well as various nieces and nephews and I wanted to share the books they love. I thought that by having the first four in paperback that I would finish them about the time the 5th one comes out in paperback. No such luck - I read straight through them in a couple of weeks and begged my daughter-in-law to send my her #5 - which she graciously did. I read that one in two days. These books are well-written and well-constructed. I am THRILLED that children are reading them. Hopefully these young readers will not only read fabulous stories, but develop an improved vocabulary and much more complex and critical thinking. For my fellow conservative Christians, if you are worried about the "wizardry" in the books, don't ban them but read them WITH your children and discuss them. My granddaughter and I have had fabulous and deep discussions about our beliefs which have been jumpstarted by these books. The later books are probably too dark for pre-teen readers, but if you are reading the books WITH your kids, you can make that judgment based on your individual child. As Christians, we are to be in the world, not of the world. If we cloister ourselves and our children from what is going on, we have nothing to share with the non-Christians and we are living not by faith, but by fear. Go to Amazon

I love Harry Potter and this is my second time reading ... I love Harry Potter and this is my second time reading the series. However, I am very annoyed with this version of the book. The page numbers are way off. There are not 247 pages in this kindle book. In fact, many of the page numbers duplicate. The book is actually over 600 pages. Go to Amazon

Love HP! Five Stars Five Stars I just got this in the mail the other day ... Loved It! Not My Favorite - and Still 5 Stars Great quality Awesome. Five Stars Five Stars

#Peter Needham: 9781599900674: Amazon.com: Books

0 notes