Cool Stuff

1.) Finals are over.



2.) A blog post I wrote, “6 Amazing Antiheroines” is up at The Fangirl Initiative. TFI is a site full of articles about tons of different fandoms, and I’m so happy that I got a chance to contribute. You can find out more about TFI here and read my post here.

3.) This cover for Wide Sargasso Sea:




I’m a little more than halfway through and the language is just as gorgeous. The story ain’t bad, either, even though it promises to be depressing.

4.) I discovered this podcast thanks to Tess. Lore is a cool mashup of history, folklore, and true crime. My favorite episodes so far have been “All the Lovely Ladies” and “On the Farm”.

I promise I’ll put together an actual post before the end of winter break. Maybe. For now I’m enjoying not feeling guilty about not doing homework and looking forward to Christmas.

Reading Slumps, Part 2

via Pinterest

  

Or, will Alex ever stop whining about her first world problems?*

 I’ve decided that they’re two types of stories—the ones that show you how you want to write, and the ones that show you how you don’t want to write. Not that anything I’ve read in the past couple of months has been outright terrible. Everything has been good, decent, or okay. And that’s the problem. I’m ready for something like The Monstrumologist or The Reapers Are the Angels. Something that makes me want to cry because I didn’t come up with the idea first.

Through all the good-to-okay books I’ve read since fall semester started, one thing that most of them had in common has stuck with me. None of them are unexpected. It’s not so much a question of plot or character development but some weird, impossible to define ingredient—that bit of whatever-it-is that makes a story seem new and unfamiliar, even if the plot’s actually been done ten billion times before. I don’t expect each book I read to have that, but when it’s missing, I notice.

In the meantime, I’ve been reading a bunch of short stories on Tor.com. Some of them are better than others, but they’re all just the right length for reading in between classes.

That Game We Played During the War by Carrie Vaughn

Modern day fantasy of two prisoners of war who meet to finish the game they started years before. I ended up loving the concept a lot more than the story itself (mostly because of the length—I’d love to see this as a book). Still well-written and emotional.

The Night Cyclist by Stephen Graham Jones

This one didn’t scare me. At all. Bicyclist vampires are still a cool idea, though.

Men Who Wish to Drown by Elizabeth Famma
 The best atmosphere out of these three, plus it’s about mermaids and whaling (two of my favorite things), so I can’t complain. The narrator’s voice is also wonderfully lemony:

 “As long as you have known me, I have been Grandfather Henry. But when I met my wife, Martha, I was still Resolved, a name that since our wedding day I have only signed to legal documents. No man was permitted to call me Resolved, because none could accuse me of any such virtue."                                                                                                                                A man after my own heart.

     

 What have you guys been reading lately?

*Not likely. 

Catching Up

 Hey! It’s been a while.

Thanks to my fall semester classes, anything approaching a regular blogging schedule is off the table, but since I posted exactly once in August, a roundup is in order. Here are some of the things I’ve watched/read/done since then.

by crqsf

Pacific Rim
Saw the trailers when it first came out, made a “watch this one day” mental note to myself, finally sat down and watched it three weeks ago. I loved it. LOVED it. The jaegers, the kaiju, the hand-wavy science, the fact that everyone’s essentially one big, dysfunctional family...objectively, I get that it’s not for everyone, but I also don’t think it’s possible to hate a movie where the guy with the least ridiculous name is called Raleigh.

via

Fringe
 My sister checked this out after hearing that John Noble (aka Denethor) played one of the main characters. We’re about a quarter of the way through season 1. As far as the plot goes, I’m not hooked, but I adore the relationship between Walter and Peter Bishop. They flip the traditional father-son dynamic--Peter’s forced to become the legal guardian of his not-all-there, mad scientist dad--in a way that’s both very sad and very funny.
Also watched: Pan’s Labyrinth, Horrible Bosses, The Witch, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (season 1).

The Wicked Boy

This book is nonfiction and true crime (one of my biggest guilty pleasures). It centers around the case of a 13-year-old boy living in Victorian (1890s-ish?) London, who admitted to stabbing his mother to death. It’s hard to describe why I enjoy books like this without feeling sleazy, but it basically boils down to wanting to know the motivation. It’s like reading a mystery--the main point, at least for me, isn’t figuring out who did it, but why they did it. Not that they’re many good reasons for killing your mother…

Writing
Writing has been sucking-pudding-through-a-straw slow, and I honestly don’t mind. Aside from learning how to fit it in without slacking on schoolwork, I’ve been thinking about which direction I want my next stories to take. I’ll never stop loving fantasy, but lately I haven’t been inspired to write many fantasy stories of my own. Most of my new ideas are in a more contemporary/realistic fiction vein, and I’m excited to start working on something again but also terrified that I won’t be able to pull it off. Hopefully I’ll be blogging more about this soon.

How was August, and how has September treated you so far?

MMGM: Once Upon a Crime

 In my personal ranking of ‘fantasy series you really should read’, The Sisters Grimm is right up there with The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. I adore these books, and Once Upon a Crime is one of the best of them all.

 Here’s the setup: After their parents mysteriously disappear, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are forced to move to Ferryport Landing, a podunk town in upstate New York overrun by fairy tale characters. In Once Upon a Crime, they, their grandmother, the ex-Sheriff, and Mr. Canis, and old man acting as a human vessel of the Big Bad Wolf, travel to New York City. They’re searching for the kingdom of Faerie, in order to help Sabrina's sometimes friend/mostly enemy, Puck. He was injured protecting Sabrina, and only his family can heal him.

 Unfortunately, Puck’s family is even more dysfunctional than the Grimms. Before long they’re roped into solving a murder. Sabrina struggles to protect Daphne while consulting psychics and chasing suspects in a stolen subway car, but her sister is more independent than she’d like to believe. They share an extremely sarcastic, slightly mean-spirited sense of humor, which is--let’s be honest--my favorite type of humor.

“Daphne was still sound asleep, so Sabrina shook her until the little girl opened her eyes.

‘Whazzabigidea?’ Daphne grumbled.

‘Get up, we’re going to jail,’ Sabrina said, helping her out of the car.”

These books have a bit of a Roald-Dahl-type vibe to them--halfway through their murder case Sabrina and Daphne are kidnapped by pirates, then picked up by Social Services, then fostered by a just-paroled serial killer. It’d be awfully grim if it weren’t so funny, and by the end Sabrina’s more than earned her happy ending. Still, I can’t wait to read her next adventure.

What are some of your favorite middle grade books?

MMGM is hosted by Shannon Messenger. 

The Birthstone Book Tag

  I stole this one from Joni. It looked way too cool to pass up.

  January - Garnet

  Name a character who you think is evil/dark

  The Governor from The Walking Dead comics is pretty much irredeemably bad (the guy could eat puppies for breakfast and it wouldn’t surprise me). Opal Koboi from the Artemis Fowl books is pure evil but also hilarious. The Beast from The Magicians is terrifying.

  February - Amethyst

  Name a book you think of as regal

  The Lord of the Rings trilogy, obviously, but also the Earthsea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin, especially book number three, The Farthest Shore.

  March - Aquamarine

  Name a character who you think of as weak, or as more of a follower

  My birthstone is aquamarine, so I kind of resent the “weak” implications. :) I’m going with Clover from Entwined. On first impression she is more of a follower (quiet, cripplingly shy, avoids conflict), but as the story goes on she proves herself just as strong as her sisters.

  April - Diamond

  Name a book that you love, but isn’t very well known

  Her Own Song by Ellen Howard is one of the saddest, sweetest middle grade books ever, but it’s been out of print for a while. On the plus side, you can still find cheap used copies on Amazon. It’s about a white girl growing up in the early 1900s who discovers that her first adoptive parents were Chinese.

  May - Emerald

  Name two characters who balance each other out.

  Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson from Marvel’s Daredevil comics, Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth from DC’s Batman comics, and Willy Henry and Pellinore Warthrop from the Monstrumologist series.

  June - Pearl

  Name a character who’s loyal

  Leo Demidov from Child 44.

  July - Ruby

  Name a book that aggravates you/makes your blood boil

  Not too many. I tend to be pretty laid back about most books. Charles Dickens’ treatment of most of his female characters does get on my nerves, and anything with a really strong patriarchal bent (so, some classics and a certain subset of Christian books) rubs me the wrong way.

  August - Peridot

  Name a supporting character you preferred to the main character

  I waver back and forth on whether I prefer Susan to Lucy in the Narnia books.

  September - Sapphire

  Name a book that you found to be calming.

  Reading anything by Susanna Kearsley is very relaxing.

  October - Opal

  Name a book with a pretty cover

  I ADORE this copy of Peter Pan.

  November - Topaz

  Name a book with a resilient protagonist

The first one to jump into my mind was The Outsiders. Pretty much all the main characters are resilient, in their own individual ways. S. E. Hinton’s other book, Tex, has a main character who doesn’t appear to be resilient at first, but actually is.

  December - Blue Zircon

  Name a fictional friendship you’d love to be a part of
The entire gang in The Outsiders (kind of feel like a girl would throw off the dynamic, though). Most superhero groups, but especially the batfamily. Hanging out with the Pevensies (or just C. S. Lewis) would be fantastic. Gen and Costis from The Queen of Attolia have the weirdest, most adorable bromance ever, so I wouldn’t want to intrude, but then again...

Book Pile: Reading Slumps

Sometimes I miss the days when I could pick up just about any book and enjoy it. The problem with reading a lot is that you start to develop taste. There’s nothing wrong with taste per se, but once you have it you can’t enjoy a book unless it either lives up to your expectations or surpasses them. I’ve read some pretty good books recently, but now I’m having trouble finding new ones.

Plus, they’re certain times when I don’t feel that motivated to read--either because I’m doing a lot of writing and can’t stand the sight of more words, or because I’m having trouble finding stories that interest me. Right now it’s a bit of a combination of both. So here are some of the books I hope to/wish I could read. Hopefully one of them can break me out of the cycle.

Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

My sister has already read this and assures me it’s wonderful. I’ve been a historical-romance mood since I finished Outlander, and I liked the TV series, so I’ve already put this on hold at my library. At the very least I’ll get to imagine Aidan Turner as I read, so there’s really no way this could go wrong.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusack

I’m working my way through this one, and so far it’s been...okay. I feel bad because it’s very well-written and has all the elements I usually like in a book--big ensemble cast, lots of complicated relationships, an unexpected style--but so far I’m not wowed by it.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

My reread of the series stalled out at this one, and I need to jump back in.

Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Another hold. When it comes to fairy tales, I’m more of a Brothers Grimm girl--most of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories are very dark and depressing. (I don’t mind the dark; just the depressing.) They’re also a little too moralising for my taste. But this edition is illustrated by Kay Nielsen, one of my favorite artists, so I’m excited to give it a try.

How do you guys deal with book slumps? Do you have any book recommendations?

After the End

Or, finals are over and I have no idea what to do with myself. This is the first weekend in months that I don’t have homework I could/should be doing. It’s a bizarre feeling. I’ve been trying to catch up on reading, which helps--I just finished Secrets of the Dragon Tomb by Patrick Samphire. It’s a middle-grade Regency steampunk set on Mars, and exactly as much fun as it sounds. Very Diana Wynne Jones-esque, which is one of the highest compliments I can give to a book.

During summer, I always promise myself that I’ll read a bunch of books and write a bunch of stories before deciding that I’d much rather binge watch Supernatural for three months straight. So, yeah, I’m not expecting to be super-productive this time around, but I am hoping to keep up with writing and blogging. Maybe cook something. This morning I had avocado on toast, which is probably the closest I’ve come to cooking anything all semester. Still, it was delicious.

I’ve also resolved to not start a project unless it’s something I honestly want to write. I have a habit of starting projects more out of a compulsion to just write something than because I love (or even like) the idea itself. Sometimes it works, but mostly I end up with a bunch of soulless, half-finished drafts. Obviously I don’t have to be wildly in love with an idea from the get-go, but there needs to be a spark of something--a sentence, a mood, a character--for me to work with.

And, yep, still working on the scarf. IT WILL NEVER BE DONE.

All pictures belong to their original owners.

Book Pile: Comics Edition

I was incredibly snooty about comics when I was younger, so I didn’t read my first graphic novel (In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang)  until last year. Right now I’m mostly devouring superhero comics, and while my reading has been pretty one-sided so far (mostly DC, mostly Batman), I’d like to share my favorites.

Watchmen by Alan Moore

Not for the faint of heart. I think this was the second comic I read, mostly because I’d heard it was A Book That Smart People Read and I’d like to think I’m a Smart Person. It was a bit of a baptism by fire, but I loved it. None of the characters are especially good (with the exception of both Nite Owls, I think) but all of them are more than what they first appear to be. Some parts are very dense, some parts are very graphic...so basically everything I like. :)

Batman: Noel by Lee Bermejo

It’s A Christmas Carol...with Batman! The artwork is gorgeous and the story feels both perfectly Christmassy and perfectly Batman-y. It’s also told from the point of view of one of the Joker’s (reluctant) henchman, which makes for a nice perspective flip. There’s no way you can get through this without feeling warm and fuzzy by the end.

All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder by Frank Miller

This is probably the worst comic book--make that the worst book--that I have ever read. It’s also hilarious. The artwork is beautiful when it’s not ridiculously fanservice-y, but even it couldn’t save lines like this: “They call me the Joker, but I’m not very funny.” In fact, Batman comes across as the real psycho in this story; instead of watching him and Robin bond, you’re just praying the poor kid will come out alive. So, yeah, this isn’t a good book by any means, but it’s not one you’ll soon forget, either.

Batgirl: Silent Knight by Kelley Puckett

I already gushed about this one on Goodreads, so all I’ll say here is that Cassandra Cain has been my favorite Batgirl since way before I read any comics, and her story was everything I’d hope it would be. I can’t wait to get my hands on volume 2!

Li’l Gotham by Dustin Nguyen

Possibly my favorite Batman comic ever. These are adorable, pretty and so, so funny. My favorite part is when Batman and all the Robins get together to make dinner for Alfred on Father’s Day. There’s also a Valentine’s issue (the Joker gets sprayed with a love potion that makes all the female villains fall madly in love with him) and a Mother’s Day issue (Damien and Batman go to visit Talia al Ghul and end up fighting zombies). This is Everything's Happy and Nothing Hurts: the Series.  

Artwork by Dave Gibbons, Lee Bermejo, Jim Lee, James Jean, and Dustin Nguyen

Spring Break

via susanbranch.com

Spring break is almost here, which means a lot of wonderful things, including sleeping in, making a dent in my pile of unread books, and binge-watching Netflix, because GUESS WHAT’S PREMIERING ON THE 18TH? (Daredevil season 2. I’m just the tiniest bit excited about this.)

Here are some of the ways I’m going to enjoy spring break:

Read A Fine Romance by Susan Branch

I checked this out on Joni’s recommendation--it’s a hand-lettered, illustrated travel journal of a trip to England (starting with a six-day cruise on the Queen Mary 2 Ocean Liner!) and it’s so charming and beautiful that I get inspired to journal more just looking at it. (Sadly, my journals look nothing like Susan Branch’s.)

Cook Something

I’m not sure what yet, but I’d love to buy the ingredients for something and make it on my own. A few weeks ago I made herb-cheddar biscuits from an out-of-the-box mix and they were delicious, so if all else fails I can fall back on those.

Stay on Top of Homework

There’s a lot I’ll still need to get done during break, but most of it isn’t too hard. My two main assignments are to take notes for a research paper and work on a proposal for my final English paper. (I wrote my first two on The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and Tina Fey’s movie Mean Girls. This time I’m thinking about writing about Crimson Peak.)

Doodle/Knit/do Something Crafty

I REALLY need to finish that scarf.

Do you guys have any plans for spring or spring break?

Review: The Four Seasons of Brambly Hedge

  I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it on the blog before, but I love picture books. Super-detailed, nature-inspired, Beatrix-Potter-esque ones especially. So I expected to like the Brambly Hedge books, which are pretty much the definition of “super-detailed, nature-inspired, and Beatrix-Potter-esque”. I actually worried that they’d be too much like Beatrix Potter, and I’d waste an evening reading rip-offs.

  Luckily for me, Brambly Hedge isn’t a rip-off. It’s more cutesy, and not as dark as, say, The Tale of Mr. Todd, where a bunch of baby rabbits are kidnapped and stuffed into a stove. But the books are full of details about life in the hedge. The mice run a dairy mill and a flour mill, work paw-driven looms, and dig interconnected tunnels between their houses when it snows. It’s all incredibly accurate, and apparently the author/illustrator, Jill Barklem, spent years researching old agricultural practices to make sure she got the details right.

  The illustrations are also incredibly detailed--and delicious. They’re too many pies, cakes, and puddings to count, and I think the food actually ended up being my favorite part of the whole book. I mean, how can you resist descriptions like these?

  “Mrs. Crustybread baked a huge hazelnut cake with layers of thick cream, and Wilfred’s mother decorated it. Mrs. Apple made some of her special primrose puddings.”

--Spring Story

  “All the kitchens along Brambly Hedge were warm and busy. Hot soups, punches and puddings bubbled, and in the ovens pies browned and sizzled.”

--Winter Story

 And yes, it’s always the girl mice who end up doing the cooking, but I almost don’t care because if I could move to Brambly Hedge, I would.

 The Four Seasons of Brambly Hedge includes the first four books in the series and an interview with Jill Barklem, where she talks about her inspirations and creative process. It’s perfect for curling up with after a tough week (like I did) or if you’re looking for a book that makes you hungry. If you like picture books, I can almost guarantee you’ll fall in love with this one.