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#I really want there to be a live action adaption of the song of achilles so I decided to make my own ^^
cinnamonbunpuff · 7 months
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the song of achilles live action scene idea
imagine if there was a live action movie adaptation of TSOA! it would be pretty epic. if this were to happen there's been one scene that's sat in my head for so long that i think would definitely break me and hopefully everyone else (in a really emotional way).
i think that the song achilles come down by gang of youths is definitely an obvious choice as a soundtrack for the movie. but it's such a long song, what would you use?
it would be so nice to hear that cello part just anywhere in the movie. but i think in terms of emotion it would definitely hurt to hear the song towards the end of the storyline, like during the trojan war scenes.
the song itself is really emotional, and here's one of the (many) lines that stick out to me, that's repeated throughout (to make more of an impact imo):
today of all days, see, how the most dangerous thing is to love how you will heal and you'll rise above crowned by an overture bold and beyond ah, it's more courageous to overcome
now hear me out. on-screen, achilles has just found out that patroclus wore his armour into battle and died. he’s kneeled over his lover’s body. as the grief begins to set in for achilles, we hear, faintly, a cello (at 5:48). there's nothing spoken by achilles or anyone else - the whole world is silent. this would allows us to hear the above lyrics, almost as someone - thetis? patroclus? achilles? - is talking to achilles. he also slowly looks up towards the sky, as a way to avoid looking at patroclus’ body but also to send a silent message, a plea, to the gods above.
anyways yeah just a little idea i had that i wanted to share bc every time i think about it i want to cry because i love them and i also love the song so much
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18 / 11 / 2023
HERCULES PLAYED BY MICHAEL B. JORDAN? 🤨 WHAT I THINK ABOUT IT 🧐
Hey dear readers! 😁
So... You probably read it somewhere else, or not, but it seems the gorgeous American actor Michael B. Jordan will probably plays the role of Prince Hercules in the future live-action movie adapted from the amazing Disney animated movie HERCULES (1997).
I wanted to tell you my top list of my favorite on-screen Hercules and ask you who is yours, but since i can't makes two games in one post, I want to ask you first what you thinks of Michael B. Jordan chosen by Disney as Prince Hercules for the live-action.
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I love Hercules from Disney, to me he is really well written : physically he is handsome and hot, but he is more than that, he is also kind, funny, shy which makes him relatable. Even though he becomes stronger than everyone, he just wants to know what he is good for, where is his place, what he should do in life to be useful to others and happy for himself. That's things most people (especially young, but not only) can relate to. And the movie in itself helped going through bad things, whether for its message and good vibes, and also thanks to the humor, the songs, the characters (Megara is an amazing heroine, Hades is one of my favorite Disney vilain)!
If you want to know what i like about Michael B. Jordan, don't hesitate to read this article.
Apparently the executive producers have to chose between him and the handsome British actor Taron Egerton. Even though i like Taron Egerton as an actor, i don't think he is muscled or tall enough to plays Hercules. However, he would be better as playing Hercules as skinny and as muscled, because the protagonist is supposed to become stronger (unless they do what has been done for Steve Rogers before being Captain America, which is taking a skinny actor to play the role). He isn't that skinny too, so if he do exercise he could play him.
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Michael B. Jordan is absolutely gorgeous, so of course I'm happy that he'll play in a Disney live-action, and we live in a time where this news isn't surprising.
In the MCU, it isn't the first time a Black person plays a White character (Nick Fury, Heimdall, Valkyrie, and now Namor played by a Latino actor and soon Sentry by an Asian man). I doesn't complain about race swapping in the MCU because it's adaptation and fictional characters. As for Michael B. Jordan, he already played a white character : Johnny Storm / Human Torch in the FANTASTIC 4 movie.
If you want to read a story about Michael B. Jordan as a dominant gay man and an interracial love story where, for once, the white man isn't a weak submissive, read this :
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The thing is that Disney is more famous and probably more loved than Marvel so a single change in the characters will be analyzed. Hercules is not only a great Disney character, he is first a Hero in the Greek mythology (known as Herakles), and the God of Strength in the Roman mythology. And i know History and Mythology so believe me when i tell you there wasn't so many Black people in Grece at that time. That doesn't mean we can't include Black actors in movies. For example, in the (horrible) Netflix series TROY - FALL OF A CITY, Achilles, Patroklus, Eneus and even Zeus has been played by Black actors for the first time ever!
We are far from Brad Pitt who played Achilles in the movie TROY.
But, believe me, Greek people - and maybe Italian too - will complain again when they'll see a Black man playing one of their most known character.
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Disney already did race-swapping with Ariel and her sisters in the live-action THE LITTLE MERMAID, so I'm not surprised anymore. We have to ask ourselves if Disney hire Michael B. Jordan for his (obvious) talent, his (incredible) celebrity, his (stunning) strength, his (beautiful) body, or juste because he is a Black man and Disney want to change mentalities? Does Black men would even feel more represented by seeing a Black actor chosen to play a white character instead of creating a new Black hero with his own story?
Or they could also make live action about Black characters instead of doing race swap because that will create more racism, to my opinion, or more division between races : some white persons wants him to play Hercules and some Black people thinks a white man should plays a white man. So, who is right? Who should be listened? 🤔 Maybe what's racist is to give to Black actors white characters to plays as if Black men weren't inspiring enough. It's only my opinion.
Here is a list of actors who could play Hercules
Even if there is many Black actors who would be awesome in this role, at least Michael B. Jordan would be great as Prince Naveen of Maldonia from Princess and the Frog (2009) if Disney decided to make a live action of it. He is handsome, cocky, kind and funny so it wouldn't be difficult to imagine. Right? 🤨
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If there is Black character who would be amazing if he was played by Michael B. Jordan, it's undoubtedly Val-Zod from DC. Mostly known as the "Black Superman", I considers him worthy of being in cinema. Apparently there was a project of this movie and i even wanted to write a story about him.
That would be incredible to see a new black superhero, and these fanarts are inpiring! If you have any plot idea about Val-Zod, tell me! I've thought of an interracial gay love story since he is supposed to love Supergirl, but maybe Val-Zod could love a male Lois Lane!
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What's disturbing with the choice of Michael B. Jordan as Prince Hercules (again, if that happen) is that white men seems to be voluntary erased by Disney to show Black men as betters. Think about it : if a white man is cast as Hades (despite being Hercules's uncle) and a black man as Zeus, that would clearly mean that white men are the devil and black men are our saviors! It was already my problem with the THE LITTLE MERMAID live action (Ursula, King Triton and his daughters being almost all non-white persons), which isn't realistic. And tell me that you can do everything you want with fiction, you have to stay at least logical.
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The reason why i am not sure that I'm against Michael B. Jordan hired to play Hercules is that I'm a brainwashed snowbunny whiteboy interracial addict who clearly worship Black men so i am so confused and don't know if it's treason or stupidity to like this choice, or if it being acceptive and liking Black men. I honestly don't know what to think until I'll see Michael B. Jordan as Hercules.
That's why i makes you plays this game.
So, to me, a Black actor shouldn't be prevented to play a white hero, but when this one is very famous for having a particular body (and for once a white hero could be a strong alpha male), i don't find this choice clever. However, Michael B. Jordan have the good personality like Hercules and his life has been almost the same : from nothing and a skinny underestimated boy, he became a hot famous actor (he already have his star on the Walk of Fame : read my Man Of The Day article if you want to know more about it), thirsted on by almost everyone! He is Hercules! But should he be the Disney Hercules? I don't know. I still wait to know it.
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Here is another game with Michael B. Jordan
And another one
The Disney movie inspired me this story
Part 1
Part 2
And here is a story about Hercules in Marvel
@michaelbjordan @michaelbjordans @michaelbjordan-news @michaelbjordanrps @leftprogrammingroadtripdean @tidodore2 @blacksuperiororer @ir-4-life @ir-beauty @blacksupremacyforever @blackmenrule @whiteboyscantfuck @innerpiratefun @gayhopefullove @lovefanfiction01 @whiteboylovesblack @blackmenrevenge @snowbunnysfantasies @blackmasculinitywhitefemininity
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skyblep · 11 months
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I detest live-action adaptions on principle, but I think a live-action adaption of From Eroica with Love would be hilarious. I would love it if they could cast a Robert Plant look alike to play Dorian. (Actually I think a live-action adaption would be pretty fitting, considering Aoike doesn’t like anime adaptations)
But what I really want is for the adaption to use Led Zep’s music, but not their actual music, just music that sounds suspiciously similar to Led Zep!
ah i see you have tapped into the pandora's box of my brain
honestly as much as i'd love a rob plant lookalike, i would be fine with any pretty boy with good comedic timing wearing a (unionized) (100% blonde virgin hair) wig for dorian, and an equally pretty boy with good comedic timing WITH SIDEBURNS (not the damn sideburn wigs murata is wearing!) who was willing to grow out his hair kgkjjkhnxf
as for the songs i agree, i'd love to hear Achilles' Last Stand But Not Actually Achilles Last Stand, some classic rock/spy music pastiche for opening credits (LIKE eberbach's theme in the drama CD). but honestly for the overall vibe of the series i think i'd prefer spy themes and disco songs (purely my opinion on the last one, but prob cus i listened to a lot of disco while reading the manga)
but most important of all. i need it turned up to an 11. camp if you will. i need the ultra conservative military officer to have long hair and cute little bangs for some reason. i need dorian to wear leotards with capes. i need bonham to be ridiculously british and wear sweaters with german companies' names on them. i need dorian to say something like "is it not seducitve to imagine a german sausage entangled with british beans". and most of all. i need this
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skylessnights · 3 years
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The Song of Achilles - A Netflix Original Series
⤷ template by @storytellerdorian (thank you so much for making it - I had so much fun!)
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sofipitch · 3 years
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Greek Mythology Book Adaptation Reviews
I'm going to review some Greek mythology adaptations I've read to either recommend the ones I enjoyed or warn you which to steer clear of.
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But first, a quick word on accuracy. Most of these are going to have issues with the accuracy of character portrayals and or the story. It's unfortunately inherent to this genre. I enjoy Greek mythology and homer because the characters are flawed and complex. So, I don't know if authors make the changes they do because they think modern audiences want a cleaner cut good guys/protagonist vs bad guys/antagonist dynamic or what. Ultimately, I do think it does the characters a disservice to try and sort the characters into “good guy” and “bad guy” boxes. So, I will point out major inaccuracies, especially with Trojan War surrounding books bc while there are multiple versions of many Greek myths, the trojan war has most of the action solidified by homer, and you can then decide if it's worth reading. A lot of what I like about these books will come down to writing style. We all know these stories and how they go, so it’s up to the author to write them in a way that is worth reading. Some of these books I vehemently disliked and some of them I love. This is mostly to just share my experiences with everyone. I know when I was looking into Greek mythology based works these were recommended as if they were all equal but in reading them that is definitely not the case.
Books discussed under the cut: Ariadne, Helen of Troy, Troy (by Stephen Fry), The Song of Kings, The Song of Achilles, Circe, Lore Olympus, The Penelopiad, and Ransom.
(Quick disclaimer: All opinions are my own, you don’t have to agree with me, feel free to share your opinions in the comments, the point is to generate discussion and help people pick books they might enjoy, but also remember I am a person with feelings, so if you disagree with me just don’t be rude about it)
1. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint 
Personally, I enjoyed this book. I thought it was simply going to cover the slaying of the Minotaur and end with maybe Dionysus finding Ariadne on Naxos, kind of a happily ever after ending there since this is how the myth was presented to me. Instead it incorporates all myths surrounding Ariadne, including her sister Phaedra. The point of view switches in between them. Theseus is not presented super favorably in this book, but honestly given all his myths I’m not surprised. Gods are not shown to be sympathetic to humans either, which I also don’t think is a surprising take given the contents of Greek mythology. However, one plot point does really bug me. Slight spoilers but Ariadne finds out the cult of Dionysus is participating in animal sacrifice and is horrified, which given how common animal sacrifice is for the time period this take place in, doesn’t make a lot of sense. I think being horrified by animal sacrifice is too much of a modern point of view. There is also a slight theme of women constantly being oppressed by men, and the women do nothing wrong. Given Phaedra’s story this doesn’t make a lot of sense and ultimately dulls the complexity of the characters. Still, I ultimately liked it.
2. Circe by Madeline Miller
If I were to rank all the books on this list, Circe would be my favorite. For a book about a character who lives most of her life exiled on an island, Miller pulls together every potential relation or myth that could be tied to Circe together in this book. I adore the way the gods are described, especially the underwater gods are super inhuman looking/sounding. It’s a breath of fresh air, I get tired of the gods that just look like hot humans in white robes real quick. Like, Ariadne the gods are not shown to be sympathetic to humans, whereas Circe is based on how she grew up being treated. This is basically the theme of the book, finding yourself and where you fit in in the world.
 Pasiphae, Circe’s sister, has characterization that is a direct contradiction to how she is presented in Ariadne, but I like Miller’s version better. She’s a bitch but at least she has agency as opposed to being “sad woman who is oppressed under men”. Odysseus is presented so well in this book, she captures all his good traits (the reasons we love him) and his bad ones (reasons why we know we shouldn’t like him) so well, great handling of a complex character. Also the writing style is gorgeous. I can’t recommend this book enough. (I’m sorry this is so short, I’m really good at describing what I don’t like in books as opposed to what I do like, but I freaking love this book. Seriously.)
3. Helen of Troy by Margaret George
I first read this book 4-5 years ago and really liked it. So, while on my Greek mythology kick I reread it thinking I would enjoy it. This really wasn’t the case. I think the main reason being I finally read the actual Iliad before reading this, so I noticed all the inaccuracies and they really bothered me. This book presents Helen’s abduction as a choice she made after falling in love with Paris. I will give the author kudos for not portraying Menelaus as abusive like in the movie Troy or the 2018 tv show Troy. Instead Helen slights Aphrodite so Aphrodite makes Helen and Menelaus’s marriage passionless. So, when Paris shows up Aphrodite once again decides to fuck with Helen by making her super in love and finally horny for a man. Despite the relationship being forced, the book carries through that Helen and Paris actually loved each other throughout the whole book, which since the relationship has so little foundation to stand on it is pretty bland. George also goes with the “good guys” “bad guys” approach and consequently twists a lot of characters and events to try and absolve Helen and Paris so that “they did nothing wrong”. To do this so much has to be changed and ultimately they still aren’t likeable.  For example, George has Helen ask her daughter Hermione if she wants to leave but Hermione says no so she leaves her. She tries to show her being sad about it but repeatedly does everything she can to absolve her of having been in the wrong. Same with stealing from Sparta’s treasury, Priam lying to the Greeks about Helen being with them, or Paris killing his son. If you like any of the characters on the Greek side you probably won’t like their portrayals. Everyone else has to be in the wrong so that Paris and Helen aren’t. Also I don’t know if this is accurate but Helen is in her late 20s, early 30s when she meets Paris and Paris is 16 :/. I know times were different in 1200 BCE but a modern author still chose to keep these ages and represent Paris, a teenager, as super sexy and like an adult. My last major gripe with this book has to do with dramatic irony. Ariadne, Circe, The Song of Achilles, all use dramatic irony throughout there story. This was common in Greek plays because the audience knows the story and knows what’s going to happen, so they foreshadow the events through the characters, who are oblivious to their doomed fate. In the books I mentioned above this is done really well, however this book attempts to do that and falls flat on it’s face. George has Helen bestowed with the gift of prophecy and she just randomly blurts out her famous lines from the Iliad at random times. And every freakin time she is so confused, like “huh wow that was dark”. Some of Helen’s best lines are completely wasted. And every time Helen gets a vision of Troy on fire she just writes it off as not possible. It’s ultimately a very frustrating adaptation. 
4. Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
So, while I enjoy Lore Olympus, I got to be honest with you, it’s the junk food of this list. While Circe and Ransom are very literary and works of art, this is a comic that’s main claim to fame is that it’s entertaining. It’s not super deep and thought-provoking like the others on this list. It’s currently available for free on Webtoon, updates every Sunday (or if you are like me, Saturday evening) but is coming into print sometime in October/November (there’s some sort of printed book shortage going round, as of Sept 2021, I don’t know all the details but LO had it’s release date pushed back, likely for this reason) so obviously a lot of people like it. LO is also supposed to be getting an animated TV show, or so I’ve heard.
The main plot has to do with the romance between Persephone and Hades, it’s a very “will they, won’t they” dynamic. Up until “season 2″ most of the plot was similar to that of a teenage or young adult TV drama. However the series is very addicting because Smythe ends each installment on a cliffhanger, when I read this I basically ended up spending my whole weekend nonstop reading. My favorite thing about the series is how funny it is. Lots of the humor is very similar to Scott Pilgrim, both the comic and the movie. The way I was introduced to Greek Mythology was through the Percy Jackson series, so I always have a soft-spot for funny adaptations. Lots of crazy-ass shit happens in Greek mythology that can be hard to take seriously.
What I don’t like about LO has a lot to do with art-style and diversity. The body types are HEAVILY gendered. Like, all the men are built like a brick wall, 7 ft tall, 8-pack. While the women are TINY with huge tits and ass. And this design appears over and over and over again. It gets tiring, and it’s frankly unimaginative. I also don’t see lots of diversity in the way the characters are presented. Yes, they are the colors of the rainbow but you can make supernatural characters BIPOC-coded, look at Steven Universe. Both Garnet and Bismuth are red and purple but they are very obviously both black. Same goes for LGBTQ characters. Greek mythology itself features a lot of gay relationships. However, LO has so far only confirmed that Athena/Hestia are dating, no other characters, have been shown to be gay or of the many relationships shown in depth, no aspect of their relationship has been shown, just confirmed. What I also don’t like is that, since she is a wlw, Athena is simply designed the same way all the men are, tall broad shouldered, small hips. It’s almost like Smythe saying, “This is the “man” in the relationship.” I wouldn’t be so bitchy about it if this weren’t the only female body with deviation. Hestia is also the only non-background character to be drawn fat, and she still has a distinct hourglass shape, so it’s easy to miss she is the only non-skinny representation. Basically, the diversity is crumbs.
I’m not saying Lore Olympus is bad or you are bad for liking it, I still like it. I just don’t have high expectations for it either. 
5. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
When read this book, I was thinking it was going to be a lot like Circe, a whole life epic of Penelope. It’s not really like that, it’s a very short literary piece of work. It is told from the perspective of Penelope in Asphodel, she is giving an abbreviated version of her life history. However, the book switched often to one part of the The Odyssey that stands out to Atwood, which is Odysseus killing the handmaidens. This is a more feminist point, that the handmaidens did nothing wrong, they only interacted with the suitors and yet Odysseus killed them. I think it makes a good point of faithfulness, this is a trait of Penelope’s that is really emphasized in her story, waiting 20 years for her husband, while everyone knows he wasn’t faithful to her. But if she had done the same he would’ve punished her. So by highlighting this point in the story, Atwood points out the unusually high expectations women face. I do like this book, Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite authors, but Penelope does use modern language, according to the story because she’s picked it up wandering Asphodel, but that wasn’t my favorite choice. Also, Helen. Helen is portrayed as the whore who started the war because she loves eating men and men dying for her. Kind of a derivative take that is weird in contrast to the rest of the theme of the book. Finally, the story does say that instead of staying in Asphodel that shades like Helen and Odysseus can choose to be reborn, and that they’ve lived in the world hundreds of times. This was a cool nod to how universal these characters are, a hero with a thousand faces style.
6. The Song of Achilles by Margret Miller
I feel like this one is a bit controversial. It’s going depend heavily on what you are looing for in a book. So let me start off by addressing the bad, which is the characterization. This book is a lot like Helen of Troy, in that it tries to box characters into “good guys” and “bad guys”. There is some more nuanced characterization compared to Helen, it simplifies some dynamics to fit the modern audience. It’s the story of Patroclus and Achilles, from a young age until their death, mostly focusing on their romance. This romance is made monogamous in this book, even though it wasn’t in the Iliad and other works. So the relationship with those two and Briseis and Deidamia were changed heavily to fit this, often at the expense of the women and their characterization. Agamemnon is another character who gets a pretty flat take, shown as only an antagonist throughout. Finally, Patroclus, the main character is a big one, in the Iliad Patroclus is one of the best warriors on the Greek side. In this book, he doesn’t fight. He rejects combat and is shown as only tending to the wounded. And while tending to the wounded is something Patroclus did, it is obviously a very modern anti-war take. A lot of Iliad adaptations try and make it clear they are very anti-war, as if the original Iliad wasn’t anti-war in itself (seriously, go read/reread it, the way Homer invokes carnage is not heroic). nd ultimately the ancient Greeks had very different views on heroism and honor that Miller chose not to portray. To the Achaeans, what would be more heroic than to fight beside your loved one? It makes the pivotal moment, Patroclus putting on Achilles armor and pretending to be him, an extremely dumb move, an obvious death sentence. Instead of what it was, a trusting of equals (still maybe dumb but not a death sentence). I also do think people are a little hard on this book, a common criticism is that the characters are one dimensional. I don’t think they are at all, the are simply all told from Patroclus’s perspective, so it’s only as he saw them.
However, despite all that I do really like this book, a lot of it comes down to the writing style. I said before in the review for Circe how much I love Miller’s style. The same can be said for this book. It’s no wonder quotes from this book are all over tumblr. It’s really beautifully written. Heavy use dramatic irony and it's done so well. The romance is superb, it feels star-cross, soulmates, cataclysmic. The scenes detailing Achilles grief hit me so hard, and the scene with Achilles and Priam is amazing. It’s not for everyone, but personally I love this book.
7. The Song of Kings by Barry Unsworth
I’m going to be quick about this one because I hated it and I tend to go on about things I don’t like but this book is not worth the time. I looked up “Greek mythology /Iliad adaptation novels” and this was recommended to me on some article. It had good reviews so I went for it. This book was basically written as metaphor for the gulf war, which the author did not support. I don’t support war either but this book, which is supposed to be a retelling of Iphigenia at Aulis, basically destroys the characters to get it’s anti-war message. If you like anyone on the Greek side, you will not like this book, they are all portrayed as greedy, blood hungry, idiots. Unless you really like Calachas for some reason. I could go for pages on everything that’s wrong but I won’t. Basically, if you like the Iliad you won’t like this book because it’s not really concerned with the Iliad so much as it’s own message.
8. Ransom by David Malouf
This novel recounts one of the best parts of the Trojan War, the meeting of Achilles and Priam. In the Iliad it sends such a powerful message about what it means to be human and to grieve. Both Priam and Achilles are like gods, one a king the other a hero, and they choose to set aside their differences and behave like men. It ends the epic poem with a story of compassion. 
And this book's retelling of that scene... meh. It seems like it's more about Priam experiencing life outside of being a king, the middle of the book has a huge emphasis on how little he knows about daily life and even his sons. Even when he meets Achilles, what should have been a great scene, he focus on how good it is of him to do this, not how much he loves his son, which should be the point. The whole book focuses on how by doing this act and humbling himself he is a hero, but it's not very humble to keep congratulating himself for doing it. No thoughts are on Hector, who in the Iliad was his favorite son. Honestly if Hector's shade could read Priam's mind, I think he'd be pissed with how much the old man only thinks of himself and his legacy, not his son. 
And what convinces Achilles is Priam asking Achilles if he would do the same for his son and vice versa and Achilles spend a lot of time contemplating his own death like he'd never thought of it, which just doesn't make sense. Achilles knew when he sailed to Troy there was a prophecy that he wouldn't return, and multiple times ppl (and a horse) describe his death in exact detail and everytime he just goes "Tell me something I don't know". Death doesn't bother Achilles, but his legacy does and it seems so weird the author missed that. 
The best part of this book is the beginning, while Achilles is mourning Patroclus it goes over their history. It's not super explicit about the nature of their relationship but it's written beautifully, the intensity of their love and consequently Achilles's grief is there.
9. Troy by Stephen Fry
First off,  I got the hard cover edition and this book is so beautiful. It has think pages with color printed art from various era's that depict the myths being told. I dog ear books to keep my place and when I opened this book I considered not dog earing it bc of how nice it is (I ended up doing it anyways though, it's my book). 
This book is so comprehensive, it includes a lot of background on the myths and lineage surrounding the main characters in the Trojan war. It mentions myths that are usually less common. I grew up reading a lot of greek myth collections and obviously some get repeated over and over while some you might only see mentioned once or twice. Well Fry doesn't let a single story pass you by, he tells them bc he loves them. It's not until close exactly half-way through the books the Greeks make it Troy and the actual war starts. Which I don't mind at all, the stories surrounding the buildup are as good as the war itself. 
Like most myths, there are at time contradictory stories, other lineages and such that the author must choose one over the other. Fry includes a lot of other interpretations in the footnotes of the book. Some greek mythology fans can get angry at adaptations that don't do their favorite interpretation so I think it was a good way to keep those people at bay and show how comprehensive his knowledge on the subject is. 
Fry uses dramatic irony from time to time which I love in mythology retelling, foreshadowing disastrous events yet to come through casual remarks made by the characters.
 I love the pronunciation guides in the footnotes. I grew up loving greek mythology but since I grew up reading it all I never knew how to pronounce anything. 
The only thing that I found slightly disappointing is some minor events from the Iliad are left out, such as Posiden fighting with the Greeks or Hera seducing her husband to distract him so the Greeks could get the upper hand. They are mostly unimportant, but they are funny, and this book often searches for humor whenever it could, so it would've been fun to include them. Fry's description of events are also a little more technical. You don't get a lot of the big emotions other books on this list give.
Overall this book was amazing, I spent most of one weekend reading it, I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to get my hands on the other two books, Mythos and Heroes. And I hope Stephen Fry doesn't end here but goes on to tell stories of two heroes leaving Troy which make up the Odyssey and Aeneid.
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If you have any recommendations, I'd be glad to take them! I already have The Silence of the Girls and The Trojan Women by Pat Barker, A Thousand Ships and Pandora's Box by Natalie Hayes, any books by Mary Renault, Kassandra by Krista Wolfe, Lost in the Funhouse (for short story The Meneliad) by John Barth, House of Names by Colm Toiben, Ithaca Speaks by Luigi Malerba, The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zacharey Mason, and the other Stephen Fry myth books on my wishlist. Let me know what you thought of these books, the ones I reviewed or the ones I have yet to read, or the ones you recommend, I love talking about books. If this post does well enough that I think the effort is worth it I might do it again once I get through the other books I listed above.
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fullyvisible · 3 years
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Mid-Year Book Freakout
Thank you @colubrina for the tag! 💜
Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2021? Legendborn - Tracy Deonn
Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2021? Mister Impossible - Maggie Stiefvater
New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To? Live Your Life - Anna Kloots
Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2021?  Any Way the Wind Blows - Rainbow Rowell and Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Biggest Disappointment? No ❤
Biggest Surprise? Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe. It's nonfiction, but I was really impressed by how well he turned decades worth of facts into a compelling narrative (and how well he explained the origins of the pharmaceutical industry in a way that humanized individual actions while still making me HELLA pissed off about them lol)
Favorite New Author? Tracy Deonn
Newest Fiction Crush? I was going to say no one but then I remembered Jack and Elisabeth from La Petite Mort by Olivie Blake and it's definitely them.
Newest Favorite Character? Selwyn Kane from Legendborn. He checks ALL the boxes and I adore him.
Book That Made You Cry? The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Book That Made You Happy? One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston (full disclosure, it also made me cry lol)
Favorite Book Adaption You Saw This Year?  I don't think I've seen any yet this year??
Favorite Review You’ve Written This Year? No idea
Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year? Legendborn
What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year?  I don't NEED to read anything in particular, but there are several I'd like to finish, including Antitrust by Amy Klobuchar, which I hope will convince me I'm actually happy being an antitrust attorney lol
You're up: @mydeargreen @jayjfox @maryroyale
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kikuism · 4 years
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hi mariam!! 💕💖💓 are there any manga series or books you've read that you'd want to see adapted into an anime/animated series (or i suppose live action, but we all know animation is superior 😌)
hi jenna!! 💕💕💕 ohhh this is a fun question.
i actually rarely read manga, but lately i've been reading chainsaw man and act-age and they're both incredible. unfortunately act-age got canceled recently, so ... that's out of the works, but i would love to see chainsaw man adapted!! and i have a gut feeling that it is going to be, except i think it might be a netflix release only because of how graphic it is (like with devilman crybaby).
oooh for books, i would love it if the percy jackson series was animated 🌊⭐ i know everyone is hyped for the disney plus series but .... imma keep it real with you, i just can't help but feel anything but weary skepticism. not only am i flashing back to the atrocity that was the lightning thief movie, there are just too many fantastical/supernatural elements in that series for it to translate to live action in a way that isn't jarring or just looks stupid. but since animation is superior and there are no limits with what you can do with it, it wouldn't be a probpem at all and it could look super amazing. plus i feel like percy's personality just translates better to animation?? like he's such a chaotic goofy kid, the animation could really make use of a variety of different facial expressions and quirks to really make his personality shine.
and....okay this one would never happen, but my sister and i are always always talking about a disney adaptation for the song of achilles 😳 like, exactly in the style of hercules complete with songs and everything!! imagine a patroclus and achilles duet about the gentle wonder of first love 🥺 and then later a harrowing song about the horrors of war 😔 and the color palette could shift from bright and soft in the beginning to dark and muted as the story processes from idyllic childhood to the harsh reality of growing up. and all interwoven with the theme of forbidden romance 😔💕😔💕 i've always adored disney's animated movies and am so sad that they just don't do them anymore. there's such a charm and fluidity to their older works that 3D doesn't quite seem to capture ...
oh and!!! carry on by rainbow rowell 🌹🧛‍♂️✨ this series is so much fun!!!!! and it would be such an amazing animated series omg, in the vein of shows like she ra and owl house (haven't seen that one yet but want to!)...it's all about the yearning and the banter and the unlikely friendships and the magic and the tenderness 🥺💗 plus the writing and the dialogue would just translate to nicely to animation. wow i'm so excited just thinking about the potential even though it will never happen 😭
and finally.....six of crows 😳 i know it's already getting a netflix adaptation but....meh. idk man, when i think of the books i like, i never see the characters as actual people, i see them drawn, maybe because i'm just so used to fanart now. i think thats why it's always jarring seeing a live action cast for book characters. anyway, i don't see six of crows in the style of she ra, i see it in the style of something like castlevania. so like, anime style 😳 the world of ketterdam is dark, dirty and gritty and no one is ever up to any good there. plus the whole thing is about pulling off an impossible heist, mixed in with a whole bunch of scheming and sometimes violence. plus the little magic of that world would just look so much better in animation. plus, i saw some complaints when the cast was announced about how some choices didn't suit the characters....but in animation it's an easy fix, and you don't have the dilemma of having to choose between someone who is a skilled actor vs someone who fits the character's description more. i don't mean to rain on the parade of the live action series, i mean, maybe it will be good, who knows, but my expectations are just low right now 😔 and also, years of abysmally disappointing book-to-movie adaptations have just conditioned me into thinking it's going to suck hgfhfh i mean let's face it, most books do not get the hunger games/harry potter/fault in our stars treatment. i remember the hype for the darkest minds movie (i never read the books), and then when it came out, it did so poorly (16% on rotten tomatoes....) hmm....if only animation was considered as an option 🤔
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lillyevanssss · 6 years
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rules: answer all questions, add one question of your own and tag as many people as there are questions
I was tagged by @turnersophies​ tysm my dear! ♡
I tag 46 people: @durmstrang ; @gaytear ; @fremione ; @lordvarys ; @daphnenott ; @daeneryn ; @daenerya​ ; @whitecanarys​ ; @tywinlcnnister​ ; @queeniegoldtsein​ ; @lokiiodinscn​ ; @ginnnys​ ; any of my mutuals who find this interesting ♡
1. coke or pepsi: coke
2. disney or dreamworks: disney
3. coffee or tea: T E A
4. books or movies: books (i’m trying to think and i can’t remember wanting to watch something that wasn’t a superhero movie or an adaptation of a book)
5. windows or mac: mac mac mac mac
6. dc or marvel: marvel (but i love batman :P)
7. x-box or playstation: i used to have a ps1 when i was a kid but my mum gave it away without my knowledge and i’ve always been hung up on that, even when i had an x-box (which we also gave away T_T) so i say playstation wins
8. dragon age or mass effect: don’t even know what those are? same tbh? i haven’t played video games in f o r e v e r
9. night owl or early riser: a combination of both yeah me too :’)
10. cards or chess: cards
11. chocolate or vanilla: both
12. vans or converse: haven’t used products of either of those brands tbh
13. Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar: i repeat i haven’t played dragon age
14. fluff or angst: angst (but with a happy ending T_T)
15. beach or forest: both. not usually a fan of nature though. i get too dirty lmao
16. dogs or cats: dogs definitely
17. clear skies or rain: clear skies if i’m outside, rain if i’m inside good answer, me too!
18. cooking or eating out: ooh tough one. i say take out
19. spicy food or mild food: super super super spicy
20. halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas: we don’t celebrate any of those holidays
21. would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot: a little too cold (i’m always a little too cold and i love snuggling under a pile of blankets even though i might complain)
22. if you could have any superpower, what would it be?: teleportation... magic... time manipulation would be nice
23. animation or live action: both don’t make me choose!
24. paragon or renegade: i haven’t played mass effect
25. baths or showers: showers
26. team cap or team ironman: i r o n m a n (though i haven’t watched iw so i don’t know if that’ll change my opinion)
27: fantasy or sci-fi: both (is there really that much of a difference?)
28. do you have three or four favorite quotes, if so what are they: ”i am no man” ; “only a true wolf falls in love with the moon“ ; “the funny thing about the heart is a soft heart is a strong heart, and a hard heart is a weak heart” ; “this and this and this”
29. netflix or youtube: i don’t have netflix so i guess youtube? (i don’t have youtube red either)
30. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson: harry potter
31. when you feel accomplished: never
32. star wars or star trek: i like both but i’m not super passionate about either. i guess star wars if i had to choose.
33. paperback or hardback: hardback is prettier but paperback is more comfy to read stole the words right out of my mouth
34. horror or rom-com: rom-com i hate being scared (jump scares are the worst)
35: tv shows or movies: tv shows (i don’t watch them a lot tbh)
36. spotify or pandora: i don’t have pandora so spotify (i have the free version)?
37. zootopia or inside out: zootopia definitely. i liked inside out well enough but it’s not something i would want to watch again. i absolutely l o v e d zootopia though.
38. favorite book: the song of achilles (but let’s not think about that shall we?)
39. favourite flower: tuberoses (because i’m vain)
40. what field of study are you in (or aspire to be in): computer science
41. song lyric you really love?: i need to walk just as far as tomorrow until the dawn seizes my hand where can our shadows go lay down their sorrow when our souls take the wind did you know the sun was made out of our cries each tear we drop is gold and This is how it shines — arm your eyes, aaron
42. what’s your mbti type? infj last time i took the test it was estp but that was a few months ago (did you notice we’re opposites wow!)
43. fave movie: i already said i don’t watch a lot of movies? so don’t judge me. the first avengers movie.
44. favourite tv show(s)?: game of thrones is the best tv show in the world to ever be made. i can talk about it forever tbh
45. top three authors?: ooh this is hard... hmm... i’m gonna name more than three: agatha christie, madeline miller, l. m. montgomery, john green, jane austen
46. (my question) favourite ship(s)?:
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teresatranbooks · 4 years
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Reading Ladders - Romance
Prompt: Following the ideas in the Lesesne readings, create a book ladder that takes readers from YA books to more complex texts.  Share a rationale in your post that helps us see how your ladder works - and provides thinking on how the complexity of the texts scaffolds from one to the other.  You also will want to identify the grade level and reading level of the reader you've built this ladder to engage...  Post this to your blog (which means you can also be as visual as you'd like.)
Based on the Lesesne readings and other folks’ reading ladders, it seems the one genre or area that people haven’t touched or made a ladder for is...romance! (The best genre of them all (; ). When I think about romance, I think about how it shows up in practically all genres and stories, whether we intend for it to or not. Love unites us all, right? Love for other folks is what makes us human, right? And being human means we’re drawn to stories and storytelling about the various kinds of love we partake in and spread and practice. 
My reading ladder will be start off focused on romance as a plot element that appears in different genres, such as fantasy/sci-fi or contemporary, and then steadily lead to the actual young adult/adult romance genre. I’m constructing my ladder in such a way because while romance as a separate individual genre exists more so for adults, there is definitely a growing romance category within young adult literature these days, and I want to recognize that reality, while also hoping this ladder will show the wild breadth of romance that appears across different genres that are slightly more established in the young adult age category.
Grade Level: 6th - 12th // Reading Level: 5th - 8th 
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Bottom/1st Step - Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens by Becky Albertalli - Contemporary
Simon Spier, a closeted gay boy living in Atlanta, GA, strikes up an online correspondence with a mystery queer boy, Blue. Contemporary genre. It’s a fun, quick, and relatable read. It offers a diverse perspective of a gay kid trying to find love for himself that many young queer kids can relate to. It’s a good starting point for young kids who want to read books about a young boy coming into his own through the lens of sexuality and romance -- and also for kids who aren’t totally into romance for the romance element in Simon is only 1/3...maybe even 1/4 of the plot. 
2nd Step - To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han - Contemporary
Lara Jean Song, a Korean American girl writes five secret love letters to five different boys. One day, the letters are sent out. Her life is then turned upside down as she enters a fake-dating relationship scenario with the popular boy named Peter Kavinsky...where she ends up falling for him! Also contemporary genre. It’s a perfect follow-up to Simon because (1) it also has a book to movie adaptation, (2) it also contains a coming-of-age narrative, but this time with a Korean American girl protagonist and (3) it contains romance, but the romance doesn’t overtake the entire book. TATBILB offers a different, fresh diverse perspective on a person experiencing young love for the first time, but is easily on the same reading level and similar writing style as Simon, so it’s perfect for kids who want something close to Simon, but a little bit different in experience.
Grade Level: 9th - 12th // Reading Level: 9th - 12th  
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3rd Step - Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi - Contemporary
Penny Lee, a young Korean American college student and aspiring writer far from home, enters her freshman year of college for the first time. Sam, a young white college drop out working at a cafe looking to make ends, has dreams about being a famous film director. Both meet and it’s less of a meet cute and more of a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Also contemporary genre. This book naturally builds off of Simon and TATBILB with its romance acting more as a subplot and as a vehicle for individual character growth, but instead it takes place in college. The book also contains one Asian American girl protagonist and a white guy protagonist, as well as contain a meet cute and conversations over text, so it’s a nearly perfect combination of Simon and TATBILB. This book is perfect for readers who want a peek at college life and a slightly more complex text with a different sense of humor from the previous two books, but still experience the emotional ups and downs of young people finding themselves through their passions and the people/partners they meet that we often see in contemporary romance books with younger characters.
4th Step - Warcross by Marie Lu - Sci Fi Thriller 
While I haven’t read this book yet, I’ve heard so many good reviews about it that I had to include it on the list! Emika Chen, a Japanese hacker and bounty hunter, is whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune as a hired spy in the Warcross game. But soon her investigation into the game uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire. Sci Fi thriller. This book has a slightly more mature romance arc compared to the previous books, but it’s still age appropriate for high schoolers. It offers a different genre for readers who want to read some romance, but want a sci-fi twist to it. It also is written by an Asian American author and stars Japanese characters, so it’s a perfect next book to read after reading a couple of books that star Asian American characters entering romances in a different genre. 
Grade Level: 10th - 12th // Reading Level: 10th - 12th 
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5th Step - Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan - Gothic Fantasy
This book is a bit of a departure in the romance ladder. It’s about Nadya Lapteva, a young orphan who can talk to the Slavic gods and has powers granted to her through prayer. She enters an enemies to lovers romance with her enemy Malachiasz, a blood made who is an atheist and is the leader of a cult. She works with him in an attempt to end a centuries long war, and in that process, falls in love with him. This book contains a different type of romantic arc, the enemies to lovers one, and is a more complex read, so it might be an interesting challenge for readers who are more used to simpler, gentler romances. I’d also recommend it for high schoolers who want something different in their romance, a push and pull in the dynamic across the backdrop of different genre (this time, it’s fantasy!) with an exploration on topics hardly explored in YA such as theology, pantheon of nonWestern gods, and morals. I’d also recommend it for more mature readers, as it contains some graphic images of violence and blood, but that is to be expected with the topic of young kids fighting in a war. 
Grade Level: 11th - 12th // Reading Level: 10th - 12th 
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6th Step - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - Fantasy
This book is definitely a step up in complexity as it contains more intricate world building and plot development than any of the previous books on this list. It’s about Kaz Brekker and his band of criminals (some with magical elemental powers and some with other fighting skills), who are tasked to break into the most secure place in the this fantastical world and extract an important person from it. The content and twists of the heist are super interesting and action-packed, and will definitely pique all different types of readers’ interest. Its romance is subtle and slowburn and contains three different types of romantic arcs varying from enemies to lovers, to co-workers to lovers, to idiots to lovers. There’s also queer representation. It’s really all encompassing and has something for everyone’s romantic tastes. I’d recommend it for readers who want the same kind of dark fantasy vibes as Wicked Saints, but a slower and more diverse set of romance arcs. 
7th Step - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Greek Mythology/Historical
Warning: This book is devastating and will make you cry. Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, and hero of the Trojan War, falls in love with Patroclus, awkward young prince exiled from his homeland and brought to live with Achilles. This book is definitely more mature in its romance, as its probably the first book in this ladder that depicts a sexual scene, albeit a very short one. I think YA readers should be able to read this book with no problem. I believe YA readers should have access to these kinds of scenes/books in order to figure out if they like them and if they do, we shouldn’t shame them. Sexuality and sex shouldn’t be taboo subjects! This book definitely is also much more emotionally heavy and centers the relationship/romance aspect as the main focus. I’d recommend it for my older, more mature readers in the 11th-12th grade. 
8th Step - The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken - Dystopian Thriller
If readers want a break from the super fantasy/rich romances of the previous books, I’d recommend taking a good break with TDM. TDM is about Ruby, a young girl who has mind-reading abilities in a post-apocalyptic America. She escapes a camp designed to control and lock people with abilities like hers and travels with a band of kids like her to a safe haven. It builds off of the emotional complexity of The Song of Achilles, but in a different, more relatable way. Because it takes place in a post-US world, the characters’ dialogue is reminiscent of ours and so readers will be able to really relate to the characters and become really invested in them. The romance in this book is slowburn, a good followup to Six of Crows and The Song of Achilles, but the romantic dynamic is similar to that of earlier contemporary books like Simon and TATBILB and Emergency Contact. So, this book is not necessarily more sophisticated than the other books, but it is a different choice that readers can make when choosing books with romance to read and offers a breath of fresh air to the previous more prose-y books. 
9th Step - The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh - Fairytale/Historical 
A classic young adult retelling of the Arabic/Middle Eastern fairytale of One Thousand and One Nights, where teenager Shahrzad volunteers to be Khalid’s, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, new wife, after her best friend died at his hands. She is determined to not only stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror of killing young women brides once and for all. This book is really romantic-heavy and is similar to Wicked Saints with its’ enemies to lovers arc and dubious dynamics. However, it’s compelling and exciting with its fairytale elements and offers a diverse romantic story for readers who want something new and who want to stretch themselves beyond American-centric romantic stories, a callback to Warcross, which takes place in a futuristic sci-fi version of Japan. Because this book is heavier on the prose, I’d recommend it for readers who also want a slightly more complex read on a sentence-structure / description level.
Grade Level: 12th and older // Reading Level: 10th - 12th
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10th Step - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - Romantic Fairytale Fantasy
From this point forward, these books will contain explicit sexual romantic content. While many folks will argue that there is no room for these kinds of scenes in YA books, I’d argue that by omitting access to such content (specifically explicit sexual scenes where consent is displayed), students will go out and find books that will show explicit sexual scenes that don’t show consent and they will learn from them. I think it’s better to not limit certain books from readers and let them decide for themselves if they’re uncomfortable with it or if it’s inappropriate for them. This book is perfect for folks who want a fairytale fantasy twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast story. It stars Feyre, a huntress, who ends up being kidnapped by the Faerie High Lord of Spring, Tamlin, for taking the life of a faerie. Once in the land of the faeries, she enters an enemies to lovers romance with Tamlin and discovers there is more beneath his exterior/mask. I’d recommend this for folks who want an extremely romance-centric story with one sex scene and an enemies to lovers arc. It’s also in the same level of complexity as The Wrath and The Dawn; it just centers around a different fairytale. 
11th Step - Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey Mcquiston - Adult Romantic Contemporary
This book has multiple sex scenes. This book takes place in an alternate 2020 where Trump never became president and stars a man-loving-man relationship. Alex Claremont is the first biracial, bisexual Son of the First Woman President of the United States. He enters a secret romance with the Prince of England, Prince Henry, who is gay. This is one of my favorite books ever, if not my favorite book ever! I’d recommend this for anyone who wants an escapist rom com from the trashfire of a world we live in right now. I’d also recommend this for older, more mature high schoolers who want to understand American politics better and read contemporary, relatable, funny dialogue with a rivals to lovers romance. And lastly, I’d recommend this book for readers who want a callback to the first couple of books on this romance ladder, but with a more complex/sophisticated plot and character work. 
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cover2covermom · 7 years
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Goodbye July, and hello August!
I cannot believe how quickly this summer is flying by.  One minute my kids are getting out of school for summer break, and the next I am gathering lists for back to school shopping!  July was a crazy month for me, but despite all the craziness I did manage to read 9 books & get a good amount of blogging done!  Yay for productivity!  My biggest news this month is that we bought a new house.  Unfortunately this isn’t a simple move… we are completely renovating the house over the next few months before we move in.  My husband flips homes for a living, and assures me that he can get this done in 2 months.  I’m not holding my breath lol  My goal is to move in before Christmas.  Please send me good vibes for my sanity throughout this process 🙂
Let’s see what I got accomplished in July, shall we?
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*Book titles link to Goodreads
» Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally
Feelings in a few thoughts:  hard to follow at times – possibly due to audiobook format?; love this piece of history; because this is nonfiction it felt cold – would love to read a  fictional account; want to see the film adaptation now
» Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
Feelings in a few thoughts: took a little while to get into; strong female lead – strength drawn from her mind; feminist thoughts; political intrigue; HOT love scenes; confusing fantasy elements; will definitely continue on with this series
» Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
Feelings in a few thoughts: felt like a bedtime story;  perfect book to read aloud to kids; short & sweet
» Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
*3.5 Stars
Feelings in a few thoughts: bad-ass female lead; example of how to do the hate – love trope well; witty banter; good concept with fantasy elements; wanted more action out of a PIRATE book; solid read but could have been more
» The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
*3.5 Stars
Feelings in a few thoughts:  outside my reading comfort zone; very much a western; play format? didn’t really understand the intermissions; dry humor – which I appreciated; journey where characters must face adversity along the way; enjoyed how everything panned out in the end – but wasn’t the dramatic ending I was anticipating; slower paced; struggled with my rating – possibly a 4 star book; won’t be for everyone
» Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Feelings in a few thoughts: went in with low expectations, but pleasantly surprised; gave me Wizard of Oz vibes; enjoyed the overall plot – darker than anticipating w/ good mystery elements; writing felt forced at times, like the author was trying a little too hard; too much sensory description – particularly smells; wanted a little more visual world building; wonder if I enjoyed this more because I haven’t read The Night Circus yet?
  » This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
3.5 Stars
Feelings in a few thoughts: gorgeous writing as per expected with Schwab; what makes someone a “monster”?; liked how Kate was rough around the edges; a few YA tropes & clichés; didn’t connect to the story like I did with Schwab’s Shades of Magic series; definitely think this book is leaps and bounds above many of the YA books out there
» Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Feelings in a few thoughts: One of my top reads of 2017; completely mesmerized by this story; Lazlo Strange is my new book boyfriend; unique & fantastical; moral questions; what makes someone a hero? a monster?; NOT a fan of the insta-love but this was my only issue with the book; the ending!  how will I wait for the second book?!
» Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend
4.5 Stars
Feelings in a few words: this book is a gem – I wish more people would give it a chance; technically WWII historical fiction, but doesn’t go into the war much; fictionalized life of real person, Frances Conway; explores different types of relationships & love; espionage story, but not exactly action packed; more drama than I was anticipating; would make a good book club selection
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 I am super excited that I *should* be able to hit 100 books this year!  This will be my biggest reading year EVER 🙂
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Book Reviews:
 Book Review: The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis
Kids’ Corner: Diverse Middle Grade Books in Review (July 2017) #DiverseKidLit
Book Review: The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
Book Review: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
Book Review: The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
Other Posts:
 June 2017 Wrap-Up + Book Haul
July 2017 TBR
Book Event: Mary Kubica’s Every Last Lie Book Tour
Top 5 Wednesday: Best Middle Grade Books I’ve Read in 2017 (Thus Far)
Book Tag: Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag (2017 Edition)
Book Blogger Recs: Bloggers to Follow for Romance Readers #BookBloggers
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eBooks:
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» The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
» The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
» A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
 Physical Books:
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» Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (20th Anniversary – Ravenclaw Edition) by J.K. Rowling
» The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
» Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
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» The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
» Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
» Euphoria by Lily King
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» We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
» The Luster of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller
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Which books did you read this month?
Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month?  If so, what did you think?
Did you buy any books?  If so, which ones?
Comment below and let me know 🙂
I talk about all the #books I read & share my #bookhaul in my July #wrapup. #BookBlogger Goodbye July, and hello August! I cannot believe how quickly this summer is flying by.  One minute my kids are getting out of school for summer break, and the next I am gathering lists for back to school shopping! 
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