#never finished six of crows but the hype around it was so big
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because its my blog and i can post what I want and so here's ZARA'S TOP TEN LIST OF FAVORITE BOOKS below the cut and with a very brief discussion on why.
Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
This book was one of the first books that really truly catapulted me back into reading as a young adult (the first being A Winter's Tale) and I remember sitting up and crying at 2am in my bed as I finished this book just sobbing and if i'm honest ? Feeling so ashamed that I take my normal life for granted. I have never had such a reaction to a book before and honestly I don't think I ever will again in such a resounding way. For me this is not a love story its a story about humanity and our relationships with each other.
Phantom by Susan Kay
This book comes second because I don't have the same emotional connection as I do to the original but hands down in reading a book cover to cover and returning to reread snippets I have read this book so MANY times my god. I always go back to this book when I'm bored or need to revisit a friend. This book is definitely flawed and its got its issues but its one of my all time favorites and I'm so glad to have like three copies (hardcover, pdf and kindle) so its always on hand. I love the depth and exploration for Erik and what shaped him and his life and the people around him and how they were affected by him. Like wow. Its just a book I will always have on my shelf forever till I die.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Its just so good and I don't know why more people haven't read it. Its the beginning of the creation of superheroes and double identities and it has a FEMALE LEAD. The entire book is in the POV of the brilliant and beautiful Marguerite and honestly if I had known years back that it was from a female pov I'd have gotten into it much MUCH sooner. Its dynamic, the characters are so good and the villain is so deliciously good at being bad. I loved the movie, but the book just captured my heart because Margot is this wonderfully clever but soft heroine that just speaks to me.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
WHAT can I even say about this duology other than the characters are flawless and by that i mean they are so flawed and relatable and complex. Its a wonderful book of found family and slow burns and enemies to lovers with fantastic representation. I absolutely couldn't make myself get into S&B but you can pry the crows from my cold dead hands because I adore them and go back to reread this series all the time!
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
This is also a big reread for me, but mostly I go back and reread sections that interest me most but the entire book is just gold. Its just MINDBLOWING that we never know the main heroine's name which is just shocking, but we never needed it or would've noticed if it wasn't pointed out. Its this complex beautifully woven story with history, globetrotting, mystery, suspense and some thrilling aspects that I just love love about it. This is the book that sent me down the Dark Academia rabbit hole guys.
The Golem & Jinni by Helene Wecker
This book honestly is on par with The Historian for me because the pacing is very much the same and it took me a bit to read it as did the The Historian, but man am I glad that I did because its complex, its such a human story told in such a supernatural fun way that's just thrilling in a slow build sort of way that ends beautifully and I can't wait to start on the second book soon! The character development and the world building just really draws you in and makes you forget your current time to be absorbed into theirs and its brilliant.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E Schwab
I'll be honest and say that this book almost didn't make the list because at first I didn't think the book was as good as the hype, but upon looking back and rereading snippets again and rereading the ending more thoroughly- my god, this book is definitely going to be a CLASSIC. Its beautifully written and one of the books I made myself slow and savor each word and sentence as it wove the magic over the years of addie's life. Its a VERY good book that I'd definitely recommend to anyone and everyone. Addie has grown on me in such a different way and I love love her.
Entwined by Heather Dixon
THIS is one of my all time childhood/youth/teen favorites. Yes its YA and yes it might be a little boring to the adult reader, but its one of my absolute favorite retellings of the 12 Dancing Princesses. I still go back and reread it because its that good and has a special place for me. The villain and world building is so good and easy to follow along. Its fantastic and I'd go back and reread this book over and over again. Its great if you love magic, sisters, princesses, unexpected love, dancing and magical objects.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is on the list because I remember loving reading the story in highschool and feeling so connected to Jane and now as an adult I love her even more for her actions and choices. Its one of the first classic books I ever bonded over with my brother on and so that in itself is a miracle. Jane just has a special place in my heart for the romance, the mystery, the dynamics and the characters and their development is just absolutely wonderful with a fantastic ending. Can't really ask for more.
The Book of Esther
I have done and read and watched nearly everything I can find on the book of Esther, which is kinda the oddball on this list because its a book in the Bible, but its still a book in my definition. Its just such a beautiful story of overcoming oppression, tragedy, fear, genocide and this beautiful painting of faith in terrifying times. The twists and turns and thrills and complexities that come with this story before and after if you know the history and its setting- Persia (-gestures to Kay's Phantom-) just absolutely has me fascinated. There's also the aspect that just maybe the 1001 Nights are inspired or based off the story of Esther just absolutely delights me with its fantastic similarities because I adore that story just as much as this one. I love Esther's bravery, courage, wisdom and discernment and she's absolutely one of my heroines IRL that I look to.
Honorable mentions:
I, Strahd by P. N. Elrod -
The only reason this isn't in the top ten is because it reads sO MUCH like Kay's Phantom that if I had to chose one of these it'd be Phantom, but this book was so good and really helped get me back into reading during one of my many many slumps. It was a great blend of myth, royalty, supernatural and tragedy that I've reread it a few times already recommended it to a LOT of my friends.
Wintersong by S Jae-Jones-
The only reason why THIS one didn't make the ten list is simply because I already have ten and because it would be between this and Jane Eyre and lbh Jane Eyre is almost the perfect book. It was a toss up of faerie girls and Miss Eyre won it because she really was my first classical book love.
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
THIS BOOK omg its another 12 Dancing Princesses retelling and its so beautifully and wonderfully crafted in its world building and the magic and the everything of it. ITS SO GOOD and tbh I'd definitely recommend this book more to the adult reader than I would Entwined, but- BUT it didn't make the list because I would personally pick up Entwined far more often and remember the characters far more than I did in this book. It is a very very good book and I also highly recommend you read it if you like retellings, vampires, fae complexities and a blending of fairytales.
ACOTAR by SJ Maas- I did really enjoy reading this series but it is definitely not one of my top faves because its really only the last two books (not the novella) that I actually devoured. Its a good series and I def recommend reading it because its almost worth the hype but my quibble here is that I could EASILY slip out of that world/the books never absorbed me like others have. Also I didn't care for the main heroine shhh don't come after me guys.
A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
So this book was a toss up between it and Esther and it was a TOUGH one because I do go back and reread this trilogy at least 2-3x a year, but I do reread and study and think a lot more about Esther so it lost out in that competition spot. But its an excellent series and the first two books just have my heart for the romance and the intrigue going on during this time period. Its a wonderful slow burn though I'll admit the third book is slightly out of pocket, but still so good that I had to make pinterest boards about this series.
Eye of the Red Tsar by Sam Eastland
THIS book is so so SO GOOD if you're into reading about the Romanovs and Russia shortly after that. The entire series is so so good and I normally don't like mystery and thriller plots but this book does have a special place for me, but was beat out by the golemn & the jinni. Pekkala is fascinating and the people and cast he meets along the way just build up in such a delightful way.
The Holy Thief by William Ryan
Again this only got beat out by The Historian by a margin because vampires, but The Holy Thief oh my god is very much on par with the Eye of the Red Tsar because its the same time period and magnetic energy. I was so invested in this book and its characterse and it might be due to my love of all things Romanov/Anastasia musical wise, but it was so good and I highly recommend it. I wept, I laughed, I sat on the edge of my seat it was a great read.
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
This is a recent read and like wow...it just really blew my mind and touched me in a way I don't usually get outside of my belief system and IDK but this book is everything and more than the hype and the only reason its not on the list is because it didn't quite beat out Esther for me but its such a good book.
Tagging you because I would love to see everyone's Top 5 or 10 favorites : @walkingshcdow, @myhiraeth, @kingmakercastle, @demonstigma, @historiavn, @swede, @lordofthestrix, @fasciinating, @reverdies, @ensnchekov, @malka-lisitsa, @paramounticebound , @delanuit, @starlsssankt, @aigonakru
#// ooc#forgot to mention but 'a gentleman in moscow' omggggggggggggggggg ONE OF MY FAVES#I'd put it in the top 10 if i could bc its that good
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tua headcanon (amusement park day!!):
it takes them approximately an hour to leave, and it's all because of klaus who keeps on adding all sorts of ridiculous things to their itinerary
and they don't plan on doing so, but somehow they all end up wearing something blue, so yay team
"are we there yet" "i sWEAR TO GOD IF SOMEBODY ASKS THAT ONE MORE TIME--"
"ARE WE THERE YET!!!!!" "jesus, klaus, what the fuck is wrong with you?" "you didn't say exclamatory sentences weren't allowed, allison"
ben just rolls his eyes and mutters "lord give me strength" under his breath
most of the time, luther's too big to go on the rides so the duty of guarding their stuff falls to him instead
after the third ride, ben notices the sad slope of luther's shoulders and opts to keep his brother company instead. when luther tells him to "go on ahead, i'm fine," ben just gives him a Look™️ and plants his butt into the seat next to his brother, making a big show of feeling pukey and pulling out the books he'd brought for the long ride
throughout the day, they make a contest out of trying to make ben smile. obviously this ben isn't as cheery as their ben, but he's still ben, if that makes any sense, and that's good enough for all six of them
surprisingly, it's five who insists on taking pictures everywhere. when they catch him buying a photo album from one of the many souvenir shops scattered around the park, none of them say a word
vanya is surprisingly hyperactive, darting here and there like a squirrel all hyped up on sugar. they don't blame her; their father never took her on "family vacations" and even if he did, it was only so someone could watch the room while they frolicked on the beach
when diego dares klaus to ride the fastest roller coaster in the park--twice!!!--in exchange for shotgun privileges later, klaus all-but drags diego onto the ride and throws his hands up the entire time. diego ends up vomiting all over klaus' shoes as a result
when they stop for lunch, allison insists that they take a proper family photo. while they wait for their food, allison edits it properly and immediately sets it as her wallpaper
the haunted house is wide enough that even luther can enter, and they all laugh when diego scares five and he teleports to the end of the hallway with a strangled yelp
"very funny diego" "oh i assure you it was, five"
ben smirks but hurriedly covers it because he wants vanya--who is slowly shaping up to be his favorite sibling--to win
there's a particularly hilarious photo of diego with his mouth wide open on the jungle jam, water spraying his entire face, and his siblings decide to get one copy each for blackmail material
they end up getting matching ugly headbands from the souvenir store. vanya and klaus wear theirs with pride throughout the park, and even though diego makes a big show of calling it ugly, he doesn't take his off either
ben spends the entire day getting to know his siblings. for some reason, he already knows a couple of the things they tell him even before they finish their sentences; an unshakable feeling that goes all the way to his bones. it's slightly unsettling, but also easy to forget when he sees the way allison's eyes light up when he somehow remembers that she's allergic to mangoes and peaches
allison practically falls over herself with delight when somebody's dog trots over to her and demands a belly rub
all of them end up being pretty attached to the dog, so discussions to have a team pet are brought up once more
"save it for the team meetings, guys" "you're the only one who actually listens to those meetings, luther" "we'll be talking about getting a dog--" "say no more”
they all tease vanya when one of the guards mistake her for a kid and almost forbids her to ride on the second tallest roller coaster in the park
luther jokingly asks her if she'd like a ride on his shoulders, and is even more surprised when she agrees, and that's how they end up walking around the park with vanya perched atop luther like a particularly huge five-year-old
five buys her a balloon to add to the joke, but soon, klaus starts complaining that he wants one as well, so five buys another and forks it over: a large bear cub that klaus names "davey" and doesn't let it out of his sight for the rest of the day
diego manages to capture a snapshot of vanya smearing chocolate sauce all over ben's cheek. he doesn't tell anyone else, but he keeps it in his wallet for a good amount of time and calls it his lucky charm
the ben contest ends when klaus swan-dives into one of the fountains, and when one of the guards try to call him out, klaus simply runs away and pretends he's a completely different person when he rejoins them, and it's so stupid but ben can't recall the last time anyone was ever this silly and fun around him, and so he snorts, and klaus immediately starts to crow because "ha, that counts!!! in your face, diego!"
they stay for the fireworks show, and when it finally starts, all seven of them sprawl out on the grass, crane their necks back, and cheer along with the rest of the crowd at the pretty lights
after a few seconds, ben realizes something’s up with klaus because his eyes have gone all glassy and not-quite-there, and when he lays a hand on his brother’s shoulder, klaus grabs his shirt collar none-too-gently before he slowly comes back to the present
five recognizes all the signs of ptsd because he’s had them before, and before klaus can protest, he eases his brother’s head down into his lap and cards his fingers through klaus’ curly hair until he calms down. he’s still a bit jumpy every time a particularly loud one pops overhead, but he’s definitely more relaxed now that there’s something familiar to ground him
allison decides it’s been a long day for everyone after that, and no one disagrees because the sooner they get home, the sooner they can make cocoa for klaus under the pretense of being unable to sleep themselves
there's a pretty intense game of rock-paper-scissors in the parking lot over who gets to drive because all of them are bone-tired and want to nap
when luther loses, everyone mysteriously gets re-energized, and soon enough, they're singing cheesy 2000s pop songs at the top of their lungs
five keeps rolling his eyes and saying "i can just teleport home, you know" but klaus latches onto his right arm and vanya his left, and so he stays. they're still holding onto him when they fall asleep later, their heads pillowed on his shoulders, and although he makes a big show of displeasure at being used as a human stuffed toy, he rests his head against klaus' and only moves again when they're turning into their street
the next day at breakfast, klaus is still wearing the stupid headband
#the umbrella academy#tua#ua#umbrella academy#luther hargreeves#diego hargreeves#allison hargreeves#klaus hargreeves#five hargreeves#ben hargreeves#vanya hargreeves#tom hopper#david castañeda#emmy raver-lampman#robert sheehan#aidan gallagher#justin h. min#ellen page#spaceboy#the kraken#the rumor#the seance#the boy#the horror#the white violin#tua headcanons#tw: ptsd#tw: panic attack
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Phan Cam: The Festival of Our Dreams
WARNING: This post may be a bit long. Also, there’s a chance some posts may not show on time.
>The stage for the Dream Festival was all set up and ready. The idols were doing some last minute rehearsals before the first concert. Dream FES will last six days from Monday to Saturday this year. The first event takes place tonight on Monday which will be like any other concert. The second event takes place on Wednesday where it’s Open Mike Nite and anyone can perform on stage, even with the idols. The finale takes place on Saturday where the competition to see which Rookie Idols, Skull included, will get to become True Idols and possibly record a CD takes place with the idols finishing it with a huge show stopper.
Okay, so I stand here and I announce the groups when they come out. I think I got it.
Good. Now when you announce them, don’t hold back, give it as much energy as you can so the audience can feel it.
MC: I’ll do just that.
Worker: Hey, they stylist is calling for one last check!
MC: Coming!
>The MC leaves. Haruto also goes back stage.
>The dressing room. KUROFUNE was getting ready for that night.
God, this is just so great! We’re gonna blow this place tonight!
Calm down, Ryuji, I’m just as excited as you are.
Skull: I know. But this isn’t like all the other times I performed with you guys. This is the big time.
The real big time.
I’m glad to see you’re hyped for this. Now we know the songs we’ll be performing?
Yuto: First, we perform OVER THE SEVEN SEAS. Then, Treasured Hearts. And we finish off with Whole New World.
Skull: I like that choice. Though I wish I coulda written another song before all this.
Keigo: This year’s Dream FES is a week long to correspond with the End of Summer. You’ll have another chance soon.
??????: I hope so.
>They turn to see DearDream and Haruto come in.
Keigo: What brings you here?
We wanted to wish you luck... Or is it “break a leg”?
Either way, we hope you’ll do well.
Keigo: Thanks.
Yuto: What songs are you performing for Dream FES?
We’re starting with Dream Pulse. Next, we’ll do Up to speed!. And finally, GO TOMORROW!!!!!
I’ve added something new to our finale.
Skull: Really? You added something new to that last song?
Actually, he’s talking about the finale where both our groups perform.
Haruto: Actually. it’ll be three this year.
For real!? There’s more this year!?
Haruto: (smiling) You’re Ryuji Sakamoto, am I right? KUROFUNE’s newest member.
Skull: It’s a part-time job, actually. But I hope to work full if I can.
Haruto: I see. Well, this year, ANSwer will be joining you.
Kanade: So Asuma san, Chikage san, and Eiji san will be singing with us?
Haruto: That’s what the producers said. Letting one of the newer idol groups perform with two of the legendary idol groups, especially with KUROFUNE’s newest idol would gather more people.
Shin: That sounds a little... Big.
Haruto: That’s business. But don’t worry. I know you can do it. I’ve seen you do more impossible things than I can count.
Kanade: No doubt.
Haruto: So, can I count on you to do this?
KUROFUNE and DearDream: Yes!
Haruto: That’s the spirit. Well, see you tonight.
>With that, he leaves... And we come in.
Sounds like a big job.
Skull: I’m sure we can pull it off. With all of us here.
Keigo: That’s right. By the way, I like your concert outfits.
Thanks, my mom helped me put them together.
Keigo: God bless you, Katherine sama.
Wait until the Wednesday event, will have something really great on.
Chizuru: I’m already looking forward to it. By the way, how’s Suzui san? I hear she’s taking part in the Stride Tournament.
Panther: She’s doing fine. I’ll tell her you wish her luck.
Chizuru: And don’t forget to tell her that we love her.
That’s a little too much for her to take, but okay.
But thanks for wishing her luck, though.
>Then, Peter, Harry, Gwen, Miles, Anya, Aleksei, Randy, and Liz arrive. Also with them are John Jameson, Flash Thompson, even Alistaire Smythe, and three new faces: A young man with glasses, a chubby boy in a school uniform, and a young woman in a sweater.
You made it!
It wasn’t easy, we almost lost our luggage.
Only because one of us didn’t exactly packed light.
Well excuse me if this is my first trip overseas!
You should have just taken my advice and only packed what you really needed. Me? My football’s all I need.
So, you didn’t pack anything else? No clothes, just your ball and the clothes you already have on?
Flash: ... Okay, maybe there’s more than a ball that I need.
If he’s stayin’ with me and Harry, I draw the line at lendin’ my clothes to him.
Relax, Ryuji, I made arrangements at the Wilton Hotel.
Good. I don’t think any of the places our Japanese friends stay are wheelchair accessible.
Actually, my apartment has an elevator.
Yeah, we saw it the last time we were here.
So, how excited are you that you’ll be doing this?
Skull: I’m a little nervous, but everyone’s here, so I’m okay.
Speaking of everyone, aren’t you going to introduce us?
Peter: Right. Everyone, these are some of the friends I talked about. This is Kamala Khan.
Kamala: It’s nice to meet you.
(outfit altered to avoid being flagged) It’s nice to meet you, too, Kamala chan.
Harry: Ollie Osnick, he was a student at Oz Academy.
Actually, I’m already acquainted with Ryuji san.
Skull: Really? How so?
Ollie: ... It’s complicated.
Peter: And last, but far from least, Grady Scraps.
It’s nice to meet you. お会いできて光栄です。
名誉は私たちのものです。
Grady: Sorry about the uniform. It was in such a hurry, this was the only thing I could get on.
It’s alright, Grady, we’re here until the 24. We have plenty of time to shop for new threads.
Grady: That’s good to hear.
Chizuru: Then might I suggest Peace Parade. Sheep Heavenly is good, too.
For real!? Idol Brands can be bought as well?
Keigo: Normally, it isn’t. But remember, even though they are used in the Dream FES System, the clothes are still made by designers and they use our concert to promote their clothes.
Panther: It’s true. Mom does it sometimes, too.
Fox: I see... I wonder if I should feature my art in a concert.
Maybe on Wednesday. I know they'll love it, Yusuke.
And that’s why I love you, Ren.
>We both smile.
They’re the same as always. Even though we just saw them not that long ago.
Queen: Anyway, now to introduce ourselves.
>We introduce ourselves. Even Yuto, Keigo, and even DearDream introduced themselves.
Ollie: Nice to meet you all. But it seems you’re missing a couple of people.
Queen: Diego and Mishima are already in the crowd. We’ll be meeting up with them soon.
Skull: I just wish Axel and the others could be here, but they went back to Landmark City. I’m sure we’ll see ‘em again soon.
Oracle: Me, too. I’ve heard of this guy called Garrett and I really hope I’d meet him.
Worker: (coming in) Hey, the concert starts in a few minuets. You guys better get ready. (leaves)
Joker: Well, we’ll see on later on. Have a great show.
Enjoy the show!
>We leave.
>In the crowd, we meet up with Diego, Admin, Shiho Suzui, Boss, Sae, Mrs. Sakamoto, and even our councilor, Takuto Maruki.
About time you got here. This place is getting hyped up and packed.
(sorry if she’s still wearing her old uniform) He’s right, a lot of people showed up this year. Look over there.
>She pointed and we saw that Japanese fencer, Kagami Tsurugi, was here with French teen model, Adrien Agreste.
Panther: Are they here as a couple?
Shiho: I doubt it. They brought their friends.
>She is right, there are seven more teenagers with them... Two of which I recognized, but I won’t say more on it.
Not just them. Look there.
>He pointed to who is unmistakable the “Super High Schooler”, Moyuru Koda, and his teammate/boyfriend, Junichi Kotoba. They’re holding each other really tight.
It looks like we have some royal visitors, too.
>She was right. Not too far from where we were are the Royal Family of Attilan with their fellow Inhumans, Inferno, Iso, Haechi, and Flint Jaycen. (We’ll just call him Jaycen because we already know a Flint.) Not too far from them is King T’Challa of Wakanda, aka Black Panther. And next to him is Thor Odinson of Asgard.
I see a few other celebrities, too.
>I look around. I also see Hifumi is here. I also spot Rise, Yu, Yosuke Nanako, a man who I can assume is her father, and Teddie. I don’t think they notice me. With them is model/actress, Yukari Takeba. Not too far from them is the American author, Phoebe Halliwell and her husband, Coop. They were in deep conversation with... A young dark-skin man with pink dread locks who was accompanied by another dark-skin young man with brown cornrows, a young man with facial hair and glasses, a young man with long blonde hair, and, was was unmistakably, a brown and blue mecha.
This is getting too much. How’d I get dragged into this, anyway?
Oracle: (smirking) Because you just can’t say no to a face like this.
Boss: Heh! Maybe.
?????: Maybe you’re just getting soft.
>We turn to the newcomer... We were shocked.
What the hell are you doing here?
Are you saying it’s wrong to visit family once in a while?
Crow: Says the man who abandoned me and my mother in our hour of need.
Shido: That’s all water under the bridge now. Let bygones be bygones...
Besides, I happened to be a fan of Sankishi. Is that alright with you?
Crow: ... Just behave yourself, alright?
Shido: Like a church mouse. (sits quietly on his seat... Next to Crow)
This is going to be a long week.
?????: No kidding.
>Then, another comes in... You’ve got to be kidding.
I never pegged you to be someone who like theses events.
Now do we have to be such a downer? ... By the way, how do you like my anime look?
Seriously? What is it with older men and anime?
Stark: Just dressing for the occasion.
???: Actually, I kind of agree with her.
>Then, four new faces join in.
But at least your beard looks good.
Stark: That’s something, I guess.
Still, I guess it’s a slight improvement from your last two anime forms.
I’ve never seen that, so I can’t judge.
Eh, he’s still the same, either way.
Stark: (in defeat) Let’s just enjoy the show.
Mrs. Sakamoto: (whisper) It’s nice of you to come, by the way.
Energetic boy: (also whispering) Thanks.
?
>Then, the lights dimmed and the crowd starts cheering louder. The lights on the stage come on. The MC comes on stage.
MC: HELLO, TOKYO! WELCOME TO THE DREAM FESTIVAL 2019!
>The audience was hyped.
MC: Now before we begin, I first would like you all to give a big warm welcome to some famous people in the crowd tonight. Let’s give them a hand!
>The crowd cheered for all the people the others mentioned. Although, I’ve noticed that the Inhumans got little while Black Panther and Thor got a lot... Man, they’re cruel to them, they’re just like us... Only with power and slightly different appearances. Koda mostly got cheers from the girls while Rise and Yukari got cheers from the guys.
MC: And now, with out further ado, let’s welcome our first act for the night. The legendary idol group with a million cheers in one night, our very own Sankishi!
>The crowd cheered loud for the first idol group.
Haruto: Good evening, everyone! How are you?
>The crowd cheered.
Susa: That’s music to our ears. And we know that we’ll be music to your ears.
Ichika: Let our voices reach to you, tonight. Your hearts will glow for us.
Haruto: And we will glow for you. Let’s soar to our future.
Sankishi: TOGETHER!
Dorika Time!
Shido: I believe this one should suffice.
Crow: How... Fitting for you.
>We load our wands and launch the cards into the stage.
Catch Your Cheers!
Haruto: I shall wear your cheers with honor!
Catch Your Cheers!
Susa: My heart goes out to all of you!
Catch Your Cheers!
Ichika: The songs we sing shall be the pride of tonight!
(sorry for the chop job)
White Orchid Series! Complete!
>Sankishi begin their performance. The audience and us really enjoyed... But we know what we’re really looking forward to, but Sankishi is good, too.
>After some time, Sankishi finished their songs.
Haruto: Thank you all! I hope you enjoy the next group as much as you enjoyed us!
>They leave and the MC comes back.
MC: I’m so sure they will, Haruto san. Now for your next group. They were practically born for this show. Heck, they’re basically named after it. Give up for the idol group that puts the Dream back in Dream FES! DearDream!
>Everyone cheered.
Kanade: Before we begin, we would like to give a big thank you to Moyuru Koda, who is a big fan of ours, for coming here.
If you can really live up to your group’s name, I’ll really be hyped for the finale on Friday.
Junya: Then I guess we shouldn’t disappoint now, should we?
>The crow gave a little laugh. Then, I notice Koda is holding his arms and chest. I use my Third Eye to take a closer look at what he’ saying to Junichi.
It’s alright. We took all the precautions. I don’t think it’s going to happen here.
Koda: I know... I’m just worried. After what happened at that party... What I almost did to you.
Junichi: It wasn’t your fault. No one could predict that would happen.
Koda: Oh yeah? ... Tell that to your missing leg. You nearly lost your place on the team.
Junichi: But I didn’t give up... And you shouldn’t either.
Koda: Normally I would side with the winning team. I always saw you as that... But I realize, it never really was about winning or losing.
Junichi: And what’s that?
Koda: ... If I knew that, I would own the world.
>The two young men smiled in joy.
DearDream: Alright then, let’s being our show!
Dorika Time!
Junichi: If their first song is Dream Pulse, I think this one will work.
Koda: (smiling) Yeah, I think so, too.
>They loaded their cards and launched away.
Catch Your Cheers!
Kanade: Thank you so much!
Catch Your Cheers!
Shin: Thank you for your support!
Catch Your Cheers!
Junya: Your cheers will light up!
Catch Your Cheers!
Itsuki: Thank you, we’ll do our best for you!
Catch Your Cheers!
Chizuru: Your cheers will strengthen my love for you!
(Reminder: The following images are not in violation of the Tumblr policy as they do not actually contain sensitive or adult contain. They only show the upper half. Please do not flag.)
Candy Block R Series! Complete!
>DearDream performs their song, Dream Pulse. The audience really applauded when they finished.
>Meanwhile, with T’Challa and Thor.
I am still unfamiliar with this. Do all Japanese idols transform like that?
According to Stark, only those who work for this production company. Though I still wish I knew how.
(who couldn’t help but overhear) No one really knows. It’s one of Japan’s greatest mysteries. Although, I’ve heard the System works on the dreams of the idols and the people who go watch them... But that’s just one theory.
Thor: I see... I think.
King T’Challa: (looking through the Dorika) Let’s see. I was told when they first performed Up to speed!, they used this.
Iso: The original Candy Block Coord. That should be good.
Thor: Yes. Very elder school.
Iso: That’s old school.
Thor: What’s the difference?
Can you hurry up, Iso? They’re about to start up again.
Iso: Right.
Dorika Time!
Catch Your Cheers!
Kanade: Let’s get things up to speed! ... Okay, not a good job, but still.
>DearDream change their clothes.
Candy Block Series! Complete!
>DearDream performs their song, Up to speed!.
>Meanwhile, with the Investigation Team.
I brought the snacks!
Thanks, Yosuke senpai.
Yes, thank you.
Yes, thank you.
I don’t think you need to copy that.
Just be careful, Yosuke, that looks like more than you can carry.
Yosuke: Sorry, Dojima san, I guess I didn’t expect a certain bear to order so many.
Teddie: (shocked) Now that’s just rude!
Yosuke: But you’re the one who- WHOA!
>Yosuke tripped.
Koda: (who noticed) Hold it!
>As if he were as fast as the wind, Koda quickly catches Yosuke and all the snacks before they hit the ground.
Koda: Your friend is right, you have way too many snacks here.
Yosuke: (a bit surprised) R- Right!
Teddie: (pouting) So mean.
Rise: (also surprised) Wow, you caught my senpai so quickly. No wonder you’re the Super High Schooler.
Koda: (helping Yosuke back on his feet) Thanks.
Nanako: (amazed) You’re the Super High Schooler? Wow. Actually, my big bro is a bit of a super high schooler himself.
Koda: ... (laughs) I doubt it. I have something he probably will never have.
Yu: And what’s that?
Koda: ... If I told you, they would kick me out of the tack team.
>The Investigation Team just stares in wonder. Koda begins to make his way back to Junichi when he suddenly felt like he was being watched. He turns... Phoebe Halliwell and the young man she was talking to were watching him. he quickly turns, pretending not to notice, and returns to Junichi.
>With them.
(using comic appearances to avoid getting in trouble) You saw it, too, didn’t you?
No doubt. So he’s really... That sucks. He’s boyfriend will probably be disappointed.
Hold on, Kaz, I don’t think we should act just yet. He hasn’t done anything, so I think we’re safe for now.
Kaz: Hope you’re right.
(sorry, this is the only picture I could find) Be patient, sir. We’ll have our chance.
Kaz: Right.
Yo, Kaz, they’re about to start.
We thought it over and we thought this should be used for GO TOMORROW!!!!!
It’s no Gucci, but I think this is just as fabulous.
Kaz: Right.
Dorika Time!
Catch Your Cheers!
Kanade: Let’s go on to our future together!
Rose Bullet Series! Complete!
>They being their song, GO TOMORROW!!!!!. The crowd really cheered, even us and the Royal Family joined in.
Looks like you guys have a favorite group.
Maybe.
Just a little.
...
Fine, a lot. But only because we can sense the heart in their songs.
As can I. If they were like us, we would definitely wish to bring them back with us.
*bark*
Iso: It’s one of the few things that makes us no different... Music.
Haechi: You might get your chance.
Kanade: Thank you for tonight’s cheers! Be sure to give that same love to KUROFUNE!
>With that, DearDream leaves and the MC arrives.
MC: For our next group, they have sailed through the trail and hardships, but have made it all they here tonight. They even recently picked up a new member. Ladies and gentlemen, weigh anchor and raise your colors for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze: KUROFUNE!
>As KUROFUNE gets on stage, the crowd cheered a lot. Me and my friends were cheering the loudest. I also notice the Investigation Team cheering really loud, too... I hope Skull gets the win on Saturday.
Yuto: The time has come to set sail to dreams ahead!
Keigo: The stars shall guide us to your hearts and your souls!
So join us on our adventure to find our passion!
KUROFUNE: Let KUROFUNE be your captain tonight!
Dorika Time!
Catch Your Cheers!
Yuto: The great seas are calling us!
Catch Your Cheers!
Keigo: Your cheers will be our map to you!
Catch Your Cheers!
New Sailing ver. Ryuji
Skull: Alright! The wind is blowin’ our way!
(Reminder: The following images are not in violation of the Tumblr policy as they do not actually contain sensitive or adult contain. They only show the upper half. Please do not flag.)
>Skull was wearing the same thing, but with a more Bronze color.
New Sailing Series! Complete!
>KUROFUNE begin their song, OVER THE SEVEN SEAS. We were cheering loudly for them.
Skull: (after finishing the song) This next song is a song I wrote. I would like to dedicate to my friends and family who supported me all this time. Especially, Ren Amamiya, Goro Akechi, Peter Parker, and Harry Osborn.
Thanks so much for everything you’ve done! I love you all!
We love you, too, brother!
We know you can do it, Ryuji!
Peter: You and KUROFUNE can do it! Together!
Harry: This is your dream! Go for it!
>Suddenly, the boy known as Makoto, leaped up from his seat.
Makoto: THAT’S RIGHT! JUST TAKE FLIGHT AND YOU CAN DO IT!
(whisper) Thanks, little bro.
Dorika Time!
Catch Your Cheers!
Innocent Pirates ver. Ryuji
Skull: I’m gonna enjoy this!
Catch Your Cheers!
Yuto: Now we shall sing to your hearts!
Catch Your Cheers!
Keigo: Your cheers shall brighten the stage tonight!
(Imagine Skull wearing the same outfit, but Bronze in comparison to Gold and Silver.)
Innocent Pirates Series! Complete!
>They being to sing Treasured Hearts.
>After they finished, a Wakandan guard comes to us.
Wakandan guard: My king and his fellow Avenger wish to speak to those Ryuji Sakamoto spoke of.
Really? They wishes to speak to us?
Wakandan guard: I also have been asked by Lady Crystal that Chloe, Kamala, and Makoto of the Future Avengers come as well.
Makoto: Only Bruno comes.
Bruno: (in defeat) Please don’t drag me into this.
Peter: Well, we should at least see what they have to say.
>We make our way to the VIP Seats where the royals were waiting for us.
Hello, Future Avengers and Web Warriors and friends.
Chloe: Hey, Triton.
Triton: We will be speaking with Chloe, Kamala, Makoto, and Bruno. King T’Challa and Thor will speak with the rest of you.
Peter: Alright.
Chloe: Tell them I’ll speak to them later.
>Me, Crow, Peter, and Harry go over to King T’Challa and Thor.
Thor: You are friends of Ryuji Sakamoto?
Joker: Yes, we are.
Peter: We support him in his dreams and what he does.
Thor: Yes. I know you two as Spider-Man and Stealth Spider, so I can say that you have made many great friends.
King T’Challa: That is true.
Crow: Is that all you just wanted to do?
King T’Challa: Maybe. I have heard a great deal about you, Goro Akechi, the Detective Prince. And your father.
Crow: What about him?
Thor: We know that Inhuman reside here in Japan as well. But they mysteriously disappeared... After the sudden appearances of psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns.
...
King T’Challa: But now that’s passed thanks to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. After some time, Japan’s Inhumans are slowly resurfacing.
Joker: Yes, we know. Some of them are even at our school. But we have no problems with that. They’re not doing anything wrong.
They make Japan feel like we’re part of something bigger.
Thor: That is true... However, there is one thing that troubles us.
Crow: What’s that?
King T’Challa: ... Actually, it can wait until after the show.
Harry: You’re right. This is Ryuji’s show. Let’s not spoil it. We’ll talk later.
>We return to our seats. Chloe stays behind to talk to King T’Challa and Thor.
Stark: So what did they have to say?
Bruno: We’ll tell you later. Right now, KUROFUNE is about to sing their last song for the evening.
Adi: (nods) I searched the deck and I think I know just the cards to use for this song.
Crow: I think that will be just perfect.
Dorika Time!
Catch Your Cheers!
Yuto: Now for our finale for tonight!
Catch Your Cheers!
Keigo: Thank you! This will keep me going!
Catch Your Cheers!
Skull: Nothin’ is between me and your Cheers!
(Skull’s has bronze colored feathers on both shoulders.)
Infinite Voyage Series! Complete!
>KUROFUNE performs their last song of the night, Whole New World. (Not the song from Aladdin, in case you were wondering.)
>With the Investigation Team.
(Can’t believe I didn’t get to talk when we came to the scene with Kida.) That song was great. It’s definitely nothing like the Disney one... Actually, they’re both good.
Nanako: I want to vote them to win the competition.
Rise: Well technically, KUROFUNE already won in a previous Dream FES. They’re not Rookie Idols anymore. Except for Ryuji, so I guess we can vote for him.
Nanako: Then I’ll vote for him.
Yu: That’s good of you, Nanako.
Teddie: Yes. Beary good.
Rise: If he ever makes it, I so want to help him with his CD. Yosuke senpai, you help, too.
Yosuke: (a little confused) Why me?
Rise: Well, you always have headphones on. Maybe you can lend a hand.
Yosuke: (groans) As if I have nothing better to do. And I have a relative who’s an idol, too.
>With us.
Way to go, KUROFUNE!
Adi: I agree!
Mrs. Sakamoto: I love you, Ryu kun!
(Does she have to shout out my pet name?)
Keigo: Thank you! And we hope you will share that love with Ryuji san and vote for him for the competition!
>The whole audience really cheered as the MC comes back on.
MC: I’m sure they will, Keigo san. And good luck to you... Ryu kun.
(trying to walk off stage quietly) (Keep it together. Keep it together.)
MC: And now, for our last group of the evening. They help with the most difficult questions in your life No matter what, they are the ones you are searching for. (Mostly because they were voted for that name.) Ladies and gentlemen, give a big hand for ANSwer!
Akiomi Inamasu: Good evening, Tokyo!
Nanao Hidaka: We may be last, but we’re really not the last!
Souji Kibino: Yes.
ANSwer: Now let’s get to it!
(Since they’re a minor group in Dream Festival, we’ll be skipping their song. Sorry, guys. Maybe if they make a third series.)
MC: Weren’t they spectacular? Make you wish they really were the answer, then every student would pass their test.
>Everyone laughs a little and the joke as they applauded.
MC: Well, that’s it for tonight. When we come back on Wednesday, we’ll be having our Open Mike Nite. Anyone wishing to perform doing whatever show they wish to put on, good luck to you all! And remember... If you wish to use the System, you have to sign in and pay the fee in advance before Wednesday. If you haven’t, you have to pay double.
>All the idols join the MC on stage.
Haruto: The Open Mike Nite is here to remind us that you are just as important to us as we are important to you.
Kanade: You have just as much talent as we do. If not in singing or dancing, then in other ways. No matter what.
Yuto: We wish only good luck to you for showing us just how well you do what you do. Not in competition, just for fun.
Akiomi Inamasu: So let’s see what you can do that night. So until then...
Idols: Our goal is the Dream Festival! Dream FES is about to start!
>Everyone in the audience, including us, cheer happily.
>In the dressing room, we, including, the Investigation Team, Tony Stark, and the Future Avengers, came back to congratulate KUROFUNE for their performance.
Flash: That! Was! AWESOME! ... Though it will never be as cool as Spidey.
Peter: Aw, thanks, Flash.
Flash: (unimpressed) Don’t push it, Parker.
What Mr. Thompson is trying to say is, you guys did well tonight.
Keigo: Thank you, Makoto chan.
Makoto: That’s gonna be tough. My name is like hers.
Queen: I don’t mind being called Mako chan if that’s alright with Haru.
Noir: It should be fine.
Mrs. Sakamoto: Ryu kun, I’m so proud of your performance.
Skull: Thanks, Mom. (And enough with the Ryu kun, already.)
Rise: Just keep it up and might win that CD debut.
Skull: Yeah. I’m lookin’ forward to it.
Yu: We’ll be supporting you all the way.
Yuto You have good friends, Ryuji san. Be happy with that.
You know it.
Oracle: This calls for a celebration!
After-party at Leblanc! Sojiro, let’s get a turkey.
Now hold it! I don’t think it’s big enough to fit us all.
Oracle: In that case...
Let’s pull our funds and get some sushi!
Diego: (really happy) I can get on board with that.
Fox: That could be hard. I’m low on cash at the moment.
Skull: Let me guess, art supplies?
Pretty much.
Harry: I’m rich. I can get the sushi.
Stark: I better pitch in, too. I still remember from what happened the last time I had some.
Bruno: I doubt you’ll be attacked this time.
I’m not going to ask what that means.
>We begin to make our way to the exit. I notice that the dressing room used by Sankishi. I hear voices in there. I couldn’t help buy listen.
Randy: Hey, Ren, you coming?
Joker: ... My shoelace came undone. You go, I’ll catch up.
Flash: Alright, but hurry up. I really want to taste that sushi.
Diego: I want some sushi, too... But I’ll stay behind and help.
>With that, the rest of the groups leaves while me and Diego stay.
Diego: What’s up, Joker?
Joker: I thought I heard something in Sankishi’s dressing room. I’m very suspicious.
Diego: Alright. I’ll see what I can do.
>Diego changes back to Morgana form and sneaks into the room. I access his collar cam with my phone... I was a little shocked.
Shido: Is that any way to talk to an old friend? Or even a fan?
Haruto: We’re not friends. But we still accept you as a fan.
Susa: And after knowing your secret, I doubt we’ll be friends now.
Ichika: Sorry. Guess stuff like this just happens.
Shido: I merely come here to congratulate you, and this is how you treat me? ... After everything I’ve done for D-Four?
Haruto: Tch! Don’t remind us. I’m surprised we’re still going after what happened with the Phantom Thieves... And what you did to your son?
>Shido, his face full of fury, bashes his fist against a mirror, shattering it.
Listen and listen well, you fucking, ungrateful fools! If it weren’t for me, D-Four Productions and you would have lost everything. The three of you would be out of a job. Your little proteges would be out of a job...
So I suggest you be a little more nicer.
Haruto: (looking down) ...
>Morgana returns to me and changes back to Diego. Just then, Shido walks out and notices us.
Can I help you two?
Well...
Shido: (staring at me) You look... familiar.
?????: I see you’ve met my new intern.
>I look up to see Tony Stark and Yuto coming up.
Shido: (unconvinced) Really? I don’t see someone like you hiring someone like him, Stark. What is this about?
Stark: (firm) It’s exactly as I said. Now if you don’t mind, I was about to treat my intern and his friend to sushi. So if you’re not too busy, you’re welcome to join us.
Shido: ... I’m due back at the Wilton. See you on Wednesday.
>With that, he leaves.
Yuto: We better go. Everyone’s waiting.
>So, we leave.
>The sushi restaurant in Ginza. While everyone partied, Stark and Yuto spirited me and Diego to a stall.
Yuto: How much did you hear?
Joker: A lot. What was that about?
Yuto: As most people probably don’t know, but there was a time D-Four Productions almost ceased to exist.
Diego: (a bit surprised) Really? What happened?
Yuto: ... Calystegia.
Joker: The song by Kanamin Kitchen originally written by deceased idol, Yuko Osada?
Yuto: Yes.When they sang it at the Love Meets Bonds Festival, their popularity skyrocketed... And they totally forgot about the Dream Festival. Only about 250 people showed up.
Diego: That’s harsh.
Yuto: With everyone so focused on Kanamin Kitchen, who works for Takura Productions, sales for D-Four were dropping. If that kept going on, many idol groups would have to be let go. Sankishi included. Even Amuse, Lantis and Bandai Namco, the companies that birthed D-Four, would have severed their ties with them to avoid being dragged down. Then, they would have filed for bankruptcy and their only salvation is to be bought out. Mostly likely their competitor, Takura Productions, or an overseas company, like Apollon Media.
Joker: Why would Apollon be interested in the Dream Festival?
Yuto: I don’t know. And I don’t care to find out. Anyway, Masayoshi Shido, who was already a major and well believed politician and a big fan of Sankishi, bailed them out by raising their popularity back up by showing his support. As a result, the next Dream Festival... The same Dream Festival KUROFUNE and DearDream first appeared, was a huge success.
Diego: So you owe him?
Yuto: Well, that’s what Shido thought. After his heart was changed by yo- The Phantom Thieves, our deal with him was over... But D-Four itself wasn’t.
Stark: Yeah, you’re welcome.
You helped them, Mr. Stark?
Stark: I got curious about why Shido loved Sankishi. So I listened to their songs... And I truly understood why they are famous for the night of a million cheers... That, and I was curious how the Dream FES System worked. Or even where it came from. So, I bought D-Four Productions. Now they’re members of the Stark International Family and those other companies didn’t have to sever their ties.
Diego: That’s quite generous of you, Mr. Stark.
Stark: Yeah, well, I still want to know more about the System... Maybe another time. Anyway, I wouldn’t worry about Shido now. But just to be sure, we’ll keep an eye on him.
Yuto: And Ren, Diego, about what we just told you...
Diego: It’s our little secret.
Yuto: (happy) Thank you.
Joker: And than you for keeping D-Four open, Mr. Stark. It means a lot to Ryuji.
Stark: You can thank me by not calling me Mr. Stark. Just call me Tony.
Joker: I don’t think we can do that.
Stark: Why not?
For starters, we already know a CEO named Tony.
Stark: I see... But for the record, I’m a way better Tony than that skate punk.
>I smile a bit. And we rejoin the others.
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1, 12, 15 for the book asks?
1. Describe your experience reading/writing this year in one word.
Fluctuating
I went through severe writers block for a big chuck of time this year but there were also moments of inspiration & motivation when I was on a roll. Also, I had a reading slump but I also had intense periods of reading books. (I finished my goodreads goal early for once! Usually I’m scrambling at the end of December)
12. What book/project most surprised you this year?
Writing: This was rly hard to pick because I tend to write very spontaneously (since I’m a very moody based writer) so technically a lot of my writing is surprising. Stylistically, Summer Nights and Faerie Lights was not something I’d thought I would write, and Étude des senses surprised me because it flowed so easily and I loved it! The biggest surprise though was probably Love, Elain. I’ve always identified the most with Elain, but given the way the fandom centers her in ship-based arguments or just in bashing, I never thought I could write something so character centric and still get a great response! I’ve always thought that character-centric fanfiction would be interesting to explore but I never thought I could develop my writing enough to do it justice — I’m so glad I tried it this year :)
Reading: Oof, this is a tough one as well. CC was surprisingly good (and complex!). I expected RWRB to be overrated (since it’s SO hyped up) but it still somehow managed to exceed expectations. These Violent Delights was just AMAZING (don’t spoil book 2!) and the Brown Sisters trilogy were the healthy romance novels I never knew could be possible. (Seriously, the relationships and characters were so healthy and not toxic that I was actually shocked and ensmoured) My biggest surprise was probably Raybearer (don’t spoil book 2!) because I felt that it was a rly unique tale (especially the relationships and character dynamics are so different from the stereotypical YA novel) that kind of reignited my passion for books when I was beginning to feel a little tired of YA.
15. What's your favorite book of all time, and are you thinking of it differently this year?
I don’t know if this is surprising, but I’ve never had one favorite book. So many books own parts of me / my childhood and it’s always been really hard to pick just 1. I’d say it’s probably six of crows (and has been for a few years now). The characters mean so much to me that I can’t even watch the show. (If that doesn’t make sense I’m sorry I’ll explain it to you.) I think I’ve come to realize that as much as I enjoy contemporary romance books, I don’t think of them in the same way that I think of fantasy books or even realistic fiction books that don’t center around romance, meaning that if/when I eventually write a book, it probably won’t be a romance novel.
Thank you so much for this ask! Sorry this god kind of long 😅
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Summer Books Reviews
I’ve said I’d do a book review for the Grisha verse and then I remembered I also said I’d try to do more book reviews because of reasons (like the fact I had a book blog once upon a time, you know) so I thought I’d do a pot pourri of my summer readings.
I’m actually happy because I read a lot this summer. I think I managed a book a week give or take, without taking into account the various comics (I’ve read all the Buffy comics I could find, sue me, I am in a PHASE). So without further ado, here are my summer reads with a short review that may or may not be spoilerish.
The Night Circus – Erin Morgensten: I think I talked about this one already actually. I gave it a 5/5 on goodreads even though it took me a while to really get into it. It’s very very slow paced and although I liked the characters, I think it’s one of those books you either love or hate. The atmosphere is everything, it’s really awesome because the circus itself is like a character of sort. I loved the two main characters – I loved all the characters actually and I loved how the ending tied back to the beginning as well as the whole meta-reflection about storytelling and stories in general. I think it’s definitely not for everyone but it’s really worth a go.
The Stolen Throne (Dragon Age #1) – David Gaider: I gave it 4/5 on Goodreads. Well it’s no secret by now that I love fantasy and video games and that Dragon Age might be my most favorite franchise. Hell, how many times did I play the whole series by now? I think I’m at three Wardens, Two Hawkes, and at least 4 or 5 inquisitors. This first novel takes place decades before Origins and it was nice to have some more context than just the codex you find on the games. I think the story works very well without further knowledge of the games and everything and it was a nice little fantasy story. I adore Loghain, you have to understand and what I loved about the love triangle (and you won’t hear me say I love a love triangle often so enjoy) is that… They all could be together. I mean, I’m not really into OT3 but for the three of them I’d do an exception.
The Mercy Thompson Series – Patricia Briggs: I re-read the whole series which took me I think more or less the whole July month since there are ten books. I can tell you I give this serie a definite 5/5. It had been so long since I read it and I hadn’t finished it so I thought why not? If you love urban fantasy (modern world with vampires, werewolves, witches and the likes) this series is for you. I just love Mercy. I love the way the author handles sexual trauma as well as trauma in general. I mean, often it’s trashy and written for shock value ( I’m looking at you Career of Evil) and here it’s just… very well handled. It doesn’t fade in the background after a book, it’s something Mercy has to deal with recurrently, it’s just a master lesson in how to write trauma. BUT those books are also full of fun, love and family. I love all the characters in there and I plan on reading the spin off series very soon.
Opal (The Raven Cycle 4.5) – Maggie Stiefvater: Ok it’s a novella but it still counts. I gave it 2/5 and nobody is more disappointed than me by this rating given how much I loved the Raven Cycle (go read if you haven’t seriously). It just… Didn’t click for me. The point of view was very limited, it was hard to relate and it left too many stuff unexplored. But I guess it’s just a way to link TRC with the next series and I’m still very much hyped for what comes next whenever it comes.
Ready Player One – Ernest Cline: ah, that one. I slaved through it. I gave it a 1/5 but really I think it would be more of a 0.5/5. To me, it’s one of those rare rare times when you can say the movie was better than the book. What was even this book? I hated it. This book is an enabler. I say this being an introvert who has problems with social situation and who love video games, considers herself a geek and proud to be and had grown up in the 90s. This book is an enabler. It gives far too much excuses and never quite set out a clear morale. And it was boring. Really, I was surprised by the movie. I liked it a lot more than I expected it too – probably because it was very little like the book.
Fairest Of Them All: A Tale of The Wicked Queen – Serena Valentino: Another one I was disappointed it. I had a strike unfortunately. I gave it 1/5. It was all very… shallow. I wished for more depth and characterization but it was all very confused and confusing. I have little more to say about this one because I honestly don’t even remember. It was that unremarkable. I know I’ve read better fanfictions.
The Infinite Sea/The Last Star (The 5th Wave #2 and #3) – Rick Yancey: I’ve read those two back to back because I knew after The Infinite Sea I would never read the last one if I waited. I gave 2/5 to The Infinite Sea and 3/5 to The Last Star. I was so pumped by the 5th Wave. I remember reading it what… Two years ago? And I loved it. It was fresh and interesting, lots of plot twists… First thing I didn’t like about both books were the shifting povs. Some pov are first person (like Cassie’s, the main character) and some are third person. And that’s just plain weird. I know I have a problem with pov, I usually don’t like first person pov much but re-reading Mercy Thompson helped me get back on that horse. But if you constantly shift from I to he/she, it gets annoying really fast. The second book is mostly full of length and doesn’t have much happening except for Ringer (but I will come back to Ringer) and the third one was… confusing. Ok maybe I’m very dumb but I didn’t get it. Were they really aliens, was it all a plot, who were the real villains… I didn’t get it. The only positive point of both books was: RINGER. She’s the best character ever and she’s the only reason I slaved through those two books. She’s an ass kicking bad ass with a tactical mind to rival all and although the love story with Ben and the spoilerish thing I won’t talk about but let me say REALLY could have been maybe introduced a little better and would have deserved some more depth, I really really loved her arc. I saw a people say the ending was cliché and I might have thought so too but I think if the writing had been consistent and a little better, it might have been emotional despite the cliché.
The Secret Wife – Gill Paul: I gave it 1/5 I’m not even going to talk about it because I skimmed through the last of the book because it was SO bad I couldn’t keep reading. The premise looked soooo good, I usually love the dual present/past story and the Romanov aspect made me very interested but it was badly written and boring and simply meh.
Shadow & Bones / Siege & Storm / Ruin & Rising (The Grisha #1, #2, #3) – Leigh Bardugo: We’re here at last. OMG. Did I love this trilogy (with it’s many linking novellas?) YOU BET. I gave them all 5/5. Let me tell you something, this is MY JAM. I loved Alina Starkov. I LOVED her. She’s so relatable. All the cast of characters is amazing. The writing is just as amazing and I think it’s safe to say I will read anything by this author because I trust her completely. If you love fantasy, young adult and a good villain, this is the story for you. I didn’t like the main ship I won’t lie. I would have loved a good redemption final twist and the love interest was a little too bland compared to the villain and the King but… It didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all. I’m so HYPED on this verse right now.
The Obsession – Nora Roberts: I’m a big fan of Nora, I’ve read a lot of her books and I was a bit disappointed in this one. I gave it a 2/5. The story is okay and it’s nice to read. I mean, it reads easily, it doesn’t as for a lot of reflection. It’s a good story all in all and I would have put it a 3 or a 4 if not for something that has been jumping at me for the last couple of her books I read. I’m not one to jump up and down and scream misogyny at every turn but there’s a certain idea of a woman in her books that is starting to make me a bit… meh. Let me be clear. The male lead is cliché as can be, full of testosterone, riding a bike, a mechanic, a dog lover with a sensitive side because of course he loves books and while the female promised to be extremely strong and independent career woman, it’s not long before we fall into the a happy woman = a husband, a dog and a kid cliché. And that bothered me.
Six Of Crows (Six of Crows #1) – Leigh Bardugo: Ok there was such a hype around this one I was a little disappointed when I read it. I’m not much into incredible heist stories and to be fair, I read it right after I saw Ocean’s 8 (which was awesome) and it suffered from the (unfair and unconscious) comparison. I gave it a 2/5 BUT this being said I just loved the characters. I was already one hundred percent on board the Kaz/Inej train (didn’t you hear me shout as I passed by?) and the Jesper/Wylan one. Matthias and Nina both left me a little indifferent I will admit and I had troubles with so many povs crammed in one book. It was lot of information everywhere and from every angle. I’m still happy I read it, do you know why? I will tell you. First I love the Grisha universe and it takes place in the same world a few years after and then: CROOKED KINGDOM BABY.
The Lies They Tell – French Gillian : I gave this one a 3/5. It’s a little detective story that reads very easily. It’s nothing exceptional but it will give you a good time.
Kindred Spirits – Rainbow Rowell: I have a problem with short stories/novellas. Always had. it always leaves me wanting more and that was my problem with my book. The moment I got into it, it ended so I gave it a 2/5 but it was really cool nonetheless. Would have liked to read more.
Crooked Kingdom (Six Of Crows #2) – Leigh Bardugo: OMG OMG OMG OMG. Ok, needless to say I gave this one a 5/5. I finished it yesterday so I’m still very much having FEELS. Maybe I wasn’t that much in Six of Crows but this book makes the read worth it, I promise. THIS IS JUST AMAZING. THE FEELS. FEELS EVERYWHERE. Kaz and Inej and their perfect love. Matthias… Nina and her addiction… Jesper and Wylan being cutiepies. I cried at the end. Do you know how often I cry reading books? very much not often. What I mean is: READ IT. READ THE WHOLE GRISHA VERSE. DO IT. DO IT. YOU NEED TO MEET DIRTHANDS AND HIS WRAITH. YOU NEED TO. THIS BOOKS IS PERFECT. IT WILL GIVE YOU FEELS. IT WILL GIVE YOU LIFE.
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Top 5 Wednesday
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/18873565-september-2017-topics
Topic: Books You’ve Read Because of Booktube, etc.
The greatest thing about discovering Booktube/ Tumblr/ other book blogs, is getting to see other people rant or gush over various books. Now I don’t always buy into hype, especially if I know the book has tropes in it that I dislike, and I am fairly new to this whole thing so I don’t have many books I’ve read because of booktube. That being said, some of my favorite books are ones that I’ve read just because of what I’ve heard on booktube.
1. The Entire Grishaverse of Leigh Bardugo
I knew of Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows before I had even heard of tumblr or booktube, and I just didn’t get what the big deal was. The covers were pretty but that was it. Then I started watching booktube videos that made a much better sell, especially with Alina and the Darkling. So I finally decided to read Shadow and Bone, and holy shit! Why did I ignore this for so long?! The entire Grisha trilogy was amazing, as was the Six of Crows duology. I actually just finished the Language of Thorns and it to was so good. Bardugo is exactly what I want my writing to be like.
2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This was another book that had a lot of hype around it. I finally caved in and decided “why not?” It was flawless. The world, the magic, the way it connects with the reader. It was so beautifully written and I’m glad I read it.
3. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
This is a book I would never have read without the reviews on booktube. I can’t even remember what made me read it, but it is one of my all time favorite books. I loved every part of it and I liked that it was a book that a quirky feel to it, but wasn’t a “quirky” book.
4. A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy by Sarah J Maas
I was familiar with the Throne of Glass series and because I had no desire to read it, which I still don’t, I extended to the ACOTAR series. Everyone gushed about the second book, and I caved and almost went straight to the second book but decided to read the whole series. The world building is top knotch and their are characters I really like in it. While there were some issues, I felt that they were fairly well addressed.
5. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
This is one that I’m not sure why I’ve never heard of it before booktube. It does take a little while to get into, but Rhodes does such a good job with her characters, and that’s what finally pulled me in.
Thank You Everyone,
Keep Calm and Keep Reading
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Book Questions
tagged by @this-too-too-sullied-flesh (kind of! I just love talking books and couldn’t resist)
Which book has been on your shelves the longest?
Oh, hm. I have a lot of books (like, so many that have to be put into storage because my books are my children and HOW CAN I PART WITH THEM COMPLETELY??), but I would say one of the oldest books I have physically on my current book shelf is either Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or Lemony Snicket’s The Wide Window. I got both of these copies from my mom’s school’s lost and found, so I acquired them around the same time and read both series out of order because that’s just how I roll.
What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?
My reading list is a hot mess I am currently rereading Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series and am still on the first book The Lost Hero where’s Percy I want him back now so Annabeth is happy again. I’m also reading Pride and Prejudice, War and Peace, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Geekerella by Ashley Poston and This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab. I have no self-control and get bored really easily
My last read was basically the entirety of Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series because I have so many feels for my dysfunctional demigods.
I’ll definitely be finishing up the Heroes of Olympus series and want to move on to the sequel series of that and the sequels to all of the other books on my reading list.
Which book does everyone like and you hated? Game of Thrones is a big one. The books are so dense that I couldn’t even get through the first book. Also Fifty Shades of Grey, BREAKING DAWN I will never be over my furious bitterness over that series. NEVER
Honestly, I feel more indifferent than hatred toward popular loved books. Like they just didn’t live up to the hype.
Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t? Mainly any classic novel? I think the classics are more on the dull side reading-wise for me. I’d be more inclined to pick up a modern adaptation of a classic than the classic itself. Also any book that is usually found on “Books You Must Read Before You Die” lists. Those tend not to be the type of thing I read.
Which books are you saving for “retirement?” Nothing? I read what I want when I want. I don’t even know what I want to read tomorrow let alone 50 years from now.
Last page: read it first or wait till the end? It depends what’s happening in the book. There have been times where something Really Bad is happening and it’s spiking my anxiety levels so much that I can’t focus until I have some reassurance. I try to fight this, though, because I do prefer being surprised. But again, if my favorite character is on the verge of death or something, I have to know if they make it or not. A prime example was during my Twilight days don’t judge me and I immediately flipped to when Edward comes back in whatever the second book is called New Moon and read to the end. Since he was my favorite in that damn series, him just LEAVING was not okay with me and the book had just come out, so I didn’t know if there was going to be another installment. I needed Confirmation.
Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside? I typically don’t read them because they’re just talking about their friends and agents and such, so I find them really boring to read. Sometimes I’ll read them if I’m not ready to officially be done with the book. Rarely does this happen, though.
Which book character would you switch places with? My initial reaction is Annabeth Chase or Hermione Granger as they both come from two of my favorite worlds, but given that I don’t want monsters or evil wizards killing me...
Emma Woodhouse from Jane Austen’s Emma. I would love to be rich and play matchmaker all day.
Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)? The Truth About Forever still to this day is the only book I have ever read that displayed how I grieved after my father’s death and the life-changing repercussions of said death.
Name a book you acquired in some interesting way. I acquired all of my original Harry Potter books via used book sales and school lost and founds. So they all have kids’ writing in them and one of them is missing their book jacket but I got each one for a QUARTER! Can’t beat that!
Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person? I don’t let people borrow my books after repeatedly getting them back in stained or dog earred conditions, but I also don’t buy books for people either because #taste. So no. I only provide links to the library and Barnes and Noble sales.
Which book has been with you to the most places? None of my books? I usually am reading a new book for whenever I do travel.
I guess Outlander because I read that going to England, Ireland, and finished it on my way to Rome. That’s not fair to my other books, though, since I don’t travel all that often because of money.
Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later? No, I never reread books I have a first bad impression on, especially books I read in high school which all sucked.
What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book? I work in a library, so the list is a bit...endless. Though it’s probably not the strangest, I did find a refrigerator magnet once being used as a bookmark. Also a toothpick.
Used or brand new? I love both, but the used copy has to be in good condition.
Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses? I’ve still yet to read a Stephen King novel I would consider him a literary genius because of how large of audience his novels reach, the amount of adaptations made of his novels, and the cult followings his books have. The man is clearly doing something right to have so many dedicated fans. Plus, he’s super sassy.
Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book? Yep, and I feel no guilt: Silver Linings Playbook, The Maze Runner, Little Women, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Pride and Prejudice (le gasps! and the 2005 version at that!), Victoria, Anything by Philippa Gregory, The Help, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Princess Bride, Jurassic Park, and The Secret Garden to name a few.
Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid? Breaking Dawn
Fifty Shades of Grey
Blood of Olympus
Can we just stop making the last books in series/trilogies suck? Thanks.
Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question? Percy and Grover talk a lot about food. So I guess I’d go with the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series because Grover makes eating a can sound appetizing and plus I really want to try Ambrosia?
Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take? Very seldom do I take book advice because I am an extremely picky reader, but @looselipswontsinkships basically convinced me to read the Lunar Chronicles and that’s now one of my favorite series. So I trust her opinion and @bitchybillionaire‘s, @eleonoraditoledo, as well as two other book nerd friends because we all have similar tastes in stories.
I’m tagging @looselipswontsinkships, @bitchybillionaire, @eleonoraditoledo, and anyone else who wants to join in on the book questions! Just tag me if you do it! :)
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There are very few things that I plan far in advance and look forward to all year long (besides Christmas and Chinese New Year, that is) and one of them is Book Expo/BookCon. A convention completely dedicated to the love and appreciation of books? Surrounded by publishers, authors, and books? I love it. It’s pretty much the place I would want to be 365 days a year. I believe that earlier last year, ReedPop and Book Expo made an announcement that their selection process for bloggers would be narrowed down so that publishers could better concentrate on forging relationships with industry professionals like booksellers and librarians. I know that this announcement put a lot of potential attendees off (that and a huge sum of $300 to attend) which is understandable. I was concerned that because BookCon was being hyped up and beefed up with lots of high-profile guests that BookExpo would be lackluster.
Neither of us decided to attend Wednesday because there was a lot to do before we would go on Thursday. And to be honest, I think we needed to prepare ourselves for what was about to go down go down during Book Expo. For the most part, we wanted to spend our time on the show floor since that’s where a lot of the fun is for the both of us. So in the early morn of June 1st, we got up at 4:30 and were on a train by 5:30AM to make it over so we could pick up our badges since we didn’t do it the night before. It was also our aim to score tickets to Cora Carmack, Leigh Bardugo, and Maggie Stiefvater. While we were waiting in line, we made a few friends and saw some old ones, which I think is what is so great about being in the book world – you can easily align your interests and create friendships around books. It’s something we all have in common. Unfortunately, it seemed that with the Avid Reader Pass Program and others who seemed to be there since 3/4AM, Leigh Bardugo tickets were long gone. I’d been disappointed because I was dying to get my hands on THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS sampler which, yes I know – why am I so fussy over a sampler? Well, even as a sampler, it’s beautiful. Plus, I’d read that she might be giving our her SIX OF CROWS playing cards which is probably one of my biggest searches for.
We obviously navigated our way through the show floor since the layout was different than other years and grabbed all the totes (my one goal was to score the SHE PERSISTED tote from Penguin Random House in support of Chelsea Clinton that weekend) before going over to Maggie’s signing area. I have to say that I haven’t read any of her previous books. I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews about both her SHIVER and RAVEN CYCLE series and I just don’t like delving into books that are really volatile. But ALL THE CROOKED SAINTS seemed so interesting and we had a ticket for it, so why not? After that, we just roamed the show floor to see what all the booths had to offer and we both had the consensus that Book Expo was very low key and relaxing for the most part. I know that so many were discouraged from coming, but it made the experience for those that did more pleasurable. Yeah, there were a lot of people, but we had no major mishaps.
By the end of the day, the pair of us got most of the books we wanted (with Kristen’s wonderful schedule and timing skills) and we were pretty exhausted by the time we got back home. I was determined to be selective about the books I brought home because when we first attended the convention, I made the mistake of grabbing anything and having no room for most of the things I didn’t care for – so I wasn’t as tired as Kristen was (whom had gotten a lot of books she wanted).
The highlights of Thursday were meeting Cora Carmack and Leigh Bardugo (I know! I got to meet her!). I was delighted to see a finished copy of Cora Carmack’s ROAR which I had the opportunity to read as an ARC. It is a beautiful, beautiful book in my opinion and definitely has a unique and fresh take on fantasy stories. I will be posting my review soon for it so be on the lookout! Plus, she was such a delightful person to talk to and just overall lovely (pretty much all the authors we met were lovely).
So by happenstance, I got to meet Leigh in the Autographing Area and my goodness, her hair color was gorgeous. I’ve met very few people who could pull off the dark gray/silver look and my gosh, can that woman pull it off. She was surrounded by her Macmillan team and they were all rather kind. I was not there to get THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS because Fiercereads was promoting Grishaverse in the Crystal Palace for most of the convention so they had copies there for the taking! I had read that her book had won the Teen Choice Book Award and had wanted to congratulate her on that. Leigh Barduo never ceases to impress me with her humility and surprise over these sorts of achievements. I did bring my French SIX OF CROWS in the hopes that she would sign it (which she obviously did because she’s just so dang kind).
Day one of Book Expo was a success to say in the least. We had decided to approach Friday with less of a plan, but we definitely had our list of things we wanted, but didn’t necessarily NEED if we couldn’t get them. Fortunately, the ones we wanted (WARCROSS and BEASTS MADE OF NIGHT), we received previously. In terms of ticketed authors, we wanted to aim for Colleen Hoover and Marissa Meyer. I knew that if we didn’t get Marissa Meyer, it wasn’t a huge ordeal since it was a sampler and RENEGADES will be out within a few months. Nevertheless, I would have loved to say hello to Marissa once more. We managed to snag Colleen Hoover and Neil Patrick Harris (which we later gave away because it was later in the day and we just couldn’t fathom staying much longer after little sleep and 12K steps) so it was another day to the show floor for us! What I really loved was watching the interaction between attendees and the exhibitors – particularly the contrast between the smaller and big five publishers. It’s obviously a stark difference, but at the same time – it’s nice to think about how the big five were small once and look where they are now.
As every book dragon does, we snagged the books that we’d been hoping to get on our list (though, not the end of the world if we didn’t) and the biggest (and most competitive) event of the day was Leigh Bardugo’s WARBRINGER from Random House. We were rather guilty of hovering around the pillars near Penguin Random House, but the one good thing about Book Expo was that the attendees seemed to get along much better and there was very little hostility, if any at all. Somehow, against all odds, those who wanted WARBRINGER banded together to create a pretty calm and collective line. There were people in line, wonderful people, who understood the fairness of who had been there the longest and wanted to keep order. In this line, I saw some really great compassion and organization spring out from nearly everyone. Once the signing started, it went by quickly and everyone seemed relatively happy. We were rather happy to be part of such a collective group that showed that type of maturity. I imagine that if Book Expo hadn’t decided to screen its attendees this year, it would have been a different story.
When Friday and Book Expo came to a close, I was sad, but excited because BookCon would be starting the next day. Out of my bounty from Book Expo, I think I was really looking forward to:
Reign the Earth by A.C. Gaughen (Bloomsbury)
Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo (Random House)
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (Harlequin)
Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore (Macmillan)
Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Hachette)
The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones (Hachette)
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic)
This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada (Simon & Schuster)
Zero Repeat Forever by G.S. Prendergast (Simon & Schuster)
And had we not gotten them before the convention:
Warcross by Marie Lu (Penguin)
Beast Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi (Penguin)
To be honest, there were a lot of books and that meant a lot of blurs, but nevertheless, everyone seemed to find something they really wanted at Book Expo.
One regret I do have is being unable to start relationships with publishers. I love going to these things because it means meeting the writers who have built such wonderful words, but in hindsight, I lose the opportunity to meet with the professional book pushers themselves. I really admire them for all that they do for their authors (include surviving BookCon) and know that I should really set some time aside to talk with them and just stay in touch. I, myself, am somewhat socially awkward at times and never want to bother professionals when they’re actually working, but it’s always nice to see that they’re open to chatting with people if they wish to do so.
Book Expo…to say in the least, was just so…chill? Sure, there were times where anxieties were heightened and patience was on edge, but overall, there’s nothing stopping me from wanting to attend next year. It seemed like there was a lot of more space and walking space which was nice. I do feel like the shift in where the booths usually were threw me off and therefore, I seemed to visit them less than I would have liked (this was more so about HarperCollins…they just seemed so far away from everyone else!). My experience with ReedPop events have always been good and I love that they host them at the Jacob Javits Center (which is a BEAUTIFUL location).
So I’d have to say that Book Expo 2017…you were a success. Let’s make 2018 a good one, too!
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End of the Year Survey - 2018
Another bookish year has come and gone, and I'm really happy with what 2018 brought me, in terms of reading at least. I've had quite the unexpected year but I've also never read quite so many books I've liked so wholeheartedly. So, here's my year in review!
Also, you can check out my Year in Books: 2018 Edition on Goodreads!
(Under the cut because it’s hella-long)
Number Of Books You Read: As is becoming a habit, I've put my Goodreads Reading Goal at 25 and, while I did pretty great last year by reading 33 books, I've surpassed that number even more in 2018 with 38 books in total! (I’m stopping at 38 at least, I’m kind of rereading something at the moment, but I’m not including it since it’s just to pass the time) Some might think that I should put a higher number as my goal since I can do it apparently, but know that most of the books I’ve read this year were shorter or, at least, I’ve read less big books in 2018. Also, I like the freedom I feel when I see that I'm ahead of schedule. It allows me to pick bigger books or books that I wouldn't have tried by fear of fucking up my quota. Anyway, I'm really happy and I hope 2019 will go just the same.
Number of Re-Reads: Only one this year and that was during the month of January, when I was still at my mom's place for the Christmas holidays, stranded without any new books to read. So, it was with pleasure that I revisited an old favourite: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, my favourite in the series. It made me fall in love with Remus Lupin even more.
Genre You Read The Most From: It's so hard to define because it's been all over the place this year. I think, while most of the books I've read don't really fit the Fantasy category, most of them contain some kind of magical element, so maybe I'd say Magical Realism? Without any true conviction though. I could also have easily said Literary or Adult Fiction.
Best Book You Read In 2018: It's so difficult to narrow it down to only just one book, though! After much deliberation, I'll go with Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, because it's just that good! Also, I think this book's got something in it for every type of reader: it's a character-driven story but in an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic setting, there are different perspectives but they're done well and connect in the end, there's talk of literature and philosophy, but one of the main focus is also a famous Hollywood actor... I don't know, I feel like I could recommend this book to anyone and they'll probably like it. That's not something that happens to me a lot.
Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t: All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai, which is sort of my own fault. I mean, the reviews are not bad, but I'd just hyped this book so much because it's about time-travel and alternate realities... I even picked it up pretty quickly considering the fact that some books have been in my TBR for years. But, in the end, it was a huge disappointment for many, many reasons. The first of which is that the main character is a complete idiot, who has no redeeming qualities, who doesn't make sensible decisions and who expects people to feel sympathy for him constantly. It's also so obviously written by a man ™ , what with the way that Mr. MC sleeps with every female character in the book, except his mother and sister (thank Merlin for that), while none of them are developed beyond what they bring to the main character. It was ridiculous.
Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read: It feels like ten thousand years have gone by since I've read this book, but no, it was only last February: My Lady Jane, by Cynthia Hand & Co. The reason I was surprised was because the hype was so strong with this one. I hadn't read a single negative review, and everyone and their mother seemed to have loved it. It's not like I was expecting to hate it. I was hoping so hard that I would end up raving about it but, it still surprised me. It's kind of silly and lighthearted, and not at all the kind of stories you'd expect when you hear "Jane Grey retelling", but it was an amazing read: super quick, terribly hilarious, and just fun all around.
Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did): I don't recommend books to people! My tastes are so specifically mine that I don't like to recommend books, unless I'm one hundred percent sure they'd be interested. That being said, one of my friends has The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss on her shelves, but still hasn't read it, so I allowed myself to vouch for it.
Best series you started in 2018 / Best Sequel of 2018 / Best Series Ender of 2018: Except for the Best Starter, which I feel strongly about, most of those are by default (mostly), because series haven't been a big part of my reading life this year.
Starter: The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang
Sequel: Waking Gods, by Sylvain Neuvel
Ender: Muse of Nightmares, by Laini Taylor
Favorite new author you discovered in 2018: It's kind of a difficult question, though. I've read many new authors this year (or at least, they were new to me), but not one of them made me go "Oh my God, I have to read everything they ever published!" simply based on the writing itself. I guess I'll go with Min Jin Lee. Pachinko plunged me into the Korean immigrant experience, and I'm asking for more. I already got my hands on her previous book, and I know that a third one is coming up soon-ish.
Best book from a genre you don’t typically read / was out of your comfort zone: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. It's a mystery/ghost story, and I don't usually read those, but it was an amazing experience. The writing was beautiful, the setting was eerie and the story was gripping until the very last page. Total success!
Most action-packed / thrilling / unputdownable book of the year: Hands down, the Poppy War by R.F. Kuang wins in terms of Most Action-y. I mean, it's about a war. It's the perfect mix between Game of Thrones and Mulan so, it's not really a surprise, but everything in it was thrilling. There were some really gruesome and graphic moments of carnage but I think it all contributed in making it unputdownable.
Book You Read In 2018 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year: Easy: none of them! I already have a pretty tight reread schedule for 2019, six books in total, which is more than my yearly average but I'm committed. In any case, it doesn't leave much room for more, I don't want to crawl through the weight. That being said, I thought I would be rereading the Six of Crows duology in 2018 and I didn't, so... And look at me! I'm doing it in 2019, yeah!
Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018:
Most memorable character of 2018: By the end of the year, I fear the full effect of this or that character has usually dimmed quite a bit, but! I nominate Noah from Min Jin Lee's Pachinko, because I thought about him and his story for months, and I mean months (very long months), after I finished the book.
Most beautifully written book read in 2018: Well, I've read a Donna Tartt novel this year, so... The Goldfinch. Easy win.
Most Thought-Provoking / Life-Changing Book of 2018: I'm going to go with Pachinko again because it marks such a drastic turn in my reading life and my overall interests. I'm getting into Korean culture, I'm learning Korean so, of course, I'm getting interested about what Koreans do in terms of literature. And, while Pachinko was not the first one I picked, it's the one that remained with me ever since. It does such a brilliant job of describing the Korean immigrant experience in Japan that it has to make you react in some way. The story is also very diverse and nuanced, and I loved that.
Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read: A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare. Okay, to tell this story, I have to go back a little bit. I've studied literature, but not specifically English literature, so Shakespeare has never been a priority on the curriculum. I read Romeo & Juliet for a class in high-school, and was vaguely planning to read King Lear and Hamlet in college when I did a course on Theatre but, while I bought both of them, I never even opened the first page. I was never planning on ever reading anymore Shakespeare, because I thought I was not into reading plays and, anyway, since all my reading is in English now, that means I'd have to read the original which is in Old English. Haha, no way. But, in the meantime, I got interested in this particular play of his, I saw the ballet, knew the story and the characters, but had not read the work in itself. So, I decided to give it a go... and it was absolutely fantastic. It's funny in many different ways, it's clever, entertaining, it's got a bit of magic in it which soothes the Fantasy nerd in me. It was basically perfect and I rated it 5 stars, directly added it to my list of favourites. I'll read more of his plays in 2019, they're on the list!
Favorite Passage / Quote From A Book You Read In 2018: Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything, although I know there has to be one. So, allow me to quote a passage from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
[Helena to Demetrius]: Your virtue is my privilege. For that / It is not night when I do see your face, / Therefore I think I am not in the night, / Nor doth this wood lacks worlds of company, / For you, in my respect, are all the world. / Then how can it be said I am alone / When all the world is here to look on me?
Of course, Demetrius, then, proceeds to be a giant dick to her, again, but well...
Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018:
Shortest: Opal by Maggie Stiefvater - 38 pages
Longest: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - 864 pages
Book That Shocked You The Most: I don’t think I’ve read any book that shocked me in the sense the question is intended but, since I have to give an answer, I’m going with More Than This by Patrick Ness, because this book just fucks with your head and makes you question reality at every turn of the page.
OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) Bitty and Jack from Ngozi's Check, Please! To be fair, I already knew about them because of the webcomic and, technically, their relationship is only just starting in this first volume, hasn't technically started yet if you're into specifics, but they’re the best and probably the only pairing that really matches with this category.
Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year: Last year's answer was about a boy and his father and, well, this year, it's a girl and her mother: Frances and her mom from Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. They have the perfect mother-daughter relationship based on love, trust and independence. They're nerding out together, but Frances' mom is also a huge support system for her and just surrounds her with all the warmth!
Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously: I could answer The Goldfinch but I'm trying to prove that I haven't only read 3 books this year and, anyway, my answer is still relevant: Circe by Madeline Miller. The Song of Achilles is an eternal favourite of mine, and the fact that she took Circe's not very developed/barely mentioned story and turned it into something more and something brilliant, only makes me more curious and excited about what she'll do next.
Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else / Peer Pressure: The Poppy War. The hype was SO strong! It's also a 2018 release and, I mean, I didn't really waste any time in picking it up. That's how fast they got me.
Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018: Noah from Pachinko was a strong contender, but I rediscovered Sam in Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray, the third book in the Diviners series, and I loved what I saw. He's not exactly new, but I don't remember crushing on him in the previous books.
Best 2018 debut you read: By default, it's the Poppy War. While it's definitely the strongest, I do think that there's room for improvement but, seriously, the author is only like, 22! Who cares?
Best Worldbuilding / Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year: Last year, my answer was Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor and, since I've just read its sequel and conclusion, I could technically answer with Muse of Nightmares, but that'd be the same answer, and I don't want to cheat so, I'm going with Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. The book itself is super short, but it's part of a series of novellas focusing on parallel Narnia-like universes: they're called Portal Fantasy. The first book introduces us to a special school for people who went through magical doors and spent time in these magical universes, who were then sent back to their original worlds, and the repercussions this entails. Basically, it's a look at what would happen after Alice came back from Wonderland, it's a closer look at the PTSD effects the Pevensies should have suffered from after their adventures in Narnia, it's the loss Claire went through in Outlander once she was back in her present day. It is so fascinating, and I loved the fact that multiple universes exist and that each character was completely influenced and molded by the one they were sent to. It opens such a large variety of possibilities and I can't wait to get my hands on the other books.
Book That Put A Smile On Your Face / Was The Most FUN To Read: There are a few possible candidates, but I'd like to mention a book I haven't talked about yet: The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. It's a graphic novel about a young prince who likes to wear dresses. He entrusts a young seamstress with this secret and, together (the prince with his looks, and the dressmaker with her designs) become the talk and the envy of all Paris. It's very light-hearted and the characters are so endearing. It made me laugh and put a smile on my face because of the positive message of acceptance and self-love.
Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018: The closest I've come to crying was reading Noah's parts in Pachinko. Otherwise, had I been in another setting (and not at the beach), I think All the Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr would have pulled a good cry from me, it's just beautifully heartbreaking.
Hidden Gem Of The Year: I'm going with Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. People are starting to be more vocal about it, which is amazing, but I feel like it's not up to where it should be. The story is amazing, terribly relatable, it talks about fandom and internet culture, there's amazing mental health representation AND the cast of main characters is incredibly diverse in terms of ethnicity and sexuality! That last part alone should be enough to make everyone rave about it on Tumblr and draw fanart. Where are you people at?
Book That Crushed Your Soul: Pachinko. Sorry.
Most Unique Book You Read In 2018: Again, nothing new: Station Eleven, because I don't think I've ever read quite anything like it.
Favorite review you wrote in 2018: Probably my review of Radio Silence. I just had so much fun with it and, unlike many other reviews, the words came to me naturally. It was basically writing itself, and I just love when that happens.
Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.): PODCASTS! I'm just becoming a true podcasts aficionado. I'm following so many, and many of them are related to books in some way. A lot of them are fictions, but my favourite at the moment is Myths and Legends, where they talk about famous but also not-very-known stories. From Mulan to a very obscure character from Arthurian legends to Viking and oriental folklore, every culture gets its fair share and the stories are all weird but awesome.
Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year: Only the Goodreads Challenge, as usually, but it's also the only one I participated in.
One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019: All Out, the short story collection with lots of queer characters in it! I am literally dying to get my hands on it, and I was supposed to read it during Christmas, and then shit happened and my plans got messed up, but it's my absolute priority for 2019!
Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut):The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. At first, I wasn't planning on reading it. Like, yeah sure, she wrote one of my favourite books of all time, but that doesn't mean that she can do it again. And then, I read the synopsis and, basically, there's no way I'm not reading this book. It's almost too perfect to be real. Fingers crossed!
2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating: I can't really think of one, at the moment. But the same thing happened last year, and I did read a bunch of debuts.
Series Ending / A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019: It's already been published, but I will read it in 2019, so I'm counting it: Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel. I'm still surprised by how into this series I am. It's really great and I think the best is to come.
One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading / Blogging Life In 2019: I'm proud to say that my 2018 resolution was completely accomplished. Hurray! Now, for 2019, I want to keep being excited about books and read books that excite me. I DNFed only one book in 2018, but a few were terribly disappointing and, while I know it's not possible to predict which books I'll end up disliking, I want to be better prepared and to choose wisely or, at least, to still keep an open-minded view so as to enjoy as many books as I'll get my hands on.
A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable): Again, I'm not one to recommend books and, also, I'm not too great on knowing in advance what books are coming up + I don’t receive ARCs, but I know for a fact that the Poppy War sequel is planned for 2019, so that's my pick. I'm hoping for the Dragon Republic to be even better!
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