Books, Taylor Swift, and other hyperfixations
WARNING: Major spoilers for Season 1 of "The 100" ahead I know people who dislike romance, especially when it distracts from more important plot elements. In my view, there's no such thing as too much romance. Okay, that's not true. I get how frustrating it can be when a subpar romance takes over a great story.… Continue reading Why I love and hate “The 100”: THE ROMANCE
Today's passage doesn't qualify as terrible prose. Mostly. It's from a book I really enjoying. It's kind of corny--there's a love triangle and this guy has a bodyguard crush on this Russian princess--but the premise is intriguing and I love it. Then, out of nowhere, comes this letter. I'm a fan of epistolary novels; I can… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: Well played, Meg. Well played.
Let's talk about book characters, shall we. I'm going to straight up spoil all of Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle, so ye be warned. Ronan Lynch is hands down my favorite Raven boy. Here are some of the things Ronan has to worry about: His father was murdered and Ronan was the one to find the… Continue reading MAKE-YOU-CRY MONDAY: Ronan Lynch
Dear graduate, Congratulations! Now that you're done learning, acquiring life skills, and becoming a well-rounded person, you're well on your way to doing something worthwhile. The next chapter of your life will be a confusing, amorphous mess. Take some advice from someone who is only marginally more knowledgeable and is in the same boat. These… Continue reading Post-Graduation: What now?
The premise: Marguerite Caine's father, a promising physicist, has just been murdered by Paul Markov, one of his students. Using her mother's invention, called the Firebird, Marguerite chases Paul across alternate dimensions, hoping to obtain justice. As Marguerite jumps between dimensions, she finds her mission compromised by her confusing feelings for Paul. Similar to: Cloud Atlas, My… Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
Fantasy novels have foreign, ancient languages. Tolkien INVENTED an entire language to write The Lord of the Rings. I can't begrudge fantasy for occasionally hard-to-pronounce words based on medieval culture(s). Eyes of War takes it a step too far. I have never tripped over so many words in my life. I should probably pick a new book to… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: Pronunciation was not a consideration
I'm fairly certain my parents wanted to burn my Fruits Basket collection after they found me sobbing over it multiple times last summer. Fruits Basket is a massively popular shoujo manga that was later adapted into a successful but unsatisfactory anime that left out many of the manga's darker plotlines and themes. Here's what you need… Continue reading MAKE-YOU-CRY MONDAY: Fruits Basket
This is the last-ever High School Dreams post. Ever. EVER. Seth Stoddard Stereotype: Emo kid I decided early on in this playthrough that Seth was going to be my favorite. The heart of my 12-year-old self (circa 2005) beat wildly at Seth's wardrobe, demeanor, and poetic ambitions. I never got the Gerard Way obsession; I get the Seth Stoddard one.… Continue reading HIGH SCHOOL DREAMS: Seth Stoddard
Three common failings in bad writing, and in this passage in particular: Rushing your main love story. At this point in Eyes of War, Mat and Janevra have known each other for a day. A DAY. They keep talking about feelings they don't actually have. Isn't Mat the first guy you've ever met, Janevra? Cool your jets.… Continue reading TERRIBLE PROSE TUESDAY: All they did was hug
Whatever WordPress tells you, it's Monday where I am. I was going to do an post on "Up," but I'm "Up"-ed out. Instead, I'm going to focus on something worse. Far worse. Fair warning for those who haven't watched "Fullmetal Alchemist": this is a HUGE spoiler for the first season. HUGE. It will ruin your… Continue reading MAKE-YOU-CRY MONDAY: Fullmetal Alchemist
Narrative Paradise 