Monthly Summary: March 2018

March was a bit of a rough month. I felt like something negative happened every week, but I still enjoyed the plethora of spring flowers, especially cherry blossoms. I love cherry blossoms. ^ ^

A Book Review of Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

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Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner―hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.

The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.

But as the truth of Alina's destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice―and only she can face the oncoming storm.

Series: The Grisha Trilogy (Book 2)

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Square Fish (June 17, 2014)
Page Count: 496 pages

After enjoying the first book I had to read the second. I just love the Grisha world! I didn’t expect to read it so soon but it was just sitting on the shelf at the library calling my name so I had to snatch it up and I liked it even more than the first book!

So Your Character is From Kenya ... Featuring Pooja @ Lifes Fine Whine

It's time for this week's So Your Character is ... Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I'm hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven't checked out last week's  So Your Character is from Nigeria ... be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.

(None of the Images are Mine)

Writing Lessons from Video Games: Conquest of the Longbow

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time you know I'm very into classic PC adventure games from the 80s and 90s. Thanks to a legal website called Classic Reload that has archived dozens of my favorite classic PC games, I've been able to replay some of my favorites including Conquest of the Longbow, which is my favorite version of the Robin Hood version (Yes, even more than BBC Robin Hood).

In this game, King Richard the Lionheart has been captured by King Leopold in Europe and the evil king is asking for a hefty ransom for him. Prince John and all of his minions are doing everything they can to keep King Richard from ever reaching British soil again while Robin Hood and his Merry Men are trying everything in their power to raise the money for the ransom and bring King Richard back to England to end the Sheriff of Nottingham's, The Prior of Fens, and Abbot of Saint Mary's oppressing grips over Nottingham.

A Book Review of Red by Ted Dekker

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"We have stepped off the cliff and are falling into madness."Thomas Hunter is caught between two shocking realities, each facing a meltdown of epic proportions. When he dreams in one world, he awakens in the other. In one reality, Thomas is a respected military leader urgently trying to deliver the vastly outnumbered Forest People from an agonizing calamity that will end life as they know it. In the other, he's trying desperately to work with the world's top leaders to stop the release of the deadliest airborne virus ever created.

Series: The Circle Series (Book 2)
Genre:  Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Anniversary edition (February 3, 2012)
Page Count: 528 pages

Well I purchased an omnibus so I've gotta read this thing. XD I remember this book the most from the graphic novel I read years and years ago, but I believe this book is my favorite of the series.

So Your Character is From Morocco ... Featuring Imane @ Booksaccino

It's time for this week's So Your Character is ... Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I'm hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven't checked out last week's  So Your Character is from Nigeria ... be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.

(None of the Images are Mine)

Not-As-Much-of-a-Jerk-as-You-Could-Have-Been Award Characters 101

Yes, that's from Avatar: The Last Airbender. No, I'm not ashamed. I feel like many characters can earn the Not-As-Much-of-a-Jerk-as-You-Could-Have-Been Award. My definition of this kind of character is a character you really don't like at first because they come off as mean, bratty, and generally not someone you want to be around then, later on, you just fall in love with them. So how do you transition "I really don't like you" to "This is my favorite character"?

A Book Review of Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

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Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

Series: Six of Crows (Book 1)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (September 27, 2016)
Page Count: 560 pages

It took me a while to get into the first book, but since I knew all of the characters fairly well for this sequel

So Your Character is From Nigeria ... Featuring Prince Kay @ Listepedia

It's time for this week's So Your Character is ... Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I'm hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven't checked out last week's  So Your Character is from Morocco ... be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.

(None of the Images are Mine)

When Your Heroes Could Become Villains

Under the right circumstances, any hero has the chance to become a villain. It's all too easy for them to let selfish desires supersede the needs of others or even selfless desires drive the character into doing something bad to do something good but in the process evolves the character into a villain. However, one of the most powerful moments a character can have is when they have the chance to become a villain right in front of them and instead, they refuse.

The Bibliophile Sweater Tag

It is regrettably not sweater weather right now, but I'm hoping maybe this tag will make good vibes, so cool weather will cometh! Stay back, summer! *pokes sword at the season* It's too soon!

So Your Character is From South Africa ... Featuring Amy @ A Magical World of Words & Robin Kelly van Rensburg

It's time for this week's So Your Character is ... Post! This is a weekly segment where I interview lovely volunteers from around the world to give you a firsthand account of being a citizen of their respective country or having a disability. I'm hoping to encourage international diversity, break stereotypes, and give writers a crash course on how to write a character from these different places on our planet. If you haven't checked out last week's  So Your Character is from New England ... be sure to hop on over there and give it a read!

Disclaimer: The content below may be culturally shocking to some. Each of these posts is as uncensored as possible to preserve the authenticity of the cultures of each of the interviewees.

(None of the Images are Mine)

Monthly Summary: February 2018

Honestly, February was a pretty boring month. Nothing really thrilling happened. I just plodded along, looking forward to better months.

A Book Review of King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

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Mare Barrow is a prisoner, powerless without her lightning, tormented by her lethal mistakes. She lives at the mercy of a boy she once loved, a boy made of lies and betrayal. Now a king, Maven Calore continues weaving his dead mother's web in an attempt to maintain control over his country—and his prisoner.

As Mare bears the weight of Silent Stone in the palace, her once-ragtag band of newbloods and Reds continue organizing, training, and expanding. They prepare for war, no longer able to linger in the shadows. And Cal, the exiled prince with his own claim on Mare's heart, will stop at nothing to bring her back.

When blood turns on blood, and ability on ability, there may be no one left to put out the fire—leaving Norta as Mare knows it to burn all the way down.

Series: Red Queen (Book 3)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen; 1st edition (February 7, 2017)
Page Count: 528 pages

Glass Sword ended on a horrible cliffhanger so when I went to the library to return it, I picked up King's Cage!