So Your Character Has Bipolar Syndrome ... Featuring Claire @ Brizzle Lass Books

Recently, I had a cousin diagnosed with Bipolar Syndrome. I've always been interested in knowing about it for character development, so I'm so happy to have Claire on the blog!

(Images aren't mine)

Monthly Summary: July 2018

July was a busy but good month. I've stayed out of the heat as much as possible, so it's bearable haha. Thank goodness, the rain has been bringing down the temperatures so it hasn't gotten up to 97 like last year. 

The Music Tag

Emmy @ Little Black Sheep tagged me for this and of course I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to talk about music. ;)

So Your Character is From Bahrain ... Featuring Marwa @ Adoreabook

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 Israel ... 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)

The Get to Know Me Tag {Writer's Edition}

I'm going through some of these tags and giving my brain a rest from writing posts for the moment, but maybe you'll find some kind of advice in this post. I don't know. XD But anyway thank you, Christine @ Musings of an Elf, for tagging me!

A Book Review of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

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The war against Voldemort is not going well; even the Muggles have been affected. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. 

And yet . . . as with all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. And with Dumbledore's guidance, he seeks out the full, complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort -- and thus finds what may be his only vulnerability.

Series: Harry Potter (Book 6)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; Reprint edition (July 25, 2006)
Page Count: 652 pages

I’m nearing the end of the Harry Potter series! It’s been a long journey. This is either my second or third favorite volume of the series so I was really excited to read the book behind it!

So Your Character is From Israel ... Featuring Zoey @ Magiverse

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 Mozambique ... 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)

Harry Potter and Pacing: Why I Believe the Movies Did a Better Job

I’ve finally (almost still working on Deathly Hallows) read all the books and seen all the movies so I can finally give my verdict about the series as a whole: I like it but I actually like the movies better. Before throwing pitchforks at me hear me out. From my observation, though the books have a lot of great details and characters that couldn’t make it into the movies (such as Ginny's reason for putting herself so fully into Tom Riddle's diary and Voldemort's love for trophies), the movie cut down on some of those to keep within the optimal runtime and to keep better tabs on the pacing. I believe in especially the case of Order of the Phoenix and the Goblet of Fire this actually improved the stories because they became tighter.

A Book Review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

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In his fifth year at Hogwart's, Harry faces challenges at every turn, from the dark threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the unreliability of the government of the magical world to the rise of Ron Weasley as the keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Along the way, he learns about the strength of his friends, the fierceness of his enemies, and the meaning of sacrifice.

Series: Harry Potter (Book 5)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (September 1, 2004)
Page Count: 896 pages

This was my favorite movie of the series so I was excited to read this book and see the source of my favorite of the Harry Potter films!

So Your Character is From Mozambique ... Featuring Dicxita @ Dii Blogs

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 Egypt ... 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 Movies: Avatar

Recently I rewatched Avatar and remembered just how amazing this movie is. Avatar was the first movie I’ve ever seen in 3D and I’ve yet to see another 3D movie that has topped it. Avatar immersed me in an amazing story and amazing world. The effects rival those of today, the characters are great, and the Na’vi culture is so well done it feels real. 

Avatar is about a paraplegic ex-marine who goes to the planet of Pandora to be a part of the avatar program after his twin brother dies tragically. He is mind-linked with an avatar Na’vi body so he can interact with the Na’vi people and learn more about them and their world under the orders of both scientists and the military. In exchange, he will get his legs back but as he learns more about the Na’vi he’s conflicted about whether his race is doing the right thing.

Warning: Some spoilers.

A Book Review of Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

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Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, she's sworn to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

In these action-packed prequel novellas to Throne of Glass, Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and avenge tyranny. But by acting on her own terms, will Celaena truly free herself from her master, or will she suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery?

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; Reprint edition (March 3, 2015)
Page Count: 464 Pages

My friend told me I needed to read this set of novellas before advancing to the next book in the series, so I've heeded her advice! I've actually never officially read a novella, so this was a cool experience for me. ^ ^

So Your Character is From Egypt ... Featuring Nada @ Early Bookish Birds

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 Switzerland ... 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)