tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68020993447202203952024-03-13T00:03:27.941-04:00Where the Wolves ReadA blog for books with an added addiction to video games and movies.Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.comBlogger614125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-67928430361737668152021-02-17T12:00:00.001-05:002021-02-17T12:00:14.977-05:00Black Prose Club<p> Today's Black creator highlight is actually a group of wonderful women. Collectively, they run Black Prose which is an awesome podcast. Ochuole is a great resource for romance recs. Britney is an incredible artist and she reads a ton of fantasy stories. Troy-Nicole does really fun bujo videos. Right now, they're actually doing their very first Black Book Summit. Every weekend, they have panels with different guests that hit on different topics. I'm going to leave a link to the most recent summit episode:</p><p>https://youtu.be/wbMVrRTUt3U</p><p>And here are the hosts' most recent individual videos:</p><p>Ochuole: https://youtu.be/n1rk0NCteXU</p><p>Britney: https://youtu.be/d4hTgeVGudE</p><p>Troy-Nicole: https://youtu.be/alhhC3niDbU</p>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-1666155238643310252021-02-15T17:59:00.002-05:002021-02-15T17:59:23.221-05:00Anairis Q<p> Today's Black creator highlight is going to Anairis Q. She's a singer and voice actor. She also streams so, if you want to get an idea of her humor, you could watch her gameplay videos that are on YouTube. I'm going to share 2 of her videos. Here is her singing Don't Forget from Deltarune:</p><p>https://youtu.be/9Ijcl1lYvuk</p><p><br /></p><p>And here is one of the characters she voices. I'm a big Pokemon fan, so I love that she did the voice of Nessa, one of the gym leaders in Pokemon: Twilight Wings. </p><p>https://youtu.be/gfsT2uqJPOc</p>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-21370913779094876732021-02-08T11:38:00.000-05:002021-02-08T11:38:18.250-05:00Sapphire<p> https://the2020world.carrd.co/</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm back again to share another Black musician, and this is one of my favorite vocalists of all time. Sapphire does an amazing job with video game and anime covers. She has shared some of her original music too. Sapphire's voice is incredibly rich and I can't praise her enough. I'm going to share a couple of my favorite songs she has done. They're both from Persona 5:</p><p>With the Stars and Us (Hoshi to Bokura to)</p><p>https://youtu.be/fobU-VheouA</p><p><br /></p><p>I Believe</p><p>https://youtu.be/eXd2k0hSjMg</p><p><br /></p><p>If I could bully people to listen to one vocalist, it would be Sapphire. </p>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-84147558961900678152021-02-05T21:15:00.002-05:002021-02-05T21:17:59.980-05:00Swimsanity<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5adc5264-7fff-eb92-9d36-7dbbaff3726c" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://the2020world.carrd.co/</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="display: inline-block; position: relative; width: 100px;"></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5adc5264-7fff-eb92-9d36-7dbbaff3726c" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome back, everyone! Today I’m going to share a video game with you all. It’s called Swimsanity. Here is a launch trailer for the game on Switch: </span><a href="https://youtu.be/ArxgMbJ4Hvs"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://youtu.be/ArxgMbJ4Hvs</span></a></span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The game is made by Decoy Games which is a company started by 2 brothers. It’s an underwater shooter, and it looks really fun!</span></p><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is the game’s page if you want to check it out. It’s $20 and available on PC, as well as all major consoles: </span><a href="https://swimsanity-1.xsollasitebuilder.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://swimsanity-1.xsollasitebuilder.com/</span></a></span></p><br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-63812597401966371112021-02-03T19:34:00.000-05:002021-02-03T19:34:40.199-05:00Loc'd Booktician<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://the2020world.carrd.co/</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, I’m going to highlight Bre over at Loc’d Booktician. I’m going to link one of her recent videos: </span><a href="https://youtu.be/dM7EiQ5bnuc" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://youtu.be/dM7EiQ5bnuc</span></a></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love Bre’s enthusiasm. It’s clear that she is passionate about reading. She also talks a bit about her time living overseas and she has even done a few videos in Ukrainian. She is also hecka creative. Keep an eye on her channel, especially in October. Last year, she started Blackoween which was a month long celebration of Black authors who write SFF/thriller/horror. You can watch her videos from last year, but she made brand new tags for the celebration and she had a group book.</span></p>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-51763304884833833052021-02-01T12:40:00.001-05:002021-02-01T12:40:56.411-05:00Making Shit is Hardhttps://the2020world.carrd.co/<div><br></div><div>I'm sure it will surprise no one to hear that depression sucks and COVID sucks and I don't want to do much of anything. So, instead of making my blog dead af, I'm going to try to highlight other content creators. As it's February, I'm going to be highlighting Black creators in a variety of interest areas.</div><div><br></div><div>To kick things off, here is a link to Jeremiah George's channel:</div><div><br></div><div>https://youtu.be/RKIw0rWSs9s<br></div><div><br></div><div>He makes really cool orchestral covers of music from video games and anime. Definitely go give his music a listen. I'm particularly fond of his Undertale pieces, but you can't really go wrong with any of his music, imo.</div>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-64568956442637921882020-09-10T12:00:00.021-04:002020-09-10T12:00:05.856-04:00Tokyo Ghoul (manga series) by Sui Ishida<a href="https://issuesintheworld.carrd.co/">https://issuesintheworld.carrd.co/</a><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI56OmBkxJI/X0V0faftQwI/AAAAAAAAIEw/edf2nhO78mQxzsAcumrMYkmmcH5VJGg8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s442/Ghoul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iI56OmBkxJI/X0V0faftQwI/AAAAAAAAIEw/edf2nhO78mQxzsAcumrMYkmmcH5VJGg8gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Ghoul.jpg" /></a></div><div>Review: The synopsis on Goodreads is in French, so we're just going to skip the formal summary and jump into the review. Tokyo Ghoul is about a kid named Ken Kaneki who lives in Japan and just started his first year at a university. In his world, there are creatures called ghouls who feed on human flesh and there are special detectives called ghoul investigators who hunt and kill ghouls. Due to an accident, Ken has ghoul body parts transplanted into his body and he becomes part ghoul. That's the general set up for this series. I liked seeing Ken navigate the ghoul world which is completely foreign to him. He has always heard of ghouls as horrible creatures, so watching him grow and learn in the ghoul world was really enjoyable. The beginning of the series is built up fairly well with Ken being introduced to major players in the ghoul world with each volume. Still, only a couple of the ghouls Ken interacts with feels fleshed out and the rest fade into the background.</div><div><br /></div><div>I liked seeing Ken in the ghoul world, but we also get to see the world of the ghoul inspectors. I'll be honest, I didn't care about the ghoul investigators. They tried to have interesting and dynamic characters, but I just didn't like them. Juzo is the character who stands out the most as the tortured child who never learned how to deal with his trauma properly. He is easily the most unsettling character, but I can imagine people being upset with how a person with trauma is being depicted in this story. Ken's relationship with many of the characters didn't make much since either. Ghouls work at a cafe together, but Ken ends up leaving the cafe to achieve his own goals. This is fine, but characters at the cafe still seem to be close to Ken despite him not being there or barely interacting with them for a length of time. The ending also felt super rushed and, again, I didn't care much about what happened to the characters. Everyone just seemed too detached from each other for me to feel any real bond between any of the ghouls or the ghoul hunters.</div><div><br /></div><div>Creepy in concept, but not the most engaging story, and many of the characters fell flat for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>3 howls</div><div><br /></div><div>If you enjoyed Tokyo Ghoul, consider checking out the following titles:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13154150-attack-on-titan-vol-1">Attack on Titan</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29632242-tomie?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=TbP5JBApNo&rank=2">Tomie</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13615.Death_Note_Vol_1">Death Note</a></div>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-78665852914329999392020-09-08T12:00:00.018-04:002020-09-08T12:00:06.397-04:00Death Note (Netflix Live-Action Film)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gFOXFNvzBtE/Xz5eFA_UscI/AAAAAAAAIEM/d3jTjXmKU44S5L0S_wLYqWaWqgMxH9h4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s512/Death.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="512" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gFOXFNvzBtE/Xz5eFA_UscI/AAAAAAAAIEM/d3jTjXmKU44S5L0S_wLYqWaWqgMxH9h4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Death.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Trigger warnings: Various depictions of death by heart attack, also graphic depictions of death by decapitation and falling from high places, mind-control</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Review: Yes, I have many regrets watching this movie. I was just in the mood to re-watch Death Note (anime) and I was curious. If you don't know what Death Note is, the story follows Light Yagami (or Turner for the Netflix adaptation). Light is a brilliant high schooler who happens upon a notebook that was dropped by a Shinigami (Death God). There are a lot of rules about the notebook, but anyone who has their name written in the notebook will die. Light uses this to punish criminals. Then the police get involved. It's a great cat and mouse story because Light and the lead investigator are both incredibly smart and they are always trying to outsmart each other.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm definitely in the camp of, "The last thing America needs is for a white boy to be depicted in media as a God character." Yet here we are. The one positive thing I have to say about the Netflix live-action show is that it shows how narrow-sighted the public school system can be. At one point, Light gets beat up and teachers find out he has been doing homework for other students. Admin is more bothered by him doing work for other kids, rather than the fact that he got punched. Everything else was bad. Before anyone gets mad at me for comparing anime to a live-action movie, I'm not really doing that. If anything, I'm comparing the Japanese live-action movie to the American one. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the start of the original story, Light is an objective God character. He finds out about people who committed crimes (anything from petty theft to murder) and he kills them. Both live-action movies give Light a girlfriend to be a voice of reason for or against Kira, the name Light uses to commit these murders. It was interesting to see Light (in both movies) talk to his girlfriend about Kira and hear that dialogue. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Death Note is a horror manga. It isn't the most subtle story. Still, the Netflix live-action felt more like Final Destination with Americanized characters from the Death Note world. Again, comparing this to the Japanese live-action, you can see how better written the Japanese version is. They don't have to rely on shock factor and the Japanese version of Light just seems more capable of outsmarting the police.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The biggest disappointment for me was L. First off, I think the actor did a great job with what he was given. L is a private investigator who comes to Japan to help find Kira/Light. At the start of the Netflix movie, the actor did a great job of giving L his quirky mannerisms which was cool to see. Then they had to Americanize it again and make L chase Light through downtown Seattle. Maybe it's just me, but L never seemed like the kind of person who wants to chase anyone. It felt like the writers really wanted to throw a generic chase scene. I don't mind that they made L more emotional in the American version, but it felt forced. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, this could have been an interesting take on a very popular series if it was written as a live-action TV show instead of a movie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 howl</div><p></p>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-59491736393054870492020-09-03T12:00:00.075-04:002020-09-03T12:00:04.410-04:00The Poppy War by R.F. KuangInfo on the Yemen crisis: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvP9M_2fl-eN5-GOOFSqKcCAmbD4sF0Ep">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvP9M_2fl-eN5-GOOFSqKcCAmbD4sF0Ep</a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EA6F6eUg9Go/Xz3CKU6LCSI/AAAAAAAAIEA/HhDAPHrTkgII6V6-cAZRuMUt_Ld0vs1GQCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/Poppy.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EA6F6eUg9Go/Xz3CKU6LCSI/AAAAAAAAIEA/HhDAPHrTkgII6V6-cAZRuMUt_Ld0vs1GQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Poppy.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b>Trigger Warnings</b>: Abuse, domestic negligence, self-harm (burning, abusing the body to study non-stop), Chapter 21 (graphic depictions of a village being destroyed by an opposing force, inclusions of decaying bodies, references to rape from multiple men, a pregnant woman being raped, tortured, and killed)<br /><br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.<br />But surprises aren’t always good.<br /><br />Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.<br /><br />For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .<br /><br />Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>The Poppy War</i> is amazing, and I know I can't possibly do the book justice in this review. But we're gonna try. We follow Rin who is a dark-skinned girl trying to get into an elite military academy called Sinegard. As a way to keep herself alert to study, she starts to burn herself. I just want to throw that out there because I know some people can't handle self-harm. It gets brought back up later in the book so it isn't a once and done issue. Rin falls back into the habit of burning herself which can be rough to read about. I'm always going to be a fan of someone working their ass off to reach a goal and that's what Rin does. She knows that Sinegard is her only hope to get out of an arranged marriage, and she gets in. Throughout the story, she is constantly struggling to prove her worth against people who have had access to better schooling. I also loved seeing Rin fail at some things. She disappoints people and she even hurts some friends. She's a mess and I adore her.<br /><br /><br /><i>The Poppy War</i> is very dark and it's built on historical events between Japan and China. At the start of the story, Rin had never seen much of war. Towards the end, she has lost friends because of multiple battles. There are also some interesting conversations about religion in <i>The Poppy War</i>. As Rin is learning more about the history and culture of her land, she learns more about religion and shamanism. This changes her entire scope of the world and she quickly realizes that there's still much she doesn't know or understand. A large focus of the story is how drugs can affect people, situations, countries, etc. RF Kuang does an excellent job of showing how drugs can take different forms and can cause different things. The only complaints I really had are that the narrative jumps forward in time which doesn't make it the most cohesive story. There's also a bully Rin has to deal with at school, but they somehow end up friends near the end of the book. Rin even acknowledges that war and fighting together can change relationships. It was just the weakest friendship formed, in my opinion.<br /><br /><br />A rough, but incredible fantasy that deserves the hype it gets.<br /><br /><br />5 howls<br /><br /><br />If you liked The Poppy War, consider checking out the following books:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Jade City</a> by Fonda Lee<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">The Sword of Kaigen</a> by M.L. Wang<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Empire of Sand</a> by Tasha SuriKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-35925448863203693392020-09-01T12:00:00.032-04:002020-09-01T12:00:03.851-04:00Bug Fables (Game Review)Info on Latin America: <a href="https://twitter.com/sapphicsiIena/status/1295732162491277312">https://twitter.com/sapphicsiIena/status/1295732162491277312</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZU3qCDa_vY8/Xz24wS7BsDI/AAAAAAAAID0/kb1OUwNOyKAkekEJZ_g3iibSWqrnY7-OwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Bug.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZU3qCDa_vY8/Xz24wS7BsDI/AAAAAAAAID0/kb1OUwNOyKAkekEJZ_g3iibSWqrnY7-OwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Bug.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling</i> has been described as the new <i>Paper Mario</i> game that fans want. The art style is very similar as it features a 2D world, and the combat is similar in the way it includes action commands. <i>The Everlasting Sapling</i> is a cute introduction to a new world and a new cast of characters that are modeled from bugs. The combat is solid, for the most part. Getting the badge that kills weak enemies on the map is always nice. I get bored of battles very quickly in most games, and <i>The Everlasting Sapling</i> is no exception.<br /><br /><br />The general premise is that you are a team of explorers that consist of a bee, a moth, and a beetle. You have been contracted by the queen of the Ant Kingdom to find ancient artifacts while you're on missions. The story builds from there. I loved seeing how the world developed to include different kinds of bugs. We start at the Ant Kingdom, but we travel all over and see a variety of different bugs in this world. I will say that, while I enjoyed exploring and completing quests for the most part, there are a couple of areas where you have to use stealth to get around and I really hate parts like that. Event games like <i>Assassin's Creed</i> allow for you to complete some missions with the option of not getting caught. Or you can just kill people in your way. I just wish this game allowed for battling in those scenarios for people like me who don't enjoy stealth. <br /><br /><br />Definitely not a new favorite, but a nice starter game. I'll keep an eye on these devs and see what else they might put out in this world.<br /><br /><br />3 howls<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-26880431979232844682020-08-27T12:00:00.016-04:002020-08-27T12:00:02.265-04:00Avatar: The Last Airbender: The PromiseJustice for Kendrick Johnson: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">https://www.change.org/p/united-states-supreme-court-justice-for-kendrick-johnson?recruiter=892242914&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi&recruited_by_id=84be3200-9821-11e8-a114-db091f4ac2f9</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mHrBCsBswd4/Xyrcwu9j4xI/AAAAAAAAICo/TXqYkk_afNcii7aqatGFUFKIW0-6qjr5gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Promise.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>The Avatar's adventures continue right where the TV series left off, in this beautiful, oversized hardcover of The Promise, from Airbender creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko! Aang and friends must join together once again as the four nations' tenuous peace is threatened in an impasse between Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei! As the world heads toward another devastating war, Aang's friendship with Zuko throws him into the middle of the conflict! Featuring annotations by Eisner Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese) and artist Gurihiru (Thor and the Warriors Four), and a brand-new sketchbook, this is a story that Avatar fans need in an edition they will love!</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>The Promise</i> is the first comic arc that occurs after the end of the <i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> show. Team Avatar have started to do their own thing to maintain peace in the world, but Prince Zuko asks Aang to make a promise to him. Zuko wants Aang to kill him if Zuko starts to become like his dad. Considering the Fire Nation is entirely about colonialism, this particular conversation hits on many different levels. How do you reconcile with the fact that your father was a dictator who wanted to kill other nations? There’s an area of the Earth nation that was conqured over 100 years ago and, because of that, that particular are has had Earth and Fire nation practices incorporated into their day-to-day lives. Zuko has to wrestle with what the best option is. Does he completely eject the Fire Nation and give the Earth Kingdom their land back? How will that change how that area grows? The Promise allows Zuko to ask these questions of himself and his people.<br /><br /><br />We see Aang struggle throughout this story too. He doesn’t want to hurt his friend, but he’s expected to keep his end of the promise if it comes to it. In a swift change of tone, we see how romantic relationships can affect friend groups like Team Avatar. At the end of the show, Aang and Katara start dating and this changes the dynamic of the group quite a bit. There's a scene in the comic where Aang loses control and Katara has to talk him back. She calls him "sweetie" and, while I understand their relationship is different now, I kind of hated this scene. In the show, the same thing happens and it's because of Aang and Katara's friendship that Aang is able to come back to himself. I wish they kept this connection between Aang and Katara. Katara could have called Aang "sweetie," seen that it didn't work, then tried again as Aang's friend instead of his girlfriend. <br /><br /><br />Really fun continuation of <i>The Last Airbender</i> world and characters.<br /><br />4 howlsKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-85215487882094014502020-08-24T12:00:00.005-04:002020-08-24T12:00:01.761-04:00House of Dragons by Jessica CluessJustice for Jamee: <a href="https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/justice-for-jamee-johnson">https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/justice-for-jamee-johnson</a><br />
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<b>Trigger warnings</b>: Violence, Domestic abuse, Enslavement, Child death<br />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: <i>When the Emperor dies, the five royal houses of Etrusia attend the Call, where one of their own will be selected to compete for the throne. It is always the oldest child, the one who has been preparing for years to compete in the Trial. But this year is different. This year, these five outcasts will answer the call....<br />THE LIAR: Emilia must hide her dark magic or be put to death.<br /><br />THE SOLDIER: Lucian is a warrior who has sworn to never lift a sword again.<br /><br />THE SERVANT: Vespir is a dragon trainer whose skills alone will keep her in the game.<br /><br />THE THIEF: Ajax knows that nothing is free--he must take what he wants.<br /><br />THE MURDERER: Hyperia was born to rule and will stop at nothing to take her throne.</i><br />
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<b>Review</b>: <i>House of Dragons</i> is a multi-perspective fantasy story where 5 kids compete to become the next Emperor. <i>House of Dragons</i> is a very quick and engaging read, but the characters and overall story felt very one-note. The synopsis above is straight from Goodreads, but it sums up the characters perfectly. Hyperia is just a bloodthirsty woman out for glory. Emilia is just a royal keeping a magical secret. The characters don't seem to have any other layers than what is described above. I also never really worried that the characters were in much danger. This is meant to be a competition where one contestant wins and the others die. I never felt that in the story.<br />
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Like I said, the story was very fast. The nice thing about a competition storyline is that there is normally a time limit for everything to occur. While the competition element is formulaic, this works a bit to the book's benefit. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this to someone who reads a lot of fantasy, I would give this to a kid who wants to be introduced to fantasy but find it intimidating. The first trial is very combat heavy. The second trial introduces a political element found in many fantasies. The third trial focuses on the characters and how they work with their dragons. The biggest downside to the story is we get so little interaction between the characters and their dragons. We are first introduced to them based on their relationships to the dragons. Then we don't really get a feel for their connections until the third trial. <br />
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Underwhelming plot and characters, but a solid introduction to fantasy for someone who is unfamiliar with the genre.<br />
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3 howls<br />
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If you enjoyed <i>House of Dragons</i>, consider checking out the following titles:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49629448-a-song-of-wraiths-and-ruin">A Song of Wraiths and Ruin</a> by Roseanne A. Brown (YA fantasy featuring a competition where a boy enters in an attempt to kill the ruler of the land. Little does he know, the current ruler is waiting for someone to win her competition so she can kill them)<br />
<br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45734870-given?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=QaEXB5DhO6&rank=18">Given</a> by Nandi Taylor (YA fantasy about a girl trying to understand the right political moves for her kingdom when she meets a dragon-shifter who changes everything)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43900612-cinderella-is-dead">Cinderella is Dead</a> by Kalynn Bayron (YA fantasy set in the world of Cinderella where girls are expected to attend a ball so men of the kingdom can take wives)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-38516216514084404882020-08-20T12:00:00.073-04:002020-08-20T12:00:03.803-04:00The Gilded Ones by Namina FornaJustice for Tamir Rice: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-tamir-rice-appoint-a-special-prosecutor">https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-tamir-rice-appoint-a-special-prosecutor</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Vud3BLPjRA/XyiNTvNgd9I/AAAAAAAAICY/V8q3S9S7xxgk4hXU-SdMO7Tm-Xo7pkIjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/Gilded.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Vud3BLPjRA/XyiNTvNgd9I/AAAAAAAAICY/V8q3S9S7xxgk4hXU-SdMO7Tm-Xo7pkIjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Gilded.jpg" /></a></div><b>Trigger warnings</b>: Racism against Deka for having dark skin, conversations about sex and virginity, graphic violence<br /><br /><br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.<br />But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.<br /><br />Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.<br /><br />Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>The Gilded Ones</i> starts with Deka anxiously preparing for a ceremony which will show whether she is pure or impure based on the color of her blood. Deka is found to be impure and is sent to be part of a community of people trying to earn their purity. From the start, we see Deka wrestle with the theme of wanting to be part of a community that doesn't want her back. She has darker skin than anyone else in her village which already makes her an outcast. The ceremony only makes the village dislike her even more. I think Deka's struggle to fit in and conform to what others want her to be will hit home with a lot of readers, and Namina does a great job of highlighting this throughout the book. Deka finds herself surrounded by fellow warriors who embrace her and fight with her. <br /><br /><br />This is one of those books that moved very quickly. I immediately fell into Deka's world and I wanted to see what became of her and her fellow alaki. I especially loved that <i>The Gilded Ones</i> are considered gods in this world because we get to see how some people revere <i>The Gilded Ones</i> and others fear them. An element I appreciated from Namina is how she handled the idea that alaki can't die. Neal Shusterman tried this in <i>Scythe </i>and it wasn't really done well, in my opinion. In <i>Scythe</i>, there's a character who constantly tries to kill himself because he knows he will be revived and there will be no consequences. This was frustrating, as someone with severe mental health issues. In <i>The Gilded Ones</i>, a character tells the alaki to not consider suicide. It's such a small thing, but I appreciated it all the same.<br /><br /><br />Interesting and engaging story with a great found family element.<br /><br /><br />4 howls<br /><br /><br />If you enjoy <i>The Gilded Ones</i>, consider checking out the following titles:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Raybearer </a>by Jordan Ifueko (YA fantasy about a girl who is sent to work for the prince until she becomes old enough and is expected to kill him)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Forest of Souls</a> by Lori M. Lee (YA fantasy following a girl who unleashes a dormant power within herself and has to deal with the ramifications)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Witchy </a>by Ariel Slamet Ries (Graphic novel about a young witch expected to join the Witch Guard to avenge her father's death)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-12362050668555732122020-08-18T12:00:00.000-04:002020-08-18T12:00:04.918-04:00King and the Dragonflies by Kacen CallenderJustice for Darius Stewart: <a href="https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/we-want-justice-for-19">https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/we-want-justice-for-19</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>Trigger Warnings</b>: Grief, Homophobia, Domestic abuse against women and children, Racism<br /><br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>Twelve-year-old Kingston James is sure his brother Khalid has turned into a dragonfly. When Khalid unexpectedly passed away, he shed what was his first skin for another to live down by the bayou in their small Louisiana town. Khalid still visits in dreams, and King must keep these secrets to himself as he watches grief transform his family.<br />It would be easier if King could talk with his best friend, Sandy Sanders. But just days before he died, Khalid told King to end their friendship, after overhearing a secret about Sandy-that he thinks he might be gay. "You don't want anyone to think you're gay too, do you?"<br /><br />But when Sandy goes missing, sparking a town-wide search, and King finds his former best friend hiding in a tent in his backyard, he agrees to help Sandy escape from his abusive father, and the two begin an adventure as they build their own private paradise down by the bayou and among the dragonflies. As King's friendship with Sandy is reignited, he's forced to confront questions about himself and the reality of his brother's death.</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>King and the Dragonflies</i> was incredible. The story is about Kingston, better known as King, after the sudden loss of his older brother. I'm always going to be a sucker for books about grief, especially when they depict the various ways a person can grieve. <i>King and the Dragonflies</i> does that. A lot of this comes from King's dad who has a very strict idea of how a man should act. Part of that is not crying. So King never really processes his grief in an emotional way because he didn't think he was supposed to. It also shows how grief can change, not just an individual, but an entire family dynamic.<br /><br /><br />The other major element to this story is about King's friend Sandy who runs away from his abusive home. This allows Kacen to bring up everything from generational trauma to racism to forgiveness to homophobia. Sandy's family are known in town to be racist against Black people, but King is still comfortable enough to be his friend. Sandy is also gay and this is how King realizes he's struggling with his own sexuality. This is further complicated by the grief element because King has a conversation with his brother stuck in his head. In this conversation, King's brother tells King to stop being friends with Sandy because the school will think King is gay too. This, on top of King being Black, is something POC have to face all the time. King and Sandy are able to have very important conversations about the difference between being gay as a white person and being gay as a POC (specifically, in King's case, a Black person).<br /><br /><br /><i>King and the Dragonflies</i> is a beautiful story that includes a ton of important conversations, none of which feel brushed over or surface level.<br /><br /><br />5 howls<br /><br /><br />If you enjoyed King and the Dragonflies consider checking out the following novels:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21490991-the-boy-in-the-black-suit">The Boy in the Black Suit</a> by Jason Reynolds (YA story that centers grief as a young boy starts working at a funeral home)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22552026-long-way-down?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=uOQrG2G0IE&rank=1">Long Way Down</a> by Jason Reynolds (YA story written in verse about a Black boy who has to dismantle is own ideas of strength and question everything he has been raised to know)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49917829-clean-getaway">Clean Getaway</a> by Nic Stone (MG roadtrip story where a Black boy learns more about his family and the racism that still plagues his country)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-14324269667319147742020-08-13T12:00:00.000-04:002020-08-13T12:00:00.314-04:00The Black Flamingo by Dean AttaJustice for Andile Mchunu: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/bheki-cele-justice-for-andile-mchunu-bobo">https://www.change.org/p/bheki-cele-justice-for-andile-mchunu-bobo</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen - then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist, The Black Flamingo. A bold story about the power of embracing your uniqueness. Sometimes, we need to take charge, to stand up wearing pink feathers - to show ourselves to the world in bold colour.</i><br /><br /><br /><b> Review</b>: <i>The Black Flamingo</i> is a story told in verse about a boy named Michael who is learning what it means to be queer and Black. I enjoyed Michael's story quite a bit. I loved seeing him better grasp his identity when he was younger. One of the things Michael asks his mom is about whether he and his sister are "only half" in regards to being siblings since they both have different dads. This is just one example of how Michael starts to better understand himself since he is mixed race. I loved seeing Michael embrace all of the things that help make him who he is.<br /><br /><br /><i> The Black Flaming</i> is told in verse, which makes this an engaging read, but it also hinders the story a bit. At the start of the book, Michael is a child. At the end, he is in college. I'm not a fan of giant time jumps in general, but the book being told in verse makes much of the story feel surface level. <i>The Black Flamingo</i> is a great example of a kid who grows up and moves away, and is able to find a community that embraces him. Michael finds the drag community and it just fits with him. <br /><br /><br /> Beautiful story about a boy figuring out his identity, and finding a community that welcomes him.<br /><br /><br /> 4 howls<br /><br /><br /> If you enjoyed <i>The Black Flaming</i>o, consider checking out the following titles:<br /><br /><br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44575111-king-and-the-dragonflies?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=oslxWXdjUB&rank=1">King and the Dragonflies</a> by Kacen Callender (MG story about a boy dealing with the loss of his older brother as well as a troubled classmate)<br /><br /><br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44286258-the-henna-wars">The Henna Wars</a> by Adiba Jaigirdar (YA story about a lesbian Muslim girl who wrestles with having a crush on a girl appropriating her culture)<br /><br /><br /> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50160619-you-should-see-me-in-a-crown">You Should See Me in a Crown</a> by Leah Johnson (YA story about a girl who didn't plan to run for prom queen, but decides to when she sees there's a monetary reward and her plans to pay for college get uprooted)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-22166259073945181462020-08-11T11:00:00.000-04:002020-08-11T11:00:03.522-04:00Clap When You Land by Elizabeth AcevedoJustice for Amiya Braxton: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/bre-jackson-justice-for-amiya-braxton">https://www.change.org/p/bre-jackson-justice-for-amiya-braxton</a><br />
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<b>Trigger warnings</b>: Grief, harassment,<br />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: <i>In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.<br /><br />Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…<br /><br />In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.<br /><br />Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.<br /><br />And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other. </i><br />
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<b>Review</b>: <i>Clap When You Land</i> is Elizabeth Acevedo's 3rd YA book, and the 2nd told in verse. I loved the crap out of this book. First off, if you aren't listening to the audiobook for Elizabeth Acevedo's books, you are missing out in the worst way. <i>Clap When You Land</i> is a dual-perspective story about two girls who don't realize they're related until the dad they share dies in a plane crash. Camino and Yahaira live in two different countries, and the way they manage grief is different. That was, easily, my favorite element to this story. As someone who lost her dad, I always appreciate seeing how characters are able to navigate grief when it comes to losing a parent. Especially when the relationship with that parent is complicated. <br />
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Another, obviously, important story element is family. Camino and Yahaira both have to decide if they want to have a new sister in their lives. In general, there are two ways this story could have gone. Camino and Yahaira could have hated each other and cut each other off. Or they could have embraced each other as family and adjusted their lives to accommodate a new sister. Decisions are not as cut and dry as I made these two choices out to be, but those are usually how these stories play out. I'm not going to say what happens, as Elizabeth Acevedo does have hints of jealousy and love between Camino and Yahaira. Like I said, not really cut and dry. One scene that stood out to me was when the sisters were sharing stories about their dad. Camino mentions something about beads, and Yahaira said that she never saw him wore beads. The girls realized that their dad changed himself to fit the environment he was in. Whether that's in regards to his family in DR and America, or the cultural expectations from the countries themselves, I can't say. It made me think a lot about conversations surrounding code-switching. The code-switching conversations I've seen have been mostly in regards to Black people who feel like they need to change how they talk/act depending on who they're around. <i>Clap When You Land</i> could introduce conversations about cultural code-switching and what that looks like. Especially in America. I also don't know if the term code-switching is meant to just be used in the context of Black people and their behavior, or if I used the term correctly in my explanation. <br />
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Wonderful story and I absolutely can't wait to see what Elizabeth Acevedo writes next.<br />
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5 howls<br />
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If you enjoyed Clap When You Land, consider checking out the following books:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29736467-the-beauty-that-remains?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=j5VJWrBAzn&rank=1">The Beauty that Remains</a> by Ashley Woodfolk (YA story about grief that centers music and a fictional band)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21490991-the-boy-in-the-black-suit?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=CsVIg901UZ&rank=1">The Boy in the Black Suit</a> by Jason Reynolds (YA story about a kid who starts helping out at a funeral home)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41020406-the-black-flamingo">The Black Flamingo</a> (YA book written in verse about identity and being proud of your entire self)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-76117762007885513242020-08-06T12:00:00.000-04:002020-08-06T12:00:05.394-04:00Paper Mario: The Origami King (Game Review)Justice for Elijah Nichols: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/ralph-s-northam-justice-for-elijah-nichols">https://www.change.org/p/ralph-s-northam-justice-for-elijah-nichols</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>Review</b>: Yes, this is quite a change in content. I've been playing a *ton* of <i>Origami King</i> and I wanted to share my thoughts. First off, I really enjoy the <i>Paper Mario</i> RPG series. I adore <i>Paper Mario</i>, <i>The Thousand Year Door</i>, and <i>Super Paper Mario</i>. I deeply hated <i>Sticker Star</i>, and I didn't even get past the first area. I had fun with <i>Paper Jam</i> and <i>Color Splash</i>. My expectations for <i>Origami King</i> were pretty moderate. First off, I loved the inclusion of origami and confetti in this new game. I'm honestly surprised it took this long for the devs to include those mechanics in a <i>Paper Mario</i> game. I also had a lot of fun exploring and finding secrets throughout this adventure. Each area has, roughly, 4 goals. There are empty areas of levels you have to fix with confetti. There are Toads hidden throughout each level. There are question mark blocks, and this includes hidden blocks. Finally, there are collectible treasures you can find. For the most part, the Toads and treasures help you fill out your museum. The blocks and fixing areas of each level will help you find secrets. I never got tired of any of this. Finding each nook and cranny never got old.<br /><br />The overall story is fine. But it's just fine. Olivia, as a permanent sidekick has some sweet moments and some annoying moments, but I have no real gripes with her. Unfortunately, where this series has failed in the past few games (and continues to fail with <i>Origami King</i>) is with the potential partners who accompany Mario. In the earlier games, <i>Paper Mario</i>, <i>The Thousand Year Door</i>, and <i>Super Paper Mario</i>, Mario gets a new sidekick with each new area. The sidekicks come with varying abilities and personalities, so they never feel repetitive. We do get a few temporary sidekicks in <i>Origami King</i>, but none of them deliver the same way sidekicks in past games have. <br /><br />The other major negative I have is the battle system. Each battle, minor or boss battle, has a puzzle element attached to it. I don't mind the puzzles, but I hate that they're timed. Sure, you can spend coins to increase the time you have to think it over, but these puzzles just shouldn't be timed at all. There's also a limited number of moves in which you're expected to complete each puzzle. That could have been the only real limitation in each battle, but the devs really thought these puzzles needed to be timed too. On top of that, the battles are completely pointless. You don't level up with experience like in the earliest <i>Paper Mario</i> games. There is truly no point in battling which is a bummer.<br /><br />Overall, I've had fun exploring but I hate battling. It doesn't help that there is a weird difficulty spike between the 2nd and 3rd areas. It caused more frustration than fun and that's the biggest disappointment.<br /><br />2 howlsKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-33055266701457730262020-08-04T12:00:00.000-04:002020-08-04T12:00:01.977-04:00The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R TolkienJustice for Zinedine: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/the-botswana-government-justice-for-zinedine">https://www.change.org/p/the-botswana-government-justice-for-zinedine</a><br />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: <i>The dark, fearsome Ringwraiths are searching for a Hobbit. Frodo Baggins knows that they are seeking him and the Ring he bears—the Ring of Power that will enable evil Sauron to destroy all that is good in Middle-earth. Now it is up to Frodo and his faithful servant, Sam, with a small band of companions, to carry the Ring to the one place it can be destroyed: Mount Doom, in the very center of Sauron’s realm. </i><br />
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<b>Review</b>: I’m going to talk about a little fantasy trilogy that surely no one has heard of. No, but really, I read <i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i> for the first time this year. In my defense, I tried to read it in high school, couldn’t get passed the halfway point, and I’ve been scared to try reading it ever sense. I love <i>The Hobbit</i> though. I’ve read that a ton of times. Anyways, <i>Fellowship </i>is the classic fantasy story about Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, who is thrust on a quest to destroy a ring tied to an evil force. <i>Fellowship </i>is great because it’s about a friend group. It’s about the entire Fellowship that we have come to know and love but, at its center, it’s about Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. We see these sheltered characters leave their comforts and embark on a life-changing quest. Their love and support of each other is honestly what everyone should strive for in their life. It’s nice to get additional characters into the crew, Gimli, Aragorn, Legolas, and Boromir, but I loved the hobbits more than I thought I would. Probably because they’re very unlikely heroes and I just appreciate their dedication.<br />
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There are a lot of jokes about this series just being about hobbits walking and they aren’t exactly wrong. <i>Fellowship </i>is just the start of the series, but there was a ton of commentary about being kind to nature. Tolkien does an incredible job of making a vivid world and dynamic characters, but this isn’t going to be a series I recommend to people just getting into adult fantasy. The pacing is very slow and, while I really enjoyed my time reading it now, I can certainly see why I gave up in high school. I also can’t remember what Tolkien’s religious views are, but I could see common good versus evil themes that are found in Christianity very clearly in <i>Fellowship</i>. Tolkien did a great job of making his own world and weaving all-knowing characters and temptation from an evil force into his world. When I re-read this trilogy, I’m definitely going to look a little deeper into the religious elements so I can have a better understand of Tolkien’s world and characters.<br />
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<i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i> is amazing, but definitely a series readers should build up to.<br />
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5 howls<br />
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If you enjoy The Fellowship of the Ring, consider checking out the following books:</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52318.Wild_Seed?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=tHf3zQu5Wn&rank=4">Wild Seed</a> by Octavia E. Butler (Octavia E. Butler is another classic SFF author and all of her books have rather dark undertones, specifically as many of her themes include racial issues that Black people often face)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51190882-the-empress-of-salt-and-fortune">The Empress of Salt and Fortune</a> by Nghi Vo (A rich fantasy novella steeped with east Asian influence)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114130-everfair#">Everfair </a>by Nisi Shawl (Historical fantasy that imagines a world where Shawl reimagines the history of the Congo and colonization)</div>
Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-59538587748047534152020-07-30T12:00:00.000-04:002020-07-30T12:00:01.292-04:00BenBee and the Teacher Griefer by K.A. HoltJustice for Sheku Bayoh: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/police-scotland-investigate-the-death-of-sheku-bayoh-in-police-custody">https://www.change.org/p/police-scotland-investigate-the-death-of-sheku-bayoh-in-police-custody</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>The Kids Under the Stairs: BenBee and the Teacher Griefer</i> is a funny, clever novel-in-verse series about Ben Bellows—who failed the Language Arts section of the Florida State test—and three classmates who get stuck in a summer school class.<br />But these kids aren't dumb—they're divergent thinkers, as Ms. J tells them: they simply approach things in a different way than traditional school demands.<br /><br />• Each chapter is told through the perspective of one of the four students, who each write in a different style (art, verse, stream of consciousness).<br />• Celebrates different types of intelligence<br />• A heartwarming, laugh-out-loud novel-in-verse<br /><br />Soon, the kids win over Ms. J with their passion for Sandbox, a Minecraft-type game. The kids make a deal with Ms. J: every minute they spend reading aloud equals one minute they get to play Sandbox in class. But when the administration finds about this unorthodox method of teaching, Ben B. and his buds have to band together to save their teacher's job—and their own academic future.<br /><br />The first in a series of complementary storylines, this is an honest, heartfelt book about friendship, videogames, and learning to love yourself.<br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>BenBee and the Teacher Griefer</i> is a cute middle-grade story about a group of kids in summer school, and they make a unique deal with their teacher. They’ll read out loud in her class for 10 minutes if she plays 10 minutes of their favorite video game, Sandbox. This book is absolutely meant for kids with any sort of learning disorder who finds reading difficult. I understand that. Still, the format of the book is the weakest part. A lot of the story is told in verse or told through chat logs in Sandbox. That makes reading it extremely easy, but I found it difficult to keep track of the passage of time and I thought scenes took place over multiple days, but they only took place during a single day. I also found it difficult to really connect with any of the characters. I loved that K.A. Holt included things like grief (grieving for a person and a pet), as well as gender identity on top of the disability aspects. <br /><br />The story made my heart happy because I have my own online community that I got to know through gaming and I love them. I appreciated how much of the focus was on the friendship these kids formed and there weren't any budding romances. It also did a good job of showing that a person’s online person isn’t necessarily the way they are in real life. The end wrapped up really quickly but, again, I think that’s more of an issue with the format. And, again, I understand that was intentional. I’m not going to give BenBee a rating because I understand that what I view as a weakness is a strength in the way it can entice weak readers.<br /><br />If you enjoyed <i>BenBee and the Teacher Griefer</i>, consider checking out the following books:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43723509-slay?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=0upooyotSy&rank=7">Slay </a>by Brittany Morris (YA contemporary about a girl who makes a gaming safe-space for African-Americans, and the social issues that come from racism)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40665154-don-t-read-the-comments?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=DzJVASysAg&rank=1">Don’t Read the Comments</a> by Eric Smith (YA contemporary about online antagonism)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9630403-level-up?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hVd8dDeNYR&rank=2">Level Up</a> by Gene Luen Yang (Graphic novel that depicts the struggle kids have between their passion and familial obligation)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-75359688234370921032020-07-28T12:00:00.000-04:002020-07-28T12:00:13.207-04:00The Silence Between Us by Alison GervaisDisallow Trump's New Rule Allowing Hospitals To Deny Care Based On LGBTQ+ Status: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/united-states-supreme-court-disallow-trump-s-new-rule-allowing-hospitals-to-deny-care-based-on-lgbtq-status?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22799719_en-US%3Av1&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial">https://www.change.org/p/united-states-supreme-court-disallow-trump-s-new-rule-allowing-hospitals-to-deny-care-based-on-lgbtq-status?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22799719_en-US%3Av1&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial</a><div>
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<b>Synopsis</b>: <i>Deaf teen Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating—and also surprising when some classmates, including Beau Watson, take time to learn ASL. As Maya looks past graduation and focuses on her future dreams, nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will derail her pursuits. But when people in her life—deaf and hearing alike—ask her to question parts of her deaf identity, Maya stands proudly, never giving in to the idea that her deafness is a disadvantage</i>.<br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>The Silence Between Us</i> is about a teen named Maya who was born able to hear but, due to an illness, she is now Deaf. After moving from New Jersey to Colorado, she goes to her first hearing school and has to adjust to a new living situation as well as a new academic setting. I liked Maya as a character. There were some moments when she seemed a little abrasive towards hearing people which bothered me but, at its core, <i>The Silence Between Us</i> is about vulnerability and deciding who you are willing to be vulnerable with. Seeing Maya let people into her life, even if they were hearing people, was nice to see. I’m the same way with my eyesight, so I understood how hard it was for Maya to get close to new people, and how rewarding it felt for them to not take advantage of her. I liked Maya’s love interest, Beau. He seemed genuine in all of his actions, even when he made bad decisions. One thing that I wish was done differently was when Maya saw a scar on Beau’s leg. She saw it by accident and knew it was a personal thing for Beau, but her reaction was, “I want to know where that scar came from.” I guess that just bothered me because Maya learned to let people into her life through the entire story. It just seemed like she should know how hard it is to be vulnerable around people, and this might not be something Beau wants to talk about. He does end up telling her where the scar came from. I just wish Maya didn’t have that reaction.<br /><br /><br />The plot in <i>The Silence Between Us</i> was a standard YA contemporary about a young girl learning to adjust to her new surroundings. One element I enjoyed quite a bit was the addition of DPN, Deaf President Now, which was a student-led movement at a university that was created when a hearing President was elected at a Deaf university. Some readers are going to dislike the idea that Maya had to hold her classmates hands and teach them about the complexities of Deaf/HoH people. But, if anyone is looking for more insight that is explicitly spelled out about the treatment of Deaf/HoH people, The Silence Between Us is a great book. I listened to the audiobook for this and it was a great experience. I didn’t have the physical version to read along with, but I appreciated how the sentences were structured when Maya, or other characters, used American Sign Language. I think there’s an assumption that sentences are translated the exact same way between speech and ASL, and that isn’t the case. <br /><br /><br />Cute contemporary with great historical and cultural insight into Deaf/HoH communities.<br /><br /><br />4 howls<br /><br /><br />If you enjoyed <i>The Silence Between Us</i>, consider checking out the following books:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10128428-wonderstruck?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7rCchwXxbD&rank=1">Wonderstruck </a>by Brian Selznick (Dual perspective MG story following Deaf characters and their lives intersect in unusual ways)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10128428-wonderstruck?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7rCchwXxbD&rank=1#">You’re Welcome Universe</a> by Whitney Gardner (YA contemporary about a Deaf girl who gets kicked out of her school and has to go to a hearing school. She finds a way to cope and uses graffiti as an escape)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20701984-el-deafo">El Deafo</a> by Cece Bell (Graphic MG memoir about Cece as a child and learning to accept herself as she lost her hearing)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-37820897105878299622020-07-23T12:00:00.000-04:002020-07-23T12:00:00.494-04:00Almost American Girl by Robin HaJustice for Robert Fuller: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/los-angeles-sheriff-s-department-palmdale-station-justice-for-robert-fuller?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22793923_en-US%3Av10&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi">https://www.change.org/p/los-angeles-sheriff-s-department-palmdale-station-justice-for-robert-fuller?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22793923_en-US%3Av10&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi</a><br />
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<br /><b>Trigger warnings</b>: Depictions of racism and microagressions; bullying<br /><br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>For as long as she can remember, it’s been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up in the 1990s as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn’t always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together.<br />So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation—following her mother’s announcement that she’s getting married—Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn’t understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is completely cut off from her friends at home and has no access to her beloved comics. At home, she doesn’t fit in with her new stepfamily. And worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to—her mother.<br /><br />Then one day Robin’s mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined.</i><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>Almost American Girl</i> is a condensed view of Robin Ha’s life as she was uprooted from Korea and moved to the US. While reading this book, I found myself thinking of a guy from Turkey who lived with me and some friends during his first year in the US. There were many similarities like struggling to keep up with English conversations and understanding American mannerisms, but Robin moved to the US unwillingly. Seeing her decide things like an “American” name and making the decision to finally learn English was enlightening. Those were honestly some of the easier hurdles for her to manage compared to familial issues. Even though she was living in America, she lived with Koreans who held onto their strict ideas of families. Not only was Robin struggling to find a place in America, she couldn’t even count on family to help her when she came home.<br /><br />I’m making <i>Almost American Girl</i> sound sad, but it really isn’t. There are scenes of microaggression, racism, and family issues, but Robin does find a place of her own in America. When the story starts, Robin and her mother move to Alabama, but then they end up moving to Virginia. This really shows how some parts of America are better suited for foreigners. I grew up in the south and there aren’t many places here that would be beneficial to people from other countries. My friend from Turkey had it a little easier because we lived in a city and there was a decent Middle-Eastern community there. There is a really good chapter when Robin returns to Korea as an adult and she realizes that there’s a lot of Korean culture she doesn’t necessarily agree with. I love that Robin makes an active decision to identify as Korean-American because there are more modern ways of thinking in the US that Robin followed. It shows that you don’t have to be born in America to identify as American. It brings back the idea that America is really meant for anyone and everyone, and I thought that was a beautiful note to end on.<br /><br />Great graphic memoir about the challenges one might face when moving to the US from another country.<br /><br />4 howls<br /><br />If you enjoyed <i>Almost American Girl</i>, consider checking out the following titles:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39893619-new-kid?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=QXIw3VF9G3&rank=1">New Kid</a> by Jerry Craft (Fictional graphic novel about an African-American kid who recently starts going to a mostly white private school)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/118944.American_Born_Chinese">American Born Chinese</a> by Gene Luen Yang (Mixture of Chinese mythology and contemporary fiction as Gene Luen Yang shares his experience as a Chinese-American)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40864836-stargazing">Stargazing </a>by Jen Wang (Fictional graphic novel about friendship and growing up)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45169737-the-fire-never-goes-out">The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures</a> by Noelle Stevenson (Non-fiction graphic novel that follows Noelle Stevenson’s life as she becomes one of the most beloved graphic novel artists)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42837514-gender-queer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=62TW0cMEIZ&rank=1">Gender Queer</a> by Maia Kobabe (Non-fiction graphic novel where Maia Kobabe helps readers better understand the gender queer experience)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-58269035137635820192020-07-21T12:00:00.000-04:002020-07-21T12:00:00.707-04:00All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. JohnsonStop Congress from Reversing the Transgender Protectio Laws: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/united-states-department-of-health-and-human-services-stop-congress-from-reversing-the-transgender-protection-laws?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22799425_en-US%3Av10&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi">https://www.change.org/p/united-states-department-of-health-and-human-services-stop-congress-from-reversing-the-transgender-protection-laws?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22799425_en-US%3Av10&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi</a><br />
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<b>Trigger Warnings</b>: Homophobia, racism, instances of deadnaming and misgendering, sexual assault, graphic depictions of sex<br />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: <i>In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.<br />Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.</i><br />
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<b>Review</b>: <i>All Boys Aren’t Blue</i> is a memoir by George M. Johnson who is an activist for the LGBTQIA+ community. Since this is non-fiction. I’m not going to do a breakdown between characters and plot. <i>All Boys Aren’t Blue</i> is George’s way of being honest about his journey to understand his sexuality and gender while also dealing with the constant barrage of how the world views him as an African-American. I’m white, so the elements of George’s life where he talked about race isn’t something I can relate to. I did strongly relate to his experience with gender. I’m not going to go into my personal experience, but George talked a lot about how the world defined what being a “man” is and how he never really fit that mold. Even when he got into sports and tried to make himself more palatable to a world that desires straightness and whiteness. George also mentions that he is fortunate in his support group. There are kids who come out as queer and they get evicted from their house and disowned by family members. George definitely didn’t have it easy, but he was loved by his family. The only criticism I have is when George deadnames a family member. I understand why he did it and I’m not taking any points off. It’s just a thing that needs to be acknowledged. The family member he was referring to passed away so they will never be affected by this book and how George presents them. It’s just the one thing I didn’t necessarily agree with.<br />
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Beautiful memoir that helps readers understand the complexity of gender expectations.<br />
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5 howls<br />
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If you want to watch videos on how <i>All Boys Aren't Blue</i> have affected readers who are not white, I would highly suggest checking out Jesse and Adri. Both of them have expressed what this book means to them on different layers than I can properly express because I am white.<br />
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Jesse's Instagram post for the Enby Book Club: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGPpWxA36M/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet">https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGPpWxA36M/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet</a><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span>Jessie's June TBR video where they talk abut reading All Boys Aren't Blue for the Enby Book Club: <a href="https://youtu.be/T5udRZR9nIY?t=624">https://youtu.be/T5udRZR9nIY?t=624</a><br />
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Adri: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnleR33t34Q">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnleR33t34Q</a><br />
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If you enjoyed <i>All Boys Aren’t Blue</i>, consider checking out the following books:<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43253544-karamo?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=t9TPkVZlAA&rank=1">Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope</a> by Karamo Brown(Another non-fiction memoir by one of the guys on the reboot of Queer Eye)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41020406-the-black-flamingo">The Black Flamingo</a> by Dean Atta (Fiction told in verse about a mixed-race boy who learns to love himself while attending a university)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44641676-space-between?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=77sLluj5y1&rank=1">Space Between: Explorations of Love, Sex, and Fluidity</a> by Nico Tortorella (Non-fiction work about Nico as they explore sexuality and struggle with addiction)</div>
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-51658078376996217792020-07-16T12:00:00.000-04:002020-07-16T12:00:04.842-04:00Slammed by Colleen Hoover<div style="text-align: center;">
Justice for Christopher: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/federal-bureau-of-investigation-justice-for-christopher?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22617920_en-US%3Av3&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial">https://www.change.org/p/federal-bureau-of-investigation-justice-for-christopher?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22617920_en-US%3Av3&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial</a></div>
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<b>Trigger Warnings</b>: Grief, illness, death of family members through illness and accidents<br />
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<b>Synopsis</b>: <i>Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.<br />Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.<br /><br />Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: Colleen Hoover is one of those authors people either love or despise. I’ve read 4 of Colleen’s books now. 2 of them, I hated. 1 of them, I really enjoyed. <i>Slammed </i>was somewhere in the middle. We follow Lake who has moved to a new state after her father died. As her family adjusts to their new surroundings, Lake gets close to her neighbor, Will. I didn’t mind Lake as a character, but she also didn’t stand out. Same with Will. He felt like your generic YA/NA contemporary love interest. He wasn’t as toxic as some of the love interests in Colleen’s other books can be, so that’s a plus. I did really enjoy seeing Lake and Will interact with their brothers. Family plays a huge role in <i>Slammed</i>, for Will and for Lake, so I loved getting to see scenes that focused on the family instead of Will and Lake’s budding romance.<br /><br /><br />I don’t read a ton of poetry, but the poems presented in <i>Slammed </i>were well-done. I will say that I listened to the audiobook of <i>Slammed </i>and, while I enjoyed the content of the poetry, the narrator made them all sound virtually the same. There were times when I would forget who actually wrote some of the poems, and I’m assuming they were supposed to have more of a punch to them. I think the narration just made me lose some of the meaning. My biggest complaint is that everything felt surface level in <i>Slammed</i>. There’s a romance, there are friends, there’s family, there’s finding yourself, but it all seemed to just be skimmed over. I did look up this series and there are 2 other books after Slammed. I haven’t read the other 2 books, but I probably would have enjoyed <i>Slammed </i>more if it was only one book, or a duology, to help give us a little bit more focus on the situations Lake finds herself in.<br /><br />Cute story, but I found myself wanting more depth.<br /><br />3 howls<br /><br />If you enjoyed Slammed, consider checking out the following books:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33294200-the-poet-x?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KmwI1x861L&rank=1">The Poet X</a> by Elizabeth Acevdeo (YA contemporary written in verse about a teen girl who finds a love of poetry. Elizabeth Acevedo is also a slam poet and she narrated this book herself. Written by an Afro-Latinx author)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22552026-long-way-down">Long Way Down</a> by Jason Reynolds (YA contemporary about gun violence and a boy who wants to take revenge on the people who killed his brother. Also written in verse and by a Black author)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34775172-another-black-girl-miracle?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=OOwzZqAwk3&rank=1">Another Black Girl Miracle</a> by Tonya Ingram (Non-fiction poetry collection written about what it means to be a Black woman with mental health and physical health issues)<span id="docs-internal-guid-42888b36-7fff-8bf3-9b51-801b27c32f4a"><div>
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</span>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-27859704498072022382020-07-14T12:00:00.000-04:002020-07-14T12:00:00.198-04:00Voyager by Diana Gabaldon<div style="text-align: center;">
Justice for Andres: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/los-angeles-sheriff-s-department-justiceforandres-show-footage-of-the-brutal-shooting-of-andres-guardado?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22955258_en-US%3Av3&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi">https://www.change.org/p/los-angeles-sheriff-s-department-justiceforandres-show-footage-of-the-brutal-shooting-of-andres-guardado?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22955258_en-US%3Av3&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi</a></div>
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<br /><b>Synopsis</b>: <i>Their passionate encounter happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.<br /><br />Then Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Torn between returning to him and staying with their daughter in her own era, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face the passion and pain awaiting her...the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that can reunite or forever doom her timeless love.</i><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>Voyager </i>is the 3rd book in the <i>Outlander </i>series and easily one of my least favorite. In a series, first books generally are the weakest because it’s a lot of setup and world building. I never felt that way about <i>Outlander</i>, but Voyager definitely felt like a lot of setup and prep for the rest of the series. A lot of <i>Voyager </i>has Jamie and Claire split for years, and we get to see how their lives have changed. Claire’s is not very interesting because she is just raising her daughter with Frank. Jamie, on the other hand, goes from a battle, to prison, to indentured servitude, to freedom. He has had quite the little adventure on his own. Jamie grows a considerable amount through this series, and I just wish Claire had the same amount of growth. It’s easier for the out of touch person from an older century to learn and grow in this situation, and I understand that. It just feels a little unbalanced.<br /><br /><br />Again, <i>Voyager </i>felt very much like setup. The first half of the book focused on how Jamie and Claire grew apart, reunited, and tried to resolve issues. That being said, there are some things that never seemed to get resolved, like Jamie keeping secrets from Claire. She just seemed to ignore the problems after awhile. Other things came up which was probably more important to her, but I still wasn’t a fan. Then, for reasons, Jamie and Claire end up on a boat. This takes another significant chunk of the book. The plus side is Claire is able to flex her medical knowledge which is my favorite parts of the series as whole. Voyager is also where racism is extremely apparent. There are the obvious references like slavery and colonization in the west, but we also have the misfortune of seeing a manipulative Chinese character which doesn’t do the author any favors.<br /><br /><i>Voyager </i>is one of those long books that actually feels long. I understand that the information in <i>Voyager </i>was important. I just wish it was more interesting and handled more tactfully.<br /><br />3 howls<br /><br />If you like the <i>Outlander </i>series, you might like the books listed below:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40058181-what-kind-of-day?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=z8TKaDjHZu&rank=1">What Kind of Day</a> by Mina V. Esguerra (Filipino author who writes contemporary romances)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25969722-blossom-among-flowers?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=BZsGycr1gr&rank=1">Blossom Among Flowers</a> by Jay E. Tria (Filipino author who writes contemporary romances)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52779369-keeping-miss-kalila?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Ix2o4H4nAe&rank=1">Keeping Miss Kalila</a> by Tara Frejas (Filipino author who writes contemporary romances)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41730734-madam-may-i?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=vNuIMIkHxk&rank=1">Madam, May I</a> by Niobia Bryant (Black author who writes contemporary romances)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41592132-sin-city-vows?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=XcIFYEHBH7&rank=1">Sin City Vows</a> by by Zuri Day (Blacka author who writes contemporary romances)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6802099344720220395.post-56032533338810157112020-07-09T12:00:00.000-04:002020-07-09T12:00:11.825-04:00Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon<div style="text-align: center;">
Abolish anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in Poland: <a href="https://www.change.org/p/mateusz-morawiecki-pass-laws-that-would-protect-lgbt-people-in-poland-and-abolish-current-anti-lgbt-laws?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22742475_en-US%3Av8&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi">https://www.change.org/p/mateusz-morawiecki-pass-laws-that-would-protect-lgbt-people-in-poland-and-abolish-current-anti-lgbt-laws?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_22742475_en-US%3Av8&recruiter=275455711&recruited_by_id=51954910-e049-11e4-82ed-052f7a80ffbf&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi</a></div>
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<br /><b>Synopsis</b>:<i> For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ...about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ...and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his ....<br />Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire's spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ...in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising ...and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves....</i><br /><br /><br /><b>Review</b>: <i>Dragonfly in Amber</i> is the second book in the <i>Outlander </i>series. No, I’m not sure if I’m going to review the entire series, but you can tell this has been my quarantine project. <i>Dragonfly in Amber</i> focuses less on the romantic relationship between Claire and Jamie, and more on the political movements that go into trying to prevent a war. I don’t find history the most fascinating thing, but I did quite enjoy seeing Claire and Jamie navigate these conversations with mindfulness of what they wanted.<br /><br /><br />One of the major things that happens is Claire and a young girl being attacked in the road, and the young girl gets raped. This happens on the page, and it’s rough. That being said, I feel like it was a good parallel to Jamie’s assault in the first book and we get to see both characters deal with PTSD from these encounters. Seeing a grown man struggle with this similarly to a young girl opens the door to discuss things like masculinity and what defines “strength” and “weakness” when it comes to trauma. There is also a miscarriage in this book, which adds another layer to relationships that I don’t see that often. In romances that I’ve read, the couple usually ends up together and, if there’s a baby, it’s assumed to be a positive experience. Seeing adults deal with a miscarriage and how that changes a relationship was nice to see<br /><br /><br />More politically focused than romance focused, and there are new layers for our characters to discover about themselves.<br /><br /><br />4 howls<br /><br /><br />If you like the <i>Outlander </i>series, consider checking out the books down below:<br /><br /><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42983586-american-dreamer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JaymVDLg7v&rank=2">American Dreamer</a></i> by Adriana Herrera (Caribbean author who writes contemporary romances)<br /><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20821536-sultry-pleasure?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GgQMmZ8yev&rank=1">Sultry Pleasure</a></i> by Lindsay Evans (Black author who writes contemporary romances)<br /><br /><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1054919.Dare_to_Dream?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=G40u5FSVzS&rank=1">Dare to Dream</a></i> by Donna Hill (Black author who writes contemporary romances)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13611652-kissing-the-captain?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=KajZlmFSTP&rank=1">Kissing the Captain</a> by Kianna Alexander (Black author who writes historical and contemporary romances)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48896206-closer-to-you?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8NhfxdgNNn&rank=1">Closer to You</a> by Sheryl Lister (Black author who writes contemporary romances)Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18291480180265574635noreply@blogger.com0