My Favorite LGBT+ Books

The US now has marriage equality- even Texas!!! The fight isn’t over yet- we have a long way to go before we reach true equality. But this is such a huge step, and a cause for celebration!

So, I’ve decided to compile my top ten books (and comics) starring LGBT+ protagonists to celebrate. There should be something for everyone on this list, whether you like fantasy, contemporary, or anything in between!

1. Hero by Perry Moore was actually one of the first LGBT+ books I read. It wasn’t really one of the best books that I’ve read, but it stuck with me, because, I mean, even if it’s not perfect, it’s really good. It was partly about the gay protagonist having to grow up with his extremely conservative dad, and partly a really funny parody of superhero stereotypes, so it has a really nice blend of seriousness and comedy.

2. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth was amaaaaazing and I’m so glad that I finally read it (many thanks to everyone who recommended it to me!). It’s a fantastic contemporary coming-of-age story about a lesbian girl growing up in the Midwest. Also, isn’t the cover just sooo pretty? I’m not usually a fan of covers with photos on them- I prefer artwork, especially the minimalist ones- but this one is really pretty and perfect for the story.

3. Ash by Malinda Lo is one of my favorite books ever. It’s basically a lesbian retelling of Cinderella, and I loved it, especially considering that LGBT+ fantasy is pretty sparse. Like, I’ve found plenty of good queer contemporary stories, but hardly anything in the way of fantasy??? Anyway. Ash is amazing and 5/5 would recommend!

4. Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis is AMAZING and LET ME TELL YOU WHY. It’s an epic fantasy with tons of people of color- I don’t think any of the main characters are white- and the main character is bisexual (and bisexual characters are ridiculously hard to find. And excellent representation aside, the world was just beautiful, and the way the magic in this world worked was so interesting. So, basically, this is one of my favorite books of all time.

5. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley was another ABSOLUTELY AMAZING book that EVERYONE needs to read RIGHT NOW. Like, if I had to pick a single favorite book, it would probably be this one. It’s a fantastic story that does a really amazing job at discussing race, sexuality, and gender inequality. And the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT oh my god. Each of the main characters grows so much over the course of the story and just GO READ IT NOW okay?

6. Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz is another great book. You know how I was mentioning how hard it is to find bisexual characters in books? Well, Not Otherwise Specified is a really good story about growing up, falling in (and out of) love, and never quite feeling like you fit in, starring a very clearly bisexual protagonist.

7. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli is a really cute, fluffy book. It does a really good job of blending serious themes with humor and general cuteness, which is something that I really appreciate in books. Unlike a lot of the other books on this list which are either about characters who are already out (like Not Otherwise Specified) or are unable to come out (like Hero and Cameron Post), Simon is mostly about Simon’s coming out. It’s a really heartfelt, realistic book, and I’d definitely recommend it.

8. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray is absolutely glorious. It’s, like, a feminist take on The Lord of the Flies. There are a lot of main characters, but a good amount of them are queer, and they’re all really diverse. It makes a lot of serious points but it manages to be SUPER funny and sarcastic while it does so. If you’re into comedy and/or social justice, I would definitely highly recommend this one.

9. The Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen is one of my all time favorite comics. While it admittedly doesn’t have the best plot, it does have really well developed, three dimensional characters, and not one of them is straight! Tommy, Billy, and Miss America are, like, super gay, Noh-Varr, Kid Loki, and Prodigy are bisxual, and Kate is most likely bisexual as well.

10. The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys by Gerard Way and Shaun Simon is another of my favorite comics, and the world in which it takes place was intentionally created to be very, very queer. The main character, The Girl, has no romantic interest, and in the way of side characters, there are quite a few LGBT+ characters, like the runaway robots Red and Blue (in the picture above), the rebel assassin Korse, and the freedom fighter Party Poison.

What are some of your favorite LGBT+ books?

10 Marvel Characters Who Need Their Own Movies

It’s been awhile since I posted anything superhero related, hasn’t it? Figured it was time to change that. I’ve had this post in my drafts for awhile, but never really finished it. So, here are the ten Marvel characters who need their own movies! (And probably should rightly have had their own movies before Ant-Man).

1. Black Widow. It’s kind of odd that she doesn’t have her own movie, or even a confirmed upcoming one, isn’t it? I mean, most of the fans are practically on their knees begging for one. And I must say, the Natasha we’ve seen in movies so far isn’t really even close to one of my favorite characters. She has such an interesting backstory, but in each of the movies with her so far, it’s been overshadowed with romance plots. But she really is an interesting character, with a lot of potential for a solo movie- if only we could get to see a deeper glimpse of her character!

2. The Young Avengers. THE YOUNG AVENGERS ARE AMAZING, OKAY? They’re all such amazing, well developed characters. And although the plots of their comics leave a little to be desired, the characters all have so much drive and heart to them. They all have their own interests, passions, and talents. And, in terms to what they’d bring to a movie, they’d have a lot of potential for comedy on par with Guardians of the Galaxy, they have a lot of appeal to teens, and a hugely diverse cast!

3. The Runaways. Okay, let me just say that this one is less about me thinking this would be a great movie and more about me just REALLY LOVING THE RUNAWAYS. But, I mean, that’s not to say that the Runaways wouldn’t make a good movie, because I feel like they would make a GREAT movie. They would give Marvel a chance to broaden their universe even more, as most of the story takes place in LA, not New York. It gives the team a bit of space from the more mainstream characters, like the Avengers and X-Men, but you can still see the influence of these bigger characters on the world, if that makes sense. The characters have really different backgrounds, too- like Xavin and Karolina, who are aliens, to Nico, a magic user, do Gertrude, who shares a telepathic link with a genetically enhanced dinosaur. Also, YOUNG AVENGERS TIE INS. They both have a lot in common, and would appeal to very similar audiences.

4. Peggy Carter. We have an Agent Carter show, sure. But it’s not the same as seeing her on the big screen! And the show went over so well with its fans. So is it too much to ask for a movie as well?

5. She Hulk. Don’t let the dumb name fool you- Jennifer isn’t just the girl version of the Hulk! She’s her own character, and an amazing one at that. While most of Bruce’s storyline revolves around his difficulties with finding control over his powers, Jennifer has that control. But she still has problems. Most of her character revolves around her difficulties with finding balance between her two personas, the average human lawyer Jennifer Walters and powerful green bombshell She-Hulk. Hulk movies in the past haven’t really been huge successes. But Bruce’s character in the Avengers was very popular, and I feel like a Hulk movie would be more likely to succeed now. But we already have some good movies about Bruce Banner already, so what about trying a different Hulk? Like Jennifer?

6. Spider-Man (Miles Morales). It seems a little ridiculous to me that we’re rehashing the same Peter Parker story for the third time. Why not try something different? There are plenty of interesting Spider-people aside from Peter. People who do a much better job of representing the outsiders and misfits than Peter. And I feel like Miles would be a perfect contestant.

7. Kamala Khan. Kamala Khan’s Miss Marvel is currently one of Marvel’s most popular characters. And with movies for Carol Danvers (Kamala’s role model, and a major part of her origin) and the Inhumans (Kamala is an Inhuman) already slated, the universe is already set up! And, like the Young Avengers and Runaways, she has a lot of potential to bring in a younger audience. Not to mention that she’s just a plain amazing character.

8 and 9. Quasar and Moondragon. I’m actually really disappointed that these two weren’t included in Guardians of the Galaxy (but I’m still holding on to the hope that they’ll be in the sequel). The two of them are both SUPER powerful members of the Guardians- Moondragon is a telepath who  can literally TURN INTO A DRAGON, and she’s Drax’s daughter, and Quasar has some other powers that I’m actually not so sure of? And the two of them are ADORABLE SPACE GIRLFRIENDS which would give Marvel a chance to add a bit of diversity (and cuteness) into the movies.

10. Spider-Woman. Jessica is a really interesting character, who manages to balance humor with a dark past. And she actually has a lot in common with the current Marvel cinematic universe- she’s a major player in the Civil War, has a romantic history with Hawkeye, is best friends with Carol Danvers, and has a past with both SHIELD and HYDRA! And her blend of humor, romance, and butt kickery seem to be exactly what the Marvel movies look for in their characters.

What characters do you want to see in a Marvel movie?

The Heroine Tag

I wasn’t tagged to do this one, but hey, it looks like fun, so here goes!

Which heroine would you trade places with?

Hermione Granger, probably. It’s a hard choice, but, I mean, she gets to go to Hogwarts. We’re pretty similar already, anyway. She just gets to learn magic and go on adventures.

Cress (from The Lunar Chronicles), Idie Okonkwo (X-Men), and Kate Bishop (Young Avengers & Hawkeye) all come pretty close.

Which heroine would you push off a cliff while hoping there are some jagged rocks at the bottom?

Erm. Nobody, really. My least favorite heroine (at least one that I’ve read about recently) is Hild, but I don’t necessarily hate her. I just think she’s kinda dull to read about and has really horrible taste in guys.

A heroine you couldn’t care less about? (They’re so bland that they don’t even trigger the hate in you.)

Lindsey from An Abundance of Katherines. I like John Green’s writing, I really do. But Lindsey was a super bland character and felt pretty badly developed.

Maybe Bella, but then, I haven’t actually read Twilight, so I feel kinda bad whenever I hate on it.

A character you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up liking, and vice versa?

I didn’t like Yukiko (from Stormdancer) at all at first. She seemed boring, and a lot like your basic bland femme fatale. Her character really developed through the story though, especially once she started to form her relationship with Buruu (a griffin).

The opposite goes for Clary Fray (The Mortal Instruments). I liked her at first, but after a while she just got really… dull.

A side heroine who is much more interesting than the main heroine?

Isabelle Lightwood (again from The Mortal Instruments). She was just so awesome, and I’d really like a chance to get inside her head once in a while, instead of Clary.

Which heroine would you want as your friend?

Kamala Khan from the new Ms Marvel comics. She’s so sweet and funny and also writes Avengers fanfiction. I have a feeling we would get along pretty well. Plus, she’s a superhero, so I could become her snarky sidekick.

Which heroine do you wish would just CHOOSE between the guys in her little love triangle?

Max from Maximum Ride. Like, geez, girl, it’s obvious you’re going to pick Fang. Just hurry up and make a choice already. I used to love those books, but… ugh. I can hardly read them any more. They’re horribly structured, centered around a love triangle, have no stable plot, and… you know what? I’m going to stop here. Next question!

A “bad girl” heroine?

Emma Frost (X-Men). She’s one of my all-time favorite X-Men but I seriously wish they would stop with the whole Emma/Scott romance. It doesn’t work and it ruins her character so please stop.

A “good girl” heroine?

Tori from Ultraviolet and Quicksilver. She’s probably one of my favorite heroines as well.

Your favorite heroine of them all? (If you can’t choose, pick your top three.)

Even with three choices that’s a really hard question. But I’m going to say…

1. Tori Beaugard
2. Cress
3. Kitty Pryde

Who are your favorite heroines?

Happy New Year: 2015!

It seems like this last year went by so quickly… but even so, I feel like I’ve changed a lot since last year- and mostly in a good way. Anyway, to celebrate the New Year, I’ve written a (really) short story, which you can find here. I’m also going to write a bit about what this last year was like for me, what I’ve accomplished, and what I hope to accomplish next year!

Looking Back

Accomplishments

• My school’s leadership team (which I am a part of) won a $2,500 grant for our school.
• I helped to organize a school carnival.
• I founded a school blog to help spread news.
• My writing really improved once I started doing it more regularly than I had before.
• I won NaNoWriMo!
• I signed up for dual enrollment with my local college.
• I started blogging more-or-less regularly again.

New tastes and opinions

• I started reading comics and became utterly obsessed with Marvel.
• I began to read a lot more YA fiction.
• I started listening to Welcome to Night Vale.
• I renewed my love of Disney.
• I started listening to a lot more music than I had before.

Favorite books of 2014

Favorite movies of 2014

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It was just so edge-of-you-seat, and I loved the mystery aspect to it. And the big reveal at the end was amazing. I could probably fangirl about it for hours.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy was also amazing, even if in a different way. It was HILARIOUS, and the soundtrack was great.
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past (although my feelings on this one are pretty conflicted). I’m really not a huge fan of the X-Men movie franchise any more, since it feels like they’ve messed up a lot of my favorite characters, but I digress. It was still a good movie.
4. The Lego Movie. Judging by the previews, it looked like it was going to be horrible, but once I saw the actual movie, it was actually pretty good, and surprisingly cute.
5. Maleficent was a really cool movie. A good story, interesting characters… but honestly? I think my favorite part was looking at all the different magical creatures.

Favorite songs of 2014

Oh No! by Marina and the Diamonds

Centuries by Fall Out Boy

Top of the World by Greek Fire

Salute by Little Mix

Let’s Kill Tonight by Panic! at the Disco

Looking Forward

New Year’s resolutions

• Next year, I’m going to try to be more outspoken and stand out for myself. It’s a trait that I’ve always admired in other people, but I have a hard time doing it myself.
• I also hope to move out of my comfort zone a little and try new things.
• I want to improve my artistic skills.
• I’d like to write more book reviews on my blog next year.
• Finally, I want to make writing a regular part of my daily schedule, even if it’s one ten or fifteen minutes a day. My writing has improved enormously even from just a couple days each week… Imagine how much it could improve if I wrote every day.

Things to look forward to

• Age of Ultron is coming out in 2015! The trailer was super awesome, so I’m really looking forward to the movie itself.
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens, also set to release in 2015, looks pretty cool as well.
• Winter, the fourth book in the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, also comes out in 2015.
• The Night Vale book is also set to come out sometime in 2015.
• Season nine of Doctor Who.
• More Sherlock hiatus. Season 4 probably won’t air until 2016.
• NaNoWriMo 2015. The YWP is also moving sites in 2015, so that’ll be interesting.

Anyway, happy New Year! What are your resolutions? And what are you most looking forward to?

My Hero Monday: Shadowcat

I’ll be participating in My Hero Monday again this month! My Hero Monday is a monthly blog link-up over at A Girl’s Voice and Free As A Girl With Wings (both of which are amazing blogs, and I highly encourage you to go check them out). It celebrates female heroes, and also encourages people to learn about new ones. If you’d like to see other blogs participating, or join the link-up next month, I’ve included links at the bottom of this post.

Since there was no specific theme for this month, I decided to go with a fictional character- one of my favorite X-Men, Kitty Pryde!

Their full name: Katherine “Kitty” Pryde (AKA Shadowcat)

Birthdate: Unknown

Current Age: She’s currently about 24. Her first appearance in the comics was in 1980 (Uncanny X-Men #129)

School(s): Various incarnations of the Charles Xavier School. She also studied physics at the University of Chicago and studied abroad in England.

Profession: Superhero, teacher/ headmistress (former), bartender (former)

When Did I First Hear About Her: The Wolverine and the X-Men TV show (which happens to be what first got me hooked on superheroes, and later, comics). She and Nightcrawler were two of my favorite characters by far.

What Makes Her One of My Heroes: Kitty is a smart- like, real, actual genius smart- realistic, and headstrong young woman. She’s learned a lot through her years as an X-Man, and really grown as a character. She went from a nervous little girl to butt kicking leader of the X-Men.

She’s outspoken, strong willed, and sticks up for herself and the people who need it. She isn’t afraid to point out when people are in the wrong, even if they’re someone who she’s admired and looked up to her entire life.

Kitty is Jewish, and a mutant as well, (For those of you who aren’t big on superheroes, mutants are a human subspecies from the Marvel universe. They have superpowers, but they’re also a minority, and hated because of what they are- the next step in human evolution. Humanity has attempted time and time again to completely wipe the mutants out, simply because they’re afraid.) but she isn’t ashamed of that fact, and she doesn’t try to hide it in the least bit.

And did I mention the fact that she’s a real, bona fide genius? I love being able to look up to heroines that are smart as well as strong, so that’s always a plus for me.

Kitty was one of the first female X-Men to carry a major story arc more or less by herself (The Days of Future Past comics, in case you were wondering. Originally it was her, not Wolverine, who traveled back in time and saved the day.)

 

Also, she has a tiny purple pet dragon. Need I say more?

Quotes:

You keep waiting for the dust to settle and then you realize this is it; the dust is your life going on. If happy comes along — that weird unbearable delight that’s actually happy — I think you have to grab it while you can. You take what you can get, ’cause it’s here, and then… gone.

My partner here and I have helped save the world at least twice! So a gang of street thugs is really no great big deal. Thanks for worrying, though. That’s sweet.

Just like a classic fairy tale. We’re all gifted with powers… for which we each pay a price.

Professor Xavier is a jerk!

And, later…

Tony Stark is a jerk!

I am Jewish. I am a mutant. And I want people to know who and what I am.

Top Ten Books I Read in 2014

Today I’m going to be linking up with The Broke and the Bookish for Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly feature on their blog. Enjoy!

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Top Ten Books I Read This Year

(I’ve posted seperate list for novels and comics, so technically there are twenty books, but oh well.)

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Novels

1.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. It was just such a fantastic story about growing up, falling in love, and, of course, fanfiction.
2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. It tore my heart into little tiny pieces and then stomped all over them, but it was still an amazing book. I love how friendship was placed so much more highly than romance in the story- that’s something you don’t see very often, and I think it’s important. Falling in love is great and all, but friendship is important too.
3. Ash by Malinda Lo. I love fairy tale retellings so, so much. And you know what I love even more than fairy tale retellings? LGBT+ fairy tale retellings.
4. Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I can’t quite decide whether I liked it or House of Hades better, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending, but it was still an amazing book, and definitely lived up to my expectations.
5. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. I love love loved this book. Fantastic world building, a three dimensional heroine, and a killer plot twist… what more could I ask for?
6. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. The way that she portrayed dragons in her book was so unique. It really intrigued me. And I’ve always loved fantasies revolving around political intrigue, as well. They… well, intrigue me.
7. Hero by Perry Moore. This year I tried to do a little reading of superhero novels, just to get a better idea about the genre I’m writing for. Hero definitely wasn’t what I expected. Instead of action and fighting, it was about personal identity.
8. Quicksilver by RJ Sanderson (I also loved the first book in the duology, Ultraviolet, but I preferred Quicksilver). It was so suspenseful through the whole story. I just couldn’t put it down. Definitely refreshing after Hild (which seemed to go on for ever and ever and ever).
9. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater. I really liked The Raven Boys, don’t get me wrong, but… wow. The shift in point of view really changed the way I think about Ronan.
10. Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil. This is probably the fluffiest book on my list, but hey, geeky romance! Yaaaay!

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Comics

1. The Runaways series by Brian K Vaughan. My first ever comic book (Well, technically, that was New X-Men, but I was so lost and didn’t know who anyone was, so that doesn’t count)! Anyway, I read volume 1 at the beginning of the year and devoured the rest of the series not long after. It’s still one of my favorite books.
2. Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen. Even though the plot seemed a little rushed now and then, the characters were all amazing, and the humor was perfect. It isn’t easy for books to make me laugh, but Young Avengers had me cracking up.
3. Excalibur by Chris Claremont is probably one of the oldest books I’ve read, but hey, who cares? It was a really good series, included three of my favorite characters (Kitty, Kurt, and Rachel), and… Well, I mean, British superheroes. I’m not sure how you can beat that.
4. Princeless by Jeremy Whitley. A fantasy story about busting tropes (and patriarchy!)… What more can you ask for? I’m really disappointed that my library only has volume one.
5. The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks. I’m not quite sure what to say about this one except that it was… fun? Cute? Anyway, I liked it.
6. Hawkeye by Matt Fraction. Clint Barton! Kate Bishop! A dog! Hilarity ensues.
7. Guardians of the Galaxy by Brian Michael Bendis. I liked the older ones as well (and I really miss Moondragon and Phyla Vell), but I felt like Bendis’s run was better overall. I also preferred the art style. And Gamora and Angela make a great pair, too.
8. Amazing X-Men by Jason Aaron. Nightcrawler was the one who pulled me into the Marvel Universe (through the Wolverine and the X-Men TV show), but around 2010-ish, he died. Well, now he’s back (Rule number one of comics: nobody stays dead)! The story was good, I liked the characters, and even if he isn’t up there with Kitty Pryde and Quentin Quire and Gertrude Yorkes, I’ll always love Nightcrawler.
9. All New X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis. I always liked the original X-Men team (except Scott, ugh), and it’s great to see them back, even if it isn’t exactly in the best of circumstances.
10. Wolverine and the X-Men by Jason Aaron (I really love the X-Men, okay?) is probably my current favorite on the list. Amazing X-Men is about… well, the X-Men. All New X-Men is about teens from the past trying to fit in with life today. Uncanny X-Men is about Scott Summers (ugh) being angsty (I think. I haven’t actually read those.) But Wolverine and the X-Men is about the kids at the Jean Grey School. It’s about growing up and looking toward the future and getting past everything that life throws at you. It’s about standing together through thick and thin. And it’s about sassy teenagers and having fun. It’s a lot lighter than the rest of the new X-Men books, and I guess you could say that’s one reason I love it.

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What was your favorite book you read this year? What do you think of the ones I’ve posted?

Shipping and OTPs

Before we get started on the actual post, I’d like to let you know that I’ve written a co-review of “Kill the Moon” (S08, E07 of Doctor Who) with nevillegirl at Musings from Neville’s Navel. You can find the post here.

For those of you who aren’t neck deep in nerd culture and fandoms, I’m going to define what these mysterious “ships” and “OTPs” are (No, it has nothing to do with FedEx).

Shipping (Ship is short for relationship, I think?) generally means that you think two characters would make/ are a cute couple. Sometimes people also ship characters as just friends- they don’t necessarily have to be in a relationship.

OTP stands for “one true pairing”. The thing is, most people have multiple OTPs. It can be taken in different ways, like you have one OTP per fandom, or even per character.

So, anyway, now that I’ve defined those critical terms and self-promoted a bit (as usual), let’s get started! I’m going to be listing my OTPs and my thoughts on them/ why I ship them. Hopefully, this one will have a bit more substance than my horrendous INTJ characters post.

Let the shipping begin!

Clint Barton/ Natasha Romanoff- Marvel Cinematic Universe

“Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call.” -Natasha Romanoff, The Avengers

How could anyone not ship this? I mean, they’re just so perfect for each other. You want chemistry? They’ve got chemistry. I can totally imagine them going on this super romantic dinner date and then right afterwards going out to kick some HYDRA butt or something.

Cecil/ Carlos- Welcome to Night Vale

“Neat!” -Cecil Baldwin, WTNV Episode 16 (The Phone Call)

Why do I ship them, you ask? HAHAHA Cecil and Carlos are just… They’re just… so cuuuuute together. Also I have a weakness for ships where one or both of the people in it are super awkward and nerdy and obviously in love but have a really hard time expressing it and I just… It’s perfect. They’re perfect for each other.

Jenny/ Madame Vastra- Doctor Who

“I’m a lizard woman from the dawn of time, and this is my wife.” -Madame Vastra, The Snowmen

Jenny and Vastra are really one of the only reasons I’m still watching this Moffat stuff. I don’t have as much to say on this one, but… PERFECTION.

Sherlock Holmes/ Molly Hooper- Sherlock

“You’ve always counted.” -Sherlock Holmes, The Reichenbach Fall

As I said, awkward-nerdy-but-still-adorable ships are one of my weaknesses. I don’t really have a whole lot to say on Sherlolly either, though, aside from that it’s cute.

Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman- The Young Avengers

“Oh, ugh. Is love really going to save us all?” -Loki, Young Avengers #13

Why, you ask? Excuse me if I laugh at you again. Billy and Teddy are the best together, there’s no denying it. They understand each other, and they’re just such a (I feel like I’m really overusing this word but) cute couple.

Gertrude Yorkes and Chase Stein- The Runaways

“I was reventilating him. Anyone who says different gets fed to my dinosaur.” -Gertrude Yorkes, Runaways #16

Throughout most of the original series, they hated each other (Well, at least, Gert hated Chase. I have no idea if Chase hated Gert or not.) and then BOOM.  They were absolutely in love and it was perfect. And it wasn’t perfect, either. It was realistic. They had their ups and downs. It wasn’t all just fluffiness and rainbows, but they still stayed together, and… I think that makes it all the better.

Let me know what your ships and OTPs are in the comments!

INTJ

First off, before we get started here, I’d like to shove you in the general direction of gently nudge you toward the new page I created on my current WIP novel.

And now that you’ve done that (You have, right? Thanks. You’re an awesome human being. High five!), on to the actual post. Basically, I’m going to list a few characters who supposedly share my personality type and my thoughts on them and our similarities (because I like making lists).

If you want to try this, you can take the test here and find the character list here.

Brief summary of my type (INTJ): INTJs are clever, analytical, pragmatic and logical, and are not scared to tell someone (or themselves) when they’re being stupid. They emphasize efficiency, making them simultaneously loners and excellent leaders.

Batman from DC Comics
As you probably already know, I’m not a huge DC fan and I really don’t know enough about him to judge my thoughts on this one, but hey, I’m Batman!

Ebeneezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol
Um I really don’t think so but oookay? Maybe I can see him being an INTJ, but I’m still not really very much like him.

Four (Tobias Eaton) from Divergent
I haven’t read Divergent yet but I’m going to file this away for future reference.

Some Incarnations of the Doctor from Doctor Who
That’s not very helpful. Maybe if I knew which ones it was talking about? Twelve, I suppose?

Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter
NOPE. Voldemort isn’t an INTJ.  I can say that for a fact. I mean, those long “I’m going to gloat and rant about you before I kill you” speech he does every time he gets his hand on Harry isn’t very “clever, pragmatic, and logical” of him, is it? Maybe I can go with Snape. But not Voldemort.

Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
AHAHAHA My life is complete. I am Marvin the Paranoid Android. I guess I can maybe see a tiny bit of a resemblance? Maybe?

Smaug from The Hobbit
Why yes I do have a nasty habit of hoarding treasure. This is turning into less of a “deep thoughts on my similarities to the characters” and more of a sarcastic commentary.

Amon from The Legend of Korra
WOAH OKAY let’s take a detour and talk about storylines that don’t live up to their potential, yes? Because Amon and the Equalists had a lot of wasted potential. When they were first introduced, I had kind of expected them to be more of a metaphor for other real life equal rights movements. But then the show kind of brushed them off as being bad guys who think that the Benders are privileged even though they aren’t. I felt like the storyline would have been a lot more interesting if it were more about Korra questioning the world as she knew it, and who was right- the Benders or the Equalists. If that makes any sense? Anyway. Back on track.

Scar from The Lion King
Why am I always the bad guy? Geez.

Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Um, yeah, I can agree with that one, actually. Even though he’s a villain.

Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
YES AN AWESOME AND AMBITIOUS DISNEY LADY! AND SHE’S NOT A VILLAIN!

Professor James Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock Holmes
Annnnd another villain.

Khan from Star Trek: Into Darkness
First Sherlock, and now Khan. I’m sensing a pattern here.

So basically a short list of villains, with a few heroes and more sympathetic villains scattered in between. And I must say, I like a lot of the characters on this list.

My Favorite Comic Books

So, yes. It’s been a really really long time since I actually posted on here. But hopefully I’m back now! And to get this blog up and running again, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite comic books, including what I liked, what I didn’t like, etc. Enjoy!

The Avengers
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Main Characters: Iron Man, Captain America (Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes), Thor, Red Hulk, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Wolverine, Spider-Woman
What I Liked: I’ve actually liked a lot of the Brian Michael Bendis stuff I’ve read so far. He does a really good job with the team dynamics, and sometimes the plotlines.
What I Didn’t Like: You know how I said “sometimes” the plotlines? Yeah, well, in Avengers they’re kind of a hit or a miss. Some I loved, some I didn’t.
The Verdict: 6/10



Hawkeye
Writer: Matt Fraction
Main Characters: Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, and Pizza Dog
What I Liked: They were really funny, and the characters were really relatable. It was also really interesting reading a comic about a not-so-super hero while he’s not being a… well… hero. And the cameos in vol. 2 were a lot of fun too. And Pizza Dog. I love Pizza Dog.
What I Didn’t Like: It’s fun. Not that that’s a bad thing, but sometimes it feels like that was the sole goal of the book. When the plot did get “serious”, it felt kind of… I don’t know… dull. I dunno. Maybe I’m not making much sense here. Anyway.
The Verdict: 8/10

Amazing X-Men
Writer: Jason Aaron? I think?
Main Characters: Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm, Firestar, Northstar, Iceman, Azazel
What I Liked: Firestar’s character development was great. Her change through the course of the story… She became a lot more confident in her place as an X-Man. And Nightcrawler’s back! He’s been one of my favorites ever since I got into X-Men. So that was great. I guess… just the characterizations overall. And the plot was very well done, too.
What I Didn’t Like: The way it ended. I can’t really go into detail without spoilers, but… just no. I didn’t like the ending.
The Verdict: 8/10



Young Avengers
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Main Characters: Wiccan, Hulkling, Miss America, Kate Bishop, Kid Loki, Speed, Prodigy, Marvel Boy/ Noh Varr/ The Protector/ whatever he calls himself
What I Liked: The team dynamics and character development were AMAZING. I loved each and every one of the characters. And the writing was hilarious. And Billy and Teddy were just so darn CUTE together.
What I Didn’t Like: The plot felt really rushed sometimes, like they were trying to cram too much into too few pages. And am I the only one who didn’t get the whole Kid-Loki-Turning-Into-Teenage-Loki thing? I dunno.
The Verdict: 9/10



Excalibur (Classic)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Main Characters: Captain Britain, Meggan, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Rachel Summers
What I Liked: These are probably the oldest comics I’ve read which means they’re from before 2000 and WOAH THERE’S MORE THAN ONE TOKEN GIRL ON THE TEAM THIS IS SHOCKING. But seriously. The plot was great (I loved the concept of the Warwolves), and a lot of my favorite characters were included.
What I Didn’t Like: I found the art kind of meh, but that’s just personal preference. It’s also annoyingly hard to get your hands on a copy.
The Verdict: 7/10



Runaways
Writers: Brian Vaughan and Joss Whedon
Main Characters: Gertrude Yorkes, Karolina Dean, Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Molly Hayes, Alex Wilder, Xavin, Victor Macha
What I Liked: Um. EVERYTHING. No. Just kidding. I’ll try to be a bit more specific here. Most of the time, the art was great (most of the time meaning “when it wasn’t that weird manga stuff”). The plotlines were stupendous. But the best part was the character development. If you like excellent, three dimensional characters, chances are you’ll LOVE Runaways. As an added bonus, Joss Whedon was such a huge fan that when Brian Vaughan left he wrote a few issues.
What I Didn’t Like: As mentioned before, after a little while, (around vol 9 I think?) the art style switched to a really weird manga-but-not-really thing and I didn’t like it at all. Also, since the series was canceled in 2009, there are a ton of strings left untied that’ll have you making up headcanons for years to figure out what happened.
The Verdict: 10/10 as long as you pretend everything after Joss Whedon’s books never existed.

All New X-Men
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Main Characters: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, Archangel, Iceman, Shadowcat, Storm, Mystique (I feel like I’m forgetting someone, though…)
What I Liked: The plot was really unique, and it was pretty cool to see all the old X-Men trying to adjust to modern day life. Kitty’s banter with Bobby was a lot of fun to read. The dark path Jean has started heading down is pretty interesting, although I’m not quite sure what’s up with her relationship with Hank? But oh well. He’s got to be better than Scott.
What I Didn’t Like: SCOTT SUMMERS. Ugh. That guy. Get it? Huh? Huh? Thinly veiled Night Vale reference? But seriously. He’s starting to get on my nerves. A lot.
The Verdict: 8/10

Quarterly Rewind: Spring 2014

So, hi guys! It’s me again, believe it or not. Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I’ve had a really hard time coming up with ideas for posts lately, but hopefully I’m back now. Keep an eye out for my review of Ash by Malinda Lo, as it should be coming soon!

(And yes, I’ve borrowed the Quarterly Rewind from Musings from Neville’s Navel again.) It’s a bit late, but hey, who cares?

Favorite Quote From A Book I Read This Spring

“I got to thinking that poems were like people. Some people you got right off the bat. Some people you just didn’t get- and never would.”

-Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Sáenz

This Spring In One Word

Busy!

Most Popular Review This Spring

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Top Two Books I Read This Spring

1. Ash, by Malinda Lo. I haven’t even finished it yet, but gosh, this book is amazing. Queer protagonists! Fairy tale style storytelling (in a YA book)! What’s not to like?
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. METAPHORS! Metaphors everywhere!

Two Things I’m Looking Forward To This Summer

1. Horseback riding. I’m doing a summer camp, so that’ll be fun. Even if it’ll be really hot out.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy comes out on August 1st! I can’t wait!

Three New Obsessions This Spring

1. Comic books. I still haven’t read that many, but the ones I have read, I’ve loved.
2. Renaissance-era stuff. My school is doing a renaissance fair next year, so I’ve been doing a lot of research.
3. Polyvore, a new favorite website of mine. Which is weird. I’ve never really been into fashion. Even if it’s fandom related.

Most Popular Three Blog Posts Overall This Spring

How to Read and Write Circular Gallifreyan

Elsa and Anna: Not the First

Why Gertrude Yorkes Needs a Bit More Appreciation

Three Posts I Loved On Other Blogs This Spring

Review: The House of Hades (Musings from Neville’s Navel)

Bending Over Backward (This Page Intentionally Left Blank)

Writers Should Learn Languages (YAvengers)

Three Things That Happened This Spring

1. I’ve branched out in my reading interests a bit. I’ve started reading a lot more historical fiction, queer fiction, and comic books lately.
2. I was REALLY busy in May. I had a horse show and two big school events. It was fun, though.
3. I volunteered to help teach a book club at school next year with a few friends!

Six Songs That I Listened To Far Too Often This Spring

1. Cassandra’s Waltz, from the Doctor Who soundtrack. It’s so lovely and sci-fi sounding at the same time.
2. New Year’s Day, by U2. I don’t know what it is about this song, but I love it.
3. New Soul, by Yael Naim. Which is weird. This is more my mom’s kind of music (I usually don’t listen to upbeat songs), but… I like it.
4. Nobody but Me, by Save Ferris.
5. Warg Scouts, from the An Unexpected Journey soundtrack. This one is great for writing action scenes to.
6. I Can See the Light from Tangled.