Goodbye, October!

October, like September, took forever. And yet, it flew past. Like where did the end of summer/start of fall go? How is it already November? How is 2020 already almost over? What the actual hell??

Just like 2019, I wanted to make some resolutions and (try to) stick to them. As a reminder, here were my updated resolutions.


2020 Resolutions:

     (1) Write [almost] every day

     (2) Don't stop reading

     (3) Complete something (e.g. a manuscript)

     (4) Share love of books/writing
     (5) Be kinder to myself

(1) Less than half. If at all. I counted querying as writing days...if that counts...

(2) Books read this month: 7. (Still have those three half-started books...And three more half-started...And a pile of I'll-Start-This-Tomorrow's...Plus two new huge piles of TBRs).

(3) Two Moves Ahead querying. Like straight up querying. I sent out around 23 query letters. So far, I got about 5-7 rejections. The first one was exciting. The second one was a hit to the gut. Three through five were just like "eh, what are you gonna do?". Still waiting....

(4) Posts this month (including this one): 13.

(5) I didn't try to exercise this month. There were days were I tried to eat better. There were days when I just didn't care. And mostly, I was okay with it. There were a few days were I hated my body because of it, but those feelings didn't last nearly as long as they did in the past.

Anyone still holding onto their resolutions?

Any exciting November reads?
Anything I should check out?

#newyearsresolutions #goodbyeoctober #hellonovember #hello2020 #keeplearning #writeeveryday #dontstopreading #completesomething #getprofessional #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

The Wicker King

This novel destroyed me. I sobbed for the last 50-75 pages. Sobbed. 

But it was soooooo fuuuuucking goooood. Like I don't know why I put off reading it for so long. Like I don't know how I almost donated this book without reading it. Like I don't know what I've been missing (a serious piece of my heart and all of last night's sleep--thank you weird-ass dreams).

["When August learns that his best friend, Jack, shows signs of degenerative hallucinatory disorder, he is determined to help Jack cope. Jack’s vivid and long-term visions take the form of an elaborate fantasy world layered over our own—a world ruled by the Wicker King. As Jack leads them on a quest to fulfill a dark prophecy in this alternate world, even August begins to question what is real or not.

August and Jack struggle to keep afloat as they teeter between fantasy and their own emotions. In the end, each must choose his own truth."]

It was what I needed to read (LGBT, an almost mystery, and something that toes the line of conventional--each chapter is no more than 2 pages; the entire novel reads more as a series of prose poetry more than a traditional novel). It helped me get a grasp of what a borderline toxic (or fully toxic or barely toxic--depending on how you look at it) relationship looks like. And through K. Ancrum (the author), I found another interesting looking Peter Pan spin-off to read soon (when her next book comes out next summer).

"The Legend of the Golden Raven" is the same story (in novella form) but told from Jack's point of view instead. Which I had to wait 24 hours to read so give myself a break, to give my tear ducts a break, to give my headache/heartache/own mental health a break (this book might mess with your mind, just an fyi--please see the trigger warnings below).

Plus the cover is gorgeous, and the inside illustrations are amazing, and the pages (GOD the PAGES) are all symbolic on how they get darker and darker as the boys descend into their own madness.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: negligence, drowning, arson, PTSD, mental illnesses, suicidal thoughts, drug distribution, rough sexual situations, slightly toxic relationships (and seriously toxic relationships), institutionalized medicine/hospitalization

#thewickerking #thelegendofthegoldenraven #kancrum #LGBT #LGBTbooks #yapsychologicalthriller #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Fangirl

I first read "Fangirl" (my very first Rainbow Rowell novel) about 3-4 years ago. And it changed my life. Literally

I didn't know you could write a novel about fangirls. I didn't know you could write a book about a fandom that mimics another real-life fandom. I didn't know that you could talk about fanfiction. (I had first discovered fanfiction about 9 months before I read "Fangirl"--and that also dramatically and literally changed my life).

I then went and read "Carry On." Because what else would be the logical next step? 

And that too changed my life. I didn't know you could write about LGBT/slash-ficiton/queer literature. I didn't know that was a thing (and now, that's my favorite thing to read). Yes, I read slash-fanfiction all the time (went to bed every night--still do--by reading a few pieces on AO3), but I didn't know that real, published, getting-paid-to-write-this-stuff books could be like this. 

It changed the way I read. It changed the way I write. It shifted my entire grad thesis. It shifted my entire To Be Written (wish)list.

All because of "Fangirl."

["Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan..

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?"]

And I'll fight anyone who says that fanfiction isn't real fiction (sorry Professor Piper). J.M. Barrie (author/creator of Peter Pan) was one of the very first documented fanfiction writers (wrote about Sherlock Holmes--his bff was Sir Doyle himself). Without fanfic, we wouldn't have "Paradise Lost" or "West Side Story" or "Carry On" or "Fifty Shades". Fanfic is real. That is all. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

#fangirl #rainbowrowell #magicath #carryon #carryonsimon #simonsnow #snowbaz #bazpitch #tyrannusbasiltongrimmpitch #anywaythewindblows #waywardson #watford #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Fangirl, Volume 1: The Manga

Fangirl, Volume 1: The Manga 

Read in one sitting. Total of maybe an hour (had to take a pumpkin mocha breve break--minus the pumpkin and the breve--so really just a cocoa break).

Beautifully adapted (by Sam Maggs) manga, illustrated by Gabi Nam, inspired by Rainbow Rowell's "Fangirl". 

Which, going into the meta-fan-hole again, is a book about a fan-girl in a famous (HP-style) fandom, writing an ultra popular fanfic before the final canon-book is published that will end the Simon Snow series forever. The one by Gemma T. Leslie. Not the one by Rainbow Rowell (which will also end forever soon). As she (Cath--the fan-girl in "Fangirl") struggles with her first year of college, of being away from home, of making friends, of writing fanfic with having a top-notch-writing-prof who doesn't believe in fanfic (idiots). All the while finding herself, finding friends, and finding love.

Annnnyway. This very first volume (1/4) covers Cath's first day of college all the way to her first emergency dance party. It stops right after she receives the 911 text from her twin-y, Wren. Just to give you a non-spoils incite on how this book runs alongside the original Rowell text.

And now I'm off to re-read Fangirl. Because why not. Because I need more Snowbaz in my life (always). I mean, that's the whole premise with Cath (Simon and Baz are the one thing that is untouchable, something that never fails to make her happy and calm and scream more than anything/anyone--same, girl, same). Annnnd those two fools (sorry Bazzy, but when it comes to Simon, you're head-over-heels-stupid) are the reason we know have our very own, real-life Simon Snow series (because Rainbow couldn't get them out of her head either--I mean, who can).

#fangirl #fangirlmagna #rainbowrowell #sammaggs #gabinam #magicath #carryon #carryonsimon #simonsnow #snowbaz #bazpitch #tyrannusbasiltongrimmpitch #anywaythewindblows #waywardson #watford #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Camp

A gay fucking masterpiece.

Camping and Camping. Both definitions. Together.

Fucking fabulous.

["Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It's where he met his best friends. It's where he takes to the stage in the big musical. And it's where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim - who's only into straight-acting guys and barely knows not-at-all-straight-acting Randy even exists.

This year, though, it's going to be different. Randy has reinvented himself as 'Del' - buff, masculine, and on the market. Even if it means giving up show tunes, nail polish, and his unicorn bedsheets, he's determined to get Hudson to fall for him.

But as he and Hudson grow closer, Randy has to ask himself how much is he willing to change for love. And is it really love anyway, if Hudson doesn't know who he truly is?"]

Not only that, but this book, this camp, emphasized to be You, no matter who that person is. To be femme or butch or masc or both or neither. Be You. 

And the camp teaches them (and therefore us) a little bit of LGBT+ history. Which is always (always) a plus plus plus.

Trigger Warnings: bullying, homophobia

#camp #levacrosen #becampatcamp #books #LGBTbooks #LGBT #LGBTcamping #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebook

Cemetery Boys

I thought about buying this book a few times. I didn't. But then I saw some really, really cute fan art, and I caved (fan art always does it for me, y'all).

And Aiden Thomas's book "Cemetery Boys" was fucking worth it. So fucking fabulous. They created such a fantastic world here, mingling real hispanic/latinx culture into a magical realism world of healing/helping.

As Julian put it, Yadriel's aesthetic is goth gay witch. And what is more beautiful than that? (nothing--okay, slow burn romances and fierce protectiveness and gay kisses? maybe that).

["Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can't get rid of him.

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He's determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave."]

And not to spoil anything, but you know that Harry Potter headcannon, where a trans-Gryffindor-girl attempts to go up the girl's staircase (to the girls dormitories), hoping that it won't turn into a slide (like the stairs do when Ron/Harry/any boy tried to go up them), but they remain stairs, and it proves to that person that she really is a girl? 

Yeah, Aiden took that headcannon (or something like that) and created this book and the whole brujo/a thing. Is Yadriel a bruja because he was assigned the female gender at birth? Or is Yadriel a brujo because he's a boy, identifies as a male, knows in his heart/soul/brain that he is a man? (Read it and find out!)

Also, by buying and reading this book, you are supporting POC authors/trans authors who write about POC characters/trans characters.

Trigger Warnings: death, dying, gangs, violence, transphobia, homophobia, etc

#cemeteryboys #aidenthomas #latinxbooks #magicalrealismbooks #LGBTbooks #LGBT #transcharacter #magical realism #latinxauthor #LGBTauthor #latinxmagic #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Good Girl, Bad Blood

Another excellent installment in the Good Girl's Guide To Murder series by Holly Jackson.

Seriously. It was so good. Just when you think you (Pip) figured shit out, the world turns upside down and there's another layer to the drama, to the murder.
Or another twist.
Or another suspect.
Or a totally called for emotional break down (thank you for all but making me ball on the airplane, thanks for that)

["Pip Fitz-Amobi is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared but the police won’t do anything about it. And if they won’t look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way… and this time EVERYONE is listening.

But will she find him before it’s too late?"]

I want more of...this. Of YA murder mystery novels. Any suggestions? Please? :) 

Trigger Warnings: emotional abuse, physiological abuse, blackmail, murder, rape, drug use, date-rape drugs, alcohol, jail/prison, violence, threats, death, racism, sexism, lies, bullying

#goodgirlbadblood #agoodgirlsguidetomurder #hollyjackson #murder #yamurder #books #murdermysteries #whodoneit #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks