2012 Fill in the Blanks

So. Um. Hi. Still alive here, if anyone was curious.
Tumblr Life kind of happened recently. That and that occasional feeling of inadequacy you sometimes experience when you've been blogging for more than two and a half years and don't even have 150 followers to show for it, while other bloggers have twice that after six months.

BUT

That's not why I'm here! And don't worry (or maybe you should?) because I plan to be on much more often, especially after all the books and ARCS I received over the holidays. (I'm really excited to read them all, to be honest.)

I opted out of "Favorites" this year, because of how pitifully little I read, and because of how pitifully little time I have. Catching up on Doctor Who really fills up my schedule. But, I can't just let the year end, can I?

Last year and the year before (wow. it's been a while) I played this "Fill in the Blanks" game, where you answer the questions with titles of books you read over the year. I got this from a blog whose link no longer leads anywhere, so I don't know what happened to it, but I believe the site was called Brooke's Reviews. I claim no credit for the questions*, and if you like the game, please feel free to join in on the fun!

Describe Yourself:

Fullmetal Alchemist

I have self-confidence. Also, magic.

How You Feel:

Wildefire

*screeches off-tune* There's a fire starting in my heart...

Describe Where You Currently Live:

Into the Wild

Okay, I live in a city, but same difference...

If You Could Go Anywhere, You Would Go:

The Fault on Our Stars

Is there a rift in time-and-space up there, you think?

Your Favorite Form of Transportation:

Wings of the Wicked

Also, good ones. I'm not picky when I'm running late.

Your Best Friend Is:

Little Women (Woman?)

It's hard to be grammatically correct, sometimes...

The Weather Right Now is Like:

Clarity

It's dark, but pretty clear, I guess?

Your Favorite Time of Day:

Graffiti Moon

Well, any moon. But Graffiti ones are the coolest.

Life to You Is:

A Game of Thrones

Yeah, I totally don't imagine the entire world is playing a game of political intrigue. Neeevvveer....

You Fear:

Red Moon Rising

You'd be scared to see a red moon rising too, don't deny it!

The Best Advice You Have to Give:

I am the Messenger

...so beware...

Thought for the Day:

Rules of Survival

No, I'm not telling you what they are.

You Would Like to Die:

Looking for Alaska

It would be a grand adventure, dontcha think?

Your Soul's Present Condition:

Possession

...but of what?

Well, that was fun. Have a lovely year, dearies!

Peace,
Riv


*though this year I took the liberty to rephrase them a little bit, though they are still the same ones.

Currently Reading...

Hey Blogger Buds,
I'm pressed for time today (not sure if I'm going to be able to post on Tuesday, though I may be online Tuesday night...) so here is the loooong list of books I'm in middle of:

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynn Jones

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

What do all of these have in common? A lot of double-named authors. I'm on vacation, so here's to hoping that I finish at least two or three of them in the next few days.

You know what? Who cares about two or three? Let's hope I can just finish that monstrous tome, A Game of Thrones!

Read any of them? What'd you think? What are y'all currently reading? And why do I sound like a Texan?

Peace,

Riv

Character Comparisons

Hey Blogger Buds,
It's a writing post today. Or at least an attempt at one. As you guys may know, I give out the occasional tip on writing, but I'm pretty useless at it, which is why I usually try to keep my mouth shut. But, just a few minutes ago, I started a chart, comparing two characters. They grew up together, long-standing rivals that hate each others' guts. One is a "good guy" the other is a "bad guy." And I decided they were a bit too black-and-white, good-and-evil, for my tastes.

This is what happens when you have a Chromebook. You
spend obscene amounts of time on sketchy websites to blot
out things.

Hence the chart.

As you can see by my...lovely...work of art, I tried to cover as many bases as possible without getting insanely specific. (This chart is still a work in progress, bt dubs)

I want these characters to be incredibly similar, except for the small things, like habits, and the important ones, their cores. The only real difference, in my eyes, is that one of them has more of a capacity for "change for the good" than the other. I'll explain.
"A" (that's purple, if you're curious and can't see) maintains the core belief that the one should be sacrificed for the all. This is not in any way a good, redeemable quality, because we want our heroes to be good and care about people, but A, at least, believes in sacrifice, in the greater good.
On the other hand, E (Mr. Blue up there) lacks a [normal] moral compass and believes that it's each man for himself.
Both of these men will be driven to kill. But someone who doesn't care about anyone but himself can't turn into a hero.


What am I driving at? Good question. I'm just saying that I strongly believe in the shades-of-grey characters (not to be confused with the Fifty Shades of Grey characters), and making your bad guy and your good guy mirror each other, not in a cliche way, but in a "look what Mr. Antihero* could have been" way.

I'd really love to hear your opinions on this. Thoughts, anyone?

Peace,
Riv

*No, that's not what the A stands for.

The Iron Legends Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
As you know, from this post last week, I obtained a book. And I would have happy-danced when I obtained it, if not for the face that there were people around. You know, real people. The normal kind. But I've finished this book and, as expected, loved it. In case the title of this blog post didn't tip you off, I'm talking about The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa.
My review is split up a bit differently today, since The Iron Legends is an anthology.
I don't have time to get the "Add it on Goodreads" picture, so ADD ON GOODREADS.

Blurby (based on Goodreads summary, slightly chopped up):

Enter the world of the internationally bestselling Iron Fey series. Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of the Iron Fey plus the Guide to the Iron Fey with exclusive information about Julie Kagawa's unforgettable world of Faery.

Winter's Passage
Summer's Crossing
Iron's Prophecy
Three Iron Fey novellas for the first time in print!

Review:

tl;dr review: Two of these stories were a reread for me, and it was so sweet to revisit characters, especially to see Meghan how she was after only one book.

Who Done It?

Hey Blogger Buds,
Just wanted to let the writerly amongst you know that Figment, SoHo Teen, and New Leaf Literary have put together something epic: An alibi contest. You've been accused of murdering Herman Mildew, one of the nastiest people alive and the quintessential example of an editor.
You claim you didn't do it?
Prove it.

Write Right here. Right now.


Peace and love blood,
Riv


*note, only for peeps 13-18. And sorry, maturity level doesn't count, my adult writerly friends.

Croak Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
Today (*ahem* tonight) I'm reviewing Croak by Gina Damico! Gina is made of win (and she's one of those lucky people with a url that fits her name: check her out at ginadami.co)

Blurby:

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for justice - or is it vengeance? - whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

Review:

tl;dr version: Hysterical with a super unique voice and original plotline, Croak is an #epicwin