Greetings Friends

 Hey reader friends.  I took a hiatus from blogging over the fall.  I did a few videos on youtube, and messed around on the clock app.  And of course, I read books. 

Some of the books I have finished recently are:

* The Narrow - Kate Alice Marshall 
* I'm not Done With you Yet - Jesse Q. Sutanto
* Murder on the Christmas Express - Alexandra Benedict 

I really enjoyed all three of them.  Here is a video review I did of I'm Not Done With You Yet.

What have you all been reading lately?  Any favorite books of this year? Let me know in the comments.

My Dearest Darkest - Kayla Cunningham

Title: My Dearest Darkest 
Author: Kayla Cottingham
Format: Paperback 
Rating: 5 Stars 

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WILDER GIRLS meets THE CRAFT in this Sapphic horror debut that asks: What price would you be willing to pay to achieve your deepest desires?

Finch Chamberlin is the newest transfer student to the ultra-competitive Ulalume Academy... but she's also not what she seems. Months before school started, Finch and her parents got into an accident that should have left her dead at the bottom of a river. But something monstrous, and ancient, and terrifying, wouldn't let her drown. Finch doesn't know why she woke up after her heart stopped, but since dying she's felt a constant pull from the school and the surrounding town of Rainwater, like something on the island is calling to her.

Selena St. Clair sees right through Finch, and she knows something is seriously wrong with her. But despite Selena's suspicion, she feels drawn to Finch and has a sinking feeling that from now on the two will be inexplicably linked to one another.

One night Finch, Selena, and her friends accidentally summon a carnivorous creature of immense power in the depths of the school. It promises to grant every desire the girls have kept locked away in their insecure hearts―beauty, power, adoration―in exchange for a price: human body parts. But as the cost of their wanting becomes more deadly, Finch and Selena must learn to work together to stop the horror they unleashed, before it consumes the entire island.

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I have been searching all year for a book that hits the nail on the five star head.  The Mary Shelley Club was one, and this was the other!  This book was creepy and weird and gave me all the 5 star shivers. 

Was the book without faults? No.  After all, Finch could have been just a smidge *deeper* and more developed. But overall, the feels this book gave me were enough to overlook the fact that the MC needed more development. 

The rest of the characters were wonderful. There was the angst that is typical in YA novels, but come on - being a teenager is hard. Being a teenager at a school with a weird creature living under the tunnels is even harder. I mean, Damn. 

There were some really gross moments in this book, and a lot of body horror. (Seriously, if you can't handle body horror, don't read this book.) But for me, that added to the tension and mystery in the book.  I loved the mystery behind Nerosi.  There was this spirit behind her and a change to her as each sacrifice happened that really opened her character.  Each appearance if the stag and the past people who were lost to Nerosi's weird life were also great looks into her character and what she was really like. 

I loved the aspect of this horrific creature and all these events happening at an old boarding school (old as in the building has been has been around for a while.)  Having all the hidden tunnels under the school added a mysterious element because you never new what was going to happen to the students or what they were going to really fund when they went to the tunnels. 

The thing that did seem strange to me was that students at a boarding school would be able to live basically off campus like Selena, Kyra, and their other friend did.  Teenagers are certainly much more independent than younger kids, but these kids are still in school, and I'm assuming that when teens go to a boarding school, the parents are trusting the staff to take care of the kids and keep an eye on them.  These kids living off campus in that light house definitely opened the door to the kids being able to cause a lot of fuss (hello Nerosi!) 

Overall, though, I really love this book.  It has the perfect amount of weird and creepy with some great self exploration and self discovery thrown in.  

 

Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas

 

Title: Cemetery Boys
Author: Aiden Thomas
Format: Audiobook
Rating: 5 Stars 

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A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys, described by Entertainment Weekly as "groundbreaking."

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. 

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This is, hands down, one of the best books I've ever read.  I laughed, I cried, I screamed while I was reading it.  And I loved every single page. I did not want this book to end, even when it ripped out my heart, stomped on it, and left me for dead.

Yadriel, a boy from a traditional Latinx family, is trans and struggling to sow his family that he is, in fact, a brujo.  But, when he summons a ghost that is not his deceased cousin, he has a whole new thing to struggle with.

This book has all the ups and downs of teenage life - the parents and aunts and uncles and cousins who annoy you even though you love them. The friends who get dramatic and testy with you. All the drama, you know.  That's like life for many (not all though, come on) teenagers. It also has the added exploration of what it's like for Yadriel to be a queer, trans boy in a traditional Latinx family.  Even when they try, it's a struggle for them, especially his dad, to accept Yad for who he really is.

I loved the family dynamic in this book. I loved that they were such a close knit family who really looked after each other, even when they had their struggles.  I also think this family dynamic really worked in playing into the characters growth and development throughout this book.  Yad's dad, for example, was not as open about Yad being trans as he claimed to be. He'd dead name Yad, and up until the end, he really seemed to have a hard time seeing Yad as his son. I don't want to get to spoiler-y here in case you haven't read the book yet. So let's just say, Yad's dad comes around and it is WONDERFUL!

The character development in this book was on point. Watching Julian grow from this smart mouthed sarcastic, kind of bitter young man, into someone who was still a smart ass but who realized he needed to depend on other people, like his brother was awesome. Watching the changes in Yad and in Yad's dad was great as well. Yad realized that he can be strong even when it feels like the world is beating him down because of who he is. He explored himself, learned what his pronouns are, learned that he can and should demand respect and to be treated decently - he's amazing. And I think Yad's dad was the biggest thing - the way he changed throughout this book was awesome. He went from being this guy who struggled to accept his son, and didn't believe his son could be a brujo, to being a firm believer that Yad really is a brujo and is son. I just could cry.

The events of this book fit together so well, and weaved into each other from one page to the next. Each thing led into this bigger thing, which led into the massive monumental surprise at the end - and let me tell you, getting to that surprise is so worth is because it led to other surprise events that left me screaming and crying and hating a certain character so so much. The whole story was very well written, complete with foreshadowing and lots of tension and buildup throughout the entire book. The story flowed well, and everything that was in this book really worked well together.  

My favorite things are definitely:

* The relationship between Yad and Maritza
* The fact that Maritza is so determined to stick to her beliefs but was willing to do what she had to do save Yad.
* Watching Yad save his friend and his brother all while facing a hard truth about someone he loved was so hard and so amazing.
* Maritza's dogs!

Reader friends, if you've read this book, let me know what you think in the comments. I'm dying to hear from you.  If you haven't read this book - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR.

If you feel so inclined, stop by to visit author Aiden Thomas's website to check out their new book coming out in March. It's a Peter Pan retelling called Lost in the Never Woods, and it sounds wonderful.

Movie Review: The Crimes of Grindlewald

FYI: Spoilers Ahead.  Massive, massive spoilers ahead.  If you haven't seen The Crimes of Smelly Balls, and you want to, don't read this review!

Also, this is going to be long - so grab a beer (or a pop), a bowl of popcorn maybe, and settle in for a nice read.

You read that post title right: I said movie review! I know, I know, this is a BOOK BLOG - but Y'all, give me some credit - it's a "Wizard World" movie.

If you haven't seen the movie or the trailer, here's a trailer for your, um. laughter and confusion:

Originally, I was not going to see this movie.  I was disappointed in the first movie - and then, I uh, watched a bunch of reviews on the youtube from people who hated the Crimes of Grindelwald.  And I thought - Gee Do I really want to spend money to see this movie?!  But, curiosity and a devout sense of loyalty and love towards the original 7 Harry Potter books got the better of me. So, I went to see this movie.

My reaction?  Well...

This movie was confusing and disjointed at best.  The movie opens with Grindelwald (or "Grindelwald") being released from what I understand is a jail cell in MACUSA (the Magical Congress of the United States.)  Something makes it's way into his cell, blows up, lots of smoke, etc.  So, then a few aurors come along, take Grindelwald out of his cell, he's taken away in a carriage, and once he's in this carriage, he manages to pull a con and escape, with his newest follower - this dude:

So, then a bunch of crazy shit happens, okay?  We find out through the course of this movie that:

1. Jacob Kowalski DIDN'T FORGET ANYTHING!  Remember at the end of the first Fantastic Beasts movie, when Jacob and every other muggle (oh, oh sorry - NOMAG!) in NYC had magical rain fall on them that was supposed to obliviate them?!  REMEMBER THAT?!!  Yeah, so Jacob comes in, making out with Queenie (we'll get to that in a minute), and Newt sees him and he's so confused.  Jacob's explanation is that the magical water only washed away the BAD MEMORIES!  He says "I ain't got any bad memories."  He has some confusing memories, and some weird memories, but no bad memories so he still knows everything that happens in the first movie.

Now, in case you are new to this whole wizard thing, the definition of obliviate is:

A spell that can erase the memory of someone, partially or completely

So, yeaaaah.  Maybe I'm missing something - but I don't see anywhere in that definition that says the obliviate spell only gets rid of bad memories.



2. Credence is still alive.  Yes, that Credence:

I mean, I'm not the only one who remembers that moment at the end of the first Fantastic Beasts movie WHEN CREDENCE GOT KILLED BECAUSE HE WAS AN OBSCURIUS RIGHT?!?!?!

Well.  I GUESS NOT! 

So, Credence is alive.  Then he somehow ends up in France in the same circus as Nagini (more on that in the next point!)  Passive little Credence is traveling around with this magical circus and keeping tabs on Nagini. 

Then, he meets Grindelwald. He seems really enchanted by Grindelwald, because The Big G tells him "Hey I know a secret about your family - if you want to learn it come to my special meeting!"  So, resurrected Credence goes to this meeting, then, when all hell breaks loose, he and Grindelwald make their way to Nurmengard, the castle turned prison.  And that's where Grindelwald tells Credence (right at the end of the movie) that Credence IS A DUMBLEDORE!

Did you read that?! 

Okay. 

Well, here's the thing, yo!  Like, G is sitting here like "Hey you're a freaking Dumbledore!"  BUT HERE'S THE THING: Kendra Dumbledore died in 1899.  Also, during the time when Credence should have been born, Percival Dumbledore was in Azkaban.  Sometime in the 1880's until his death after 1890-ish, Percival was in jail.  Also, as far as I know, Percival is not an animagus.  So, he could not have transformed into an animal to escape and impregnate Kendra again.  SO HOW is Credence a Dumbledore?!  HOW!!?!?!??!?!?!?!


3. Nagini is an enslaved young Eastern Asian woman who can turn into a snake (against her will.  She was born with a curse that turns her into a snake.) Apparently, she is a Maledictus, and this causes her to turn into a snake every night - and eventually, she will turn into a snake permanently!  WHAT?!

So, she's part of this circus.  She's kept there to show off that she can transform into a snake! Anyway.  Let's break this down.  Nagini, the snake from the HP series, is a human trapped in a snake's body and then enslaved by Voldemort.  In the entire HP series - the entire bloody series - there is not one mention, NOT ONE MENTION, that Nagini is a maledictus.  NONE.  Nagini was just a fucking snake throughout the entire HP series.  So.  Now, the Crimes of Grindelwald comes along, and suddenly Nagini was actually a woman who turned into a snake.

Not only that, but she is an enslaved woman of Eastern Asian descent - and I really want Jo Rowling to explain that to me?  Because this feels really racist and really continues the trope of the passive Asian woman who is going to do whatever you want, because that's just life.

This whole idea that there is this group of people who are or should be seen as subservient and passive and slaveworthy just because of who they are needs to end.  Asian women are not just this group of people who should be treated this way - they are people.  They deserve to be treated like they can be empowered and they deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as every other person.  This whole point brings me to my next point:

4. Leta LeStrange's mother!  Oh boy, her mother.  This plot line is an absolute shit storm.  I mean, horrible.  Okay. So.  Leta is this school crush of Newt's that we first heard about in the first Fantastic beasts movie.  We learn some shit in this movie that is disturbing at best.  It's racist as all get up as well.  Leta's dad is at this party.  He sees this beautiful woman and he wants her to be his!  Like, he's just thinking "I'm gonna just claim that lady because smoking hot."  So, instead of doing the normal thing and introducing himself to her, and getting to know her, he casts a spell on her and enchants her, they get hitched, make a baby, and she dies.  The Only Reason they were together at all is because he enchanted her to be his - without any consideration to what she wanted and without even talking to her first. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! 

They they have Leta, and her mother dies.  So, Leta is brought up by this horrible wizard who couldn't even marry a woman for love - and then shortly after Leta's mom dies, her dad goes and has another lady that he marries - and they have a son!

The who situation is so fucked up I can't even!  Maybe he would have done the same thing to a white woman, but I doubt it.  I really doubt it. Why? Because the woman he marries after Leta's mom dies is white, and even though I don't think they loved each other, I think they were married with no enchantments whatsoever. So, yeah. 


5. Minerva McGonagall is in this movie, fully grown and teaching at Hogwarts - even though this movie takes place in 1927, and Minerva McGonagall was not born until 4th October, 1935.  Yes, that's right: Minerva McGonagall is such a good witch that she was teaching at Hogwarts before she was even born!

6. Some lady named Bunty, who is Newt's assistant, basically has an orgasm when what splashes on her while Newt is riding one of his magical creatures.   Like, y'all I AM NOT JOKING - Newt comes home, yells for Bunty, finds her down in his magically HUGE Basement that has a lake/giant water tank of some sort containing this magical creature:

So, Newt's in the basement.  And he tells Bunty she can leave.  (Here's Bunty, BTW:)

Anyway, Bunty is getting ready to leave, and Newt hops on his creature and rides around.  As he is doing so, he and this creature do a little jump that splashes water all over Bunty, and my hand to the gods, she is standing there as this happens and is moaning as if in the throes of ecstasy.  The scene could have given that restaurant orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally a run for its money!


Does your head hurt yet?!  Mine does. 

But, I have more!

7. Queenie!  Okay - so:
Point A. Why did Queenie think it was okay to cast a spell on Jacob to make him fall in love with her?!  He already loved her!  He would have gone to the ends of the world for her.  But no, she cast a spell on him to make him trail her around and get engaged to her, blah blah blah.  She wouldn't have needed to do that though.

Point B: WHY would Queenie join Magical Hitler, AKA Slimy Balls?  The Big G doesn't believe that muggles and witches/wizards should get married. But we know Queenie supports marriage between magical and non-magical people.  So, why would she suddenly be on board with joining the Big G's army?!  I just don't believe that she would have - it is inconsistent with her character.

8. The entire title of this movie is: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.  FANTASTIC BEASTS!  Now, here's what I say: Split this into at least two, maybe three movies.  One that talks about Fantastic Beasts and one that talks about the Crimes of Grindelwald.  

Basically, this movie was a hot mess.  It had so many different plot lines and stories that it was hard to keep track of what was going on, and there were so many plot holes that this did nothing to enhance to wizard world.  Nothing. Save your money and watch some other movies instead.

Also, get a new screeenwriter - because Jo is not in her element here.  She could do great things with novels - as we've seen in the original 7 HP books.  But she's not a screenwriter and that is painfully apparent from this steaming pile of crap of a movie.

Now, If you're in the mood to check out some (rather amusing) reviews of this movie from booktubers and youtuber people, go click on the videos below: