Hello, everyone! Today, I'm doing a tag on Marvel! Don't worry, no spoilers await you in this post. At least not Endgame spoilers. Other stuff...I make no promises. But don't worry. There's not many of them.

This tag was created by the amazing Christine, and then I was tagged to do it by the amazing Madeline!

Les Questionnes

1. How were you introduced into the Marvel fandom?

2. What's your favorite Marvel film?

3. Top Favorite Marvel character?

4. If you were transported into the MCU and had to change places with one of the superheroes, who would you choose?

5. What are some of your favorite quotes from the films?

Tony: Guys. Can we talk about this? *shoots everyone* Okay, good talk. 

Random guy on the ground: No it wasn't! 

Tony: I'm bringing the party to you.

Widow: I don't--I don't see how that's a party.

Tony: What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me.

 The entire play thing in Ragnarok, but especially "a little blue child" and "my helmet, with the big bendy horns"

7. Favorite and least favorite ship?

8. Favorite and least favorite villain?

9. Unpopular MCU Opinion?

10. What's your favorite Stan Lee cameo?

Pinterest

I never set out to like superheroes.

I didn't watch the first Avengers movie on a plane at the age of 13 because I cared much, or because I knew much about the characters, or for any reason, really. It was a movie I had never seen before. It looked interesting. My parents weren't particularly happy that I watched it so young, but then, what can you do?

That first time, I never connected with any of the characters. I watched Age of Ultron, the Winter Soldier, Avengers again. I feel like I remember, at one point, telling my mom, "Iron Man is funny, but he's so rude!" That was probably my first real impression of him. Funny, but rude.

Then I watched Avengers again. And I realized I liked this funny but rude philanthropist, genius, playboy, billionaire in the fancy suit. He cracked better jokes than Steve Rogers. He was more interesting than Black Widow. And then the scene at the end, with the nuke--he proved himself selfless in a time of great need.

I watched Age of Ultron again. I saw a man who didn't just want to stop crime. He wanted safety. He was so desperate for safety that he built a machine that destroyed everything, and he silently blamed himself, while still joking it off.

I watched Civil War and saw a man who was broken beyond repair, turned on by all his friends, left alone. A man who made a mistake and tried to fix it and only made a worse mistake. A man who was not out for renown, a man who was no longer arrogant.

I watched Iron Man and saw the backstory of this character--a man who had been horrible, and rude, and who grew into something better.

I watched Iron Man 3 and got my heart crushed by the weight of PTSD and sorrow and this man who decided that he could be a superhero even without his "powers".

And I watched Infinity War and saw a man ready to sacrifice himself to save the universe.

Credit to Nicole Dust for sending this one to me; photo from Pinterest

I'm not saying that Tony Stark is perfect. But I'm saying he never tries to justify the things he does. My apologies to Team Cap people, but Captain America is so self-righteous that even Ultron calls him, sarcastically, "God's righteous man." Captain America does the wrong thing and justifies it by saying "Well, I was doing it for all the right reasons!" I don't want this to turn into a bash-Steve-Rogers session, because I do believe that Steve Rogers is a good character in his own right.

But I do think that the entire MCU and the majority of the fanbase is biased toward Steve, and as a result, they have made Tony the villain.

Tony Stark is not the villain of the MCU. Tony Stark is, honestly, the hero. He takes fire in a way few others ever have, even within Marvel movies. The only one I can think of (and there may be others, but I haven't seen allll the MCU movies, i.e. Guardians and Ant-Man) who even comes close to Tony's level of sacrifice is, of all people, Doctor Strange.

Tony Stark fights off both his inner demons and the earth's enemies and he does so in silence. He cracks jokes and makes witticisms and everyone thinks it's because he's a shallow, arrogant jerk. He isn't. He uses it as a coping mechanism.

You can count on this--Tony Stark will be the one who defeats Thanos. I don't care about no Captain Marvel; I don't care about no newly-powerful Thor (although, goodness gracious, can we talk about newly-powered Thor? TALK ABOUT HOTTIE. *fans self*). I don't think it's going to be Steve who's the most important in the end; I don't think it's going to be Hulk.

I think it will be Tony.

Pinterest

Tony Stark is a complex, deep, well-written character. He has been cast as the villain in movies like Civil War and Age of Ultron; he has been reviled by critics, fans, and other characters alike. He is not perfect. He has many, many flaws. But that's what makes him human.

He's a human who started out as an egotistical jerk and has had a character arc that brought him to that moment. You know the one in Infinity War. That's not the end of his character arc, either. He may well die in Endgame. I'm prepared for that. It seems very likely.

But you know what? That's okay. Because he's the hero.

And he'll live on forever in our hearts.

Hello everybody! Yesterday was actually my blogoversary (March 17), but since I post on Mondays for the most part here we are.

This ended up being a super long post, so I grouped your questions by who asked them and then answered them with the names present. If you don't want to read the ENTIRE post, you can just skip down to find the questions you asked. It won't hurt my feelings ;)

(Also, the giveaway. xD I will be bringing that to you on Wednesday, because this thing got so long. Stay tuned for that!)

Without Further Ado:

The Questions

Keturah

Why do you blog?
Because I love having a place to share what I'm writing, what I'm reading, and the music I'm listening to, and it's a way to platform that allows me to do more than just look for likes.

What is your go-to snack?
Idk, man. Preferably ice cream. But I don't usually get that (like, 99.99999% of the time I don't get that...), so we'll go with cheese or yogurt. XD

What makes a day perfect?
Being productive while still spending time with my family. Basically, not feeling guilty about the way I spent any of the time during a day.

If you designed time, how many hours would there be in a day and how many days in a week?
Honestly I think the system we have is pretty good! 24 hours to a day and 7 days a week works pretty well. ^_^

If any conspiracy theories were true, which one would you pick?
Definitely the Illuminati. I mean, they're real for sure. There's three words in my name--Faith/ Florid Sword! See? #IlluminatiConfirmed

Nicole

If you could go anywhere in the world with money not an issue, where would you go?
Probably Italy? Or I'd spend about a year in the mountains of Virginia. *heart eyes*

What is a ship you hate but everyone else loves?
Oof...I'm so sorry, Nicole, but it's Sophitz. *lowers eyes*

Do you like Shakespeare?
The bit of him that I've read is hilarious. I have yet to cry at one of his tragedies, though.

Lila

Who is your least favorite author and why are you not a fan?
Bruh! This is, like, so mean! *pouts*

If we're going with classics, though, Imma say Stephen Crane. The Red Badge of Courage is an atrocity and should not exist. If you wanna know more of my thoughts on that, here's my Goodreads review. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk. *drops the mic*

Favorite Bible story?
Nothing could ever compare to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. I give him all the glory.

What are your convictions about reading books that feature and glorify lifestyles you don't support?
Well, that's a loaded question, isn't it? XD

It personally depends very, very much for me. Things like vivid sex scenes will almost always get me to either DNF the book or never pick it up in the first place, just because I do NOT want that garbage in my brain. I tend not to enjoy books with constant swearing and drinking, either (emphasis on constant. If there's some amount of it, but it's not on every single page, it's more of a case-by-case type thing.)

I also will not read books that are, first and foremost, a romance (mostly because that's super boring and cliche and predictable, plus uncomfortable physical stuffs as I mentioned), whether that be a heterosexual or homosexual relationship. If I know that there's a homosexual relationship as the main focus, I'm probably not going to read the book. However, if there's an LGBT side character or something, I might still read it (again, this varies case by case.) I have thoroughly enjoyed books that have side characters who fall into this camp such as Strange the Dreamer, Raven Cycle, or Six of Crows (although I can't recommend SoC based on the violence. Lol.)

Kind of a long answer, I know, but basically my indication is: does reading it make me feel guilty and violated, or is it the knowledge that everyone sins? Personally, I don't know that sexual sin (just as an example) is the worst sin of all, but it's definitely something to consider. Basically, my main judgment comes in whether it's a side thing or the main focus.

That probably made no sense and will be my longest answer within this Q&A. Sheesh. xD I hope it was vaguely sensical?

Favorite time of day [morning, afternoon, evening, or night?]
If I don't have a ton of stuff to do, I love evenings--they're so relaxing and I can do some writing, do my devotion times, and then get to bed before 11ish. However, I've been finding more and more that I'm productive and alert in the morning, so I like those too. In the afternoon I'm lazy and in the night I'd like to sleep, please. xD

Nicki

Which of your characters would you most like to marry? Which would you most like to meet? And which would you most like to kill (villains excluded)? 
-Marry: Derek Ternarnthien. *turns into Eliza Schuyler* THAT BOY IS MINE THAT BOY IS MIIIIIIIIIIIIINE
-Meet: Well, since I can't kill my villains...let's just say, I'd like to meet Elensha. Meet her long enough to lean up close to her ear, whisper, "I HATE YOU WITH A VENGEANCE AND I WISH YOU WOULD DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH AND I HAVE THINGS PLANNED FOR YOU", and then run away before she kills me. (Note: I will not make it. I am a couch potato whose only weapon is a pen and she is a career assassin. I am going down.)
-Kill: The honest answer will make everyone here angry. We'll go with Anderson. He's a side character, but as my series progresses he gets to be a world-class jerk and coward and I hate him at this point. xD (This is the coward's way out.)

Elensha, a character I despise with all my heart and soul

What is the number one movie you are looking forward to being released this year?
Why is this even a question? ENDGAME. ENDGAME. ENDGAAAAAAAAAME.

What is your favorite food?
Anything Thai! But especially green curry. *rubs stomach and moans*

If you had to be any mythological creature, which would you choose and why?
Werewolf. Because you get to spend most of your life being normal, except for once a month when you turn into an irrational howling monster out for blood. Which, I mean, already happens anyway...*whistles innocently*

Kathryn

What is a book that has impacted the way you see the world?
The Mitford Years series by Jan Karon! It's so beautiful, and full of mature believers who live together in community and face the challenges life throws at them with God's grace. And it's also incredibly funny.

If you could have any mythical creature for a pet, what would it be?
*gulps* Ummm...Fenrir-Wolf? *hides*

Top 5 Things to Keep in Mind while Writing a Novel?
1. Make it the best it can possibly be!
2. It's okay to deviate from your outline/plan if the characters or story are pulling in a different direction. Embrace the unexpected.
3. Let the darkness be present, but never let it overwhelm the light. Good should always win.
4. Don't shy away from killing characters! Or from injuring them! Or writing painful stuff! Break your readers' hearts! (I would never do this, I love y'all and my poor characters and everyone makes it out alive with no injuries or deaths don't worry)
5. Remember to put God first.

Clare
What was the last movie you saw in the theater, and what did you think of it?
The last movie I saw (at the time of writing this) was The Lego Movie 2! It wasn't quite as fresh and funny as the original, but there was one part in particular where I was slapping the chair and sobbing from laughter. And the themes--you don't have to leave behind your sweetness and innocence and personality as you grow up--resonated with me a lot.

Do you have a song stuck in your head? What is it?
At the moment, I'm listening to Danny Gokey's "Tell Your Heart to Beat Again," but normally, I've got either the Baby Shark song, What Does the Fox Say, or something by FOB stuck in my head. (The latter is the best option. I'd rather sing Death Valley all day and all night than suffer through the Baby Shark song one more time.)

What is your current favorite song?
*clears throat*

CAUSE YOU'RE A SKY *jumps on furniture* YEAH YOU'RE A SKY *jumps off bed* FULL OF STARS, I DON'T CARE *smashes chair* GO ON AND TEAR ME APAAAART *does handstand* I DON'T CARE IF YOU DOOOOOOOOOO *flies into the sky* BECAUSE IN A SKY FULL OF STARS *throws a pillow at my sister* I THINK I SAW YOUUUUUUUUUUU

Yeah, I may or may not be absolutely over-the-top obsessed with Coldplay's Sky Full of Stars, but whatever. Quality music right there, y'all. Quality.
If you could take any one character out of one story and put them in another story, who would it be and why?
Wow, this is really hard! But I think I'd probably transplant Jaron from The Ascendance Trilogy into The Traitor's Game? (Lila and I were talking about this and it would be hilarious). I feel like with Jaron's cunning on their side, Kestra and Simon would save Antora and defeat Endrick in a matter of minutes, mostly because Jaron's sass would confuse Endrick to a level that he wouldn't even be able to think about fighting back.

Christine

At what moment did you decide to pursue writing seriously?
I actually have no idea! Probably when I began to realize the extent to which I adored my Pentegreen characters and realized I had a bunch of other plot bunnies. xD

If you could bring to life ANY of your characters to have as your BFF forever, who would you choose?
Either Kariana Winslet from Pentegreens or Jeannie from Watched. Kariana is a sassy, fierce female spy who takes no crap and would be the most fun ever at parties. And then Jeannie is sweet, also fierce but in a  different way, and a very strong Christian. So either of them would be amazing to have as a friend in real life.


What's one of your favorite things to do outside of reading and writing?
This might come as a surprise, but I actually love to walk outside! I don't like hiking much (unless we're in the actual mountains, which is rare), and I'm not much into any of the sporty things you can do outside. However, put on some shoes and a coat and just go out and stare into the sky and watch the trees and get lost in the maze of your own mind sometime! It's amazing, 10/10 recommend.

(Also all my neighbors probably think I'm crazy. I walk down the street when I'm stuck on a book scene, and I've been known to randomly start running with a crazed look of panic, stage a mock-fight with myself and air weapons in the middle of the cul de sac, and scream out "YOU TRAITOR!" when I think no one's listening. Whoops.)

What would an ideal day look like for you?
-Wake up feeling rested
-Spend most of the day in my story
-Hang out with my friends and watch a great movie
-Magically my two besties who live 17 hours away are both there
-I don't need to sleep
-Everything is amazing
-I spend three hours reading my Bible
-My book completes itself
-I get a full-ride to college

If you were transported into the story and had to switch places with any of the Fellowship characters, who would you be? 
Okay, so can I just say first off that I absolutely love this question?!

I'd switch with Merry, I think. He's the smart and bookish one (at least going off the book), but he still lacks experience and has a fun-loving side. And hey, he gets to fight with Eowyn! Eowyn and I are gonna be the gal-pal pair of slayers who take the Witch-King down together! *grins*
I feel like my teetotaler instincts might get in the way though...



Lia

What skill would you like to master?
Playing the piano! Oh, and cooking. I'm currently that fictional gal who cannot and does not cook and wouldn't be able to do it to save her own life. If my dad is in the room I can do it, but otherwise...NOPENOPENOPE.

How often do you people watch?
Not very often, actually! I don't base my characters on real people, and on top of that, I'm a super awkward person who hates making eye contact with strangers. If there's a cash register between us I will look you dead in the face and keep that up for the whole transaction (no matter which side I'm on, lol), but otherwise I'm not going to look at you. I just am not comfortable with it. xD

What is something a ton of people are obsessed with but you just don't get the point of?
Netflix? I mean, I'd love to be able to watch movies whenever I feel like it, but I don't understand the idea of picking a random show to watch in the background. It's just not a thing that makes sense to me.

How different was your life a year ago?
I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I did back then! But mostly, it's been gloriously similar. I've been growing as a person, but the circumstances around me haven't changed that much, except to get better. It's been a nice break.

Madeline

Do you die a little inside knowing that Avengers: Endgame is going to kill all our favorite characters?
I'm already planning to buy an Avengers themed tissue box to bring with me. My best friend is going to have to hold me back. I might scream at the theater screen again like I did last time. My "Tony Stark is the MVP of the MCU" blog post is in the brainstorm stage. I'm in denial.

What/who is a book/author you never expected to like as much as you did?
Maggie Stiefvater! I'm that rare person who thought the Scorpio Races was just okay, not the mind-blowing work of art most people see it as. But All the Crooked Saints and The Raven Cycle changed that for me entirely.

Who is one character (from a book, show, or movie) who you would like to have as a roommate?
Can I please have Cress from the Lunar Chronicles? I think we'd be best friends. xD

Ivie

What is your favorite book?
Ivie, darling, you know better than to ask this question. But...it's still A Monster Calls. Has been for a long time now and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Did you watch HTTYD 3? If so, thoughts? If not, do you want to?
At the time of answering this I'm planning to see it tomorrow! I'll come back with thoughts when I've seen it.

Update: UGH IT WAS SO GOOD. I felt like it took all the plot threads and tied them up very nicely indeed. Character development was spot-on, Valka is epic, Hiccstrid continues to be just about the cutest ship ever, and despite a villain I wasn't a fan of and a couple of stupid decisions that just made me shake my head at the not-so-smartness of the charries, I loved it! Very satisfying end to a wonderful trilogy. <3

Favorite fruit?
Ugh, I hate fruit xD Mostly apples, though. Or raspberries.

Favorite slushie flavor?
Either the blue ones (yeah, I know), or watermelon. But I'll take a frozen chocolate or Frappe from Dunkin or Starbucks over a slushie any day.

Blue

If you could pick your ideal mode of transportation--machine, beast, real life, sci-fi, fantasy, anything--what would it be?
Teleportation device, obviously. I miss my besties who live ten thousand miles away from me. *cries*

Favorite cake?
*salivates* JUST CAKE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT KIND. (Not carrot, though, please.)

Is there a certain time frame that fascinates you?
Why, yes there is! I love history ^_^
-The Roaring 20s
-40s America
-Europe during WWII
-Europe during WWI
-Cold War
-Basically all of the 1900s? Lol.

Do you have any favorite real life stories?
Oh, gosh, it's really hard for me to come up with any. I cry over any and all stories of bravery during the World Wars and/or the Civil War. Basically, if history is going to make me cry my eyes out, I want to read it.

But some of my favorite real-life heroes and their stories are William Wilberforce, Abby Johnson, Winston Churchill, Harriet Tubman, and Oskar Schindler.

What fictional character would you like to see in government?
That's a really good question. I don't really know. Aragorn, probably? I think he could handle it. xD

What fictional character would you like to kick in the pants?
...Loki. Sorry-not-sorry.
This scene, right here, is the reason I will never forgive Loki. I don't care if he's misunderstood, I don't care if he was mind-controlled...what he did in Germany was not okay.


Julian

Are you excited about Captain Marvel? If so, fangirl a moment! If not, explain why!
No, I'm not, really...because I feel like it's silly for the MCU to spend SO MUCH TIME setting up 18(ish?) movies to lead into Infinity War...and then bring this random girl who no one's ever heard of before now in to save everyone in End Game! My hope is that she dies in the snap, tbh, because I DON'T LIKE HER AND SHE FEELS POINTLESS AND VERY MUCH LIKE A DEUS EX MACCHINA.


Marvel character you think deserves a little more recognition?
*clears throat* *pulls out list*
-Dr. Banner (not Hulk, just Banner)
-Scarlet Witch
-Sam Wilson
-War Machine (seriously. He's my fave.)
-PEPPER POTTS!


Favorite breed of horse?
Ten years ago, I could have told you this. But now? I'll just say THE PRETTY ONES. xD

What denomination are you in?
I'm actually nondenominational! But I lean towards Presbyterian, except that I am firmly for believer's baptism. And I'm Calvinist. Very, very Calvinist. *ducks under a rock*

What are you most looking forward to at Realm Makers?
Seeing ALL THE PEOPLE! *squeals in a very non-introverted fashion*

Are you planning to dress up for the big ol' dinner?
Absolutely! I'm not going to name-drop right now, but I will say I'm going as my alter ego...


Rakayle

How many of your books have you finished writing?
In terms of brought through entirely to completion? One, and that was Ink Storm, my Rooglewood submission.

However, I've finished first drafts of 10 or so, I believe. Hard to keep track. xD

Have you written any flash fiction?
A little! I'm not very good at it, though.

Songs that make you happy?
*points to above answer about Sky Full of Stars*
But also:
-His Heart Beats by Andrew Peterson
-Rejoice by Andrew Peterson
-Any song by Bad Lip Reading or How It Should Have Ended
-The Devil Went Down to Georgia (don't ask me why, I don't know, okay?)

Gray

Favorite mythical creatures?
Werewolves! Again, I have no idea why, just that I do xD

Favorite fantasy series?
Goldstone Wood or Lord of the Rings!

What's a hobby of yours most people don't know about?
I like to bake, actually! I'm not very good at it and I don't do anything fancy, but I love making cookies and bars. I can't cook, but I can make deserts from a recipe or a box. XD

What is your favorite part of writing?
Getting to explore my characters and RIP THEIR HEARTS OUT I mean be nice to them and bathe them in rainbows! *innocent, happy smile*

MEM

Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate?
Coffee, surprisingly enough! I like French vanilla ice coffee with extra cream and zero sugar (at least, if it's from Dunkin'; at home I just use creamer xD) But I also love herbal teas and hot chocolate!

Favorite bromance (your own charries or other)?
Man, I just realized--I do NOT write bromance. Ever. Like...I'm not even sure why! It just doesn't happen much, probably because I forget. I'm way more focused on writing female friendships--mostly because all my friends are girls and I have only sisters. *grins*

But I think we're going to have to say Anakin and Obi-Wan in the animated The Clone Wars. The two of them--agh, friendship goals. They're so great. Too bad Revenge of the Sith had to happen. *cries*


What country would you like to visit?
I'd love to go back to Ireland or England, and I have always wanted to go to Italy!

Favorite female superhero?




My absolutely amazing and beautiful Diana Prince. There's no question.

What is your current favorite song?
^points back up to answer about Sky Full of Stars

R.M. Archer

What's your favorite thing about blogging?
Well, as I said previously, I love being able to platform--but also, the people! Your comments are some of my favorite things to see. ^_^

Which of the Wingfeather Saga books is your favorite?
Have a ranking:
4. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (it's still wonderful, but not as good as the others)
3. The Warden and the Wolf King (for a few plot holes and AGH that ending...also I hate Leeli in this one for some reason? KEEP THE WINDOW CLOSED GIRL)
2. The Monster in the Hollows (mystery is amazing and AGH THAT ENDING)
1. North! Or Be Eaten (features two of my most favorite characters of all time in all their glory, so much depth, so amaze. A work of art.)

Which of the Wingfeathers is your favorite and why?
Janner is the one who's the most like me, for sure, and he's probably my most favorite. Kalmar/Tink gets a close second, because his struggles and his love of food crack me up and break my heart. And then I don't really like Leeli? I'm just sort of, shall we say, bitter about certain events in the last book. *grimaces at Leeli, Nia, and Podo*

White chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate?
Milk chocolate all the way!

What are you most passionate about?
My pro-life activism, my faith, and the stories I write. <3

What's something you've seen underrepresented in fiction that you'd like to write about?
I'd love to see more representation of actual Christians who aren't out for blood, political conservatives who aren't "intolerant bigoted" monsters, and homeschooled students who aren't freaks or who are actually PROUD of being homeschooled. And pastors who aren't evil. I know people say I can find my own representation wherever I want ("but of course you can! You're a straight white female!") but like...I don't see it. I'm also a conservative, Christian, pro-life, piano player who is NOT a prodigy, the daughter of a pastor, and going to college with intentions of working someday, and I believe it's okay to not want sex! (*gasp*) So...any of these things would be something I'd love to see more of, and I'm definitely working to write some of the stories I want to hear.

Skye

Who is your favorite character of your own characters?
Oh, Skye, this is NOT okay. Why would you make me choose from amongst my own children?

Fine.

Male: Rishatta Woods from The Pentegreen Series or Lucas Burns from Watched.

Female: Kariana Winslet from The Pentegreen Series or Briallen from Ink Storm.

Best advice you've ever gotten about writing?
This came from my best friend, who said something to the effect of: "Faith, it doesn't matter who your readers ship. They're gonna ship; you write the book. BUT MAN ARE THEY GONNA SHIP."

Catherine

If you could learn one language (real, dead, fictitious, whatever) instantaneously, what would it be?
I'd love to be able to just instantly master Italian. It's a tough language, and while I love it, it would be amazing to just lose the effort and know it.

If you had a favorite tree, what would it be?
I've always been partial to red maples ^_^

What would your ideal house be like? Give as many details as you like!
I don't know when/if I'll ever get married, so this would be my ideal apartment someplace. I'd love a house with one bedroom, a living room/kitchen, and a nice bathroom with a full bathtub. Lots of shelves in the pantry and bathroom, built-in bookshelves, big windows with dark curtains...basically, someplace small and cozy with lots of natural light and storage space. I'd be more than happy with something like that. :)


That's it! Wow, if you made it all the way through that, you are hardcore. Do you know way more about me now then you ever thought you wanted to? Should I have included more gifs? Chat with me in the comments about my answers to your questions! (Or other people's questions, lol...) 

Can y'all believe that 2018 is already over? Goodness knows I can't. It's been a wild ride of a year, and while it's been fast, I'm still ready for another year. A LOOOOOT happened this year, and so in this post I'll be wrapping all that up. Next week, once I've got my list of resolutions and goals for 2019 written down, I'll be sharing them, so stay tuned for that post!

For right now, though, let's do

2018: A Wrapup

Music

Books

Writing

I wrote 591, 860 words of fiction this year. 

Movies

via Rotten Tomatoes

via Rotten Tomatoes

via Rotten Tomatoes

This post was inspired by part by Micaiah's series on the same thing, so if you haven't checked that out yet you definitely should. (And give her blog a follow, she's totally epic.) This is part one of what will most LIKELY be a two-part post, and the next will be up next week. Hope you enjoy!



Strong female characters. We all know 'em, and we all have sort of a love-hate relationship with them. On the one hand, it can be kind of fun to see a girl take on all the baddies and win. The Hunger Games isn't my personal favorite series, but I still enjoy Katniss's part in that. Another well-done strong female character that comes to mind is Parvin from the Out of Time series by Nadine Brandes. She's complicated and feminine, but still good at fighting and being tough, both of which are great skills to have.

However, sometimes I feel like when I read (or more often, watch) stories about "strong female leads" the girls are just blank pieces of paper with the word "kick-butt" inscribed on them.

A couple of examples of this:

Rey

via Pinterest

Don't get me wrong--I really like Rey. I really enjoyed the whole movie The Force Awakens, and I think it's a fun adventure romp. But this is a problem I've always seen in Star Wars: the female characters have very little personality outside of being "strong." Say what you want about the prequels--I find it very interesting that Padme is the most unique of any of the heroines in Star Wars, and yet she's the one who's always being beat up on for letting her emotions show and being a woman who dared to fall in love (albeit with the wrong guy).

Rey is good at everything. She can fly a ship even though she's never been on board it before, and other than a couple of bumps she's a better pilot than the great Han Solo. She can beat up a million thugs twice her size with a single stick. She's got more raw potential than a dozen eggs. She's beautiful. And none of this is a problem! But she also shows no emotion and nothing to make her unique from anyone else.

In the novelization AND the deleted scenes there's extra bits that make her far more human. A scene on the snow planet where she gets cold and Finn gives her his coat. A scene where Chewbacca has to save her instead of her doing the saving. A moment at Maz's castle where she stuffs her face with food and can barely talk because her manners are gone and she just. Wants. Food. because she's been starving for her whole life. We can only wish that these were moments in the actual movie.

June

via Goodreads

Honestly, I think this is a problem I've had with all the books I've read so far by Marie Lu (and I've read or started all of them besides The Young Elites...) the female lead is a sexy gorgeous prodigy (pun intended) who kicks butts and breaks hearts and gives no cares. They aren't memorable, but I'm calling her out anyway. This is kind of the archetype of this character. June, Emika, Madeliene...I might venture to say Emika (of Warcross) was the best of the three, but none of them had any personality in my opinion.


(catching a pattern here?)

Nova 

via Goodreads

It's a bummer, because normally Marissa Meyer is amazing at writing girls who can not only kick butt but are bursting with personality, too. (Think Scarlet or Cinder.) But in this book, she...seems to lose that. Outside of her desire to avenge her parents and sister, there's very little driving Nova, and she's once again good at everything-- (except killing her mortal enemies, for some reason, even though she's spent the whole book trying to do so...but whatever).



Are you catching the pattern? Essentially, the problem that I think a lot of female leads have is that there's nothing that makes them unique. Which stinks! There's SO much that can be done with strong gals to make them more interesting. And on top of that, there's different kinds of STRENGTH, too.

I'm going to pick on my own story here, not because I think it's some great pinnacle of storytelling or anything like that, but because I have a character who I hope can stand as a reasonable example of what I'm wishing for.

via Pinterest, although you must remember that this is only an occasional look for her face.

Kariana Winslet is my story's "strong female character". She's fast, apparently fearless, and a formidable warrior who can use multiple kinds of weapons. She's faced down some of my worst villains without breaking a sweat, and she's got the sass and confidence that any self-respecting gal needs.

But underneath, she's insecure. She's afraid of the dark. She carries horrible memories of both her childhood and teenage years, and doesn't trust anyone with those secrets. Her trust issues make things difficult for her, even around her very best friends, and there are times when she has to sit down and recite the names of everyone she truly loves in order to remind herself that she's not alone. She toys with people, and hides her real face from anyone's knowledge under layers of paint and dye. She has a true soft spot for the people she knows well (and no younger siblings...just puttin' that out there ;))

I know Kariana could very easily become a stereotypical character, and so I've worked very hard to ensure that she doesn't. It's not hard! Give your female characters:

• Concrete desires
• Real fears
• More than one friend
• Quirks
• Something unique about her appearance
• Basically the same sort of character development you'd do on any of your other characters

via IMDb

A sappy story of two sisters.

The story of a girl scared of her powers who must learn to control them.

A movie where comic relief is everything until suddenly things get dark.

A film that deals with the triumph of non-romantic love.

Yes, there's been a million movies that use aspects of Frozen, and the movie itself is overhyped and overdone. We've all sung the songs a million times, and heaven knows we'd never watch it again unless our little siblings BEG us...because it was an animated movie we actually liked when it came out and now we're done with it. (You'd never admit it, but you watched it 47 times in two weeks when it first came out on DVD.)

And  now you can't bear to look at it.

I understand those feelings. I actually did something similar with a movie called Interstellar--one sme of y'all have probably seen. It's a Christopher Nolan film. Very well-made, gorgeous special effects, a mostly plausible plot, excellent acting, the first film I ever heard "strong language" (unfortunately), and altogether the kind of movie I love to obsess over. I watched it so many times I could recite every word (except aforementioned strong language.) It was amazing. I loved it.

I doubt you're surprised.

I'll never deny that I'm a major fan of animated films. I'm crazy about them and have never stopped being crazy about them. Old classic Disneys that I can sing along to, newer Pixars that make me cry, Universal and DreamWorks movies that make me facepalm and laugh hysterically.

But the Warner Bros Lego Movies are my favorite of all animated movies. They have heart, emotion, smart humor, and compelling plots that make them timeless and excellent. Today's post is a wonderful rave review by me of The Lego Movie, the Lego Batman Movie, and the Lego Ninjago Movie. (Also: If you haven't seen any of these, you should.)


Have some random gifs while I'm at it.

THE LEGO MOVIE

I promise it's worth it.

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

The more I think about it, the more I think that this is probably my personal least favorite of the three. (However this does not make it a bad movie! It's still in my top ten or fifteen movies of all time. I just like the other two better.)

My parents haven't allowed me to watch the real Batman movies yet (darkness! No parents! Angst! Violence! Heath Ledger!) but I went with one of my besties to see the Lego version in the movie theater, and it's epically funny.

Basically, the plot is Batman just wanting to be left alone even with a bunch of other people jumping on him to get a life; while the Joker just wants Batman to acknowledge that he's his bad guy. Because, you know. Comic book people/heroes in general like to have a special villain who is their greatest enemy and the one they will always fight, come rain or come shine. The Joker wants to hear Batman say that he's that to the latter.

So... he comes up with a bunch of schemes to prove just how evil he is and make Batman pay. And it's hilarious.


^Actual footage from this film

Based on a few dirty jokes smuggled in here and there and a couple of uncomfortable moments, I don't love this one AS much, but as I said, I still love it! And you should watch it!

THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE

So, all the Lego movies have made me laugh hysterically. This one was no exception.

But this one made me CRY.


Lloyd's relationship with his father is one of my favorite aspects of any movie ever, period. Lord Garmadon is evil. He launches his failed generals out of a volcano. He and his henchmen try to take over the City of Ninjago using guns that shoot live sharks pretty much every day. And every day, Lloyd and his friends, disguised as the Secret Ninjas, stop him.

But that's not what Lloyd wants. At school, he's despised for being the son of Garmadon, even though he can't really help that. And as the legendary Green Ninja, even though everyone loves him, he has to fight his dad. Every day. The dad who he wishes had been around to teach him how to throw a ball. The dad he wishes could have been there to help him get through high school. His mom is great, but it's just not the same.

This movie is funny and cool, and the action scenes get pretty cheesy--but it's the ending that makes Lego Ninjago shine. The critics have defamed it as cheesy, soppy, melodramatic--but it isn't. It's a beautiful reminder of how God created families--the kids need a mother AND a father--and I love it.

So there you have it! The ultimate review of the three Lego Movies. (Now I can't wait for 2019, when the Lego Movie Sequel comes out.)

Are you a Lego Movie fan? Which one is your favorite? Chat with me in the comments!!!

Hey, everyone! Can you believe 2017 is almost over??? I definitely can't.

 But this, of course, entails the necessary "Year-long Wrap-up Post", where I give you some recs and my favorites in several different categories from the year. I won't drag out this intro--let's just jump right into it!

Best Books of the Year

(modern; I'll get to classics in a minute)
Of all the Tales of Goldstone Wood, this one is by far the best. I'm so glad I decided to use my birthday money to buy this series. <3