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Banned & Challenged Books: When Society Overrides Personal Choice

***My 250th Blog Post             Banned and challenged books have become a “hot topic” in 2022; or maybe the Shutdown brought more attention to them because many people returned to reading due to the Pandemic. Yes, throughout 2020 and 2021 A LOT of attention was given to books about race and ethnic issues. Then earlier this year,… Continue reading Banned & Challenged Books: When Society Overrides Personal Choice

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Why You Need to Read: “Wildseed Witch”

I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wildseed Witch, Book 1: Wildseed Witch By: Marti Dumas Published: May 10, 2022 Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Magic School             This is Belles Demoiselles: Finir l’École des Sorcières. Magic is for hooligans. Belles demoiselles use charm. That’s what you’re supposed to learn at a finishing… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “Wildseed Witch”

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Reading Check-In: December 25, 2021

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it! Because today is a holiday and I'm a bit of a workaholic, I'm keeping this week's post simple and straightforward. What have you finished reading recently? I did it! I finished this book, which is the 20th book released in 2021, which means I'll be able to present… Continue reading Reading Check-In: December 25, 2021

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My Favorite Speculative Fiction Narratives

***My 200th Blog Post!!!*** For this post, which marks a new milestone for me, I decided to discuss one of the most enjoyable—and the most dreadful—topics: favorites. We all know why favorites is a fun topic, but it can be daunting for opposing reasons: others have them as their favorites, they are ubiquitous, they are… Continue reading My Favorite Speculative Fiction Narratives

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Speculative Fiction Starters for Children and Young Adults

This article was written for the Martian Chronicle blog, but it was never posted so I decided to rewrite and to present it on my blog. Enjoy!             When children and adolescents show an interest in reading, we—as adults, and as readers ourselves—want nothing more than to load our recommendations and favorite books on to them. Unfortunately, not… Continue reading Speculative Fiction Starters for Children and Young Adults

Advice and Suggestions · American Society · Authors/Writers · Award Nominee · Award Winner · Book to Media Adaptations · Books · Debut · Education · Fantasy · Favorite Books · Gender Roles · George R.R. Martin · Harry Potter · history · Horror · humanity · identity · LGBTQ · Literary Awards · Literature · Predictions · Reading · Science Fiction · Social Media · speculative fiction · Time

The Disclosure Behind the 2020 Hugo Awards

A lot can happen in a week. Politics and COVID-19 aside, it seems like “everyone” wants to return to a time when “things were the way they used to be.” Out of all of the prejudices that’s been going around, it seems that ageism continues to be accepted widely due to the notion that “the… Continue reading The Disclosure Behind the 2020 Hugo Awards

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Adult Fantasy: Is There Such a Thing?

Video games, graphic novels and comic books and manga, and fantasy literature continue to share the same criticism from those who are neither fans nor creators: they are for children and/or they have no place in a classroom or in an academic setting. The fact that such notions continue to be made is a disconcerting… Continue reading Adult Fantasy: Is There Such a Thing?

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TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials: Armour”

This is the episode everyone has been waiting for! Armour is the episode in which, the audience is introduced to Lee Scoresby—played by Lin-Manuel Miranda—and Iorek Byrnison—voiced by Joe Tandberg. These characters are not only essential to the story because of the roles they’ll play in the future, but also because they explain more about the existence… Continue reading TV Episode Review: “His Dark Materials: Armour”

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Why You Need to Read: “The Poppy War”

The Poppy War Series: Book 1: The Poppy War By: R.F. Kuang Published: May 1, 2018 Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Folklore, and Military PLEASE NOTE: The following contains minor spoilers from this novel. You have been warned.             “Who are the gods? Where do they reside? Why do they do what they do? These are the… Continue reading Why You Need to Read: “The Poppy War”

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My Theory on George R.R. Martin’s Writing “Plan” for A Song of Ice and Fire

What do you believe is going on with George R.R. Martin's writing process? Like many other fans and readers of A Song of Ice and Fire series, we have been waiting for a very long time for Winds of Winter. A Dance with Dragons was published in 2011, a few weeks after the first season… Continue reading My Theory on George R.R. Martin’s Writing “Plan” for A Song of Ice and Fire