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November 15, 2018

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It sounded better in my head (A Heart of Iron theory)

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ OR HAVE NOT FINISHED ASHLEY POSTON’S HEART OF IRON, THIS POST CONTAINS SOME MAJOR SPOILERS.

(For the review of Heart of Iron, see 8/14/18).

Hi, fellow bibliophiles! I’ve been promising for weeks that I’d post more non-BRT content, and I have (finally) delivered.

Since August, I’ve re-read Heart of Iron twice. During my second re-read, I noticed something near the end of the book that could possibly give us some clues to the outcome of the sequel, Soul of Stars. It could turn out to be nothing, but…

…I’ve got a theory, folks.

Here we go.

Take a look at this passage on page 412 of Ashley Poston’s Heart of Iron, in which Di is on the brink of being controlled by the HIVE, and is repeating a series of words and names to himself to remember who he really is.

”Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Tsarina. Nevaeh. Di. Cerces.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Nevaeh. Di. Cerces.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Nevaeh. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Jax. Robb. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Robb. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege. Di.

Ana. Dossier. Siege.

Ana. Dossier—

Ana,

A…

…”

My theory is that this passage could determine the order of the fates of the characters. In her various Instagram stories, Poston has often hinted that the crew of the Dossier are definitely not gonna be completely alright by the time Soul of Stars is over. (I’m reasonably worried.) So, let’s break this on.

The first to go is Tsarina, the ship where the crew encountered the red-eyed Metals, and discovered Di’s current body. I’m not sure how that will come into play.

The second to go is Cerces. Cerces was a planet that was only mentioned a few times throughout the book, but whenever it came into the conversation, it was noted that Cerces housed infamous mines. Could we witness what Cerces is actually like in Soul of Stars? Only time will tell…

Next is Nevaeh, where the chase scene with Ana, D09 occurs in the beginning of the book. Though the crew of the Dossier is, as far as we know, bound for a place called Xourix, there’s definitely a possibility of them returning to world of the Ironbloods.

The fourth one worries me the most-now, JAX IS GONE. TIME TO PANIC.

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nOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It’s mentioned that every time he reads somebody’s stars, his life span shortens. And throughout the course of Heart of Iron, he (unintentionally) reads the stars of at least three people. Chances are, if he does survive, he’ll barely escape with his life.

NO. NO. NO. UNACCEPTABLE. HE’D BETTER NOT DIE. I SWEAR TO GOD—-

After Jax is Robb. With the threat of his tyrannical mother gone, his chances of survival are…slightly higher. Of course, the royal guard is definitely still after him. And maybe his fate could be connected to that of Jax? I mean, they’ve kissed twice now…(PERFECTION. COUPLE OF THE YEAR. 100/10,)

Next to go is Di himself. His chances of survival are fairly slim, seeing as he’s fighting a losing battle to keep the HIVE out of his body. But what will this mean for him and Ana? (Close second for couple of the year, I might add.)

After Di is Captain Siege. If she does shuffle off this mortal coil, something tells me that she’ll go out with a bang, with a gut-wrenching sacrifice for the rest of the Dossier’s crew. If anything, I’ll be saddened to see her go.

Second to last is the Dossier itself. Like with the Tsarina and the various locations throughout the galaxy, I’m unsure as to how this will factor in. Maybe the Dossier sustains some substantial damage, or gets destroyed? Only time will tell…

Lastly, of course, is Ana, the love of Di’s life and the main heroine. She’s probably the most likely to survive, but she’s still in considerable danger, seeing as she’s badly injured from the attack by HIVE’d Di, so depending on where Soul of Stars picks up, she could either be in critical condition, healing, or healed. You never know. We’ll just have to wait ’til next year…*gulp*

F E A R

Welp, thank you for tolerating that tangent. Again, it could turn out to be completely illogical, but I’m keeping my hopes up. I just wanted to share this theory with the interwebs, regardless of whether or not any part of it turns out to be true.

Anyway, if you haven’t read Heart of Iron yet, PLEASE go and read it, and when you’re finished, feel free to read my review and share your thoughts! Hope you have a great rest of your day! 😉

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (Movie review)

Hey, everyone, and happy Labor Day!

Let me just start off by saying that I didn’t have the highest expectations for this movie. I read all three of the books in Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series earlier this year (not review, but well loved by yours truly), and I didn’t want the movie to drastically change from the book, as all too many YA adaptations have in recent years. (Looking at you, Love, Simon…fantastic book, but way too much changed between the book and the movie…😬) The trailer really didn’t do anything to ease my suspicions.

Then it came out a few weeks ago, and it seemed to be getting some positive reviews. About two weeks after its initial release, my mom and I decided to watch it on Netflix. And I’m happy to say that the movie adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before exceeded my expectations!

For the most part, I felt like they did a great job of staying true to the book. No unexplained characters that didn’t exist in the books, hardly any deviation from the plot, all the good things. They nailed all of the characters. No kidding. Nailed them.

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Let’s start off with Lara Jean. Her portrayal was spot-on, down to the little details. Not to mention, I loved all of those perfect lil outfits she put together. Absolutely adorable. A+, Netflix. Thank you.

Also, kind of unrelated but kind of not, throughout the movie, I had this feeling at the back of my head that I recognized her from somewhere else. It wasn’t until the end of the movie that I realized…

…JUBILEE!

She was so adorable! I wish we’d gotten more of her and all of her wonderful, neon 80’s-ness. Maybe we’ll see more of her in Dark Phoenix. Or maybe not. But I kinda want to see more of her. I mean, the only time we got to see her powers was in the deleted mall scene (which, by the way, is totally worth it to watch).

Now, back on topic.

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They TOTALLY NAILED Kitty. I mean, they captured all of her hysterical sass and charm. Oh, my goodness. I missed lil Kitty.

Overall, I liked Margot, though I felt like she was slightly more of a jerk than she was in the books. Also, I imaged her with a bob and straight-ish bangs. Kind of like a younger version of Jenny Han’s original author photo, come to think of it. Weird, I know, but that’s just my brain. Don’t judge me.

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I felt that Josh and Peter were also pretty spot-on, mostly how I imagined them in the books. Peter had always gotten on my nerves in the books (Really, Lara Jean? You chose him? Out of everyone? God…), and he got on my nerves in the movie, so…I guess that was a good sign? Kinda? 🤷‍♀️

Also, this might have just been me, but…did Peter and Josh look eerily alike? For the first twenty minutes, I had a bit of trouble distinguishing between the two of them…

Aaaaanyway, they pretty much nailed most everything. My only major problem was the ending.

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I…just don’t remember if it even happened in the book. And even if it was, it felt really forced. Like, no, this is not Lara Jean and Peter. This is over-the-top, corny, Hollywood chick-flick material. No. Stop. Just act normally. Please. Oog.

But as I said, overall, a great movie. I was happy to see that they’d done just enough justice to the original series, and it was an all-around, cute and feel-good movie. Perfect for Saturday afternoons and whatnot.

I hope you’ve had a good long weekend, and enjoy the rest of your day! I’ve got the first BRT of September 2018 coming up tomorrow, and I’ve got a couple more posts planned out for the near future. So stay tuned, everyone!

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July 31, 2018

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Yer a Fan Art, Harry…

I’m glad to say that I’ve had a lot of time to draw this summer, and I feel that I’ve been improving. Though I don’t have any HP related fan arts for today (sorry), I’ve got lots to show to you guys. Enjoy the fan arts!

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Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) (X-Men-Apocalypse)

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Alright, sorry, this is out of order, but about a month after finishing Nightcrawler, I decided to touch him up a little bit. The marker dried out as I was coloring in the streaks in his hair, which was slowly starting to bother me (a lot), so I filled those in, and filled in a little more of his face and lips. Nightcrawler’s definitely my favorite of the X-Men.

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Loki, God of Mischief! (Marvel)

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K-2SO (Rogue One)

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The Darkling (the Grisha Trilogy)

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Alina Starkov, Sun Summoner (the Grisha Trilogy)

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This poor little porg, who is permanently traumatized because his brethren were roasted and eaten by Chewbacca. (Hello, darkness, my old friend…) (The Last Jedi)

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Annie Clark (St. Vincent). I recently re-listened to Marry Me and St. Vincent (Deluxe Edition), and rediscovered how much I liked her older music. Let’s not mention MASSEDUCTION.

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Santigold!

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Viv, daughter of the Vision (Vision)

Well, I hope you enjoyed the *onslaught* of fan arts! I’ll try to get in some HP fan arts soon for this glorious occasion. Until next time, everyone!

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June 20, 2018

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Again, I’m out of clever ways to say that I’ve got a bunch more fan arts

Ah! I forgot to mention in my last post…

Despite my lack of a Book Review Tuesday this week, I do have LOADS of fan arts for you guys! I’m so happy to share them all with you, and I hope you enjoy…as well as survive the tidal wave of nerdiness, of course.

Without further ado, behold…fan arts.

Sally Hawkins. I was inspired to draw this after a wonderful dream I had about meeting her in a bookstore.

Will Toledo. I apologize for my inability to draw guitars.

The Vision, my personal favorite Avenger. 😭 (Avengers: Infinity War)

Batgirl of Burnside.

Will Toledo(s?). The quote is a line from “Bodys”.

Enfys Nest (Solo: A Star Wars Story)

Courtney Crumrin. I almost cosplayed her at Comic Con last Friday, but I didn’t have time to throw together a good cosplay, much less dye my hair blonde.

David Bowie (from the 1973 “Life On Mars?” music video).

Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon)

Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail).

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

Johann Krauss (B.P.R.D.). I barely managed to draw him from memory. He’s really fun to doodle.

Baz Grimm-Pitch (Carry On). I drew this last night after re-reading “Carry On”.

Well, that’s it for this batch of fan arts! This summer holds endless possibilities, and I hope to fill my sketchbook up with more and more art! Until next time!

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June 12, 2018

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Book Review Tuesday (6/12/18)-Honor Among Thieves

Hey, everyone, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

I discovered this book (and a few other noteworthy ones which I might review later) on an article about YA book to read after watching Solo: A Star Wars Story. I later picked it up at the library, and…

MAN, THIS HAS TO BE THE BEST BOOK I’VE READ SINCE THUNDERHEAD. THUNDERHEAD. (If you want to see my review for that wonderful book, check out 2/20/18). Nearly solid 5 star rating. I rated it at about a 4.75 on Goodreads, which would probably end up at a 9.5 on my personal book-rating scale. Such a wonderful, clever, and original sci-fi book. *sniffles and further regrets getting this book at the library* Okay, here’s your review!

Honor Among Thieves

Over 100 years in the future, mankind has discovered that it is not alone in the universe. Many have come face to face with the Leviathan, but Zara Cole never thought she would. After her latest misconduct, Zara, a runaway and a criminal, thinks she has landed in rehab for the last time. But unexpectedly, she is chosen to become an Honor-a human chosen by the Leviathan to join them on their expeditions to travel to the farthest corners of the known universe. Glorified and glossed over by the media, Zara is initially supsicious of the program. She joins up with Beatriz, her fellow Honor, and Nadim, their partner Leviathan. But once their journey begins, they discover secrets about the Honor program that are best kept hidden…

OH MY GOD.

I absolutely adored Honor Among Thieves. I can completely understand why this was picked for the Solo article-not only is this partially reminiscent of Star Wars, but Zara Cole is very Han Solo-ish herself. Her development, along with that of the other main characters, was what I most enjoyed about this book. On top of that, the intricate world-building, the banter and connection between the three main characters, and much more (including a BEAUTIFUL illustration at the front of the book *swoons*) made for a spectacular book.

On Goodreads it says that this is #1 in a series, but I’ve found no information about the sequel and when it comes out. This book came out in February 2018, so that means I’ll have to wait a year or two for the next installment to come out…

That, and the sequel to Defy the Worlds, the next Arc of a Scythe book…

Ah, such is the tragic life of a bibliophile.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the review! Have a wonderful rest of your day!

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May 21, 2018

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Confessions of a Potterhead*

I have a confession and something of a theory rolled into one.

I’ll admit to this, and I’m sure a lot of you Potterheads out there can too, but…despite my Hufflepuff status, heck, I’ve owned tons of Gryffindor stuff since I’ve gotten into HP. To be exact, some socks, one of Hermione’s Gryffindor shirts from the movies, and a “Books Turn Muggles into Wizards” shirt with the Gryffindor colors. Honestly, I think a good portion of Potterheads, Gryffindor or not, have owned at least one piece of Gryffindor paraphernalia in their lifetime.

Think about it. Gryffindor really is, for lack of a better description, the “central house” of the Harry Potter series. It’s the one everyone remembers when people mention the books. A good percentage of the characters, be it major or minor, are Gryffindors. And the common traits of your friendly neighborhood Gryffindor-courage, chivarly, daring, bravery-are what many of us aspire to be. And heck, loads of us wanted nothing more than to be Gryffindors, didn’t we? We all just ignored the fact the Peter Pettigrew was a dark wizard and that all Gryffindors were perfect Heroes™.

Plus, we’ve all got at least one or two characters we adore from Gryffindor. I’ve always had a preference for Hermione Granger. She’s been one of my favorite fictional characters since the beginning. Then there’s the Weasleys, the Marauders, Neville…the list goes on and on. A lot of my Potterhead friends were also sorted into Gryffindor.

You know who you are, guys. I love you.

But, of course, I acknowledge the fact this doesn’t apply to all of you. Maybe you’re a hardcore Slytherin who wants nothing to do with Gryffindor. Anything. Maybe red and gold just isn’t your thing. (It isn’t mine, but I guess I can pull it off sometimes.) But either way, every Potterhead is different. And I love you all.

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May 1, 2018

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HARRY POTTER! Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fan Arts?!?!?

Yep, that’s right-I’ve got lots more fan arts!

Most of these are HP related, as I did them soon after my Pottermore sorting. I also got some new, more skin-tone color pens on Wednesday, so I’ve been testing those out a bit. Enjoy!

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