Comics Wrap-Up - We're Drawbridges Closing

 

It's Thursday. Let's get some awesome-sauce comics-y, superhero-y goodness!

Review! - Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of The Faun by Guillermo Del Toro and Cornelia Funke

Title: Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of The Faun

Author: Guillermo Del Toro and Cornelia Funke

Genre: Media Tie-In, Horror, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales (-ish,) Magic Realism(-ish,) Young Adult (Maybe? Maybe just adult with YA appeal. It's kind of difficult to gage the age range here!)

Amazon USA

Friday Fics Fix - Padfoot and Moony's Guide to Raising Harry Potter (Ft. Diverse Representation!)

 

Note: For the foreseeable future the only Harry Potter fanfiction I'll be rec'ing will have Trans+/NB+ characters. 

I understand if you don't wanna read any posts about Harry Potter whatsoever, and I hope I'll see you when I'm rec'ing from a different fandom.

“Sirius, when is the last time you slept? Or ate a proper meal? Or took a bath? Don’t even bother answering that last one. You smell like something died in your hair..."

 

To rec this fic, I basically just wanted to go:

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...until you read it.

But I realised that's both exhausting and requiring of context. (Dammit!)

From My TBR: 15 Young Adult and Middle Grade Books By Black Authors

 

(Warning: this post references racism and police brutality)

There are three important reasons for me writing this post:

1. Black Lives still Matter.

2. It's always a good time to highlight diverse books.

and 3. There are so many amazing Black creators out there, who don't always get the recognition they deserve.

So here's a small selection of some of the Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade (MG) books on my TBR list that were written by Black authors.

For those of you who don't know the book-blog lingo - a TBR is a 'to-be-read' list. Mine is immortal and cannot be stopped. Send help.

For those of you who are British like me, and/or haven't heard the book blogging term, Middle Grade books are those aimed at (roughly) ages 8-12, or 8-14, depending who you ask.

(Quick disclaimer: obviously, I haven't read these books, just their synopses, so I don't know what they're like in terms of content, quality, etc.)

I hope you find something to add to your own TBR, and remember to support Black authors, and other Black creators.

There're so many talented Black authors out there who deserve our attention!

Comics Wrap-Up - Can't Erase the Scars With A Bandage

It's Thursday. 2020 is still 2020. Let's get some superhero-y goodness!

Friday Fics Fix - Drarry In An Elevator

They stand in another stretch of silence before a great screeching sound reverberates throughout the elevator.

For reasons best known to yourselves, dearest nerdlets, one of my perenially popular posts - especially with Google searches - is Drarry In A Cupboard.

So, if you're a fan of Drarry in a cupboard, then I have a treat for you today - Drarry in an elevator!

(Anybody else mentally singing Aerosmith's 'Love In An Elevator'? Just me. Ok.)

(Fangirling notes: Drarry is Draco and Harry with a romantical and/or sexy-ness relationship.)

Friday Fics Fix - Witches Loving Witches

'Ginny started to laugh. The Death Eater stopped walking. He was speaking angrily now, growling or snarling something.'

Argh, how do I explain this week's fic?!?!

Well, for a start, it turns out good F/F fics are like buses - nothing for ages, then they come along one after the other.

Mini-Review! - Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Title: Legendary

Author: Stephanie Garber

Series: Caraval #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Amazon: UK - USA

The Verdict:

I don't think I've ever enjoyed a second book so much when I found the first book so... meh.

Don't get me wrong - Caraval was ok. 

It was an enjoyable enough read. 

I did have some... issues... with it when I reviewed it a few years ago, but overall it was just ok.

Friday Fics Fix - The Self-Care Fanfic Rec-List

Fanfiction is a fab form of self-care (which I know I've said more than once, but that's because it's true!)

And seeing as how:

a) we could all do with all the self-care we can get atm...

and b) I have written a lot of fanfiction posts over the years...




I figured I'd take a look over my blog archives, and select some of the most useful fics for self-care.

(Side-note: looking through my archive is super-weird!)

Nerd Church - St. David's Day Special! Let's Talk Robert Downey Jr as Dolittle!

Robert Downey Jr's performance as Dolittle is amazing. And he does it with a Welsh accent.

...I think it's fair to say, though, that the accent has had a mixed response.

And since today is St. David's day - and I never lose a chance to talk about Wales and being Welsh - what better time to discuss it?!

Friday Fics Fix - Roses Are Good Omens

'“Come to my flat for drinks tomorrow?” He forces a casualness to his voice that he does not feel. “I’ve got a bottle of Glenfiddich I’ve had since 1937 and it’s about time you left the bookshop for something other than pastries and feeding ducks.”'

So... I wasn't going to do a Valentine's post.

Partly because I don't like to get overly-smooshy. 

Partly because, given my experiences with overly-explicit, sexual, holiday-related fics...

- If fandom can do that kind of thing with Halloween, think of how far they could go with Valentine's! *shudders* If I never read another pumpkin-sex fic, it'll be too soon. They find me. Every year.

Friday Fics Fix - Harry Potter Fics With Transgender Main Characters

(Warning: this post discusses Transphobia throughout, as well as referencing an abusive ex-rock-star)


Oh God, J K Rowling. *sighs*

I know a lot of people gave up on her before now, but the latest transphobia from Ms Rowling seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back* for most people.

*Do people use that phrase outside the UK? I don't know. 

...I feel like it can't have originated here, cos we don't have camels... weird.

If you have no idea what I meant, then please just rest assured that no camels were hurt in the making of this blogpost!

I Watched The Film First! *Gasps* - 5 Books That I Read Because I'd Seen The Adaptations

You know the voice that's just like: 'you've read the book, now see the movie!'

...that voice doesn't know me at all.

I read a butt-tonne of books. 

Like, I read at the 200-per-year kind of speed.

But I watch loads of film and TV adaps. before I read the book.

Friday Fics Fix - 'Round the Houses

'Loki was left-handed and took a broom that was on the very end. He had plenty of flying practice at home, but he was still nervous. His first day had been going so badly, one more embarrassing moment would just be the cherry on top.'

It's a pet theory of mine that at some point, everything in fandom has been crossed with Harry Potter.

Sometimes this is a full-on cross-over, with the characters from the Harry Potter books/films running around with characters from Marvel or DC or Torchwood or whatever.




Sometimes, though, this crossover takes the form of a Hogwarts/Harry Potter AU.

A Hogwarts and/or Harry Potter AU is an Alternate Universe where the characters from a fandom are placed in the setting of the Wizarding World, attend Hogwarts, work as Aurors, etc.

This may or may not involve actual appearances from Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Friday Fics Fix - Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

'"The handwriting on the first spells is far too legible to be Satan's," Aziraphale reasoned, reasonably, like a reasonable person who had just critiqued Satan's penmanship.'

Halloween may be over, but that doesn't mean we have to retreat from the gothicky side of life, dearest nerdlets!

And what I have for you this week is both gothicky and fun as all hell! (Pun unintended, but now I'm actually quite pleased with it.)

Friday Fics Fix - HP Halloween: The Ones Who Won't Grow Old

Warning: this post talks about war and related trauma

'Even in the summer, it was cold here. Once, Ginny had been used to it, spending most of the year here, but now it was more of a distant memory.'

This is the last week of HP Halloween!

Yes, November is fast-approaching, which means our month-long Harry Potter fanfiction fest is over.

Friday Fics Fix - HP Halloween: Star-Crossed Rumors

'...But it wasn’t a dream and he was fully clothed. When he looked back over at the group of girls, they giggled even harder, whispering to each other'

Yes! It's time for another week of HP Halloween!

Because October = Harry Potter fanfiction.

I don't make the rules I just... wait, no, I do make the rules! Yay me! 😆

(...I'ma blame the caffeine. #JustSaying. 😅)

Friday Fics Fix - HP Halloween: Nostalgia Ain't What It Used To Be

'“To mine” interjected James, the tall boy with mousy hair and glasses. “Padfoot ran to mine and now he’s staying there.'

Welcome to the second week of F3's* HP Halloween!

Yep, October is for Harry Potter fanfiction - the king of fandoms in terms of quantity (you can't deny it, it's totally true!)

*F3 = Friday Fics Fix. It's just easier to say sometimes. 😅

Friday Fics Fix - HP Halloween Begins!

'Malfoy looks shocked, like a deer caught in headlights, nowhere to run and just staring wide eyed at Ron, pushing Harry towards him. Suddenly Hermione realises what Luna meant: the bet.'

It's October! Which means a whole month's worth of Harry Potter fanfiction, 'Friday Fics Fix' posts, here at Dora Reads!

(Because that way I can avoid Halloween-themed fics and therefore hopefully avoid reading things I can't un-read. 😅)

Friday Fics Fix - Nerds Are Secretly Vindictive Emos. Oh, and Merlin and Arthur Got Captured Again.

'“We’re not going to die here,” Arthur snapped. “Someone will come to rescue us.”'

Who wants a dash of angst?

Sometimes I feel like we nerds/fandom members, as a group, are too into angst.

But... meh. 😉

Sometimes you just want to to see your favourite characters tormented - and that's ok.