Review Time! (Graphic Novel Edition!) - Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval

Title: Watersnakes

Author: Tony Sandoval

Genres: Graphic Novel, Fantasy*, Young Adult, Magic Realism, LGBTQ+ (F/F), Horror*, Ghost Story* (*ish) 

Amazon: UK – USA

Friday Fics Fix - Rub-a-Dub

'Draco may have screamed (in a very manly and authoritative way, he later insisted to Harry) when he saw the state of the bathroom.'

Sometimes, with fanfiction, you only have two choices: fun and fluffy... or things you can't unsee.

I mean, I don't make the rules, I just read the fics.

Friday Fics Fix - A Future?

'"Fine, fine," Granger said, starting to pace. "Only my boyfriend is a Neanderthal who won't look past the end of his nose."

"Ah, perfectly understandable then," Narcissa said kindly.'

It's time for some more from the king of all fandoms - Harry Potter.

Seriously, there would be soooo much less fan content in the world without Harry Potter! Lol.

We thank you, Potterheads, we thank you. 😉

Nerd Church - The Dilemma of Morally Dubious Media (Ft. American Psycho, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter)

Warning: this post discusses morally dubious media, including but not limited to: rape, murder, incest, general violence.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

American Psycho is about a serial killer that takes pleasure in raping and killing women in the most horrible ways, and the narrative goes into gratuitous detail about it.

Do I have your attention? Buckle up, dearest nerdlets!

No matter what, there is always gonna be media - books, films, TV series, whatever - that is kinda dubious on the ol' morality front.

Is that ok? Is that something we should be consuming? Is that something that people should be creating?

And if it isn't, is that something that we should be supressing?

Should we be, to put it bluntly, censoring it?

Friday Fics Fix - Magical Matilda

'Her lips pursed into a nearly invisible line. “And I feel obligated to let you know that Wormwood is a Wizarding name, while Honey most certainly is not.”'

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus/Happy St. David's Day!

St. David is the patron saint of Wales - he doesn't have as interesting a story as Santes Dwynwen, he basically faffed around founding churches and doing the odd miracle here and there - but it gives me an excuse for a Welsh connection to this post!

(And you probably know that any excuse to include Wales in a post is good enough for me!)

Friday Fics Fix - Yer a Wizard ...Ianto?

'“Ianto?” Jack was looking down from his office.  He slowly descended the steps.  “One of your friends is the Minister for Magic.”'

I'm starting to come to the conclusion that literally everything has been mixed with Harry Potter in fanfiction-form.

Kind of like the magical PG version of Rule 34

...Well, mostly PG.

...Well, some of it's PG.

...Well, this fic doesn't have any sex, ok?!

(If you don't know what rule 34 is, I advise protecting your innocence and not looking it up. You can't unknow it!)

Friday Fics Fix - After the Storm

'“Errgh” Harry groaned, “Is there something wrong with me?”

“Yes, but it’s the same thing that’s wrong with all of us.”'

Ahhhh, how I love Hogwarts eighth-year fanfiction!

Because let's face it, I think that we'd all like to see the immediate aftermath of the Wizarding War, instead of just zooming straight to '20 years later.'

(...Or whatever length of time it was ...I honestly can't remember.)

Like, dude, you missed the hard bits! Recovery isn't something you just skip over!

Month In Review(s) - December 2018

In order to fully boot 2018's a** out the back door, there's still a little business to attend to - in this case, December's wrap-up.

Except for Christmas (which is always amazing - I love Christmas,) December sucked.

Review Time! - Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

Title: Piecing Me Together

Author: Renée Watson

Genre: Young Adult (with New Adult crossover appeal,) Contemporary Fiction

Amazon: UK - USA

A Few Starting Notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. This is a fair and honest review.

This is where I once again point out that I’m a) Welsh and b) White. 

So my perspective of Black American life is obviously limited.

This book is like the forgotten sister of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – it covers a lot of the same ground, and was released in the US in 2017 (2018 here in the good ol’ UK.)

But it’s also a very different book to THUG, and is in no way a lesser take on the topics it handles.

This book is also Black American #OwnVoices.

The Premise:

Jade lives and grew up in a poor neighbourhood, where most of her neighbours are also Black people, and feels kinda out of place in her prestigious (and predominantly White) private school.

When she’s passed over for an opportunity she’s earned, and, seemingly instead of this opportunity, given a place on a scheme for under-privileged Black girls, Woman to Woman, she’s understandably pi**ed.

Add in a confusing friendship with a White girl who doesn’t seem to get the challenges Jade faces because of her race, and local police brutality against Black teenagers, and Jade’s really starting to feel out of place… well, everywhere.

The Best Bits:

This book is amazing.

The characters are so strong – both in the sense of their vividness, and generally as people.

Jade herself is complex and relatable.

Her frustrations as she battles to find her place in the world, and battles against the discrimination she faces, shines through the writing in a way that makes you honestly feel for her (and also wanna slap a few people on her behalf.)

But that doesn’t mean that the side-characters are one-dimensional – they’re not.

All of them seem to have a sense of being their own person, with their own motivations.

And, what is maybe unusual for YA, we also get complex adult characters, including Jade’s mentor on the Woman to Woman programme, Maxine.

Maxine is, in so many ways, just as lost as Jade – she just doesn’t think that she is.

The interactions between Jade and Maxine provide not only a medium for both characters to learn and grow as people, but also opportunity for the author to explore other themes.

Maxine’s family is considerably better-off, financially, than Jade’s, and that brings in a tonne of tricksy questions about the intersections and divisions of race and poverty and/or social class.

Elements of this book also reminded me a lot of Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera – a New Adult novel that deals with intersectional identities, and coming to terms with how the world sees you.

Related Reading: Review Time! - Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

Piecing Me Together weaves these strands together with awesome skill and maturity, while still not losing a tone that (in my humble, admittedly non-teenage, opinion,) is still bang-on for its YA audience.

Not So Great Bits:



This book isn’t for fans of quick, action-packed, plots. This is character-driven.

That’s obviously not a bad thing in and of itself, but a lot of people don’t get on with books which are more character-driven, and I get that.

(If you do decide to take the plunge though, it is an awesome book.)

It’s also not a fast read – I think maybe because there’s so much hard subject matter and layers here, that you have some stuff to think about!

With it being a YA and everything, the fact that it is quite a slow read (I’m a fast reader and it took me a while,) is probably worth noting.

Also, maybe not one for when you’re tired and looking for something light!

Content Warnings:

This book does deal with some difficult topics, so be careful dearest nerdlets!

- racism

- systemic racism

- police brutality against black teenagers

- poverty

- elitism

- body-shaming

- low self-esteem/self-worth

- body image issues

- victim-blaming and gaslighting

#OwnVoices Views:

Check out this #OwnVoices review @ The Black Lit Queen.

Let me know if you’ve written an #OwnVoices review you’d like me to link to!

The Verdict:

This is one of those eye-opening books that everyone should read if they get the chance. 

It’s also far too underrated – let’s change that, shall we? 😉

Buy Now UK - Buy Now USA - Goodreads - Author's Website

Do you think there's room in YA for complex, character-driven books?

Do you think that sometimes books can be over-shadowed by other books dealing with similar topics?

Talk to me! 😊💬

You can follow me on Twitter @CeeDoraReads, on Dora Reads @ BlogLovin, and on Google+. For more ways to support me, check out the Support Me page

Related Reading:

• Review Time! - Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

• Review! - Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley

Please remember to comment and share! 😊

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Last updated: 17th Jan 2019

Friday Fics Fix - Get You Safely Home

'"I am a Malfoy, and Malfoys do not get drunk. We enjoy alternatives to sobriety."'

(Gentle reminder, dearest nerdlets, that getting drunk is not the smartest thing ever, and is best avoided.)

OK, so Draco's stinking drunk after a good/bad night out, depending on your interpretation, and Ron and Harry end up making sure that he gets home safe.

Because Ron and Harry are clearly good friends/colleagues (on account of they're all growed up now and have jobs.)

Also Harry maybe has a thing for a certain blonde Slytherin.

(But, you'll be happy to know, he acts the perfect gentleman.)

Friday Fics Fix - Highjinks

'Chang snorted, “Are you trying to be breezy, Draco?”

“I am breezy, Chang.” Draco said, slumping even further back in his chair to prove his point. “Totally breez-”

It was then that Draco fell off his chair.'

More shenanigans to finish off our month of Harry-Potter-themed fanfiction!

Because October is for Harry Potter. *Nods sagely*

I didn't have long to throw this post together, so apologies if it's a little shorter than usual!

Friday Fics Fix - The Brightest Stars

'Music was something all stars were familiar with, they sang their hymns and ballads among each other. Human music, on the other hand, was so much more versatile, and Sirius loved listening to all of the genres that they offered.'

Week 3 of Harry Potter October fanfiction-y-ness! 😁

Week 1 had Drarry, and so did last week's offering.

This week, though, we're stepping away from Harry Potter himself.

Away from Draco too.

And all the kids who went to Hogwarts at the same time as Harry.

Friday Fics Fix - Awkward Flirting In An Alternate Universe

'Harry wasn’t entirely sure where he was, or why, but walking into a condemned building just for it to transform into one of the raunchiest-looking clubs Harry had had the misfortune of entering wasn’t a good sign.'

Week 2 of our Harry Potter-themed fanfiction fest my nerdlets!

(Catch up on Week 1 here.)

Because October = Harry Potter.

I don't make the rules!!!!* 

I just abide by them!!!!!*

Friday Fics Fix - Just Desserts

'"Are you sure you're interested only in the tart?" Ron asks lightly, to which Harry simply pretends he has no idea what he's talking about.'

It's October! And October means Harry Potter fanfiction here on Dora Reads! 😊

This week's fic is from my new favourite sub-genre of 'fics where Ron is determined to make Drarry happen, because they're both irritating him with their goddamn mutual pining.'

(Fangirling notes: Drarry is a romantical and/or sexual relationship between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.)

#BannedBooksWeek: Nerd Church - F**k It, Let's Talk Censorship (Ft. Thirteen Reasons Why)

Warning: this post discusses suicide, suicidal thoughts, mental health problems, sexual harassment, and censorship.

Links may also discuss these topics.




(Did you notice I self-censored in the title of this post? I can't bring myself to swear without *'s because in a traditional Welsh household, the only one allowed to swear is your mam. Lol.)

Via Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is back! (23-29 Sept 2018)

And, darling nerdlets, I'm here once again to ask all the goddamn awkward questions!

Cos that's kinda what this week is about!

Friday Fics Fix - Draco In A Bow

'“Okay, so look, so, Harry's birthday, yeah? Is soon. And the thing is, he's sort of... well, he doesn't need much. In general. And in... not general he can buy anything he fancies himself. So I kind of don't know what to get him. Except... I know that he fancies you...”'

It's my birthday tomorrow (15th Sep)!

And as such, I'm totally picking a birthday-themed Drarry fic this week. Because birthday.

Yes, this is total Mindless Self Indulgence.

Friday Fics Fix - Draco the Writer. Harry the Reader.

           

'“You keep writing books about Harry!”

Every rational thought left Draco as dread filled his stomach. There was no way that Weasley had figured it out.'

There are some things that you just don't know you need in your life...

...like Draco Malfoy writing novels about how much he yearns for Harry Potter, but nobody getting that that's what he's writing about.

...And then Ron being the only one to figure it out and no-one believing him.

Friday Fics Fix - Deeper Than You'd Think

'As always, it was completely Potter’s fault. How was Draco’s brain supposed to work properly, given these circumstances?'

You know when you start a fic like, 'oh this is gonna be cutesy with maybe a bit of angst and sexy thrown in'?

And then 9 chapters later you're a f**king mess of feels because it was secretly about the deep sh** the whole time?!?!

...that.

(So many fanfic readers know what I'm talking about right now, and the noobs are like 'That'll never happen to me!' - oh contraire, dearest noobish nerdlets, it most certainly f**king will.

Because fanfiction likes to warp your soul and f**k with your brain.

#TrueStory. #GottaLoveItThough.)




(Fangirling notes: Feels are intense and hard to describe feelings/emotions)

Friday Fics Fix - The Future Is Weird (Ft. Harry Potter)

'The tall Death Eater was wearing a shirt that said, 'Hermione Has Forgotten How To Dance,' so Hermione dipped his face in mud.'

OK, so this week's fic is a little bit different.

It's def. on the strange side, but there's a reason for that!

And all will be revealed *mysterious hand motions*

(I don't know what mysterious hand motions are either, just go with it.)

Friday Fics Fix - Harry and Draco and a Fic I Love For Reasons Unknown

'They began to acknowledge one another in the halls, not in a way that anybody else took any degree of notice to, but as their silence slowly became louder to one another they spoke in hushed whispers in empty corridors and alcoves and in the back of the library.'

I don't know why I like this week's fic.

There's just... something about this fic. I don't know why.

There's not much of a plot. The prose is over-dramatic and over-flowery in places. And I have no idea what's going on with the characterisation.

Sorry, that's not much of a ringing endorsement is it?

Maybe I'm not explaining it right. Cos this fic totally rocks.

Why? Well, because... because... I have no f**king clue. It's somehow amazing though.