TALKTIME #17: MY DEFENSE OF FANFICTION
There are a lot of different thoughts swirling around in the book community on fanfiction. I came across a post from Emily at The Paperback Princess in opposition to fanfiction. Well, her post stirred something in me and I just had to write a post in defense of fanfiction.
I have been reading fanfiction since probably the start of high school. One of my friends was constantly talking about fanfiction and I had no idea what she was talking about. Short after, I joined Tumblr, and if you know that site, you should know that fanfiction is very prevelant. So, after some inner debate, I went onto Fanfiction.net.
The first fanfict I ever read was a Harry Potter fict. I have no idea what it was or what it was really about to be honest, but all I know is that it paired Hermione with Draco Malfoy. I never in a million years dreamed of pairing those to, but I read the fanfict and something changed in me.
Fanfiction has allowed me to connect with fictional worlds in ways I never imagined possible. There are some worlds from tv shows, books, movies, etc. that I get so connected to that they start to consume me and kind of cut me off from the real world. There are times where I get so attached to a universe that I start imagining my life in that world and with those characters. I place myself in that universe and pretend that I am anywhere put in the real world. With fanfiction, I get that continued connection. That world that I became so attached to continues on in the fanfiction and I love it.
A really big part of why I love fanfiction is the endless possibilities. Sometimes there are characters that I really love, like more than Earth itself. But for some reason unknown to me, the author, creator, whoever, doesn't think they belong together, and so they are not cannon. This usually doesn't sit to well with me. So, I go to fanfiction. Fanfiction allows my precious babies to be together in a way that I could only dream of. There are some fanfict writers where they shape the characters and worlds so perfectly that it really does seem like the relationship was meant to be and their original creator/author/whoever did a huge disservice of not pairing them together.
It's not just the relationships though, but the actual worlds. Sometimes, I like the original characters, but not the actual worlds they exist in, or I want more of the world they exist in but the original people didn't give enough details. Fanfiction can happen literally anywhere and in as little or as much detail as possible.
What I truly love most about fanfiction though is how it makes me feel. Fanfiction gives me so many emotions and just fills me up with a joy and happiness that sometimes real life cannot give me. When I'm down in the mud and I don't want to read a normal book or watch tv, I'll go to fanfiction and let it consume. Reading about two characters that I never thought could come together be paired up and fall together in such a perfect way or reliving two friends comical dynamics really does something for me. It gives me hope. Not just for the characters and the worlds they exist in or their original portrayals, but for myself. I feel like fanfiction has given me so much and shaped me into a more accepting person. It also gives me hope about my own future.
*Side note: Bonnie Bennett/Kat Graham is the definition of perfection and #goals*
Sorry if that all sounded like the ramblings of a madwoman, but it's something I really wanted to say. Fanfiction is something I am quite passionate about and is something that is just as authentic as the original portrayals. (Real talk though, I'm waiting for Goodreads to add fanfiction because my Goodreads Challenge would be so high if fanfiction counted, which it should be it's literature too.)
What do you guys think about fanfiction? Yay or nay? I want to hear all about it in the comments.
Book: The Unexpected Everything
Author: Morgan Matson
My Rating: ★★★
Synopsis: Andie had it all planned out.
When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.
Important internship? Check.
Amazing friends? Check.
Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.
Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected.
And where’s the fun in that?
I read this book as a buddy read with my friend Temecka. This was my first Morgan Matson book and Temecka really likes Morgan Matson, so I was totally okay reading this book. Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. Plot-wise, it felt like a lot of unnecessary drama and was quite slow at times. It also felt immature at times and it kinda just reassures my push towards less young adult and more adult books. Character wise, there were no characters that I really liked. The main character Andie was just a bit too arrogant and confident for me, though she did change some for the better towards the end. I did really like Clark, the main guy love interest in the beginning because he was the shy, awkward, quite nerd that I love, but somehow when the relationship became a thing, that all dissolved away and he was just like any other guy. I think what I liked most about the book was seeing the change between the dad and Andie's relationship. Overall I wasn't that impressed. I'm still going to give "Since You've Been Gone" a chance because I'm hoping I will identify more with the main character since she has social anxiety.
Every time I say that I'm going to get back into the swing of doing "Friday Reads" and end up forgetting about it or getting too busy and dropping it. Whoops, my bad.
It's summer and I'm not at the medical program I'm doing yet, so I actually have time to read, and with time I also get to blog more. Hopefully, I can keep this up. I make no promises though.
Currently Reading:
I am currently reading "The Unexpected Everything" with my friend Temecka for our buddy read. We were supposed to finish it by today, but we both got kinda busy so we probably won't be finishing it until the end of the week during the weekend.
This is my first Morgan Matson book, and while I kinda like it, it is not blowing me away. I think it's probably because I cannot identify with the main character, Andie. She's kinda of a bitch and very arrogant with a confidence I cannot believe is possible. I myself am quite shy and in general have social anxiety, so half the stuff she does, I have no idea how she does it. I do however like Clark, the guy, way more. He's such an awkward little nerd who wears Star Wars and Doctor Who shirts, and that just makes him such a lovable nugget in my eyes.
Plot wise, this book seems rather slow and some of the things that have happened could have been avoided if people just communicated. I'm hoping things get better and that I like it more. I'm definitely going to try out "Since You've Been Gone" after I read this because I heard it is ten times better than this.
So what are you guys reading this weekend? I want to hear all about it in the comments. And if you have read this book or are currently reading it, what do you think?
Book: The Boy with Words ("Five Seven Five" & "Five Seven Six")
Author: C.E. Wilson
Page Count: 460 (Final Paperback)
My Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis: White Frost has only ever known the darkness. Everything outside of her closed society is The Unknown – a strange and dangerous place accessible to only a chosen few. White’s only glimpse of the world beyond comes from her beloved cousin in the form of mysterious collections of words that hint at astonishing wonders. When an accident upends her simple existence, she’s given an unlikely chance to see the truth for herself. What she finds is greater and more terrible than she could have imagined, and before long she is forced to make the most important choice of her life: does she accept her safe, limited world that she’s known or take a desperate gamble in a world not meant for her with the Boy with Words?
I was approached by the author, C.E. Wilson for a free copy of the book (which is actually a bindup of the two books in the series) in exchange for an honest review. Having worked with this author before, I agreed. Coming into the book, I was a little wary. To be honest, I wasn't the hugest fan of the last book I read from her, "To Nowhere". It was very basic, quite underdeveloped, I wasn't a fan of the whole giant/little person relationship, and I hated every single character in the book. I decided to give this books a whirl kind of as a chance of redemption for the author. Fortunately, this book did in fact redeem her, though the beginning was a bit rough.
This book is everything I wish her last book had been. This book, like her last book, deals with giants and little people, but this book however, approaches the topic way better. The world building is very developed and the dynamics between the two worlds are constantly evolving as we learn more about the two worlds. With this book, I don't have to wonder how things came to be because they are clearly defined.
When it came to the main character, White, I actually liked her, though there were several times when her decisions and thoughts annoyed the hell out of me. White reacted exactly to the situations she was placed in an acceptable normal way that any person would do as well, and I really appreciated that; it made the book seem more real and the story feel like it is something that could happen.
Kes... I'm going to be completely honest; I didn't hate him, but I also had a lot of issues with him. In general he was... if I had to use a word, it would be creepy. He approaches the entire situation in a way that just isn't normal for a guy his age. Granted, the whole point of the story is that they are different, but there is such a thing as being too different to the point of it being problematic and a psychoanalysis needed.
Now on to the main thing of the book, the relationship. As cute as it probably was, it is just something I couldn't get behind. Every bone in my body to me that it was just wrong on so many levels and just couldn't be. Maybe it is the psychoanalyst in me who has watched too many Criminal Minds episodes, but the relationship just wasn't normal.
Plot-wise, while it was rather cookie cutter and nothing special and quite predictable, it was still enjoyable, more than I thought it would be. I think the main reason for that was because the writing in this book was just way better than in To Nowhere. This writing was more than just the basic writing I was used to in the last book. In To Nowhere, it felt like a middle school girl had wrote the book with it's overused phrases and annoying tone. With this book though, it really felt like the author had given more thought to word choice and just the overall book itself. To Nowhere kind of felt like it was thrown together rather quickly, while this one was clearly developed as much as possible.
Overall, this book was really entertaining and had a lot of low and high points. While I wasn't really fan of the relationships and dynamics between the characters, I still enjoyed it.
About the Author
C.E. Wilson is currently living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband, beautiful daughter, a chubby beagle and two cats. They are all the loves of her life. When she’s not writing young adult fantasy novels, she enjoys writing short stories on her Deviant Art page. She loves to write stories involving giants and little people (also known as GT) and she can't decide what she loves more: horror movies or shoujo manga. She has a bachelor's degree in English Education so she has a soft spot for older literature authors including John Milton, William Shakespeare, and stories such as Paradise Lost and Beowolf. On a side note, nothing helps her to write more than drinking good beer and watching The Twilight Zone.
So I stopped doing daily wrap ups because I was too lazy and a couple of days I honestly just did not read. However, I am not too lazy that I can't do this wrap up!
While I did not read as much as I really wanted to, I still read a decent amount of books, especially considering how many books I've been reading these past few months due to school.
Number of Books Read: 3(4; technically the third book was a bindup of two books)
Number of Pages: 986
Books Read:
5 Stars 1.5 Stars 4 Stars
Final Thoughts:
I'm really glad that I did this readathon. It was really what I needed to due to kind of kick myself back into reading gear, and I got to discover some really cool people from the Twitter chat, despite only being able to participate in the first one. While I would love to participate in the next one, the possibilities of that happening are slim to none because I go back to college when it happens. Who knows. The first couple of weeks are a little more slow paced and this upcoming semester I'm not taking nearly as many credits as I did the past, so maybe I'll have time.
I got a decent amount of reading done, though once again, I totally could have read more. I remembered a K-Drama I had been putting off finishing for the longest time, and one thing led to another (like it always does) and I was sucked into a marathon.
Reading wise, I continued reading "How to be Black". I'm really enjoying it. It is really satirical yet it points out a lot of truths and brings up things I think everyone could learn from.
Currently Reading:
Books Read Today: 0
Pages Read Today: 93
Books Read Total: 1
For the first time since starting "Bout of Books", I actually spent most of the day reading! I finished "How to be Black" and I really enjoyed it. The satirical messages portrayed and the way they were written were just golden. I even showed a few chapters to my brother, dad, and best friend and they all loved it and now want to read the book. I'd call that a successful day. I'm hoping to read at least one more book before the end of "Bout of Books".
Currently Reading: To Be Determined
Books Read Today: 1
Pages Read Today: 161
Books Read Total: 2
So today I got more reading done than yesterday, though it was still not nearly as much as I could have done. One thing led to another and I was sucked into watch videos of Beyonce's Formation Tour. #sorrynotsorry.
I finished "Eileen" and god damn that book was so fucked up. It was bad on a level I didn't think was possible. It was slow and boring and when it eventually did get to the actual plot and action it was so flat and anticlimactic and only like 20 pages long that I didn't care.
The next book I'm picking up is "How to be Black" by Baratunde Thurston. I don't usually read nonfiction books, but a friend recommended it to me, so I hope it's good.
Currently Reading:
Books Read Today: 1
Pages Read Today: 197
Books Read Total: 1
So my first year of college is finally over, and with that comes summer and more time to read-- that is at least until my summer medical program starts. In order to feel more motivated to read, I am participating in "Bout of Books".
So this first day, I didn't really get any read done. I woke up at noon for the first time in months and I did my hair which is a really long process that took until like 6pm. After dinner, I got a bit of reading done before I participated in the first #boutofbooks twitter chat. The twitter chat was really fun and it was the first book chat I've ever done on twitter.
So I'm currently reading "Eileen" by Ottessa Moshfegh. Honestly, I'm not really enjoying it all that much. It's definitely different than anything I've ever read before and slightly interesting, but right now there seems to be no plot and the main character is annoying as hell. Hopefully it gets better...
Currently Reading:
Books Read Today: 0
Pages Read Today: 65
Books Read Total: 0
So this first day, I didn't really get any read done. I woke up at noon for the first time in months and I did my hair which is a really long process that took until like 6pm. After dinner, I got a bit of reading done before I participated in the first #boutofbooks twitter chat. The twitter chat was really fun and it was the first book chat I've ever done on twitter.
So I'm currently reading "Eileen" by Ottessa Moshfegh. Honestly, I'm not really enjoying it all that much. It's definitely different than anything I've ever read before and slightly interesting, but right now there seems to be no plot and the main character is annoying as hell. Hopefully it gets better...
Currently Reading:
Books Read Today: 0
Pages Read Today: 65
Books Read Total: 0
Book: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
My Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis: Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.
I literally just finished reading this book and I have so many feels right now. This review is probably going to be all over the place but I don't even care because JESUS THIS BOOK DID THINGS TO ME. IT FUCKED ME UP ON SO MANY LEVELS.
For those of you who haven't read the book yet, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE??!!! GET ON TOP OF THAT SHIT AND GO READ IT.
Where the hell do I even start? This book was everything I wanted. For those of you who don't know, I read "A Court of Thorns and Roses" when it came out and absolutely loved it. It was my first Sarah J. Maas book and I was blown away. Coming into this book, I had high expectations, and they were exceeded in every possible way. There was so much character development and world building and my god the plot was anything but typical. I have never before encountered a New Adult book that has been able to be on the same caliber of awesomeness as some Young Adult series. While I could have done without all the sex in the book, it didn't bother me too much, though if sex isn't your thing, I suggest skipping over those parts.
Character development wise, it was absolutely great. You see Fayre change so much, and in the best possible way. She is so independent and badass and truly what a great female main character should aspire to be. She learns so many new things and encounters many different situations and just takes them in strides. I admire her so much.
And Rhys, gosh I said at the end of the last book I wanted to see more of him and that I really liked him and this book delivered, it fucking delivered! We see so much more of him and we learn so much about him. He is way more than he appeared to be in the first book and I love the way he was portrayed and shaped. I also really loved his friends that we get introduced to him because they really add to the story and testify to the type of person he truly his, not who he appears to be.
Tamlin.... all I can say is fuck him.
Now the romance and sexual tension in this book... it damn near killed me. I loved it so much, so fucking much. This is how you do romance. My heart was broken, fixed, broken, so many damn times. My emotions were also kinds of fucked up, and I applaud Sarah J. Maas for making me feel those things.
I'll admit, there were times where I felt things were a little slow, but damn that ending made up for it. There were so many twists towards the end that I did not see coming. Usually I'm pretty good at predicting twists, but I did not see any of them coming, and I am so happy about that, though I'm not necessarily happy about the twists themselves.
Overall, I just I CAN'T BREATE RIGHT NOW. Sarah J. Maas did a phenomenal job with this book and I literally cannot wait to get my hands on the next one. Seriously, I might die between now and then from the emotions just taking over my body.
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