Subplots & Storylines – July to October 2020

SUBPLOTS AND STORYLINES IS BACK, BABY. And I am aghast, because how has it been a third of a year since I did one of these recap posts?! Let’s just chalk it up to this being the weirdest, timey-wimey-est year in history. But we’re here now, so pull up a chair. How’ve you been? What worlds have you conquered? (Or how many naps have you taken?)

Now, I know I said way back in spring or something that S&S was narrowing down to cover just book and movie reviews. (Since personal and writing updates are now featured in my email newsletter!) Buuut because it’s been so long since I gave you any sort of life update, how about a crash course on what my last four months have been like? It’s been kind of wild.

JULY // Attended Realm Makers virtually (loved the classes, missed mah writing peeps), sweltered in the summer heat, ordered too many milkshakes, and witnessed a miracle in my grandma’s health.

AUGUST // Went on an unplanned writing hiatus (oops), took camping trips in the wilderness of my backyard (#roughingit #notreally), and celebrated my youngest sister’s (belated) high school grad.

SEPTEMBER // Helped to host the epic Silmaril Awards, relished the gorgeous fall colors, deep-cleaned my room after a scream-worthy spawn of Shelob invaded my bookshelf (I’m serious, that thing was much too big to be seen indoors), and published a short story.

OCTOBER // Got back to editing my WIP, spontaneously joined Inktober (and doodled or sketched about 30 drawings), also spontaneously joined #Writetober (and wrote a bunch of 50-word stories for Instagram), and published another short story. Oh yeah, and then I put out Petrichor too. 😉

A quick explanation about those publications if you haven’t yet heard on Instagram or my newsletter…

In September, my Mad Max: Fury Road-inspired flash fiction, Seven Canisters of Dark, was published in Havok’s Bingeworthy anthology!

And in October, I had a fantasy short story called The Heart of a Shadow published in Warriors Against the Storm—an anthology created as a fundraiser for the amazing author Mary Weber. She and her family weathered a storm of their own, in which they lost their home and their health to toxic mold poisoning. All the proceeds of this book go to her family’s recovery fund. Mary is one incredible, kindhearted soul, so I feel very honored to be a part of this!

You can find the purchase links to both of those books over on my newly revamped Writings page if you’re interested. 😀

Now that we’re all caught up, onward to the movie and book reviews! Considering there are four whole months to cover, maybe it’s a good thing my reading pace has been molasses-slow lately. My movie-watching pace, on the other hand… 😛

Screen Subplots

The Boxtrolls

I didn’t expect to like this one, but its fascinating claymation, quirky world, and warmhearted story made it quite enjoyable! It looks like a children’s movie, but some parts were surprisingly dark. Oh, and the post-credit scene was my FAVORITE. Very self-aware and clever.

Train to Busan

I’m not usually into zombies, but GUYS. THIS IS ONE OF MY NEW FAVORITE MOVIES.

This Korean film is about a divorced, workaholic dad whose young daughter convinces him to take her to visit her mom over in Busan. But a zombie slips onto the train before the doors close… and with all the passengers trapped on board as the train speeds along, chaos ensues.

The story didn’t pull a single punch, hitting me in the feels again and again. It connected to me to every single character incredibly quickly. And for having a zombie apocalypse storyline, I was shocked at how much thematic depth was threaded through the non-stop action scenes.

In fact, I loved it so much that I watched it again within the same week—and cried more the second time, believe it or not.

The Emperor’s New Groove

Um. Confession. I had NEVER seen The Emperor’s New Groove until this summer. And now I know why it gets quoted so. often. You probably don’t need me to confirm that it’s hilarious and perfect and 100% entertaining.

Thumbelina (1994)

Oh my word. This was horrendous to the point of being a hilarious experience. I watched it with a couple of friends and we poked fun at every single plot-hole, convenience, flat character, and illogical turn of events. And the insta-love! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen characters fall in love in thirty seconds, but Thumbelina and the fairy prince did.

Howl’s Moving Castle

MY FIRST STUDIO GHIBLI MOVIE! (I’ve just been checking off all kinds of movie boxes this year, haven’t I?) I loved it to pieces. And it was so fascinating to note the differences between the movie and the book. I think both are beautiful, whimsical pieces of art in their own way.

And Howl. HOWL. I LOVE HIMMMMM.

VeggieTales: Lord of the Beans

Ahahaha, good ol’ VeggieTales and their parodies. I haven’t seen this one in so long, but I discovered I could quote most of it from memory. 😛

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Not particularly unique, but this is definitely the kind of movie that eleven-year-old me would’ve gobbled up. What child doesn’t wish to move to an old mansion and discover magical creatures that no one else can see?

By the way, can we start building dumbwaiters and secret passageways into every house? Thanks.

Love Guaranteed

Ay yi yi. I’m not one for Hallmark-esque movies most days, but for a girl’s movie night in, this one was pretty hilarious. If only because the script was SO. AWFUL. The basic plot is that this guy went on 1,000 dates through a dating site called Love Guaranteed, and since he didn’t find love, he decides to sue.

Of course he falls in love with his lawyer. Of course.

Enola Holmes

What a delightfully fun movie this was! Historically accurate? Eh, probably not. But Millie Bobby Brown’s spunk (and hilarious method of breaking the fourth wall), the fantastic cast of characters, and the code-cracking, mystery-solving storyline made up for it. Would definitely watch this again! And can I just say, Viscount Tewkesbury cracked me up.

TV Shows

This has been the year of shows for me, apparently. (Maybe this is why my reading has taken a hit… *coughcough*) Anyway, since July I’ve watched…

The Flash // Finished the rest of Season 4, which ended more strongly than it started. The villain’s motives were pretty fascinating!

Attack on Titan // Finished Season 1 and watched all of Season 2. The fact that this is now one of my favorite shows EVER probably surprised no one but me. As the series goes on, the mysteries deepen, the stakes get higher, the death count rises, emotions swirl, and the number of answers we get are outnumbered by all the new questions raised. *insert fangirl scream of frustration and joy*

My Hero Academia // Season 1 was so fun! I honestly didn’t expect to like this one either, but it’s hilarious and heartwarming and very quirky. Deku is my adorable little squish.

Stranger Things // Rewatching Season 2 was another smack in the feels. So much tension and creepiness and fabulous 80s vibes! I LOVE IT.

The Guardian // I finished watching this crime k-drama with my sisters and DUDE. The plot twists. They just keep coming. And despite a little dose of cheesiness now and then, the angst is real. I’m still not over that ending. Highly recommend!

Currently watching:

• The Chosen (very slowly, but it’s still amazing)
• Attack on Titan: Junior High (bwahaha, this cutesy AU is hilarious!)
• To the Beautiful You (another k-drama I’m watching with my sisters—it’s absolutely cheesy but still so fun)

Page Storylines

the Traitor Prince // C.J. Redwine // 5 Stars

Another fantastic addition to the Ravenspire world! Crown Prince Javan is wrongfully thrown into Maqbara, a dangerous prison, while an imposter takes his place in the palace. And the only person who can help Javan get out is Sajda, a girl enslaved to the prison warden.

As usual with this series, the relationship was one of my FAVORITE parts of the story. I loved Javan and his honorable, academic ways… Sajda’s guarded front and fragile dreams… and the way these two slowly begin to trust and understand each other.

The whole setup of Maqbara was epic too. Gritty setting, corrupt power figures, and underdog heroes—check. And a well-written tournament is one of my favorite plot devices! Throw in high stakes, monsters, dragon shapeshifters, satisfying challenges, and changing loyalties, and I’m bound to enjoy it.

For some reason I missed the memo about which fairytale this was based on, so the eastern setting led me to believe it might be a gender-swapped Aladdin. Turns out it’s actually based on an Arabian tale called “The False Prince” (which I have yet to read), but regardless of the origins, the story is strong enough to stand on its own two feet!

So far, The Blood Spell remains my favorite Ravenspire book, but this was also a five-star read for me!

Wolf By Wolf // Ryan Graudin // 5 Stars

Hello world, I’ve found a new favorite author, and it’s Ryan Graudin!

Invictus hooked me earlier this year, so I had to go find more of her work to devour. I landed on Wolf By Wolf, the tale of a young Jewish girl in a world where Hitler won the war.

Yael has the ability to skinshift and take on almost any appearance, so after escaping a death camp, she winds up as the greatest weapon of an underground resistance. Her mission? Win the annual motorcycle race across the continent so she can get close enough to take Hitler down at the winner’s ball.

SEE WHAT I MEAN? That plot alone is enough to make me go all starry-eyed.

And then there’s the writing. Good gracious, it’s heartbreaking and beautiful and raw and EXACTLY the kind of voice I love.

So we’ve got a killer plot and stunning writing. And the characters? ALSO FABULOUS. Each of them is a compelling, three-dimensional person with real quirks, motives, and scars. Some of them are meet only through flashbacks, but they’re painted in such deft strokes that I became attached almost instantly. So when loved ones are ripped away from Yael, Ifelt it. And in the present timeline, nearly every relationship is strained by the competition of the race, the danger at hand, or the secrets held. So there’s a delicious amount of conflict and intrigue—not to mention high action—that kept me flipping pages.

And then there are the underlying themes. I won’t go into them much because they’re best left discovered for yourself, woven through these broken characters and their heart-pounding story. But the idea of the moreness of people is one that will stick with me. No one is simply what they seem to be. There’s so much more inside them.

Plot, writing, characters, theme—Wolf By Wolf aced them all and has found a spot among my trove of favorite stories!

The Icarus Aftermath // Arielle M. Bailey // 5 Stars

I reviewed this one HERE. Fantastic sci-fi story about found family and a rebellion!

Experiencing the Presence of God // A.W. Tozer // 4 Stars

This was my first Tozer book, and although he occasionally went off on tangents, it offered great food for thought. The presence of God isn’t something to wait for—it’s as close as your next breath, and God is just waiting for us to turn our hearts and attention to Him.

I quite enjoyed taking a journey through the book of Hebrews, looking at it through the lens of God’s presence… why we can step into it and how to do so.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book: “God desires to reveal Himself to us more than we desire to experience His presence.”

Warriors Against the Storm // Various Authors // 5 Stars

The thing that always astounds me about short stories is how much can be squeezed into so few pages. So much action, characterization, and heart.

And that held true for this anthology, a collection of twenty stories about brave souls standing up against impossible odds. Some of these tales in particular grabbed me within mere sentences and left me aching with wonder or empathy or inspiration…

• Lightning in a Bottle by Lani Forbes
• Spirit of the Jaguar by Cassandra Hamm
• Hold by Emily Hayse
• The Night Beasts by Savannah Grace
• After the War by Emily Grant
• The Doll Girl by Sarah Stasik
• A Place Among the Stars by Cassia Schaar

All in all, this is a collection brimming with powerful characters, monsters, and yes, the occasional storm.

P.S. My rating is based on the other 19 stories, not my own. 🙂

Whew, thanks for sticking around for all those reviews!

Find anything that you’ve read or watched before? Or are you planning to add any of them to your TBR/to-watch lists?

ALSO, QUESTION: do you think Subplots & Storylines should become a quarterly thing? Or is three months’ worth of reviews a bit much to read all at once? This time was four months, which I think is a bit long. But three might be manageable? I don’t know. TELL ME ALL YOUR THOUGHTS.

And have a wonderful november!