Subplots & Storylines – November/December 2019

Okay, everyone’s saying it, but I have to agree—how crazy is it that this decade is over?! Looking back, the 2010s contained the most transformative part of my life so far… the decade in which I grew up. (Hey there, fourteen-year-old me.) Most of you would probably say something similar.

Buuuut let’s save the ruminations about 2020 for another post! We have just enough time to chat about the end of 2019, or more specifically, what November and December looked like in my little corner of the world.

It was a whirlwind, that’s for sure. Between turning 24, participating in National Novel Writing Month for the first time, and Christmas, other fun things managed to squeeze into the schedule. Things like coffee with a friend, watching another friend perform in a Beauty and the Beast musical, playing a wiseman (wise woman?) in a church Christmas skit, family gatherings, a staff Christmas party at work, baking fruitcakes…. and, at last, some very relaxing time off from it all.

Not to mention lots of good books—along with some shows—to refuel my creative well after November’s intense writing! Without further ado…

Screen Storylines

STRANGER THINGS SEASONS 2 & 3

I CANNOT STOP YELLING ABOUT MY LOVE FOR THIS SHOW. Thankfully, I’ve been watching it with a couple of friends, so at least we can shriek at each other as mutual fangirls.

Since November, we finished season 2 and watched the first six episodes of season 3. Yes, this means we’re almost done. Only two more episodes remain between me and the long wait for season 4. *sobs*

Season 3 became a lot darker than the first two, which I didn’t realize was possible, and the plot moved along at a breakneck speed. It’s been great for tension, even if it maybe sacrificed some of the subtle character development I loved about the earlier seasons.

ONCE UPON A TIME SEASONS 4 & 7 // THE FLASH SEASON 4 // EXO: CLIMB THE LADDER SEASON 2

As usual, I’ve been inching along with a roughly a couple episodes a month (for each of these shows/seasons).

I’m remembering how much better the second half of OUAT season 4 is than the first half. I can’t WAIT to be done season 7 (ugh).

For The Flash, I’ve been getting through the crossover episodes (which I’ll admit are usually not my favorite segments), but my brother tells me we’re getting to the really good stuff. 😉

And the EXO show is as fun and fluffy and adorable as ever. My sisters have converted me 100% into a K-pop fan.

(A selective K-pop fan, but a fan nonetheless.)

TOY STORY 4

Toy Story is one of those series that, happily, doesn’t suffer from sequel-itis! I laughed and grinned my way through this latest instalment as much as any of the others. While Toy Story 3 is probably the only one that brought me close to tears, number 4 still brought plenty of heart and brilliant animation to the table.

Also, did anyone else spot Boo’s cameo appearance? You know, Boo from Monsters, Inc.?

Page Subplots

Click the book covers to find my original reviews on Goodreads. Or, you know, to add the books to your To-Be-Read shelf. 😉

November

THE SCORPIO RACES // MAGGIE STIEFVATER // REREAD // 5 STARS

I loved every bit of it just as much as the first time. The ending even made me gasp, exclaim, and shed a tear again.

December

THE STORY PEDDLER // LINDSAY FRANKLIN // REREAD // 5 STARS

I loved hanging out with Tannie, Mor, and the Corsyth crew all over again! (If you’re curious about my thoughts, I reviewed it in-depth in May 2018 over HERE.)

THE STORY RAIDER // LINDSAY FRANKLIN // 5 STARS

The Story Raider reeaaally upped the stakes from the first book. Finding the cure now matters to Tannie personally, and the consequences of failing are deadly.

If you haven’t read book 1, turn back now—spoilers abound!

What I liked:

• More Mor! I love this guy, and his character grew deeper in this book. He still reminds me of Killian from Once Upon a Time… to the point that in one battle scene, I totally expected him to brandish a hook. (Oops.)
• Tanwen and her father didn’t just settle into a comfortable relationship automatically, but had to work for it.
• Lots of sailing, exploring, and code-cracking.
• Karlith’s quotes! “Mourning is for this life. I live for the next.” She’s such a steady force of peace in any scene where she shows up.
• Meridione was probably my favorite location the crew visited, and now I want to try a maize cake.
• Braith has so much to carry as the new queen of a kingdom experiencing unrest, but she always spoke and acted with grace.
• I also adored how the book pushed into dark situations and found the light.
• A suprirse character I won’t give away…!

What I didn’t like:

• I was hoping for more of Dray’s story to be carried out… but maybe that’s coming in book 3.
• I was frustrated with the way Tannie treated Brac in the beginning. I mean… she has her reasons. But the poor guy really didn’t deserve being strung along.
• The downside of so much travel is that we don’t get to put down roots in any one kingdom. I would’ve liked to get to know some of the places better, but I suppose the plot didn’t have room for that.

Anyway, Tanwen and the Corsyth crew took me on a thrilling adventure! I loved seeing the weavers band together and discover what they were capable of, even amidst grief. And after the way it ended… boy, I need book 3 SOON!

A CHRISTIAN’S CAROL // WAYNE THOMAS BATSON // AUDIOBOOK // 5 STARS

I posted a review just a couple weeks ago HERE. (Loved this audiobook!)

MUSE OF NIGHTMARES // LAINI TAYLOR // 5 STARS

I am so very torn on this book. It was different than Strange the Dreamer, which was one of my FAVORITE books this year. Yet there was still so much to love… and unfortunately, a few things I wish weren’t in the book at all.

We’ll start with the former. (Mild spoilers ahead.)

What I loved:

• The writingggg. I’m in love with the way Laini Taylor weaves words. And while this one wasn’t quite as magical in that regard as Strange was, it was still breathtakingly gorgeous. I was just soaking it all up—the cadence, the metaphor, the lush beauty of it all.
• The first half of the book may have been a little slow, but the second half was INTENSE.
• Minya! I know in my review for book 1, I said I hated her. Now I feel so much compassion for her, even though she is a terrifying disaster child.
• Sarai, the Muse of Nightmares, figuring out how to use her power to help and heal rather than harm, was beautiful.
• Eril-Fane and Azareen!
• The new storyline about Kora and Nova added the spark of mystery and intrigue that this story needed. Without it, this sequel might’ve felt a bit like a dead end, turning circles to wrap up the threads of book 1. Now, this spark wasn’t as MAGICAL a spark as the mysteries of Weep were in book 1 (at least to me), but it freshened things up and brought just the right balance of tragedy and understanding to later events.
• This book answered so many questions, including those I didn’t know I wanted answers FOR! Especially regarding mesarthium and the gods.
• Thyon Nero has come so far. And while I don’t care for the stirrings of a certain Relationship™️, I did love seeing how lost he was after everything that had happened. Also, his complete inability to fry bacon is everything. xD
• On that note, I really enjoyed how ALL the characters were affected by the aftermath of book 1. (Some negatives on that coming later, though…)
• The question upon which the whole story hinges is, “Can monsters be saved?” And I was refreshingly pleased with how that turned out.

What I didn’t love:

• My number one disappointment was how much focus the physical aspect of Lazlo and Sarai’s romance got. And how far they went. I wouldn’t classify this duology as YA anymore, but as NA. It’s stated that they don’t actually have sex, but there’s far more exploration on the page than I prefer to read about. I liked Lazlo and Sarai together a lot more when they were… you know, just talking and dreaming and stealing the moon.
• My number two disappointment was how little we get from Lazlo’s perspective. He was the central character in book 1, and while it makes sense for Sarai to get the spotlight and the lion’s share of character development now, given the plot… I missed the charm of his point of view. He seemed to be around mostly to wield [SPOILER] and kiss Sarai.
• The implications that Thyon is gay just… came out of nowhere? And didn’t add anything to the plot?? He had plenty of character development taking place without adding that to the mix.

No sequel can recreate the magic of its predecessor. That’s the trouble—trying to retain what worked before while building something new is HARD. I’ve been skimming through reviews of Muse to see what others think, and while I see the point of some of their complaints, I would’ve been happy despite all those issues… if the romance had been kept PG-13.

As it stands, I’ll pretend those scenes don’t exist, and instead enjoy the other 90% of this beautiful book. I’ll treasure my imaginings of what adventures lie in wait for these dreamers beyond the final page.

WANTED: A SUPERHERO TO SAVE THE WORLD // BRYAN DAVIS // 5 STARS

A fun middle grade superhero adventure by one of my favorite authors!

Full of heart and sprinkled with puns, this tale of a brother-sister duo is fast-paced, entertaining, and even carried a few plot twists. Eddie’s positive relationship with Sam was especially refreshing in a sea of characters who hate their siblings. And—bonus—Mom was a cool person and wasn’t just relegated to the sidelines. (What a novel idea!)

With a grin-inducing setup for book 2, this book is the perfect thing to hand over to young readers. Maybe it’ll even prime them in advance for Bryan Davis’s YA works that they can pick up in a few years.

DEFY THE STARS // CLAUDIA GRAY // 5 STARS

This book reminded me of all the reasons I love YA. High praise? Yep. And while this wasn’t a flawless book, it did what good stories are meant to do: sucked me in, kept me turning pages, and made me think about it every time I had to put it down.

She’s a soldier. He’s a machine.

Usually I’m a bit wary about cyborg romances, but the relationship between Noemi (a soldier from the planet Genesis) and Abel (the most advanced mech ever created), was fascinating and yes, even swoon-worthy. “What’s considered human life?” is a question thoughtfully explored by both of them in their own ways.

What I loved:

• That whole theme I just mentioned. I’m still puzzling it over and have a feeling I’ll keep thinking about it for a while.
• The slowburn romance.
• Sacrificial love. It gets me every time. I was NOT expecting things to get as deep as they did!
• The concept of the Loop, a series of wormhole gateways connecting five planets, was really cool.
• Abel’s chapters were my favorite—hilarious and heartwarming in turns, and so distinctly mech as he measures probabilities and repeatedly classifies his growing interest in Noemi as “irrelevant.”
• The Casablanca moment. *clutches heart*
• I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned the pacing yet. THE PACING WAS AWESOME. Never once was it too slow. I feel like something unexpected-yet-foreshadowed threw a wrench in their plans every few chapters. At the same time, the moments of rest, conversation, and reflection were perfectly timed to give me a breather.
• All the side characters. While not super deep, they popped off the page with their own wit and presence.
• This was a very YA-ish thing, but the stark, almost faction-like contrasts between the planets were actually really fun. Just enough world-building to make everything come alive, without getting bogged down in irrelevant backstory.
• Faith and religion plays an important role, and it was dealt with respectfully. I feel like that’s a rarity. (Along with that, the line “Without free will, there is no sin,” is repeated at key moments and I LOVED IT. When’s the last time a mainstream YA book tackled theological concepts?)
• THAT COVER. <3

What I didn’t love:

• Virtually… nothing? (Younger readers should be aware that there are a few conversations about sex, but they’re framed by Abel’s ever-pragmatic viewpoint, aka logic instead of lust.)

This high-stakes romantic sci-fi surpassed my expectations and blew me away! Totally worthy of a binge-read. I think it’s moved onto my list of favorite books this year. And guess what, my friends? It’s not a standalone, like I’d assumed, but the first in a trilogy. Yay!

Currently Reading:

• Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz
• Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

We’ll see if I can manage to finish both before midnight and count them as 2019 reads!

Written Storylines

Well, like I mentioned in the beginning, and as you may have noticed last month, I spent November typing up a storm. With 62,000 words written, the first draft of Dead Magic is complete! Now it’s resting quietly in my computer files until the day I eventually decide to edit it.

As for this month, once I wrote the final scenes of DM on December 1st, I took a much needed break from writing!

Slowly but surely, ideas for 2020 writing goals are taking shape. I’ll take that as a sign that I’m replenishing my creative energy. 🙂

How was the conclusion of your year? Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year brings you much hope and an expectancy of beautiful things!