Top 5 Wednesday

Hey guys! I'm here writing a T5W on a Saturday, again. I got a lot of homework done and I'm writing my third post...I think a nerdy alien has possessed my body. 

This week's topic is: Favorite LGBTQ+ Reads. 

They can be either books with LGBTQ+ characters or books written by LGBTQ+ authors. I guess I'll have to do some research for this one, huh.

Let's get started!

*Disclaimer: for most of these books I can't say who it is because of spoilers*

1) The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

If you have ever heard of The Mortal Instruments then you've probably also heard about #Malec. They're everyone's babies and you can't touch them. I mean it, don't. 

2) 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

You probably have also heard about this one, but since it's a spoiler, and I'm a nice person, I won't talk about it. Read the book or watch the show!

3) Weirdos by Kat Kruger

I don't consider this a spoiler, because it is described as a self-discovery story. But I won't say who it is, just in case. This is a lovely story and you should all check it out, or at least check my review and then decide.

4) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL STORY. Sorry. I'm okay now. I don't think it's a spoiler...the title pretty much gives it away. 

5) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

My babies 💜 Again, I can't say who it is even if it's not that important. Check this book out, okay? I HAVE to read book 2 because I've heard some really interesting things about it regarding romantic relationships.

I have two extra ones

Extra 1) Arclight by Brandon Graham and Marian Churchland

As I said in my review, there are genderqueer characters here, which I find fantastic.

Extra 2) Eggshels by Ziggy Schultz (a story from Behind the Mask)

In this case, the author is part of the LGBTQ+ community. You guys should check this compilation of superhero stories. Her story was one of my faves. I'll leave the link to my review!

Alright, guys. See you later!

Do you have any good recommendations? I'd love to know!

Book Tag: Peter Pan

Hey there! It's Thursday which means it's time for another book tag. I was watching the live-action Peter Pan movie the other day. We all know which one, the 2003 one, not the crappy new version (which I have seen so I have every right to criticize.) I think the old version is in my top 5 best children movies along with Mulan and Hercules. It might have to do with the fact that I was absolutely in love with Jeremy Sumpter. Don't deny it, you were too. Anyway, this got me thinking and I looked up some Peter Pan book tags. I found a couple of them that I like so I'm doing a mash-up. Okay?

1) Peter Pan: A book with a main character under 14

I'm currently reading this one, and the main character, Keara is 12. Love this girl!

2) Wendy Darling: A character who takes charge

I was going to pick Celaena from Throne of Glass, but I already mention these books in another one, so I went with Katniss. You all know her mother wasn't really a parental figure, so she always took care of Prim. And once the games started, Katniss also assumed that responsibility with Peeta. She's a tough one, maybe a little too much at times.

3) John Darling: A character with a signature fashion trait

I picked Manon since she has her signature white hair and shark-like teeth. She's an awesome character.

4) Michael Darling: A book character who has a hard time letting things go

For this one I pick Tamlin from Acotar. I can't say much because spoilers, but he definitely has a hard time with letting Feyre go. Ugh. He's such a tool.

5) Tinkerbell: A book with faeries in it

Okay, I will go with The Mortal Instruments saga. We all know how sneaky they are, yet we love 'em.

6) Captain Hook: A villain with a soft side

Ugh, why are SJM's books so fitting for every category? I guess I will go with Snape. He's not really a villain, although he does some shitty stuff. I'm not one of those people who either hate him or love him because I don't care for him as a character. Maybe I will when I finally get around to reading book 3.

7) Smee: A character who is a suck up

This is an easy one, I find this guy SO FREAKING ANNOYING. Sorry for yelling, but I can't stand the man. Again with Harry Potter, I'm going with Gilderoy Lockhart.

8) The Lost Boys: A book with an eccentric cast of characters

For this one I'm picking my babies from The Raven Boys. Blue is probably the most "eccentric" one, but you have to admit that they're all pretty weird in some way or another.

9) Pirates: A book with a villain and a group of minions

Well, even if we don't want to admit it, Kaz and his group are thieves so they could be considered villains. I just love the group so much that I have to include it in some way. If you don't like this then just pretend I picked Voldemort and his followers.

10) Indians: A book that has songs in it.

I have seen the movie but I haven't read this book, so I hope I'm not wrong by assuming there are songs in this one...

I think you got the point. I still love him. HEY he's legal now, so don't judge me.

That was a fun tag! See you next time.

What are your favorite childhood movies? Were you in love with Peter too? Let me know :)

Top 5 Wednesday

Hello my friends! I'm back, yet another time, with Top 5 Wednesday, as the title may suggest. This week's topic is quite a fun one: Books That Would Make Good Video Games. Isn't that fantastic?

I'm not much of a gamer, but I definitely enjoy them. I have some friends who are extremely dedicated to them, though. My favorite is definitely The Sims, cause, you know, I enjoybeing a billionaire and killing off my sims when I get bored. I'm not a psycho, I swear. That's what a psycho would say, funny. I've played all 4 of the sims released so far and I've also played some survival games like The Long Dark. I have played one of the Harry Potter pc games, though I can't remember which one. I used to play World of Warcraft and GTA when I was a bit younger and I definitely played the Hannah Montana movie game up until I was like 15. It's a weird selection, I admit it. 

Anyway, I may not be a pro, but I can definitely recognize some books with elements that could be transformed into good games. Let's get into it!

1) The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith

Did I enjoy the books? No. But I loved the tv show (can't believe it got cancelled.) I think this could be a good aventure game with two playing modes: story mode, and online freeplay (like gta.) I love games with magic involved. The players could be sorted or choose an element to manipulate and then go on to play in the story mode or create a character in the online mode.

The circle's power has lured her home Forced to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, Cassie longs for her old life. Even so, she feels a strange kinship to a terrifying group of teens who seem to rule her school. Initiated into the coven of witches that's controlled New Salem for hundreds of years, she's drawn into the Secret Circle, a thrill that's both intoxicating and deadly. But when she falls for the mysterious and intriguing Adam, Cassie must choose whether to resist temptation or risk dark forces to get what she wants—even if it means that one wrong move could ultimately destroy her. 

2) Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Again, this isn't one of my all-time favorite books, as I've said in my review, but, the story could make a fantastic game. I would design it as a story mode game in which you have to switch between the 3 sisters during the story, just like with the book. I think the world in this books is fantastic and could look extremely beautiful in a game. The fact that you can switch sisters also means you can also get to play with each of their specialties (naturalism, poisoning, elements.)

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.
The last queen standing gets the crown.

3) Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

I mentioned this saga in my Underrated Series post, and I'm bringing it up again because it's that good. At least, in my opinion. Partially because I love survival books, but also because they're really good. Have I already stated that they're good? Okay. I know there are plenty of survival games, but I've never seen a game in which a group of teenagers have to rescue their families from a group of invaders. Are there any games like that? Cause I'm down for it. Again, this should be played as a story mode in which you have to gather provisions from the town without getting caught and, well, surviving while trying to get their town back. It sounds great, right?

When Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip in the Australian bush, they find things hideously wrong — their families are gone. Gradually they begin to comprehend that their country has been invaded and everyone in their town has been taken prisoner. As the reality of the situation hits them, they must make a decision — run and hide, give themselves up and be with their families, or fight back.




4) The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

This book has a great plot, however, I don't think it's game material. Why am I including it here you might ask? Well, even though the story isn't fitting, the concept and the way it's written is fantastic and could make a very original game. I've talked about this one in a previous post but I can't remember which. Imagine you are escaping, and then, word comes that the king of the land has sent assassins to kill you. You also find out that there are good people on their way to help you, but you don't know who any of them are. You don't know their faces or their names, so you don't know who to trust. I would love to see this as a concept in a game in which you have to choose wisely who you talk to and who you accept missions for. 

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

5) Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I love the story and the characters int his book, so that is probably the reason why I'm including it. This could become a story mode game in which you have a big mission (the heist) and secondary missions to accomplish. For different missions you would have to play with the different characters from the story. I would also like the game to have an option once you finish the story to continue playing in the world as a merchant, thief, pirate or whatever position and any part of the world you want. 

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:
Break into the notorious Ice Court
(a military stronghold that has never been breached)
Retrieve a hostage
(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)
Survive long enough to collect his reward
(and spend it)
Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first. 

I would also like to start a petition to have a Mortal Instruments game... since we already see the saga adapted to so many platforms, why not a game? I would accept anything, literally. I only have one petition, for the player to be able to choose in which time era to have their character live in. I would love to be a shadowhunter in the Clockwork Prince/Princess/Angel period. 

Okay! That was sooo much fun. 
See you on the next one!

Do you have any game suggestions for me to try out? What books would you pick to be made into a game? Let me know.

Top 5 Wednesday

Hello, hello! How are you? I'm writing this on a Saturday because I'm trying to be organized. Keyword: trying. We'll see how it goes. I'm here, yet again, (not on a Wednesday, technically) with another Top 5 Wednesday and this week's topic is: Top SFF Books on Your TBR. I feel particularly connected to this topic because my favorite genres are Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I have a few of them on my TBR.

So let's just get into it!

1) The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there. 

But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she‘s left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war. 

Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

2) The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (The Thousandth Floor #1)

NEW YORK CITY AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.

A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future where anything is possible—if you want it enough.

WELCOME TO MANHATTAN, 2118.

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. Everyone there wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

LEDA COLE’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

ERIS DODD-RADSON’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

RYLIN MYERS’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will this new life cost Rylin her old one?

WATT BAKRADI is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy for an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is AVERY FULLER, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

Amid breathtaking advancement and high-tech luxury, five teenagers struggle to find their place at the top of the world. But when you're this high up, there's nowhere to go but down....

3) Truthwitch by Susan Dennard (Truthwitch #1)

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

4) Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows #2)

*This is the summary for book 1 cause we don't like spoilers*

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he'll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court

(a military stronghold that has never been breached)

Retrieve a hostage

(who could unleash magical havoc on the world)

Survive long enough to collect his reward

(and spend it)

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done - and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

5) The Last Star by Rick Yancey (The 5th Wave #3)

*This is the summary for book 1 cause we don't like spoilers*

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

I want to thank Sam and Lainey for all their work in Top 5 Wednesday!

What does your TBR look like? is it as high as the Everest? Let me know!