March Highlights

  And we come to it again - the ending of another month. I am still here slowly freaking out about everything...the busiest time of year is coming up fast and I am not prepared guys. Not at all.

LIFE EVENTS

• Lots of theater this month (well, two different instances)! I went to see a local theater group's production called "Lucky Lucky Hudson", a comedy musical featuring gangsters that was pretty entertaining. Then I went to see my cousin, Tracy Cantin, in the Edmonton Lyric Opera as Chrysothemis, the sister of Elecktra, the title character of the opera. I've never been to an opera before and actually quite enjoyed it. It was Strauss' Elektra but with a dystopian feel and lots of blood. It's funny having to read subtitles for a play. XD
• This month was my camp's All Girls weekend, and the theme was Spies! I had three seven year old girls in my cabin group of six which was...interesting. But it was a fun weekend. We had a great speaker for chapel and I learned a lot from her. It was a pretty fun time. 
• So much wedding productivity! We finally got to meet with our caterer, I ordered and received my bridesmaid dresses, I got my invitations made up and am beginning to send them out, among other things. It was kind of a crazy month for wedding things. But I'm super glad so much could be checked off the list!

sisters modelling...

• I started an art class which has been good for getting me back into drawing on a semi-regular basis at least. I never have the time anymore! 
• Went to Edmonton and met my cousin's boyfriend for the first time. We taught him how to play The Bean Game in the food court of West Edmonton Mall. Good times.
• So much horses. I've been doing a ton of jumping and I'm starting to feel more confident. A new jumper horse is coming this weekend and then we'll finally have more than one horse who is athletically capable. XD Lots of excitement! I also got to take my own horses out for a sunny ride down the road for the first time this year - which was great. Galloping down the road is an amazing feeling for sure. And I've spent a fair bit of time with the horses out at camp, doing some trail riding, which has also been really nice. I find that horses are one of very few ways lately in which I can keep my brain focused and content. My brain is moody.

WRITING LIFE

With all going on above, this month wasn't the most productive month for writing. I did manage to get a few chapters of The Wandering completed, not as much as I wanted but oh wells. My mind is currently drawing a blank on what else I wrote this month...maybe it was just that? I did go through my endless lists of notes on my fantasy series however, trying to do some plotting.

Oh! And I got my manuscript back from the editor! Now I just have to go through her copy edit and approve it before sending it back for a proofread and then I'll be ready to look at publishing! Eeep!

READING LIFE

I met my goal of two books this month, and they were both CS Lewis, so that's excellent. XD

THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH by CS Lewis
The last book of The Space Trilogy that I had put off reading for awhile, simply out of busyness and other books coming along. I really should not have. I talked a little bit about this whole series in my post about CS Lewis novels that you should really be reading. But this one is definitely much different than the others. First, it takes place completely on Earth, second, there is a lot of political conspiracy, third, a lot about marriage, fourth, there's Merlin and fifth, it's quite a bit darker than the others - at least I thought. But no less fantastic. 5/5

THE DARK TOWER by CS Lewis
This is an unfinished manuscript of Mr. Lewis'. It's missing a couple pages and is actually not complete - the story abruptly ends just as it's beginning to really get going. This is a huge disappointment to me, as I found the story - a piece featuring some of the same characters in the Space trilogy - wholly fascinating. We are led to believe there is time travel involve but it is hinted that something much different is going on. I'm not sure if I can recommend this due to the fact that it is unfinished and I wouldn't want to inflict anyone else with eternal suffering, but it IS a very good story start and there are enough hints placed in the text for the reader to at least imagine some sort of ending. There are also some very good short stories included in the book - I really loved The Man Born Blind personally. 4/5

BLOGGING LIFE

Still managing to post every week! Though some of my posts end up being a day late...whoops. I'm excited to have gained some new followers this month, and to have read some really great blog posts from other bloggers. Keep up the great work everyone!

Some of my favorites...

Abigayle Ellison's Banishing Plotting//When to Plot and When to Not
Katie Grace's Growing Older + some thoughts on that
Abbie's It's Okay to NOT Be Independent (Why I Still Live with My Parents and Love Every Minute of It)
Andrea's A Talk About Tropes
Jonathan Trout's Dear Writer, How's Your Heart?
Mary Horton's A Word About Beauty and the Beast
Aimee Meester's You Can't Be a Writer Unless You...

This month's blogging stats:

• Pageviews: 5375
• Followers: 16
• Posts: 59

GOALS

Goals for March...

• Get The Sorceress and the Squid sent off to the editor!! // This actually happened, and I even got it back and now I get to read through it and clean it up! Sweetness. :D
• 1-2 chapters of The Wandering written? // Did this one. *wipes imaginary sweat from brow*
• Read at least 2 books - hopefully more if possible // And this one! What?
• Try to get somewhere with The Snow Dragon? // Not this one so much...depending on how this coming month goes we'll see if I touch it again. 

Goals for April

Guys, I have SO much to do/so much I want to do....gotta make the goals small, which, sadly, means probably no Camp NaNo for me this year. Sigh. Maybe next?

• Get to chapter 20 in The Wandering? Maybe? I'm mostly saying "20" cause I'm on 16 right now and 20 is a good round number...
• Read 2 books (my permanent monthly goal)
• Finish my read-through of The Sorceress and the Squid (hopefully before the end of the month) so I can send it back for the proof-read.
• I'm working on Thin-Skinned for school starting this month, so we'll see what happens there I guess...hopefully some new chapters?

  Well, that's all I've got for this month. It was busy and fun and exciting and productive - just not always in the areas I want. I think I need to learn how to be content with not being productive in every area of my life at all times because I will probably kill myself before that happens. Sigh. 

  How was your month? Did you do anything exciting? Are you doing Camp NaNo this April? Tell me about your project or about your April goals below!

Logan: Movie Review (feat. SPOILERS)/Should We Have R-rated Superhero Movies?

  *casually posts late and hopes no one notices*

  At the beginning of the month I got to go see the new X-Men movie "Logan", a movie centering on the Marvel character, Wolverine, and his struggle to save a new child-mutant, Laura. I went with my fiancee and his dad (which may sound awkward but his dad is actually hilarious so that made it better). I had kind of meh expectations for the movie because all the Wolverine standalones and recent X-Men movies I've seen have been less than overwhelming. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this one.

  Happily, my medium-size expectations were blown right out of the water. I laughed at this movie, I even cried twice - which I hate doing in a movie theater - and I definitely enjoyed the whole ride.

  Today I am going to share some of my thoughts on the film with you, and also my thoughts on whether or not we should make R-rated comic book movies a regular thing. So, let's jump in!

In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X at a remote outpost on the Mexican border. His plan to hide from the outside world gets upended when he meets a young mutant who is very much like him. Logan must now protect the girl and battle the dark forces that want to capture her.

  So the movie is set about ten or so years from now with Logan working as a sort of uber driver to earn money for him and Charles Xavier who is beginning to succumb to a horrible dementia. They live just beyond the US/Mexican border and Charles is kept in an old turned-over water-tank where he is mainly looked after by Caliban while Logan is away. They are trying to raise money to buy a boat where Charles and Logan can sail away from the rest of the population into total isolation. The movie reveals that as Charles mind begins to slip, he becomes afflicted by horrible seizures that can have catastrophic consequences for humans and particularly mutants in Charles' vicinity. It is hinted that this is the reason why there are so few mutants left alive in the world.

  Right out of the gate I want to say that Charles' dementia was probably my favorite plot point. It's a really (I think) creative idea on the part of the writers. What would happen if the world's most powerful mind started to disintegrate? What would be the consequences? I enjoyed how the movie played with this idea while still keeping Charles (mostly) sane and sensible, allowing us to really empathize with the character throughout the film. I've always really liked Charles Xavier but this movie definitely made me love him more.

  Another challenge presented for the characters is that Logan's age seems to be catching up to him. He is no longer as strong, fast or powerful as before. Strictly put, it seems as though he is beginning to die.

  On top of all of this, Logan finds himself mixed up in a strange conspiracy involving a young, mute girl whom Charles immediately believes is a mutant. Her name is Laura and as Logan grows to know her, he comes to realize that she is like him. Very much like him.

  From here, the group sets out on a strange family road-trip, heading for North Dakota where Laura will be safe from those who are hunting her. But there are many twists and turns to be had along the way.

MAJOR SPOILERS TO COME BELOW

  My overall view of the movie is strikingly positive. I really enjoyed the action, the plot, the characters, dialogue, everything. As stated above, one of my favorite plot points was Charles' dementia and the devastating affect it had on him and those around him cause I'm sadistic like that mwahaha. Another thing I really liked (and this is where the spoilers come in) was his death scene.

  I was initially quite sad and depressed by Charles' death. But when reflecting on it, I'm really impressed by how the writers pulled it off. It ranks among my favorite movie deaths for sure. I won't explain it in death, but it can definitely be described as shocking and cruel and just...pretty sad all things considered. But that is what I enjoy in death scenes, so I was quite pleased.

  I also really liked how they explored Logan's weakened state and letting him get beat up and kind of suck in perfect honesty, and not being afraid to do that.

  The bravest thing the writers did however, was not only killing off Charles Xavier, but Wolverine as well. All in one fell cinematic swoop. This was quite a surprise to me - especially Charles' death because I had kind of predicted by the movie trailers and such that Wolverine was on his way out. The fact that the movie took out both of them though is pretty surprising to me. And kind of...refreshing? In light of this and Rogue One, I wonder if 2017 will be the year that movie franchises get brave enough to kill off their most popular characters? That will be interesting. And hard on my poor heartstrings.

  One thing that I thought I would dislike based solely on my viewings of the trailer was that Laura was virtually the same creature as Logan, only better because she was younger and stronger and "the newer model." I find that a little annoying most of the time when comics do that with characters, but this movie actually pulled it off. Even when it was revealed that Laura was Logan's daughter (which I would initially have thought was too cheesy) it actually seemed to work out well. But that's just my opinion. Maybe other people will disagree? In any case, I did really like the way their relationship develops and grows over the course of the film. In the end, Logan cares for her enough to give up what's left of his life for her and her fellow experiments. And that definitely struck a chord for me.

  MAJOR SPOILERS ARE NOW ENDED

  I think what really worked about this X-Men movie is wrapped up in it's title. All of the other movies featuring Logan were titled "Wolverine" in some way or another, placing all the attention on the superhero side of the character. This movie, titled simply "Logan", is a much more personal testament and homage to the character and that's probably what makes the film really stand out from the previous attempts at Wolverine standalones. It's not about him simply being cool (though there is plenty of that as well), but of him being a real, vulnerable character who loves and loses and tries and fails. That was probably the best part of the film and I'm really glad that the writers were brave enough to do that with this character.

  That being said, I've heard complaints about the R-rating of the film. Reading PluggedIn's review of it they seemed to really enjoy the themes that I discussed above, and that Logan had some real care and concern for those around him, and that he acted more hero-like probably than I've ever seen him, but they couldn't get past the language and violence that earned the R-rating. What I'd like to bring up for discussion is simply, is that really fair of them? I agree that the amount of language, while not really a personal issue for me, was over the top. They could definitely have cut some of it out. It definitely seemed at times like they were really trying for their rating, and it came across awkward. But the violence when you have two Wolverine characters running around, slicing and dicing, yeah, things will get a little messy. I think it's fair to grant the movie the freedom to do that.

  Something that really bothers me about the Christian film industry and Christian views on what makes a good movie is that they will simply watch anything so long as it's "clean and good" the whole time. Even something that was a legitimately good movie with good themes and lessons to glean, like Logan, will fall by the wayside simply because of language and violent content. Of course we do not want kids watching these things at certain ages, I totally get that. And some people are simply uncomfortable with these things. I get that too. However, I think there is a happy medium to meet with how far comic book adaptions can/should go to be faithful to their content. I mean, they are about all-powerful super-humans fighting villains wanting to destroy the world. There's probably going to be some violence going down.

  In my opinion, Logan was one of the movies that reached the happy medium. I know that last year when the Deadpool movie came out there was some controversy about that. I agree that there were definitely some over-the-top elements of that film (though I did not see it). I think it's R-rating took itself a little far - though it is in keeping with the comic character. In that, I think filmmakers should go ahead and make a faithful adaption, good on them. But that doesn't mean we have to watch it? Like, if you're really uncomfortable then don't see the film? It's that simple. Deadpool obviously did some things right as it was a pretty big box office hit. The same goes for Logan. It has one of the highest Rotten Tomatoes ratings I've ever seen for anything (92%) and an 8.5/10 on IMDB. That's pretty impressive. Does it have something to do with the filmmakers being free in their adaption? I think it absolutely does.

  I wish that movies could be made disregarding the ratings or shock factors entirely. I wish that stories could simply just be told, good stories. Whether or not they contain dark or difficult content. I've found that many of the best stories usually aren't the most squeaky clean. It seems that audiences like something a little edgier, something that doesn't sugar-coat. But I also think we don't need a pile of sex, swearing and violence dumped in our laps with every movie either. It seems filmmakers are scared to meet in the middle, they only feel comfortable being on one extreme end, as those are the movies that sell.

  But Logan is definitely selling. And it's definitely in the middle. And it's definitely worthwhile. To me, it's a big smack in the face to those who think that movies have to be soaked in filth or all soaped up pretty. Movies, stories, can visit dark things, hard things, and still have lots of good elements to show its audience in the end.

  So, bearing all that in mind, should there be more comic adaptions with R-ratings? I think so. I definitely think so. That doesn't mean I believe studios should be trying for those ratings with all of their might, I think they should just let what happens happens. In the end, I think all an audience wants is a good story, and those come so much easier when we're not wrapped up in whether or not something is clean enough or dirty enough. Just let it be. Just let it breathe. That's my opinion anyway.

 

and logan agrees

   Have any of you guys seen Logan? What did you think of the film? What do you think about superhero movies having R-ratings? Are you for or against? Let's talk about it!

A Rant Against Romance Novels...

  Well, once again this week I did not get my post out at the appointed Sunday time (sorry about that). However, taking the day and going out on a date with my wonderful fiancee is what gave me the inspiration for this post, so I guess it's not a bad situation all things considered?

  Basically today is going to be me ranting about the atrocity that is the romance novel genre and why I think it's damaging. Damaging to writing standards everywhere and to the female psyche it's geared to.

  Let's get started...

  The Harlequin Romance Novel is a pretty huge cliche/eye-roll for both writers and readers everywhere - yet, they are still being written and published at a ridiculous rate. At Chapters yesterday with Jonathan as we perused the shelves and laughed in derision at the titles under the Romance genre, I was aghast to realize this section was pretty much as big as the Fantasy section in the other corner of the store. Even thinking about that now is a bit of a horror.

  We stumbled upon titles such as "Seduce Me, Cowboy" and "His Amish Teacher" and others of a similar, cheesy nature. It seems that romance writers/readers have a few set male stereotypes dominating their genre.

• Tall, dark and handsome rich guys
• Tall, dark and handsome Scots
• Tall, dark and handsome doctors
• Tall, dark and handsome bad boys
• Tall, dark and handsome cowboys without shirts standing in a field (or on a beach in their jeans and cowboy hats as one cover depicted)

  I have a personal vendetta against the cowboy ones because I have grown up in the cowboyiest place short of Texas and I'm here to tell all you fantasizing female romance writers that this IS NOT HOW COWBOYS LOOK OR ACT OR EXIST. COWBOYS DON'T STAND AROUND GAZING SEDUCTIVELY INTO THE DISTANT FIELDS WITH THEIR SHIRTS OFF OR UNBUTTONED AND MOST OF THEM DO NOT HAVE HUGE, OILED MUSCLES FROM FARMING/RANCHING. YOU DO NOT BECOME A BODYBUILDER FROM WORKING ON A FARM. SORRY. 

  unless you're me of course jk lol

  As for the rest of these rather stupid and WAAAYYYY overused tropes, first of all, no. Second of all, just no. 

  I do not proclaim to be any great romantic expert or male aficionado, but I have come across a fair number of guys in my nineteen years and never met anybody like the males depicted in romance novels. Maybe I haven't met enough guys? Maybe I haven't been involved in enough sketchy, bad-boy romances/love triangles? I'm probably just innocent and naive and all that...but I do have one hypothesis and I'd like to pretend that I'm actually right. You can let me know whether you agree or not...

  So, female romance writers and readers, you know those over-photoshopped magazine ads of super skinny models with flawless skin and hair and perfect bodies? Those pictures aimed at all of us and our insecurities, meant to make us hate ourselves and strive for an unachievable female beauty ideal? Yeah? I'm about to drop a bombshell on you, you ready?

  The guys you portray/read about in your romance novels are guys to whom you are doing the EXACT SAME THING. 

  Those jacked, broad-shouldered, sexy, tall, dark, handsome, cardboard cutout, "perfect" men are your unachievable male ideal. And yes, it's just as damaging as the unachievable female ideal is to you. 

mindblown

  I'm sorry to burst the bubble of your romantic fantasies i'm not really but i'm trying to be kinda nice but really guys, if you wonder why men you read about don't exist it's because they freaking don't? You're training your brain to expect something that isn't real, just like guys who stare at pictures of hot babes. It's the exact same thing, you cannot logically pretend it's different. If you think that women should not be idealized and held to some fake beauty standard (and they absolutely should not be) then maybe don't do it back to guys? Maybe?? 

  This isn't just a body image thing either, the personalities of men portrayed in romance novels is partially nonexistent and partially filled in with a base, bad-boy persona that has long ceased to be cool and has never, ever presented the promised of a healthy relationship. If this is how you expect and fantasize men to act and then whine about "not being able to find good men" well...

this might be too harsh...maybe

  On an even more extreme (and moral) standpoint, in my oh-so-humble opinion, romance novels are pretty much just straight up women's porn and are doing no more good for female minds then other porn does to the minds of men. This is unhealthy. Unhealthy for ALL involved. It is not a "guilty pleasure", it's just plain guilty. It is doing neither you, the people around you, those whom you have a romantic relationship with now or in the future, or society in general any favors. In fact, it's only inflicting damage. 

  Don't believe me? Check the facts. There are an endless amount of studies and research poured into the effects of porn on the male brain and certainly there is just as much of an influence on the female mind as well. Even if your romance novel doesn't have explicit sexual scenes, there is an element of emotional manipulation as well that - for females anyway - is just as bad, if not worse, for your brain.

  I see this especially in the Christian fiction romance that is stocked on shelves today. All the historical romance, contemporary, Biblical, Amish, etc romance fiction is chock-full of what I am tempted to call "soft emotional porn" that can totally have an effect on a woman's mind and her view of romantic relationships - especially if they believe that it's all totally safe and good and they aren't using any discernment or good judgment. As a young woman who, while not being super interested in romance as a genre, did read some Christian fiction romance as a teen, I definitely felt that there was a certain amount of emotional manipulation going on and I don't believe for a second this didn't have some effect on me. I certainly was set up to think of men completely differently then I have found them to be in my actual experience. While this was not devastating to me, it certainly had some lasting effects. I think that if you're going to write this way under the Christian fiction genre then you should be sensitive to the fact that young girls will be reading this as some of their first experiences with romance and maybe treat it as your duty to portray properly and take a little responsibility. Please.

  At this point I'm probably sounding entirely like a prude. My argument against this would be simply that I'm not. I am comfortable to read books and series such as "A Song of Ice and Fire/Games of Thrones" in which there is a lot of sexual scenes. I think the difference there is that there is some (often harsh) reality at play and these romances are never idealized. Usually quite the opposite. But, to me, when romance is portrayed outside of stereotypes and cliches and with some actual realism and gravity, then there is much less danger of being deceived into looking at it as an ideal. Absolutely you should use discretion and discernment and not read what makes you uncomfortable when working through heavier content, but I think there is a difference between seeing sexuality portrayed impurely upfront and seeing sexuality portrayed impurely through the rose-colored glasses of romance novels. One is showing you something wrong, the other is showing you something wrong and trying to tell you it's right. 

  My personal belief is that the romance novel as a genre is deeply flawed. On the surface it is entirely ridiculous and embarrassing to me (and many others I know). Yet why do so many women keep coming back to it? 

  Because they're looking for something there, something that a romance novel will never, ever be able to satisfy.

  Ladies, if you're looking for a romance story, start looking for a *good* one. I have read incredible romances set in books that have absolutely nothing to do with the romance novel genre. In fact I think this is the best way to search for them. Love and romance is one of those things that the harder you search for, the more you focus and obsess on, the stronger you desire, the further away it slips. To me the beautiful thing about romance is that it shows up when and where you least expect it, and those instances are far more fulfilling than any cheesy, re-hashed romance novel ever could be. Trust me. Just start reading stories and you'll begin to find it, here and there. Real romance and love will transcend a hot cowboy on a cover and has a much greater ability to lift a romantic spirit. 

 

  

  Now that my initially sarcastic post turned rather somber, let's lighten the mood a little. To help solidify in your mind that romance novels are pretty much confirmed trash, here are some of what I found to be the most hilariously bad romance novel titles. Enjoy. 

  (PS. I apologize if some of these are less than "family friendly", they were just so bad I couldn't help it)

• Seduce Me, Cowboy (this was the worst one Jonathan and I found yesterday)
• The Wall-Street Were-wolf
• Seduced Hearts: A Body-Tingling Romance
• Kill or Be Kilt (not even kidding)
• Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf
• Falling for Santa Claus
• A Prairie Dog's Love Song
• Fangs In Frosting
• Me Bear's Baby
• For Real
• Mermen Are Coming For You
• Prick of the Thistle
• One Night, So Pregnant!
• My Sinful Surrender to a Highlander Werewolf
• Heartbreak on a Stick
• Happy Birthday
• Learning the Dingo's Quirks
• Waking Up Married (the horror)
• Operation Cowboy Daddy
• My Bosses Gasses
• Tentacles of Trump
• In Deep 
• In Deeper

literally me the whole time i researched these

  I hope you had as much fun reading this list as I did finding it. Among the tears of laughter I am shedding there is also this sense of horror, shame and embarrassment creeping up upon me with the knowledge that other humans actually wrote, published, sold and bought these things? I am not sure what to think about humanity right now.

  Well, hopefully you enjoyed my rant. Are you a romance novel writer/reader? Hopefully I didn't offend you too much, I do have a lot of strong opinions on this subject. Do you agree? Disagree? Discuss with me in the comments below!

The Sorceress and the Squid is BEING EDITED

  Hey guys! How is your Monday? I know I'm a day behind for my post - I apologize. I was working at my local Christian camp's All Girl's Spy Camp weekend - which was a blast. I was in charge of a cabin with three seven-year-olds and that was...interesting. Especially when I had to operate yesterday on 3 hours of sleep from the previous night. Le sigh.

  But anyways, today I am going to talk about my novel that is currently hanging out at the editor's, getting all cleaned up. Some of you may have heard that exciting announcement through Twitter, Facebook or an earlier blog post. I'm really excited to see how it comes back and to finish all the polishing in order to pursue it to publishing.

  If you know nothing about my novella-turned-novel "The Sorceress and the Squid" then read on, my friends and hopefully you will be enticed to pick up a copy when there are copies available!

THE SORCERESS AND THE SQUID

In the magical land of Perth, divisions between the Old Kingdom and the New have waged for centuries. The humans have long harbored a mistrust of the spell-casting Fae and vice versa. In the midst of this conflict, Estrella the Sorceress lays waste to the Training Academy for Human Warriors, making an enemy in the soldier, Jalen. During their standoff, Jalen is turned into a squid and Estrella, unable to restore him to his original form, takes sympathy on him and travels west across the Sea to bring him to the Wizard in hope he can be saved. But is there more to the unrest in Perth than meets the eye?

  THE BACKGROUND...

  This is my second full-length novel that I've fully completed. I really enjoyed writing this one because it was purely fun and just kept growing and growing as I went. The world got a little bigger and the conspiracy a little thicker and the magical elements a little more complex. It surprised and entertained me while writing - which is an awesome thing to experience. It also taught me a lot about myself because each and every character in the story (aside from the Wizard, Morana, the Commander and the King) are based on myself and real people around me in my life. I know, I know, that's like one of the major rules in writing that you SHOULDN'T BREAK: inserting yourself or people you know into characters. Yeah, it's probably not the best plan in every situation, I grant that. Things can get awkward and people could be offended. But I think there are times when this can be pulled off. I think it worked for my story especially.

  The inspiration came from a conversation I had with my boyfriend (before he was my boyfriend) about him being a secret ninja squid - thus inspiring the squid part of the story. The sorceress piece came after we started dating. He complimented me by referring to me as "casting a spell on him" and then my brain did a couple turns and the rest is history. I didn't immediately start writing as that all happened in late 2014. I started the story in fall of 2015 and finished in spring of 2016. I've been editing since and now am on the road to publishing - a thrilling concept.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM THIS STORY?

  A lot of different things. There are obviously a lot of, er, more ridiculous elements (such as soldiers being turned into squids by angry sorceresses). But for all the light-hearted tones, there are just as many dark and mature ones to balance it out. There are themes of loyalty and betrayal, of doing the right thing at one's own personal sacrifice, of not getting mixed up with the wrong people and many more. There are cabins in the mountains and pirate ships sailed by elementals and haunted woods with vampires and nymphs, wizards and sorceresses, princesses and goblins, warriors and squids. It's a big, crazy mess of fun and frolicking and tons of traditional fairy tale elements all jumbled together. As for darker elements, there are victims of abuse, orphans, elements of fairy-tale racism, revenge, self-sacrifice, disability, and dark magic.

  As far as what range of readers this would appeal to? I think that almost any age could enjoy this story - so long as they enjoy fairy-tales and fantasy. There are elements for everyone.

  Want to know more? Feel free to ask! Please do!

WHERE CAN YOU READ MORE ABOUT TSATS?

  Glad you asked. ;) I have made a few blog posts about this novel on here...

  Here I talked about the Girl-Is-Foil-to-the-Guy's-Character trope and how I unconsciously went against that while writing TSatS.

  Here is the day I finished the story and introduced it.

  Here is the original first chapter.

  Here is the original second chapter.

  And here is my Pinterest board for the story.


  Well everyone, there's a bit of another look into this story. I know I've probably overshared about it, I'm just so in love with it and I think that it could be a really neat read for others. I'm so enthusiastic about sharing it with people and I can't wait to get it out into the world and into the hands of readers. If you would like to be one of those readers, please, let me know below! I would love to chat further with you about the story and am so excited to share it with you soon! Be on the look out for future posts regarding the publishing process! Happy Monday, everyone!

Have You Read Enough CS Lewis??

 CS Lewis is one of my most favorite authors ever. He has such an amazing way and gift with words, everything of his I read just blows me away. Which is why today I am asking you, dear reader, have you read enough CS Lewis? This is an important question. Like, astronomically so. If you haven't read the proper amount of CS Lewis have you really even lived? No. Definitely not. So I am here today to give a checklist of the CS Lewis must-reads and why they are must-reads.

  Get ready to make a list and run down to your local library or bookstore to start reading these magnificent classics!

1. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (The Magician's Nephew, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and The Last Battle)

Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals, the series narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of that world. Except in The Horse and His Boy, the protagonists are all children from the real world, magically transported to Narnia, where they are called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil and restore the throne to its rightful line. The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle.

  Of course everyone has read the Narnia books. What self-respecting child has foregone the opportunity to walk through the wardrobe into the magical realm of Narnia (I'm literally itching for these books on my bookshelf now that I'm talking about it.)? Certainly these are Mr. Lewis' most famous and widely-read stories - and for good reason. They were my first introduction to both CS Lewis and fantasy itself and have since remained among my most favorite stories of all time. If you are among the like, two people ever who haven't had the privilege of reading the Narnia series I recommend you start here. Once you get deeper into other CS Lewis books things get even more mind-blowing and Narnia is a great way to start into the fascinating and very intense world of CS Lewis' writing.

2. THE SPACE TRILOGY (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength)

Out of the Silent Planet (1938), set mostly on Mars (Malacandra). In this book, Elwin Ransom voyages to Mars and discovers that Earth is exiled from the rest of the solar system. Far back in Earth's past, it fell to an angelic being known as the Bent Oyarsa, and now, to prevent contamination of the rest of the Solar System ("The Field of Arbol"), it is known as "the silent planet" (Thulcandra).

Perelandra (1943), set mostly on Venus. Also known as Voyage to Venus. Here Dr Ransom journeys to an unspoiled Venus in which the first humanoids have just emerged.

That Hideous Strength (1945), set on Earth. A scientific think tank called the N.I.C.E. (The National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments) is secretly in touch with demonic entities who plan to ravage and lay waste to planet Earth.

  If you are unfortunately unaware that CS Lewis penned a magnificent sci-fi/dystopia trilogy that includes space travel, the most unique and beautiful aliens of ever, newly created planets, evil organizations, Roman mythology, political conspiracy, Christian theology, dystopian overtones, British legends with an actual Merlin coming alive and walking around 1940's England then, my poor, poor friend, you are MISSING OUT.

  Seriously, if you really loved Narnia and you also have any amount of interest in sci-fi or the 40's or mythology or political conspiracy then you should definitely stop what you're doing and go READ THESE BOOKS. I will even forgive you if you log out of my blog post to go do it. They are seriously amazing and ridiculously underrated. If you haven't read The Space Trilogy what are you doing with your life? I promise that your experience with these books will be life-changing (although I don't think one can read a CS Lewis book without some sort of life-change).

3. THE GREAT DIVORCE

The narrator inexplicably finds himself in a grim and joyless city, the "grey town", which is either Hell or Purgatory depending on how long one stays there. He eventually finds a bus for those who desire an excursion to some other place (and which eventually turns out to be the foothills of Heaven).

  This was my second venture into CS Lewis novels and left a profound impact on my life. The whole concept of the story was so fascinating and the way that Lewis time and time again delivers simple and honest observations about the finer and yet most obvious points of reality never ceases to blow my mind. This is a short book, easily read in an afternoon, but not easily forgotten. The ideas and image from the scenes of Heaven will stay with you long after reading the last page.

  What more can I say about this completely compelling and thought-provoking novel? Why, that you should go and read it of course!

  Also, if you are a Christian, this book is going to deeply challenge some of your beliefs and views on the afterlife, I don't think that CS Lewis intended his vision to be portrayed as fact at all, but I do think that there is much to be gleaned from this image of Heaven that he paints.

  If you aren't a Christian, I'm pretty sure you can and will enjoy this book. It's too epic and interesting to not.

4. TIL WE HAVE FACES

A retelling of Cupid and Psyche, based on its telling in a chapter of The Golden Ass of Apuleius. This story had haunted Lewis all his life, because he realized that some of the main characters' actions were illogical. As a consequence, his retelling of the story is characterized by a highly developed character, the narrator, with the reader being drawn into her reasoning and her emotions. This was his last novel, and he considered it his most mature, written in conjunction with his wife, Joy Davidman.

The first part of the book is written from the perspective of Psyche's older sister Orual, as an accusation against the gods. The story is set in the fictive kingdom of Glome, a primitive city-state whose people have occasional contact with civilized Hellenistic Greece. In the second part of the book, the narrator undergoes a change of mindset (Lewis would use the term conversion) and understands that her initial accusation was tainted by her own failings and shortcomings, and that the gods are lovingly present in humans' lives.

  I read this just last year. I don't understand how Mr. Lewis was so blessedly gifted in the realm of fictional inspiration, but man...this story is another one of his many masterpieces. Again, so ashamedly underrated that it hurts, but I do my best to promote his other works to the best of my ability.

  This story is a beautiful retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Each member of the small cast of characters, particularly Orual, is wholly fascinating and likable (in my opinion). If you've ever wondered about the "How could a loving God..." question then this is an excellent book to read.

  It's an excellent book to read anyway.

5. THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS

A Christian apologetic novel written in a satirical, epistolary style and while it is fictional in format, the plot and characters are used to address Christian theological issues, primarily those to do with temptation and resistance to it. First published in February 1942, the story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior Demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, a Junior Tempter. The uncle's mentorship pertains to the nephew's responsibility in securing the damnation of a British man known only as "the Patient".

  One day I was really feeling under the weather and pulled this book off the nearest shelf to entertain me in the throes of my discomfort. I was finished in an afternoon, unable to put it down. It was at once incredibly interesting, convicting and startling - as most of CS Lewis' books turn out to be.

  Theology on demons seems very few and far between and to read about these creatures watching over a specific person and possessing a frightening level of intelligence in how to cause him to stumble the best was certainly disconcerting - but not unwelcome. I really enjoyed this story because it opened my eyes and my mind in a lot of ways to the spiritual activity around me. Well, well, well worth a read for Christians and non-Christians alike.

6. A GRIEF OBSERVED

A non-fiction reflection from author and theologian C.S. Lewis on the process of grieving for his wife, who died of cancer after three years of marriage.

 I also read this last year (on a CS Lewis fix) and since the book is very, very short I got through it quickly. I would recommend not reading it TOO fast though, there is a lot to be taken in here. Whether or not you have ever lost a loved one this is a book to touch any soul and really make you think about the life you're living with the people around you and also about death and what it takes and how to move through it. It is NOT a light-hearted read and may even bring some tears, but more than that it will get you thinking - not just with your head but with your heart - and that I believe is the most beautiful and universal affect of CS Lewis' works.


  Well, there you have it, folks. My very favoritest CS Lewis works and why I think you should go out and make them your favorites too. It's a personal mission of mine to make the lesser known CS Lewis classics known to those around me because I truly believe that everyone should read them. That includes YOU. So, what are you still doing here? Go out and get yourself a copy of something on this list and start on in!

  What's you're very favorite CS Lewis book? Or have you not read any CS Lewis at all (you poor, poor soul!)? Let's remedy that, if there's a book on this list that you haven't read that stands out to you let me know which and why and I will encourage you to give it a shot! Happy reading everyone!

“Hell is a state of mind - ye never said a truer word. And every state of mind, left to itself, every shutting up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind - is, in the end, Hell. But Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakeable remains.” 

― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce