INTJ

First off, before we get started here, I'd like to shove you in the general direction of gently nudge you toward the new page I created on my current WIP novel.

And now that you've done that (You have, right? Thanks. You're an awesome human being. High five!), on to the actual post. Basically, I'm going to list a few characters who supposedly share my personality type and my thoughts on them and our similarities (because I like making lists).

If you want to try this, you can take the test here and find the character list here.

Brief summary of my type (INTJ): INTJs are clever, analytical, pragmatic and logical, and are not scared to tell someone (or themselves) when they're being stupid. They emphasize efficiency, making them simultaneously loners and excellent leaders.

Batman from DC Comics
As you probably already know, I'm not a huge DC fan and I really don't know enough about him to judge my thoughts on this one, but hey, I'm Batman!

Ebeneezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol
Um I really don't think so but oookay? Maybe I can see him being an INTJ, but I'm still not really very much like him.

Four (Tobias Eaton) from Divergent
I haven't read Divergent yet but I'm going to file this away for future reference.

Some Incarnations of the Doctor from Doctor Who
That's not very helpful. Maybe if I knew which ones it was talking about? Twelve, I suppose?

Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter
NOPE. Voldemort isn't an INTJ.  I can say that for a fact. I mean, those long "I'm going to gloat and rant about you before I kill you" speech he does every time he gets his hand on Harry isn't very "clever, pragmatic, and logical" of him, is it? Maybe I can go with Snape. But not Voldemort.

Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
AHAHAHA My life is complete. I am Marvin the Paranoid Android. I guess I can maybe see a tiny bit of a resemblance? Maybe?

Smaug from The Hobbit
Why yes I do have a nasty habit of hoarding treasure. This is turning into less of a "deep thoughts on my similarities to the characters" and more of a sarcastic commentary.

Amon from The Legend of Korra
WOAH OKAY let's take a detour and talk about storylines that don't live up to their potential, yes? Because Amon and the Equalists had a lot of wasted potential. When they were first introduced, I had kind of expected them to be more of a metaphor for other real life equal rights movements. But then the show kind of brushed them off as being bad guys who think that the Benders are privileged even though they aren't. I felt like the storyline would have been a lot more interesting if it were more about Korra questioning the world as she knew it, and who was right- the Benders or the Equalists. If that makes any sense? Anyway. Back on track.

Scar from The Lion King
Why am I always the bad guy? Geez.

Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Um, yeah, I can agree with that one, actually. Even though he's a villain.

Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
YES AN AWESOME AND AMBITIOUS DISNEY LADY! AND SHE'S NOT A VILLAIN!

Professor James Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock Holmes
Annnnd another villain.

Khan from Star Trek: Into Darkness
First Sherlock, and now Khan. I'm sensing a pattern here.

So basically a short list of villains, with a few heroes and more sympathetic villains scattered in between. And I must say, I like a lot of the characters on this list.

My Favorite Comic Books

So, yes. It's been a really really long time since I actually posted on here. But hopefully I'm back now! And to get this blog up and running again, I've compiled a list of my favorite comic books, including what I liked, what I didn't like, etc. Enjoy!



The Avengers
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Main Characters: Iron Man, Captain America (Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes), Thor, Red Hulk, Spider-Man, Hawkeye, Wolverine, Spider-Woman
What I Liked: I've actually liked a lot of the Brian Michael Bendis stuff I've read so far. He does a really good job with the team dynamics, and sometimes the plotlines.
What I Didn't Like: You know how I said "sometimes" the plotlines? Yeah, well, in Avengers they're kind of a hit or a miss. Some I loved, some I didn't.
The Verdict: 6/10



Hawkeye
Writer: Matt Fraction
Main Characters: Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, and Pizza Dog
What I Liked: They were really funny, and the characters were really relatable. It was also really interesting reading a comic about a not-so-super hero while he's not being a... well... hero. And the cameos in vol. 2 were a lot of fun too. And Pizza Dog. I love Pizza Dog.
What I Didn't Like: It's fun. Not that that's a bad thing, but sometimes it feels like that was the sole goal of the book. When the plot did get "serious", it felt kind of... I don't know... dull. I dunno. Maybe I'm not making much sense here. Anyway.
The Verdict: 8/10



Amazing X-Men
Writer: Jason Aaron? I think?
Main Characters: Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm, Firestar, Northstar, Iceman, Azazel
What I Liked: Firestar's character development was great. Her change through the course of the story... She became a lot more confident in her place as an X-Man. And Nightcrawler's back! He's been one of my favorites ever since I got into X-Men. So that was great. I guess... just the characterizations overall. And the plot was very well done, too.
What I Didn't Like: The way it ended. I can't really go into detail without spoilers, but... just no. I didn't like the ending.
The Verdict: 8/10



Young Avengers
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Main Characters: Wiccan, Hulkling, Miss America, Kate Bishop, Kid Loki, Speed, Prodigy, Marvel Boy/ Noh Varr/ The Protector/ whatever he calls himself
What I Liked: The team dynamics and character development were AMAZING. I loved each and every one of the characters. And the writing was hilarious. And Billy and Teddy were just so darn CUTE together.
What I Didn't Like: The plot felt really rushed sometimes, like they were trying to cram too much into too few pages. And am I the only one who didn't get the whole Kid-Loki-Turning-Into-Teenage-Loki thing? I dunno.
The Verdict: 9/10



Excalibur (Classic)
Writer: Chris Claremont
Main Characters: Captain Britain, Meggan, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Rachel Summers
What I Liked: These are probably the oldest comics I've read which means they're from before 2000 and WOAH THERE'S MORE THAN ONE TOKEN GIRL ON THE TEAM THIS IS SHOCKING. But seriously. The plot was great (I loved the concept of the Warwolves), and a lot of my favorite characters were included.
What I Didn't Like: I found the art kind of meh, but that's just personal preference. It's also annoyingly hard to get your hands on a copy.
The Verdict: 7/10



Runaways
Writers: Brian Vaughan and Joss Whedon
Main Characters: Gertrude Yorkes, Karolina Dean, Nico Minoru, Chase Stein, Molly Hayes, Alex Wilder, Xavin, Victor Macha
What I Liked: Um. EVERYTHING. No. Just kidding. I'll try to be a bit more specific here. Most of the time, the art was great (most of the time meaning "when it wasn't that weird manga stuff"). The plotlines were stupendous. But the best part was the character development. If you like excellent, three dimensional characters, chances are you'll LOVE Runaways. As an added bonus, Joss Whedon was such a huge fan that when Brian Vaughan left he wrote a few issues.
What I Didn't Like: As mentioned before, after a little while, (around vol 9 I think?) the art style switched to a really weird manga-but-not-really thing and I didn't like it at all. Also, since the series was canceled in 2009, there are a ton of strings left untied that'll have you making up headcanons for years to figure out what happened.
The Verdict: 10/10 as long as you pretend everything after Joss Whedon's books never existed.



All New X-Men
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Main Characters: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, Archangel, Iceman, Shadowcat, Storm, Mystique (I feel like I'm forgetting someone, though...)
What I Liked: The plot was really unique, and it was pretty cool to see all the old X-Men trying to adjust to modern day life. Kitty's banter with Bobby was a lot of fun to read. The dark path Jean has started heading down is pretty interesting, although I'm not quite sure what's up with her relationship with Hank? But oh well. He's got to be better than Scott.
What I Didn't Like: SCOTT SUMMERS. Ugh. That guy. Get it? Huh? Huh? Thinly veiled Night Vale reference? But seriously. He's starting to get on my nerves. A lot.
The Verdict: 8/10

Quarterly Rewind: Spring 2014

So, hi guys! It's me again, believe it or not. Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I've had a really hard time coming up with ideas for posts lately, but hopefully I'm back now. Keep an eye out for my review of Ash by Malinda Lo, as it should be coming soon!

(And yes, I've borrowed the Quarterly Rewind from Musings from Neville's Navel again.) It's a bit late, but hey, who cares?

Favorite Quote From A Book I Read This Spring

"I got to thinking that poems were like people. Some people you got right off the bat. Some people you just didn't get- and never would."

-Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Sáenz

This Spring In One Word

Busy!

Most Popular Review This Spring

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Top Two Books I Read This Spring

1. Ash, by Malinda Lo. I haven't even finished it yet, but gosh, this book is amazing. Queer protagonists! Fairy tale style storytelling (in a YA book)! What's not to like?
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. METAPHORS! Metaphors everywhere!

Two Things I’m Looking Forward To This Summer

1. Horseback riding. I'm doing a summer camp, so that'll be fun. Even if it'll be really hot out.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy comes out on August 1st! I can't wait!

Three New Obsessions This Spring

1. Comic books. I still haven't read that many, but the ones I have read, I've loved.
2. Renaissance-era stuff. My school is doing a renaissance fair next year, so I've been doing a lot of research.
3. Polyvore, a new favorite website of mine. Which is weird. I've never really been into fashion. Even if it's fandom related.

Most Popular Three Blog Posts Overall This Spring

How to Read and Write Circular Gallifreyan

Elsa and Anna: Not the First

Why Gertrude Yorkes Needs a Bit More Appreciation

Three Posts I Loved On Other Blogs This Spring

Review: The House of Hades (Musings from Neville's Navel)

Bending Over Backward (This Page Intentionally Left Blank)

Writers Should Learn Languages (YAvengers)

Three Things That Happened This Spring

1. I've branched out in my reading interests a bit. I've started reading a lot more historical fiction, queer fiction, and comic books lately.
2. I was REALLY busy in May. I had a horse show and two big school events. It was fun, though.
3. I volunteered to help teach a book club at school next year with a few friends!

Six Songs That I Listened To Far Too Often This Spring

1. Cassandra's Waltz, from the Doctor Who soundtrack. It's so lovely and sci-fi sounding at the same time.
2. New Year's Day, by U2. I don't know what it is about this song, but I love it.
3. New Soul, by Yael Naim. Which is weird. This is more my mom's kind of music (I usually don't listen to upbeat songs), but... I like it.
4. Nobody but Me, by Save Ferris.
5. Warg Scouts, from the An Unexpected Journey soundtrack. This one is great for writing action scenes to.
6. I Can See the Light from Tangled.

The Winter Soldier Movie Review

This movie was amazing. Just peer, utter awesomeness. I've been wanting to go see it for a while now, but I never really got around to it until today.

And boy am I glad I did.

First off, just let me say that I've never been a huge Captain America fan. I mean, he's okay, but... he's never been very high on my list of favorites.

This movie has quickly zoomed to the top of my list of favorite movies. And my list of most feels-y movies, too.

But I'm sure you'd prefer it if I started discussing the specifics, instead of just ranting about how good it was.

The plot twists were absolutely amazing. Disturbing, but amazing. I love a good plot twist, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. I really wonder how they're going to handle the aftermath. I won't spoil it for you, though ;)

Secondly, there were some fabulous one-liners, as I would expect of a Marvel movie. And some very gif and meme worthy moments, too.

And then there were the Easter Eggs. Natasha's arrow necklace. The way names like "Stephen Strange" were casually dropped here and there... The little things all added up.

The plot was gorgeously executed, too. I never felt like it was moving too quickly or too slowly- it was just right. And then the fact that it didn't really end. HYDRA is still out there- cut one head off, and two grow back.

The stuntwork and CGI was excellent, too. The fight scenes were very nicely done. I especially liked the police chase with Nick Fury and SHIELD. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. And anything with Bucky was very well done, too.

And the feels. There were lots of feels.

So, in summary. Beautiful movie. Lots of feels. And maybe I can come up with something bad to say about it later so this is more of a review and less of a "ohmygosh this movie was so cool" rant.

But probably not.

And you've probably guessed by now that my rating is a 10/10.

Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Wow. Just... wow.

This book blew me off the face of the earth. I mean, not literally, but... it was really good. Really, really good.

First off, there's the absolutely gorgeous, yet simplistic, cover. People are always telling me "don't judge a book by its cover!" But so far, it's seemed a pretty accurate rubric, with a few exceptions.

TFIOS has one of my favorite covers ever. It looks as though it's made of clipart, yet it has a nice artsy feel to it. I love it.

Secondly, this book is sad. If you're looking for a fun, easy read with no tears and very few metaphors, skip this book. Then come back to it when you're ready because it's not to be missed.

I MEAN, WHAT HAPPENED TO HAZEL AND GUS' HAPPILY EVER AFTER?

And then there were the metaphors.

This book is stuffed with so many metaphors, I was still picking up on new things during my second read of it, and I'm sure that if I decide to read it again I'll pick up on some more.

And then there were some absolutely beautiful quotes.

"I fell in love the way you fall asleep. Slowly, then all at once."

"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities."

"My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations."

You get the picture.

And then there was John Green.

I want to write like John Green someday.

One of my favorite things about John Green is the way he writes books inside of books, then quotes these books in his books. If that makes any sense at all. An Imperial Affliction nested so nicely inside of TFIOS. It was amazing.

Actually, the whole book was amazing.

So, those are my thoughts on it... what did you think of TFIOS?



View all my reviews

TCWT Blog Chain

So, Teens Can Write, Too is back, along with their blog chain! Yay! So, anyway, this month's prompt looked like a lot of fun, and I figured... hey, why not?

What kinds of YA Fiction books would you like to see more of?

First of all, I'd like a bit more... variety in the romance department. More LGBTQ+ characters. Characters who don't fall in love. That kind of thing. YA seems cliche now, if only because of all the love triangles. I don't mind romance, but how about something without it for a change?

Also, I would enjoy some more fantasy. Vampire stories are not included. Quality fantasy is hard to find in the YA area; I really wish there was more.

On that subject: I also want more sci-fi. Dystopian novels are so overdone; it seems like most of them are just like The Giver ripoffs.

Fourth: More John Green. 'Nuff said.

I know there are quite a few of these, but I really enjoy retellings of fairy tales. So some more of those would be nice too.

Another: More historical fiction. I really enjoy good historical fiction, but it's hard to find in the YA genre.

And, finally: some smart, nerdy girls. There are tons of romances where nerdy guys fall in love with cool girls... why not the other way around?

Happy May the Fourth!

So, for those of you who didn't know already, May the Fourth is Star Wars Day. You know... May the Fourth Be With You? One of my favorite horrible puns.

Anyway. Here are five things to do for May the Fourth... Have fun!

1. A Star Wars marathon. Duh. What else would you do on Star Wars Day, if not a Star Wars movie marathon?

-Haven't seen them before and have limited time? Stick with the originals, Episodes IV, V, VI. They're much better, in my opinion.

-Seen them a billion times already? Watch them again. Or you can go with one of the other ideas. But whatever you do, don't watch Star Trek. Today is for Star Wars.



2. Cosplay. You don't need to go all out. Han Solo, for example, is a pretty simple one. Plus, the genderswapped versions look really nice.



3. Come up with some corny Star Wars puns of your own. Like Ham Solo.



Or Adobe Wan Kenobi.



Or any of these.









Sorry. I'll stop now.

4. Play the X-Wing Miniatures game. The ultimate of nerdiness? Combining your favorite sci-fi movie with an awesome strategy game. Plus, it's fun.



5. Check out the cast for the new movie, and predict what it'll be like.

Here's the list.

And here are a couple of ideas about it.








So, anyway. Happy Star Wars Day! Have fun :)