#Oscar and Brennan both thinking

[meraarts]

Brennan saw Hob fall in love with Rue and went with it, oh how beautifully they relate to eachother

Oscar knew that Hob’s goal was to find the saboteur, to find them, and Rue fell anyway

Brennan looked Oscar in the eyes and said, “take my hand.” Oscar grabbed on and thought, this is going to end in fire

#acofaf #a court of fey and flowers #battlemaster of ceremonies #ruehob #spilled words #wtf is that tag even #anyway I’m going insane over the story telling quirks specific to actual play #Oscar and Brennan both thinking #just like their characters #that Hob and rue wouldn’t have a romance #because they’re so bound to their duty #Oscar seeing rue fall in love with the man who is looking for them #Brennan being just as clueless as Hob #the story taking controle over the players #the players feeling things happening to their characters like they’re not in control #the dice rolls #the Nat one #the nines #help help help

[rwrbficrecs]

We’ll Invite Something In by @smc-27 (book-verse)

@dot524: This is a fandom favorite and for good reason. In this canon divergence AU, Alex is President, Henry is out, and they never got together in their 20s. Instead, they encounter each other in their late 30s and a very different type of relationship ensues. They still hide it at first, but there’s a lot of living that they both have done and need to work through. I really enjoyed the character dynamics here and how the premise changed both Alex and Henry, making them bolder and more mature. Definitely read this one!

Eyes Blue, Like the Atlantic by bleedingballroomfloor (book-verse)

@dot524: A Titanic AU! Adapted by an excellent writer, this one has suspense, action, romance, and intrigue. There is a MCD (Main Character Death) in here and some other tags to be aware of, but also vibrant scenes with dancing, chasing, art, and formal wear. I really enjoyed it!

Clean Slate by @smc-27 (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: This was just so excellent. I devoured it in no time, couldn't put it down. I love the way Alex just slips into Henry's life like a silk glove even though Henry has his hesitations. There's abslutely no angst at all other than "you're too young for me" "no, next question" I love it. I love Henry finally feeling young for the first time. I think that is something that Henry generally feels after meeting Alex, like he's never been able to, no matter at what point in life he is. ANYWAY I'm talking about Henry way too much again for a rec. Read this.

Most People Exist by @sprigsofviolets (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Henry, 30, is a nurse on a cancer ward. From the very first moment he feels an intense connection and attraction to his newest patient, the one who has a brain tumor and is named Alexander Claremont-Diaz. - The tags say it all: "Falling in love, Slow Burn, Angst with a happy ending, Hurt/Comfort". After reading this story I am a whole new person. I laughed and cried, had butterflies in my stomach, I felt it all. Hands down one of the best fics I've ever read!

after hours by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@na-dineee: How much can happen in a few hours? stutteringpeach: Hold my beer. 😅🤝 Reading this was truly a roller coaster ride, my stomach was doing somersaults non-stop: On his last evening in New York, poet Henry meets bartender Alex and the two spend the night together - in true "Before Sunrise" style. To sum it all up: enchanting, sweet, phenomenal, iconic!

No. 1 (Royal Red and Blue) Oil on Canvas by @captainjunglegym (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: This fic is so twisted and surprising in the best way! The summary did not prepare me for all the action that comes after the initial relationship drama and I'd really like to fawn over it some more but I don't want to spoil the fun of figuring out what really is going on and what are characters' motivations. Just give it a try.

Meet the Parents (series) by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@dot524: I really enjoyed these thoughtful character studies of Ellen and Oscar. The two short stories are a series of canon vignettes from Oscar and Ellen’s POV. These glimpses of the Claremont-Diaz parents add heart and depth to the RWRB canon, giving insight about how Ellen and Oscar think about parenthood, power, family, and each other.

Leave The World Better Than You Found It: A BONES AU by @treluna4 (book/movie-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: I really enjoyed this FirstPrince meets procedural TV show fic! With Alex as Booth and Henry as Brennan, they learn to work together, solve crimes--and fall in love, of course. Plus take down a very satisfying book villain.

No Laughing Matter by @inexplicablymine (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This fic is absolutely hysterical- a must read if you need something to cheer you up! It's also very relatable for anyone who, like me, has said things they've regretted in all the best ways!

in summer air by @acdsbff (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I need a vacation and vitamin D - maybe that's why this series (both POVs are covered 🥰) captivated me so much?! It is set on a Greek island, where Alex, just cheated on by his boyfriend, meets hotel owner Henry. What follows is a whirlwind speedrun romance against a beautiful backdrop. Really therapeutic for the heart on dreary days!!

here is a map (with your name as a capital) by @alasse9 (book-verse)

@dot524: What an incredible surprise to have this entire 50k story drop at once. In this canon divergent story, Alex and Henry start getting to know each other in Rio, when Alex helps him recover from a panic attack. Their friendship, and later their relationship, is a delightful slow burn with funny moments, heartbreak, and steady support of each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this start to finish — the characterization of both Alex and Henry is on point and I really enjoyed how the writer changed some of the scenes from the book while keeping key callbacks. A delight.

Claremont 2008 by @happiness-of-the-pursuit (book-verse)

@suseagull04: This friends to lovers AU is done so well! Having Henry and Alex meet as kids means we get years of their friendship before they even start dating, and it gives every aspect of their relationship so much depth through this entire fic. It also gives some events only referenced in the novel a completely different perspective, which makes them even better!

keep me in the moment (don't it feel so real?) by @anincompletelist (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: I absolutely love everything that comes out of Sarah's magic little fingers and this was no exception. Alex and Henry are best friends and pinning over eache other unknowingly and an accidental lil discovery turns their relationship upside-down (for the better) absolutely recommended. I honestly loved it so much.

you know i can't be found with you by @dumbpeachjuice (book-verse)

@heysweetheart-writes: This was SO much fun. Alex was RELENTLESS and I absolutely love an older Henry. It was also very fucking funny. 10/10

the great duck fiasco by @alexclaremont-diaz (book-verse)

@suseagull04: A spy AU, dating apps, and Alex's Texas roots combine in the funniest way possible- definitely read this if you want a good laugh!

#monthly faves #rwrb fic recs #firstprince #firstprince fic recs

[chungledown-bimothy]

Top 5 most memorable NPCs? Aka the ones that keep you up at night?

(if you need it to be a bit easier you can do 5 funniest and 5 most horrifying/scary?)

just 5 is more of a challenge, let's go with that ^_^ they're extremely cold takes, but it is what it is.

1- Caramelinda. I genuinely have lost sleep thinking about her. Brennan once said about Steel WWWO that the problem is that she's in a game of dungeons and dragons. This fits Caramelinda as well, I think. So she's doomed by both the narrative and the very nature of the universe. She was repeatedly dealt some of the worst hands imaginable, but she had to keep standing tall. I could keep going.

2- Chungledown Bim. He's a level 20 warlock built specifically to be very very good at shitting in mouths. I think Cassandra wasn't lying- I think he really was in the forest by his own power. His greasy pelican familiar is named Upchungle.

3- Calroy Cruller. I have his monologue from ep 9 memorized. He bided his time for twenty fucking years without a moment's suspicion. He got the most narratively satisfying ending of all time.

4- Wuvvy. Where to start with Wuvvy. The tragic secondary lead of a romcom, without the consolation relationship. Eternal devotion, leaving everything and everyone she knew, to be with Rue, repaid with them telling her someone else made them feel really seen for the first time. I so desperately wanted to know more about what she was doing at the party with Apollo or in the many other places she seemed to have no reason to be, but Rue was too caught up with other things for it to have made sense for Oscar to follow up with that. Oscar's initial plan was a Rue/Wuvvy romance, but then Brennan did That.

5- Garthy O'Brien. Smash.

#dimension 20 #a crown of candy #fantasy high sophomore year #acofaf #caramelinda rocks #chungledown bim #calroy cruller #wuvvy #garthy o'brien

[professionaldaydreamer]

Okay I'm just here to gush over A Court of Fey and Flowers because I honestly think this is the first time a ttrpg live play does what I have always wanted: intrigue, romance, stopping a fight to do some more intrigue and romance, gorgeous costume descriptions, fantastic character work with perfectly distinct personalities and deeper lying motivations. Oh and it's all set in the fae realm. My heart <3

Aabria is the perfect fey DM; generous, conniving and chaotic. Brennan is my sweet, ridiculous cinnamon bun, he can do no wrong. Lou and Emily are so in sync it's unbelievable, I would court them both. Omar is a gift, bringing social anxiety into a game where minding your words and manners matter so much. Oscar is the most fabulous and creative player coming into this for the first time. And Surena is full of mystery, I need to know EVERYTHING (I feel you Brennan).

I too would eat a fucking feather to have been at that table.

#dimension 20 #a court of fey and flowers #d20 acofaf #d20

[lumateranlibrarian]

I don’t think Hob meant to say “affections” in his conversation with Boil before his spar with Andhera. I think he meant to say “attentions,” but because he was so flustered, it just slipped out without meaning to. I don’t think Hob even clocked it himself. And it was only when Boil caught that slip of true vulnerability that they really started to twist the conversation against the Court of Wonder in earnest. Hob hasn’t offered too much outward affection to Rue yet, though he’s done his best to display his goodwill towards them and amend his mistakes. He’s also tried to maintain an open connection with Rue based in that otherness and vulnerability they both feel during the Bloom. I think the feeling of affection is real, but Hob is only really just beginning to match that word to the feeling within.

Something Brennan said in Adventuring Party (#2, I think) was that Hob, while having his own difficulties within the Goblin court, still very much thinks of himself as a Goblin, in contrast to Gwyn, who notably said “they” when speaking of the Court of Wonder. Hob trusts Blemish and Boil and the Goblin Court enough to be vulnerable with them. He doesn’t have artifice with them, doesn’t try to be sneaky with them in the way that he is as he pursues the unknown saboteur of the marriage to the Viscountess or the mysterious Gwyndoline Thistlehop. This is a really interesting contrast to Rue, who (until now, at least) has shielded their true self from everyone except Wuvvy, but demonstrates great political acumen and the ability to scheme therein.

I’m so interested by Hob and Rue’s similarities and differences. Both of them have an Authentic Self (to use Oscar’s lovely turn of phrase) that goes against the grain of their respective courts’ ideals. Now that we’ve seen Rue’s true form, we can also see that both of them are balancing wilder sides with their draw towards higher society—the contrast between the wilds and civilization comes to mind. Both of them were able to sense each other’s struggles without knowing their true extents, which is one of the reasons they managed to form such a strong connection so quickly.

And on Hob’s end of things, to Blemish and Boil, this connection represents a potential loss of Hob to the Court of Wonder. Hob is politically valuable to the Goblin Court; they may send him away, but they want his loyalty over all other pulls he might feel. As Hob and Rue pursue a deeper relationship, the Goblin Lords are going to be leaning into this harder than ever.

Love me that Regency Drama.

#acofaf #a court of fey and flowers #captain kp hob

[utilitycaster]

hi! understandably you've been focusing a lot on critical role lately but I've seen you reblog a court of fey and flowers fanart, would you like to share some of your thoughts on the campaign? I personally thought it wouldn't be my thing but I found the characters very endearing and I'm glad I stuck around :)

Hey anon! I don't have much in terms of analysis, just that I love it! This is in fact precisely up my alley (love a regency comedy of manners, love epistolary anything, love feywild stuff) and I'm a longtime watcher of all of D20s campaigns. I think it's a fantastic fit for Aabria's DM-ing style - imo her greatest strength is in her phenomenal RP of characters who are both kind of wacky and yet very realized; it never feel like the joke's on them. I think a heavily RP/social interaction driven game and the mix of Good Society is a smart way to blend D&D with something else. And all the characters are amazing. Lou and Emily have long since been among my favorites of the D20 Intrepid Heroes cast, I always love seeing Brennan play, and it's my first time seeing Omar, Oscar, and Surena in actual play but they've all risen to the occasion.

#answered #Anonymous #a court of fey and flowers #dimension 20

[sapphic-scylla]

I think one of the coolest things about A Court of Fey and Flowers is that Brennan and Oscar do not force the Hob/Rue romance dynamic. You can tell they want to lean into it. You can tell they could take the easy route and just say that it happens.

But they don’t. Because that wouldn’t be a Regency story. That wouldn’t tell a great story. That would be taking the easy route.

Brennan and Oscar both play out their characters perfectly and THAT is what makes the payoff at the end SO. DAMN. GOOD.

The fact that when all was said and done, they got to the romance by the most natural way possible and that, despite all of the mishaps, betrayals, misunderstandings, heartbreaks, and missed cues, they got to their happy ending by playing their characters they way they should instead of the way they wanted to and it made ALL of the difference.

#a court of fey and flowers #brennan lee mulligan #oscar montoya #captain hob #delloso de la rue

[burnmywholelifedown]

Hi bestie I'm here I'm queer I'm going to ask you what's your favorite book (or if I've already asked this, what's your ultimate dating deal-breaker or maybe just relationship deal-breaker in general doesn't have to be romantic). Also, Killian is my second favorite character because Emma is my absolute favorite character on that entire show. Their relationship was EVERYTHING to me, I love sunshine v darkness trope so much, hence sterek and destiel as well. I love teen wolf but idk how much of that is because I was like 13 when I started watching it tbh. I would watch it just for dylan's performance in season 3 because HOLY SHIT he should have won a fucking Oscar.

asldjkflsdkjf oh my gosh are we meant to be best friends?? Ugh yes Emma is absolutely fantastic I just personally relate to Killian just that smidge more I think. They are both so special to me 😍 Ugh yes that trope is the best. Everlark was another couple that had that dynamic for me. Man now you're making me wonder if watching it for Dylan would be worth it. My only concern is that it might be too YA for me (I get very turned off by highschool stories). That's why I haven't picked it up yet. I'm afraid I missed the boat on that show. Now I tend to enjoy my YA stories to be fantasy because then the characters are more likely to be less immature (and potentially traumatized by the stakes of the fantasy world which is also fun - looking at you TFOTA trilogy and Grishaverse books).

Whoooo boy okay a favorite book is really hard because books mean a lot to me. I think you know that about me by now so you're getting a list from the last couple years lol:

TFOTA trilogy - the politics was so fun and the twists and turns kept me engaged. I read all 3 books in 48 hours and have reread them multiple times since in the last couple years because they were so good.

The Hunger Games trilogy - that series is straight up literature. There is so much to unpack.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan - idk what to say about this book except that the characters are so loveable, the take on portal fantasy is unique and the way she flipped sexism on it's head was so thoughtprovoking.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland - excellent anxiety rep, top tier slow burn without a lot of drama or miscommunications, beautifully written fantasy world with no homophobia

Captive Prince trilogy by CS Pacat - um this is a more problematic pick but if you're down for a high fantasy slow burn true hate to love romance this is where it's at man. You will have such a good time you won't even know what you signed up for until you are embroiled in the middle of it. Gosh Laurent's character arc gives me life.

Anything in Alexis Hall's Spires Series + Boyfriend Material - what this man has to say about gender and queer identity changed my mindset about what it is to be queer and I love it so much. His books made me feel so seen especially Pansies, For Real, and Boyfriend Material.

What Is a Girl Worth? by Rachael Denhollander - The only nonfiction book on this list lol. I loved how eloquently she spoke about her story and how she included the problems she's seen in the church around sexual assault. We need someone who has the legal and Christian connections to advocate for survivors but she's doing it and that really inspires me.

If I have to pick just one though - I pick Boyfriend Material and here's why (x). It's really personal to my insecurities and it made me feel very seen and loved. It's the epitome of a comfort book for me. Whenever I need a pick me up I go to that book and listening to Joe Jameson's voice gives me hope that I too will be loved in this precious way.  Honestly this is why the Spires books and Boyfriend Material are so special to me: These are stories about people who think they are broken and the men that show them that they've never been broken actually. They get to hear "I love you however you are. But also who you are is a person who can do things so you don't have to stagnate like this." It was so healing to read about I cannot even tell you.

If you're looking to check Boyfriend Material out you need the audiobook I promise you!! I will hook you up bestie just let me know 😉

Oh also my main platonic or romantic deal breaker is a combination of apathy and lack of thinking deeply about things (the reverse is also true - I find people who are passionate and think deeply about art and life super attractive. Those are the people I keep in my life).

thank you for these questions I clearly loved them lol. now i want to know all of these things about you! what are your favorite books? what do you find most attractive/unattractive in a person?

#okay so this took a day my apologies #i got terribly sick #and im also bad at answering questions like these without answering things deeply #just saying killian jones without elaborating deeply lowkey hurt me but i was very ill lol #answered #gabi talks #mpnsecretsanta22 #you have been the best secret santa dude #its been such a joy talking to you #thanks for asking the best questions #i cant wait to talk off anon #alexis hall #books #boyfriend material #in other lands #a taste of gold and iron #captive prince #tfota

[burningdarkfire]

it accidentally took us two months but my roommate and i finally finished watching acofaf. we both felt the “plot” dragged a lot in the latter half which made it tedious to watch at points but it is also one of the funniest and just most fun games i’ve ever had the pleasure of watching

lou and emily have to be some of the best dnd players of all time. it is just such a fucking delight to see them at the table, i cannot stress enough how much i loved the lords of the wing and how fully they made this game for me. the improv is actually insanely hilarious and i feel like this is the game that made emily “click” as a player for me .. now i’m excited to get back to some of the main cast games and see what she gets up to lmao

brennan lee mulligan is pulling some of the most quotable lines out of thin air at the drop of a hat. how does he do that. it’s so inspiring watching him play

omar gave me the best boy whom i love and cherish 🥺 andhera is so much to me .. baby boy .. baby .. 🥺

i genuinely enjoyed both oscar and surena but i just somehow have like. four favourites in a cast of six. but they were good!!

i’ve always enjoyed aabria’s dming and i think she was a very good fit for this table and this game in particular. so many of the npcs were absolutely inspired tbh. wuvvy is absolutely godtier!!

#my posts #dimension 20 #a court of fey and flowers #liveblogging d20

[byneddiedingo]

Frances Farmer and Walter Brennan in Come and Get It (Howard Hawks, William Wyler, 1936) Cast: Edward Arnold, Frances Farmer, Walter Brennan, Joel McCrea, Mady Christians, Mary Nash, Andrea Leeds, Frank Shields, Cecil Cunningham. Screenplay: Jane Murfin, Jules Furthman, based on a novel by Edna Ferber. Cinematography: Rudolph Maté, Gregg Toland. Art direction: Richard Day. Film editing: Edward Curtiss. Music: Alfred Newman. William Wyler had just finished Dodsworth (1936) when the producer to whom he was under contract, Samuel Goldwyn, called on him to finish Come and Get It, which had been started under the direction of Howard Hawks. Goldwyn was unhappy with the way Hawks had treated Edna Ferber's novel Come and Get It, so he fired him. Goldwyn, a man of little education, was impressed with writers of big reputations, and liked to think of his movies as prestige items. Ferber was a big bestselling author of the day, best-known for multigenerational historical novels with colorful settings like the Mississippi riverboats of Show Boat and the Oklahoma land rush of Cimarron. The former had become a celebrated musical that had been filmed twice, first as a part-talkie by Harry A. Pollard in 1929 and then by James Whale in 1935, though it was not released until 1936. Cimarron had been made into a best-picture Oscar winner by Wesley Ruggles in 1931, so Goldwyn had been eager to cash in on the novelist's celebrity. He hired Hawks as director because the raucous frontier section of Ferber's novel reminded him of the director's Barbary Coast (1935), but when Goldwyn was sidelined by illness, Hawks jettisoned much of Jane Murfin's Ferber-approved screenplay and brought in one of his frequent collaborators, Jules Furthman, to rewrite and to build up the part of Walter Brennan's Swan Bostrom. Hawks shifted the focus away from Ferber's novel, much of which was about the exploitation of the land by timber interests, and built up the relationship between Bostrom and the protagonist, the ambitious lumberman Barney Glasgow (Edward Arnold). He also replaced Goldwyn's original choice for Lotta, Miriam Hopkins, with an actress he had discovered, Frances Farmer. Wyler was reluctant to take over from Hawks, and not only resisted Goldwyn's plan to give him sole billing as director but also insisted that Hawks receive top billing as co-director. In any case, Come and Get It turned into a rather curious mess, not least because Hawks was a notoriously freewheeling director with an intensely personal style whereas Wyler was a consummate perfectionist who seldom let his personality show through his work. Although there's some Hawksian energy to the film, it feels like it has been held in check. Moreover, the central character, Barney Glasgow, has been miscast. Goldwyn wanted Spencer Tracy for the part, knowing that Tracy could play both the romantic lead and the driven businessman that the part called for. But when Tracy couldn't get out of his contract with MGM, Goldwyn settled for one of his own contract players, Arnold, a rather squat, rotund character actor with none of Tracy's sex appeal. The best thing about the film is that it gives us a chance to see Farmer before her career was derailed by mental illness. She sharply delineates the two Lottas, mother and daughter, playing the former with a kind of masculine toughness and the latter with a defensive sweetness. As the mother, she growls out the song "Aura Lee" in a Marlene Dietrich baritone, but later as the daughter she sings it in a light soprano. She also sometimes looks strikingly like the actress who played her in the biopic Frances (Graeme Clifford, 1982), Jessica Lange. The other impressive moments in the film are provided by the logging sequences directed by Richard Rosson and filmed by Rudolph Maté. Brennan won the first of his three Oscars for his "yumpin' Yiminy" Swedish-accented character.

#Come and Get It #Howard Hawks #William Wyler #Frances Farmer #Walter Brennan

[the-lincyclopedia]

Book asks: 1, 4, 12, 19!

book you’ve reread the most times?

I can't say for certain, but my best guess is King of Shadows by Susan Cooper. I could never get into her other stuff (I tried the Dark Is Rising series and didn't like it), but King of Shadows was my favorite book for a long, long time. I first read it at the end of sixth grade, and I don't think it was my favorite at the time, since I read a lot of really iconic middle grade series that year, but it has had intense staying power for me.

It's about an orphaned child actor named Nat from 1999 who travels back in time and spends a week acting with Shakespeare's company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, in 1599. Shakespeare becomes a father figure to him, and then, just as he's settling in, Nat gets yanked back to 1999 and essentially re-orphaned and has to put himself back together (spoilers, I guess).

This is actually the book that made me interested in Shakespeare! It made me so curious about A Midsummer Night's Dream that I read the play, by myself, out of my mom's falling-apart Complete Works, the summer after sixth grade. I didn't understand the play very well at the time, but I sure read it. I feel like my view of Shakespeare as a man is still very colored by Cooper's depiction of him and the fatherly relationship he builds with Nat (although I'm currently most of the way through Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, which is also a novel about Shakespeare-as-father but rather different in a lot of ways, so now that view is shifting).

4. what sections of a bookstore do you browse?

YA, always. That's basically the only one, most of the time. I'm picky in general, I think, including with YA, but if I'm going to find something that interests me by browsing rather than knowing what I want ahead of time, YA is the section where I'll find it. (Yes, I know I'm 26. I'm also an aspiring YA author, so there.)

12. did you enjoy any compulsory high school readings?

Yes! Obviously I loved the Shakespeare we read (we did Much Ado and Macbeth sophomore year, Othello junior year, and Hamlet senior year, I think). Honestly, we had killer curricula (International Baccalaureate for the win), and I had great English teachers sophomore and senior years, so there was a lot that I liked. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston were both good, for sure. We read poetry by Mahmoud Darwish and Margaret Atwood, plays by Aeschylus and Wole Soyinka, etc. Oh! And Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which we read right after Hamlet, so that was awesome. That might have been my favorite.

19. most disliked popular books?

Um . . . I know I said I was picky, earlier, but I also feel like I haven't read a ton of books I haven't liked, maybe because it takes a lot of recommendations to get me to try to read something. There are books I have loved fervently and have since soured on, like the Demon's Lexicon trilogy by Sarah Rees Brennan (one of the major characters is secretly a demon and most, if not all, of his "demonic" traits are basically just autism). But in terms of stuff I didn't enjoy when I read it? I don't know. (Maybe I'd had a different answer to this if I'd ever read Twilight, haha.)

Get in on the ask game!

#a lin original #books #ask game #shakespeare

[doctorbluesmanreturns]

I remember reading somewhere—I can’t recall at the moment where but I believe it was either a handbook on filmmaking or writing—a passage that highlighted the importance of editing in film. It went roughly as follows: “if you saw a play, and it was the best play you’d ever seen, and you had a camera taped to your head, when you watched the footage later, it would be the worst movie you ever saw.” I think this is one of the greater flaws with Peter Bogdanovich’s much-maligned-for-the-performances At Long Last Love, he was so focused on filming the songs live in a single take that the cinematography is extremely dull and impersonal, frequently staying far away from the actors and only moving slightly to keep them in frame.

https://youtu.be/heNlejVfhso

Yes it should have been made with specifically singers and dancers off of Broadway BUT comparing the cinematography to roughly contemporaneous musicals like The Blues Brothers or The Muppet Movie (or even going back further to something like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), it’s clear that one of the bigger issues that no one seems to talk about is how uninteresting the filming is, when cuts and close-ups would absolutely have enlivened things a great deal.

Also, when the scene does cut in one of the numbers, it becomes unintentionally hilarious as Madeline Kahn’s solo begins just in time for her to be entirely blocked by Eileen Brennan’s head:

https://youtu.be/H28vF2mon3Q

Also look how utterly terrified the actors frequently come across, as someone who is both a professional musician and someone who frequently works with singers of varying degrees of ability, this is on par with community theatre performances and there are so many ways to have made this better for them, one of which very much appears to be that they’re all having a hard time even hearing the music they’re supposed to be singing to. Look at John Hillerman’s quick shouted verse, he’s clearly desperately hoping that he came in even remotely on cue and so worried about that that he’s not as concerned with staying on pitch, if he’s even been given enough training to do so anyway. All of these problems could have been fixed by having the cast pre-record their vocals in studio and then mime along to them, which would remove the stress of trying to not screw up the one take, and also allow for more inventive cinematography because take away the self-imposed restriction of one take and you could (for example) cut back to Kahn at her line, or cut between each of the three women when they have their solos in the previous song.

Editing is just so important and while there’s nothing that could have totally saved this film, these types of problems are the type that are things you would think an Oscar-winning director who was close personal friends with Orson Welles would have caught and fixed himself, but Bogdanovich himself has admitted that any time he received criticism he would become more entrenched in his belief that He Was Right, which then leads to stuff like the singing person being not only blocked in the shot but clearly moving forward because in the previous shot that would have been the right thing to do.

(Disclaimer: at the time of writing I have yet to see the whole of the film, however after watching several of the musical numbers and knowing the reasoning made by Bogdanovich for filming them in such a way, I feel that this is a fair criticism)

[bookcub]

My Decade in Books

@aliteraryprincess @the-forest-library @lizziethereader all tagged me!!! 

2010- So this was when I was sixth to seventh grade for me. I was a small child, I tracked my books on a Word Doc, where I used weird fonts and colors. I did one of my favorite plays in sixth grade (Lady Pirates of the Caribbean), which we performed the day after The Last Olympian came out, which I read the day after, and then proceeded to lend it to three other people. I actually forgot that I read The Name of the Wind this year (gasp!!), but my school librarian handed it to me, and I slowly fell in love. I think this is the year I read Cassandra Clare’s books, which was big for me because I was able to talk about it with friends. (I think it was The Mortal Instruments I binged at one). I must have read Mockingjay. . . 

2011- I got my Goodreads account in April!!! So I have access to me tracking my books. I don’t think I got really vigilant with it until later, but I put the important ones down!!! This was the year I got into ereaders!!! I borrowed one from the library (same librarian who got me to use ereaders got me to read kkc, so she’s the best as you can see). I read Warped on it, which made me love Nooks, and inspired my parents to get me one. This was also the year I started WAITING. I read The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss and Pegasus by Robin McKinley. I have not gotten a sequel for either. I am being very, very patient, and I feel like waiting is a very important part of my development as human being. And a reader. And also, a good lesson because closure is not something you always obtain quickly, and sometimes never at all.  

2012- I read Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers this year and couldn’t stop crying. One of the most emotional books I’ve read. I also was in the middle of the Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer, which I read a new one of every year. I think I discovered Sarah Rees Brennan the year before, but didn’t record her books until this year. She is one of my favorite authors, so it’s very notable. This was the year of huge cliffhangers (at least, I’m pretty sure) as I read The Mark of Athena and Beautiful Chaos this year (seriously people were falling off of things and their fate was left uncertain and it sucked). (oh God, this was the year I read 8 House of Night books) (on the bright side, I read Soulless by Gail Carriger) (and Howls’ Moving Castle!!!!)

2013- Looks like I actually tracked all my books this year!! 103 books, so it was a good year for books. I read the Worst Book Ever (tm) this year (ie Taking Chances by Molly McAdams) and will forever be haunted, but at least now I know whatever I write in the future will be better than this. I also read the entirety of Vampire Academy and the first half of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead in like 3 weeks. I read Hushed by Kelley York, which was super dark and honestly simply amazing and possibly the beginning of my obsession with fictional serial killers. I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor as well as The Duff by Kody Keplinger, which were influential books for me as well. Anyways, it was a good year for books.

2014- The year I made by book blog!!! I was only doing reviews every now and then and really didn’t get the community yet (it was also in like, October). I read 99 books this years (apparently my goal was 100, I’m a little confused at me). I read a lot of Shakespeare this year, including The Tempest, which I got to star in years later, and The Taming of the Shrew, which I later directed. I think I started a book club this year as well at my high school. I read a bunch of parts of series I love (including Rebel Belle, The Lynburn Legacy, The Lunar Chronicles, Bloodlines, The Mortal Instruments). I finished Heroes of Olympus and it sucked. Pride and Prejudice was amazing because, Jane Austen!!!  The Slow Regard of Silent Things came out and it was the most lovely thing ever. 

2015- I graduated high school and I started college this year!!! I also realized I was ace this year. Idk some notable things that happened. I read my favorite Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. I read The Turn of the Story by Sarah Rees Brennan, which is like, the first draft of In Other Lands. It was amazing even then. I read my first and only book in another language, Le Petit Prince. I took a children’s lit class, and it was awesome, but I didn’t like most of the books. I read the Seven Realms in like, a month, which was cool. But it wasn’t a great year for books. That being said, August is when I made my first Denna essay on my blog. Which was the very small start to my book blog becoming something I actually put time into. It was still a while, but it was very important to me. 

2016- The first book I read this year was the most memorable. The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis. It rips your heart out and just stays with you. One of the best books, hands down. I took a fantasy class, and that was tons of fun, and read alot of classic fantasy and new fantasy. I read The Martian, which actually lived up to the hype for once. I read two of the most popular tumblr books, Six of Crows and The Raven Cycle. I did a lot of rereading. I read Quicksilver by RJ Anderson and Every Heart a  Doorway by Seannan McGuire, my first ace books!! This is also the year my book blog started to pick up. I started writing more meta and some fanfic for Kingkiller and the occasional meta and meme for other fandoms. I also started @incorrectkingkillerquotes. 

2017- One of the first books I read this year was The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, which continues to be a book that I just have . . .very complicated feelings about, even to this day. I read it for a class, which was decent enough. I found one of my new favorite fantasy novels, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, which I adore and covered so many amazing themes as well. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman is one of the few true adult fantasy novels I love, where there aren’t young protagonists. I read Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee this year and it just was the most me book I have ever found. I read Trickster’s Queen by Tamora Pierce, which had been on my tbr since 2011, so that was a big win for me. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francis Zappia and Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Macekzie Lee came out this year and I devoured them both almost consecutively??? They both resonated with me and were completely consuming. I read the PUBLISHED version of In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan and then proceeded to obsess about it. I think I started making even more Book Discussions this year and making more posts about being ace on here. 

2018- I reread sooooo much. And I reread a lot. But I was in another country, and I needed them for comfort. I’m a little talked out by now but here are some notable titles fromt hat year:  Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann, The Poppy War by RF Kuang, Anne of Avonlea by LM Montgomery, Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

2019- I mean, I just lived that,,, y’all were here. I am Tired(tm), and I’m also sorry.

Red White and Royal Blue, Ari and Dante, HRH, Starflight, The Gilded Wolves, A Very Large Expanse of Sea, started listening to audiobooks more, stared more romance novels, graduated college this year, good year. 

#tag game #sorry i lovst so much steam

[hforhonesty]

Book Review #3 | Ghosts of the Shadow Market (part 1)

 By C. Clare, M. Johnson, K. Link, S. Brennan, and R. Wasserman

[Beware! This review contains spoilers, so read at your own peril.]

“The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks and vampires. There the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. Through two centuries, however, there has been a frequent visitor to the Shadow Market from the City of Bones, the very heart of the Shadowhunters. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. Follow Brother Zachariah and see, against the backdrop of the Shadow Market’s dark dealings and festive celebrations, Anna Lightwood’s first romance, Matthew Fairchild’s great sin and Tessa Gray plunged into a world war. Valentine Morgenstern buys a soul at the Market and a young Jace Wayland’s soul finds safe harbor. In the Market is hidden a lost heir and a beloved ghost, and no one can save you once you have traded away your heart. Not even Brother Zachariah.”

[Official synopsis of the book.]

  After something like three hundred and eighty-four years, we finally get the Jem Carstairs content we desperately needed since the end of TID. Because a life without Brother Snack-ariah is no life at all, am I right?

The book consists of ten short stories and follows the adventures of Brother Zackariah, our beloved Jem, searching through the shadow market in order to find some information about the Lost Herondale.

Set in 1901, the first two stories (“Cast Long Shadows”, and “Every Exquisite Thing”) are an introduction of the upcoming The Last Hours trilogy, whose first book (Chain of Gold) is coming out on March 2020.

Just eight more months until its release. We can do it, guys. It’s not like we are doing our waiting… Twelve years of it… In Azkaban. By comparison, March 2020… that’s like tomorrow.

Anyway, the co-protagonist of Cast Long Shadows is Matthew Fairchild, Charlotte and Henry’s second born. Matthew’s interests include his parabatai James, fashion, Oscar Wilde quotes, and being adorable 24/7.

The faerie woman looked almost sad. “You come of a brutal people, sweet child.”

“Not me,” said Matthew. “I believe in art and beauty.”

“You might be pitiless one day, for all that.”

“No, never” Matthew insisted. “I don’t care for the Shadowhunter customs at all. I like Downworlder ways much more.”

It’s been a few years since our Scooby gang was expelled from the Shadowhunters Academy, and now Matthew and James are parabatai. I’ve always loved their relationship, especially at the beginning when they were still rivals, and I can’t wait to read more about them.

“Bless you, my Herondales,” said Matthew grandly, scrambling up from the floor and making Lucie his bow. “I come upon an urgent errand. Tell me – be honest! – what do you think of my waistcoat?”

Lucie dimpled. “Devastating.”

“What Lucie said,” James agreed peacefully.

“Not fantastic?” Matthew asked. “Not positively stunning?”

“I suppose I am stunned,” said James. “But am I positively stunned?”

 The Last Hours is going to shatter our hearts. I already know it. You already know it. Everybody already knows it. Which is why I keep asking myself, why am I still reading Cassandra’s books even though each time they seem to inexorably destroy what is left of my soul? Give me a call when you find out the answer.

All right, I never thought The Last Hours was going to be sugar, spice and everything nice, but this is way too much. How am I supposed to live knowing that Matthew is hurting and that there is nothing I can do about it?

I hated reading this novel. I really did hate it. Because Matthew is young and naïve and innocent and so unselfish and sensitive, and yet he was exploited and manipulated by a psycho Downworlder who wanted to hurt the Shadowhunters. His only fault was giving too much credit to the insecurity that he always tried to hide behind an overconfident façade, and this endangered his mother and killed his unborn sister.

Instead of telling the truth, he decides to keep it a secret from everyone, even from his parabatai, since he feels so ashamed of himself and thinks that there cannot be forgiveness for what he has done. So from now on, something in Matthew changes, and he will never be the same.

In the second novella, Every Exquisite Thing, the co-protagonist is Anna, Cecily and Gabriel Lightwoorm’s eldest daughter. Chapeau to the artist for making such a beautiful drawing of her! She’s perfect... and she also looks like Ruby Rose, doesn’t she?

We stan a queen.

Beside stealing her brother’s clothes, she enjoys getting weird (see: voluptuous) glances from other women while walking down the streets. I mean, even Brother Six-pack-ariah states that she looks a lot like her uncle Will, which is something that could give her the power to turn freaking rocks on.

Although Anna was definitely born in the wrong period, she’s still lucky enough to have a supportive family that loves her no matter what.

Anna thought of all the pain of the day again – the wound that had ripped her chest open and exposed her heart. But now it was as if her mother had drawn a rune over it and closed it. The scar was there, but she was whole.

It was like being Marked all over again, defining who she was. This was Anna Lightwood.

When I read this novella for the first time, I was on a plane, so I was like Elsa from Frozen. Conceal, don’t feeeel, don’t let them knowwwwww.

Little did I know that something even more heart-breaking was coming... and it answers to the name of Learn about Loss. Which was the moment when the Elsa in me was like well, now they knooowwwwww.

Let it gooooo, let it goooooo.

Can’t hold it back anymooooooreeeee.

In Learn about loss, we follow Brother Mlml-ariah back to the United States, where he and Sister Emilia (a James Carstairs stan) are investigating some weird activities regarding adamas. They end up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where a Mysterious Merchants’ Bazar is promising the inhabitants of the city whatever they most desire.

We all know that in the shadow world there is no such thing as coincidences, so the one who is stealing the adamas is the one behind this market... and he is also of the Greater Demons, Belial, who happens to know something important about the Lost Herondale.

“I might know a cure,” Belial said. “Yes, I think I know a sure cure. You could be who you once were. You could be Jem again. Or.”

Brother Zachariah said, Or?

Belial’s long tongue flickered out, as if he was tasting the air and found it delicious. “Or I could tell you a thing you don’t know. There are Herondales, not the ones you know, but of the same blood as your parabatai.”

It could be a great dilemma. Getting rid of a curse that ended your life and becoming a Shadowhunters again – or remaining a Silent Brother just to help out the two people you love the most? But what could be a great dilemma to most... means nothing to Brother Zachariah, who, even as a Silent Brother, is devoted to his loved ones more than ever.

The Carstairs owe a life debt to the Herondales.

which is a deeper and stronger way to say «I love you».

At the end of the novella, Sister Emilia makes a deal with Belial, who promises her to give Brother Zachariah some extra time with his dying parabatai in form of a vision.

In the vision, Will and Jem are young again, and it’s the period before their parabatai ceremony. They find themselves in Shangai, which is the place where Jem was born... a place they never got to visit. For once in a long time, even though for a short moment, Jem is himself again and gets to be with his other half before Will passes away.

I love the way Cassandra Clare describes the bond between parabatai. It is so intimate yet it makes you feel part of something bigger just by reading about it.

There was a lightness in Jem’s chest that he realized, finally, was joy. He saw that joy mirrored in his parabatai’s face. The face of the one you love is the best mirror of all. It shows you your own happines and your own pain and it helps you bear both, because to bear alone is to be overwhelmed by the flood.

We had been waiting for this moment since The infernal devices... and it’s more than perfect.

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we could never thank Cassandra enough for this reunion. Unless she decided to write a new series about them...

Anyway, this is where the first part of my review ends. I hope you guys enjoyed it; in this case, let me know! On the contrary, let me know too!

Ave atque vale,

my brothers and sisters

#shadowhunters #ghosts of the shadow market #cassandra clare #herondale #lightwood #will herondale #parabatai #jem carstairs #carstairs #the lost herondale #kitty #jace herondale #ty blackthorn #blackthorn #the last hours #kit herondale #malec #jace #morgestern #tessa gray #simon lewis #clary fairchild #alec ligthwood #isabelle lightwood #magnus bane #matthew fairchild #james herondale #the infernal devices #the immortal instruments #the dark artifices

[citizenscreen]

Two days ago, I stood underneath a street marker in Fort Lee, New Jersey alongside members of the Fort Lee Film Commission (FLFC). The marker reads “John Barrymore Way” and it sits on the corner of Main Street and Central Road. We were there to honor the great Barrymore, who was born on February 15, 1882, and we stood on the very spot where he made his stage debut in 1900 at the age of 18. That debut performance was to raise funds for the Fort Lee Company #2 Fire House where Barrymore’s father, Maurice volunteered. Maurice, was a famed Broadway star and a resident of Fort Lee.

At the wreath-laying on John Barrymore Way. Photo courtesy of the BFC, photographer Donna Brennan

Fort Lee, NJ takes its history very seriously and as such, it has been on a quest to ensure that its important role in the motion picture industry is recognized and remembered. Now, however, Fort Lee is planning much more than mere remembrances as a structure rises and the culmination of many dreams come to life on a corner one black away from John Barrymore Way.

After the wreath was laid under the sign honoring Barrymore’s 138th birthday, we headed toward a standing-room-only membership reception for the Barrymore Film Center (BFC) set to open in October of this year. Already nearly completed on a prominent corner of Fort Lee’s Main Street, the Barrymore Film Center which will consist of a 250-seat movie theater and film museum where film pioneers like Alice Guy-Blaché, Oscar Micheaux, Theda Bara, D. W. Griffith, Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand, and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle will be honored for paving the way for Hollywood. We should also expect studios like Universal and Fox to play prominent roles at the BFC since they stood not far from where the new building will open.

I should mention that writing luminaries Anita Loos and Frances Marion also worked in Fort Lee productions early on in their careers. The possibility of honor these pioneering writers is exciting. In addition, there are numerous early film productions that boast Fort Lee as their home base. These include the first gangster film and the first American slapstick comedy, both directed by D. W. Griffith. Any knowledge of the latter’s history is new-to-me. The Curtain Pole, which stars Mack Sennett was one of the films shot exactly where the entrance to the Barrymore Film Center is. In addition to the planned museum, which will honor film history in its entirety, the BFC will host film festivals, educational programs, retrospectives, and showcases for emerging filmmakers. All in my own backyard.

All of that is beyond exciting, but it’s The Barrymores that hold a special place in the hearts of Fort Lee residents and the reason behind the Film Center’s name. John Barrymore has been referred to by important BFC players as “Our patron Saint!” which makes me smile to think of Mr. Barrymore contemplating that title. On hand to celebrate Barrymore and the BFC on Saturday were Chair Nelson Page, Executive Director Tom Meyers, Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, several Councilpersons, local news personalities, excited Fort Lee residents, and filmmaker Marc J. Perez who presented clips of his upcoming documentary on the Barrymores to be released in conjunction with the opening of the BFC in October. Perez also directed The Champion: A Story of America’s First Film Town, a 2014 must-see documentary about Fort Lee’s glory days as a film town. The new Barrymore documentary promises to be as compelling.

John Barrymore and Fort Lee film history spotlighted at the reception

BFC Chair Nelson Page and Executive Director Tom Meyers during the presentation. Photo courtesy of the BFC, photographer Donna Brennan

The event’s own Jack Barrymore, Peter Kingsley

The crowd watched clips of Mark Perez’s upcoming Barrymore documentary. Photo courtesy of the BFC, photographer Donna Brennan

Adding gravitas to the reception on Saturday was Peter Kingsley of The Lambs. Mr. Kingsley resembles John Barrymore and will play him in a production of “Barrymore” next year also presented by the folks at the BFC. The entire evening was magic. I was both surprised and delighted by the energy in that reception hall and hope I can play a part in helping promote the Barrymore Film Center through its opening and beyond. Perhaps the tables will turn a bit for some of my West Coast friends who have taken the time to show me Hollywood and its surroundings each year. Soon I can play tour guide as I think the BFC will return Fort Lee and the surrounding area to its film history prominence.

A John Barrymore quote played a role on Saturday and throughout the BFC project since its inception, “A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” Barrymore himself may have had a few regrets, as we all do, but there are no regrets in Fort Lee who takes pride in the famous profile of the man who is making dreams come true.

Fort Lee, Close to Making a Barrymore Dream a Reality Two days ago, I stood underneath a street marker in Fort Lee, New Jersey alongside members of the…

#Barrymore Film Center #Early film history #Fort Lee First Film Town #John Barrymore

[purplesurveys]

628

Have a name survey because these are always fun.

Boys

A Andrew vs. Aaron Alan vs. Alexander Aiden vs. Adam B Brennan vs. Brayden: Both of these are awful but I guess I gotta pick. Brandon vs. Braxton Bentley vs. Brimley C Cayden vs. Camden: Again, both equally cringey for me. Cole vs. Cameron Cade vs. Chandler: Chandler is a cute name for a girl, but I have a bias for Chandler Bing too hahaha. D Denver vs. Dallas Deklan vs. Dylan: I prefer the spelling Declan, though. Also, I technically like Dylan just a little bit more and would have picked it, but I like it for a girl. My sister had a classmate named Dylan and it sounded really good on her. David vs. Dennis E Ethan vs. Ezra Eitan vs. Elijah Emmanuel vs. Eden: Again, I prefer the name Eden for girls.

F Fabio vs. Ferdinand: I very hesitatingly picked Fabio hence the italics, but I very much dislike both. This is also what I’ll be doing for the rest of the names on here. Finnegan vs. Finley Fernando vs. Frankie: For the millionth time, Frankie is cute for a girl (this is where y’all really see that I prefer daughters more HAHAHA), and this is also because there’s a local singer named Frankie that I really admire.  G Gavin vs. Gus Gumby vs. Gerrick George vs. Grant H Harper vs. Harley Hayden vs. Henry Harlow vs. Hank I Ian vs. Ivan Indigo vs. Iris: Can I just say these are both better off as girl names? Indiana vs. Iris: And these, too?

J John vs. Jericho Jacob vs. Jameson Jasper vs. Jedidiah K Kayden vs. Koa Kent vs. Kyle Kevin vs. Konner: I prefer the spelling Connor, though. L Lars vs. Liam Levi vs. Lance Lester vs. Lorenzo M Michael vs. Matthew Maverick vs. Mason Madison vs. Micah N Nolan vs. Nathan Niko vs. Nathaniel Nicholas vs. Nate: I honestly like both. I can go with naming a son Nicholas then giving them Nate as a nickname. O Ocean vs. Oscar: I hate nature names and Oscar screams old-guy-name to me. Sorry to all the Oscars :( Orville vs. Otis Otto vs. October P Patrick vs. Percy Preston vs. Paisley Parker vs. Passion Q Quincy vs. Quinn Quada vs. Quinten Quailen vs Quidditch R Raven vs. Riley Rowan vs. Rod Ray vs. Roy: I have a bit of a sentimental attachment to Roy cos it’s an occasional nickname Gab’s dad uses. S Skylar vs. Scott: Only because a high school classmate named her kid Schuyler and that baby is seriously adorable, bubbly, and well-behaved. Storm vs. Steven Sorin vs. Solomon T Trevor vs. Travis Todd vs. Taylor Taytum vs. Tanner U Ulysses vs. Uman Umbo vs. Uno Utah vs. Usher: I dislike most geographic names, but I’d rather I name my baby Utah then have them be sang sex-themed songs by Usher by meaner kids throughout their childhood lmao.   V Vance vs. Vincent Vern vs. Vayde Vernon vs. Vayden W Walter vs. Wyatt Wade vs. Winter Wallace vs. Whisper X Xenon vs. Xayden: I really wanted to pick one name for each question, but being stuck between a chemical element and a name ending in -den is an easy no to both for me. Xayler vs. Xavier Xandon vs. Xennan Y Yvonne vs. Yonder: These names are getting more awful now that we’re ending dude, lmao. Yuletide vs. Yasser Yancy vs. Yancer Z Zeeland vs. Zayden Zion vs. Zenon Zander vs. Zenner

Girls

A Acacia vs. Alexa Aurora vs. Annalise Avonna vs. Alessandra B Brogan vs. Brooklyn Bianca vs. Brigitta Bailey vs. Brynn C Carlotta vs. Christine Cheyenne vs. Cescily Cecilia vs. Cassidy D Diedra (pronounced Dee-ay-druh) vs. Delilah: But I prefer the spelling Deirdre. Devia vs. Daytona Dakota vs. Darcy E Evonna vs. Eliana Emerald vs. Evangeline Eden vs. Eliza F Felicity vs. Fiona Faith vs. Faye: Both have always been on my blacklist for girl’s names, sorry lol. Flavia (pronoucned Flah-wee-uh) vs. Flora G Grace vs. Gretchen Genesis vs. Galaxy: Please don’t make these names happen. Gabriella vs. Greta: I love both names and have always liked the name Greta because of Greta Garbo, but I’m obviously biased towards my girlfriend so Gabriela/Gabriella it is. H Harper vs. Hope Holly vs. Hailee Harmony vs. Harvest: Again, both cringe material but I guess Harmony makes me cringe juuuuuuust a little less. I Imogene vs. Ivy Isabella vs. Iris Irene vs. Ingrid J Jessica vs. Jacinda Jade vs. Juniper: Juniper would be cute if a baby can stay a baby forever lmao, but I’m generally not a fan. Joanna vs. Joy: But I like the spelling Johanna more. K Kaleidoscope (Kallie for short) vs. Kaylee: Can I just pick the nickname? I hate the other two options :(( Kennedy vs. Kendall: I’d pick both, but thinking as a future mom, I wouldn’t want my daughter to be mercilessly teased for being given a name that’s usually understood to be more masculine in nature. I know we’re all about breaking stereotypes and all, but y’all – realistically, kids can be pretty fucking cruel. Katelyn vs. Katrina L Lacey vs. Linsey Lynnea (proncounced Lynn-ay-uh) vs. Liberty Lara vs. Lola M Morgan vs. Madison Mackenzie vs. Miranda Marissa vs. Monica N Nora vs. Natalie Nevaeh (pronounced Nev-ay-uh) vs. Nicole Niki vs. Noelle O Ophelia vs. Ocean: Only picking Ophelia because I’m generally not a fan of nature names, but there are a lot more better options if I wanted to name my kid after Shakespeare plays, like Beatrice or Emilia. Olivia vs. Onna Opal vs. October: Was never a fan of gemstone names, and there are much better month names than October. P Passion vs. Primrose: I feel the same way for Primrose as I do with Juniper. Mostly cute with babies, but is less cuter on grown-up girls. Penelope vs. Pixie Pandora vs. Palace Q Quintessa vs. Quincy Quaila vs. Quilala (Kwi--lah-lah) Queen vs. Quiencia (Kwee-ence-ee-uh) R Reyna vs. Riley Rosanna vs. Rosemary Rhonda vs. Rodica (Roe-dee-kuh) S Skylar vs. Skye Serena vs. Simone Shailey vs. Sienna T Tessa vs. Taylor Tia vs. Tiana Taytum vs. Trixie: Tatum would be a better spelling. U Una vs. Uta Ulyssia (You-liss-ee-uh) vs. Umba Ula vs. Ursula: Only because it can be a Friends reference lol. V Violet vs. Vylette Veronica vs. Victoria Valencia vs. Valerie W Wynona vs. Whitney: Winona > Wynona, but still. Wynter vs. Whisper Willow vs. Wanda X Xaila vs. Xara Xana vs. Xenon Xavier vs. Xena Y Yasmin vs. Yvonne Yvette vs Yolanda Yori vs. Yaya Z Zayara vs. Zion Zayana vs. Zoey Zen vs. Zara

Final questions!

Your name (first and middle): Robyn Isabelle.Do you like it?I hated the name Robyn throughout my childhood because I always got teased about it. When I got to college and everyone just kinda matured and told me they liked the way my name flowed, I ended up warming up to and loving it.What your parents almost named you:I was almost named Ariel after the Disney princess, and I know my parents were also thinking of naming me Katrina/Katherine/Kaitlyn.Your favorite girl's name (first and middle):Olivia. I don’t have a pick for middle name yet.List five unique names of girls you have met:Shauna, Shontrice, Unila, Ciamae, Rheezan.List five girl's names you don't like:I mostly dislike in-your-face weather/nature names like Winter, Snow, Amethyst, Cloud, Gaia, or Daffodill. But some, like Cheyenne, Rose, and Luna are super cute, too.List five girls name you really like:I’ve done this like 10 times on 10 different surveys but I like names such as Olivia, Elizabeth, Mia, Ava, and Isabella.Your first best friend's name:Kaye.Your siblings names:Nope.The name of the first pet that you loved:Tobi, my pet rabbit.What you would be named if you were the opposite gender:I’ve never asked my parents about this, actually. They’d probably go with a Spanish/Hispanic name, seeing as they went with Joaquin for my brother but were also thinking of naming him Diego.

#survey #surveys