Monday, February 29, 2016

February 29th | Weekly Wrap Up #32 (+ accidental discussion)

It's been a weird week. I decided to take part in a readathon: #5Books7Days, and I also decided to reread something. Mostly because I haven't been reading, I hadn't finished any books this month before this week. And, because of what I ended up rereading, I have a feeling I'll be trying to make sense in the "stuff" section and failing at it.

Books: (finished / actively reading)
Paper Girls #5 by Brian K Vaughn, Cliff Chiang (5/5)
The end of the first story arc, and we don't get a new issue until June. If you haven't read this series - I highly recommend it. It's so good and really damn weird at points. I'm really enjoying it.

And here we are, to what I reread (so far) this week. I'm going to just list them and then put general thoughts under it.

City of Bones (TMI #1) by Cassie Clare (4/5)
City of Ashes (TMI #2) by Cassie Clare (4/5)
City of Glass (TMI #3) by Cassie Clare (4/5)

So I first read this series (and literally just this, what was then, a trilogy), when I was in middle school about? I read the first two before the third came out and had to wait for it, that was torture. And I'm not sure what it is about the books, characters, but I know it's definitely related to that. I really love this series, though not as much as Infernal Devices, which we'll get to. Honestly - a lot of the time Clary drives me a little crazy, but mostly because of the decisions she makes. And how they never seem to really lay everything out.

Obviously I started this reread because the show started at the beginning of the year - and I hadn't really started watching it until this month. And, personally, I don't think it's... good? But it is definitely entertaining, seeing the changes they've made and some of the truly awful effects added. The weird chemistry. Anyway - it made me want to reread the books. I did the summer before last so I could read the last book in the TMI series, and they're - I don't know. I also wouldn't call them good, but they're interesting. And the world is pretty interesting and complex enough to hold that interest. I honestly don't know, why I love these books so much, especially considering the problems I have with the author (which we'll talk about down below).

Clockwork Angel (ID #1) by Cassie Clare (4/5)
Clockwork Prince (ID #2) by Cassie Clare (5/5)

I enjoy this series so much more then The Mortal Instruments and I think for a few reasons. The characters are more mature - in some areas, less mature in others. I don't know why, maybe it's because I like Tessa more then Clary - mostly because I identify with her more, I might not like Dickens as much as her (having not finished a full book by him yet) but I do love books. And I also like all the characters we meet and that live in the institute and such. I mean, obviously - Tessa, Will, Jem, but I also really like the other ones.

And, this is a weird thing, but I like how painful it is - starting in the second book, but more in the third one. They way they all are, and how Jem's health is, they're all just in constant pain from their emotions, basically. And this is a love triangle that, for some reason, I don't mind - and I won't say my main reason for it here, because spoilers. However - if you don't like TMI, give this series a try.

I think I'm going to continue with my reread, might as well since I'm this far, and I've never read the Magnus short story thing. However, I'm so torn about this - my love for this series, posting I'm reading about it places. I mentioned it on the first picture I posted this week, and I've been trying to write a whole discussion post about it - but I'm just going to put it here I guess.

Stuff:
Like I said, I've been working on a discussion post. Mostly trying to talk about my relationship with the TMI/ID series and Clare herself - mostly because I started watching the show, again like I already said, and I've been thinking about it.

If you're unsure why the hell I would dislike her - plagiarism. Just google it, I'm not going to spell it out here. It rubs me all the wrong ways, though, because it seems so damn disgusting - as a writer, and imagining someone stealing my words, makes me very angry. However, I fell in love with her series before I knew all of that (ironically, since I was actually in the HP fan fic community at the time, just not on that site). And so I guess that's how you separate the art from the artist, at least the only really way I can, is to have fallen in love with the world they write in before knowing.

Saying that all - for some reason - I'm not going to stop reading her work. Maybe if my favorite character wasn't going to appear in her new series, I'd be able to just say whatever and let it go (I would say who it is but spoilers, but I think there might be some guesses, former silent brothers, guys. Anyway), but I want to see what happens. I just plain do.

And I know for some people it doesn't bother them, or they've made up a defense for her in their head since they like her work, but I can't do that. Especially with the new claim that came out (was that this month or last? It was pretty recent. Also google, educate yourselves about what's up with this). So it annoys me, but mostly I'm annoyed at myself.

However - I don't think I should have to be. Sure, she appears not to be a very good person considering all of that, but why should that affect how much I enjoy her work? It should, considering it's directly linked to her work. But I've kind of decided, while keeping that in mind, that I just can't keep worrying about it, I just can't, because I'm going to keep reading her books - characters, I get very attached to them. Even then - since I'm writing this all out - obviously I'm having a hard time trying to get past it.

And now that I've rambled - and, even reading it over, am not sure any of that makes sense - now I'm curious - do you care? Did you know about this before? Am I over-thinking this (yes, but I over think everything. Anxiety).

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