Book Character Names We've Mispronounced (doesn't actually include Hermione can you believe it)

Let's be real here. We've all done it.

Between endless authors trying to make sure THEIR book characters stay 'unique' and 'unforgettable', I've come across many different, odd character names. This is especially true of fantasy novels. So today, friends, I will share with you a list of the character names that I've mispronounced.

1. Lucien
From The Mortal Instruments series as well as A Court of Thorns and Roses.
You wanna know how I said his name inside my head? Well, this is how:
Loo-she-en.
The real pronunciation is this:
LOO-sian (with a weird, silent-but-not-really sort of n at the end)

So. Um. Moving on.


2. Feyre
From ACOTAR.
alright, so I pronounced her name like :Fire-h
cool, I know.
But the actual pronunciation is 'Fay-Ruh' but whatevs

3. Next we have
Rhysand from ACOTAR. Jeez. I know, too many from just thus one book, but what can I say,  fantasy novels just have allllll the weird names.

I pronounced his name like 'rhice-and' (how you say 'rice but with a little but of an 'h' after r.)
But the real pronunciation is this:
Rhees-sand

Easy, right? *rolls eyes*







4. Greek names. Allll the Greek god names. Ufff.

Okay so Hades.
I kind of just pronounced it like 'haids'( think braids with an h'

But the actual way, I've come to know, is actually this: 'haid-eez'
Like??? I don't??


Then we have another Greek god, Poseidon. Apparently the god of the sea. That's kind of how I pronounced his name too.
'Po-sea- done'
Jeez.
And the real right way to pronounce it is actually
'Po-sigh-done'
Jeez.


6. Now, Hera.
I just kind of do it like this: Hera.

Lol. But you're apparently supposed to say it like 'hai-rah' or something, I don't really care because I don't like her at all from the Percy Jackson books, so.


7. Next we have Zues.





How. Does. One. Pronounce. Greek. Names. If. They. All. Just. Are. So. Different. From. Their. Spellings.


I just kinda went like 'zee-usss'
But its actually 'zoos' hahaha no.

how do u even Greek

8. There was also Hades' wife, Persephone, right?
Watch me as I ruin this name right in front of your eyes.
'Purse-seh-phone' is how I said it. As in, a purse, a say, and a phone. Genius, truly.
And the real way is actually this: 'pur-se-fuh-nay'




Next we have Achilles. Who is. A hero? I think?
I pronounced the name like 'A-Chaialz'
Which is so different from the actual pronunciation I can't. It's 'A-chillies.'
Just. How.



10. Number ten we have Valentine from TMI. You're supposed to say his name like you say Valentine's Day, but of course I had to be me and do something different. So. Ehem.
'Valenteen'  ladies and gentlemen. Valenteen.

That's all I've really been able to recall. There's more, I'm sure, to come, so keep your eyes open, and if you have any unpronounceable fantasy name then please, feel free to share.

Now I must make my leave. Goodbye, frens.

*much drop*
*bows*
*exits*

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Belated October Wrap Up

i know, i know.
she's back, look, you say.
only for a little bit, and then she'll be gone like the wind again, you think.
well, my friend, you're...probably right, let's face it, i'm crappy with schedules and fixed timings and anything that doesn't involve flailing.
(i'm a free spirit okay)
(jeez. *rolls eyes* )

Hopefully I'm not just shouting (or typing furiously on my laptop, fine, I'll be accurate and literal, brain) into an empty void like Augustus Waters (who is the cutest little fluffball ever--I'm reading TFIOS, and loving it,   but more on that later.) so solemnly fears, and--let's be real, I fear so too.

But now, here is the main topic that we have congregated here to discuss: what I read in the month of October. (because narcissism. i can't get enough of myself) (i'm sorry for the copious amounts of self-berating sarcasm.) (not really)

 Well, the first order of business is this: a n g s t

I don't know what it is with angst and me. angsty novels, movies, music. gimme allllllll the angst.
maybe it's because i'm an angst filled teenager, or maybe angsty in general, i really don't know. but at the end of the day, angsty books are home, and i love to drown in the feels that they force upon me. and this month was no different.

October was the follow up month from reading the Raven Cycle books by Maggie Stiefvater, so I was kind of recovering from some serious book hangover, and i was randomly scrolling through the inter of nets (for everyone who didn't get that : the internet)  and i happened to come across this thing, i think on tumblr it was,which stated that one of the characters in this other book series was like Ronan from the Raven Cycle and Kavinsky from the Raven Cycle combined, and i thought, a copy of my precious child, my little sunshine Ronan, in another book?

and that friends, is how October was the month i sank into the world of the Foxhole Court ( also known as : All For The Game series) and i was a goner. it's a trilogy, written by Nora Sakavic. it's about this guy Neil, who is the run away son hiding from his father who is a very dangerous criminal lord sort of thing called The Butcher, and it also heavily involves a sport, a fictional sport called Exy, which is kind of like a mix of hockey and lacrosse, but, like, on steroids.

Neil's mom rcently died, and Exy is extremely close to his heart, and now he's got an offer to play for this University called Palmetto State University, which is actually the laughing stock of the Exy world, kind of, because of the fact that it's coach, Wymack, is bent on recruiting the most effed up kids with messed up pasts and problems of drug abuse and childhood issues and stuff and what not. angst : check.
characters dying : kind of . pain: yesssssss gore and grit and general fighting scenes :check anger : check
 check sports: check

okay, this trilogy gave me  a lot of pain and horror and has tons of, i mean, TONS OF triggers, so if you want to check it out, i suggest you first be 1. aged sixteen or older 2. see all the triggers (look them up. google exists for a reason.)

Next, I read...
SIX OF CROWS YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

this book tho. THIS.
                                  BOOK.
                                                   THO.

pretty accurate

like. honestly. leigh bardugo, what even.

It's essentially about this  one gang's officer guy genius 17 year old  Kaz (aka the hottest-est and cleverest-est guy to ever exist like bro you go) is offered a crazy amount of money to break into this high security, impenetrable prison in this other country and he has to break out this really important scientist/political prisoner. also, he needs a crew; enter Nina, sassy bab who is also a sort of runaway but still loyal to her country army person Grisha (she  has magical powers) who is in love with Matthias, an angry white blond guy who first needs to be broken out of the local prison, and he is most certainly not in love with Nina, nope, only he kind of is, oops, sorry Grisha-hating-brain-washed-brain, and Inej, my sweet baby girl who is so brave and so lovely and she can enter a room, steal your wallet and empty it right out of your pocket, have a cupcake and go back out the front door without you ever noticing, and she is also Kaz's most trusted lieutenant sort of person (also, maybe something more? PLEASE SOMETHING MORE) and Jesper, who is sunshine in human form and is filled with more energy than a bolt of lightning and he loves his guns more than chocolate, and Wylan, a 16 year old small blushing chemistry nerd who is a genius of his own kind, talented, beautiful Wylan, who has run away from his rich merchant father only to end up washed up and tattered and somehow finds himself helping to carry out this seemingly impossible heist.

I probably didn't do the best sort of description, but suffice it to say, i love this book, i finished the second book, Crooked Kingdom, like just a few hours ago, and i am ready to fangirl like crazy.


IT'S THRILLING. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. THERE'S MAGIC. THERE'S FIGHTING, GANGS AND LOTS OF ANGST AND SO MANY CRAZY PLOT TWISTS LIKE MY BRAIN IS INCAPABLE OF COMPREHENDING IT. THE WRITING IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND THE CHARACTERS ARE SO WELL WRITTEN AND THE GENIUS BEHIND THIS BOOK IS CRAZY .  GO READ IT.


this turned a bit too rambly, i suppose. but, whatever. 

what books did you read in October? I'm compiling a November tbr, do you have anything to recommend? lemme know.
xx

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Tears

Drops of tears, gleaming pearls, ran down his face, mixing with the rain. His golden eyes were muted with a hopelessness that hadn't been there before, and deep, lingering melancholy. They were rimmed with red, and his face was pale, glistening in the moonlight. 

His hair was too long, and it was stuck to his forehead, his cheeks, his neck, everywhere. You wanted to gently stroke it aside, but as you reached out your hand he flinched away from your touch as if you were made of fire.

Mirth, anger, hurt, built up in your chest but you remained quiet, staring at his retreating figure in the waning moonlight, slinking alongside the shadows of the night. You watched him go as the clouds rolled over infront of the moon, his lean body just another dark shadow, the ghost of lips on yours a mere memory. 

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Flash Fiction!

PROMPT:
 every so often a dream catcher must be 'emptied' of all the nightmares it has caught. Who does it, and what do they see?  



Fridays were good days, she told herself. Again and again, trying to make herself believe. But they weren't, was the thing, and she didn't. See, Fridays were the days Blue Price would line up all the dream-catchers her customers gave her, and sort them out, make them usable again. She told herself that she was being useful to the world, at least she got paid, and she was helping other people. But the truth remained; it hurt.
But it had to be done. So Blue stopped standing in front of her bathroom mirror and stalling for time, got up  and left for her little musty room where she would do the emptying.
Already there were two waiting customers. It was seven in the morning. Seven. Bloody. a.m.
They looked extremely uncertain on the overstuffed, worn red couch that was the waiting space a man and a woman, not touching but leaning into each other in the way that whose who were in love usually did, and they looked up as Blue entered the candle lit room, her dark green hooded robe covering most of her face and hiding her body.
“The catcher.” Her arm was extended out towards the both of them, waiting.
 The man shifted closer to the woman, and then he was placing the dream-catcher in Blue's hands.
She stepped behind the table, and then closed her eyes. The only sounds in the room were of its occupants' breathing. Something knotted in Blue's stomach, her heart pounded faster, and she willed herself to ignore it all, willed her whirring mind to silence as she held the white dream-catcher over an empty bowl. She called upon the spirits of the land, the energy of all that was around her. Help me, empty these burdens, free the nightmares…
There was a snap sound in her mind, and then the feeling of something seizing her body in a vice-like grip. Dread in her stomach, her heart beating faster, every nerve on end and she knew what was coming, she knew it, calm down, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in—

a sharp pain in her chest, and then she was hurtling through a million pictures at lightning-speed. A dark alley, creatures crawling all over her body. The body of a boy, lying on the ground in a pool of his blood, his face pale, his chest un-moving. A blonde haired girl, sitting up with a knife sticking out of her chest.  A dark cave, wretched hags following after her with broomsticks and fire. A giant cockroach and endless screaming in her ears. Being held at gunpoint. A dark, endless tunnel, and a girl trying to run, trying to get out, asphyxiating, can't breathe, can't think, end this, end it, please let me out—
and then the feeling of being set lose, her body becoming hers again, finally. She opened her eyes, gasping, and realized that the sirens inside her head were actually her own heartbeats, her own blood rushing through her ears, fast and wailing.
 It took her a few moments, but Blue was finally able to focus, and then she looked at the couple, staring at her, then at the bowl. She looked wrung out, and she felt it too. Her own face reflected in a shallow pool of blood, and her hands holding the dream-catcher, red and moist. They were trembling, just like the rest of her and Blue was relieved when finally the dream-catcher was taken out of her hands by the woman, who muttered a thank you. The couple went outside to pay, leaving Blue and her empty thoughts and empty body, ready to retch.

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All The books I've read this summer

So.

It's been a while, I know. 

Am I talking to an empty room? So be it. I shall talk (er...write, really) into this vast emptiness, about all the books I've read since May uptill September.

So for starters, my main summer goal was to read The Mortal Instruments series, a YA urban fantasy type thingy with demons and shadowhunters and fighting and pretty descriptions and pretty boys in love, and messed up families. It was a success, and I completed all the Mortal Instruments books, namely:

City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angles, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire. I'm not a hundred-percent-sure that this is the right order, because I read it so long ago, but basically, I read these six books. After which I stalked the author and founf out that this series is a part of a larger Chronicles thingy, where all the stpries and series or trilogies of whatever, are connected. I decided I must read it, and hence began reading The Infernal Devices trilogy, and after that I read Lady Midnight, the first book of the Dark Artifices series/trilogy?( not sure), as the rest of them are not out yet. I then read a short story set in the same universe, called The Lost Herondale, from 'Tales from Shadowhunter Academy', so there was that.

• Aside from these, like, 10 books, I read the first two books of the Young Elites series/trilogy, (again, not sure) which is a YA medieval fantasy thingy. (And had my heart broken when I found out that the next book hadn't been released as of yet.

I read Girl Online, and Girl Online 2: On Tour. 

I also read a lot of books on wattpad, namely:

The Good Girls' Bad Boys ( a hilarious story about bullying-that's not the funny part, the characters are really funny-- and friendship).

In 27 days, and its sequel, Face Your Fears

I also started a lot of books, which I stopped reading. For example, I started reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, and I was halfway through it, enjoying it, but then I just stopped. 

Aside from that I also read Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising, the last of  the Alex Rider teen spy thingy from his POV.

After the Shadowhunters thing, I told myself I would NOT join any other fandoms, nope, it was time to stop reading all day everyday, I was going to do homework, and be responsible. 

But then my hand slipped (...are you serious rn) and I ended up downloading and somehow starting to read the Raven Cycle: a series of four books written by Maggie Stiefvater who is also a poet (IMO) and I was once again drowning in so many feels and crying and laughing and loving all the characters and all the magic that took place within these four books. ( i love ronan lynch so much it's not even funny) . After that to calm my feels, I had to read a few fanfics for The Raven Cycle.

I also read the first two books of the Court of Thorns and Roses thingy: namely 1. A Court of Thorns and Roses

2. A Court of Mist and Fury

The first book is basically a fantasy infused faerie magic related retelling of Beauty and The Beast, and the second one reminds me alot of Hades and Persephone, but I don't know if it really is based of of these two darlings or not. 

Okay, so after these, I told myself NOT TO JOIN ANY MORE FANDOMS DAMMIT. but obviously I had to have no self control and in two to three weeks, I finished reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is such a great, hilarious, sarcasm filled series, I can't.

Now I'm on The Lost Hero, the first book in the Percy Jackson spinoff series, set in the same universe but with a few additional characters. It's fantastic, fast paced, and funny, and has lively characters. 

I just remembered that I also read If I Stay by Gayle Foreman (:/).

So yeah, I read more than like 20 books, and most of them were fantasy/paranormal, and I enjoyed them all SO MUCH. I used to think that fantasy and stuff is so boring, and I used to pride myself on not being wooed by werewolves and vampires and faeries and all of that, or by wizards even. But this summer has proven to me that I actually really enjoy fantasy, and I never thought that I would. So I encourage you all (...hello! Is any body there? Any one following still?) to open up your reading horizons too, and to read something that you would not read normally. Who knows, maybe you'll come across a universe that you actually end up liking! 

x

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Attempts at Taking Aesthetic Pictures of Books

So I have (attempted to) take some aesthetically pleasing pictures of the few books that I own for this local competition, and these are some of the pictures that I took. Keep in mind that I am an absolute. AMATEUR. when it comes to photography, and I'm sure that that shines through in my pictures as well. But hey, I tried, okay.  

2

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

picture credit: www.lovethispic.com

Her dreams were smothered in black rubble, and, as she slowly ambled through the boulevard, Anna realized just how ephemeral everything was. She looked around, eyes glazed over whilst taking in the bleary surroundings.
One choice was all it took. She felt her heart clench, closed her eyes, tight, pressed her hands to her chest--anything-- to make it stop.
 Anna dropped to the floor. It was cold. Icy. And, as she slowly felt the last of her sanity slipping away into pandemonium, she let out a sorry laugh. She realized the irony of this; her, here, alive, real, standing in this derelict boulevard of broken dreams.
Her dreams.

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Book Review : If I Stay by Gayle Foreman

Recently I have started reading some YA novels, and after watching the If I Stay movie a few days ago,  decided that I absolutely had to red the book, which I downloaded, and read. And so, here I am.

If I stay is a story about a girl, Mia, who lives in Oregon, and comes from a family of four; her parents, who used to be punk (her dad was in a local band), Mia herself, and her little brother, Teddy, who is very young. Mia gets into a car accident and becomes something between a ghost an a zombie; basically, her soul is outside of her body, and she sees the doctors and all of her loved ones react to her nearly fatal accident in different ways. Based on all of this, Mia has to see what she has lost, and what her life will be like if she stays, hence the title. She also has a best friend named Kim, and an amazing rock star boyfriend named Adam, and a strong passion, (and talent) for playing the cello.

The thing about this book is that it's very direct; there aren't too many fancy words or sentences for that matter, which might confuse you otherwise. It's easy to read in terms of style.
 However, it is quite a heavy book, so maybe some people would not like to read it. The characters were all very lively, the kind that really draw you in and make you feel at home. Kim, Mia's best friend, is Jewish, and hilarious. Adam is, well, he's punk rock, all the way. From cursing loudly in the ICU to taking Mia to some classical music thing, he's definitely earned himself a place in my heart. Mia's parents, and little brother re some of the most amazing, confident and unique characters I have come across, warm, loving, and fierce. Her mom an her mom's "rocker friends are said to be a "feminist bitch" which I kind of agree with-- but in a good way.
The story is told in present time, where Mia's souls is trapped outside her body, along with flashbacks or memories with of her with various characters, like Adam, Kim, her parents, etc.The memories are vivid, and enjoyable, though some of them really strike your heartstrings.
What I didn't like was how bland Mia, herself felt. It was as if everyone else, all the other characters were drawn in colors while Mia was a  black and white sketch. I also didn't really like this one intimate scene with Adam, to be honest I just found it plain freaky.
Some scenes in the book had me laughing, like when Kim and Adam try to break into Mia's ICU with the help of a bunch of hipsters, but some scenes, like where dam visits Mia in the ICU ( finally), just broke my heart. I have to admit, in the beginning, when I started reading this book, I didn't really enjoy it all that much, but it slowly grew on me. One thing that I really did not like, though, was the lack of racial diversity in the book; I think only one character was black, and she was like a supporting character.

In terms of emotional baggage, this book holds a lot. It definitely has something to teach you about love, loss, and hope. Hope is eminent throughout the book, along with some themes of ruining relationships, and happiness, and cello--don't even get me started on the cello.
  All of these different elements to the story, Mia's more-than-20 visitors to the ICU, her family, friends, boyfriend, hope, her music, her passion for playing the cello and applying to college in New York, have been so beautifully combined along with the simple narrative that the book makes it feel consistent.
 And that is a commendable feat.
Overall, I give this book maybe a 3 and a half stars out of five, 3.5/5.
Gayle Foreman has other books too, the If I Stay series also has other books, but I don't know if I will read them soon. Or if I would recommend this book either.
It's up to you, really. You've read this review, what do you think of the book, if you've already read it?

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Wishful Thinking

Do you ever catch yourself drifting off into your thoughts? Perhaps just thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner, or maybe something more fanciful or bashful? Perhaps you imagine yourself on a relaxing cruise or having a dinner at a five star hotel which you can’t possibly afford? Or maybe off on an inter-dimensional mission to save the world?

Over the past few days, with being stuck at home with nothing much to do and the sweltering heat making it impossible for me to go out, I’ve been enjoying myself far away in dreamland. “khayali pulao” a desi version to what I am doing, or wishful thinking. I can’t help it. I imagine myself in a hip apartment in London or New York, the city bustling and alive around me, rushing off on my scooty to go to work, having a flat-mate and going around the city, attending concerts…basically anything that is different and unique and fun, and can take me away from the reality that is my life at this very moment.

Wishful thinking has me thinking (pun intended) that perhaps I should work to make all of this—my dreams, my hopes and desires, into a reality. Although I am a big believer in destiny (call me a romantic, crazy person), I also strongly believe that hard work and effort can result in what you want. So why not give it a go? Aim for the moon, if you miss you’ll land among the stars…or something like it, right?

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