HOW MUCH OF YOU IS REAL? For fans of Black Mirror and Westworld, this compelling, mind-bending novel is a twisted look into the future, exploring the lengths we’ll go to remake ourselves into the perfect human specimen and what it means to be human at all. “A deep and suddenly necessary exploration of T H E BE AUT IFU L
A N D T E R R I BL E F U TU RES W E FAC E . ” —HANK GREEN, Vlogbrother and #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
“ DAYT O N ’ S N E W EST IS I M AGI N AT I O N AT I TS B ES T A N D M O S T T E R R I F Y ING .” —KIERSTEN WHITE, New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein
Art used under license from Shutterstock.com
“ I F YO U L OV E
BLACK MIRROR, T H I S . . . W I L L S E N D SHIVERS DOW N YO U R S P INE.” —TEENVOGUE.COM
“ P OW E R F U L , P O I GNANT, A N D AC T I O N -PAC KED.” —BUSTLE
LEA R N M OR E AT G E T UN DE R L IN E D.COM
CONTENTS THE HIGHLIGHTS
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@baru.reads
YOU ARE NOT
FICTION FOOD
ON THE BRINK OF
Interview with Victoria Lee of The Fever King
Recipes from The Fever King and Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
Interview with Arwen Elys Dayton of Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
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ALONE
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FEATURE
RESILIENCY AND HOPE IN YA LIT
BOOKSTAGRAM CREATORS
A look at tenacity in young adult fiction
Check out these three amazing Bookstagram creators
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PERFECTION
LITERARY LADIES Alexandra Ivey shows off her amazing cosplays of some of our favorite literary ladies
CONTENTS 11 Editor’s Letter
A note from the editor.
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Learn more about this month’s writers, photographers, and crafters. Giving Back Learn more about this month’s charity. You Are Not Alone Victoria Lee of The Fever King Victoria Lee | Share Your Shelf Victoria shares her favorite goodies. Seeking Contributors Like what you’re reading? Join our team! Fiction Food Recipes inspired by The Fever King and Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful.
36 On the Brink of Perfection
Arwen Elys Dayton of Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful. 44 Arwen Elys Dayton | Share Your Shelf Arwen’s tour of her writing desk. 48 Resiliency in YA Lit by Juliet White
54 Seen and Heard
The lastest in the bookish community.
60 Bookstagram Creators Check out these awesome readers.
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@WaywardPages
Photo essay featuring a few of our favorite women in literature. 96 March New Releases
98 Around the World
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FROM THE EDITOR
Letter From The Editor
I always think of luck in March. It’s not that unique of a thought, we’re surrouned by four leaf clovers and are reminded to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day lest we get pinched. But lately, when I think of “luck” I think of the Seneca quote, “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. It’s glaringly obvious everytime I speak to an author. Victoria Lee, for instance, wrote nearly two dozen novels before The Fever King... talk about putting in the work! And Arwen Elys Dayton conducted so much research for her latest novel that she has enough information to fill a companion novel! Preparation indeed. The work these authors have done to make their novels come to life inspires me to take action when reaching for my own goals. I hope it does the same for you. Happy Reading, Gillian St. Clair Editor-In-Chief CURIOSITALES
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CURIOSITALES New York, New York; USA
EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gillian St. Clair CONTRIBUTORS Kelsey Bjork, Alexandra Ivey, Elle Jauffret, Juliet White
MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Vipul Kuchhal
ONLINE Curiositales is a digital monthly magazine. We also engage readers with a free newsletter. For your regular dose of all things bookish, subscribe at www.curiositales.com
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2019 by Curiositales Magazine. All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in review.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Juliet White Essay, Resiliency in YA Lit
As a kid, Juliet White slept with a flashlight in her bed for latenight stealth reading. You can find her obsessing about libraries @JulietWrites on Twitter, or visit her website at julietwhite.com
Alexandra Ivey Photo Essay, Literary Ladies
Alexandra Ivey is an actress living in Los Angeles, California. An avid reader from a young age, she has always loved delving into the curious world of books.
Elle Jauffret Food Writer Elle Jauffret writes from personal experience about the culinary arts, mysteries, and France.
You can find her at ellejauffret.com or @ElleJauffret on Twitter and Instagram.
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GIVING BACK
March 2019 | Issue 09
Every month we feature an organization that’s working to make change within the reading community around the world. When we each commit to change, the growth is immeasurable. Check out this month’s feature, and, if their mission statement is in alignment with your own beliefs, follow them online and help out however you are able.
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It actually didn’t occur to me to try and publish anything for the longest time. I just wrote for myself because I liked creating characters and stories and worlds.
I
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t’s never good to generalize a group of people, but unfortunately, people still do it anyway. There are times when doing so is obviously harmful, but there are also times when it may seem completely harmless. Authors are a great example of this.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE Interview by Gillian St. Clair Written by Kelsey Bjork
When someone meets an author, odds are, they’ll assume they’re a shy introvert. They’ll also assume they’ve always loved reading and writing and have dreamed of seeing their novels on the shelves of bookstores ever since they were a child. That might be the case for a lot of authors, but Victoria Lee is proof that they’re not all the same. Lee actually hated reading and writing before it became an obsession that got her in trouble at school. Even once that hatred turned to love, she only viewed CURIOSITALES
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writing as a hobby. That probably seems normal since there are plenty of people who write simply because they enjoy doing it. That being said, not quite as many write entire books just for fun. Twenty-two, to be exact. “It actually didn’t occur to me to try and publish anything for the longest time. I just wrote for myself because I liked creating characters and stories and worlds,” Lee said, “but especially characters.” Despite how much Lee insisted that writing was just a hobby, people would continue to ask her over and over if she planned on ever publishing anything. Needless to say, Lee was extremely frustrated. “They made it feel like writing is the only hobby that people think isn’t worth having if you’re not going to get paid to do it,” Lee said before adding with a laugh, “But, here I am publishing a book, so…” Still, Lee makes a great point. Writing books doesn’t have to be a career even if it feels like that’s what everyone else is doing. That’s why it’s so significant when authors like Lee discuss things like this; they help others realize that they’re not as alone as they may feel. Thankfully, Lee was able to find that kind of reassurance through her family as she grew up. “I was lucky enough to have a family who not only saw me as a writer from a young age but were also encouraging and supportive of that.” Author or not, having the support of family and friends is especially nice when life 18
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As long as I put in my hours I don’t feel guilty about whether or not I’ve managed to write 200 words.
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gets hectic. Even though everyone can relate to how crazy life can be, sometimes it feels like no one else understands just how difficult it is to balance everything. It can be so easy to look at other people’s lives via social media and believe that they have everything together. Which, of course, doesn’t help anyone who is already feeling down. But the thing is, juggling life really isn’t easy for anyone - even the ones who seem to have the perfect life understand how hard time management can be. And since Lee is earning a PhD in psychology along with being an author, she is certainly someone who gets it. “I don’t wake up too early, but I am a pretty early riser, so I start writing around seven. The only time I write any earlier than that is if I’m still awake,” she said giggling. Waking up early works for Lee, but it
won’t work for everyone. So often people look to others who are successful in order to copy exactly what they do, but odds are, that won’t work.
said. “It’s given me a sense of freedom, in some ways.”
Although Lee tries to make as much progress as she can during her writing time, she isn’t too hard on herself. Some writers feel motivated by word count goals, but that only works for her during NaNoWriMo.
“I very much drew inspiration from the Jewish experience, especially the experience of feeling like a stranger in your own country, which is what our ancestors went through,” Lee said. “Even though Noam was born in Carolina, his parents are immigrants, so he still feels like an outsider.” Lee also uses her story to show that history can repeat itself. “One of the characters is a survivor of a genocide against magic, and they have grandparents who were holocaust survivors.”
While Lee is enjoying the freedom she has found in the way she manages her time, It’s important to remember that everysome of the characters in her book, The Feone’s brain works differently, and because ver King, don’t have much freedom at all. of that, we all have to try different things until we find what works best for us. For Sixteen-year-old Noam Alvaro, the only Lee, this means writing early and working survivor of a viral magic attack, recently on her PhD assignments afterward. gained the ability to control technology. In other words, he is a technopath. This “I can’t task switch very well, so I have to catches the attention of the Minister of plot out my time where I do one particular Defense who offers to teach Noam the thing for however many hours and then science behind his magic in exchange for I switch and do my other job,” Lee said. helping the nation of Carolina. “And because I don’t have a ton of meetings in the morning, it’s often better for But Carolina is known for deporting refme to wake up on the early side and get ugees fleeing from magical outbreaks, all of my writing out of the way. and as the son of undocumented immigrants, Noam couldn’t be more against Once I feel like I’ve accomplished that, I them. That’s why he accepts their offer in can better focus on my grad school work order to use what he learns against them. without feeling guilty about not having But his plans go awry when he meets the written yet. On the flip side, I can also handsome son of the Minister of Defense. write in the morning without feeling guilty about the grad school stuff because As is the case with most novels, many of I know I’m ending at a certain point and the topics and themes in Lee’s story were moving on.” heavily influenced by her own life.
“I see work as the amount of time you’ve spent trying to write no matter how many words you actually write down. So as long as I put in my hours I don’t feel guilty about whether or not I’ve managed to write 200 words or something,” Lee
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The sexualities of Lee’s characters were also inspired by her life. By the way, all of the characters are queer. That’s right, literally everyone! “I’m bisexual,” Lee said. “I grew up in the 90s and 2000s when YA wasn’t much of a thing until the end of my teen years. So there especially wasn’t a lot of fiction geared toward people my age that featured LGBT characters that I could relate to.” Lee couldn’t look to fiction for a sense of belonging, but in her high school, she was surrounded by many others just like her. “I was fortunate enough to go to an arts high school, so there were a lot of other queer kids. It was so different from the private religious school I went to where no one was out as gay,” Lee said. “So, maybe that did influence my decision to make all of the characters queer,” she continued. “I just want to help kids, in some way, have the kind of experience I did. I want to let them know that it actually is totally normal to be gay and that no one is going to be shocked to find that out.” Some were wary that having all queer characters would make getting published more difficult, but Lee didn’t let that stop her. “That’s no less realistic than everyone identifying as straight in a book,” she pointed out. Having all queer characters may seem controversial to some, but not everything deemed controversial is bad – trigger warnings are a great example. 20
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“The Fever King deals a lot with trauma which is something that a lot of teens can relate to – I hope my book will help them feel seen,” Lee said. “But the last thing I want is for my story to cause them harm instead.” Lee has first-hand experience when it comes to needing trigger warnings. “I used to have an extremely bad phobia of vomit. If I even read the word I would have a panic attack. I used to have my dad read books before I did so he could warn me,” Lee explained. Some people think warnings only hinder people from being able to recover from whatever triggers them, but on the contrary, they are important in the recovery process. “I’m a psychologist and one of the things we talk about when it comes to helping people get through trauma and overcome phobias is that there’s no point in doing exposure to something if someone is not prepared for it, not consenting to being exposed to it, and not in a safe environment where they can process that trigger. In other words, exposing people to triggers without warning them can actually make the trauma and the phobia worse. But, if people choose to expose themselves it can be helpful,” she explained. Lee went on to make the ultimate argument for trigger warnings. “There’s no downside. Not having them could do harm but including them doesn’t hurt anyone. People are free to choose not to read them if they don’t want to.”
Authors write books in hopes that readers will enjoy them, and having trigger warnings are just another way to ensure that happens. “Trauma is one of the main arcs for all of the main characters in my book, but that’s not something that shows up on the cover. So, if a reader goes in not expecting that kind of content, they might not react well,” Lee said. “Having been warned,” she added, “there’s a chance they actually would have been okay with the content. It might have even helped them feel seen or understood. But because they weren’t ready for it, they just feel upset, distressed, and hurt.” The Fever King deals with a lot of heavy topics, many of which are personal to Lee. “Without going into too many details, when I was a teen, I went through and struggled with many of the same things that my characters do,” she shared. “I’ve always felt compelled to find a story that I could use to talk about what I went through in a way that was constructive, not only for me, but for readers who might be going through similar things. Even a lot of my previous books indirectly dealt with similar topics.” One of the topics Lee discusses is sexual assault. “I was abused as a kid,” she said. “My parents read about it in my diary, but they didn’t believe me until the abuser confessed after other children came forward.” Lee has noticed that, oftentimes, survivors
of abuse receive the most support once they are no longer being abused. “I very much got the feeling that, because the abuse was ongoing at the time, it was very difficult for people to know how to respond. And that’s because if something is going on when you’re told about it then you’re morally obligated to stop it,” she said. “So if you don’t know how to help then it might be easier to think that it’s not happening.” That’s why Lee wanted her book to focus on a current victim of abuse. “I wanted to write a story that wouldn’t just speak to kids about what it’s like to have survived. Rather, I wanted to talk to kids who are still going through it and to discuss the feelings they might be having,” she said. “I think a lot of teens will be able to relate.”
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If something is going on when you’re told about it then you’re morally obligated to stop it.
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When discussing abuse, Lee said that addiction and mental illness are often brought up as well. Unfortunately, they are sometimes used against survivors. CURIOSITALES
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“I went to trial against my abuser and one of the things the defense lawyer argued was that I didn’t understand what was happening because I had depression and anxiety,” Lee said. “Which doesn’t make sense, obviously, but nonetheless that was something that was used to undermine the validity of my claims.” A character in The Fever King has to deal with similar problems. “They have a mental illness and addiction problems and one of the main things that’s keeping them from talking about it is knowing how they will be perceived. They’re afraid that everyone knows them as the alcoholic kid who’s mentally ill. And because of that, there’s a fear that everyone will just trust the perpetrator.” When survivors turn to alcohol, drugs, or sex, they are often met without sympathy. But something that many don’t take the time to realize is that the reason they turn to those types of things is because they are trying to cope with what happened to them. “They feel like – or at least this character feels like – if they have enough sex then it won’t matter that they were abused,” Lee explained, “because the abuser becomes just one of many who can be washed out and buried under new memories with other people.” Although Lee draws inspiration for her characters from her own experiences, she is also greatly inspired by characters in other novels as well. “I just read an ARC of The Wicked King by 22
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Holly Black (released in January 2019), and I stayed up until four in the morning reading it. I really like that series a lot,” she said with the excitement of a true fangirl. “A big reason I like it so much is because there are so many characters that are morally grey. Although, I don’t even know if it’s fair to say morally grey at this point – they’re just morally dark. But I just adore everything about that book.” It makes sense that Lee loves these characters so much – her own are morally ambiguous as well. It’s important to remember, though, that despite their flaws, they’re still meant to be loveable characters. “I really hope that The Fever King reaches people who will feel seen and understood by it,” Lee said with a smile. “I also hope that people will fall in love with the characters even though they are flawed and do bad things because, despite everything, they have good intentions.” It’s characters like these, as well as real people like Lee, that show readers that your past does not have to dictate your future and that with time healing really is possible. The Fever King has already been released, so now is the perfect time to head over to Goodreads and find a place to purchase it!
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Share Your Shelf with Victoria Lee
Notebooks I always have to have a notebook on hand, and right now I’m loving Moleskines and these plain Midori notebooks that you can decorate yourself (mine is covered in washi tape!). They’re amazing for scribbling down quick ideas, or bullet journaling your way toward the vanishing horizon of ‘being organized.’ Mousepad This adorable succulent mousepad. Hard to be down on yourself about writing when you have a succulent mousepad. Craft Books Craft books! I live and die by craft books, especially The Emotional Art of Fiction by Don Maass and Story Genius by Lisa Cron. Oh, and The Anatomy of Story by John Truby and Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose. Don’t miss these books. They’ll 24
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change the way you think about stories, and in a good way. Tea Infuser My tea infuser! It works for both tea and coffee and keeps my tea hot-hot-hot for ages. Tarot Cards I sort of use these as writing prompts? Sometimes if I’m stuck I’ll draw a card and see if it inspires anything—either for the scene or for a little side drabble to get my mind working again. Record Player I love listening to music on headphones, but sometimes playing it on vinyl can create a new environment that helps me think about things differently when I’m stuck in a writing rut.
Candles I’m obsessed with scented candles right now. I have certain scents that remind me of certain characters. For example, this vetiver, cardamom, and smoke candle from Detroit Rose reminds me of the villain in The Fever King, whereas Dara might be bourbon-and-tobacco, for example. (That one’s out of stock at the moment, sadly, but here’s a good replacement.)
coffee grounds. Have to be awake to write, right? Whisky Whisky whisky whisky. Specifically: scotch. Specifically: Islay single malt. Yes it’s a splurge, and yes it is worth it. I write my best scenes with a dram of this on hand.
Gingerbread Coffee I’m really into this gingerbread coffee Oversize Sweater that’s seasonal at Trader Joe’s. I stock up when I can, but you can also make it your- My favorite oversize sweater, because I can hide inside it when I’m writing angsty self! It’s just baking spices mixed in with scenes. CURIOSITALES
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CONTRIBUTE JOIN THE TEAM
Curiositales Magazine is on the lookout for contributors. If you have an idea geared toward the YA readership, send us an email: contribute@curiositales.com. Our readers are creative and talented and we want to feature you. Send us an email to be considered for an upcoming issue. Short Story Criteria: Around 3,000 words Submit a Word Document
Payment $50 within 30 days of publication. 28
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SHORT STORIES COSPLAYERS ARTISTS EDITORIAL PHOTO SPREADS TUTORIALS ARTICLES FLASH FICTION HAVE AN IDEA? LET US KNOW!
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FICTION FOOD
By Elle Jauffret
THE FEVER KING “When Noam was a kid and felt picky about chocking down gefilte fish on Pesach […]. […] You just consumed your body weight in bourbon. […] Noam respected food […] but his stomach rebelled against every bite of porridge. […] He wasn’t that familiar with whiskey, but a double-oaked bourbon sounded like a pretty big deal.” 30
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GEFILTE FISH (4-6 SERVINGS) Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in medium skillet. Add 1/2 medium onion (finely chopped) + 2 carrots (finely chopped) + 2 celery stalks (finely chopped) + 1 medium leek (white and palegreen parts only and finely chopped) and cook until onion/leek are translucent. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, chop 1 pound of cod through the food processor until finely ground. Set aside. Meanwhile, pass vegetable mixture through the food processor until smooth.
Bring broth (6 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups white wine) to a boil, then, gently place balls into the broth and simmer for 20 minutes. PORRIDGE WITH BOURBONSOAKED RAISINS (4 SERVINGS)
In a saucepan, combine 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats + 1 cup milk + 1 cup water + ½ tsp cinnamon + 1/8 tsp salt. Stir well. Bring to boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Mix in 1 In a bowl, combine vegetable mixture + cod + cup of bourbon-soaked- raisins. Divide into 2 tbsp fresh chives (finely chopped) + 4 large bowls and drizzle 1 tsp of honey on each eggs + 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp ground pepper + 1 serving. Serve warm. cup matzo meal. Mix with hands until homogeneous. Use an ice cream scoop to make (For bourbon-soaked-raisins: place one balls or shape into small footballs. cup of raisins into a small bowl, cover with Let cool slightly and serve warm on endive bourbon and let soak overnight). leaves. clean when inserted in cake). CURIOSITALES
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STRONGER, FASTER, AND MORE BEAUTIFUL We were in the front seats, with a cardboard tray of tacos between us […]. […] I look at them as I eat my turkey and mashed potatoes. This is my favorite meal […] especially when it comes to cranberry sauce. […] The flavor of apple pie has been added to mask all the other flavors—of medicine, of vitamins, of cell-boosting concoction […] In all it is a kind of Thanksgiving meal. […] Jake grabbed hold of it long enough to see pineapple-flavored vodka on the label […].
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MODIFIED TACOS| THANKSGIVING TACOS In a whole-wheat tortilla, layer: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, cooked ground turkey, a slice of brie cheese, your favorite peppers (here, pepperoncini). Turkey: Sautée 16 oz ground turkey with 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp ground thyme, 1/8 tsp ground sage until cooked. Cranberry sauce: In saucepan, combine 2 cups cranberries + 1 cup light brown sugar + 1/2 cup orange juice. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes (stir well and often while cooking).
Mashed potatoes: Boil 4 potatoes (peeled and cubed) until cooked (knife should go through it easily). Drain, add 3 tbsp butter and mashed together until well incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. APPLE-PINEAPPLE VODKA SALAD In a bowl combine, 1 medium red apple (cubed small) + 2 cups of pineapple (cubed small) + ¼ cup Goji berries (soaked in ¼ cup vodka overnight).1tbsp of honey and serve.
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French-born, Californian lawyer by day, writer/home chef by night, Elle Jauffret writes from personal experience about the culinary arts, mysteries, and France. She received the 2016 SDSU Writers’ Conference Choice award and loves creating “fiction food” based on the books she enjoys. You can find her at ellejauffret.com or @ElleJauffret on Twitter and Instagram
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The ways we’re going to change ourselves are so varied.
“ “Perfection has a way of getting ugly.”
ON THE BRINK
That statement ends the jacket blurb for Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, sucking us right into Arwen Elys Dayton’s latest release. The author of the Seeker series and Resurrection is back, with a rapid-paced, YA sci-fi novel that explores the lengths we’re willing go in the name of self-improvement. Told in six related stories, Dayton leads us farther and farther into a future where science has the ability to transform us and redefine what it means to be human.
book can be thought of as an anOF PERFECTION “This thology because it’s got these sections, Interview by Gillian St. Clair Written by Juliet White
but they tell one complete story—there’s one character that acts as a throughline and ties them together,” Dayton explained. Structuring her novel like this let her grapple with the different aspects of a complicated subject: human genetic modification. “The ways we’re going to change ourselves are so varied, from preventing disease, to rebuilding our CURIOSITALES
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bodies, to picking what our children are like, that it was great to have six options for deciding which story to tell.”
many people in the future.”
But new developments raise new moral questions—ones without straightforward If you haven’t heard about human genetic answers. “If you say, well I’m already modification yet, that’s about to change. editing my future child to prevent disease, Think photo manipulation is a great way while you’re doing that, here are some to curate your image on social media? Yes- things that aren’t exactly disease but they terday’s news. Future generations could would be advantages. Are eye color and have curated genes. The pros and cons height legitimate things you should be of editing our genes is one of the most able to ask for?” Dayton mused. “If you complex ethical issues facing us at the had a way of manipulating intelligence, is moment, and Dayton is well-aware of the that something we should be able to ask timeliness of her novel. “I finished writing for? It’s hard to say. What will be in a gray the book probably two years ago, [and area?” human genetic modification] has become even more in the zeitgeist since I turned in In November 2018, a Chinese scientist the manuscript,” she said. announced that he’d edited the genes of a pair of twins, using a method known This field might seem far removed from as CRISPR. This means that the first GM everyday life, but its real-life applications humans have already been born. For ethare staggering. Dayton recently interical reasons, the news was greeted with a viewed a scientist at the University of major backlash by the scientific communiCalifornia, San Francisco. “Scientists there ty. Although the world portrayed in Stronare working on HIV. There may be a way ger, Faster, and More Beautiful still belongs to reprogram our own immune cells to in the realm of science fiction, reports like stop something like HIV from even infect- this show that it’s much closer to becoming us. Same thing with cancer. There may ing a reality than we might imagine. be a way of allowing the immune system to see cancer, which could cure all of these cancers. So, I feel like the disease prevention [potential] is incredibly exciting. “Right now, people with fancy versions of IVF, in vitro fertilization, can look at the full DNA of each embryo created, and pick the absolute healthiest—sort of avoiding disease like that. The idea that, within maybe a decade, there could be ways of preventing those diseases from being passed to future generations is incredible. It would vastly change life for so many people, and prevent suffering for so 38
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What happens when a designer baby doesn’t turn out the way the parents wanted?
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Clearly, human genetic modification is a topic rife with fictional potential. In Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, Dayton eases us into the subject. “It’s a little bit like stepping into a very cold swimming pool because the first three stories are shorter, so you’re sort of descending the steps and then, by the fourth story, you really dive in.” The author uses time skips, with each section taking place in a progressively more distant version of the future. “Things have become a little more fantastic from the viewpoint of today, because technology has advanced significantly from then.”
at parental expectations and the pressure that puts on kids. “What happens when a designer baby doesn’t turn out the way the parents wanted? What is the rest of life like for this child? It’s really just trying to make a story that would work in any time, other than the speculative fiction context. I think that’s the key to writing anything that makes us emotionally involved.”
Introducing human genetic modification to the reader is a tough task, but it isn’t hard to relate to Dayton’s characters. She gives them “choices that we would make right now, in a situation that could occur in 2018. So, in each story there are charHer first story features two twins who are acters making what we would consider both dying. When one twin falls into a good decisions, and other characters makcoma, her parents decide to have her oring what we could consider maybe undergans harvested to try and save her brothstandable but still questionable choices, er. In a later section, parents attempt to en- and yet other characters who we really hance their son’s intelligence to ensure he wouldn’t agree with. can compete with his peers, but the plan goes awry. Dayton unflinchingly looks “Every story always includes some barrier to overcome. It’s true that fiction can seem more pessimistic than maybe we should be. I tried to balance that. I am really optimistic about all of these amazing advances that are coming but, since the world is full of some seven billion people, it’s realistic that certain sets of those people may have completely different ethical viewpoints about what is and isn’t okay. “The characters are all teens—primarily young people. That perspective really matters to me, especially as a mother, but it’s also not hard to remember how it was to be a teenager and how much more intense the pressure to conform and be amazing at all times is now, than when I was a teen. So, it’s hard to imagine it getting worse, and yet it very well could. CURIOSITALES
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“I have three teenagers and two of them are girls. There’s so much attention on looks; there’s so much attention on trying to be skinnier, more pretty. My girls are great, but I still saw that impinging upon their view of themselves and their friends. So, I feel like our society is almost at a maximum level of that. If the possibilities were infinite, and it became acceptable to change yourself however you want, it’s a little bit terrifying how much more we would concentrate on appearance.” The thirst for perfection is one of the themes in Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful. However, the hardest part of crafting such an ambitious project was having to invent 150 years of future history for Earth! That meant predicting people’s religious and moral views, along with balancing possible political alliances, and deciding which countries were likely to become allies in various scenarios. “Creating these personal stories within this broader context was a lot of work but also the fun of it,” Dayton admitted. You don’t have to know anything about human genetic modification to appreciate this novel, however Dayton needed to immerse herself in research in order to write it. “It’s fictional and projects into the future, so I’m making up huge amounts of what’s in the story. But it really is based on things that are already happening, or could happen in the next couple of years. I’ve read hundreds of articles on CRISPR and on other types of gene editing. You have to fill your mind with this information and then be willing to forget all of it! Once you have enough of a sense of it, you can push it aside and really concentrate on your character’s story.” 40
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“It’s hard; my cutting room floor is full of little medical tidbits that I thought were amazing and I definitely had to include, but it’s either part of the story or it’s not. You have to be willing to waste research— or at least it feels like wasting it—in service of telling the right story.” “Almost as much as is in there, I had to leave aside because it’s was just too much. I’m now considering writing a companion novel, which can then let me explore some of the things that didn’t make it into the first one.” Dayton’s research for earlier books was less cerebral and more interactive. Unlike Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, which is set entirely in the future, Resurrection transported readers to the past as well. Dayton herself traveled to the Pyramids on a research trip for Resurrection.
“I got away with that because part of the story occurs in Ancient Egypt. Two thirds of it takes place now, as alien civilizations are sort of converging on Earth to recover something in that time period. So, for me, researching that book meant blending some of my favorite things as a reader. I love historical fictional; I love being put in a time period and really feeling like you’re there. I got to explore that a bit with the Egyptian section of the book, as well as having speculative sci fi happening in the present day of Earth. That story was especially fun to write, because it was really like writing two books that then wove together—almost like exploring two different genres.” Given her use of genre-bending writing and atypical structure, it comes as no surprise that Dayton adores Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Mitchell also divides his novel into six stories. “First of all the way he connects the stories is fascinating,” Dayton said. “One story is in a book that a character in another story is reading. You’re like, ‘they may not even be in the same world!’ Yet they have this throughline. It was so masterful. Certainly something to aspire to. He wrote a novel that integrates so well across many different genres.”
“Some of the stories are written in first person from the point of view of someone who’s 16 so I feel like, because the character is that age, it is written in the way that I feel a 16-year-old thinks and speaks. What is this character’s story and is that changed by the age that they are and the time of life that they’re experiencing? Other than that, I just don’t think too much about writing young adult, versus something for someone else.” That being said, Dayton does worry about the things we as a society—and teens in particular—miss out on while focusing on the pursuit of physical perfection. “What I wish the generation that my children are part of [to consider] is that it’s okay if you want to look a certain way, it’s okay if you want to be on social media, it’s okay if you know what’s currently stylish and cool. But think of all the other wonderful
Dayton’s flexible approach to genre explains why she can write fiction marketed at teens without necessarily considering herself bound to the identity of ‘YA author.’ “The protagonists just tend to be young people,” she said. “I don’t intentionally think, ‘I’m writing young adult.’ It just happens to be what I write; it happens to be the time of life I find most fascinating and inspiring. CURIOSITALES
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I don’t intentionally think, ‘I’m writing young adult.’ It just happens to be what I write; it happens to be the time of life I find most fascinating and inspiring.
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things that you can contribute to, including amazing stories, amazing art, helping people who need help. For me, these are all so much more rewarding and interesting than staring at our phones—although I’m completely guilty of that, too. I wish for you to participate in all the ways that you can, because you’ll then create our culture as we move forward.” And how does Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful tie in? Dayton views fiction as “a way of exploring our future history so we can be a little bit more thoughtful as we walk into it.” Is the quest for perfection wearing you down? Or maybe you simply enjoy a fastpaced sci fi story with an intriguing premise. If so, check out Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, which is already available at retailers here.
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Share Your Desk
with Arwen Elys Dayton
1. Teapot 2. Brachiosaurus 3. Headphones 4. Virgil’s Zero Rootbeer (addicted) 5. Timer to keep me from spending too much time on the Internet 6. Therizinosaurus 7. New book! 8. Blank paper. I’m partial to yellow legal pads. 9. Raptor 10. Finger pushing thingy that is constantly asking for new batteries 11. Old timey writing things
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12. Secret project 13. Rooibos tea with milk 14. Lily’s chocolate (addicted) 15. T-rex 16. Well annotated copy of Seeker used for writing books 2 and 3 17. Short story 18. Unicorn 19. Stegosaurus 20. Stapler 21. Seeker lookbook 22. Triceratops 23. Scribbles
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It Matters
Resiliency in YA Lit by Juliet White
Resilience is a life skill that we all need, but it’s not something we’re specifically taught in school.
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ne of the main differences between YA lit and adult fiction is hope. However dark young adult novels get—and some are dark enough that we crave night vision goggles—a ray of hope filters through the pages. 48
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Resilience is a life skill that we all need, but it’s not something we’re specifically taught in school. Thankfully, humans have always drawn life lessons from art and that’s true of YA lit, too. The sheer doggedness displayed by the characters populating these books provide us with a well of inspiration for getting through the rough stuff. From fantasies like Kristin Cashore’s Graceling Realm series to Ibi Zoboi’s American Street, resilience is an ever-present theme. Before YA was acknowledged as its own vibrant form of literature, we saw a lot of “problem” novels. Books explored a particular issue, from eating disorders to teen pregnancy. Critics complained that, in some of these stories, the characters took a backseat, rather than being fully fleshed out. Still, these tales focused on the descent into a problem and, many times, the process of emerging on the other side. In 1999, Laurie Halse Anderson’s groundbreaking book Speak came out. The novel was exceptional for its unflinching exploration of the aftermath of rape. Melinda Sordino starts high school as a pariah. No one wants to be associated with the girl who called the cops to shut down an endof-summer party. What Melinda’s peers don’t know is that she was assaulted at
the party. Throughout the book, Melinda wraps herself in a protective layer of silence until, by the conclusion, she reclaims her voice. Sexual assault is one of the hardest topics for people to discuss. That’s why it’s so crucial for readers to be able to spend time with characters who have had similar experiences. Books like Courtney Summers’ All the Rage and E.K. Johnston’s Exit, Pursued by a Bear continue to show that trauma may mark us, but it doesn’t have to define us.
In literature, LGBTQ+ youth can see themselves in the pages of authors like David Levithan, Julie Anne Peters, Malinda Lo, Bill Konigsberg, Nina LaCour, Meredith Russo, and more. There are plenty of struggles in YA queer lit, and the need for “coming out” stories endures. But this genre has expanded to embrace narratives where labels around sexuality aren’t always integral to the plot, and resiliency may be tied to other issues entirely.
Out of all the genres, fantasy books most Whatever struggles we face, there’s a YA often address grit and persistence. Quest novel waiting on the shelves, featuring narratives require characters to undergo characters who don’t give up when adver- grueling trials to achieve a goal. However, sity strikes. However, this tenacity should the most engaging aspect of YA fantasies not be mistaken for flawlessness, or for a often isn’t the physical journey. It’s the lack of doubt and despair. The novels of emotional one. Only by passing through Ellen Hopkins serve as a reminder that we fire does a protagonist realize his or her may stumble a lot before we find our foot- true strength. You’ll discover this theme ing. Hopkins’ fast-paced stories are told again and again in novels by fantasy writin verse, from multiple points of view, ers like Scott Westerfeld, Kendare Blake, and delve into issues including addiction, and Maria V. Snyder—to name but a few. homelessness, abuse, and mental health. CURIOSITALES
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One of last year’s most breathtaking YA fantasies is Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi (published in March 2018). In a richly-crafted world, that draws on West African mythology, Zélie embarks on an epic quest to recover her people’s magic and end their oppression. The author expertly juggles multiple perspectives, with each central character hitting rock bottom, yet still summoning the strength to go on. In April 2018, Justina Ireland’s genre-bending Dread Nation, was released. Jane McKeene is the magnetic star of this layered alternative history/fantasy. The novel is set in a post-Civil War version of the United States in which the dead came back to life during the Battle of Gettysburg. Jane shows us that dealing with zombies requires much less resilience than living in an inherently racist society. While she shouldn’t have to face either, she is the ultimate survivor. Since many YA historical novels are set in turbulent times, resilience remains a popular thread. The Librarian of Auschwitz, by Antonio Iturbe, is a heartrending read that is based on the true story of Dita Kraus. In Auschwitz, fourteen-year-old Dita takes responsibility for eight books that have been smuggled into the camp, literally risking her life to protect them. The narrative never shies away from the utter horror of Dita’s circumstances but her resilience shines through and, at the book’s conclusion, a spark of hope remains. Ruta Sepetys is another author who has conquered the challenges of the YA historical novel. Whether she’s crafting a tale about a girl fighting to forge a better life 50
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for herself in 1950s New Orleans (Out of the Easy) or of characters attempting to survive a sinking ship at the end of World War II (Salt to the Sea), hardship and endurance remain constants. It’s hard to predict which upcoming releases will portray resilient characters in an uplifting way. However, there are some overlooked gems already available that explore this theme. In Yaqui Delgado Wants To Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina, Piddy Sanchez overcomes bullying. Nina Berry’s The Notorious Pagan Jones features a celebrity actress turned reform-school-girl, who struggles for redemption and a comeback. Finally, Jennifer Mathieu’s Moxie reminds us of the guts it takes to protest, when the repercussions are all too real. Life always present challenges, and the prospect of rising again can feel exhausting and overwhelming. But, no matter what other fantasies our favorite authors weave for us, the resilience of the human spirit is no fiction.
As a kid, Juliet White slept with a flashlight in her bed for late-night stealth reading. You can find her obsessing about libraries @JulietWrites on Twitter, or visit her website at www.julietwhite.com.
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Seen and Heard Happenings in the bookish sphere:
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@baru.reads
Ettelwen
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What magical charm or talisman do you wish you owned? I have always thought that the only talisman I would ever want would be the One Ring. And if the wardrobe to the Narnia does not count, then I will choose the Mockingjay. Not only for his appereance but for what he means. This simple and small object- at the beginning only important for both Everdeen sisters- became hope for many people in general. They saw better lives in it and that brought them courage for another day of fighting.
What are the elements of the perfect story? The world building is one of the most important things at all. And original aspects of new world are really treasured these days, mainly in Young Adult stories. Plot twists with some kind of point, andm of course, deeper characters with great development. Most underrated sub-genre? It might be silk punk. It is a mixture of science fiction and fantasy story. And everything is inspired by eastern culture. In fact, there are not many books from this sub-genre which is really a shame because it has much to offer and sometimes people do not rush into the things they do not know. 64
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Two classic tales you’d like to see combined into a new retelling? I would like to see the story of Elizabeth Bennet combined with the one of Anna Karenina. Maybe weird choices but I truly want to see what this would be like. And I would prefer more of the humour aspects and society criticism. This would truly be a task for potential author indeed (:D) Where do you do most of your reading? Actually at home. I am that type of person who likes calm and quiet during the reading. But on the other hand I can read everywhere - at school, car or in the shopping centre. But my sofa is so comfortable (:D)
Who is your most beloved character of all time? I have always appreciated Gandalf and his determination regarding his main task in Middle-Earth. He is that type of character with pure intentions. I have always loved that he was in fond of the little Hobbits and that he believed in this ordinary folk which is so important nowadays. He brings so much wisdom to the reader and I believe he can boost up self-confidence of some readers. He never gives up and he keeps fighting for right things.
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Tell us a bit about yourself and why you bookstagram. I have always escaped into the fictional worlds as a child and this is the attribute that I have kept from those times. I was lead to the books by my father who together with my mum gave me my very first fantasy book – The Hobbit. And since that time Tolkien became my life passion. I made my bookstagram account because I like to meet people with the passion for books; it is amazing to share opinions with them and to find new inspiration. And besides books I love food. What it better combination then snack while reading? (:D)
What contemporary fictional universe would you like to see? I do not read contemporary book so often but If this applies to the fantasy universes recently written, I would like to see Ketterdam or Ravka.   Which fictional school would you love to attend and why? I have never waited for my letter from Hogwarts since I have been reading Harry Potter very late. And I believe it would be a dream to attend but I was always more interested in Durmstang Institute for Magical Learning. Or is there any school that would remake me into the elf? Because I am in! (:D)
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“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future” – J.R.R. Tolkien CURIOSITALES
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@MouseThatReads
Mieke Gottsche . .
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Where do you do most of your reading? I love opening my windows in the mornings, letting the fresh air stream into my room. I make myself a strong cup of chai tea and crawl under the covers once again. My book-pouch can always be found either next to my bed or in my backpack. I remove my book from it’s protective hideaway and give it a good sniff before diving into a long reading session. My bed is definitely where I do most of my reading. It’s comfy and I can pull my blankets close, rest my head against a soft pillow and immerse myself in another world. Who is your most beloved character of all time? Jude Duarte from the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black - I find Jude such a relatable character. She is a human stuck in a world of the supernatural. She is a character that I could closely connect with because she is not your typical flawless heroine. She makes mistakes and then some. She is rude, manipulative, murderous and selfish. She is not perfection and I admire her for her flaws
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What contemporary fictional universe would you like to see? I would love to see Holly Black’s urban faerie world come to life. The worlds, the characters and the magic she creates is so unique and puts a twist on what we would usually perceive as beautiful. In one of her novels, Valiant, the protagonist falls in love with a green troll. Our first reaction would be ‘ewww, gross’ but as you read the novel, your perception of beauty changes and you learn to appreciate a different kind of beauty.
Which fictional school would you love to attend and why? I would love to attend the Little Palace in Ravka. I adore Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse and often imagine myself as one of the Grisha training alongside the Sun Summoner at the Little Palace. To walk those halls and have the honour to wear a kefta is something I’d love to be able to experience but alas I am very much human in a human world. At least we’ll be able to see the fictional places within the Grisha world come alive in the upcoming Netflix adaptation.
Tell us a bit about yourself and why you bookstagram I’ve been reading since I could hold a book. It’s been a never ending adventure, traveling from one magical world to the next. I just cannot ever keep my nose out of a book. Having such a wonderful escape from reality was a great relief when the real world wasn’t too kind. I was branded an outsider for appreciating the written word. For a long time I felt like I should be embarrassed by my love of reading until I found likeminded people who avidly read as I do. #bookstagram is a place where I can express my love of literature and express it creatively. It’s a place where I feel at home and amongst people who understand me. CURIOSITALES
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What magical charm or talisman do you wish you owned? I would love to own a philosopher’s stone which would give me a semi-immortal life. I would be able to see the world shift and change. I would be able to learn all the things the world has to offer. The best thing about it is that once I have had my fill of the world, I would be able to stop using it and thus end my prolonged life. What are the elements of the perfect story? The perfect story has to balance three key features: plot, writing, characters. A great book has all of these features, a good book at least two. The plot has to have good pacing and no loopholes. The characters must be well-developed and well-rounded. The writing must be lush and add to the plot and the characters. When I review books I base my review on these three major points. Most underreated sub-genre? LGBTQ+ Young Adult novels are cropping up more and more these days but I would love to see more Simons and more Jespers and more Leahs on the shelves in bookstores everywhere. Two classic tales you’d like to see combined into a new retelling? I would love to see a retelling of two of my favourite childhood fairytales. The first is a German fairytale called Goldmarie und Pechmarie (Mother Holle). I loved the parallels between the two girls and the strong imagery of wealth and poverty, hard work and laziness. If this story could somehow be combined with the classic tale of The Little Mermaid, it would offer an interesting way to gain her human legs. 72
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“I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out togetherknives drawn, pistols blazing.” - Kaz Brekker CURIOSITALES
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@WaywardPages
CeeJay Browder
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Which fictional school would you love to attend and why? Who wouldn’t enjoy a great sword fighting lesson for school at camp Half-Blood and to go on heroic quests as a half god? I’ve always had a fascination with Greek gods and Mythology and wanted to study it. So camp Half-Blood of author Rick Riordan would be a fitting school. I would totally ace every class. What magical charm or talisman do you wish you owned? I wish I had the Chakram from Xena. I grew up watching the show and to be honest I still watch it. I love that she’s a strong independent female character with a kick ass wit. What are the elements of the perfect story? The most important element of the perfect story for me would be the character build. I like to see their personalities progress as I feel more involved in their lives and decisions. Another element of course is the plot twist at the end, to make you want to read more of the story and leave you in shock.
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Most underrated sub-genre? I don’t see many engrossing apocalyptic books. In an apocalyptic world you see the values of mankind change because they are all in it together. In these kind of stories mankind can still find a way to survive. When things get bad, people will be okay. Two classic tales you’d like to see combined into a new retelling? Well I would like the retelling of The Little Mermaid and Mulan. A secret warrior mermaid on the brink of a war between the Atlanteans and humans would make an interesting story. Where do you do most of your reading? I love to read on Sunday mornings when it’s raining in my favorite spot on the couch near the window. Who is your most beloved character of all time? Wow, that’s a hard question! I love Captain Alosa. She’s a female pirate who fights as hard as any male captain and even proves herself to be better. She is not only an allround bad ass but she is fair and cares for her crew.
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Tell us a bit about yourself and why you bookstagram. I’m 25 years old and I live together with my partner. We currently bought a new house which is still being built. I’m very passionate about all forms of stories; books, comics, movies and TV shows. I love to share my interest and completely “Nerd Out” ,one of my main reasons to start a Bookstagram. I was always an avid reader and I have followed other Bookstagrammers before I became one. Seeing them all talk about books and reacting very passionately about them made me realize I wanted to be a part of this. It was a great choice because the bookstagram community is a very warm and welcoming environment.
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“ I can live well enough on my own, if given the proper reading materials” -Throne of Glass CURIOSITALES
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Literary Ladies: portraits by a book lover by Alexandra Ivey
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About the Photographer
Alexandra Ivey Alexandra Ivey is an actress living in Los Angeles, California. An avid reader from a young age, she has always loved delving into the curious world of books. On her instagram account (@alexandra_ivey) she combines her love of playing great characters and reading great books by creating book-accurate cosplays of her favorite literary characters. To find out more about Alexandra, you can visit her website, alexandraivey.com. For collaborations or bookings you can email her at alexandraivey@verizon.net 92
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03/01/19 Buy Now
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03/05/19 Preorder
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Around the World C
ity Lights Booksellers & Publishers has come a long way since it was established by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin in 1953. Located in San Francisco, California, this independent bookstore was the first to have all paperback books in the United States. Since then they have expanded to three floors filled with books both paperback and hardcover. They’ve even published nearly 200 books! According to their website, City Lights is internationally known for their amazing selection of books from both major and specialty publishers. You can thank the amazing staff for providing such an incredible selection – they hand pick many of the books you can find on the shelves. To help keep visitors informed, in November 2016 a new section called Pedagogies of Resistance was added. Here, visitors can find over 200 books on past and present revolutionary movements. Plus, visitors have plenty of reasons to visit often – they host a weekly reading series with new authors. If you can manage to make your way to San Francisco, be sure to visit! Even if you can’t, you can listen to their weekly podcast, Live From City Lights, where they broadcast events and interviews from the bookstore.
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