Getting cozy this winter with faeries
I have fallen down the ACORT rabbit hole. Also, Laura McKowen reminds me that I need to keep facing my thing (grumble).
Hello Midlifers,
I don’t really have time to chat today, I need to get back to my faeries.
Since last Sunday, I have read the first two books in the Sarah J. Maas “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (ACORT) series — about 900 pages in 25 hours on my Kindle — and I just downloaded and started the third when I got home from the movies last night.
I AM OBSESSED.
Number one, this says so much about my personality. When I like something, I REALLY like it (hello, alcohol). I am also a 57 year old woman who went to see the newest Godzilla movie and has watched the entire LOTR trilogy of movies countless times and am pumped for the newest installment in the Planet of the Apes movies. I like, really like fantasy.
But it’s been so cold and snowy here in New Jersey this week that it’s been the perfect time to settle into a sweeping romantasy (that’s what they’re calling this genre) series. I really don’t know why I resisted these types of books for so long.
Should I be keeping this new addiction to myself? I googled the series and author looking for any tidbits on what her journey as a writer has been like (is she some formally-obscure Colleen Hoover-type writer with a smash-hit book that put her on BookTok’s radar?). But there’s not a lot of articles about Maas, mostly just how obsessed fans are with the three series she’s written (and continues to write). Apparently the primary audience is 20-something women, too old for YA and too young for (I don’t know what). So maybe this is something I should be keeping to myself?
My very-well-read-friend who would never even CONSIDER this type of literature asked me last night if this was like the Twilight series. She actually couldn’t remember the name “Twilight” and I had to help her out. And I was like, “Uh, yes?” because in a way, this series is Twilight with hunky faeries instead of vampires. And the female protagonist is an annoying headstrong young woman. And just like when I gobbled up the vampire series during the summer of 2008, when every conversation I had with someone would lead to me saying something like, “You know vampires can actually walk in the sunlight,” or some other fun fact from the Twilight universe — I’m thinking a lot about this new fantasy world.
In a nutshell, a young human woman is out hunting for game to feed her family, Hunger Games style, and ends up killing a magical beast. To pay for her mistake, she’s dragged to this mystical land that she’d heard about and feared and it ends up being filled with hunky faeries. Some are good. Some are bad. And things get spicy.
Unlike Twilight, this series doesn’t wait three books for the romantic interests to consummate their love. And in this series, the protagonist makes it very clear that she wants to be her partner’s equal. She’s strong willed and doesn’t want anyone taking care of her so that makes some of the faerie dudes angry but it turns one beast-y hunk in particular on. For 900 pages and counting. Guys, I’m hooked.
I went up to Hoboken to have lunch with my son yesterday and I told him how I was immersed in this fantasy series and he said it sounded a lot like some fantasy video game that he’s been lost in recently. It’s one of those role playing games (RPG) like in the book Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Instead of running around with friends like my younger son does in games like Call of Duty and murdering aliens (or whatever), in Baldur’s Gate you take on a persona and move through the story as that character and I think it’s kinda choose your own adventure (or something like that).
My son said that he’s been kinda crushing the game at night after work and it made me think that me getting lost in Prythian (that’s the faerie land) is a lot like how folks respond to video games. How it feels kind of nice to just get lost in a story.
When I crushed the Twilight series that summer, my marriage was going down the tubes fast. So maybe a vampire boyfriend sounded like a good idea. Some immortal guy who’d be obsessed with me and take care of me and protect me no matter what.
At least now my faerie obsession is to find someone who will still be sexy as hell and totally into me, but he’ll love me as his equal. And it will be spicy.
Where’s my kindle?
sunday shares: read + watch + cook + buy
This is your thing. While driving to and from Hoboken yesterday I listened to the two podcast episodes of We Can Do Hard Things that feature the writer Laura McKowen (here’s the first and second). Her book, We Are the Luckiest, which came out four years ago this January, was probably the final straw pushing me toward getting sober (I mean, it would take another 10 months for that to actually happen). And listening to these two podcast episodes yesterday reminded me of why recovery is such an important part of the journey. For a lot of us, drinking was just the thing we used to cover up our bigger problems. Her list of 9 Things, dude, is everything and makes me want to cry every time I read it.
This yummy scarf from Jenni Kayne is helping take the edge off NJ’s freezing temps. Staying cozy. My latest clothing obsession is this delicious scarf I was gifted for Christmas. It’s so soft and long I even wrapped it around myself last week to stay warm in our freezing office.
There is no way you’d even consider letting Oldman near you as his unkempt character in Slow Horses. RIP Dracula. Show pony. When not reading about faeries, I finished season one of Slow Horses on AppleTV and am halfway through season two. Gary Oldman is excellent and also, fun fact, made for a sexy and menacing vampire at one point.
Serial killer style. For the longest time, I wanted to get wire framed readers but my kids told me I’d look like a serial killer. Finally, I decided that maybe I was okay with that and bought these progressives. The only thing I’m murdering is the 1970s vibe I’m rocking in them. Plus, I get a lot of compliments.
Not just Godzilla. Over the last two weekends I have gone to the movies to see the new Mean Girls musical and The Boys in the Boat. The former was terrific and better than I expected. I knew nothing about the latter except my book club read it a long time ago and I didn’t. I went with two people who did read it and said it was not nearly as good as the book. I thought it was nice and uplifting but super conventional, old-timey movie storytelling.
See you next week. xoAmy
I was late to the Twilight obsession, but when I finally picked up the first book, I was like a needle junky. I’d steal 60 seconds anywhere I could so I could read another page.
The book was packed into my British Virgin Island suitcase and I spent half of my vacation lost in the damp Pacific NW forests instead of being present on my white sand beaches. I finished the first book and had a near panic being stuck on an island trying to find the second book. However, the gift shop paperback turnstile Gods were in my favor and book two was the only copy they had.
With all that said, I don’t recommend a book obsession while on a vacation, because I really did miss out and was not appreciating my present moments.
Can’t wait to check out your book series!