Recipes For Readers

Being quiet Does not equate to being weak Dealing with your trauma quietly and by  yourself does not mean that your trauma is invalid 

Elain also got kidnapped, taken away from her home, thrown into a couldron, turned into the very thing she was brought up to fear. She heard voices and saw images that she couldn't understand for over 3 months yet dealt with it. Everyone around her thought she'd lost her mind even her supposed Mate, couldn't even begin to figure out what she was. Wondered if she was worth fighting for.  She got kidnapped, chained and bound again.  Undermined and underestimated.

It was only because of a certain shadowsinger that Elain managed to understand what was becoming of her, a certain shadowsinger who listened and saw her pain, her wish. Resonated with her. Spent time with her talking about her favourite hobby even though it wasn't asked of him. Trusted her. Believed in her.

Elains trauma is  valid as any other characters. Just because she doesn't lash out or starve herself does not mean her trauma simply disappeared. Does not mean it *doesn't count* Saying she doesn't deserve Az because she hasn't gone through enough trauma as Gwynerth is such a horrible and degarding thing to say. Making comments on how Gwyn will understand Az better cause she has gone through so much and is so strong, whilst Elain has been through nothing therefore won't be able to help Az heal, is disgusting. But what to expect form Gwynriels They preach feminism and defend everyone elses trauma but when it comes to Elain? Nothing. All they do is degrade Elain, call her trauma invalid and what not.

why? Because she's traditionally feminine. Because she is "boring". Because she doesn't deserve to get defended. That or the way they're so double handed if they do "defend" her. Anti Elains need their mysognystic arguements and reasonings cause they have nothing. There is no reason for why Elain gets treated disgustingly by that side of this fandom. They all need a reality check. Hope one day they reflect on all the vile and horrible things they've said and feel so ashamed, disgusted, embarrassed.

A Movie For Every Year I’ve Been Alive ↳ STARDUST (2007) dir. Matthew Vaughn

Elain haters: SHE HAS NO CHARACTER, AZ DESERVES BETTER, WHY SHE DID NOT PLANT VEGETABLES??? WORST CHARACTER EVER, SO BORING, SHE LITERALLY DOES NOTHING, NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Canon Elain 'no character' Archeron: *kind, polite, fiercely romantic, adaptable and enduring, withdrawn and quiet because of her trauma but actually sociable and bubbly, graceful, self-serving, pathologically dependent on others and a people-pleaser, friendly, secretive, passive, traumatized*

Canon Elain 'does nothing, is just kinda there' Archeron: *makes life in the cottage endurable for her family, loses her virginity before marriage even though she is the most *proper* of the sisters, is scared af of fae and still manages to be a v polite hostess in ACOMAF, losesmost out of all the sisters after being Made, delivers THIS iconic line: "I belong to no one, but my heart belongs to you", has enough strength of a character to not bend under pressure of others and be with a man she did not choose of herself, has a whole fucking YEAR of secret flirtation with Az without anyone noticing, quietly heals from her trauma through the only coping mechanism she knows and learns new skills, gives the best presents in the series, wants to be included and I evolved with everything after war, saves Nesta, Cassian and whole Prythian by stabbing Hybern, makes friends with Nuala and Cerridwen who are considered lesser and scary by other fae, looks at Azriel's scarred hands and calls them 'beautiful'*

If you knew how many poems and how many songs I have written to you in the air, how many times have I drawn your silhouette on the wall, you would realize that…

This is more                     than a whim.

siir-poesia ©

Si supieras cuantos poemas y cuantas canciones te he escrito en el aire cuantas veces he dibujado tu silueta en la pared, te darías cuenta  que…

Esto es más              que un capricho.

Pride & Prejudice (2005) Dir. Joe Wright

2020 YA Reads By Authors of Color

10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon - The follow-up to When Dimple Met Rishi and There’s Something about Sweetie, Pinky and Samir pretend to date—with disastrous and hilarious results.

145th Street: Short Stories by Walter Dean Myers - A salty, wrenchingly honest collection of stories set on one block of 145th Street.

A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong -  A coming-of age-story about a struggling girls’ basketball team of a fictional neighborhood in the LA area. 

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow - About the strength of black sisterhood set in Portland, OR, best friends Tavi and Effie discover their true supernatural identity when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical siren voice during a police stop.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown - Inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess, Karina, and a desperate refugee, Malik, find themselves on a collision course to murder each other, despite their growing attraction.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson - Journalist and LGBTQ+ activist George shows readers how they can fight for themselves or be allies in the struggle for equity and equality.

A Breath Too Late by Rocky Callen - After 17-year-old Ellie dies by suicide, she looks back on the events of her life that led up to the moment, directly addressing the characters in her world—including her mother and the boy she loved—both animate and inanimate, interweaving past and present. 

All The Days Past, All the Days To Come by Mildred B. Taylor - The saga of the Logan family–made famous in the Newbery Medal-winning Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry–concludes in a long-awaited and deeply fulfilling story.

All The Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani - After locking eyes on a Texas high school basketball court, black teens Carli and Rex discover how first love, heartbreak, betrayal, and family can shape you—for better or for worse. 

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha - A Korean-born, non-English-speaking girl, abruptly transplanted from Seoul to Alabama,  struggles with extreme culture shock and isolation, until she discovers her passion for comic arts.

And the Stars Were Burning Brightly by Danielle Jawando - A story of suicide, mental health, bullying, grief and growing up around social media, after 15-year-old Nathan discovers the horrifying truth about his brother’s suicide. 

Anna K: A Love Story by Jenny Lee - A  modern reimagining of Anna Karenina, set between Manhattan & Greenwich, CT, where a Korean American “It Girl” is caught between her picture-perfect, family-approved boyfriend and the guy who just might be her one true love, along her high-flying cast of friends. 

The Archer at Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight #2) by Swati Teerdhala - Set in an Indian & Hindu-inspired world, long-held secrets will force Kunal and Esha to reconsider their loyalties—to their country and to each other.

b, Book and Me by Sagwa Kim - A poignant coming of age story about two Korean high school girls, who equally despair over and desire adulthood. 

Banned Book Club by Hyun Sook Kim, Hyun Ju Ko & Ryan Estrada - Set against the backdrop of political oppression, bookish college student Hyun Sook finds her political views slowly challenged after she joins the Banned Book Club and befriends a group of student activists.

Before The Dawn (RWBY #2) by E.C. Myers - Unsure of whom they can trust, Teams CFVY and SSSN must contend with new teammates and uneasy rivalries, all while The Crown continues to plot their next move. 

The Betrothed by Keira Cass - Lady Hollis Brite realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be, after she crosses paths with a commoner who challenges her future. 

Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown - Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, who transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor. But a black veil of depression soon threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta - A boy comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen - then at university he finds his wings as a drag artist. 

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed - A coming-of-age debut exploring race, class, and violence through the eyes of wealthy black teen Ashley, whose family gets caught in the vortex of the 1992 Rodney King Riots.

Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz - 17-year-old Lana Torres, who after rescuing a prized dragon, is awarded a spot on her native Puerto Rico’s Blazewrath World Cup team. But the return of the Sire, an ancient dragon, soon threatens to compromise this year’s tournament.

The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri L. Smith -  Set in Japan during eight days in 1945, two teens, former student Hana and violin virtuoso-turned-kamikaze-pilot Taro, find their lives intertwined in the midst of war.  

Breath Like Water by Anna Jarzab - When swimmer Susannah Ramos finds her sports dreams put in jeopardy, she struggles to keep her career afloat, before two important people enter her life: a new coach with a revolutionary training strategy, and a charming fellow swimmer named Harry Matthews. 

Broken Wish: The Mirror by Julie C. Dao - As 16-year-old Elva taps into her powers for the first time, she discovers a magical mirror and its owner—none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, the lines between hero and villain start to blur. 

Brown Girl Ghosted by Mintie Das - When the queen bee of the school ends up dead following a leaked sex tape, Violet Choudry’s spirit world friends decide it’s the perfect time for Violet to accept the legacy of spiritual fighters from whom she’s descended. Her mission? Find the killer. Or else she’s next.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas - Latinx trans teen Yadriel, hoping to release his cousin’s spirit and prove himself as a brujo, accidentally summons the wrong ghost and resident bad boy Julian Diaz, falling in love with him.

Check Please!: Sticks & Scones by Ngozi Ukazu - Bitty and Jack must navigate their new, secret, long-distance relationship, and decide how to reveal their relationship to friends and teammates. And on top of that, Bitty’s time at Samwell is quickly coming to an end. 

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - 16-year-old Sophia would much rather marry Erin, her childhood best friend, than parade in front of suitors. At the ball, Sophia flees, hiding in Cinderella’s mausoleum. There, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella and her step sisters. Together they vow to bring down the king once and for all.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo -  Separated by distance and Papi’s secrets, sisters Caminos and Yahaira Rios, are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant -  In 1828, Paris, talented cat burglar  Eponine Thénardier goes head-to-head with the nobility as well as the leaders of Paris’s criminal underground, during her quest to save her sister Cosette’s life, which will take her from the city’s dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII, following the dangerous days after a failed French Revolution. 

“Anoshe brought solace. And hope. And the strength to let go.”