5 Fandom Friday (28): Galentine's Day Gifts

New year, new logo from Megan for her Five Fandom Friday!

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this master post - you can also find more info on the project there. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tweet at @thenerdygirlie on Friday with your post (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!



I'd be lost without all the incredible women in my life, especially my girl gang. So, of course, I'm all about celebrating women's friendships. Here are some fun things you can share with your squad for Galentine's Day.


1) Soul-Sister patches for your soul sisters. (These soul sisters are from Kodiak Milly)

A photo posted by Kodiak Milly (@kodiakmilly) on Dec 28, 2016 at 8:33pm PST

2) Books about badass women and ride-or-die girl friends.

Heroine Complex stars Asian American super-heroines who are childhood friends. Plus, there are costume changes, gossip blogs, and demonic cupcakes.

TRUTHWITCH is about threadsisters trying to live their lives without upsetting the politically volatile landscape of a rich fantasy world. And the cutest side note about this novel is that it's kind of a tribute to author Susan Dennard's friendship with author Sarah J Maas.

A TYRANNY OF PETTICOATS is a YA anthology featuring amazing girls across America and through history.


Not pictured here, but one of my all time favorite badass girls who are besties books is CODE NAME VERITY! It features a spy and a pilot who become friends during World War II.


3) Tees/Tanks/Sweaters for the entire squad.

A photo posted by alice (@threadedpages) on Nov 8, 2016 at 6:22am PST

4) Donations to a charity supporting women/girls in your gal pals' names. (A few suggestions...)

• Girls Inc. - providing education programs encouraging girls to be bold and master challenges.
• National Women's Law Center - championing policies/laws that benefit girls and women.
• Planned Parenthood - providing reproductive education and affordable healthcare.
• The Malala Fund - advocating for girls' access to 12 years of safe, quality education.

5) Feminist art

A photo posted by the badasserie (@thebadasserie) on Jan 21, 2017 at 5:50pm PST

Q4U: What are you getting your best gal pals?

5 Fandom Friday (27): My TBR Pile

New year, new logo from Megan for her Five Fandom Friday!

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this master post - you can also find more info on the project there. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tweet at @thenerdygirlie on Friday with your post (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!


It's been a while since I've done one of these, and frankly, the world is on fire right now. So it's been hard to have the energy to blog or write. I'm living a constant state of stress and exhaustion. THAT SAID, this is a welcome distraction, and I do miss talking about books and sharing geeky things with you.

This week's prompt is about our To Be Read piles, and I have one that could stretch to the moon, but here are a few that I need to get to this year or bust. :)

1) THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN by Roshani Chokshi

A photo posted by alice (@threadedpages) on Jun 26, 2016 at 12:12pm PDT

I'm actually reading this RIGHT NOW. Meant to read it all last year because I'm such a huge fan of Roshani's writing. I found her through poetry and then her short stories, and her words are so lush and vivid you feel like you can reach out and hold them. So far, this read is as magical as promised.


2) I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE by Maurene Goo

This book technically doesn't come out until May this year, but a perk of being friends with the author is sometimes getting an ARC! The book is about a girl who uses K-Dramas as a blueprint to navigate her love life. Hilarity ensues, I'm sure.




3) OUTRUN THE MOON by Stacey Lee

I need to read a Stacey Lee book, period. Both her debut UNDER A PAINTED SKY and this one have been acclaimed, and I am always down for more books starring Asian characters written by Asian authors.


4) QUEEN OF SHADOWS & EMPIRE OF STORMS by Sarah J. Maas

I'm now 2 books behind in SJM's Throne of Glass series. Gotta catch-up this year before the final book out next year.

5) THE RAVEN KING by Maggie Stiefvater

I know, I know! I love the Raven Cycle books and this last entry in the series was like my TOP anticipated book last year. But I think I'm afraid of it being over, so I've been putting it off. Definitely going to read this asap.

A photo posted by alice (@threadedpages) on Aug 9, 2016 at 10:52am PDT

Q4U: What's on your TBR? Have you read any of these?


If you want to join in next week, the prompt is: Galentine's Day Gifts!

5 Fandom Friday (26)

(New Graphic by Darling Stewie)

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this master post - you can also find more info on the project there. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tweet at @superspacechick or @thenerdygirlie on Friday with your post (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!


This week's theme: Holiday Recommendations

I took a flexible interpretation of recommendations, so since I'm a book and movie lover, I'll go with movie + book pairings. These aren't necessarily holiday-themed; they're just things I like that would be nice for a cozy day in.


1) Love Actually + My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories


Love Actually is a modern Christmas classic - the perfect movie for laughs and feels told through a series of interconnected characters' stories. What better book to pair it with than Stephanie Perkins anthology of holiday stories, My True Love Gave to Me, told by some of the best YA Contemporary writers today?


2) Phantom of the Opera + Of Metal and Wishes


The Phantom of the Opera in movie form brings the music, drama, and opulence of the Broadway staple to the comfort of your living room. Can't get enough Phantom? Curl up with Of Metal and Wishes, Sarah Fine's retelling of the tale set in a meat factory in a Chinese-based fantasy world. Throw in a dash of steampunk and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle for an inventive twist.


3) Elf + Holidays on Ice


If the hijinks and heart of Elf leave you wanting more, pick up David Sedaris' laugh-out-loud Holidays on Ice, which collects a bunch of his holiday-related personal essays. This includes his experience as a Macy's elf, which goes nicely paired with this movie. Another fun movie connection? David's sister and fellow funny-person Amy Sedaris is in Elf.


4) Seabiscuit + The Scorpio Races


The holiday season is also the time of the uplifting drama and possible Oscar contender flick. While Seabiscuit wasn't a holiday release back when it was new, it does fit those descriptions. It is also seriously one of my favorite movies (and the book is a fave too), and the little horse that could is a local hero. Set during the Great Depression, it's the story of 3 broken men and one unlikely horse that will give you all the feels.

Given The Scorpio Races decidedly magic-real premise - the book centers around a famous race on a fictional island where they ride killer horses from the sea (based on kelpies of faerie lore) - it seems a little odd to pair with Seabiscuit. But they have a lot in common! The central relationships are about the 2 main characters desires to change their lives and their love for the island and their horses (mystical sea-creature and not), and their story feels as real as fictional as the premise sounds. Not to mention, this book is also a bestseller, an award-winner, and one of my all time favorites.


5) Beauty & the Beast (or Frozen) + A Court of Thorns and Roses


How can I talk about the holidays without a little Disney magic? I always thought Beauty and the Beast had a wintery vibe, and I think Frozen is self-explanatory.

But if you want something just as magical but with a little more bite, try Sarah J. Maas' first non-YA book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which is a mixed up retelling of the Beauty & The Beast and Tamlin fairy tales. There's curses and magic, fierce family devotion, and steamy romance. To quote Disney's Belle, it has "Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise!" But it's definitely not rated Disney PG.


Bonus:

And obviously, you should watch Harry Potter and the LOTR trilogy because those are permanently linked to the holiday season in my mind. And Star Wars just because. ;)

Enjoy!


P.S. There's also a 5 Fandom Friday photo challenge this month! Join in!

5 Fandom Friday (25)

(New Graphic by Darling Stewie)

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this master post - you can also find more info on the project there. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tweet at @superspacechick or @thenerdygirlie on Friday with your post (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!

This week's theme: Favorite Halloween Episodes of TV Shows

I'm actually terrible at remembering stuff like this, so instead, I'm just going to share 5 episodes of SUPERNATURAL that are particularly good for Halloween (since it's basically always Halloween on SPN).

1) It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester - Let's start with an actual Halloween episode. While this isn't one of the scariest episodes from the series, it's a great mix of the things that make the show so fun. You have Dean facing off with a kid dressed as an astronaut, classic SPN urban legend-based deaths and scares (razor blades in candy, anyone?), witches, demons, and a side of angels.

2) Bloody Mary - Maybe it's just because Bloody Mary was one of the scariest things I ever found out about in elementary school, but I still think this episode from Season 1 is one of SPN's scariest. Creepy woman-in-white-type angry spirit living in mirrors and gouging people's eyes out? Um, no.

3) Monster Movie - This is one of SPN's "fun" themed episodes, and it's great for Halloween because it features a bunch of classic horror movie monsters - Dracula, the Mummy, Wolf-Man. Fitting in with the theme, the episode is also completely in black & white, and we get a little more development from the monster-side of the story.

4) Everybody Loves a Clown - I'm mixing in fun and terrifying episodes of SPN. Again, this episode might only be terrifying to me because the clown they use is downright frightening. This was from Season 2 (the 1st 2 seasons have the scariest episodes), and not only features the clown, it also has a carnival and a chase through a Funhouse because OF COURSE.

(I was going to post a pic/gif of the clown here, but after looking at it for 2 seconds, I decided for my own sanity and for my great concern for you, I wasn't going to do it.)

5) Ghostfacers - This time of year, there are tons of ghost-hunting type shows playing on TV. The Sister and I love watching them, and so it was such a treat when SPN brought the format to their own show. It's great when SPN changes things up, and Ghostfacers was delightful because it perfectly spoofed ghost-hunting type shows while also giving us one of the scarier episodes of Supernatural. The endless birthday party in the basement? Nope!

What are your favorite Halloween (or Supernatural!) episodes?

5 Fandom Friday (24)

(New Graphic by Darling Stewie)

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this master post - you can also find more info on the project there. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tweet at @superspacechick or @thenerdygirlie on Friday with your post (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!

This week's theme: Things I Love About Halloween

1) Spooky reads - I'm a chicken when it comes to horror movies, but I do love being creeped out by tales of the grim, gothic, and spooky.


2) Halloween episodes - I know there's an upcoming topic on this, but I love it when my TV shows do holiday-themed episodes. Halloween eps always allow for a little more fun and adds a little more spook to shows that don't normally go in for the scares or supernatural.

3) TV marathons of Haunted Places/ Ghost Hunter-type shows - I don't normally watch many of these, but when they're on all the time in the month of October, I can't get enough. Mostly, I love hearing the stories about ghostly encounters.

4) Candy - chocolate, candy corn, pumpkin spice and everything nice.

5) Costumes! - Who doesn't like dressing up and being someone (or something) different for a night?

Q4U: What are you favorite things about the season?


P.S. I'm currently on the road, so I'll be around people's posts when I'm no longer vacationing. :)

5 Fandom Friday (23)

(New Graphic by Darling Stewie)

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this master post - you can also find more info on the project there. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tweet at @superspacechick or @thenerdygirlie on Friday with your post (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!

This week's theme: People You Want on Your Side During an Apocalypse (via Kendall Ashley)

1) The Winchesters (Supernatural, TV) - How many apocalypses have these boys averted and/or survived now? They've faced everything from poltergeists to old gods to the devil himself, and they're still standing 200+ episodes later. Not to mention, when they aren't angsting at each other, the boys seem like they'd be fun to hang out with too.

2) Katsa (Graceling, book) - this YA fantasy heroine has a killer Grace (special ability), literally. There's more to it than that, but I don't want to say too much in case you haven't read this excellent book. She's smart, fearsome, resourceful, and loyal - someone you'd want around in a jam.

3) Rick's Group (The Walking Dead, TV) - Sure, they've lost a few people along the way, but generally speaking, the main cast of TWD are survivors. They made it through the initial apocalypse, and now they're living the post-apocalypse. They're also a family unit at this point. If you're part of the core group, you can count on someone having your back.

4) Hermione (Harry Potter, book) - she's the cleverest witch of her age and an amazing friend, to boot. Let's face it - Harry Potter may have been the Chosen One, but without Hermione, he would've been lucky to make it to Book 3. Bonus: she has magic. When I told my sister about this prompt, she immediately said, "You should pick someone with powers."

5) R2-D2 (Star Wars, movie) - Who has made it through the Star Wars saga from beginning to end (and to the new movie)? This irreplaceable droid. If anyone is going to help me make it through upheaval and things going to crap, it's going to be R2-D2.


Q4U: Who would you want on your Apocalypse-survival team?

5 Fandom Friday (22)

(New Graphic by Darling Stewie)

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this post to be updated monthly. You can read up on the background in this original post. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tag tweets to your post with @superspacechick or @thenerdygirlie on Friday (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!

This week's theme: 5 Favorite Things About Autumn {first day of Autumn is 9/23}

1) Crisp mornings - while this does make getting up in the morning harder, once I'm outside, the slight chill in the air helps to wake me up, and it's just so refreshing!

2) Leggings weather - as much as I love the summer and wearing dresses and shorts, I also love the option of not wearing real pants. Besides, there are so many cool-looking leggings out there these days, especially for the geek chic, it kind of bums me out when it's too hot to wear them! Mecha legs, Hamlet legs, I've missed you!


3) Chai lattes - let's be real, I drink these all the time, but they seem especially wonderful during the fall. It must be the cinnamon. (Also, I'm just excited to be drinking more hot drinks - hot cider, hot chocolate, hot coffee, horchata.)

4) Scarves - I love scarves as an accessory, and I've been wanting to up my scarf game this season. It'll be a while before it's cool enough to wear some of my heavier ones, but I have acquired a few lighter scarves that I can't wait to wear out!

5) Plaid/ chambray shirts - I just love plaid and chambray shirts, and it will finally be just cool enough to wear them. Plus, there's something so fall to me about these fabrics/patterns/textures. Maybe it's the neutral-ish palette and the layering capabilities...



Bonus - I would say the leaves changing colors, but that's not really a thing in Southern California, haha.

What are your 5 favorite things about autumn?

5 Fandom Friday (21)

(New Graphic by Darling Stewie)

5 Fandom Friday is a geek-blogger community building project started and hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and SuperSpaceChick. Every Friday, post a top 5 list based on a predetermined topic that can be found on this master post - you can also find more info on the project there. Participate as frequently or infrequently as you like, and if a topic doesn't especially appeal to you, feel free to put your own twist on it.

Also, tweet at @superspacechick or @thenerdygirlie on Friday with your post (and they'll RT) and use the #Fandom5 hashtag so we can all connect!


This week's theme: Five Things You Own That You Got At Cons

I changed this week's theme a tiny bit to include anything I've gotten at a con - even if it was free. I won't be including *memories* though because obviously, that's the best thing you take away from a convention. ;) Perfect timing for this topic because Comic Con was just last week!

1) Signed Hannibal DVD sleeve

This was my first signing, and how wonderful it was with the cast of a show I absolutely love. Bryan Fuller is such an inspiration and delight!


2) Tiny Ant-Man / The Force Awakens Stormtrooper

This is kind of a 2-fer, but I had to suffer through the same crazy HASBRO line for this, and I love them both. These are pretty sweet buys from SDCC this year, and I treasure them.


3) Wattpad Cards against Fanfiction

There's a lot of cool, free stuff you can get at Comic Con, but I think this fandom-themed set of Cards Against Humanity from Wattpad that I got at Geeks Go Glam might take the cake. These are so unique and hilarious.


4) Books signed by Peter S. Beagle

Last year, one of the highlights of my SDCC was finding Peter S. Beagle's booth in the Artists' Alley. The Last Unicorn is one of my forever favorite books, and being able to talk with him and get signed books was such an incredible experience for me.


5) Lightsaber + Star Wars guest lanyard

I was lucky enough to get into Hall H this year for the Star Wars panel, and so I was also able to go to the Star Wars fan concert. The lanyard they gave us plus the lightsabers will forever remind me of this magical time. :)

Of course, I also really love the free photo booths at cons and all the memories I make with my new and old friends.

What are you favorite things you've gotten from conventions?


P.S. ANT-MAN is out today, and Tony (aka Crazy4ComicCon) was kind enough to invite me to podcast review the movie last night with the boys of TOTL podcast. Would love if you checked it out! ANT-MAN REVIEW.

P.P.S. I need to post this to the Female Geek Bloggers group still, but I have a new blog: GIRL ON THE ROAM! This one will still be active, but the other one will be more geek and travel focused (e.g. longer SDCC recaps will be over there). Hope you'll take a look!