#cltfya

[cltfya]

Blue's MysterYAy Hike 2017

Map with directions and pictures of each site can be found at the above link. Here’s the details, friends:

Welcome to the Raven Boys’ hike along the ley lines in search of Glendower, the ancient Welsh king. My name is Blue Sargent and I’ll be your mystery hike leader. However, because for this part of our quest, we’re in Charlotte, NC, which is vast and currently 98 degrees with punishing humidity, you will need to take one of Ronan’s dream cars instead of actually hiking this route. Trust me on this one - even in Virginia, you know we were driving whenever we could.

First Stop: Duck Donuts

1710 Kenilworth Ave.

If you want to track the ley lines, you will need some coffee and donuts first to fortify you. It helps if they can be topped with bacon or Oreos, drizzled with peanut butter, or iced with blackberry glaze.

Second Stop: Paper Skyscraper

330 East Blvd.

Then it’s over to this local gift shop - Persephone ALWAYS needs more candles and maybe you could use some too.

Third Stop: Park Rd. Books

4139 Park Road

Now it’s time for books - this indie spot has a particularly killer YA section, so I’ve heard...

Fourth Stop: Heist Brewery

2909 N. Davidson St.

I envy you for being old enough to partake of the finer local beers and cocktails at this next stop. Rowan with his fake ID has recommended trying out the Pecan Smoked Manhattan or the French I-77, which has local gin, lemon syrup, and champagne.

Final Stop: Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe

2424 N. Davidson St.

The stellar FYA book club meets here, so you can finish off your journey at Amelie’s and get yourself some tasty dinner and fancy pastries before heading home.

[cifya]

Prom: the final frontier.

Prom: the final frontier.

This year it was actually going to happen. This year I was finally going to conquer my fear and participate in something most of my friends thought was fun. I couldn’t begin to understand how something so anxiety inducing could be fun, but then again, they didn’t have my problems, so I guess it was understandable. The thought of it actually turned my stomach, but I didn’t have a choice. If I didn’t go to prom this year, I might end up dead. Literally.

The reason I’m so opposed to prom dates back many years ago in my preadolescence. For now, living in this small town for so long has really started to get to me. It feels like the world is caving in on itself, and the bubble is about to burst. Prom is only one of the ridiculous traditions that is of the highest importance here, and my group of friends, though not exactly the most popular crew, fully expected each of us to pair off and attend the social function together. Well, at least I didn’t have to worry about finding a date.

At least, that’s what I thought. My date-to-be, Cam, came down with the chicken pox three days before the dance, so he’ll be staying at home on Saturday night with oven mitts taped to his hands. (Side note: Who in the hell gets chicken pox at age seventeen??) Naturally, the town crier sent up the alarm: “HEAR YE, HEAR YE! MARIA ESPOSITO SEEKS HER PRINCE CHARMING FOR THE BALL!” At least that’s what happened in my head. In reality, the town crier was my best friend Emily posting a message on Facebook that sounded a little too much like a Craigslist Casual Encounters ad. I begged her not to click “Post,” not to destroy what dignity I had left, but as with all best friends, there was no convincing her otherwise. But to my amazement, it worked. Within minutes, I had a new prom date. If only I had known that it was Tony de Luca, son of Italian mob boss, Dominic de Luca.

@cltfya you’re up!

[cltfya]

Dead Feminists: Historic Heroines in Living Color - from top left, clockwise... Our beloved sassy Joan Rivers, a comedic icon - and also, this movie is amazing. Mary Tyler Moore, naturally. Also, because men can be feminists too, this year saw the passing of director Jonathan Demme, who did so many strong-female-led films, including Silence of the Lambs and Rachel Getting Married. Iron-Jawed Angels is an inspiring film focusing on suffragettes Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, overcoming major uphill battles to get the 19th amendment passed. Psst, see this movie now! Zora Neale Hurston, who wrote Their Eyes were Watching God. RIP Princess Leia. Shirley Chisolm (she ran for federal office back in the 70s). And of course the Golden Girls - thank God Betty White is still with us!! Photo 2 out of 5.

[cltfya]

Swap 1: Two female troublemakers looking for revenge and/or a chance to make a statement, both involving elite school settings. Frankie would TOTALLY also carry a firecracker as part of one of her infamous school pranks, just like Astrid does here on the Firecracker cover.

Swap 2: Geeky pursuits and unlikely match-ups between characters abound in these two books, and romances grow between people more v. less experienced in their geeky realms. In Ana & Zak, it’s comic-con and Zak is the geek. In Guy in Real Life, it’s online role-playing games and D & D and Svetlana is the geek. Also, both covers have similarly designed main character appearance - blocky and simply drawn like gaming characters.

Swap 3: Both are fables, dealing with time and connections with others sacrificed to a supernatural power. In Wintersong, it’s a Goblin King and the Underworld and in Thief of Always, it’s a house full of demonic monsters where kids run wild, but every day deceptively means a year in real life (is THAT why it’s Christmas here every night? SMDH). Pssst, also - read this Clive Barker, it’s legit addictive and contains bad-ass illustrations. He’s more than just Hellraiser, people!

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This kid in green is Jamie - it’s a good thing even random college kids have good taste in craft beer and frequent my favorite spot. He was game to participate in Wild Cover Cosplay for “Half Wild” after asking if I was a “PI sent by his girlfriend”. The things we do for book club :-)

[cltfya]

A collection of big faces/beauty sashes. Shout-out to Terry Pratchett in the middle with “Wee Free Men”!

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(via https://vimeo.com/226591401?ref=tu-v-share)

Lydia Deetz bridal gown Lewk for Less, because Beetlejuice always. This one is made from a red tablecloth ($1.99) I safety pinned ($3.69) to my own bra and chip clipped in the back. I am also wearing some black Halloween Hay ($2.99) seasonal decoration on my head in lieu of a standard wig (note to self - keep this in mind for Wallace and Grommit heroine costumes in the future). Last, but not least, red glitter swirl tulle bunting ($4.99) up top for that formal look. So much glitter still....sweet Jesus.

[cltfya]

Mycroft’s Mind Eraser

The character of James Mycroft from Ellie Marney’s Every Breath is a very mysterious one indeed. He’s a handsome genius who’s been given to increasingly reckless and heavy drinking behavior, but that’s probably because of his #tragicpast. So naturally if you want to step to Mycroft, you could use a mix of heavy liquors and intellectual charms - thus, Mind Eraser.

This one is 1 part Australian rum, 1 part Kahlua, and topped with club soda. After a few of these, we’d be ready to fight crime....

....or start seeking Benedict Cumberbatch...