Wonder Woman – meltotheany

Hey, loves! I was tagged by the amazing Lilly @ Lair of Books (who is a damn Wonder Woman herself) to do this and I knew I couldn’t resist! Also, if you all aren’t following her, stop depriving yourself, and hit that follow button now, because she’s a confirmed angel! And thank you Amber, from Amber’s Books and More, for creating this tag! ❤

➽Wonder Woman: Your favorite badass female book character…

I’ve been saying this like a broken record for over a year now, But Nona from the Book of the Ancestors series is one of my all time favorite protagonists ever. She’s smart and fierce, but soft and caring. Watching her grow has been one of my favorite literary experiences, ever. I couldn’t answer this question without immediately screaming her name!

➽Fantasy Island: A book setting you want to escape to…

My answer will forever and always be Temerant from the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss! Not only is it one of the best fantasy worlds ever, both past and present, but I always might stand a fighting chance at actually being able to live in the world, too! Plus, all the inns, the schools, the musical taverns, please, I want it all, forever. I would also commit a minor felony to go exploring with Auri.

➽London: A hyped book that let you down…

Boy, am I being ironic with this answer. Also, please, I love you all, don’t throw your tomatoes at me. I didn’t dislike this book in the slightest, I just didn’t love it the same way that everyone else does. Also, my eye begins to twitch a bit when this series gets nominated each year in the Adult Fantasy categories, because it reads so much like a young adult novel to me, even with the characters being new adults. Overall, I don’t hate this series, I just don’t love this series. But I do plan to read the last in the trilogy in May, so maybe that will be the book to completely win me over!

➽Steve Trevor: A book that has a beautiful cover and a great story (i.e. good personality)…

The Girl in the Tower’s UK edition is my favorite book cover of all time, and the story is a damn masterpiece, too! I love this series so much, and even the US covers are to die for. Like, this author is so blessed with all this lovely art!

➽Lasso of Truth: A book you hated…

You know, the more and more I think about it, the more and more I truly hated this book ending. I don’t want to talk too much about this book, self-care and all that, but good lord did Magnus Damora deserve a better concluding novel than what we were given! Seriously.

➽Wonder Woman’s Shield: A book so sad that you need a shield…

Okay, so I’m probably the most emotional reader of all time, and I cry at almost every book. But The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo gutted me. There is no shield big enough to even condense the heartbreak this book put me through. But it’s a masterpiece and worth every single tear.

➽Ares: a villain that is scary, but you can’t seem to hate them…

People can say what they want about her, but Cersei Lannister is one of the greatest literary villains of all time. Her story arcs are unparalleled to anyone else in this series, and I will forever love her. Seeing everything she’s done to succeed in a “man’s world”, while always putting her children first, while trying to salvage the only love she’s ever had. She will always be my OG morally grey villain, and I will forever love her.

➽The Amazons: A book that you wish had more/better LGBT+ representation…

Hear me out, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I am a firm believer (and screamer) that bisexuality is attraction, not action, and both of these main protagonists express attraction. Yet, the reason I’m answering with this is because I feel like if there was more LGBTQIAP+ actual action in this book, people wouldn’t have been so damn hard on it on Goodreads.

➽Justice League: What superhero book friends do you tag…
❤ Avery
❤ The Orangutan Librarian
❤ Sophie
❤ Kayla
❤ Raven
❤ May
❤ Elise
❤ Silvia
❤ Alienor
❤ Hannah

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

“I imagine all wars look the same to those who die in them.”

First off, Leigh Bardugo is honestly the queen of writing and I’m not sure what any of us did to deserve her, but I am forever and always going to count her as a blessing. This story is so beautifully written, and I had to tab so many pages with powerful quotes. Leigh also always writes diverse casts that I fall instantly in love with. Like, when do I get a full book about Nim? Because I need that in my life immediately.

➽Diana – White, Wonder Woman herself, obviously a total badass.
➽Alia – Black, a Warbringer, a confirmed angel in my eyes, Jason’s sister.
➽Jason – Black, Alia’s brother, has helped raise Alia since their parent’s death.
➽Nim – Indian, my queer baby, chubby, my sarcastic queen.
➽Theo – Brazilian, Jason’s best friend, funny, must be protected at all costs.

Beautiful art by Jen Bartel, my celebrity crush. *swoons forever*

So, this book really starts off with a bang *wink*, when a ship explodes near Themyscira, the island where the Amazons live and there is no fear of war or conflict. But on Themyscira, only strong woman, who have proven themselves during their human life, can reside. Well, except Diana, who has been made her from the ground itself by her mother and the queen of the island. Even though Diana’s mother loves her with all her being, a few of the other women are hesitant to accept her, because they feel she hasn’t “proven herself.” And one of the only rules of Themyscira is that no human is ever allowed to step foot on its shores.

But Diana witnesses the ship explosion, and finds a lone survivor that she can’t help but rescue and bring back to Themyscira. But the island feels the human’s presence, and starts to attack itself. Diana then seeks out an Oracle who tells her the options she has, and the paths she can take, to save not only her island, but the world itself.

We are then swept away on a tale that spans from New York City to Greece, from humans to ancient Gods, about powerful girls, unconditional friendships, and the cruelness of men. But the heart of this story is friendship, and how unconditional love from the people you choose to call family is the most powerful force in the world. And the found family in this makes me weep with happiness. I truly love these characters.

“Who tells those stories? Tales of vengeful goddesses who wager in human lives for vanity’s sake? Of course men believe a woman’s power must lie in the fineness of her features, the shapeliness of her limbs. You know better, Daughter of Earth.”

There is also a wonderful discussion about privilege that is brought up throughout this entire book. And how no amount of money will ever be able to alter how people will see your skin color and/or perceive your culture, how no amount of money will never erase oppression, and how discrimination happens in every single economic level in our society, regardless of what people who can’t see passed their white privilege say. I loved this constantly being brought up, and some of these experiences that were talked about are exactly what marginalized teens need to read, and see, and understand that they are perfect the way they are, but our world is just an ugly place that hopefully won’t be so ugly with their generation.

“It’s the people who never learn the word impossible who make history, because they’re the ones who keep trying.”

I will also continue on with the series with Batman by Marie Lu! But, sadly and ultimately, I just don’t think superhero books are for me. I totally enjoyed reading this, but something just kept me from loving it, so I’m going to blame it on that. I still think this is a very worthwhile and important read, and I’m so happy that I finally was able to get around to it!