Tag: Marie Lu

Photo of a stack of books as well as a smartphone on a wooden stand. The smartphone screen shows the beginning of the webcomic Let's Play. The stack of books in order from top to bottom is: Warcross, Wildcard, Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor, Slay, and DPS Only!. Leaned against the stack of books is a rectangular controller for the Nintendo NES Console.

Video Game Books to Read After Setting the Controller Down

Maggie3 Comments

Ever since I was small, there have been two things that I’ve loved: books and video games. These two passions rarely intersected during my childhood. Sometimes a more recently published book would have a passing reference to a Gameboy or PlayStation, but more often than not, it was like video games just didn’t exist in fiction.

Fortunately, that is no longer the case. Video games have increased in popularity among all age groups, not just children. Combine that with the fact that there are more and more emerging authors who also grew up with video games, and you have the perfect recipe for bringing reading and gaming together.

This list contains some of my favorite video game-related novels. These are books where games play an integral part in the story itself – they’re not just something for characters to do on the weekend. Each narrative is crafted around different genres of video games, and they often use those games as vehicles to discuss important topics like personal identity, societal issues, and building relationships.

My childhood may have been lacking in “gamer books,” but I’m so thankful that they exist now, especially for readers who have been waiting to see characters like themselves reflected on the page. There is something for everyone here!

Read More »
Two funko pop figurines depicting Day and June from Legend by Marie Lu. The figurines are standing in front of a stack of the Legend trilogy.

Making My Own Bookish Figurines

Maggie7 Comments

It seems like everyone and their weird uncle has started a new hobby lately. Some people are baking bread, making soap or candles, or learning a new language.

Me?

Well, I’ve also started a new “quarantine hobby.” It was a terrible idea, not because I hate it, but because I’ve become practically obsessed with it over the past few weeks and I can’t make myself stop.

I started making custom figurines.

Read More »

A stack of red and green books. Red and gold paper flowers sit at the bottom of the stack. From top to bottom, the books are Catching Fire, Linger, Vicious, and Insurgent

Fictional Festivities | 12 Days of Christmas Book Tag

Maggie1 Comment

‘Tis the season to curl up in front of a fireplace with a good book and a big mug of hot cocoa. Snowflakes are falling outside of your window, and the only sound you hear is the crackle of the fire and the crinkle of pages being turned. It’s just you and the book, no one else around.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I find it’s a big challenging to get into the “Christmas spirit” when you’re a student. My school wrapped things up particularly late this year, so I didn’t get to go home until December 19. Between research papers on medieval and renaissance literature and politics exams, it was easy to forget that Christmas was right around the corner.

And so I thought, what better way to get ready to celebrate Christmas than crank up my favorite Christmas music and participate in a Christmas-y book tag? This is the 12 Days of Christmas book tag, created by Falling Down The Book Hole, though I learned about it through Paper Fury’s post a few weeks ago. I did my very best to limit my answers to books I read this year, though you’ll see I bent the rules a tad bit…

Without further ado, let’s celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas!

Read More »

A landscape photo with a river or stream in the foreground. A grove of evergreen trees sit beyond the stream, and there are mountains further in the background.

My Five Favorite Fictional Worlds

MaggieLeave a comment

Have you ever played a video game, watched a movie, or read a book that made you want to live in that world? In all stories, no matter what the medium is, the setting plays an important role. Because of that, we often find ourselves wanting to visit that world – myself included. I’ve experienced a lot of stories, and while setting isn’t always a prominent factor, the best storytellers know how to utilize this element to their advantage.

Today, I’d like to dedicate some time to my favorite fictional worlds. Not only would I love to visit these universes myself (well, if they weren’t so dangerous), but they’ve also influenced my own writing in a number of ways.

Read More »