The Honestea Tag // Let the Spilling of Hot Beverages Commence

Good day, friends!

At the begging of May Ivy Miranda tagged me for The Honestea Tag created by from nie, and I'll be filling it out today! I have a funny history with tea. When I was younger, I would drink it from time to time because my parents did, but didn't seek it out. In 2018 I went to another country and became obsessed with tea! I was that way until June 2020 when I stopped drinking it because I thought it was making me shorter (did I mention I'm crazy?). Anyway, I started drinking tea again last October and don't drink it every day, but I love it while I'm outlining novels or doing homework late at night. It's the perfect thing! 

The main reason I wanted to do this tag was to have tons of gifs of people drinking tea, even though that is the opposite goal. But wait, what does that even mean, MC? For this tag you want the least about of these gifs, but I'll let the rules explain.

The Rules:

no lies allowed. if an answer is too shameful to expose you may substitute the answer with a gif/image of someone drinking tea.

Chloe's example →

there are optional bonus additions to questions but these are not for the faint of heart. 

if you complete the tag having answered every question + the bonus additions (no gifs used), you are dubbed a certified tea chugger, and you deserve a badge to show the world that you are not afraid of a steaming hot cup of TRUTH. 

tag at least one other person (a tea party with just one is not very fun. trust me.) untagged persons are more than welcome to fill it out as well (nothing cooler than crashing a tea party).

Guys, ever since Ivy tagged me (thank you!) I've been stashing up these gifs, so be ready for a wild ride! It's funny, lab partners have been wondering why my computer's dashboard is so full of them...

As miranda (from nie) said, a gif defining apprehension before you get started doesn't count, so here's this.

She's at a tea party, so it counts.

THE QUESTIONS

what is a 'bad' (generally disliked) movie that you actually love?

I tend to have very controversial favorites, and I think those are all masterpieces. So, while 'bad' doesn't mean a poor quality movie, I can't make myself put it in this category.

I'm just not going to say anything. Mostly because I can't think of anything, but anything I do think of I'm not inclined to state here for all the world to see. I've been very sensitive lately to backlash against things I love, so I'm not up to this today. But, those readers who have been with me for a long time, I would love your guesses! What are movies I enjoy that are generally disliked?

what is your most shocking reading habit?

I am obsessive about which books I "read" before others. Especially on Goodreads. The covers of the books I read have to go in a certain order. So, I'll read all but the last page of a book then finish others. It doesn't make sense, I know, but I can't stop. And I just think I'm getting worse.

tell us the number one lie you write in your posts.

Ouch. This is a big ask! Probably that I don't like romance in stories. I do not like R rated content, but I love connections between characters. Ships are my favorite things, and I have multiple Pinterest boards for just characters who I think should be together. I am very particular in these things.

I sometimes tell the truth in this area. If you've been reading my posts for a few months you'll confirm that I've said these two are my favorite couple of all time. Period.

tell us the worst character name you've ever thought up. {bonus: share a character name you find ridiculous in a book/movie}

Just the other day I was trying to remember all the names of all the characters I've created and I failed miserably. Probably my main character being Peter? Just because it is so basic (still my favorite name of all time, though, but not for a character). So many of my characters have bad names because I think I'll just stick something in there as a placeholder and will change it later, but I never do. I also always forget to give them last names.

I just found one, but I can't share. It's too bad.

Fine, I found an even worse one, but I'll say it anyway. King Audric of Nivalis. I often just throw assorted letters together. Nice, huh? I found it when looking to answer a question later on.

I can't answer the bonus option just because I can't think of anything. I know so many times I come across a name that I think it's horrendous, but I'm drawing a blank here! 

Okay, Quiggly Quagmire is not my favorite. I like Duncan and Isadora well enough, but Quiggly? No thank you.

what is the real reason you procrastinate writing your work in progress?

Do I even know? I usually say, "time", but is that the real reason? I guess I think it won't be any good. It will be cringy, I have no right to write or have an opinion when everyone else in the world does. It's easier for me to be quiet. 

Can you guys tell I haven't really written since December?

what is a genre of music you secretly love?

I am very vocal about my music tastes and I don't have secrets. I loathe country music but once in a great while I find something tolerable. I have a really wide range in music tastes (I bet you thought it was all just Twenty One Pilots, musicals, and movie scores. It's only mostly those things, not completely). The other day I realized I seamlessly went from listening to country to k-pop. A skill, right?

if you're a plotter, what do you really think of pansters? and if you're a panster, what do you really think of plotters?

I am officially a planster. I need structure to do ANYTHING, but also am a little lazy and never fully commit to that. So, if people can go either way I really respect them! I think it is very brave to be a pantster (how do you even spell that?) and it takes serious dedication to be a plotter. I fall more into the plotter category because as soon as I don't have something plotted I stop writing. Hey, that's the real reason I procrastinate! I don't always know the truth myself...

share at least three lines of dialogue from one of your first writing projects {bonus: give us the good stuff. your most gruesome butchering of the English language)

Oh dear. There's a reason I don't read that. Man, it's going to take me awhile to find something old...

“I cannot thank you enough, Sir--I mean, King.” He said not to say Sir or Your Majesty, but what else should I say?

“Abbi, I know you miss your father, so I will not ask you to call me that, but you cannot call me Sir or King all the time. What would you like to call me?”

“Well, I only ever called my father ‘Papa’, so I could call you Father if it is alright with you--and Mariah.”

From my very first "novel". Ouch. What is this? What is the purpose of this dialogue? What is the purpose of this story. This at least shows me that I've gotten much better now that I have a few completed works under my belt. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to completely redo this. It may be past repair.

SO TRUE.
(Source)

tell us the title & artist of the last song you listened to. 

Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root. Right now my family is hanging out and listening to music, all picking things and adding to the queue on my sister's phone. I picked that one, because it is straight up nostalgia.

(editing me is listening to Simple Song by Passenger, so I thought I'd let you know to be 100% honest).

which beloved book/movie character do you dislike & why?

Beloved...hmm. I have put this post off for days because I. cannot. think. of. anyone. I know there are tons, I just can't think of any? Finally, I came up with one each of my sisters like but I don't, but I don't know how beloved they are for the rest of the world.

Peter Kavinsky (from the To All the Boys series). This is just from the movies (haven't read the books), but I never liked him. He annoys me tremendously, especially because I'm a lot like Laura Jean but I don't get what she sees in him. The 2nd movie is my favorite because it has the least of him and darling John Ambrose (aka Jordan Fisher). I slightly liked him in the beginning of the 3rd, then grew to like him more, then was annoyed with him AGAIN by the end.

Edmund Bertram (from Mansfield Park). The most useless Jane Austen hero. I don't get what Fanny sees in him, especially because Fanny and I are identical in every other way, no questions. He's just there. I don't have time to vent about him right now, but he's the reason I don't like Mansfield Park. Right now my sisters and I are in the middle of watching the 2009 Emma mini-series for the first time, which I've wanted to do for years. But, I'm having the hardest time with Jonny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley because I'm so used to him being unlikeable as Edmund! 

tell us the title & topic of a post you have left in draft. 

Title: Why I Hate the Word "Good" When it Comes to Books and Movies

Topic: exactly how it sounds. Anyone interested? I should come up with a more mysterious title.

What else do I have? Oh, I'm thinking about writing one called "Story Bulimia" which is about struggles I've had with stories. Any interest in that one?

what is a book you pretend you've read/would like to read but know you never will? {bonus: share a time when claiming you've read a classic/well known book didn't end well}

I've never claimed to read a book I haven't. I'm very honest when it comes to books. Let's see, though, I've thought from time to time about reading Lord of the Flies, but I don't think its going to happen.

tell us the title & topic of the most embarrassing post you've ever written. {bonus: include. the. link.}

Presenting...My Charles Dickens Book. It was basically Bookstagram, but here on my blog. I actually had many posts titled "Presenting..." which was me just showing off my collections. It is all very embarrassing and makes me want to slam my head on a table or spit out my tea. Now I actually share a Bookstagram account with my sister, and she ensures I'm not so awkward.

Me, after reading that post.

I actually did much better than I thought I would! I'm not a certified tea chugger, but I am more honest that my sister things. (She says I lie all the time, but that's not the same as only telling part of the story).

I tag:

PioneerGirl @ The Tearoom

Megan Chappie @ Only Mildly Mad

Emily Grant @ words that really matter

I think you guys are all tea drinkers, right? If not, I apologize for my mistake! What is your favorite beverage?

Thank you all for reading! I haven't been that active this month with blogging because I'm taking a summer course, but I have plans for this summer, so stick around!

In the meantime, tell me what you think of my answers! Do you drink tea? Do you have a genre of music you only rarely listen to? Do you ever expire from reading your old writing? What are your thoughts on Peter K and Edmund B? What are movies you like that other people don't? I'd love to talk about it with you!

Have a lovely rest of your May!

Chloe the MovieCritic

May 4th: Starting a YouTube channel for Movies Meet Their Match

Hello there, knights, masters, and padawans!

May the 4th be with you! You must live in a galaxy far, far away if you do not know what that means. Today is STAR WARS Day!

Since STAR WARS is one of my favorite things of all time, I am obligated and thrilled to talk about it every May 4th. Oh yeah, happy May, too!

Over my five years of blogging, I have reviewed all of the STAR WARS movies (you can find the links to those HERE), so what in the world am I going to talk about? Have no fear, I still have an infinite supply of topics when it comes to Star Wars.

Today, I'm bringing you something I have been working on for months.

A YouTube channel for Movies Meet Their Match.

How many of you guys have watched fan videos? For those of you who don't know, fan videos, also known as fan edits, are where people put clips of movies/shows to music. I believe it was Olivia who first introduced me to this world and here we are today.

When you love music and movies as much as I do, its only natural that eventually you start imagining movies when you listen to music, and fan videos is my way of sharing it with all of you.

I am launching this channel with a fan video which combines two of my favorite things... STAR WARS and Twenty One Pilots!

Kylo Ren is one of the most intriguing characters of the sequel movies, so he gets a whole video focused on his character here. Because this covers all of his arc, there are SPOILERS for The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019). I do not recommend seeing this video unless you have seen those movies.

Kylo Ren // Chlorine - Twenty One Pilots

Because you guys are here on my blog, you get a little extra backstory. I haven't been posting as much here since August because I've been at college, but also because in my spare time I have been working on this. It was my way of relaxing from September through October, and I spent over 21 hours creating it. Is it perfect? Not at all! I still see errors that I can't fix, but hope to improve on in the future. I just had a blast creating it, and that's what matters.

Why did I chose Kylo Ren and Twenty One Pilots to be my first video? It all started when doing the dishes I would listen to music. Every single time the opening of "Chlorine" came on I would wonder what song Kylo Ren is in until I realized it wasn't him. Because of this I began to associate the song with him and soon enough I saw the whole thing in my mind.

A few of my favorite parts (is it weird that I'm telling you guys my favorite parts of something I made? Yes, but this is my baby, so indulge me in this. It won't happen again):

-How every time it says "Chlorine", some aspect of the Force is shown.

-How sometimes little movements line up exactly with the beat of the song. Luke's shoulder swipe, you know.

-I think ALL of the song fits Ben so well, but the parts with Han are some of my favorites.

For those of you who are NOT fans of the sequels, I would love to see if you still appreciated this video! Maybe found some ways to edit it? The ending is sloppier than I would want, but I believe that's because I'm not as familiar with Rise of Skywalker as I am the other two films. I've only seen that twice, where I've lost track of my watches on The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Please tell me all your thoughts!

What are the odds that this channel will do well?

It doesn't matter! That's not what it's about. I just want to use this space to talk about some of my favorite stories in a fun way.

You can expect a fan video once a month from me, so the next one will be in June! Though there are so many possibilities, any guesses of what fandom it will be from?

What did you guys do for STAR WARS day? I am going to finish my day out by drinking chocolate milk, watching one of the movies (or Clone Wars depending on time...), and study. Of course I had Star Wars shirt on and Rey's hairdo.

Until next time, May the 4th be with you!

Chloe the MovieCritic

Top 10 Authors Who Come Up With The Best Fictional Character Names

Hello, guys! 

I hope that you're having a good Easter season and spring! Finals are coming up, so I thought I'd do a post before that all starts. I mean, you can expect a post the first week of May without a doubt (still haven't figured out what it is yet, but I'll come up with it.), but after that it might be quiet around here for a little bit. So, I thought I'd do a top ten list!

As the movie Cinderella (2015) says, "Names have power, like magic spells.". Characters are my favorite parts of stories, and while "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", there is something particularly influential when names go deeper than the surface with the names. In all of my writing, coming up with a character's name is something tied to the deepest dark inside them.

Then there are names that are undeniably fabulous.

Today, I'll be talking about both. I have noticed authors with a flair for monumental meanings in names, so I want to honor them today. And fangirl, because its what this blog is about when I'm too busy for reviews. Many of these are just books because I might get more attached to names when I read them. But that could be correlation not causation. Let's get to it!

There are NO spoilers for any of these stories. I'm talking about the introduction to these names we receive and might have hints for the future, but they will be too cryptic to understand unless you are a fan. Enjoy without fear of learning the endings for these characters! (I'm also talking about too many to get into details...)

Honorable Mentions: Agatha Christie (for the world-famous Hercule Poirot.). Rachel Kovaciny (for the eloquent swag of Jedidiah Jones).

10. Leigh Bardugo.

I've only recently (since June of last year?) gotten into Ms. Bardugo's books. I was not thrilled by the names in her Shadow and Bone series. In fact, it only messed me up. I'm trained from Spanish lessons to think that "Mal" means bad so I was biased against his character. Alina Starkov is cool enough, I admit. Though, the Darkling just feels cliche. I was quite happy with Sturmhond, which makes sense because he is my favorite character.

All this is to say, I did not consider her to be skilled or unskilled at naming. Just normal.

Then I read Six of Crows.

These names fit each character so deliciously. 

Kaz Brekker: Why does he do things? Just Kaz. Dirtyhands will break your heart.

Inej Ghafa: Also known as "The Wraith", she is always "on edge". 

BRILLIANT. I don't know if Ms. Bardugo intended those meanings, but I love how well they go with the characters. I also love Jesper (perfectly shows refined and careless simultaneously) and Pekka Rollins (just rolling with evil intent). (not that I love Pekka's character. We aren't talking about characters themselves because Nina and Mathhias would be on this list. We are talking about the NAMES). I am such a fan. I can't wait to meet new characters in Crooked Kingdom.

9. The STAR WARS writers.

This is a HUGE range because at this point there are probably hundreds of Star Wars writers who have contributed to the names and I want to give credit to them all. This universe holds so much potential and these writers step up to the task again and again. 

I first noticed that the names are EPIC while watching Clone Wars and meeting Jedi Master Luminara Unduli. Such an amazing name, am I right? After that I began thinking about all of the other names, and came to appreciate them in a new light (pun not intended, but I'll take it.). Luke Skywalker? Big and blusterous, sure, but LEGENDARY. (apologies, I don't know what it is with me and all caps tonight. This will probably not be the last time). Han Solo? A smuggler who's name is Solo? Love it. Leia Organa? The perfect name for a princess and a general. Obi-Wan Kenobi? It seems like a mess of letters, but he has my whole heart.

Moving on to the sequels (which, friendly reminder, some people actually adore, so easy on the backlash, okay?), they continue these amazing names! In a battle of light against darkness, you name the main character one word: Rey. Simple and poignant. Names have such power here, with Finn finding identity once he receives his name, and Kylo Ren's fight against the Ben inside him.

Not all of the names are the most significant artistically. Sure, Darth Vader was lacking, but this more than made up for throughout. Hello there, Ahsoka Tano?

All you prequels fans were expecting something else, weren't you?

8. Maryrose Wood.

Should I talk about her names when I haven't finished the series and stuff might happen to sour them in my mouth? What kind of an attitude is that!? I'm totally talking about them, because my not finishing the series is not from a lack of effort, just resources. 

Ms. Wood combines the "cottage core" and goth of Victorian England perfectly in names in her The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series. Listening to the audiobooks is an absolute must to hear Katherine Kellgren say all of these names. 

Let's start with Penelope Lumley. Penny's so young but already has so many responsibilities as a governess, which the introduction of her and her name shows us. These books are bursting with amazing names. Charlotte Mortermir shows she is caring (excuse any misspellings. As I said, I only listen to the audiobooks.). Judge Quincy makes a shiver run down your spine. The darling children's where picked for convenience, but are nevertheless PERFECT. Laaaaaaaaady Constance is constantly thinking about herself. Agatha Swanburn is the epitome of education sophistication. Though, my favorite is three darling words: Simon. Harley. Dickinson. Which spells out heart throb, in case you were wondering.

Me, every time his name is said.

7. L. M. Montgomery.

L. M. Montgomery's writing itself is the most gorgeous I have ever read, so of course her naming skills are incredible as well. I love how she makes fun of fancy names by giving her most famous protagonist the plainest name she could come up with: Anne Shirley. Anne hates her name herself (Cordelia, anyone?), but lets her inner character shine through without frills. Am I saying the name Anne is boring? Not at all! I adore it. I'm just saying Ms. Montgomery makes it all the more magically as Anne comes to accept her name and herself.

Surrounding Anne, there are amazing names that can tell you instantly what a character is like. Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert. Mrs. Lynde. Gilbert Blythe. Phillipa Gordon. My special favorite is Roy (short for Royal, you know) Gardener. How. perfect. is. that.? Each page is alive with characters and their names that stay with you forever.

When I talk about names I can go on forever or be concise like Thor.

The Avonlea Chronicles is my prominent read which consists of the above characters, but I also want to give a shout out to The Blue Castle. I mean, Valancy Stirling? Gorgeous and melancholy, which Valancy wants to reject as she wants to be full of life.

6. Wendelin Van Draanen.

Have I read enough of her books to be an expert in this? No, probably not. I've only read five of her books, and three of those were in the same series, so for the most part the characters were the same. Too bad I'm under qualified, because I'm going to talk about the names in her books anyway.

Starting off with my favorite: Bryce Loski and Juli Baker. Iconic. (I especially love Bryce's excuse about there being a bee tying into his name when the only bee was B-R-Y-C-E.). Though, those are almost the only two names that remained the same for the movie, as almost all the other names were given a more 60s vibe or something?

"Goodness, child! Are you alright?"

"There was a bee."

Who knew a medieval movie would provide real footage of Bryce?

I also want to talk about Sammy Keyes. I've talked about her a lot recently (yes, two months ago is still recent because that was only three posts ago). Samantha Keyes: such a fitting name for a detective. Unlocking all the mysteries, you know? It has a nice ring to it while being fresh and young.

As some of you may remember, my absolute favorite book I read in 2021 was Wild Bird. I read this book a year ago, so I don't remember most of the names (I also read this book in one day, so if I had taken longer the names would have stuck with me more, you know?), but I do remember being blown away. Names are SO important in this book. Our main character, Wren Clemens, has always been insecure about her name. Yes, its after the bird, now leave me alone. We learn that because of this she was able to relate and find a friend in Meadow, but that lead her down a very destructive path. Now can she spread her wings and fly again? LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT.

5. Kate DiCamillo.

We're entering the top five, and who is better to lead us than Kate DiCamillo? She is the middle grade fiction QUEEN. All of her books change my life and are so powerful. Her names, too? Whether it's a pig named Mercy Watson or an animal control officer named Francine Poulet, the names are always highlights. How about a squirrel named Ulysses? A cynic named Flora? A toy rabbit originally named Edward Tulane who goes through other names as well?

"There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name."

We cannot go through this post without talking about the sweet little mouse, Despereaux Tilling. His mother named him "despair" because he was the only child that year who survived. Can you image being named "despair"? What does he do with it? He becomes a gentleman. He does the opposite of despair; he hopes. 

"The story said she was a prisoner but that wasn't totally true because she had hope and whenever you have hope, you're never really anybody's prisoner." (this applies to Despereaux as well as Princess Pea!)

He fails all classes that teach him to be scared and has true courage. So chivalrous! This story alone is a gold mine for names. Roscuro, coming from the word chiaroscuro, the perfect name for an antihero. Can Ms. DiCamillo get a round of applause for Miggery Sow?

Did I purposely use a gif from a different movie about rats? You bet.

And the names in her Three Rancheros series? Still absolute fire. Rayme Clarke. Louisiana Elefante. And Burke Allen III? That one broke me and I haven't recovered.

4. Kent Davis.

He's only published the A Riddle in Ruby trilogy, but in addition to mind bending world building, his characters names are top-notch. Our protagonist's, Ruby, full name is Aruba Teach. I want that name! And her father is Wayland Teach? That name sails into illustrious status. (*laughs at own pun no one will get*)

But that is not the pièce de résistance. Are you ready to be blown away?

...

Wisdom Rool. 

Most. Epic. Bad. Guy. Name. Ever. Wisdom?? Rool?? I adore it vastly. (it breaks my brain so much that I can't even write sentences properly).

The kids in this book are so talented in so many ways, and their names are fantastic. You have Athen and Henry, then you have Cram Cramson. Cram is my favorite, guys. He is awesome. In later books we meet more. Like, Avid Wake?? Such a good name for a nemesis! Then the twins Levi and Never (or is it Ever? It kept changing on me) Curtsie. Gideon Stump. Each one describes the personality of the characters so well. I should come up with a more original way to explain this phenomena, but I'm gobsmacked, okay?

Also, Gwath? Perfect for a mentor even though we do not see enough of him. Or any of Evallina Puddledump. Sure, we never see her, but the NAME. The name cracks me up and I love it.

My reaction.

3. Lemony Snicket.

Mr. Snicket and I have a history that I have probably gone into in the past here or there. But, coming up with as awesome a pen name as Lemony Snicket, shows that he has talents for naming. Not just characters but locations, too. Lucky Smells Lumber Mills? Say that five times fast. 667 Dark Avenue? I mean, Lake Lachrymose? Meaning tears?

I mean, naming it A Series of Unfortunate Events told us that already.

But, I'm here to talk about the characters. You guys might have noticed that I love side characters who pop up very briefly. This goes for Justice Strauss, Captain Julio Sham, and Esmé Gigi Genevieve Squalor (just that last name, guys.). And the Denouement brothers? Are you Frank or Ernest? My answer is always yes. The fact that "quagmire" means "an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation" (according to the New Oxford America dictionary)? That describes the triplets perfectly.

Count Olaf has such a sinister nature to it (this was before everyone associated that name with a snowman), but what really got me appreciating it was the Netflix series. The "It's the Count" song?? "N for the knowledge cuz I'm very very smart." *dies*

Enough about ASoUE. I mostly want to talk about my love for the All the Wrong Questions series characters. Lemony is, of course, one of the highlights. There is also S. Theodora Markson. What does the S stand for? Silence, Snicket. Then you have darling Jake Hix and Cleo Knight (and Jake's aunt, Hungry. That always makes me giggle). Ellington Feint? Mysterious and determined. Moxie Mallahan? What a name for a junior reporter! My babies Pip and Squeak! There are two names of important characters that I cannot remember, so it must be time to read those books again.

My ultimate favorite: DASHIELL QWERTY (Possibly the best name ever). Librarians are the best. This series is good stuff mixed with dark curling tendrils of forgotten ink.

2. J. K. Rowling.

Regardless of quibbles I have with anything, Ms. Rowling slays writing characters names. And my experience only comes from Harry Potter. That name itself spread popularity like wildfire. I tended to scream in excitement even when it was the smallest character has a great name. I also like to think that I remember every name. The other day I panicked for a second while watching Goblet of Fire with friends because I couldn't remember Fluer's sister's name. But, the second passed and I remembered it was Gabrielle. Whew. And they weren't even out of the water yet.

Get ready for me to commence spewing epic names.

Oliver Wood.

The amount of times my older sister and I quote this is ridiculous.

Hermione Granger. 

Luna and Xenophilius Lovegood? Crazy and lovable and just as sane as I am. 

Severus Snape? Immediately sowed the seeds of suspicion with a name that is short and cold. 

Newt Scamander? Who is a magizooligist, dealing with magical creatures? Brill.

Draco Malfoy? Nemesis name perfection. 

Minerva McGonagall. Rubius Hagrid. Names that foreshadow brilliantly, like Remus Lupin and Sirius Black? Nymphadora Tonks. Good feelings with all of the Weasleys: Molly, Arthur, Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. (Yes, I said Charlie. Don't you dare forget him). Beatrix Lestrange? *shudders*. Viktor Krum. Gilderoy Lockhart? Glittering, but a locked heart. Dolores Umbridge. Dobby?? Pius Thickness?? That, friends, is my second favorite fictional name of all time: Pius Thickness.

I could probably do a top ten list purely for Harry Potter character names. Would you guys be interested in that?

And now for number one...

1. Charles Dickens.

As The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) showed us:

Here, why don't you just watch the genius of this scene.

Then we need to see him saying the name again, because one can't have too many gifs, right?

Ebenezer Scrooge. It says everything about hating Christmas, regret, bottling up feelings and drowning them in piles of money.

Pip. Estella. Miss Havisham. Oliver Twist. Bill Sykes. Fagin. The Artful Dodger. Tiny Tim. Bob Cratchit. Sydney Carton. Try to find a flaw in this excellence.

But, whoa, MC, why does Mr. Dickens have the honor of being your favorite? Because he wrote my favorite character name of all time. From the book David Copperfield. Are you ready for it?

Uriah Heep.

What does that name make you think of? That's the character exactly. Slimy, scheming, unreliable. It is a perfect mic drop. I'll have to just leave you guys with it.

There you have it. What do you guys think of these names? Which are your favorite of the ones I listed above? What are your personal favorites that I didn't list? Who are your favorite authors who come up with the best fictional character names?

Have a great end to your April!

Chloe the MovieCritic

The March Muchness Blog Tag!

Hello, friends!

It has been a while since I've been seen on this corner of the internet. I hope you are all doing well and not going to mad at tea parties. That seems non-sequitur, but it actually is my lead into what I'm going to talk about. I scrambled on to blogger today because I realized that I can't go a month without talking to you guys! I also had to get into the March Muchness fun before it was over! This is a celebration hosted by Christine Smith in honor of her 11th blogoversary and her love for Alice in Wonderland. Her blog's birthday! In addition to her, Sarah, Emily, Victoria, Maple Quill, Kenzie, Jessica, Emma, Esther, Merie, Josiah, and Kal, are all hosts!

I've been awfully silent, but I have been enjoying reading the posts, so you guys should check it out!

Today I'll fill out the tag they put together for the occasion and hope that I'm not late to a very important date...

The March Muchness Blog Tag:

1. List six impossible things you’d love to do – wild and crazy answers 100% welcome!

-Publish a book. I know, I'm really rowdy over here so you guys do not want to mess with me. Haha! I've written first drafts, but that's as far as I usually get, so it seems quite impossible.

-Go hang gliding. My younger sister and I have wanted to do this for as long as I can remember.

-Be in a play of some kind. I have always thought that I'm good at acting, but I would love to have that tested. This is me trying to be realistic, but I would totally love to be in a movie if someone gave me the option.

Um...(Guys, this is sad if I can't think of more than 3)

-Solve a Rubik's cube (I'm SO CLOSE, I just can't get a last row).

-Zipline across an island of Hawaii (I don't know if this is a real thing, but once again, it's something my sister and I have always wanted to do)

-Learn to actually cook. So you know, I don't die.

2. What is a topic that grew curiouser and curiouser the more you studied/researched it?

Basically everything. I start out mildly intrigued then I get ever more fascinated. Right now it is probably calculus because crazy things are starting to be possible.

3. If you could invite three fictional characters to a tea party, who would they be? 

Elizabeth Bennet, 

Edward Bloom, 

and Eliza Doolittle. 

(I was trying to have all three people have the initials E.B., but I couldn't think of a third one. This was for no reason other than I thought it would be fun. At least they all start with E. Any suggestions? (Not Edmund Bertram!)). 

Elizabeth because she is clever and will have something to say no matter the circumstance, Edward because he tells the best stories, and Eliza because she is my fair lady and has just as much of a right to be here as any of us. ("Cup o' tea!"). (I will also undoubtably be awkward so if she's nervous she'll know she's not alone). Do you guys think these three would get along together?

4. Which Wonderland character do you feel you’re the most like?

It really depends on the adaptation or version. Ack, and it's been too long since I've gone into some kind of a world inspired by Wonderland (that is published *cough*Rachel*cough* it is sad to wait for books to actually be on your shelves...). From the 2010 movie Alice in Wonderland, I would say that I'm the White Queen as I'm kind but a little ditzy. I don't know if our similarities carried over in the sequel when we got more backstory, though. Other than that, maybe the Dormouse because I always want to sleep. Always.

I don't know if I'm like him because we are not anywhere near the same circumstances, but for some reason I really feel connected to Jefferson in Once Upon a Time's version of Wonderland. So of course I have to mention him. How family comes first and you would do anything for them? That's a way the two of us are similar!

*cough* Totally not just because it's Sebastian Stan *cough*

5. If you could drink a magic potion that changed one thing about you, what would it be?

To discard all of my procrastination. No, not something that is straight caffeine, but can actually help motivate me.

6. How IS a raven like a writing desk?

Most birds have pinions, which are a certain kind of feather that helps them fly. A raven is like a writing desk because both deal with opinion.

Was anyone else TERRIFIED of Diablo?

Was anyone else TERRIFIED of Diablo?

7. If you were to make an enemy of Father Time, what time in the day would you choose to repeat?

Love this question! Most things that pop into my head right away are really emotional moments, so I don't know if I would want to live in them for ages. I would go mad. I'll chose just hanging out with my sisters in the tent in our backyard. It never gets old and is always a blast.

Wow, this is a classic case of MC misreading the question. I guess I would go with 10PM to best suit what I said above!

8. If you fell down a rabbit hole, what would the land you pop into look like?

I love the idea of bubbles being part of a world, so wherever I go should have transportation that involves that. Yes, I know that's a Oz thing, but I feel like it would work in a place like Wonderland (yikes, I nearly wrote Neverland. I guess you can tell it's late at night for me).

9. If you could have the body of one type of creature and the head of another (for example, the Mock Turtle has the body of a turtle and the head of a calf), what would that combination be and why?

I'm definitely having the body of some kind of bird so I can fly. That is a given. But, if I go with that, any combination looks terrifying when put on top of a bird's body. Oh, I know, a dragon! I'll have the head of a lion on the body of a dragon. That does not fit me probably, but it sounds like the most awesome thing ever so we're going with it. The reason being that I love lions and I love dragons. End of story.

Not gonna lie, I would probably look like this. But with wings.

10. Have you read or written anything stylistically close to Alice in Wonderland? Tell us about it.

Whoa, stylistically? I think the last time I read the original book I was in my stage of not caring one cent about writing style, so I have no idea. I know that Heartless - by Marissa Meyer impressed me by 100% capturing how I see Lewis Carroll's world, so I'll go with that.

11. If you could either be as tall as a tree or as small as a mouse for an hour, which would you choose and what would you do?

#bedroomgoals

Well, I'm already quite tall, so I do not need to be more so. I've always loved the idea of little people, so while both The Borrowers and The Secret Life of Arriety were disappointing to me, I would go with that. I'm basically a fairy at that stage, right? I'm just like Thumblina and need to find my wings! This is my second reference to flying in this post. I just really want wings, okay?

Has anyone else seen this movie?? My sisters and I watched it A LOT and my younger sister still counts it in her favorites. It's super sweet!

12. If you could give your younger or future self one piece of Very Good Advice, what would it be?

Well, as Alice says, "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.". I've been doing so much self-reflection about my past for papers that I cannot even begin to narrow it down. In that case, I'll tell my future self to be kind and open to talking about anything and everything. Fear held me back from talking in the past when I would have benefited from exploring and debating opinions.

Thank you so much to Christine and all of the others for hosting! What do you guys think of my answers?

What was the highlight of March for you guys? It will be March in my time zone when I post this, but it will probably be April when you read it, so tell me ideas for pranks for April Fool's Day! What do you guys think of my wisdom regarding ravens and writing desks? Has anyone else broken their heart over Jefferson in OUaT? 

Have a springy day! *shudders because of the terror those words give me now that I'm doing math...*

Chloe the MovieCritic