The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 9

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Goodreads Blurb: When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: A fascinating read and a well crafted tale of where wickedness begins, if it ever does. A note of warning though, it’s quite depressing – especially if you’ve picked it up because of the musical – so maybe not a book to read over and over again. At least not without leaving a few years in between each read, give yourself some time to recover.

Amazon Associates Link: Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

The Wee Writing Lassie’s Gilmore Girls Love Interests of All Time: The Fifth Love of their Life

Jonathan? From Buffy? Is that you?

Doyle McMaster

While the excitement of seeing a long time Buffy alumni would be more than enough to earn Doyle a spot on this list, what makes me rank him quite this high is the almost seamless way he and Paris seem to slot together. He is by far and away the best of her three boyfriends, although to be fair his completion isn’t very steep. Her first boyfriend was somehow both creepy and nothingy at the same time, and while her second boyfriend had at least a personality, it was clear their relationship was never gonna be for the long haul. Doyle on the other hand is both a sharp wit, able to go toe to toe with Paris when he has to and genuinely loving boyfriend, always eager to support her even when he doesn’t agree with her choices. Also, he gave Rory hell during his time as Editor of the Yale daily news.

If you’ve enjoyed this wee post remember to follow the Wee Blog if you haven’t already. Also check me out on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Mastodon, Threads, Pinterest, Tumblr, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Kofi. And remember to subscribe to the Wee Mailing List before the end of the month to discover the Top Love Interest of Gilmore Girls. Until next time, stay safe and have a great day.

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 8

The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel

Goodreads Blurb: Once again Jean M. Auel opens the door of a time long past to reveal an age of wonder and danger at the dawn of the modern human race. With all the consummate storytelling artistry and vivid authenticity she brought to The Clan of the Cave Bear and its sequel, The Valley of Horses , Jean M. Auel continues the breathtaking epic journey of the woman called Ayla.

Riding Whinney with Jondalar, the man she loves, and followed by the mare’s colt, Ayla ventures into the land of the Mamutoi–the Mammoth Hunters. She has finally found the Others she has been seeking. Though Ayla must learn their different customs and language, she is adopted because of her remarkable hunting ability, singular healing skills, and uncanny fire-making technique. Bringing back the single pup of a lone wolf she has killed, Ayla shows the way she tames animals. She finds women friends and painful memories of the Clan she left behind, and meets Ranec, the dark-skinned, magnetic master carver of ivory, whom she cannot refuse–inciting Jondalar to a fierce jealousy that he tries to control by avoiding her. Unfamiliar with the ways of the Others, Ayla misunderstands, and thinking Jondalar no longer loves her, she turns more to Ranec. Throughout the icy winter the tension mounts, but warming weather will bring the great mammoth hunt and the mating rituals of the Summer Meeting, when Ayla must choose to remain with Ranec and the Mamutoi, or to follow Jondalar on a long journey into an unknown future.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: Or as it’s alternative title should be – ‘Oh my God why don’t you idiots just talk to each other, the book.’ You’ll cry – oh how you’ll cry – you’ll laugh, you’ll tear your hair out in frustration at the stupidity of fictional characters. All in all, a good time shall be had by all. Well everyone but the idiot left crying at the end, but who cares about him! Onwards Ayla to the next book!

Amazon Associates Link: The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel

The Wee Writing Lassie’s Gilmore Girls Love Interests of All Time: The Sixth Love of their Life

I think this guy’s a scream … what? Why are you looking at me like that?

Jason Stiles

I like Jason, as a character, I think he’s funny and he’s quirky in the kind of way that you don’t really see in the rest of the cast. Like sure, we could look at the residents of Stars Hollow and collectively call them more than a little insane, but that’s kind of in a big over the top way. It’s a little more like a live-action cartoon playing out on screen. Jason’s oddities – in particular his peculiar and precise sleeping habits feel more real. Like these are the kind of eccentricities that someone raised in this world, with his terrible parents, would have. It’s like he’s a character stepped out of a completely different kind of show.

Don’t get me wrong, that other show is clearly very well written, it’s just maybe one of its characters doesn’t belong in the Gilmore Girls world. And sleeping with Lorelei. I mean we’re all agree that relationship felt weird right, like collectively that just felt wrong,

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 7

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Goodreads Blurb: The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation’s past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell, whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country.

Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange.

Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very antithesis of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms that between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: A story of war, love, magic, fairies, and bitchy – slightly gay – magicians in regency England. I don’t think I’ve ever loved a book more.

Amazon Associates Link: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

The Wee Writing Lassie’s Gilmore Girls Love Interests of All Time: The Seventh Love of their Life

Look, I know I’ve been very negative on this so far – I can’t help it if a large segment of the men on this show are trash – so with this post, I’m going to do something that may feel very wrong for a Gilmore Girls fan to do. I’m going to be nice about Christopher.

Christopher Hayden

Look I’m not saying that Christopher wasn’t trash, or that he wasn’t a crappy dad, or a terrible boyfriend or just all around awful person. I just want to not bog myself down in nothing but negativity until I can’t move, that way lies Season 6 territory. And speaking of season 6 – it was a bit shit wasn’t it? People harp on about season 7 but honestly if you don’t count the revival, season 6 is the most shit of all the seasons. Mainly because it made me hate all the characters, but especially Luke. Luke was a terrible boyfriend during this season, and I know he was going through a lot but that really can’t excuse everything. And the way he treated Lorelei, particularly things like deliberately keeping her and his newly discovered daughter April separate, and refusing even passive parenting advice from the experienced mother he is dating because he doesn’t want to be outshone by her. Telling her too his face that he’s afraid once April and Lorelei develop a bond that’s it for him. His daughter will no longer have any interest in her (again) newly discovered father.

I want to hit this man so hard sometimes. It gets so bad that by the end of that stint of their relationship, it’s difficult for a viewing to even remember what Lorelei’s smile even looks like. So when Luke and Lorelei’s relationship implodes – yes, partly thanks to her sleeping with Christopher – and she starts her poorly conceived romance with Christopher, I was happy for her. Do you know why? She was actually smiling. At least at the beginning.

If you’ve enjoyed this wee post remember to follow the Wee Blog if you haven’t already. Also check me out on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Mastodon, Threads, Pinterest, Tumblr, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Kofi. And remember to subscribe to the Wee Mailing List before the end of the month to discover the Top Odd Character of Gilmore Girls. Until next time, stay safe and have a bonnie day.

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 6

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

Goodreads Blurb:This book is fantastic and frightening, but entirely plausible. It doesn’t just seem scientifically possible, but its characters are living people shaken out of the civilisation they know into the horror of a world dominated by triffids.

The triffids are grotesque and dangerous plants, over seven feet tall, originally cultivated for their yield of high-grade oil. So long as conditions give the mastery to their human directors, they are a valuable asset to mankind. But when a sudden universal disaster turns those conditions upside down, then the triffids, seizing their opportunity, become an active and dreadful menace.

The story of what happens is told here by one of the few people lucky enough to escape the disaster.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: Do Not Look Out the Window. I first read this when I was a child, and there’s always a fear that books you read in childhood won’t stand up to the scrutiny of your adult mind and understanding of the world. And that’s what I feared with this book. I’ve never been more pleased to be proven wrong. If anything it’s only gotten better 💫

Amazon Associates Link: The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

The Wee Writing Lassie’s Gilmore Girls Love Interests of All Time: The Eighth Love of their Life

And if we’re talking about assholes – sorry that was a reference to yesterday’s post – may I introduce you to the runner up.

Marty

Marty is not really a love interest for anyone except poor Lucy, and by the end of the series she’s thrown him to the curb – so he really shouldn’t be included in this list at all. And yet for a small time him and Rory were very close, and it looked even like they might become a couple. He certainly wanted that, but then Logan appeared and such things were never to be.

We cannot therefore judge him for what kind of boyfriend he might have been for our spunky Hermione, as he never got the chance to show us. But given his conduct as her friend – I can’t say it would have been much to write home of either. As soon he has it confirmed that Rory is not into him, and instead likes Logan, he ditches her. Yeah, there friendship meant absolutely nothing to him. And when they meet again in season 7, he outright lies to his current girlfriend (who Roary has recently befriended ignorant of who she was dating) that he’s never met Rory before. Dude, is a weird – sad, little man.

If you’ve enjoyed this wee post remember to follow the Wee Blog if you haven’t already. Also check me out on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Mastodon, Threads, Pinterest, Tumblr, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Kofi. And remember to subscribe to the Wee Mailing List before the end of the month to discover the Top Gilmore Girls love interest of all time. Until next time, stay safe and have a most excellent day.

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 5

The Valley of the Horses by Jean M. Auel

Goodreads Blurb: This unforgettable odyssey into the distant past carries us back to the awesome mysteries of the exotic, primeval world of The Clan of the Cave Bear, and to Ayla, now grown into a beautiful and courageous young woman.

Cruelly cast out by the new leader of the ancient Clan that adopted her as a child, Ayla leaves those she loves behind and travels alone through a stark, open land filled with dangerous animals but few people, searching for the Others, tall and fair like herself. The short summer gives her little time to look, and when she finds a sheltered valley with a herd of hardy steppe horses, she decides to stay and prepare for the long glacial winter ahead. Living with the Clan has taught Ayla many skills but not real hunting. She finally knows she can survive when she traps a horse, which gives her meat and a warm pelt for the winter, but fate has bestowed a greater gift, an orphaned foal with whom she develops a unique kinship. One winter extends to more; she discovers a way to make fire more quickly and a wounded cave lion cub joins her unusual family, but her beloved animals don’t fulfill her restless need for human companionship. Then she hears the sound of a man screaming in pain. She saves tall, handsome Jondalar, who brings her a language to speak and an awakening of love and desire, but Ayla is torn between her fear of leaving her valley and her hope of living with her own kind.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: This may be a controversial statement but … the least interesting thing about Jondalar is the size of his ‘manhood’. What? You thought I was going to say this book was better than the first one? Well, that’s objectively not true – but still an excellent book none the less, couldn’t put it down. Figuratively speaking.

Amazon Associates Link: The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel

The Wee Writing Lassie’s Gilmore Girls Love Interests of All Time: The Ninth Love of their Life

Is there anyone out there who actually likes Dean? Seriously? Why? Huh, well not to be offensive but that sounds deeply stupid, and this may not be the post for you. So we’ll see you tomorrow – as for the rest of you, onwards sane reader, to adventure.

Dean Forester

Okay, that was a bit of a joke – I didn’t actually mean to shit on anyone there. But come on this guy is the actual worst. He’s abusive, controlling, belittling, gets married on what looks like a whim, and then cheats on his wife with his ex-girlfriend. The only reason I can see anyone in the 2020s liking him is out of spite for Rory’s other two main love interests, Jess and Logan. And while neither of them are perfect, and it could be argued in the revival Logan is also a cheater – you know what they have, that Dean will never have? Actors that can actually act. That’s right Padalecki fan girls, I – having only watched him in this – have unjustifiably gone there.

The only reason this asshole isn’t the lowest on the list, is because unlike Dave no one’s going completely rabid over him, and insisting he was perfect. At least not the majority of people anyway. Which ironically makes me resent him less.

If you’ve enjoyed this wee post remember to follow the Wee Blog if you haven’t already. Also check me out on X, Goodreads, Instagram, Mastodon, Threads, Pinterest, Tumblr, Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Kofi. And remember to subscribe to the Wee Mailing List before the end of the month to discover the Top Love of their Lives. Until next time, stay safe and have a swell day.