They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, A.M. Rose returns to gush about a new set of favorites. Even better? Her newest book, Breakout, comes out today from Entangled Teen!
What does A.M. love when she’s not writing about science fictional prison breaks? Spoiler alert: a heroine who’ll fight for who she loves, a witch that deserves more time in the spotlight, dressing up as YA characters for a particular event, and a coming-of-age story about a bi-sexual princess. Intrigued? Read on to learn more!
If I was to make of list of things that are NOT my favorite, I feel like that would be an easy task, but as I sit here staring down this foreboding blank page, my mind also feels blank to what favorite things I could possibly write about.
Like if you knew me, like knew me knew me, you would know that I’m not a fan of scary things. Like I’m more of a rom-com girl than a horror or thriller chick, but at the same time, I love Stranger Things. And my love for Eleven runs even deeper. There is just something sweet, but utterly powerful about her character that is so compelling, and don’t even get me started on how uber-talented Millie Bobby Brown is. But back to Eleven. She has the perfect mix of strength and empathy. She is fiercely loyal and would go to great lengths to protect the people she loves. Which is maybe why I connect with her so well, because this is me in a nutshell. While I can’t blast people with my superpower brain, I will stand up for those I love and fight for them to all ends.
My dislike for uber-scary things filters into just about all of my likes/dislikes. For example, the new The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina that showed up on Netflix — part of me was super intrigued, but then there was this alarm bell ringing in my head like, “back away slowly, you know it will give you nightmares.” And while I was able to watch a few episodes successfully, this makes me think about one of my all-time favorite witches, Luna Lovegood. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Hermione too, but for very different reasons. And for whatever reason Hermione seems to get all the attention so let’s chat about Luna and show her a little love. First, she is unique. And not just in her sense of style or way of thinking, but in the sense that she is truly an individual. She seems to unconditionally love herself despite what others say to and about her. I think we could all use a little of that self-confidence in our lives. (I know I could.) Second, just like Hermione, Luna is a very clever witch. Yes, she might have grown up in a magical family, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that she is brilliant. Luna isn’t one to stop questioning things even when she’s found an answer, and it’s that creativity and openness that, I think, makes her the perfect ying to Hermione’s yang. I’m sure there has got to be some Hermione/Luna fan fic out there, and just writing about these two makes me want to go and seek it out.
Knowing that I’m not a fan of scary things, it might come as somewhat of a shock to find out that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Now, I can’t explain this phenomenon, but something about that time of year, when the leaves are supposed to be changing color (doesn’t happen much here in Texas) and the weather is changing too, that it feels that anything magical is possible. There’s also the fact that I get to dress up, which is one of my favorite things about Halloween. I usually try not to be super predictable in what I wear either, choosing to go as a book character, and I love having teens try to figure out who I am (mostly because I dress like YA book characters). The year I was a Shadow Hunter with my niece (from the awesome books by Cassandra Clare) more people were able to recognize me than when I dressed like Eleanor from Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.
Speaking of rainbows — the things not the person — rainbows themselves are not speculative, but it does make me think about one of my favorite animated shows, Star vs. The Forces of Evil. If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching it, you will find that it’s rather enjoyable. I’m usually not a fan of the shows my kids choose, and as they grow older their enjoyment of horribly cliché slapstick comedy is not my cup of tea, but Star vs. The Forces of Evil is a super cute story with lots of magic and fun characters, Star being one of my favorites. She herself is like a rainbow, positive and bright, and her wardrobe choices are adorable. You see, she is a powerful princess from another dimension who has been sent to live with Marco and his “normal” family. (Normal here in quotes, because is any family normal? I think not.) She just isn’t ready for all the powers that come from being a princess in her world, so the heart of this story is really a coming of age tale, and you just can’t help but want to cheer for her. And the fact that she’s a bisexual character on Disney makes it that much cooler. So as far as animated stories go, Star vs. The Forces of Evil definitely makes my top five list.
No, there’s not enough information here to start writing my biography, but there is a little of the nuance of what makes me, me. It’s been fun thinking about some of my favorite things, and I hope it’s been just as enjoyable for you.
A.M. Rose is the author of Road to Eugenica and is the writer of young adult novels of all genres as long as there’s a hint of romance (and kissing, there has to be kissing). She prefers walking to running, coffee to tea (although she does enjoy a nice Earl Grey with a touch of milk and sugar), and believes cheese should be its own food group.
A.M. graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Communication and a minor in Magical Creature Studies. (If you see a unicorn with purple spots, proceed with caution.)
For more shenanigans; visit her online at the following:
Website || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram
Author photo by Alberto Moretta.
Would you like to write about YOUR favorite things for Speculative Chic? Check out our guidelines and fill out the form here.
I love the cover of Breakout. Reminds me of black widow spiders.
Sometimes I roll into Netflix *just* to watch that last episode bit with Eleven because it’s so damn good.
A.M. Rose, I adore your cosplay so much! And literary cosplay doesn’t get as much love as it should, so hooray for fighting the good fight!