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SBU English Club
United States
Приєднався 5 січ 2021
Real bad books. Real good critique partners. Real questionable writing advice.
BookTube | Book Reviews | Fanfiction Deep-Dives | Poetry
BookTube | Book Reviews | Fanfiction Deep-Dives | Poetry
Let’s Read Crown of Starlight! Cait Corrain Controversy | Booktok Book Deep Dive and Analysis
YOU WON’T GET THIS ANYWHERE ELSE. Controversial book deep dives & analysis, booktok fights, review bombing, and the wildest book drama to come out of Twitter-all right here at the SBU English Club.
Our club members face their greatest challenge yet: Cait Corrain’s Crown of Starlight! Cait had everything-a two-book traditional publishing deal, rave reviews from literary critics, and a successful ARC distribution. And then she made it go up in flames.
But what about the book itself? What was it about? Would this have been the next Fourth Wing, had she not reviewbombed everyone who would’ve supported her? What are the ethics of reading a discontinued book with such a bad reputation, and what responsibilities do we have to each other as readers, writers, and Internet users?
Also in this episode: Cait Corrain drama explained! You’ve heard the story before, you’ve seen the fake Discord chat, but do we-can we-know the full story, and trust the people telling it to us? Join us as we put laser focus on facts that others have glossed over-facts that can NEVER exonerate Cait Corrain, but CAN illustrate the risk that there may be some of them in all of us.
Please support Cait Corrain’s victims: www.asakkalon.com/2024-debut-books-to-support-thanks-cait-corrain/
WHO ARE YOU JOINING??
The Moirai: sbu_englishclub
Dionysus: sbu_englishclub/
CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Totally Real Discord Chat
00:06:53 Intro
00:10:57 Deep Dive
01:54:45 Good Things (Mostly)
02:25:29 Bad Things
03:29:13 Suggestions for Improvements
03:52:13 Deep Dive into the Controversy
04:12:55 Our Thoughts on Cait Corrain
04:32:12 Final Thoughts!
Our club members face their greatest challenge yet: Cait Corrain’s Crown of Starlight! Cait had everything-a two-book traditional publishing deal, rave reviews from literary critics, and a successful ARC distribution. And then she made it go up in flames.
But what about the book itself? What was it about? Would this have been the next Fourth Wing, had she not reviewbombed everyone who would’ve supported her? What are the ethics of reading a discontinued book with such a bad reputation, and what responsibilities do we have to each other as readers, writers, and Internet users?
Also in this episode: Cait Corrain drama explained! You’ve heard the story before, you’ve seen the fake Discord chat, but do we-can we-know the full story, and trust the people telling it to us? Join us as we put laser focus on facts that others have glossed over-facts that can NEVER exonerate Cait Corrain, but CAN illustrate the risk that there may be some of them in all of us.
Please support Cait Corrain’s victims: www.asakkalon.com/2024-debut-books-to-support-thanks-cait-corrain/
WHO ARE YOU JOINING??
The Moirai: sbu_englishclub
Dionysus: sbu_englishclub/
CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 Totally Real Discord Chat
00:06:53 Intro
00:10:57 Deep Dive
01:54:45 Good Things (Mostly)
02:25:29 Bad Things
03:29:13 Suggestions for Improvements
03:52:13 Deep Dive into the Controversy
04:12:55 Our Thoughts on Cait Corrain
04:32:12 Final Thoughts!
Переглядів: 5
Відео
Empress Theresa Prank Calls?? Bad YA Fantasy TTRPG
Переглядів 172День тому
They've never read Lightlark. I've never DMed a campaign. This is going to be a disaster. It‘s every DND horror story come to life! I've meticulously crafted (read: spent an afternoon throwing together) a homebrew TTRPG system with its own set of stats and items from my vague memories of Lightlark and Nightbane. The campaign, set right at the beginning of Nightbane, is a whole new kind of book ...
Lightlark TTRPG (Ep. 3) Nightbane Secrets Revealed?
Переглядів 29114 днів тому
Episode 3: Non-Prophet Blues They've never read Lightlark. I've never DMed a campaign. This is going to be a disaster. I've meticulously crafted (read: spent an afternoon throwing together) a homebrew TTRPG system with its own set of stats and items from my vague memories of Lightlark and Nightbane. And I’ve subsequently thrown it away because I got tired of it. This time, it’s Bad Book Trivia!...
Zenith is Lightlark in Space! YA Book Review and Deep Dive
Переглядів 1,1 тис.Місяць тому
It's YA Sci-Fi gone wild! Join the SBU English Club as they review what has to be one of the longest YA books ever Zenith by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings! Don't believe the author drama this book is nowhere NEAR as bad as they say it is. But they also don't talk about what makes this book REALLY bad. Weird how that happens. Whether you're a fan of the genre or just curious about the contr...
Lightlark D&D Campaign (Ep. 2) Terrible YA Book Dungeon Crawler
Переглядів 450Місяць тому
Episode 2: Two Boys Kissing It‘s every DND horror story come to life! Join our party of misfit pirates, surfer bros, and nice guys as they navigate love triangles, singing pony tailors, and boys kissing. Will they survive Alex Aster’s worldbuilding? Probably not! 📖🐉 Hang out with me between uploads on Instagram! sbu_englishclub
Lightlark D&D Campaign! (Ep. 1) The Worst YA Fantasy TTRPG Ever
Переглядів 909Місяць тому
Episode 1: Nice Guys Finish Last They've never read Lightlark. I've never DMed a campaign. This is going to be a disaster. I've meticulously crafted (read: spent an afternoon throwing together) a homebrew TTRPG system with its own set of stats and items from my vague memories of Lightlark and Nightbane. The campaign, set right at the beginning of Nightbane, is a whole new kind of book critique ...
Trigger Warning’s Author is Back! Not My Home RANT REVIEW
Переглядів 9392 місяці тому
Somehow, J.A. Johnstone has returned. And she’s brought a new book that’s somehow more insane than the last. Join the SBU English Club as they tackle another ripped-from-the-headlines Johnstone thriller, and try in vain to figure out just what headlines this is supposed to be ripped from. Just as a warning, this one gets kinda real, so listen at your discretion. ABOUT THE BOOK: The sudden arriv...
Barbie Jammin’ in Jamaica is a masterpiece, actually
Переглядів 2972 місяці тому
Barbie myscene's Jammin' in Jamaica is really good, actually! Maybe. The music, the animation, the skip bop boop this movie has it all. Join us for a deep dive into Jammin' in Jamaica's lopsided but surprisingly elegant chiastic structure. Is this sheltered recession-era darling just for kids, or is Andrew at the tip of the literary greatness iceberg? Go easy on me lol I'm learning a new editin...
This Furry Fantasy Book is EVIL! Rich Shapero’s Wild Animus
Переглядів 9384 місяці тому
The worst author ever is back with a furry mountain-climbing fever dream! This one’s so much to deal with that our heroes need to call in the help of a friend. Throw yourself to the wolves and join the fun as the English Club tackles a book that may literally be ontologically evil. Is it safe to climb a mountain in a fursuit? How much are you (not) supposed to spend on marketing your book? Is t...
The Ultimate Book Boyfriend Tierlist!
Переглядів 4024 місяці тому
Love is in the air! With so much romance in the books we read, the SBU English Club is calling a special session to determine the ultimate book love interest! Cozy vibes on this one. How does Norman Boutin’s Theresa stack up against Alex Aster’s Isla? Is the abstract concept of beauty as featured in Jordan Peterson’s poetry datable? Find out in this stream highlight! PICK YOUR ULTIMATE LOVER: N...
My Apology to BookTok: Empress Theresa’s Last Sermon
Переглядів 6874 місяці тому
This is Blood Meridian like you’ve never seen it before! The New York Book Forum recently hosted a discussion with the CEO of Abrams, Lightlark’s publisher’s parent company. Without realizing it, she tells us the story of how Alex Aster got Lightlark published, and shines a very… interesting light on how the publishing industry works in relation to data and social media. Jay and Andrew investig...
Nightbane Deep Dive! The YA Fantasy BookTok Darling is Back
Переглядів 1,2 тис.4 місяці тому
Somehow, Lightlark has returned. Some call it the worst YA book ever made, others call it a victim of a chemical reaction between the publishing industry and the TikTok machine. Whatever led Lightlark and Nightbane to get published, they're full of common mistakes made by newbie fantasy writers and remain some of the most controversial books. We don't care. We're hell-bent on saving it, anyways...
Author, Fanboy, Poet? Ernest Cline's Poetry Collection Reviewed
Переглядів 5705 місяців тому
Author, Fanboy, Poet? Ernest Cline's Poetry Collection Reviewed
Is This Controversial Bible Fanfiction Good Actually?
Переглядів 1,1 тис.6 місяців тому
Is This Controversial Bible Fanfiction Good Actually?
BookTok Drama, Twitter Fights, Copyrighting the Sun: Lauren M. Davis's Nova's Playlist
Переглядів 2,6 тис.7 місяців тому
BookTok Drama, Twitter Fights, Copyrighting the Sun: Lauren M. Davis's Nova's Playlist
Stones To Abbigale Review: Onision’s Facts, Greg’s Fiction
Переглядів 1,4 тис.8 місяців тому
Stones To Abbigale Review: Onision’s Facts, Greg’s Fiction
How to Write Poetry ✒️ | How I got Published 📖
Переглядів 798 місяців тому
How to Write Poetry ✒️ | How I got Published 📖
Lightlark Secret Ending! Nightbane Prequel Movie
Переглядів 2068 місяців тому
Lightlark Secret Ending! Nightbane Prequel Movie
Guessing Fourth Wing’s Ending! Fourth Wing Review
Переглядів 91210 місяців тому
Guessing Fourth Wing’s Ending! Fourth Wing Review
Let’s Read a Goosebumps book! Give Yourself Goosebumps
Переглядів 26311 місяців тому
Let’s Read a Goosebumps book! Give Yourself Goosebumps
Empress Theresa's Evil Twin? Making sense of Rin, Tongue and Dorner
Переглядів 1,6 тис.11 місяців тому
Empress Theresa's Evil Twin? Making sense of Rin, Tongue and Dorner
Let's Read Lightlark: (too) many good book ideas
Переглядів 1,5 тис.Рік тому
Let's Read Lightlark: (too) many good book ideas
Ready Player One RANT REVIEW: An Unintentional Self-Report
Переглядів 1,4 тис.Рік тому
Ready Player One RANT REVIEW: An Unintentional Self-Report
Becoming an English Major 📚🖊️ Why Study Literature, Books to Read, Joining Writing Groups
Переглядів 241Рік тому
Becoming an English Major 📚🖊️ Why Study Literature, Books to Read, Joining Writing Groups
Let's Read the Empress Theresa Forums! Writing Advice for Editing
Переглядів 7 тис.Рік тому
Let's Read the Empress Theresa Forums! Writing Advice for Editing
The Empress Theresa Iceberg Explained!
Переглядів 20 тис.Рік тому
The Empress Theresa Iceberg Explained!
English Lit graduate here. I'm glad I found you. ♥
@@wingsandash I’m glad you found us!! Keep in touch!
If Hal learns by association couldn't she just try to fly a kite with him to get the wind to start again?
Yeah she could have done LITERALLY anything 😭😭
Reaper's Creek is so trainwreckingly bad that it makes - 1. The anime Pupa look like a masterpiece 2. The protagonist of Sword Art Online look extremely well-written in comparison 3. The song "Surrounded By Silence" by Design The Skyline sound like a masterpiece 4. The long-dead youtuber Fred seem tolerable 5. The Indian movie Deshdrohi look like an Oscar-worthy sensation That's how f***ed up this book is 😖😵💫
A sugar house is where maple sap is gathered and boiled down into syrup. The group of trees from which the sap is gathered is called a sugar bush, in case that ever comes up. "Sugar bush" is also a terrible pick-up line. Don't ask me how I know.
Truly a lost art of true americans. And yeah I’d take “sugar bush” as an insult 😂😂
started laughing at 0:00:35, this is gonna be good
This keeps getting less & less hinged. Admittedly, part of that was the onion boy question in the beginning
@@serene1172 he haunts us
this channel is so underrated. i love listening to your videos while working on my art projects
@@Bonebrothsoup Thank you so much! YT keeps us down so only the real ones find us 😤😤
"I love you, because I can see my reflection in your eyes". And they say romance isn't dead.
she top my table till we tabled topping to role play this she playing a role till i table top call her a role playing game the way she tops my table she
That’s okay! We’ll workshop it
Wheatgrass moment‼️
Im so glad this dumpster fire is back in my algorithm, Norman is literally fucking insane haha
Oh gods, the goblin flipping her off when it said "Well now it's two!" just absolutley killed me!🤣
do NOT let norman see this 😭
Tbh, that 45 trillion barrell line sounds badass.
How about Anna Nichole Smith's Skyscraper?
I’ll put it on the list 👀
I sat through Krimson Rogue's whole series and I'm surprised none of the comments I've seen bring up autism or neurodivergence. This work and the way Boutin talks about it, also his speaking manner in general, remind me heavily of 2000's era Chris Chan and his Sonichu comic, and to a lesser extent of my own childhood self and the stories and characters I'd create. He really strikes me as a boomer (we know he's in his 70's) who's autistic and was socially ostracised much of his life, never received treatment or direction to self-improve or productively self-actualize, and the book is his attempt to "make real" his inner fantasies and headcanon as he gets older.
i like listening book podcasts while im sewing stuff and yours was a delight to find. i really enjoyed how you were still considering the author's ideas and did not take the easy negative route. can't wait to listen your other episodes
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Hope to see you around. Happy sewing
I don’t know what your talking about this is a work of art the second coming of the Bible and Theresa is a goddess among motals
Oh... oh this is DELIGHTFUL Heading back to start episode 1 now, this is going to be so fun
@@ecyor0 hope you enjoy!! These are fun to do so I’m glad you’re into it
Japanese?!? So, basically the character Samurai from the Super Friends?
J made me laugh out loud several times during this episode.
Moral of the story, limiting the reader forces the reader to think logically. Stories aren’t math problems, there’s no right answer. Let the reader imagine what the scene is while conveying what is necessary <3
This is how all bad Fantasy Novels should be reviewed tbh.
Gotta get Alex Aster to play; give her a taste of her own medicine
This is the best thing to ever come from light lark. Just…. ‘What if we treated the setting as a rpg’. Edit: also gotta love the duct tape on the microphone
The backlight on thst mic is SO bright and impossible to turn off so I was desperate 😭😭
@@sbu_englishclub I thought it was to hold the thing together 😂
Oh, the next couple of books will bring in Evolution, the root of all evil.
Since I grew up under Young Earth Creationism, evangelicalism/fundamentalism, and purity culture, I could fill up another hour with things to say about this book. But y'all covered most of it in your discussion. For me, the biggest thing is how such a strict adherence to "the Truth" (in any ideology) squashes creativity. Imagination is not encouraged in these circles. As to the discomfort in the scenes between Noah and his wife, I believe some of that stems from the fact that the authors were very uncomfortable writing a romance. After all, romance almost always involves sex. What if if kids read about two people referencing sex? Then these kids would start to think about it, inflaming their imaginations, and that's a very heavy transgression to have on one's conscience! The only good way to bring up sex is to link it with motherhood. As to why they wrote this book -- partly because evangelical/fundy people crave fantasy and escapism, but most of it isn't allowable under their belief system. This book feeds that need. (So does Amish romance, but that's a different subject.)
This is great insight! With iron mining operations on the pterodactyl cliffs I didn’t notice a lack of imagination but you’re totally right Also brb, looking into amish romances 👀👀
This reminds me of that famous quote, “everything in the world is about Sonic the hedgehog, except Sonic the hedgehog, which is about sex” ETA also I can’t believe you didn’t mention Barmit’s Va at 1:11:00. Amazing, a literary masterpiece, 10/10 no notes
Oh my god this is so applicable
This series continues to be the BEST kind of chaos, we love it
Building on the “weird girls playing pretend” theory, I feel like it also reads like a group of 12 year olds who discovered d&d but aren’t 100% sure how to run a campaign. It also reminds me in the best possible way of the book my two best friends and I tried to cowrite in middle school (it was called Monsters, Men, and Masquerades. yes, we were all very active on wattpad, why do you ask?) and that makes me kind of want to type it up and send it to yall. It’s not very good but it’s so sincere that it’s kind of endearing, looking back Edit: also I wanted to add that I really appreciate the way y’all framed this as a fun, cathartic writing exercise. I feel like that’s a pretty common experience. There are days where I find myself unable to write anything (fiction, schoolwork, nothing) until I spend an hour writing up my latest shitty self indulgent fanfiction idea, and while I save all of those things and kind of cherish them even though they often make me cringe, I would simply have to fake my death and move to a shack in the woods if anyone else ever saw them. I think it’s important to recognize that not everything you write has to be a masterpiece, and writing bad things can be fun or emotionally meaningful or even valuable experience for developing skills, but also it shouldn’t be published because it doesn’t mean the same thing to a reader as it does to the author
Justice for Monsters, Men, and Masquerades! It is a really weird line to walk with a book like this-this is clearly a “book of play” as J put it and in that way it’s silly and charming, but also, it was published, which entitles people like us to say it’s bad. I don’t really know what the answer is other to enjoy the ride and try to be (reasonably) charitable to our authors
drawing fan art of andrew and jay (the other one) kissing if anyone’s interested
@@reaux01 🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♂️🙋🏻♂️
Honestly, Jordan Peterson sounds like a slightly nasal Mickey Mouse to me, so that was actually pretty accurate in my opinion. Also. Wait a second. These episodes are technically also a part of the SBU. Does that mean that there could be questions about the Lightlark TTRPG in the bowl? Next episode: Lightlark Jammin' in Ja-Wild Isle?
Gonna start asking these guys trivia questions about themselves
Ooooooooooh
First 🎉
Boo!
The revamp of the game mechanics is almost like the revamp of the Lightlark world mechanics in Nightbane
@@AidenFeltkamp In true Alex Aster fashion, I feel like I need to pull the rug out from under everything the second I’d rather do something else
I gave the religion thing a thought. what if all the girls are decendats from Teran settlers? Would that work?
Definitely! Even if something like that were only implied, it’d still go a long way to put their word choice into context
@43:10 I don't think the thread would have been EXACTLY the same if Harper Lee were pushing To Kill a Mockingbird like Norman. Some members would actually take a look at the book itself and may become her defenders if they found the writing worthwhile. No one did this for Empress Theresa.
Decíselo a Manuel Puig
We have summer when the earths rotation brings our hemisphere into a angle where more sunlight hits it. The eternal summer thing only works if all the surface is on the same plane, ie a FLAT EARTH.
Norman’s spreading truths that they don’t want us to know
"Zahn Pasta" Out of the entire review, that joke is what stuck with me. I don't know how many actually noticed it, but I did, and I don't know why it was so funny, but I literally folded over from laughter. I also saw a LOT of paralells with a WIP I have, and let me notice a bunch of things that are blantantly bad in it. Probably going to keep those anyway, but at least I'll do it on purpose now.
@@Anachletus making fun of »Zahn« was definitely a nitpick on our part but I can’t help it 😂 I think the intentionality is the important difference here-almost nothing in this book was completely to-the-core irredeemable
@@sbu_englishclub No, I get it. I wouldn't have been abe to not see it either if I was reading it. I know it's kinda unfair, and I've certainly fallen into that particular trap as well every now and then, but I think the only reasonable thing is to have a little chuckle and then move on, much like you guys did. Like, you didn't Cinema Sins-ding it for it, that would've been uncharitable, but it's fine to notice things that are funny.
Big Jake Rivers (who is big) is two inches taller than Hawthorne at 6' 5", and 35 pounds heavier at 250. Knowing that does not fill me with pride.
You are the carrier of sacred knowledge
I do not enjoy poetry in general. But listening to you explain poetry like prose writing (which I understand and love) was really intriguing. And Butthole, Butthole, Butthole amply illustrated your points. I really did see things in a new way, about something that we're "not supposed to talk about." What an interesting and courageous poem. Thanks! (Oh, and Peterson's book turns my stomach so I don't have much to say about that.)
It makes me sick too 🤢 but I’m glad you enjoyed!
Bear + deer (antlers) = Beer? I’d take the Beer any day lol 😂
I was partial to moss wolf personally
Your thoughts on how the collaboration worked out are very interesting. I definitely guessed something closer to what Jay proposed, but I’d love to hear these two authors chat about the process for this book.
The art style is so cute
Haha! I needed that laugh!😆I loved the pokémon montage!
Honestly? I kinda wanna write a high fantasy story now, with the twist being that ever so often it gets interrupted by two girls from the modern world discussing whether this plot point would make sense or not. I think that'd be really funny 😂
It would definitely be fun to write lmaooo
@@sbu_englishclub Nevermind I just remembered that this is basically something that happens in My Immortal 😂
💀 To be fair, it’s one of the most interesting parts of my immortal, so…
@@sbu_englishclub true. My train of thought was that the two girls who told the story had problems and falling outs, which ofc also reflected on their characters. A concept which i found super interesting, but it also immediately reminded me of the Sweater Raven borrowed from Tara and allegedly never brough back.
I mean that's certainly one thing to learn from Empress Theresa 😅
Interestingly in the geneology of the bible Noahs wife is a descendent of Cain.
Dang I really gotta read genesis I keep forgetting who begat whom
I just bought Quicksilver to maybe critique................. Wish me luck ..... It's 622 pages
You're "sleepover story time" analogy is a perfect encapsulation of a bigger problem in YA/romantasy: a disquieting dissonance between the declared ages of the characters and the actual ages they read as. Snark is supposed to indicate cleverness, but reads like petulance; propensity for violence is supposed to demonstrated ruthlessness, but reads like the prolonged temper tantrum of a rampaging toddler; sexual attraction/romance that's supposed to be electrifying and fraught with will-they-won't-they tension reads like a grade 8 game of spin-the-bottle; complex plans and political manoeuvring that are supposed to stun readers with their sophistication are written, one letter per page, in crayon; character dynamics that are supposed to leave us believing in their deep friendships or rivalries only exist as proof that authors eating glue won't make things stick. "But, they're teenagers!", you say. To which I say: "Then they should be written as teens, not pre-teens." Or, if you want to write that (im)maturity level, don't send them romping around your galaxy-of-hats slaughtering people for sh*ts and giggles. Same goes for "new adult". More often than not, twenty-somethings read like sixteen or seventeen while boning so hard they're breaking furniture. What's more disturbing is that the average age of YA readers seems to FAR outstrip its intended audience. YA readers are mid-twenties and up these days. The Peter Pan Syndrome is real, and it's creepy; like "R. Kelly hanging out at the McDonald's next to the high school" creepy. It makes the hyper-immaturity of the characters even more unsettling, especially with the demand for "spice" on the rise. That the majority of authors and consumers of such are women ... well there's a lot to unpack. All I can say, in short, is that we deserve better. I'm sure the authors were having fun at some points, and that's fine. An 8 year old can have fun making a mud pie; doesn't mean I want a slice. The issue is that they slapped a price tag on it and took people's money. That's where the fun stops. That's when having expectations of quality aren't just fair, but fundamental. That the book was released as is, IS the fault of the publisher, full stop, but the stunning lack of self-awareness on display by the authors is obnoxious. I have zero sympathy for them, their ilk (Astor, Yarros, Maas, Armentrout, etc.) and the drubbing such books get. Genre fiction readers take the things they love seriously, quite possibly because Sci-fi/fantasy was treated as something entirely un-serious for so long, so when YA drags it back into vapid, denigrating, low-effort slop territory, I'd say the backlash is earned. The marketing-squee of BookTok doesn't help, either. At this point, I categorically refuse to read BookTok, sorry, **TropeTok** recs because the odds of getting more of the "Lightlark fan club" are just too high and life is too short.
TropeTok 🤢🤢🤢 This is such a great summary of where we’re at right now, but what’s key to me is “we deserve better”-authors, readers, women. It’s just kinda sad