Arts & Culture

A Tale of Love and Pages: The Romantasy Sensation

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As a genre, fantasy has been around for as long as human imagination has dared to dream of what could be in realms where the typical laws of nature do not apply. However, a subgenre which blends the fantastical with stories of love has begun to dominate the field: romantasy. Romantasy, exemplified by such novels as A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, presents readers with high-stakes love in the midst of magic. And while its audience continues to grow, there are some who call into question the prevalence of certain tropes and the sort of characters they champion. There have been numerous comments about the standard qualities of romantasy: a title similar to A Court of Thorns and Roses, the famous romantic cliches like “enemies to lovers,” the centrality of women.

Arts & Culture

Reading in Times of Distress

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When I first started writing this article, my mind was on the election and my fears for the future. Now, our reality has become steeped in even more tragedy that has left many in our community reeling. Amidst everything, I found myself turning to books — and the escapism they provide — to cope with the unrelenting sense of uncertainty and heaviness around me. 

In moments like these, it can be difficult, dealing with a flood of emotions or maybe even more so to feel them slip away behind walls. There are many coping mechanisms out there, but, in my opinion, none come close to the power that escapism through reading can offer. Reading goes beyond distraction, it offers a liminal space to indirectly connect with feelings and to discover pieces of yourself.

Lifestyle

Finding Little Joys: Romanticizing Your Education at Cornell

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Seeing the good in an 8 or 9 a.m. class is hard. Sometimes, it’s hard to haul myself out of bed for mine. My mattress is too comfortable; I’m too warm and cozy beneath the covers … but I still get up. Why? For starters, it helps that despite it being so early in the morning compared to any of my other classes this semester, I do genuinely enjoy my 8:40 a.m. Greek class. That certainly adds incentive. Otherwise, it comes down to the fact that I’ve found it easier to stay on top of things for the rest of the day by going to my first classes, no matter how early they are. 

Arts & Culture

Seven Magical Books to Get Lost in this Fall

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The season of reading is upon us as Ithaca transforms into a canvas of scarlet and gold redolent of crisp air and foggy mornings. There is no better time to get lost in the enchanting, and sometimes spooky worlds of fantasy — so here are seven must-read fantasy books to add to your list this fall. House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

House of Salt and Sorrows was one of my favorite fall reads from last year. Craig crafts an eerie, atmospheric tale based on the “Twelve Dancing Princesses” which contorts opulent balls into horrifying vestiges of beauty, blurring the line between reality and nightmares. Annaleigh Thaumas and her remaining sisters live at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, which is haunted by the mysterious and increasingly tragic deaths of their four sisters.

Arts & Culture

92% Surge in Book Banning Attempts Indicative of Enduring Battle for Basic Rights

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On March 14, 2024 the American Library Association published a report highlighting a dramatic 92% increase in efforts to ban and censor books across the nation in 2023. Censorship attempts have risen consistently in the past years with each year topping the previous for the number of titles challenged. These trends reflect a growing battle pitting libraries and booksellers against those wishing to silence diverse voices. These attempts are rooted in individuals feeling threatened by progressive ideas that challenge the inequality entrenched in society. These attempts are appalling. The insecurity conservative minds feel passes on these troubling beliefs to children because they never see the books that would allow them to form their own opinion, causing the cycle of inequality to continue. 

Arts & Culture

Fantasy Favorites: A Review of Crescent City Books 1 and 2

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As a fantasy connoisseur and Sarah J. Maas fan, I am super excited to review the first two books in her Crescent City series, House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath. These two books are big, both over 800 pages. However, they were well worth the time. The first book, House of Earth and Blood, follows the half-human and half-fae main character Bryce Quinlan. I love Bryce, as she feels like a real person with real issues.

Arts & Culture

A Review of Local Bookstores in Ithaca

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As the weather has gotten chillier, I have been spending more time inside, finishing most of the novels I brought with me to college. This meant I was in need of some new books, so I went on a mission to explore the local bookstores of Ithaca. While researching options near campus, I found three interesting shops down by Ithaca Commons that piqued my interest. 

First, I visited the Odyssey Bookstore, situated in the basement of a quaint stone building. As my friends and I entered the small space, we immediately fell in love with the cozy atmosphere. The store is packed with books from floor to ceiling, providing plenty of selections for readers of all genres.