#5FandomFriday: Make-Up Friday - 5 Characters I'd Name My Kids After

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge for female geek bloggers hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. You can learn more about the Female Geek Bloggers group here. This week, I'm catching up with a #5FandomFriday prompt I missed: characters I'd name my (future) kids after.

1. Emma - I've fallen in love with Once Upon a Time over the past couple of years, and while my favorite character was originally Mary Margaret, her daughter Emma Swan has taken first place in my heart. First of all, Jennifer Morrison is beautiful and a wonderful actress who deserves to win all the awards. Emma Swan is tough, clever, and fiercely protective of those she loves, and those are all qualities I would be proud to see in my future daughter. She also shares her name with my favorite Jane Austen novel.

2. Luna - One of my favorite Harry Potter characters by far is dreamy Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood. Even though she's suffered horrible tragedy followed by being the object of bullying in school, Luna remains sweet, kind, and always willing to help. She is humble and hardworking. In the books, I love the grounding effect she has on Harry, and the way he values her advice and spirit and chooses to be her friend no matter what others may think.

3. Claire - I love escaping into history and romance through the Outlander books, and Claire Randall/Beauchamp/Fraser is one of my favorite narrators of all time. Raised to be strong and confident, she served as a field nurse during World War II, endured all sorts of hardships in 18th century Scotland and France, because a successful doctor in America, and showed herself to be stubborn and brave throughout it all. She's sassy and intelligent and I absolutely adore her.

4. Carter - Carter is basically the best name ever for a baby geek - there's John Carter of Mars, SHIELD director Peggy Carter, and, for country music geeks like me, the Carter family from Virginia. But my first beloved Carter was Dr. John Carter, played by Noah Wyle on E.R. Oh, how I loved that man despite his many flaws. He was patient, kind, and devoted to saving the world in order to fight his inner demons.

5. Sawyer - I love a rogue - think Han Solo, Mal Reynolds, and Killian Jones - and one of my all time favorites is James "Sawyer" Ford from LOST. Even though he did some despicable things, I was rooting for him and the knight in shining armor I knew he could become throughout all the dark and twisty seasons of that crazy show.

Potter Month: Why UVa Was My Hogwarts

Meagan from Little Red's Reading Blog recently shared pictures she took while attending an academic conference at Oxford (congratulations Meagan!). While she was there, she saw some sites that were used as settings in the Harry Potter films. Inspired by Meagan's post, for my last Potter Month contribution, I'm going to share why my alma mater, the University of Virginia, was my Hogwarts.

Photo via BuzzFeed

I visited UVa for the first time on a seventh-grade field trip and fell in love automatically - it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen and the tour was actually really interesting. I decided then that I was a future Cavalier, even though I wasn't at the top of my class and neither of parents had gone to college. Everything I did in high school was to strengthen my application! Over my five years at the University, I think I had quite a few moments when I understood how Harry felt to be at Hogwarts. 

1. Our Founder is kind of a big deal and our grounds are (kind of) haunted - So much of the culture of Hogwarts is based on the values and beliefs of its four founders: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, and Rowena Ravenclaw. UVa's culture is still largely influenced by the father of our University, Thomas Jefferson. One of Jefferson's beliefs was that it was impossible to be finished learning, so incoming students are referred to as "first years" and so on. Sound familiar, Potter fans?

While the ghosts at Hogwarts are the real deal (and some people would surely say UVa has that kind, too), I'm using haunted as a metaphor here. After I'd been accepted to UVa my senior year, I had one last opportunity to visit as a high school student, for the state science fair. After I'd finished presenting my project, I took some time to walk around the Academical Village and Carr's Hill by myself. As I walked on the cobblestones, I couldn't help but think about the history of the University, both good and bad, and how many accomplished and intelligent people had walked on those same paths. I got the feeling that I'd never be alone.

2. Hogwarts Houses / UVa Dorms - Much like the Hogwarts Houses, UVa has different dorms for different personalities. Old Dorms tends to attract politicos and Greek lifers, New Dorms tends to be more diverse and laid-back, Brown kids are usually indie and artsy, Gooch/Dillard residents are quiet and scholarly, and Hereford kids will yell at you if you don't recycle. 

While we all filled out an application with our preferences, the choice was ultimately up to the Sorting Hat - er, UVa Housing. The kids in my dorm, Woody, became really close, and there was always something fun going on. I made lifelong friendships and lived with Woody kids for the next two years as well!

Photo via BuzzFeed

3. Secrets! - Hogwarts had the Chamber of Secrets and Dumbledore's Army; UVa has secret societies. Throughout Grounds, they have left their markings on buildings, and the societies do various philanthropic activities in the community or advocate for various principles near and dear to UVa students' hearts. The most secretive of all is the Seven Society - membership is not revealed publicly until a member's death. Members of the Z society wear a special ring at graduation. There are also some less secretive societies - I knew one of my friends was an Imp because she wore an engraved ring, and one of our 4-H officers was a member of a ribbon society called Eli Banana. I was pretty sure one of my fifth-year roommates was in a secret society because she was never home. Or she was a Death Eater.

Photo via BuzzFeed

4. That one super-beloved staff member - In the books, Hagrid serves as Harry's introduction to the magical world, and he becomes a parental figure to the trio while they're at Hogwarts. 

At UVa, we have Mama Kathy, who does so much more than swipe meal cards at Newcomb Hall. During my first week on Grounds, I recognized her from my high school visits, and she said, "Welcome back, baby!" as soon as she saw me. Since I was involved with several student organizations, I was in Newcomb Hall a lot, and Mama Kathy always seemed to know when her babies needed an extra big smile or even a hug. I still make a point to visit her every time I'm back on Grounds.

5. Getting dis-proportionally excited about sports - For most of my time as a student, our football team was not very strong, but that didn't stop students from acting like Hogwarts students at a Quidditch match, from completely blue-and-orange outfits and face paint, to one of our RA's who ran around shirtless in November with a rotisserie chicken (representing the Viginia Tech Hokies, of course) on a plastic sword (for Cav Man).

The irony of UVa athletics is that since most of the state of Virginia is obsessed with football, our programs don't always get the media attention they deserve. In 2015, the Cavaliers held the men's NCAA titles in soccer, baseball, and tennis, and hold the ACC record for national championships in men's sports. UVa also has 14 current students, 2 former students, and 2 coaches currently headed to the Olympics in Rio.

Photo via BuzzFeed

6. The Corner = Hogmeade. Hogwarts students get excited about butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks and candy from Honeydukes. We got excited about soup in a bread bowl from Jabberwocky, Gusburgers from The White Spot, secret sauce from Take It Away, and Bodo's bagels.

7. Break out the dress robes - Our equivalent of the Yule Ball was the Harvest Ball, which usually had a fun theme like Casino Royale. 

At UVa, there's some kind of formal dance going on just about every weekend because we have so many student organizations, fraternities, and sororities, so it's not unusual to see girls in sky-high heels and ballgowns and boys in suits and ties hitting the bars on the Corner in the wee hours of the morning.

8. Prefects = Res Life Staff. Student self-governance is a huge part of UVa life, and our residence system is almost completely student-run. I was a Resident Adviser in upperclass housing during my fourth year. Just like Percy Weasley, I had the power to punish students (it was called a VSOC, for Violation of Standards of Conduct, like underage alcohol possession), and had to patrol at night - not to make sure no one was breaking curfew, like at Hogwarts, but to make sure no one was passed out on the sidewalk. It happens. While Hogwarts prefects get their own special bathroom, I got a whole apartment that I shared with another RA!

Photo via @UVaLibrary on Twitter

9. The McGregor Room is definitely a Hogwarts common room - The most wonderful study spot in the world, in the bottom of Alderman Library, was unveiled when I was in school. Oriental rugs! Fireplaces! Chandeliers! Gorgeous bookshelves with ladders! Also a great place to nap. It's lovingly nicknamed the "Harry Potter room."

10. Some strict professors, and some amazing professors - I was trying to remember if I encountered any Snapes or Umbridges during my time at UVa, and I thought of my Environmental Science professor, who would actually drop students from the course if their cellphones rang in class. 

We have professors that are actually more famous than Gilderoy Lockhart, like Larry Sabato, who can often be seen on shows like Meet the Press explaining American politics, and poet Rita Dove. I had a drama professor who was a bit like Slughorn in that she liked to name-drop famous alumni like Tina Fey, Benjamin McKenzie, and Sean Patrick Thomas. I was lucky to have a lot of professors who were more like McGonnagal, Lupin, and Dumbledore - caring, passionate about teaching, and all with their own quirks!

Potter Month: Harry Potter Spells Book Tag

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge for female geek bloggers hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. You can learn more about the Female Geek Bloggers group here. This month, we're doing things a little differently and zooming in on one fandom (which just happens to be the most amazing universe to be a fan of) for Harry Potter Month! Kristin from Super Space Chick posted one of the coolest book tags every in honor of this month - the HP Spells Book Tag! 

AN UPCOMING RELEASE YOU WISH YOU 

COULD GET YOUR HANDS ON RIGHT NOW

I'm obsessed with Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass series and can't wait to read book #5 when it comes out in September - the stakes have gotten higher for the characters with every book, and Aerin is one of my all-time favorite heroines.

FAVORITE SERIES STARTER

Diana Gabaldon has had me under her spell from the very beginning. The Outlander series is such an amazing blend of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance, and the first novel sets the tone so well. 

A BOOK THAT GAVE YOU ALL THE WARM & FUZZIES

This category was really hard for me... I just do not read warm and fuzzy books! Meyer's Lunar Chronicles are fairytale retellings with a science fiction twist, and my favorite pairing are Cress and Captain Carswell Thorne - innocence and trust meets swagger and cockiness (please recommend your favorite warm and fuzzy books in the comments!). 

A BOOK THAT MADE YOU UGLY CRY

Oh, goodness. I checked this one out from the library after seeing the trailers for the film, and I'm glad I did because I don't think I would have been able to handle this story in a theater. I read it in one sitting, and it completely wrecked me emotionally.

BOOKISH HERO OR HEROINE YOU WANT 

AROUND TO PROTECT YOU IN REAL LIFE

Stephanie Plum is one lucky bond bailswoman - whenever she's in trouble, she has two hotties who are already there for her - while I love her banter with her on-and-off fiancee, Joe Morelli, I think if I needed protection I'd call on dark, mysterious Ranger and his never-ending supply of Land Rovers and weapons.

A BOOK YOU WISH YOU COULD MAKE EVERYONE

READ BECAUSE YOU LOVED IT SO MUCH

One of my all-time favorite books, from my favorite YA fantasy writer. The Scorpio Races is so unique and beautifully written, with amazing worldbuilding. I think its length is off-putting to some people (it's a doorstop!) but it's definitely worth the time it takes to read.

A BOOK SERIES YOU WISH NEVER ENDED

This was such a creative YA series - sci-fi, romance, and dystopia. I loved the characters, Petty and Aria, and their unlikely romance, and definitely could have read more books about them having adventures together!

A BOOK WITH AN UPLIFTING MESSAGE

I love reading about strong women, but I love books about women becoming strong even more - especially when they're true stories! Even though I had a little bit of trouble getting into Cheryl Strayed's memoir at first, I am so glad that I read about her journey hiking the Pacific Coast Trail solo.

A BOOK YOU WISH YOU COULD FORGET YOU EVER READ

I was such a big fan of the first two Divergent books, along with many of my students, but I thought the final book was such a let-down. I did not like the ending at all, not just because it wasn't a happy one but because it made me feel like I'd wasted my time investment as a reader.

AN AUTHOR WHOSE BOOKS ALWAYS GET YOU OUT OF A READING SLUMP

There's a reason Neil Gaiman is a living legend - is there anything he can't do? Novels for adults, collaborations, story collections, graphic novels, YA, middle-grade, and even children's picture books - there's a Neil Gaiman book for everyone, ranging from whimsical magic to the terrifying paranormal.

A SWOON-WORTHY HERO OR HEROINE

Henry DeTamble, always and forever.

A BOOK THAT CAUSED YOU TO STOP DOING ALL 

OTHER THINGS UNTIL YOU FINISHED IT

I tend to be a marathon reader anyway, but this book was insane and I had to knew how the conflict would be resolved and if my favorite characters would survive. As soon as I finished it, I was on Facebook recommending it to all my friends.

A BOOK THAT WAS PAINFUL TO READ (FOR 

WHATEVER REASON) OR BROKE YOU

This was one of the first books I received as a digital ARC through Netgalley, and I felt obligated to read it all the way through so I could give honest feedback. I'd just finished watching the Astronaut Wives Club  television show and was interested in this book because of the Cold War setting, but the plot was so slow and the narrator was, quite simply, a boring man. Even as interesting things were happening around him (his wife's mental illness, his secretly adopted daughter's biological mom returning, his daughter dating a Cuban refugee, a shortage of gas at the gas station he ran), his "I'm a good guy, I have to do the right thing" reactions weren't interesting at all.

A BOOK THAT HAD YOU LAUGHING OUT LOUD

Do I even need to explain why?

A BOOK THAT MADE YOU WANT TO SEND 

IT (OR YOUR E-READER) FLYING

When I was in eleventh grade, I threw The Scarlet Letter out the window of the school bus. Then I got out and got it because it was the school's copy and I didn't want to have to pay a fine. When I was a sophomore in college, my boyfriend told me I looked like how he imagined Hester Prynne when he read the book. That relationship did not last.

A BOOKISH WORLD YOU WISH YOU COULD VISIT

It's not a very creative answer, but Narnia for sure. In reading the Magicians books by Lev Grossman, I've realized just how much I have in common with the main character, Quentin, who feels such a sense of ennui because the real world never matches the fantasy worlds he's read about in books.

A BOOK WITH A SHOCKING TWIST OR ENDING

My mom had told me that this was her favorite book for years, and has always assured me that it's not where she got my middle name. I finally got around to reading it a few summers ago, and it actually made me look at my mom in a whole new light (I started recommending things like Girl in the Dragon Tattoo and Gone Girl to her afterward!)

A CHARACTER DEATH THAT DESTROYED YOU

This novel really made me think about how we need more strong female friendships in YA novels. I felt the loss in this book so keenly.

BEST SERIES CONCLUSION

This series by Sarah Rees Brennan was so fun to read after following her publication process on Livejournal, and I love the way she tied everything up (especially for Nick and Mae).

Potter Month:Potter-Inspired Books

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge for female geek bloggers hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. You can learn more about the Female Geek Bloggers group here, join in on our Instagram photo challenge for July. This month, we're doing things a little differently and zooming in on one fandom (which just happens to be the most amazing universe to be a fan of) for Harry Potter Month. This week, I wanted to share three books/series I have enjoyed that probably wouldn't exist without the world of Harry Potter.

1. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare - When I read City of Bones for the first time, I had no idea that there was controversy online about sections of the book having originated in her Harry Potter fanfiction trilogy and Clare having been banned from Fanfiction.net following accusations of plagiarism (Refinery29 has a pretty good round-up of the whole story). Even after reading about the kerfuffle on Livejournal (which was where fandom lived before Tumblr), I was already hooked on the characters and Clare's witty writing style. Jace Wayland may have been inspired by Draco Malfoy and Clary Fray by Ginny Weasley, but they have taken on lives of their own and Clare has given us wonderful original characters like everyone's favorite High Warlock, Magnus Bane. (Clare denies that any of the TMI characters are derived from her fanfiction). The Mortal Instruments is definitely aimed toward an older audience than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and it's been very popular in my middle school classroom library - surprisingly, with both girls and guys. I enjoyed the film version, which I thought was perfectly cast, and I've warmed to the TV adaptation on Freeform even though I was a little skeptical about some of the changes (like the Institute being all modern and computer-y instead of Hogwarts-y) at first. As a fangirl herself, Clare seems to be kind of supportive of her own fans - I like that she often features their fanart on her social media, and I *love* that she makes sure characters who are POC in her books are not whitewashed in adaptations.

2. The Magicians series by Lev Grossman - While you really have to squint and look sideways to see Harry Potter similarities in Cassandra Clare's books, The Magicians is a tongue-in-cheek American college version of Hogwarts stirred together with the Chronicles of Narnia - written for well-read geeks, by a well-read geek (I squealed over a Star Trek reference in the second book, and Grossman has listed all of the hidden literary and geeky allusions in the first book online). The main character, Quentin Coldwater, has lived a mopey, humdrum life in New York City until a normal Princeton interview turns into an exam for a prestigious magical institute, Brakebills. He gets accepted into a cool house with quirky friends, and there's even a magical sport, but there's also drinking and swearing and sex (in both human and animal forms) that would never fly in anything published by Scholastic. Quentin's obsession in the non-magical world was a series of books about the land of Fillory, which turns out to be very real, very dark, and very dangerous. As he told Jessica Woodbury in this interview, Grossman uses the Magicians books to tackle the things that bother him about the Narnia books - "Lewis’s sentimental obsession with childhood innocence, his fear of adult sexuality, the fact that Aslan sometimes lets the people of Narnia suffer when he could be helping them." He also explores the magical quarterlife crisis - Quentin learns that after a lifetime of dreaming of entering the world of fantasy he loves, being able to control magic has not actually made him any happier. I started reading the series after seeing a few episodes of the television series on the SyFy channel, and both are worthwhile - there have been some big changes (like Kady's character) and completely original episodes of the TV show (such as the amazingly creative mental hospital episode), and the timeline differs from the books (The Magicians covers Quentin's entire college experience, so some of the things that happened to him as a freshman in the show actually happened later in the novel). Lev Grossman himself and Hillary Busis of Mashable have both posted about some of the key differences. The second book, The Magician King, catches up with Quentin in Fillory and shows off Grossman's knowledge of European mythology and legend. Though the plot got very dark indeed, I am looking forward to finishing the series with The Magician's Land.

3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - I'd been on my local library's waiting list for the Ebook of Fangirl basically forever because I knew I'd love the premise: Geeky fanfic writer Cather and her twin sister Wren drift apart when they enter college, and Cath stubbornly clings to her online life rather than trying to forge real relationships. Since my college bestie Tiff and I were rabid Harry Potter fans who used to actually recommend fanfics to each other to read (she was the one who gave me one of her Livejournal codes so I could join the site back when it was semi-exclusive), the novel brought back happy memories of those moments when I felt like I'd found "my people." Cath and Wren (their mom, Cath quips, only chose one baby name), away from home for the first time, deal with the fallout of a messed up childhood in different ways - Wren's visiting frat parties on a nightly basis, while Cath rejects her cool-but-prickly roommate Reagan's invitations, preferring to stay in the dorm and work on her Internet-famous story, which is basically Harry/Draco slash fic. She's landed a spot in a competitive creative writing course, but butts heads with her professor over whether or not fanfiction is a form of plagiarism - Cath feels like the world of young wizard Simon Snow is more real to her than anything she could create from scratch. Just when I thought Rowell had completely charmed me with a character who was even geekier than my 18-year-old self, she threw in a reference to The Outsiders and a cute farm boy reciting the 4-H pledge. Has Rainbow Rowell been stalking me and taking notes on the things I love in order to write the perfect YA novel for me to read? Probably (okay, definitely) not, but she sure did pull it off.

Have you enjoyed any works that probably wouldn't exist

if not for the brilliant mind of our queen, J.K. Rowling?

Potter Month: House Pride!

5 Fandom Friday is a weekly prompt challenge for female geek bloggers hosted by The Nerdy Girlie and Super Space Chick. You can learn more about the Female Geek Bloggers group here, join in on our Instagram photo challenge for July. This month, we're doing things a little differently and zooming in on one fandom (which just happens to be the most amazing universe to be a fan of) for Harry Potter Month! 

The first person I ever met for whom Harry Potter was as real and as magical as it is for me was my first-year dorm neighbor, Tiff. One of our hobbies in college was sorting everyone we knew into their Hogwarts houses. She's definitely a Ravenclaw, and when she declared me a Hufflepuff I knew she was right. Hufflepuff tends to be overlooked in the Harry Potter fandom, but I love my house, and today I want to share my pride for my Hogwarts house and my thoughts on my new Ilvermorny sorting.

In the first Sorting ceremony Harry attends, the Sorting Hat tells students, "You might belong in Hufflepuff, / Where they are just and loyal, / Those patient Hufflepuffs are true / And unafraid of toil." That last line is what makes me a true Hufflepuff instead of a Ravenclaw like many of my friends. While I value knowledge and learning, and do my best to impart that value to my students, I don't consider myself naturally intellectual - instead, I'm naturally curious and hard-working. In high school, I applied to a magnet school for math and science not because they were my best subjects, but because I'm stubborn (long story for another day). It was definitely my ability to work hard and stay determined that my teachers saw and valued, and that kept me from getting kicked out of that program when my grades dropped! There's a lot of talk in the world of education now about teaching students to have a growth mindset - a very Hufflepuff concept indeed. Say what you will about Hufflepuff, we're the house of egalitarian and generous Helga Hufflepuff, industrious Pomona Sprout, fiercely loyal and protective Nymphadora Tonks. Hufflepuffs Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan, and future Mrs. Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott joined Dumbledore's Army and most likely fought in the Battle of Hogwarts because not fighting for their school, for their friends, and for what was right didn't even enter their minds. Teddy Lupin was chosen as Hufflepuff Head Boy during his years at Hogwarts. Strong and smart Cedric Diggory, the young man who represented the very best Hogwarts had to offer, was a Hufflepuff. So was Newt Scamander, who I can't wait to see Eddie Redmayne play in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

When I read the description of the houses for the American wizarding school, Ilvermorny (and once I'd gotten over the fact that everything about Ilvermorny is still crazy British and the ridiculous notion that there would only be one official Wizarding school in the U.S.*), I was fairly certain I knew where I'd end up. The houses are Horned Serpent, Wampus, Pukwudgie, and Thunderbird. Instead of representing valued traits, the houses represent aspects of the perfect wizard - the mind, the body, the heart, and the soul. Horned Serpent favors scholars, Wampus warriors, Thunderbird adventurers, and Pukwudgie healers. Based on this information, Pukwudgie was sounding like the Hufflepuff analog. Whereas my answers to my original Pottermore sorting quiz years ago were probably colored by my deep-down knowledge that I am a Hufflepuff, this time I just answered as honestly as possible, and the only question that really stumped me was the one about the fears, because all of those concepts were terrifying. I'd be a Pukwudgie. I'd be the heart, right? Well...

Thankfully, I'm not the only one who initially had an existential crisis over her Ilvermorny sorting! J.K. Rowling herself says on Twitter that there's no equivalence between Hogwarts and Ilvermorny houses, and data from Hogwarts Running Club Members shows that people are getting sorted all over the place.

Then, I saw this on Tumblr and harps played and angels sang:

One of my favorite quotes that I discovered right around the time I was applying to colleges is from Bernard of Clairvaux: “There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love.”

I spent my youth seeking knowledge in order to serve others. I spend my adulthood serving others in order to share knowledge. I'm proud to be a Hufflepuff Thunderbird.

* There's just no way most Southern wizarding families sent their kids up North to be educated from the 1800's well through the 1960's. Why doesn't the wizarding world recognize the very old, very large plantation-turned-school that definitely exists in or around New Orleans and probably teaches voodoo? What scandal happened there? On that note, have you seen Lena's Wizarding Schools Around the World series?