This is a Hitchcock movie. By showing the audience the bomb under the table (the chaotic opening), Cindy creates a sense of anticipation with a heavy dose of dramatic irony (because We Know how it would end). Cinema
The way we write villains a certain way and good guys a certain way also really ties in with ethnic facial features. I learned about shape language in one of my design classes and couldnt unsee it. Most villains have sharp features (long faces, thick eyebrows, long+sharp noses) whereas good guys have more round facial features to convey trustworthiness. But its wild because these "sharp" facial features are sooo common in ethnic facial features so it implicitly villainizes brown people-- the shape language in Aladdin for example is so telling
@@kinrateia no literally when will jk rowling answer for her war crimes. also the shape language applies to east asian media, the sleazy/evil characters are always drawn with sharper and/or smaller eyes or other features 🙄 see: mulan and even ATLA
@@rkabcdefg friend.. every character in mulan or ATLA is asian LOL, im saying there are certain facial features no matter the race that make certain characters designed w sharp features
@@withcindy @withcindy you get it! 🤣 btw im beyond impressed with your multitasking skills. cutting your ingredients while breaking down the complexity of disability like its NOTHING... i struggle with health related brain fog so i could never. teach me your ways queen!
As a disabled person (chronic pain SickKids patient and currently waiting for an autism assessment) I really appreciate your reflection and maturity with handling your book. A lot of people would become defensive rather than going, "you know what, this has some implications I didn't notice! I should change that" and I find it super commendable that you did. Another reason you're one of my favourite TH-camrs :)
About fairytales: once I read on a random tumblr post how closely the theme of "our baby has been substituted with a creature that looks exactly like them but now behaves like a monster" matches what a lot of parents feel like when their child is just now old enough to display signs of autism and as an autistic myself that sh*t hit like if I saw my own full name on a grave.
yeah :/ and it’s even generally anti-child rights since kids can’t control the way they behave? they’re kids, they don’t know any better. it always gives me a little bit of the ick because it’s very child blamey that allows parents to abuse their kids. my gf has a parent like this and the way her parent treated her whenever she acted up… yikes.
Baby Teeth also had several offensive statements about autism, like the mom being afraid her kid was autistic bc she didn’t talk, and not even the psychologist character cleared up misconceptions about it. That book just made me so mad
Disabled person here! Fiction can be so incredibly impactful to how we view ourselves. I use a cane in real life and was always insecure about it. Then I read Six of Crows and saw that this badass, intelligent and capable character that we were rooting for used a cane. Kaz Brekker gave me more confidence with my cane and I even got a new cane with a bird on it for that reason. Literature can inform so many things and I am so grateful and proud that you revised your story because you are aware of that impact.
if you enjoyed disfigured, another brilliant disability nonfiction is care work: dreaming disability justice by leah lakshimi piepzna-samarasinha !!! it’s my favourite nonfiction book of all time, it’s so damn good and helped process of accepting my disabilities and building my own community :)
@@withcindy ‼️OMG I want to hear your opinion on **In the House in the Dark of the Woods*** book by Laird Hunt. It's basically a Puritan fairy tale that's a metaphor for abusive and toxic relationships. It's a dark fairy tale it takes place during the 1600s I believe maybe 1700s there is a lot of witchcraft and witches in the book. And people either give this book five stars or one star there's no in between. Because for the first part of the book you're really confused and you don't really understand what's going on but the more you read and the more flashbacks of her past you get, the more it all comes together and the same for the side characters. Basically it had the feel of that movie the VVitch crossed with Alice In Wonderland but for adults. I absolutely adore this book it's very short too. It was only a 5-hour audiobook. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book! If any of this sounds interesting to anyone I highly recommend checking it out and just giving this book a chance it won't remain confusing once you figure out what's going on everything falls into place.
as someone who is disabled it really is just. such an overwhelming feeling seeing you actively change what you wanted to write bc you saw the problematic aspects of it. im smiling rn, thank u so much for that
I like the discussion you did with Disfigured because a lot of fairytale do use tropes that have ableism, and one of the first instances that opened my eyes to that was realizing the stories of children being replaced by fae were based off that happening in real life where kids would start showing signs of autism or mental disorder/disability, and the parents would be convinced their child was replaced by a monster and then leave them in the middle of woods to be reclaimed. You made good points about it being used so much in our past and present that we probably have ableist biases in our writing without realizing it. Loved the one! ❤
Hey cindy, I have cerebral palsy and I really appreciate you changing things up in your book when you recognise subconscious biases! That thoughtfulness and self reflection is seldom seen. I think it is a testament to your character. Thank you
Since you liked Disfigured, I recommend picking up Keah Brown's memoir. She is a Black, bisexual woman with cerebral palsy and her memoir was so great and talks about disability representation in media. It's one of my favorite memoirs!
cindy !!!! 😭😭 please i'm literally so happy i could cry re: you deciding not to include the trope of an antagonist having a facial difference / disfigurement. as you were describing it, i actually grimaced because it is indeed an ableist trope that Actively Hurts People, and i'm incredibly glad that you decided to take it out. and i greatly appreciated you talking to candidly about it because i *know* it will help other folks realize that, hey, it's not worth it to include a "cool" story element if it's gonna hurt people. if you're interested in expanding your perception of disability, i would highly recommend oakwyrm here on youtube! checking out any of his videos that contain a piece of media you're familiar with can really help improve the way you approach writing about disability -- obviously he's just the one disabled person, but i hope that this other disabled person's (me!) endorsement might encourage you to check him out ! c:
My disabled best friend passed away, and you talking about Disfigured had me immediately adding it to my TBR because I've always wanted to get a better understanding of her. Thank you for going over that! Also, Baby Teeth was the beginning of my villain era. It was SOOO bad.
I feel like sensitivity readers are the best way to review your writing before it is published, having people from different points of view read your work and point out biases that you may not have noticed
Cindy's transformation into a cooking/foodie channel, we love a multiskilled queen honestly its quite relaxing watching you cook and talk abt books while I eat during my lunch breaks
Your discussion regarding Disfigured was so so interesting, as someone who reads a lot of fantasy I never realized how harmful some things could be and it's definitely pushed me to be more conscious regarding disabled representation. Also the quote from our wives under the sea literally came at the perfect time, I feel like it perfectly encapsulates how I feel about certain things in my life The sushi bake looks so good!!! I love to see your cooking skills progress every wrap up
I was going through a tough time when I read ur review on Disfigured. And the small shift in perspective the overall image of the book provided was kinda healing in that instant. I've been dealing with chronic illness for over 5 years now and sometimes the guilt of Not Being Enough or Doing Enough gives me a sickening amount of anxiety and a sense of lack of agency. We are wired to evaluate ourselves and others based on outcome:) The society is built on sucking the life force out of us to fuel its machine. And before we demand a change, we need to be aware of the way it does it. Fiction is also a wonderful tool to point out that fixated pov. I remember years ago writing an online novel where the protagonist had a health issue that had caused him to pass out twice out of high stress. To this day I remember this highly constructive review that told me my MC wasn't "manly enough" for that... P. S. I feel like I'm rambling. Feels weird to talk about these stuff. But at the same time I think we all need to share to break the taboo around it🤷🏻♀️
Cindy: “Pretty much every paragraph is long a** paragraph.” Me, a fan of long paragraphs that go on forever: (retreats into the bushes like Homer Simpson)
omg! i've been wanting to read our wives under the sea but I've heard mixed reviews about it. your taste has never disappointed me though, so I'm gonna buy it now
played this video as I am off washing dishes and that abrupt clanging at the intro sounded too real I thought I broke something😭😭😭 anyway I always watch your book recommendations because I really enjoy how immersed you are understanding the narratives of the books you read - I am caught up with so much academic books I am reviewing constantly so watching you recollect your thoughts about these story-rich fiction and some nonfiction books you have chosen is just refreshing to me💕
I made Onigiri’s🍙 yesterday and now you’re making sushi🍣 what a funny coincidence🙂. Also while I really enjoyed watching your vlogs I’m happy you posted a new video about book you’ve read.
Really looking forward to the full video on Baby Teeth because I simply need to know more. Love that the husband's main character trait is that he's Swedish tho, good for him.
You're so comfortable with the camera, Cindy. I recently watched your first videos and although you were already so funny, there were some awkward scenes (but luckily, you're cute) but look at you now. Talking casually like a friend would do to their friend, and making us all comfortable listening to you.
Our Wives Under the Sea was so lovely and so very up my alley. Perhaps I had a tiny little cry as it ended, maybe that happened. I strongly recommend the author’s collection of short stories Salt Slow, especially to anyone that enjoyed Her Body and Other Parties.
I am seriously loving these type of videos where you're cooking something and reviewing some books! I facetime my friends a lot while I'm cooking and this kinda reminds me of that
What do you mean you don’t like a Fairy Tale where a nerdy girl who loves someone with red flags which are gradually deconstructed which feels unrealistic?
sad lesbians! me! im really excited to read Our Wives!! ive wanted to read it for awhile. i usually dislike when books have long ass paragraphs - but i honestly love books where nothing happens (in terms of action or plot), or its just very quiet and there's beautiful writing but no huge plot. i know some people hate books that don't have a mind twisting, sheet gripping plot. but i like it :-) Tbh i wish more people made books where the plot is literally just the domestic life of lesbians.. i crave the serenity and the minutiae of everyday life
@@withcindy oh! there's a book called The Seep that has that exact kinda angst in it and i loved it so i know i'll love this one. i am (not) ready for the pain
when you talked about disfigured and the tropes of “unattractive/disabled protagonist being rewarded with a ‘cure’” it reminded me of the graphic novel beauty, it was made by the same authors of beautiful darkness if you’re familiar with that but the main character wants nothing but to be beautiful, and when she frees an evil fairy from their prison, they give her what she wants. the fairy doesnt alter her physical appearance but alters how others perceive her, making her SEEM beautiful. it was really interesting and i love the art style of it!!
I’m so happy you learned from the book on disability! So many authors fall into similar traps when writing villains and just never think to consider the pov of disabled readers. !!! It’s so important !!!!!!
"Baby Teeth" has been on my Goodreads want to read list for so long but I don't think I'm going to read it now. Cindy's tastes align with mine a lot lol. Super pumped for the video about it!
You know we should give Cindy her own cooking competition show where people make her food while she quizzes them on there knowledge of books. I’d pay money to see that🤣
I laughed so hard when I saw the intro😂 I just love these types of videos and I love your channel so much. I am so happy that I have discovered you! Disfigured and Our Wives Under the Sea seem really interesting and I'll probably read them in the future. P.S. After watching your ACOTAR videos, I decided to start reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, during the end of July. I am reading it through my laptop and so far, I can say this: thank God that I didn't spend money on it.
@@withcindy hehe, well this is an interesting question😂 This book is ALL OVER instagram and I was curious to see why it is so popular. I watched your videos (which I have rewatched 100000 times), it was really interesting to see a different opinion so I decided to give it a try. Honestly, I don't know if it'll get better for me, but I'll finish it to have a clear opinion about it.
Disfigured reminded me of the other week I went to my friends new apartment complex and I noticed that there was disabled parking spots but no access to get on the side walk if you used a wheelchair and I pointed it out to my friend and her response was “well I’m not disabled” like neither am I but I still noticed.
I am really happy that you read Disfigured, this was one of the books that helped me come to terms with a lot of underlying feelings I had as a disabled person. This book and others helped find a community that understands things family and friends can't. ❤ 😊
im really glad i got to know the book disfigured through u bc im neurodivergent and even for me is a constant learning on how ableist mindsets are hidden in our society (or more specifically, how they are in broad daylight for everyone to be exposed by them but they are so normalized that u don't notice or question them) im looking forward in reading this book so i'll have more tools to analyse better society
On the note of Villains, there’s also a lot of racial dynamics. For example in Europe, a lot of villains in the past and continuing are described to have Jewish-centric features. This also applies to colourism, like in India/the Middle East where the villains are always darker skinned and the heroes are fair. Skin whitening is a huge industry in India.
Haha I started reading Baby Teeth a few weeks ago, I saw on Goodreads you were also reading it. I just finished a few days ago and I had to come see what you had to say about it. I can’t wait for the full video 🤣
I love that you're getting into writing and are sharing writing resources that were helpful or not! It's cool to go from reader/critic to writer. It's really something else. I have found the following plot guidelines to feel more dynamic and less paint by numbers. Super recommend looking into Plot Embryo by Dan Harmon and Brandon Sanderson's creative writing class on youtube. Sanderson introduced the idea of plot as promise, progress and payoff, and that really helped me understand what makes a story satisfying to follow. have you read Science of Storytelling? That is way more actual science not pseudoscience. It's not a how-to write book. It's more about what parts of human psychology finds stories appealing, and I think it has a superb collection of quotes from famous stories that prove its points about effective storytelling.
this is the problem of many horror stories set in our modern time. Many problems would have been prevented had they just used the power of technology. I think the last book would have worked if it had been set in the days when mobile phones hadn't been invented yet.
I think you would really enjoy "The Anatomy of Story" by John Truby (bestselling author whose students produced films like Shrek). It's an OUTSTANDING book to refer to when writing or developing a story. :)
As a disabled person, thank you for reflecting and making the changes. Abled bodied people often simply cannot fathom how soul crushing it is to see representation of your people constantly being evil. They don’t understand how these things permeate real life beliefs. So thank you❤️
I'm actually impressed that cindy is upping her vlog game when she introduce us the 2nd camera perspective 4 minutes in. But knowing cindy, she probably drop the camera and have to set it up again
I’m only a minute in, but I love how there’s, “the best book of the year so far” and then there’s, “the worst book of the year” as if literally NO other book you read this year could possibly be worse.
I am rewatching cook and books because I personally really enjoyed this format. Finally I'm reading this book (Our Wives Under the Sea) and GOSH it's good. I love that trippy sort of speculative contemporary fiction. Reminds me a lot of Rivers Solomon's works. magnificent prose.
I read Disfigured earlier this year and loved it. So glad you really liked it too and that it taught you some things (same for me)! I have heard awful things of Baby Teeth. Yesss that makes so much sense, why did the mum not record anything using her phone or a camera or something!! The sushi bake looks delicious.
The notes from the writing craft book reminds me of a tip from John Truby's The Anatomy of Story (very much a screenwriting craft book, but I've found it super helpful for a long while now) and what the character is 'wrong' about at the beginning of the novel, the same what they believe to be true, and their 'ghost' (not "just" their backstory, but an event in their past that specifically influences their weakness(es)). That book is still hyper focused on plot structure tbh, but when I read that note for the first time (after also being attached at the hip to 'Save the Cat' for other manuscripts) it was something I appreciated too. This comment is already too long, but that quote from 'Our Wives Under the Sea' was so goT damn beautiful. And lmao sameee whenever I read someone's effortless and lyrical prose, I'm like 'that's not me and we never be me r.i.p. in peace'
Ooo yeah I find those points super valid, like it's not enough to just prescribe a weakness or flaw, but to think more deeply about HOW the character got that weakness in the first place and what influenced it
@@withcindy Just here to second (third? Fourth?) the Truby recommendation. He gives multi-examples, as you wish, and they're pretty classic so the structure is, Duh. If you're looking to go in-depth with character-only/specific analysis, Linda Seger's Creating Unforgettable Characters helped me LOADS on my first series. And that character (as readers love to point out to me) was f-ed up. (But they kept reading-HA.) Good luck. I feel like you're a better storyteller than cook, so I have faith in you.
Last book reminds me of the movie we need to talk about kevin and ngl im curious to know the ending so i miiight add it to my list. One I will def read is about the wife bc it sounds really good. Thank you as always, I hope you have an amazing week
I think the main issue with Save the Cat is is that, like other teachings on plot structure such as the hero's journey, is that they're much, much better used for analyzing plot than using it as scaffolding for writers. I, personally, do not touch plot structure techniques until I'm in revision. Then I'll take a beat sheet and see how my story matches up, see if there are any areas that are weak or do not fit audience expectations.
I also recently read and enjoyed our wives under the sea but omg i cannot stress enough how genuinely terrified i was of how the expedition was described then when the “big presence” was revealed all I could think about was mike wazowski with that one big eye peeking thru HSKDNSKWMEEJ 👁
“Go eat your Swedish meatballs. Where do you go during the day IKEA?” 😂 You crack me up Cindy. In all seriousness though the father in Baby Teeth is super clueless.
cindy when you were explaining about the story genius book, i was reminded by abbie emmons (an authortuber) that's how she explains stories and writing in her channel
I skipped through this video just to confirm that Our Wives Under the Sea was the best book you read. Now I'm reassured and can watch the rest of the video in peace. A masterpiece!
Our Wives Under The Sea looks like The Annihilation by John VanderMeer! having a spouse went back from a suspicious area then altered and confused the main character.
I love the cook and book series it’s chaotically cozy 😂 also, pls more book controls your day videos or esting your way through a book maybe? picking up Our Wives Under the Sea because of you btw, can’t wait to read it!
Hey kwe3n! ❤️ Hearing you talk about disfiguring side characters as punishment got me thinking that in a society where disfigured = ugly, it can be seen as punishment to disfigure someone. To be disfigured in a society that values "beauty" is a curse since you are at a systemic disadvantage because of how you look. Thanks for reading and sharing. ❤️
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This is a Hitchcock movie. By showing the audience the bomb under the table (the chaotic opening), Cindy creates a sense of anticipation with a heavy dose of dramatic irony (because We Know how it would end). Cinema
log this to letterboxd
The way we write villains a certain way and good guys a certain way also really ties in with ethnic facial features. I learned about shape language in one of my design classes and couldnt unsee it. Most villains have sharp features (long faces, thick eyebrows, long+sharp noses) whereas good guys have more round facial features to convey trustworthiness. But its wild because these "sharp" facial features are sooo common in ethnic facial features so it implicitly villainizes brown people-- the shape language in Aladdin for example is so telling
Very truuuuue!!
and if we're talking Europe, it's always Jewish people
@@kinrateia no literally when will jk rowling answer for her war crimes. also the shape language applies to east asian media, the sleazy/evil characters are always drawn with sharper and/or smaller eyes or other features 🙄 see: mulan and even ATLA
@@adicho_39479 east asian villains are hot tho 🤧🤧🤧🤧
@@rkabcdefg friend.. every character in mulan or ATLA is asian LOL, im saying there are certain facial features no matter the race that make certain characters designed w sharp features
"wow i really sound like a professional chef. maybe i really am upgrading. is this called growth?" me adding dried mint to my scrambled eggs
It rly do be adding pizzazz
@@withcindy @withcindy you get it! 🤣 btw im beyond impressed with your multitasking skills. cutting your ingredients while breaking down the complexity of disability like its NOTHING... i struggle with health related brain fog so i could never. teach me your ways queen!
As a disabled person (chronic pain SickKids patient and currently waiting for an autism assessment) I really appreciate your reflection and maturity with handling your book. A lot of people would become defensive rather than going, "you know what, this has some implications I didn't notice! I should change that" and I find it super commendable that you did. Another reason you're one of my favourite TH-camrs :)
I try >_
Gdjgggggdagkaggdkdslkd
About fairytales: once I read on a random tumblr post how closely the theme of "our baby has been substituted with a creature that looks exactly like them but now behaves like a monster" matches what a lot of parents feel like when their child is just now old enough to display signs of autism and as an autistic myself that sh*t hit like if I saw my own full name on a grave.
Yes the Disfigured book talks about that !!
yeah :/ and it’s even generally anti-child rights since kids can’t control the way they behave? they’re kids, they don’t know any better. it always gives me a little bit of the ick because it’s very child blamey that allows parents to abuse their kids. my gf has a parent like this and the way her parent treated her whenever she acted up… yikes.
The intro could not contain how chaotic this video will be
My camera was like bye
Baby Teeth also had several offensive statements about autism, like the mom being afraid her kid was autistic bc she didn’t talk, and not even the psychologist character cleared up misconceptions about it. That book just made me so mad
omg i totally forgot about that bc i was distracted by all the other BS going on in the book jdklajlkdajkl
I noticed that in the book too. I didn't like it much in general but that part really got to me as an autistic person
So the book was written by a Karen who hates their kids
"Sad lesbians, what more could you want?" Cindy and I have the same taste
They're the best kind of stories
Cindy really underwent character development bc I didn’t hear one single 🐱 joke when making the sushi
Is this growth
Disabled person here! Fiction can be so incredibly impactful to how we view ourselves. I use a cane in real life and was always insecure about it. Then I read Six of Crows and saw that this badass, intelligent and capable character that we were rooting for used a cane. Kaz Brekker gave me more confidence with my cane and I even got a new cane with a bird on it for that reason. Literature can inform so many things and I am so grateful and proud that you revised your story because you are aware of that impact.
if you enjoyed disfigured, another brilliant disability nonfiction is care work: dreaming disability justice by leah lakshimi piepzna-samarasinha !!! it’s my favourite nonfiction book of all time, it’s so damn good and helped process of accepting my disabilities and building my own community :)
Ty for the rec!!
Thank you for the rec🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
@@withcindy ‼️OMG I want to hear your opinion on **In the House in the Dark of the Woods*** book by Laird Hunt. It's basically a Puritan fairy tale that's a metaphor for abusive and toxic relationships. It's a dark fairy tale it takes place during the 1600s I believe maybe 1700s there is a lot of witchcraft and witches in the book. And people either give this book five stars or one star there's no in between. Because for the first part of the book you're really confused and you don't really understand what's going on but the more you read and the more flashbacks of her past you get, the more it all comes together and the same for the side characters. Basically it had the feel of that movie the VVitch crossed with Alice In Wonderland but for adults. I absolutely adore this book it's very short too. It was only a 5-hour audiobook. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book! If any of this sounds interesting to anyone I highly recommend checking it out and just giving this book a chance it won't remain confusing once you figure out what's going on everything falls into place.
Thanks for the rec!
as someone who is disabled it really is just. such an overwhelming feeling seeing you actively change what you wanted to write bc you saw the problematic aspects of it. im smiling rn, thank u so much for that
Always open to changing things that are more harmful than good!!
I like the discussion you did with Disfigured because a lot of fairytale do use tropes that have ableism, and one of the first instances that opened my eyes to that was realizing the stories of children being replaced by fae were based off that happening in real life where kids would start showing signs of autism or mental disorder/disability, and the parents would be convinced their child was replaced by a monster and then leave them in the middle of woods to be reclaimed.
You made good points about it being used so much in our past and present that we probably have ableist biases in our writing without realizing it. Loved the one! ❤
Yes the book talked about that also! That's so terrible
Hey cindy, I have cerebral palsy and I really appreciate you changing things up in your book when you recognise subconscious biases! That thoughtfulness and self reflection is seldom seen. I think it is a testament to your character. Thank you
Thank you!! I'm trying >_
Since you liked Disfigured, I recommend picking up Keah Brown's memoir. She is a Black, bisexual woman with cerebral palsy and her memoir was so great and talks about disability representation in media. It's one of my favorite memoirs!
cindy !!!! 😭😭 please i'm literally so happy i could cry re: you deciding not to include the trope of an antagonist having a facial difference / disfigurement. as you were describing it, i actually grimaced because it is indeed an ableist trope that Actively Hurts People, and i'm incredibly glad that you decided to take it out. and i greatly appreciated you talking to candidly about it because i *know* it will help other folks realize that, hey, it's not worth it to include a "cool" story element if it's gonna hurt people.
if you're interested in expanding your perception of disability, i would highly recommend oakwyrm here on youtube! checking out any of his videos that contain a piece of media you're familiar with can really help improve the way you approach writing about disability -- obviously he's just the one disabled person, but i hope that this other disabled person's (me!) endorsement might encourage you to check him out ! c:
Thank you for the rec!! ❤️
My disabled best friend passed away, and you talking about Disfigured had me immediately adding it to my TBR because I've always wanted to get a better understanding of her. Thank you for going over that! Also, Baby Teeth was the beginning of my villain era. It was SOOO bad.
I feel like sensitivity readers are the best way to review your writing before it is published, having people from different points of view read your work and point out biases that you may not have noticed
Hank Green posted a whole video discussing his book with some of his sensitivity readers and talking about what they changed
I plan on having them!
‘Disfigured’ sounds awesome! Here for the nexus between Fiction and Reality. Also, we need a 10-Volume Set for Asian Folktales.
It would def be interesting to see how Asian fantasies compare!
"Where the hell do you even go during the day? IKEA?"
Cindy, please. I started choking and almost died. Being that funny is dangerous.
Cindy's transformation into a cooking/foodie channel, we love a multiskilled queen
honestly its quite relaxing watching you cook and talk abt books while I eat during my lunch breaks
Whatcha eating !
@@withcindy since you asked, some spring rolls and rice. 🍚
Your discussion regarding Disfigured was so so interesting, as someone who reads a lot of fantasy I never realized how harmful some things could be and it's definitely pushed me to be more conscious regarding disabled representation. Also the quote from our wives under the sea literally came at the perfect time, I feel like it perfectly encapsulates how I feel about certain things in my life
The sushi bake looks so good!!! I love to see your cooking skills progress every wrap up
Would def rec to other fantasy readers!!
"I didn't even know there were drag kings." Oh, Cindy. Oh, friend. You gotta go to a drag king show. It's an amazing time.
Maybe one day!
The video just started and I'm already laughing. I think this is very telling of my humor.
Seek help
Cooking with Cindy? What could possibly go right I MEAN WRONG GOSH DARN IT!
Valid point
Congratulations on being accepted on a writing program! That’s an exciting achievement 🎉
Thank you! It has def motivated me more !!
I was going through a tough time when I read ur review on Disfigured. And the small shift in perspective the overall image of the book provided was kinda healing in that instant. I've been dealing with chronic illness for over 5 years now and sometimes the guilt of Not Being Enough or Doing Enough gives me a sickening amount of anxiety and a sense of lack of agency. We are wired to evaluate ourselves and others based on outcome:) The society is built on sucking the life force out of us to fuel its machine. And before we demand a change, we need to be aware of the way it does it. Fiction is also a wonderful tool to point out that fixated pov. I remember years ago writing an online novel where the protagonist had a health issue that had caused him to pass out twice out of high stress. To this day I remember this highly constructive review that told me my MC wasn't "manly enough" for that...
P. S. I feel like I'm rambling. Feels weird to talk about these stuff. But at the same time I think we all need to share to break the taboo around it🤷🏻♀️
love you
two years ago Cindy was using a knife to whisk and now she's baking🥲
I'm so proud😭
our Cindy IS growing!!!
Cindy: “Pretty much every paragraph is long a** paragraph.”
Me, a fan of long paragraphs that go on forever: (retreats into the bushes like Homer Simpson)
U would like this book then 👀
I love you btw!!!! School is almost back and I need to suffer from hearing your rants before I suffer from having to pass projects on time 😙😙😙
Good luck w school!!
@@withcindy thank you!!! ❤️❤️
I love being able to pick up when Cindy’s setting us up to hear about a sponsor🤣
Get that bag though😎
Hahaha it's inevitable
omg! i've been wanting to read our wives under the sea but I've heard mixed reviews about it. your taste has never disappointed me though, so I'm gonna buy it now
Hope you enjoy it!
By the amount of times Cindy's dropped her phone, you'd think she would've been sponsored by Casetify by now. 🤔
Thats a very good point 🤔
played this video as I am off washing dishes and that abrupt clanging at the intro sounded too real I thought I broke something😭😭😭 anyway I always watch your book recommendations because I really enjoy how immersed you are understanding the narratives of the books you read - I am caught up with so much academic books I am reviewing constantly so watching you recollect your thoughts about these story-rich fiction and some nonfiction books you have chosen is just refreshing to me💕
Don't worry I'm disastrous in the kitchen LOL and aww I'm glad they are helpful!!
I made Onigiri’s🍙 yesterday and now you’re making sushi🍣 what a funny coincidence🙂.
Also while I really enjoyed watching your vlogs I’m happy you posted a new video about book you’ve read.
They'll def always be a regular occurrence !!
The author who wrote baby teeth has another book coming out this year and I’m like HOW
Omg what's it about
Quote of the Day: “When I was reading it, I was like: ‘How does she do it like an icon?’ Making the rest of us look bad out here.”
Really looking forward to the full video on Baby Teeth because I simply need to know more. Love that the husband's main character trait is that he's Swedish tho, good for him.
You're so comfortable with the camera, Cindy. I recently watched your first videos and although you were already so funny, there were some awkward scenes (but luckily, you're cute) but look at you now. Talking casually like a friend would do to their friend, and making us all comfortable listening to you.
Haha I felt sooo awkward at first
Our Wives Under the Sea was so lovely and so very up my alley. Perhaps I had a tiny little cry as it ended, maybe that happened.
I strongly recommend the author’s collection of short stories Salt Slow, especially to anyone that enjoyed Her Body and Other Parties.
I have that on hold at my library rn!!
I'm so excited for your video on Baby Teeth, I watch your videos slandering books religiously
It's been a while since I've done a rant review lolol
@@withcindy they're my comfort videos thank you for giving me food
I am seriously loving these type of videos where you're cooking something and reviewing some books! I facetime my friends a lot while I'm cooking and this kinda reminds me of that
Aww I'm glad it gives similar vibes!
What do you mean you don’t like a Fairy Tale where a nerdy girl who loves someone with red flags which are gradually deconstructed which feels unrealistic?
Too repetitive !!
This story isn't 100% realistic and therefore bad 😞
@@WhaleManMan ??
sad lesbians! me! im really excited to read Our Wives!! ive wanted to read it for awhile. i usually dislike when books have long ass paragraphs - but i honestly love books where nothing happens (in terms of action or plot), or its just very quiet and there's beautiful writing but no huge plot. i know some people hate books that don't have a mind twisting, sheet gripping plot. but i like it :-)
Tbh i wish more people made books where the plot is literally just the domestic life of lesbians.. i crave the serenity and the minutiae of everyday life
I think u would rly enjoy this book then!! Sometimes the MC reflects on her old domestic life w her wife for extra angst
@@withcindy oh! there's a book called The Seep that has that exact kinda angst in it and i loved it so i know i'll love this one. i am (not) ready for the pain
when you talked about disfigured and the tropes of “unattractive/disabled protagonist being rewarded with a ‘cure’” it reminded me of the graphic novel beauty, it was made by the same authors of beautiful darkness if you’re familiar with that
but the main character wants nothing but to be beautiful, and when she frees an evil fairy from their prison, they give her what she wants. the fairy doesnt alter her physical appearance but alters how others perceive her, making her SEEM beautiful. it was really interesting and i love the art style of it!!
I’m so happy you learned from the book on disability! So many authors fall into similar traps when writing villains and just never think to consider the pov of disabled readers. !!! It’s so important !!!!!!
"Baby Teeth" has been on my Goodreads want to read list for so long but I don't think I'm going to read it now. Cindy's tastes align with mine a lot lol. Super pumped for the video about it!
i'll summarize everything for u so that u dont have to read it
@@withcindy bless you for that 💖
You know we should give Cindy her own cooking competition show where people make her food while she quizzes them on there knowledge of books. I’d pay money to see that🤣
I laughed so hard when I saw the intro😂
I just love these types of videos and I love your channel so much. I am so happy that I have discovered you! Disfigured and Our Wives Under the Sea seem really interesting and I'll probably read them in the future.
P.S. After watching your ACOTAR videos, I decided to start reading A Court of Thorns and Roses, during the end of July. I am reading it through my laptop and so far, I can say this: thank God that I didn't spend money on it.
Why would u do this to urself
@@withcindy hehe, well this is an interesting question😂 This book is ALL OVER instagram and I was curious to see why it is so popular. I watched your videos (which I have rewatched 100000 times), it was really interesting to see a different opinion so I decided to give it a try.
Honestly, I don't know if it'll get better for me, but I'll finish it to have a clear opinion about it.
Disfigured reminded me of the other week I went to my friends new apartment complex and I noticed that there was disabled parking spots but no access to get on the side walk if you used a wheelchair and I pointed it out to my friend and her response was “well I’m not disabled” like neither am I but I still noticed.
I am really happy that you read Disfigured, this was one of the books that helped me come to terms with a lot of underlying feelings I had as a disabled person. This book and others helped find a community that understands things family and friends can't. ❤ 😊
im really glad i got to know the book disfigured through u bc im neurodivergent and even for me is a constant learning on how ableist mindsets are hidden in our society (or more specifically, how they are in broad daylight for everyone to be exposed by them but they are so normalized that u don't notice or question them) im looking forward in reading this book so i'll have more tools to analyse better society
On the note of Villains, there’s also a lot of racial dynamics. For example in Europe, a lot of villains in the past and continuing are described to have Jewish-centric features. This also applies to colourism, like in India/the Middle East where the villains are always darker skinned and the heroes are fair. Skin whitening is a huge industry in India.
I cannot wait for the Baby Teeth review 🤣🤣🤣 I was cackling
Haha I started reading Baby Teeth a few weeks ago, I saw on Goodreads you were also reading it. I just finished a few days ago and I had to come see what you had to say about it. I can’t wait for the full video 🤣
Now I'm more interested in making that sushi bake recipe than knowing what happened to the demon child's mother at the end of that book
Love you girl and am so proud you can still call sushi one of your favourite foods after what she did to you at that airport
(trauma recovery
dont remind me of that
I love that you're getting into writing and are sharing writing resources that were helpful or not! It's cool to go from reader/critic to writer. It's really something else.
I have found the following plot guidelines to feel more dynamic and less paint by numbers. Super recommend looking into Plot Embryo by Dan Harmon and Brandon Sanderson's creative writing class on youtube. Sanderson introduced the idea of plot as promise, progress and payoff, and that really helped me understand what makes a story satisfying to follow.
have you read Science of Storytelling? That is way more actual science not pseudoscience. It's not a how-to write book. It's more about what parts of human psychology finds stories appealing, and I think it has a superb collection of quotes from famous stories that prove its points about effective storytelling.
The discussion of Disfigured was super interesting, and it was really cool to hear how you reflected on your own work after reading
This is the chaos I need on a Monday! I hope you're doing well, Cindy. You're my queen. Love you. Stay safe.
Hope u have a great week ahead!
The intro perfectly captured the general vibe of Cindy's videos.
Cindy, YOU'RE THE BEST 🥺✨✨✨
U are 🥺
this is the problem of many horror stories set in our modern time. Many problems would have been prevented had they just used the power of technology. I think the last book would have worked if it had been set in the days when mobile phones hadn't been invented yet.
Of course the first time Cindy makes food the right way something else happens. Her chaotic energy can't be contained all the time.
something ALWAYS has to get messed up
I think you would really enjoy "The Anatomy of Story" by John Truby (bestselling author whose students produced films like Shrek). It's an OUTSTANDING book to refer to when writing or developing a story. :)
Ty for the rec!!
As a disabled person, thank you for reflecting and making the changes. Abled bodied people often simply cannot fathom how soul crushing it is to see representation of your people constantly being evil. They don’t understand how these things permeate real life beliefs. So thank you❤️
Of course!!
I'm actually impressed that cindy is upping her vlog game when she introduce us the 2nd camera perspective 4 minutes in. But knowing cindy, she probably drop the camera and have to set it up again
I’m only a minute in, but I love how there’s, “the best book of the year so far” and then there’s, “the worst book of the year” as if literally NO other book you read this year could possibly be worse.
I am honestly more in interested in the French witch's story then the demon child.
The French witch had no relation to the story whatsoever. I feel like the author just randomly plucked it out lol
once i saw your goodreads review for baby teeth i KNEW we were in for a ride. excited to see your breakdown of the book in another video LMAO
there are simply no words to encompass a review
Congratulations on being accepted into a Writing Program. I’m going to participate in a Writing Competition so wish me luck!
Good luck to you !!
always so grateful for the captions
ur welcome!!
The camera falling had me dying lol. Btw have you heard of the book Legendborn? You should read if it you want to expand your fantasy bookshelf.
I've read it already and just thought it was ok
I am rewatching cook and books because I personally really enjoyed this format. Finally I'm reading this book (Our Wives Under the Sea) and GOSH it's good. I love that trippy sort of speculative contemporary fiction. Reminds me a lot of Rivers Solomon's works. magnificent prose.
It's so good!!
I read Disfigured earlier this year and loved it. So glad you really liked it too and that it taught you some things (same for me)! I have heard awful things of Baby Teeth. Yesss that makes so much sense, why did the mum not record anything using her phone or a camera or something!! The sushi bake looks delicious.
The notes from the writing craft book reminds me of a tip from John Truby's The Anatomy of Story (very much a screenwriting craft book, but I've found it super helpful for a long while now) and what the character is 'wrong' about at the beginning of the novel, the same what they believe to be true, and their 'ghost' (not "just" their backstory, but an event in their past that specifically influences their weakness(es)). That book is still hyper focused on plot structure tbh, but when I read that note for the first time (after also being attached at the hip to 'Save the Cat' for other manuscripts) it was something I appreciated too.
This comment is already too long, but that quote from 'Our Wives Under the Sea' was so goT damn beautiful. And lmao sameee whenever I read someone's effortless and lyrical prose, I'm like 'that's not me and we never be me r.i.p. in peace'
Ooo yeah I find those points super valid, like it's not enough to just prescribe a weakness or flaw, but to think more deeply about HOW the character got that weakness in the first place and what influenced it
@@withcindy Just here to second (third? Fourth?) the Truby recommendation. He gives multi-examples, as you wish, and they're pretty classic so the structure is, Duh. If you're looking to go in-depth with character-only/specific analysis, Linda Seger's Creating Unforgettable Characters helped me LOADS on my first series. And that character (as readers love to point out to me) was f-ed up. (But they kept reading-HA.) Good luck. I feel like you're a better storyteller than cook, so I have faith in you.
Last book reminds me of the movie we need to talk about kevin and ngl im curious to know the ending so i miiight add it to my list. One I will def read is about the wife bc it sounds really good. Thank you as always, I hope you have an amazing week
Same! Tormented wife, gaslighting/in-denial husband, child who is precociously evil? Total ”We Need to Talk About Kevin” vibes
Cindy cutting crab sticks with the back of a fork is sending me 😭🥹
I couldn't shred them properly 😭
@@withcindy it’s okay, end result still looked tasty as hell anyway! 🥲
Thank you for this bc baby teeth is literally the next book in my tbr pile and now I'll just save my time and skip it 💅
dw ill summarize everything for u in my rant review
I think the main issue with Save the Cat is is that, like other teachings on plot structure such as the hero's journey, is that they're much, much better used for analyzing plot than using it as scaffolding for writers. I, personally, do not touch plot structure techniques until I'm in revision. Then I'll take a beat sheet and see how my story matches up, see if there are any areas that are weak or do not fit audience expectations.
I also recently read and enjoyed our wives under the sea but omg i cannot stress enough how genuinely terrified i was of how the expedition was described then when the “big presence” was revealed all I could think about was mike wazowski with that one big eye peeking thru HSKDNSKWMEEJ 👁
OMG THE BIG PRESENCE RLY WAS JUST A GIANT EYE
@@withcindy RIGHT 😭😭😭 LIK SIS RLLY JUST WROTE HER NAME TO SHOW TO A BIG EYE
“Go eat your Swedish meatballs. Where do you go during the day IKEA?” 😂 You crack me up Cindy. In all seriousness though the father in Baby Teeth is super clueless.
cindy when you were explaining about the story genius book, i was reminded by abbie emmons (an authortuber) that's how she explains stories and writing in her channel
I skipped through this video just to confirm that Our Wives Under the Sea was the best book you read. Now I'm reassured and can watch the rest of the video in peace. A masterpiece!
It was sooooo good
A separate video on a book you didn’t like? YES!
It's been a while since I've done that lol
Our Wives Under The Sea looks like The Annihilation by John VanderMeer! having a spouse went back from a suspicious area then altered and confused the main character.
I started know my name by Chanel miller because of you and I’m kind of amazed you made me actually read non fiction haha
The book is so good though!!
OMG! Thank you for uploading Cindy! You're an angel
My pleasure !
That ad read transition though!
I'm getting better at these
I love the cook and book series it’s chaotically cozy 😂 also, pls more book controls your day videos or esting your way through a book maybe? picking up Our Wives Under the Sea because of you btw, can’t wait to read it!
My next vid will be 5 books controlling my day !
Good you found the best book this year!! I'm still stuck with bad books all year-round 😃😃
Noooooo
@@withcindy and it's sad because it's gay books 😭😭
Hey kwe3n! ❤️ Hearing you talk about disfiguring side characters as punishment got me thinking that in a society where disfigured = ugly, it can be seen as punishment to disfigure someone. To be disfigured in a society that values "beauty" is a curse since you are at a systemic disadvantage because of how you look.
Thanks for reading and sharing. ❤️
YAYY A NEW VIDEO IM SO EXCITED!! an amazing way to start my day :)
Hope u have a good week ahead !!
Highly recommend Late Night at the Telegraph Club. It's amazing on its own, but it also has a Drag King performance!
cindy out here getting me outta my reading slump
Don't worry, Cindy. The camera is also just stunned on how good the sushi bake turned out. That's why it flopped down the sink.
Never before have I been so invested in someone cooking
The imitation crab🤝Baby Teeth
Getting ripped apart by Cindy in this video
HAHAHA
omg the throwback with the camera falling lol 😂 I had my dinner while watching you cook hehe thanks for uploading just in time to end my day!
I like your Book and Cook Videos! I’d love to see you see you try a Bengali Recipe. Or Indian Chinese, like Calcutta Style Chilli Chicken.
Omg I'm not that advanced