Fanfiction, the reason why my imagination no longer has a purpose

Fanfiction is a hotly debated topic nowadays. Is it good? Is it bad? Does it constitute plagiarism? Honestly, these are hard questions to answer. I love fanfiction. It gets hard waiting for that next Cassandra Clare book and sometimes I just want Clary and Jace to go on an adventure that may have never been written! Of course you lose the amazing writing of the author, but the characters still get to live on. But what happens when you read fanfiction for a series that you assumed was finished, but then another book gets published years later? This happened to me on two occasions. First with the Alienated series which I love to pieces. Melissa Landers had told her fans there was more coming, but she only had a book deal for the first two in the series. I didn't know how long I would have to wait before the next book would come out so I read a lot of fanfiction about it. Then the lovely United was published. While the book was still great, I felt kind of let down and I never ended up finishing it. I think this was in part due to the fanfiction I read. I don't regret reading fanfiction because a couple of them were really good, but  I wish it hadn't altered my reading experience. Now flashforeward to today, or I guess last week. I'm currently reading Restore Me, the amazing and totally unexpected fourth book in the Shatter Me series. Tahereh Mafi is one of my favorite authors and her writing is so unique and original and explores important topics without losing any quality in entertainment and writing style. She is also one of the best YA authors at incorporating humor into her Dystopian world. The last book in the series (or so I thought) came out in 2014. Ignite me still stands as one of my all time favorite books that I can continue to reread and never get tired of. It is really only beat by The Selection, Eclipse, and the entire Harry Potter series. Restore Me came out this year (2018). After four years and an ending that was honestly perfectly done, readers had no reason to assume another book (and two others after this!) were coming. I have read all of the good (and plenty of the bad too) Shatter Me fanfiction. This has had absolutely no effect on my reading experience with Restore Me. Now, why did fanfiction effect one book, but not the other? Its all about ambiguity my friends. Not only is ambiguity a great literary device to include during the reading experience, its also prefect to keep readers guessing for the next book. While I couldn't predict the exact plot of United, the generic plot arc and characters feelings were very easy to guess. Sure it was satisfying to have the characters do exactly what we want them too, but it wasn't enough and that is why I couldn't finish the book. I essentially already know how it ends because all of the other books have a race against the clock plot line as well. Now Tahereh Mafi knows how to keep readers on their toes. I have only been able to predict one thing in her books, which is that (cover eyes for spoilers!!!!) Warner would also be able to touch Juliette. Everything else is a complete surprise. I have not finished Restore me yet, but it is nothing like the fanfiction or my imagination, but all in a very good way. It is so much better to still be excited by the book because you can't already guess the story. No matter how predictable the bad jokes Kenji makes are, the rest of the book isn't something some random fanfiction writer could easily predict. So what does all of this mean? If you want to read fanfiction, go for it, but think about this warning first. Does the author of the book tend to write predictable stories? Are more books coming out soon? Do you hate reading about characters when the writing style is not similar to the author? If you answered yes to these questions then I would suggest passing on fanfiction for that book and picking up some good Harry Potter or Twilight fanfiction. Here is a link to Buzfeed's compilation of the best Harry Potter fanfiction (which I totally agree with. I have read a bunch of them and they were all really good!) Or even better? Just pick up a different book. I tend to read fanfiction when I am in a reading slump and I can't find the motivation to pick up another book. Instead of fanfiction maybe try reading something varied and super short like webcomics (try the app line webtoon, it is really great I promise!) or try listening to an audiobook or a podcast (remember to check out After School Club Podcast, link in About Me!). Overall, fanfiction is definitely a personal decision. The most important thing is to never compare the  author to the fanfiction, they have to be separate things.
Happy Reading!

Becca's Crazemazing No Bake Dairy Free Chocolate Cheese Cake!

The other day I was having a very stressful week and I had been watching a lot of Golden Girls and I was craving some cheese cake. I unfortunately had not had cheesecake in over a year due to my severe lactose intolerance. I looked in the fridge and it hit me, why not make my own no bake dairy free cheese cake? I had an abundance of dairy free sour cream and cream cheese from making dairy free blintzes and I have to have watched over a 100 no bake cheese cake videos from Tastemade and Tasty so I thought I would give it a shot. I just threw together some ingredients and went for it and boy was I surprised when it actually tasted like cheese cake. And no, not the horrible vegan cheesecake that vegans have deluded themselves into thinking is good, but actually tastes good! (Probably because of my secret ingredient) Fair warning, this recipe is an approximation of what I made and you will probably need to adjust the amount of ingredients to your taste. I like my cheesecake really sweet, some don't. Also, I like my graham cracker crust almost falling apart so you will probably want to add more butter than I do. Finally, most dairy free cream cheese and sour cream brands suck and taste absolutely horrible. I would use the brands I recommend or ones you already know taste good (or at least good with a crap ton of sugar added to them). I can in no way guarantee that this will taste good with other brands, so proceed with caution. So without further ado, here is the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 6 oz dairy free sour cream (I use Tofutti better than sour cream) 
• 8 oz dairy free cream cheese (I use follow your heart)
• around 2 cups dairy free semi sweet chocolate chips, melted (I like chocolate dream, but enjoy life is also good)
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract (or accidentally dump in half the bottle and then have to dump out most of it like I do) 
• 2 packets Knox unflavored gelatin (I am guessing around 3-4 tablespoons)
• around a cup of water, hot (This is just to mix with the gelatin, so as little as possible to still fully dissolve the gelatin is best)
•  3/4 cup sugar (I would start with 1/2 cup and then add more to taste)
• 1/2 cup Hershey chocolate syrup (my secret ingredient! I would say this is more to taste depending on how chocolaty you like your cheesecake) 
• 1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed 
• 4 Tbs vegan butter, melted (I love earth balance, it is by far the best vegan butter) 

Directions:

1. Melt your butter and crush your graham crackers. You can use a food processor and then add the butter to the crushed crackers and mix them together in that. I happen to love smashing the crackers with a rolling pin. Either way you want a wet sand texture that will hold together. Press this mixture into your pan. I used a pie tin, you can use whatever you want. 
2. Whip together your sour cream and cream cheese until well combined.
3. Heat up your water and add the gelatin. Try and get it as dissolved as possible. If parts are not mixing then either add more water or don't add those parts. Add this to the mixing bowl
4. Melt your chocolate and add it to the mixing bowl. Add in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt if you desire.
5. Mix until well combined. Taste your mixture. Add in your sugar until it is the sweetness level you like. Don't over sweeten because the Hershey's syrup will be sweet as well.
6. Mix in the sugar and add in Hershey's syrup, tasting to get the desired chocolatyness. Mix until everything is combined. 
7. Put in the pie tin and spread evenly. Add shaved chocolate, chocolate ganache, or maybe some crushed Oreos. Get creative with it! I have a feeling whipped cream would probably taste good. 
8. Let set for at least 30 min in the fridge. mine set really quickly, but just wait long enough to get that delicious cheesecake texture.
9. Grab your book and piece of cheesecake and enjoy! 

Recommended Reading to Pair with Recipe 

Now I know most people don't just sit down and read the Great Gatsby, but they really should. While it isn't an easy read, this cheesecake will give you a taste of the decadence and high life of Gatsby's parties. Just don't get caught up in the book and eat the whole cake!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: ❤❤❤❤

The Great Gatsby explores a world of money, love, drama, and mystery. Nick Carraway has moved to New York to pursue being a stock broker when he moves in next door to the mysterious Jay Gatsby. Everything about Gatsby seems fake, yet Nick can't stay away. When he finds out there is a history between Gatsby and his cousin Daisy, Nick is pulled into a crazy affair and a course of events that leave you asking why. I read this book in English class (not surprising) and I loved it! The imagery and metaphors are fantastic and the plot is some how slow and fast at the same time. The irony and sarcasm are amazing. This book is a classic and I think that a lot of teenagers have a hard time relating to it. I find that the story itself can be a little confusing as the writing is complex. This book definitely inspires deep thought and immerses you in the story. This is not a fast read, but it is an enjoyable one. I would highly recommend this book to everyone, though I think adults get a lot more out of it than teenagers.