Meet Mandy

Welcome to Trivially Crucial! We wanted to start things out with a post about each of us that give you an idea of who we are. And I decided the best way to do that for me was to tell you what all my favorite things across different story telling mediums are. So without further ado:

What is your favorite movie? 

My favorite movie is without a doubt Star Wars: The Empire Strikes back. It’s basically a perfect story, and it’s the perfect example of what a middle story in a trilogy should be like. There is action, adventure, romance, character growth, and most importantly the good guys take a major loss. I’m sure we’ll talk about what makes this movie a perfect movie some other time, but I really believe it. That’s not just the inner Star Wars geek in me talking. I promise.

What is your favorite book?

Ender’s Game. Say what you will about Orson Scott Card as a person, Ender’s Game is an amazing book. I read it for the first time in the eighth grade, and it’s been my favorite ever since. If you haven’t read it, you really should go do so now, because a movie is coming out later this year. You’ll want to read it before the movie comes out.

What makes Ender's Game my favorite book out of all the others I read? Well it's a tough call really, with A Wrinkle in Time coming in a close second, but the thing about Ender's Game is it's riveting every time I read it. And I've read it upwards of ten times. Even when I know exactly what's going to happen, I'm sucked in.  I just identify with the character of Ender on so many levels, and I relate to something new every time I read it.

It's a high paced riveting book. You really should read it. Like right now.  

What is your favorite comic/graphic novel?

I think I’m too new to comics to really have a favorite, but if I had to pick a favorite from the few I’ve read I’m going to go with Kieron Gillen’s run of Journey Into Mystery (issues #622-645). Why this comic out of the...um...handful I've read? Well, first off, let me fully admit to being a fangirl of Loki as portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, but when it came to Loki in the comics, I didn't start tracking things down about him until I learned kid Loki was going to be in the Young Avengers, my favorite superhero team. If kid Loki was going to become a member of the YA, I needed to know about him; therefore, I went back and read his back story in Journey Into Mystery.

Oh. My. Gosh. I was so glad I did! I'm not going to hash out all the reasons I love it here, you can check out my post on it on my personal website (click here!), but basically it was brilliant and tragic. Two of my favorite things.  

What is your favorite video game?

Out of all the mediums, video games is my weakest. I really suck at them. But I grew up watching my brother play them, and I really do enjoy watching people play video games. Which both makes me strange and means I don’t get exposed to too many. But my favorite video game is Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Hours of my childhood and young adult life were spent playing that game with my brother and years later my sister. I love the epic fantasy story line, I love the detailed worlds that exist in Hyrule, and I love that no matter how many times I play it, I always want to cry that Link and Saria can't be together.

What is your favorite play?

There is a soft place in my heart for existential literature, and especially existential plays. My favorite play has to be Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen it live. I’ve only read it and seen the movie. I love this play because it's hilarious and meta. It's not just a play about life or Hamlet, it's a play about plays.

What is your favorite musical?

My favorite musical is Wicked. Between the amazing music, the inventive re-telling of a classic, and the bittersweet ending, it’s pretty much exactly what I’m looking for in a musical.

What is your preferred medium?

My preferred medium has to be books. I’ve been an avid reader since I learned to read. For me, reading a book is like watching a movie—no, that’s not really a good comparison. Reading a book is like being in a Star Trek holodeck. It's awesome.

What is your favorite *kind of* story?

I’m a sucker for tragedies and dark stories. That being said I do not enjoy “gritty” stories. Something can be dark without being gritty. (And vice versa, something can be gritty without being dark). But I love a good tragic tale, and I much prefer bittersweet endings to perfectly happy ones.

What do you do outside of obsess about stories?

I’m an engineer who works on satellites. I’ve got a bachelor’s and master’s in Aerospace Engineering (i.e. Rocket Science) from Georgia Tech, but now I live in New Mexico. I also blog at A Bittersweet Fountain about my exploits as someone who wants to be a published writer and my general geekiness.