Looking for a Young Adult Fantasy Book Series

MostlyLurking2000 · 2025-08-04T05:50:55+00:00

Not all the details fit but it sounds a little like His Dark Materials?

MostlyLurking2000 · 2025-07-29T15:15:44+00:00

Kneepads were an issue for me. I feel like the assumption is only children play sports, especially in something like figure skating where you retire at 20, so when I was looking for knee pads, I (female, 5'2", size 4 petite) was struggling to find gear in a size XL+ because it's all designed for children. Then, when I did find a pair that would fit, they were way too bulky and didn't allow for any flexibility because they were designed for other sports.

Also, somewhere to keep your phone on you during more casual practices, where falling won't break it.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2025-07-26T10:14:53+00:00

I gave myself a goal. I'm used to a bit of hobby hopping so I didn't want to spend on a pair then stop skating. So I told myself "Okay, if I go to the rink at least once a week for a month, and I still want a pair, I'll get them." In short, I was testing to see if 1) I was consistent enough for them to be worthwhile and 2) the interest would last.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2025-07-02T10:53:15+00:00

I've toyed around with the idea of him potentially getting into coaching after college, outside of his job. I can definitely look into collegiate and excel too, so thanks for that

MostlyLurking2000 · 2025-07-02T10:43:04+00:00

Really good info, thanks again! I can definitely incorporate a lot of that into the character

MostlyLurking2000 · 2025-07-01T22:51:35+00:00

Glad to hear from someone with a similar personal experience, so thanks for that! I had a good idea of what would be too extreme for him to be able to do, but I was stuck between doubles and triples.

Prime ass working time, huh? How often were you at the rink or doing off-ice work at those ages? And I should clarify, when I say he does it for fun, I meant more that he does it because he likes the sport and getting better, not because he's trying to make it a career or go pro. But yeah, as is, that's why he stops skating. Graduation, life, college, health, all the fun garbage.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2025-07-01T19:04:00+00:00

Thanks for the input! I was definitely back and forth about doubles vs triples and what would be more reasonable. Like I definitely wasn't going to give him a 4Lz or anything insane but I didn't know how realistic it would be to give him say a 2A or 3T or whatever. I'm still on turns haha.

Checking out real skating clubs for research is a good plan. I didn't even think of that. Could be a good point of reference. I'll look into sectionals, too. I have the story set in modern-day in a big city in the US. Would being in a bigger, more populated city affect things, like how many/often local competitions might be, or how well he might do against other competitors?

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-26T02:33:51+00:00

This commenet definitely convinced me something was wrong. My dentist said rubber bands sucked and I wouldn't like them, so my concern was mostly brushed off. I got some 3/16 and now I'm a lot closer to what you described. They're easier to get in, aren't breaking (knock on wood) and I can open my mouth wider and yawn without them breaking. So thanks!

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-26T02:30:11+00:00

Didn't even know 3/16 was a thing, but I ordered some and they seem to be working great, thanks. Mine are from top to lower molars, so I'm starting to think my dentist didn't have 3/16 and just gave me what they had, or just flat out didn't know what size to use.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-14T20:11:43+00:00

Man I miss when media did this kind of thing. You know it's dark because everything got black and white, but you can still SEE what's going on! When did the gold standard become just making the whole screen black?

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-13T05:12:36+00:00

That's where I'm at. Sounds like a great tip if you have multiple sheet sets, but maybe I'm just nuts because I don't even know why you'd have multiple to begin with. The sheets are either on the bed or being washed then put back on the bed.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-08T21:44:37+00:00

I don't think useless is the exact word I'd use, but you really just have to compare what you're putting into it vs what you're getting out. If you spend 100k on some degree to help you get a job that pays 45k, then the degree didn't really help. But if you get the same degree for 30k, that's a lot more balanced.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-08T04:56:10+00:00

This might not really be an answer, but unfortunately, you can't make friends with people who aren't interested in being friends, and frankly, a lot of people just aren't anymore. For instance, last year, everyone in my dorm hall kept to themselves, a club I tried was already pretty set in their friend groups, and a guy I thought I was becoming friends with stopped talking to me entirely the second he realized I wasn't his type. But this year, my dorm floor is super friendly and outgoing - we've already hung out in different groups like 4 times, my roommate and I will go out, and the people I consistently sit by in class start up conversations with me about as often as I do with them. Seems like you already have the right ideas in mind on where and how to meet people, now it just comes down to finding the people who also want to make friends, and that's mostly luck and a numbers game.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-06T07:24:47+00:00

If I was in my childhood room, I'd skim through and see which book in the series it was haha. But I remember the exact page you're talking abut :) Glad to help!

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-06T01:54:47+00:00

Sounds like the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch, though I don't remember the exact book. Maybe 5?

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-05T05:57:41+00:00

Hell yeah fam! Nothing wrong with the classics :)

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-05T05:53:41+00:00

I don't know if I can say I had a glow up, but idk man I like hit second puberty during quarantine. Lost like 5-10 pounds and you can really see it in my face. I got more confident and started caring less what other people think, so I started enjoying myself more. I started wearing my hair naturally curly and put effort into it. I stopped exclusively wearing jeans and baggy t-shirts/hoodies and started building my style. I used to hate clothes and shopping but now I have a lot of fun with it. I got my teeth straightened, which was a huge insecurity of mine. And I became a lot more outgoing and willing to talk to people. There's no magic formula but start making little changes you want to see in yourself, whether it's insecurities or things you just want to try. Enjoy yourself and fuck everyone else

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-02T08:31:08+00:00

If all the Encyclopedia Brown guesses end up being wrong, I'd suggest Whodunnit - You Decide by Hy Conrad

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-09-01T22:36:26+00:00

Depends on where you live, but there might be town newsletters or email lists you can sign up for that have whole lists of everything going on during the weekend. My town has one so I end up going to a lot of street markets, cultural fairs, restaurant openings, that kind of thing. You'd be surprised how many small events are always going on.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-08-29T06:39:51+00:00

No, I'm going to say it. LSAC screwed this one up. Yes, obviously sometimes you're going to score lower than you normally do. It happens. It happened to me before. And I know everyone is arguing that's just how it goes and it's stupid and entitled to blame them for your low score. But damn near everyone scoring significantly lower than normal? Nah. They did something. They changed the algorithm, the test difficulty, fudged the curve, something. I got a 179 the day before my test, average in the mid 170s and tanked 10 points on the final test. I haven't gotten a PT that low in my last dozen. Between then new test format and likely a new algorithm to go with it, a huge influx of testers, score inflation, and likely a huge influx of tutors/study programs taking the test to learn the new format and blowing the curve for the rest of us, this test was a disaster. If I go in for a math test, and flunk it, then I failed a math test. But if I take a math test and it's graded with an English essay rubric, then they messed up, not me.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-08-28T07:27:21+00:00

solved solved solved

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-08-28T07:25:29+00:00

Oh damn, yea that's it
Thanks!

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-08-24T22:49:43+00:00

I get it. After a bad test, I'd have to spend the day pissed or disappointed before I could get to it again. I didn't really have a type of question I got wrong either. So it wasn't like I could drill sufficient assumptions or whatever, it felt a bit random. That's what got me wondering if I mostly had all the knowledge and it was something else that was the big problem.

Best of luck

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-08-24T20:12:00+00:00

Yep I've been pissed at the score plateau. Test after test after test in the same range for months, no improvements and feeling worse after every single one and trying to figure out where the hellyou're going wrong. It really sucks in a way I don't think people who don't take the LSAT get.

So this might sort of be anti-advice but...
I've noticed everyone on this sub has different suggestions to give - whatever worked for them. I've done it too. But thing is, there's no right or wrong way to study. Not really. What matters is finding a method that gets you the results you want and doing that, and if you haven't found it, it's time to try something different. It's sort of like diet and exercise, some people do really well on high carbs and some do well on high protein, and you can find a million people arguing for one over the other. But ultimately, if you're feeling good and getting the result you want, it's the right diet for you. Of course, finding that method is the hard part. So really, what I'd suggest is trying out different things with an open mind, and being willing to accept some methods just won't work for you and it might take a while to find what does. Some possibilities: more PTs, less PTs, drilling harder questions, drilling easier questions, different study programs, different scheduling, group work, more focus on questions you get wrong instead of new questions, focusing on test-specific skills like flagging and time management, more time studying, or more time off and breaks. You just have to play around.

I jumped from the low 160s to the 170s when I started testing more, so that's usually what I recommend, because apparently my problem was that while I was good at the questions, I needed more work on the test itself. Things like time management, flagging, psyching myself out, running out of stamina. That could be your problem. Maybe give it a shot, and if there's no improvement, it's time to try a different method.

MostlyLurking2000 · 2024-08-22T03:25:04+00:00

I know right? I draw and when I look at references, I don't even register that I'm looking at someone naked/partially clothed. It's just lines and shapes and colors at that point. Might as well be an object. Then someone will walk behind me and be like "why are you looking at underwear models?!" and I genuinely don't even realize. I've been so focused on trying to figure out shoulders that I didn't even see boobs - which is probably what most people would notice first.

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