alexandraemilyyy

[alexandraemilyyy]

Now that we don't have zlibrary here are some websites you SHOULDN'T use in ANY circumstances. They let you download books for FREE so you should steer clear of them unless they are legal like some of these:

Archive.org: works like a library but online, gives you access to a book for up to 2 weeks with possibility to extend. It's legal!!

Zlibrary.to: apparently a backup domain for zlibrary or something but completely separated from the normal one bc it's the only one i've found that works. Seems to have less books than the original or they are harder to find, but a big database nonetheless

Libgen: not a very nice interface but it has a lot of books too, zlibrary got many of their books from here

Project gutenberg: over 60 000 free ebooks but mostly books with expired copyright. Seems pretty legal

Oceanofpdf: pretty nice interface but idk the amount of books in there. They believe that knowledge and information should be free and accessible

Pdf drive: over 80 000 000 ebooks in pdf format. Messy interface with overlapping buttons and other things but looks like it could be used to get books easily

Z-epub: has a lot of books but only free domain. This means it's a legal website so it would be good to use

You definitely SHOULD NOT use the sites that aren't mentioned as legal above, I'm just telling you so that you know which ones to avoid!!

[alexandraemilyyy]

Now that we don't have zlibrary here are some websites you SHOULDN'T use in ANY circumstances. They let you download books for FREE so you should steer clear of them unless they are legal like some of these:

Archive.org: works like a library but online, gives you access to a book for up to 2 weeks with possibility to extend. It's legal!!

Zlibrary.to: apparently a backup domain for zlibrary or something but completely separated from the normal one bc it's the only one i've found that works. Seems to have less books than the original or they are harder to find, but a big database nonetheless

Libgen: not a very nice interface but it has a lot of books too, zlibrary got many of their books from here

Project gutenberg: over 60 000 free ebooks but mostly books with expired copyright. Seems pretty legal

Oceanofpdf: pretty nice interface but idk the amount of books in there. They believe that knowledge and information should be free and accessible

Pdf drive: over 80 000 000 ebooks in pdf format. Messy interface with overlapping buttons and other things but looks like it could be used to get books easily

Z-epub: has a lot of books but only free domain. This means it's a legal website so it would be good to use

You definitely SHOULD NOT use the sites that aren't mentioned as legal above, I'm just telling you so that you know which ones to avoid!! More sites to avoid in the reblogs

[alexandraemilyyy]

“I wanted to put a reference to masturbation in one of the scripts for the Sandman. It was immediately cut by the editor [Karen Berger]. She told me, “There’s no masturbation in the DC Universe.” To which my reaction was, “Well, that explains a lot about the DC Universe.””

—

Neil Gaiman

Never forget.

[alexandraemilyyy]

Z-library alternatives

So z-library is down, which is an absolute tragedy, but for those looking here's a list of alternatives under the cut.

Books

Open Library: this works like an actual library, where there's a waiting list and you can borrow books for x time.

Library Genesis: my personal favourite of the ones in this list, both for entertainment or academic books. Here you can download epubs or other formats, and there's a great ISBN search function.

The Pirate Bay: it doesn't have that many book options, and it has pop up ads, but still a good option.

Sci-Hub: this is for research papers, but you have to type the exact title of what you're looking for.

IT eBooks: books on IT and programming.

Ubooquity: has to be installed to use.

Simon & Schuster: I haven't actually tried this one, but it has a mailing list which you have to sign up to in order to get the books.

eBooks 3000: this doesn't have that many options and there are some pop up ads.

PDF Drive: there's no limits or ads, but it only has PDF formats.

Read Any Book: here you can read books online or download them.

The Eye: sort of an archive with pretty much everything, but you can't search things here, and it's tough to navigate. I think they have audiobooks too.

Audiobooks

Audiobook Bay: here you can download audiobooks.

Booksonic: this is for audiobook streaming, and you have to download the app or install the software on your computer.

Tokybook: this one has many options, and it's easy to navigate.

I know none of these are as good as z-library was, but hopefully they'll do the trick. This could really help people, so pass it on and add if you have more!

[alexandraemilyyy]

community drive of ebooks

hello bookblr

zlib is down. this was a valuable source of books & resources, and now its gone. which is why i have made a google drive of all the ebooks i have, and im asking all of u to add ur ebooks to it as well. u can download & use any of the books on there for free

heres the link to the drive if u just want to check out the books on there. if u want to contribute-- and i would strongly recommend u do this, because we all need to help each other out-- please dm ur gmail id to me so i can add u as an editor.

pls reblog this & share the link with anyone who might need this

heres a list of all the books on the drive

rip zlib u were a real one

[alexandraemilyyy]

i think what's really compelling about tsh is how out of the main players (and really out of everyone) there isn't one Good Person (in the sense of moral right/good vs wrong/evil story dichotomy type Good Person). Like,,, henry vs bunny alone. I feel like there's an instinct among readers (at least those I've seen on tiktok, which, i know, im sorry) to go Henry is Good and Right and Bunny is Evil and Wrong particularly upon first reading and then when you think critically it turns to Bunny is Actually Good and Right and Henry is Evil and Wrong to make sense of the story but both are Shitty, Terrible People.

Henry is a self-important, elitist serial-killer who is completely detached from the world around him from no one's fault but his own and Bunny is a leech who considers biogtry and a guiness world record catagory and blackmails his friends over a murder not because they killed an innocent man but because they didn't include him.

I think this is what makes tsh so compelling. You're not there to take sides, no matter how hard Richard (unconsciously?) tries. You're there to watch a series of terrible events unfold and to consider the complexity of human morality. Not one person is either Good or Evil. It's impossible and destructive to look at people that way and I think that's how tsh messes with you and I love it. I don't think Donna Tartt wants you to forgive or justify anything that anyone does, but to simply perceive them and your reactions to it

[alexandraemilyyy]

[alexandraemilyyy]

Seeing a lot of people not from the uk not understanding who Larry the Cat is and his role in UK politics

Larry the Cat is no. 10’s official mouser. He lives at No. 10 and catches mice. He has held this position for over a decade

When shit is going down and all the news crews are hanging outside no. 10 waiting for something to happen he’s usually also hanging around outside so when there’s not much visual happening but they don’t want to cut away from the outside of No. 10 we all just watch Larry

He is often seen standing by the door waiting to be let in

He is the most competent person at No. 10

[alexandraemilyyy]

It’s been a real ‘future Horrible Histories episode’ day in UK politics, folks

[alexandraemilyyy]

For my non uk followers wondering wtf is going on:

- prime minister is a cunt. Had like a bajillion scandals

- latest one was apparently one two many. Two extremely important cabinet members resigned within minutes of each other

- within the next 24 hours about a third of the government resigned

- one resigned live on tv. Five resigned with the same letter to save time

- previous record for government resignations within 24 hours was 6 and it it was in the 1930s. We are, as I’m writing this, on 45 resignations

- Michael Gove, another cunt who is hated by all, was going to resign but was sacked instead in what appears to be the prime minister going “you can’t quit you’re fired!”

- government meetings are being cancelled because there is literally nobody in those departments anymore

- despite literally everyone begging him at this point to leave, including his most loyal little evil henchman, prime minister is refusing to resign in disgrace as is traditional for British prime ministers

- prime minister genuinely seems to be in complete denial anything serious is happening

- people are calling for Larry the Cat, no. 10’s chief mouser to be the next prime minister. When asked for comment, he licked his arse on live television

[alexandraemilyyy]

Info About the 80's As Provided By My Dad, Who Graduated High School in 1987:

No boxers, no briefs, ONLY tighty-whiteys.

The Satanic Panic was something discussed primarily by adults to try and sway more voters toward Reagan.

EVERYONE had their ears pierced. Men, women, everyone. My Dad still wears his little diamond stud sometimes.

Crop tops and tube socks were a popular combo for high school and college guys.

Long hair was masculine and having decent hygiene was a big deal.

You took a girl to the roller rink on the first date to show off and then to the drive-in on the second date if she wanted to make out.

Here are some good metal bands to include in your fics: Judas Priest, Queensryche, Slayer, Ozzy, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Saxon, Scorpions, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Joan Jett, Pat Benetar, and Alice Cooper.

Vinyl cost between $1 and $4 on average.

Minimum wage was around $3.50.

Jorts for men. Good fuckin' lord the cutoff jorts for men...

The stoners knew everyone and everything.

If you're writing a fic or making art and have any questions for Mark about your Historical Accuracy, please feel free to send me an ask and I'll text him.

He thinks this is fun.

[alexandraemilyyy]

you know what bothered me so much about the secret history (even though i love it to bits)? the characterization for the main cast of characters was reduced to stereotypes and barely anything, especially for camilla, who was only viewed as the ultimate prize by richard!

Ohh very interesting! Since the secret history is a satire at its core, a lot of the elements are overexaggerated, including and especially the characters. The really interesting thing about that though is that it’s not just Donna tartt’s choice to exaggerate all the characters’ personalities—it’s richard’s. I’ve heard lots of people saying that camilla is the ‘distant beauty’ archetype because she’s seen through the male gaze, and I agree with that, but all the rest of the gang are also stuffed into a box by Richard because of his tendency to romanticize things so much. Henry is the cold genius, charles the angelic sebastian flyte, francis the cultured aesthete, etc. etc. So while the characters might seem reduced to caricatures, it actually adds depth to Richard and his morbid longing for the picturesque.

All that being said, just because that’s all purposeful doesn’t mean that you have to like it—it can be a little overdone at times. And I do agree that the book could benefit a lot from more focus on women/camilla, even just a slight subversion of richard’s beliefs about her at the end.

[alexandraemilyyy]

When Oscar Wilde wrote: "Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic". And then Kait Rokowski said:"Nothing ever ends poetically. It ends and we turn it into poetry. All that blood was never once beautiful. It was just red.". But also Donna Tartt wrote: "Death is the mother of beauty." and "Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.".

[alexandraemilyyy]

I honestly feel that working in a little old bookstore would solve all of my problems.

[alexandraemilyyy]

Media doesn’t have to be a masterpiece. I went into the Uncharted movie with my only expectation being the pirate ship in the trailer and lo and behold there was a pirate ship. I am satisfied.

Sometimes all you need is goofy escapism and cheesy antics and shit that blatantly defies the laws of reality just for funsies. Just lose yourself in the shenanigans for a few hours.

[alexandraemilyyy]

I wonder what kind of girl I would be if the patriarchy didn’t exist. If gender roles and stereotypes didn’t stain my entire being. If I didn’t suffer at the hands of misogyny that molded the clay that was me. I wonder what I would do, what I would say, what I would like, what I would crave, what I would be. The likelihood of us being anything close to similar seems slim considering how many things could be different. I just wonder what type of woman I would be if I hadn’t been told from the day I was born how and who I should become. Would I still enjoy wearing makeup if I hadn’t been conditioned to feel better about myself with it on? Would my favorite color still be orange if pink hadn’t been forced on me and I didn’t care to make a point of rejecting it? Would I stand up for myself more if I hadn’t been taught to cater to the comfort of others before prioritizing my own? Would my natural instinct still be to feel wary of those around me if abuse and harassment and assault were not normalized in our society? Would I still want long hair if I hadn't been brainwashed into believing that my beauty is rooted in being feminine, and that my value is rooted in being beautiful? Would I be the same? How much, or how little, would that impossible girl resemble me as I am now? And are my interests and passions genuine—truly mine—or can they all be linked to some expectation to accommodate, some predetermined role to serve, some juxtaposing desire to please a system I don’t even like. Do I actually love video games as much as I think I do, or do I only like them because I think it makes me appear cooler to men? Do I actually want to get married as much as I think I do, or do I only want to because historically that was where the female fit in? Do I actually find solace in journaling as much as I think I do, or do I only find solace in it because it is the only time I can share my traumatic experiences without being called a crazy attention seeker? There is so much I wonder about, which parts of me are real and which have been tinkered with. Which is just pure me, and which is because of something else. A factor of the patriarch. Of course I’ll never know, but that truth does not keep me from being curious about the girl who does not suffer from the wrath of an internalized male gaze and the burden of internalized misogyny. I bet she is lovely—free of the shackles—and I hope she feels at peace.

— alhwrites

[alexandraemilyyy]

I want to see if anyone else here can agree with me on this:

magick (and the occult) are technically forms of philosophy.

philosophy is trying to gain answers to life’s unanswerable questions, and magick is that exact thing, trying to answer unanswerable questions through the use of said magicks.

and you could also argue that magick (and the occult) are also forms of science, in a technical sense, because they use theory and evaluation to answer those questions, but it is also a form of philosophy.

philosophy encompasses reasoning logic and analysis, which is also what magick does, but magick is more of an empirical inquiry because has experiments and observations and the like.

but you can also go non-empirical with it as well and argue that things such as astrology and mythology explain those questions and take it to a more philosophical route, if you view those as forms of magick.

but inherently magick is scientific, which makes in philosophical, I rest my case.