reflectivestarlightcore

[reflectivestarlightcore]

Other Words for "Look" + With meanings | List for writers

Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.

Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.

Glance - A brief or hurried look.

Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.

Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.

Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.

Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.

Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.

Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.

Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.

Eye - To look or stare at intently.

Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.

Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.

Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.

Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.

Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.

Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.

Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.

Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.

Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.

Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.

Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.

Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.

Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.

Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.

Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.

Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.

Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.

Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.

Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.

Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.

Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.

Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.

Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.

Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.

Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.

Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.

Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.

Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.

Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.

Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.

Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.

Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.

Lay eyes on - To see or look at.

Pore over - To look at or read something intently.

Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.

Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.

Dart - To look quickly or furtively.

Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.

Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russel

10/10 would recommend.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

i really love the ending (not spoiling) of my dark vanessa and vanessa’s characterization overall. i love how in terms of trauma, she’s very typical of someone who’s become their own worst enemy in the process of rationalizing their pain and has become “difficult” to be around, and there’s a point where people can’t stand to be around her because she is aware of the issue but feels incapable of processing everything. where people feel for her, but at a certain point give up on trying to help her when she’s crying out for it because as soon as they do, she back tracks and resorts to insults and deflection and dumping her trauma onto others but wanting no real solution, and no reaction is good enough for her because not even she knows what she wants from others, or what to feel. it’s this endless cycle of self destruction and deprecation until she realizes she can’t go on living that way when it couldn’t even serve the person benefiting the most from it all.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

"it's concerning if university students are genuinely struggling to read full adult-level books for class" and "don't overstate the reporting of a single news article" and "if this shift is genuinely real, it's reflective of broad curriculum changes in lower education levels, probably at least in part due to remote schooling during COVID, and doesn't mean the new generation is being willfully Stupid and Vapid" and "when reading for personal pleasure people should read whatever they like without shame" and "reading from a broad variety of genres, styles, and authorial backgrounds will improve your understanding of both literature and the real world" and "actively mocking people for their tastes in books does not encourage them to become more adventurous you're just being mean" and also "but seriously adult books are not just boringly pretentious nothingburgers padded with pointless sex scenes, and claiming they are just shows how little you've read" all can and should co-exist.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

Maybe my favourite use of a Taylor song in media ever

and just like a folk song, our love will be passed on ❤️‍🩹

[reflectivestarlightcore]

some really beautiful african architecture because honestly this site is so western-centric

mako

unknown

cameroon

burkina faso

mali

Ndebele

burkina faso

please add more if you can!

[reflectivestarlightcore]

you don’t need purity in the material you consume

you have a brain, you are capable of critical thinking, you can sift through the material and keep what is edifying for you and discard what isn’t

flaws don’t necessarily make material worthless

[reflectivestarlightcore]

The “am I gay or bi” question rages in my head on a daily basis but the one thing I know is I’m not straight

If you support gay marriage reblog this. If you're on the homophobic side, keep scrolling.

As a bisexual, it sickens me that some people WILL keep scrolling.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

chaotic academia things that don't promote unhealthy habits

or,, things I do on a regular basis

• knowing all about different types of coffee; undertones and flavors, light and dark, how to brew them to achieve the perfect taste

• listening to music more often than not, knowing specific songs for specific moments that make you feel like you're in a great movie scene

• bingeing tv shows and movie series on your days off

• getting up and writing when you get that one scene in your head for your work in progress and knowing you'll forget it if you just go to bed; answering that call

• CONSUMING 5 BOOKS A WEEK LIKE A KID AGAIN

• reading all literature; good, bad, controversial, light, dark, not your genre, your favorite childhood book, etc.,,,

• gifted kid burnout....

• you either are illiterate or read moby dick in sixth grade as a joke and unironically enjoyed it

• venting on a suspiciously specific and niche discord at 4:00 am

• putting on your fanciest clothes at night when no one is awake and playing Tchaikovsky and dancing with simple ballet moves that you learned off youtube because you can't really do ballet but it's a dream of yours

• playing meme songs on a classical instrument

• you're probably on twitter idk

• mismatched socks, or those weird yoda socks your mom got you for christmas

• going on bike rides around your neighborhood when it's quiet

• getting your sweaters off of ebay

• laying in the first snow of the year, making snow angels

• planning your own murder, planning other people's murders, planning your lego murders or your sim murders or your stuffed animal murders, planning all the murders

• having a stuffed animal :)

• naming all the inanimate objects in your room, bonus points if they're literary references to your favorite books

• being really proud of that one essay you wrote in middle school that you got an A on and your teacher asked to use as an example and really you haven't written anything that good since; maybe it was your magnum opus

• hyperfixiating on any little thing. neutral, could be good or bad, borderline an obsession

• searching up corsets even though you're never going to buy one (just me? okay)

• learning the scientific names of birds

• making an impulsive buy and never using the item even though you thought you would

• reading all the books one author has written. multiple times over. an acheivement in itself

• making a fort and watching your comfort movie in it

• candles

• pirates

• starting to decorate your room purely based off of one aesthetic, realizing it's not for you, then adapting that aesthetic and making your room your own. books lined up against walls, a hello kitty plushy in the corner, a pink floyd poster on the wall, 3 pairs of vans in your closet, every single book published by wheelock's latin, it might not be dark academic but you sure call it that

• notes!! in!!! books!!!!!

• pressing flowers in your dictionary, forgetting about them, opening it up four months later and being pleasently surprised

• not smoking at all unless you know the risks idk

• naming your dog after oscar wilde but no one in your family knows (ah, also me)

• being able to stand at your bookshelf for hours and explain what each book means to you, because they all mean something, but you haven't found someone yet who will listen, so you stand alone and voice your thoughts to an empty room

• forgetting to water your plants

• rearranging your bookshelf every week

• using your academy access to articles to fuel your latest random obsession

• don't lie, you've only read one shakespeare play but you talk about him like he's your favorite author in the world and maybe he is and that's okay (er... also me)

• finding that one author that's a little bit unheard of or forgotten and them becoming your favorite author and you don't know who to share your excitement with

allowing yourself more freedom than a traditional aesthetic permits. making it your own personal version, romanticizing your life and striving for more. accepting the messy parts of you and trying to change the darkness

[reflectivestarlightcore]

Me reading books about teenagers living fun romantic whirlwind lives while being too scared to do the same things myself:

my toxic trait is that i like to yearn for things more than i like to actually do those things

[reflectivestarlightcore]

schuylerpeck / instagram: hiitssky

[reflectivestarlightcore]

I’m drawn to places I’ve never been,

And can feel the longing for them on my skin,

The ghosts of their sites behind my eyes,

Each one’s air caught deep in my throat.

Everyday I’m reminded of how I must go

Where my feet haven’t traveled,

But to the places my heart surely knows.

S.a

[reflectivestarlightcore]

Every book I read in 2021 summarised in one sentence and reviewed in another: Part 4

Petra’s Ghost - C.S. O’Cinneide. A widower with a haunting secret about his wife’s death hikes a Spanish pilgrimage trail, where he is confronted by ghosts of many, many forms. An interesting if oddly toned reflection on morality and guilt.

Boy Swallows Universe - Trent Dalton. In 1980′s Brisbane, Australia, a young boy who is growing up surrounded by morally grey figures, including drug dealer parents and a convicted murderer babysitter, struggles to discern exactly what a good person is. Incredibly, incredibly heartwarming, with one of the most gripping and ultimately uplifting endings I read this year.

Freedom - Jonathan Franzen. A middle-aged environmentalist struggles to keep his family together, as his wife is depressed and his arrogant son has become a Young Republican. I still don’t fully understand what the thematic point of this book is supposed to be, but I don’t care, it was an absolute joy to read.

Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel - Sara Farizan. An Iranian-American lesbian girl struggles with her sexual orientation, amongst many other existential dreads, at a private high school. This is literally the wlw version of the mlm book I’m writing and I don’t know how to feel about that, but I still enjoyed it.

The Queen’s Resistance (‘Queen’s’ Series #2) - Rebecca Ross. After winning the revolution, history major Brienna and her friends struggle to put down dissident factions while considering whether the deposed king’s young grandchildren can be expected to change their ways. Generally same-same in terms of quality as Queen’s Rising - the romantic plotline makes slightly more sense now, but is still quite questionable.

Polly Wants to be a Writer - Laura Michelle Thomas. A teenage girl with a dream to become a writer learns of her ‘literary dragon’, a companion and critic, and becomes embroiled in a plot to defend these dragons from those who wish to harm them. The melding of reality and fantasy is really weirdly done, but I love the idea of helping young, insecure writers learn to deal with their inner critics.

We Were Not Men - Campbell Mattinson. After losing their parents to a car accident, two twin boys struggle to connect with their parents, their surviving step-grandmother, and with each other. I still don’t fully know what this book was about on a thematic level, but I still really, really enjoyed it - this and Trent Dalton made me truly fall in love with Australian fiction.

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte. In an 18th century aristocratic family, tension is introduced when the daughter falls in love with an orphan, only for their love to be forbidden by social divides and said division to have horrific consequences. I was increasingly shocked by what horrible, horrible people all the major characters are, but they all have pretty interesting villain origin stories.

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald. A man moves to an upmarket Long Island neighbourhood and meets his enigmatic neighbour, who hosts lavish parties for the sole purpose of getting his crush to notice his wealth. The thematic statements are interesting if a little on-the-nose, but overall the book is way too short.

We Are All Good People Here - Susan Rebecca White. In 1960′s Atlanta, a young girl from a WASP family becomes aware of systemic racism when her Jewish roommate is denied entry into any sororities, only for said awareness to ultimately push her towards anarchism and an extreme, vengeance-based lifestyle. The first half of the book is an absolute, legitimate masterpiece, but the second half, while still interesting, ultimately leaves too much unresolved.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

Every book I read in 2021 summarised in one sentence and reviewed in another: Part 3

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass - Lana del Rey. A poetry collection from one of the most enigmatic singer-songwriters in recent memory. The poems I could actually understand were absolutely breathtaking (favourites were LA Who Am I to Love You, Sport Cruiser, and Never to Heaven).

More Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin (Tales of the City #2). The queer, horny 20-somethings in San Francisco keep on living their crazy lives. The plotlines of this book are genuinely absurd, much more so than the last one, but again the characters are so unironically wonderful I still remained really, really invested.

The Power of One (Peekay #1) - Bryce Courtenay. After being bullied in 1930′s boarding school, a white South African boy dreams of becoming a boxer, and in the process of pursuing said dreams accidentally becomes an icon of racial justice. Really, really heartwarming story of what it actually takes to change people’s minds and lives, enhanced by Courtenay’s wonderfully nuanced understanding of 1930′s and 40′s South Africa.

The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick. In an alternate 1960′s where the Axis won WW2, various characters struggle to survive and thrive in Japanese-occupied San Francisco and Nazi-occupied New York. The world is interesting if unrealistic, but there are way too many characters and plotlines for a 200-page-novel to ever satisfyingly resolve them all (spoiler: it resolves none of them).

Odds Against Tomorrow - Nathaniel Rich. A paranoid NYC accountant starts making a living out of insuring business for apocalypse scenarios, but when an actual apocalypse scenario strikes New York, he is forced to reconsider his life. I loved loved LOVED this book right up until the ending, which just left me shocked and asking “Wait, that’s it?”

Tandia (Peekay #2) - Bryce Courtenay. Peekay, the boxer from Power of One, is now deliberately fighting for racial justice during the onslaught of apartheid, a process which leads him to meet Tandia, a half-Indian, half-African woman who is traumatised from her teenage rape. Power of One is more well-known, but this is much, much better and maybe the best book I read this year - the unpacking of systemic racism is brilliant, the characters are so compelling, and I needed several business days to process THAT ENDING.

Truth of the Divine (Noumena #2) - Lindsay Ellis. Another alien arrives to Earth while the US is debating what rights should be awarded to aliens, forcing the college dropout interpreter to befriend and work with a nosy journalist. It’s very appropriate that I read this and Tandia back to back, as they’re both sequels which were miles better than the original, they’re both very philosophically and thematically compelling, and both their endings ripped my soul out of my body.

Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom. A memoir from a burnt-out journalist who visited his old professor while the latter was dying of ALS, and during said visits received invaluable life advice. There’s definitely a reason this is the most successful memoir of all time; Morrie is that rare person who actually had a concrete, correct idea of how to live a fulfilling life and made it his mission to share that knowledge.

The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen. A naive grandmother sets her heart on gathering her splintering family together for one last Christmas at home, not realising that in doing so she is forcing every member of her family to confront exactly what is wrong in their lives. The characters are so realistic it hurts and the story is so gripping you forget it’s 500+ pages long (B5 pages for the record).

48 Shades of Brown - Nick Earls. A sheltered, awkward teenage boy is sent to live with his cool bass-playing aunt (who’s around his age - one of those aunts), forcing she and her roommate to teach him what they can about the ‘real world’. As the awkward only child of a somewhat sheltering family, I related to and enjoyed this book a lot for no particular reason.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

Every book I read in 2021 summarised in one sentence and reviewed in another: Part 2

The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro. A longserving butler looks back on his time working for an aristocratic British family, reflections which show the audience how the values of butlerhood have had a haunting effect on his mental state and emotional maturity. Ishiguro’s writing style is very reflective and tangential, which can make this a bit of a slow burn, but the characters and message truly do make it worth it.

The Bookshop of the Broken-Hearted - Robert Hillman. After his wife and son leave him for a Christian cult, an Australian farmer falls in love with a Holocaust refugee bookseller, while trying to save his ex-wife and son from said Christian cult. The love story is really, really sweet, but this is one of those books that tries to tackle too many issues and ends up doing none of them super well.

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Love Simon) - Becky Albertalli. A closeted gay teenager contemplates how to come out while striking up an anonymous online relationship with another closeted gay at his high school. I related to and enjoyed this book a lot for no particular reason.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro. A group of young English people reflect on their time at boarding school and how said boarding school was not, at all, what it seemed (the specific premise of this book is actually a massive spoiler so I have to be kind of vague). This book gave me the heebie-jeebies but in a good way.

Eleanor and Park - Rainbow Rowell. A boy who is trying too hard to be cool and edgy falls in love with the new girl in his school and defends her from her abusive stepdad. The romance is so emotionally investing I completely overlooked the egregious racial stereotyping and had to find out about it from YouTube.

The House on Carnaval Street (also published as Margarita Wednesdays) - Deborah Rodriguez. A memoir, detailing Rodriguez’s move from being a hairdresser in Afghanistan to dealing with PTSD in the Californian woods, and ultimately moving to an idyllic Mexican town. Fun story: despite this being a memoir, I actually found it in the fiction section of the library, but Rodriguez’s life is that crazy yet compelling it almost belongs in the fiction section.

Tales of the City (Tales of the City #1) - Armistead Maupin. A group of 20-something’s in 1980′s San Francisco, most of whom are not straight and all of whom are very horny, deal with relationships and the randomosities of life. The characters are literally amazing; literally one of my life’s dreams is to be part of this sort of friendship group.

A Match Made in Mehendi - Nandini Bajpai. A Desi teenage girl uses her family’s Indian matchmaking principles to create Tinder but for her high school, at which point hijinks ensue. The premise is a little absurd, but it’s very well-handled and I did end up genuinely caring about the characters.

Conversations With Friends - Sally Rooney. A cynical literature student falls in love with a married actor, and over the course of their relationship is forced to confront her own unacknowledged vulnerabilities. The level to which this is a realistic portrayal of modern relationships is chilling.

Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert. In 19th century France, a rural doctor’s wife becomes dissatisfied with how her life isn’t living up to her romantic expectations, and thus spends all her money on shopping and extramarital affairs. People say Tolstoy plagiarised this for Anna Karenina, I say a) this didn’t have the Levin subplot and b) this is four times shorter than Anna but somehow four times slower-paced.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

Every book I read in 2021 summarised in one sentence and reviewed in another: Part 1

This is probably the most inconsequential thing anyone has ever done but this was the first year I kept a list of the books I’ve read so I kind of wanted it to build to something. I also do kind of hope that those who bother to read this very very very very long list will find at least one book they might be interested in:

Act of Grace - Anna Krien. An Australian Iraq vet, an Iraqi pianist refugee, and an Indigenous Australian activist watch as their lives intersect in ways they could have never imagined. The twists and turns are really, really interesting, but the ending is way too abrupt.

Cloud and Wallfish - Anne Nesbet. In 1989, an American family move to communist East Berlin for toooootally legit reasons, forcing their ten-year-old son and his speech impediment to make new friends. The friendship story is really sweet and all, but the out-of-nowhere spy thriller mystery subplot is the real top-tier stuff.

Under the Visible Life - Kim Echlin. A Pakistani woman in a stable but loveless marriage and a half-Chinese woman in a passionate but unstable marriage both move to NYC and bond over their love of piano. One of the two protagonists is waaay more compelling than the other and it does affect the book’s quality.

Wrecked - Maria Padian. A budding college romance comes under stress when it emerges that the girlfriend’s roommate is accusing the boyfriend’s dormmate of rape. So empathetic, complex, multifaceted, and realistic it should be compulsory reading for anyone who has any opinion at all about sexual assault.

Axiom’s End (Noumena #1) - Lindsay Ellis. In an alternate 2007, a college linguistics dropout is kidnapped by one alien and befriended by another, leading her to become the interpreter and advocate for the latter alien. The worldbuilding is great, but Ellis has said this book’s main purpose is set-up and it shows.

The Queen’s Rising (‘Queen’s’ Series #1) - Rebecca Ross. A young girl who is her world’s equivalent of a history major finds out that her supernatural ability is crucial to a plot to overthrow a tyrannical king. The worldbuilding is absolutely breathtaking, but the romantic ending is extreeemely questionable.

Anna Karenina - Lev (Leo) Tolstoy. In late 19th century Russia, an aristocratic woman devotes herself to a passionate extramarital affair, while a farmer who has a crush on her sister-in-law undergoes several existential crises. It’s really long and can be a bit of a slow burn, but the good parts (most notably the resolutions for both main protagonists) make it so, so worth it.

The Rise of Kyoshi (Kyoshi Series #1) - F.C. Yee. In the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe, a young servant girl discovers she is the all-powerful Avatar immediately after losing two people very close to her, an event that pushes her to join an outlaw gang. As is to be expected from ATLA, the worldbuilding and character development are both absolutely fantastic.

The Shadow of Kyoshi (Kyoshi Series #2) - F.C. Yee. After being revealed to the world as the Avatar, Kyoshi has to fight rival factions in the turbulent Fire Nation. It’s shorter and faster-paced than Rise, but honestly I couldn’t tell you which one I like better - they’re pretty much the same in terms of quality.

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote. The true story behind the lives of two outlaw men who murdered a prominent Midwestern family in 1959. I had to read this for school, and as such read it multiple times, and though I enjoyed it more each time, the ethics of this book (in terms of its truthfulness and objectivity) are still something I am a little uneasy about.

[reflectivestarlightcore]

if you would be so kind as to reblog this if you feel insecure about your writing skills.