#And Laura is the outlier

[wygolvillage]

one day ill make a who are you handing the aux meme for ooe characters. one day

[inkskinned]

we heard that you were very disappointed in us both as a generation and specifically as a generation of women (emphasis yours), how we had let ourselves go and now we were slutty and ill-tempered and holding onto notions of feminism like "having a savings account" and "equality."

we were very sorry about it, we didn't realize. it is very hard for you, in your life, because your entire definition was centered around the word providing, and that's a really vague and undulating word. it is hard to be a provider. for your purposes, the word provider here can be defined as "having a job", although it sometimes also extends to "doing yard work", "grilling on occasion," and "knowing basic car anatomy."

we had to do some reading but we divided it out. do not worry. high-value women will fill in the rest of the gaps of your life - all those silly feminine things like doing the dishes. we didn't realize we had asked too much when we asked you to pick up after yourself. we did not realize you were rendered small and scared and crying about the possibility of doing the laundry. here is a joke to lighten the sentiment: a man that listens when you talk to him.

we heard about how we had fallen from glory and it sickened us and made us very, very sad. lindsey had to cut all her hair off and tara threw up. we lit one million candles and we are going to have a vigil about it tonight. all of the people in this world that you do not approve of are going to be there and we will all be in mourning colors because we have lost your respect which is of course the only thing that any of us were looking for.

we searched around our bedrooms and our closets and for some of us it took a while but we all found the pricetag that we were originally born with, the one that gave our listing offer, the one that smells like rot and pine needles. we were horrified because many of us had taken deductions and hadn't realized it. i had scraped my knees and decided to be a lesbian so they had to take my voicebox out so i could never call home again. janice had been with too many people overall so we had to put her into the big squisher that will hopefully collapse her walls so that when you're with her, you'll feel so big and powerful. it will be like you're conquering something instead of being close with someone.

we are all going to the funeral of feminism and we will tear at our bodies and fall over ourselves. we will invite you onstage for a live recording of your podcast about the occasional minor inconvenience of self-reflection. you will talk about how we have targeted you and made you feel the sweat slick down your back, and we will teach you basic self-defense out of solidarity.

do not worry, we are seeing to all the outliers. taylor asked to be taken seriously so we have shipped her off to prison. laura asked you to accept her femininity regardless of her presentation. you will be happy to hear all women are now and forever going to have to be small and thin and pretty and white and ablebodied and quiet and unassuming and ladylike, which is different than how society has previously told us to act.

i am going to have to shave off my jawline, which is a little masculine, and they are going to have to reshape my hands, which are very square and thick - all the work i've done with them has made their veins stand out, so we're just going to have to exsanguinate me. i am horrified to have been out in public like this.

we are going to sit around the campfire and we will talk about being weird little girls that made potions in pink teacups. we will talk about the first time we made a difference. we will talk about the private lives of crickets, and then, at the stroke of three in the morning (the witching hour, obviously) - we will all promptly shut up.

and this will be your beautiful world. this silence that spans every corner of every street and every zoom meeting and every alley. i do not think you'll notice at first - it will be the same as every television show and movie and book. we will all just simply sit there in our doll dresses and smile blithely at your advances and none of us will do you the dishonor of answering and none of us will appear to be in distress and none of us will nag you or make a fuss or get hysterical about it. it will just be quiet, and you will say finally, some peace for once! and we will smell of smoke and our teeth will be white and the next day will come.

tonight we are going to bury the last little bits of our humanity. you are not invited. it is going to be ugly.

[tw-episodereactions]

Teen Wolf 1x08

Why does Scott keep going along with Stiles’ plans when they’re all, um, bad?

Also, I feel like drinking out in the woods while being stalked by a supernatural creature that just tried to kill you is perhaps a terrible idea.

Does alcohol even work on Scott anymore? If his healing’s accelerated I feel like he’d never get more than a buzz. And I’m so glad my thoughts match drunk Stiles. My life is complete.

Is this the first time Scott has actually gone looking for a fight? I mean, not hyped up on anger (even though I don’t remember him starting the physical fights with Fuckface, I think Fuckface always started those).

And yet he still he controls his shift and doesn’t do anything violent to the dudes, just throws the bottle. He is just so diametrically opposed to Fuckface.

The only interaction where Fuckface didn’t actually lose his cool was with Chris Argent. In fact, Fuckface will easily enact violence against those weaker than him, but can hold his temper against those stronger with the exception of Kate. I’m guessing the outlier isn’t Chris, but Kate because it’s personal with her.

Scott doesn’t ever seem to choose violence first, which is why he’s struggled so much with the change.

And Fuckface tried to get him to believe that anger and pain were the keys to controlling the change, but the keys for Scott were connection and love.

So theoretically the reason the Alpha is killing is for revenge. We don’t really know why, but that’s the implication. There’s something specific about Laura, the bus driver, the video clerk, and the Argents.

And the janitor was to torment Scott. But why these guys? 

Not that I don’t get it, Scott. But, uh, you just found out that the Alpha wants you to kill her, so maybe some space right now isn’t a bad thing.

Stiles’ concern for his dad’s physical wellbeing is sweet. I just wish that concern extended a bit more to Scott as well.

They really do put Scott in red a lot. I mean, it’s a good color on him, but also (color theory!) can be used for both anger and love. A coincidence, probably, but it’s what I’m going with.

The autistic experience of sensory overload. I have been there, my friend.

We also love a good panic attack.

So Stiles’ mom is actually dead, and he got panic attacks. Yeah, that tracks.

The lighting in this scene from the circling fan is making my eyes wig out and I literally cannot watch it.

I wonder if this has just as much to do with the fact that he only just accepted that Allison is his anchor to his humanity and now he feels adrift, right before the full moon. Not just about heartbreak, but about a loss of self.

I’m actually a little bit face blind, but the Detective the Sheriff brought in is one of the hunters, right? I recognize the tie from earlier.

I wonder why Mrs. Argent isn’t more involved with the hunting. Like, was that her choice or is that just how the hunters are and Kate’s the anomaly.

I am not a fan of Scott casually hurting himself. I very much think it’s essentially due to having lost his anchor right before the full moon, but self destructive tendencies are more Fuckface’s bailiwick and I don’t like to see Scott falling into that.

Well Danny clearly has the most team spirit out of everyone. And also he’s right. Amazing how he can be friends with Jackson, actually.

I know Stiles is like, the King of ‘this is not the time’, but dammit, Stiles, read the fucking room. Your bff literally said to you maybe a couple hours earlier that he was afraid he might kill someone, and with the exception of the panic attack, Scott has had flat affect the whole day. And while I understand adding levity to certain situations can help, this is not the fucking time.

Once again, Scott going along with something he shouldn’t. Mostly because Lydia has made it excruciatingly obvious that she’s not into Stiles. Also because Scott is clearly not working on all cylinders and expecting him to try to actively use the senses when he’s all messed up about them is not going to end well.

Lol. Scott, bro. You are too messed up to handle this situation.

So Lydia started going after Scott, and Jackson started going after Allison, and I’m willing to bet Lydia is now going to shoot her shot with Scott. Not because she wants him but because she wants to hurt Jackson and she doesn’t care who else is in the crossfire.

That’s the thing with toxic relationships, they always seem to pull others into their mess.

Ugh, why is she like this? Saying one thing to Allison and the complete opposite to Scott. And for what? Jackson isn’t even worth it? Why torch like three relationships for this?

Well, Scott, the request from Stiles was dumb, but saying that Lydia’s into him was a shitty thing to do. I mean, I know you’re not in your right mind but still.

Total aside, but I actually hate how the best player on the team is often given the captaincy. It happens in professional sports too and drives me bonkers. The best player is not always the best leader.

Poor Danny.

Interesting to see that Jackson actually does care about someone other than himself.

Oh, so Scott’s actually gone completely off the deep end and doesn’t give a shit about anything i.e. complete loss of self. That happened scarily quick. If this is what happens when you lose your anchor, I wonder if this happened to Fuckface somewhere along the line and he just never recovered.

Confirmation that Kate is training Allison without permission. Good to know.

Omg, Stiles, boundaries.

Okay, so. No. First Stiles gets ‘payback’ for Scott (the sixteen year old) not protecting his dad (THE SHERIFF) and now Stiles wants payback for Scott kissing Lydia. Like, that’s not fucking how friendships work! Sometimes friends do shitty things to each other, and it sucks and hopefully you can talk about it and work through it. You don’t get to demand payback if your friends do something that you don’t like.

I absolutely hate this side of Stiles, I really do. Like, he crosses people’s boundaries all the time, he steals things, he can sometimes just act shitty, but that doesn’t give his friends the right to punish him.

Once again, he’s acting like such a cop’s kid (derogatory). He gets a free ride, but everyone else deserves to be punished.

To clarify, Scott definitely needs to be locked up right now, but the reasoning is askew.

Oh, so it’s not physical violence this time, just humiliation. Cool.

And, like, why would Stiles be taunting him, when it’s not like the cuffs are that strong? This is going to be the scene with the Alpha all over again. Stiles thinks he has him trapped, spouts off and then very much realizes that he’s not trapped. Dipshit.

Also, going all the way back to the beginning (yes, it’s Kafka again, shut up) are we going to lock him in a room and treat him as monstrous and expect him to end up not acting like a monster? How much would it actually cost to be kind for one night?

For the last three hours you thought all of that and then just…decided to be mean anyway? I guess that’s a choice.

Scott sounds like an addict. I wonder if that was intentional.

Again, we only got like five seconds of Scott’s agony of the transformation and then immediately switched to someone else. We almost got more reaction from Stiles than of Scott. Why do they keep doing that?

Aaand the tiger He destroyed his cage The tiger is out

(Apologies to Nael, Age 6 for changing your poem).

The amount of, like, mental manipulation being forcibly changed into a werewolf involves is ridiculous. Fugue states, hallucinations, mind control, lucid dreaming. Scott can’t trust his body or his mind anymore.

Wow, is Fuckface actually being useful for once? Crazy.

Hate to say this Fuckface, but, uh. It wasn’t pain that brought Scott back, it was you howling in his face. 

Scott sad, breathless little thanks is killing me.

Even though he just did something nice, I can’t give Fuckface the benefit of the doubt. I know he prefaced it with that it might not work, but I still think he’s just using Scott to get to the Alpha. Whether he wants to kill him in revenge or he wants Scott to, I don’t know. But, like, I don’t trust his motives.

Still hate the CGI wolf.

That hiding spot is not very keep it secret, keep it safe of you Jackson. 

[thisismeracing]

https://www.tumblr.com/thisismeracing/737093633087520768/httpswwwtumblrcomthisismeracing7364627668739?source=share

“I wonder how baby bono's interactions with toto n jack r like” - @omgsuperstarg

bono!reader and the wolffs

toto: toto to bon is not really an uncle and not really a grandfather. i think he lives somewhere in the inbetween. but regardless of the label he fits into in relation to who he is to bon, he’s someone who bon looks up to immensely. alongside susie, he taught her how to use her voice and be the leader she is today, through his own duties of leading the team. he’s the one who she goes to when she needs to have someone weigh in on something in her life in a semi-serious manner over a cup of coffee or tea. and i think that a lot of the interactions in the paddock are of them in their serious let’s get shit done mode. but once everything is done for the day they shift to that sort of mood you get in when it’s nearing the end of a family function, a significant number of people have left, and you’re kind of done for the day but you are still with people and you kinda don’t care about how you are presenting yourself to said people and it’s just that raw personality and hilarity that comes through.

jack: with jack there were/are some mixed feelings because of that fear that the people she holds dear are going to leave her in favor of him. but that doesnt mean she doesn’t love him like how you would with a younger sibling. with laura it’s more of a “i love and care about you” in the fashion you would have of a cousin you dont get to see often but are somewhat close with. and with jack it more “i love you as if you were my biological little brother.” these two get up to so many shenanigans together. running around the paddock playing tag, messing with water guns at hot races, scaring toto, running around passing out snacks to the team and some of their favorite staff at “rival” teams. growing up in the paddock everyone made sure she was having a good and fun time, so when it comes to jack she follows in the footsteps of who helped raise her. making sure the next generation knows the love and support that this little world of theirs has to offer unconditionally.

susie: there’s this mutual, unsaid understanding between the two of them that is “i think of you as a mother” and “i think of you as a daughter” and it remains unsaid until bon goes on the journey of being comfortable with holding the people she’s been scared of losing in fear of them leaving in a similar fashion of her bio mother. and for susie in particular it manifests in a very long love letter from bon appreciating how much she’s received from susie and how she’s filled a maternal role for her all these years on mother’s day accompanied with a handful of things susie made off hand comments about wanting but hasn't gotten around to buying for herself. susie helped teach her how to be in the world not only as a human, but also as a woman working in the world of motorsport. that it’s hard work and sometimes you want to quit, but you keep on going so that this sport can grow to be inclusive for females, whether it be the drivers or the engineers or the mechanics, etc., being present to be the norm and not the outlier. susie is her mentor in some ways, family in others, but can also just be a friend.

the wolffs are just three of the many rocks bon has in her rock garden of life, and she couldn’t be more grateful for the three of them

(hope yall liked this cause holly shit was this hard to write)

☕️

post ref

omg I loved love loved it!!! no additions needed <3 I see it all so perfectly and I love their relationship

[buckybarnesss]

I was innocently trying to sleep when I started thinking about Jeff Davis and his love of rhyming names. I thought about how Julia' fake name, Jennifer, breaks the pattern of important women having "ah" sounds at the end.

Then I was like, it's kind of funny that Stiles has a red herring love interest named Heather in season 1.

Then I was like... both of those names rhyme and have the same amount of letters.

Why is he like this

i love waking up to your asks.

once you notice the rhyming names you never stop noticing. jeff seems to love names with the A sound.

they have a choke hold on him.

lydia, claudia, victoria, malia, kira, talia, laura, cora, melissa, tamora, erica, tara and julia.

there's allison argent and kate argent. kali has the a sound too.

even noah has it. paige has it too.

i always think the outliers were not named by him.

[mermaidsirennikita]

After reading Diana Biller and Adriana Herrera’s, I’m loving with later-19th century historicals on The Continent. Do you have any other favorites in this same vein?

Those two are suuuuch good writers. Unfortunately, I don't have many of these because historicals tend to revolve around England, save for those American outliers :/.

A decent portion of The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley takes place in Paris--I'm pretty sure that this is where Beth sucks Ian's dick in a carriage. We love to see it.

The Courtesan Duchess by Joanna Shupe partially takes place in Venice, I believe--it's where she's pretending to be a courtesan to seduce her husband.

If you're open to another timeframe (medieval) For My Lady's Heart and Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale take place in--or really, Italian states as Italy didn't exist back then but I digress.

[bitchinlyras]

okay having some lost/yellowjackets character parallels Thoughts™️ and this is what i have so far

misty = locke (desire to belong, desire/ease to believe, both try and get the gang back together, surprising survival skills, not valued pre-crash, valued post crash, and thrives off that)

lottie = locke/ben (cult leader, connection to the place and its mystical elements etc)

nat = kate (and sayid?) (similar backstory, survival skills, wants out even tho they don’t have much to go back to, strong moral code but still does terrible things, won’t necessarily follow the group if they don’t believe, will argue w the leadership if they don’t agree but also won’t step forward to fully challenge the leadership)

tai = jack (the cynic who ultimately comes to believe, a leader, rooted in logic)

javi = walt (does this need explaining lol)

the Extras™️ = nikki and paolo

laura lee = mr eko (the believer but also the outlier)

and then these are the ones i’m not so sure about

jackie = shannon?

travis = boone/shannon?

shauna =?

coach =?

van =?

i wanna make a whole post on this so if anyone has any Thoughts lemme know

[loverslibraries]

All the Books I've Read in 2023:

(I tried to make these as in order as possible. To see my current reads, check me out on Goodreads or Storygraph. Here's the twitter thread this was adapted off of.)

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

a larry fanfiction (I'm embarrased but i'm counting it)

Color Decoder by Dorothye Parker

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

A Court of Thornes and Roses by Sarah J Maas (audiobook parts 1 and 2)

another larry fanfiction SHUT UP

The Outsiders by SE Hinton

Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James SHUT UP

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok

How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X Kendi

The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

The Leading Brain by Friederike Fabritius

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmor

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Sold On A Monday by Kristina McMorris

Heartstopper Vol 1

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

The Wicked King by Holly Black

larry fanfiction SILENCE

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Trixie and Katya's Guide To Modern Womanhood

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillippi Ryan

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Bunny by Mona Awad

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

My Year Of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Flight by Lynn Steger Strong

This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Blood Heir by Amelie Wen Zhao

Palestine Speaks by Cate Malek and Mateo Hoke

Thunderbird Book One by Sonia Nimr

The Only One Left by Riley Sager

Red Tigress by Amelie Wen Zhao

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Crimson Reign by Amelie Wen Zhao

[themutetapes]

011

La Luz -- Sure as Spring DEHD -- Disappear Air Waves -- Pieces Waxahatchee -- La Loose Veronica Falls -- If You Still Want Me Habibi -- Persepolis Winter McQuinn -- Tangerine La Shadowgraphs -- Outlier Between Laura Jean -- Girls on the TV TOPS -- Circle the Dark Anemone -- Sunshine (Back to the Start) Girls -- Headache Camera Obscura -- Keep It Clean Constant Smiles -- Where Am I Now? HOLY -- All These Worlds Are Yours Skullcrusher -- Song for Nick Drake Yo La Tengo -- Alrock’s Bells Dum Dum Girls -- Baby Don’t Go

[crossdreamers]

What is a woman...really?

Both right wing extremists, religious fundamentalists and TERFs try to defend a strict gender binary by arguing that gender can be defined by genitals, chromosomes and/or gametes (sperm vs. eggs). They dismiss intersex people as insignificant outliers and trans people as.. well.. liars.

But at Laura Halls point out over at Medium, those “statistical outliers” or “insignificant exceptions”  are really not that insignificant, regardless of how few they are, simply because they prove that their pseudo-biological definition of gender excludes living and breathing men and women who do not live up to their definition. These men and women exist, ergo the definition must be wrong.

Laura Hall writes:

Rather than admitting they are wrong or that their definitions/criteria are incomplete and need work, they [the reactionaries] insist that these people are just exceptions as I said. 

The problem with this argument is that in order for it to work, you need to be able to account for why such exceptions occur. If, as conservatives do, you define what a woman is based on having XX chromosomes and the ability to give birth, you cannot account for women who do not meet one or more of these criteria as by nature, your definition is exclusionary of them.

Simply saying that these people are exceptions to your rule isn’t accounting for these exceptions and you cannot do so if you go by the rigid, pseudoscientific definitions of man and woman that conservatives use. 

Being able to account for these exceptions would be explaining why, despite an apparent contradiction with your criteria/definition of a woman, these women who do not meet the criteria are still women...

Literally the only way in which they could account for these exceptions would be to appeal to aspects of identity or the ways in which gender is assigned or assumed socially and this is where the real problem lies.

Emily Quinn is an intersex woman with XY chromosomes and (as she says) "balls". According to the logic of transphobes she should be banned from women's bathrooms, as she must be a man according to their definition. See: Y does not necessarily equal M: On what intersex people can tell us about gender identity

More here!

[beneaththetangles]

Reader’s Corner: Fly Me to the Moon (Vols. 12 and 13), Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible (Vol. 4), and Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (Vol. 1)

News of a second season of Banished From the Hero’s Party recently dropped, and coincidentally, we have a review of the newest volume of the manga to share with you today, along with volume one of Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, also soon to be adapted into an anime! Today’s column also features reviews of several other romantic series, including the first bound volume of Shonen Jump favorite, Blue Box; the latest volume of Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible; and the outlier, volume two of that series with a suitably outlandish title, Crazy Food Truck!

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Blue Box, Manga Vol. 1

My most anticipated manga has finally released physically in English, and I’m absolutely thrilled! Blue Box has been a story I’ve been deeply interested in and excited for. It’s about a young badminton player, Taiki, who ends up having a huge crush on his upperclassman, Chinatsu, after seeing how hard she plays basketball. While he looks for chances to talk to her, he never imagines they’ll get a lot closer (after a certain event) than just catching each other at the gym! He hopes that maybe she’ll start to like him the same way he likes her, but until that time comes, he keeps giving his all in badminton and encourages her to follow her dreams too. When I think of the perfect blend of blooming romance and sports, this manga right here captures it all! Taiki is a precious little bean who is respectable, adorable, thoughtful, and charming in his own awkward way. Not only do I deeply love both Taiki and Chinatsu, but the art style is perfection! There is such a softness at just the right moment, and then an intensity with action scenes—I really love the superb balance of capturing both. This is such a wonderful story, and I’m so thankful for its release because I deeply love everything about it! A great supporting cast of characters, a fantastic hero to follow, and the subtle fierceness of sports mixed with soft “romance” is everything I could want. Highly recommend it! ~ Laura A. Grace

Blue Box is published by VIZ Media.

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Manga Vol. 3

I very much enjoyed reading this latest volume of Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke! This volume opened up with Claire finally being at the ball where Vik will choose his future bride, despite not receiving an invitation. Thankfully, the question of how things will unfold regarding Claire and her role in Vik’s life still are answered quickly. However, this volume had a new intensity that hasn’t been shown thus far in the series. Not saying there hasn’t been danger because that magical tornado in volume two was definitely a danger, but this time I feel the threat is more personal when Claire herself is in danger from two new villains. But Charlotte, Claire’s half-sister, is the real villain in this series. We’re finally seeing her true colors and just how horrible of a manipulator and character she is. I definitely dislike her a lot more than I did when I first started this series, even though I second the original creator’s comment in the afterword saying it’s hard to hate her because her character design is so cute. Ha! My only disappointment with this volume is how fast I read it. I felt so bummed at the end when I realized I had read all of it and couldn’t see what happens next in Claire’s life. As a result, I am eagerly anticipating the next volume’s release to see what will unfold! ~ Laura A. Grace

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke is published by TokyoPop.

READ: Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2)

Crazy Food Truck, Manga Vol. 2

For those who don’t know, Crazy Food Truck follows the adventures of Gordon, a food truck driver and former soldier, and Arisa, a super-powered, mostly naked female soldier and huge eater. They travel looking for customers in the food truck, while keeping Arisa safe from those trying to find her. Volume two kicks off where volume one ended and keeps these characters on the move looking for more food options and customers. They encounter ghost towns, giant animals, and danger along the way. We also meet Arisa’s sister, who is likewise super-powered and is controlled by some shadowy government agencies. Volume two continues to be wild and all over the place. It has action, food, and more action, making for a fast-paced story. I’ve been loving every moment of it, but I can’t necessarily recommend it to everyone given how it portrays Arisa, and while she’s less nude than in volume one, there’s a lot of skin shown. Those for whom that is an issue would be wise to avoid this series. That said, if you want a wild, post-apocalyptic ride with a food truck driver and a girl trying to stay safe while figuring out the mystery behind her own powers, check it out. ~ MDMRN

Crazy Food Truck is published by VIZ Media.

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale, Light Novel Vol. 1

After her mother’s death, Anne follows in her footsteps to become a Silver Sugar Master, in order to create a special candy that she can offer up at her grave. However, in order to make it in time to the royal capital where the competition that crowns a Silver Sugar Master is held, she must traverse the dangerous Bloody Highway. To protect herself, Anne does something she hates the thought of and buys a fairy slave to be her bodyguard. Anne wants to treat her fairy, Challe, more as a friend than a slave, but Challe is cold to her and refuses to do anything unless Anne outright orders him. And that isn’t the only challenge that awaits Anne on her journey… First, I was pleasantly surprised at how the slavery aspect was addressed. As much as Anne wants to befriend him, Challe makes it clear that there can be no sort of “friendship” as long as Anne holds control of him as her slave. While he does warm up to her over the course of the volume, it is clear that his enslavement is a huge roadblock in their relationship. There’s also a good look at how Anne is trying to deal with her mother’s death, and how that drives her desire to become a Silver Sugar Master. I’m not quite as much of a fan of the third major character in the story, Anne’s “hopeless suitor” Jonas, who is unpleasant in a lot of ways; but at least things involving him are wrapped up in the volume in a fairly satisfying way. Overall, this volume was enjoyable enough to recommend to those who enjoy shoujo-style light novels. ~ stardf29

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale is published by Yen Press.

Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You, Manga Vol. 1

I am so very thankful for manga recommendations from other people! If it hadn’t been for my friend Shae at ShaeGeeksOut on YouTube recommending Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You, I would have completely missed out on this super-cute read! This heart-warming story centers on a former troublemaker, Sota, and a prim-and-proper “princess,” Sakura. While it seems they are from two different worlds and potentially have nothing in common, that doesn’t stop them both from secretly wanting to get to know each other. But they can’t seem to find their footing and actually have a conversation! These two are so precious to watch as their romance slowly unfolds through a series of misunderstandings and attempts to talk to one another! I will be quick to say that I absolutely loved this story! However, as soon as it arrived in the mail, I pushed it off on my husband since I knew he was looking for a romantic comedy to read. I was completely thrilled that he enjoyed it too! We both laughed more than once when reading, and I personally couldn’t get over these characters’ attempts to talk to each other as they end up misunderstanding one another or start blushing. It was so cute! The art is also excellent, and I really loved the character designs and expressions. I would highly recommend this manga if you’re looking for a cute, drama-free romantic comedy! I know it’s going to be a great series, and I can’t wait for the release of volume two! ~ Laura A. Grace

Miss Miyazen Would Love to Get Closer to You is published by Kodansha.

Banished from the Hero’s Party: I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, Manga Vol. 3

When you’re a person of consequence, it’s difficult to live a life free of the responsibility of your power. Rit, the princess, and Red, the brilliant brother of the hero, continue their attempt to live out an idyllic existence as village apothecaries. But the past is chasing them down in the form of a one-time comrade, a traitor, and a mysterious man who may be most formidable of all. Volume three of Banished From the Hero’s Party continues to put forth all those good vibes that come along with the blossoming, cottagecore-brushed relationship between Rit and Red, but tensions are quickly rising. A considerable part of these chapters are spent on the turncoat Dir, providing the mangaka an opportunity to give more context for both Red’s relationship with Rit in the past and for his camaraderie with his former party, including his sister, whom we learn much more about in these chapters. She is equal parts dopey and terrifying. The fantasy elements of the tale are becoming stronger, accompanied and strengthened by Masahiro Ikeno’s beautiful artwork. I’m still most compelled by the peaceful elements of the story, but as it turns more and more toward adventure, I’m hopeful that the story will continue on this upward trajectory. ~ Twwk

Banished From the Hero’s Party is published by Yen Press.

READ: Banished from the Hero’s Party: I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Manga) Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2)

Fly Me to the Moon, Manga Vols. 12-13

These volumes build on the previously introduced plot thread of Nasa’s job at a girls’ high school. There’s a discussion of whether Tsukasa is jealous—and should she be? We have some comedic encounters with specific students. In volume thirteen, we finally get a proper introduction to a mysterious student named Kaguya; her name implies a connection to the moon. Nasa has a mysterious dream about his wife. Oh, and now Aya wants Nasa to dig a pond, which leads to Tsukasa discovering how cool her husband can be. Later, thanks to Aya’s bullying, Nasa and Tsukasa get dragged out to a “haunted” mansion by the school film club (hilariously, the students actually recognize Aya as a content creator!). It kind of looks like we might be heading toward an encounter between moon-associated Tsukasa and moon-associated Kaguya. It is hard to know what to say about this series at this point. It’s still the sweet romantic comedy with nerdy references and hints of mystery that it’s always been. You probably know by now if you like it, so I’m not sure what else to write about. I still like this manga and plan to keep reading it. ~ Jeskai

Fly Me to the Moon is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Fly Me to the Moon Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3 // Vol. 5 // Vol. 6 // Vol. 7 // Vol. 8 // Vol. 9 // Vol. 10 // Vol. 11)

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Manga Vol. 4

Kubo and Shiraishi finally go on their first date! Of course, this being a romcom manga, it’s not like an “official” real date, but it might as well be. And the result? The date, taking place over several chapters, is equal parts cute and meh, the former because that’s what Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible excels at—”aww” moments between the leads when they watch a movie together, or compare their heights with one another, or touch each other’s hair—and the latter when the series tries to be more serious, such as when it sexualizes Kubo or tries to create a bit of physical intimacy between the leads. The artwork in this series is amateurish and, in fact, feels like it’s regressed somewhat over the volumes. The characters are cutesy but not detailed, and many panels appear half-finished. So when there’s supposed to be some sort of sexual tension between Kubo and the very comically-drawn Shiraishi, it feels out of place, as if the mangaka doesn’t know his own series. Those scenes, combined with the fairly dull early chapters in volume four, remind me that, by this point, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible is what it is: A romcom with plenty of cute moments that’s good for filling time, but which won’t ever leave you clamoring for more. ~ Twwk

Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible is published by VIZ Media.

READ: Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible Reviews (Vol. 1 // Vol. 2 // Vol. 3)

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“Reader’s Corner” is our way of embracing the wonderful world of manga, light novels, and visual novels, creative works intimately related to anime but with a magic all their own. Each week, our writers provide their thoughts on the works they’re reading—both those recently released as we keep you informed of newly published works, and those older titles that you might find as magical (or in some cases, reprehensible) as we do.

[reflectingstars]

Tagged by @ilovemuchless

Currently reading: A bunch of different non-fiction books about my home city, about Ireland and about folklore and ancient religions.

Last Songs: Will do 10... let's see, it's... Strangeness and Charm (Florence + The Machine), Edge of Heaven (Wham), Sing For the Moment (Eminem), Center of the Sun (Conjure One), Farthest Star (VNV Nation), Laura (Bat For Lashes), You Don't Know Me (Armand Van Helden), Full Moon (Sonata Arctica), Once Upon A Time (Kamelot), Siúil a Rún (Clannad)

Currently watching: I don't watch many ongoing series or the like because I have trouble focusing on anything that doesn't grab me within the first five minutes... so, usually, it'll either be some kind of survival horror playthrough or a lore video of something on YT on in the background. Or a fun speedrun! In fact right now it's a Tomb Raider speedrun, in honour of the upcoming remasters of the original games. Can't wait to spend Valentine's Day with Lara Croft~

Current Fic: A cute Luigi/Bowser little number. I cannot BELIEVE how many of these exist that manage to make my heart melt.

Writing: Slow going at the moment, but chapter 2 of that Hisahide->Mitsuhide/Motochika modern fic where Hisahide slowly unravels. Also... multiple other musou works, like TOO MANY I cycle between depending on my mood, and as an outlier, a Darkest Dungeon Leper/Jester ficlet.

Next on my watch list: I would like to watch the latest Puss In Boots movie soon, everything I've been told makes me believe it WILL be one of those things that grabs me immediately.

Current special interest(s): Irish folklore, the same videogames as always (MUSOU MUSOU MUSOU), pro-wrestling.

[stravagatefaster]

I'm going to post this long and winding post now to get it out of the way. Content warnings for talk of self harm, mental health problems and suicide.

I don't think it was a good idea to have Laura's problem be the fact that she self harms. There are a few interconnected reasons I have for this, but they all culminate to this being a YA book series that can't handle something this serious properly in less than 400 pages.

First of all, there's the series' tone. Although there is death and other dark topics in this series, overall it is light in tone I would say. Laura's mental health problems are never really given the true weight they deserve. I think she could have had another problem where the "solutions" stravagating offers fit better.

Now, I'm not saying that YA books can't handle depression/mental health/self harm. I'm just saying that Stravaganza isn't the right place for it. I get that Hoffman most likely picked something that is a real issue for teens, and that her intentions were good, but I think the execution is not good. Laura's problems aren't really clear - in City of Ships it sounds more like she might have anxiety or OCD, but in City of Swords it's definitely meant to be depression. She of course could have all of these, but none of them are really portrayed accurately. I have my own history with mental health problems that weren't anywhere near as bad as Laura's, but I have spoken about this with people who have had similar issues, and we all agree that the way depression/self harm is portrayed in this book is... not good. Especially because of the "solution" it offers.

If this was a series meant for adults, I might feel differently. But at the end of the day this is still a YA series, and I can't help but think about what kind of messages is this book sending to the average 14-year-old.

A big issue is that stravagating itself is the solution. For all the stravaganti, their real life problems do not go away directly because of stravagating (unless some unseen forces of destiny are at play, but I'm not counting them here), and instead they all just gain confidence in themselves through their adventures. Now, this might work with an issue like having dyslexia (which Matt still has, he just no longer feels as insecure because of it) or having a brother that is "a little better" than you (yes I still hate this). (Sidenote: yes, Lucien was ill as well, though that was physical, but he is really an outlier amongst the stravaganti in many ways so I'm ignoring him for now.) But offering "go have adventures and gain some self confidence" as a solution to serious mental health problems is not good advice.

I'm going to bring up a modern phenomenom that Mary Hoffman obviously couldn't have predicted back in the day, but I want to talk about it briefly because I can't help but think about it in this context. The topic in question is shifting. If you are not familiar with shifting, it is essentially the idea that you can move your consciousness into another reality, and you can "script" events and things in this "desired reality (DR)". It's especially popular on TikTok, mostly among teens. I will note that shifters do not consider it lucid dreaming and claim that it is backed by science (it is not) or that it is a "cultural practice" (it's not, at least not in the way they believe in it. Similar "leaving your body for your spirit to go elsewhere" practices do exist but none of them include scripting to fuck a Hogwarts student). I personally do not believe that shifting in the way shifters believe in it exists, but I'm not denying it can't be something different that isn't lucid dreaming.

Anyway, my point is, you might notice that shifting sounds a lot like stravagating. The thing is, I've unfortunately seen a few (not the majority of the community, fortunately) shifters advocating for "permashifting", which essentially means moving into your DR for good while dying in this reality - aka suicide. Many of these shifters already have mental health issues, and while shifting may seem like an innocent hobby, it can at worst only make these issues worse.

You can probably see why I have an issue with stravagating into another world being the thing that "cures" Laura. It is not a message I want to send to anyone, least of all teenagers without fully developed brains. I know that Laura does see a therapist in the book, but it is portrayed in a way that it's not therapy that helps her, it's stravagating. Her getting better also happens very fast - I think anyone who has ever struggled with any mental health issues knows that you don't get out of something like this in a matter of weeks.

I haven't even gotten to the problem with Laura's relationship to Ludo. In addition to it being stravagating that makes her feel better, it's specifically her "love" (putting it in quotes because they meet like two times before deciding they're in love) for Ludo that is the solution to everything. The last thing any 17-year-old, mentally ill or otherwise, needs is a romantic relationship with a 24-year-old. The fact that it is portrayed in any kind of a positive light in a book aimed at teenagers absolutely baffles me.

Again - I might feel differently about many of these things if this was a book series written for adults, because all these things would probably have been handled very differently, and adults have a better grasp at nuance.

Finally, I want to ask this: how is all this even necessary for Laura's character? The thing about her sister seems like an afterthought at the end of the book, when that could have been her problem instead of self harming. I also have another idea on what Laura's problem could have been, but I'll get to that once I finish this book.

Anyway, sorry that I have to start this book on such a serious note. I just wanted to get all this out of the way so that I don't have to bring it up again. The self harm plot is probably the most serious misstep of the series, and I wanted to address it before moving forward.

[spinningprincess]

Book Recs!

I’m looking forward to Celia Lake’s upcoming Best Foot Forward SO MUCH that I’ve reread nearly all of the previous books, novellas, and short stories. Some of them twice.

Best Foot Forward, as the blurb tells us, is about Geoffrey Carillon and Alexander Landry, and the ripples of Carillon’s friendships elsewhere. Rereading with an eye toward setting myself a foundation for BFF, then, made constellations appear in the backlist, some of them rather neat.

If you’re new to Celia Lake, then I recommend reading in publication order first, although they’re designed to be read in (nearly) any order. But if you’re already familiar, then come with me on this journey.

Outcrossing, Ancient Trust, Goblin Fruit, On the Bias and Unexplored Territory (Ancient Trust and Unexplored Territory being free stories that fill in some of the background pieces) make a very lovely Carillon-shaped constellation. Eclipse and Chasing Legends (the last story in the book Winter’s Charms) give as complete a picture of Alexander Landry as we’ll get until BFF is out. In combination, we have a sense of these two men, a bit, and a sense of how they might be together on the page.

But there are so many MORE constellations. Eclipse sings well with Casting Nasturtiums, the first story from Winter’s Charms, and if you’re reading Winter’s Charms you probably want to read Wards of the Roses before reading Country Manners, and in fact Wards of the Roses ties back into Ancient Trust, and Country Manners makes sense of one or two things in Outcrossing. And then Magician’s Hoard is nice to have (along with Eclipse, and perhaps With All Due Speed, a free short about Thesan and Isembard) before reading Chasing Legends. 

It’s probably worth getting (re)acquainted with Cyrus Smyth-Clive as well, which means reading Carry On, Sailor’s Jewel, and The Hare and the Oak. That last is especially good as it delves into the Council’s role in Albion, and the running thereof. Alexander is a Council Member, but what does that mean exactly? The Hare and the Oak adds a little bit of context to what we may have gleaned elsewhere.

Carillon’s constellation includes the Edgartons, and therefore: Pastiche, to introduce Richard and Alysoun, Complementary, to get better acquainted with Gabe’s Aunt Mason, and then The Fossil Door, to get better acquainted with Gabe, and to meet Rathna. Rathna’s story is referenced in Eclipse, and Thesan turns out to be rather the thread that is tying this blog post together. It’s because of her that I’m seeing constellations, after all. 

Lizzie Carillon nee Penhallow is important, seeing as she’s Carillon’s magnetic north. Her story is in Goblin Fruit, On the Bias and Unexplored Territory, of course, but then we learn a bit more about her family by following her younger sister Laura in In the Cards. Laura returns to lend a supportive ear (and a bit of a wardrobe) in Point by Point, which deals with, among other things, the aftermath of Magician’s Hoard.

There are three books not mentioned at all so far: Seven Sisters and Fool’s Gold work well in concert, with Fool’s Gold being nearly a direct sequel to Seven Sisters. Both go deeper into the Pact, and the Fatae, and in general give us a deeper understanding of the world. And of course, Seven Sisters brings us around again to constellations. 

Mistress of Birds is the outlier then: only lightly connected to the others, but nonetheless connected by dozens of slender threads. It delves deeper into a different sort of land magic, more closely aligned with the magic of Thesan’s family than the grand rituals of the Council. What it does, however, is give many concrete examples of magical folk talking to non-magical folk, and grounds us in the background of THAT, which comes up in Best Foot Forward rather a lot. 

I rather suspect that I’ll pull out various of these clusters and write about them individually, but for now, in anticipation of Best Foot Forward, an overview of sorts.

[inkedmyths]

Hi Ink, i played on Sunday too i was just too sleepy to write, but now i'm supposed to be working so i'm here instead :"D So uhhh lots of things happened, yea fishy activities from our villains. Would be sooo funny if their ominous leader comrade C would be the chancellor actually. i mean they are so so dedicated to bringing that guy down. :") i have a feeling though that i should know that guy (C i mean) anyway keeping an eye on him. hm i'll probably flood u with asks now bc stupid char limit

Oh this was a delight to wake up to. Congrats anon! You're in deep and there's probably no way out

Laura is indeed absolutely amazing and we all love her. Now her and Fie are unstoppable and could probably take over the world together if they felt like it. We love when girls fight it out in the middle of the night and then become besties

Ahh, yes, the enigmatic C. I won't say much regarding that one for Reasons, but your theorizing is deeply entertaining.

Same with Opera Lady AKA Vita. She's definitely weird but I am not elaborating on how, except that it's probably going to catch you by complete surprise

AND YAAAAY the final two members join the gang!! And yes Crow is great. Now you can be treated to such funny things as the fact that he can be seen dozing off in class scenes. OH and his link victories. I'm begging you his victory bits when linked with the others are so funny, esp Jusis and Millium. AND HIS COOKING please you have to have him fuck up a recipe I love his line when he does that

Ah, Millium... baby child. Spy baby child. Very interesting kiddo, since she vacillates between being Baby and being a competent spy. Her situation is... complicated, for reasons that don't start to become apparent until at least CS2 and is elaborated on in CS3. Anyways yeah now you get to play Baby Leash Holder, have fun

Legram Field Study! This one is so interesting because while Shit Goes Down on every field study, it goes down in a completely different manner and reason than all of the others. It's an outlier, representative of the other side of the plot. It's also one of those that's very interesting in hindsight.

Viscount Arseid is THE coolest guy. I mean if it wasn't already obvious from being called something like The Radiant Blademaster. Genuinely, he is one of the most powerful characters around, and this remains a fact throughout. As far as the nobility goes he's up there with the best. And yeah he's a good dad guy. We love him.

Watching you adore Laura and her dad, there's a character in the later games you are going to LOVE. She doesn't show up for a while so you'll have to wait. But if you love the big sword people, you are going to adore this one.

THE RAILWAY GUNSSS yeah you're coming up on that fast! Exciting. And yes Elliot's dad is there, which is indeed so fun, and I look forward to you meeting him

So, a bit on the bracers, since they're actually a very central group to the series as a whole. In the CS arc you get a better feel for them in the later games, as you meet other members of the guild. Those who came from the Sky and Crossbell games, though, would be more familiar with them. The protagonists of the Sky games are themselves Bracers, and the Crossbell crew works semi-in-tandem, semi-competitively with them. Each arc is fairly good at being played by themselves, but there's your fun background! They're a fun and overall very do-gooder organization. And also a veryyyy colorful bunch lol

And finally, the Chancellor. He's. Well, controversial certainly applies. Politics, child spies... once again, can't say shit, but I will say I want to study this man under a microscope.

[michellealsopbook]

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The sequel to Float, in which inconveniently invisible Hank must find a way to save Camp Outlier from a saboteur--and win the camp-wide challenge.Hank, Emerson, and their friends have returned to Camp Outlier for another summer of fun and shenanigans. Hank won't let his RISK (Recurring Incident of the Strange Kind) factor of inconvenient invisibility stop him from having the best summer ever, even when it starts mysteriously turning people and objects around him invisible too. But between his invisibility and an internet celebrity joining their cabin, camp clown Hank is struggling to maintain his spotlight.Hank knows that if he can win the camp-wide challenge for his team, all eyes will be back on him (or, at least, on where everyone thinks the invisible kid is standing). But as the finish line approaches, it becomes clear that someone is trying to sabotage Camp Outlier--and Hank's pursuit of camp-wide glory puts him in serious danger.