#J.A. Armstrong

[lesbian-books]

Lesbian Authors

A.J. Adaire  Pat Adams-Wright  Dorothy Allison  S.W. Anderson  Elizabeth Andre  Mavis Applewater  Ann Aptaker  J.A. Armstrong  Michelle Arnold  Clare Ashton  K. Aten  Victoria Avilan  Darla Baker  Roslyn Bane  Ann Bannon  Solia Panche Bealti  Alison Bechdel  Georgia Beers  Sharon Marie Bence  Bridget Birdsall  Harper Bliss  Andrea Bramhall  Jaye Robin Brown  Anna Burke  Amalie Cantor  Brandee Carbo  Suzie Carr  Dawn Carter  C.L. Cattano  Becky Chambers  Kate Charlton  Sharon Cho  Barbara L. Clanton  Hannah Abigail Clarke  Shelby Cochran  Helen Corcoran  Jeanne Córdova  Audrey Coulthurst  Delores Cremm  Maggie Dane  Emily M. Danforth  Sandra de Helen  Barbara Dennis  Nicole Dennis-Benn Stefani Deoul  K.E. DePalmenary  T.L. Dickerson  Jennifer Diemer  Sarah Diemer * Jane DiLucchio  J.M. Dragon  Moondancer Drake  K.B. Draper  Cassandra Duffy  A.L. Duncan  Nann Dunne  Sarah Ettritch  Lillian Faderman  Sara Farizan  Leslie Feinberg  Anna Ferrara  Fannie Flagg  Jane Fletcher  Laura Foley  Katherine V. Forrest  Diane Fortier  Giselle Fox  Anna Furtado  Elisa M. Galbreath  Lynn Galli  S.L. Gape  Nancy Garden  Lyn Gardner  S. Anne Gardner  Pauline George  Ana B. Good  Parker Gordon  Erin Gough  Kimberly Cooper Griffin  Nicola Griffith  Agnes H. Hagadus  Anne Hagan  Radclyffe Hall  S.M. Harding  Ellen Hart  Nancy Ann Healy  Fran Heckrotte  Natasja Hellenthal  Dotti Henderson  Claire Highton-Stevenson  Gerri Hill  E.M. Hodge  Dayna Ingram  Isabella  Jae  Adiba Jaigirdar  Jo Jennings  Heather Rose Jones  E.A. Kafkalas  Karin Kallmaker  Riley LaShea  Stacey-Leanne  Lez Lee  Malinda Lo  Ann-Marie MacDonald  Renee MacKenzie  Prudence MacLeod  Lise MacTague  Lucy J. Madison  Rachel Maldonado  Siera Maley  Laurie J. Marks  Julie Maroh  Michelle Marra  Paula Martinac  Arkady Martine  Q.C. Masters  Andi Marquette  Pamela Mauldin  Robbi McCoy  M.K. McGowan  Gill McKnight  Ann McMan  Heather McVea  Mary Meriam  Ronni Meyrick  Martha Miller  Rogena Mitchell-Jones  K.A. Moll  Sallyanne Monti  Annette Mori  Bonnie J. Morris  Jaycie Morrison  Niamh Murphy  Charlene Neil  Natasha Ngan  Nik Nicholson  Baren Nix  Ocean  Paula Offutt Chinelo Okparanta  Chris Parsons  Angela Peach  Julie Anne Peters  B.J. Phillips  Ashley Quinn  Radclyffe  Cheryl Rainfield  Adan Ramie  Nina Revoyr  Rhavensfyre  Julia Diana Robertson  Nita Round  Morgan Routh  Joanna Russ  Laurie Salzler  Shamim Sarif  Lacey Schmidt  Sarah Schulman  Tina Sears  Cass Sellars  Merry Shannon  Fiona Shaw ** Kaden Shay  Djuna Shellam  Jen Silver  Jennis Slaughter  Adrian J. Smith  E.H. Smith  Vanessa Snyder  Alison R. Solomon  Raven J. Spencer  Ali Spooner  Rose Stone  Carren Strock  Rebecca Sullivan  Leandra Summers  Mariko Tamaki  Michelle L. Teichman  Keira Michelle Telford  Rae Theodore  M.E. Tudor  Vanda  Elle Vaughn  Missouri Vaun  Anastasia Vitsky  Tillie Walden  Sarah Waters  HollyAnne Weaver  Laney Webber  Louise Welsh  Caren J. Werlinger  K.D. Williamson  B.L. Wilson  Catherine M. Wilson  Barbara Winkes  Lee Winter  Jeanette Winterson  Chris Anne Wolfe  T.J. Wolfe  Jacqueline Woodson  Fiona Zedde  Kristen Zimmer 

* Also writes under the pen names Elora Bishop and Bridget Essex

** Not to be confused with the Irish actress of the same name

This list is subject to changes. Compiling a list of lesbian authors is a challenge because not all authors are out and my sources of information are limited. I had to rely on finding author bios, interviews, tweets, etc. in which an author mentions her sexual orientation. I also got many of these names from the Lesbian Authors Guild. 

[omnivore-bibliosaur]

Well, folks, it is hard to believe that only a year has passed since election night 2016. It feels like much more time has passed than a mere twelve months. Through all of the events (and tweets) that have transpired, my reading helped sustain my heart and mind. It’s not just the librarian in me saying this, but I’m a firm believer in the power of reading and lifelong learning to make the world a better place. Right now, I want to read about queer women who have joined the political fray in order to effect positive change. I hope that these books give you the shot in the arm that you need to keep on going, too.

True Colors by Yolanda Wallace Bold Strokes Books, August 2017 Join the conversation on Goodreads!

“Taylor Crenshaw is a lifelong Democrat, but her parents are staunch Republicans. To make matters worse, her ultraconservative father has just been elected president. Although she prefers to live her life openly, her father would rather she stay in the closet. When she meets Robby Rawlins, will she choose to give in to her father’s demands or follow her heart?   Robby Rawlins works at an antique store by day. She spends her nights anonymously skewering politicians in her blog. President Terry Crenshaw’s anti-gay rhetoric gave Robby plenty to write about during a contentious campaign, but a chance meeting with his daughter leaves her at a loss for words. Getting the scoop has always been Robby’s goal. Now it might come second to getting the girl. Unless she can find a way to do both.” — Bold Strokes Books

  By Design by J.A. Armstrong By Design series, books 1-9 J.A. Armstrong Books, 2015 Join the conversation on Goodreads!

“Building bridges has a very different meaning for Jameson Reid than it does for Candace Fletcher. J.D. Reid spends her days designing some of the most elegant and majestic buildings and homes in North America.  U.S. Senator Candace Fletcher has spent her life working to build bridges between people. J.D. Reid is not who Candace Fletcher was expecting to arrive on her doorstep. Candace will challenge all of Jameson’s preconceptions about the women of Washington D.C. The enigmatic architect will test the resolve of the Junior Senator from New York. Two women will discover that falling in love may be out of their control, but creating a relationship in the world of politics and business is completely BY DESIGN.” — J.A. Armstrong Books

  A More Perfect Union by Carsen Taite Bold Strokes Books, December 2017

“When Major Zoey Granger exposed corruption in the ranks, she became an unwitting media darling and shot to a position reporting to top brass at the Pentagon. Now Zoey finds herself in the unwanted spotlight once again, this time at the heart of a scandal that threatens to devastate the military. Her efforts to contain the fallout are thwarted when the White House assigns a notorious DC fixer to oversee her every move.

Political insider Rook Daniels can fix any problem, no matter how illicit or indictable, but she has two rules: she picks her cases and she’s in charge. When she makes an exception for an old friend at the White House, she gets tangled up with a sexy but stubborn officer who has her own ideas about authority. Rook and Zoey must decide whether a chance at love is worth risking loss of reputation in a town where appearances rule.” — Bold Strokes Books

  Madam President by Blayne Cooper & T. Novan Renaissance Alliance Publishing, 2001 Join the conversation on Goodreads!

“Devlyn Marlowe, the first woman President of the United States, has just been elected. Breaking with the tradition of hiring a political writer to chronicle her administration, President Marlowe selects one Lauren Strayer, a professional biographer with a reputation for absolute honesty. There’s a slight problem with Devlyn’s plan, though. Lauren wants nothing to do with what she sees as a political hack job. It takes some serious persuading, but the Commander-in-Chief is an eloquent negotiator, and Lauren reluctantly agrees to take the job, provided she truly has editorial freedom. So armed with her computer, her incredibly ugly Pug, and a fair bit of trepidation, Lauren finds herself in residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There, amidst the harrowing and demanding life of the First Family, Lauren begins to understand and eventually love the complex woman who is both leader of a great nation and loving single parent to three rambunctious children. Funny, realistic, romantic, and endearing, Madam President is rapidly becoming a modern classic.” — Amazon description

First Lady (sequel) by Blayne Cooper & T. Novan Cavalier Press, 2003 Join the conversation on Goodreads!

“In this timeless classic, the sequel to their best seller Madam President, Blayne Cooper and T. Novan continue the chronicle of the lives of Lauren Strayer and Devlyn Marlowe.

Planning a wedding is never easy. However, most brides don’t face the challenges that Lauren Strayer does. Her beloved comes with a ready-made family, something the biographer never imagined for herself. In addition, Lauren’s estranged father thoroughly disapproves of her future mate, who just happens to be the nation’s first female president. Lauren tackles the perils and pleasures of parenting and the tension between her private nature and her new, very public role. At the same time, Dev, a dedicated public servant, struggles to find the balance between managing the nation’s interests, her family, her fears and her stress, while continuing the development of her relationship with Lauren. The result is an action-packed, amusing and tender tale of the sort that fans of Cooper & Novan have come to love and expect.” — Amazon description

  Wild Things by Karin Kallmaker Bella Books, 2012 (2nd edition) Join the conversation on Goodreads!

“Scholar and award-winning author Faith Fiztgerald has every reason to be happy: a wealthy, charming man who adores her and a family cheering her marriage prospects. But from the moment she meets Eric’s sister, Sydney Van Allen, she knows her safe, predictable feelings for him are a shadow of what could be. Openly lesbian and running for Senator, Sydney can only succeed if she can live down her wild past. That means no liaisons, especially with the achingly alluring woman on her brother’s arm who looks at her with confusion—and desire.” — via Bella Books 

  Awakenings by Jackie Calhoun Bella Books, 2012 Join the conversation on Goodreads!

“Despite early attempts to contact Hayley Baxter, Sarah Sweeney has neither heard from nor seen her since Hayley moved to New York City and a journalism career eleven years ago. Both are incredulous when they literally bump into each other among the tens of thousands of protesters in and around the Wisconsin State Capitol building. Hayley offers to share her hotel room in Madison on weekends. With misgivings, Sarah takes her up on it and quickly realizes her once fierce love for Hayley still simmers under the surface of her anger. When the protests move to the next stage-collecting signatures for recall-the weekends in Madison end. Sarah, a teacher, goes back to real life certain that Hayley will never leave her roommate and job in New York. However, the bad economy causes Hayley’s newspaper to go belly-up and she is forced to return to Wisconsin, to the lake where it all began …” via Bella Books

  The Candidate (Bella Books, 2008) The Campaign (Bella Books, 2012) At Your Service, Madam President (Bella Books, 2016)

Follow Jane Kincaid as she vies for the presidential nomination, works on the election campaign, and her early struggles in the Oval Office.

I’m with her: Political fiction booklist Well, folks, it is hard to believe that only a year has passed since election night 2016.

[nerdishpursuits]

2018 year in review        

Rules: answer the questions about 2018 and tag some people!

Tagged by the lovely @pr1deandj0y​ (I’m sorry for the tardiness, I’m the worst at organizing)

Top 5 films you watched in 2018

Ant Man & The Wasp (turns out I only watched the one LOL)

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Top 5 TV shows in 2018

Fear the Walking Dead (haven’t had the energy, or been in the mood, to invest in anything else)

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Top 5 songs of 2018

Ashes - Celine Dion

Run - Josh Groban & Sarah McLachlan

6 Days - Mahmut Orhan & Colonel Bagshot

Supergirl - Max Oazo feat. Cami

Ghosts on the Stereo  - Carrie Underwood

Top 5 Books you Read in 2018

Ask, Tell - E.J Noyes

Ask Me Again - E.J Noyes

Discovering Morgan - J.A Armstrong

Miles Apart - A.L Brooks

The Library by the River - Debra Flores

Five Good/Positive things that happened to you in 2018

I’m healthy

Getting back into reading LOTS of books (besides fanfic)

Trip to Pompeii, Capri Island, Naples and Rome

Applying for a new position within the company I work for and getting the job

Trip to the Black Sea

tagging @ad11 and @i-like-heda (if you guys feel like it)

[fiction-bks]

WEEK 9 READS. Avg-rtg: 🌟🌟🌟☆ This week and next week too, I am and will be on a J.A. Armstrong binge-read. I have many books of JA that I bought that I need to finish. 》By Design series has 13 books. I own the complete series. I have read 9/13. 》Off Screen series has 9 books. I own the complete series. I have read 8/9. 》Special Delivery series has 6 books. I own 5/6. I have read 1/6. 》Journey of Exploration series has 4 books. I own 1/4. I have read 1/4. (MAY -READ) 🔥 And then I found out J.A. and Nancy are the same. So that goes for; 》Alex and Cassidy series. I own the complete series. I have read 5/6. After reading all these books by JA, I realise there is a similarity between the MCs from the different books. Like a parallel universe kinda similarity. Candace, Cassidy and Emma are quite similar same goes to Jameson, Alex and Addison. They have got similar personalities, respectively. Some other books usually come in.😍🤤 And school 😫😈 #wlw #wlwbooks #sapphic #lesbianbooks #lesbianfiction #gay #bookstagram #kindle https://www.instagram.com/p/CavDAW8OiEo/?utm_medium=tumblr

[aadils-stuff]

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

This assignment is mainly focused on experimental research. A critical analysis will be reflected by this assignment. For this 10 different research journals are taken. It is described below.

Funk, C. and Tyson, A., 2020. Intent to get a COVID-19 vaccine rises to 60% as confidence in research and development process increases. Pew Research Center, 3.

According to Funk and Tyson, 2020, it shows that the experimental research is one of the important parts for the research and development purposes. This is a study paper where it is representing a strictly adheres for implementing the research design. It is included with the hypothesis of the research paper. Several of the variables are manipulated through the experimental research paper. It is totally manipulated by the researchers. All considerables variables are measurable via the experimental research design. After collecting the data, it may be the qualitative as well as the quantitative data ( Funk and Tyson, 2020). For this, all data can be calculated. After calculations of the data, it is analysed and then compared among variable data. End of the result, the research can be predicted to accept the hypothesis.

Adedoyin, F.F., Alola, A.A. and Bekun, F.V., 2020. An assessment of environmental sustainability corridor: the role of economic expansion and research and development in EU countries. Science of the total environment, 713, p.136726.

According to Adedoyin et al. 2020, it is described that the internal level of the validity of experiment is representative of the threats. Through this article, the researchers show that the maturation of history, decay of the instrument, regression form in the statistical view etc. as the dependent variables and the independent variables are not controlled properly for this there are causal relationships built up among the different types of the variables. Quasi levels of the experiments are required for this experimental research design (Adedoyin et al. 2020). From this article, it is gathered that each design is controlled to identify the risk or any type of the internal level of validity.

Lu, Y., Rong, X., Hu, Y.S., Chen, L. and Li, H., 2019. Research and development of advanced battery materials in China. Energy Storage Materials, 23, pp.144-153.

According to Lu et al. 2019, it shows that the research is always helpful for the development of educational purposes. Experimental research is one of the parts of the research methodology. In the modern era, it shows that lots of opportunities are getting to the organization for gathering more knowledge. It is applicable in the whole world. Nut opportunities are getting different in different countries ( Lu et al. 2019). For this interpersonal skills should be enhanced day by day as the technologies are developed day by day. For this type of research, strong communication strategies are built up.

Alexander, S.P., Armstrong, J.F., Davenport, A.P., Davies, J.A., Faccenda, E., Harding, S.D., Levi‐Schaffer, F., Maguire, J.J., Pawson, A.J., Southan, C. and Spedding, M., 2020. A rational roadmap for SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19 pharmacotherapeutic research and development: IUPHAR review 29. British journal of pharmacology, 177(21), pp.4942-4966.

According to Alexander et al. 2020, experimental research design is helpful in the data collection from the lab report. By applying the experimental research design, both qualitative data as well as the qualitative data are analysed. It is used to the broad variety of the strategies in technical strategies. By using this experimental research, it is finding that the relationships are needed to identify the cause relation from the group of nature. From collected data of the experimental research design, it shows that most of the time, the collected data are measurable in nature (Alexander et al. 2020). According to the statistical analysis. It is capable at all times and comparable in nature.

Drager, K., 2018. Experimental research methods in sociolinguistics. Bloomsbury Publishing.

According to Drager, 2018, experimental research is an important research design which is cooperated to develop the research methodology chapter as well as the whole research study paper. It can be helpful for identifying the repeatability as well as the validity in the research paper (Drager, 2018). By using the research design, it shows that realistic indications are found.

Watson, M., Christoforou, P., Herrera, P., Preece, D., Carrell, J., Harmon, M., Krier, P., Lewis, S., Maiti, R., Skipper, W. and Taylor, E., 2019. An analysis of the quality of experimental design and reliability of results in tribology research. Wear, 426, pp.1712-1718.

According to Waston et al. 2019, it shows that the experimental research is one of the important parts for the research and development purposes. This is a study paper where it is representing a strictly adheres for implementing the research design. It is included with the hypothesis of the research paper. Several of the variables are manipulated through the experimental research paper (Waston et al. 2019). It is totally manipulated by the researchers.

Zong, X. and Zhang, W., 2019. Establishing world-class universities in China: deploying a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the net effects of Project 985. Studies in Higher Education, 44(3), pp.417-431.

According to Zong and Zhang, 2019, experimental research is important due to establishing the causral; relationships among the different variables of the study paper. By using this experimental research design, it has three basic principles (Zong and Zhang, 2019). These are the controls among the different variables, randomised data are collected \to smoothly achieve the research aim and conclude the research hypothesis which are set up at the beginning of the study paper.

Seo, S., Jeon, S. and Ha, J.K., 2018. Guidelines for experimental design and statistical analyses in animal studies submitted for publication in the Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences. Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences, 31(9), p.1381.

According to Seo et al. 2018, through the experimental research paper, it shows that this research design has four different goals. These are a) description where the whole research analysis is done by the general parameters. b) Predictions where it is predicted that the hypotheses are predicted or not c) explain the whole assigned paper in the finding sections and d) control the whole research variables.

Horsman, G., 2018. Framework for Reliable Experimental Design (FRED): A research framework to ensure the dependable interpretation of digital data for digital forensics. Computers & Security, 73, pp.294-306.

According to Horsman, 2018, the experimental research is applicable by the methods of the scientific way to conduct any type of the research. This type of research is totally representing the design of the methodical way. For this, it is considering the standard of the gold. This type of the research paper can conclude the result of the research. It is helpful to conduct different findings from the research paper for concluding the research results.

Neumark, D., 2018. Experimental research on labor market discrimination. Journal of Economic Literature, 56(3), pp.799-866.

According to D Neumark, 2017 , In this research paper the proper experimental method d\will be represent by this research paper . The experimental decrement the final findings of the market and declare the actual value from this. This topic will focus on the different type statistical review and the other findings of this research. This type of research normally uses in the part. This is the proper method of the research which focuses on the proper design which is proved scientifically (D Neumark,et al. 2017). In this section different hypothesis and the other variables are also includes foe the proper disxcu7ssion of the topic. The researcher has to collect the actual data which is based on the critical analysis. This collected data will help to declare the different equations from the research. This effective method is divided in three parts. Ones are the independent and the dependent variables, protesting and the proper pretesting. The last one is the different type control and the other experimental groups. The results care varies in these three aspects.

Šašinka, Č., Morong, K. and Stachoň, Z., 2017. The Hypothesis platform: An online tool for experimental research into work with maps and behavior in electronic environments. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 6(12), p.407.

According to C Sasinka , 2017, This a case study will represent the platform which is well known as the Hypothesis. In this case, the proper software will be developed for the analysis of the experimental research. This will help in the proper cartography and thne3 nadf the other psychological diagnostics. Hypothesis is the proper application which helps to record the whole event in acertain time (C Sasinka et al. 2017). This platform requires the proper testing by the computer process. In this case, different reflective study will be considered for the discussion. Te raw data are e4xported from the other research which will help to dat6a analysis. For this reason different structural design are also developed which represent the different dependent and the independent variables.

Reference List

Journal

Adedoyin, F.F., Alola, A.A. and Bekun, F.V., 2020. An assessment of environmental sustainability corridor: the role of economic expansion and research and development in EU countries. Science of the total environment, 713, p.136726.

Alexander, S.P., Armstrong, J.F., Davenport, A.P., Davies, J.A., Faccenda, E., Harding, S.D., Levi‐Schaffer, F., Maguire, J.J., Pawson, A.J., Southan, C. and Spedding, M., 2020. A rational roadmap for SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19 pharmacotherapeutic research and development: IUPHAR review 29. British journal of pharmacology, 177(21), pp.4942-4966.

Capponi, L., Česnik, M., Slavič, J., Cianetti, F. and Boltežar, M., 2017. Non-stationarity index in vibration fatigue: Theoretical and experimental research. International Journal of Fatigue, 104, pp.221-230.

Drager, K., 2018. Experimental research methods in sociolinguistics. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Flannelly, K.J., Flannelly, L.T. and Jankowski, K.R., 2018. Threats to the internal validity of experimental and quasi-experimental research in healthcare. Journal of health care chaplaincy, 24(3), pp.107-130.

Funk, C. and Tyson, A., 2020. Intent to get a COVID-19 vaccine rises to 60% as confidence in research and development process increases. Pew Research Center, 3.

Horsman, G., 2018. Framework for Reliable Experimental Design (FRED): A research framework to ensure the dependable interpretation of digital data for digital forensics. Computers & Security, 73, pp.294-306.

Kaljonen, M., Peltola, T., Salo, M. and Furman, E., 2019. Attentive, speculative experimental research for sustainability transitions: An exploration in sustainable eating. Journal of Cleaner Production, 206, pp.365-373.

Leppink, J., 2019. Statistical methods for experimental research in education and psychology. Cham: Springer.

Lu, Y., Rong, X., Hu, Y.S., Chen, L. and Li, H., 2019. Research and development of advanced battery materials in China. Energy Storage Materials, 23, pp.144-153.

Naik, G.R. ed., 2017. Advances in Principal Component Analysis: Research and Development. Springer.

Neumark, D., 2018. Experimental research on labor market discrimination. Journal of Economic Literature, 56(3), pp.799-866.

Šašinka, Č., Morong, K. and Stachoň, Z., 2017. The Hypothesis platform: An online tool for experimental research into work with maps and behavior in electronic environments. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 6(12), p.407.

Seo, S., Jeon, S. and Ha, J.K., 2018. Guidelines for experimental design and statistical analyses in animal studies submitted for publication in the Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences. Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences, 31(9), p.1381.

Watson, M., Christoforou, P., Herrera, P., Preece, D., Carrell, J., Harmon, M., Krier, P., Lewis, S., Maiti, R., Skipper, W. and Taylor, E., 2019. An analysis of the quality of experimental design and reliability of results in tribology research. Wear, 426, pp.1712-1718.

Zong, X. and Zhang, W., 2019. Establishing world-class universities in China: deploying a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the net effects of Project 985. Studies in Higher Education, 44(3), pp.417-431.

[lesficland]

The book series “Open Tab” by J.A. Armstrong has been developed into a webseries. The crowdfunding is closed and was in the process of filming when COVID-19 stalled the project. It is still a go when filming can resume. In the meantime, read (or listen) to the book series.

J.A. Armstrong is the pen name for Nancy Ann Healey. The webseries is credited to be written by Nancy Ann Healey and Jill Smith. Jill Smith is (the most excellent) narrator for the audiobook. Jill Smith is also starring in the webseries as Riley (one of the leads).

[cinaed]

March 2018 Monthly Media

* = Rewatch/reread

Anime/Cartoons

Bob's Burgers 8.09-8.11

RWBY 1.01-2.10

School Babysitters 7

Books

The Women of the Otherworld 1-12 by Kelley Armstrong

The Poisioner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

Refugee by Alan Gratz  

Two Gentlemen of Altona by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

The Merchant of Death by Lisa Henry and J. A. Rock

Tempest by Lisa Henry and J. A. Rock  

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan*

The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan

Manga/Comics

Dumbing of Age (ongoing webcomic)

Oglaf (ongoing webcomic)

Stand Still, Stay Silent (ongoing webcomic)

The Stoop Gallants (ongoing webcomic)

Strong Female Protagonist (ongoing webcomic)

Wilde Life (ongoing webcomic)

Movies

Coco (2017)

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)

Podcasts

The Adventure Zone

The Penumbra Podcast

TV Shows/Web Series

Brooklyn Nine Nine 5.12-5.13

Critical Role 2.08-2.12

Fresh Off the Boat 4.17-4.19

The Last Man on Earth 4.03-4.12

Lucifer 3.15-3.19

Masterchef Junior 6.01-6.05

Nirvana in Fire 43

Queer Eye 1.01-1.08

Superstore 3.13-3.16

Will and Grace 9.12-9.14

[books-in-a-storm]

Star Rating Book Reviews Master List

Book reviews are sometimes hard to write so I have come up with this star rating book reviews. Complete series reviews have a ❤ beside them. 

Alphabetical:

A:

A Twisted Tale-Liz Braswell

A Whole New World(A Twisted Tale #1)

Anna-Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood(Anna #1)

A Series of Unfortunate Events-Lemony Snicket

The Bad Beginning(A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)

The Reptile Room(A Series of Unfortunate Events #2)

The Wide Window(A Series of Unfortunate Events #3)

The Miserable Mill(A Series of Unfortunate Events #4)

B:

Blood Sinister-Celia Rees

The Blackwell Pages-K.L. Armstrong &  M.A. Marr

Loki’s Wolves(The Blackwell Pages #1)

Black Blade-Jennifer Estep

Cold Burn of Magic(Black Blade #1)

Dark Heart of Magic(Black Blade #2)

Bright Blaze of Magic(Black Blade #3)

Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles-Holly Black

The Nixie’s Song(Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #1)

A Giant Problem(Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #2)

The Wyrm King(Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #3)

Books of Faerie-Maggie Stiefvater

Lament(Books of Faerie #1)

Ballad(Books of Faerie #2)

C:

Cruel Beauty-Rosamund Hodge

Crimson Bound-Rosamund Hodge

A Court of Thorns and Roses- Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses(A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

A Court of Mist and Fury(A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

A Court of Wings and Ruin(A Court of Thorns and Roses #3)

A Court of Frost and Starlight(A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1)

D:

Dark Guardian- Rachel Hawthorne

Moonlight (Dark Guardian #1)

Darkest Powers-Kelley Armstrong❤

The Summoning(Darkest Powers #1)

The Awakening(Darkest Powers #2)

The Reckoning(Darkest Powers #3)

Darkness Before Dawn Trilogy-J.A. London

Darkness Before Dawn(Darkness Before Dawn Trilogy #1)

Darkness Rising-Kelley Armstrong❤

The Gathering(Darkness Rising #1)

The Calling(Darkness Rising #2)

The Rising(Darkness Rising #3)

Divergent-Veronica Roth❤

Divergent(Divergent #1)

Insurgent(Divergent #2)

Allegiant(Divergent #3)

Dust Lands-Moira Young

Blood Red Road(Dust Lands #1)

E:

F:

Fairy Bad Day- Amanda Ashby

Fallen-Lauren Kate

Fallen(Fallen #1)

Torment(Fallen #2)

Passion(Fallen #3)

Fairy Tale Royals-Emily Deady

Shard of Glass(Fairy Tale Royals #1)

Thorn of Rose (Fairy Tale Royals #2)

Firebird-Claudia Gray

A Thousand Pieces of You(Firebird #1)

J:

H:

The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins ❤

The Hunger Games(The Hunger Games #1)

Catching Fire(The Hunger Games #2)

Mockingjay(The Hunger Games #3)

House Of Night-P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Marked(House of Night #1)

Betrayed(House of Night #2)

Chosen (House of Night #3)

Untamed(House of Night #4)

Hunted(House of Night #5)

Tempted(House of Night #6)

Burned(House of Night #7)

Hex Hall-Rachel Hawkins ❤

Hex Hall(Hex Hall #1)

Demonglass(Hex Hall #2)

Spell Bound(Hex Hall #3)

Holes-Louis Sachar

Holes(Holes #1)

Harry Potter- J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone(Harry Potter #1)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets(Harry Potter #2)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Harry Potter #3)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire(Harry Potter #4)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(Harry Potter #5)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince(Harry Potter #6)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(Harry Potter #7)

The Heroes of Olympus-Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero(The Heroes of Olympus #1)

The Son of Neptune(The Heroes of Olympus #2)

The Mark of Athena(The Heroes of Olympus #3)

The House of Hades(The Heroes of Olympus #4)

The Blood of Olympus(The Heroes of Olympus #5)

Hush, Hush- Becca Fitzpatrick❤

Hush, Hush(Hush, Hush #1)

Crescendo(Hush, Hush #2)

Silence(Hush, Hush #3)

Finale(Hush, Hush #4)

The Half Bad Trilogy-Sally Green

Half Bad(The Half Bad Trilogy #1)

Half Wild(The Half Bad Trilogy #2)

Half Lost(The Half Bad Trilogy #3)

I:

The Infernal Devices-Cassandra Clare❤

Clockwork Angel(The Infernal Devices #1)

Clockwork Prince(The Infernal Devices #2)

Clockwork Princess(The Infernal Devices #3)

The Immortals- Alyson Noel

Evermore(The Immortals #1)

Blue Moon(The Immortals #2)

Shadowland(The Immortals #3)

Dark Flame(The Immortals #4)

Night Star(The Immortals #5)

Everlasting(The Immortals #6)

The Iron Fey- Julie Kagawa

The Iron King(The Iron Fey #1)

The Inheritance Cycle- Christopher Paolini

Eragon(The Inheritance Cycle #1)

Eldest(The Inheritance Cycle #2)

G:

Gilded Ashes- Rosamund Hodge

The Grisha-Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone(The Grisha #1)

Siege and Storm(The Grisha Trilogy #2)

The Grey Wolves-Quinn Loftis

Prince of Wolves(The Grey Wolves #1)

K:

The Kane Chronicles-Rick Riordan

The Red Pyramid(The Kane Chronicles #1)

The Throne of Fire(The Kane Chronicles #2)

L:

Legend-Marie Lu

Legend(Legend #1)

Prodigy(Legend #2)

Champion(Legend #3)

The Lunar Chronicles-Marissa Meyer

Cinder(The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Scarlet(The Lunar Chronicles #2)

Cress(The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Fairest(The Lunar Chronicles #3.5)

Winter(The Lunar Chronicles #4)

Last Princess-Galaxy Craze

The Last Princess(Last Princess #1)

M:

Magisterium-Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

The Iron Trial(Magisterium #1)

The Copper Gauntlet(Magisterium #2)

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard-Rick Rirodan

The Sword of Summer(Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)

The Mortal Instruments-Cassandra Clare❤

City of Bones(The Mortal Instruments #1)

City of Ashes(The Mortal Instruments #2)

City of Glass(The Mortal Instruments #3)

City of Fallen Angels(The Mortal Instruments #4)

City of Lost Souls(The Mortal Instruments #5)

City of Heavenly Fire(The Mortal Instruments #6)

Modern Faerie Tales-Holly Black

Tithe(Modern Faerie Tales #1)

Mythos Academy-Jennifer Estep

Touch of Frost(Mythos Academy #1)

Kiss of Frost(Mythos Academy #2)

Dark Frost(Mythos Academy #3)

Crimson Frost(Mythos Academy #4)

Midnight Frost(Mythos Academy #5)

Killer Frost(Mythos Academy #6)

Mara Dyer-Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer(Mara Dyer #1)

The Evolution of Mara Dyer(Mara Dyer #2)

The Retribution of Mara Dyer(Mara Dyer #3)

N:

O:

P:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians-Rick Rirodan ❤

The Lightning Thief(Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

The Sea of Monsters(Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)

The Titan’s Curse(Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3)

The Battle of the Labyrinth(Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4)

The Last Olympian(Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5)

Penryn & the End of Days-Susan Ee❤

Angelfall(Penryn & the End of Days #1)

World After(Penryn & the End of Days #2)

End of Days(Penryn & the End of Days #3)

Paranormalcy-Kiersten White

Paranormalcy(Paranormalcy #1)

Q:

R:

Reawakened-Colleen Houck

Reawakened(Reawakened #1)

The Raven Cycle-Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys(The Raven Cycle #1)

The Dream Thieves(The Raven Cycle #2)

Blue Lily, Lily Blue(The Raven Cycle #3)

Riley Bloom-Alyson Noel❤

Radiance(Riley Bloom #1)

Shimmer(Riley Bloom #2)

Dreamland(Riley Bloom #3)

Whisper(Riley Bloom #4)

Riders of the Apocalypse-Jackie Morse Kessler

Hunger(Riders of the Apocalypse #1)

S:

Stain-A.G. Howard

The Scorpio Races-Maggie Stiefvater

Suspicion-Alexandra Monir

Stitching Snow-R.C. Lewis

Shatter Me-Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me(Shatter Me #1)

The Syrena Legacy-Anna Banks

Of Poseidon(The Syrena Legacy #1)

The Storymakers-Betsy Schow

Spelled(The Storymakers #1)

The School for Good and Evil-Soman Chainani

The School for Good and Evil(The School for Good and Evil #1)

A World Without Princes(The School for Good and Evil #2)

The Spiderwick Chronicles-Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi

The Field Guide(The Spiderwick Chronicles #1)

The Seeing Stone(The Spiderwick Chronicles #2)

Lucinda’s Secret(The Spiderwick Chronicles #3)

The Ironwood Tree(The Spiderwick Chronicles #4)

Starcrossed-Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed(Starcrossed #1)

Dreamless(Starcrossed #2)

Goddess(Starcrossed #3)

The Selection-Kiera Cass

The Selection(The Selection #1)

The Elite(The Selection #2)

The One(The Selection #3)

The Heir(The Selection #4)

Splintered-A.G. Howard

Splintered (Splintered #1)   

Shadow Falls-C.C. Hunter

Born at Midnight(Shadow Falls #1)

Awake at Dawn(Shadow Falls #2)

Taken at Dusk(Shadow Falls #3)

Whispers at Moonrise(Shadow Falls #4)

Chosen at Nightfall(Shadow Falls #5)

Shadow Falls: After Dark- C.C. Hunter

Reborn(Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)

Strange Angels-Lili St. Crow

Strange Angels(Strange Angels #1)

Betrayals(Strange Angels #2)

Jealousy(Strange Angels #3)

Defiance(Strange Angels #4)

Reckoning(Strange Angels #5)

The Soul Seekers-Alyson Noel

Fated(The Soul Seekers #1)

Echo(The Soul Seekers #2)

Mystic(The Soul Seekers #3)

Horizon(The Soul Seekers #4)

Stalking Jack the Ripper-Kerri Maniscalco

Stalking Jack the Ripper(Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)

T:

The Tiger Saga-Colleen Houck

Tiger’s Curse(The Tiger Saga #1)

Tiger’s Quest(The Tiger Saga #2)

Tiger’s Voyage(The Tiger Saga #3)

Tiger’s Destiny(The Tiger Saga #4)

Twilight-Stephenie Meyer❤

Twilight(Twilight #1)

New Moon(Twilight #2)

Eclipse(Twilight #3)

Breaking Dawn(Twilight #4)

Midnight Sun(The Twilight Saga #5)

Throne of Glass-Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass(Throne of Glass #1)

Crown of Midnight(Throne of Glass #2)

Trylle-Amanda Hocking

Switched(Trylle #1)

Torn(Trylle #2)

Ascend(Trylle #3)

Tales of Beauty & Madness-Lili St. Crow

Nameless(Tales of Beauty & Madness #1)

U:

Under the Never Sky-Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky(Under the Never Sky #1)

Unfinished Fairy Tales-Aya Ling

The Ugly Stepsister(Unfinished Fairy Tales #1)

Twice Upon A Time(Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)

Ever After(Unfinished Fairy Tales #3)

V:

Vampire Academy-Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy(Vampire Academy #1)

Frostbite(Vampire Academy #2)

W:

A Wicked Trilogy- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Wicked(A Wicked Trilogy #1)

The Wolves of Mercy Falls-Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver(The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

Linger(The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)

White Rabbit Chronicles-Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland(White Rabbit Chronicles #1)

The Wrath and the Dawn- Renée Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn(The Wrath and the Dawn #1)

The Rose & the Dagger(The Wrath and the Dawn #2)

X:

Y:

Z:

[samlonnie0nathanelena]

"Waiting in the Wings (Off Screen Book 7)" from J.A. Armstrong -

"“I think we all lose sight of the sun in the sky from time to time,” Emma mused. “We know it’s there; we just get lost in all the clouds.”"

Lees het boek nu gratis: https://a.co/4wnh2HI

[viraljournalist]

How many bad teams would it take to beat the Astros, Dodgers or Yankees?

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/how-many-bad-teams-would-it-take-to-beat-the-astros-dodgers-or-yankees/

How many bad teams would it take to beat the Astros, Dodgers or Yankees?

9:00 AM ET

Sam MillerESPN.com

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ESPN baseball columnist/feature writer Former editor-in-chief of Baseball Prospectus Co-author of “The Only Rule Is It Has To Work”

It is, like the story began, the best of times and the worst of times — an era received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

There are three major league teams on pace to win 104 or more games — a mark reached by only 10 teams in the past 40 years — and another two on pace to win 99.5. (There have never been four 100-win teams in a single season.) There are three teams on pace to lose 104 or more games, another on track to lose 101 and a fifth on pace to lose 99. (There has only once been four 100-loss teams in a single season.) Fully a third of the league could end up at one of the two triple-digit extremes that typically would mark The Best or The Worst team in baseball.

How to put the gap between, say, the Yankees and, say, the Orioles, in context? A simple way is to note that the Yankees are 17-2 when the two clubs play. Or to note that the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers — the three 104-wins-or-better clubs — are collectively 41-12 against the Orioles, Tigers, Royals and Marlins, the four 101-losses-or-worse clubs.

2 Related

A more complicated way is to ask this: How many of these bad teams would it take to make up one of these great teams? Would a playoff superteam of the Royals, Orioles, Tigers and Marlins be able to hang with the super playoff teams in Houston, New York and Los Angeles? In an era of total teardowns on the bleak side of the standings and insatiable depth hoarding on the bright side of them, is there room for any good players on a last-place roster?

To answer this question took 17 tabs in a spreadsheet.

Here were the rules: We built 25-man rosters for the Astros, Yankees, Dodgers and Tigeroyiolins — on second thought, that’s the only time we’ll attempt to call them that. Henceforth, they will be the Superteam — based entirely on 2019 stats: a starter at every position, four bench players covering infield, outfield and catcher, a four-man starting rotation (because only four are needed in the postseason) and an eight-man bullpen. We prorated each player’s 2019 WAR for a full, healthy season in the role he is assigned to: 600 plate appearances for starters (except 500 for the catcher), 250 for bench players, 175 innings for starting pitchers and 65 for relievers (except 95 for one designated swingman).* The plan was to see how many bad teams it takes to compete with the Astros, Dodgers and Yankees.

We’ll start the bidding at four teams, do I hear four teams?

SUPERTEAM

C Pedro Severino, 1B Garrett Cooper, 2B Jonathan Villar, 3B Hanser Alberto, SS Adalberto Mondesi, LF Trey Mancini, CF Whit Merrifield, RF Hunter Dozier, DH Jorge Soler

DODGERS

C Will Smith, 1B David Freese, 2B Max Muncy, 3B Justin Turner, SS Corey Seager, LF Alex Verdugo, CF Joc Pederson, RF Cody Bellinger, DH A.J. Pollock

ASTROS

C Robinson Chirinos, 1B Yuli Gurriel, 2B Jose Altuve, 3B Alex Bregman, SS Carlos Correa, LF Michael Brantley, CF Jake Marisnick, RF George Springer, DH Yordan Alvarez

YANKEES

C Gary Sanchez, 1B Luke Voit, 2B DJ LeMahieu, 3B Gio Urshela, SS Gleyber Torres, LF Giancarlo Stanton, CF Brett Gardner, RF Aaron Judge, DH Edwin Encarnacion

The best player on any of the Orioles, Royals, Tigers or Marlins, by total WAR, has been Jonathan Villar, acquired in a midseason trade by Baltimore last summer. At the time, the competitive Brewers were trying to upgrade at second base, so they traded their second baseman (Villar) and a couple of prospects for the non-competitive Orioles’ second baseman, Jonathan Schoop. Since then, Villar has been the 42nd-best player in baseball, just ahead of Trea Turner, Paul Goldschmidt and Manny Machado. He has been the ninth-best second baseman, while Schoop is 42nd. It was a masterful trade by the Orioles: 21 homers, 33 steals, 3.8 WAR this year.

Mike Trout is now better than … wait for it … Derek Jeter. Sam Miller »

So, there are good players on the Superteam, of which Villar is undeniably one. Soler has 44 homers, Alberto is hitting .320, Mondesi has 39 steals, Dozier is slugging .550. But the fact that Villar is the best player that the four teams can produce puts the Superteam’s uphill climb in perspective: Teams who are committed to losing don’t keep MVP candidates around. Villar is not an MVP candidate, the way Cody Bellinger and Alex Bregman are. He is not even above-average by the standards of the other three teams’ rosters: There are 21 Dodgers, Astros or Yankees who have produced more WAR than Villar on a per-plate-appearance level this year. Villar is cast here as the best player on any of four major league rosters.

The Superteam might make it up on depth or pitching, but its nine best players simply can’t compete with the nine regulars on any of our three historically great teams:

Superteam: 175 homers, .281/.341/.474, 26.4 WAR (scaled to 600 plate appearances per player) Dodgers: 199 homers, .276/.361/.532, 42.3 WAR Astros: 210 homers, .293/.372/.544, 46.2 WAR Yankees: 206 homers, .279/.355/.519, 39.7 WAR

(Note that all of these teams’ WARs are exceptionally high, even higher than the Astros, Dodgers and Yankees’ lineups have actually produced this year. That’s because we’re picking only their very best player performances, after the fact, giving the teams full health and awarding nearly all playing time to those nine best players. Real life doesn’t go this smoothly.)

But those are just the starters. In theory, depth could benefit the Superteam. There’s no Cody Bellinger on a 100-loss team, almost by definition, but there might be a whole lot of Mike Fords.

On the other hand, depth is part of what makes these Dodgers, Astros and Yankees so incredible. They’re not building nine-man lineups, but 13-man lineups — players able to platoon, to move around the field and to not just fill in but very nearly replicate injured starters. Over the course of a full season, when 50 or 60 players might be called upon, the Superteam’s depth almost certainly would win out. But for just a 25-man roster, the good teams are nearly as deep:

SUPERTEAM

C Jorge Alfaro, INF Miguel Rojas, OF Anthony Santander. UT Jon Berti

DODGERS

C Russell Martin, INF Enrique Hernandez, OF Matt Beaty, UT Chris Taylor

ASTROS

C Martin Maldonado, INF Abraham Toro, OF Josh Reddick, UT Aledmys Diaz

YANKEES

C Austin Romine, INF Didi Gregorius, OF Cameron Maybin, UT Mike Ford

Superteam: .276/.330/.437, 4.6 WAR (scaled to 250 plate appearances per player) Dodgers: .254/.331/.434, 4.1 WAR Astros: .251/.322/.425, 3.9 WAR Yankees: .260/.318/.473, 3.6 WAR

The Superteam inches up, but barely.

As to starting pitchers:

SUPERTEAM

Matthew Boyd, John Means, Brad Keller, Spencer Turnbull

DODGERS

Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill

ASTROS

Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Zack Greinke, Wade Miley

YANKEES

James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Domingo German, J.A. Happ

The Superteam’s staff has one All-Star appearance (Means, this year) and zero Cy Young votes. The other three teams’ pitchers have won five Cy Youngs and appeared in 31 All-Star Games. But it’s not quite as bad as it looks. The Superteam’s rotation actually has been better than the Yankees’ rotation, despite a 28-48 combined record this year (thanks to terrible offenses behind them and terrible bullpens protecting their leads). Still, it’s not great:

Superteam: 4.24 ERA, 4.31 FIP, 12.0 WAR (scaled to 175 innings per pitcher) Dodgers: 2.84 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 15.6 WAR Astros: 3.08 ERA, 3.62 FIP, 17.0 WAR Yankees: 4.45 ERA, 4.62 FIP, 10.5 WAR

Again, in a longer season the Superteam might benefit. It’s fair to say the Superteam’s eighth- and ninth-best starters — Daniel Norris and Jakob Junis, maybe? — are better than Houston’s. But Houston isn’t going to need eight starters to get through October, and at the top of the staffs it’s a huge mismatch.

For bullpens, we chose to limit our options to actual relievers, so unused starting pitchers (for example, Daniel Norris, Jakob Junis) were not generally considered for the Superteam’s bullpen. Pitchers such as Ross Stripling and Kenta Maeda, who have both started and relieved this year, and who are likely to be in the Dodgers’ actual postseason bullpen, were:

SUPERTEAM

CL Ian Kennedy, RP Mychal Givens, RP Scott Barlow, RP Buck Farmer, RP Shawn Armstrong, RP Jarlin Garcia, RP Jose Cisnero, SWING Sandy Alcantara

DODGERS

CL Kenley Jansen, RP Pedro Baez, RP Yimi Garcia, RP Ross Stripling, RP Dustin May, RP Kenta Maeda, RP Joe Kelly, SWING Julio Urias

ASTROS

CL Roberto Osuna, RP Ryan Pressly, RP Will Harris, RP Joe Smith, RP Hector Rondon, RP Chris Devenski, RP Josh James, SWING Brad Peacock

YANKEES

CL Aroldis Chapman, RP Tommy Kahnle, RP Adam Ottavino, RP Chad Green, RP David Hale, RP Zack Britton, RP Luis Cessa, SWING Jonathan Loaisiga

Superteam: 3.96 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 7.3 WAR (scaled to 65 innings per pitcher) Dodgers: 3.74 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 7.9 WAR Astros: 3.24 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 6.9 WAR Yankees: 3.15 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 8.4 WAR

Add it all up:

Superteam: 50.3 WAR

Dodgers: 69.9 WAR

Astros: 74.0 WAR

Yankees: 62.2 WAR

To repeat something from earlier: 74 WAR is a crazy-high total for the Astros, and it would equate to about a 120-win team in real life. But it assumes almost perfect health and almost perfect decision-making by the Astros, funneling nearly all of their playing time to the players who actually were the best this year.

Who has clinched a postseason spot and who could be next? Playoff tracker

2019 postseason schedule

But the same applies to the Superteam. The ex post facto nature of this exercise benefits them most of all, because it allows us to accurately pick, from the 215 or so mostly anonymous players these four teams will field this year, the 25 who actually had the best years — in many cases, career years, years unlike any they’ve ever had or will have again.

Indeed, if we were to use not actual, observed WAR to measure each roster’s strength, but projected, future WAR, the Superteam would fall even further behind. In that case, team strength would look something more like this:

The Superteam built above, in other words, projects to be somewhere around a .500 team, assuming good health, while the others project to be around 100-win teams. I think we can say, conclusively, that four teams put together still aren’t as good as the Astros, the Dodgers or the Yankees. Wild.

Do I hear five teams?

Superteam 2: Superteam + Blue Jays. Add Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Bo Bichette, Danny Jansen, Wilmer Font and Ken Giles. Remove Miguel Rojas, Trey Mancini, Jorge Alfaro, Jose Cisnero and Sandy Alcantara.

Total WAR: 58.1.

Do I hear six teams?

Superteam 3: Superteam 2 + Mariners. Add Kyle Seager, Tom Murphy, Marco Gonzales and Sam Tuivailala. Remove Jon Berti, Danny Jansen, Brad Keller and Jarlin Garcia.

Law’s 2019 prospects of the year

A home run mark for all 30 teams

One key for each wild-card hopeful

Olney: What’s next for the Red Sox?

Total WAR: 64.3, good enough to pass this year’s Yankees (who, it’s worth noting, are without excellent outfielders Aaron Hicks and Mike Tauchman, both key contributors this year but both out for the season, and Luis Severino and Dellin Betances, who have no statistical records to go on this year but could each return for the playoffs).

Do I hear seven teams?

Superteam 4: Superteam 3 + Rockies. Add Trevor Story, Nolan Arenado, Ryan McMahon, Jon Gray, German Marquez and Scott Oberg. Remove Adalberto Mondesi, Hanser Alberto, Garrett Cooper, Spencer Turnbull, Marco Gonzales and Buck Farmer. Break the rules and move Bo Bichette to second base.

Total WAR: 68.4. Still worse than the Dodgers and the Astros. Do I hear eight teams?

Superteam 5: Superteam 4 + Pirates. Add Josh Bell, Bryan Reynolds, Jacob Stallings and Felipe Vazquez. Remove Ryan McMahon, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Pedro Severino and Shawn Armstrong.

Total WAR: 72.9. Ahead of the Dodgers and somehow still behind the Astros.

Do. I. Hear. Niiiiiiine teams?

Superteam 6: Superteam 5 + White Sox. Add Lucas Giolito, James McCann, Aaron Bummer and Tim Anderson. Remove Matthew Boyd, Jacob Stallings, Scott Barlow and … Jonathan Villar.

Total WAR: 75.7. Phew.

Is the conclusion too hard to believe? Does it seem credible if you simply look at the rosters?

SUPERTEAM

C Tom Murphy, 1B Josh Bell, 2B Bo Bichette, 3B Nolan Arenado, SS Trevor Story, LF Bryan Reynolds, CF Whit Merrifield, RF Hunter Dozier, DH Jorge Soler, UT Tim Anderson, UT Kyle Seager, UT Anthony Santander, UT James McCann, SP Lucas Giolito, SP John Means, SP Jon Gray, SP German Marquez, RP Felipe Vazquez, RP Ian Kennedy, RP Ken Giles, RP Mychal Givens, RP Sam Tuivailala, RP Aaron Bummer, RP Scott Oberg, RP Wilmer Font

ASTROS

C Robinson Chirinos, 1B Yuli Gurriel, 2B Jose Altuve, 3B Alex Bregman, SS Carlos Correa, LF Michael Brantley, CF Jake Marisnick, RF George Springer, DH Yordan Alvarez, UT Aledmys Diaz, UT Abraham Toro, UT Josh Reddick, UT Martin Maldonado, SP Gerrit Cole, SP Justin Verlander, SP Zack Greinke, SP Wade Miley, RP Ryan Pressly, RP Roberto Osuna, RP Will Harris, RP Joe Smith, RP Hector Rondon, RP Chris Devenski, RP Josh James, RP Brad Peacock

The Astros have the two best starting pitchers, maybe the three best. They have, easily, the best player (in Bregman), and by WAR per plate appearance this year they have the three best (Bregman, Alvarez, Springer). They have five of the top seven, with only Trevor Story and Bo Bichette reaching 5 WAR per 600 plate appearances on the Superteam side. While depth eventually will favor the Superteam, all of the 104-win teams have built extremely deep 25-man rosters. Of our original Superteam 1 players, maybe half would have made the Dodgers’ Opening Day roster.

The point is, this is really some kind of era we’re living in. You’re seeing some of the worst baseball that’s ever been played. The Tigers actually don’t have a single above-average hitter, in any number of plate appearances above two. And you’re seeing some of the best baseball that’s ever been played. According to Baseball Prospectus’ third-order winning percentages, this year’s Astros and Dodgers actually are the two best teams since 1950. It’s amazing that these teams have coexisted in the same league, occasionally playing against each other, standing next to each other, and had it even look like baseball at all. It’s a baseball miracle.

But that’s not the payoff for this era. The payoff is the postseason, when as many as five 100-win teams — and three historically great ones — are going to smash into each other, with barely a below-average player in the bunch. Truly, it can’t get here fast enough.

* In cases of injury, the player was included on the roster if he seemed likely to return sometime this year or if he would return but for his team being out of contention. He was not included if he definitely is out for the year, like the Marlins’ Brian Anderson. Players who have been traded away, like the former Tiger Nick Castellanos, aren’t eligible. There was some preference to players with more playing time, but mainly we went with the most productive players on a per-PA basis. And players are allowed to play slightly out of position if, as with Whit Merrifield, they’ve played at least some significant time at the position to which we wish to assign them. We used Baseball-Reference’s WAR for hitters and FanGraphs’ WAR for pitchers.

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[loxodontarosea-blog]

Discovering Morgan (Journey of Exploration Book 1) by J.A. Armstrong

Discovering Morgan (Journey of Exploration Book 1) by J.A. Armstrong

I have rad other books by this author and liked them but this book was too boring for me. I barely finished it. There wasn’t anything to hold my interest but that its my own personal opinion and can be different for others. As of the writing and quality of the book – it is good.

[lexxikitty-blog1]

Campaign Trail by J.A. Armstrong Series: By Design: #9 Read: October 2017 Rating: 3 Stars

There was a lot of talking. Pages and pages of talking. Circular talking, around the issue, to others than the person they should be talking to. And repetitively being told they should talk. And them saying

they know

, and literally trembling in fear to talk to the other.

Oh, and a bunch of angst, and feelings of guilt, and stuff. Pearl had a good response to all this nonsense (there needs to be more Pearl).

"The only thing you've got to be guilty about is how often you feel guilty." "In other words, knock it off." "Not in other words. Knock it off."

- around 38% into the book.

Course even the good parts gets repeated, because that's the way these stories go. Again Pearl's the voice of reason -

"I'm telling you to stop blaming yourself for what happens to everyone else. That's what you would tell every one of us. And, stop thinking you know what's best for all of us too."

- 40% into the book.

And words of wisdom, randomly tossed out, by those who need to use it themselves in their own lives, but apparently don't, they pass it on instead:

"I still think you should talk to Mom." ... "She wouldn't want you to keep it inside."

- Michelle to Jameson, both of whom would rather talk to others about their 'things' than with the person they should be talking to (Mel in Shell's case, Candy in JD's case). - 41% into the book.

And sometimes they tell it to themselves. But do they listen to themselves? Do they?

Talk to her, JD. Just talk to her.

What were the earthshaking things both need to tell others? And were they the only ones with 'secrets' they needed to unload? No they were not the only ones with secrets. And don't worry, if you miss the issue the first time, it'll be repeated several more times, 8?, throughout the book. Like how JD has holes in her from having missed seeing the kids grow up - how she hadn't been there; also, that people should not read into that emotion, because she really doesn't actually want to have a baby, she just doesn't like how she missed out on Candy's kids growing up. Or how Shell got used to the concept that she'd be the one to carry the baby in her partnership with Mel; but now Mel's going to be the one; and how she wants to not upset Mel; but never thought she'd want to carry a baby herself, but now she kind of wants to feel the baby moving inside of herself (don't worry, later she gets sad because she got used to the idea of Mel carrying the baby, and starts to pre-miss how she could have placed her hand on Mel and felt the baby kicking. But, eh, Mel's a very emotional person. Like a cactus. Cacti are very emotional plants).

Right, so, this book is about talking. With occasional breaks for politics. And serial killers. And children. And evil assholes. And stuff.

Rating: 3.00

October 18 2017

[ebookdumps-blog]

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Visit http://vbqwzm5ilwnkgul3.onion.link to download these books:

Crimson & Cream (The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy Book 1) by C. M. Skiera Mirrors & Mist (The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy Book 2) by C. M. Skiera Warlock & Wyrm (The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy Book 3) by C. M. Skiera The Devotee: Magic Academy by Oksana Grinberga The Devotee - The Way Of The Heart: Book 2 by Oksana Grinberga Another Stupid Spell (Another Stupid Trilogy Book 1) by Bill Ricardi Throne of the Dead Queen (The Dragon of the Gods Book 1) by Sherri Beth Mitchell Rise of the Dragon Queen (The Dragon of the Gods Book 2) by Sherri Beth Mitchell Of Gods and Dragons (The Dragon of the Gods Book 3) by Sherri Beth Mitchell The Gomorrah Chronicles: Quest for the Dragonstone by C.T. Parsley My Blind Familiar: The Ash Golem by Nathan Valerio The Staff of Power: The Dregian Chronicles Book One by D. E. Boske Demon Stone: The Dregian Chronicles Book 2 by D. E. Boske Feral by Matt Serafini Affliction (PSI Book 1) by Andrew Irvine Coercion (PSI Book 2) by Andrew Irvine Retribution (Psi Book 3) by Andrew Irvine Viridian Gate Online: Cataclysm by J.A. Hunter Viridian Gate Online: Crimson Alliance by J.A. Hunter Viridian Gate Online: The Jade Lord by J.A. Hunter The Wizard's Daughters (Twin Magic Book 1) by Michael Dalton The Son of the Morning (The Nightfall Wars Book 1) by Jacob Peppers Disciple of a Dark God (The Daemondamned Trilogy Book 1) by Edmund Glasby The Beginnings Omnibus (Realm of Ashenclaw Beginnings Saga) by Gary F. Vanucci The dawn people by Harriet Darling Blood and Ash (The Chronicles of Estria Book 1) by Stuart Thaman Alrin (The Alrin Series Book 1) by Kyle King Pantheon by Scott Beckman Rouge Star by Lucas Kitchen Half-Orc Redemption by Luke T. Barnett The Wings of Fate: The Summoner Awaketh by Charles Scott Link For Queen or Country (For Queen or Country Series Book 1) by J.B. Markes Godless (For Queen or Country Series Book 2) by J.B. Markes The Bear of Alon (For Queen or Country Series Book 3) by J.B. Markes The Heretic Queen (For Queen or Country Book 4) by J.B. Markes Hand of the Trickster by Mike Reeves-McMillan Trickster's Nab (Hand of the Trickster Book 2) by Mike Reeves-McMillan The Angels' Pride (The Fallen Angels Book 1) by Steven Lindsay The Sloth of Heaven (The Fallen Angels Book 2) by Steven Lindsay A Gluttony Of Faith (The Fallen Angels Book 3) by Steven Lindsay The Wrath Of The Forgotten (The Fallen Angels Book 4) by Steven Lindsay Death Storm (Hungry Gods Book 1) by G.S. Wright Death's Reach (Hungry Gods Book 2) by G.S. Wright God of Chains by JR Armstrong Eversong (The daughter of Chaos Book 1) by A. C. Salter Shadojak (The daughter of Chaos Book 2) by A. C. Salter Ethea (The daughter of Chaos Book 3) by A.C. Salter The Fallen Ones Book One by F.D. Brooks Revenant (The Tales of Esper Ravenwood Book 1) by E.J. Lowell Scourgemarked (The Tales of Esper Ravenwood Book 2) by E.J. Lowell Lightbringer (The Tales of Esper Ravenwood Book 3) by E.J. Lowell Prophecy of the Guardian The Complete Trilogy by J.W. Baccaro Fidelity by Lia Black Angel of Light Books 1-5 by Mackenzie Morris The Last Seraphim (The Last Seraphim Trilogy Book 1) by Jake DeBolt Broken Lineage (The Last Seraphim Book 2) by Jake DeBolt Forgotten Choirs (The Last Seraphim Book 3) by Jake DeBolt Reign of Immortals by Marin Landis Dracengard: Book One by Christopher Vale Dracengard: Book Two by Christopher Vale Dracengard: Book Three by Christopher Vale Dracengard: Book Four by Christopher Vale Dracengard: Book Five by Christopher Vale The Dain Princess by Raitt Black The Dragon's Disciples (Age of Waking Death Series Book 1) by C.N. Faust The Heretic Priest (Age of Waking Death Series Book 2) by C.N. Faust The Hollow Living (Age of Waking Death Series Book 3) by C.N. Faust Niler (The Two Kingdoms Book 1) by RJ Edwards The Crystal Heart (The Two Kingdoms Book 2) by RJ Edwards Days of Future Past - Part 1: Past Tense by John Van Stry Days of Future Past - Part 2: Present Tense by John Van Stry Days of Future Past - Part 3: Future Tense by John Van Stry Sirens of Faldion: The Final Bond by Anya Merchant Sirens of Faldion: The Festival of Coin by Anya Merchant Total Calamity Robot Book 1: CALAMITY by Lucny Dauphin, Marwan Islami I.A.N. Raised By Robots by Givon Wayne Birth of a Machine by Edwin Hernandez Echo Effect by R. D. Armstrong Symphony of Descension: Echo Effect book 2 by R. D. Armstrong Morningwood Everybody Loves Large Chests (Vol.1) by Neven Iliev

[books-in-a-storm]

Book Recommendations Master List

Please note that all the books I recommend have there problems with different things but remember I don’t know if they do and I don’t look for the problems in them I just read them. Just remember I am only human. The more adult books have this symbol  ❤ beside the title and author.

Alphabetical  Recommendations:

A:

Anna and the French Kiss By Stephanie Perkins

Anna By Kendare Blake

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Angelfire By Courtney Allison Moulton

Agent of Hel By Jacqueline Carey❤

Alienated By Melissa Landers

Arcadia Bell By Jenn Bennett ❤

B:

The Blackwell Pages By  K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr

Black Wings By Christina Henry❤

The Biker By Cassie Alexandra❤

Black Blade By Jennifer Estep

Black London By Caitlin Kittredge❤

C:

Coveted By Shawntelle Madison❤

Chicagoland Vampires By Chloe Neill❤

Callaghan Brothers By Abbie Zanders❤

Code 11-KPD SWAT By Lani Lynn Vale❤

Crossfire By Sylvia Day❤

The Connelly Cousins By Abbie Zanders❤

Copper Creek Cowboys By R.C. Ryan❤

D:

Defiance By C.J.Redwine

Divergent By Veronica Roth

Dark Guardian By Rachel Hawthorne

The Darkest Powers By Kelley Armstrong

Darkness Rising By Kelley Armstrong

Dust Lands By Moira Young

E:

The Elysium Chronicles By J.A. Souders

Eve By Anna Carey 

F:

Fallen By Lauren Kate

Firebird By Claudia Gray

The Found Duet By Laurelin Paige❤

Freebirds By Lani Lynn Vale❤

J:

Jill Kismet By Lilith Saintcrow❤

Jax & Gia  By Sylvia Day❤

H:

The Hollows By Amanda Hocking

The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

Hush Hush Saga By Becca Fitzpatrick

Harry Potter By J.K.Rowling

Hex Hall By Rachel Hawkins

The Half Bad Trilogy By Sally Green

House Of Night By P.C.Cast & Kristen Cast

House of Night Novellas By P.C.Cast & Kristin Cast

The Heroes of Olympus By Rick Riordan

Halo By Alexandra Adornetto

Hudson Valley By Alice Clayton❤

The Hurricane By R.J.Prescott ❤

The Heroes of The Dixie Wardens MC By Lani Lynn Vale❤

The Hacker Series By Meredith Wild  ❤

I:

If I Stay By Gayle Forman

The Infernal Devices By Cassandra Clare

The Iron Fey By Julie Kagawa

The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten By Julie Kagawa

The Immortals By Alyson Noel

Indexing By Seanan McGuire❤

G:

The Grisha By Leigh Bardugo

The Goddess Test  By Aimee Carter

K:

The Kanin Chronicles By Amanda Hocking

Kane Chronicles By Rick Riordan

King By T.M. Frazier❤

Kilgore Fire By Lani Lynn Vale❤

L:

The Lynburn Legacy By Sarah Rees Brennan

The Last Princess By Galaxy Craze

The Lunar Chronicles By Marissa Meyer

Lock And Key By Ranae Rose❤

Last Call By Sawyer Bennett❤  

M:

Mara Dyer By Michelle Hodkin

The Mortal Instruments By Cassandra Clare

Modern Faerie Tales By Holly Black

Mythos Academy By Jennifer Estep

The Mediator By Meg Cabot

Mayhem By Jamie Shaw❤

MMA Fighter By Vi Keeland❤

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard By Rick Rirodan

Montana Men By Jennifer Ryan❤

N:

Nadia Stafford By Kelley Armstrong❤

Night Huntress By Jeaniene Frost❤

Need By Carrie Jones 

Nevermore By Kelly Creagh

O:

One Night By Jodi Ellen Malpas❤

P:

Paranormalcy By Kiersten White

Penryn & the End of Days By Susan Ee

Percy Jackson And The Olympians By Rick Riordan

Precious Stone By Kerstin Gier

Q:

R:

The Remnant Chronicles  By  Mary E. Pearson

The Raven Cycle By Maggie Stiefvater

Riley Bloom By Alyson Noel

Riders of the Apocalypse By Jackie Morse Kessler

Real By Katy Evens ❤

The Ride By Megan O’Brien❤

Rebel Belle By Rachel Hawkins 

S:

The Soul Seekers By Alyson Noel

Slammed By Colleen Hoover

Strange Angels By Lili St.Crow

Six of Crows By  Leigh Bardugo

The Secret Circle By L.J.Smith

Shadow Falls By C.C.Hunter

Shadow Falls: After Dark By C.C.Hunter

Starcrossed By Josephine Angelini

Starling By Lesley Livingston

The Syrena Legacy By Anna Banks

The School For Good And Evil By Soman Chainani

The Storymakers By Betsy Schow

Splintered By A.G.Howard

Something Strange and Deadly By Susan Dennard

Stage Dive By Kylie Scott❤

South Island PD By Ranae Rose❤

Sabina Kane By Jaye Wells❤

T:

Teardrop By Lauren Kate

Twilight Saga By Stephenie Meyer

Trylle Trilogy By Amanda Hocking

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

This Man By Jodi Ellen Malpas❤

U:

Uncertain Saints MC By Lani Lynn Vale❤

Unfinished Fairy Tales By Aya Ling

V:

Vampire Academy By Richelle Mead

Vamp City By Pamela Palmer❤

V is for Virgin By Kelly Oram

W:

Wondrous Strange By Lesley Livingston

The Wolves of Mercy Falls By Maggie Stiefvater

The Watersong Quartet By Amanda Hocking

Women Of The Otherworld By Kelley Armstrong❤

White House By Katy Evans❤

Wildfire By Karsten Knight

Wake By Lisa McMann

The Winner’s Trilogy By Marie Rutkoski

Wyoming Sky By R.C. Ryan❤

X:

Y:

The Young Elites By Marie Lu

Z:

[samlonnie0nathanelena]

"Intermission (Off Screen Book 6)" from J.A. Armstrong -

"Happiness is never permanent, Addy. There is pain in life no matter how much any of us want to avoid it. You can’t spend your time waiting for the shoe to drop, though. It will anyway. So, you just have to do the best you can, and hope for the best along the way."

Lees het boek nu gratis: https://a.co/fF8fU0c

[lexxikitty-blog1]

Road Blocks by J.A. Armstrong Series: By Design: #8 Read: May 2017 Rating: 3.5 Stars

As noted in my review for the other story - I’ve read two stories by Armstrong days apart, both of them being the 8th work in their particular series. Script Doctor is/was the one I called porn – what with all the sex scenes, many many sex scenes in that story. While there were many scenes where, basically everyone, mentioned/joked about ‘bible study’, I do not actually recall anyone actually humping in ‘Road Blocks’. It has been 4 days since I read it and it is possible, vaguely, that any sex that did occur got overshadowed by the marathon sessions in Script Doctor. I recall Armstrong’s series by categories. ‘Off Screen’ is the ‘Hollywood’ one with actresses/writers/celebrities and the like. ‘Special Delivery’ is the medical/family one (what with it involving a doctor). ‘First Course’ is the culinary one. ‘Lesson Plans’, I assume, involves teachers in some way . . . maybe, didn’t actually complete a story in that one so not sure. ‘Road Blocks’, this story, falls inside the ‘By Design’ series and is the politics one (the By Design refers to both the first story in the series and the fact that one of the two main characters is one of those ‘women with tools’ types – J.D. has her own design/architect firm – but the focus is and has mostly been on Candy’s political career so I can’t even recall now if J.D. is also a contractor or not). This 8th story in the series sees Candace ‘Candy’ Fletcher Reid, Governor of New York, dealing with the complications of being governor – budgets and stuff, serial killers loose, etc., while also attempting to figure out if she really will run for President or not – she’s under a lot of pressure to form an exploratory committee, and it is having an adverse impact on her job (the state level legislative branch is controlled by the opposite party, and while they can and do work with their opposite members they are somewhat reluctant to do so until they know where Candy stands on running or not running, and the initial national response to her decision). Meanwhile there’s a wedding to plan, then have, a family to be a member of (and kids to raise and play with), and there is also the potential of another member of the family running for office (another member being pressured ‘by the party’ to come to a decision to run or not). Good solid story. Apparently I rated it the same as the sex drenched story by Armstrong, 3.5 stars. Rating: 3.5 May 18 2017