#James and Erin's two children

[haggishlyhagging]

On March 9, 1977, Francine Hughes returned from business college to her Dansville, Michigan, home and put a frozen dinner in the oven for her husband, James. He didn't like it. Francine, he said, should be at home preparing meals for him, not running off to school. He beat her up, as he had done many times before; and to drive home his point he tore up her schoolbooks and term papers and forced her to burn them in the trash barrel. Twelve-year-old Christy Hughes called the police, who came to the house long enough to calm James down but declined, as they had many times before, to arrest him. They left James, tired from beating Francine, asleep in his bedroom. Determined to "just drive away," Francine piled the children into the family car. "Let's not come back this time, Mommy," they said. She carried a gasoline can to the bedroom, poured the contents around the bed where James lay asleep, backed out of the room, and set a match to it The rust of flame sucked the door shut.

Francine Hughes drove immediately to the Ingham County sheriffs office, crying hysterically, "I did it. I did it." She was charged with first-degree murder.

Dansville adjoins East Lansing, home of Michigan State University and consequently of many social-action groups. Within two months feminists and other interested people in the Lansing area had formed the Francine Hughes Defense Committee to raise money and public awareness for her defense. They were careful to say that they neither advocated nor condoned murder, but they held that women confronted with violence have a right to defend themselves. They argued that "Francine Hughes—and many other women facing similar charges—should be free from the threat of punishment," for Francine Hughes was a battered woman.

At the time wife-beating was a growing feminist issue, following close on the heels of feminist attacks upon rape, a crime it resembles in many ways. Both rape and wife-beating are crimes of violence against women. Both are widespread, underreported, trivialized, and inadequately punished by the legal system. Both are acts of terrorism intended to keep all women in their place through intimidation. In fact, rape is often part of wife abuse, though so far only a few states acknowledge even the possibility of rape within marriage. The chief difference between the two crimes is that while the victim of nonmarital rape must live with a terrifying memory, the abused wife lives with her assailant. Rapists are, in Susan Brownmiller's phrase, the "shock troops" of male supremacy. Wife-beaters are the home guard.

American feminists took up the issue of wife-beating when they learned in 1971 of the work of Erin Pizzey, founder of Chiswick Women's Aid, the first shelter house in England exclusively for battered women and their children. Rainbow Retreat, the first American shelter for abused families of alcoholics opened in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 1, 1973; and in St. Paul, Minnesota, Women's Advocates, a collective that began with a phone service in 1972, opened Women's House to battered women and their children in October 1974. Rainbow Retreat, during its first two and a half years, sheltered more than six hundred women and children. In St. Paul the five-bedroom Women's House sheltered twenty-two women and fifteen children during its first month of operation; less than a year later Women's Advocates were negotiating to buy a second house. Across the country the shelter movement spread to Pasadena, San Francisco, Seattle, Boise, Albuquerque, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, Boston, New York. To open a shelter was to fill it beyond capacity almost overnight. Suddenly it seemed that battered women were everywhere.

While activists opened shelters, researchers and writers set about documenting the problem of wife-beating or, as it came to be called more euphemistically in the academic literature, "domestic violence." The records showed that 60 percent of night calls in Atlanta concerned domestic disputes. In Fairfax County, Virginia, one of the nation's wealthiest counties, police received 4,073 disturbance calls in 1974. During ten months in 1975-76 the Dade County Florida Citizens Dispute Settlement Center handled nearly 1,000 wife-beating cases. Seventy percent of all assault cases received in the emergency room at hospitals in Boston and Omaha were women who had been attacked in their homes. Eighty percent of divorce cases in Wayne County, Michigan, involved charges of abuse. Ninety-nine percent of female Legal Aid clients in Milwaukee were abused by men.

The FBI guessed that a million women each year—women of every race and social class—would be victims of wife-beating. Journalists Roger Langley and Richard C. Levy put the figure at more than 28 million. Some said that one in four women married to or cohabiting with a man would become a victim; others said one in three. In some areas the incidence seemed even greater. In California the experts said one of every two women would be beaten. And in Omaha, the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women estimated that 95 percent of women would be abused at some time. There scarcely seemed need of additional evidence, so the same statistics began to turn up in every new account, but repetitious as they were, they showed all too clearly that wife-beating is a social problem of astounding dimensions.

-Ann Jones, Women Who Kill

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Young Adult Book Releases - June 2024

🦇 Good morning, my bookish bats. I hope you have a good book, hot cuppa, and sweet snack within reach! No TBR is complete without a few young adult novels, and plenty were released in June! Here are a few YA releases to consider adding to your shelves.

🩷 June 4 🩷 ✨ Looking for Smoke - K. A. Cobell ✨ Moonstorm - Yoon Ha Lee ✨ Now, Conjurers - Freddie Kölsch ✨ Heiress Takes All - Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka ✨ Two Sides to Every Murder - Danielle Valentine ✨ Wish You Weren't Here - Erin Baldwin ✨ Four Eids and a Funeral - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé & Adiba Jaigirdar ✨ Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet - Molly Morris ✨ Past Present Future - Rachel Lynn Solomon ✨ Storm: Dawn of a Goddess - Tiffany D. Jackson ✨ London on My Mind - Clara Alves ✨ The Breakup Artists - Adriana Mather ✨ One Killer Problem - Justine Pucella Winans ✨ Lockjaw - Matteo L. Cerilli ✨ If You Can't Take the Heat - Michael Ruhlman ✨ Louder Than Words - Ashley Woodfolk & Lexi Underwood

🩷 June 11 🩷 ✨ Six More Months of June - Daisy Garrison ✨ Hearts of Fire and Snow - David Bowles & Guadalupe Garcia McCall ✨ Love, Off the Record - Samantha Markum ✨ How to Get Over Your (Best Friend's) Ex - Kristi McManus ✨ The Ghost of Us - James L. Sutter ✨ There Is a Door in This Darkness - Kristin Cashore ✨ The Wilderness of Girls - Madeline Claire Franklin ✨ Dead Girls Talking - Megan Cooley Peterson ✨ Icon and Inferno - Marie Lu ✨ Furious - Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos ✨ The Color of a Lie - Kim Johnson

🩷 June 18 🩷 ✨ Bad Graces - Kyrie McCauley ✨ Old Palmetto Drive - S.E. Reed ✨ Masquerade of the Heart - Katy Rose Pool ✨ With Love, Miss Americanah - Jane Igharo ✨ Hearts That Cut - Kika Hatzopoulou ✨ The Calculation of You and Me - Serena Kaylor ✨ All Roads Lead to Rome - Sabrina Fedel

🩷 June 25 🩷 ✨ Markless - C.G. Malburi ✨ We Shall Be Monsters - Tara Sim ✨ Children of Anguish and Anarchy - Tomi Adeyemi ✨ Crashing into You - Rocky Callen ✨ Six of Sorrow - Amanda Linsmeier

[fundieshaderoom]

Alyssa and John Webster QnA (Reddit is mentioned)

I bolded the ones I found most interesting!

Do you have the same blood clotting issue?

It is genetic from Gil’s side of the family. Once they discovered it was a family issue, she had already had a couple of kids. Since she has no complications, she has not been tested.

Have you visited Erin at her place?

Yes, several times.

Do you take the kids on family vacations?

Not really. They go to TN and SC with the kids though. John considers that a family vacation but Alyssa does not. They do go with the Websters to the beach every year. They mostly do dad and mom vacations. They want to wait for the kids to get older to do actual vacations like skiing. 

Which of the kids is most like you?

Allie has Alyssa’s organizational skills. Alyssa said Lexi looks the most like her at that age. Lexi and Zoey are most like John.

Will you have a sixth child?

No, the pregnancies were too tough. John said accidents can happen.

Who is the last Duggar you have spoken to?

James and Jana. Alyssa talked to them the other day. John was only on the call with James.

Have you ever drank alcohol?

No

Will you continue the vlog in 10-15 years?

Probably not. Their children would be about 11-19 and that is so far in the future.

Is John still working from home?

No. He has been training people and one of their guys got hurt and is out. He will likely go back to WFH.

Did you picture yourselves with 5 kids?

They wanted a large family and to do it pretty early to mitigate risks to mother.

Redditors speculate you only take the kids to church and Costco. Is this true?

John got a lil laugh out of that. Alyssa said the girls do karate two nights a week. John does softball two nights a week and the kids tag along. They are also in church programs on Sundays. They do co-ops once a week and playdates. They also sometimes go to Publix instead of Costco. John said “who reads Reddit anyways?” Um, Carlin lol. John says he can’t remember the last time he read a Reddit post (idk if this means r/BringingUpBates or in general) and Alyssa claims to have never read one.

Do you have non-Christian friends?

Alyssa said they have friends from all backgrounds and religions. Alyssa does admit people gravitate to those who are similar. John said he has always had non-Christian friends. 

How does John’s relationship with Rhett differ from his relationship with the girls?

John is “rougher” with Rhett because he loves to tease and wrestle and chase. The girls don’t like that as much. 

[renee-writer]

Teachers Chapter 60

AO3

Twenty years later

 

“Mama, Dad,” He stands before them, his wife, Amy, and their grandson, Lambert, by his side. The lad, a kindergartener, was having some trouble at school. They were returning from a meeting with his teacher, “Lamb has dyslexia. Miss McNeil will do all she can to help. She says,” his voice breaks here and Amy takes over.

 

“Mum and dad, it is pretty severe. That is why he is having trouble with his maths and reading.”

 

“Granny, grandpa, Everything is all jumbled up.”

 

Claire reaches out to him and he runs to her. She lifts him up and holds him close.

 

“What can we do to help?” Jamie asks.

 

“Could you, ah, would you mind tutoring him this summer. I know it is a lot with Elizabeth’s wedding coming up and Erin ( Quinton ‘s wife) getting ready to have their baby.” James knows his parents are busy. He also knows they are two of the best teachers he knows.

 

“We know it is a lot to ask.”

 

Jamie waves their concerns away. “You know we will do anything for our grandson.”

 

“Exactly. Elizabeth ‘s wedding is under control and, as much as I would love to take what Erin is about to go through away, I can’t. I can however help my darling Lamb to find the way he learns.”

 

“Like you did for Kelsey and so many others.” James smiles at remembering. He and his siblings grew up hearing about all the students his parents helped. His dad worked as a teacher his entire life. His mama between children. She took off until Elizabeth was school age . Both still work as teachers now.

 

“Just so,” she addresses her grandson, “granny and grandpa are going to help you find the way to untangle those letters and numbers.”

 

He grins and hugs her.

 

Erin gave birth to their first granddaughter a week after they saw Elizabeth wed to Rodger. Clarabelle is the spit of her daddy and grandpa.

 

Lambert slowly learned to untangle the knot that letters and numbers made in his mind. Grade one sees him still behind. He continues to get extra help from his grandparents. By grade two, he is catching up.

 

The end

[defensivelee]

i don't know how much of a stretch it is to say this, but since the erins (the authors of warrior cats) are british, i feel now and then like some of the plot points in the two earliest series are HEAVILY inspired by the misadventures of our stuarts. there might be some other stuff from history they've taken inspiration from, but obv i've only ever caught this stuff bc i unfortunately do like the stuarts best. tragic i know

even if they're not directly inspired by it, some events feel uncannily similar to history, as well as some character arcs! there's no super obvious direct parallels, but i will say that, just maybe:

-Tallstar, the leader of WindClan, has a whole situation in The Prophecies Begin series that kind of echoes the English Civil Wars and the subsequent Restoration with how he and his loyal Clan are driven out of the forest, but then return, and Tallstar has to fight to keep his territory and prove himself to the other Clans.

-surprisingly, Tallstar has TWO Charles II moments! as he lies dying, he names someone else deputy, meaning he chooses someone else to replace him after he dies... which obviously makes the former deputy, Mudclaw, furious. he'd been preparing to replace Tallstar, he had served him well as deputy, and now some other cat gets the honor? now this would be kind of a tenuous link to how Charles refused to make Monmouth his heir, but he didn't decide that on his deathbed... however he DID decide to become a Catholic, in a sense taking his brother's side, as always, in the end. it's just... the parallels of some odd decisions made right before you die.

-now Mudclaw gets his own Monmouth arc! like Monmouth, he ends up forming his own little army and rebels against the new leader of the Clan, Onestar-- only to fail and then get killed in the process. tho Onestar did not personally have Mudclaw executed. if i'm remembering correctly, a bolt of lightning hit a tree and fell on Mudclaw, which everyone interpreted as Onestar having the approval of StarClan (the kitty deities) to rule. essentially, divine right!

-now we veer off here to speak about some earlier plots... personally I think Brokenstar's, and then Tigerstar's, quests to rule the whole forest are kind of Louis coded

-even the personal feud between Tigerstar and Firestar, the main character who is an ORANGE CAT, kind of feels like the whole 'mortal enemies' thing with Louis and William respectively.

-however! Tigerstar himself has a few James II moments/arcs. I think the most notable one is when he is exiled from his birth Clan by being defeated by Fireheart, said orange cat (a warrior at the time), and is forced to join a Clan across the Thunderpath (a road). from there he works to get revenge on Firestar and waging war using his new Clan. obviously this feels a lot like the Glorious Revolution, where James is exiled and flees across the water to France, where he consistently tries and fails to get his throne back. the only difference is Tigerstar became leader of his new Clan.

-Tigerstar actually had an alliance with the old leader of his new Clan, Brokenstar, to get back at the Clan that exiled him, which reminds me of the James-Louis alliance. things do obviously work out a little different here... which is good, bc i do not want to think about Louis being blinded and murdered and James taking over France, as metal as that is.

-Tigerstar's arc in the afterlife in which he tries to influence his children in his birth Clan by walking in their dreams reads a bit like James' relationship with his daughters, particularly Mary.

-now... I hesitate to compare Mary to Brambleclaw, the son that Tigerstar manipulated, bc I FUCKEN HATE THAT GUY, but they check off everything! Brambleclaw struggles with his admiration for Firestar while also wanting to learn from his father. this is all while Firestar doesn't know if he can trust Brambleclaw bc he is his enemy's son. their relationship is more like father-son here, but it does feel a bit like William and Mary. Mary does genuinely fall in love with William, but she still feels guilty after driving off her father... and ofc we can't forget that at first, William was more distant towards her (understatement of the century but the point still stands). eventually Brambleclaw decides to turn away from the influence of his father and remains loyal to Firestar and his Clan, much like how Mary loved William enough to feel like she could ultimately handle anything with him at her side.

-so Tigerstar actually had two mates... much like James had two wives. with his first mate, Goldenflower, he had Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt, like James had his first two daughters with Anne Hyde. with his second mate, Sasha (a former kittypet), Tigerstar had two more kids! well actually he had three but one died in a flood. the two kids that survived are Hawkfrost and Mothwing. a bit like how James had James Francis Edward Stuart and Louisa Maria with Mary of Modena! a key difference here is that Goldenflower did not die, she was alive and well, raising her children when Tigerstar (then Tigerclaw) was exiled. he literally just left her! and then he was rather abusive towards Sasha... who was rlly unhappy to find out about all the atrocities her mate has been committing. quite unlike Maria, who stuck around anyway (tho it wasn't like she would have had a choice).

-Hawkfrost himself, Tigerstar's son with his second mate, doesn't actually feel so much like our alleged warming pan baby. like yes, his character follows the path of someone trying to reclaim the lost glory of his father, and rule the forest simply because he believes he has a right to after all the ways Tigerstar was wronged... but also, goddamn he's just too cartoonishly evil!! and he dies in a horrible way, killed by our Mary-equivalent Brambleclaw, which actually would have been kind of metal historically, two half-siblings duking it out.... ANYWAY. surface level, at least, it is very similar. that is, if BOTH William and Mary had lived to see James II die and then to fight his son off.

-i will say this about Firestar, our supposed William parallel: Firestar is IMPOSSIBLY kind and everyone likes him, also he's allegedly very handsome. he may be an orange foreigner who follows a closely similar arc but oh god he acts NOTHING like William. to find someone like William i say we look at someone else in a completely different Clan, going through his own completely separate troubles, away from the main story-- that would be Crookedstar. his whole arc is quite different from William's real story, but i think the basic pieces are there: disabled, generally unlikable cat grows up believing it's his destiny to rule his Clan, and, as a result of that destiny, he ends up losing everything he ever loved. they both still manage to find a few joys in between all of the despair, but their whole life is kind of tragic tho at times you kind of want to throw them in a river (Crookedstar at least would be able to swim out, as the leader of RiverClan, not so sure about William).

that's all i can think of rn, if you read wc and also like the stuarts and find something i didn't catch, lemme know i wanna hear!!

[bibliophileiz]

2023 in Books, Part 2

(posting a day late, oops)

This was a pretty great literary year for me. Even the books at the end of this list I enjoyed reading. I left out an anthology I read for class (Peach Pit is ... interesting) and a book of poetry written by someone I know, just because I don't know anything about poetry and don't want my personal feelings about the poet (she's great) to muddle it even further. I also already posted a separate list ranking the six children's/YA books I read. That still leaves thirty-one books to rank, though.

As usual, this is based entirely on personal preference/enjoyment and not necessarily on quality of writing or story. I reserve the right to change my mind about this ranking as soon as I post it because I am fickle like that. (Although I don't think I'm going to change my mind about my number 1 choice.) Here ya go.

31. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling Dates Read: Dec. 12-13 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: A witch accidentally curses her ex-boyfriend, and by extension her small magical Georgia town. She and her ex have to lift the curse without falling in love (which of course they do anyway). One-sentence review: (directly from my GR review) Cute and witchy, just the thing to get you through finals week.

30. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld Dates Read: April 28-May 7 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: A musician and comedy writer seem to hit it off when the musician guest stars on the comedy writer’s late-night show, only for the writer to blow it by assuming the musician is a shallow womanizer. A few years later, they rekindle their connection during pandemic lockdowns. One-sentence review: I liked the characters, but as usual Sittenfeld is more interested in commenting on whatever she saw on Twitter while she was writing this then she was on, like, writing a dramatic plot.

29. The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray Dates Read: Aug. 19-27 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: All of Jane Austen’s beloved couples (except the Tilneys), plus the Darcys’ son and the Tilneys’ daughter, attend a house party at the Knightleys’ where Mr. Wickham turns up and is immediately murdered. One-sentence review: This is what P.D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley SHOULD have been.

28. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Dates Read: May 24-27 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: It’s the 1960s, and chemist Elizabeth Zott was kicked out of her Ph.D. program for reporting her supervisor for rape, and then loses her job after she becomes pregnant outside wedlock, and ends up starting her own STEM cooking show and some other stuff happens, look, I know you already read the reviews of this one. One-sentence review: It was fine, I just thought it was overrated.

27. The Paris Deception by Bryn Turnbull Dates Read: Aug. 23-Sept. 7 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Two women immersed in the French art world in the 1930s and ‘40s defy their German occupiers by hiding, documenting, and sometimes copying “degenerate” art to keep it from the hands of high-ranking Nazi officials and sympathizers, or to keep it from being destroyed. One-sentence review:  The main characters were great and I really like the focus on protecting art and culture from extermination, but the constant time jumps drove me nuts.

26. Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid Dates Read: April 3-5 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Less than two weeks into her marriage, a young woman is widowed and only meets her mother-in-law at the hospital. The two strangers find a way to navigate their grief together. One-sentence review: While the grief could be gut-wrenching due to Reid’s fantastic writing, the characters were nothing spectacular.

25. Hell’s Half-Acre: The Untold Story of the Benders, America’s First Serial Killer Family by Susan Jonusas Dates Read: Jan. 29-31 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: The Benders were a creepy family in late 19th Century Kansas who murdered people who stayed at their boarding house and then disappeared before they could be arrested. One-sentence review: I’m not super into true crime—it has to be historical for me to even start it--but I did like the look at life in the Midwest.

24. Galatea by Madeline Miller Dates Read: Jan. 6 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Madeline Miller retells the Pygmalion myth in a way that doesn’t suck. One-sentence review: Miller smartly skips the gender misery by making this a short story and then delivers an extremely satisfying ending.

23. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Dates Read: July 26 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Korede and Ayoola are sisters who fall for the same man. Ayoola is hot and a serial killer, and Korede is getting pretty tired of covering for her. One-sentence review: Despite (or perhaps because) all the characters are awful, this book STAYS with you, and I feel like it would be a blast to talk about in a drunken book club. Note: I listened to the audiobook and want to give narrator Adepero Oduye a shout out.

22. The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec Dates Read: July 24-Aug. 17 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: Three friends in Medieval Scandinavia find themselves in the middle of a Game of Thrones-esque rivalry for the crown and a deadly battle between supernatural forces. One-sentence review: Good story and I liked the characters, but it moved too slowly sometimes.

21. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan Dates Read: May 7-10 GoodReads Rating: Four stars (I was feeling more generous about Grace marrying Hugh than I am right now) Summary: A sewing circle in a small English village in the 1940s decide to pool their talents and resources to help English brides wear the perfect white gown to their weddings, clothing rations be damned. One-sentence review: Ryan excels at writing about women and civilians in wartime, and I would have ranked this so much higher if it hadn’t ended with the best character marrying the worst one.

20. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Dates Read: Jan. 31-Feb. 8 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Aging actress Evelyn Hugo (who is not Elizabeth Taylor, by which I mean she absolutely is Elizabeth Taylor) invites a young journalist to write her life story. One-sentence review: The plot was engaging and thought-provoking, but I never could decide how I felt about Evelyn.

19. A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher Dates Read: Oct. 28-Nov. 1 GoodReads Rating: Three stars Summary: An archaeologist visits her mother at the family home in North Carolina only to find that her grandmother’s ghost is haunting it. But how do you banish a ghost once you learn it’s keeping something far worse at bay? One-sentence review: Of all the haunted house books I read this year, this one was the worst, and yet it was still great.

19. To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters (That’s right, I ranked a trashy Regency romance above both Romantic Comedy AND Lessons in Chemistry) Dates Read: May 17-24 GoodReads Rating: Four stars (Objectively, this was too many, but I also don’t care.) Summary: When Viscount Penvale’s uncle promises to sell him back the family estate for a steal if Penvale marries his uncle’s ward Jane, Penvale reluctantly agrees. He and Jane make an agreement to leave each other alone, but Penvale didn’t expect to fall in love with her. Nor did he expect his family house to be haunted. One-sentence review: The Regency Vows series just keeps getting better, honestly.

17. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson Dates Read: Aug. 31-Oct. 13 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Humor writer Bill Bryson and his on-again-off-again friend Katz decide to hike the Appalachian Trail, and Bryson tells you all about its history and natural resources along the way. There are moose, but no (confirmed) bears. One-sentence review: This book got me really into nature and hiking again.

16. The Shining by Stephen King Dates Read: Dec. 1-4 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: I know you know what this book’s about. One-sentence review: Super tense, riveting look into the mind of a toxic, self-absorbed abuser who doesn’t need to be anywhere near blizzards, haunted houses, or children.

15. Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid Dates Read: July 12-23 GoodReads Rating: Five stars (Objectively, this book probably deserves that. Subjectively, I like Regency romances and journalists better than sports stars.) Summary: A retired tennis star full of rage and ambition makes a comeback to keep a younger player from breaking her record. One-sentence review: An absorbing, balanced take on the pressures women athletes face, plus a heart-warming father-daughter story, with some romance and female friendships to round it out.

14. Swamp Story by Dave Barry Dates Read: Dec. 30 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: There is actually too much going on to summarize this book, but suffice to say it involves a desperate single mom, her shirtless fame-hounding ex-boyfriend, a failed journalist with a drinking problem, and a lot of people in the Florida Everglades looking for a cryptid OR Confederate gold OR pythons. One-sentence review: Dave Barry writes about Florida like it’s a drunk, eccentric relative who everyone hangs around at the family reunion even though he smells bad, because he has the best stories.

13. Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas Dates Read: Oct. 15-28 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: During the Mexican-American War, a Wuthering Heights-esque couple learn their homeland is being stalked by vampires. One-sentence review: You root for the couple, you root for the Mexicans, you even root for the vampires once or twice, but you never root for the Texas Rangers. Note: The couple is Wuthering Heights-esque in the sense that he is poor, she is rich, they were childhood sweethearts, and then they were separated—not in the toxic incest way.

12. A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall Dates Read: July 12-23 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: A trans woman believed to be dead at the Battle of Waterloo reinvents herself and returns home to England, only to find that her best friend has been consumed by grief over her death. As she helps him heal—and he slowly falls for her—she battles with whether to tell him who she really is. One-sentence review: I'm a sucker for love stories in which the couple are torn asunder, believe they will never see each other again, and then are reunited unexpectedly. Note: This actually would have ranked a lot higher if all the main couple’s angst wasn’t basically resolved in the first half. The second half is fine but not as good.

11. The Lover by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Dates Read: Dec. 26 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: A young woman must choose between two potential “lovers” who come from the woods in this dark fairy tale novella. One-sentence review: Finally, a good werewolf book.

10. The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World by Shelley Puhak Dates Read: April 4-14 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Puhak writes about the feud between rival Merovingian queens Fredegund and Brunhild in sixth century western Europe. One-sentence review: It’s like Game of Thrones, but real, shorter, and with more women and less sexual assault.

9. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell Dates Read: Dec. 14-25 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Vowell writes Lafayette’s biography, focusing on his and the larger French role in the American Revolution, all while musing on our country’s inability to agree on anything. One-sentence review: Vowell’s irreverent essay style is just the tone needed to tackle the oft-romanticized American Revolution.

8. The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas Dates Read: July 23-26 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: In the aftermath of the Mexican War for Independence, a young bride moves to her landed husband’s country estate, only to find that the house is super haunted and her new in-laws super racist. One-sentence review: Your standard haunted house story, except the ghost is colonialism.

7. Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune Dates Read: Oct. 29-31 GoodReads Rating: Five stars (was probably generous, but the ending had just made me cry, so) Summary: When workaholic Wallace dies, his spirit is sent to a teashop for transition to the afterlife. But after a few weeks of hanging around teashop owner and “ferryman” Hugo, his reaper, and the ghosts of Hugo’s dog and grandfather, Wallace realizes he doesn’t want to leave what he’s coming to think of as his family. One-sentence review: A lovely mixture of funny and sad, this book is a nuanced look at death and found family.

6. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Dates Read: Nov. 1-6 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: A debutante from Mexico City visits her cousin’s haunted house in the countryside where she’s pulled into a mystery surrounding her cousin’s eugenics-obsessed in-laws. One-sentence review: Noemi is a fantastic character, and the plot is engrossing, which is good because you will hate all the other characters.

5. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Dates Read: Aug. 9-29 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: In 1996, Outside magazine sent Jon Krakauer to cover the burgeoning commercialization of Mount Everest. When Krakauer climbed the mountain himself, he and his team got caught in a freak snowstorm that resulted in what was then the worst disaster in the history of the mountain. One-sentence review: Apart from being a really tense and riveting account of a brutal natural disaster in an already brutal environment, Krakauer’s account of the 1996 storm on Everest raises questions about who should be on the world’s highest mountain and whether money and fame have blinded guides and climbers to the risks of tackling the summit.

4. The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty Dates Read: Nov. 20-30 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: Amina al-Sirafi, a retired smuggler and single mom on the Arabian peninsula, has to get her old band crew back together for the promise of more money than they’ve ever dreamed of when wealthy grandmother hires Amina to rescue her kidnapped granddaughter. But things go awry when the crew learns the girl is with an evil crusader with plans to unleash dark magic and monsters on the world. Inspired by the rich mythology, religions, and history of the Middle East, East Africa, and the Indian Ocean. One-sentence review:  I have not had so much fun reading a fantasy novel since I was a kid reading Harry Potter and I can’t wait for the sequel.

3. Lone Women by Victor LaValle Dates Read: Oct. 5-12 GoodReads Rating: Four stars Summary: In the early 1900s, a woman burns her parents’ mangled bodies in their California farmhouse and flees to Montana with a secret locked in a heavy trunk. One-sentence review: Frankenstein meets Calamity Jane in this horror Western about race and female friendships.

2. We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian Dates Read: Oct. 28-Nov. 9 GoodReads Rating: Five stars Summary: Two men reporting for a progressive newspaper in 1950s New York fall in love. One-sentence review: I mean, it’s journalists in love in the 1950s, and one of them is investigating police corruption and the other covered a Civil Rights meeting in DC, so of course I loved this book.

1. The Correspondents: Six Women Writers on the Front Lines of World War II by Judith Mackrell Dates Read: Nov. 27-Dec. 26 (during finals and holidays with family—I don’t think I could have finished the book if it wasn’t so good) GoodReads Rating: Five stars Summary: Mackrell covers the WWII careers of six journalists—a correspondent in Berlin who ingratiated herself in the Nazi Party to tell America about Hitler’s plans for world domination; a photojournalist for Vogue who took pictures from the Blitz to Dachau; a young American whose coverage of both sides of the Spanish Civil War catapulted her to journalistic stardom; Martha Gellhorn whose fury at her husband (you’ve heard of him) compelled her to illegally stow away on board a hospital ship and cover the invasion of Normandy from Omaha Beach while helping wounded soldiers; a rogue freelancer who broke the story of the invasion of Poland and whose thrill-chasing career took her from there to Greece to North Africa and beyond; and Helen Kirkpatrick, who covered the liberation of Paris while Hemingway was getting plastered at the Ritz.

Review: There is too much to say about this book. Mackrell did an incredible job. These journalists’ triumphs and tragedies play out alongside the triumphs and tragedies of the world’s biggest conflict. Each woman had different motivations and goals, from thrill-seeking to career-making, from spite to idealism to simply a love of journalism and dogged search for the truth. While Sigrid Schultz’s Chicago editor applauded Hitler’s control of Germany, Sigrid warned his readers of Hitler’s ambition. When the world turned a blind eye to Hitler’s military build-up and annexation of half of Europe, Virginia Cowles and Helen Kirkpatrick wrote furiously against Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement. And while the rest of the world celebrated the end of the war in Europe, Lee Miller swept through Dachau taking pictures and refusing to ignore the human cost of fascism and war.

All of this was at great personal risk. The Nazis tapped Sigrid’s phone and searched her house until she was finally forced to flee to America in the early 1940s (where her editor promptly benched her for three and a half years). Virginia dodged bombs in Madrid, and Helen dodged bullets in Paris. And Lee Miller defiantly washed off the stink of Dachau in Hitler’s own bath, which was immortalized in a photo her equally defiant boyfriend took in the days after the Fuhrer’s death. Mackrell’s prose also gets into the nitty gritty of correspondent life, how the reporters all camped out in hotels and spent their days chasing stories and their nights drinking whiskey. She discusses the friendships and rivalries—Marth and Virginia became great friends in Spain and eventually wrote a play together satirizing the misogyny they faced during the war. And while the stars are the six I mentioned above, cameos include Mary Welch (Hemingway’s wife after Martha), Dorothy Thompson, Vogue editor Audrey Withers, and “Maggie the indestructible” who convinced an American commander to let her go on a bombing mission over North Africa, paving the way for other women correspondents on the front line after the US entered the war. Plus there are appearances from Picasso, both Randolph and Winston Churchill, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, David Lloyd George, the Duke of Windsor after he abdicated, Hemingway of course, and half the Nazi high command. Mackrell uses the women’s own words to describe the bombing of Madrid, the mass evacuation from Paris, the refugee crises in Eastern Europe, and the Night of Long Knives in Germany. Every moment is riveting as Mackrell and the women she writes about pull you into Europe of the 1940s.

[annemariewrites]

List of all the books I’ve read

just wanted to keep a list of what I’ve read throughout my life (that I can remember)

Fiction:

“Where the Red Fern Grows,” Wilson Rawls

“The Outsiders,” SE Hinton

“The Weirdo,” Theodore Taylor

“The Devil’s Arithmetic,” Jane Yolen

“Julie of the Wolves series,” Jean Craighead George

“Soft Rain,” Cornelia Cornelissen

“Island of the Blue Dolphins,” Scott O’Dell

“The Twilight series,” Stephanie Mayer

“To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee

“Gamer Girl,” Mari Mancusi

“Redwall / Mossflower / Mattimeo / Mariel of Redwall,” Brian Jacques

“1984,” and  “Animal Farm,” George Orwell

“Killing Mr. Griffin,” Lois Duncan

“Huckleberry Finn,” Mark Twain

“Rainbow’s End,” Irene Hannon

“Cold Mountain,” Charles Frazier

“Between Shades of Gray,” Ruta Sepetys

“Great Short Works of Edgar Allan Poe,” Edgar Allen Poe

“Lord of the Flies,” William Golding

“The Great Gatsby,” F Scott Fitzgerald

“The Harry Potter series,” JK Rowling

“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Looking for Alaska,” and “Paper Towns,” John Green

“Thirteen Reasons Why,” Jay Asher

“The Hunger Games series,” Suzanne Collins

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Stephen Chbosky

“Fifty Shades of Grey,” EL James

“Speak,” and “Wintergirls,” Laurie Halse Anderson

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood

“Mama Day,” Gloria Naylor

“Jane Eyre,” Charlotte Bronte

“Wide Sargasso Sea,” Jean Rhys

“The Haunting of Hill House,” Shirley Jackson

“The Chosen,” Chaim Potok

“Leaves of Grass,” Walt Whitman

“Till We Have Faces,” CS Lewis

“One Foot in Eden,” Ron Rash

“Jim the Boy,” Tony Earley

“The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox,” Maggie O’Farrell

“A Land More Kind Than Home,” Wiley Cash

“A Parchment of Leaves,” Silas House

“Beowulf,” Seamus Heaney

“The Silence of the Lambs / Red Dragon / Hannibal / Hannibal Rinsing,” Thomas Harris

“Cry the Beloved Country,” Alan Paton

“Moby Dick,” Herman Melville

“The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings trilogy / The Silmarillion,” JRR Tolkien

“Beren and Luthien,” JRR Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien

“Children of Blood and Bone / Children of Virtue and Vengeance,” Tomi Adeyemi

“Soundless,” Richelle Mead

“The Girl with the Louding Voice,” Abi Dare

“A Song of Ice and Fire series / Fire and Blood,” GRR Martin

“A Separate Peace,” John Knowles

“The Bluest Eye,” and “Beloved,” Toni Morrison

“Brave New World,” Aldous Huxley

“The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son,” Lois Lowry

“The Ivory Carver trilogy,” Sue Harrison

“The Grapes of Wrath,” and “Of Mice and Men,” John Steinbeck

“The God of Small Things,” Arundhati Roy

“Fahrenheit 451,” Ray Bradbury

“The Night Circus,” Erin Morgenstern

“Sunflower Dog,” Kevin Winchester

‘A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Betty Smith

“The Catcher in the Rye,” JD Salinger

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” Sherman Alexie

“Bridge to Terabithia,” Katherine Paterson

“The Good Girl,” Mary Kubica 

“The Last Unicorn,” Peter S Beagle

“Slaughterhouse Five,” Kurt Vonnegut Jr

“The Joy Luck Club,” Amy Tan

“The Sworn Virgin,” Kristopher Dukes

“The Color Purple,” Alice Walker

“Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston

“The Light Between Oceans,” ML Stedman

“Yellowface,” RF Kuang

“A Flicker in the Dark,” Stacy Willingham

“One Piece Novel: Ace’s Story,” Sho Hinata

“Black Beauty,” Anna Seawell

“The Weight of Blood,” Tiffany D. Jackson

“Mulberry and Peach: Two Women of China,” Hualing Nieh, Sau-ling Wong

“The Weight of Blood,” Laura McHugh

Non-fiction:

“Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl,” Anne Frank

“Night,” Elie Wiesel

“Invisible Sisters,” Jessica Handler

“I Am Malala,” Malala Yousafzai

“The Interesting Narrative,” Olaudah Equiano

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Rebecca Skloot

“Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” Harriet Jacobs

“The Princess Diarist,” Carrie Fisher

“Adulting: How to Become a Grown Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps,” Kelly Williams Brown

“How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie

“Carrie Fisher: a Life on the Edge,” Sheila Weller

“Make ‘Em Laugh,” Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway

“How to be an Anti-Racist,” Ibram X Kendi

“Maus,” Art Spiegelman

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou

“Wise Gals: the Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage,” Nathalia Holt

“Persepolis,” and “Persepolis II,” Marjane Satrapi

“How to Write a Novel,” Manuel Komroff

“The Nazi Genocide of the Roma,” Anton Weiss-Wendt

“Children of the Flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz,” Lucette Matalon Lagnado and Sheila Cohn Dekel

“Two Watches,” Anita Tarlton

“The Ages of the Justice League: Essays on America’s Greatest Superheroes in Changing Times,” edited by Joseph J. Darowski

[are-they-z]

Supporters of #NoHostageLeftBehind Open Letter to Joe Biden - Part 1/2

The letter consists of lies, no mention of Palestinian genocides, and a call for ceasefire.

Read the full letter:

Dear President Biden,

We are heartened by Friday's release of the two American hostages, Judith Ranaan and her daughter Natalie Ranaan [Raanan] and by today's release of two Israelis, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, whose husbands remain in captivity.

But our relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death. They were taken by Hamas in the savage massacre of October 7, where over 1,400 Israelis were slaughtered—women raped, families burned alive, and infants beheaded.

Thank you for your unshakable moral conviction, leadership, and support for the Jewish people, who have been terrorized by Hamas since the group's founding over 35 years ago, and for the Palestinians, who have also been terrorized, oppressed, and victimized by Hamas for the last 17 years that the group has been governing Gaza.

We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages.

We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released. No hostage can be left behind. Whether American, Argentinian, Australian, Azerbaijani, Brazilian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Eritrean, Filipino, French, German, Indian, Israeli, Italian, Kazakh, Mexican, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, South African, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Thai, Ukrainian, Uzbekistani or otherwise, we need to bring them home.

Supporters:

Adam & Jackie Sandler

Amy Schumer

Aaron Sorkin

Barry Diller

Behati Prinsloo

Bella Thorne

Ben Stiller

Bob Odenkirk

Bobbi Brown

Bradley Cooper

Brett Gelman

Chris Rock

Constance Wu

Courteney Cox

David Alan Grier

David Chang

David Geffen

David Oyelowo

Diane Von Furstenberg

Eli Roth

Emma Seligman

Eric Andre

Ewan McGregor

Gal Gadot

Gwyneth Paltrow

Harvey Keitel

Isla Fisher

Jack Black

James Brolin

Jason Blum

Jason Sudeikis

Jeff Goldblum

Jerry Seinfeld

Jesse Plemons

Jessica Biel

Jessica Seinfeld

Joey King

John Slattery

Jon Hamm

Jordan Peele

Josh Brolin

Judd Apatow

Judge Judy Sheindlin

Julia Garner

Julianna Margulies

Julie Rudd

Justin Theroux

Justin Timberlake

Karlie Kloss

Katy Perry

Kirsten Dunst

Lana Del Rey

Laura Dern

Liev Schreiber

Madonna

Martin Short

Michelle Williams

Mila Kunis

Nicola Peltz

Noa Tishby

Olivia Wilde

Orlando Bloom

Paul & Julie Rudd

Richard Jenkins

Rita Ora

Ross Duffer

Sacha Baron Cohen

Sam Levinson

Sarah Paulson

Sean Combs

Shira Haas

Sting & Trudie Styler

Taika Waititi

Thomas Kail

Tiffany Haddish

Tyler Perry

Will Ferrell

Andy Cohen

Alex Edelman

Amy Sherman Palladino

Aubrey Plaza

Barry Levinson

Billy Crystal

Brad Falchuk

Brian Grazer

Bridget Everett

Brooke Shields

Chelsea Handler

Chloe Fineman

Chris Jericho

Colleen Camp

David Schwimmer

Dawn Porter

Dean Cain

Debra Messing

Elisabeth Shue

Erin Foster

Eugene Levy

Gene Stupinski

Gina Gershon

Guy Oseary

Henry Winkler

Holland Taylor

James Corden

Jason Reitman

Jessica Elbaum

Jimmy Carr

Jonathan Ross

Josh Charles

Juliette Lewis

Kristen Schaal

Kristin Chenoweth

Lea Michele

Mark Foster

Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Matthew Weiner

Michael Rappaport

Molly Shannon

Noah Schnapp

Pattie LuPone

Regina Spektor

Sara Foster

Sarah Cooper

Scott Braun

Seth Meyers

Sharon Stone

Zack Snyder

Zoey Deutch

Zosia Mamet

Zoe Saldana

Alex Aja

Aaron Bay-Schuck

Amy Chozick

Aron Coleite

Adam Goodman

Alan Grubman

Adam Levine

Allan Loeb

Amy Pascal

Angela Robinson

Antonio Campos

Anthony Russo

Alexandra Shiva

Andrew Singer

Alison Statter

Alona Tal

Ali Wentworth

Ari Dayan

Ari Greenburg

Arik Kneller

Ashley Levinson

Asif Satchu

Barbara Hershey

Barry Rosenstein

Beau Flynn

Ben Turner

Ben Winston

Ben Younger

Blair Kohan

Bobby Kotick

Brad Slater

Bradley Fischer

Bruna Papandrea

Cameron Curtis

Casey Neistat

Cazzie David

Charles Roven

Chris Fischer

Christian Carino

Cindi Berger

Claire Coffee

Craig Silverstein

Dan Aloni

Dan Rosenweig

Dana Goldberg

Dana Klein

Danny Strong

Daniel Palladino

Danielle Bernstein

Danny Cohen

Daphne Kastner

David Bernad

David Baddiel

David Ellison

David Gilmour &

Polly Sampson

David Goodman

David Joseph

David Kohan

David Lowery

Deborah Lee Furness

Deborah Snyder

Donny Deutsch

Doug Liman

Douglas Chabbott

Eddy Kitsis

Edgar Ramirez

Elizabeth Himelstein

Embeth Davidtz

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Erik Feig

Evan Jonigkeit

Evan Winiker

Francis Benhamou

Francis Lawrence

Fred Raskin

[lovest0rie-archive]

muse list.

dc comics

brooke larson. mid-twenties. high end escort, childhood friend of jason todd. bisexual. fc: sophie cookson.

gabriela ribeiro. early-thirties. heiress & horse trainer. heterosexual. fc: isis valverde

gia tedesco. twenty-eight. real estate agent, daughter of a mob attorney. bisexual. fc: danielle campbell. larken forrest. thirty-three. assistant to bruce wayne at wayne enterprises, single mom. bisexual. fc: dakota johnson.

fandomless

amelia thomas. twenty-two. royal princess & college student. heterosexual. fc: elle fanning.

anika singh. thirty-eight. boutique owner & fashion designer. heterosexual. fc: freida pinto.

arden waverly. thirty-three. hacker. lesbian. fc: kristen stewart.

aurora gray. thirty-three. professional organizer. bisexual. fc: laura harrier.

bianca reyes. twenty-four. jewelry designer & daughter of a mob boss. panromantic. fc: lucy alves.

calista st. james. twenty-three. tik tok famous dog trainer. heterosexual. fc: halle bailey.

charlotte stewart. thirty-five. high school guidance counselor. bisexual. fc: amanda seyfried.

chloe chapman. twenty-seven. waitress. heterosexual. fc: katherine mcnamara.

eliana hirsch. fifty-two. children's book author. bisexual. fc: jennifer connelly.

erin clarke. twenty-nine. con artist & wanted criminal. pansexual. fc: crystal reed.

evangeline 'evie' lasko. forty-one. runs a bed & breakfast. bisexual. fc: alexa davalos.

gillian west. forty. couples therapist. heterosexual. fc: anne hathaway.

hannah parker. thirty-five. dog day care employee & serial killer. bisexual. fc: aubrey plaza.

hazel wells. twenty-eight. private chef. bisexual. fc: florence pugh.

ireland cardoza. twenty-five. actress. lesbian. fc: camila mendes.

jenna wilder. twenty-three. hotel heiress & trust fund baby. bisexual. fc: sabrina carpenter.

joelle hart. thirty-four. personal trainer. bisexual. fc: megan fox.

june soto. twenty-nine. drug dealer. pansexual. fc: mia goth.

kitty moran. twenty-five. exotic dancer. roommate & co-worker of quinn. bisexual. fc: taylor russell.

leah corbin. twenty-five. thief. heterosexual. fc: mia goth. ( private muse with @anunkindncss )

liliana gregory. twenty-four. model. heterosexual. fc: barbara palvin.

lucy zhao. twenty-five. journalist & blogger. lesbian. fc: havana rose liu.

mackenzie abrams. twenty-six. photographer & political activist. heterosexual. fc: emmy rossum.

maia madden. twenty-eight. hollywood publicist. bisexual. fc: simone ashley.

miranda westbrooke. fifty-one. advertising ceo. bisexual. fc: rachel weisz.

naomi taylor. twenty-two. nanny. heterosexual. fc: kaia gerber.

natalia marquez. forty-eight. funeral home director. heterosexual. fc: penelope cruz.

quinn strauss. twenty-three. exotic dancer. roommate & co-worker of kitty. pansexual. fc: bella thorne.

reese edwards. thirty-four. physical therapist. bisexual. fc: nathalie emmanuel.

simone diamond. twenty-six. pop singer. bisexual. fc: taylor swift.

sloane meyer. thirty-eight. er surgeon. pansexual. fc: sophia bush.

sutton bradley. forty. pediatrician. lesbian. fc: piper perabo.

teresa mancini. twenty-nine. mob wife. heterosexual. fc: simona tabasco.

tinsley palmer. twenty-five. thief. bisexual. fc: ella purnell.

valentina alvarez. twenty-six. kindergarten teacher. heterosexual. fc: camila morrone.

vienna patrick. forty-one. trophy wife & socialite. heterosexual. fc: rachel mcadams.

willow donovan. twenty-two. college student & barista. bisexual. fc: madelyn cline.

zya fox. twenty-five. makeup artist. bisexual. fc: coco jones.

house of the dragon

eloise belfron. eighteen. lady in waiting to helaena targaryen. heterosexual. fc: rose williams.

marvel comics

yasmin ayala. thirty-two. bartender at josie's & dance instructor. heterosexual. fc: ana de armas.

the musketeers

mary turner. twenty-six. doctor's assistant. heterosexual. fc: gugu mbatha-raw.

outer banks

daisy pierce. seventeen. pogue. high school student & waitress. heterosexual. fc: kristine froseth.

shelby beckett. nineteen to twenty-one ( season dependent ). lifeguard. heterosexual. fc: danielle campbell.

scream

brooklynn foster. eighteen. final girl. bisexual. fc: khadijha red thunder.

sons of anarchy

thea montgomery. twenty-seven. mechanic. heterosexual. fc: riley keough.

succession

clementine roy. twenty-four. interior designer & illegitimate child of logan roy. heterosexual. fc: alexandra daddario.

titanic

florence 'flo' reynolds. twenty-five. stage actress. heterosexual. fc: hannah dodd.

twilight

abagail barrett. one hundred & fifty ; appears early-twenties. vampire. bisexual. fc: madelaine petsch.

misty frasier. forty-six ; appears mid-twenties. vampire. heterosexual. fc: julia garner.

the x-files

marissa lucas. thirty-one. cashier & alien abductee. bisexual. fc: shannyn sossaman.

zelda mulder. twenty-two. paranormal private detective. pansexual. fc: margaret qualley.

[theimpossiblescheme]

little pan and jelly darling : playlists for asparagus and jellylorum (for @the-cat-at-the-theatre-door)

01. well did you evah – bing crosby and frank sinatra | 02. sloom - of monsters and men | 03. big black car - gregory alan Isakov | 04. let it ride - gordon lightfoot | 05. auf der heide blüh'n die letzten rosen - thomas hampson | 06. night and day - diane krall | 07. lazy place - caravan palace | 08. they say it’s spring - erin mckeown | 09. sighing softly - matt kahler and doug pawlik | 10. catch another butterfly - john denver | 11. erlkönig op. 1, d. 328” - daniel norman | 12. two - sleeping at last | 13. cucurrucucu paloma - caetano veloso | 14. dance with my father - luther vandross | 15. children and art - george abud | 16. francesca da rimini, op. 32: IV. allegro vivo - pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky | 17. your song - elton john | 18. i gotta crow - mary martin | 19. a story short (suite b) - rachel portman [listen]

01. try to remember - julie andrews | 02. great mass in c minor (“laudamuste”) - anne sofie von otter | 03. home - edith whiskers | 04. she’s got a way - billy joel | 05. the lullaby of the bells - edward ward | 06. i’m old-fashioned - ella fitzgerald | 07. this women’s work - kate bush | 08. orpheus - sara bareilles | 09. i will - mitski | 10. é strano! ... ah, fors' è lui/sempre libera - margareta niculescu | 11. passing afternoon - iron and wine | 12. liz on top of the world - jean-yves thibaudet | 13. c’est le printemps - tatiana eva-marie and avalon jazz band | 14. a sunday kind of love - etta james | 15. qué será, será - doris day | 16. the place where lost things go - emily blunt | 17. dolcissimi baci - gloria banditelli and roberto abbondanza | 18. traveling song - ryn weaver | 19. amas veritas - alan silvestri [listen]

[thegirl20]

is the asks still open for the 'give me two characters...' & have you watched derry girls? If yes, id love to hear your take on Orla teaming up with sister Michael vs. the rest of the gang (Michelle, Erin, Clare and james)

So, I think we need to rule Orla out of any kind of fighting. While I think she'd be useful in a survival type situation, she does not deal well with conflict and is a gentle soul, so I don't think she'd be any use. Sister Michael though, I believe could throw down if required.

On the other side, James would not hit a girl, so he's out. Michelle talks a big game but backs down when actually threatened so I think she'd be on the sidelines, shouting offensive things at the opposition but not acutally doing much. (She'd spend a lot of time removing her earrings as if she was going to fight, but she wouldn't actually fight.) Erin would spend too long overthinking the rules of the fight or the reasons for it and trying to persuade everyone to stay calm and think things through. Clare is the threat, I think. Despite being the most timid and shy, she is also the one that throws out sectarian insults when scared, breaks windows when panicking and fights with children for the front row to watch Bill Clinton.

So it would come down to Clare vs Sister Michael, and Sister Michael would win just because she's an authority figure and would just need to glare or threaten to call Clare's mammy.

[rockislandadultreads]

Mystery Titles by African American Authors: a list

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. But she’s not the first—and she may not be the last. . . . It’s watching. Liz Rocher is coming home . . . reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn’t exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward and passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the day of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the bride’s daughter, Caroline, goes missing—and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood. It’s taking. As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: a summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She’s seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart missing. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can’t be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town’s history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls. It’s your turn. With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness.

As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall, T. Shawn Taylor

When crime reporter Jordan Manning leaves her hometown in Texas to take a job at a television station in Chicago, she's one step closer to her dream: a coveted anchor chair on a national network. Jordan is smart and aggressive, with unabashed star-power, and often the only woman of color in the newsroom. Her signature? Arriving first on the scene—in impractical designer stilettos. Armed with a master's degree in forensic science and impeccable instincts, Jordan has been able to balance her dueling motivations: breaking every big story—and giving a voice to the voiceless. From her time in Texas, she's covered the vilest of human behaviors but nothing has prepared her for Chicago. Jordan is that rare breed of a journalist who can navigate a crime scene as well as she can a newsroom—often noticing what others tend to miss. Again and again, she is called to cover the murders of Black women, many of them sexually assaulted, most brutalized, and all of them quickly forgotten. All until Masey James—the story that Jordan just can't shake, despite all efforts. A 15-year-old girl whose body was found in an abandoned lot, Masey has come to represent for Jordan all of the frustration and anger that her job often forces her to repress. Putting the rest of her work and her fraying personal life aside, Jordan does everything she can to give the story the coverage it desperately requires, and that a missing Black child would so rarely get. There's a serial killer on the loose, Jordan believes, and he's hiding in plain sight.

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules--a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home. When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders--a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman--have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes--and save himself in the process--before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt. A rural noir suffused with the unique music, color, and nuance of East Texas, Bluebird, Bluebird is an exhilarating, timely novel about the collision of race and justice in America.

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

Everyone has something to hide... Ellice Littlejohn seemingly has it all: an Ivy League law degree, a well-paying job as a corporate attorney in midtown Atlanta, great friends, and a “for fun” relationship with a rich, charming executive—her white boss, Michael. But everything changes one cold January morning when Ellice goes to meet Michael… and finds him dead with a gunshot to his head. And then she walks away like nothing has happened. Why? Ellice has been keeping a cache of dark secrets, including a small-town past and a kid brother who’s spent time on the other side of the law. She can’t be thrust into the spotlight—again. But instead of grieving this tragedy, people are gossiping, the police are getting suspicious, and Ellice, the company’s lone black attorney, is promoted to replace Michael. While the opportunity is a dream-come-true, Ellice just can’t shake the feeling that something is off. When she uncovers shady dealings inside the company, Ellice is trapped in an impossible ethical and moral dilemma. Suddenly, Ellice’s past and present lives collide as she launches into a pulse-pounding race to protect the brother she tried to save years ago and stop a conspiracy far more sinister than she could have ever imagined…

[fundieshaderoom]

Fundie Families and Adjacents I Follow: Burnett

John Haskell Burnett II "Johnny"- July 3, 1958

Cheryl Desnise Clay- July 28, 1959

The couple married on May 2, 1981. They share 8 children, 8 children-in-law, and 21 grandchildren. They are based in Oklahoma.

John-Clay Byford- August 14, 1986

Hannah Joy- May 10, 1988

Caleb Andrew- August 30, 1990

Abbie Grace- April 16, 1992

Charity Faith- April 13, 1994

Maggie Ruth- August 2, 1996

Carinna Elizabeth- August 2, 1996

Benjamin Josiah- January 30, 2000

John-Clay married Sarah Faith Ferraro (May 2, 1991) on August 22, 2015. They share 4 sons.

Eric Steadfast- June 19, 2016

Samuel John- September 26, 2017

Joseph Byford- October 15, 2019

Nathaniel Wilberforce- July 14, 2022

Hannah married Dustin Gene Dornink (June 20, 1989). They share 5 children.

Evan Trust- June 19, 2014

Ransom James- January 2016

Harrison John- 2017

Brielle- 2019

Boy- 2021

Girl- 2023

Caleb married Kasey Noel Goodwin (October 4, 1995) on July 7, 2018. They share 3 children.

Erin- June 2019

Timothy- 2021

Girl- March/April 2023

Abbie married John-David Duggar (January 12, 1990) on November 3, 2018. She was 26 and he was 28. They now share two children. They are based in Arkansas.

Grace Annette "Gracie"- January 7, 2020

Charlie- September 2022

Charity married Samuel Wearden (December 17, 1990) on June 10, 2017. They share 2 children.

Brendan- August 9, 2018

Girl- 2021

Boy- 2023

Maggie married David Andres Becerra Nino on March 11, 2021

Carinna married Daniel S Penn (October 18, 1996) on February 1, 2020. They share 2 daughters.

Girl- November 2020

Girl- October 2022

Ben married Bethany Meckle (September 10, 1999) on November 20, 2021. They share 1 son.

Josiah Thomas- May 23, 2023

[whatsonmedia]

Artful Odyssey: A Global Exploration of Creativity

Embark on a global art journey—from Tokyo's vibrant Art Week to LA's shadowy allure with Rosemary Mayer, London's rebellious debut by Elena Garrigola, Erin Holly's transformative spaces, to the satirical brilliance of General Idea's retrospective. Join us for a concise exploration of diverse, captivating artistry that transcends borders and sparks inspiration! Art Week Tokyo 2023 When: 2 - 5 Nov Where: Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts, and more. Immerse yourself in Tokyo's vibrant contemporary art scene at Art Week Tokyo 2023. From November 2 to 5, this event, curated by Japan Contemporary Art Platform with Art Basel, links 50 art spaces through a free shuttle bus. Don't miss the "AWT BAR" for artist-inspired cocktails and dishes by emerging chefs. Beyond exhibits, enjoy children's tours, educational sessions, symposiums, and online talks with global curators. The diverse venues, including Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts, promise an unforgettable art experience. Rosemary Mayer: Noon Has No Shadows When: 12 Nov – 23 Dec Where: Hannah Hoffman and Marc Selwyn, Los Angeles Rosemary Mayer's inaugural Los Angeles exhibition, "Noon Has No Shadows," spans two galleries in the city. Selwyn features works from the late '70s and early '80s, while Hoffman presents a non-linear display of pieces created between the '70s and '90s. Mayer, a pivotal figure in conceptual, fiber, and feminist art, transitioned from conceptual engagement to sculptural practices exploring draping and material manipulation. A founding member of New York's A.I.R. feminist collective, Mayer's posthumous recognition includes major exhibitions and a book of correspondence with poet Bernadette Mayer, reflecting their feminist, humorous, and politically thoughtful approach. Elena Garrigola: Debut Solo Exhibition When: 1 Nov – 22 Dec, 2023 Where: Saatchi Yates, 14 Bury Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6AL Explore Spanish artist Elena Garrigolas' debut solo exhibition at Saatchi Yates. Running from November 1 to December 22, the showcase features 17 new works, portraying a diverse array of visceral and bewildering imagery. Drawing from dreamscapes, internet culture, and personal experiences, Garrigolas transforms mundane scenes into striking and provocative self-portraits. Raised in a religious environment, Garrigolas, in rebellion, confronts suppressed emotions and challenges her Catholic upbringing. Her surrealist subjects delve into motherhood, ageing, and beauty, inspired by feminist artists like Frida Khalo and Miriam Cahn. Through self-portraiture and satirical scenes, Garrigolas navigates dark themes with humor as a defense mechanism, allowing exploration of personal pain without vulnerability. Erin Holly: A Trans Arrangement of The Painted Space When: 16 Nov – 9 Dec   Where: JD Malat Gallery, 30 Davies St, Mayfair, London, W1K 4NB Debut exhibition at JD Malat Gallery, Nov 16 – Dec 9. Erin Holly's vibrant oil paintings explore interior spaces, inspired by DIY manuals and interior advertisements. Coinciding with Trans Awareness Week, the exhibition symbolically addresses accessibility challenges for transgender individuals. Holly's spatial restructuring, akin to a musical arrangement, invites viewers to explore new perspectives. General Idea: Retrospective When: 22 Sep – 14 Jan, 2024 Where: Gropius Bau Dive into the thought-provoking world of General Idea at Gropius Bau's retrospective from September 22, 2023, to January 14, 2024. This exhibition unveils over 200 works that span the late '60s to the early '90s, showcasing the creative brilliance of Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal, and AA Bronson. As pioneers challenging societal norms, the trio uses humor and satire to address themes from consumer culture to queer identity. Developed in collaboration with AA Bronson, the exhibition goes beyond traditional displays, immersing you in a captivating experience through installations, publications, videos, and more. Join us for an extensive journey through the wit, wisdom, and rebellious spirit of General Idea. Admission Fee: €15, reduced fee €10. Read the full article

[casspurrjoybell-20]

Sky Twizzlers - Chapter 25a

*Warning Adult Content*

Babies? - Part 1 - Aaron 

For once, my words didn't bring misfortune and pain. Things did die down, by a lot. Within a few days, the packs agreed to the plan Alpha James came up with and any werewolves with abilities were discreetly grouped closer together. Wren and Ella moved into our pack house along with Joshua and Kit. Joshua refused to leave Wren against the wishes of his pack. I didn't bother to question it. I understood why he'd be so clingy if his mate and sister were in a different pack, in danger. 

Luckily, or maybe not luckily, we weren't attacked again. In fact, at the moment, we'd gone two weeks without anything. Just... silence. Which was good because it meant I finally had the time to bond with my mates and settle back into my pack. Falling asleep next to my mates had become one of my new favorite things, though I don't think I would ever admit that aloud even to them. Having a Beta suite had the perk of a bigger bed, which was good for us. I'd quickly learned that Evander really liked to smother you in your sleep and Aubrey was a restless sleeper. The solution was if I got stuck in the middle, I'd just crawl out and let Evander latch onto Aubrey and both my problems were solved. 

Despite that, I liked sleeping with them. Evander helped me to fall asleep by running his hands through my hair and Aubrey's warmth was soothing. Though, if I asked Aubrey, he'd say that Evander was warmer. Meh, they were both nice. Evander had also started to sleep more often than before. He said he did it to spend time with us and sleeping was enjoyable and I didn't argue with it. I liked having both my mates around. I was slightly surprised we hadn't grown tired of each other yet. We'd been together nonstop for the past month or so now. It felt like a lot of time but it went by so quickly. 

Despite that, I still felt afraid that they'd grow tired of me. They were kissing a lot. I guess after that first time and the talk, they became more comfortable with it. Aubrey would often peck Evander at random times and Evander liked to kiss Aubrey goodnight no matter if he was already asleep or not. And it seemed they weren't the only ones getting all lovey-dovey. Meals were the worst. The entire friend group was coupled up now. Marie and Ryder had never really been ones for PDA but after Rin, Erin, Joshua, Wren and my mates started showing it, even they followed. Within two weeks, Erin and Rin had become even more affectionate. I thought they were already mushy but now they were nauseatingly affectionate.

‘Like right now.’

"Can you like, not do this in front of my food?" I asked with a frown.

"Stop being such a grandpa," Erin huffed. 

"We're not even doing anything."

I guess they weren't really doing anything. Rin was in Erin's lap and my best friend kept nuzzling the dragon's neck. At least they weren't feeding each other. That was just... ugh. But, they were still all over each other and kept kissing each other and laughing to themselves. We're supposed to all be having a regular meal in our favorite spot in the forest but these couples were ruining it.The pack had decided to do our monthly get-together for the full moon. It was an attempt to keep up some normalcy and to relax a bit. 

Currently, my friends, including our mates, were all seated in the clearing we used to love as children. Erin and I had felt the need to show our mates one of our favorite places so it worked out. We'd set up a picnic blanket on the ground instead of using the large rocks in the clearing we used to sit on as kids. We'd brought a portable lamp with us that we lit as it became darker and darker as well. Everyone was huddled up. Marie and Ryder were together with Ryder's head in her lap as they played with each other's hands. 

Wren was wrapped in Joshua's arms, between his legs, while the Beta had his back against one of the rocks. Even my mates were cuddled up, though they were cute and were just leaned against each other. I was next to them, of course but I was eating, so I wasn't going to be all gushy. With a sigh, I gave up. It wasn't like they'd ever stop even if I did point it out but Goddess, they had their entire lives ahead of them to be like this, so why now? Evander chuckled from beside me and I glared at him but he could tell I wasn't serious. 

"Let them enjoy themselves," he said softly.

"Whatever," I grumbled.

"Marie and I have something to tell you," Ryder suddenly said, still laid out with his head on Marie's lap.

"What is it?" Wren asked.

"Do you want to tell them or me?" Ryder whispered and Marie shrugged.

He grinned and sat up, only to put a gentle hand on his mate's stomach. 

"We're having a baby."

‘Woah, what?’ 

I gaped at them in shock but the others were clapping and giving their congratulations. I bit my lip and remained silent. I was afraid of giving the wrong reaction. This was obviously a very happy occasion for them but now? With the Eye still out there, ready to attack at any given moment? Sure, we'd had some peace the last few weeks but it was only temporary. There was no way they'd just give up and leave us alone. No, they were planning something. So, I worried about my friends having a child and risking that at the moment.

"We know it's not a good time," Ryder said softly, drawing my attention back to the group. 

"We understand that it's dangerous but we've wanted to start creating a family for a little while now and when it finally happened, we couldn't think about giving up this chance."

Marie looked at me and offered a small smile. 

"I can tell you're worried. You haven't been very good at keeping your face straight lately," she pointed out. 

‘Damnit.’ 

"We're going to be careful. I'm barely six weeks along."

"I know you will be careful," I said. 

"Doesn't mean the Eye will be." 

Marie looked down. 

"But...  congratulations, anyway. I know you will be a wonderful mother," I added.

She smiled but her mate pouted. 

"Am I not going to make a good father?" he asked.

I scoffed. 

"You're still a child, what do you think?" I said, and he laughed.

"I'm glad you guys are supportive. We were so excited when we found out," Ryder said, a smile still on his face.

"I'm happy for you, Ryder, Marie," Wren said. "You deserve it."

As the group continued to talk about the pregnancy, I happened to glance over at Wren and Joshua. Wren had a small frown on his face after he first congratulated the couple. I wanted to ask him about it but it quickly disappeared and he was smiling again.

[wutbju]

Rev. John Wiley Evans, Jr., 94, passed away in Athens, Georgia, on May 30, 2022 after a short illness.

He was born on February 25, 1928 as the fifth of nine children to John Wiley Evans, Sr., and Jacquelina ("Lena") Moran Evans in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

He was preceded in death by his father and mother and by six of his eight siblings: Wayne, Eva, Neva, Cleo, Dortha June, and Eileen. He is survived by his beloved wife, Joyce (Runyon) Evans, to whom he was married for 69 years and 11 months. Also surviving are his sisters Rose Marie Danner of Phoenix, Arizona, and Florine Krone of Oroville, California; his four children Jonathan (Susan) of Athens, Ga., Jeffrey (Linda) of Peru, James (Gretchen) of Athens, Ga., and Joy (Andy) Montgomery of Birmingham, Ala.; eleven grandchildren: John David Evans, Anna (Evans) Goodman, Owen Evans; Scott Evans, Erin Evans; Gabriel Evans, Christyn Kelly, Jonathan Kelly, Evan Kelly, Elizabeth Beaumont, and Andrew Beaumont; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was a graduate of Bob Jones University (B.A., 1952), Grace Theological Seminary (M.Div., 1955), and Indiana University (M.Ed., 1964). He was ordained to the ministry by the Grace Brethren denomination in Winona Lake, Ind., in 1955. Bi-vocational for most of his career, he pastored churches throughout north-central Indiana at Sidney, Flora, Peru, Perrysburg, and Royal Center, and taught in public schools in Miami County and Howard County, Ind. Upon retiring in 1989, he and Joyce moved to Jacksonville, Fla., where he taught senior adult Sunday-school at the First Baptist Church and she edited the class prayer-sheet; the two continued a long history of ministering to the elderly in care facilities and nursing homes.

The couple relocated later to Athens, Georgia where they were active in their retirement community at Talmage Terrace/Lanier Gardens. He enjoyed fishing, boating on the Mississinewa Reservoir, rock-collecting, memorizing poetry, and gardening; his children fondly remember the huge vegetable gardens he planted yearly at their home on Maugans Road. An amateur poet, he published two volumes of religious and occasional verse, At Evening it Shall be Light and Hold On to Your Fork, and was known for composing inspirational songs, including most recently "My Hallelujah Home Waits for Me"; his family rejoices that, for him, that song has now been fulfilled.

In lieu of a funeral, a memorial gathering of family and friends will be scheduled at a later date. Notes of condolence would be welcome and may be sent to: Joyce R. Evans, 801 Riverhill Road, Apartment 745, Athens, GA 30606