#currently reading: cromwell 3

[asecondglassofcinnamonwine]

Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer

The first time I read this one I could not for the life of me figure out what happens with Bridger in the last four pages. Just could not comprehend.

Sniper my assassin love you are perfect don’t let anyone tell you differently.

[elizabethan-memes]

Hi there,

Love your blog! Do you know much about The Duke of Norfolk's relationship with Cromwell? I'm currently re-watching the Tudors and unfortunately the Howards are cut out by Season 3 and 4. I read a theory recently that the Howards including the third Duke wanted to take out Cromwell because he took down Anne Boleyn. Is there any truth to that? Would love to know if there is.

I don't think Anne Boleyn's downfall helped, but I think Cromwell and Norfolk already had plenty of reasons to want each other out of favour. Cromwell was Wolsey's servant, after all, and Norfolk was very sensitive to hierarchy. As an aristocrat he was very aware of 'new men' like Cromwell, Wolsey, and yes- More too. More was the grandson of a baker, so in Norfolk's eyes he's only one generation higher than Cromwell, son of a brewer.

And while Norfolk supported the Break with Rome, he was a traditionalist in terms of religion. And while More, Cromwell, and Wolsey were all enthusiastic about renaissance humanism, judicial reform in favour of ordinary citizens, (and also critics of enclosures) these aren't policies that benefit the likes of Norfolk. More is often portrayed as friends with Norfolk, but the only real evidence I see for that is the hagiography written in the 1550s- at a time when Cromwell was controversial at best, while Norfolk was supporting Mary I. When More's grandson was born in the 1530s, it was Cromwell his parents chose as godfather.

Norfolk is often portrayed as boorish and uncultured, which is a gross simplification. But Norfolk preferred medieval chivalric literature to ancient literature. Erasmus called such medieval literature 'barbarous fables' and perhaps Cromwell would agree- certainly, Cromwell and More both loved Erasmus' New Testament, Cromwell learning it off by heart.

Also, Cromwell had a 'genuine and selfless' (Macculloch) friendship with... Norfolk's wife Elizabeth. If Cromwell needed more reasons to despise Norfolk, Elizabeth would give him PLENTY.

So Cromwell and Norfolk really have no shared culture, their worldviews and goals don't align. I think Norfolk would want Cromwell out, even if 1536 never happened.

[glassprism]

13 books!

I was tagged by @wheel-of-fish, thank you! I'm to answer these 13 (apparently 12) questions, tag 13 (or maybe 12) people and add a shelfie.

1) The last book I read:

Maim Your Characters: How Injuries Work in Fiction by Samantha Keel. (What can I say, I'm planning to horribly injure a character in a fic maybe hopefully.)

2) A book I recommend:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, which I recommend so much that I'm trying to push my school's English department to make it one of required readings.

3) A book that I couldn’t put down:

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson.

4) A book I’ve read twice (or more):

I don't even know how many times I've reread The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel at this point.

5) A book on my TBR:

I really should get around to Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel, even though I genuinely just... don't care about Thomas Cromwell or Mantel's interpretation of him.

6) A book I’ve put down:

Like did not finish? Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson, multiple times.

7) A book on my wish list:

Well, I really want Volo's Guide to Monsters and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes from the Dungeons & Dragons game, but since they are upwards of $80, that's probably not happening.

8) A favorite book from childhood:

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. Somehow this completely unrealistic, ecologically and biologically inaccurate, and occasionally morally pedantic "stranded on a desert island" book lodged itself in my heart.

9) A book you would give to a friend:

I actually did give The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck to a friend. (And he lost it in a move. But bought me a new copy!)

10) There was no tenth question so I am making up my own; a fiction book you own:

The entire A Song of Ice and Fire series.

11) A nonfiction book you own:

Way too many, but uh... Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons.

12) What are you currently reading:

Blood on the Page Volume One: A Writer's Compendium of Injuries by Samantha Keel and Tudor: The Family Story by Leanda de Lisle.

13) What are you planning on reading next?

You know, I kind of want to re-read The Hunger Games trilogy.

My shelfie:

This is one of my shelves.

Tagging: @meilas @from-aldebaran, @pureanonofficial, @nanasalt, @symphony-in-a, @box5intern, @emotionalmotionsicknessxx, @andrewlloydwebber, and my brain is friend and I can't think of others so whoever else wants to do it!

[mihrsuri]

Catch Up Meme

Tagged by my lovely friend @rahabs 🩷

Last Song: Lions! by Lights

Currently Watching: I will manage to finish Shadow and Bone S2 and also watch Lockwood and Co I swear.

Three Ships: Anne/Henry/Cromwell, Faramir/Eowyn, Will/Elizabeth Norrington

Favourite Colour: soft pink and also blue/lavender.

Currently Reading: I’m rereading Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas and finding it honestly blah but I’m also not in a good brain space so possibly it’s not the books fault.

Currently Consuming: Drinking tea

Place Of Birth: By the sea.

Current Location: In my bed listening to the rain <3.

Last Movie: Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes.

Currently Working On: art wise an OT3 verse scene I’ve had in my head for ages but I’m reworking the people in the scene and also maybe another piece of fanart for a friends fic. Fic wise I’m just sort of like ‘…I am stuck’ at everything. I think I need to just go sit in a cafe and write or something.

Tagging (if you want to): @miabicicletta @unseenacademic @shes-a-voodoo-child @claudiajcregg @sherwoodknights @emilykaldwen

[sohmiya]

oc tag game

thank you @sussoro for tagging me!! this was so fun 🩷 tagging @wayhavenots @pierceaugust + anyone who wants to do it!! no pressure <3

FAVOURITE OC: emory chan from merry crisis. also because the qiu brainrot is currently taking over my entire being but yeah. despite the pride emory feels in making her dream as a musician happen, she carries the guilt from knowing it’s not exactly what her parents want for her. she’s the typical eldest daughter who acts as a third parent. another favorite is maya quimby from golden. i wrote a whole list of facts about her a while back so idk what else to say but that’s My Girl. she’s so so special to me <3

NEWEST OC: althea solis from take two. she’s vv underdeveloped right now but in the take two universe, she’s an only child. in an au, she has an older sister named athalia <3

OLDEST OC: sutton hart from midnight hours. before she became an iaos hunter, she was a detective in wayhaven. she’s very ambitious and curious. she’s definitely one of those people who have bucket lists and actually plans to do the things on her list. she felt like wayhaven is too small for her dreams so she left and now she’s in new york

MEANEST OC: cloe hoffman from infamous. idk if i should call her mean but she’s bratty and she complains a lot LMAO literally orion’s nightmare. cloe loves the spotlight and isn’t too bothered being part of the drama as long as attention is on her. because bad publicity is still publicity 🤷🏻‍♀️ she hasn’t done much self-reflection so she’s not yet aware that it stems from her parents not giving her enough attention when she was young. i think once she gains enough self-awareness, she’ll realize that it’s actually her thinking “they didn’t notice me when i was a good kid. maybe they’ll notice me now”

SOFTEST OC: piper ellis from midnight hours. another former detective from wayhaven. she’s a huge disney fan. she keeps tickets (plane, concerts, movies, amusement parks, etc) and pins them on a cork board alongside polaroid pictures. she’s introverted, soft spoken and sooo shy. she’s so easily flustered that she makes nikolas look like the biggest flirt 😭 also kirsten adler from golden. she’s sentimental and timid but less introverted than piper. she’s just self-conscious because she knows that one wrong move and the media will twist it into something that can ruin her dad’s image. she talks nonstop once you bring up something she’s extremely passionate about <3

MOST ALOOF/STANDOFFISH OC: lira kinsley from golden. she’s not a snob but she’s tired of people buttering her up for connections. when she’s moody, she straight up tells the person “my dad’s right there.” she’s selective of who she lets in to her social circle

DUMBEST (AFFECTIONATE) OC: riley cromwell from college tennis. she’s not dumb but clown blood flows in her veins <3 she can be unapologetically cringe lololol one dumb thing i’d say she does is barely controlling her junk food intake and justifying it with “i play tennis a lot. it’s fine”

SMARTEST OC: annika munroe from arcadia city. not because she’s a genius whatsoever. she just reads a lot and constantly tries to stay informed. also because she loves it when people argue with her and the looks on their faces when she ends up being right. she used to be one of my wayhaven detectives as well.

OC I’D BE FRIENDS WITH: sutton. but also because i can put her in any if i play and she’ll end up being friends with someone there 😭 she’s loving, nurturing and thoughtful and she’s very expressive about it. i think it’s also due to having dated immortals (first, nate. now, kian. she likes old men ig) that really put into perspective how short her life is and how quickly time passes. she’s trying to learn how to not overextend herself but sometimes she just can’t help it. being affectionate comes naturally for her

[muined]

An ask meme! I was tagged by @coffeeandorange, thank you dude!

3 ships you like: I'll go with recent ships that I either have WIPs or fic ideas for. Dukat>Kira (DS9), Thomas Cromwell/Jane Seymour (there are many excellent Wolf Hall pairings, but this one has the most GRIST for ME), Hoover/Tolson (specifically from Oliver Stone's Nixon. I know.)

First ship ever: The pairing that got me into reading and writing fic, circa 2013, was Ibuki/"Togami" from Super Dangan Ronpa 2. WAIT, NO, Colonel Graff and Major Anderson from Ender's Game.

Last song you heard: "Carmen," from Malcolm McLaren's opera remix album. I think the spoken word stuff in these songs is, uh, less successful, but I just love listening to opera with a beat under it.

Favourite childhood book: Impossible to narrow it down. My consistent favorite author was Eva Ibbotson.

Currently reading: Madame Bovary.

Currently watching: This guy's pet toads.

Currently consuming: Frozen tacos from Aldi.

Currently craving: A root touch-up.

Do this if you want to!

[wulfhalls]

tumblr user wulfhalls!!!

i previously sent an ask telling you that because of you, i was currently reading dune, and plan to read wolf hall next

i neglected to include the fact that immediately before dune, I also for the very first time read flowers in the attic

so thank you for contributing tremendously in influence to my unhinged mentally unwell girlies readathon 2k24

big day for people who are annoying about fictional incest and ruthless career courtier timtom cromwell (meeee!!!!!!!) also u obviously mean u plan on reading dune messiah and THEN wolf hall haha <3

[nostalgia-tblr]

I got tagged by @fancy-a-dance-brigadier (❤)

3 ships: Doctor/TARDIS and then whatever two (inferior) ships last caught my attention. Like I'm a multishipperrrrr I'm too flighty and/or edgy to be defined by only three pairings maaaaaan. The Blorbo I Looked At Last/Someone They Made Eye-Contact With, if you INSIST on pinning me down like a dead butterfly in a museum.

first ship ever: not sure really BUT... okay, my first real Online Fandom was the Star Wars prequels, so possibly it was Obi-Wan/Anakin, but this one led me into wank because back in 2000ish there was a Yahoo list called Master/Apprentice (or somesuch name) but they specifically meant Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan but had never bothered to mention this fact anywhere so when a few of us started talking about the WRONG Jedi/Padawan pairing oooooh some people were Not Happy. How DARE we? HOW FUCKING DARE WE??!! Get off this list, get your own list, you filthy weirdos what are you doing shipping Obi/Ani what is WRONG with you???

last song: okay DON'T JUDGE ME but it was the Phantom of the Opera song from the famous musical Phantom of the Opera. no wait listen it's "a banger," it's like if Queen had temporarily gone goth and brought in a chick to sing the woman part of their new goth duet. (which they wouldn't??? because this is why God gave them their falsetto ranges??? we are SERIOUS MUSICIANS MY FRIEND???)

last movie: I think that'll be Thor: The Dark World (I feel like that's a bold movie title rather an italics one), which I needed to watch at some point for Fic Research Reasons and my English Besty was up for a few days so I made her watch it with me because everyone on tumblr said it was terrible (it's not the worst movie i have ever seen but it's... erm. it's certainly a marvel movie!)

currently reading: I'm alternating between a few non-fictional things, most of which involve the English Civil War (because I got one free online and then needed the backstory so now I have to catch up with the events of Charles I and also the confusingly-titled James VI & I so that I can get back to and understand the plot of Oliver Cromwell and the Rule of the Puritans in England by C. H. Firth) I haven't read a novel in a while but I do read a fair amount of Problematic Fanfiction, which more than makes up for that and is also free.

currently watching: Nothing :( I did start watching Good Omens but only got about 3 episodes into S1 before I ran out of Amazon Prime's freebie month. I may go back to it next time they attempt to trick me into subscribing with a free month, which happens once or twice a year, depending.

currently consuming: Irn Bru AKA LIQUID SCOTTISHNESS. Also some prescription medication because my 10pm alarm just went off on my phone. YAY, DRUGS! \o/

currently craving: I would like to be able to understand an entire episode of PBS Space-Time but other than that I'm not fussed at the moment.

I tag ALL OF YOUS. ALL. OF YOUS.

[wonderingnorthwards]

22nd March 2023 - Lakes, donuts and free rides

So, today started with a bit of a sleep in, rising naturally at 7:30am in an amazing old campsite in Damper Bay, shy of Wānaka but very much on the lake. Was a chilly start, with the weather app reporting a brisk 4 degrees, but the sleeping bag was reluctantly packed away as I had meetings to make! I was away walking by around 8:15am, beanie, gloves and jumper included. Making my way around the bay, I made it into town about 10:30 treating myself to a coffee and an egg gozleme while I charged my phone (battery pack and phone were pretty much on 0 after five days bush). Gave myself a leisurely 30ish minute break while I journaled, todays entry largely was around resilience and how regardless of the conditions every step must be taken and how knowing how far you have to walk doesn’t take those steps for you, but also about the genuine feelings of accomplishment after a difficult day. Next I went to the 4square as I was out of snacks, bought myself a Gatorade as my old bottle had put in a hard 3 weeks of walking and a bumper bar. Next step was onwards to Albert town, I’d read on the far out app (the app I use for gps and mapping) that a patisserie in the next town had the best donuts ever, but closed at 2pm so I had to hustle the next 12 odd km along some of the most beautiful scenery. A combination of perfect blue skys, snow capped mountains in the distance, extravagant luxury lake houses, and then turning the peninsula to walk up the start of the Clutha river. I got my donut with 15 minutes to spare and mate, the notes were bang on, best donut I’ve had. Salted caramel was perfectly balanced and sugary but not too. Gets better though, upon thanking the staff as I was leaving 20 mins later, they asked if I wanted the left over chocolate one, so I happily took that for a snack 6kms later. Next destination was on to Lake Hāwea, another 12km up ahead. This was more road and footpath walking which got to be quite sore on the feet by the end of it. Ended up following this river which had some of the clearest water I’d ever seen. Along this part I put on Lord of the Rings audible to listen to which I’m about three hours into now. Makes for great listening as I’m walking through this scenery. Got to Lake Hāwea around 5:30 for a 33.8km day. Relatively easy due to being pretty much flat, apparently 400m total elevation, but compared to my last few days of 1,500m+ felt easy. Tracks were straight forward at least. Days not over yet though, as I’m going to a wedding in Wellington this weekend, I needed to get back to Queenstown where I can stay at Matt, my mates place. So, I had to hitch from Lake Hāwea to Wānaka, took about 10 minutes waiting, after getting picked up, I unfortunately saw a sign directing Queenstown, so asked to be let out. Turns out that sign pointed to a 1:30 min way via Cromwell rather than a 1 hour path over the crown ranges so I had to get another hitch an extra 8 minutes fo a better part of Wānaka directing me to Queenstown, waiting for probably 30 minutes, about 6:45 at this point when finally this lovely Canadian girl Beckie, who has been in the country 2 weeks and was living out of her car picked me up and took me the hour journey to Queenstown which we got to see a stunning sunset over the crown ranges and then a beautiful pink haze over the Remarkables coming into QT where I now lay in Matt’s spare bedroom writing this:

Stat round up:

Kms: 33.8kms

Steps: 49,424

Current km of TA: KM 435

Towns visited: 3 (Damper Bay - Wānaka - Albert town - Lake Hāwea)

Hitch hikes: 3 (all single females interestingly)

[wankerwatch]

Lords Vote

On: Victims and Prisoners Bill

Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd moved amendment 149A, after clause 48, to insert the new clause, Imprisonment or detention for public protection: release test II. The House divided:

Ayes: 91 (61.5% LD, 23.1% XB, 7.7% Lab, 3.3% , 2.2% Con, 1.1% Green, 1.1% PC) Noes: 192 (93.2% Con, 3.1% , 2.1% XB, 1.6% DUP) Absent: ~527

Likely Referenced Bill: Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Bill

Description: To require the Parole Board to take into account any failure by a prisoner serving a sentence for unlawful killing or for taking or making an indecent image of a child to disclose information about the victim.

Originating house: Commons Current house: Commons Bill Stage: 2nd reading

Individual Votes:

Ayes

Liberal Democrat (56 votes)

Addington, L. Allan of Hallam, L. Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, B. Barker, B. Beith, L. Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury, B. Bowles of Berkhamsted, B. Brinton, B. Bruce of Bennachie, L. Burnett, L. Burt of Solihull, B. Clement-Jones, L. Dholakia, L. Featherstone, B. Foster of Bath, L. Fox, L. Garden of Frognal, B. German, L. Goddard of Stockport, L. Grender, B. Hamwee, B. Harris of Richmond, B. Humphreys, B. Hussain, L. Hussein-Ece, B. Janke, B. Jolly, B. Kramer, B. Lee of Trafford, L. Marks of Henley-on-Thames, L. Miller of Chilthorne Domer, B. Newby, L. Northover, B. Oates, L. Palmer of Childs Hill, L. Parminter, B. Pinnock, B. Randerson, B. Russell, E. Scriven, L. Sharkey, L. Sheehan, B. Shipley, L. Smith of Newnham, B. Stoneham of Droxford, L. Storey, L. Strasburger, L. Suttie, B. Taylor of Goss Moor, L. Teverson, L. Thomas of Gresford, L. Thomas of Winchester, B. Thornhill, B. Tope, L. Tyler of Enfield, B. Walmsley, B.

Crossbench (21 votes)

Anderson of Ipswich, L. Berkeley of Knighton, L. Carter of Haslemere, L. Clancarty, E. Cromwell, L. Finlay of Llandaff, B. Freyberg, L. Hogan-Howe, L. Hope of Craighead, L. Kerr of Kinlochard, L. Kidron, B. Meston, L. Pannick, L. Prashar, B. Sentamu, L. Somerset, D. St John of Bletso, L. Thomas of Cwmgiedd, L. Trevethin and Oaksey, L. Vaux of Harrowden, L. Warner, L.

Labour (7 votes)

Blunkett, L. Healy of Primrose Hill, B. Lipsey, L. Lister of Burtersett, B. McConnell of Glenscorrodale, L. Quin, B. Whitaker, B.

Non-affiliated (3 votes)

Fox of Buckley, B. Paddick, L. Verdirame, L.

Conservative (2 votes)

Garnier, L. Moylan, L.

Green Party (1 vote)

Jones of Moulsecoomb, B.

Plaid Cymru (1 vote)

Smith of Llanfaes, B.

Noes

Conservative (179 votes)

Agnew of Oulton, L. Ahmad of Wimbledon, L. Altmann, B. Altrincham, L. Anelay of St Johns, B. Arbuthnot of Edrom, L. Ashcombe, L. Ashton of Hyde, L. Balfe, L. Banner, L. Barran, B. Bellamy, L. Bellingham, L. Benyon, L. Berridge, B. Bethell, L. Blencathra, L. Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist, B. Booth, L. Borwick, L. Bottomley of Nettlestone, B. Bourne of Aberystwyth, L. Bray of Coln, B. Bridgeman, V. Browning, B. Brownlow of Shurlock Row, L. Buscombe, B. Caine, L. Caithness, E. Callanan, L. Cameron of Lochiel, L. Camrose, V. Carrington of Fulham, L. Cathcart, E. Choudrey, L. Colgrain, L. Courtown, E. Crathorne, L. Cruddas, L. Davies of Gower, L. De Mauley, L. Deben, L. Dobbs, L. Douglas-Miller, L. Duncan of Springbank, L. Dunlop, L. Eccles, V. Effingham, E. Elliott of Mickle Fell, L. Evans of Bowes Park, B. Fairfax of Cameron, L. Farmer, L. Finn, B. Fleet, B. Fookes, B. Forsyth of Drumlean, L. Foster of Oxton, B. Framlingham, L. Fraser of Craigmaddie, B. Frost, L. Fuller, L. Glendonbrook, L. Godson, L. Gold, L. Goldie, B. Grimstone of Boscobel, L. Hamilton of Epsom, L. Hammond of Runnymede, L. Harlech, L. Hayward, L. Helic, B. Henley, L. Herbert of South Downs, L. Hodgson of Abinger, B. Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, L. Horam, L. Houchen of High Leven, L. Howard of Lympne, L. Howard of Rising, L. Howe, E. Howell of Guildford, L. Hunt of Wirral, L. Jackson of Peterborough, L. James of Blackheath, L. Jamieson, L. Jenkin of Kennington, B. Johnson of Lainston, L. Johnson of Marylebone, L. Jopling, L. Kempsell, L. King of Bridgwater, L. Kirkham, L. Kirkhope of Harrogate, L. Lamont of Lerwick, L. Lansley, L. Lawlor, B. Lea of Lymm, B. Leicester, E. Lexden, L. Lilley, L. Lindsay, E. Lingfield, L. Liverpool, E. Livingston of Parkhead, L. Lucas, L. Magan of Castletown, L. Mancroft, L. Manzoor, B. Markham, L. Marks of Hale, L. Marland, L. Marlesford, L. McInnes of Kilwinning, L. McIntosh of Pickering, B. McLoughlin, L. Mendoza, L. Meyer, B. Minto, E. Mobarik, B. Monckton of Dallington Forest, B. Montrose, D. Morris of Bolton, B. Mott, L. Moynihan of Chelsea, L. Moynihan, L. Murray of Blidworth, L. Naseby, L. Neville-Jones, B. Neville-Rolfe, B. Newlove, B. Nicholson of Winterbourne, B. Noakes, B. Norton of Louth, L. Offord of Garvel, L. Owen of Alderley Edge, B. Parkinson of Whitley Bay, L. Pickles, L. Popat, L. Porter of Fulwood, B. Porter of Spalding, L. Randall of Uxbridge, L. Reay, L. Redfern, B. Risby, L. Roborough, L. Rock, B. Sanderson of Welton, B. Sandhurst, L. Sater, B. Scott of Bybrook, B. Seccombe, B. Shackleton of Belgravia, B. Sharpe of Epsom, L. Shephard of Northwold, B. Sherbourne of Didsbury, L. Shinkwin, L. Smith of Hindhead, L. Stedman-Scott, B. Sterling of Plaistow, L. Stewart of Dirleton, L. Stowell of Beeston, B. Strathcarron, L. Strathclyde, L. Sugg, B. Swinburne, B. Swire, L. Taylor of Holbeach, L. True, L. Udny-Lister, L. Vaizey of Didcot, L. Vere of Norbiton, B. Wei, L. Wharton of Yarm, L. Willetts, L. Williams of Trafford, B. Wolfson of Tredegar, L. Wyld, B. Young of Cookham, L. Younger of Leckie, V.

Non-affiliated (6 votes)

Chisholm of Owlpen, B. Faulks, L. Foster of Aghadrumsee, B. Grade of Yarmouth, L. Hoey, B. Taylor of Warwick, L.

Crossbench (4 votes)

Bew, L. Cavendish of Little Venice, B. Craigavon, V. Kilclooney, L.

Democratic Unionist Party (3 votes)

Browne of Belmont, L. McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown, L. Morrow, L.

[viscountessevie]

An Upper West Side Story [ARC Review]

Release Date: 6th July 2023  Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ [3½ Stars] Drama Level: 🌶️🌶️

[I apologise for the low-res cover; this is the clearest one I could find online!] 

My Review: 

Contrary to the reference it's title, An Upper West Side Story by Rachel Cullen isn't a dramatic tragedy. It's a lighthearted read you can breeze through in a couple of days.

Jump back in time to 2004 with Jess, Tory, Robin and Zach on the Upper West Side.

Jessica Barlowe had plans to move in with her boyfriend until he completely blows up their lives. With her current roommate moving out in anticipation of Jess' move, she is left stranded on her own.

Tory Wallace's home life had always been difficult. Between her parents' fighting matches and her father's constant put downs, it all comes to a head. Tory has to escape and forge her own independent path.

Robin Cromwell is left with the perfect apartment. It's a classic six - which includes two bedrooms, two & a half bathrooms (what in the world is a half bathroom??) and a kitchen - in a prime location. With her roommate and best friend moving out for her residency, Robin has to comb through all the Craigslist creeps to find the perfect roommate.

Zach Sullivan is a tech executive who owns his own apartment on the Upper West Side. He has always been reserved. But when he crosses paths with someone he can't seem to stop thinking about, he impulsively ends up renting out his spare room.

***

This book was honestly a mixed bag for me. It was very easy to read and I flew through it in a couple of days. I also think Rachel had an interesting set of characters with a lot of potential.

That being said, while all the characters had the ingredients of standing out from one another, all their 'voices' in their respective POV felt very similar. This is most likely due to Rachel's writing style coming through. I definitely think the girls could had more of a distinct tone to set them apart. I was slowly able to differentiate them by Act 2.

Jess, Tory and Zach had all heartfelt backstories and trauma they had to resolve and it was done very well. I am especially a fan of how Tory's arc and storyline unfolded. Her family history was interesting to read about.

However, I felt that Robin wasn't done justice. While the trio I mentioned had backstories that added depth to their characters and raised the stakes for them, Robin's issues about dating and her career felt like small potatoes. The book could have used at least a 100 more pages fleshing out Robin who was a lovely character to read about.

All in all, the way all these characters intersected and how each of them impacted different arcs was cool to read about. Another thing that could have been done better is the conflict and pivotal moments. I felt that a lot of important scenes that should have unfolded on the page happened off-screen. I felt cheated out of getting those POVs at times. As for the conflicts, a lot of it fell under the miscommunication trope. It felt like watching a 90s sitcom episode without it being funny, I was just very frustrated with the characters at that point.

The ending was really sweet and gave me the fuzzies. All that's said and done, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a lighthearted read where you don't need to think much and can read it quickly in a day.

Thank you to Lime Street Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

[asecondglassofcinnamonwine]

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett

Well it had to end one way or another, as much as I wish Terry had had more time to perfect this book.

4 years to read Discworld the first time, 2 years for the second.

[mohhamedriaz]

WordPress Explores AI Integration

WordPress contributors are having a still ongoing discussion about how AI might fit into the WordPress ecosystem, whether in the core or as a plugin.

There are no plans at this point to add AI to the WordPress core, these discussions are just the starting point, turning on the light so to see what there’s, so to speak.

A few contributors stepped up to share their opinions and although the discussion is just starting, important points were made.Plugin or Core Integration

One thing that was agreed on, at this point, is that integration of AI might be best accomplished through external plugins as opposed to hard coded into the WordPress core itself.

Matt Cromwell shared his concern that the current plans for WordPress are packed with projects that needed to be finished and that adding AI to that load might be distracting and pull efforts away from existing projects.

But he also agreed that talking about AI is a smart thing to do at this point.

He wrote:

“At what cost would the project chase an AI integration?

…I find it hard to imagine pursuing the current roadmap with excellence and stability AND adding a huge AI integration as well.

…being that all AI options currently require integration with a 3rd party system, some sort of pricing and authentication, this feels to me to clearly be plugin territory.

It’s a fun exercise to dream about what an AI-powered WordPress would look like, but at this infancy-stage of AI I think it’s better to let the plugin ecosystem do the innovating so that Core can focus on its more foundational features that need improving…”Diagnostic AI Co-pilot

Ollie Jones offered a brilliant use of AI in the context of keeping a WordPress site running.

They suggested integrating AI as a diagnostic co-pilot that can identify a problem (presumably like a plugin conflict) and offer steps to take.

Ollie wrote:

“HERE’S the AI feature I want to see: Feed tracebacks and error messages to the AI, then say ‘Hey AI, what went wrong here? Suggest some ways to fix the problem.’

If this worked even minimally in the “what went wrong” question, WordPress people will love it.”

That’s a great idea. How cool would it be an AI could detect when two plugins contained a conflict with the potential to crash the site?

It would be useful if the AI could take steps to block the problematic code, keep the site running and send display a message about it.

If AI’s are assistants, then assisting with the daily publishing and development tasks seems like a useful application of the technology in a way that wouldn’t take away anybody’s job.AI WordPress Team Member

Another person, robglidden, had a similar view of AI only this time as a user on a collaboration team.

The comment is a reference to Phase 3 of the four phase plan to modernize WordPress with Gutenberg.

WordPress is currently in phase two of four planned phases, phase three focuses on Collaboration.

Examples of Phase 3 focuses:Real-time collaborationCreating the UI and infrastructure to accomodate multiple members of team customizing the website simultaneously.Asynchronous collaborationThe ability to share drafts, comments and annotationsPublishing flowsThis incorporates editorial features such as steps, goals, and prerequisites in the content creation and publishing workflow.

There are many other focuses for phase three which will begin later in 2023.

robglidden wrote:

“I would suggest looking at AI chatbots as (“just another”) user type in the upcoming Phase 3 of collaboration/workflow.

I for one want an AI chatbot on my multiuser collaboration team in a phase 3 WordPress.

In the multiuser collaborative workflows already described in ‘Phase 3 Collaboration’ it seems like basically the same infrastructure should work for both human users and AI ‘users’.

Indeed, it is not a huge stretch in reading that document to think of ‘users’, ‘collaborators’, and ‘creators’ as also being bot-ish users, assigned and performing tasks within a workflow…”AI is Already Integrated With WordPress

An eye-opening contribution came from James LePage, founder of an AI SaaS company called CodeWP.

It’s a plugin that offers an AI Code Generator plugin specific for WordPress development.

According to the CodeWP website, the plugin can generate code specific for WordPress at the PHP level, JavaScript, and WooCommerce.

Although it promises to mitigate the need for expensive developers, it seems like a useful product for the developers themselves, to help make them more productive.

James LePage wrote:

“It seems like solid plugin territory to me; 1 – AI will always require compute, meaning 3rd party services, and I think that already moves it out of the core scope and 2 – we don’t really need anything special to integrate AI.

I’m the founder of one of the only AI SaaS offerings for WP, and we’re building a plugin to help integrate our service with individual sites.

We’re also collaborating with existing code snippet plugins.

There’s nothing that we really need from Core to help with this plugin, and we can add all of the features we need by leveraging existing features / functions.”

James raises an interesting point about AI integration with WordPress, in that integration is already here.

There are at least three SEO and one content optimization plugin that integrate AI:All in One SEO (AIOSEO)Rank MathSEOPressWordLift WordPress Plugin

RankMath features an AI content assistant feature called, Content AI. Rank Math’s Content AI offers SEO-focused suggestions for improving content, including what headings to use.

SEOPress and AIOSEO both offer programmatic title element and description meta tag generation via an integration with OpenAI

All three AI integrations require a paid upgrade. They are examples of how AI is already integrating into the WordPress ecosystem.

Lastly, WordLift is a content optimization plugin that also integrates AI.

In a way, WordPress already contains AI integration, which shows the value of the third party plugin ecosystem which is able to innovate fast.WordPress Keeping Up With AI

It’s encouraging to see WordPress discussing how to take advantage of technology to keep WordPress moving forward and prevent it from falling behind.

While this is just a conversation starter, many of the current innovations such as the WordPress Performance Team also began as conversations just like this.

What kinds of integration of AI into WordPress would you like to see?

Have thoughts? Share them at the official discussion WordPress:

Let’s talk: WordPress Core & Artificial Intelligence

Featured image by Shutterstock/Master1305

[thetorturedpoetsintern]

I am writing this just to explain the logic of the AU I made in order for you, the readers, to not be confused over certain aspects of my oneshots (at least all of my oneshots containing Anastasia would happen in this AU). Normally I don’t do this (not that I’ve written a lot of lengthy works in my lifetime 😃) but since I’m not currently planning on tying all of my oneshots together, and I don’t currently have the time (and mindset) to develop all the details inside a fic, this post should do.

1.First topic of this post: Voldemort is dead in my AU. 

One of the things I’m pissed off about the Wizarding World in the books is that there is 0 to none international magical cooperation. I am not very involved in the Fantastic Beasts storyline, but from the spoilers I read online, there seems to be some kind of international wizarding force (it was about damn time), but this just doesn’t justify why the heck they didn’t intervene in the First Wizarding War. Hence the background of my OC, Anastasia Cromwell. For those of you who read Memories (if you haven’t, don’t worry, I won’t spoil it), you might know that she used to work as an auror in a special department of MACUSA that dealt with the investigation regarding the finding and destroying of Voldemort’s horcruxes. Hopefully, some day will come when I can fully include this in a realistic plot, but until then, this is basically the explanation of why Lord Voldy won’t appear in my works (well, flashbacks won’t count).

2.Second topic of this post: But Alexandra, you told us that Voldemort is dead. What about Harry, and the scar, and the fact that he’s a Horcrux?

I read the books for the first time last December (<insert lady chanting "Shame!" from GOT />), but I managed to find a little plothole that helped me develop my AU. This plothole goes something like this: in order to make a horcrux, you have to cast a spell and do a series of things that are too horrible to say out loud, but even though we can say that the latter was accomplished by killing both James and Lily Potter, I don't recall Voldemort performing this spell to tie Harry to his soul ever being mentioned.I keep the part where he tried to kill Harry for instance, but as we know from the books it didn’t turn out well for Voldemort. However, he was just a soul ripped out of its body so he couldn’t cast the spell needed to turn Harry, or any object for that matter, into a new horcrux. And there wasn’t any wizard or witch present that could have casted it on his behalf (Harry doesn’t count, he was just a baby at that time). There will be no scar if there is no horcrux.Harry will still be famous for being the only one to survive Voldemort’s murder attempt but that’s all. Eventually the special auror division from MACUSA would manage to find, and destroy every horcrux existent, including that piece of Voldemort’s soul that wanders through the forests in Albania.

3.Third topic of this post: If Voldemort is dead, does it mean that all the other events related somehow to Voldemort’s attempts to kill Harry don’t exist in this AU?

Yes, and no. 

Yes, because, well, Voldemort is dead, so there is no comeback whatsoever. The DADA post is still cursed, but at some point during the Umbridge regime at Hogwarts (which I am still trying to make it fit in my AU but I’ll manage somehow), most likely by the end of that regime, the MACUSA special auror department would have found and killed the last piece of Voldemort’s soul, the one set loose after the attempt of killing Harry, and so the curse would have broke, and Severus would hold the position for a couple of years, until he’ll retire from teaching to focus on his growing family.

No, because I’m planning to do a continuation of Forget me, please that connects to the scene with Sirius, Severus, Remus, and the Golden Trio at the Shrieking Shack, and also the DADA teachers prior to Severus’ appointment in that position are still the same as in the books, so SOME of these events will still be in my AU. 

4.Fourth topic of this post, and it would be a short one: Charity Burbage’s character doesn’t appear. She’s living her best life and making room for Anastasia to enter Severus’ life (although she doesn’t know this. Well, maybe Minerva mentioned this in a line or two).

That pretty much is all I could think of at the moment I’m writing, so if you have any other questions, you can leave me a comment or send me an ask and I’ll reply as soon as I can with the explanation needed. Hopefully this post will serve as a "concept glossary" until the moment I have the time, mindset, and patience to turn this into a full-fledged fic where these kinds of explanations would be meaningless.

[ownedbybooks]

2022 Summer Wrap Up

Disclaimer: I live in the southern hemisphere.

Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop, by Timothy Samara ★★★★✩

Basically, a study read. I'm a graphic designer and since I'm not currently enrolled at any graduate course (or extracurricular courses) right now, I thought it would be nice to continue studying on my own by reading some books I have at home.

V for Vendetta, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd ★★★★★

Finally got the time to read this classic graphic novel! It made me feel strange feelings, but in a way, it was worth it. The content seemed like a perfect match to read in these dark political days my country is having. It makes you THINK.

Broken Throne, by Victoria Aveyard ★★★★★

Last year I've finished reading the Red Queen series but the last book had left some open endings that I needed to know what happened after it, so yeah… I bought the extra book so I could know where the main characters were going to be at the very end of the plot. Turns out this volume also gives the reader a lot of background information about the series universe, so it was a mix of learning new things, exploring the possibilities and sadness because the final novellas were making me VERY emotional.

Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare ★★✩✩✩

I liked it, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting somehow? I think it's because I got used to the previous series characters and the ones here are very different. But I think it was a good introduction to the trilogy and it has a lot of room to grow.

War and Peace, by Liev Tolstoy ★★★★★

Oh, I LOVED this one to the point I'm still thinking about it and deciding if I should change my rating to 5 stars, buuuut… I don't know… It was a ride reading all of the book in 2 months for the buddy read I've joined. Of course, at the beginning I didn't like the war parts very much, but in the end I was hating some characters that were more present at the society part. And of course, somedays I felt very tired because I knew I still had a lot to read and in such a slow pace, specially because I've started reading ANOTHER slow paced book while on this one (what a really great idea, my past self!) EDIT: Due to the fact that It's been 2 months I've finished this book and I still think about it, I'm changing my rating for 5 stars because I'M OBSESSED.

The Kiss Bet (Seasons 1 and 2), by Ingrid Ochoa ★★★★✩

The saviour of my time between War and Peace and The Mirror & the Light! Both books were so slow paced and heavy that I needed something more light to read between then, and that's when I went back to Webtoon and found this really sweet and lighthearted high school webcomic <3

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald ★★✩✩✩

It was an ok book. It didn't touched my heart at all, but I was surprised by how fast paced it was, specially because it's a very short book!

The Mirror & the Light, by Hilary Mantel ★★★★★

I can't believe I've finished the Thomas Crowell trilogy!! I knew what was going to happen because I've watched other content regarding Henry VIII but, boy oh boy, I loved going into this journey through Cromwell's eyes and Mantel's writing is so good!! Even tho the entire trilogy is very slow paced, I wan't to read more books from the author!

[sherbetlemonsandshuriken]

2021 Reading

It is September 2021, and these are all the books that I've read in 2021 so far. My aim was to read 30 new books; between being unemployed for nearly four months, and then getting a decent salary increase in my new job, I've currently read 57 new books, plus about fifteen re-reads. (Oops).

1. Alt-Right: From 4-chan to the White House - Mike Wendling

2. Bullshit Jobs: The Rise of Pointless Work and What We Can Do About It - David Graeber

3. Can the Left Learn To Meme?: Adorno, Video Gaming and Stranger Things - Mike Watson

4. The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin

5. Seven Devils - Laura Lam and Elizabeth May

6. We Are Bellingcat: An Intelligence Agency for the People - Eliot Higgins

7. The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson (pt.2)

8. Invitation to a Bonfire - Adrienne Celt

9. King of Scars - Leigh Bardugo

10. Words of Radiance - Brandon Sanderson (pt.1 & 2)

12. The New Authoritarianism - Salvatore Babones

13. Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right - Angela Nagle

14. How Democracies Die - Daniel Ziblatt & Steven Levitsky

15. In Search of Kazakhstan: The Land That Disappeared - Christopher Robbins

16. After The Fact: The Truth About Fake News - Marcus Gilroy-Ware

17. Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

18. Once Upon A River - Diane Setterfield

19. The Far Right Today - Cas Mudde

20. Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco

21. A Revolution Undone: Egypt's Road Beyond Revolt - H.A. Hellyer

22. Our Women on the Ground - Zahra Hankir

23. She Said - Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

24. We Need New Stories - Nesrine Malik

25. Celestial Bodies - Jokha Alharthi

26. Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

27. Lore - Alexandra Bracken

28. Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

29. Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo

30. Ruin and Rising - Leigh Bardugo

31. Angloarabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain - David Wearing

32. Propaganda Blitz - David Edwards and David Cromwell

33. Why Nations Fail - Daron Acemoglu

34. Rule of Wolves - Leigh Bardugo

35. We Hunt The Flame - Hafsah Faizal

36. This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends - Nicole Perlroth

37. Culture Warlords - Talia Lavin

38. Fascism and Dictatorship - Nicos Poulantzas

39. Oathbringer - Brandon Sanderson (pt. 1 & 2)

41. Merchants of Hate - Jack Jardel

42. Vox - Christina Dalcher

43. Lean Out - Dawn Foster

44. Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell

45. Strange Hate - Keith Kahn-Harris

46. The Fifth Season - N.K. Jemsin

47. The Obelisk Gate - N.K. Jemsin

48. The Doctor Who Fooled The World - Brian Deer

49. Drums in the Distance - Joe Mulhall

50. The Stone Sky - N.K. Jemsin

51. Algorithms of Oppression - Safiya Umoja Noble

52. The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon

53. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism - Shoshanna Zuboff

54. The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

55. The Wrath and the Dawn - Renee Ahdieh

56. The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins

57. The Three-Body Problem - Liu Cixin