Another book, another cast. I present, A Crew of Criminals and Cutthroats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTS5MJLW
For as long as I’ve been writing (which, let’s face it, is a lot of years) I’ve chosen actors to represent the characters in my stories. Of course, this book was no different.
I consider Davin (David Strathairn) to be the main character of this one. It’s the first time I’ve had a main character in his 70′s. Incarcerated for nearly 30 years, Davin is released from jail and forced to join a mercenary group, the titular Crew of Criminals.
Also in the crew is Ewen, inspired by Owen Teague. Seriously, Owen Teague has inspired more characters than any other actor. I did a tally the other day, for real, and he won. He’s a damn good actor and a damn good muse. Owen will be mega famous one day, mark my words.
I’m also going to mention Jean-René, who was Regé-Jean Page in my little old head. I’d just watched Bridgerton when I wrote this book, and it was easy to imagine Regé-Jean as a guy who seduced a queen.
I REALLY wanted to find a Lady Sefonie as well, but I honestly couldn’t think of a single actress in her 50′s who looked cool enough or rough enough to be her. I felt the same way about Hilda in The Darker Ages. Oh well.
Camryn, while understanding the responsibilities of being a princess, also enjoys the perks of great dresses and tiaras. Alex is more into getting to attend college, but she’s down for dressing up for the wedding at the end.
I do like the cream and golden garb Miranda and Aron wear when doing the wedding ceremony for Karsh and Illena. It’s very idealized for Aron to be brought back, but I don’t mind the idea of there being a reality out there where he gets to spend more time with his wife and twins.
Among others, David and Emily attended the wedding; Emily’s jacket and hat are great. I am hopeful that the twins’ adoptive and biological families can happily coexist. Though it’s slightly odd that the Barnes play a larger role in the adaptation where the twins are college-aged compared to the books where they’re high schoolers.
Benvenuti o bentornati sul nostro blog. Nello scorso articolo abbiamo ripreso a parlare di pellicole tratte dalle opere di Stephen King e allo stesso tempo abbiamo anche discusso di un regista che amo molto, George A. Romero. Il film in questione è La metà oscura. Thad Beaumont è uno scrittore da tutti conosciuto con lo pseudonimo di George Stark e pubblica principalmente libri molto violenti che…
Protomartyr & Stuck Live Show Review: 7/13, Thalia Hall, Chicago
BY JORDAN MAINZER
“Tap calls the time,” Joe Casey sang last Thursday at Thalia Hall as Protomartyr performed “Elimination Dances”, a standout track from their new album Formal Growth in the Desert (Domino). Like many of the band’s best songs, its inspirations are obscure, this particular instance taken from a game in a 50′s dance manual: Once you’re tapped out, you stop. Given the Detroit punk band’s generally bleak nature, it’s not hard to find the referenced game a fitting metaphor our everyday life, trying to survive in a capitalist hell world. But consider that Formal Growth was written in the context of the death of Casey’s mother, recorded in an actual desert at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, TX with producer Jake Aron. Casey didn’t aim to create something or find meaning out of emptiness, per se, but answer the question, “Once tap calls the time, how do the rest of us move on?” Luckily for him, and for us, there’s music.
I’ve seen Protomartyr a bunch of times. I never would have thought to describe one of their shows as life-affirming, but Thursday’s was, from the younger segment of the crowd’s persistent moshing to the unexpectedly anthemic quality of the band’s performance. The live version of Formal Desert opener "Make Way” traded the studio version’s openness for a much mightier, choppier stomp. The crowd reframed the anxiety-riddled namesake refrain of Relatives in Descent chugger “The Chuckler”--“I guess I’ll keep on chucklin’ till there’s no more breath in my lungs”--as an absurdist call to arms. The normally stoic Casey performed the entirety of The Agent Intellect’s “Why Does It Shake?” on the barrier between the stage and the crowd, about as close to spirited as he’ll ever be. Even the band’s chosen setlist seemed authored specifically to amp up the crowd. I mean, they could have played “Let’s Tip The Creator”, which chides the way tech billionaires treat art as a commodity, just as much of a charged bummer as the rest, but its subdued timbres are harder to dance to. Protomartyr’s instead taking the Gang of Four route, favoring, say, the skittering drums of “Fun in Hi Skool”.
As this was the last show of the tour, Casey joked, “We’ll either be so tight, it will be the best show of our lives, or so tired it’ll be the shittiest.” Guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, and drummer Alex Leonard at least made sure it wasn’t the latter, of course. But it was the addition of The Breeders’ Kelley Deal as a full-time touring member of the band that elevated older songs even more than it provided faithful renditions of those whose studio versions she was on. Her voice subbed for the “I have arrived” echo on Under Color of Official Right’s “Maidenhead”, and her backing harmonies beautifully contrasted the ugliness of “Pontiac 87″. And her guitar tones on "Polacrilex Kid” seemed lifted straight from the Hawaiian twang of Last Splash’s “No Aloha”, an inspired replacement for the studio version’s pedal steel. Casey clearly remains eternally thankful. He once said in an interview with NPR, “Basically, the band comes up with amazing music and it's my job to not screw it up too much.” It’s all I could think about as I watched him sip from a Budweiser can, nodding like he was impressed while watching Leonard hammer away during the extended intro of “Jumbo’s”. If he sings on “The Author”, “Time's your enemy / Every gift you see will be taken for sure,” live, he demonstrates the unspoken flipside: Enjoy the gifts while you can.
Local post-punk band Stuck, who I saw open for Metz last winter, was the perfect primer for Protomartyr. They, too, sing about the effects of the decline of America, albeit with a nervy, wiry yelp that recalls bands like Devo and Squid. Lead singer Greg Obis was quick to point out how honored the band was to open for Protomartyr, one of his favorites. It’s easy to see the influence on their new album Freak Frequency (born yesterday). A track like “Fools Idol”, its descriptions of “violence unending” and “the boss descending,” is very Casey-esque in its brand proclamations. And like Protomartyr now, Stuck is that much more loud and urgent live, foregoing, for instance, the studio acoustic instrumentation of “Scared” for all electric jitters. However, unlike those of the perennially offline Casey, Stuck’s songs are riddled with technology-induced worries. At Thalia Hall, drummer Tim Green’s disorienting use of sample pads was an effective mirror for Obis’ admission he’s “distracted all over again” on “Loose Your Cool”. Green’s motorik drums and Obis’ and Ezra Saulnier’s sharp guitarwork reflected the pain of similar cycles of smartphone despair on “Time Out”. The almost hilariously plodding pace of “Planet Money” made a circus out of the song’s targets, the pundits who comment on the health of the economy as if it truly affects the everyday life of our most vulnerable. And then there was set closer “The Punisher”, the only song that saw Obis sing harmonically, sans paranoid screams. On the track, he deftly summarizes the absurdity of the January 6th insurrection, facetiously winking and nodding, “The future never looked so bright.” Even if the world that Protomartyr and Stuck envelop does everything in its power to suggest otherwise, upon leaving Thalia Hall on Thursday, you could, perhaps, agree.
I have been toying with the idea of writing a fic about him for quite sometime and after last weekend I just had to. Estelle ( Ollie's rumoured gf is mentioned here but it is a fake relationship for PR reasons.) Also Paul Aron has a gf... friends to lovers trope.
Shoutout to @httpiastri for the inspiration
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was fast approaching. And Ollie was a jumble of nerves and excitement as usual. Since the early hour of the day, he opened the curtains letting the sun into the room and you groaned into the pillow.
“Wakey wakey, sleepyhead. Come on, we have a whole day ahead of us.”
“No, you do. I don't know why I came.”
“Because I am your bestest friend and I paid for your ticket and let you stay with me.”
“Both of which are for your benefit.”
“Come on….”
“Fine.” You say with a dejected sigh as you get up and you both get ready for the day. David, Ollie's dad was already waiting for you and you headed towards the paddock.
Everything was a frenzy and was passing by so quickly. As Ollie got into the garage and got ready for the quali you headed towards the stands trying to find Cassie, Paul's long-term girlfriend. Throughout the years you have formed a unique friendship. She was the only one who knew about your crush on Ollie and she teased you endlessly about it. Ollie and you had been best friends for the better part of your life, joint to the hip, having endless sleepovers, even if Dad didn't approve.
It was an endless nightmare being close enough to get a taste of all the what ifs, but never experiencing them.
“Do you and your lover boy share a room, huh?”
“It's not like that and you know it, Cassandra.”
“Yeah, it hurts, doesn't it?”
“So much. You have no idea. Yesterday I couldn't sleep and as the hours passed, he came closer and closer. He ended up holding me in his sleep. And I felt so bad because of Estelle. I know that they aren't really together and it's for PR, but still, I feel awful because technically I am the other woman… and she is just so nice and sweet. Never overstepping, I think she knows.”
We both stay quiet after that as the session continues.
“You know… whatever the case. You both love each other, platonically or not.”
“Yeah, I know.” I say as I watch the times set by all the drivers, Ollie having the fastest one yet.
“Looks like your man is on pole.”
We both make our way through the paddock, trying to pass the roaring sea of fans and we hand out already-signed autographs to anyone who asks for them. When we finally arrive, we part ways, before making promises about having dinner together at a restaurant Cassie wanted to try. And I head towards the Prema garage finding two beaming Bearmans, hugging.
“Hey Bear. Did you drive fast enough?” You call at him. And he grins like an idiot before swooping you into a tight hug spinning you. His laughter echoes in your ears as he sets you down.
“Yeah I drove fast enough, you minx.”
“Good. Now let's go. We are having dinner with Paul and Cassie in four hours and I want to see the city.”
“Give me five minutes to change and we are good to go.”
The afternoon is spent visiting local stores, trying to communicate in scrappy English and making terrible puns with products or street names. When they finally head to the restaurant their sides hurt from laughing. Dinner passed by as quickly as it came. As everyone says, time flies by when you are with the people you love.
Just as they open the door for their hotel room, Ollie flops in the bed as you head towards your computer and open it as hoards of emails and messages appear on the screen. Great more deadlines and essays to write until the end of the week.
“Leave it. We can pretend that we have nothing to do and watch a movie or local TV and try to understand what the hell is going on.”
“Thanks Bear. But I can't, as tempting as your offer is. Go to sleep, I will join you soon.”
And so you sit in front of your computer, ending essay after essay, sending them on time, until your eyes hurt from the pale blue light. The bed seems more welcoming than ever before as Ollie starfishes the entire length of it and his soft snores fill the empty space. Yeah, maybe it's time to call it a day.
An awful sound echoes in the room and eventually wakes you.
“I swear if it's one more ad I will jump from the window.” You grumble into your pillow as you steal the blankets and turn yourself into a burrito.
Ollie hisses as he opens his phone only to find a ton of messages and many missed calls from Ferrari. He dials Fred back as he moves towards the bathroom, trying to let you steal a few more minutes of much needed sleep.
When he emerges back in the room he sits down in front of you, his back supported on the bed.
“Ols, what's going on?”
“Carlos has an appendix”
“Oh no. Is he having surgery?”
“Yeah.” He says softly. “They want me to replace him.”
“What?” At that you are fully awake. Your hair is a netted nest and you look at him in shock. He looks at you, you his best friend who would look like a mess to anyone else but to him you look like the most beautiful and amazing creature in the world. Your mere presence has a more calming effect on him than anything else. If it weren't for you, he would have already lost his mind. “How? When? I…”
“We need to get to the paddock, if I don't want to miss FP3. I will wake up Dad and break the news to him.”
Soon after you enter the paddock and thousands of reporters try to get a better look at Ollie, flashing their cameras at you and bombarding you with questions as you make your way to the Ferrari garage and mechanics steal Ollie from you and David as they set to work quickly. David looks pale and sick as he paces into the garage trying to control his nerves through the FP3 and the Quali. When Ollie finally got off the car when he scored the 11th place, missing Q2 only by 3 hundreds of a second, you knew that this was it. He was finally shining like the bright star he was. He had done more than enough, his raw talent showing with barely one hour to get used to the car. And as mechanics and reporters closed around him. You couldn't help but feel like you didn't belong here. Where did you fit in? The reality hit you and it hit you hard. You hid in the back corners of the garage, eyes glued to the screen as everyone passed by without acknowledging you. You would happily hide in the shadows where he shined but this world wasn't meant for you. The anxiety was picking up at you, eating you alive from the inside.
And when Ollie got too close to the wall, your heart stopped beating. He was driving a car that was twice as fast and twice as dangerous than his normal F2 car. It was too much. The sound, the danger, everything really. Breathing suddenly seemed so hard and you needed a way out. As you hide behind the garage you call the one person who could understand. Terri picks up in the second ring her soft voice already calming you.
“Hey love. Is everything alright?”
“How do you do it? How can you stand back and do nothing?”
“You love him, don't you sweetheart?”
“I thought it was obvious.”
“Well … no I always hoped but… whatever the case, to answer your question you simply do it, you just have to. A driver needs his support system and you are it for him. You are his forever person, whether that is romantically or not. He needs to be near you and as much nervous as you are, so is he. Without you he would be lost, believe me I know my son. And I can bet you that as much as your heart breaks right now, you are also immensely proud.”
“Of course I am. But where do I fit in, in this world.”
“Right beside him, love.”
“Thanks Terri. Please call David. I think he is losing his mind and he is sick with worry.” You say chuckling before saying your goodbyes and head back towards the garage. The session is already over and Ollie is nowhere in sight.
Ollie plays with the power button of his phone trying to calm down but to no avail. The lock screen is a photo of the two of you. It was last summer both your skins flushed and hair slightly wet and tangled. You both smile at the camera and your eyes look bright with happiness. He feels slightly lighter but he knows that there is an impending panic attack and so he turns to the one person who could help him in this situation.
"I got your text," you say, tiptoeing inside and shutting the door behind you, careful to not make any loud sounds to scare him. "How are you doing?”
Ollie is sitting on a massaging table, elbows on top of his legs and head resting in his hands. His eyes are stuck on the floor, his silence is defeaning. When he still doesn't answer, your heart rate picks up. Is something really wrong?
You make your way over to him, hands finding his cheeks and softly tilting him up to look at you – and you swear you've never seen him look this wrecked before. Not after his worst crashes, not when he lost the rookie championship last year, not when he was cheated out from the Formula 3 championship. Once again, you've entered completely new territory, and your heart breaks at the sight.
"Ollie, talk to me," you plead, holding back the tears that starts to form on your eyes and threatento spill. It's so painful to look into his eyes, but you can't back down. Not now, not when he needs you this much.
"I'm-" his voice cracks but he shakes his head, clearing his throat. "I'm so nervous, I don't know what to do."
It's like he's oozing anxiety, and his heavy sigh is like a stab in your chest. Ollie, your usually so calm and collected best friend is probably going crazy over this – you know him well enough by now to understand that he's definitely freaking out even more on the inside than what he shows or tells. He is a messy jumble of nerves.
"I get that. One hundred per cent. But.." your thumbs begin to stroke over the skin of his cheeks, along his jaw, and then finally across his eyebrows, to which his eyes flutter closed. "This is your dream. It's been your dream since forever, and now you finally have the chance.”
"And it's not just any car, it's a Ferrari. Do you realize how cool that is? Do you realize how many people would kill for an opportunity like this?" You smile at the sight of him with his eyes still shut, eyelashes resting atop his cheeks, messy fringe covering his forehead. Even like this, at his most stressed state, he's completely gorgeous, not that you would ever tell him that. "You would've killed for an opportunity like this just 24 hours ago."
"But what if I ruin it?" His voice is barely above a whisper when he speaks, shoulders slumping forward. "What if I go out there and I'm shit, and then they realize what a big mistake they've made by even putting me in the academy? What if-"
"It won't happen." His eyelids slowly open and he looks up at you, seemingly not even the slightest upset that you cut him off. "You're too good to do that. You'll get in that car and it will feel like your second home, just like it always does."
Finally, a small smile makes its way onto his lips. It's only been a few minutes since you came in, but he seems much more relaxed now, leaning into your touch completely. "I'll try my best to make you proud."
“I'm always proud of you, you mufflehead.”
A laugh bubbles from his chest and he stands up from the table, opening his arms wide and pulling you in for a tight hug. His heart is still beating louder than a drum in his chest when your ear is pressed up against it, and you're almost worried it will jump out any second now. But his breaths are much more controlled now, and his mind seems much lighter. And soon enough his heartbeat slows to normal.
“I bet that in twenty four hours not only will you finish the race, you will score points and beat Max Verstappen.”
“Let's not get ahead of ourselves” he says chuckling. “God, my neck is killing me.”
“Sit down. I've got you.” And so you start massaging his neck. It's stiff and hard under your hands and he lets a small groan as you untangle one of the knots that were quite painful. After a few minutes he is putty in your hands, his eyes closed, trusting you completely and feeling at ease for the first time in the past two days.
True to your world, Ollie crosses the finish line in seventh place, having gained points in his debut. But the one thing that kept him calm through the process was the thought that she was waiting for him in the cool down room. When the race finishes and drives the car back home he jumps from his seat and he can't get fast enough to her. People around him are praising him and congratulating him but they all fall to deaf eyes.
When he finally gets into the room to change into new fireproofs, she is patiently waiting for him. Her eyes are a little misty and her face flushed.
“I told you.”
“I didn't beat Max.”
“Still.”
She closes in on him and her hands are thrown around his neck, he reciprocates the hug immediately as his heart beat finally slows down. They doth draw away after a while only for him to dive back into her and kiss her firmly on the lips. Shock petrifies her and when he stops, he places his forehead on top of hers. He is a flustered mess and he is mumbling apologies, before she reconnects their lips.
For the following hours Ollie sports a shit-eating grin on his face. Everyone thinks that it is because of his amazing performance and not for kissing the girl that held his heart captive since they were five years old.
After a bit of delay, here are the songs titles from the LCAPT Clegan playlist
1. Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters
2. Clearest Blue by CHVRCHES
3. I'm Not In Love by 10cc
4. Death and All His Friends by Coldplay
5. Til Kingdom Come by Coldplay
6. The Queen Of All Everything by Ott
7. Love song from a dog by Shovels & Rope ft. gregory alan isakov
8. If we were vampires by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
9. Passenger seat by Death Cab for Cutie
10. In our bedroom after the war by Stars
11. Early mornin’ rain by Peter, Paul and Mary
12. I was made for loving you by Yungblud cover
13. Visions of Gideon by Sufjan Stevens
14. Fourth of July by Sufjan Stevens
15. Lover, You Should've Come Over by Jeff Buckley
16. The Roads by Jonah Kagen
17. Next to You by John Vincent III
18. Seen My Man (Wisconsin Demo) by Trixie Mattel
19. Beneath Oak Trees by Dylan Gossett
20. Heaven is a Bedroom by TV Girl
21. Wicked Games by The Weeknd
22. Itchy Teeth by Marika Hackman
23. Breakup by Ashton Irwin
24. Work Song by Hozier
25. I’m Low on Gas and you Need a Jacket by Pierce The Veil
26. Betting On Us by Myles Smith
27. I'm the Sinner by Jared Benjamin
28. Running to You by Jamie Drake & Jamie Jackson
29. Look After You by Aron Wright
30. Smokestacks by Layla
31. Run To You by CJ Starnes
32. Gale song by The Lumineers
33. White Ferrari by Frank Ocean
34. Can You Hear the Rain Love by Richard Hawley
35. Say Yes To Heaven by Lana Del Rey
36. Talk Show Host by Radiohead
37. Untold by RY X
38. Lovers Rock by TV Girl
39. Waiting Room by Phoebe Bridgers
40. I Will by The Beatles
41. Glimpse of Us by Joji
42. Somethin' Stupid by Frank Sinatra & Nancy Sinatra
43. When the party is over by Billie Eilish
44. I love you by Billie Eilish
45. Blue jeans by Lana Del Rey
46. The secret marriage by Sting
47. Wicked game by Ursine Vulpine
48. Love Me Like You Used To by Lord Huron
49. Need you Now by Lady A
50. Strange Birds by Birdy
51. Old Money by Lana Del Rey
52. The Night We Met by Lord Huron
53. Piano Man by Billy Joel
54. Alley Rose by Conan Fray
55. Good Luck, babe by Chappel Roan
56. Be Nice To Me by The Front Bottoms
57. Saturn by Sleeping At Last
58. So Long, London by Taylor Swift
59. From Eden by Hozier
60. I Should Live in Salt by The National
61. Demons by The National
62. Graceless by The National
63. Your Mind Is Not Your Friend by The National, Phoebe Bridgers
64. Don’t Swallow the Cap by The National
65. Dreaming by The National
66. This Isn’t Helping by The National, Phoebe Bridgers
67. Issues by Julia Michaels
68. Gorecki by Lamb
69. Ends Of The Earth by Lord Huron
70. Dark Red by Steve Lacy
71. Fireproof by Coleman Hell
72. Heavydirtysoul by Twenty One Pilots
73. All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Polisar
74. I Found by Amber Run
75. Beautiful by Josh Zandman
76. Budapest by George Ezra
77. Be Together by Major Lazer
78. On The Nature Of Daylight by Max Richter
79. Guiding Light by Mumford & Sons
80. My Blood by Twenty One Pilots
81. My Madonna by Dexter Freebish
82. Chemicals Between Us by Bush
83. Protect Me From What I Want by Placebo
84. I Feel Loved by Depeche Mode
85. Gimme Some Lovin’ by The Spencer Davis Group
86. Little Light Of Love by Eric Serra
87. Fire and Flood by Vance Joy
88. Pride (In The Name Of Love) by Clivillés & Cole
89. Holdin’ Out by The Lumineers
90. If I Go, I’m Goin by Gregory Alan Isakov
91. Letting The Cables Sleep by Bush
92. This Feeling by Chainsmokers
93. Me And You by Barry Louis Polisar
94. Silver sable by Cigarettes after sex
95. How I Learned to Love the Bomb by Glass Animals
96. Hellofazoo by Until the Ribbon Breaks
97. Mr. Forgettable by David Kushner
98. John My Beloved by Sufjan Stevens
99. Alan by Perfume genius
100. One line by PJ harvey
101. Putting The Dog To Sleep by the antlers
102. In My Arms by Alex g
103. Certainty by Big thief
104. Angel In The Snow by Elliott smith
105. Nothing Matters by The Last Dinner Party
106. The Loneliest by Måneskin
107. Till forever falls apart by Ashe, Finneas
108. Whish that you were here by Florence + The Machine
109. I Forget Where We Were by Ben Howard
110. Bite by Troye Sivan
111. Lowlife by Poppy
112. Real Love Song by Nothing But Thieves
113. Like You Do by Joji
114. Be My baby by The Ronettes
115. Burn by Tom Walker
116. Lucky by Bif Naked
117. Fair by The Amazing Devil
118. Bitch by Meredith Brooks
119. I wish you were a girl by 12 RODS
120. All i think about now by Pixies
121. I know by Fiona Apple
122. Sweet tooth by Cavetown
123. Flawless by The Neighborhood
124. Can’t Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley
125. Simply the best by Billianne
126. I remember everything by Zach Bryan, Kacey Musgraves
127. Coal by Dylan Gossett
128. i am not who i was by Chance Peña
129. I Bet On Losing Dogs by Mitski
130. Two slow dancers by Mitski
131. Lucky to get him by Aly and AJ
132. Crack baby by Mitski
133. I don't smoke by Mitski
134. Smoke gets in your eyes by Helen Forest
135. Love by Daughter
136. Can’t Help Falling in Love - DARK by Tommee Profitt, brooke
137. Chills - Dark Version by Mickey Valen, Joey Myron
137,5. Skyline by Sibewest
138. Beautiful Crime by Tamer
139. Act natural by Margaret Glaspy
140. Betray my heart by D'Angelo
141. I will be your friend by Sade
142. Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli
143. I Didn’t Know by Sofia Carson
144. You by A Great Big World
145. This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush
146. Can't you see - acoustic by Matthew and the Atlas
147. Cowboy by Jack Van Cleaf
148. Feels like Home by Caamp
149. Carry You Home by Alex Warren
150. Belong Together by Mark Ambor
151. The First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes
152. Kaleidoscope by A Great Big World
153. Monsters of the North by The National Parks
154. The great war by Taylor Swift
155. Free by Florence + The Machine
156. I know the end by Phoebe Bridgers
157. Another Man’s Jeans by Ashe
158. I’ve Told You Now by Sam Smith
159. Love Me by Elvis Presley
160. Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue) by Hozier
161. Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish
162. Take me home, country roads by John Denver
163. Army Dreamers by Kate Bush
164. I'm No Angel by Dido
165. We’ll Meet Again by Johnny Cash
166. Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other by Orville Peck
167. If We Were Vampires by Noah Kahan, Wesley Schultz
168. You Belong To Me by Jo Stafford
169. Goodnight Irene by Frank Sinatra
170. All I Want by Kodaline
171. Me and my Husband by Mitski
172. The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is out to get us by Sufjan Stevens
173. As the World cave in by Sarah Cothran
174. Dead of Night by Orville Peck
175. invisible string by Taylor Swift
176. The Ghost of You by My chemical Romance
177. We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn
178. Love in the Time Of Socialism by Yellow house
179. Northern Downpour by Panic! At The Disco
180. Better in the Morning by Birdtalker
181. doomsday by Lizzy McAlpine
182. Guilty by Al Bowlly
183. Heat Lightning by Mitski
184. everything i wanted by Billie Eilish
185. Blood Moon by Josiah and the Bonnevilles
186. Night Terror by Laura Marling
187. Vengeance Is Sleeping by Neko Case
188. Finally Stop Dreaming by Dylan Gossett
189. The Yawning Grave by Lord Huron
190. Learning To Fly by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
191. Hounds of Love by The Futureheads
192. Now I'm in it by HAIM
193. Stand Back by Stevie Nicks
194. Moonlight of Your Room by Joe Pug
195. Blue by Mai Yamane
196. Call Your Girlfriend by Robyn
197. Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
198. Summer Of '69 by Bryan Adams
199. Fix you by Coldplay
200. Sun Bleached Flies by Ethel Cain
201. I walk the Line by Halsey
202. The Greatest by Billie Eilish
203. I'll be seeing you by Billie Holiday
204. We will not be Lovers by The Waterboys
205. Triptych by Samia
206. In a Jar by Dinosaur Jr.
207. Dionne by The Japanese House, Justin Vernon
208. Nothing Like by Mannequin pussy
209. True Love Waits by Radiohead
210. Weird Fish/Arpeggi by Radiohead
211. I’m a Fool to Want You by Billie Holiday
212. A Life of Arctic Sounds by Modest Mouse
213. Soldier Boy by The Shirelles
214. Casual by Chappel Roan
215. Ruined by Adrianne Lenker
216. Without You by Tobias Jesso Jr.
217. That's Where I Am by Maggie Rogers
218. Die Young by Sylvab Esso
219. Violet hill by Coldplay
220. You made me love you by Patsy Cline
221. Smoke gets in your eyes by Eartha Kitt
222. Piece of my heart by Erma Franklin
223. Love and anger by Kate Bush
224. Guilty by Johnny Desmond
225. I Can’t Begin to Tell You by Bing Crosby
226. People Will Say We’re in Love by Frank Sinatra
227. You’ll Never Know by Dick Haymes
228. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To by Dinah Shore
229. Speeding Cars by Walking On Cars
230. Girl Crush by Harry Style
231. Fine Line by Harry Style
232. Bittersuite by Billie Eilish
233. Et même après je t'aimerai by Hoshi
234. Tourner dans le vide by Indila
235. What was I made For? by Billie Eilish
236. Maybe by James Arthur
237. Happy Together by Gerard Way, Ray Toro
238. Dandelions by Ruth B.
239. When the Darkness Comes by Shelby Merry
240. Silver tongues by Louis Tomlinson
241. Telepathic by Starset
242. Always by Isak Danielson
243. Like real people Do by Hozier
244. Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
245. Can you hold me by NF, Britt Nicole
246. Moondust by Jaymes Young
247. Maps - triple j Like A version by Camp Cope
248. We made it by Louis Tomlinson
249. Adore you by Harry Style
250. Love song by Lana Del Rey
251. Satellite by Harry Style
252. Late night Talking by Harry Style
253. Home by Edith Whiskers
254. Guilty as Sin? by Taylor Swift
255. The Light by CHPTRS
256. Started With You by CHPTRS
257. City Lights (Symphonic Version) by HAEVN
258. This Is Why I Need You by Jesse Ruben
259. Never Stop (Wedding Version) by Safetysuit
260. Sacrifice by Elton John
261. Who we are by Hozier
262. Politik by Coldplay
263. All I need by Radiohead
264. Can't pretend by Tom Odell
265. Would Anyone Care by Citizen Soldier
266. Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga
267. Warriors by Willyecho
268. Brother by Kodaline
269. Protector by City wolf
270. Texas reznikoff by Mitski
271. Pin by Grimes
272. I'm your man by Mitski
273. Haunting by Halsey
274. Twin flame by Weyes blood
275. Why Can’t The Dark Leave Me Alone? by Toni Fisher
276. No Other Love by Jo Stafford
277. Your Best American Girl by Mitski
278. Careless Whispers by George Michael
279. Sailor Song by Gigi Perez
280. Sidelines by Phoebe Bridges
281. not a lot, just forever by Adrianne Lenker
282. forwards beckon rebound by Adrianne Lenker
283. Norman fucking Rockwell by Lana Del Rey
284. Long Long Time by Linda Ronstadt
285. Break by alex_g_offline
286. Some Velvet morning by Nancy Sinatra, Lee Hazlewood
287. Overtime by Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Kacey Musgraves
288. The John Wayne by Little Green Cars
289. Pale blue Eyes by The Velvet Underground
290. You'll Never Know (78rpm version) by Frank Sinatra, Bobby Tucker Singers
291. Come on Mess me up by Cub sport
292. While I can by Keaton henson
293. Flying :)) by Tom Odell
294. Cornflower blue by Flower Face
295. Remember by Seinabo Sey, Jacob Banks
296. Once more to see you by Mitski
297. Back to the old house by The Smiths
298. Symphonia IX by Current Joys
299. So real by Jeff Buckley
300. Half return by Adrianne Lenker
301. Fade into you by Mazzy Star
302. All We Ever Do is Talk by Del Water Gap
303. Dirty Little Secret by Artemas
304. Too Sweet by Hozier
305. Anyways I Love You by Wild Rivers
306. like you’re god by Mehro
307. Size too small by Sufjan Stevens
308. Cheers Darlin' by Damien Rice
309. Lotus Flower by Radiohead
310. Twilight Time by The Platters
311. Because of You by Tony Bennett
312. if i needed someone by The Beatles
313. Standing next to You by Jungkook
314. Falling away with You by Muse
315. Exist for Love by AURORA
316. Sata vuotto by BEHM
317. Blood Sport by Sleep Token
318. Oblivion by SYML
319. Timezone by Måneskin
320. Own my mind by Måneskin
321. Pushing Up Daisies (Love Alive) by Brothers Osborne
322. Unbroken by Tim McGraw
323. I Was Born To Love You by Queen
324. You’re My Best Friend by Queen
325. Think I’m In Love With You by Chris Stapleton, Dua Lipa
326. Something To Talk About by Bonnie Raitt
327. Parachute by Chris Stapleton
328. Love The Lonely Out Of You by Brothers Osborne
329. Here Tonight (The Acoustic Sessions) by Brett Young, Charles Kelley
330. Stay A Little Longer by Brothers Osborne
331. The End by Halsey
332. Birds of a feather by Billie Eilish
333. Found Heaven by Conan Gray
334. Down bad by Taylor Swift
335. I do by Renee Rapp
336. The good I'll do by Zach Bryan
337. Half Light by BANNERS
338. Resistance by Muse
339. Far from home (the raven) by Sam Tinnesz
340. Francis forever by Mitski
341. I love you by RIOPY
342. This must be the place (naive melody) 2005 by Talking Heads
343. Maps by Yeah yeah yeahs
344. Cinnamon Girl by Lana del rey
345. I'm on Fire by Bruce Springsteen
346. Fire on Fire by Sam Smith
347. I'm Making Believe by The Inkspots and Ella Fitzgerald
348. Watch Over You by Alter Bridge
349. Summer song by Remy bond
350. Off to the races by Lana Del Rey
351. Almost (sweet music) by Hozier
352. giveuwhatuwant by The Driver Era
352,5. Birds of a feather by Billie Eilish
353. Big Mike’s by Dijon
354. Simulation Swarm by Big Thief
355. I Wanna Be Yours by Arctic Monkeys
356. Little Bit More by Mk.gee
357. Be Well by Ama Lou
Stormflower by Keegan Kozinski & Tristen Kozinski (ARC)
The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina
The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis
up next
The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
Rouge by Mona Awad
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moerno-Garcia
finished books
here is the long, long list of my 2024 reads, with ratings, dates, and links to reviews. wanna read along or chat with me about books? i'm super active on fable.
because of tumblr's limit on links, i cannot direct to individual reviews at this point. for this reason, i will be sharing reviews here separately from time to time using the tag #harrowclare reads. if you would like to view my reviews on their respective sites, you can find them on thestorygraph & goodreads.
dates are listed as month, day. manga volumes that are binged will be grouped so that this list isn't a million miles long, with the range of ratings for the volumes in the stack. a few of these titles were started in 2023, lol whoops! those are the only dates with a year stamp.
current reading goal progress: 98/100
Five-Star Stranger by Kat Tang
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 08.30—08.31 - fiction
The Haar by David Sodergren
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 - 08.25—08.29 - fiction
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑- 08.26—08.27 - fiction
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - 08.19—08.25 - fiction
i actually gave this a 3.75 on thestorygraph, which may seem obnoxious, but it felt right idk. sometimes rating shit 1-5 feels arbitrary and hard.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.30—08.24 - fiction
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.30—08.06 - fiction
The Ruins by Scott Smith
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - 08.01—08.05 - fiction
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 - 07.24—07.30 - fiction
at the time of reading and reviewing this i was unaware of the controversies surrounding the author (uncredited use of the likeness of a video game and possible Zionism.) i don't want to change my rating & review because the book did have a profound impact on me, but i also do not believe in separating art from the artist, so i will not be purchasing the book or reading more from the author.
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.14—07.29 - fiction
Playground by Aron Beauregard
🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑 - 07.23—07.28 - fiction
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑- 07.17—07.27 - fiction
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑- 07.15—07.24 - fiction
The Spirit Bares its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑- 07.11—07.23 - fiction
The Liminal Zone by Junji Ito
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑- 07.20—07.22 - manga
The Summer Hikaru Died Vol. 1 by Mokumokuren
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - 07.19—07.20 - manga
Who exactly is Oliver Oakes, newly appointed Alpine TP, and what could this mean?
[TW: Nakita Mazepin mention]
Oliver Oakes is a relatively well known name in formula motorsports, primarily as the team principal and director of Hitech GP, (F4/F3/F2 etc. British racing team).
Additionally he is the second youngest team principal ever, at the age of 36 (born in 1988).
But before that he was actually a racing driver himself, and is the 2005 World Karting champion. He was even once a part of the Red Bull Junior Team. He raced in a few single seater series before moving onto a managerial position.
Oliver Oakes [L] and Marcus Ericsson [R], 2008 - British Formula 3 International Series
Team Oakes Racing, a karting team and karting management service, was formed in 2011. They managed notable drivers such as Callum Ilott, Marcus Armstrong, Nikita Mazepin, and Clement Novalak.
In 2015, Hitech Racing became Hitech GP as we know today after founder, David Hayle partnered up with Oakes. Many drivers have driven for Hitech such as George Russell, but there's too many to name.
It was under Oakes' management that built Hitech's strong connections with Uralkali as a sponsor and partial ownership by Dmitry Mazepin (which is no longer the case as of 2022) by signing Nikita Mazepin as a driver.
(L) George with Oakes in 2016 / (R) Oakes with Mazepin in 2020
Presently, their notable talent includes, Paul Aron who in is currently 3rd in the F2 standings in his rookie year with 7 podiums. And Luke Browning, who is running 2nd in F3.
Oakes with Paul Aron, Estonian F2 driver (x)
If you didn't know, Paul Aron was part of the Mercedes F1 Junior Team and parted ways (he was dropped) with them at the end of 2023. He looks to be doing pretty well in F2, so who knows if with Oakes as a newly appointed TP, this could be an opportunity for Paul in the future (maybe a potential buy out).