#experimenting with adding my dnf to this

[wearethekat]

December Book Review Overview

Hold Fast (Sebastian Nothwell)

The Death of Jane Lawrence (Caitlin Starling)

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right (Suzanne Allain)

The Salvation Gambit (Emily Skrutskie)

Fire Spells Between Friends (Sarah Wallace)

This Cursed House (Del Sandeen)

Now Wait For Last Year (Phillip Dick)

Mazes of Power (Juliette Wade)

How To Steal A Galaxy (Beth Revis)

The Birdcage Library (Freya Berry)

Eleventh Hour (Elin Gregory)

Dark Woods, Deep Water (Jelena Dunato)

Under the Earth, Over the Sky (Emily McCosh)

The Uses of Illicit Art (Wendy Palmer)

The Siege of Burning Grass (Premee Mohamed)

Beguilement (Lois McMaster Bujold)

Dulhaniyaa (Talia Bhatt)

Legacy (Lois Mcmaster Bujold)

The Dragonfly Gambit (AD Sui)

A Dowry of Blood (ST Gibson)

The Tea Master and the Detective (Aliette de Bodard)

Dazzling (Chikodili Emelumadu)

Transgressions of Power (Juliet Wade)

Daughter of Tides (Kit Rocha)

The Orb of Cairado (Katherine Addison)

The Resurrectionist (A Rae Dunlap)

The Buttercross Dragon (Maria Grace)

Steal the Sky (Megan E O'Keefe)

DNF:

Black Leviathan (Bernd Perplies)

The Stones Stay Silent (Danny Ride)

Threadneedle (Cari Thomas)

Set in Stone (Stella Brinzeanu)

The Players (Minette Walters)

[tinydeskwriter]

Training Season| Häkkinen!driver!reader

A/N: so this has being in my drafts since January, after Hamilton announcement, the calendar is a little off because I used the 2023 calendar when writing, but I would like to point out that I wrote that Lando has three podiums with Charles and Max and finishes second in the Championship. Also I had big hopes for Williams this year, I know, but hope is a fools gold so... sue me. This is kind of a super rookie scenario where she can be a beddie even in a Williams.

ships: I am not sure yet... It can either be Landoxreader or Charlesxreader, I was unsure even when writing...

Y/n Häkkinen was signed by Williams for the 24’ season, taking the seat previously owned by Sergeant. The young Monegasque driver was the 2023 F2 champion and 2022 F3 champion, the daughter of double-World Champion, Mika Häkkinen, her seat at the team came backed by some big sponsors—sponsors that had supported her career since the early days.

She’s also the first woman on the grid since Giovanna Amati in the 90’s, which in itself brings a lot of attention to the team.

Williams is the gateway for her to prove herself to the world.

The door that no other team would have opened for an untested female rookie.

Their 2024 car is ok-ish, good, but not really great. Yet, it does not stop her from overtaking several drivers with better cars and far more years on the grid than her.

She bulldozes her way on each track from the get-go, driving in a level far above her paycheck and far beyond her years of experience, leaving her own teammate and stronger teams in her wake.

She does not win her first race.

She never expected to do so in a Williams, however she does end up in the podium, below Norris and Verstappen. Though she’s not the day’s winner, the reporters seem far more interested in the only girl on grid pushing her Williams to a third place than in Red Bull’s three times World Champion or McLaren’s golden boy.

She’s the first women to ever put foot on a F1 podium—and on her very first race too.

Y/n Hakkinen is history in the making, a bold French journalist states.

One that the press finds a lot more interesting and appealing than the 7 times world champion that does not seem anywhere near his eighth title, or the current one, who can’t stop winning, until now.

Her second race, Jeddah, is another show of great skill, another podium, she finishes the race once again on third place. Scoring in just two races more points than Williams scored the whole of the last season.

In Australia she takes second.

When it comes to the comparisons, her rookie year can only be compared to Hamilton, she demonstrates the same prodigious talent on the track that the seven-time champion did in 2007, with the added mystic of doing so in a midfield car—she eventually breaks a few of his records, most consecutive podium finishes and most points in a debut, but she does not bet his record of most wins in a debut season.

Though she admits that Hamilton is one of her F1 idols she does not accept to be called the next Hamilton, “It is 2024, we should stop comparing people, I am not the next anybody, I am the first and only Y/n Häkkinen, thank you.”

There is no denying that she’s popular with the public, who find the quiet Monegasque who sings in her radio during races quite endearing.

She warm and inviting to the public and with fans, however, does not get closer with the other drivers until after her first win.

It is in Imola, the seventh race of the season.

She had developed a bit of an arrogant/cocky reputation with the lack of interaction with the rest of the grid—not even with her own teammate—and monosyllabic answers to the press.

At Ferrari’s home race she qualified third, behind Leclerc and Norris. On race day Sainz DNS’s, Verstappen has trouble with his car from the beginning and DNF’s and Russell crashes against the barrier taking out Alonso and Piastri.

Y/n/n overtakes Leclerc on the 22nd lap, and after some battling from the older Monegasque to regain position, she proceeds to lead the remaining of the race until the finish line, sharing the podium with Ferrari and McLaren, leaving the world speechless.

A Williams beating a Ferrari…in Imola.

She has a celebratory dinner with the team, picking up the bill and thanking everyone for the hard work, apologizes for sometimes being so closed and difficult to approach and promises to do better. Alex finally breaks his teammate's out of her shell, after only seven races, the two have a long—first conversation—during dinner, the Monegasque confesses that she kept her distance because she never got along with teammates, they always end up resenting her for winning—God forbids a girl winning in Formula.

The dinner ends up with Alex and Lily dragging her to a nightclub to meet with a few of the other drivers—who were celebrating Leclerc and Norris podium.

Most seemed shocked by her arriving alongside the couple—and the fact that she was dressed in something that didn't have the Williams logo in it—overall, after the initial chock, everyone was surprisingly welcoming. It surprises everyone that Y/n/n, is far from being the Ice Queen portrayed by the media, with monosyllabic answers and cold glares—she earns some points when as the winner of the day she puts her card on the bar to pay for drinks.

She gives as good as she gets to Pierre’s natural flirting, amusing everyone around, declares herself in love with Kika and Lily—Oscar’s girl—after half an hour talking about fashion. She sings with Yuki on top of her lungs, dances with Lando and Arthur and drinks them both under the table. At the end of the night leaves the club between George and Charles, the two most sober ones of the group, Albon's blazer jacket around her shoulders and a pair of sunglasses she doesn't remember who she got from covering her eyes.

Photos of the night appear all over the internet in gossip pages, there is speculation and some amount of hate in her comment section bellow her photos on Instagram, and although none of those involved or their teams comment on anything, it becomes clear in the following races that it was nothing more than a bonding moment between the rookie and the other drivers on the grid.

Being social does not affect her performance on track, she comes in seventh in Monaco after tire problems, fifth in Austria, and takes her second win in Silverstone.

For the first time in years, it seems like Williams Racing has a shot at the Championship, surprising all—though it is undeniable that the public loves an underdog by the growing number of Williams fans at each race wearing caps with the number eight and the soaring numbers on Y/n social medias.

It is after Silverstone that the other teams start to approach her about her next season, eager to bring her to the front row after she showed what she’s capable of with a Williams.

“I have yet to think about my future, as of now, I am focused on do my best with Williams.” She says during the press conference after avoiding several questions of the same content. “Deciding where I will be next season is something I have to do with a very cool head, without getting carried away by sentimentality. Like many drivers here, I have many dreams, but my main goal is to win. That's the only answer I'll give on the matter."

The press quickly catches on in the ‘bidding war’ amongst the teams for the hot commodity that is the prodigious young Monegasque.

Not to say that every race is perfect. Y/n/n is a consistent driver, but sometimes crashes are beyond her own control. Ocon crashed on her in Baku ending her race on the 15th lap, and at Spa she is unable to avoid crashing into Pierre after being hit by George and Zhou.

After several rollovers, Y/n/n ends up upside down, the driver is quick to turn off the engine, but it doesn't take long to notice that she has no radio and probably has a sprained wrist, which leaves her unable to get out of the car on her own.

She felt like a lifetime, when it barely took more than two minutes for Pierre and George to get to her—their own crash site not being far—and help her slide out of what is left of her car. Y/n watches the rest of the race from the medical unit, but she is there for the podium, with her wrist bandaged, smiling and cheering Lando third win of the season, a podium once again shared with Charles and Max.

Zandvoort is good, but not half as good as Y/n/n would have liked, it was almost a month in between Belgium and Netherlands, and her wrist is fully healed she had no excuse for not doing better.

After personally meeting with Toto Wolff in Monaco during the break for talks about taking a seat at Mercedes, the last think she wants is to underperform. She had other offers. But she won't be Verstappen's second at Red Bull, and she won't carry Stroll on her back at Aston Martin, much less wait two years for Audi debut in 26’, she’s too hungry for wins to wait.

It is after taking second place in Monza, that Y/n gives the go ahead so that her manager—her father—starts negotiating a contract with Mercedes.

Car issues stresses her out in Singapore and Suzuka. But she's more of a social butterfly as the season starts to come to an end.   

By the time Interlagos arrives her contract with Mercedes in signed, securing a seat for her in 2025.

In Abu Dhabi, the last race of the calendar, she has her father by her side—and her older brothers, who did not attend for most of the season due to their own careers, are present. It's easy to see how important the three men are to Y/n—although she races with her father's surname, and the same number as he did, she does so under the Monegasque flag instead of the Finnish.

They say that when your career is soaring, your love life does not exist, and it couldn't be truer for her.

Her rookie year is one for the motorsport history books.

Y/n signs a Netflix deal for a Drive to Survive’ spin-off focused on women in motorsport and her own career. Brands she always admired reach out for endorsement deals and ambassadorship.

However, she never knows if a guy is interested in her or the privileges of dating a Formula One driver.

She did not take part in the podium at Yas Marina, yet her final position at the parc fermé kept her with just enough points to finish the Championship in third place.

Max is once again the World Champion, but different from previous years, it was not without sweat, this time it was a tough competition with Lando in his McLaren and the points difference between the first and second is tight.

To end the year on a high note, Y/n/n presents the entire Williams team with gift baskets, a kind of thank you and farewell gift, even though no one would know that she signed with Mercedes for a few more days. All the drivers receive a gift from her during Secret Santa, nothing too extravagant, she still feels shy about giving them a gift.

The announcement of Y/n/n's signing with Mercedes comes hours before the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony, it is posted with a photo of Y/n on George's right, both in Tommy Hilfinger apparel, Toto in the middle just a little behind his young drivers—looking every bit like a Ralph Lauren dad, proud of his preppy children, as a user on X pointed out.

It shocks everyone who thought that Toto had his eyes on Alonso or young Kimi Antonelli from Formula Two—even Ocon had shown up on the betting pool.

The ceremony happens in Abu Dhabi due to the last race of the year being near mid-December. Y/n arrives solo in a custom-made midnight blue Dior gown, glimmering in Cartier diamonds and blood-red lips, she was the focus of every flash on the red carpet with a thousand questions thrown her way, she smiles and waves and dodges questions like a pro.

She ends the night with three prizes, 3rd place in the World Championship, Rookie of the Year and Action of the Year—for that phenomenal overtake on Leclerc in Imola.  

“How did you managed? It was a Williams against a Ferrari!” The presenter asked her impressed once the driver joins the stage.

“Big balls.” She jokes, sending the room in an uproar. “On a serious note, Leclerc is an amazing driver, it was tough, he hunted me down all the way to the finish line, winning when going against your idols, the people that inspire you, that you look up to, it is an amazing feeling, especially when their cars were much superior to your own.”

Y/n/n cracks another joke on stage after receiving the crystal trophy as she was seated beside Lando during the ceremony—and the internet can’t get enough of the screenshots from the broadcast of the two drivers talking and giggling, with Verstappen looking sternly at them for their shenanigans before smiling.

A/n: share your thoughts!

[extremely-judgemental]

Long Post (From the Drafts)

I love patterns and recurring themes. When I was reading Crescent City, at first glance, there were a lot of parallels between Danika and Rhysand. They both lie to their loved ones, exploit them, manipulate them, take away their bodily autonomy. Danika is basically Rhysand 2.0, only she is a woman and everyone genuinely seems to love her. I didn’t finish the third book and so I’m not very sure about Bryce’s growth in the end except that she becomes the Fae Queen and she demolishes monarchy among the fae. Now that got my attention.

To preface, this isn’t a character critique on Bryce although it seems like it. It’s just SJM is too predictable in her writing and keeps recycling the same thing.

Half-bloods. Some Voldemort shit this is.

Rhysand is part High Fae and part Illyrian. Bryce is part fae, part human. This half-breed nature, however, gives them an advantage over the others belonging to the same race/species. In Bryce’s case, added to some physical perks, her morality is also rooted in her humaneness which makes her supposedly better than the fae.

Both of them hate one or both sides of their ancestry. Rhysand even refuses to rule 2/3 of his court because of this hatred. Bryce is self-righteous and this extends to some of the Vanir too.

Can’t be anything less than ‘The Most Powerful’

Rhysand self-proclaims as the most powerful High Lord to exist and considered the most reliable to unite Prythian by his friends when he can’t even rule his entire court on his own.

Bryce marginally surpasses her father in magical powers making her eligible to rule her people. She is rallied as the one to unite the fae factions in Midgard as evidenced by Cormac’s words. The prince who was raised to rule his people admitting a woman who is prejudiced against his race and took no interest in learning the ins and outs of FiRo saying she’s fit to be a queen. Sounds familiar? (Bryce may have a good heart but that’s not enough to lead. Politics is treated like a child’s play in these series that I want to murder someone.)

Ruler who won’t rule

Keir runs Hewn City. Generals like Devlon run Illyria. Morrigan runs Velaris. Rhysand creates a court that dreams for centuries.

Now, Bryce. She implements the first ever fae democracy in Midgard. It sounds very much like she handed her responsibilities over to a council while she keeps her title. (Like I said, dnf the book, so correct me if she gave up that power too.) It seems a good choice since she doesn’t have any experience in governing people but we’ll circle back to it.

Lying is the new smarts.

There is difference between being a cunning mastermind who wields their words and being an outright liar. Rhysand, Feyre, Bryce are smart because all they ever do is lie.

When Rhysand is scheming, no one is spared. Everyone is a pawn in his games. This trait is overlooked in Bryce because of her empathetic tendencies and how she throws herself into dangers for her loved ones. But she is guilty too. When everyone is looking for the human boy, Bryce makes her friends chase ghosts in order to cover her tracks. Even Fury, a reputed assassin, wants to be left out of Bryce’s plans. June never wants to be part of it either and only offers to help for the sake of the boy. Bryce manipulates them and drags them to the Meat Market all so she can meet the Viper Queen without raising suspicion. And Hunt is like a dumb puppy who just follows her around when she screws up. He could have very well been lobotomised after book 1.

And the same happens when Bryce takes her parents to Velaris. What happened to the human boy she put everyone at risk to save? I only read the bonus chapter, so let me know what this boy who’s more vulnerable than Ember and Randall and just clawed his way out of a concentration camp was doing in Midgard.

And, neither Rhysand nor Bryce take being lied to or denied lightly.

The burdens of their mighty power.

Rhysand respects no one and loves lording his powers over others. Nothing new here, so let’s talk about Bryce. Midgard is a very biased world where humans and any creature with little power is treated as less than, no different from Prythian on that front. Bryce hates authority as she’s subjected to this treatment as well. But she also enjoys certain perks all through her life. She is rescued from the interrogation right after Danika’s death, secures a decent life being Danika’s friend and through her allies. She has the advantage to act out because of her connections to these powerful players in the Midgard but she has a ‘might as well enjoy while it lasts’ attitude hating anyone who also does the same. Eventually many are swayed by her personality (which wasn’t personally compelling to me but whatever) although she had a strong footing in that world because of the very privileges she despises.

Book 1 Bryce was way better and a bit grounded to her reality but she changes so much after inheriting the powers from the Drop. Everyone constantly has to get a stamp of approval from her time and time again. No one is given the benefit of the doubt until they prove themselves meanwhile she lies and tricks. She has no respect for anyone’s rules. Yes, her world is fucked up and she is the rebel who breaks every notion there is that oppress innocent people but she takes it too far sometimes. She hates hierarchy. But she uses her name to ‘help’ June and later is unyielding when asked to take the responsibility that comes with it. She insults Cormac in front of everyone but gets away with it. And my favourite, when Nesta and Azriel warn her about the dangers, Bryce—knowing nothing about that world—goes on and on about her birthright and upheavals the Prison because she heard a calling. The last one was out of desperation but she can be pretty stupid and entitled. Most of the times, she is just lucky that things don’t backfire badly.

Combining all this, one thing is clear. The ones who are the least eligible to run a democracy always get to stay at the top, and not to mention they come with immense power which is one of the many reasons they are chosen in the first place. What they truly portray is an unopposed authority with unlimited resources whenever they desire.

Rhysand, Feyre, Bryce—none of them play by anyone’s rules. They have a holier-than-thou attitude and only a select few are offered their trust, that too after they have proven themselves useful in some way. They abhor anyone in power, anyone who wants power, but never hesitate to flaunt their own or pull ranks. For someone who fights for the commoners, they tend to endanger civilians at whim. Rhysand and Feyre look down on other High Lords and question their strength when they don’t play along. Bryce does the same to anyone who doesn’t want to help her and thereby don’t adhere to her moral standards.

Right now, Bryce imitates Rhysand’s rule in Night Court. She has distanced herself from the ruling by creating a council to care for FiRo. And considering the above, how will Bryce exactly handle when her council doesn’t agree with her? She is deeply prejudiced against fae and she views them as shallow and unreliable across worlds, given she has a good reason at the start to believe so. Someone who’s always broken rules to get her way, what will she do with the power she holds? Will she wait around for people to decide, or use her title, or scheme behind their backs and turn the council into a metaphorical government? Especially if it involves the humans somehow.

Basically the Court of Dreams and the Council in FiRo is just a motif to suggest that these characters are epitome of goodness and fit to be a ruler when none of them prove to be worthy. Democracy is not a principle that’s truly valued in these series but a backdrop as it is acceptable in the society.

PS Since these are self-inserts, do I dare say the ‘better than everyone hybrids’ are SJM projecting her complex about her own heritage? If any of you confirm that Aelin or one of her popular friends fit this criteria, I’m calling it because three is a pattern.

[harriertail]

end of year reading roundup

Notes on a Scandal - i finished this in a night. fucking gripping but did i enjoy it? not sure. WEIRD... dickensian characters.... a somewhat rushed final section but an absolutely brutal look on class in the UK and the way we treat female criminals. full of awful, awful, people, and the system that failed a young boy. the film takes a different look at Barb but what a witch she is here, what an awful lonely bitter woman, love her character. i will definitely be checking out ms heller's other works.

Patrol - ugh SO good. incredible prose, incredible story and set up, the futility of war and the seemingly insignificant decisions made. While obviously a near play by play of mr majdalhany's experiences at war, some of the sections of the book describing his fear under attack and the expectations of his men, his encounter with an injured German, and the intense stress of the north african front, were so direct they added a vulnerability and a directness that could not have been written by anyone else. They say the war killed mr majdal in '51 and after reading what happened i can understand why.

Trial by Battle - AHHHHHH this was incredible. again a fantastic novel- I can't recommend the IWM's war classics collection enough!!! truly some gems in there showing the lesser known frontiers of the war. the setting was vivid and richly described, our narrator a man going insane over his beloved lettuce and where his class places him in the army. and Holl! What a fucking guy!!!!!! Nutcase!!!!! 10/10

The Power and the Glory - set after the first world war in socialist mexico as some crazed liuetenant chases after the whisky priest... beautifully written. i admit i maybe didnt get the full depth of it's morals and questions but definitely a good introduction to Mr Greene's writing and a somewhat overlooked time period.

Kibogo - set during the Ruzagayura in Rwanda during ww2, interesting. trippy POVs and myths throughout. deserves another read I feel.

The Terror - this just let me down. DNF and ended up skip-reading the last 50% lmfao. the racism + sexism felt less like the *characters* were racist/sexist and more like the author just wanted to repeatedly write those horrible things about 15 year old girls (ala Stephen King or Tarantino). plot was not actually that good because I couldn't get over the narrative repeating the same thing ad nauseum and the absolutely baffling pacing including the final August to October time skip ??? the choice to have multiple POVs and then have events crucial to one POV character's arc appear in a footnote in a different POV (ie Fitzjames' death being a fucking diary entry in Goodsir's POV and not Croziers?? the amputation that led to Mr Diggle's death being Crozier POV and not Goodsir??) poorly written imho. congrats to the show runners for adapting it i guess

2025 goal is definitely more female authors, no yanks, and to get through my stack of books + finish AVOS reread + more historical nonfic to read; When We Were Twins, Piranesi, Liquidation, The Geneva Party.

[ammitashton666]

hi, I’m Ammit

(I accidentally deleted my last one T-T)

my name is Ammit, or Ash, I do not want you to ask for my real name or what I look like, I am 15.

DNI/DNF: anti-recovery/furry/therian/endo/system �� fat/trans/homophobic • R#dqueer • pro-contact paraphernalia(z00, p€d0, etc.) • don’t support physical nonhumans • racist • sexist • Pro-shipper • if asking for money, I cannot provide you money because I am a MINOR

my dni/dnf is subject to get added more to.

And on the note of z00s, I support the ones that are anti-contacts, and the one in recovery, pro-contacts can get tf off my page.

I am not human in any way, shape, or form, I am a fox and Maine coon and mentally, psychologically, and spiritually, I also identify as a raccoon but not by past life, mostly by same experiences and actions, and I feel connected to them, I am also a fox cladotherian, meaning I am ever single species of fox. I identify as my OC physically as a coping mechanism. If you don’t think physical nonhumans exists, or are delusional, you are not welcome here either.(yes, sometimes it can be a delusion, but not for everyone), I am also a fox on a physical level, it feels right, and I don’t feel human.

I take art requests, and yes, they are free, I don’t like charging for my art, it’s not for sale, I do it for fun. Below are my rules for my art.

art I will do: furries, masks, animals, characters(that arent complex), landscapes, combinations of animals, or anything I’m comfortable with doing.

art I will NOT do: NSFW art(mainly furries, I don’t see them that way), harmful paraphernalia, complex art(unless I’m in the mood to do so), anything discriminatory.

Dividers by @/cafekitsune

Physical nonhuman flag made by @/axolotlbunnyposts

[wildpeachfarm]

Thank you for being such a level headed blog in a time it is much needed while providing much needed relief today with the dnf omega verse posting 😂

While I agree with everything being said, I do think people are missing a big point trying to claim Caiti is an adult woman just bc she turned 18. Talk to most 21 year old and they say 18 is a baby, 25 say 21 is a baby so on. 18 is not some number where magically you stop having childish feeling and emotions. Humans are still developing and maturing all the way into their 20s

It’s about experience and adulting. she wanted to take adult actions while not making mature choices. It is a nuanced thing being 18 because you are still a teenager but also legally an adult but you just left high school but have a job but you can’t drink but but but

I just think people need to be very careful about saying…well she is 18, she is a fully fledged mature adult., cable of adult decision making and rationalization of complex feeling they may be feeling for the first time. That is something you’ll see predators use especially when grooming their victims where the second they turn 18, they go public with their “relationship” (this was something forever q/smp did, claiming the age of consent is lower in Brazil so it was okay)

The point is: Caiti was aware of the choices she was making, cognizant of her options (despite drinking), and choice to remain in a situation that made HER uncomfortable. If she cannot communicate her feeling in a situation like this, she should not be going to parties. She is of an age where she SHOULD be mentally mature enough to recognize some of this. This is not infantilizing her but stating a fact that she is immature and her actions have shown that. She needs to grow the hell up. And she better get used to being uncomfortable because that’s part of what being an adult is. It’s dealing with the uncomfortable-ness of situation and dealing with them in a mature and reasonable way. This is coming from a 30 year old touch adverse person who has to navigate a friendship with someone who is very touch affectionate and knowing not every touch is malice even though it makes me extremely uncomfortable to people to touch anywhere that isn’t my hands…so like I get it but Caiti can’t take this high road without taking personal responsibility that she was irresponsibility and overreacted. (I also think her ‘friends’ gaslit her into believing it was something it was not and she truly needs therapy to sort though all these feelings and emotions to even hope of having a functioning adult life with relationships)

I can only hope her vacation gave her time of reflection and she can see how far she has caused this to spiral and apologize to George in private at least. Because she just started and lead a hate campaign against a man who took responsibility and apologized for how his actions made her feel even if it was not his intentions. Her feelings are valid but that does not excuse her actions which were very malicious (side-eyeing her initial statement and subsequent responses). This is something that never should’ve been made public and should have been handled between the two of them and no one else

-sorry for the word vomit, it wasn’t sitting well with me seeing multiple platforms saying 18 year old are adults and can’t be treated like children. I hope those people are all under the age of 25 bc many adults reflect on how wrong they were when they thought they knew everything at 18-19 and were convinced they were emotionally intelligent. Hell I look back at 25 and realize how stupid I was and readily admit that. I worry for the youth growing up with social media as their morality benchmarks

thank you for adding your thoughts very appreciated :)

[coldsaturn]

Bookrecs 2024

Ok I received an ask requesting bookrecs, and I realized I haven't added anything in years to this blog. Truly tragic.

The thing is, the past few years have been hellish enough that my reading habits changed from "hunger for literature" to "desperate coping before sleeping". So we're talking about a lot of Jikook fics and gorgeous videogames (which I tend to equate to books and movies etc. in terms of ability to deliver a compelling narrative), but not that many books, let alone the indie ones I used to hunt for fun.

But. That doesn't mean I am empty-handed, so here a few titles that still hadn't turned up in my tag. I'll add a TW next to the titles that IMO contain sensitive topics (I don't differentiate between positive/neutral/negative depiction), so mind where you walk.

Contemporary

Circe

I am a sucker for Greek mythology always and forever, so this didn't have to try that hard to be a win, but I was still left pleasantly surprised. It wasn't earth-shattering or anything, but I really appreciated the character-driven slow pace of it, the way we follow a woman finding herself and then discovering others through herself. One doesn't need to know about the mythological events we encounter to still follow along with the journey, but if you catch all the references, the POV is a nice twist. The end-game pairing is also the sweetest <3 Just good vibes all around.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things TW

Intro: Back when the anti-shipping wave truly hit social media and equating fiction with reality became the norm, I started making a list out of spite. Every time some random fan on tumblr.com screamed against another fan because their fanfiction or ship would bring the end of our society, I added one more title to the list. It's published books they wouldn't be able to fathom they exist, so utterly convinced they are that the only way to deal with problematic fiction is by writing on ao3 and then being cancelled for it.

All the ugly and wonderful things is an incredible journey. I deeply respect books that challenge the reader into stepping out of their comfort zone, and this one demands to see the greys, asks you to sit with your discomfort and shut the hell up if you want to keep on reading. Many didn't. It's one of those stories where people give 1 star and DNF not because of how it's written, but because of what is written. If you stick to the end, you're rewarded with a story of humans being humans, in all their ugly and wonderful sides.

Flowers in the Attic (the entire Dollanganger series actually) TW

Another title on the list. This one is a Classic for older generations as it was a school read for many. Back when school reads were fun, apparently. You keep on reading, book after book, not exactly because of its writing style, but because it's a delightful trainwreck, and you just keep on sticking around to see where the characters end up after that absurd (and amazing) premise. If "this might as well happen" was a book.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

This was just a genius idea. Full on "I hate I didn't think of this first" I don't have many books where the very opening line forces me to stop and stare at it for 20 minutes because of how brilliant it is writing-wise, and how successfully it immediately sets the tone for what you're about to read.

"I forget everything between footsteps."

I assure you in Italian it somehow manages to sound even better. They did a fantastic job with the translation. This was such a fun read I took two whole weeks to finish it, even though I really could have done it in 2-3 days. But I liked what I was reading so much that I deliberately slowed down, savoring every word. What a fun experience.

Only downside: I didn't like the ending, it wasn't where I would have gone with it. Still, incredible job, double thumb up.

Classics

The Age of Innocence

I wasn't really expecting this, but I was vibing so much. I was sending screenshots to friends screaming about how scandalous our pompous, self-important protagonist was acting in certain parts. Like fellas is it proper to touch the naked wrist of the woman you have a crush on, when you're all in theater and your fiancée is sitting a few feet away? Things like that. Absolutely delightful. If not for the ending where I was screaming because of course it's 1921, what was I expecting.

Les Liaisons dangereuses TW

Well I can't defend Age of Innocence at all because this was 1782 and it delivered so hard. Really this book had no business being this fun. I read it because of a book club here in my city I join every now and then, and I had sectioned the amount of pages I needed to read daily to arrive at the date of the meeting with a finished book. I ended up reading it in less than 2 days. I could not put it down. I strongly suggest finding a good translation because with classics (especially ones not in your mother tongue), translations will make or break the book for you. I looked around reviews and blogs before I selected the Italian translation that I knew would match my vibe, and oh my god. I was giggling and gasping and "no way!!!!"ing my way through the entire thing. Instant fav.

Jane Eyre

This one I had already read when I was a teenager, but decided to give it a fresh, more adult spin on it by rereading it after a careful dive. I rediscovered the pleasure of studying what gets a book to be created in the mind of the author and its place in the literary trends of its time, as much as getting to know its story. The more I grow, the more I find out that no, mum, it wasn't just a phase, I'm really a sucker for everything gothic.

The turn of the screw

Another classic that I had already read and studied in high school, but that I decided to rediscover through a more mature lens. I decided to follow the advice of the Hardcore Literature book club about reading it in the original installment order and pacing, and it absolutely paid off. This was already a story that I loved because hello - horror and goth and psychological damage and if you take a certain way to read the events you'd need to add a TW to the title, and it was really beautiful to discover how I could still make it new and dive deeper into it by simply changing how I approached the text as a reader.

Self-publish

Underland

Have you ever played Bloodborne and hoped you could find a book that gives you the same lovecraftian gothic vibes? Well, look no further!

I have a love/hate relationship with RR and the dudebro high-brow stories in it, but occasionally I find something that catches my attention and also manages to keep it. Great worldbuilding, and a very nice ability to portray it by the author. Of course, being a serialized story on RR, sometimes it drags and/or indulges a bit too much in the vibes rather than in the actual juicy part of the story where things happen. Bloodborne sits undefeated in story and lore and everything in between, but this was still a nice experiment by the author.

As writing paradigm, we are diametrically opposite fanfictions. Which makes it a very interesting read even just because of that.

[differentnighttale]

Myself and Asexuality

Yeah, so this is a lil rant about my relationship as being a grey ace girl.

For the longest time, I wasn't attracted to guys, the other way like my peers and I couldn't relate. All my crushes were all romantic and shit but sometimes I do feel the other attraction and sometimes I won't feel it for a month then boom, it comes, and it makes me so uncomfortable. And even I, an older sophomore couldn't believe that people younger than me already freaky ahh thoughts and I didn't.

Other older aces have told me, hey, you might just a late bloomer and did agree because I did feel it but, hey it never strayed that far sometimes and I found myself desiring guys a lot then poof, it goes away.

By then, I used to identify as closely as heteroromantic Grey Ace then.

Right now, I did feel more allo today, but it was still not as wild or intense.

Don't get me wrong, guys, being ace is a SPECTRUM, a very broad and diverse one. Your experiences might not be the same as other people though and that's okay, it's your journey and your trip, hey, you might be wrong, or you might be right, or you might be right.

Try different labels to see if it fits, if it does brava and if it doesn't it's a oh kay.

Okay, Andamo.

Well, to dive in deeper to my experiences. It is my experience with grey asexuality, Aspecs are valid and Arospecs are valid.

I would DNF a book if it's completely filed with NSFW content, I feel very bad about this thought as a reader, I love romance and I crave hand holding, movies and couple stuff but if the couple are constantly at each other, I would DNF the book.

I was once into a very good book, but the content was too much for me but hey, what about the cute moments, I enjoyed it Tho. The laughers sweet face and the cats. Don't forgot the pets.

So yeah.

Ace and Aspec people can love and enjoy content like that. That doesn't mean their less or not ace. Fiction is different from reality; this is just me. Every ace person is different.

I cannot get into NSFW manhwas again unless, it is cute and fluffy and romantic and censored, then I'll enjoy it by scrolling. It's too intense, ew the making out. Or l will overlook it like a mean girl.

Yeah, My friends were right.

I don't judge people's experiences in that manner, I will actually be suspired ad interested and secretly wishing that was me sometimes but overall, I am pretty neutral to indifferent.

But I can write it.

Aces and Aspec can write that, we are very good at it.

Guys, but there are a lot of positive aces not all of us are repulsed by it. Grazie.

Then to me, I dislike wearing short skirts and crop tops, it is sometimes empowering but overall, I do not like it. It makes me uncomfortable, and I hate it, no matter how much I get praised. I feel judged.

Again, Aces and Aspec people can dress all hot and stuff, that doesn't mean they are in fact less ace.

On top of that, figuring out that I am probably very huge probably bisexual or biromantic, complicating my feelings because as for girls is either aesthetic attraction, nervousness or staring then boom goes the bomb, the other way.

Thank you for listening to my TEDtalk.

Midcrop.

(If I said anything wrong or offensive, please tell me. I am a baby ace and trying to shed the light to world and this is my experiences. I censor certain words, so it goes to other audiences too.)

Ciao ,for now.

[paddockanalysis]

🏎️ Why Couldn't Verstappen Win the WC in 2020?

Main post! 2021 2022 2023 2024

The 2020 Season

Max Verstappen's journey to becoming a four-time Formula 1 World Champion (as of 2024) has been nothing short of remarkable. Each season brought unique challenges and triumphs that showcased his talent and Red Bull Racing's prowess. Let’s delve into how the 2020 championship slipped through his grasp before his great success!

The 2020 Formula 1 season was a significant turning point for Max Verstappen, despite the insurmountable dominance of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen’s skill and determination shone through the challenges posed by the superior W11 car, widely considered one of the greatest machines in F1 history. Mercedes excelled across all metrics: power, aerodynamics, and reliability, with Hamilton taking 11 victories and teammate Valtteri Bottas adding two more. This left only two wins for Verstappen in a season where Red Bull's RB16 struggled to compete consistently at the top.

Red Bull RB16’s Struggles

The RB16 demonstrated promising peak performance but suffered from instability and inconsistency, especially in handling low-speed corners. Straight-line speed deficits also hindered Red Bull's challenge against the mighty Mercedes. Furthermore, the car’s setup was notoriously tricky, making it difficult for Verstappen’s teammate Alexander Albon to contribute meaningfully to the team's Constructors’ Championship battle. Red Bull’s car development pattern—traditionally finding performance gains later in the season—also played a role. By the time the RB16 became more competitive, Mercedes had already sealed the championship titles.

Reliability Woes

Reliability was a significant weakness for Verstappen in 2020. Mechanical issues led to costly DNFs at the Tuscan Grand Prix (collision) and the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (tyre failure), among others. These setbacks prevented Verstappen from consistently capitalizing on opportunities, leaving him further behind in the title fight.

Standout Performances

Despite these challenges, Verstappen’s talent was evident in his standout performances. His victory at the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone came through clever tyre management, as he capitalized on Mercedes' struggles with blistering in high temperatures. Similarly, his dominant win at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the season finale, showcased Red Bull’s improvement and Verstappen’s ability to execute a perfect race when given the right tools.

Lessons for 2021

The struggles of 2020 laid the groundwork for Verstappen’s eventual success. Red Bull’s understanding of the RB16’s weaknesses informed the development of the RB16B for 2021, which proved capable of matching Mercedes on more occasions. Verstappen’s experiences from 2020 also helped him mature as a driver, improving his consistency and adaptability, setting the stage for his first championship-winning campaign.

2020 was not just a season of lost opportunities for Verstappen but a critical learning curve that prepared him for the fierce title battle to come.

Please don’t copy my work🙏

[bjsmall]

On the 9th of January 2025, I saw an article in my latest copy of Computer Active which explains about mastering Linux distros.

It suggested using a website called 'Distrosea' which hosts free virtual machines of various flavours of the Linux operating system, all of which can be ran within a browser window.

Visit the site here:

https://distrosea.com/

Here is a list of the Linux distros I had a go at running with their desktop environments:

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS - GNOME

Ubuntu 8.10 - GNOME 2 (old, 2008)

Linux Mint 22 - Cinnamon, Ubuntu base

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS - Cinnamon

Fedora Linux 40 - MATE

OpenSUSE Leap 15.5 - KDE

Alma Linux 9 - GNOME

Debian Linux 12.5 - LXqt (lightweight)

Zorin OS 17 Core64 - GNOME (configurable)

There are a total of 71 Linux operating systems to try on the website at the time of this write up.

To install, update and manage software on Linux using a package manager, the distros mentioned on this list based on Debian & Ubuntu use the APT (Advanced Package Tool) and the distros based on Fedora & Red Hat use the DNF (Dandified Yellow-Dog Updater Modified) package managers.

Their are many other types of package managers for Linux. Since Windows 11, users can choose to install software using UnigetUI (a.k.a Winget commands).

About Distrosea:

When you click on any of the distro entries before selecting a desktop environment, you can read a great description of the background information for each.

I think this website is amazing as it allows you to test distros in your browser without the need to plug in a USB or use virtual machine software. basically it gives you a live install copy of Linux to try online for free. It profits from ads shown on its homepage.

Some of the distros have a 'popular' badge, to show which ones are most likely to have more online traffic. Most of these distros are updated to latest versions available.

When you run the operating systems the system information dialogue will contain the server CPU information and displays the virtual graphics card called Red Hat, Inc Virtio 1.0 GPU.

However the site uses limited user traffic to reduce load on the servers, so when you select a version of Linux, there is a queue system. Each session is free, however it is timed when idle to create space for another user. Also the server connection, which is based in India, can disconnect you from your testing frequency, so whilst it works well you have to reset your VM which will continue where you last left off.

Also some of the Linux distros didn't automatically scale to full screen, and so leave bars at the top and bottom of the screen. The old Ubuntu remains surrounded by a large bar around itself as no modern drivers will work with this old version of Ubuntu.

You can sign into your Google account and gain internet access in your VMs as well.

Read the developers notes on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/139sj6z/distrosea_test_drive_linux_distros_online/?rdt=33513

I would recommend trying this out on a large computer screen as the distros take advantage of hardware acceleration, scaling and look great in full screen mode!

Watch this Distrosea video on YouTube to see it in action!

Remember that this is another way of testing Linux through the internet, the experience will be different if it is installed on an actual computer.

[rosegardendeprofundis]

The Sun Was Electric Light by Rachel Morton Review

Dates Read: April 10 — April 11, 2025

Rating: DNF

Genre: Literary Fiction

2025 Reading Goal: 34/100

I usually try not to DNF books, but the people of Tumblr have convinced me that life is too short to waste time on books I don’t enjoy. So, lo and behold, here we have my first DNF of 2025.

This was my April pick for the Book of the Month subscription, and BOTM described it as “a poignant meditation on friendship, found family, and how to move through the world when you've lost your way,” which sounds right up my alley. I expected this book to speak to me emotionally, but I unfortunately struggled to feel immersed in the story.

My main problem with this book is that Morton does more telling than showing, which makes it difficult to connect with the characters. For example, Morton will bring up traumatic events that happened to the characters, but they are stated in such a straightforward way that they don’t evoke any kind of emotion. These details could’ve really helped the reader empathize with the characters if they were fleshed out through scenes of dialogue or detailed descriptions of the experiences, but they just end up not adding much. I also felt the lack of variation in sentence structure throughout the book made the prose feel a bit lifeless.

Due to the writing style, I did not feel like I was experiencing the story with the characters; rather, I felt like a passive observer of something slightly out of reach.

[klainesheilen]

books read in January

as irregular as my period: here are my thoughts on the books that I read in January

read books

Lügen über meine Mutter by Daniela Dröscher

The story is split in two different perspectives. One of them is told through the eyes of Ela. The reader experiences the life of a child in the 80s in Germany. This not only means that we follow her playing around but we also eavesdrop the fights between her mother and father. The father who constantly reminds his wife how fat she is and that she should please lose some weight. The other perspective kind of reflects the childhood memories. Alone or with her mother.

This book is crazy. The fact, that men need/want to control women’s bodies is insane. But seeing this through the eyes of a child and what this can do to her too, that’s another level. Every time the father talked I immediately got angry. “This is so unrealistic. There is no way men can act like that. Say thinks like that.” but then I remind myself that I am a woman and well, yes, unfortunately this is realistic. 4 stars.

Verdammt wütend by Linn Stømsborg

I really enjoyed another novel by her and when I was seeing that my online library added her newest book I knew that I had to borrow it. And I didn’t get disappointed. After Britt not only yelled at her husband and her child but also at her husband’s friends we learn what led to this situation as well as how she resolves it. Female rage sums this book up, yet because of the writing one should still read it. Stømsborg captures small moments of woman’s everyday life so well that I could see me ending up in the same situation. 4.25 stars.

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

Romance books are a hit or miss for me, but I couldn’t sleep at night and this was the only book that I could borrow online. It was ok. I was thinking of dnfing it, yet while reading it I had some fun times every now and then. 3.25 stars.

dnf

Feel-Good productivity by Ali Abdaal

it was interesting, but idk. Many of the experiments that u could apply irl were so vague formulated. Often it was a “science showed that xy” and he then never really said how to apply this for ur life. Or if he did it was actually clear how one could apply it in their life. I am also not sure if 54 advises on how to get a feel-good productivity mindset isn’t too much. Surely, he made the disclaimer that not all of these advises will work for u, but 54? I already got overwhelmed when I finished #12 and there were supposed to come even more. That gave me hustle culture vibes, ngl. Tho, I have to give him credits: he summarized the take aways after each chapter

currently reading

The second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

Ik, ik that I am reading this books since November, I think, but I do not have the brainpower to speed run it nor want I to do so.

youthjuice by E.K. Sathue

so far pretty promising

[fujoreads]

Weekly Update (18/8/2024)

Hello hello, everyone! I was supposed to have published this a few hours ago as it's Monday here already, but alas! This will be a shorter post, just updating what I've been up to this past week :)

Surprisingly, I haven't touched a book besides finishing The Unwomanly Face of War. It was such an impactful book, and I think it mentally prepared me to finally watch Come and See which has been on my movie bucket list for years now. The things told there are brutal and will make you cry for these women who gave so much for their motherland only to be ignored after the war is over. Definitely a new favorite, 4 stars.

Speaking of reading! I finished 2 more Visual Novels, and dropped another. The DNF goes to The Fruit of Grisaia—it had everything to be good and keep me hooked, but the reliance in anime archetypes had me bored out of my mind. So sorry to all the Grisaia fans! Anyway, during the first days I also finished Sexcalibur: Knights of the Pound Table, which was another dumb smut, and one I deeply hated having to read. It was so lazy and in my humble opinion, not sexy at all. Would have DNFed it but I did end up skipping a lot of H-Scenes by the end of the game. 2 stars.

The other 2 VNs were Queen of Moths and un/FRAGMENT. Two very short reads, perfect for a weekend session! Queen of Moths is more of a Pixel Art Horror game. It plays a lot like those older point and click games but, as short as it was, it still makes you tense and ready for a scare. I enjoyed it! 3 stars. un/FRAGMENT. is another short game, more of a linear story this time. It was made for Nanoreno, so the dev only had 5 days to make everything. It was only 10-minute long and had the dev more time to develop the story more, I think it would have been a pretty decent work. The art is pretty nice, and the reveal was not all that bad, although my emotional connection to the character's feelings suffered from my short exposure to the story.

I also started Needy Streamer Overload and it's been so fun! It's definitely keeping me past my screen time limit but it's been a while since I've been this addicted to a game. It's somewhat dark and if you're not in a good space mentally, I wouldn't recommend it. I'm almost done with all the 22 endings! I can't wait for another game from the same devs called Yunyun Syndrome!? Rhythm Psychosis to release. I'm SO excited for that one specifically, since I can properly relate to the protagonist's struggles more (though that's not a good thing, necessarily LOL)

As commissioned by @diowatcher, I've been watching Serial Experiments Lain and I'm currently on episode 6. It's getting extra trippy right now, and I'm enjoying it a lot! The opening is so gooooood, I can't believe I had never heard it before. I've also been listening to the opening to Revolutionary Girl Utena and aagh it's so good! I'm adding it to my anime list.

And finally, I watched the 2020's The Boys in the Band yesterday. It was SO GOOD!! I had no idea this was a cinema adaptation of the Broadway revival, but it makes so much sense; it reminds me of the Falsettos stage revival, though that one doesn't have a movie adaptation, as far as I'm aware.

Anyway, it was truly a queer movie—as depressing as ever. It was an open ending too, ugh! I have a love/hate with queer works, as they have only started to become a bit more lighthearted these past years. I love these darker stories, but they also leave me bleeding (figuratively.) This is going to my favorites!

And that is all for last week! Let's see what this one brings us~

[calamityquellerei]

new pinned! pretty similar to the last one just with some added clarification as well as a DNI/BYI.

my name is Ei. i also go by Aoi, Baiyu, and Arabella!

in terms of marginalized identities i'm a bit all over the place. i'm a POC (Black, Falasteeni, Chinese, Japanese + others*). i'm queer as in fuck you and also as in lesbian and grayaroace. i'm intersex and transfeminine. i'm physically disabled and chronically ill. i'm Mad/mentally ill, including schizophrenia, personality disorders, and others. i'm a traumagenic disordered plural system. i'm intellectually disabled, autistic, and adhd.

*others refers to racial identities that i am not as connected to, and therefore am not comfortable listing.

full disclosure that i am also thin, hearing, seeing, non-religious, and usamerican. i only list these so people know what experiences i cannot speak on.

i'm an activist! i'm currently part of @bfpnola's advocacy committee, advocating for intellectually disabled, intersex, and Falasteeni lives.

i'm semiverbal (all the time not "go semiverbal") and a full time TTS user. i have been semiverbal my entire life.

i'm also a cult/OA survivor, although i don't talk about it very often and would prefer to not be asked about it.

DNF/BYF under the cut!

Before You Follow: - i support all plurals including nontraumagenic, nondisordered, median, spiritual, etc. plurals - i support the full decolonization of Falasteen. i do not support israel's existence as a state. - do not ask who is fronting or which alter made a post, even if we are good friends. - i support and love transmascs! i believe in transandrophobia and i firmly believe transmascs face unique oppression/discrimination because of their transmasculine identities. - i do not believe in TME/TMA labels, as nobody is "exempt" from any form of oppression. - i reclaim some slurs but not a lot and not often. if you reclaim a lot of slurs very often i support you! - i use support needs and severity labels for my autism (i have medium support needs/moderate autism).

Do Not Follow: - people who are going to drag me into syscourse. i'm pro endo, but i also don't mind interacting with most anti endos and neutrals and idc if you follow me as an anti as long as you're not going to harass me or try to make me do syscourse with you. - israel supporters, two-state "solution" supporters, anyone who doesn't support the full decolonization of Falasteen. - people who don't believe in transandrophobia - people who use TME/TMA labels - people who think support needs labels for autism are useless or "dividing the community" - anyone who regularly posts about shipcourse or is going to drag me into it - people who say "go semiverbal" or "go nonverbal". this only rly applies if you've been educated and choose to ignore the people educating you, if you genuinely didn't know and are open to education that's different. - people who use the term "theyfab" outside of an educational/reclamation context. even if you think the person deserves to be called it or if you claim it's not a derogatory term.

[gear-project]

Annon-Guy: Any thoughts on these fighting games?

Tekken

DarkStalkers

Killer Instinct

Evil Zone

ClayFighter

Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi (Dragon Ball Z Sparking in Japan)

Arcana Heart

Akatsuki Bllitzkamof/EN-Eins Perfektewelt

Ehrgeiz: God Bless The Ring

Tobal No.1 and Tobal 2

Fighting Vipers (PEPSIMAN!)

Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax

Omen of Sorrow

Nitroplus Blasterz Heroines Infinite Duel

I've played Tekken 3 and Tekken 7 and that's it, but I wouldn't say I'm any good at the games.

Darkstalkers I've played a bit of, though I wouldn't say I'm any good, though I still hold out hope for a proper sequel with a full roster compared to the split off offshoots that currently exist.

I own Killer Instinct (the modern game), though it has far too much pay-to-own DLC for my liking, in addition to very unbalanced quest games, so I lost a lot of interest in it (though I will still mess with the characters now and then, it's been a while).

People have told me Evil Zone is good, though I have yet to play it myself, though I'd compare it to Battle Arena Toshinden in terms of style (maybe even Battle Fantasia).

I never found ClayFighter especially appealing, since there was never a version of the game that didn't seem "stiff" in animation, though I suppose it was a poor man's Street Fighter clone.

My history with DBZ games goes all the way back to Super Butoden and Hyper Dimension, though I have separate opinions between "Budokai" and "Budokai Tenkaichi" (or just Tenkaichi). Budokai is more commonly known as Dragonball Z3 in Japan (or just Z3, though we call it Budokai 3 here in the West). Unlike Tenkaichi, the original Budokai games had a 2D combat perspective, though they still played a bit with 3D plane. It was the Tenkaichi games onwards that focused more on 3D combat. I'd say I'm not "as interested" in the 3D combat compared to how much I enjoyed Budokai 3.

Also, with regard to Dragonball FighterZ, I'd say it isn't nearly as complex as the Budokai games were in tranformations and such, or even Beam Battles and clash battles which it had.

I don't exactly find the Arcana Heart series especially appealing (and I've said as much in older posts), though I did appreciate Mori bringing it to BlazBlue Crosstag as a small offering.

The mechanics of the game ARE interesting, but the gameplay itself just doesn't appeal to me by and large (sprites were very small, animations were simple, and the all-female roster was off-putting to me, so it's not my cup of tea).

I've had friends tell me how great the Akatsuki games are, and I'd dare say it's easy to compare it to older PC Doujins like Big Bang Beats and Melty Blood, but I don't actually have much experience with the Akatsuki games...

The fact French Bread insisted on bringing Akatsuki in to Under-Night as a guest character is amazing, however... along with the fact the Blitztank was added to BBTAG.

Ehrgeiz... there's a lot I can say about Idea-Factory's hidden gem in the rough: but to me the game was too much like a Wresting game or Power-Stone Clone... and the fact they used Final Fantasy characters kinda distracted from the other characters far too much for my liking.

Certainly it predates games like Dissidia Final Fantasy, but I feel like if someone was gonna make a Final Fantasy fighting game, it would happen eventually.

Ehrgeiz itself shouldn't be lauded for Final Fantasy, it should be lauded for its own story and unique characters. The fact it had a Dungeon RPG mode though... that's something few Fighting Games can brag about, and something I think more fighting games SHOULD consider (especially a game like DNF Duel... a spinoff of Dungeon Fighters, so I mean... where's the DUNGEON???)

The endings were cheesy, but that was the era back then.

That goes DOUBLE for the Tobal games... Tobal itself was everything Dragonball Z fighting games probably would have been if they turned it in to a Virtua Fighter spinoff.

There are far too many ideas in Tobal to really discuss in a paragraph here, but suffice to say it has a very odd roster... very massive roster too... so I'd argue they overdid it in some capacity.

Fighting Vipers... I can't really say much, since I've never sat down to play the game, though I do find SOME of the characters appealing.

If Fighting Vipers ever did a Dead or Alive Crossover like Virtua Fighter did with Tekken, that'd be pretty interesting.

Dengeki Bunko/Nitroplus... hmm... I don't have fond memories of these games (don't get me wrong I have higher opinions of it now than I used to, but it's still not my favorite kind of fighting game).

If ARC System Works or French Bread were approached in to making a Dengeki game, I think I'd be more eager to play it... just something about it that screams "cheap doujin fighter" to me, and that doesn't bode well in my history of playing fighting games.

I feel like Omen of Sorrow wishes it was Mortal Kombat and Castlevania Judgement... the latter of which was done by 8ing, and I still sincerely think is a great game.

Unfortunately some fighting games are fated for obscurity, though it's up to you if you want to play them or not.

Once again, I find All-Female rosters to be somewhat unappealing to my taste, though on the flipside of that, Skullgirls doesn't enforce that rule as adamantly as Nitroplus and Arcana Heart seem to. SNK Heroines is also an odd duck in that regard.

If you don't agree with my opinions, that's fine... but just understand that I have a predilection for weapon-based fighting games... so games with tiny sprites and moe cutsie characters are just NOT appealing to me...

Anyways, right now, to me the peak is probably Soul Calibur 6 and Granblue Fantasy Versus Rising, though even if I say that, I'm still waiting for the "egg" that is Guilty Gear Strive to finally hatch itself.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Best Men by Sidney Karger - 3.5/5 stars

Man. When I started reading this, I was positive I was going to rate it 5 stars. The first third or so was hysterical, often to the point of me not being able to breathe because I was laughing so hard. Ultimately though, the romance fell extremely flat. There wasn't really enough development for it, and I don't think it boils down to a marketing issue—the romance is too big of a focus to say, "Oh, this was just general fiction they wanted to market as a romcom." It really was an issue with the romance just not being very well written. Another issue I had was that at times, the writing was very...cringey. Like, I couldn't tell if the author was trying to keep Max's voice (which was funny) or if he just can't write genuinely heartfelt scenes. The big, romantic sex scene could probably be added to that one post with the collection of horribly written sex scenes.

There were also some weird inaccuracies about Midwesterners that of course bugged me as a Midwesterner. We call soda "Coke?" No we don't. It's pop. Maybe there's some southern creep into the Midwest but I've N E V E R heard anyone say Coke when they meant pop generally. Also, Midwesterners like pools? I mean I guess, but we learn to swim in lakes (as opposed to the ocean).

In case you're wondering, I knocked an entire star off for the Midwest inaccuracies.

Mountain Ghost Stories and Curious Tales of Western North Carolina, edited by Randy Russell and Janet Barnett - 3.5/5 stars

I picked this up at one of the visitor centers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on our trip there last fall. Most of these are more like folk stories than ghost stories.

Timberdark by Darren Charlton - 5/5 stars

What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life?

I was going to leave it at that but NO, I have more to say. Why aren't these books more popular? Why isn't everyone screaming about how gorgeous they are and how this is what YA should be? Why do they not have a US publisher? Why are they not all over freaking BookTok tables at bookstores?

I honestly don't even want to say that much about the Wranglestone duology because I want everyone to read them and experience them. Wranglestone and Timberdark are genuinely a couple of the most gorgeous books I've ever read, Timberdark in particular.

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden - 3.25/5

Immaculate vibes and incredible setting. Not much more to it than that.

Ravensong by Carla Fay - DNF

At 4 pages in. I hated everything about this book immediately and I don't have a good reason.

Maelstrom by Jordan L Hawk - 4.5/5 stars

BODY SWAP.

A Pocketful of Lies: Collected Stories by KJ Charles - 5/5 stars

5/5 stars for Masters in This Hall alone.

If I See You Again Tomorrow by Robby Couch - 4.25/5 stars

Considering this is billed and marketed as a romance, there was surprisingly little romance in it. It was good, though. Robby Couch is one of my favorite queer YA romance writers.

Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory - 3.75/5 stars

OMG they were mission partners! Interwar period gay spies in London, hard to go wrong.

Out in the Open by AJ Truman - 3.75/5 stars

Truman has this habit of describing sex scenes in bizarre and not particularly sexy ways ("I sucked his cock a thousand times harder than a vacuum cleaner" is an actual real comparison from this book), but his books are funny with endearing characters, so I give him a pass. I also think it MIGHT be something he does when he's writing younger characters, because the other time it was really pronounced was in The Barkeep and the Bro, where one of the characters was in his mid 20s (Out in the Open is a college romance).

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell - 5/5 stars (reread)

This book was as good, if not better, the second time around. Kiem is so funny and lovable and Jainan's history made me even more sad. I really love how well Maxwell handles the fact that Jainan was in an abusive marriage for five years while still writing a slow burn romance that doesn't span multiple books. This book is an inspiration to me and is pretty much my perfect book—gay and sci-fi. On this reread I could really see its influence on my own writing, haha. Which is cool to know that I can still be influenced in a major way even this far into my writing life!

Anyway if you haven't read this book, I honestly don't know what you're waiting for. Read it read it reeeeead ittttt.

A Veil of Gods and Kings by Nicole Bailey - DNF

DNF at 15 pages. The main character was annoying and the author took 'show don't tell' a little too far. Everything was described in flowery, overwrought purple prose. Seriously, it's a road. You can just say it's a road. Also I never want to see 'Artemis' shortened to 'Temi' ever again. Please just no.