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everlarkbirthdaygifts · 4 years

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Happy Birthday, alepaolvi!

Apologies for the delay on your birthday gift, @alepaolvi! We hope you had a wonderful day on October 2, and got exactly the presents you were hoping for! To bring your party back around, the lovely @norbertsmom has written a story just for you!

Author’s Note: Happy belated birthday, @alepaolvi. Sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoy your arranged marriage fic with a jealous Gale. This is set in Panem au. The revolution happened a few years before it did in canon. You may notice several lines are taken directly from the book, and tweaked to fit this new timeline. Special thanks to my bestie, @mega-aulover for her help. Rated T.

A Different Kind of Reaping

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When I wake up, I reach out for Prim but find the other side of the bed is empty. Prim has her own bed now, but sometimes I forget we’re no longer in the Seam. I prop myself up on one elbow. There’s enough light in the room to see that she’s not in her bed. Of course not. She’s been so excited to help me get ready for today. I’m sure she and mother are up prepping my clothes and making breakfast.

The two of them are so alike, with their blond hair and blue eyes and perky attitude. At fourteen, Prim is fresh faced and as lovely as the primrose for which she was named. My mother is still beautiful, if not a little weary in her grief at the loss of my father. Even seven years later, his absence is still felt, especially today.

I get out of bed and pull on trousers, a shirt, and tuck my long dark braid up under a cap. I slide my stocking feet into my leather hunting boots and grab my bow and sheath of arrows along with my foraging bag.

On the table is a feast fit for celebration: eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. All luxury items just a few years ago, before the war. Now a gift to me on my reaping day.

Reaping day is so different now. Before the revolution, reaping day was the day all district children between the ages of twelve and eighteen had their names put into a drawing. In punishment for the failed first uprising, each of the twelve districts had to provide one boy and one girl, called tributes to participate in the Hunger Games. The twenty-four tributes would be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena to fight to the death. The last standing tribute won.

“Sit down for breakfast, Katniss,” my mother says. “You’ll need your energy today.”

I set my hunting gear down and sit, loading up my plate and tuck into the meal. I want to go out into the woods one last time before the ceremony. Who knows if I’ll be able to go back out after today?

Prim plops down in the chair beside me. “Are you excited, Katniss?” she asks as she loads up her own plate.

“Um,” I hum around a mouthful of food because I really don’t know how I feel. “A little scared, I guess.”

When the revolution was won by the districts, the Hunger Games were abolished. But soon after it was discovered that the population was critically low, and at risk of extinction after all the loss during the war. The new senate that ruled the country with one representative from each district, came up with a plan to help repopulate the nation: arranged marriages.

They decided to reclaim the reaping day as a day to bring new families together. That first reaping day after the war, men and women eighteen and older were matched to form new families. I wasn’t old enough then, but I am now. I don’t know how I feel about having my future decided for me.

I think back on all of the questionnaires we had to complete in our last month of school. We also had to list the names of those we would be happy to be matched with. We weren’t allowed to leave it blank, so I wrote down the one name I secretly wish for, but I’m sure I won’t get.

I may not even be matched this year. Not everyone is matched in their first year, so they have to go through it again the next year. Special deferment was granted for those who fought in the war to put off their reaping a year or two.

“Leave your sister alone, Primrose. She has a big day ahead of her,” mother says as she joins us at the table. She pours herself a large mug of coffee and cups it with both hands, holding it under her nose to breathe it in. She closes her eyes before taking a sip.

I’m the first to finish and get up to leave. “Thanks for breakfast,” I tell them as I grab my gear and head toward the door. I’m in a hurry. My old hunting partner, Gale Hawthorne is back in the district today. I haven’t seen him since he went away to fight in the rebellion. After the fighting was over, he stayed in the military and moved to district three so he could study under the victor Beetee Latier.

“Don’t forget your cheese,” Prim says as she gets up from the table and hands me a perfect little goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves. It’s been a tradition since she started making goat cheese to give them as gifts on special occasions.

“Thank you,” I tell her with a hug as I pocket the cheese.

“Don’t stay out too long, Katniss,” mother says. “You need to report to the Justice Building by one thirty. We need time to get you ready.”

“I won’t,” I tell her as I slip outside.

Our part of District 12 is the merchant quarter. My mother and Prim run the apothecary, but we didn’t always live here. I grew up in the part of the district nicknamed the Seam, where the miners live. The apothecary had been vacant since my grandparents died when the mayor’s mansion was bombed at the start of the revolution. After the war, my mother applied for and was granted permission to take it over.

As I’m skipping down the back steps, I look over to the bakery next door. Peeta Mellark is walking toward the trash bin with a bag in his hand. He looks up at the sound of our door closing. “Hey Katniss,” he says with that contagious smile of his. “Heading out to the woods, I see.” He nods to my hunting gear after placing the bag in the bin.

“Yep,” I tell him with a smile of my own. “Gotta catch dinner for tonight.”

“Ooh. Wild game, that’s one advantage you have over the other girls in the reaping today,” he says, crossing his arms as he leans against the small fence that divides his yard from mine.

“Whatever you say, Mellark,” I tell him, shaking my head. He’s always teasing me about how different I am from the other girls who live in town. Not because I’m from the Seam, but like I’m some unique creature he’d never encountered before.

As I walk down the path I wonder who Peeta will be matched with. He’s such a kind person. He was the only person to help me and my family after my father died. He gave me bread that helped us survive and gave me hope to go on. I’m sure he’ll have no problems finding a match today. Lots of girls will be hoping to be the next baker’s wife. Peeta lost his mom at the start of the war. She was one of those lost in the bombing of the mayor’s mansion.

Even though there’s an entrance to the wood close to home, I make my way through town toward the Seam to the entrance by my old house. It makes me feel closer to my father. That’s where he would take me into the woods when I was a child.

The streets of the Seam are empty today. Usually, the workers would be out heading to their morning shift at the mines or the medicine factory, but the ceremony isn’t until two. Might as well sleep in if you can.

Our old house was almost at the edge of the Seam. I only have to pass a few gates past it to reach the scruffy field we call the Meadow. The barbed wire loops that used to top the high chain-linked fence that separates the Meadow from the woods are gone. The fence remains to keep the wild animals out of the district, but gates have been installed at several locations around the perimeter to allow citizens access to the woods.

As soon as I’m in the trees, I look around for signs of a threat, like packs of wild dogs, bears, venomous snakes, or rabid animals. Inside the woods they roam freely, but there’s also food if you know how to find it. My father knew and he taught me some before he was blown to bits in a mine explosion. There was nothing even to bury. I was eleven then. Seven years later I sometimes still wake up screaming for him. But since Dr. Sidney, the head doctor, came to the district after the war, I’ve learned how to deal with my grief. My nightmares aren’t as frequent. Dr. Sidney helped my mother as well. She no longer lies in bed staring at the walls.

Before the war, trespassing in the woods was illegal, and poaching carried the severest of penalties, but the woods belong to us now, the citizens of District 12. Still, most people aren’t bold enough to venture out unarmed. My bow is a rarity, crafted by my father along with a few others that I keep well hidden in the woods, carefully wrapped in waterproof covers. If my father was still alive, he could have made good money selling them, but before the rebellion, if the officials found him selling weapons, he would have been publicly executed for sedition. Which is kind of ironic since the mine explosion that killed him was one of the catalysts for the rebellion.

We were never prosecuted for poaching back then because most of the Peacekeepers had turned a blind eye to the few of us who hunted. They were as hungry for fresh meat as anybody. Now we get food shipped in from other districts regularly, and I can sell my game openly to the other merchants at their back doors, and at my booth in the open-air market called the Hob.

In the woods waits my hunting partner Gale. I feel myself relaxing and quicken my pace when I think about seeing him again. I only got a quick chat with him yesterday when he arrived, mobbed by his family. He asked if we could meet up to hunt this morning like old times. I climb the hills to our rock ledge overlooking the valley. A thicket of berry bushes keeps it hidden. The sight of him brings on a smile. We used to be the best of friends before he went away.

He looks different than I remember. Not just older; he stands different, ridged and yet alert as if he is waiting for an attack from a wild lone wolf. He’s wearing gray uniform pants, and a faded black shirt. His eyes are sharper; they scan the area, before settling on mine.

“Hey Catnip,” says Gale. He knows my real name, but I had whispered it when we first met so he thought I said catnip. It stuck as a nickname even after all this time.

“Look what I shot,” Gale says as he holds up a loaf of bread with an arrow stuck in it. I let out an uncomfortable laugh. It’s fine bakery bread, the kind used during a toasting ceremony.

I’m not sure if he’s trying to impress me with what he can buy with his fancy new job, so I take the bread in my hands. I pull the arrow out and hold the puncture in the crust to my nose, inhaling the fragrance that reminds me of the blond haired, blue eyed son of the baker.

“Mm, still warm.” He must have been at the bakery at the crack of dawn to buy it. “Prim gave us cheese,” I tell him quickly as I pull it out of my pocket.

“Thank you, Prim,” Gale says as he pulls out a shiny knife from a sheath on his hip. I watch as he slices the bread. He could be my brother, same straight black hair, although his is cut short in a military style, same olive complexion, we even have the same gray eyes. We’re not related, at least not closely. Most of the families in the Seam resemble one another this way.

That’s why my mother and Prim, with their light hair and blue eyes used to look out of place when we lived in the Seam. They were. My mother’s parents were merchants. They ran the apothecary. That’s why she got it after the war. Now I’m the one out of place. I have the look of the Seam, but I live in town.

My father got to know my mother because he would collect medicinal herbs and sell them to her shop. She really loved him to leave her home for the Seam. Back then, the homes in the Seam were nothing more than shacks really. We had to boil water from the spigot in the yard if we wanted it hot. After the war, all of the squat gray houses in the Seam were replaced with new homes that are well insulated with running hot and cold water and reliable electricity.

Gale spreads the bread slices with the soft goat cheese, carefully placing a basil leaf on each slice while I strip the bushes of their berries. We settle back in the nook in our rock. I don’t eat much, since I already had breakfast, but it’s a nice treat. Everything would be perfect if all this day off meant was roaming the woods with Gale for a casual family dinner tonight, catching up on how our lives have changed since the war ended, but instead it feels awkward, like I’m here with a stranger instead of my old friend Gale.

“What’s it like in District 3?” I ask quietly to break the awkward silence between us. It was never like this before. He would rant about the unfair treatment the citizens endured, and how we should rise up against them. But now that the revolution is over and won, we don’t really have much to say.

“It’s alright, but I’ll be moving to District 2 after the ceremony. You’ll love it there. Mountains bigger than these. Lots of woods to hunt in.”

“Why would I want to go to District 2?” I ask. The idea is preposterous. I can’t leave my sister. Before the war, the fantasy was to run off, and live in the woods, but this conversation feels all wrong now. There’s never been anything romantic between Gale and me. When we met, I was a skinny twelve-year-old, and although he was only two years older, he already looked like a man. It took a long time for us to even become friends, to stop haggling over every trade. Then he went off to war and moved to District 3 as a hero. His hero status gave him the option to postpone his reaping until this year.

Gale’s good looking, strong from his time as a soldier, and he has a good job in another district. He will be a desirable match at the reaping today. I don’t know why he would want me.

“Forget it,” he snaps.

I let out a breath and ask, “What do you want to do, hunt, fish, or gather?”

“Let’s fish at the lake,” he says. “We can leave our poles and gather in the woods. Get something nice for tonight’s betrothal meal.”

Tonight, after the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate, but I’ll be betrothed. I’ll be spending time with my intended. He and his family will come to my house so we can get to know one another. Does Gale hope it will be him?

We fall into the comfortable silence I remember from hunting with him before he left. By late morning, we have a dozen fish, a bag of greens, and best of all, a gallon of strawberries.

On the way home, we swing by the Hob and trade half the fish and greens for fresh vegetables. Greasy Sae gives us a nod as we walk by. Even with the beef and chicken coming in from other districts, her wild game soup that she calls beef is always a hit. The customers around her booth are talking away about today’s reaping.

When we finish at the Hob, we go to the back of the mayor’s home to sell half of the strawberries. The mayor lives in a modest house not unlike the others in the district. After the war, the residents of the district realized that the old mayor’s mansion was just another tool the Capitol used to keep us in the district divided. The poor people of the Seam resented the wealth the mayor and the merchants had. So when the mayor’s home was rebuilt, he had it built the same as all the others.

The mayor’s daughter Madge answers the door. She was in my year at school, and my closest friend since Gale left. Her everyday outfit has been replaced by an expensive white dress, and her blonde hair is done up with a pink ribbon. Clothes fitting for the betrothal reaping.

“Pretty dress,” says Gale.

Madge shoots him a look, trying to see if it’s a genuine compliment. He used to antagonize her when we were younger, but now that he’s been gone for a few years it’s hard to tell. She presses her lips together and smiles. “Well I have to look nice for my reaping today, don’t I?”

“I’m sure you’ll have the match you want,” Gale says with a scoff.

Madge’s face has become closed off. She puts the money for the strawberries in my hand. “Good luck, Katniss.”

“You too,” I say, and the door closes.

I turn to Gale, “What did you mean by that?”

“Her father’s the mayor. People in power can influence the outcome of the reaping,” Gale says.

Madge’s father isn’t just the mayor. He was quite influential during the war. He was able to convince the residents of District 12 to join the revolution by bringing in Annie Cresta. Then he became our district’s liaison with the rest of the rebels.

Annie Cresta was the last Victor of the Hunger Games,and the spark that started the rebellion. She won the summer after my father died in the mining explosion. During her interview, after winning her games, she started screaming about her father and brother who were lost at sea with a whole ship full of fishermen just before her games. The Capitol played it off as her going mad. But during her victory tour she was more subdued, she would compare her district’s loss to the loss each district had suffered from a tragedy that same year.

The rumors started that perhaps the mine explosion that killed my father wasn’t an accident, but a sabotage to take out the rebel miners who had been planning an uprising. While in District 11, she talked about the silo collapse, in District 10 the stampede, and so on until she had rallied half the country behind her. Before her tour reached the Capitol, District 13 re-emerged from the ashes to sweep her off to be the face of the rebellion.

District 12 was one of the last districts still neutral to the rebellion even though the mayor tried to get our residents involved. He asked Annie Cresta to come back, to rally us to join the cause. Most of our Peacekeepers were recalled to the Capitol to fight off the uprisings in other districts. Those who stayed behind were sympathetic to the districts’ plight. The residents of District 12 wanted to wait out the war. If we didn’t join in, nothing would happen to us.

After the rally, while most of the residents of the district were at home debating why we should join the rebellion, the mayor hosted a dinner for Annie with the most influential Merchants and Seam residents. After the dinner was over, the mayor, his daughter Madge and a few others were seeing Annie off to her hovercraft back to District 13 when the mayor’s mansion was bombed by the Capitol. All those still inside were killed, including the mayor’s wife, his staff, my grandparents and many others.

The rally that day, along with the bombing that took out the mayor’s mansion, is what finally convinced the residents of District 12 to join the rebellion. We couldn’t stay neutral. The war came to us. Gale, among others old enough, went off to fight in the war. Not everyone came home. The baker’s oldest son died. Gale stayed in the military.

As we walk back toward my house, I glance over at Gale, still wondering why he came home this year. He could have participated in the reaping in his new district. I hope he didn’t come back here for me.

Gale and I arrive at the divide between the Seam and town and split up our spoils.

“See you in the square,” I say.

“Wear something pretty,” he says flatly as he walks towards his mother’s house in the Seam.

When I get home, Peeta is in the yard next door, feeding the pigs. “Hey, Katniss,” he says. “Good day hunting?”

“Yep, got some fish and greens for tonight,” I tell him.

“I’ve got a few recipes you can try out on your new family if you want?”

“Sure, that last one with the nuts was nice.” Curious I get closer. “So are you ready?”

He stops feeding the pigs. “I’m nervous,” he confesses.

“Nervous?” Peeta has nothing to be nervous about. He’s good like my sister Prim. Any of the women today would be lucky to have him.

“Well, what if the girl they pick for me doesn’t erm,” his face turned pink. “Well, like me.”

What he is saying is impossible.

“My parents didn’t have the best marriage, you know.”

I nod. I can see why he would be anxious. His parents did not get along; they hated each other but miraculously, had three boys.

I wish I had the words to be able to tell him that he had nothing to worry about. But nothing comes.

"Listen, I'll see you at the reaping. I've got to get ready. Don't want to scare my bride away by smelling like a pig pen."

I shake my head and laugh. When I go inside my mother sets aside her knitting and jumps up from her chair. “There you are,” she says as she helps me remove my hunting gear. She hands my bag to Prim and ushers me into the bathroom. “Get yourself a shower. You need to start getting ready.”

I scrub off the dirt and sweat from the woods and wash my hair. When I’m done I find my favorite dress from my mother’s collection laid out on my bed. A soft orange, with white lace insets near the collar, and a tie at the waist. “Are you sure?” I ask.

“Of course. I’ll fix your hair,” she says.

After I’m dressed, I sit at the vanity as she towel dries my hair and I watch as she braids it up into a crown on top of my head. I hardly recognize myself in the mirror.

“You look beautiful,” says Prim in a hushed voice.

“And nothing like myself,” I say as I hug her. Things are going to be so different after the reaping today.

Prim and mother get dressed. We have a quick lunch and then it’s time to go to the Justice Building to check in.

As we head toward the square, we are joined by others headed that way. Attendance is not mandatory like it was for the Hunger Games reapings, but most people show up anyway.

Mother and Prim hug me goodbye when I go into the Justice Building. After checking in, I’m ushered into the women’s waiting room. I find Madge and join her at the refreshment table.

At precisely 1:45, our escort, Effie Trinket, comes into the room. Miss Trinket was on track to be an escort for the Hunger Games, but she was actually a rebel working inside the system to help bring it down. After the revolution she became our escort for the betrothal reaping. Her bright pink clothes and makeup, while much more flamboyant than what those of us in the district would wear, is nowhere near as garish as the makeup and outfits worn by our last Hunger Games escort.

“Ladies, it’s time to follow me out onto the stage,” Effie says and we all line up to follow her out.

As we go out onto the stage, a cheer begins to rise from the crowd gathered in front of the Justice Building. Effie escorts us to the several rows of seats arranged on the left side of the stage. Madge and I sit next to each other.

Once we are all seated, Effie goes back into the building, but comes out a few minutes later followed by the group of men for the reaping. She escorts them to the seats on the right side of the stage. They are all wearing their best suits. Peeta gives me a wave before he sits in the second row. Gale sits in the front row in his military uniform.

At precisely 2 o’clock, Mayor Undersee steps up to the podium and begins his speech. He talks about the history of Panem: the dark days, the first failed rebellion, the 70 years of the Hunger Games, and then the revolution that freed Panem. He talks about how we have to rebuild Panem, the population lost from the Games and the war. Which brings us to today, the Betrothal Reaping. He then introduces Effie Trinket.

“Welcome, welcome,” Effie says. “It’s such an honor to be here, to help bring together the families who will be the future of our country.” She goes on to explain how the selections are not random. The answers we gave in the surveys taken during school, as well as our DNA were used to determine the matches. “Now, onto the pairings!” she says, and with a flair of her hand pulled out a stack of envelopes.

She plucks the first envelope from the stack and calls out, “Delly Cartwright!”

Delly jumps up from her seat, and quickly walks up to stand next to Effie. Delly is practically vibrating in anticipation. I wish I could be that excited. I just hope I get someone I can stand.

“And your match is,” Effie pauses dramatically, “Thom Davison!”

Thom, one of Gale’s old classmates who didn’t get matched in his previous two reapings, looks around bewildered. He gets a nudge from the person sitting next to him before he gets up and walks up to the podium to formally meet Delly.

Delly and Thom are ushered to the back of the stage where they stand next to each other whispering, with big smiles on their faces. I guess that means they are happy with that match.

“Very good,” says Effie. “Our next match is the mayor’s daughter, Madge Undersee.”

I squeeze Madge’s hand and she stands and gracefully walks up to stand next to Effie Trinket.

“And your match is… the local hero, Gale Hawthorne!” Effie exclaims. A quiet murmur goes through the crowd. That pairing was unexpected. I think everyone expected me to be paired with Gale, but I know it would have never worked out, we’re too alike.

Gale doesn’t look very happy at his selection, but stands and walks up to meet Madge. They stiffly shake hands, then walk back to stand next to Delly and Thom. It’s quite the contrast between the two pairs.

“Wonderful!” Effie says with a little too much enthusiasm. “Next up we have, Katniss Everdeen.”

I stand up slowly, then stiffly walk to stand next to the podium.

“And your partner is… Peeta Mellark,” Effie calls out.

My eyes go wide as I think, Oh, it’s him, my neighbor, my friend. The boy, no man, I correct myself, who saved my life and gave me hope. The man who reminded me that I was not doomed. The man who’s name I wrote on my questionnaire. I feel a smile come across my face as I watch Peeta get up and walk toward me. The smile on his face matches mine.

When he reaches me we stand and stare at each other for a moment before Effie Trinket clears her throat. “Go ahead, shake hands,” she urges. Peeta's large warm hand engulfs mine, and he gives me a reassuring squeeze. “Go ahead,” she tells us, nudging us toward the back of the stage.

When I drop Peeta’s hand, I feel the loss of warmth immediately, but I feel his hand at the small of my back as he escorts me to join the others. “Told ya I’d see you at the reaping,” Peeta whispers in my ear, and I can’t help but laugh. After that, I’m in a bit of a daze and miss most of the remaining matches.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Effie dismisses the few remaining people who didn’t get paired up and calls the matched pairs to the front of the stage. Delly and Thom lead the way, arm in arm. Madge and Gale walk stiffly side by side. Peeta takes my hand and leads me toward the front of the stage, and the couples behind us follow suit. When we are all lined up, Effie calls out, “District 12, I give you your new couples. Please join us in the reception hall for family introductions.”

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That’s the end of part 1. This will continue as a work in progress.

A few notes: Dr. Sidney is named after Dr. Sidney Freedman from the final episode of the TV show M*A*S*H. He helped the main character work through his PTSD. Thom Davison is named for Dave Thomas of Wendy’s fame, who seemed like such a sweet man. The character Thom in canon is only mentioned a few times, but he is such a great guy. Gale’s friend who helps carry him back after the reaping, and then after the war Thom comes back and takes on the task of clearing away the debris so the district can rebuild.

#everlark #everlark fanfiction #everlarkbirthdaydrabbles #everlarkbirthdaygifts #fan fic #by norbertsmom

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harry-lloyd · 4 years

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In many ways, the horrible wig was the best thing to happen to Harry Lloyd.

The shock of platinum blonde hair, slashed to a sensible bob at his shoulders like a high-fashion Legolas, was the coif that tied Lloyd’s indelible, insufferable Game of Thrones character together: Viserys Targaryen, the petulant narcissist whose play for the Iron Throne melts along with the rest of him under a pot of molten metal poured over his head, one of the show’s first and most iconic gruesome death scenes.

The splashy HBO production was the biggest job the young actor had ever landed, and as a character with an unmistakable, unforgettable look, to boot— the better to sear into TV fans’ consciousness.

Blessedly, that unmistakable, unforgettable look in no way actually resembled him, a then-27-year-old rising star with short, dark brown hair and alabaster complexion. He played one of the most memorable characters in recent TV history on possibly the last truly massive global TV phenomenon, yet, by the grace of a wig, he was still unrecognizable.

“I kind of loved that,” Lloyd tells The Daily Beast over Zoom from the loft study in his North London home. “And I kind of loved that he died. He had this lovely arc, and he still has his place in this enormous and infamous canon.”

Given how vivid that arc is in Thrones lore, it’s almost startling to remember that he was only on five episodes of the show.

“I had my go,” he says. “I got in early and I got out early. And he didn’t look like me, which, number one, is good because he is a little shit. And so I was happy to not have people throwing stuff at me in the streets. But number two, and I didn’t notice at the time, but it has since become the biggest show on TV. It doesn’t make me worry about being typecast so much.”

In the years since becoming a scalded puddle of boiling jewels and flesh, Lloyd has been able to shapeshift through an impressive résumé of prestige TV series and award-nominated films—Manhattan, Wolf Hall, Counterpart, Legion, The Theory of Everything—relieved of the kind of limitations actors who play little shits in garish white wigs on TV’s biggest show typically shoulder.

The occasion for our conversation is yet another transformation, as Bernard Marx in Brave New World, the splashy adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s 1932 dystopian sci-fi novel. The series is the marquee original offering for Wednesday’s launch of the new Peacock streaming service, casting Downton Abbey alum Jessica Brown Findlay and Han Solo himself, Alden Ehrenreich, alongside Lloyd in an updated take on the classic work.

Brave New World thwarts the idea of a restrictive, Orwellian dystopia with one in which society is instead forced into surrendering their inhibitions. “Welcome to New London,” a prologue explains. “We have three rules. No privacy. No family. No monogamy. Everyone is very happy.”

The new series boasts modernized flourishes when it comes to style—if there had been this much sex in Huxley’s book, we would have paid far more attention to it in high school—and sensibility; some of the problematically racist and misogynistic themes and plot points have been corrected.

Lloyd’s Bernard is an upper echelon member of society, called an Alpha-Plus, whose job is to maintain social order. Throughout the series, he experiences a crisis of conscience, an existential awakening at odds with the blissful stasis he’s meant to both control and enjoy.

If a narrow escape from typecasting and a career playing snooty, megalomaniacal manchildren has meant a diverse array of opportunity for Lloyd, then Brave New World marks more new territory: It’s his first outright leading role.

Lloyd had never read Huxley’s book before being cast, but was impressed by the ambition of the script, “almost like a mega tentpole movie in scale” but esoteric and satirical at the same time. “I was like, this has the whole package if they can shoot this, but I don’t think they can.”

It took one day on set for him to catch wise to the technical prowess at play. “I was like, wow, this really is a brave new world,” he says.

Don’t worry. He promptly scoffed at himself and rolled his eyes.

It is one of the best opening lines to a profile that I’ve read, from a 2011 feature on Lloyd that ran in Britain’s The Independent: “There was a time when Harry Lloyd worried that he was forever going to be typecast—as a woman.”

It was in reference to Lloyd’s days as a student at Eton College, where the young teen’s voice had not yet broken and he was cast as women in a slew of all-male Shakespeare productions.

Here we were prepping to engage with Lloyd about the perils of typecasting following his Thrones stint, ignorant of the fact that he had already confronted the issue decades earlier.

Lloyd laughs good-naturedly when the era of fake bras and bonnets is brought up.

“I hated it,” he says. Just when he had vowed never to agree to it again, in his last year at school he was asked to play Rosalind in As You Like It, by all counts a fantastic leading part. He nailed it, and earned raves. “At an all-boys boarding school, it took balls to put on tights, as it was.” A perfectly-earned smirk at his own joke follows.

The truth is that being typecast or pigeon-holed is a stressor that followed Lloyd, who grew up in London with parents who worked in the book industry. “Sometimes it’s just the face you have at a certain age…” he says.

His first major role came at age 15 in the BBC’s 1999 adaptation of David Copperfield, opposite Daniel Radcliffe. (Adding another fascinating layer to the trivia: Lloyd himself is the great-great-great grandson of Charles Dickens.) One of his first jobs after that was playing a bullying prefect in the series Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

“I guess that’s what I looked like, and I did that a couple of times,” he says. “Then I was like, I don’t really want to just be that guy. He’s a bit of a dick. And then I think next up I played the murderer in some procedural police thing, some young kid that’s gone sideways.”

Each time he felt a box starting to close its sides around him, he actively sought out something different. Having Great Expectations, in which he played Herbert Pocket, “the loveliest, most benign chap you’d ever meet,” air months after his Thrones debut was key. But he can’t refute that, with or without a platinum wig, there’s something about the way he looks that telegraphs a certain kind of sinister character.

“If I turn up in a murder thing, it’s often me who’s done it,” he says, grinning. “I don’t want to give anything away from the stuff I’ve been in. But I don’t know, there’s something about my face that is like, ‘He could do it.’”

After he had finished filming his part on Thrones and the series was about to come out, he was cast in the buzzy West End production of the Tony-winning play The Little Dog Laughed.

If you’re familiar with the work, a satire about Hollywood illusion (and delusion) in which an acerbic, big-wig agent crisis manages her rising-star client’s pesky “recurring case of homosexuality,” you understand why it’s a fairly hilarious, if sobering, project to be involved in just as an actor’s own fame and industry profile is about to skyrocket.

“Because I was about to be on Game of Thrones, I thought, this is the time for me to get an American agent,” he recalls. “And so the American agents, when they were in London, would come and see me in this play, which basically looks at agenting and their ways with quite a big, angry magnifying glass. They would come backstage and say, ‘Look, I am not like that…’” He laughs. “It was always quite a funny way to start the proceedings.”

Having starred in episodes of Dr. Who and played Charles Xavier in Legion, not to mention his connection to Thrones, Lloyd has had his taste of the particular brand of rabid, Comic-Con fandom. Though he prefers to classify himself as “adjacent-adjacent” to that world.

While there are certainly those who will know right away that he was a Targaryen, what he gets more of is a “Wait, how do I know you?” awkward conversation. “Genuinely, people are like, ‘Hey, did I go to school with you?’ I’m at that level of renown. You can’t quite place why you might recognize me.”

Asked how life under the coronavirus shutdown has been, Lloyd is very British about the months spent with his wife and their almost-2-year-old. “We’ve done alright,” he says. “We learned how to finally kind of plan our fridge. And now we know how to do our shopping tactically. We cooked some good stuff.”

For fear of sounding “solipsistic,” to use a word employed often in Brave New World, he identifies the extended time home with typical feelings actors have throughout their career.

“You have accelerated times in your life when things happen like a dream,” he says. “Things are so fast and our whole world’s rebuilt entirely every time you get a job. And then is the come-down and the fallout.”

He remembers that feeling from when he was doing plays: the energy and pace of putting on the show, and then a few weeks after it ends there’s a massive crash.

“It feels a bit like you’re in lockdown. You stare around on a Tuesday afternoon. You don’t want to watch anything. You don’t know what to do or who to call, and you kind of lose your style. There’s been a bit of that.”

Just when things got to the point that he felt like he might lose his mind, he was contracted to record an audiobook. So for a couple of days a week, he would sit up in his “sweatbox made out of duvets” and read Great Expectations aloud for Penguin. “That saved me for sure.”

On the subject of works by his great-great-great grandfather, Lloyd used to be at a loss for what to do when people brought it up. Often they would say, “Congratulations!” on the relation, as if he had accomplished something himself by being born into Charles Dickens’ lineage. “But these days, I’ll take it, I’ve decided. ‘Yeah, thank you so much.’ It’s a nice thing to celebrate.”

The 150th anniversary of Dickens’ death was in June. There had been plans for a commemoration ceremony at Westminster Abbey that, because of the shutdown, became a Zoom event instead.

“I don’t know how many people’s deaths get a 150th anniversary,” he says. “The fact that I have any kind of personal connection with that is very much secondary. But something that I’m very proud of.”

At risk of belaboring the point, we ask if working on any of the Dickens adaptations he’s starred in on TV or recording this audiobook makes Lloyd feel any sort of profound or poignant connection to him.

He laughs. “I can’t point to a physical sensation like hairs in the back of my neck standing. ‘I feel him. It’s me and Chucky D in the room right now.’”

#harry lloyd #interview

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screenbrick4-blog · 5 years

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Currently…

Hello, and happy post 4th of July! I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

It was SCORCHING hot here but we still managed to have a great time waving at floats and collecting candy at our neighborhood parade (lots of water trickles on heads plus suckers seemed to do the trick) then attending a friend’s BBQ later that night. There was some miscommunication earlier this week when I thought we were hosting dinner, so it was a nice surprise to be able to walk out the door and hang out at someone else’s home for the night!

These are the same friends whose 2011 4th of July party I made 66 Jello shots for. My, times have changed. ;)

I spent yesterday recovering from the heat – 9 months pregnant + 100+ heat index = taking several days to fully cool down – and continuing to prep for baby girl. Just a couple weeks left, you guys – insanity!!

These past two weeks I’ve felt like doing nothing yet everything at the same time. Although my energy levels are way down and the amount of appointments, meetings, and last minute projects I’m trying to fit in are taking up a huge amount of time, the urge to nest is a very real thing. That said, I’ve been trying to tackle one major thing each night. While Ben is in charge of putting together furniture/painting baby’s bedroom, I’m tackling the washing/prepping of bottles, laundering gobs of newborn clothes (thank goodness for one of my besties who had twin girls with very good taste last year. So funny to see pink in the dryer lint trap!) cleaning bouncers and swings, etc. I think we’ll be totally ready for her when the time comes – if only by the skin of our teeth.

All this hard work means I can spend the next two weeks focusing on these two sweet, sweet souls.

My boys of summer!

Plus prepping 101 meals for the freezer. Wish me luck.

Anyway, wanted to catch up on all things new food products / musicals / Netflix specials in today’s edition of Currently! I hope you have a WONDERFUL summer weekend – catch you on the other side!

Drizzling: Here Michigan Apple Balsamic Salad Dressing. Since my GD diagnosis I’ve been eating at least one giant salad a day, and my favorite Tessemae’s Creamy Ranch dressing started to get a little heavy. That said, I picked up this bottle of dressing at the store a few weeks ago and it is SOOOO good! Tart, tangy, full of flavor, and I love the ingredient list too. Look for this in the refrigerated salad dressing section vs the aisle.

Attending: Hamilton. Ben and I saw Hamilton last week (it’s in town until mid-July) – we’d been DYING to see what all the fuss was about! Ben’s a mega hip hop enthusiast who also loves musical theater so he was actually bopping in his chair for 3 hours straight. I’m not a public bopper but was tapping my foot the whole time. Needless to say, we loved it and I can’t recall another show we’ve seen where every single song was one to remember. I’m so proud of my city for being able to host the touring crew. If you get the chance – do NOT skip Hamilton!

Watching: Ali Wong. I recently watched Ali Wong’s Baby Cobra special on Netflix at the recommendation of a friend and literally can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. Like, years. Maybe my whole life? Ben thought I was off my rocker but once I started I couldn’t stop! Do not watch if you’re easily offended about, well, anything, but if you dare, I promise you a HIGH-larious show.

Playing. The little boys and I have been heading to the backyard for a dip in the blow up pool a couple afternoons each week and like to finish up with a good 10 minute hose blasting session (my water bill hates me.) I truly don’t know who has more fun – them or me, muwahaha. :)

Devouring: peaches. IT’S OFFICIALLY PEACH SEASON, PEOPLE! Sorry to shout, but the beeline I made to the peach portion of the produce section at the grocery store earlier this week after smelling them from afar was rather impressive, if I do say so myself. Since peaches are pretty high in carbs I’ve been slowly savoring one every afternoon this week. It’s the best part of my day. (Recipe for Peach Caprese Salad is on deck for this weekend. ↓)

Visiting: Iowa Distilling Company. I recently visited the Iowa Distilling Company for a fun project (will fill you in on the details later,) and I cannot WAIT to return when I can actually sample some of the products! Great people distilling uniquely Iowa spirits with a killer drink menu, and the neatest “tap room” vibe (think 1875 general store meets approachable hipster hangout.) If you’re ever in Cumming, IA be sure to stop by and try a few tasty beverages with Kyle (the owner) + his crew. The Lemon Honey Zone is calling my name…

Inhaling: Barnana Plantain Chips. I know I just recently mentioned these Barnana Plantain Chips but they’re worth another shout out – I.am.obsessed! They don’t taste sweet nor like bananas, which is a good thing in my opinion, plus they’re thick, crunchy, and full of flavor. They feel like healthy potato chips (shrugs shoulders.) I find them in my grocery store’s health market for about the same price as Amazon. Highly recommend the Brazilian BBQ flavor.

Craving: Fresh Mint Iced Tea. I know what I’m doing with the fresh mint that’s currently taking over my entire herb garden! How refreshing does this ice cold tea from Love and Olive Oil look? They’d make the best preggo popsicles…

Quitting: The Bachelorette. Mama didn’t raise no quitter except that I’m officially closing the door on this season of The Bachelorette. Snoozeville, horrible guys with even worse real world behavior and, I don’t know, Bachelorette – I just not that into you. Bring on Paradise! Fellow fans: am I alone?

Loving: Coconut oil face wash. Not a coconut oil-based face wash, rather, using coconut oil AS my face wash! I saw this method on a fellow blogger’s Instagram account a few weeks ago and have been loving the process and results ever since. At night I massage a dollop of coconut oil all over my face (I use unrefined organic from the grocery store – use refined for less of coconut smell) then place a steaming hot washcloth on top and let it sit until the cloth is cool before wiping everything away. Takes off ALL my makeup, including waterproof mascara and eyeliner, plus my skin feels so, so soft. I never have breakouts when I’m pregnant (thanks, hormones (for once not being sarcastic about hormones!)) so I’m anxious to see if this is still a good skin solution after baby is born. For now I’m loving the simplicity of washing away the day’s dirt and grime with simply coconut oil and a washcloth. It’s the little things.

Blending: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies. Since Lincoln is allergic to dairy and super super slim, I’m always looking for ways to fatten and fill him up. A few days ago I made him a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie with this Silk Chocolate Protein Milk I’d recently found at the grocery store, which is high in both fat and protein (and yes, sugar, but seriously this high-fat and protein/no dairy thing is really tough) and he sucked it DOOWWWN. All I did was blend ~3/4 cup of the milk with 1/2 ripe banana and a big spoonful of peanut butter until smooth, then added ~1 cup ice and blended until thick and frosty. He and his brother each thoroughly enjoyed a glass – think we’ll make them into popsicles soon!

Pick a currently category and fill me in!

Source: https://iowagirleats.com/2018/07/06/currently-17/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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isadorator · 7 years

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A Fic Year in Review - 2016

It's that time again~ And I wrote so much this year, holy shit. As usual, any concrit and comments are welcome~~ (as are requests, when open lol)

January

what are THOOOOSE a superhero's holiday

Oh jeez. Both these fics got way more attention than I thought they would. But I keep underestimating the ML fandom tbh. The first was basically me goofing around and I somehow ended up promising to write a sequel since everyone wanted one (which I...still need to do.....). The second was a flag for both my descent into ladrien hell and also a return to my nsfw ways orz;;;;

February

you are gold and silver (1/2)

IT TOOK. SO. L O N G. TO WRITE THIS. Although this fic is firmly in AU territory now thanks to being beautifully jossed by canon, it helped me realize just how much I needed to grow in order to write romantic intimacy in a believable way. So, I made it my goal to work on it until it was up to my own standards.

(I...still need to finish this fic too......)

March

jackady ladrien drabble prompts (1/2):

ribbons

fan merchandise

artistic muse

make-outs

stuck in a small place

rain

smiles

croissants

never have i ever

i want to touch them

jackady ladrien drabble prompts (2/2):

damsel in distress

beauty facial masks

visible marks

ice cream sandwiches

volpina ladrien drabble prompts (1/9):

the 4 times adrien pretended to shower to hide from ladybug (and the 1 time he was actually showering when she calls out his bullshit)

disney

halloween

tried to kiss your lips but i missed

magic

staring into each other’s eyes

Ah, the plan being put into action! With the release of actual ladrien eps, I had the perfect excuse to write romantic scenario after romantic scenario using submitted prompts. Which also meant I accidentally created a secret love affair AU and wrote more smut whoops. Still, they were super fun! I took a break halfway through to write some Inuyasha-inspired marichat that just would not leave me alone (also fun).

(....I promised to write a continuation of the 'never have i ever' prompt, didn't I alrjkdsflaks. AND TANGLED AU SHIT I ALMOST FORGOT)

April

volpina ladrien drabble prompts (2/9):

music

moaning

sweat

bath

they go on a date together

soulmate au

photographs

“i love you. i’m completely and utterly in love with you. please don’t get married.”

the one time ladybug actually catches adrien in the shower

ACTUALLY in the shower

“of all the people i could’ve gotten stuck in an elevator with and it just had to be you.”

mirror

More ladrien prompts/romance practice~ The music prompt is still one the most cracktastic things I've ever written lol. Managed to make two more AUs with this batch that I've already started to expand on: the soulmate AU and the auteur AU. Lastly, in a surprise twist, the fucking elevator prompt managed to gather over 1k in notes. Probably because I ripped off Sailor Moon but. Still.

May

volpina ladrien drabble prompts (3/9):

another shower scene

porn

away from home

“you have mom’s smile.” he said this to ladybug once, but he thinks it again and again and again. but ladybug is better: she is real.

calling bullshit

untitled continuation of a comic by pozolegirl

volpina ladrien drabble prompts (4/9):

under the covers

eyelashes

mega nachos

“i heard that the spots on your bodysuit corresponds to chakra points? so… what happens if i touch this?”

cute nose/forehead kisses

their first time

happiness

“i need you to pretend we’re dating…”

“is there anything you’re not good at?”

More Volpina prompts! Again, I like experimenting with them :D Also wrote a continuation of that Christmas comic because it was just way too cute~~

June

ladrien june 2016 drabble prompts (1/6):

love poem

awkwardness

games

i can show you the world

first love

everyone can see it

shower scene

jealousy

it’s a trap

insecurities

sins cannot be undone

ladrien june 2016 drabble prompts (2/6):

jealous fangirls/boys

“you have her smile”

gabriel | hawkmoth’s reaction

it’s not you, it’s my enemies

secret dating

window kisses

Oooooh boy. The triple whammy of Ladrien June, Ramadan, and starting my summer job. I was excited to have a month dedicated to just ladrien (as if I hadn't already dedicated most of my year to it lol) but fell behind pretty quickly thanks to my lack of free time. I aim to finish them this year!

And Ramadan. Man. It always sends my mental health straight into the toilet. Not because of the holiday itself, but because of the way my family treats it. Idk. I tried to flush away the bad feelings by punching out 'sins cannot be undone' in one night. And it helped, I suppose. It's definitely the rawest thing I wrote this year and I still have very strong feelings about it.

July

three sentence prompts:

ladynoir, spy au

nino and marinette, karaoke au

ladrien, bodyguard au

ladrien, superman/lois lane au

adrien and tikki, baking au

alix and kim, and the one-time-max-actually-won au

alya and marinette, vigilante au

adrienette, foreign countries

ladynoir, and the elevator game/ritual

Between work and writing various wips that I still haven't posted yet (*coughcoughconjugalvisitcough*), I only posted stuff from this meme. I had fun (the goal) and the adrien&tikki kwamiswap AU one is still my fave |D *slams fists on table* LET ADRIEN BE A BAKER!!!!

August

untitled continuation of a comic by geek-fashionista insomaniac and the chaton pile

UMMMM My summer job ended by this point, so my only excuse for not posting much is it's all tied up in unpublished wips and...I was freaking out about starting school next month for the first time in y e a r s;;; Just some drabbles for the sidekick AU (not mine) and my own, sleep-deprived ideas (that I...still find hilarious alkdjfhalksd I DID NOT EXPECT ANYONE ELSE TO???)

September

volpina ladrien drabble prompts (5/9):

embarrassing hobbies (aka: adrien is secretly a popular ladynoir fanfic writer)

water

mlnsfweek prompts (1/3):

laughter

roleplay

make 'em blush

we've got time

"i can’t believe we survived" sex

wet dreams

virginity

STILL REALLY STRESSED ABOUT SCHOOL, which translated into a lot of writing. Did a couple of Volpina prompts, including time ≠ water. Which. Got way more attention than I expected;;;; And that I...also promised to expand on......;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

And then #mlnsfweek hit and I'm actually really proud of myself for finishing the whole week, even if it was late~ /o/ Did some random scenarios, including some futurefic for the timebreaker AU. I still cackle every time I think of the wet dreams prompt tbh XDDD

October

volpina ladrien drabble prompts (6/9):

inside a video game

horror movies

“who crawls through someone’s window at 4 am to go for ice cream?!”

aching muscles from running all over the city, and then: "would a massage help?"

chocolate

discovering their sensitive spots

“so close” from enchanted

As usual, more Volpina prompts in between school and wips. Not really much to say except it was around now (or maybe September? My memory is horrible) that I realized I had developed a pretty good grasp on romance and could start working on upping my daily wordcount. I really want the mental stamina to complete a chapter fic one day...

November

mlnsfweek prompts (2/3):

marks

School REALLY started to pick up in difficulty and I signed up for a fic exchange and a fanzine. Despite really wanting to, I didn't have time or energy to do more than one prompt for the #mlnsfweek redux, but I plan to complete it~ I have Ideas.

December

oh, the things i do for you (the bubbler remix)

volpina ladrien drabble prompts (7/9):

bruises and scars

cold hands, warm hearts

I'm never, ever committing to more than one fic deadline near exam time ever again. I nearly died last month as I rushed to complete these fics, my studying, and prep for my vacation that started right after exams (I'm still recovering;;;). The remix is currently the longest fic I've written to date, including my wips! Holy shit!!!

Both were done very last minute, but I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I tried to finish the last of the Volpina prompts before the end of the year, but alas, time was not on my side. Better luck next year~ :'D

Total Year’s Output: ....58,718 words;;;

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?

.......This is almost twice as much as I did last year. I actually passed the NaNoWriMo standard. Oh my god. There is no fucking way I would have predicted this last year. And that's not counting all the wips aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH—

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January 2016?

Uhhhh, Bustier/Mendeleiev, definitely. Also DjWifi?? I just wasn't into it at all last year, but now I'm rooting for them. Also, I did not expect to write this much smut, but here we are. ALSO MARIE/ADRIEN/MARINETTE AKA THE OT3 AKA LOVE SQUARED (the homestuck in me will never die)

What’s your favourite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest.

Happy...? Hmmmm....There's stuff that makes me laugh, that I'm proud of...

...I know it's not published yet or even done, but...probably conjugal visit. Not only is it chock full of my favourite type of ladrien, it's...sort of my thesis on emotional intimacy? It's proof of my progress. I look at it and I can feel my determination to grow and to move on from the mental rut I was stuck in for most of my life, that I won't let my past keep my from recognizing my own emotions and learning empathy, not forever.

(Maybe that's pride and contentment and hope more than happiness, but I'll damn well take it)

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the New Year?

I ALWAYS SAY THIS but...I really want to finish my wips.....and I want to start an actual chaptered fic. Not a one-shot collection or a drabble collection. Long, plotty, gen or romance (or both!!), chapter fic. I want to write something that will keep people up all night, lying to themselves when they say 'just one more chapter'. I think I actually have a shot at completing one now, at my current skill and confidence level |D

#procrastinating on the newest fic with memes #what a why to start the year #isayear #isameme

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ftd-19 · 4 years

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5 BEST NATURAL DISINFECTANTS TO GET RID OF COLD & FLU GERMS

Ah, the thrill of Cold and Flu Season! Just once you desire you’ve fully recovered from one bout of sickness… BAM… another one hits! you would like a natural disinfectant!

And if you’ve got kids running around the house? ditch it! Someone is usually sniffling or coughing.

I’ve got three kids and I’m an educator (basically working inside a Petri dish of germs all day!), so I’ve had to find out a couple of ways to stay the bugs cornered.

Without a doubt, the simplest thanks to keeping my home (and classroom!) healthy is cleaning! many cleaning! Introducing… Natural Disinfectants!

After a chilly or flu, you would possibly not have the energy to wash, but that is one of the foremost important belongings you got to do. inspect my Cleaning Motivation Hacks, so you'll get your home clean and healthy again in no time.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BACTERIA AND VIRUSES Before we start I would like to mention a couple of quick words about the difference between bacteria and viruses. Not all sickness bugs are created equally!

I’m not getting to get too technical, but albeit some bacteria and viruses can cause equivalent symptoms (coughing, sneezing, running nose) they're very very different.

Bacteria are single-cell organisms that will survive without a number (your body!). Most bacteria don't make a person's sick tons of sorts of bacteria are very beneficial to us and help our bodies remain healthy.

If you're taking antibiotics to kill bad bacteria, you'll even be killing off the great bacteria! So anyways consider before taking antibiotics for mild illnesses!

Viruses, on the opposite hand, are much smaller than bacteria and need a number to survive. they will not survive for long outside the body.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLEANING, SANITIZING AND DISINFECTING I bet you didn’t realize that there's a difference between cleaning something, sanitizing it and disinfecting it?

Again, I don’t want to travel into tons of mega detail, but the fundamentals are as follows:

Cleaning: removes dirt, debris, grease, and germs. Cleaning can physically remove germs from a surface, but doesn’t kill them. Sanitize: reduces the number of germs on a surface to a suitable level, this reduces the danger of spreading infections. Disinfect: kills the germs on surfaces so there's no risk of spreading the infection. A clean surface won't be sanitized, and a sanitized surface won't be clean!

5 BEST NATURAL DISINFECTANTS

1: Alcohol The first disinfectant I’m getting to mention is alcohol. I’m not talking about the vodka you increase your cocktail (although which will add a pinch!).

Rubbing alcohol comes under many different names – ethanol, isopropyl, surgical spirits… but I’m just getting to call it lotion . all of them do an equivalent thing!

You do get to use some caution when using lotion to wash. it's very flammable, so confirm you retain it faraway from heat or flames. it's also dangerous if swallowed, so keep it locked faraway from any kiddos within the house!

You can make an effective disinfecting solution by just mixing one part water with one part of alcohol during a spray bottle. Spray it on the surface, await it to dry (or 2-3 minutes) and wipe off any excess.

I even use this mixture (with some essential oils added) to refresh my sofa, curtains, and rugs. Although you would like to check it first to make sure it won’t damage the material.

Rubbing Alcohol Disinfectant:

1 Part Water

1 Part Alcohol

Mix during a spray bottle.

Spray on the infected area and permit to dry.

Report this ad

2: Borax Borax may be a very powerful disinfectant and pesticide. it's a natural white powder that's mined from the world. However, it is often very strong and causes reactions in some people – so just take care of when and the way you employ it.

The best part about borax is that it also kills mold. So if you're affected by black mold, then you want to think about using borax.

5 Best Natural Disinfectant Cleaners to beat cold and flu germs this winter! If you've got moldy fabric (or just musky smelling fabric), then you'll add 1/2 cup of borax to your laundry too. I always wash my bedding with a little amount of borax to assist kill any bugs in my sheets! It’s also great for underwear (stinky teenage boys anyone?)!

In my house though, the amount one uses for borax is cleaning up after my pets! The borax cleaning recipe below is ideal for spraying into pet beds (or anywhere your pet likes to lounge) to urge obviate the stinky pet funk!

Borax Disinfecting Spray

1/3 Cup of Borax

8 oz of Warm Water

Fully dissolve the borax within the warm water and pour it into a sprig bottle.

Spray onto the surface and let it sit for a minimum of 2 minutes, then wipe off excess.

3: acid (Lemon) Citric acid is during a surprising number of household cleaners. My FAVORITE store-bought cleaner, Method, uses acid in their antibacterial cleaner.

Citric acid is one among the most components of juice, so if you don’t have a jar of acid hanging around (yeah, I don’t either!), then juice works even as well! It smells good too!

You can add juice to your white vinegar cleaner (1 part white vinegar, one part water, and 1/4 part lemon juice) or maybe use it full strength if you would like to.

However, I prefer to use juice with borax to form a reasonably powerful disinfectant, that smells good too!

Lemon Juice & Borax Disinfectant

Two tablespoons of Borax

1/4 Cup of juice

2 Cups of Warm Water (not too hot)

Fully dissolve the borax within the water then add the juice. Pour into a sprig bottle.

Optional: Add 20 drops of volatile oil like tea tree oil or thyme oil.

Spray into the surface and let sit for a minimum of 2 minutes. Wipe off any excess.

4: Steam Cleaner Steam cleaners don’t seem to be as popular as they wont to be a couple of years ago and I’m not sure why.

Cleaning with steam is a superb thanks to disinfecting just about any surface in your home. and everyone you would like is water!

Steam cleaning may be a great choice for anyone that finds regular cleaning products irritate their skin or lungs. It’s also good to use around children and animals (although confirm they stand back from the recent steam).

I love the Bissell PowerFresh steamer because it has many tools and accessories to assist me to disinfect difficult to wash items like toothbrushes, hairbrushes, food prep areas, etc.

5: peroxide The last natural disinfectant on my list is my favorite! Hydrogen peroxide!

This little wonder chemical helps disinfect and clean so many various ways!

I use peroxide in my laundry (it gets my pet bedding and rugs super fresh smelling!), to wash up pet messes, to disinfect kitchen surfaces, to zap the germs within the bathroom then much more!

A note of warning – you would possibly see “recipes” for cleaners online that combine vinegar and peroxide. Please don’t do that!

Separately they're great but mixed they create peracetic acid which isn't a secure disinfectant for home use.

However, you'll use vinegar and peroxide separately – spray the surface first with vinegar then with hydrogen peroxide for a one-two punch to the germs!

3% peroxide is often used neat on hard surfaces, otherwise, you can dilute it with water.

I like better to use it full strength when cleaning up pet messes. Just use paper towels to soak up the maximum amount pee as possible, then liberally spray with peroxide. Allow taking a seat for as long as possible then take in the surplus.

Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant

1 part peroxide

1 part Water

Mix during a spray bottle.

Spray onto a tough surface (or carpet after testing for color-fastness), allow to take a seat for a minimum of 2 minutes and wipe off excess.

Honorable Mention: Thymol (Thyme Oil) So I even have another natural disinfectant that I wanted to say. I didn’t include it in my main list because it can cause irritation to some people, so please use it with caution.

Thymol is obtained from thyme oil and is a superb disinfectant. it's been used for hundreds of years to treat parasites, viruses, and bacteria. It even makes an excellent antiseptic toothpaste!

Thymol is often difficult to urge hold of, but thyme oil is far easier to seek out and still possesses equivalent properties (just not as strong).

Thyme Oil Disinfectant

1 oz lotion

8 oz Water

10-30 drops of Thyme volatile oil

Mix during a spray bottle and shake well.

Spray on a tough surface and permit to take a seat for a minimum of 2 minutes before wiping off excess. also can be wont to refresh fabric (test for colorfastness first).

So which is my favorite natural disinfectant? Well, it depends on what I’m cleaning. But my ‘go-to’ a day cleaner may be a mixture of white vinegar, lotion, and thyme oil.

My Everyday Disinfecting Cleaner

1 part White Vinegar

1 part Water

1/2 part lotion

A few drops of Dawn Dish Soap

10-30 drops of Thyme Oil (or other volatile oil of choice)

Mix during a spray bottle and use it as you'd the other multi-surface cleaner.

Works great on mirrors and glass too!

Quick Cleaning Tips For Busy People | Vinegar Multi-Surface Cleaning Spray I hope you discover these natural disinfectant ideas useful once you try to battle the bugs this winter (or summer!).

The other thanks to tackle germs are, of course, to scrub YOUR HANDS REGULARLY!

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butaneplate02-blog · 5 years

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Currently…

Hello, and happy post 4th of July! I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

These are the same friends whose 2011 4th of July party I made 66 Jello shots for. My, times have changed. ;)

All this hard work means I can spend the next two weeks focusing on these two sweet, sweet souls.

My boys of summer!

Plus prepping 101 meals for the freezer. Wish me luck.

Anyway, wanted to catch up on all things new food products / musicals / Netflix specials in today’s edition of Currently! I hope you have a WONDERFUL summer weekend – catch you on the other side!

Pick a currently category and fill me in!

Source: https://iowagirleats.com/2018/07/06/currently-17/

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fashiontrendin-blog · 6 years

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11 health & fitness deals to kick off 2018 on the right foot

http://fashion-trendin.com/11-health-fitness-deals-to-kick-off-2018-on-the-right-foot/

11 health & fitness deals to kick off 2018 on the right foot

2018 is finally here and with it our long list of new year resolutions – which if you’re looking to “be the best version of yourself” from January on, it probably includes a ‘join gym’ or other fitness goal to take you from couch potato to healthy and strong.

Now, it may sound all good on paper (or rather your phone’s notes) but keeping it fit on this day and age always comes with a price – and what millennial is not on a budget? So here are some great fitness and health deals, we think you’ll love. From healthy meal deliveries to barre and boxing classes, kick off 2018 on the right foot…

Another_Space

@another_spacelondon/ Instagram

What is it? A temple for fitness junkies, this modern gym offers Yoga, HIIT and Cycle classes – or as they like to call it “blood-pumping, mind-clearing exercises”. The sweat is guaranteed and your hard work can be rewarded with a quick stop by the organic cold-pressed juices’ bar. What’s the deal? Buy the intro offer and get a buddy credit for free. Why do we love it? Yoga, HIIT and Cycle?! This studio sounds straight out of the streets of LA. And let’s face it trying new things is always best with a friend, so drag a buddy with you. How do I sign up? Visit their website here to buy credits and call ahead of your first class.

Moreno Boxing

@morenoboxing/ Instagram

What is it? Moreno Boxing is a small studio in the heart of Dalston run by international amateur champion Carlos Moreno and his small and dedicated team. It is a proper boxing gym, no prancing around here. They mean business and they take their training serious, they even teach people looking to actually fight in competitions. What’s the deal? 7 days trial for only £14.99. Why do we love it? Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss know it best! Boxing is a favourite amongst models and a great choice for those looking to keep lean and strong – and learn how to kick some ass while at it. How do I sign up? Call the gym at 07949 510 959 or visit the website here.

Xtend Barre

@xtend_barre/ Instagram

What is it? Just like boxing, barre is an A-list favourite, the exercise that combines dance, ballet and Pilates can be found at this flagship studio in Marylebone. Prepare to work hard and elongate muscles you didn’t even know you had. What’s the deal? New-client offer: 2 weeks unlimited for £49. Why do we love it? You’re going to sweat, but sweat with class. Much like Yoga this exercise seems easy as pie, but it’s actually hard AF – unlike Yoga though, you get to dance and have loads of fun. How do I sign up? Visit their website here and call ahead of your first class.

Psycle London

@psyclelondon/ Instagram

What is it? Psycle is one of the most known spin studios in London. The Instagram-worthy setting and top-notch facilities feature spin, barre, HIIT and yoga classes all designed to get you “inspired, sweaty and make you feel strong, healthier and full of energy”. What’s the deal? New year sale: £15.50/class for 10 credits. Why do we love it? A spin class at Psycle is like therapy, you’ll let everything on floor and at the end of the session you’ll feel hella proud of yourself. How do I sign up? Visit their website here to buy credits and get instructions ahead of your first class.

Detox Kitchen

@thedetoxkitchen/ Instagram

What is it? Detox Kitchen is a healthy meal delivery service. You chose your package (from protein and vegan, to a new year re-set and even one for mums) then the meals and snacks get delivered to your door during the night. What’s the deal? £10 off when you sign up. Why do we love it? There’s really no excuse for skipping your diet or not eating healthy, when you wake up and your meals and even snacks for the day are right there waiting for you. This keeps you on the line – oh, and we’ve tried it and can confidently say is very delish. How do I sign up? Visit their website here.

HelloFresh

@hellofresh/ Instagram

What is it? A healthy recipe box delivery service that delivers ‘cook from scratch’ meal plans straight to your door. For 2018 they will be launching a brand new RAPID box where all the meals and recipes will be able to be cooked in 20 minutes or less. What’s the deal? 50% off your first box with the code ‘RAPID’. Why do we love it? Meal-prepping is not a jolly activity so the less time spent in the kitchen the better, plus what beats the taste of a fresh home-cooked meal? How do I sign up? Visit their website here.

British Military Fitness

@british_military_fitness/ Instagram

What is it? BMF is a boot camp held outdoors by military trained professionals, although it sounds super hardcore there are training groups of all different levels and you will not fell like a misfit. Expect a full body work out, from cardio to strength, HIIT and even boxing classes. What’s the deal? Free trial class. Why do we love it? Much more fun, but just as intense and effective, as the L.A. bootcamps the A-list attend. We’ve tried and tested BMF classes and boy, it gets results. How do I sign up? Visit their website here.

F45 Tottenham Court Road

@f45_tottenhamcourtroad/ Instagram

What is it? F45, short for Functional 45, is a group training concept from Australia sweeping our shores – it is currently the second largest functional training network after Crossfit. It’s an intense workout that bridges the gap between personal training and commercial gyms. What’s the deal? 7 days for £20. Why do we love it? For the fitness trendsetters out there this class is definitely one to try, intense but bound to get results – it’s a hell of an experience. How do I sign up? Visit their website here.

Ministry Does Fitness

@ministrydoesfitness/ Instagram

What is it? Ever heard of Ministry of Sound? Of course you did. The brainchild of 90s super club offers five different signature classes hosted in a gym with nightclub atmosphere – we’re talking a great playlist and disco lights. What’s the deal? 80% off a week of classes (£20 total) Why do we love it? It’s mega fun and you’re going to sweat everything out. After your workout, you can either have a shake but really you should undo all the good work in the fully licensed gym bar. How do I sign up? Visit their website here.

Fitness First

@fitnessfirstuk/ Instagram

What is it? Fitness First is a health club you can find nationwide and in Ireland too. The packages include the use of top-notch gyms and really cool classes from pilates to HIIT, you can also hire a private PT to achieve your 2018 goals. What’s the deal? Free 3-day pass. Why do we love it? Sometimes you’re just not in the mood to do cardio nor weights but a good Zumba class will definitely lift up your spirit, so the classes option is a great perk. How do I sign up? Visit their website here.

Anytime Fitness

@anytimefitness/ Instagram

What is it? Anytime Fitness is a gym with 114 branches across the UK – so there’s probably one right next to your home or office. Not only that the great advantage of this gym for city girls is that it stays open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What’s the deal? Free 3-day pass. Why do we love it? It’s really hard to use the ‘I don’t have time’ excuse when your gym is literally open 24/7. How do I sign up? Visit their website here or call your local branch.

The wellness trends we can expect in 2018

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aurriii · 7 years

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17 Must-Read Books Becoming Movies In 2017

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Release Date: January 6, 2017 (watch trailer) Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Costner

Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South’s segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America’s aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam’s call, moving to Hampton, Virginia and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.

Live by Night by Dennis Lahan

Release Date: January 13, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Ben Affleck, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana

Meticulously researched and artfully told, Live by Night is the riveting story of one man’s rise from Boston petty thief to the Gulf Coast’s most successful rum runner, and it proves again that the accolades New York Times bestseller Lehane consistently receives are well deserved. He is indeed, “a master” (Philadelphia Inquirer) whose “true literary forefathers include John Steinbeck as well as Raymond Chandler” (Baltimore Sun). And, “Boy, does he know how to write” (Elmore Leonard).

A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans by W. Bruce Cameron

Release Date: January 27, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Britt Robertson and Dennis Quaid

The soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall

Release Date: February 3, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Renée Zellweger, Greg Kinnear, Djimon Hounsou

A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.

It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana . . . and an East Texas honky-tonk . . . and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda . . . an upscale New York gallery . . . a downtown dumpster . . . a Texas ranch.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: March 3, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Zoey Deutch

The Before I Fall movie—based on Lauren Oliver’s beloved first novel and starring Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, and Kian Lawley—is opening in theaters in spring 2017.

This special enhanced edition of the New York Times bestselling Before I Fall by award-winning author Lauren Oliver includes two brand-new stories set in the world of Before I Fall, an essay by the author about the “greatest hits” of her life, and extra behind-the-scenes content on the making of this bestseller.

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman

Release Date: March 31, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl

A true story in which the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands.

After their zoo was bombed, Polish zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages. With animal names for these “guests,” and human names for the animals, it’s no wonder that the zoo’s code name became “The House Under a Crazy Star.” Best-selling naturalist and acclaimed storyteller Diane Ackerman combines extensive research and an exuberant writing style to re-create this fascinating, true-life story―sharing Antonina’s life as “the zookeeper’s wife,” while examining the disturbing obsessions at the core of Nazism. Winner of the 2008 Orion Award. 8 pages of illustrations

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Release Date: April 7, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson

I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

Release Date: April 21, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller

In 1925, the legendary British explorer Percy Fawcett ventured into the Amazon jungle, in search of a fabled civilization. He never returned. Over the years countless perished trying to find evidence of his party and the place he called “The Lost City of Z.” In this masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, journalist David Grann interweaves the spellbinding stories of Fawcett’s quest for “Z” and his own journey into the deadly jungle, as he unravels the greatest exploration mystery of the twentieth century.

The Circle by Dave Eggers

Release Date: April 28, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Bill Paxton

When Mae Holland is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet company, she feels she’s been given the opportunity of a lifetime. The Circle, run out of a sprawling California campus, links users’ personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. As Mae tours the open-plan office spaces, the towering glass dining facilities, the cozy dorms for those who spend nights at work, she is thrilled with the company’s modernity and activity. There are parties that last through the night, there are famous musicians playing on the lawn, there are athletic activities and clubs and brunches, and even an aquarium of rare fish retrieved from the Marianas Trench by the CEO. Mae can’t believe her luck, her great fortune to work for the most influential company in the world—even as life beyond the campus grows distant, even as a strange encounter with a colleague leaves her shaken, even as her role at the Circle becomes increasingly public. What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge. -Vintage Books

The Dinner by Herman Koch

Release Date: May 5, 2017 Starring: Laura Linney, Richard Gere

An internationally bestselling phenomenon, soon to be a major motion picture: the darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives—all over the course of one meal.

It’s a summer’s evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.

Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey

Release Date: June 2, 2017 (Watch the Trailer) Starring: Ed Helms (voice), Kevin Hart (voice)

The first book in Dav Pilkey’s mega-bestselling Captain Underpants series. Now with super-cool foil covers! Shiny! Fun!

George and Harold have created the greatest superhero in the history of their elementary school–and now they’re going to bring him to life! Meet Captain Underpants! His true identity is so secret, even HE doesn’t know who he is! Acclaimed author and Caldecott Honor illustrator Dav Pilkey provides young readers with the adventure of a lifetime in this outrageously funny, action-packed, easy-to-read chapter book. With hilarious pictures on every page, THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS is great for both beginning and chapter-book readers. And like Dav’s other best-selling books of humor, it is sure to provide even the most reluctant readers with hours of fun. Great product!

The Dark Tower by Stephen King

Release Date: July 28, 2017 Starring: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey

A #1 national bestseller, The Gunslinger introduces readers to one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations, Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which mirrors our own in frightening ways, Roland tracks The Man in Black, encounters an enticing woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the boy from New York named Jake.

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

Release Date: October 20, 2017 Starring: Idris Elba, Kate Winslet Release Date: October 20, 2017 On a stormy winter night, two strangers wait for a flight at the Salt Lake City airport. Ashley Knox is an attractive, successful writer, who is flying East for her much anticipated wedding. Dr. Ben Payne has just wrapped up a medical conference and is also eager to get back East for a slate of surgeries he has scheduled for the following day. When the last outgoing flight is cancelled due to a broken de-icer and a forthcoming storm, Ben finds a charter plane that can take him around the storm and drop him in Denver to catch a connection. And when the pilot says the single engine prop plane can fit one more, if barely, Ben offers the seat to Ashley knowing that she needs to get back just as urgently. And then the unthinkable happens. The pilot has a heart attack mid-flight and the plane crashes into the High Uintas Wilderness– one of the largest stretches of harsh and remote land in the United States.

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

Release Date: November 10, 2017 Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton

State intelligence officer Dominika Egorova struggles to survive in the cast-iron bureaucracy of post-Soviet intelligence. Drafted against her will to become a “Sparrow,” a trained seductress in the service, Dominika is assigned to operate against Nathaniel Nash, a first-tour CIA officer who handles the CIA’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young intelligence officers, trained in their respective spy schools, collide in a charged atmosphere of tradecraft, deception, and, inevitably, a forbidden spiral of carnal attraction that threatens their careers and the security of America’s most valuable mole in Moscow. Seeking revenge against her soulless masters, Dominika begins a fateful double life, recruited by the CIA to ferret out a high-level traitor in Washington; hunt down a Russian illegal buried deep in the US military and, against all odds, to return to Moscow as the new-generation penetration of Putin’s intelligence service. Dominika and Nathaniel’s impossible love affair and twisted spy game come to a deadly conclusion in the shocking climax of this electrifying, up-to-the minute spy thriller.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Release Date: November 22, 2017 Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley

The Queen of Mystery has come to Harper Collins! Agatha Christie, the acknowledged mistress of suspense—creator of indomitable sleuth Miss Marple, meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and so many other unforgettable characters—brings her entire oeuvre of ingenious whodunits, locked room mysteries, and perplexing puzzles to Harper Paperbacks…including Murder on the Orient Express, the most famous Hercule Poirot mystery, which has the brilliant detective hunting for a killer aboard one of the world’s most luxurious passenger trains.

Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Release Date: December 22, 2017 Starring: Russell Peters (voice), Donald Sutherland (voice)

Ferdinand is the world’s most peaceful–and–beloved little bull. While all of the other bulls snort, leap, and butt their heads, Ferdinand is content to just sit and smell the flowers under his favorite cork tree. Leaf’s simple storytelling paired with Lawson’s pen-and-ink drawings make The Story of Ferdinand a true classic. Commemorate the 75th anniversary of the book’s original publication with this beautiful and affordable 8×8 paperback edition. Great book!

Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel

Release Date: TBD, Late 2017 Starring: Amy Schumer, Haley Bennett, Miles Teller

In Thank You for Your Service, Finkel follows many of those same men as they return home and struggle to reintegrate―both into their family lives and into American society at large. He is with them in their most intimate, painful, and hopeful moments as they try to recover, and in doing so, he creates an indelible, essential portrait of what life after war is like―not just for these soldiers, but for their wives, widows, children, and friends, and for the professionals who are truly trying, and to a great degree failing, to undo the damage that has been done. Thank You for Your Service is an act of understanding, and it offers a more complete picture than we have ever had of two essential questions: When we ask young men and women to go to war, what are we asking of them? And when they return, what are we thanking them for?

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