#i don't typically review books on this blog

[goforth-ladymidnight]

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

For those of you who are looking for a good fairy tale retelling, @swiftsnowmane once recommended "Heart's Blood" by Juliet Marillier. Having stayed up until 3 o'clock in the morning to finish it, I am here to report that it is everything I wanted in a Beauty and the Beast retelling and then some.

It admittedly started off a little slow, and I wish there had been a pronunciation guide for the Irish names the way there was for the Romanian names in "Wildwood Dancing" (by the same author), but these are overall minor complaints. By the time Caitrin, our heroine, enters a certain private garden and the familiar elements of the fairy tale began falling into place, I was hooked. Part historical fiction, part fantasy, part romance, and part mystery, I had forgotten what it was like to stay up all night reading.

I think what made it such an especially compelling story was the nature of the curse, which Caitrin slowly becomes aware of and seeks to undo. Unlike "Beauty" by Robin McKinley (one of my favorite retellings) or "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas (of which I have a love-hate relationship), the curse makes sense.

The novel "Beauty" was less concerned about the curse (which was vague at best and an afterthought at worst) and more about developing Beauty's character and her relationship with the Beast. Side note: Prior to the publication of Robin McKinley's novel, the character of Beauty had never been given much to do in the Beast's castle, but here she was given the chance to read. Sound familiar? I'm sure Disney took note, and the 1991 animated film seems to have inspired every rendition of Beauty ever since!

For example, Caitrin is a scribe in a time when most women weren't taught to read, much less write. Even in ACOTAR, SJM chose to make her Beauty (Feyre) illiterate, which made breaking the curse more difficult. Which leads me back to my original point about the believability of the curse in Beauty and the Beast retellings: ACOTAR is more concerned about making Feyre's life as difficult as possible so that Tamlin's (the Beast's) curse is almost impossible to break, even though it's already very complicated when it doesn't have to be.

By contrast, in "Heart's Blood", the curse feels more believable, though no less fantastical. To avoid spoilers, I won't say what exactly it entails, but, interestingly enough, it does not directly affect the "beast's" appearance. Granted, Anluan, the chieftain of Whispering Tor, still behaves like a beast in many ways (it wouldn't be a Beauty and the Beast retelling otherwise!), but the subtle ways in which he changes throughout the story more than make up for his lack of fangs and fur. And I grew to love him for it, just like Caitrin did.

This is one book I will be gladly adding to my collection. If only it had an illustrated cover as intricate and detailed as the one(s) made for Wildwood Dancing... I would be content.

Cover art by Kinuko Craft and Janaina Medeiros (@/janainaart)

Perhaps, one day it will.

[pompadourpink]

It's a new beginning!

Hello children,

September is coming, school too for some of you - often a great moment for a bit of decluttering and a few new good resolutions. Here am I, offering myself as one of them!

As you hopefully know, I started this blog in 2016 and have been a private tutor since the beginning of the pandemic. I have room at the moment for several new students, so here is what I offer:

Classes, obviously - the typical schedule is one hour a week, sometimes one and a half, or one every two weeks, or two every two weeks; typically same day same time (I'm always happy to make adjustments if you work shifts)

Homework, if you can make the time for it. I typically prefer it to be finished by the middle of the week so that I have time to take a look and correct it, giving you the opportunity to give it a second try before class!

Depending on your preferences, either just a few activities so we can take our time, especially if you are a beginner, or something a bit more dynamic consisting in five to ten minute long activities to keep you motivated and alert (which seems to be a crowd's favourite as most of my students are neurodivergent).

Talking activities are typically answering series of questions I share from my Notion, talking about your week, summarising a book or a movie, making me guess a word or a person, or a concept I call "alien talk" where you explain something (like a vaccine or insurance) from scratch to a little red man.

Writing activities are often fictional (I have students create a little character on a website and we write an update about their life regularly), they can also be an overview of your month, a letter to quit your horrible job or convince Snoop Dog to marry you because you are a gold digger.

Transcribing activities, especially at the beginning, are either me reading very easy sentences so you can write them down and memorise the way things sound, then it's episodes from young children's shows, extracts from very famous movies, then we hit harder and turn to gameshows or podcasts.

Translating activities, from one language to another, are a written translation of the first page of a novel (I did the Secret History recently), or a newspapers article (we are working on this one at the moment); or an oral translation of songs lyrics, fairytales, children's books, muted captioned playthroughs of your favourite games on Youtube, etc.

Finally, a few games: silly quizzes, crosswords, Wordle and even Quordle, hangman, and sometimes we even sing if you're comfortable with that.

Here is the link of my website where you will find reviews and a list of what to send me to get the process started. A few things to know:

I try to make the activities fit your preferences: get me a list of what you like and that is what we will work on. If your first language is not English, I am happy to include it, I'm always eager to learn (I've been reviewing my Spanish this way!)

I work without cameras. I don't need to see your face, I just need a voice and a good Internet connection. All students are welcome, no matter if you have an accent, a stutter, or disabilities. Do not be afraid of being judged, there is none of that here.

I ask for your contact information to be able to do my billing, no one else sees it and no one will know if you give me the address of a building in your area if you feel more comfortable this way. If you prefer to have a lesson first and decide that you want to continue before sending me your info, that's also an option.

I have a student and a regular rate, depending on what you can afford, and we can make different arrangements if your country's rate makes it too difficult, I've done it before.

Please comment if you have a question!

Much love,

Rose

[petalruesimblr]

Hey everyone!

This is part two of my small gift to my followers and to all the support I have received since I started this simblr blog. In case anyone missed it, here's the link to the first part of my gift: click here. It features a small set of starter homes for your Sims all priced below §16,500.

For the second gift, I'm excited to introduce the Sim Service Specialist Career! This is my first time creating a career for The Sims 3 and I owe special thanks to MissyHissy's for the step-by-step tutorial (here), as well as to Emma and Pat222 at Job Centre Discord for their help and encouragement when I felt like giving up.

Additional credits go to the creators of S3pe and Twallan for the Career Mod.

To new visitors, welcome and feel free to browse my Tumblr by checking out the pinned post for easier navigation. To everyone, your continued support through likes, reblogs, downloads and follows is always appreciated and welcomed!

Click on ’Keep Reading’ below for more information and pictures of the Sim Service Specialist Career.

XOXO, petalrue 🌺

Sim Service Specialist (Call Center)

Download Link: Sim File Share | MTS (for approval)

Career Details:

Available for: Young Adults, Adults and Elders Available Languages: English Levels: 10 Does it have Carpool? Yes Does it have Uniforms? Yes Metrics: Charisma, Logic (only at higher career levels), Relationships, Mood, Meetings (for high level) Performance Tones: Business as Usual, Peak Performance, Coffee Break, Team Huddle, Desk Detour, Hold Meetings, Practice Call Scripts, Suck up to Boss, Strategy Review and Conduct Evaluation

For my first career for TS3, I decided to go with the Call Center path which I was already familiar with due to my previous job working at one. This is a vanilla career; meaning no opportunities, events, books nor custom uniforms because those are a lot harder to deal with for a first timer.

This career was made with patch 1.42 and it should work for higher patches as long as you have the latest version of NRAAS Careers Mod. Please be advised that you will need NRAAS Careers Mod for this career to show up in the game, click here.

The career is based at the Business and Journalism rabbit hole with the same uniforms used for the Business career, for female Sims refer to the picture above and male Sims click here for reference. This career focuses mostly on the Charisma skill at the start, which then adds the Logic skill as the career advances to leadership roles.

I have renamed all typical tones such as Power Work and Take It Easy, etc. and have added three custom tones called: Practice Call Scripts, Conduct Evaluation and Strategy Review that will increase charisma and logic respectively.

I'm not fluent in any other languages to translate so if anyone is interested in translating this career, please don't hesitate to send me a message here or comment on this post and will let you know the details.

I have tested this career in my game, so far it is working and all scripts are showing up. As this is my first career, all feedback is very welcome to help me learn and improve my skills so please let me know if you experience any problems on your end and I’ll do my best to sort it as soon as possible.

[stuckinapril]

Hi Cianna, just wanted to say I really admire your study ethic and general vibe on this blog (you inspire me to do better!)

Do you have any advice/tips for good study habits and staying focused? I find that I get some work done, but after a break I can't get back on track

Sorry for the long ask/ studyblr type of question;; what is your favourite hairstyle that you do with your hair! (I also have curly brown hair :)

Have a lovely day also <3

🌻🌻

hi! i touch on a lot of points in this other ask, but a few specific learning techniques i abide by are:

parkinson's law. parkinson's law states that work expands to fill the time. basically if you have an essay that's due in a week, it will magically take you one week to get it done, even if the task itself could've been done in one day. to counter this i just set artifical deadlines for myself--even if an essay is due in a week, my personal deadline has it due in two days.

prime your brain prior to learning. if you need to study a biology chapter, pre-skim it the night before. this is not the time to go into detail--it's the time to familiarize yourself with the overview of the topic, so you should only be making a quick scan of the chapter. another priming method is to make a concept map of topics before diving into a chapter. as you skim write down key terms haphazardly, google those you don't recognize, and draw a concept map linking them together. this is effective bc it requires you to actually put effort into connecting the topics, takes no longer than 15 minutes, and speeds up the learning process that follows. it doesn't matter if you find out you're wrong once you dive in; what's important is you're actively thinking of how these topics coexist, as opposed to mindlessly taking notes or highlighting only to forget what you learned a couple hours later. i'm also a fan of concept maps bc i get to go back and highlight stuff i'm weak in, which is always a plus.

if you like to take notes, use it as another means of active recall. don't just passively take notes as you go along. what i like to do is i read a paragraph, close the book, then try to take down notes based off memory alone. this helps me both phrase the topic in my own words and realize what my learning gaps are, rather than just passively summarize without putting effort into truly understanding/memorizing something. anything i get wrong i hammer into my brain until i can't get it wrong anymore.

take notes effectively. our brain does not learn in sentences and paragraphs. it learns in bullet points, diagrams, and figures--and that's how i like to frame my notes. first i ask myself if i actually need to take notes to begin with, or if there are online notes out there i can use to save time (which, as a stem student, there typically are). if i do decide to take notes, i never mindlessly summarize. i always condense the material into bullet points, diagrams, concept maps, or visual representations. i also like to phrase my notes as questions rather than just passive summaries, so that when i review them i'm already testing myself in a way. most people would not understand my notes bc they're either very low-yield stuff, stuff i'm weak in, or bare-bones fragments of information.

always prioritize weaknesses. if you're weaker at chapter 18 of your textbook vs chapter 1, maybe start with chapter 18. don't spend 6 hours taking notes on chapter 1 if you're already strong in chapter 1. always attack your weaknesses first.

practice practice practice!! so so important. i owe all my As to mock exams, quizzes i make myself, end-of-chapter questions etc etc. imo practice matters a lot more than passive content review.

interleaving concepts helps with retention. an example of this is i like to do biology and chemistry one day, biochemistry and organic chemistry the next day, physics and psychology the day after... i'm not just doing biology all day, every day. another thing i like to do if i'm in a massive rut is i hop between tons of different subjects on the same day, which keeps me from getting bored/helps me understand the subjects better through distinguishing their differences.

retrospective timetable. an example of this is if i find i'm pretty weak in a particular physics topic, the next few days will disproportionately focus on physics over other subjects. inversely, if i just breezed through a biology chapter, the next few days will have less biology than initially planned. i'm constantly going back and revising my study timetable based on my performance of the day, rather than relying on a rigid prospective timetable that doesn't take into account my progress.

less passive learning, more active. spaced repetition is a big one. i love anki for this bc there's an algorithm that dictates how often topics come up again based on how well you answer them. other methods include active recall, having friends quiz you, and trying to teach the topic to others (or the plushie in your bedroom haha). if you find you're struggling to simplify topics and explain them, that's a sign you don't understand them very well yourself.

[centrally-unplanned]

Oh I had a book review that I never did - Apostles of Mercy. Third in a series that I like, but while still "good" its the worst one so far! The Noumena series is a First Contact story set in Bush-era USA, telling the tale of Cora, a down-on-her-luck "everygirl" who gets dragged into being an interpreter/uncomfortably-intimate pairbond for an alien refugee named Ampersand whose home species is probably gonna wipe out humanity as a threat prevention/"why not" measure. Lets complain about things on the complaining-blog:

(The cover art continues to slap, no downgrade there)

Book 1 of the Noumena series is, fundamentally, the story of Cora and Ampersand, and how they connect. It is done really well, their differences stack on their shared contexts and a bit of alien magic to make it really believable that they become a found family unit. So in book 2... Ampersand kind of PTSD's into becoming a reclusive asshole, and Core spends most of the book away from him connecting with other people? It is an odd choice but, you know, this can work. You create space in a relationship, they grow and change from the space, then reunite and that distance in fact builds the foundation for new stuff. Its bold for book 2 but fair enough. But then she does it again in Book 3!! Cora goes off to deal with other issues and hang out with someone else, and is primarily annoyed by or made deeply uncomfortable by Ampersand's presence and decision-making for most the book. Its not as severe this time, but still; you can't play that card again, like come on! Are you telling your Transformers meets Beauty & the Beast fanfic or aren't you? Make up your mind! It comes off as too-clever-by-half, someone uncomfortable with doing the "typical" and having to constantly ~subvert, to ill effect.

Speaking of, the distraction du jour for Book 3 is Paris, Cora's new girlfriend. And she is very, very boring. She is just A Person, spends most of the book a prisoner trying to survive alien captors who don't understand her, and pretty much just has to be rescued at the end. There is no connective tissue - skills that she has that are crucial, themes she is the lodestone for, etc. In Book 2 Cora's partner Kaveh was far, far more interesting - he pushed the narrative forward, he was audacious and witty, and he had a deep internal narrative as to his motivations and goals. Paris seems like a checkbox in comparison. And I think there is something to that - in an interview Ellis remarked that she has gotten far less "critique" on her male characters than her female characters from the lens of making them interesting to read. She implies a degree of audience sexism there, but I think its probably the reverse - besides Cora (who is great) her male characters are just way more fun because, surprise surprise, they are allowed to be assholes sometimes in ways that make them complex and interesting. Even Kaveh, who is a very positively coded character, is a thirty-something rich guy sleeping with a college-aged broke trauma ball and is shamefully kind of loving being the fixer to her broken bird. That is good shit to read about - Paris could never because she is simply A Good Person. Because of Woke.

And speaking of politics! So this part of the series was always a little cringe - Ellis as a writer wears her politics on her sleeve and they are definitely a form of unsophisticated leftism with some really heavy-handed moments. But I don't mind reading the works of people I disagree with, I quite love it in fact; in the first book it is generally fine, because she sets up competent and realistic opponents. In Book 1 its the CIA embodied in Sol Kaplan, who believes in the War on Terror and all that jazz and is one of the best side characters, and Cora has to face brutal consequences for her own ideals. In Book 2 the cringe ratchets up a bit but still, here the debate is over civil rights & strategic approaches to the now-public alien refugees, and the "right-wing" factions are portrayed with intelligent arguments around security & deterrence, and also score their own wins. In Book 3, the main plot revolves around a sister alien faction's camp who specialize in biotech. And they have this whole thing where they move from place to place for secrecy, and to be away from people they find themselves in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, and then an uncleansed mine field in Cambodia. At which point they start saying things like "we should eliminate the humans, we would steward the earth better" and you in the audience are totally supposed to be sympathetic to that. Its incredibly eyeroll, the large majority of the planet is rural countryside they could escape to with nothing close to that scale of damage, they literally chose the worst possible locations on two coin flips in a row. How are they not in Montana. Or Siberia. Its cringe, guys. She does the same thing with the CIA in this book, who eventually get commandeered by a US general who literally thinks of ethnic minorities as subhuman and says so explicitly. Incredible cringe.

Finally, Mary Sue problems. Cora interacts extensively with three humans in this book, and two of them want to fuck her and the third is her evil dad. Said dad spent the first two books being a distant figure pulling off big moves; in this book he literally does nothing but putz around, with no clear agenda but "butter up Cora", who sees through it immediately and fucks him over at the end. Like you spent two books setting this guy up? That is it? So Cora can look smart? We already knew she was smart. Someone says he loves her an "angelic" platonic way. Its not a good look and tbh a little baffling coming from Ellis, who is not at all someone who typically does that kind of stuff. I have to chalk that up to "ah fuck how do I wrap this arc up" syndrome.

Okay, done! Tbc the core of the book was still solid plotting and there was progress on interesting fronts. Its just sad to read Book 3 in a series where it commits mistakes the first two books explicitly avoided, like she ran out of endurance. Hopefully this is a book where she just got it out of her system.

[ghoulsbian]

Do you have any Rize headcanons? :>

certainly i do!!

• she has nightmares about the washuus finding her, even to this day. back when she was young and living with shachi, she would frequently awake screaming from these nightmares. she'd shake and sob, and shachi would hold onto her until she cried herself into an exhaustive state and fell back asleep. i think he would frequently have to sit with her as a child as she fell asleep, holding her hand, just to assure her everything was okay. the nightmares have become less like night terrors but they still have her waking up drenched in sweat.

• she loves scented candles, and prefers to light those instead of having the lights in her apartment on. rize only gets floral scents, of course. any food scented ones would be entirely too nauseating. her favorite scent is jasmine. she wears a specific jasmine perfume everyday too. she's been using the same kind for years now, jasmine is her signature scent.

• i see rize as a cis woman, who typically uses she/her pronouns but wouldn't be offended by any usage of they/them. she's also a femme lesbian to me. it's never been any question to her that she was a lesbian, i think that she's literally never felt any semblance of true attraction to men. she loves leading them on to psychologically hurt them though, when she's not doing so to kill and eat them. it's like a game for her- how pathetic she can make a man act to try and impress her, knowing she'll never ever reciprocate.

• i've had this headcanon for a long time, but i really don't think she kills women. now, she's no human sympathizer, but there's something about killing or hurting women that just is distasteful to her. rize would NEVER admit to this but i think that she avoids killing women because she understands what it's like to be a woman who is being hunted, and it's just not something she'd be willing to inflict on another woman, human or ghoul. though, i think she has fought with fellow ghoul women before, as she knows they're more durable, but she's never killed them.

• there was a period of her life in which she kept her fingernails very long and very sharp. this was because she found it pleasurable to reach out and suddenly slash men's throats when they least expected it. i think that she ditched this style of nail though because she got tired of having to clean out the dried up blood underneath them! rize misses them at times but wouldn't ever try to get them back.

• she is a very popular book reviewer online! i think she has this whole anonymous blog dedicated to it lol. it's grown quite a fanbase over the course of a few years. everyone eagerly awaits her next review, and gives her suggestions for new books to read and review too. it's something that keeps her sane. she does Q&As on her blog too! her fans are always more than happy to participate.

• rize has a very well-loved stuffed rabbit that shachi gave to her as a girl. she's had to replace the bow around its neck since she got it, but it's still in good shape. it sits on a special shelf in her bedroom, along with a semi-weathered picture of her and shachi and a dried rose. the rabbit is white and named yuki. the ribbon around its neck is baby pink with white lace on the ends.

• rize a very good dancer in my eyes. it's like she has a really natural sense of rhythm. her moves are so lithe. her hips sway smoothly, as smooth as water in a stream. it's utterly entrancing to watch her dance, i believe. she's just so good at it. mayu in particular could watch her for hours.

• it is a rare occasion in which you will see rize in pants. the flowiness of a skirt or a dress is just what makes her most comfortable. i don't even think she really owns pants, minus a pair of sweatpants or two. you'll only see her in these sweatpants if she's feeling under the weather and having a sick day at home. otherwise, to lounge around, she prefers to wear a silk nightgown or a big t-shirt and a pair of panties.

• she's very crafty with the ways in which she styles her hair sometimes. i think she taught herself all sorts of braiding techniques, and she loves to do her hair in different updos and braids. most of the time it's just down, but she likes to spice it up with an updo/braid at times! at least three or four times a month.

hope these will suffice <3 i love my girl rize so much

[mermaidsirennikita]

Could you do a summary of how ARCs work as a reviewer?

I'm intrigued. Like do you have to send the books back?

Sure!

So, there are several ways that you can get ARCs. Two of the biggest platforms for traditional publishers are NetGalley and Edelweiss. Tbh, I've dabbled with Edelweiss, but I find their interface very confusing and they do tend to favor industry professionals (booksellers, librarians, etc). And ultimately, I just don't think I need it at this time. I get (virtually) all the ARCs I want from other platforms.

NetGalley can and is used by independent authors and indie publishers. It offers e-ARCs and audio ARCs. With NetGalley, they're sorted into categories, and anyone with an account can request them. Some books are also, temporarily or permanently, classified as "Read Now", which means that anyone can just grab them. Some are categorized as "Wish for It" which means they aren't available for request but you can "wish" for them. It does work—I've gotten a couple of wished for books. Based on what I've read (and suspect) I think that wished for books basically filter out reviewers who don't meet parameters pubs have set for books. So if you do, you can request it. If you don't, you can wish for it. For example, I wished for a book by this one pub, I think they saw my stats and liked them, and then gave me the book. So far, I haven't had to wish for other books by that pub since.

Your request may sit there for months. It may sit there for an hour. It may never be accepted or declined. Almost all books have "archive dates", which means the book becomes inaccessible both to new requesters AND people who got the book but failed to download it. I download books immediately for this reason, but I also use a kindle to read them. When you don't read e-ARCs on a kindle (say, on your phone or your tablet in the NetGalley app), you only have a set amount of time to read them. Then they disappear. When you download them to your kindle, they're there forever.

NetGalley allows you to fill out a profile. I include my stats (blog follow count, what I like to read, my posting style, any achievements) and I link to my blogs, social media, etc. You also have a feedback ratio. NetGalley recommends staying over 80%, but this honestly may or may not affect your ability to get ARCs, depends on the pub. The higher your ratio, the better. If you decline to review a book (which you can) you will never have a 100% ratio. Soooooo always review.

When you review a book, you can go back and add links to your reviews once posted. I include a note to the publishers when reviewing on NetGalley (which I do immediately after reading) re: when I'll post my reviews. Some pubs prefer you wait to closer to release.

Then there are other distribution services, right? NetGalley is expensive. BookSirens and Booksprout are often easier for self pub authors to use. I have accounts with them, but haven't requested any books as of now.

There are also marketing agencies/services, often used by self pub authors. Things like The Author Agency, Valentine PR, etc. You'll often fill out a form for these services to request an ARC. You'll be accepted or declined based on their preferences. I've only read ARCs for services like these a couple of times, but they're great and often handle general PR for authors. They're boutique and handle a smaller amount of clients than something like Booksprout or BookSirens.

Theeeeen there are authors who handle their own ARCs. Typically self pub. They'll often have you sign up on their websites—they may refer to you as part of their "street team". In my experience (which is limited; I'm only on Grace Callaway's team as of now) these are often handled by the author or an assistant. You'll get an email like "Hey, this book is coming up, get ready" and usually get the book through a service like BookFunnel.

Physical ARCs are less common and often handled directly by publishers. They can be received through giveaways and promos as well. I just got a physical ARC through a giveaway a couple months ago, and while there's not an expectation that you review with these books, it's nice to do so.

Some publishers have influencer programs that can correspond to services like NetGalley, OR can be the only way you'll get a book. This is a more common way that people get physical ARCs.

You always need to disclose that you were given the book for an honest review.

You never have to give an ARC back, no matter how you get it. Like I said earlier, they WILL disappear if you read them on NetGalley without a kindle. But otherwise—yours forever.

You're never like, legally obligated to review an ARC. But authors and pubs have a limited amount of ARCs to distribute, and I've never failed to do it because, no matter how I feel about the book, I value it.

Anyone can get an ARC SOMEHOW. Like I said, there are Read Now copies on NetGalley that people use to build up their ratios/following. Many people who have very little presence online get ARCs of big releases. But it's always nice to have a blog. I'm not by any means well-known, I don't have a huge Insta following, I don't do TikTok. But I have a pretty good acceptance rate on NetGalley and through other outlets.

Edit: Oh, and on NetGalley they often give out "badges" which authors and pubs can see, indicating your feedback ratio being over 80%, how many reviews you've given once it's over 100, whether or not you're pre-approved (which is when a pub automatically gives you ARCs), when you've had at least 3 books featured by pubs (this means it's like, starred on their book's NetGalley profile). It can help, apparently.

Also, publishers can see not only your feedback ratio, but how many books you've been declined for, your average rating, how you've rated other books of theirs or similar to theirs, etc. It can help them make decisions.

[thechaoticreader]

10 More Booktok Books I Refuse To Read

Why am I doing this again? Well, I'm a bitch and feel like I've been rating books very highly lately so I need an outlet for the hater energy. Trying to keep the blog chaotic neutral!

*Disclaimer: If you like any of these books, slay! I'm happy for you! These are just my own consumer choices, and imo negative book reviews are just as helpful as positive ones!*

1. Twisted Love (& Series)

will HATE the love intrest

heard its a little incelly

too straight for my gay ass

as an Anna, I cannot condone this spelling so out of principle I will not read her books <3

2. The Fine Print (& Series)

Crusty billionaires aren't sexy

I repeat its too straight for my gay ass

I was born on December 5th which is the same day Walt Disney died and idk I just feel weird about it

eat the rich

I've had another one of Lauren Ashers books on my TBR for like a year and I keep putting off reading it (even tho its about F1 and Im obsessed with F1) so theres no hope of me reading and enjoying one about something I dont care about

3. A Little Life

I have enough mental illness without reading this book

I have enough queer trauma without reading this book

I'm not okay enough to read this book

Seriously though, this would be way too triggering for me and im chosing to prioritize my mental health over reading popular and critically acclaimed works (you all should too <3)

4. One Of Us Is Lying

I don't typically like Y/A thrillers

generally doesnt intrest me -> im getting tired of thrillers and have started leaning towards straight up horror

I HATE the cover

5. Inheritance Games

I've been burnt out of this genre/type of book since the 2000s-2010s dystopian craze

my housemate hated it and I trust his opinion

6. Lightlark

...do I really need to say anything

7. House In The Cerulean Sea

white author profiting off of indigenous trauma

mishandling of indigenous genocide (i.e the 60's scoop)

paints the residential school system as "not that bad"

I know the above books haven't been that serious but this one absolutely is and I will link information and resources in the comments. I put this one so low because I know if it was first people would just skip this whole post and potentially not look into the history of why this book is problematic.

8. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

theres too much hype and i don't want to be dissapointed

9. The Love Hypothesis

galaxy leggings

I wont be able to overlook the cringy millenial humor

it will transport me back to 2016 (in a bad way...see above)

im too gay for that (I can be convinced to read bride tho👀)

10. From Blood and Ash

I have no good reasons tbh

the cover triggers my fight or flight

im not a series girlie (gender neutral) -> duologies are on thin ice

[autolenaphilia]

I pre-emptively block a lot of transmisogynist blogs, to keep them from harassing me. And the notes of any post about trans people that gets popular is such a good source to find blogs to block.

Including the recent posts about Brianna Ghey. The transmisogynists can't keep themselves from spreading their shit on a post about a 16-year old trans girl getting murdered. And it's them defending themselves, saying the typical clichés of "why are you blaming radfems for this, this is male-on-male violence, these men don't read feminist theory."

(note that I use radfem instead of terf, because I have little interest in rehabilitating radfem ideology from its deep-rooted transmisogyny.)

It's just sigh-worthy, and shows such a bad understanding of how structural oppression works.

Yes, transmisogynist violence is overwhelmingly committed by men, as in who directly punches and kills transfems. Yet this violence does not arise in a vacuum, but in the context of a society which is violently transmisogynistic.

The violence is justified by the claim it's to protect cis women from the tranny menace. Trans women are said to be dangerous perverted rapists, who must be kept separate from real women, by force.

It's men who tend to commit that violence, but it's cis women who provide the justification. They are used as justifications passively by men for violence, but also provide active support for it and benefit materially from transmisogyny. Their cis privilege depends on there being an underclass of transfems who suffer the worst of male violence instead of them. Cis women are directing male violence away from them.

And all of transmisogynist radfem ideology is just one long justification for such male violence. despite claiming to abhor it. The call to "legally protect women's spaces" is in the end a call for the very male profession of cops to violently remove trans women from such spaces. And force us to use male bathrooms, where we are at great risk of extralegal male violence. It's in the end a call to remove trans women from women's spaces all together. When you can't use public bathrooms without risk of violence, it restricts how much you can leave your home.

The supposedly moderate argument for "protecting women's spaces" turns out to be downright genocidal. The calls to ban trans healthcare are even more directly genocidal, as it uses state violence to keep us from the healthcare we need, all in the full knowledge that many trans people will commit suicide without it.

Radfem ideology about trans women is thus useful for the patriarchy, because it provides a secular "common-sense" form of transmisogynistic ideology that can appeal to the liberal middle-class in secularized western european countries, like the UK. It's for people who want to intellectually justify their transmisogyny, but who aren't religious and so appeals to christian values don't work. Radfem ideology is transmisogyny for London-based newspaper columnists.

By appealing to this class, radfem ideology keeps transmisogyny within the overton window of mainstream respectable and liberal opinion. It's establishment backlash against the small gains trans rights activists had made by the 2010s.And it has worked, it has kept transmisogynistic rhetoric mainstream, particularly in the UK. UK media is one long storm of transmisogyny right now.

It's true that the type of man who shout "faggot" at trans women in the street probably doesn't read Kathleen Stock. But she serves a different audience and purpose .What Stock does is to dress up the same transmisogyny in genteel language for a middle-class audience. And they listen to her because she is a university professor, the newspapers review her book positively. It all helps keep transmisogyny mainstream and acceptable. And that has effects that go beyond Stock's book and direct audience.

In the end Stock believes the same things about trans women as the "faggot" shouting ruffian: that trans women are perverted rapist men in dresses who prey on real women. And cis women have to be defended by force. It's the same transmisogyny in the newspapers that also causes the violence in the streets.

That is how structural oppression works. By contributing to the pervasive climate of fear and hatred against trans women, transmisogynist book authors and newspaper columnists and terf social media accounts play a role in transmisogynist violence.

Of course they will answer "but we never directly called for violence against transfems." Some of you did, and the rest of you didn't need to. When you paint a group as a threat to innocent women and children, as perverted pedophile rapists, it's works just as well as a call for violence. You don't need to appear too extreme (and get in trouble on social media) by directly calling for mass murder, it's implicit.

So yes, transmisogynist ideologues in general are responsible for Brianna Ghey's murder. They have a lesser responsibility than the people who stabbed her, but it's there. It's they who gave support to the structural oppression that lead to her murder. It was they who painted Brianna and all girls like her as threatening rapists invading women's spaces. This disgusting murder of a 16-year old girl is the natural result of their ideology.

May Brianna rest in peace

[samwisethewitch]

The Great Handfasting Project: Pagan Wedding Planning Books

In February, my partner and I will be celebrating our third anniversary. Like many people who have been dating for a while, we've decided to get married. Because we're both pagan, we've always known that we wanted a pagan wedding. But because neither of us is Wiccan (I'm a Heathen and he's a Roman pagan), we knew that our pagan ceremony probably wasn't going to look like a typical neopagan wedding. And, since we live in an area that doesn't have a lot of pagan resources, we knew we would be planning the ceremony and writing the ritual ourselves.

We are going to be having a true handfasting -- a Celtic-style marriage ritual that includes actually binding the couple's hands together with cord or ribbon. We're both Irish American, and we both incorporate Irish elements into our spiritual practices, even though we both have other stuff going on. We chose Lughnasadh (August 1st) as our wedding date because it's a traditional time for handfastings in Ireland, and we will be incorporating the binding of the hands. However, we're also planning for the ceremony to include lots of Norse and Roman elements. The cool thing about writing your own wedding ritual is you can include whatever religious or cultural elements are meaningful to you. (Provided you're not stealing from closed traditions you aren't a part of.)

Because I feel like struggling to plan a modern pagan wedding ceremony is a pretty common experience, I'm going to be sharing a lot of our research and planning process on this blog so you can learn from our experiences and (I'm sure) our mistakes. I'm calling this "The Great Handfasting Project."

Step one of wedding planning, as with so many things in revivalist spirituality, is research.

(I am aware that Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein have a book on handfasting. However, I personally do not feel comfortable reading or reviewing anything with Kaldera's name on it because he has been accused by multiple former followers of some truly horrific abuse and exploitation. Aside from any ideological issues (and I do have several), I don't think someone who openly uses religious rituals to act out rape and torture fantasies is the type of person I want to take wedding planning advice from.)

Modern Handfasting: A Complete Guide to the Magic of Pagan Weddings by Liz Williams

(2021, Llewellyn Publications)

This was the first book I read after my partner and I decided we wanted a handfasting. Overall I felt like it was a great guide to modern handfasting ceremonies, especially the logistical side of planning one. (Can a handfasting be legally binding in my country? How do I handle family members who aren't pagan? What kind of venue should I book for my handfasting? Etc., etc., etc...) At the same time, this book is definitely focused on handfastings and doesn't really talk about other types of pagan wedding ceremonies. The wedding planning advice is still good, but if you're not planning a handfasting for your ceremony, the sample rituals won't be as helpful.

Pros:

Very thorough advice on how to plan a non-traditional wedding. After reading this book, I had a good idea of all the logistical stuff I’d need to do for my own wedding.

Queer and trans inclusive! The author includes extra advice and information specifically for queer couples and couples in which one or more partner(s) is trans.

Polyamory affirming! While this book mainly focuses on ceremonies with two partners, the author does talk a little bit about poly handfastings and about historic precedents for polyamory in paganism.

I liked how the author included mentions of love and marriage deities from other religions, like Hinduism and Vodou, while also talking about the dangers of cultural appropriation and making it clear that readers should seek out a clergy in those religions if they want to form a relationship with those deities.

The book is mostly very well-researched and transparent about sources.

Includes anecdotes from people who have been handfasted and from celebrants who have performed handfastings, including non-pagans.

Includes information on the legal status of pagan marriages in many different countries.

Cons:

While the author frequently mentions other traditions, most of the rituals given in this book are very much Wiccan handfastings. There’s a lot of emphasis on Wiccan ritual elements like calling the quarters and tools like athames and chalices. As someone who is not Wiccan, a lot of this just wasn’t relevant to me.

There’s not much mention of other ritual formats pagan weddings can take — which is fair, since handfasting is in the title, but this book will be less helpful to someone planning a Hellenic or Kemetic wedding, for example.

While the research is mostly pretty good, the author will occasionally come out of left field with something really “out there” and provably false, like saying that Odin’s horse Sleipnir has nine legs. (He has eight.)

The flower, herb, and tree correspondences given in this book mostly feature European species. Less helpful if you’re outside of Europe and want to use native plants in your wedding.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Do I recommend it? Yes

Handfasting: A Pagan Guide to Commitment Rituals by Rev. Dr. Kendra Vaughan Hovey

(2007, Provenance Press; part of the Passages series)

Although the title just says "pagan," it's made explicitly clear in the first few pages that this book is about neopagan handfasting traditions. Except not really -- the author is clearly talking about Wicca exclusively (she talks about the God and Goddess a lot and quotes from the Wiccan Rede), but she keeps insisting that these are things all neopagans believe and do. (They aren't.)

Pros:

There’s some good advice for interfaith couples, like making an effort not to prioritize one religion over the other and talking about how you’d like any kids to be raised before you get there. I especially like that the author talked about the importance of respecting your partner’s beliefs and not pressuring them to participate in your rituals.

I like that the author encourages people to incorporate family traditions, cultural traditions, or even religious traditions from their childhood if they were not raised pagan. There’s a big emphasis on personalizing your ceremony.

I enjoyed the section on themed weddings.

I appreciated that this book had information on choosing an engagement or wedding ring stone based on its magical associations.

Cons:

The author encourages couples to pick the gods they call on in their wedding ceremony based on the outcome they want that god to bring to their union. This is a big no-no because it reduces the gods to just another list of correspondences rather than autonomous beings deserving of respect.

This book contains A LOT of pretty major misinformation, like listing Pachamama as an Aztec deity (she’s worshiped by indigenous peoples in the Andes, which is fully on a different continent than the Aztec empire) and calling the Irish goddess Aine a moon goddess (she’s a solar goddess).

So much cultural appropriation. So. Much.

The author uses a lot of gendered, biological-essentialist language and insists on the importance of invoking one god and one goddess in your handfasting ceremony. There’s also a lot of penis-in-vagina sexual imagery. If you are anything but a cishet person marrying another cishet person, this is going to feel kind of icky.

The author explicitly says that pagans need to be “model citizens” (her words) and have a responsibility to make their religion look good to outsiders. That didn’t sit right with me — I don’t think anyone should live their life based on how other people might perceive them, and I definitely don’t think my wedding needs to be an advertisement for the virtues of paganism.

The author is weirdly, aggressively, anti-divorce? Even in cases of abuse or cheating? This is a direct quote from the book: “If we want our marriage to work out, it can. All we have to do is really want it.” Yikes! This kind of advice coming from a well-known reverend and high priestess is the type of thing that leads people to stay in unhealthy or abusive relationships because they feel guilty for “giving up” on their marriage.

The author is also weirdly fixated on sex and, more specifically, sexual monogamy. Normally this wouldn’t bother me, because I get that most people who want to get married are monogamous. But open marriages do exist, and can be very healthy. Not only does this book ignore that, it gets downright preachy about the importance of sexual exclusivity.

Overall Rating: 1.5/5

Do I recommend it? No. This book is 40% bad advice, 40% misinformation, and 20% information that is delivered better in the Liz Williams book.

Romantic Guide to Handfasting: Rituals, Recipes, and More by Anna Franklin

(2016, Llewellyn Publications)

Again, this book is heavy on the Wiccan influences, but it's not quite as bad as the Kendra Vaughan Hovey book -- at least t his author acknowledges that not all pagans are Wiccans.

Pros:

Gay affirming! There’s even a section specifically about gay deities to invoke in your wedding.

There’s a nice section on the history of handfasting, and on the origins of other traditions that are common in modern pagan weddings, like jumping the broom.

I liked that there was a section on wedding clothing, including tips for choosing what to wear for your ceremony.

The section on magical botanicals included detailed instructions for blending your own incenses and oils, which is helpful for readers who aren’t experienced with making their own blends.

There’s a pretty lengthy section on brewing your own wine, mead, and/or beer for the wedding feast, and it actually inspired me and my partner to do this for our handfasting feast!

I like the chapter on handparting, and I like that it includes a sample handparting ritual.

Cons:

A lot of misinformation in the deities section. For example, I don’t think most Hellenic pagans would consider Aphrodite an “Earth Mother” goddess, and as a Heathen I can definitely say that this author fully made up a new myth about Freyja, then portrayed it as an Old Norse story.

Once again, cultural appropriation rears its ugly head.

Uses the word “transsexual” interchangeably with transgender. This is an outdated term that is considered offensive by some, and by 2016 allies definitely knew not to use it.

The sections on gay weddings are much shorter and less well-researched than the sections for straight weddings. This, combined with the outdated language, makes me wonder if the author originally wasn’t going to include any info for queer couples but was pressured to add it in by her publishers. It feels insincere.

Uses the g-slur to refer to Romani people. And then suggests a [g-slur] theme as a potential wedding theme. In a book written in 2016???

Overall Rating: 2/5

Do I recommend it? No. There's some useful info, but you can definitely find that info in other books that don't contain multiple slurs (!!!) and copious misinformation.

[nickelstudy]

JLPT N1 Experience

So first of all, Happy New Year. It has been a while since I've updated this blog. I've been feeling depressed in the past few weeks, I think it's because of drawing? I feel like I haven't been performing well in art, and that it's hard to accept painful truth that I cannot please everyone- not that it matters on this blog, but it's WHY I decide to take some time to write an update here.

I was supposed to talk about my first experience with N1 but I got busy after. I caught up in many stuff, I guess, plus I was busy with my birthday and helping my family's work throughout the month. But now that it's over, let's talk shall we?

Before That

I haven't talked about my last week strategy, here's what I did.

Stopped learning Kanji and do the drills instead

Finished Shinkanzen Grammar in the first section. I had some days left, so I skimmed through the second section without doing the exercise (I did for A - D i think but- I definitely shouldn't)

Borrowed these two books (pic below). For reading, I did every bit of every question style (there were like 6 of them right? Short passage, Long, etc.)

And for listening, I tried to rush through it but I kinda gave up with the chapter III or IV I'm not sure.

I switched between two of them on the last day

FYI the blue book is actually fantastic! I think I've said it before but it has explanation for each answers. I think it's super cool.

Now For N1

Chapter 1: Before exam

For context, I travelled to the exam location alone, so I wasn't bounded by anyone and I could roam anywhere. I got out early, and arrived there pretty early. But walking from the entrance to the exam spot took a while, to the point where I doubted to myself if I was going in the right direction. There were many people there already. I think the morning peeps had already entered the room when I arrived.

I had lunch and... wander around (Typical Pikmin Bloom player). There wasn't much to do anyway. I decided to take a quick review of some onomatopoeia and other vocabs. I think at that point, nothing is more important than vocabs. It was a while before they allowed us to go up the building. Anyway, I SAW A KID in a highschooler outfit in front of the same room as mine! IM- I DON'T KNOW?? HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO BE THIS GOOD AT THAT AGE?? And of course we entered the room. I sat not so far from the entrance.

One thing that bothers me is the fact that they never announced to bring a mask but they asked everyone to wear it in the room?? Luckily, I had it on already.

Chapter 2: The Exam

Sorry for the long introduction haha. SO, starting off with vocabs, grammars, and reading. I skipped to grammar secion first because it's not too hard or too easy. It's all fuzzy now but I did okay(?)

There was あっての that's pretty easy. But there was one of them that bugged me and I was wrong on that one too. It's といたしまして... so weird, I didn't expect it to answer that. ALSO, HONORIFIC VERB CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD but i think i answered it right.

Then onto reading section because I was really scared if I couldn't finished it. It- took me a while to finish each of them but in a fair amount of time. It's like 10 minutes left that I switched to doing vocabs with a lightning speed because I FORGOT there was a fill in the blanks and not just guessing kanji's reading.

I almost got 誇張 (こちょう) wrong as こうちょう

There were 奇跡、偏り、矛盾、賄う、軽率 in which i had no problems

Filling the words is where I had problem due to hurriness. I missed the 快挙 cause I don't know the word.

見返り too, because there was a word that I thought it meant (repay) and not the first

I GOT ONOMATOPOEIA WRONG ANYwAY HECC YEA i didn't know what つくづく means so i went with きっかり or きっぱり im not sure

Also there was a sentence that was supposed to mean "His body condition was..." I thought it was "worsen" so I went with 崩れる except no it's the opposite "ほぐれる". I didn't know that word but i've seen it before it's the goodamn spirit's name from the game.

I didn't know what 尺度 means or how it is read but I got the meaning substitution right (yay) (it's standard)

Here's the fun one. デマ... THIS WORD THAT I NEED TO GUESS HOW IT IS USED WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING ITS MEANING. I tried to came up with the word this word could come from. Dermatologist? Demand? Theme??? (that's テーマ) I had no idea and got it wrong eventually. Can you guess?

It's "Demagogie", a German word meaning false rumor... WHO WOULD'VE GUESSED. I asked one of my Japanese if she knew. Of course she did. She even gave me an alternative for it too... but I forgot. I only know that's it in katakana (im sorry)

Last minute i left one Mondai randomly answered!

For Choukai, it was so goddamn fast. I am certain that if it wasn't fast, it would be manageable for me. I honestly don't know if I scored it well or not, the last listening part were as hard as ever. ONE THING ABT IT THOUGH, there was a part where they were talking in a cafe about how the shop owner use a coffee beans? I think?

ANd FOR GOD'S SAKE WHAT'S WITH THE BACKGROUND MUSIC??? My concentration was popped away, I kept glancing around wondering if what I was hearing was someone's phone or the tape's music. I don't even know what the question really was to be honest.

What's Next?

I- I don't know. I just need to wait for the result. But I'll try to slowly get back to learning a bit Korean and Japanese every day again. Probably need to brush up Memrise and Anki. At least 5 mins a day haha. Thanks for reading til here. Keep on learning! I'll make sure to do my best for learning languages this year too!

I don't have new year's resolution but I guess.. continue ASL? I got busy that I have no time to do it anymore. I doubt if I can do it, considering I'll be busy with internship next academic year.

Anyway, have a great year everyone. Hope you have a good luck and success with studying and anything you are willing to pursue this year.

[whimsicaldragonette]

Blog Tour and Arc Review: The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews

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Publication Date: January 16, 2024

Welcome to The Lily of Ludgate Hill book tour with Berkley Publishing Group. (This blog tour post is also posted on my Wordpress book blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Synopsis:

Lady Anne Deveril doesn’t spook easily. A woman of lofty social standing known for her glacial beauty and starchy opinions, she’s the unofficial leader of her small group of equestriennes. Since her mother’s devastating plunge into mourning six years ago, Anne voluntarily renounced any fanciful notions of love and marriage. And yet, when fate puts Anne back into the entirely too enticing path of Mr. Felix Hartford, she’s tempted to run…right into his arms. No one understands why Lady Anne withdrew into the shadows of society, Hart least of all. The youthful torch he once held for her has long since cooled. Or so he keeps telling himself. But now Anne needs a favor to help a friend. Hart will play along with her little ruse—on the condition that Anne attend a holiday house party at his grandfather’s country estate. No more mourning clothes. No more barriers. Only the two of them, unrequited feelings at last laid bare. Finally free to gallop out on her own, Anne makes the tantalizing discovery that beneath the roguish exterior of her not-so-white knight is a man with hidden depths, scorching passions—and a tender heart.

Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. Learn more online at www.mimimatthews.com.

Author Photo Credit: Vicki Hahn

Rating: ★★★★

*My Review, Favorite Quotes, and Non-Exclusive Extract below the cut.

My Review:

I loved this. It was exactly the sort of banter-filled stubborn hero and heroine who are gone for each other but refuse to admit it story that I love. It's easily the best of the Belles of London series. Anne and Hartford are perfect for each other but it takes them a while to admit it. The only problem I had with it was that it was *extremely* predictable. I knew exactly how it was going to go from the beginning and there was no deviating from that. I actually stopped about 75% of the way through and checked goodreads to make sure I hadn't already read it before. I hadn't. And yet I had predicted every. single. thing that happened. It was like deja vu but more so. The last quarter unfolded exactly as I expected it to. I don't know if the foreshadowing was just really intense or what but that did lessen my enjoyment of the story. Aside from that, however, everything else was exactly as I like in a historical romance. I am curious about the next one, as well, after meeting who will obviously be the new wheelchair-bound, artist hero. I have high hopes because neither of those is something we typically get in a romance hero. *Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an early copy for review.

Favorite Quotes:

"I wish I were more eccentric," Anne declared, rousing her spirits to the cause. "I might have traveled to Yorkshire weeks ago and saved Julia from her fate."

Non-Exclusive Excerpt:

The twin fragrances of pipe smoke and parchment met her nose. Lemon polish, too, though there was no sign that the maids had done any recent tidying up. The library was a place of spectacular clutter. Bookcases lined three of the walls; leather-bound volumes on botany, agriculture, and natural history were pulled out at all angles as if an absent-minded researcher had wandered from shelf to shelf withdrawing tomes at random only to change his mind midway through extracting them. The fourth wall was entirely covered in framed sketches of flowers and greenery. Some images were produced in pencil and others in delicately rendered watercolor. They were-along with the teetering stacks of botanical journals and drooping maps that spilled over the sides of the earl's carved mahogany desk-evidence of his prevailing passion. Lord March's love of exotic plants was legendary. He'd spent much of his life traveling the globe, from the wilds of America to the highest peaks of the Himalayas, bringing back rare seeds to nurture into bloom. A distracted fellow at the best of times, but a kind one, too, as far as Anne recalled. It had been a long time since she'd darkened his doorstep. A lifetime, it felt like. She tugged restlessly at her black kid-leather gloves as she paced the worn carpet in front of the library's cavernous marble fireplace. She'd never excelled at waiting for unpleasantness to arrive. Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long. "Hello, old thing." A familiar deep voice sounded from the library door. Anne spun around, her traitorous heart giving an involuntary leap in her breast. Mr. Felix Hartford stood in the entryway, one shoulder propped against the doorframe. Lord only knew how long he'd been observing her. She stiffened. After all these years, he still had the power to discompose her. Drat him. But she wouldn't permit her emotions to be thrown into chaos by his attractive face and figure. What cared she for his commanding height? His square-chiseled jaw? For the devilish glint in his sky-blue eyes? And devil he was. The very one she'd come here to see. "Hartford," she said. Her chin ticked up a notch in challenge. It was a reflex. There was no occasion on which they'd met during the course of the past several years that they hadn't engaged in verbal battle. This time, however, he made no attempt to engage her. He was dressed in plaid trousers and a loose-fitting black sack coat worn open to reveal the dark waistcoat beneath. A casual ensemble, made more so by the state of him. His clothes were vaguely rumpled, and so was his seal-brown hair. It fell over his brow, desperately in need of an application of pomade. There was an air of arrested preoccupation about him, as if he'd just returned from somewhere or was on his way to somewhere. As if he hadn't realized she was in the library and had come upon her quite by chance. An unnatural silence stretched between them, void of their typical barb-filled banter. Greetings dispensed with, Anne found herself at an unaccountable loss. More surprising still, so did Hartford. He remained frozen on the threshold, his usually humorous expression turned to stone on his handsome face. At length, he managed a smile. "I knew one day you'd walk through my door again. It only took you"-withdrawing his pocket watch from his waistcoat, he cast it a brief glance, brows lifting as if in astonishment at the time-"seven years to do it." She huffed. "It hasn't been seven years." "Six and half, then." Six years and five months, more like. It had been early December of 1855, during the Earl of March's holiday party. She'd been just shy of seventeen; young and naive and not formally out yet. Hartford had kissed her under a sprig of mistletoe in the gaslit servants' hallway outside the kitchens. And he'd proposed to her.

But Anne refused to think of the past. Never mind that, living in London, reminders of it were daily shoved under her nose. "You're not going to be difficult, are you?" she asked. "That depends." He strolled into the room. "To what do I owe your visit?" "Presumptuous, as always," she said. "For all you know, I'm here to see your grandfather." Hartford was the only child of the Earl of March's second son-the late (and much lamented) moralist Everett Hartford. Anne well remembered the man. He'd been as straitlaced and starchy as a vicar. Rather ironic, really, given his son's reputation for recklessness and irreverence. "My grandfather is in his greenhouse," Hartford said, "elbow deep in chicken manure. If it's him you've come to speak with, you're in for a long wait." She suppressed a grimace. There was no need for him to be crass. "Really, Hartford." "Really, my lady." He advanced into the room slowly, his genial expression doing little to mask the fact that he was a great towering male bearing down on her. "Why have you come?" Anne held her ground. She wasn't afraid of him. "I've come to ask a favor of you." His mouth curled up at one corner. "Better and better." He gestured to a stuffed settee upholstered in Gobelins tapestry. "Pray sit down."

Excerpted from The Lily of Ludgate Hill by Mimi Matthews Copyright © 2024 by Mimi Matthews. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

[arthurdrakoni]

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth imagines an alternate 1940s where Charles Lindbergh has been elected President of the United States. This is my review.

I have a bit of a habit about putting books that are popular or widely praised. I don't consciously avoid them, it just kind of happens that way. Still, I get around to them eventually. Occasionally they're underwhelming, but more often than not, I do genuinely enjoy them. Such is the case with The Plot Against America by Philip Roth. 

The Plot Against America begins in an alternate 1940. Celebrity aviator Charles Lindbergh has been elected President of the United States in a landslide victory over incumbent president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Lindbergh has pledged to keep America out of the war in Europe and the Pacific. In fact, he's signed a non-aggression treaty with Germany and Japan. Still, many Americans, particularly Jewish American, worry that Lindbergh is getting a little too chummy with the Axis Powers. The story follows the turbulent years of the Lindbergh Administration through the eyes of young Philip Roth and his family.

This was one of those books that wasn't too high on my reading list until it was. I can't say what exactly prompted me to give this one a try. Maybe it was the miniseries adaption that HBO put out. I haven't watched the miniseries yet, but I do plan to. Maybe it was the various alternate history Facebook groups I take part in. Maybe it was something else entirely. Honestly, I can't really say. I will say that this book being part of the Audible Plus Catalogue was a nice bonus. Audible Plus is a new thing that Audible is doing. It's like Netflix, but with audiobooks.

Whatever the reason, I finally gave The Plot Against America a try, and I loved it. You will occasionally see literary fiction authors dip their toes into speculative fiction. However, this is the first time I've seen a literary fiction author try their hand at alternate history. Philip Roth ruffled some feathers when he made some comments that seemed to imply that he believed that he had invented the concept of alternate history. I haven't seen exactly where that went down, so I won't really comment on that.

I will say that Roth does an excellent job of combining his signature style with the alternate history setting. I took a look at some of Roth's other books in order to compare the writing style, and The Plot Against America defiantly fits the mold. There are segments of the book that almost feel weirdly nostalgic at times. Roth describes daily life in 1940s New Jersey in such loving detail, it can be easy to forget that you're reading an alternate history novel. And yes, this is a Philip Roth book, so it is pretty much required to take place in New Jersey.

One aspect I liked is that Jewish Americans are not a united front against Lindbergh. Sure, there are plenty, like the Roth family, who are weary of his policies, and actively push back against him. However, there are also Jews who are supportive of Lindbergh, or at least, believe he isn't that bad and can be reasoned with. Minorities are not a monolith, so I felt this added more realism. 

I guess this book goes to show that you can still do interesting things with World War II alternate history than just the typical Nazi Victory scenarios. 

Have you read The Plot Against America?  If so, what did you think?

Link to the full review on my blog: https://drakoniandgriffalco.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-review-plot-against-america-by.html?m=1

[barbwritesstuff]

I posted 2,206 times in 2022

That's 372 more posts than 2021!

1,047 posts created (47%)

1,159 posts reblogged (53%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@threewolfboon

@barbwritesstuff

@thebibliosphere

@weirdwerewolf-deactivated

@unpretty

I tagged 136 of my posts in 2022

#fanart - 10 posts

#which celebs give you paranormal vibes? - 8 posts

#not werewolves - 7 posts

#oc - 6 posts

#werewolves - 6 posts

#for the sergi fanclub - 6 posts

#youtube - 6 posts

#submission - 5 posts

#writing - 5 posts

#werewolf - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 111 characters

#i had to make some aggressive editoral changes to my first book both before and after signing with my publisher

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I made a fake Classic Penguin Books cover for Blood Moon. No one liked it over on twitter, so now I'm giving it to you, a much more deserving audience.

I am an artist.

270 notes - Posted July 8, 2022

#4

414 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

#3

A Sad but Happy but Sad Update

Hello everyone. I hope you’re all having a wonderful evening and that the full moon is shining as brightly and beautifully where you are as it is here.

This full moon is a bitter sweet one for me. After close to two years of development, Blood Moon is finished. It is time to submit it to Hosted Games. That, unfortunately, means it’s also time to take down the public demo. I have removed the game from Dashingdon and will send the files to Hosted Games, hopefully soon (there are still a few pieces of art I’m waiting for, but I don't think that will take too long).

I wish I had more to say but I’m a little lost for words right now… I suppose I’ll just say what I always say, which is thank you. This community has been absolutely incredible and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the help and support I’ve received over the last couple of years. Without this community, Blood Moon would not be the game it is today.

Thank you for playing. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time running with wolves. I couldn’t have asked for a better pack of players.

🐺💙

In the meantime, I hope you guys will stick around. You can find me in all the usual places.

My email is BarbaraTrueloveWrites[at]gmail[dot]com.

My Twitter is @barbwritesstuff

If you like, you can support me either by leaving a tip on KoFi page or by buying my book, Crying Wolf by Barbara Truelove.

Next full moon I'd like to do a little cover reveal for Blood Moon's cover art. I hope to see you guys around for that. I'd also like to share some other writing projects I'm working on, if anyone is interested in that.

Oh and... eh... the final word count for Blood Moon is 442,290 (excluding commands). If you're wondering where those extra words come from... it's because I caved to all the anon messages and gave Sergi a sex scene. You just can't read it yet. Sorry about that.

453 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

#2

Okay... so I've been thinking... werewolf slang.

What are some words or phrases that you think werewolves would use? Here's some ideas I've had:

"Stray" - a werewolf without a pack. Eg, 'There is a stray wandering around the edge of our territory'.

"Moon mad" - a werewolf who goes totally berserk under the light of the full moon. Eg, 'Some of us just can't control anymore, especially in old age. My old man went moon mad near the end.'

"Showing fur" - to transform either fully or partially into wolf form. Eg, 'Frank had to leave quick. He got angry and started showing fur.'

"Pup" - a minor insult typically coming from an older werewolf and directed at a younger one. Eg, 'Back up a step, pup. You're out of line'.

"Cub" - a werewolf child. Similar to the human word 'kid'. Eg, "Who's going to pick the cubs up from school?"

Feel free to add your own! I want this post to turn into a werewolf urban dictionary.

See the full post

894 notes - Posted February 8, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

9,304 notes - Posted April 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[fiftytwotwentyfour]

Puzzle 1: Box One

Presented by Neil Patrick Harris

Created by Theory 11

Puzzle Classification: Table Top Escape Room

Price: ~ $35 (I did receive it as a gift)

*** This Tabletop Escape Room was Brought to You by Nerd Gummy Clusters, Monster Energy, and Path Water ***

Jk - Just my choosen game fuel. Sadly, I'm without sponsorship...

Review:

If any of know me (especially from my ol' book blog) I tend to collect books and forget about them without ever reading them.

Apparently games/puzzles are no different.

I received this box couple holidays ago as a gift and I just shelved it - but - to be fair I was a bit preoccupied with other engagements/challenges - but - I am happy to state I am glad I waited and devoted my full attention to Box One.

I have purchased other Theory 11 merchandise before (mainly playing cards) because of their high quality and craftsmanship. I can easily report Box One is made of the utmost quality. Items inside were crisp, durable, and hold high production value.

I've done Tabletop Escape Rooms in the past and their in game mechanics are typically flimsy paper or janky cardboard. Inside Box One you will find cards made from heavy cardstock and items made with heft. Another classy touch - the game provides you paper and a pen so you need little to no outside items*.

One of absolute favorite thing about this box is the was that I didn't have to "destroy" anything - aka - I was able to repackage the game and I can share with an unsuspecting friend/family member.

It is made for the use of solo play - which for me is great because available/willing friends are few and far between - but if you are more popular than me you could still play with a couple of buds and still have blast.

Another area were Box One superceeds other basic Tabletop Escape Rooms is that the gameplay is mostly linear - you feel like you have a clear directive even as you have a "story/mystery/issue" yet to unravel - what I mean - as you play you actually feel like you are progressing with the game where as other escape rooms I've played in the past you just open up a box and haphazardly slap mini puzzles together while racing an arbitrary clock. Box One is a gem that you can comfortably/leisurely play in one or two hour/afternoon session.

As I have already said the quality and production value are top notch, but I did find one in game mechanic slightly irritating as it put a damper completion time. I did manage to find a work around and dive right back into the enjoyment of the game.

If I had to state any other cons - I would say some of the "challenges/mini games" almost - almost - boarded on being too tiresome. If they would have mixed things up a bit more, maybe shortened them up a bit, and/or added one or two more mechanics it would have been absolutely stellar game - near impossible to top.

Don't get me wrong - it was still awesome - I found it to be on the eaiser side. How things unraveled truly is what kept it compelling and engaging.

Completion Time: 2hr36min43sec91ms

Hints/Clues Used: Zero

Items Not Included / Needed:

Phone/Computer with Internet Connection

Fridge/Freezer

Flashlight/Light Source

Personal Rating: 7.5/10

2024 Puzzle Record: 1/1

[lokiinmediasideblog]

Book Review: "Black Wolf: The Binding of Loki" by Una Verdandi

I liked a lot of things about this book (4/5). I think it's a worthwhile read despite me disliking some decisions and aspects. I would only avoid if some of the topics are triggering or if some of the things I mention in the "Cons" list are deal-breakers for you. My main complaint is how LONG this book is. 900+ pages! I would not recommend to people who prefer softer depictions of Loki. He spirals into something akin to the Joker in this one, still a very compelling depiction regardless and I enjoyed it (I do like the Joker as a character).

Loki is not soft or silly in this book. He terrifies pretty much everyone (to the point where they don't taunt him much despite them disapproving of his lifestyle and choices, and I'd argue Thor gets taunted more over being unmanly over his beard being burnt off by Loki). What softness he had gets lost in the end. And he is impossible to humiliate because he just doesn't give a fuck about anything or how he's perceived. With the exception of Sleipnir ( it wasn't rape in this book, he spends a lot of time as an animal and wanted a child), the myths that made Loki seem like a silly fuck-up (such as the goat CBT) were omitted. He's an unnerving and unpredictable force in this re-telling.

Warnings: There's physical abuse, period-typical queerphobia, referenced miscarriages, child abuse, rape, domestic violence, lots of murder, referenced genocide, and questionable use of binding oaths. There's referenced/implied underage sexual activity, implied CSA. The morality is rather "period-typical."

Pros:

It has probably the best Sigyn characterization I've ever encountered in a book. She feels realistic and complicated. She's pragmatic and very strong and independent, and also has a history of being an abuse victim, and she takes no shit. This is coming from the blog that constantly trashes a lot of her characterizations.

I also liked Sif's characterization, and the way her relationship with Loki is interpreted here is very interesting and ends up driving a lot of the plot. Frigg's characterization is also compelling. She did everything to prevent the death of her son. This book wrote women rather well and that's very unusual.

I liked how Loki's shapeshifter powers work here. He basically has to make himself again back from scratch (he can heal himself in that way), and this book also plays with body horror (looking at his transformations is very disturbing and it's painful for him). Loki is shown to have a very high pain tolerance for this reason.

I think this book's messy dynamics and portrayals are compelling and interesting. Odin manipulates his sons and destroys their relationships in doing so while trying to avoid the Prophecy of Ragnarok.

Loki was not boring. He's compelling despite being VERY awful. The Aesir killed off his people ( a clan of Jotnar that are referred to as "Nomads") and "adopted" him, thinking they would avoid the Prophecy of Ragnarok in doing so. He's very much aware of his history and rightfully resents the Aesir for it. He spends a lot of time in animal form, and this is something Jotnar are known to do and how most of his children came to be. Loki reads like a domesticated force of nature more than anything.

I liked the Cain and Abel dynamic established between Balder and Loki. And Balder being a dumb-ass indestructible child taunting Thor into hitting him by telling him that Loki was right about Thor "having fat tits" was hilarious and got me to read the damn long-ass book.

I liked the idea of the Gods navigating modern day post-apocalyptic Midgard trying to catch Loki, and criticizing the lack of housing casually (because Rules of Hospitality).

The Jotnar are portrayed in a sympathetic light rather than evil monsters that must be vanquished.

Cons:

I liked the Logyn in this book a lot and was disappointed to see Loki evolve into a VERY abusive asshole to his wife and children. The one time I thought it plausible and found Logyn compelling this happened! Basically, Loki's marriage to Sigyn was arranged by Odin to avoid intrafamilial conflict. Sigyn gained Loki's respect with her wit and pragmatism. Loki gained Sigyn's with his parental love towards Sleipnir. They bonded over Sleipnir, and I thought that was beautiful. But in the end, it went to shit...

I know this will turn a lot of people away from this book, which is why I mention it here. I admit I would not mind as much it if I wasn't annoyed by the overall Jokerification of Loki commonly seen in media depictions. I was expecting Loki to be a very shitty husband like Thor was depicted here, but not to the extent of marital rape and physically abusive to Sigyn, Vali, and Narfi. After his downfall being caused by the loss of some of his children and establishing Loki as very parental and protective of his children earlier in the narrative, the way he treated his less unusual children due to a "spiral into madness" makes for a loss of payoff. And the one thing that really annoyed me is that they implied he raped underage Roskva because "he went mad". This is not in the myths. And IDK, the Jokerification thing bugs me. The Roskva thing felt like it was just for shock value rather than to establish more plot points (which is why I am a bit more forgiving of the "Loki is an abusive husband/father" thing in here since it has relevance to Vali's characterization).

Keep in mind the book is mostly from the POV of characters on the Aesir's side. They do reference Odin's myth-accurate rape of Rindr, but it's focused less than with Loki's retelling-only ones. There's not as much focus on the Aesir's actions of similar weight to Loki's cruel misdeeds. It's just mentioned Thor kills Jotnar women very casually, and a Jotnar in cahoots with Loki refers to putting an end to the constant "raping of Jotnar women" by the Aesir.