#if you cannot tell i like very old things ✌️

[ardenrosegarden]

Was tagged by the lovely @lesbianedmund top post my top 9 books of the year (so far), sorted in very rough order of preference:

Arthur de Bretagne (1187-1203): L'espoir breton assassiné by Eric Desbordes

I got this one after reading Desbordes’ biography on Constance of Brittany, and while many parts overlap pretty heavily, it is nice to have a large book fully centered on Breton politics and culture during the last decades of the 12th century. Breton historiography has kind of skipped over the late 12th century and English/French historians understandably only turn their attention that way when it intersects with what kings are doing, so it is nice to have a much more substantial book on Arthur and Brittany than its usual afterthought status. Understandably, a lot of the book also focuses on Arthurian legend and belief in Wales and Brittany, and its last chapter looks at Arthur’s impact on literature.

Duchesses: Histoire d'un pouvoir au féminin en Bretagne by Laurence Moal

One of the comments Moal got from a Breton news station was about how many pictures there are in this book, and they were not kidding, there are a lot of HQ images to look at. The book focuses on the office of Duchess of Brittany: what we know of how they lived, how they exercised power, how that changed through time, and finally how posthumously they have passed into myth and symbolism in the common imagination (the last part focusing on the 5 probably most well-known duchesses: Ermengarde d’Anjou, Jeanne de Penthièvre, Jeanne de Flandre, Françoise d’Ambroise, and Anne).

Trilobite: Eyewitness to Evolution by Richard Fortey

Richard Fortey is one of the big names in trilobite paleontology, so he’s very knowledgeable and someone I consider reliable about the topic, I love the way Fortey writes. His book roughly follows the development of trilobite paleontology and how our perceptions of them have changed and become more clear through time. I’ve posted a snippet on my blog before; I’d post the entire thing if I could, but I can’t- and I won’t- because I think you should read it for yourself.

Henry the Young King (1155-1183) by Matthew Strickland

Henry the Young King, perhaps partly due to his premature death in 1183 is commonly written off as a frivolous and “less serious” candidate for the status of Henry II’s heir than his brothers. Strickland’s biography I think rounds out and fleshes out his character and sheds light on his surrounding context and why he chose to do the things he did.

Berengaria: In Search of Richard the Lionheart’s Queen by Ann Trindade

Berengaria of Navarre is a shadowy figure in both Navarrese and English sources, and paradoxically is much more visible in the record after Richard I’s death. Its in this period that she’s attracted criticism from English historians for fighting for her dower rights. Given the limited information we have on Berengaria, much of the book looks at those in her sphere (her father, siblings, Richard, Joan of Sicily etc.) to reconstruct her life as a young girl and married woman. There is much more information on her period of widowhood, and this is where Trindade challenges the view that Berengaria was overly selfish in her dealings with her in-laws after Richard I’s death.

The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World by Riley Black

Riley Black seeks to reconstruct the last days of the dinosaurs, from the moments before and after the asteroid seen through the eyes of chosen organisms. The book continues to look through the eyes of surviving organisms in the succeeding months and years after impact, using current science to write a narrative that allows us to “see” what life would have looked like then. This book is written with a more narrative storyline rather than like a textbook, so it’s very digestible and to me feels something similar to a paleontology documentary.

Henry II, New Interpretations edited by Christopher Harper-Hill and Nicholas Vincent

This book was written to coincide with the 850th anniversary of Henry II’s coronation and is less of a biography as it is a collection of essays on different aspects of Henry II, his rule, and important people he interacted with. As pointed out in Vincent’s introduction, our view of Henry II is constantly being reviewed and modified, and this book in another one in a long line of studies challenging how we see Henry II and the surrounding context he lived in.

Power and Pleasure: Court Life Under King John, 1199-1216 by Hugh Thomas

John’s rule is very well-studied due to the well-kept records of the time, which allows us to look at more aspects of his leadership in greater detail. This book looks at John’s court life in detail, with a focus on how court life was both an opportunity to exercise power as well as a means for pleasure. It also studies how John himself succeeded or failed at handling the soft power in court life.

Chivalry and Violence in Medieval Europe by Richard Kaeuper

In the high middle ages, violence between lords (and especially the effects on churches and monasteries) often clashed with the ideology with the Church, then undergoing the Peace Movement which sought, among other things, to decrease local violence. The book records the discourse between clergy, kings, and knights themselves on their construction of chivalry through the middle ages.

tagging @heartofstanding, @lady-plantagenet, and anyone who would like to <3

[urban-witch101]

Hey let's rate the DGR2 formal outfits part 1

Hey look it's the sequel nobody asked for a year late-

Hajime

Oh look, a protagonist who isn't boring!

Hajime is easily my favorite protag. I love Makoto, but Hajime has some snark.

Matches his OG outfit pretty well, but honestly I think a tie would work better. He has one the whole game, and you're gonna tell me he gets a bow tie?

8/10, yes I'm biased.

Twogami

What is it with fat people in these games getting stuck with stripes?

I LOVE the coat.

I can't put my finger on why but they look so much more confident than Togami.

They look like they've got a semblance of their shit together while Togami is just such a coward-

9/10, very in character

Hiyoko

Itty bitty bitch baby

Look at her!

And it's clearly not her old outfit recolored, the hair and textures are all different!

It's pleasant to the eye.

9/10, she's adorable!

Mahiru

Words cannot describe how much I despise this outfit.

This outfit is artsy and cute and fun, but it's not her.

It's so tacky. Her original outfit was just kind of this light academia schoolgirl outfit. Like very photojournalist vibes. It was a little bland, but that was the point.

This is so much. It's like they were overcompensating so they put all the stereotypical art student outfit choices into one thing and it just. Isn't. Her.

0/10, I love Mahiru and they did her so dirty

Soda

This is almost just as bad as Mahiru.

The top half? Excellent. I don't like the color scheme and how it matches his work uniform but I can overlook that.

The slicked-back hair and spectacles? The patches, the tie, the suspenders??

Excellent. So in character.

And then we hit the ankles. WHY.

2/10, he's not even wearing socks.

Mikan

Am I fully aware that Mikan was made for fan service, and that applies to the anniversary? Yes. I don't care. I still hate this.

This is a semi formal celebration and you are in leather high thighs. Like if you got it then rock it but can Sexy Britney Spears Knock-Off stay home?

0/10, I'd be here for hours if I delved into every little thing wrong with this one.

Nekomaru

Why is nobody wearing socks

He's wearing skinny capris. You can see the muscle in his thighs and his fucking knees. Why.

I've never looked at a person and so clearly seen that they dressed themselves, and how they did it.

He's an athlete trainer/manager, he doesn't do formal shit. The most effort he put was probably deciding how much cleavage to go with lmao

6/10, he tried and I laughed.

Teruteru

Pfffft-

Okay okay. Hang on.

It's like if the Pillsbury dough boy was an aesthetic.

I want to like Teruteru, I really do, but his creepy behavior is not it.

That being said, this is something he would wear. I'm not sure if he's pulling it off.

What is that in the middle? A big-ass belt?? A waist trainer??? Help.

5/10, as disappointing as he is.

Part two coming out whenever I feel like it ✌️

[badmouthedmama]

I am a very sweaty person and it is hard to feel like an attractive, desirable, sexy woman when you're sweating like a nun watching porn. It feels like there's literally flames coming out of my hands. It's the most f****** disgusting thing ever and I absolutely f****** hate it. And this is just like a pretty normal thing for me. So whatever just f****** deal with it like all the other s*** In my life that the Doctor seemed to tell me. So anyways, it is definitely proven to be a little bit of a struggle when I'm trying to do my yoga, because it's fucking impossible to do a downward facing dog when your hands and feet are sweating and cannot get grip on the mat. So one morning, in my frustration, I thought there's no f****** way. I'm the only person on this planet. It seems to have this problem. So I used that big old brain. Mine got on Amazon and order. These super cool socks and also some hand grips which make me feel a little bit more feminine through all the disgusting f****** unnecessary sweat 😅

The whole point is no matter what happens in life.You're gonna hit roadbumps you just have to find a way to get past them.

So i'm gonna take my already sweating ass and go seize the day and do my sun salutations with my cute little socks.

BRB 🌬

#TBGLU 🌙✌️

[hwaightme]

i'm popping in again to tell you it's about 6 am here and i am halfway thru your fic (will explode once in the reblogs but as always, i'm on my knees for the artistic piece that it is) and i just saw your bias story--

park chanyeol. mamamoo. lino. jayb- JAYB?! B.I?? DK??? we're literally almost the same person ahaha i'm so glad to see we have so many favourites in common idk why it always makes me happy when i see the older groups (i really dont know what else to call them other than old) like exo, mamamoo and got7. i'm the biggest jayb simp out there btw we girlies really love him 😔✌️

i literally love you so much you cannot beLIEVE *i will be screaming right back at you VERY SOON <33 did i tear up? yes, yes i did-*

yES!!! honestly it was super fun pondering, and HELLO THERE TWIN, FELLOW GIRLIE OF CULTURE; no really i was grinning when i saw your bias list!!

older groups really did so... so much; many things that were unheard of before have come about because of them, and even if someone did not bias any member out of an older group, i sure hope they shall respect what has been achieved <33 (we girlies do love jayb; smth that lives in my mind rent free is his photo collection that he used to lay out and look at to inspire himself ;~;)

oh!!! wait i did not mention in the post but, another kpop bias i had - and honestly he will always mean a lot is bang yongguk!! from b.a.p... to solo work... iconic

[actionsurges]

semi-coherent thoughts on black sails

anne bonny has done nothing wrong ever her atrocities make her sexier and funnier she deserves the best she and max are having gay sex every time she's docked in nassau i choose to believe

favorite characters are anne, jack, max. i love that funky little dysfunctional squad of bisexuals

i love the themes of the show and i cannot succinctly describe how satisfying it is to watch a show that's a) about the power of narrative and story which is something i hold very dear and b) about civilization and just what is civilized about it if anything

its also rare to find a show these days where things aren't clearly black and white or at least closer to black and white with heroes and villains and i think it's more compelling to watch a show where you can like and dislike characters regardless of their role in the plot because of human it is. each character's actions make a lot of sense for the positions they're in and who they are from what the narrative tells us and it's painfully human in a compelling and heartbreaking way.

moment that i cried: flint and thomas reuniting even though i am not sure i believe that's the truth and i DO think john silver just took that old man out back and shot him

favorite season is probably season 2. i think the stakes of the show were always high but season 2 had a fun blend of a bit more lighthearted moments and really great plot. by season 4 things were just so tense

least favorite character arcs: billy. come on billy. get it together. john silver, bring back my funny funky season 1 coward boy, where'd he go (this is not to say that neither of them had BAD arcs, they both made a lot of sense and were well done, i just was 😔✌️ about who they became)

favorite character arcs: jack! anne! max! suprising no one! but also i did enjoy eleanors? i didn't enjoy who she became (but she kinda redeemed herself at the end) but it made so much sense for her character and it was heartbreaking to watch because she was SUCH a likable character in the first two seasons.

black sails was a lot of fun! i am going to be thinking about story and civility forever now thanks!