#life of a wallflower volume 1

[redheadspark]

Hi! Could I request Oliver Wood with 1, 5 and/or 9, please?

A/N - Awww, so cute for Oliver! Thanks for requesting this, anon!

Sweet

Summary - Oliver was always sweet

Warnings - Just some cute fluff :)

“To the Gryffindor Quidditch Team for a slamming victory against Slytherin, and for being the unmatched Champions!”

The entire Common Room was cheering so loud that as windows were shaking from the mass volume.  Streams of Red and Gold were floating down from the high ceilings as Butterbeer was now being poured out from the barrels, brought in compliments from the Three Broomsticks and its owner for the victory over Slytherin.  It was a brutal game, too close to call every once in a while and everyone was on the edge of their seats.  But thanks to Harry Potter, being the fantastic seeker he was, he caught the snitch right at the right moment when it felt like Gryffindor was going to be defeated.

Victory never tasted so sweet.

You watched the game with excitement and drive, being a fan of the game yourself yet not wishing to be on the team since you were merely an okay flyer.  But you still loved showing your support to your house and for the exciting game, going to the matches when you needed a break from studying or from being in the castle.  

You watched as the Gryffindor team was being hugged and congratulated by the other Gryffindors students, yet your eyes were on the Captain himself.  Oliver Wood was shaking hands with everyone, his face filled with brightness and victory as he was hugging some of his friends and chatting with others while perched over at the desks along the wall.  You were being a wallflower by the stairs that head to the dorms, talking to one or two of your friends about the game as you saw Oliver look over in your direction.

The flicker in his eyes, how bright they were instead of the dark brown they usually were, and the small smile on his lips that was rare to see, made your heart stumble a bit.

“So, I’ve heard the Slytherin Captain is already ripping into his team about the game!  Thank goodness for Potter as our seeker!” One of your friends, a fellow 6th year, said in relief as you chuckled.

“Those Slytherins never stood a chance this year, especially with their chasers and how slow they were on their brooms,” You explained as your friends listened, “I swear, they use their brawn instead of their brains,”

“Oliver knew exactly how to block them anywho, even when they were being brutal on him!” Your other friends said in agreement as you took a sip from your butterbeer, “The team won’t be the same without him when he leaves!”

You simply smiled, knowing she was telling the truth while they both told you they were going grab some chocolate frogs that were donated from Honeydukes, thanks to the Wesley Twins and their mutual respect for the Honeydukes owner. You liked leaning against the wall, watching all of the Gryffindors chatting together and talking about the heated match, the sweet scent of sweets filling the air while someone else turned on a small radio to play music.  

It was then you felt a hand slip into yours from behind, a chest lightly pressed against your back and the swift scent of leather gloves filling your nostrils along with sweat.  You felt your heartbeat quicken and you lost your breath.

“Come with me,” You heard a whisper against your ear, feeling the hand tug you a bit as you went along in that direction.  You’re turned, an arm wrapping around your waist to tuck you into the deserted stairwell that leads to the dorm.  It was dark, the small glow from the Common Room was your only source of light as you were then kissing the person who stole you away from the party.

Oliver Wood, your boyfriend. And the love of your life.

You grinned against his lips as he wrapped you close in his arms, your fingers moving up to ruffle his hair that was still a bit wet from his shower after the game while his fingers were drumming against your lower waist.  Finally, you pulled away and pressed your forehead against his own as you two were simply holding each other.  The party was still going on, but it was now muffled a bit as Oliver finally spoke and looked at you with so much love in his eyes.

“I couldn’t find ya after the game-“ He started to explain as you shook your head.

“You were swarmed by everyone and you were celebrating, it’s okay—“ You reasoned, but Oliver hugged you tightly and a bit deeper.  You sighed, leaning into him to let him hold you a bit more.  Oliver always loved to hug you for more than a few seconds, almost drinking you in and not wishing to let the moment slip away.  He was always a fan of physical touch when it came to you, but it was simply like holding your hand or keeping an arm around you.  

You two have been dating for a year now, being friends first before acting on your feelings.  Even though he was an intense Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, he was softer when he was with you.  He liked it that way, his walls that he would have up would come down when it was the pair of you. 

“I wanted to find you first,” Oliver admitted against your hold as you simply held him tight, “You’ve been my biggest fan and put up with my schedule and all, and I just wanted to find ya and kiss ya in front of everyone,”

“I’d rather share a kiss with you with just the two of us,” You countered, Oliver pulling away and staring at you lovingly while you beamed at him, “I like what we have together, it’s just for us,”

It was true that you both hid your relationship from everyone else, but it was what you both wanted in the first place.  Oliver didn’t want his relationship with you to be known and to be scrutinized by his teammates, nor did you want to hear it from your friends as well.  It was nice to have something with just Oliver, being able to sneak away for the day at Hogsmeade on a Sunday, studying together during off hours in the library when everyone else was gone, or simply enjoying each other’s company.  

You still went to his matches to cheer him on, knowing it would build him up.  He would still help you study when you would struggle in classes.  You both lifted each other up in low times and brought joy in the higher times. Neither one of you wished for it to be tinted or stained, so keeping this between the pair of you was what was best.

“How about you and I celebrate on our own, a proper celebration?” You asked him, seeing him smile from the thought, “I know there is a private room at the Three Broomsticks that we can use,”

“How do you know that?” He asked in curiosity, you shrugging with a smirk on your face.

“Since I work there on the weekends and am on friendly terms with the owner…” You suggested though Oliver was chuckling, “And I didn’t get a thank you for the complimentary Butterbeer by the way,”

Oliver rolled his eyes, tucking you back in his hold some more as he lightly kissed your lips, “Thank you,” He paused, kissing you again, “Thank you,” Another Kiss that was deeper, “And thank you…”

His intense kiss made you swoon, and you both were tucked away from the raging party as you kissed under the shining moonlight that poured in.

The End.

February Prompt Session

[tianawarner]

5 sapphic ✨ graphic novels ✨ launching in 2023

Here are five graphic novels featuring a sapphic romance launching this year! Enjoy!

1. Mermaid Huntress (Ice Massacre graphic novel, Volume 2)

A forbidden romance. A battle for control of the seas. Will Meela choose to save her people or the mermaid she loves?

2. Cosmoknights (Volume 2)

Sapphics in space!

3. Belle of the Ball

High school wallflower Belle Hawkins ends up in a love triangle after tutoring the girlfriend of her crush.

4. Grand Slam Romance

A second-chance romance, softball-playing babes, and magical girl drama.

5. The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

In this romcom, Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is.

Please add any I missed! :)

[simstopiaa]

Simstopia Legacy Challenge

🌟 Introducing the Simstopia Legacy Challenge! 🌟

Embark on a remarkable journey through generations in The Sims 4. In this legacy, you'll craft a family saga filled with triumphs, trials, and the pursuit of dreams in just 5 generations.

From the humble beginnings of a wallflower's aspirations to the dazzling heights of fame, experience the intricate tapestry of lives interwoven by destiny. Generations will rise and fall, each bearing the mark of the stars and their unique aspirations.

You'll navigate through triumphs and tribulations, building a legacy that echoes through time. Will you nurture relationships, celebrate fame, or find solace in a quieter life? The choices you make will shape the legacy that unfolds.

Starting Out:

Create a new household with a female sim and male sweetheart for Generation 1 (You may begin the challenge as teens if you prefer!)

Place them on a 20x20 lot or smaller in the Copperdale neighborhood

Set their starting funds to $3000

Play at whatever lifespan you prefer for your gameplay

Only have to finish or max a requirement if specifically stated

Only have to move or stay put, if explicitly stated

Get Famous, High School Years, Parenthood, and Spa Day are required for the challenge

Tag #SIMSTOPIALEGACY so we can enjoy your gameplay!

**Generation 1** The Resilient Vintner

In the shadows of high school hallways, you were a wallflower with dreams as vibrant as the grapes that would one day fill your winery. The quiet corridors couldn't contain your aspirations, nor could they mask the spark within. A nice boy, a rarity in your world of introverted thoughts, shattered your timid facade, and together you danced through the corridors of your dreams.

Life spun its web, and as young adults, a surprise awaited in the form of impending parenthood. Two heartbeats echoed in your third trimester, a symphony of life that harmonized with your fears and hopes. But then, like a cruel twist of fate, the same boy who had chipped away your shyness disappeared, leaving you heartbroken and resolute.

Determination carved its path through your life like vines in a well-tended garden. You donned the role of both gardener and parent, nurturing both flora and fledgling hearts. Your hands learned the craft of winemaking, turning grapes into bottled poetry. With few friends, you showered your twins with all the love life could muster, becoming both their guardian and guiding star.

Nectar Maker Aspiration

Socially Awkward Trait

Perfectionist Trait

Good trait

Fall in love with high school sweetheart

Master gardening, nectar making, cooking & comedy

Accidentally fall pregnant with twins before adulthood (may cheat to achieve)

HS sweetheart dumps you and never meets your kids

Master gardening career

Never marry until your kids move out

Never have more children

**Generation 2**The Bartender's Sanctuary

In the shadow of a single mother's devotion, you and your twin were raised. But as your sibling basked in maternal admiration, you found solace in the independence born from abandonment. Academia was a breeze you barely entertained, for you knew you held an unspoken ticket to leniency. Graduation opened a door into the world of cocktails, a bartender's stage where you mixed spirits and stories, all while never leaving the refuge of your childhood haven.

Mixology became your symphony, crafting concoctions that spoke volumes in each glass. Charisma oiled the gears of social interaction, while video gaming and comedy painted your private world with laughter. Romantic dalliances played like fleeting melodies, each a brief verse before the chorus of commitment. And as the years unfolded, you embraced marriage and parenthood, your own family story beginning within the walls that sheltered your formative years.

Mixology Aspiration

Bro trait

Non-Committal Trait

Lazy Trait

Master mixology, charisma, video gaming & comedy

Don’t move out of your childhood home until marriage

Date at least 4 sims before marrying in adulthood

No children until you are married

Have at least 1 child

**Generation 3** The Musical Prodigy

The pulse of music coursed through your veins, setting your heart ablaze. From childhood, you were drawn to the siren call of melodies, a passion that flourished into an early graduation and an unswerving march into the arms of a musician's destiny. As an independent composer, the spotlight danced upon your creations, but it was a hit song that thrust you fully into its radiant embrace. An agent's proposition introduced you to a world of artificial romance, but destiny had other plans.

In a whirlwind of notes and heartbeats, careers and affections intertwined. Love bloomed like a wildflower in Del Sol Valley's fast lane, and soon your family mirrored the crescendo of your professional success. Your children would someday hear your music and know the rhythm of love that had brought them into the world.

Musical Genius Aspiration

Music Lover Trait

Outgoing Trait

Any Trait

Graduate HS early

Master violin, piano, singing & guitar

Become at least a 4 star celebrity

Reach level 5 musician career (may continue)

Marry someone famous & have a big wedding

Have 3 kids with spouse

Move to Del Sol Valley

License at least 6 songs at mailbox

**Generation 4** The Spoiled Celebrity

Fame wrapped its opulent arms around you from birth, a glittering cocoon that promised adoration at every turn. Spoils of privilege were your birthright, a captivating narrative spun from the union of famous souls. The camera's eye adored you, and the silver screen beckoned, a realm where you aimed to eclipse the legendary Judith Ward herself.

With the world as your stage, you carved your own narrative, masterfully delivering lines that echoed across generations. But amid the applause, the applause that never seemed to wane, love remained an elusive muse. The script of your life took an unexpected twist—an autonomous child conceived in a laboratory of scientific wonder. Yet, parenting was a role you played only in name, leaving the care of your creation to others while you reveled in the indulgences fame offered.

Actor or World Famous Celebrity Aspiration

Self Absorbed Trait

High Maintenance Trait

Materialistic Trait

Become a global superstar and earn a celebrity tile

Reach level 10 of acting career

Master acting, charisma, wellness, and singing

Earn a celebrity tile

Never marry, only date

Have a science baby alone as an adult

Have a very low relationship with your child

Hire a butler and keep a butler until you die

Throw many parties

**Generation 5** The Pursuit of Normalcy

A legacy of luminance cast long shadows, the weight of expectations heavy upon your shoulders. The camaraderie of fame beckoned, but your heart yearned for anonymity. Escaping the glare of Del Sol Valley's spotlight, you took flight to a new life, shedding the name that was once synonymous with stardom. In a tranquil town, you forged a life as a teacher, and love blossomed in the form of a local soul.

The bonds you nurtured were ones unshackled by fame's chains, each affectionate gesture a testament to your commitment to create a family in the purity of love, devoid of the opulence that once enshrouded you. Children filled your days with laughter, their lives woven into the tapestry of your own. The wounds of a past lived beneath the glare of the camera began to heal, and as the years flowed like a gentle stream, you found solace in the embrace of a life truly lived.

Big Happy Family Aspiration (Do NOT have to finish)

Family Oriented Trait

Bookworm Trait

Romantic Trait

Quit the spot light when you age up to a young adult

Move out of del sol valley as a young adult (may leave with $40,000)

Don’t have any good friends until you move out of del sol valley

Join the education career

Marry a local sim and have a small intimate wedding

Have at least 2 kids and have a good relationship with them

Master logic, cooking, baking, & parenting

Never speak to your parent again

[animehouse-moe]

Manga Collection Update #2 (End Of) March 2023 - The 1000 Volume Milestone

"Hey, this isn't your collection, this is a haul!" - people reading this. And those people would be correct, I just thought it'd be cool to save this haul here because it's what got me to 1000 volumes in my collection. Yeah, 1000 volumes of manga, LN, and art books. Really insane stuff when you stop and think about it (I beg you do not think about the retail value of 1000 volumes of manga).

Anyways, the point of me making a collection update post about is to sort of ramble aloud about some questions and preconceptions I had about what a 1000 volume collection would be.

Does It Seem Like A Lot?

When I tried to quantify what 1000 volumes would be, even just last year I wouldn't have thought it would be what I have. A thousand of something seems like an incredible amount that you wouldn't be able to visualize easily. Like shelves going on and on forever almost, but it's not. In total, it's only about three of Ikea's full size Billy shelves (due to space constraints I don't have full sized ones for every shelf). But when you think about that, "Only 3 shelves", 1000 volumes seems almost comical. Even more than that, when you think of listing 1000 volumes (or the series that comprise that number), it makes you think that it's a lot, so much that you wouldn't be able to name them. But when I stop and think about it, I'm pretty comfortable that I'd be able to name 90% or even a bit more of the manga in my collection.

I guess at the end of it, it really feels a lot smaller than the number "1000" makes it seem like it would be. It's all stuff I've read (or am reading), and it's all stories that I can remember to a somewhat decent degree. It's a ridiculous accumulation of money, but at the end of the day it's a hobby, I'd find something else to spend the money on.

Does My Collection Meet My Expectations?

A weird question to phrase, but it's all about whether or not my collection is like what I thought it'd look like at 1000 volumes. And I'd say, yes and no. There's things I figured would be here, but at the same time loads of things that end up missing. I would have swore up and down I'd have Love Is War in my collection by now, but I don't! I would have thought I'd have That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime or Overlord in here as well, or even something like Death Note or maybe Naruto. But they're just not here.

In terms of what is in the collection that I'd never have expected: older shojosei. I didn't think I'd ever have something like Wallflower or Kare Kano in there. Not that I'm not a fan of either, but that they're incredibly rare and typically exist outside of what I pursue. But when they're offered at 5 dollars a volume I'm not gonna say no. Further outside of that is stuff like Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei or all the NGE side stories. Some of these things cost an arm and a leg so they were pipe dreams for me, but stars have aligned for more than a few moments in my time collecting, and allowed me to have a shot at them.

It's hard to say what's in my collection that I would have thought odd, because I don't have any sort of hindsight on that and I think they're all perfectly normal and interesting now. Like Heterogenia Linguistico, a series about a linguist wandering a world full of different types of species with different forms of communication. Or Himouto Umaru-Chan, a peculiar slice of life about the unseen side of the class princess as she nerds out at home with her older brother. There's a lot of things that I probably didn't expect when I was beginning, but now they feel perfectly normal.

What's My Favorite Thing Out Of All 1000 Volumes?

Wow, what a loaded question me! Well, a bit of a boring but also somewhat uncomfortable answer is my Berserk Deluxe Volume 1 (which I'm still yet to continue collecting). I bought it slightly after my birthday, the day that Kentaro Miura died, which coincided with my great-grandmother's death. As many people receive from grandparents, I was given a card with some crisp bills inside, and was told to "spend it on whatever I liked, don't listen to your parents". I was undecided for a few days on just what I should get with it, a full set of Hunter x Hunter that I found used online, or a Berserk Deluxe edition? As it happened, Fate ended up choosing the latter for me. It's also part of why I've been apprehensive/slow about continuing to collect those deluxe editions. Right now it's 1 of 1 in my collection, something that stands out, but if I put it beside a bunch of other volumes that look almost the same I feel like it'd lose the value and sentiment it holds for me.

Where To Next?

I'm someone that always chases goals, I never really revel in my achievements or milestones. When I completed my degree and got it in the mail, I just sorta smiled before tucking it away neatly. There's never been anything that I've basked in. With my collection though, I feel slightly different. I want to show it off a little, I want to excitedly share it with my friends and swap notes and compare collections. It's not that I didn't choose most if not all of what I've done in my life, but this is something else. It's a part of my adult life, something that I'll carry forward with me, rather than it being done. You can only go so far with other aspects, only climb a corporate ladder so high, only go so far with post-secondary education. So maybe more than the elation of reaching so high, it's the excitement at the fact that I have so much more left to go.

[nabipenda-blog]

BOOKS I READ IN JANUARY.

1. Perks of being a wallflower - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

We follow Charlie in highschool as he writes letters to a friend about his life and experiences.

This book is very short thus a quick read and is written in epistolary format and is very slice of life. We just see Charlie through his days in Highschool.

What I loved about this book is our main protagonist who is socially awkward but still very relatable. I also loved the other characters like his friends and family. I loved the music references and currently working on adding them to my playlist.

Highly recommend

2. Apothecary diaries light novel vol 1 and manga vol 1,2 and 3- 🌟🌟🌟🌟.25 ( average rating).

Set in ancient Asia, we follow Maomao as she is kidnapped and sold to the royal palace as a servant girl. She quickly gains attention of the higher-ups as an apothecary after solving a mystery involving the king's infant children.

I am actually a sucker for period pieces and this scratched an itch I had and was very satisfied. Loved Maomao and Jinshi's relationship as they helped each other solving this mysteries in the rear palace.

The light novel vol 1 is a combination of the manga volumes 1,2,3 and 4.

The anime is currently airing and I have just started watching it and so excited to experience this story more.

3. Komi can't communicate vol 1 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

Komi is a beautiful girl who is admired by everyone for her looks but is socially awkward and has social anxiety to the point where she cannot talk to anyone. We follow her as she joins highschool and meets Tadano who is a very regular student and helps her make 100 friends.

This manga was such a breath of fresh air for me. I loved Komi and her budding friendship with Tadano and the journey she is undertaking to make 100 friends. We meet a few of the friends she makes along the way and all are interesting characters.

This is a slice of life comedy with lessons about friendship and life in general.

4. Billy bat vol 1 - 🌟🌟🌟.75.

Kevin Yamagata is a mangaka who writes a manga called Billy bat but soon he realizes that he might be copying an image from Japan that he saw while working in the military. This forces him to go back to Japan to look for the original creator and while there he realizes that this is a conspiracy bigger than what he could imagine.

I started reading this manga because I wanted to get into Urasawa's work and this one intrigued me because it was about art and I enjoy media that explore art. This manga does expand into conspiracies of it's own as we see Billy bat as an entity on its own. It also takes real life major world events in history and incoporates them into the story.

5. The murder of Roger Ackroyd- 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

This is a Hercule Poirot murder mystery. We follow Hercule Poirot as he is tasked with investigating the murder of a good friend.

It is so hard to give a proper synopsis of this book because of spoilers but I loved this book. It is a very typical murder mystery but the twist and how it was revealed was so shocking that I saw this book in a whole new light.

This is not my first Agatha Christie book and it will not be my last.

6. Heartstopper vol 2 - 🌟🌟🌟🌟.

We follow schoolmates Nick and Charlie who become friends after they meet in a class. This is a love story between two boys from different backgrounds.

Vol 2 begins immediately after vol 1 and in this one we see Nick coming to terms with his sexual identity and the blossoming love between him and Charlie.

[windywallflower]

Lets talk COMICS!!

So hey did you know Windy & Wallflower is kinda responsible for a few FREE little webcomics floating around the internet?

You might recognise Tas' work through

The Sanity Circus

This guy follows the life of a girl named Attley who thought she was living a pretty normal life until her best friend decided to become evil? And she stumbled into some shifter boy? And now she's busy running from scarecrow and instrumen?? Turns out he isn't even human or as normal as she once thought!

Tas has put a good honkin' 8 years of work into this bad boy and it's nearing just about 700 pages! If you're looking for something to deep dive into, you should definitely check it out~! (Updates every: MONDAY and FRIDAY)

Paint the Town Red

This is our first big collaborative baby as Windy & Wallflower! We've been chipping away at this bad boy since 2017 and NOW this one even has a website of its own! We've got the entirety of Volume 1 up and Volume 2 is being posted every WEDNESDAY and SUNDAY!

This one releases in physical volumes first and online later.

Paint The Town Red follows a dramatic slice-of-life between vampires and werewolves in the strange supernatural city of Merlot. The story starts with a new werewolf and her best friend upkeeping a werewolf shelter.. when one day a vampire shows up looking for shelter as well! HMMM~~

The last of our big comics is our newest baby yet..

AUGUSTINE

This one's our greek myth x borderlands webcomic! It follows a ragtag group of wanted hooligans who tend to make things worse in their efforts to save local folks. They mean well but well... that doesn't always work out. Fate, however has something else in mind for this group as their found family is put to the test when their leader-- well that's going into a bit of spoilers isn't it? (updates every: TUESDAY & THURSDAY)

We're releasing the first chapter as book really soon! Its even up on pre-order on our shop!

Windy & Wallflower is just a little duo putting out a whole lot of stuff we think is pretty neat and we know you don't like being Advertised To but y'know, we gotta eat and you can help support us by checking out our work (reading our comics) by stopping by at our convention tables OR by checking out our shop online!

Right now most of the above titles have books in our shop so if you like what you're reading we could always use the sale ;>

>> SHOP HERE <<

And if you CAN'T buy these straight up but you love reading books we'd be over the moon if you contacted your local libraries & pointed them our way //chin in hands ~

Always HUGE thanks for all your support! Have fun reading about our rowdy guys!! hehehe!

[isabellebissonrouthier]

hi, happy blorbo blursday!! imagine your blorbos are going to a party. how do they act? are they enjoying themselves? who's the life and soul of the party and who's more of a wallflower? who's the one who drags the others onto the dance floor?

I'll go for the set of characters in Volume 1 of @49-ibr!

Aveline would probably not enjoy herself very much, as she's too busy making sure everyone else is happy and stressing out, BUT if she has Adonis with her, they'd probably have a nice relaxing time together! If he was there, there's pretty much no chance of him leaving her side lol

Thalissa would probably either hide the whole time because she hates people, or sneak out for some stargazing!

Chrysanthemum would be the life of the party! She's fun and charming and would love to dance and make friends

Kaydah would mingle a little bit, but mostly chill in quiet corners with people she's close to! She prefers to watch more than dance with a bunch of strangers (though perhaps if she drinks enough, she'll dance with Chrys)

Lucah would hate it, but if Dackon is there, he would follow him. Dackon probably wouldn't show up, but if he does he probably just stands in the corner and glare at people

And then Ocellia would get incredibly drunk and probably stab somebody. If Lucah was there, he would probably join in lmao

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Oldies But Goodies, Vol. 1 1987 Doo Wop / Pop / R&B / Rock & Roll

Alright, folks, this is probably the last time that I'm gonna be typing out the name Art Laboe for a long while. He's the legendary Los Angeles radio DJ who did a lot of things in his career, including pioneering the art of repackaging oldies hits into various artist compilations—a seemingly simple format that you've likely taken for granted your whole life. However, before Laboe's groundbreaking Oldies But Goodies series was launched in the 50s—a phrase that he himself apparently coined!—scratching one's own nostalgia itch was a much more laborious task than just throwing on a single record to relive some of your faves from years past.

Now, upon its release, this series wound up selling like hotcakes, and it ended up yielding 15 different volumes in total. But as years would go by, rather than releasing more and more volumes after 1985, Laboe's label, Original Sound, insisted on retooling and reissuing these same albums with different tracklists instead. So, this compilation here was released as the first volume in the series, but it's actually a 1987 CD reissue, and its tracklist is markedly different from the actual first volume that had initiated this whole phenomenon decades prior.

Still though, the album's pretty good. Its first half is dominated by sappy doo wop ballads, which is the type of doo wop that I'm not too big a fan of, but it branches itself out nicely in the second half, closing out with a run of four unmistakable killers: Chuck Berry's landmark 1955 debut record, "Maybellene," which was one of the first songs to show people what rock & roll guitar could truly be capable of; The Cadets' "Stranded in the Jungle," an off-beat, moving and grooving 1956 one-hit wonder novelty, with deep-voiced spoken-word verses and jaunty bouts of horn and piano on its choruses; Lloyd Price's superbly catchy and highly popular 1958 New Orleans R&B rendition of "Stagger Lee;" and Etta James' 1955 debut record that never got any play on pop radio because it was deemed too risqué, but crushed it on the R&B chart anyway, "Dance With Me Henry," aka "The Wallflower," aka "Roll With Me Henry."

So, overall, out of all the Oldies But Goodies that I've now had the pleasure of diving into, this 1987 reissue of Volume 1 is probably my least favorite. But its final quartet of tunes is really nothing short of fantastic, and I just wish that the album could've been made with that same consistency all throughout, like a lot of other releases in this essential series seem to be.

Definitely not done with checking out oldies altogether, but I think I'll be putting this specific, history-making series to bed for the time being. I plan on revisiting it again someday, but that day is an indeterminately long way's away.

Highlights:

Chuck Berry - "Maybellene" The Cadets - "Stranded in the Jungle" Lloyd Price - "Stagger Lee" Etta James - "Dance With Me Henry"

[emilysworldoffandoms]

Books I Read in 2022

1. Beast Boy Loves Raven By Kami Garcia & Gabriel Picolo 2. Dear Girl By Aija Mayrock 3. A Fire Like You By Upile Chisala 4. Nectar By Upile Chisala 5. Soft Magic By Upile Chisala 6. As If On Cue By Marisa Kanter 7. Heartstopper Volume 4 By Alice Oseman 8. Address Unknown By Katherine Kressmann Taylor 9. Ariel By Sylvia Plath 10. Heart Talk By Cleo Wade 11. At Somerton: Cinders & Sapphires By Leila Rasheed 12. At Somerton: Diamonds & Deceit By Leila Rasheed 13. Unlock Your Storybook Heart By Amanda Lovelace 14. Instructions for Dancing By Nicola Yoon 15. Martita, I Remember You By Sandra Cisneros 16. Brown Girls By Daphne Palasi Andreades 17. Here's to Us By Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera 18. Counting by 7s By Holly Goldberg Sloan 19. The Summer I Turned Pretty By Jenny Han 20. It's Not Summer Without You By Jenny Han 21. We'll Always Have Summer By Jenny Han 22. Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood By Melissa Wagner & Fred Rogers 23. Gained a Daughter But Nearly Lost My Mind: How I Planned a Backyard Wedding During a Pandemic By Marlene Kern Fischer 24. At Somerton: Emeralds & Ashes By Leila Rasheed 25. Café Con Lychee By Emery Lee 26. The Book Tour By Andi Watson 27. God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian By Kurt Vonnegut 28. Yoga Pant Nation By Laurie Gelman 29. Mr. Malcolm's List By Suzanne Allain 30. Miss Lattimore's Letter By Suzanne Allain 31. The Road Between By Courtney Peppernell 32. Enough Rope By Dorothy Parker 33. My Favorite Half-Night Stand By Christina Lauren 34. Smells Like Tween Spirit By Laurie Gelman 35. How to Be a Wallflower By Eloisa James 36. Be Like the Moon By Levi Welton 37. Morality for Muggles: Ethics in the Bible and the World of Harry Potter By Moshe Rosenberg 38. 84, Charing Cross Road By Helene Hanff 39. Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating By Christina Lauren 40. The Matchmaker By Thornton Wilder 41. The Cheat Sheet By Sarah Adams 42. All-of-a-Kind Family By Sydney Taylor (Re-read) 43. Shadow Angel Book One By Leia Stone & Julie Hall 44. Spooky America: The Ghostly Tales of Sleepy Hollow By Jessa Dean 45. Needle & Thread By David Pinckney, Ennun Ana Iurov, Micah Myers 46. Good Game, Well Played By Rachael Smith, Katherine Lobo, Justin Birch 47. Home Sick Pilots By Dan Walters & Caspar Wijngaard 48. Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard By Tom Felton 49. Legends and Lore of Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley By Jonathan Kruk 50. Heartless Prince By Leigh Dragoon 51. A Contract with God By Will Eisner 52. Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese American By Laura Gao 53. Blackwater By Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham 54. Woman World By Aminder Dhaliwal 55. In Real Life By Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang 56. Lore Olympus Volume 1 By Rachel Smythe 57. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword By Barry Deutsch 58. Persuasion By Jane Austen 59. Devil in Disguise By Lisa Kleypas 60. Shadow Angel Book Two By Leia Stone & Julie Hall 61. Lore Olympus Volume 2 By Rachel Smythe 62. Talk to My Back By Yamada Murasaki 63. How I Saved Hanukkah By Amy Goldman Koss 64. Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet By Barbara Dee 65. Shadow Angel Book Three By Leia Stone & Julie Hall 66. The Matzah Ball By Jean Meltzer 67. Canción By Eduardo Halfon 68. Leopoldstadt By Tom Stoppard 69. Say Yes to the Duke By Eloisa James 70. Winter Roses after Fall By Robert M. Drake & r.h. Sin 71. Roomies By Christina Lauren 72. Falling Toward the Moon By Robert M. Darake & r.h. Sin 73. Empty Bottles Full of Stories By Robert M. Drake & r.h. Sin

[a-few-of-my-favorite-mangas]

The Wallflower / Yamatonadeshiko Shichihenge

by Tomoko Hayakawa

Manga Volume 10 / 36

Shoujo, Comedy,  Romance

Story  ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆   ||   ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆   Art

Summary

OUT OF THE DARKNESS Poor Kyohei is cursed... no, not by the devil or evil spirits. Not even by the dark, macabre Sunako, the girl he and his three pals have been trying to transform into a demure lady. Kyohei is cursed by his own good looks. When Sunako rejects him for being too good-looking, Kyohei runs way. His friends wonder what could have happened to him, but only Sunako, racked with guilt, knows the truth. It appears that the only way for Sunako to save poor Kyohei is to become a true creature of the light. But can Sunako finally emerge from the Goth shadows and bring Kyohei home, or will she be drawn back into the darkness once again? This volume of The Wallflower includes special extras after the story!

Review

Sunako learns more about how difficult life is being one of the beautiful people when sees how Kyohei’s home life was like and she only made it worse with her default bad attitude towards him... she is racked with guilt over what she said and wants to make it up to him the only way she knows how... with food.

It is also school sport day and it all comes down to Kyohei vs Sunako as they battle for #1. In this volume we also are introduced to Ranmura’s Princess. Ranmura isn’t ready to settle down and be engaged... but he can’t get her out of his mind... hmm.

It’s cold outside and Kyohei wants to have a nabe party with a Kotatsu, so he goes to the market with Sunako and well, chaos ensues - why does everyone think they are boyfriend and girlfriend? hmmm. 

[waveypedia]

come and dance with me

Rymin Week Day 6: Dance

1 2 4 5 7

Ao3

~

One late summer evening, when the sky is turning dark orange and blue, Ryan drags Min out for the night.

They end up at a club similar to what they play at regularly. Today, though, they are not here for music, as unfathomable as it may sound. Today, they are just here as innocuous members of the audience.

Days with neither a tight driving schedule to keep to or a show to catch are rare. Ryan and Min make the most of them, however that may play out. Sometimes it’s a quiet night in the hotel, catching up on practicing with Min’s full-size synth. Sometimes it’s exploring the towns on foot instead of the car.

Sometimes, like tonight, it’s hanging out at clubs and bars. As exhilarating as performing is, it’s nice to be on the other side sometimes. It’s a different experience.

They start out at a small table on the side, but in no time at all Ryan is dragging Min towards the dance floor. It’s a bit crowded for Min’s taste, but all it takes is a wide, hopeful smile from Ryan and he’s on his feet.

It is crowded, but Min nearly doesn’t notice once Ryan’s hands are in his. They spin and jump to the music. It’s thrilling to be a part of such a crowd, and yet Min and Ryan only have eyes for each other.

I love him. I love him so much…!  

On the dance floor, with bright lights and loud music and sweaty people swirling around them, Min comes to a realization.

I never want to be without Ryan. I want to stay with him for the rest of my life.  

Ryan wraps his arms around him. “Hey Min, I’m getting kind of hungry. can we-”

“Marry me.” The words are out of Min’s mouth before he even realizes they were there in the first place.

His mouth snaps shut. I. Why did I say that why did I say that?!  

Ryan is staring at him, frozen, mouth agape. “Min?”

Min can only stare back.

As he’s standing, stock-still in the midst of dancing partygoers, the eye of the hurricane, he comes to yet another startling realization.

I don’t regret it. I stand by what I said. 

“Yeah,” he says, quiet and breathy. “Yeah. Yeah! Ryan, let’s do it!” Excitement floods him, and he starts to bounce up and down. He takes Ryan’s hands and squeezes them, beaming. “Let’s get married!”

Ryan does not respond. At least, not verbally. He holds Min’s hands oh-so-gently, as if he were holding precious cargo. A light blush paints his cheeks, and he gazes at Min with a love-filled gaze.

“Okay.”

 Min grins. “Okay!”

“It’s not going to be easy,” Ryan warns. His seriousness feels out of place both with the upbeat music and euphoria in Min’s heart.

Min starts spinning slowly to the beat of the music, tugging Ryan along with him.

“I don’t care,” Min says. “I just want to be with you.”

Ryan grins, leaning back but never letting go of Min’s hands. The shock seems to be wearing off, and his usual swagger returns, but he still seems quite caught off guard. “Well, that’s quite a declaration. Um. You didn’t plan this, did you?”

Min laughs, shaking his head. “I guess not. The sentiment just… came over me all of a sudden.”

“Ah, how the tables have turned,” Ryan says, laughing lightly. “Well. I’m glad you feel you can express yourself freely around me like that, even without a plan.” His cheeks are tinged pink.

“Me too.” Min ducks his head. Is that a rejection? Ryan would be more forthcoming than that, right? Ryan isn’t the type to speak in implications. Not when it counts.

Ryan opens his mouth to say more. At that sight, Min relaxes, because of course Ryan wouldn’t leave him hanging. But Min never gets to hear what those words are. Before Ryan can speak, he’s cruelly interrupted.

The song changes from something crooning and beautiful to something energetic and bouncy. It’s a popular song, topping charts in the way Chicken Choice Judy hopes to one day. The audience - both the dancers and the wallflowers - react accordingly, screaming with excitement.

On any other day, Ryan and Min (definitely Ryan) would’ve been just another person in that yelling crowd, expressing their joy in volume and feeding off the energy of their peers. Now, they stand frozen in the middle of the dance floor, an oasis of stillness in the middle of chaos.

They stare at each other, unsure. Neither of them is willing to break their communal silence (which feels absolutely nothing like silence, given the amount of noise around them).

A fellow partygoer nudges Min, a little too forcefully. “C’mon, guys! Aren’t you here to have fun?”

Ryan jumps. Min tries to catch his eye, but misses. When he glances back at the partygoer, they’ve disappeared into the crowd.

Ryan glances at Min and shrugs. He starts jumping and cheering. It might look perfectly natural to an onlooker, like a perfect part of the crowd, but Min knows him too well. He’s restrained, self-conscious in a way he rarely is.

But he seems unwilling to talk, so Min goes along with it.

They dance for a while longer before Min starts to get tired. He doesn’t get the chance to say anything, because Ryan just seems to know. Before Min can open his mouth, Ryan’s dragging him to the bar.

Ryan finally gets his food. They sir at the bar, drinking and laughing about everything and nothing. It’s a little awkward at first, which feels like unfamiliar territory for them after all this time off the train, but they eventually relax.

Yet neither of them dare to mention their earlier conversation.

 --

The night passes in a blur of dancing and conversation. Min feels a little out of it, like he’s floating, or viewing his own life as an outsider. He doesn’t come back to himself until he’s lying in bed. With Ryan.

Both of them have never been more grateful for the initial idea and excuse of taking a queen-sized bed in their hotel room to save money. It has never been awkward, not even when they first started out. Not even before they knew each other liked men, or that they liked each other. Not even before Min himself knew he likes men! It always felt so natural to share so much domesticity and personal space with Ryan.

Until now. They’re cuddling, like usual. It’s not out of the ordinary for partners such as themselves. Usually the lull of Ryan’s breathing and his warm arms around Min’s body lull him right to sleep. Yet tonight, he feels tense.

He can’t deny that he is safe and comfortable in Ryan’s arms. His breaths are deep and calm. Slowly, the tension and worries start to ease out of his body. He relaxes in Ryan’s embrace, all thoughts of the proposal nearly gone.

Min is just starting to slip into sleep when Ryan stirs. “Min.”

A foreboding feeling is starting to burn in Min’s gut. He rolls over noisily in the silence and opens his eyes. “Yeah?”

Ryan is lying with his back to Min, staring decidedly at his hands as if they held the secrets to the universe. “Did you… mean what you said earlier? About marrying me?”

The last semblance of any drowsiness Min once had his gone, leaving him stiff and anxious. “I… yeah. I did. I do, really.”

Ryan doesn’t respond. He’s biting his lip and frowning into the darkness of the hotel room. Min shivers.

“Maybe it was dumb,” he mutters, disappointed. “I know it was spur of the moment. I didn’t even give you a grandiose speech. You deserve that.”

Ryan’s breaths are long and measured. If not for how controlled they are, or how long he’s been sleeping next to Ryan in close quarters, Min might’ve thought he’d fallen asleep. Which wouldn’t be too out of the ordinary, if tonight were a normal night. If they’d stayed up late dancing and partying and crashed afterwards. It’s happened multiple times, with each of them at fault. Long nights take their toll on everybody.

But Ryan isn’t the type to fall asleep in the middle of a conversation like this. Not when it counts.

So Min waits. Patient as he is, the silence still stings.

“So it was just the lack of a speech that was dumb?” Ryan finally asks. His voice is quiet, scratchy with disuse and fear.

Min swallows. “Yeah, but Ryan- I don’t really care, I just-“

“Tell me your speech.”

“Huh?” Min must have heard him wrong.

“Tell me your speech.” Quick as a flash, Ryan rolls over and grips both of Min’s hands in his own. His nose is inches from Min’s. They stare into each others’ eyes, breaths catching. Ryan’s eyes are wide and nervous, with no semblance of sleep remaining. His lips are slightly parted. Min’s gaze flicks down to them, then away when he realizes what he’s done. Now is not the time. Later… but not now. 

“O-oh. Um.” Min clears his throat awkwardly, desperately searching for words.

Ryan frowns and breaks his gaze away. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. Or if you need to think it over-“

“No, no.” Min shakes his head empathically. “I still feel the way I did in the club, Ryan. Just… a little more tired, I guess. But my point stands. And I don’t need to think it over, because I love you and I love everything about you. I don’t need multiple drafts to figure out how to say that.”

“Oh.” Ryan is blushing fiercely. Min stifles an affectionate giggle that would surely break the moment and forces himself to concentrate.

“Ryan Akagi,” he says after a moment, taking a deep breath. “You were my first friend. You are my closest friend. You were one of the first people I ever met. When our parents wanted us to be friends, we could have not gotten along. But we have, because you are a wonderful person who charms everyone who comes within ten feet of you.”

Min pauses for breath, then continues. “But I care about so much more than that. I love you because you helped me realize my first dream. I love you because you convinced me to play in our first performance because we wanted to, not because our parents did. I love you because you never gave up on me. I love you because you are such a go-getter. When you set your mind to something, you make it happen, even if it seems impossible. You came back to me even when I thought we were finished, and you changed my life. I cannot imagine spending it without you, whether in music or at home. I love playing music with you and traveling with you and performing with you. Please make me as happy now as you make me every day.”

Min’s final words hang in the air. The silence in the room is broken only by the incessant whirring of the hotel fan.

Min scratches at the back of his neck. “Umm, if you want to, of course. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I will respect that.”

“Min.” Min shuts up fast. “Man, I-“ Ryan rubs at his eyes and sniffles. “You’re too good to me.”

 “Never,” Min promises fiercely.

“Shut up and let me talk, okay?” Min nods, chastised. Ryan sends him a small smile before continuing.

“Min, you’re… man, you’re such an amazing person. Shut up, it’s true, I can see those protests coming from a mile away.” Ryan levels him with a stern glare. Min laughs.

When the moment has passed, Ryan sighs, threading his hands behind his head. “I barely know where to start with you. You’ve made my life so much better, you know? I don’t know where I’d be without you. Gage is nothing compared to Chicken Choice Judy, sure, but even when we were kids my life revolves around you. You were my only friend, but you know what? I never sought out anyone else because I never needed anyone else. Time and again, you’ve always been the person I’m happiest with. That year I spent alone on the road was the worst year of my life. I kept asking myself, ‘Why am I so unhappy? I have everything I’ve never wanted. I’m finally a performing musician. I’m writing an album. I’m away from my stifling family. I’m free to be myself.’ But I’ve always known the answer. It was because I was without you.” Ryan rolls over to take Min’s hands once more. “I never want to be without you again, Min.”

Min chokes on a sob. “Ryan, I…”

Ryan squeezes his hand. “You don’t need to say anything. This has been a lot of sappiness for one night.”

Min shakes his head, the ghost of a smile on his face. Well, allow me to change the mood. As you wish, good sir. “So, is that a yes?” he asks hopefully.

Ryan bursts out laughing, the sound echoing through the previously quiet hotel room. “Sure it is, Min. I pour my heart out and that’s all I get, huh?”

“Sorry,” Min says, chuckling. “I’ll do it right this time. Ryan Akagi, will you marry me?”

Ryan’s smile is soft and beautiful. “Of course I will. Min-Gi Park, will you marry me?”

“I will,” Min says quietly, full of emotion. God, he loves this man.

He can’t imagine a better future now that it belongs to Ryan. They have their entire futures to spend together. Their entire lives to spend together.

The future hasn’t been something Min looked forward to for a long time. Not since his parents started pressuring him about college, and certainly not since Ryan left. Yet now, lying in a hotel bed with Ryan’s hand in his and a promise on their lips, he finds himself looking forward with a smile on his face.

Whatever comes next, I am ready. With Ryan by my side, nothing could ever truly go wrong. 

~

to be completely honest i wasn't even going to write for this day but we started chatting in the discord on monday about rymin engagement and i had to drop everything to write this (except i actually didn't because i ended up writing it all today aksdjfkdsl) it's literally all because of this

Ryan: Min I think we should get-

Min: married

Ryan: I mean I was going to say takeaway but let's do your thing that sounds much better

title is from apple by gfriend. admittedly this doesn't fit the "dance" prompt as closely as i would've liked so hopefully that makes up for it. in all honesty i didn't have a plan for this one and i just wanted to shoehorn rymin proposal in there somewhere dkfjgkfd

it's really late rn i finished this hours ago but i was away so i can only post it now. i just really want to go to bed so i'll leave you with that. might edit this in the morning though. thank you for reading! if you ever wanna talk infinity train, writing, these amazing characters, or really anything hmu here on my tumblr or on twitter! please leave a like/comment/reblog if you enjoyed it!

@ryminweek

[mm2305]

1-11 on domestic life 🥰

From this post

1. If they get married, who proposes?

They do get married at the end of Olivia's second year as an attending. Ethan proposes during their summer vacation in Hawaii after Olivia finishes her first year as an attending.

2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

The wedding is held at a venue which is a couple of hours away of Boston. It's not a big wedding, every detail and decoration picked by Olivia and Ethan themselves. Their parents, the gang, Naveen and other friends along with a few colleagues and close family members attend the wedding, making a total of 150 people.

3. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

Olivia becomes pregnant to a little girl (haven't decided on a name yet) during their first months as a married couple. She has Olivia's blonde hair and Ethan's blue eyes. Smart and sarcastic like her father and curious and lively like her mother, a combination of the two.

Their second daughter is born 2 years after the first one. She has Ethan's wavy, brown hair, Olivia's eyes, but that's the only feature she has from her mother. She is a mini copy of Ethan. She and her elder sister, have him wrapped around their little fingers from the moment they were born. She is a bit of a wallflower, yet smart and passionate about the things she likes. Loves animals and dogs in particular like her dad, always eager to learn something new and uncover the mysteries around her.

4. Do they have any pets?

Ethan's long companion, Jenner, stays with then until the end of his days, loved like a member of the family. The girls wanted to have fish, so they have 2 goldfish, Leyla and Samantha. Later on, they get another dog, Max.

5. Who’s the stricter parent?

Ethan is always softer on his girls because he is just too willing to submit to what they want with just a look. Thus Olivia is usually the stricter one, although there aren't many instances that is needed, since they both have a good communication with their parents.

6. Who worries the most?

Ethan. They both worry for their girls once they grow up and go to school etc, but Ethan is ready to go in daddy bear mode at all times. Olivia is there to make him relax though (secretly amused). Ethan dreads the time they will be romantically interested in people.

7. Who kills the bugs in the house?

Olivia. She was never afraid of them so it's easier for her. Ethan although not afraid is creeped out by them so Olivia takes the reins.

8. How do they celebrate holidays?

Holidays are always a close friends and family affair. A big meal made by the Ramseys, the table surrounded by laughs and familiar faces.

For Halloween, Christmas and Easter they decorate the house and dress up for the kids and do many activities to spend family time and make new memories. The many many photo albums they create over the years, are a proof of that.

9. Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Ethan likes to wake up early and make breakfast and check the news on his days off. Olivia always wants to stay in bed so many are the times she has convinced Ethan to stay in bed with her and have a lazy morning.

10. Who’s the better cook?

Difficult to say. Both of them cook well. Ethan becaise he has been cooking for most of his life, since he was a teenager. Olivia growing up in a house with a half-greek dad has learned a lot about Mediterranean cuisine and is a pretty good cook. They sometimes make contests out of it and present their girls with 2 identical dishes, both of them delicious, and those contests always end up in huge family hugs and laughs.

11. Who likes to dance?

Both of them before they met each other weren't too keen of dancing. Now they often find themselves, dancing around their kitchen or living room while listening to Olivia's playlists in a high volume.

Thank you for the ask Ali! Loved doing these!

[gilmoregirlsrevival2016]

Season 1 Gilmore Girls References (Breakdown)

Yay! All the season 1 references have been posted. Before I start posting season 2, I wanted to post this little breakdown for your enjoyment :) It starts with some statistics and then below the cut is a list of all the specific references.

Overall amount of references in season 1: 605

Top 10 Most Common References: NSYNC (5), Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (5), Taylor Hanson (6), Leo Tolstoy (7), Lucky Spencer (7), Marcel Proust (7), PJ Harvey (7), The Bangles (8), The Donna Reed Show (8), William Shakespeare (10)

Which episodes had the most references: #1 is That Damn Donna Reed with 55 references. #2 is Christopher Returns with 44 references 

What characters made the most references (Only including characters/actors who were in the opening credits): Lorelai had the most with 237 references, Rory had second most with 118, and Lane had third most with 48.

First reference of the season: Jack Kerouac referenced by Lorelai 

Final reference of the season: Adolf Eichmann referenced by Michel 

  Movies/TV Shows/Episodes/Characters, Commercials, Cartoons/Cartoon Characters, Plays, Documentaries:

9 1/2 Weeks, Alex Stone, Alfalfa, An Affair To Remember, A Streetcar Named Desire, Attack Of The Fifty Foot Woman, Avon Commercials, Bambi, Beethoven, Boogie Nights, Cabaret, Casablanca, Charlie's Angels, Charlie Brown cartoons, Christine, Cinderella, Citizen Kane, Daisy Duke, Damien Thorn, Dawson Leery, Donna Stone, Double Indemnity, Double Mint Commercials, Ethel Mertz, Everest, Felix Unger, Fiddler On The Roof, Footloose, Freaky Friday, Fred Mertz, Gaslight, General Hospital, G.I. Jane, Gone With The Wind, Grease, Hamlet, Heathers, Hee Haw, House On Haunted Hill, Ice Castles, I Love Lucy, Iron Chef, Ishtar, Jeff Stone, Joanie Loves Chachi, John Shaft, Lady And The Tramp, Life With Judy Garland: Me And My Shadows, Love Story, Lucky Spencer, Lucy Raises Chickens, Lucy Ricardo, Lucy Van Pelt, Macbeth,  Magnolia, Mary Stone, Mask, Midnight Express, Misery, Norman Bates, Officer Krupke, Oompa Loompas, Old Yeller, Oscar Madison, Out Of Africa, Patton, Pepe Le Pew, Peyton Place, Pink Ladies, Pinky Tuscadero, Ponyboy, Psycho, Queen Of Outer Space, Rapunzel, Richard III, Ricky Ricardo, Rocky Dennis, Romeo And Juliet, Rosemary's Baby, Sandy Olsson, Saved By The Bell, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Schroeder, Sesame Street, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Sex And The City, Sixteen Candles, Sleeping Beauty, Star Trek, Stanley Kowalski, Stella Kowalski, Stretch Cunningham, The Champ, The Comedy Of Errors, The Crucible, The Donna Reed Show, The Duke's Of Hazzard, The Fly, The Great Santini, The Little Match Girl, The Matrix, The Miracle Worker, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Outsiders, The Shining, The Sixth Sense, The View, The Waltons, The Way We Were, The Scarecrow, This Old House, V.I.P., Valley Of The Dolls, Vulcans, Wild Kingdom, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Wheel Of Fortune, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf, Working Girl, Yogi Bear, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown

Bands, Songs, CDs:

98 Degrees, Air Supply, Apple Venus Volume 2, Backstreet Boys, Bee Gees, Black Sabbath, Blue Man Group, Blur, Bon Jovi, Boston, Bush, Duran Duran, Everlong, Foo Fighters, Fugazi, Grandaddy, Hanson, I'm Too Sexy, Joy Division, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Kraftwerk, Like A Virgin, Livin La Vida Loca, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Man I Feel Like A Woman, Metallica, Money Money, My Ding-A-Ling, NSYNC, On The Good Ship Lollipop, Pink Moon, Queen, Rancid, Sergeant Pepper, Shake Your Bon Bon, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Sister Sledge, Smoke On The Water, Steely Dan, Suppertime, Tambourine Man, The B-52s, The Bangles, The Beatles, The Best Of Blondie, The Cranberries, The Cure, The Offspring, The Sugarplastic, The Wallflowers, The Velvet Underground, Walk Like An Egyptian, XTC, Ya Got Trouble, Young Marble Giants

Books/Book Characters, Comic Books/Comic Book Characters, Comic Strips: 

A Mencken Chrestomathy, A Tale Of Two Cities, Anna Karenina, Belle Watling, Boo Radley, Carrie, David Copperfield, Dick Tracy, Dopey (One of the seven dwarfs) Goofus And Gallant, Great Expectations, Grinch, Hannibal Lecter, Hansel And Gretel, Harry Potter (book as well as character referenced), Huckleberry Finn, Little Dorrit, Madame Bovary, Moby Dick, Mommie Dearest, Moose Mason, Nancy Drew, Out Of Africa, Pinocchio, Swann's Way, The Amityville Horror, The Art Of Fiction, The Bell Jar, The Grapes Of Wrath, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The Lost Weekend, The Metamorphosis, The Portable Dorothy Parker, The Unabridged Journals Of Sylvia Plath, The Witch Tree Symbol, There's A Certain Slant Of Light, Tuesdays With Morrie, War And Peace, Wonder Woman

Public Figures:

Adolf Eichmann, Alfred Hitchcock, Angelina Jolie, Anna Nicole Smith, Annie Oakley, Antonio Banderas, Arthur Miller, Artie Shaw, Barbara Hutton, Barbara Stanwyck, Barbra Streisand, Beck, Ben Jonson, Benito Mussolini, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Crudup, Bob Barker, Brad Pitt, Britney Spears, Catherine The Great, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charles I, Charles Dickens, Charles Manson, Charlie Parker, Charlotte Bronte, Charlton Heston, Charo, Cher, Cheryl Ladd, Chris Penn, Christiane Amanpour, Christopher Marlowe, Chuck Berry, Claudine Longet, Cleopatra, Cokie Roberts, Courtney Love, Dalai Lama, Damon Albarn, Dante Alighieri, David Mamet, Donna Reed, Edith Wharton, Edna O'Brien, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Elizabeth Webber, Elle Macpherson, Elsa Klensch, Elvis, Emeril Lagasse, Emily Dickinson, Emily Post, Eminem, Emma Goldman, Errol Flynn, Fabio, Farrah Fawcett, Fawn Hall, Flo Jo, Francis Bacon, Frank Sinatra, Franz Kafka, Fred MacMurray, Friedrich Nietzsche, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Gene Hackman, Gene Wilder, George Clooney, George Sand, George W. Bush, Harry Houdini, Harvey Fierstein, Henny Youngman, Henry David Thoreau, Henry James, Henry VIII, Herman Melville, Homer, Honore De Balzac, Howard Cosell, Hugh Grant, Hunter Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Jaclyn Smith, James Dean, Jane Austen, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Tandy, Jim Carey, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Hoffa, Joan Of Arc, Joan Rivers, Jocelyn Wildenstein, Joel Grey, John Cage, John Gardner, John Muir, John Paul II, John Webster, Johnny Cash, Johnny Depp, Joseph Merrick AKA Elephant Man, Judy Blume, Judy Garland, Julian Lennon, Justin Timberlake, Karen Blixen AKA Isak Dinesen, Kate Jackson, Kathy Bates, Kevin Bacon, Kreskin, Lee Harvey Oswald, Leo Tolstoy, Leopold and Loeb, Lewis Carroll, Linda McCartney, Liz Phair, Liza Minnelli, Lou Reed, M Night Shyamalan, Macy Gray, Madonna, Marcel Marceau, Marcel Proust, Margot Kidder, Marie Antoinette, Marie Curie, Marilyn Monroe, Mark Twain, Mark Wahlberg, Marlin Perkins, Martha Stewart, Martha Washington, Martin Luther, Mary Kay Letourneau, Maurice Chevalier, Melissa Rivers, Meryl Streep, Michael Crichton, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Miguel De Cervantes, Miss Manners, Mozart, Nancy Kerrigan, Nancy Walker, Nick Cave, Nick Drake, Nico, Oliver North, Oprah Winfrey, Oscar Levant, Pat Benatar, Paul McCartney, Peter III Of Russia, Peter Frampton, Philip Glass, PJ Harvey, Prince, Queen Elizabeth I, Regis, Richard Simmons, Rick James, Ricky Martin, Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Robert Smith, Robin Leach, Rosie O'Donnell, Ru Paul, Ruth Gordon, Samuel Barber, Sarah Duchess Of York, Sean Lennon, Sean Penn, Shania Twain, Shelley Hack, Sigmund Freud, Squeaky Fromme, Stephen King, Steven Tyler, Susan Faludi, Susanna Hoffs, Tanya Roberts, Taylor Hanson, Theodore Kaczynski AKA The Unabomber, The Kennedy Family, Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo, and Gummo Marx AKA The Marx Brothers, Venus and Serena Williams (The reference was "The Williams Sisters"),Thelonious Monk, Tiger Woods, Tito Puente, Tom Waits, Tony Randall, Tonya Harding, Vaclav Havel, Vanna White, Vivien Leigh, Walt Whitman, William Shakespeare, William Shatner, Yoko Ono, Zsa Zsa Gabor

Misc:

Camelot, Chernobyl Disaster, Cone Of Silence, Hindenburg Disaster, Iran-Contra Affair, Paul Bunyan, The Menendez Murders, Tribbles, Vulcan Death Grip, Whoville, Winchester Mystery House

[joementa]

Radio Everywhere.

One of summer’s best traditions is to put the windows down and turn up the volume on a good radio station. This week’s playlist is an ode to one of life’s greatest pleasures.  The radio. Long live it.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/radio-everywhere/pl.u-2aoqp4ecVkeGyB

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0jywOb5nZol9l0y5AfYJo8?si=A3Ws2BQXTKyWvwZYjILWtw&dl_branch=1

The Gaslight Anthem – “Mae” (Handwritten)

Bruce Springsteen – “Radio Nowhere” (Magic)

The Bouncing Souls – “Private Radio” (How I Spent My Summer Vacation)

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)

Todd Rundgren – “Wolfman Jack” (Something/Anything?)

The Clash – “This Is Radio Clash”

R.E.M. – “Radio Free Europe” (Murmur)

Joy Division – “Transmission” (Substance 1977-1980)

LL Cool J – “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” (Radio)

Bob Dylan – “Shooting Star” (Oh Mercy)

Van Morrison – “Caravan” (Moondance)

Roxy Music – “Oh Yeah” (Flesh + Blood)

Steve Earle – “Satellite Radio” (Washington Square Serenade)

Wilco – “Radio Cure” (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

Lana Del Rey – “Radio” (Born To Die)

The Wallflowers – “Three Marlenas” (Bringing Down The Horse)

Warren Zevon – “Mohammed’s Radio” (Warren Zevon)

Against Me! – “Born On The FM Waves Of The Heart” (New Wave)

Alkaline Trio – “Radio” (Maybe I’ll Catch Fire)

Bruce Springsteen – “Save My Love” (The Promise)

[sunflower-and-storms]

Read or not: Books Hauled 2020 Edition

Hello gentlefriends! Today I thought that we could go through the books that I hauled this year. In 2020, I discovered a second hand shop for book in English (remember that I live in Portugal) and I was so happy to find cheap books in English. The rest of my books are bought in Fnac (a mostly technology store that also sells books) and from Book Depository, and later after discovering their ties to Amazon, Blackwells. After the cut is a list of the all the books, if you have the patience or are just curious. I wished I didn’t have to buy this many books but my library system is not great, doesn’t have books in English and if it does it’s not books I like. But I’m glad to find so many great second hand books, photo below, since it’s such a eco friendly way to get books.

So... time for statistics! In 2020, I hauled 65 books. 46% for them were read and 54% were not. Of the books hauled, 6% were unhauled. Of the books read, 24% were 5 stars. I hauled approximately 5 books per month. And lastly the unread books hauled this year fill 80% on my TBR.

And now: The List 

Bivar Second Hand Book Store (22 books): Me, Earl and The Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews; The Fifth Season & The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin; Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman; Albatross by Terry Fallis; We Should All be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; The Art of Saying No by Damon Zahariades; Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis; The Secret History by Donna Tart; The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller; Orlando & To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf; Midnight Summer Dream, The Winter Tale & Much Ado about Nothing by William Shakespeare; Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte; Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of the World by Haruko Murakami; A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik; Russian Literature: A Very Brief Introduction by Catriona Kelly; Dictionary of Kings and Queens of Britain by John Cannon & Ann Hargreaves; Jack of Hearts (and other Parts) by L.C Rosen.

Fnac (11 books): Life Class by Pat Barker; The ABC’s of LGBT+ by Ashley Mardell; ACOTAR, ACOMAF, ACOWAR, ACOFAS & Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas; Heartstopper volume 3 by Alice Oseman; The Binding by Bridget Collins; The Master and Margarita by Mihkail Bulgakov; Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.

Book Depository (18 books): The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson; Crier’s War by Nina Varela; Kingsbane by Claire Legrand; Beyond the Black Door by A. M. Strickland; The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater; The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith; The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare; Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore; Sourdough by Robin Sloan; Loveless by Alice Oseman; Anne’s House of Dreams, Anne of the Ingleside & Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery; Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, The Assassin’s Blade & Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas.

Blackwells (6 books): The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare; FENCE Rivals volume 4 by C.S. Pacat and Joana The Mad; Girl, Woman and Other by Bernadine Evaristo; A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore; Iron Heart by Nina Varela; A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins.

Livraria Barata (2 books): Histórias Extraordinárias by Edgar Allen Poe; Embalando a minha biblioteca by Alberto Manguel.

Lisbon Book Fair 2020 (various shops- 3 books): Ariadnis by Josh Martin; Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid; Conjure Women by Afia Atakora.

Berthrand (1 book): The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu.

Kingpin Books (comic book store- 1 book): Your name volume 1 by Makoto Shinkai.

Cult (stationary store- 1 book): A livraria noite e dia do senhor Penumbra by Robin Sloan.

Livraria Almedina (1 book): O Último Mugido by Germano Almeida.

[genderfuckfag]

mid-year book freak out tag

thank you so much to @icanheareternity for tagging me! i love doing these kind of tagss

1.Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2020?

OH BOY. Well there's two of the books I've read this year that have ended up on my favorites shelf: This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee and Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. TMT was just such an intriguing read and Radio Silence completely captured my heart.

2. Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2020? 

I finished the last two Raven Cycle books in early 2020 and I really enjoyed that entire series. Particularly Blue Lily, Lily Blue.

3. New Release You Haven't Read Yet, But Want To? 

Loveless by Alice Oseman! Because of moving it's taken a bit for me to get my grubby little hands on it but it should be arriving in the next three weeks and I'm so fuckin hyped.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2020?

I don't know if it's still coming out in late 2020 or if it's been moved to 2021 but I'm so excited for The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks. TGGTVAV and TLGTPAP are faves of mine so I can't wait to see them all again.

5. Biggest Disappointment? 

Okay so going in I knew Call Me By Your Name would be problematic but I was taken aback by how much I did not enjoy it. The reviews I'd heard were mixed so I had a little hope of at least appreciating it and that's not at all what happened. If you like it, you do you, but CMBYN made me super uncomfortable and left me, as someone who is male and bisexual, feeling kind of dirty for being attracted to other men? Yeah so not the greatest seven hours of my life.

6. Biggest Surprise? 

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson!!! Graphic novels are a huge hit or miss for me and I completely fell in love with this one. Would strongly recommend.

7. Favourite New Author? 

Same answer as @icanheareternity ! Alice Oseman (@chronicintrovert ) is a wonderful author. I'd started Heartstopper right at the end of December and ended up reading all of those volumes and both Solitare and Radio Silence this year. All were wonderful, but as I said, Radio Silence is now sitting on my favorites shelf. Just started I Was Born For This and waiting for Loveless in the mail. Her writing style is brilliant and all of her characters have so much dimension. Every one of her stories are so interesting and for both Solitare and Radio Silence I read them in two to three sittings because I had trouble putting them down. So if you haven't read her books PLEASE DO.

8. Newest Fictional Crush?

Okay I know most these answers are about Alice Oseman books but FRANCIS JAIVER. And then of course Blue Sargent is forever my book crush.

9. Newest Favourite Character?

Oh lord, I can't just pick one. Molly Peskin-Suso from The Upside of Unrequited and Aled Last from Radio Silence (yes another osemanverse character).

10. Book That Made You Cry? 

The Lightness of Hands by Jeff Garvin; it was brilliant. Amazing thoughts on mental illness and just an interesting story. It doesn't have a sad ending but it just touched me. Loved it.

11. Book That Made You Happy? 

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales! Just a very lovely more lighthearted (not entirely but what book is?) novel. Great representation and gays to heal the soul. Loved the Grease vibes.

12. Favourite Book To Movie Adaptation You Saw This Year?

Perks of Being A Wallflower!! All the characters were exactly how I imagined and the general vibes were immaculate. Also, Emma Watson as Sam? Hell yeah.

13. Favourite Review You've Written This Year?

I NEED TO WRITE MORE REVEIWS I'M SORRY 

14. Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year?

A really cool edition of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath!! It's just a really beautiful volume.

15. What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year?

Ooooo there are a lot. Definitely need to read the All For The Game series. A few of the individual books I need to read are Loveless, The Secret History, and More Happy Than Not.

tagging anyone who wants to :)