#malaysian indie

[vtuberconfessions]

The Vtuber of the Day is Axel Axotis! He is, as his name suggests, an Axolotl boy! He streams in mainly English and Malaysian on YouTube, and also some Japanese!

[littlemxhoney]

Games for tea lovers ☕

Teacup (Steam & Nintendo Switch)

You play as Teacup, a shy and introverted young frog who loves drinking tea and reading. Before hosting a tea party, she realizes she is completely out of tea, and must venture into the woods around her to find the herbs she needs to restock her pantry.

Kabaret (Steam)

Welcome to the Kabaret - where monsters from Southeast Asian myths and folklores dwell. Perform tea ceremonies, play traditional games, and question your humanity in this dark fantasy folklore adventure game.

Pekoe (Steam)

Pekoe is a cute cat-filled tea-making simulation game about taking the time for self-care and connecting with the things that make you happy. As the newest resident and teahouse owner in town, you’ll learn everything there is to harvesting, preparing, and serving tea.

Cuisineer (Steam)

Cuisineer is a wholesome food-focused game where you play as Pom, a young adventurer turned restaurateur. One day, you return to your hometown only to find your parents’ restaurant closed for business and deep in debt. With boba and spatula in hand, you must dungeon-delve to collect ingredients and re-open your family's shop!

[geographicbook]

Monsoon Deciduous Forest Biome

Distribution of Biomes Introduction Photo by Valiphotos on Pexels.com The Monsoon Deciduous Forest biome is a type of forest that is found in areas that experience a monsoon climate. It is a seasonal biome, characterized by wet summers and dry winters. This biome is found in several regions of the world, including South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Northern Australia. The Monsoon Deciduous…

[bakematebiscuits-blog]

Surprise your Senses with magical flavored Lollipops - BakeMate

Fun Treats for Kids - Looking for a delicious sweet treat for your kids' birthday celebrations? BakeMate Flavored sweet candy lollipops, made with a combination of rich ingredients, smooth texture, and delicious flavors. Pamper your little ones' taste buds with magical flavored lollipops that make your kids want to crave more.

[irlpretear]

100 more trans/genderqueer musicians

a pt.2 to my last post

Bands

Problem Patterns (riot grrl) (x)

Et On Tuera Tous Les Affreux (hardcore punk) (x)

Speedy Ortiz (indie rock) (x)

Foxtails (punk rock) (x)

Come To Ruin (deathrock) (x)

Arabella (hardcore punk) (x)

Flummox (metal) (x)

Dream Sequence (emo, post-hardcore) (x)

Escuela Grind (grindcore, metal) (x)

Buggin (hardcore punk) (x)

The Aquadolls (indie rock) (x)

Vile Creature (black metal) (x)

Caustic Soda (punk) (x)

Go! Child (indie pop) (x)

Tribe 8 (punk rock) (x)

SeeYouSpaceCowboy (hardcore punk) (x)

NARC (hardcore punk, sludge violence) (x)

BRAT (hardcore punk) (x)

[ctrl] (power violence) (x)

Strawberry Milk Cult (punk rock) (x)

.gif from god (metal) (x)

CyberGirlfriend (indie rock) (x)

Vermin Vendetta (metal) (x)

Pretty Frankenstein (glam goth) (x)

Doll Chaser (punk) (x)

RENT STRIKE (folk punk) (x)

Tears for the Dying (goth rock) (x)

Himbo (math rock) (x)

Out of Sight (hardcore punk) (x)

Morta (metal) (x)

Girlpool (indie rock) (x)

Life of Agony (metal) (x)

Mashrou' Leila (indie rock) (x)

Basketball Divorce Court (post punk) (x)

Bad Waitress (art punk) (x)

Rural Internet (hip hop, electronic) (x)

The Crystal Furs (indie pop) (x)

Blind Tiger (hardcore metal) (x)

Atomic Broad (punk) (x)

tote bag (tender punk) (x)

Pansy Prep (indie rock, emo) (x)

UT/EX (metalcore, screamo) (x)

Your Heart Breaks (indie pop) (x)

Yam (punk rock) (x)

K's Choice (rock, alt pop) (x)

Elderberry Industries (noise, synth) (x)

Qi.x (kpop) (x)

The Mermerings (folk punk) (x)

Refractory Period (synthpop) (x)

fenix (rock) (x)

Solo Artists

Tape Girl (hyperpop, ska) (x)

Titica (kuduro, pop) (x)

Lauren Bousfield (synth punk) (x)

Liniker (r&b) (x)

TRVDWIFE (grindcore, cybergrind) (x)

Stomach Book (electronic, indie rock) (x)

Coyote Grace (bluegrass) (x)

Jake Zyrus (r&b, soul) (x)

D'Nayzja (hyperpop, electronic) (x)

Adeem the Artist (country) (x)

Renee Goust (pop, cumbia) (x)

Linn Da Quebrada (club, Brazilian funk) (x)

The Reverent Marigold (folk) (x)

Çağla Akalın (arabesque) (x)

Jessie Chung (Malaysian pop) (x)

Spike Fuck (post-punk, smackwave) (x)

Shea Diamond (soul, r&b) (x)

Vivek Shraya (pop, dance) (x)

Mocchi (folk, alt rock) (x)

SuperKnova (indie pop) (x)

Creep-P (hyperpop) (x)

Aljas (rap) (x)

Sylvia Baudelaire (rap) (x)

London Jade (hip-hop, rap) (x)

Susy Shock (tango) (x)

Slugwife (hyperpop) (x)

Jupiter Fiction (singer-songwriter) (x)

Mrs. Yéyé (punk) (x)

Lady Charles (glam rock) (x)

Mily Taormina (indie) (x)

Dope Saint Jude (rap, hip-hop) (x)

Imbi the Girl (hip-hop, rap) (x)

187 (drum'n'bass) (x)

zombAe (experimental hip hop, electronic) (x)

The Official Bard of Baldwin County (folk) (x)

Skylar Rose Stravinsky (singer-songwriter) (x)

hard Tiddies (country, singer-songwriter) (x)

Bunny Danger (punk) (x)

Ataru Nakamura (pop) (x)

Anjimile (folk) (x)

Villano Antillano (rap, urbano) (x)

Lauren Auder (indie pop) (x)

Justin Vivian Bond (cabaret) (x)

Namoli Brennet (folk, indie rock) (x)

Mya Byrne (Americana, folk) (x)

Quinn Christospherson (indie rock) (x)

Jayne County (proto-punk, glam rock) (x)

Katie Dey (experimental pop) (x)

Electra Elite (electropop, dance) (x)

Quay Dash (hip-hop, rap) (x)

[dogflowerz]

my autism couldve chosen any main stream video game like fnaf but NO it chose an indie malaysian game about a stoner rock duo going against self centered bald orb, 4 teens playing dress up as a mermaid, a child prodigy, kpop teletubbies (+ cyborg war vet grandpa), pretty girl and sassy fireboy who transitioned into firegirl.

[jesncin]

Hi I love you guys' work. I know I already sent in an ask before, but I'm also a queer Indonesian creator who loves animated stories and musicals. And plans to make her own animated indie musical show on YouTube. Which is queer and based on space. And the main character is plus sized, queer, and has a non binary love interest. I wanted to ask since Indonesia is still really homophobic, how do you deal with being a queer Indonesian creator making queer content while your country is extremely homophobic. Because I often feel scared to do so because of what the government might think. Sorry for randomly asking this btw

Hello there! That sounds like a very ambitious project! Best of luck to you, I'm all for more queer space adventures.

So I'm sure to a lot of queer Indonesians looking at the work I'm doing, they're thinking "how the heck are jesncin doing all that and being so loud about it" haha. At least so far (who knows what the future holds now that my book is out) I've managed to create queer Indonesian art online for years (including smaller published work) and had very little homophobic pushback. Which I know I'm very lucky with- I've lost a lot of peers to bigoted locals and hate campaigns. It's a mix of strategies and contingencies I keep to foster as safe a space as I can.

It's a common practice among queer Indonesian activists to speak predominantly in english, something I already do because of my language barrier. Most locals don't bother interacting with an account speaking in english- weaponizing their language barrier haha. I stuck to western spaces early on, but because I drew a lot of blatantly queer Indonesian art- queer Indonesians (diaspora or otherwise) naturally flocked to my stuff. The audience filters itself. I don't interact with local discourse at all. I also stayed away from visibility events (on twidder like #artIDN or #ArtistsofIndonesia or even #tetapbangga for Malaysians) until I felt comfortable with the community I fostered to join in. It's common especially for queer tags to be monitored by bigots looking for people to pick on. Speaking of which, block and don't interact with them. Don't give into the temptation of replying to bigots because it just gives them more ammo. Their goal is to exhaust you so you lock your account and "can't spread your agenda" or whatever.

I purposefully wanted to publish my stories through an American publisher for a lot of reasons, but it certainly helps that Lunar Boy can be out and proud out there where it can't get to be in Indonesia. I notice queer authors here tend to publish either online or internationally with an independent publisher too. Still- you'd be surprised how much the local queer community is enthusiastically ready to support you. Because of the state of Indonesia as it is, everything is handled more "under the radar" for the sake of safety. My personal biggest fear is starting another moral panic incident- but the many queer Indonesian communities I've been in have their own strict rules and precautions to keep members safe. They're worried about that too, but they want to help you succeed! Once my book released, the Indonesian queer community had my back and even helped me with some author events and exclusive meetups. At least for me, it was instrumental to be connected to the local community.

That's where I am for now. I created Lunar Boy while being closeted the entire time. I've erased my queer publications from my resume when applying to author events locally. There's always some kind of assimilation that happens in the process. I'll always be scared of pushback or sparking another moral panic incident. But that's the risk this kind of representation is, isn't it? I had no one else to look up to. No other queer Indonesian graphic novelist making explicitly queer Indonesian stories. It was an isolating experience making this book. But now that I'm here, the next person who comes along won't be alone. And seeing the people who've connected to Lunar Boy, especially other queer Indonesians from all around the world, makes it so worth it.

[coimbrabertone]

Injuries, Job Security, and How MotoGP and Indycar Differ...Or Don't.

In the last two years, two racers I support have been seriously injured. One was Enea Bastianini, rider of the #23 Ducati in MotoGP, and the other was David Malukas, who never actually got to drive the #6 NTT Data Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet Indycar.

So, just to go over what happened to them: Enea Bastianini was injured in the opening sprint race of the 2023 MotoGP season, the Portuguese GP at Portimao. Luca Marini went up his inside into turn five (Torre VIP), lost it, and his bike slid into Enea's bike. Enea broke his collarbone in this crash, wound up missing the opening five races, came back, injured himself again at Catalunya, and missed another three races.

Enea would return for the Indonesian Grand Prix and would then win the Malaysian Grand Prix towards the end of the season. That win, combined with Jorge Martin on the Pramac Ducati failing to beat Francesco Bagnaia for the championship, secured Enea's seat for 2024.

So, while Enea was enjoying a secure offseason, David Malukas was preparing for his switch from Dale Coyne Racing to a frontrunning team in the form of Arrow McLaren...except, he never actually made his debut for the team.

David Malukas was mountain biking in California, riding an easy trail, when, trying to slow himself, pulled the front brake too hard, went up and over the handlebars, and landed on his hands. He would break his left wrist and it was announced he would miss St. Pete and probably Thermal.

St. Pete and probably Thermal soon became St. Pete and definitely Thermal, missing those two races. Callum Ilott would fill in.

Malukas missed Long Beach next, with Theo Pourchaire in the car now.

Then Theo Pourchaire raced Long Beach as well.

Around this time, various rumors started flying about Malukas getting replaced. This only grew as Nathan Brown reported that Malukas had traveled to Panama in order to receive stem cell shots to speed up his recovery, and only then did he get the pins in his wrist removed.

Then, after Barber - the fourth race of the season, Malukas blacked out his twitter page. I was sat in a discord debating what exactly this meant with some other Indycar fans, with news picking up that he had been dropped. With the story pretty much out there, Arrow McLaren made the announcement early in the morning, David Malukas had been released after failing to meet his contractual obligations.

By now, it's been announced that Ilott will do the Indy 500, and then Theo Pourchaire will fill out the rest of the season in the #6. The Malukas at McLaren story ended before it could even begin.

Meanwhile, in MotoGPland, Enea Bastianini continued with the factory Ducati team. However, with Jorge Martin now building up an annoyingly large championship lead and Marc Marquez on the Ducati stealing all the attention, the whole world seems to think it's between the two of them to get the Ducati factory seat for 2025.

For the record, Enea is tied on points with Marquez, just two behind his teammate, and spent this weekend's race - the French Grand Prix at the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit - starting tenth, getting a penalty, recovering to fourth, setting fastest lap, and finishing just 2.2 seconds off the lead.

Enea is an immense talent, he's the rider I chose to support when I decided to become a MotoGP fan ahead of the 2023 season, and it's so rotten to see his career falling apart because of factors outside of his control.

As for Malukas, he's a young, popular kid and has proven so talented on the ovals in a Dale Coyne Racing car. I was so eager to see what he could do with an Arrow McLaren, particularly at tracks like Iowa, Gateway, and Nashville which seemed like they'd suit him. Now, we're not going to get the chance, and it's unclear where he might land if he were to try and return to Indycar.

So, in theory, MotoGP gives more time to injured racers, but no matter what series you're in, motorsports can be a cutthroat business. Bastianini and Malukas certainly aren't the first racers to lose top rides after an injury, and they certainly won't be the last. It's not exactly an industry known for job security.

If I could manifest a happy resolution to both, I'd have Enea Bastianini go to factory Aprilia to join Maverick VInales, while David Malukas could join Meyer Shank Racing (perhaps with Tom Blomqvist returning to IMSA with the same team) to reinforce their oval program the same way Felix Rosenqvist has revitalized that team on the road and street circuits.

For now though, we wait to see what happens to them.

To end on a happier note, Brad Keselowski won the Darlington Goodyear 400 NASCAR race last night running a throwback scheme in honor of the TOM's Castrol Supra. That is an awesome motorsports word randomizer and the fact that it's real is why NASCAR is really cool in 2024.

One day I'll write a blogpost where talking about current NASCAR is actually the point instead of just spending the final paragraph gushing about last weekend's cool race.

[kiawren]

For the absolutely 0 people in the Xventure gaoa fandom... 😭 (it's a malaysian comic that's rather indie but it's commonly found in singaporean and malaysian bookstores :P not exactly selfship but just wanted to post them lol, the comic has so much potential with their characters

[telomeke]

MOONLIGHT CHICKEN: UR THE... TOMATO SAUCE???

(above) Moonlight Chicken Ep.6 [4/4] 5.05

OK, so this post did a pretty pirouette and twirled its way back onto my dashboard once again after more than a month away. OP @vegasandhishedgehog had pointed out that the graphic text on Heart and Li Ming's t-shirts together seemed to be inexplicably telegraphing the cryptic message "Ur the... Tomato Sauce"... 🤔

This time around I couldn't help but look a bit more deeply into what it might mean, especially the intriguing "Tomato Sauce" on Li Ming's t-shirt. Based on what I've found, I think it is possible to read a bit of cheeky wordplay in the English words of this scene. 🤩 But first – a detour into linguistics and etymology is necessary.

There's a phenomenon that is sometimes seen in cross-cultural commerce – I don't know if it has a name, since I'm not trained in linguistics or anything of the sort – but whenever a hitherto unknown product or ingredient is introduced into a culture, locals will try to give it a name that resonates or sticks. And often that name will be along the lines of "this thing is the X country or foreign version of our more familiar local Y thing" (sorry for all the technical jargon here, hah! 😂).

You can see this in Southeast Asia: the Dutch may have been responsible for introducing many new food items to the Malay archipelago because a number of food items around the region are labeled "Dutch" even though they don't originate from the Netherlands.

The soursop fruit (originally from the tropical Americas and the Caribbean) is called durian belanda in Malay (meaning Dutch durian, because both fruits are spiky). In Malaysian Cantonese, potatoes are sometimes called ho laan syu (Holland tuber) and green beans ho laan dau (Holland beans), the latter echoing the way haricots verts are sometimes called French beans in English.

In Malay, turkeys are called ayam belanda (Dutch chicken), which nicely parallels the French word dinde – when turkeys were introduced to France, they were called (among other names) poulet d'Inde or chicken of India (possibly because India was seen as a source of exotic prized goods, or maybe because the birds, native to the Americas, were thought of as originating in the West Indies or les Indes occidentales). Poulet d'Inde eventually got shortened to just dinde though.

There's something similar going on with the tomato in Thailand. As its original homeland was the Americas, at some point in time it must have been a new and unnamed vegetable (botanically a fruit) when it first appeared in markets there.

So in Thai, tomatoes are called มะเขือเทศ (ma kheuua thaeht), and in keeping with the principle of adding some qualifier (that denotes external origins) to a local counterpart, the word เทศ (thaeht) means foreign or outlandish, while มะเขือ (ma kheuua) actually means EGGPLANT.

Thus the Thai word for tomato translates literally to foreign eggplant (or perhaps, outlandish eggplant).

For the text-savvy in this digital age (and that must surely include teens Heart and Li Ming), the eggplant emoji is laden with phallic innuendo (I'm not going into detail, but here's a visual 😂):

🍆

Remembering that in Thailand, Thai equivalents of weiner and wee-wee can sometimes be used as cutesy nicknames for boys (see this My School President write-up linked here, also Uncle Tong calling Junior กระจู๋ or gra juu in Bad Buddy Ep.11 [1I4] 10.38), it's possible to read the "Tomato" part of Li Ming's t-shirt – because of the outlandish eggplant reference – as a subjectively cute pet name along the same lines. Maybe the effect is meant to be something like: "You're a weird little weiner" (expressed with affection through Heart's loving eyes, mind you 💖).

Plus there's also the theme in Moonlight Chicken of young Li Ming growing into adulthood (despite Jim's constant efforts to infantilize him), while comfortably claiming his own sexuality in the process (and with Heart playing a pivotal role in this). Heart and Li Ming's t‑shirts pointing out the innuendo and imagery of the tomato/eggplant could also be a nod at that, with the outlandish definition of เทศ/thaeht suggesting that since Li Ming is gay, this eggplant/gra juu is not like most other ones (although he's not at all the exception in Moonlight Chicken! 😂).

Noting too that Li Ming is hyperfocused on escaping to the West, him being labeled Little Weiner of a Foreign Persuasion also does kind of fit. 😍

In this light, the word sauce just adds to the naughtiness of eggplant, while it also carries connotations of piquancy, sass and/or the essence or distillation of something.

And so the "Tomato Sauce" on Li Ming's t-shirt can possibly be read as symbolizing his indomitably feisty (gay) spirit, his faraway aspirations and his place in Heart's life as a cherished young boyfriend (worthy of a cutesy, if unspoken, pet name).

Am I over-analyzing again? Perhaps. But at the very least I think it's still a fun way of looking at Li Ming's t-shirt, and I wouldn't put it past Director Aof and screenwriter Best Kittisak Kongka to be playing with stuff like this. 🤩 They already did something similar with Li Ming's Sesame Street "Everything I Know I Learned On The Streets" t-shirt (see Ep.3 [4/4] 6.42), a metaphor for his uneasy juxtaposition at the amorphous line between childhood (represented by the kiddie vibes of Sesame Street) and incipient adulthood (as signaled by his streetwise self-confidence, gained independently perhaps from Jim). And there was also the wordplay around his "St. Rene" t-shirt (written up here).

Tagging @vegasandhishedgehog because you're the eagle-eyed OP who first noticed Heart and Li Ming's t-shirts, and as always @dribs-and-drabbles because you're foremost the one I think of whenever there's anything t-shirt related in BL! 😍

PS It's not the first time a vegetable was used as a metaphor for larger issues in Moonlight Chicken – see my write-up at the end of @airenyah's My School President Thai linguistics post that I reblogged here, for more info on Jim's winter melons in the market (although he was being decidedly less playful there! 😍). Li Ming also steals the scene away from Jim and his produce, once again displaying more adult maturity than his loong will give him credit for. 💖

‌

[kaiserikhwan]

Hello I n t e r n e t

Name's Kaiser Ikhwan. Call me Kaiser or Ikhwan, whichever you prefer!

Got into Tumblr mainly cuz of my sis @crystalcyanyellow, i got interested seeing her having fun, thought I'd like to also introduce myself

I have one persona, but he has multiple... versions. If you're interested in knowing more, just ask! (mostly cuz I like many things, as seen in my bio)

read more if you're THAT curious about myself and don't mind a wall of text

(also if you JUST noticed this, yeah, this is new. Got the idea that "oh wait, the read more thing means I get to post a wall of text hidden in something people don't necessarily have to look at! :D")

(might get updates over time when I get the idea)

Personal information; I am some random Malaysian teenage boi who likes ponies, countryballs, Steven Universe, AvA, and many other cool indie animation stuff like murder drones and uhhh so on and so forth I dunno what more indie animations are there

Yes, i'm a muslim. And "ikhwan" is my irl last name and also my OCs last name. I try to make him and irl me as similar as possible-

Hobbies: I spend like half or more of my day gaming lol. Usually Roblox. I also check discord pretty often; it's where most of my close friends are. Oh and I play Derelict and Pressure on roblox. I mostly play those two but I don't mind if anyone wants to invite me to play something else

oh and I also have many SOCIALS

Brief OC/persona info: Kaiser Ikhwan is a 17 year old teenage emperor of an alternative Germany which is Muslim. In an alternative world, of course. His personality is almost entirely basically just irl me. If you want more info, do ask. Or wait for me to occasionally (when I feel like it) make and post content that talks or shows about his lore (It's also an animated series thing I plan to make on YouTube, Kaiser Ikhwan: The Lore.)

Youtube:

been inactive cuz idk what to post and I also am going on a hiatus there cuz of school stuff

Discord: kaiserikhwan

My discord server: (for hangout stuff)

let's face it I'm literally kaiserikhwan all over the internet xd

I also have a Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and more that I can't think of as I'm writing right now. Might update later.

[crystalracing]

Video ideas

How bad was Max Verstappen's dad in F1?

The story of the Japanese Kimi Raikkonen (Tora Takagi)

Why Ocon & Gasly's rivalry means nothing (Peterson, de Angelis, Heidfeld & Fisichella)

How unlucky was Fernando Alonso's F3000 rival in F1 & Indycar? (Bruno junquiera)

How unlucky was Senna's local rival in F1 & Indycar? (Raul Boesel)

When did Fernando Alonso peak in F1?

How 2003 Australian Grand Prix changed F1 forever

How bad was Kevin Magnussen's dad in F1?

Why have Japanese & Asian drivers never won in F1?

How 1999 French GP nearly led to F1's greatest underdog champions (Frentzen & Jordan)

How Ronnie Peterson's death changed F1 safety forever

How Niki Lauda's crash changed F1 completely

How AJ Foyt vs Mario Andretti made Indy 500 America's most famous car race

How great was Audi in 1930s F1?

Why the greatest Italian driver would destroy today's F1 stars (Tazio Nuvolari)

How bad was Nelson Piquet Jr in F1?

How good was Johnny Herbert in F1?

How unlucky was Lewis Hamilton in 2012?

How a politician nearly became Argentina's 2nd F1 champion (Reutemann & FISA-FOCA war)

How Ferrari destroyed Vettel for good

How great was Kimi Raikkonen in F1?

How good was Kimi Raikkonen's hero in F1 (James Hunt)

How good were BAR-Honda in F1?

How good were BMW in F1?

How Ford Cosworth changed F1 forever

How Lotus & Colin Chapman changed F1 forever

How Ayrton Senna's death killed off independent F1 teams

Why Lewis Hamilton is wrong about diversity in F1 (Story of Prince Bira)

How McLaren redefined professionalism in F1 (Lauda, Prost & Ron Dennis)

Why Paul Tracy wrongly lost 2002 Indy 500 (CART vs IRL)

How Gilles Villeneuve’s death nearly ended Ferrari & F1 (FISA-FOCA war)

How Prost & Senna made F1 so popular (how the media reported on their rivalry)

Was Keke Rosberg lucky to win 1982 F1 championship?

How Nico Rosberg's 2016 championship win changed F1

How Toyota changed F1 for worse (and ruined independent teams)

From Jordan to Aston Martin: victory against all odds

The story of F1's forgotten Robocop (Alessandro Nannini)

What Fernando Alonso's success taught F1 about marketing (Spain)

How Daniel Ricciardo redefined marketing in F1

The story of how the Finnish Ayrton Senna (Kimi) became an internet meme

How the Japanese Lance Stroll heralded the rise of F1 pay drivers (Satoru Nakajima, Pedro Diniz, Montermini, Ghinzani, Tarquini, Schneider, Dalmas, Zunino & Rebaque)

How a Brazilian backmarker was sacrificed for Michael Schumacher (Roberto Moreno)

How good were Michael Schumacher's team-mates in F1?

How bad was Michael Schumacher at Mercedes?

Why Sergio Perez proves how midfielders are overrated in F1 (Fisichella, Johansson, Bottas)

How a Belgian prisoner handed Michael Schumacher his F1 break (Bertrand Gachot & Jean-Marc Bosman)

Why we will never see a race like 1996 Monaco GP again

How 1997 Canadian GP destroyed France's next superstar (Olivier Panis)

Why Juan Pablo Montoya was feared by Schumacher, Alonso & Kimi (old school)

How Jacques Villeneuve changed F1 social media without even trying

How Mansell & Piquet became tabloid heroes & villains in F1

How a fat Australian set Williams on the path to F1 glory (Alan Jones)

How 1984 Monaco GP redefined rookies in F1 (Senna & Bellof)

How Brazil's original Senna changed F1 & Indycar for better & worse (Emmo Fittipaldi, his team sucked & he became the first foreign Indycar champion)

How 1989 Ferrari reworked F1 car design

How Jenson Button made rookies hot property in F1

How 1998 Belgian GP lost Jordan another Schumacher (how Ralf left for Williams)

Who was better: Hakkinen or Raikkonen?

Who are Ferrari's true rivals in F1? (Clue: themselves)

Why the French Fernando Alonso should have won 7 F1 world titles (Prost)

How the death of Helmut Marko's friend changed F1 forever (Jochen Rindt)

How 1999 Malaysian GP changed F1 forever (new circuit, title fight, Schumi's return from injury)

Why F1 flopped in America before Liberty Media (DTS, poor tracks, 2005 Indygate, few American drivers, NASCAR & Indycar)

Why are there no more Fangios in F1 from Argentina nor South Africa?

How F1 contributed to the rise of Russia & Putin (Max Mosley, Life F1, Hungarian GP, China, Middle East & Marussia, Midland)

How an Australian farmer upset the odds in F1 (Jack Brabham)

How a fat Italian redefined F1 team management (Flavio Briatore)

How a motorcycle dealer made F1 popular (Bernie Ecclestone)

How Red Bull & F1 made each other BIGGER brands

Why F1, Ferrari & Mercedes are synonymous with each other

Aston Martin & Honda: A recipe for F1 disaster?!

Have Red Bull ruined their rookies' F1 careers? (Answer: No)

How Ferrari crushed the F1 career of their last Italian driver (Ivan Capelli)

Why Alfa Romeo failed in F1 again (50s & 80s, brand image and Ferrari)

How a Frenchman dominated Indycar & flopped at Red Bull F1's B team (Bourdais)

Why Silverstone, Monaco & Monza mean EVERYTHING to F1

He won Le Mans 6 times & Dakar, but never a F1 title (Jacky Ickx)

How sacking a Spanish backmarker helped Lewis Hamilton in F1 (de la Rosa)

How an American's tantrum led to Red Bull domination (Scott Speed)

How Jules Bianchi's death killed off the independent F1 teams forever

Why Lewis Hamilton DOMINATES F1 social media

How Max Verstappen became the antithesis to Lewis Hamilton in F1

How McLaren & Kimi Raikkonen nearly wrecked each other in F1

Why was Mika Hakkinen rated as Schumacher's greatest rival in F1?

How 2007 damaged Fernando Alonso's F1 career

Why did Mario Andretti's son fail in F1?

How Senna & Berger became the original F1 social media pals

How a lost diamond made Jaguar quit F1 (2004 Monaco)

How this Ferrari legend became a voice for disability (Clay Regazzoni)

The Damon Hill of WRC: the tragic tale of Richard Burns

[smolestboop]

🌱 Get to know me! 🌱

(tagged by @its-atlass thank youuu!)

Nickname(s): Boop

Zodiac: Aquarius

Height: 148cm / 4'10 (I am literally a hobbit irl. I'm smol)

Fav music: Music taste boils down to soft pop, disco, indie rock and occasionally silly parody songs. I can't really pick any fav artist or songs, my taste changes like the wind.

Followers: 1400+ (I feel like there's a ton of bots because I don't always block them)

Following: 181

Do you get asks? : Sometimes, not often

Amount of sleep: Night owl. I sleep at 4am or 5am. I do get enough sleep, don't worry!

What are you wearing?: Jeans and a shirt

Dream job: An illustrator/concept artist

Languages: Malay and English

Random fact: The Malaysian voting system maintains the use of simple logos with pen and a piece of paper until today. Back in the 1990's, most Malaysians were still illiterate and required simple symbols to aid the citizens during general election. Thus, the ballot papers are very simple and easy to understand.

Aesthetic: Broke tired architecture student kind of style.

Tagging @dean-o-bean-o and @may-darling they are both cool people 🌷

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[richincolor]

[The images above are each of the book covers of the new releases. For more detailed descriptions for each cover, please visit the original post on our blog.]

New Releases

Maybe it has been happening every year and I didn't notice, but this January brought a fabulously large amount of new releases and I am not complaining. Here are a few we're watching for this week.

The Davenports (The Davenports #1) by Krystal Marquis Dial Books

The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it’s 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to.

There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married . . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love—unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business—and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers.

Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life—and love. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Two Can Play That Game by Leanne Yong Allen & Unwin

Sam Khoo has one goal in life: create cool indie games. She’s willing to do anything to make her dream come true – even throw away a scholarship to university. All she needs is a super-rare ticket to a game design workshop and she can kickstart her career.

So when Jaysen Chua, otherwise known as Jerky McJerkface, sneakily grabs the last ticket for himself, Sam is left with no choice. It’s war. Knowing all too well how their Australian-Malaysian community works, she issues him an ultimatum: put the ticket on the line in a 1v1 competition of classic video games, or she’ll broadcast his duplicity to everyone. Thank you, Asian Gossip Network.

Meeting in neutral locations, away from the eyes and ears of nosy aunties and uncles, Sam and Jay connect despite themselves. It’s a puzzle that Sam’s not sure she wants to solve. But when her dream is under threat, will she discover that there is more than one way to win?

Play the Game by Charlene Allen Katherine Tegan Books

In the game of life, sometimes other people hold all the controls. Or so it seems to VZ. Four months have passed since his best friend Ed was killed by a white man in a Brooklyn parking lot.

When Singer, the man who killed Ed, is found dead in the same spot where Ed was murdered, all signs point to Jack, VZ’s other best friend, as the prime suspect.

VZ’s determined to complete the video game Ed never finished and figure out who actually killed Singer. With help from Diamond, the girl he’s crushing on at work, VZ falls into Ed’s quirky gameiverse. As the police close in on Jack, the game starts to uncover details that could lead to the truth about the murder.

Can VZ honor Ed and help Jack before it’s too late? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Reggie and Delilah’s Year of Falling by Elise Bryant Balzer + Bray

Delilah always keeps her messy, gooey insides hidden behind a wall of shrugs and yeah, whatevers. She goes with the flow—which is how she ends up singing in her friends’ punk band as a favor, even though she’d prefer to hide at the merch table.

Reggie is a D&D Dungeon Master and self-declared Blerd. He spends his free time leading quests and writing essays critiquing the game under a pseudonym, keeping it all under wraps from his disapproving family.

These two, who have practically nothing in common, meet for the first time on New Year’s Eve. And then again on Valentine’s Day. And then again on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s almost like the universe is pushing them together for a reason.

Delilah wishes she were more like Reggie—open about what she likes and who she is, even if it’s not cool. Except . . . it’s all a front. Reggie is just role-playing someone confident. The kind of guy who could be with a girl like Delilah.

As their holiday meetings continue, the two begin to fall for each other. But what happens once they realize they’ve each fallen for a version of the other that doesn’t really exist? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Black Queen by Jumata Emill Delacorte Press

Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High—but now she’s dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.

Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating.

Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it’s her legacy—her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition.

No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova’s best friend. Duchess’s father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova’s crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won’t fact the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova—and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess’s father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk.

Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley’s guilt. And to do that, she’ll have to get close to her.

But Tinsley has an agenda, too.

Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

The Urban Promise Prep School vows to turn boys into men. As students, J.B., Ramón, and Trey are forced to follow the prestigious “program’s” strict rules. Extreme discipline, they’ve been told, is what it takes to be college bound, to avoid the fates of many men in their neighborhoods. This, the Principal Moore Method, supposedly saves lives.

But when Moore ends up murdered and the cops come sniffing around, the trio emerges as the case’s prime suspects. With all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. But is the true culprit hiding among them? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi & Nic Stone Kokila

The New York Times bestseller How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is shaping the way a generation thinks about race and racism. How to be a (Young) Antiracist is a dynamic reframing of the concepts shared in the adult book, with young adulthood front and center. Aimed at readers 12 and up, and co-authored by award-winning children’s book author Nic Stone, How to be a (Young) Antiracist empowers teen readers to help create a more just society. Antiracism is a journey–and now young adults will have a map to carve their own path. Kendi and Stone have revised this work to provide anecdotes and data that speaks directly to the experiences and concerns of younger readers, encouraging them to think critically and build a more equitable world in doing so. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

One Girl In All The World (In Every Generation #2) by Kendare Blake Disney-Hyperion

Into every generation, a slayer is born. One girl in all the world . . . maybe.

Frankie Rosenberg is the world’s first slayer-witch, but she doesn’t have that slay-life balance figured out just yet. After all, being the newest slayer means that another slayer had to die. Frankie and the Scooby gang are still reeling from the deadly explosion that rocked the annual slayer retreat―and grappling with new evidence that some slayers may have made it out alive. And even though they defeated bloodthirsty vampire the Countess, it doesn’t mean Sunnydale is free from the forces of evil.

Something has reawakened the Hellmouth―and is calling old friends home. Someone is performing demon magic in the shadows, opening portals between dimensions. Everyone has demons to contend with―of the metaphorical and the very real (occasionally very hot) variety. And an oracle warns of a new evil on its way: the Darkness.

Could this be what attacked the slayers? And is it coming for Frankie? — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Cartographers by Amy Zhang *HarperCollins

Ocean Wu has always felt enormous pressure to succeed. After struggling with depression during her senior year in high school, Ocean moves to New York City, where she has been accepted at a prestigious university. But Ocean feels so emotionally raw and unmoored (and uncertain about what is real and what is not), that she decides to defer and live off her savings until she can get herself together. She also decides not to tell her mother (whom she loves very much but doesn’t want to disappoint) that she is deferring—at least until she absolutely must.

In New York, Ocean moves into an apartment with Georgie and Tashya, two strangers who soon become friends, and gets a job tutoring. She also meets a boy—Constantine Brave (a name that makes her laugh)—late one night on the subway. Constant is a fellow student and a graffiti artist, and Constant and Ocean soon start corresponding via Google Docs—they discuss physics, philosophy, art, literature, and love. But everything falls apart when Ocean goes home for Thanksgiving, Constant reveals his true character, Georgie and Tashya break up, and the police get involved.

Ocean, Constant, Georgie, and Tashya are all cartographers—mapping out their futures, their dreams, and their paths toward adulthood in this stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding the strength to control your own destiny. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

*The HarperCollins Union has been striking since 10 November 2022. Please consider supporting the strike by purchasing books through the union's Bookshop account or by donating to the strike fund.