#really great book highly recommend

[aroaceleovaldez]

tbh my latest biggest theory for why HoO and onwards is such a dramatic drop in quality and consistency is just. Rick stopped making teaching guides.

Like, the Lightning Thief teacher's guide is SUPER in-depth with even stuff like sources about middle grade child psychology and exact specifications of where he's applying that, explaining what different character's goals/motivations are, their dynamics with each other and their environments, etc etc. Even specifying which specific myths certain plot elements are supposed to reference or be about.

That stuff just doesn't exist for later books. There's activity guides and smaller, significantly more simple teacher guides for later books but they don't go into anywhere NEAR the same level of depth. The TLT one is a full lesson plan that breaks down the book at every level and explains what's going on and more or less why Rick did that. The others are all basically just glossaries of terminology and some simple question guides.

And they didn't even use the TLT teacher's guide for the Disney+ show because they clearly aren't adhering to any of what's discussed in that breakdown of the book.

By creating a teaching guide alongside writing the actual book, that's forcing you to document what you're doing, why, your sources, and information about your characters and the story they're in. It's like an even more in-depth version of a series bible. But that's lacking for later books (and etc) and it shows because that level of thought and depth and attention just isn't there anymore.

[essektheylyss]

Okay but I did finish the first Worlds Beyond Number episode and immediately picked up The Infinite Playground again and I do think anyone doing anything creative, anyone involved in a hobby- or fun-based community (like fandom!), and anyone who likes games of any sort or game-based media should check out this book.

[eli-am-confused]

Oh by the way guys I did in fact listen to the Great Gatsby music! Finally got around to it last night actually! If you saw what I posted last night you’ll know I enjoyed it quite a lot! It was so good I listened to it like three times!

[so-make-the-moon]

GUYS I SAW FALL OUT BOY

IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS

TWENTY. TWO. ZERO. YEARS. THAT I'VE BEEN A FAN OF THEM.

I've bought tickets THREE TIMES in the last 5 years. First Covid happened. Then my cat needed SPINAL SURGERY. and finally FINALLY

I saw Fall Out Boy.

(I also saw HAMILTONNN!!!!!! and Book of Mormon! And got to go to New York a second time. Am I in incredible credit card debt? Yes I am. Would I do it all again? Abso-fucking-lutely.)

[crunchycrystals]

love when i start recognizing audiobook narrators

[max-imumbooks]

Cursed, by Marissa Meyers (#2 of the Gilded Duology)

Continuing from the events of Gilded, Cursed follows Serilda's efforts to escape the Erlking's grasp. Steeped in German folklore, the story woven by Marissa Meyer remains vivid and gripping as the stakes grow ever higher. As Serilda continues to learn more about her gifts and their origin, the novel doubles as an ode to storytelling, making it a must for any writer who reads.

Fewer characters are introduced compared to Gilded, but Meyer balances the limited cast with the deepening the relationships introduced in the first installment. The reader can expect remain invested in the characters in play, and the trials they face as the Erlking's machinations creep towards their endgame. In the face of impossible odds, Serilda must rely on the strength of the relationships she's forged-- both inside the castle and without.

I especially enjoyed watching the plot's established mysteries get puzzled out. Their discoveries and realizations felt rational and unforced-- it could have easily fallen into the territory of heavy-handed exposition, but didn't. While there were some areas where the pacing slowed--likely due to the limited location of Serilda's imprisonment-- it was never prolonged enough that I felt inclined to skip ahead or drop the book altogether.

Serilda remains as fierce a character as she was introduced in Gilded. She finds every opportunity to resist and rebel against the constraints of her circumstances forced on her. Her relationship with her love interest Gild continues its established tenderness and solidarity. Though isolated, Serilda always has an ally.

Again, I recommend this novel to lovers of strong female protagonists, folklore, and romantic relationships built on mutual trust, but this time I would also recommend it to storytellers of any kind. The love of the craft is palpable throughout, noted in the way Serilda can transfix her audiences, weaving her tales so artfully that even she gets swept away right along with them.

I also feel it important to note the voice artist for these two audiobooks: Rebecca Soler. Her gift in bringing the different characters alive and giving each of them unique identities is truly amazing. Her pacing and tones match the mood of the content perfectly, making it all the easier to get lost in the story. Honestly, I think she's spoiled me for all other narrators. Even though this book is worth the purchase of a physical copy, I highly recommend giving the audiobook a listen as well.

Rating: 4.8 stars

[ofpolitics]

so i just finished the princess and the scoundrel and it was... all but perfect. i am SO glad i bought the special edition with the poster because i now own this glorious book. it really did both han and leia justice, explored some of the issues that would arise from them marrying so quickly, and touched on both of their experiences of late multiple times. also, even though the halcyon is part of the book and you know this storyline was in part to promote it, revis does a great job of making it appear seamless. in fact, i feel like it just adds to the story. it really was a wonderful palate cleanser for disney canon book content after the last travesty!

(and for the most part, if not completely, i think this book will be part of my new canon timeline of leia!)

[nerdgirlnarrates]

Earlier this year I read The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, which is a phenomenal book, but it has had the side effect of making me an even more neurotic person. Now in every situation I think “I know what this situation needs: a checklist!” and my extremely type B boyfriend is suffering.

[the-wandering-waif]

Excerpt from "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry.

[lno-x]

Not even a year has passed, here is the design for Gideon

It's not as detail-heavy as Harrow because overall I had to read and learn more about weapons than clothes (which was fun)

Details as usual under cut

Warrior Saints in Orthodox Christian Iconography

Religious formations rarely had warriors in their ranks, but there are number of holy martyrs who are considered great warriors.

In icons these Saints are often shown holding crosses, a spear or sword, and wearing armor beneath a cloack of red, also representing martyrdom.

My desing has a little in common with there bc is canon she was never described as wearing any armor or colors besides black, but I will use that knowledge for future works...

The Cavaliers (17th Century)

Need to mention that Gideon title (even if it's not real) is Cavalier – this term refers to the Baroque period, when this class of people was most widespread.

Its cool concept and i have seen that other artist do but for my personal opinion that too fancy for Ninth House (I always feel that Gothic Period fit them more)

Medieval-like design

That design not historically accurate at all but ig I can made up some things for vibe or creativity since its fiction at furst place and sci-fi at the second

Swept-hilt Rapier

Rapiers evolved from knightly swords with the purpose of lightening the sword, protecting the hand and increasing the distance in combat

Tbh his is the most common rapier with a stylized pommel (i am not that smart to make my own) but learning new stuff was nice

Zweihänder (Two handed German Sword)

Zweihänder swords developed from the longswords of the Late Middle Ages and was used by the front ranks of the army to fought with and against pike formations.

I highly recommend watching this lady's channel that talking about history of cold weapon, armor and combat technics. Thats an treasury of knowledge.

Knuckle Knives

Furst of all i wanted to make an bagh nakh kind of knives (you can learn more about it from this post), but in book its described as knuckles with three fixed blades protruding from the back (which is not really useful in a real combat as far i know but okay its just look cool)

Thats all thank you for your attention now i am going to watch second part of "How to train your Dragon" with ma bestie and two bottles of beer

[theniftycat]

What other Neil Gaiman work might you like?

The biggest thing to know about Neil Gaiman is that each work of his is a mixture of horror, fantasy, and subtle comedy.

That being said, each of his projects is pretty distinct from one another and there might be some that are more up to your tastes than others.

I haven't read some of his newer stuff (because I largely stopped reading as much since the early 2010s), but I'll do my best to remember what matters in other works.

Horror

The Sandman is a great work for horror fans. It's also great for mythology fans and other nerds, but horror is a major push and pull factors.

The comic is probably the greatest body of work Gaiman produced and it's recommended if you're a goth at heart and are comfortable with themes of death and humans being gods' toys.

The Sandman (TV) is a great adaptation, but it's very short so far and doesn't cover the best stories.

Coraline is a horror story for children. It doesn't have anything that's not suitable for kids, but it can be viscerally scary to some people. Both the book and the film are great.

Mirrormask is my personal favourite, it's a low budget film with mindblowing surreal imagery and one of the best soundtracks ever.

It's about a teenage girl who has troubles with her parents (who run a circus, btw) and who gets swiped up by her imagination into a bizarre world that is being eaten by her depression. Not a scary film, per se, but it's disturbing. However, it's a very warm film and it always makes me feel better.

Fantasy

Neverwhere is set in a dimension of twisted London Underground where everything that's straightforward in our world becomes weird and too real.

It really tickled my imagination, I highly recommend the book.

Stardust is set in a more high fantasy setting.

It features kings, witches, ghosts, and a star that fell to the Earth. It has a young protagonist who's not exactly the best or the brightest person, so if you hate such things, stick to the adaptation. In my opinion, the book is just lovely.

American Gods is a darker fantasy that asks the questions: "What if every god people ever believed in became real through the power of their worship? And then what if that worship started fading?"

It's set in the USA and because that country is such a melting pot, there are many gods. And not all of them are happy. This is the book that gave Neil Gaiman his reputation of a writer who loves weird sex scenes.

Humour

Stardust the film is often compared to Princess Bride. It's lighthearted, funny, full of imaginative adventures.

Just a very nice film with an all-star cast.

Anansi Boys is a spin off of American Gods, but it's a lot more lighthearted.

Anansi is a trickster god, so you know things will get funky.

I haven't read The Graveyard Book and The Ocean at the End of the Lane yet, but I hear they're very good as well.

Also, short story collections or Norse Mythology might be a good place to start if you want to get a feel of Neil Gaiman as an author first.

[underasettingsun]

Book 4/50

Elizabeth Camden is one of my favorite authors. I read the first 2 books in this series last fall and was eagerly waiting for Hearts of Steel to release in January. Unfortunately this one was not nearly as good as the others, I think because I just didn't like the couple and didn't feel like they grew as people. I didn't really look forward to picking it back up even towards the end when it should have been most interesting.

⭐⭐⭐

[duckprintspress]

AHHHH BOOKS OF OURS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE QUEER LIBERATION LIBRARY ( @queerliblib ) I AM SO EXCITED.

If you don't know what the QLL is this is a great chance to find out!! They're an online library of hand-curated queer e-books with really awesome range (non-fiction! fiction! many genres and disciplines!), and they keep growing! Anyone in the US can become a member FOR FREE. From their webpage: Queer Liberation Library (QLL) is fighting to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community.

They're also a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and completely funded by donations (we donate a pittance monthly, I wish we could do more).

I HIGHLY recommend you go to their webpage here to find out more, and you can follow their tumblr (tagged above) too!

And if you didn't know - all our published anthologies to-date are available through multiple library apps, including Libby (if selected by the library) and Hoopla (should be available to all libraries with Hoopla subscriptions). So even if you aren't a member of QLL, you might want to check your local library e-book system to see if you can read our books. Titles potentially available at your library include our anthologies Add Magic to Taste, She Wears the Midnight Crown, He Bears the Cape of Stars, Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers" and And Seek (Not) to Alter Me: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," and our stand-alone titles To Drive the Hundred Miles by Alec J. Marsh and Many Drops Make a Stream by Adrian Harley. There's more on the way, too, so be on the lookout.

[countingdots-tc]

TEACHER/STUDENT BOOK RECS

*if you want me to add a forbidden romance list, let me know*

𓃠 This is a list with links to books that have teacher/student, age gap, and experienced/less experienced themes that I have read! These are in order from most recommended to least recommended based on my opinion.

𓃠 This will be updated as I read more! Think something should be added to the list, then let me know!

𓃠 To find the Age Gap/TeacherxStudent Movie list, click on the link on my pinned post!

⭐️= highly recommend/changed my life

😇= no smut

🌶️=contains smut

💦=read to really get your rocks off

highlighted=warning

PROFESSOR/COACH BOOK LIST

The Unrequited by Saffron A. Kent-⭐️😇

ProfessorxStudent & mental health themes

Cute little poet embarrassingly falls for her grumpy professor. Beautiful slow burn and perfectly describes what it feels like to want someone and not feel enough for them. She is such a realistic female lead and reminds me a lot of y’all 😂. This is THE teacher crush community book. If you don’t read anything read this!!

The Professor by Invi Wright-⭐️🌶️

ProfessorxStudent

Cute romance by young, new, and self published author. Very relatable female lead. If you enjoyed The Unrequited, you will like this book for all of the same reasons. Quick and easy read, only 240. She isn’t perfect, she clumsy, and I wouldn’t even say she’s socially awkward, she just a normal college student in her early 20s. She’s a fun narrator. This author has a lot of potential and her writing will only get better.

Gabriel’s Inferno by Slyvain Reynard-⭐️😇

ProfessorxStudent

Such a good dark academia book. Beautifully written and actually has a movie adaptation. I would definitely recommend this if you want a realistic couple but a bit more serious. Characters have so much depth

Off Balance Series by Lucia Franco- 💦

CoachxStudent

Warning: female lead is age of consent NOT legal age.

If you want something really forbidden and fucked up, read this. If you want the MOST insane sex scenes, read this (MINORS STOP). I really don’t even want to add this series to this list but for the girls who wanna go there, have fun. I started this when I was still in high school, read the 3rd one as an adult, it’s not as easy to read now. Take that info as you please

Lessons In Sin by Pam Goodwin-🌶️

TeacherxStudent with 18 Y.O female lead

Troubled rich girl gets sent off to a catholic boarding school and falls for the asshole Dean of the school. Smut is pretty good, plot works. I’m not going to say it’s bad, I think whether or not it’s enjoyable depends on the person. It wasn’t bad, I just wasn’t obsessed. If you’re just trying to live vicariously through her (aren’t we all), then it works!

Teach Me by L. L. Ash-🌶️

ProfessorxStudent

Really good start, and I do mean GREAT start… I just feel like the sex scene came too soon (Ch. 9/32) and it threw me off but I also like SUPER slow burns. It’s still a good book. I enjoyed the male love interest, Professor Harlo. They’re cute together. Grump and Sunshine.

Dark Notes by Pam Goodwin-

TeacherxStudent & themes of abuse

Probably DNF-ing

AGE GAP BOOK LIST

Something In The Way Series by Jessica Hawkins-⭐️😇

Sister’s Boyfriend/Husband & “I saw him first”

Most beautiful romance series I’ve ever read, best written books by Jessica Hawkins. I recommend all of her other books. Lake is 16 when she first meets Manning but nothing sexual happens between them for another 3 books until she’s in her 20s. Beautiful slow burn with characters full of depth.

Sinner by Sierra Simone- ⭐️💦

Brother’s Best Friend & religious themes

Amazing character creation and mapping. These characters feel real! This book is about “teaching” a girl about sex before she becomes a nun. It’s not just a bang bang, hump hump book. It has heart and it really good. If you enjoy religious themed romance, you may enjoy Priest by Sierra Simone too. I didn’t 💀

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas- 💦

Ex’s Dad

Most popular forbidden romance so whatever you’ve heard about it, dump it. This might be the most tame book on this list. Pacing is good, well written main character. Insane amounts of smut but it doesn’t drive the story forward so feel free to skip it if you get tired.

Love Unexpected by Q. B. Tyler- 💦

Ex Stepdad & parent death

This book is HOT! However after the first few scenes, I got a bit tired of the smut. Well written enough female lead with a rushed ending. However if you just need something to read and not despise it, it’s good enough.

Strictly Off Limits by Jessica Hawkins-🌶️

Dad’s Best Friend

Jessica is my favorite author so I’m a bit biased but she definitely isn’t a smut writer. This novella would’ve been better without smut however it isn’t super present and doesn’t really drive the story forward so don’t feel like you’re missing anything if you skip the smut!

The Doctor by Nikki Sloane- 💦

Ex’s Dad

personally didn’t care for this book, smut starts off way too quick and I’m more of a slow burn girl. It is a novella however, it was still too quick. However! You may love it <3

𓃠 If I’m not reading fast enough for you and you want to see what I will be reading in the future here is my Amazon TBR, have at it!

𓃠 If you want to see a more organized bookshelf of what I’ve read, here is my Goodreads!

[pumpkinpaix]

Chapter Spotlight 8:

"'Censorship Made It Better': Anti-Fans and Purity Culture in English-Language Chen Qing Ling Fandom" by Abby Springman

Describe your topic/chapter in one sentence/one meme/140 characters.

Rejoice! MDZS has been cancelled!

What drew you to this topic?

When I got into CQL fandom and started lurking on its outskirts on Twitter, I started getting this weird sense of déjà vu. There was this bizarre similarity between the arguments I was seeing about the aspects of CQL/MDZS and their fandoms being "problematic" from a progressive, social justice point of view and the demands for censorship in American libraries that conservative groups were (and still are) making at an alarmingly increasing rate. In an attempt to make sense of this, I fell down what ended up being a really long rabbit hole, and, well, here we are.

Was there anything you were surprised to discover while researching?

I was surprised by the wide variety of fannish backgrounds found amongst members of English-language CQL fandom! I'm not used to seeing so many different "areas" of fandom intersect over a single piece of media like this. Some folks are primarily into the live action movies and TV shows side of things, some are mostly in bandom, some (like me) are traditionally a part of the anime, manga, and gaming contingent, etc. I think that's fascinating, honestly.

Did researching/writing your chapter change how you saw the text, the fandom, or the media? How so?

I didn't use the block button on Tumblr or Twitter for anyone in the fandom while I was working on my chapter. It definitely changed how I saw fandom on those platforms—literally. It really highlighted how much power social media algorithms have over what kind of content is presented to us front and center.

If there’s one thing you hope the fandom takes away from your article, what would it be?

I'll be thrilled if it makes people think about "problematic" content in less black-and-white terms. They don't have to necessarily agree with my conclusions! But if my words make even one person stop and think more about context before posting a reactionary comment, then that would be great.

If you were isekai-ed into MDZS/CQL, what sect affiliation would you choose and why?

The Lan. My existing skills are most likely to be applicable there (see: the library), it seems easy to find some peace and quiet when you need it, there are bunnies, and Hanguang-jun is there.

Chaotic one-sentence pitch to get your friends into MDZS/CQL?

My elevator pitch for CQL has historically been, "It's the adaptation of a book about a gay necromancer, except they can't actually show the gay romance or the zombies on screen."

What is one (1) book/media you would recommend to a MDZS/CQL fan? Tell us about it.

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling. It's probably the most accessible collection of Chinese stories of the supernatural available in English. If MDZS/CQL was your first exposure to traditional Chinese cultural beliefs about ghosts, exorcisms, and the like, this is a great introduction to the less xianxia-specific aspects. If that isn't the case for you, I still highly recommend it on its own merits!

Character you keep getting in those "which MDZS/CQL character are you" quizzes?

Wen Ning

Anything to say to potential readers of the collection?

Thank you, and I'm sorry—no, that's a joke. More seriously, I really am thankful for anyone interested in the collection. It's the product of years of hard work by many people, and I'm sure there's an interesting chapter in there for everyone.

(FAQ) (all posts on Catching Chen Qing Ling)

[greentrickster]

Fun fact: people with ADHD actually love sitting around with absolutely nothing to occupy them, they've just been taught to think that they hate it. No really, I'm saying this as someone who has rampant ADHD myself, sitting down and doing nothing actually rocks so hard.

The issue is, it's something that we have to do ourselves, on our own terms. Because yes, I would absolutely rather start chewing off a random limb rather than sit and wait for someone or take a trip longer than two minutes without my MP3 player or a book. That is torture, and it should be banned.

In contrast, realizing that my brain's spinning a bit too hard and fast, taking a step back, turning off my computer/tablet/phone, getting myself all comfy-cozy in a nice chair or on my bed and letting my brain just spin for awhile? That's great! It gives me a chance to properly process everything that's going on in my head without any extra stimulus vying for attention until everything slows down enough that I can go back to what I was doing.

It's not about trying to 'become still' or 'let my head empty' or an 'I have nothing to do' situation. It's an active choice that allows my brain to regain a level of equilibrium and what is, for me, a normal speed of thought and mental activity while in a comfortable setting. 10/10, highly recommended, your brain wants to go so this is how you let it safely run around off the leash for a bit!