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spookyblazecoffee · 2 years ago

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Teen Wolf/Theo Raeken headcanon

- Ever since Theo was young the only constants in his life were: Tara, his hair, and a book series Tara used to read to him about a young teen superhero with Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Considering his parents were always on business trips, he and Tara had to take care of themselves from the ages of five and seven respectively. When Tara died he lost two of those things, his big sister and the book series because the Dread Doctors wouldn’t let him take the books with him. - When he was eleven he was put in a school in Wichita, Kansas, and put with “Parents” that were hired by the Dread Doctors. He knew not to get too attached to these people. However, he couldn’t help but think that the little girl they had reminded him of his big sister when she was younger. That year was when he got the two things he lost when he was nine back, the little girl who reminded him so much of Tara had taken him to a bookstore after he told her about the books he remembered so little about and she had taken some of her allowance money to buy him one of the books, the first one, he read it in a week. - When he was almost twelve he went to another bookstore, this time he was in Grove, Oklahoma. He didn’t have any money, but he had a bag that could be mistaken for a backpack. He went straight to the section of the store that would hold the books made by ‘Jenna Geyer’ and put as many of the books as he could in his bag without it looking much bigger than it had when he entered. In the end, he got the second and third books. He saw two kids a few years younger than him with an older man right outside the bookstore when he left. The kids were a boy and a girl. The boy was blonde with freckles all over his face specifically his nose and right under his eyes which were a striking electric blue. The girl had reddish hair she had some freckles as well, not as much as the little boy though, one freckle was in the outer corner of one of her eyes which were a beautiful shade of jade green. The older man had scars under his eyes and one on his chin, he and the little girl shared an eye color. The older man had said to the kids: “Remember that your mothers are waiting back at the farm, so we have to hurry to make sure they don’t worry.” The kids had just responded with bright smiles and nods. If Theo felt a little bit jealous about their family dynamic, no he didn’t. - When he was thirteen he was put in a school in Omaha, Nebraska with another family that took care of him while he was there. The school he was going to was giving away books that weren’t checked out as much as the school library thought they would be when they first got them. The fourth and newest book in Jenna Geyer’s superhero series was one of the said books, so he got to take it “Home” and keep it. He finally read through the dedications of the books he had. The first one said: “To, mo chridhe*, my youngest son, my superhero, the inspiration of this story. Liam, I love you. Thank you for being an amazing, kind, sweet boy.” The second one said: “To, my sons, solais mo bheatha**. May you always know what it is like to have a family that loves and supports you throughout whatever you do.” The third one said: “To, my darling oldest son. Camden, may you always look after your baby brothers, no matter how far away you are or if you are with your seanair***, we can find you wherever we look. The fourth one said: “To, the fans of my books, my family, and my friends. Thank you for supporting my writing. I love all of you, and may you always know that I will be in your corner no matter what. Theo now feels a little less alone in this stupid life that he was born into. - Theo is fifteen when he hears that Jenna Geyer is making a new book, and he decides to go to the closest store he can find and get the cheapest phone he can to see the updates about said book. He has grown his hair out since the last time he got one of Jenna Geyer’s books and now has a mullet. He finds out the release date of the newest book is on October 21st, 2013, a little over a month before he turns sixteen. When he gets the book he immediately reads who it’s dedicated to. The book says: “To, my ex-husband. I hope you are happy that you hurt my sons, and I hope that you are ready to face the wrath of what happens to people like you in Dubnos****.” And Theo’s jaw just fucking DROPS to the ground because, after reading all of the updates about the latest book he could find and reading the dedications for the other books he never thought that Jenna Geyer of all people would be that harsh, but, as he knew from memories of Tara, you should never hurt someone that an over-protective sibling or parent loves with all their heart. - The next house Theo is put in his “Parents” force him to cut his hair because they don’t want to be seen with a boy who has long hair no matter if it’s a mullet or not. He cuts it, but not much, not wanting to lose the only thing that is still under his control. After he leaves that house he cuts his hair short on his own accord, not because some strangers forced him to. - When he goes back to Beacon Hills, he hasn’t yet become seventeen and he’s standing in front of his old best friends in the pouring rain, explaining why he’s back. He knows he’s being followed when he hears Stiles talking with someone who he can’t recognize the voice of. - When he gets back from Hell (for lack of a better term) he’s met with Liam and Hayden’s faces and scents, but he immediately pushes Liam against the wall, because he’s scared, but also because he feels the need to be in control of a situation for the first time in months. - After the final fight against the hunters at the hospital, he walks over to Gabe and kneels down in front of him, holding his arm and asking: “Does it hurt anymore?” Gabe had responded with a simple: “No.” Theo looked at Gabe and said: “Good.” - One day, after Theo and Liam get together, Theo is over at Liam’s after spending the night the day beforehand and they’re making breakfast for themselves and Liam’s parents when Dr. Geyer and Liam’s mom walk downstairs. Liam’s mom came downstairs first, seeing Theo and Liam singing along to We Will Rock You by Queen. “Hello, are you one of Liam’s friends?” Liam’s mom had asked when she saw Theo, having not met him before. Theo turned to her and when he saw who she was he whispered: “Putain De Merde... tu l'es... hum... Salut*****.” closing his eyes, embarrassed that he started speaking in French. Jenna just looked confused as Theo looked between her and Liam, who was wearing a matching look of confusion, while Theo continued to ramble in the languages he knows. Italian. (Liam and Jenna not understanding anything he’s saying) French. (Liam catching onto a few words, but not enough to understand what he’s talking about) German. (No fucking clue) Latin. (Again, no fucking clue) Turkish. (Liam and Jenna wearing matching looks of concern) Liam puts his hand on Theo’s shoulder and he starts to calm down. He’s still speaking in another language, but this time it’s just French. He starts to get angry with himself before mumbling: “Bon sang, Théo, Anglais. Tu parles à ton idole et tu ne peux même pas dire un putain de mot, imbécile******!” Jenna doesn’t know what he’s saying, but she knows it’s self-deprecating and she’s not having any of that under her roof. “Take your time, I don’t mind.” Jenna says, placing a hand on the shoulder Liam doesn’t have his hand on. Theo looks at her and blurts out: “I love your books!” Jenna looks pleasantly surprised at what he said while Liam looks confused because he didn’t clock Theo as the type to like superhero books. However he also didn’t clock Theo as the type to like him, so... “That’s very sweet of you to say.” Jenna replies, smiling at Theo softly, and then something dawns on him. The dedication of the first book coming back to him: “To, mo chridhe*, my youngest son, my superhero, the inspiration of this story. Liam, I love you. Thank you for being an amazing, kind, sweet boy.“ Theo just turns to Liam, eyes wide. Liam looks at him confused. “What?” Liam asks softly, Theo stares for a little longer before he questions: “Have you never read who the first book your mom wrote was for?" Liam nods slowly before confusion turns into embarrassment, making Theo smirk widely. Jenna looks between the two before clearing her throat. Liam turns to his mom before she asks: "So... how do you two know each other exactly?" Liam blushes even more before saying to Jenna and David: "Mom, Dad, this is Theo Raeken. My boyfriend. Theo, these are my parents." Theo stretches his hand out for David to take, having already been comforted by Jenna in her own goddamned home. Jenna has a smile on her face for the rest of the day, and Theo will be embarrassed for the next month because of this ONE encounter!

*My Heart (Scottish Gaelic) Based on @waiting-to-be-lost-at-sea ‘s nickname for Liam from Jenna. **The lights of my life (Scottish Gaelic) ***Grandfather (Scottish Gaelic) ****Celtic Mythology equivalent to Hell *****Holy Shit... you are... um... Hi (French) ******Damn it, Theo, English. You're talking to your idol and you can't even say a fucking word, you idiot (French)

#Theo Raeken #Tara Raeken #Raeken Siblings #The Gayken Siblings #Nolan Holloway #Ally Raven-Martin (Original Character)#Robert Raven (Original Character)#Oklahoman Nolan Holloway #Scott McCall #Stiles Stillinski #Liam Dunbar #Hayden Romero #Gabe Valet #Jenna Geyer #Mrs. Geyer #Dr. Geyer #Dr. Geyer Teen Wolf #David Geyer #Scottish Jenna Geyer #Scottish Liam Dunbar #Lahey Brothers (but only one of them)#Thiam #That awkward moment when you're meeting your boyfriend's mom for the first time and she just so happens to be the writer of you and your 1/?#dead sister's favorite book series and the main character was your first fictional crush and just so happens to be based off of your 2/?#boyfriend who's mother (y'know the one who wrote the books) also just happens to be your idol™ so when you meet her you start to speak 3/?#five out of the many (like nine) languages you know other than English and you get angry at yourself for being tongue-tied in a language 4/?#your boyfriend and his mom can't even understand but she can tell when you're talking bad about yourself and comforts you even though 5/'?#you are in her kitchen trying to make breakfast for you your boyfriend his mother and father who hasn't said anything the entire time 6/?#he's been down here and he's just watching the whole thing unravel until you finally blurt out what you've been trying to say in English 7/?#and she's really sweet but you're really embarrassed and won't be able to think about this moment normally for the rest of your life and 8/?

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claudia1829things · 2 years ago

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"EMILY" (2022) Review

"EMILY" (2022) Review

I have been aware of only four productions that served as biopics for the Brontë family. I have seen only three of these productions, one of them being a recent movie released in theaters last year. This latest movie, the first to be written and directed by actress Frances O'Connor, is a biopic about Emily Brontë titled "EMILY".

This 2022 movie began with a question. While Emily Brontë laid dying from tuberculosis, her older sister Charlotte asks what had inspired her to write the 1847 novel, "Wuthering Heights". The story flashed back to 1839, when Charlotte returned home to the Haworth parish in West Yorkshire to visit before her graduation from school. Emily attempts to re-connect with the older sister about her fictional works, but Charlotte merely dismisses her creations as juvenile activities. Around the same time, their father Patrick, the parish's perpetual curate receives a new curate name William Weightman. While Charlotte, younger sister Anne and several young women seem enamored of the handsome newcomer, only Emily is dismissive of him. Emily accompanies Charlotte to the latter's school to learn to become a teacher and their brother Bramwell goes to study at the Royal Academy of Arts. Both Emily and Branwell return shortly to Haworth after as failures. When Branwell manages to find a job as a tutor, the Reverend Brontë charges William to provide French lessons to Emily. What began as lessons in French and religious philosophy lessons, eventually evolves into a romantic entanglement between the pair.

"EMILY" managed to garner a good deal of critical acclaim upon its release in theaters, including four nominations from the British Independent Film Awards. It also won three awards at the Dinard British Film Festival: Golden Hitchcock, Best Performance Award for leading actress Emma Mackey and the Audience Award. I have no idea how much "EMILY" had earned at the U.K. box office. But in North America (the U.S. and Canada), it earned nearly four million dollars. Regardless of this . . . did I believe "EMILY" was a good movie? Did it deserved the accolades it had received not only from film critics, but also many moviegoers?

I cannot deny that the production values for "EMILY" struck me as first-rate. I believe Steve Summersgill did a first-rate job as the film's production designer. I thought he had ably re-created Britain's West Yorkshire region during the early 1840s with contributions from Jono Moles' art direction, Cathy Featerstone's set decorations and the film's art direction. Nanu Segal's photography of the Yorkshire locations created a great deal of atmosphere with moody colors that managed to remain sharp. I found myself very impressed with Michael O'Connor's costume designs. I thought he did an excellent job in not only re-creating fashions from the end of the 1830s to the late 1840s, he also ensured that the costumes worn by the cast perfectly adhered to their professions and their class, as shown below:

However, according to a relative of mine, Emily Brontë's fashion sense had remained stuck in the mid-to-late 1830s, something that the 2016 movie, "TO WALK INVISIBLE" had reflected. On the other hand, "EMILY" had the famous author wearing up-to-date fashion for someone of her class:

And I must admit that I found those moments featuring actress Emma Mackay wearing her hair down . . . in an era in which Western women did no such thing . . . very annoying. Otherwise, I certainly had no problems with the movie's production values. The movie also included a fascinating scene in which Emily had donned a mask and pretended to be the ghost of the Brontës' late mother during a social gathering. The scene reeked with atmosphere, emotion and good acting from the cast. I also found the scene well shot by O'Connor, who was only a first-time director.

"EMILY" also featured a first-rate cast. The movie featured solid performances from the likes of Amelia Gething as Anne Brontë, Adrian Dunbar as Patrick Brontë, Gemma Jones as the siblings' Aunt Branwell, Sacha Parkinson, Philip Desmeules, Veronica Roberts and other supporting cast member. I cannot recall a bad performance from any of them. The movie also featured some truly excellent performances. One came from Fionn Whitehead, who gave an emotional performance as the Brontë family's black sheep, who seemed overwhelmed by family pressure to succeed in a profession or the arts. Alexandra Dowling gave a subtle, yet charged performance as Charlotte Brontë, the family's oldest sibling (at the moment). Dowling did an excellent job of conveying Charlotte's perceived sense of superiority and emotional suppression. I wonder if the role of William Weightman, Reverend Brontë's curate, had been a difficult one for actor Oliver Jackson-Cohen. I could not help but notice that the role struck me as very complicated - moral, charming, intelligent, passionate and at times, hypocritical. Not only that, I believe Jackson-Cohen did an excellent job of conveying the different facets of Weightman's character. The actor also managed to create a dynamic screen chemistry with the movie's leading lady, Emma Mackey. I discovered that the actress had received a Best Actress nomination from the British Independent Film Awards and won the BAFTA Rising Star Award. If I must be honest, I believe she earned those accolades. She gave a brilliant performance as the enigmatic and emotional Emily, who struggled to maintain her sense of individuality and express her artistry, despite the lack of support from most of her family.

"EMILY" had a great deal to admire - an excellent cast led by the talented Emma Mackey, first-rate production designs, and costumes that beautifully reflected the film's setting. So . . . do I believe it still deserved the acclaim that it had received? Hmmm . . . NO. No, not really. There were two aspects of "EMILY" that led me to regard it in a lesser light. I thought it it was a piss poor biopic of Emily Brontë. I also found the nature of the whole romance between the author and William Weightman not only unoriginal, but also unnecessary. Let me explain.

As far as anyone knows, there had been no romance - sexual or otherwise - between Emily Brontë and William Weightman. There has never been any evidence that the two were ever attracted to each other, or one attracted to the other. Many have discovered that the youngest Brontë sister, Anne, had been attracted to Weightman. In fact, she had based her leading male character from her 1947 novel, "Agnes Grey", on the curate. There have been reports that Charlotte had found him attractive. But there has been no sign of any kind of connection between him and Emily. Why did Frances O'Connor conjure up this obviously fictional romance between the movie's main character and Weightman. What was the point? Did the actress-turned-writer/director found it difficult to believe that a virginal woman in her late 20s had created "Wuthering Heighs"? Did O'Connor find it difficult to accept that Emily's creation of the 1847 novel had nothing to do with a doomed romance the author may have experienced?

Despite Mackey's excellent performance, I found the portrayal of Emily Brontë exaggerated at times and almost bizarre. In this case, I have to blame O'Connor, who had not only directed this film, but wrote the screenplay. For some reason, O'Connor believed the only way to depict Brontë's free spirited nature was to have the character engage in behavior such as alcohol and opium consumption, frolicking on the moors, have the words "Freedom in thought" tattooed on one of her arms - like brother Branwell, and scaring a local family by staring into their window at night - again, with brother Branwell. This is freedom? These were signs of being a "free spirit"? Frankly, I found such activities either immature or destructive. Worse, they seemed to smack of old tropes used in old romance novels or costume melodramas. In fact, watching Emily partake both alcohol and opium reminded me of a scene in which Kate Winslet's character had lit up a cigarette in 1997's "TITANIC", in order to convey some kind of feminist sensibility. Good grief.

What made O'Connor's movie even worse was her portrayal of the rest of the Brontë family. As far as anyone knows, Reverend Brontë had never a cold parent to his children, including Emily. Emily had not only been close to Branwell, but also to Anne. And Branwell was also close to Charlotte. All three sisters had openly and closely supported each other's artistic work. Why did O'Connor villainize Charlotte, by transforming her into this cold, prissy woman barely capable of any kind of artistic expression? Why have Charlotte be inspired to write her most successful novel, "Jane Eyre", following the "success" of "Wuthering Heights", when her novel had been published two months before Emily's? Why did she reduce Anne into the family's nobody? Was it really necessary for O'Connor to drag Charlotte's character through the mud and ignore Anne, because Emily was her main protagonist? What was the damn point of this movie? Granted, there have been plenty of biopics and historical dramas that occasionally play fast and loose with the facts. But O'Connor had more or less re-wrote Emily Brontë's life into a "re-imagining" in order to . . . what? Suggest a more romantic inspiration for the creation of "Wuthering Heights"?

I have another issue with "EMILY". Namely, the so-called "romance" between Brontë and Weightman. Or the illicit nature of their romance. Why did O'Connor portray this "romance" as forbidden? A secret? I mean . . . why bother? What was it about the pair that made an open romance impossible for them? Both Brontë and Weightman came from the same class - more or less. Weightman had been in the same profession as her father. And both had been college educated. Neither Emily or Weightman had been romantically involved in or engaged to someone else. In other words, both had been free to pursue an open relationship. Both were equally intelligent. If the Weightman character had truly been in love with Emily, why not have him request permission from Reverend Brontë to court her or propose marriage to Emily? Surely as part of the cleric, he would have considered such a thing, instead of fall into a secretive and sexual relationship with her. It just seemed so unnecessary for the pair to engage in a "forbidden" or secret romance. Come to think of it, whether the film had been an Emily Brontë biopic or simply a Victorian melodrama with fictional characters, the forbidden aspect of the two leads' romance struck me as simply unnecessary.

What else can I say about "EMILY"? A rich atmosphere filled the movie. The latter featured atmospheric and beautiful images of West Yorkshire, thanks to cinematographer Nanu Segal. It possessed a first-class production design, excellent costumes that reflected the movie's 1840s setting and superb performances from a cast led by the talented Emma Mackey. I could have fully admired this film if it were not for two aspects. One, I thought it was a shoddy take on a biopic for author Emily Brontë that featured one falsehood too many. And two, I found the secretive and "forbidden" nature of Brontë's false romance with the William Weightman character very unnecessary. Pity.

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idrawprettyboys · 1 year ago

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William Dunbar in a pose and outfit inspired by Robert Sheehan.

#Robert Sheehan #code lyoko #William dunbar

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ilovepunkyanimeguys · 1 year ago

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So, Diego Mestanza looks a bit different than how I would imagine William realistically, and for a while I didn't have a clear image of what I expected him to look like. But just the other day, Youtube recommended some All American Rejects songs to me, and I'm looking at Tyson Ritter and thinking "yeah, that's pretty close." I think his eyebrows are a little different than I imagined. But he has the wavy hair, blue eyes, and a closer face shape than what I'd expect compared to Diego Mestanza. His hair should be black, and I might find a better match later, but...

I'm trying to think of more candidates off the top of my head, and the first one I can think of is Robert Sheehan:

He looks a bit more like my drawings of William, I think. But it's hard for me to see him as anyone but Klaus from Umbrella Academy. His hair is a little curlier than William's, but other than that, he's pretty close to how I would picture him.

#tyson ritter #robert sheehan #all american rejects #william dunbar #code lyoko

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zemaribeiro · 5 months ago

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Bob and Bob: obra de Marley e Dylan celebrada em mix de show e recital

[release. Da assessoria] O poeta Fernando Abreu e o guitarrista Lucas Ferreira em apresentação no Teatro Cazumbá, ano passado – foto: divulgação Fã incondicional de Robert Nesta Marley e Robert Allen Zimermann, os dois “Bobs” mais influentes da música mundial, o poeta maranhense Fernando Abreu acalentou durante anos a ideia de fazer um recital com canções dos dois artistas entremeados com…

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blogthefiresidechats · 11 months ago

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My book haul....

You guessed it……another book haul for me today. Now, I was able to browse the bargain section while I was at my local bookstore and that’s where I picked up many of the books off this list. That would explain why I was able to get so many of the books that I got today……because many of the books were priced much cheaper than the actual listing price.

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perfettamentechic · 2 years ago

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23 ottobre … ricordiamo …

23 ottobre … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic

2020: Maria Grazia Bon, attrice italiana. (n. 1943) 2019: Roberta Fiorentini, attrice italiana, nota soprattutto per il ruolo di Itala nella serie televisiva Boris. (n. 1948) 2018: James Karen, attore statunitense. (n. 1923) 2012: Corrado Lojacono, cantante, attore e compositore italiano. Debuttò alla radio nel 1945. (n. 1924) 1999: Luciano Soprani, stilista italiano. (n. 1946) 1994: Robert…

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garadinervi · 5 months ago

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Best Short Stories by Negro Writers: An Anthology from 1899 to the Present, Edited and with an Introduction by Langston Hughes, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, MA, 1967

Feat.: Alston Anderson, James Baldwin, Lebert Bethune, Robert Boles, Arna Bontemps, Gwendolyn Brooks, Frank London Brown, Charles W. Chesnutt, Alice Childress, John Henry Clarke, Cyrus Colter, Pearl Crayton, Owen Dodson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Katherine Dunham, Junius Edwards, Ralph Ellison, Ronald Fair, Rudolph Fisher, Ernest J. Gaines, Chester B. Himes, Langston Hughes, Kristin Hunter, Zora Neale Hurston, Clifford Vincent Johnson, William Melvin Kelley, John Oliver Killens, Woodie King, Jr., Sylvester Leaks, Paule Marshall, R. J. Meaddough III, Ronald Milner, Willard Motley, Lindsay Patterson, Ted Poston, Conrad Kent Rivers, Charlie Russell, Mike Thelwell, Jean Toomer, Mary Elizabeth Vroman, Alice Walker, Eric Walrond, Dorothy West, John A. Williams, Charles Wright, Richard Wright, Frank Yerby

Plus: Anthologies of African American Writing, Mason Libraries Omeka Portal, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

#graphic design #typography #book #cover #book cover #langston hughes #little brown and company #anthologies of african american writing #mason libraries omeka portal #1960s

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dwellordream · 7 months ago

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Best Reads of 2024

this year i read 300 books. which i think is impressive but not as impressive as it sounds bc many of these books were very short, easy reads meant to be like, stuff you read at the airport or sitting by the pool on vacation. so it's not like i was tackling the harvard classics. i also read extremely fast; it only takes me about an hour to do 300 pages unless it's a super dense complex text. that said, here is a list of all the books i read this year that i would rate 4 stars or higher, separated by genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett Highfire by Eoin Colfer Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi Chlorine by Jade Song The Passion by Jeanette Winterson The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter Realistic Fiction: We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent Only Child by Rhiannon Navin Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper Prima Facie by Suzie Miller Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg Piglet by Lottie Hazell The List by Yomi Adegoke A Winter's Rime by Carol Dunbar The Resurrection of Joan Ashby by Cherise Wolas

Mystery/Thriller: Queenpin by Megan Abbott Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley The Guest by Emma Cline Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti Kala by Colin Walsh Descent by Tim Johnston Wahala by Nikki May When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff We Could Be Beautiful by Swan Huntley Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll Nothing Can Hurt You by Nicola Maye Goldberg Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage Cape Fear by John D. MacDonald Sea Wife by Amity Gaige Last Seen Wearing by Hilary Waugh The Black Cabinet by Patricia Wentworth Historical Fiction: Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen Gilded Mountain by Kate Manning All You Have to Do is Call by Kerri Maher Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt Payback by Mary Gordon A Dangerous Business by Jane Smiley The Affairs of the Falcons by Melissa Rivero Longbourn by Jo Baker The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson Go to Hell Ole Miss by Jeff Barry The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird Consequences by Penelope Lively Iron Curtain: A Love Story by Vesna Goldsworthy Homestead by Melinda Moustakis Not Our Kind by Kitty Zeldis Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Teddy by Emily Dunlay Science Fiction: Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom Fever by Deon Meyer The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones Land of Milk and Honey by C. Pam Zhang Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet Briefly Very Beautiful by Roz Dineen

Romance: Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson American Royalty by Tracey Livesay The One by Julie Argy The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin Queen of Urban Prophecy by Aya de Léon That Dangerous Energy by Aya de Léon The Dove in the Belly by Jim Grimsley Fatima Tate Takes the Cake by Khadija VanBrakle Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer Horror: Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka Cujo by Stephen King Night Watching by Tracy Sierra The Garden by Clare Beams The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman True Crime: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Columbine by Dave Cullen Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio by Derf Backderf Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou While Idaho Slept: The Hunt for Answers in the Murders of Four College Students by J. Reuben Appelman The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age by Michael Wolraich Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Tom Wright and Bradley Hope

History: Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and Nasa’s Challenger Disaster by Kevin Cook The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House by Sally Bedell Smith As Long as We Both Shall Love: The White Wedding in Postwar America by Karen M. Dunak Babysitter: An American History by Miriam Forman-Brunell Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin All She Lost: The Explosion in Lebanon, the Collapse of a Nation and the Women who Survive by Dalal Mawad Psychology: Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker The Anxious Generation: How The Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff Misdiagnosed: One Woman’s Tour of -And Escape From- Healthcareland by Jody Berger Stolen Child: A Mother’s Journey to Rescue Her Son from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder by Laurie Gough Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood by Tanya Frank I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy Us, After: A Memoir of Love and Suicide by Rachel Zimmerman Everything Is Fine: A Memoir by Vince Granata Juliet the Maniac by Juliet Escoria

Memoir: Upstairs At The White House by J.B. West A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival by Kelly Sundberg This Boy We Made: A Memoir of Motherhood, Genetics, and Facing the Unknown by Taylor Harris I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell

Fragile Beginnings: Discoveries and Triumphs in the Newborn ICU by Adam Wolfberg The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team by Kara Goucher and Mary Pilon Remedies for Sorrow: An Extraordinary Child, a Secret Kept from Pregnant Women, and a Mother’s Pursuit of the Truth by Megan Nix Brazen: My Unorthodox Journey from Long Sleeves to Lingerie by Julia Haart Minding the Manor: The Memoir of a 1930s English Kitchen Maid by Mollie Moran Love in the Blitz: The War Letters of Eileen Alexander to Gershon Ellenbogan by Eileen Alexander Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story by Lis Smith

The Apology by Eve Ensler Wild Game: My Mother, Her Secret, and Me by Adrienne Brodeur

One Way Back: A Memoir by Christine Blasey Ford Biography: The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty by Susan Page Untold Power: The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson by Rebecca Boggs Roberts King: A Life by Jonathan Eig Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams by Louisa Thomas

American Girls: One Woman’s Journey into the Islamic State and Her Sister’s Fight to Bring Her Home by Jessica Roy Susan, Linda, Nina, and Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli

Gender: Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan We Were Feminists Once: From Riot Grrrl to CoverGirl®, the Buying and Selling of a Political Movement by Andi Zeisler All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership by Darcy Lockman Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks Enslaved Women in America: From Colonial Times to Emancipation by Emily West You’ll Do: A History of Marrying for Reasons Other Than Love by Marcia A. Zug The Red Menace: How Lipstick Changed the Face of American History by Ilise S. Carter Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers: A History of Lesbian Life in Twentieth-Century America by Lillian Faderman

#recommendations #literature

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scotianostra · 3 months ago

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On April 22nd 1304 the siege began of Stirling Castle, the last stronghold holding out against Longshanks English army.

I thought I'd stretch this post out a little as there is little else to post about today......

For those that have watched Outlaw King, the film starts with a vivid depiction of the siege of Stirling Castle in 1304, a key event in the First Scottish War of Independence. A huge trebuchet is shown throwing a flaming projectile over the walls to smash the defenders into submission. The film uses the surrender of the castle as a starting point to illustrate the nadir in Scottish fortunes, when the kingdom was on its knees. Subsequently the situation slowly recovers as Robert Bruce rebels against the English and gradually gains the upper hand against them.

While it is true that King Edward used these mammoth siege busters, Stirling took four months to break down, they only surrendered after running out of food.

Stirling’s location at the lowest bridging point of the River Forth meant that it was of vital strategic importance as it was the entrance point to the Highlands. In some medieval maps it was shown in exaggerated form as a bridge dividing the south and north of Scotland. It was therefore essential for Edward to gain control of the castle. Yet its strong natural defences meant that this would be a difficult endeavour.

The castle is situated on the top of a high volcanic outcrop and is enclosed on three sides by the cliffs. It had been a major royal castle since the twelfth century and was encircled by strong masonry fortifications. Stirling was left abandoned to the English in 1296, who garrisoned it and improved its defences, but was recovered by the Scots four years later.

In 1304 the garrison of the castle was commanded by Sir William Oliphant, a member of a prominent family in Perthshire. Oliphant had been captured by the English at the Battle of Dunbar but was released in return for taking part in Edward’s expedition to France. Following his return to Scotland he once again took up arms against the English and was appointed constable of Stirling Castle by Sir John Soulis, Guardian of Scotland, in 1300. Despite having little realistic hope of outside assistance, the defenders were determined to resist the English.

The Scots were well equipped to withstand a siege, according to the author of the Flowers of History (an English chronicle) they consisted of a force of 120 ‘gallant men, whom despair rendered braver’. Other sources claim there were only around 30 inside the castle.

It was over 700 years ago that this siege occurred so there is some discrepancy and dispute as to the means of siege.. A few different theories exist including that the castle was eventually taken when they filled the moat and used scaling ladders to climb the walls. And there is a theory that the wall was breached by a battering ram. There is also another theory that the occupants were simply starved out. All of these theories are plausible and they are methods that were used to siege castles. One or more of these theories may be true and it is quite likely that all these methods were used in part!

Whatever it was it is certain that the siege of Stirling castle is one of the most traditional sieges that ever took place and it is called "The Big Siege" for good reason.

The garrison held out against the full might of Edward's army until 20 July 1304 when they were forced to surrender, Sir William Oliphant is said to have negotiated good terms for the surrender, which included his release and safe passage but immediately after the surrender Longshanks broke the terms and imprisoned Oliphant in the Tower of London. In another scene from Outlaw King, Scotland's nobility swore fealty to the English King later that year, all except one notable exception, Sir William Wallace.

As for William Oliphant n 1308, he was released on mainprise, a medieval form of bail, and returned to Scotland, where he served Longshanks son, Edward II nad was put in charge of the key English outpost, the fortified town of Perth.

In 1312 six-week siege by Robert the Bruce had little effect so the Scots withdrew in open sight of the English garrison. Little more than a week later the Scots crept over the walls after nightfall and took the town with little bloodshed. However many of the higher ranking Scots and English were executed while most of the English were allowed to go free. Sir William Oliphant was sent in chains to the western Isles, where he apparently died a prisoner.There is no further mention of him in any records.

Pics show various depictions of Stirling Castle through the ages.

#scotland #scottish #history #Stirling #siege #trebuchet #first war of scottish independence

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el-viruss · 6 days ago

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WEREWOLF, BABY! + HEART ON MY SLEEVE + THE MANY NAMES OF ROBERT REYNOLDS 🥺🥺 PLEASEEEE

Why of course!! Anything for my darling spouse :]

Werewolf baby? Werewolf, Baby!

Behind the plain white door Lucy steady guards throughout the night is a bedroom. It has yellow walls and a small twin bed, the wooden frame adorned with stickers. Toys are strewn across the floor, just waiting to be stepped on. The closet door is slightly ajar, because no one in this house is afraid of monsters, and hand sewn dresses with floral patterns peak out.

Through the locked window, the half moon shines across the sleeping form of a child. A little girl with dark, curly hair and brown skin cuddles a stuffed dog as she dreams, blissfully unaware of the disastrous night her father has had.

There have been nights when Robert will hobble back into the house, much like he is now, and just sit with Lucy outside the door. Lucy will lay her head on his leg and they will both listen to the quiet that comes from the room, content in knowing that the toddler is safe and sound, right where she had been when Robert put her to bed.

Heart on my sleeve

Dr. Geyer is an angel sent down to Earth by a god Theo doesn’t even believe in, with the express purpose of wrangling Liam Dunbar. The chimera would send out a small but thankful prayer for the man’s sudden appearance in his hospital room if not for the aforementioned disbelief in omniscient deities.

Unprepared is an understatement when it comes to how Theo feels right now. Ill equipped and utterly unfit to be in this situation is more accurate.

First, he is waking up in a hospital bed, dazed and confused and more than a little fearful of what he did to get himself here. Then, Liam is yelling at him before Theo even realizes he is even in the room. And finally, Dr. Geyer is spontaneously appearing through the door, followed by a nurse, and sternly speaking to Liam as the nurse comes to check his vitals. Which, Theo appreciates but the feeling of someone hovering over him all the sudden makes his internal defences rise.

“Liam! You know you aren’t supposed to be going through a patient’s things!” It is an undeniable fact that David, because Theo is clear enough to remember his first name from his research now, is not used to admonishing his step-son based on just his tone alone. But the man is serious about proper hospital safety and etiquette and no exceptions can be made, even for Liam.

The Many Names of Robert Reynolds (A Study by John Walker)

“Jesus, guys. I didn’t fucking poison it.” Apparently, that admission is all the group needs before they are filtering into the dining room area the table is in. John sighs, taking another long sip of his coffee, and wonders if any of them had actually thought the food was poisoned. Ava probably did.

Before he can move, Alexei’s hand is clapping his shoulder and John is face to face with the larger man’s somewhat off putting smile. He realizes, with no real opinion on the matter, that he and Alexei have never been this close outside of combat. He also realizes, with strong opinions on the matter, that the man in front of him is also only wearing boxers. Despite the fact that he is somewhat covered by the robe draped over his shoulders, it still makes John grimace inwardly.

“You, John Walker, are a good man!” The exclamation makes John feel off balance, like he is being lied to. He thinks that maybe he is. He knows Alexei is just excited about the food, he is always excited about food, and is showing his appreciation in the over-the-top way he does but the words just don’t sit right.

He replies with a forced smile and quick nod of his head. It takes everything in his power not to shrug the other man’s hand off of him but Alexei moves on soon enough and John takes a deep breath when he is left.

#Tag game #Thiam #teen wolf #thiam fanfic #thunderbolts #sentryagent #voidwalker

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