#sarah kills people and society goes wild

[phanfictioncatalogue]

(TW) Heavy Angst With A Happy Ending Masterlist

before/after (ao3) - katesofheaven

Summary: Dan and Phil have a dying daughter and they deal with it in different ways, both before and after she goes.

Butterfly (ao3) - A_Million_Regrets

Summary: Phil Lester, a lonely writer, finds a dying boy with beautiful black wings on a cold, rainy night in a dingy alleyway. He recognizes the boy as one of the winged men hated by human society. They are considered to be wild, ferocious beasts, but Phil's sympathy forces him to help the boy.

What happens when the boy, considered to be a wild beast, gets too attached and follows him home with an innocent, dimpled smile?

Can We Just Pretend (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: After being seen cuddling with a childhood friend, Phil thinks Dan is cheating.

Change Will Come (ao3) - rainbowchristy

Summary: Dan’s a depressed university student. Phil’s just a cute coffee shop barista who writes notes on Dan’s hot chocolates.

Choking on My Thoughts of You (ao3) - Anonymous

Summary: The first time Phil coughed up a petal, he thought he was seeing things. He blinked, staring at its perfect edges, almost as if to will it out of existence. There was no way something so small and perfect could have come from his lungs. That couldn’t be possible. Yet there it sat, perfect and white as can be, cupped in his hands.

Phil loved Dan so much it was killing him.

dollhouse (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: dan's parents are fighting, again.

Expectations (ao3) - my_happy_little_bean

Summary: They expect you do well. They expect you to succeed. That's everyone's expectations.

You, however, have different expectations from different people.

And you're tired of them.

helplessly helpless: I’m alive, can you hear me? (ao3) - MANIAvinyl

Summary: Dan’s been in a relatively good place. He’s kept his head screwed on tight recently. So because the worst of the storm has passed he feels like it’s on him to help the world to de-stigmatize talking about mental health. When he mentions this to Phil, though, it’s finally revealed how much the last few years have impacted his best friend, too.

Really, I just wanted to explore Phil’s side of the story regarding Daniel and Depression. Because mental health doesn’t just affect the individual; it also affects those close to them, in ways we can’t imagine until we’re the ones on the other side.

hippo milk is actually pink (ao3) - deletable_bird

Summary: In Which Dan Is Drunk, Phil Is Also Drunk, They Hook Up, And Things Just Kind Of Go From There

Maybe I miss you (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Phil leaves Dan for several months to temporarily live in New York City and work on a movie set.

The distance between them drove them both insane, but neither of them could voice the reason why.

When Dan comes to visit Phil in New York his feelings are threatened to spill after an encounter with one of Phil's new friends, but he keeps lying- to both Phil and himself.

Hopefully he can eventually tell the truth, because Phil gets another long-term job opportunity in California and Dan can't take any more distance.

Maybe It'll Last This Time (But I'm Gonna' Love You) (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: “Because, if you could love someone, and keep loving them, without being loved back . . . then that love had to be real. It hurt too much to be anything else.” -- Kill Me Softly, Sarah Cross

You love him, but it's a little complicated.

Missing (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: "So we have a new update on the serial killer running loose around London-" Dan turns the tv off, he didn't want to hear anymore. He just wanted Phil back home, safe and sound.

Seized (ao3) - rainbowchristy

Summary: It started out as a fun day at the park but it ended in terror. Phil takes his little Dan to the park and while Phil is not looking, Dan suddenly gets kidnapped. What will happen to Dan? Will Phil ever see his boyfriend again? Did Phil have something to do with it?

To Love You (ao3) - A_Million_Regrets

Summary: Dan is a rent boy, a male prostitute, a cheap whore, another slut for hire . . . He's heard many more derogatory terms used against him in pointless arguments, regardless of whether it be with friends, family or a random stranger in a dingy pub. He's ashamed of who he's become, but he never says it out loud. He hides things, things like his shame, his pain, and the fact that he's helplessly in love with his bestfriend, Phil Lester.

Unrequited (ao3) - thiccennugget

Summary: Phil doesn't believe in soulmates. Dan's been searching for his for years.

Wonders Never Cease (ao3) - Yiffandquiff (paradisobound)

Summary: Dan and Phil were one of the 'it' couples at their high school until one day, Phil blindsides Dan with a break up. Hurting and seeking comfort, Dan befriends Tyler who helps him get through the first tough few months of the break up, mending his shattered heart. But Dan doesn't want to move on. He wants to be with Phil and maybe, just maybe, in the end, he'll still get to be.

[a-dandelion-dreamer]

Books with Bisexual Characters

I’ve always been a book lover, and lately I’ve been taking note of some of the bi characters I meet along my journey. I thought I’d share some book recommendations.

First, In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. I love this book so much—it’s honestly one of my favourites. It features a bisexual protagonist, Elliot Schafer, who goes across a wall into a magical, fantasyland and actively rebels against its war-like ways, choosing to draft treaties instead. He’s a snarky, grumpy, pacifist who has relationships with people of multiple genders throughout the course of the book. This book is super funny. Seriously, it made me laugh out loud on more than occasion. It also features truly phenomenal character development and explores the joys and trials of friendship between Elliot and his two best friends Luke Sunborn (the shy golden boy, born to a warrior family) and Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle (a bold elf whose society’s gender roles are completely flipped). Shenanigans ensue.

A quote:

“‘Why is language in the Borderlands so weird? Some of it’s modern, and some of it’s medieval, and I guess that makes sense with the influx of a certain amount of new blood to the training camp every year, but how do some words and phrases transfer, while others don’t? Why do you know the word ‘jerk’ and not the word ‘bisexual’?’

‘I guess people say the first word more,’ said Luke.”

 Next, The Nevernight Chronicle by Jay Kristoff. This epic three book series features badass bisexual Mia Corvere. It’s dark, bloody and heart-breaking, with an endless series of twists. Mia’s parents were killed during their attempt to start a rebellion and her quest for revenge leads her to join a school for assassins. Follow Mia’s journey as she attempts to bring down the leaders of the Republic with her constant companion, Mister Kindly, the wise-cracking shadow-that-is-shaped-like-a-cat. I loved this series as well. It’s a very different tone from the recommendation above (don’t get attached to your faves!) and it’s marked as adult fantasy (be prepared for sex and violence), so be warned, but wow, is it a wild ride!

 Books by Ellen Kushner!!! I recently discovered her and I’m in love. Ellen Kushner herself is bi and has a wife who is also a writer. The two of her books I’ve read so far are Swordspoint (published 1987!) and The Privilege of the Sword. Both are fantasy of manners with bisexual duelists as protagonists. Swordspoint features Richard St Vier, an elite swordsman, as well as his close companion (and lover) Alec, a sarcastic scholar with a mysterious past. The Privilege of the Sword is set in the future of the same world, featuring a young girl named Katherine (who I love with all my heart) as she’s called by her uncle to the city to embark upon a path nontraditional to a lady, that of a swordsman. Both are excellent and super fun!

 The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. Meet Lord Henry “Monty” Montague as he embarks upon a Grand Tour of Europe (the historical fiction version of a road trip) with his best friend Percy (who he’s hopelessly in love with) and his sister Felicity (who’s ace and has her own follow-up book which I also recommend – the Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy). Monty is charming, privileged, hilarious and the definition of a disaster bisexual. Follow along as the three of them stumble into hijinks and character development.

 Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. Our main girl Frances Janvier is a study machine whose only respite from academics is the fan art she draws for a podcast called Universe City. Then one day, the mysterious narrator asks her if she wants to collaborate. In a relatable turn, Frances is bi, but it’s just a part of her identity and the focus of the book is not a romance. Instead, it’s all about friendship and finding platonic soulmates and figuring out what you want to pursue in life. Alice Oseman’s writing is lovely and she tackles issues that feel very modern and relatable. I’ll also mention her webcomic (which you can find online for free) Heartstopper, which follows the romance between two boys Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson (and includes Nick’s bisexual crisis).

A quote:

“And I’m platonically in love with you.”

“That was literally the boy-girl version of ‘no homo’, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

 Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Speaking of bisexual crises, meet Alex Claremont-Diaz, whose mother is the President of the United States. His long-time rival, Henry, is a prince of England, and after an incident involving an expensive cake, the two are forced to fake a bromance for the sake of international relations. Actual romance blossoms instead.

 Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. In the land of Terre d’Ange, the motto is “Love as thou wilt”. Phèdre is a bisexual courtesan who receives pleasure from pain. Another adult fantasy (published 2001!), our heroine trains as a spy and is increasingly entangled in a web of politics and plots.

 The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. This series is well-known, but I love it! Maggie Stiefvater’s prose is atmospheric, littered with small details that reward a reread, and her character relationships are complex. This series is a gem full of magical realism. Here’s a shout-out to our bisexual boy, Adam Parrish!

 Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Again, another popular book (part of a duology), but the hype is totally deserved! A diverse crew sets out on an impossible heist. Let’s send some love to two bisexual icons, Jesper Fahey and Nina Zenik!

A quote:

“If only you could talk to girls in equations.”

There was a long silence, and then, eyes trained on the notch they’d created in the link, Wylan said, “Just girls?”

Jesper restrained a grin. “No. Not just girls.”

 Those are some of my favourites that I’ve come across so far. Hopefully I’ll find some more! I’m always open to book recommendations, especially those that feature queer ladies :)

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hello, I hope I'm not bothering you, but do you have any good "enemies to lovers" recs, may they be books or movies?

I neeeever am bothered by people asking for recommendations.  Those are my favorite asks because I am nothing if not in love with my own opinions, lol

Books

Obviously, The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn, the best Bridgerton book, because I’ve been blogging about it lol.  If you haven’t read it, it’s basically “rake tries to seduce the beauty of the ton, beauty’s older sister cockblocks him, he realizes that He Is Into It” 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is a classic.  Very light and fluffy contemporary, two people who’ve always hated each other begin competing for the same job and fall in love.

Kate Quinn’s Mistress of Rome series is a saga and the initial big ship of the first book (which you do have to read lol) is not enemies to lovers.  However, the NEXT ship which dominates the last two books of the series (which is four books long, and tbh... I recommend the second book but it’s a prequel and can be skipped technically) is SOOOOOOO GOOD.  It’s really “childhood friends to young lovers to SEVERE ENEMIES still secretly in love” and it’s literally epic lol.  Essentially, the series is set in Ancient Rome and Sabina (very bitchy Roman noblewoman) and Vix (child of a former gladiator, soldier) are friends who I think lose their virginities to each other?  And are in love as kids.  But then she fucks him over and marries the emperor.  Who he actually begins to loyally serve!  But he haaaates Sabina because she.... constantly backstabs him lol.  But he also looooves Sabina and gets off on everything she does.  And she wants him so badly.  And it is delicious.  And I live for it.

Both of the Evie Dunmore books I’ve read, Bringing Down the Duke and especially A Rogue of One’s Own are very enemies to lovers.  In Bringing Down the Duke it’s a bluestocking versus a duke who for political reasons is her enemy.  In A Rogue of One’s Own it’s another bluestocking versus a rake who has known her basically all their lives.  They have to begin working together and fall in looove.

Sarah MacLean LIVES for this trope lol.  Her first true enemies to lovers was Twelve Scandals to Start to Win An Earl’s Heart, in which the heroine is a scandalous young woman and the hero is a duke determined to avoid scandal--and he rebuffed her before the book began, so they hate each other.  But he also has a massive boner around her, of course. 

My favorite MacLean book, A Rogue By Another Name is another “childhood friends turn enemies to lovers”.  The leads, Penelope and Bourne (last name lol) were best friends as kid and he basically fell off after life set in.  Her family now has hold of his ancestral lands, and Bourne essentially blackmails Penelope into marrying him so that he can get those lands, after which she DESPISES him even though they had..... extremely great sex lol.  It’s SUPER GOOD, and it involves borderline voyeurism, which is great.

Then No Good Duke Goes Unpunished is very enemies to lovers.  The heroine was set to become the hero’s stepmother--then he woke up covered in blood with her missing. He then finds out, after years of being despised by society as a presumed murderer, that she is very much alive with a fake identity lol.  It’s WILD.

The Rogue Not Taken is an enemies to lovers roadtrip romance.  The heroine thinks the hero is a horrid rake who purposefully ruins marriages.  He thinks she’s a stuck up brat.  They end up journeying together and he eats her out in a moving carriage.

Theeen there’s Daring and the Duke.  The hero literally thought the heroine was dead (MacLean loves this) and is OBSESSED with her, but she hates him because the man who raised them both basically pitted them against each other after their days of being childhood sweethearts.  It’s very dark and delicious, and there are blow jobs!  Blow jobs don’t happen enough in romances, especially historical romances.  More BJs!  They are fun!

If you’re interested in a dark and BONKERS romance, Desperate Measures by Katee Robert is a retelling of Disney’s Aladdin about a modern Jafar and Jasmine getting together after he takes over her father’s criminal empire.  It’s definitely extremely explicit and a bit fucked up.  The book comes with content warnings; the first sex scene is dubcon.  (Like you’re reading from her perspective and she WANTS IT but she says no.)

Beach Read by Emily Henry is a cute contemporary in which the hero is a literary author and the heroine is a romance novelist.  They find themselves in neighboring beach houses and basically challenge each other to write in the other person’s genre.  Very light enemies to lovers.

A Heart of Blood and Ashes is a fantasy romance by Milla Vane!  Essentially, the hero’s parents were killed by the heroine’s father and he’s out to kill her father and overtake his throne.  Luckily, she’s on board.  But he needs to marry her in order to accomplish his goals.  They do not trust each other whatsoever and torment one another a lot.  For context, within the first fifty pages she gives him a handjob while her hand is covered in her own brother’s blood (and yes, he did kill her brother).  It’s great.

The Worst Best Man is about a wedding planner who suddenly finds herself needing to work with her ex-fiance’s brother... who she holds responsible for her fiance leaving her at the altar.  Very fun and sexy contemporary.

The entire Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa.  In each book, the heroine falls in love with a literal embodiment of one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, who is here to bring the end of the world.  VERY heavy enemies to lovers.  Kinda dark at times?  Kinda fucked up at times?  I love it a lot?  It begins with Pestilence; War and Famine have already been released, but Death has not.

From Lukov with Love by Marina Zapata.  It’s a figure skating romance; a down on her luck skater pairs up with a male skater who is extremely successful, and who she’s known for years and hated.  Verrrrry slow burn, but fun.

Movies

The Proposal, of course, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds.  You’ve probably seen this, but the setup is that she’s his evil boss, he’s her assistant, and she’s about to lose her visa so she bribes him into marrying her so that she can get citizenship.  But ruh-roh, they have to go to Alaska for his family reunion and he’s also got a great body and is like, an Alaskan Rockefeller?  

Obviously, Clueless which is enemies to lovers by way of former stepsiblings, and also by way of the only valid retelling of Emma.  Emma itself is not enemies to lovers, really, but Clueless amps that aspect up a bit.

If you want a super tragic version, warning lol--House of Flying Daggers.  It’s a wuxia movie, so melodramatic to the max.  She’s a blind daughter of the leader of a vigilante group, he’s a soldier who’s gone undercover to follow her to their stronghold.  Many reveals and one of my favorite dramatic love stories ensues.

Princess Diaries 2, duh.  Baby Chris Pine?  Anne Hathaway?  PLEASE BITCH.

365 DNI.  If you haven’t watched yet, watch it and thank me later.  The greatest cinematic contribution of the last decade.

Down with Love.  It’s a delightful take on like, 50s/60s sex comedies in which the heroine writes a book that convinces women to ignore love and men, which makes the hero look bad and makes it difficult for him to get laid.  So he sets out to basically.....  wear a different persona?  And seduce her?  It is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and I adore it.  Renee Zellweger and Ewan Macgregor have great chemistry in it too.

The Thomas Crown Affair, starring extremely hot Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo.  She’s an insurance investigator, he’s a billionaire who basically is suspected of stealing priceless works of art because he’s bored.  She investigates him and immediately begins fucking him.  Has a scene where she dances with him while wearing a completely transparent dress.  Then they fuck everywhere in his house.  I have never wanted to be between two people more.

The Painted Veil.  A socialite marries a dorky scientist for convenience, then cheats on him.  He finds out and basically forces her to go to China with him, where he is fighting the cholera epidemic, as an extremely long and petty murder suicide attempt.  But they get to know each other!  And the ice begins to melt!  Warning: tragic but lovely.

Casino Royale YES I SAID THAT.  The James Bond reboot movie that explains why he’s such a whore!!!  HE WAS BROKEN!!!  Basically James Bond is not like... a learned man... in this movie.  So he’s a cocky bastard and the Bond girl is impossibly sexy Eva Green as Vesper, who’s the “money man” on his mission.  They begin as bickering assholes and then fall in love.  But also!  Tragedy!

The animated Anastasia movie is one of the finest enemies to lovers movies of any time, I will defend this forever

Anyway....  Hope this gives you some ideas!  Lol

[dalekofchaos]

The Fireflies’ vaccine wouldn’t have worked or why Joel did the right thing

In the last part of The Last of Us, Joel kills all the fireflies and saves Ellie but by doing so he may have doomed humanity by ending the possibility of a cure being made, making the ending bittersweet and morally ambiguous. The thing is, Joel didn't really do anything wrong, and saving Ellie was the right choice, here are my reasons:

The doctors would remove Ellie's brain to try to create a vaccine, but that's not how vaccines works, a vaccine is a tamed version of a pathogen that "teaches" your body to defend against it, to do a vaccine you need to use the pathogen in small quantities or a modified version of it, Ellie is immune to it, you don't create vaccines from the immune system, that's called a serum, and it works differently, a serum is used when someone comes in contact with a disease and it contains a series of antibodies that fight the infection, but it doesn't make anyone immune. So what they were trying to do was pointless;

Even if the doctors know what they were doing, it was a wild shot a with no guarantee that it would work;

Even if a vaccine was successfully made they wouldn't save the world, the world was destroyed 20 years ago, society collapsed and was rebuilt again on a new way, and everyone already new how to deal with it, also the greatest threat were not even the cordyceps fungus anymore, it was the infected (that the vaccine couldn't do nothing about) and the crooked humans that walked the earth. Besides that, the fireflies had no way to distribute the vaccine worldwide, not even in a national level.

If you listen to the tapes in the Colorado segment, it pretty much confirms that Ellie is not unique and they wouldn’t be able to make a vaccine anyway. The doctor has practically lost his mind and Ellie is just his white whale. Ellie was not the first subject and she most likely wouldn’t have been the last. 

The doctor pretty much went against the common ethical code of all medical practitioners just for a CHANCE at a vaccine/cure.  

And wouldn't it take a lot of time to study her? A day to do all the tests is outright impossible. Just look at the corona vaccine. With all the tech the world has the biotechnologists are going to take more than a year to make a vac.

Vaccines for Fungal infections are nearly impossible and are a logistical nightmare.Even in today’s world,they can only be treated with antibiotics and anti-fungal medicine. They didn’t even bother with thoroughly researching Ellie’s blood and trying to extract the fungal specimen without killing her. The tests were blood samples and samples from the area where she was bit and then only cutting her brain open as THE LAST POSSIBLE USE for her, then when their step 1 was "lol just kill this incredibly rare specimen" I was shocked.

BTW, PS4 version actually removed a piece of paper that's available in all the other forms of the game. What is this piece of paper? Just the one that describes how they've tried this process dozens of times before and how they've NEVER gotten any useful info.

The Fireflies are terrorists. The Fireflies are terrorists, and not even competent ones. Here we go. We first hear of the Fireflies in credits, where they are taking credit for attacking the Federal Disaster Response Agency. Not a good start.The next time we start to see hints of them is through graffiti in the quarantine zone. What does this graffiti say? Fireflies will take it all back. That sounds great! Burn it all down. ...oh. That’s, uh, a little less great. Fucking die, pig. Um… Uh, that’s uh, not a great look here guys.And that goes on and on. The graffiti does not exactly inspire. All it does is get angry.Next time we see them, it’s when they literally bomb a checkpoint and supply truck, then begin firing wildly all over the place. This is straight terrorism. They don’t care if there is collateral damage, in fact, Joel gets injured in this scene.Then we meet Marlene, the so-called Queen Firefly. Injured and on the run, the military is slowly wiping them out. This leads to a line of dialogue that is absolutely hilarious. Marlene starts to preach about “We’ve been quiet. Been planning on leaving the city, but they need a scapegoat. They’ve been trying to rile us up. We’re trying to defend ourselves”Those are big words from someone who just bombed a checkpoint.This clearly shows us that Marlene cannot be trusted as a narrator. She has an agenda and is lying to Joel and possibly herself. And that despite how effective guerrilla tactics usually are, her group is still managing to get absolutely devastated. They are failing so badly that they have to recruit smugglers just to try to get Ellie out of the city.So begins the trek showing dead Fireflies at every turn. Downtown subway station? Dead Fireflies. The Capitol building? Dead Fireflies. Pittsburgh? Oh, let’s talk about Pittsburgh.Pittsburgh is a monument to Firefly failure. Pittsburgh was originally another Quarantine zone held together by FEDRA. So what happened here? Well, times got hard, and the Fireflies instigated a civil war or insurrection. This fighting lasted for months, with Fireflies lynching soldiers that they caught alone, burning soldiers alive after dousing them in gasoline, and FEDRA retaliating by executing Fireflies. FEDRA finally gave up and retreated from Pittsburgh, putting the Fireflies in control- and then it all fell apart. The people of Pittsburgh discover that the Fireflies had planned to move right into the space FEDRA had previously occupied. And so, after this was discovered, the Fireflies were driven out just like FEDRA had been. Only much faster, and with less fight. And now Pittsburgh is nothing but anarchy. People gunned down in the streets for nothing. Rooms full of bodies, clothes and shoes. Almost looks like after images of Dachau. Bravo, Fireflies. Excellent revolution.Next up, we meet Tommy, Joel’s brother, and disenfranchised Firefly. He worked for them for years, going all the way to Colorado for them. Somewhere along the way, he lost faith in them and left their cause. He doesn’t specify exactly why, but it seems he might have lost faith in their methods.Then we come to the University. This is where we really discover how incompetent the Fireflies actually are. One of the first notes you see at University is about a guy who is angry he got yelled at for falling asleep on guard duty. Real professionals. This same note indicates that while they’re still getting some supplies, it’s not enough for what’s needed, with gasoline being particularly short. The next note comes from a recording, telling us that they’re losing more guards, with the doctor clearly concerned about how much equipment and data will be lost if they have to move. The doctor even calls the Fireflies incompetent in this note. And then we have this genius.. That’s right. Bitten by his own lab monkey. Because he just had to set it free, rather than putting it down humanely. Brilliant work sir. Brilliant. He kills himself before turning though, but not before informing us that they hadn’t accomplished anything for over five years. And even that small breakthrough was ultimately a failure. And now the entire lab is compromised, and abandoned.And then there’s a long break from Fireflies until Salt Lake. Ellie, having just gone underwater, isn’t breathing. Joel attempts to perform CPR on her when our hero Firefly shows up, and knocks Joel unconscious. Ah, violence. The first solution. Willing to forgive it, since it strongly mirrors the scene with Sarah, only the Firefly is in the soldier’s shoes this time. But still. Military was gentler.And now for the hospital. The final failure of the Fireflies. This is where so many people are convinced that Joel screws the world by preventing a vaccine. But somehow, I just don’t think so. This is one last desperate bid by the Fireflies for control. How do they intend to do this? Comprehensive bloodwork? No. Vigorous testing with laboratory animals, like, oh, maybe monkeys? No, someone let all their monkeys go. Crack open her head and hope for the best? Hell yeah! Does the fact that they’ve lost their biologist concern them? Nah, it’ll be fine! Does the fact that this is the only time they’ve seen immunity to this degree even give them pause? Pfft, crack her open! Does the fact that there has never been a successful vaccine against fungus give them pause? PASS THAT SCALPEL! No need to think this over, let’s blow our whole load on this once in a lifetime lucky strike as fast as possible. No, I’ve never heard the story about the goose who laid the golden eggs, tell it to me after I finish butchering surgery. Even if we make this vaccine, how will we deploy it? You're thinking too hard, hand me the saw!This is just bad science. Done by bad scientists. Cheered on by fools. Fools who wanted to murder Joel after he made that long trip.And for people who insist on government and democracy, it’s funny how they didn’t risk telling Ellie their “plan” and just sedated her and rushed her to the table.

Even by SOME MIRACLE they managed to make a vaccine, the world ain't gonna automatically return to what it was. It's a dog eat dog world and that is the new normal. Infected, cannibals, more psychos like David and raiders are still there and it ain't going away soon or maybe ever. On top of that, mass production and distribution of a vaccine is an absolute logistical nightmare in a post apocalyptic world- they simply don't have enough resources for that. And who's to say The Fireflies wouldn't use it to as a bargaining tool to put everyone, willing or not, under their new rule? And even given all that, they debated killing Joel after he delivered Ellie. He did the job and the payment he received was getting knocked out and being marched outside of the safe zone AT GUNPOINT WITHOUT HIS WEAPONS AND SUPPLIES! The Fireflies broke their deal and fucked Joel over. Joel had ever right to kill them and save Ellie.

So I believe what Joel did in the end was the right thing, the fireflies was an extremist group that was willing to do anything not to save the world, but to prove their point, even kill an innocent girl under a delusional precept. 

[phoenixrisesoncemore]

I was tagged by @wangxianbunnydoodles (oh my, this is long and you might regret it; also I don’t follow instructions well 😉). I tend not to be very good at these things (sorry to anyone else who has tagged me in these kinds of things before—this is a rare event happening mostly because I wanna talk about Tolkien books and ships) but here goes:

Top 3 Ships

I don’t actively ship characters that often. I’m not sure why that is. I do enjoy reading fic with pairings either canon or not, but I don’t often go “all in” on ships in most narratives I consume. There are notable exceptions (more than three but these are the three most recent—I have no idea how to identify my top ships):

WangXian (CQL). This is surely obvious from the current state of my blog, right? I blame The Untamed and its impossibly tender, only-subtextual-by-a-hair’s-breadth romance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show express ultimate devotion, deep affection, true appreciation, complete understanding (eventually), and the sheer *necessity of the other* between two people quite like this one has. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever seen two characters and desperately wanted them together and happy as much as I have these two, so bravo to the cast and crew for generating such second-hand devotion in me.

Silvergifting (Tolkien). This is all @thearrogantemu’s fault. I’d read some Silvergifting before I read These Gifts That You Have Given Me, mostly out of curiosity (some good stuff, too!), but I had never read any Tolkien fic that convinced me it was *true* (on many, many levels, though the ship level is the one pertinent to this post). In any canon-like universe this ship hurts, but in the Gifts universe it hurts the most; it hurts like Hell. It hurts in the way only razor-sharp, sorry-the-universe-works-this-way, oh-are-those-my-entrails-on-the-floor-I-didn’t-even-feel-the-knife tragedy can hurt. And it’s so convincing that it’s just...a fact now. Tolkien just forgot to tell us. So now I ship Silvergifting, but most deeply, specifically THAT Silvergifting. (Meanwhile, 14 year old me continues to look at *significantly* older me like I’m insane.)

ZeLink (Legend of Zelda). Deep down I’m still 12 years old and no amount of fine lines and wrinkles is going to change that. When is Breath of the Wild 2 coming out?

Last Song

I listen to soundtracks and bombastic and dramatic orchestral pieces much more often than I listen to what people mean when they say “songs,” and a significant chunk of the “songs” I listen to are from musicals/operas.

Earlier today it was Hanz Zimmer’s soundtrack to Dark Phoenix (don’t start me up on the continuing disappointment that Phoenix adaptations continue to be to me—you don’t want to hear it; even I don’t want to hear it).

Before that it was Barbra Streisand’s The Broadway Album. (I prefer her outer space cover of “Somewhere” to the actual thing. Fight me.)

Before that it was Carmina Burana (One of my favorite things ever was when we went to a live performance of Carmina Burana and a boy who couldn’t have been more than 7 years old sat in the aisle in front of us and head-banged enthusiastically through “O Fortuna.” It was so metal. You go, kid. You get it.).

Before that it was a splattering of Billy Joel hits with emphasis on “2000 Years”, “River of Dreams”, “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”, “The Stranger”, and “Only the Good Die Young” (thanks to that outstanding WangXian interpretation!).

Of course the soundtracks to The Untamed/CQL have been on repeat for weeks around here, particularly every single iteration of “WuJi” and the flute-heavy instrumental pieces (man, those are good!).

Not long ago I had Sarah Brightman’s covers of “Figlio Perduto” from La Luna and “Glosoli” and “One Day Like This” from Dreamchaser burning through my iPhone battery (yes, I like popera).

Enya, and especially Shepherd Moons and The Track Which Shall Not Be Named has been on repeat a lot.

Last Movie

I don’t sit down to watch movies that often any more. It just takes too much stillness and undivided attention and more resistance to multi-tasking than I have. The actual last movie that I watched (in a “have it on on another screen while I work” kind of way) was Raiders of the Lost Ark, which, of course, I’ve seen umpteen times and which followed a similar rewatch of the Back to the Future trilogy. The last movie I watched completely without distraction was Book Smart; I don’t watch comedies very often, but I really enjoyed it in an “OMG, I can totally relate to this” kind of way (except for the class president thing—that would have required that I interact with other people my own age and also not be homeschooled). Before that I think it was the Tolkien biopic. Man, I still haven’t written anything about that.

Currently Reading (in order of when I started them)

Oh dear.

The Familiar: part 1, Mark Z Danielewski. *sigh* For as much as I think Danielewski is brilliant and House of Leaves is one of my favorite books ever, I’ve just not been able to get into much of his other work. It’s universally a time and energy investment to penetrate and puzzle through, and I just don’t have as much of that as I used to. House of Leaves makes that investment worth it from early on and is absolutely a page-turner once you settle in, but other than The Fifty Year Sword I’ve just not been able to get into the rest of his work. The Familiar: part 1 is supposed to be the first in a 26 part series which is currently halted at part 4, I think. Without a guarantee of all parts ever being published, I don’t think I’m ready to invest more time into part 1 and may end up abandoning it, unfortunately.

History of The Hobbit, Douglas Anderson. Anderson did what Christopher didn’t and gave The Hobbit the HoMe treatment (if a bit less literal and opaque in format). It’s fascinating (I mean, there’s the Beren and Luthien name drop you were not expecting right there in the first draft), but reading essentially the same passages with only small changes over and over can be a slog, so reading it has been an ongoing project for over a year now.

Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien’s World, Verlyn Fleiger. This is Fleiger’s look at Tolkien’s Middle-earth in light of his association with Owen Barfield. Particularly, she is examining Tolkien’s work in conjunction with Barfield’s Poetic Diction and his thoughts on language and meaning. I have not read Poetic Diction, but I probably will now since it apparently addresses language formation as related to the origin of human consciousness which is SO up my alley.

New Seeds of Contemplation, Thomas Merton. My late sister-in-law had a masters in theology from Notre Dame and became a huge Merton fan. Meanwhile, my best friend actually spent a weekend retreat at The Abbey of Gethsemani. Between hearing about him from the two of them, I developed an interest in Merton. I happened to read “Moral Theology of the Devil” a couple of years ago. It was one of the most illuminating theological things I have read and deeply inspired my own Tolkien fic-writing (let’s just say the progress there is otherwise slow). This book is a collection of pieces which happens to contain that piece, and I’ve been skipping around through it for a while now.

The Lord of the Rings reread (Tolkien, obviously). I hate this, but I am so deep in so many critical Tolkien books that I’ve not had the chance to really sit down and relax into my reread for months and months and will likely just end up starting over. Plus I want to read it concurrently with the next entry in this list and the next entry is taking longer to get through because of its format. That entry being:

The Lord of the the Rings: A Reader’s Companion, Hammond and Scull. This is a treasure trove of data and insights for those really wanting to dig critically-historically into The Lord of the Rings on a chapter-by-chapter, passage-by-passage basis. The only issue with it is that jumping back and forth between the two (as you have to: this is a reference book) tends to kill the mood of The Lord of the Rings when read as it’s meant to be read: for enjoyment!

The Power of Limits: Proportional Harmonies in Nature, Art, and Architecture, Gyorgy Doczi. This has been an ongoing read here and there since Christmas, especially as I work on two personal projects.

The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, Lesslie Newbigin. To be honest I don’t think I am going to finish this one. I like a few of the things he says, things I think are truthful and which need to be confronted in American Christian culture in particular, but it’s just too much Calvin for my taste, too many assumptions I do not share being the heretic that I am, and I spend too much time anger-notating about theology to read it with grace.

In Full Measure I Return to You, thearrogantemu. This is a reread of the (relatively) happy AU fic for my most favoritest Tolkien fic (Gifts), but I’ve put my reread on hold while I finish one of the two projects, after which I am diving in and screw the rest of this list for the time being.

Food Craving

Sushi. My kingdom for some good sushi. I’ve only had sushi once since we got back from NY and while it was the best sushi I have had locally IT WAS NOT OMAKASE AT SUSHI NOZ. It also didn’t require a personal loan to pay for, but *shrug* I’m spoiled now and will forever crave what I can no longer have.

People I’d Like To Get To Know Better

I hate tagging people in these things because I’m awkward and shy and do them so rarely myself that it feels hypocritical for me to ask it of others. That being said: if you’re a follower of my blog and you want to do this, please do! And please tag me! I’d love to get to know more about you 😊.

[mush-dooms]

Books that I’ll never forget

look man, not saying all of these books are good, just that I will never forget them.

Letting Ana Go by Anonymous: Follows the life of a teenage girl suffering from anorexia nervosa. I read this when I was deep in my ED for the first time and it really showed me that what I was doing was not okay. CW for eating disorders

Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbot: a children’s series about three friends who find a hidden world in their basement and get super cool magic powers. the first series I was obsessed with as a kid. also I wanted super cool magic powers.

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn:  A wise gorilla discusses humanity’s entitlement to the earth and it’s resources with a random man. Kind of an awful read as it is very philosophical and not much happens, but the ideas it presented really stuck with me. 

Harry Potter by JK Rowling: I run a fanpage, need I say more

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: This was my introduction to dystopian fiction and I still love it to this day. Collins’ anticapitalist message paired with a reluctant heroine is unforgettable, and it may have taught a young me that I can do anything.

Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson: another children’s book. basically a kid gets stuck in an underground river system with a random man who makes rope out of his beard hair and survives off of fish and scavenged materials from the water. the plot was just wild okay! you don’t forget shit like this

1984 by George Orwell: kinda fucked me up. Asks some real questions about surveillance and where lines should be drawn between privacy, freedom, and safety.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: that fuckin plot twist, man. The first book that genuinely had me sobbing.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass: god I LOVE me a strong female character, and by strong I don’t mean “can kick your ass” I mean “is well-developed and has both traditional feminine and masculine traits in a way that runs against typical portrayals of woman in fantasy.” although she can also kick your ass.

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix: this is a children’s book I read when I was a kid, but I still think about it to this day. It follows a group of third-born children trying to gain their freedom in a society that only allows two kids per family.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: gotta love imperialism :):):) and by love I mean it is disgusting, white people are the WORST. Follows a tribe leader dealing with the consequences of imperial conquerors imposing western cultural norms on his village. CW for sexual violence, suicide, racism

The Ruining by Anna Collomore: a girl goes to nanny or smth with a rich family and discovers their life isn’t as perfect as it seems. this book haunts me. cw for gaslighting.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood:  oh yeah baby I love feminism!! The story of a woman living in an extreme religious, patriarchal American dystopia. Has some very alarming parallels to the present political climate. Fucked me up for sure. CW for sexual violence, suicidal ideations

Eon by Alison Goodman: a dragon fantasy that actually involves a women--shocking, I know. A major plot point is embracing femininity rather than repressing it in order to come to your full potential. mmm good stuff.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer: The true story of a young man who left everything to wander around the United States to find himself, only to die tragically in the Alaskan wild. It carries a heavy weight, serving as a stark reminder of the fragility of life as well as the wonders out in the world.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson: The life of a young woman suffering from anorexia nervosa and self harm as she processes her relationship with her best friend. It is one of the more accurate portrayal of eating disorders I have read, but it is very graphic and can most definitely be triggering. 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini: tbh I haven’t finished this one yet but it is killing me inside and I know it’ll stick with me for good. This is the story of a boy who grew up in Afghanistan right before conflict broke out. cw for sexual abuse, r*pe, attempted su*cide

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: This book had me audibly saying “oh shit” on numerous occasions. This book follows a man and a woman who emigrate from Nigeria and have very different experiences with racism and culture shock in Europe and in the United States. A fresh perspective on racism while still being funny. CW for attempted suicide

[vampire-himbos-of-santa-perdita]

Writing Influences Tag Game

Ok, so I’ve been tagged in a ton of writing tag games lately, it’s hard to keep up, but this one’s a good one! I was tagged by @infinitelyblankpage (at my main blog) for this goodie!

Rules: Give a short summary of your WIP, name 7 books, TV Shows, games, movies, comics, etc. that have influenced your story, and tag 7 people.

I’ll do Haunt Your Murderers for now, and maybe do the others later if I’m feeling inspired.

Haunt Your Murderers

Victorian London is in a state of industrial revolution. Yet within its seedy underbelly, resides nefarious criminals who will do just about anything to earn good coin. A drag queen madam of a high class brothel doubles as a notorious kingpin for a thieving ring. A corrupt surgeon lures fallen women to his home under the pretence of a want-ad marriage. Two working class boys take up grave robbery for decent pay and the thrill of it all. Pulling each and every one of their strings is an elusive high priestess of the underworld.

Octavian Cutlass is far from pleased with their thieves’ lazy performance. Tired of their complacency, they’re desperate to do away with the lot of them and start from scratch. Consulting surgeon Vermilion Carnadine and grave robbers, Basil and Hamish, they drum up a murderous ploy to get rid of the thieves one by one. But the high priestess has a stake in this too, and what she brings to the table is good old fashioned resurrection. As the bodies pile up, she must choose who is worth bringing back from the dead, and who is worth burying. 

A single soul stands in their way: a trapeze artist turned lady pirate come home to London, and the stench of decayed morals she’s returned to is foul. 

Influences!

I already talk ad-nauseam about my Victorian literary influences for Haunt Your Murderers, so I’m gonna go for the less obvious ones and go into the historical context:

Wuthering Heights. Although there isn’t much of a hint of WH’s influence on the plot and characters itself (a shocking feat, since everything else I’ve ever written has a hint of WH in it somewhere), the title is borrowed directly from Emily Bronte, who brought us this gem: May you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you—haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always—take any form—drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! 

Edinburgh’s underground caverns. Oooh! So this is fun! On one of my first weeks in Edinburgh, I went on a ghost walk of the caverns beneath the city’s streets. The story goes, the poorest of the poor, and merchant class would live down beneath the streets because they had nowhere else to go. And they managed for a time being until the Great Fire of Edinburgh (which I’m only just realized was in fact, a 19th century phenomenon), blazed through and choked everyone out. The desperation in the dark led to murderers and thieves slitting women and children’s throats in the pitch black, and what remains now is the demonic presence of all that dark energy. Apparently, at some point, a coven showed up to drive away the demonic force, and within a few days of living down there, they decreed it the most evil spaces they’ve ever encountered, and they all fled. I knew the minute I heard that story, that Millie had to get involved as the high priestess who cleansed the underworld of its demonic presence. (...or DID she???)

Burke and Hare! Holy shit, I love Burke and Hare. So they’re the most notorious grave robbers in Victorian history. At the time, corpses were a particularly hot commodity among surgeons for use in their anatomy lectures. Often times, they would take custody of anyone hanged whose body was never claimed by family, but when that was made illegal, they started accepting bodies from just about anyone willing to hand them over. Burke and Hare started off just digging up fresh bodies where they could find them, but eventually they got so desperate for money, they just started killing off prostitutes and handing their bodies over. They were eventually caught, executed, and their skins made into book jackets (or at least one of them did...). We’ve got a similar situation with Basil & Hamish (who together, quite unintentionally, share Burke & Hare’s initials!)

Sarah Waters. So Sarah Waters wrote Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet, two (modern) queer 19th century novels about the criminal and sexual underworld. She gave me a taste of what it could’ve been like if London had an underground sexual revolution, where the Victorian equivalent of the LGBT community hung out in clubs and deviated as much as they wanted from the social norms. That’s where my duplicitous drag queen comes from.

Fanny and Stella. So, historical research on Victorian drag culture isn’t non-existent, but it is pretty darn hard to find. Fanny and Stella are two queens(?) that are pretty well documented though. I maintain it’s tough to breech the topic of trans identity in the Victorian context, because even with this prominent case, historians are pretty wishy washy about exactly how they identified (with so many cis white male historians, what’re you gonna do?) They’re recorded as theatrical performers, who spent time dressed as women both on and off stage, and had relationships with men, with a preference for their feminine names. It seems to me they were trans women, but just didn’t have the modern notions to describe it as such yet. Similar to Oscar Wilde, they’re well documented because they had a court case haunting them over their “deviant behaviour”. There was practically a witch hunt after them for essentially just being true to themselves, so you can imagine how hard it would’ve been to be trans in that era. Octavian/Melusine definitely falls somewhere within this realm of gender identity. (Melusine being their preferred identity, but Octavian being the one they use to traverse within society’s confines).

The fortunetelling scheme. When I was doing my undergrad, with my minor in history, I took a small research assistant job, where I combed through 19th century newspaper archives for any mention of criminal activity. One of my favourites was an incident that happened on the highway of my home town in the UK, where travellers would pretend to be fortune tellers, tell some unsuspecting victims’ fortunes, then swindle all their money and vanish into the night. Looking back on it, this could just be a xenophobic dig against gypsies, which is no bueno, but unfortunately rampant at the time... I have a scene I’m writing right now where Melusine encounters Andrina (an actual fortuneteller) on the road, and promptly attempts to rob her, only for Andrina to swindle them back. 

The young bride want-ad scheme. Every so often, I’ll do a deep dive into non-fiction books about Victorian crime, and a favourite nugget I’ve found has been that at some point, a serial murderer would put out an ad in the newspaper requesting essentially mail-order brides. He would then lure them into his home, and kill them. Vermilion does much the same with his victims.

This has been a spontaneous Victorian history lesson... I hope you learned some stuff! 😉

I’ll tag some new writeblr followers! ...and @msmeaghanrey @howsweetthewords @authorlaragrey @vanwolffen @scribble-dee-vee @amyanda @katekarl @atellier

[joleneellis29]

Kinky sex: 26 tips for beginners to spice up your sex life

The beginner’s guide to kinky sex, from role play to bondage and beyond.

If you've ever picked up a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey or accidentally wondered into your local Ann Summers store, you might have a vague understanding of what kinky sex entails. But while we can't knock EL James for bringing kink into the public consciousness, the stereotypes depicted in popular culture are often way off the mark.

Kinky sex is a way of experimenting with boundaries in the bedroom which sometimes involves a good spanking, but it also comes with emotional, physical and even spiritual benefits that could improve your relationships and transform your self-esteem. All that from a bit of slap and tickle? Bear with us...

We spoke to Bodyworker and Sex & Intimacy Coach Libby Sheppard, gynaecologist and co-founder of Hanx Sarah Welsh, and sex and dating expert at The Stag Company Clarissa Bloom, about the pros and cons of exploring kinky sex, plus we share 26 expert tips for beginners on how to enjoy a positive, safe and sexy kink experience:

What is kinky sex? Sexual attitudes have changed and so has society’s perceptions of what is considered risqué in the bedroom. These days kinky sex is best described as anything unconventional – that is to say, outside of kissing, vaginal penetration, masturbation and oral sex. But what one person may view as kinky, another might consider vanilla love-making, so it's not an exact science. 'Kinky sex can mean different things to different people and plays out along a broad spectrum,' says Sheppard. 'But it is basically any sexual act that utilises aspects of fantasy, role play or polarity/power dynamics and isn’t limited to penis-in-vagina sex.'

What one person may view as kinky, another might consider vanilla love-making, so it's not an exact science.

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The truth is you can set your own kinky parameters. So if you and your partner enjoy experimenting in ways that feel wild and sexy and outlandish to you, then that defines your kink. 'Kinky sex involves something that you enjoy adding to your experience,' says Sheppard. 'Examples of kinky sex might be: acting out sexual fantasies, using toys like butt plugs, floggers or pussy pumps, using restraints or bondage or involving extra people - threesomes, or group sex.'

Kinky sex misconceptions and myths Attitudes are changing, but stepping outside the boundaries of sexual norms still often comes with a side serving of judgement and may be considered taboo. ‘We recently conducted a survey exploring fantasy with over 600 responses, and unsurprisingly, kink and its many aspects came up again and again,’ says Welsh. ‘It’s not as underground, weird or unusual as some perceive it to be.’

The most common misconception is that kinky sex exclusively involves being trussed up in a gimp suit and spanked into submission.

The most common misconception is that kinky sex exclusively involves being trussed up in a gimp suit and spanked into submission. While this certainly does happen, there is more to kink than BDSM.

There’s also a false perception that the person in the dominant role (AKA the Dom) is the one in control and calling the shots, when often it’s the reverse. ‘Most of the time, the person playing the Dom is performing this act to please their partner whose kink is to be submissive,’ says Bloom.

Kinky sex benefits Sexual gratification aside, kinky sex can benefit your mental health, your self-confidence and even your stress levels. A study from Northern Illinois University found that couples who engaged in positive, consensual sadomasochistic activity had lower cortisol levels – the stress hormone – and reported increased feelings of intimacy.

Understanding what you find arousing is important, as your sexual wellness is an essential element of your wellbeing.

Exploring kink is also technically an act of self-care, explains Welsh. ‘Taking ownership of your pleasure and understanding what you find arousing is really important, as your sexual wellness is an essential element of your overall wellbeing,’ she says.

There’s also the social aspect to consider. Meeting others with similar fantasies in the kink community and finding your 'tribe' can be hugely validating. ‘Being able to talk openly about what turns you on without fear of judgement is an amazing experience and the kink lifestyle has a huge community aspect,’ says Bloom. ‘From local meet-ups to regular events, there are often things going on in each town across the UK.’

Kinky sex safety tips Everyone has different limits and boundaries, and it’s important to respect that. Follow our 6 tips to make sure kinky sex is a safe, positive experience for everyone involved:

Research first: before trying out any kink, do plenty of research to make sure it’s really for you – especially for kinks sitting at the more extreme end of the scale. The Alternative Sexualities Health Research Alliance is a good place to start. Build up slowly: sometimes kinky sex involves mixing pain and pleasure, so it’s important to start slow. ‘I often recommend building up to a fantasy or a fetish if you’re doing it for the first time,’ says Bloom. ‘Take baby steps and see what you do and don’t like.’ Establish boundaries: informed consent is the most important aspect of exploring kinky sex, so lay the ground rules before you get started. Communication is key, so talk through with your partner(s) about what you are and aren’t expecting, and where your limits are. Choose a safe word: it's important to establish a safe word so you can swiftly end any scenario you're not comfortable with if things get too much – and don’t be afraid to use it. As with all sex, kink should be completely consensual so if one or both of you isn’t enjoying the experience, use that safe word and stop immediately. Practise bondage safety: never leave a restrained person unattended, even for a moment. If the Dominant needs to leave the room for any reason whatsoever, always release the submissive to avoid catastrophe. Remember after-care: kink can be emotionally and physically draining, so always follow a session with aftercare and check-in with your partner to make sure they’re OK. Lots of hugs, loving touches and an open chat about the experience you’ve just shared will quickly reset the vibe.

26 kinky sex tips for beginners Keen to give kink a try? The key to exploring your kinky side starts with open, honest communication and fun! So sit down and talk about what turns you on with your other half before you get started. Discussing your sexual desires with a trusted partner can also serve as foreplay and be seriously steamy. So talk about it, plan what you hope to explore together and enjoy the ride! As long as you're all consenting adults, anything goes and the world is your rubber lobster:

1. Sensory deprivation Depriving any one of the sensations associated with sexual pleasure can sharpen the rest, so something as simple as switching off the lights can be remarkably erotic. 'Removing one sense can be a simple and safe way to begin with kinky sex,' says Sheppard. 'Try blindfolding your partner or using sound-muffling headphones.'

2. Bondage Restraint can be a part of power play or sensory deprivation, so it adds to feelings of complete submission. It can also be tantalising if you're tied up and unable to resist the tickle of a feather or the sting of an ice cube.

There are a million different ways to restrict someone’s movement. 'Don’t go straight for ropes or silk ties, they can be fiddly to undo quickly and you risk tying them too tight,' advises Sheppard. 'Soft leather handcuffs are a comfortable, pleasurable alternative.' Using shibari rope or bondage tape are also popular ways to experiment with bondage.

3. Orgasm denial If you've ever found yourself on the brink of orgasm but you've managed to hold back for a moment, you will know how tantalising orgasm denial can be. Known as edging, hovering over the precipice of sexual pleasure can prolong the party and make the eventual reward even more intense. Sex toys can really add to this, as you can control your lovers orgasm by simply switching off every time they get close to the edge. Reading up on tantric sex can also help brush up your delayed orgasm skills.

4. Role play Role play includes everything from fantasy pillow talk to fancy dress. If you're shy and the idea of acting out your sexual fantasies feels rather awkward, role play might surprise you. By adopting a different persona in the bedroom, fans of role play often find it easier to explore sexual situations they might not otherwise feel comfortable with. Popular role play scenarios often involve power play such as boss and secretary, but this is your sexual fantasy so if pretending to be two ponies in a meadow gets you off, don't hold back. Provided you've agreed in advance, role play can bring you closer to your partner and help you live out your wildest dreams - so ride that pony!

5. Group sex Group sex is the epitome of kink and most of us have fantasised about inviting additional people into the bedroom for a threesome or an orgy. However, with relationship hang-ups and safety measures to consider, group sex with friends does not always translate that well into real life. The easiest way to dip your toe in the multiples pond is to invite a stranger to join you (easily done via most dating apps now) or attend a sex party to see how it feels first. We hear Killing Kittens is a great place to start.

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6. Swinging Swinging differs from group sex, as it refers to the practice of swapping partners rather than a fleshy free for all. While it's easy to draw parallels between adultery and swinging, provided it's between consenting adults and everyone's having a jolly good time, what's not to enjoy? Thanks to the communication and trust that comes with swinging, swing fans report enhanced intimacy and devotion in their relationships, so throw your keys onto the coffee table and get stuck in.

7. Mutual masturbation Something as simple as mutual masturbation with your lover can be surprisingly kinky. Try sitting opposite each other on the bed but only touching yourself and see how things pan out. Watching your lover while pleasuring yourself can be incredibly sexy, increase shared intimacy and feels like a private sex show. Add sex toys into the mix for guaranteed orgasmic bliss.

8. Watch porn together If you've never watched porn or it's a hobby you usually enjoy alone, you are in for a treat. All those oily naked bodies you see writhing around on screen? Watch porn together and you can replicate it with real live flesh! It's also useful for tips and suggestions for sexual positions and role play games. The catch: watching too much porn may lead to unrealistic expectations about genital size, hairlessness and staying power.

9. Make a sex tape Technology has come on leaps and bounds and these days everyone and their dog can press record on their smartphone and make a sexy video. However, don't be disappointed if your sex tape doesn't turn out like the porn films. Find an area in your home with good lighting, wear your sexiest outfit and don't be afraid to delete it if you're not keen on the finished product. And do not invite your dog.

10. Sex with strangers Sex with strangers can be seriously kinky but also comes with its fair share of risks so proceed with caution. Most dating apps come with casual hook up functionality these days, but if this doesn't appeal you can create the idea of stranger sex without putting yourself at risk. Sign up to a webcam, join Chatroulette to indulge in virtual sex with people you don't know or simply use your imagination.

10. Experiment with sex toys From a clit-tingling Rechargeable Wand to a Vibrating Blowjob Simulator, sex toys can add extra sugar to any kinky scenario. To help you get started on your kink journey we recommend the Bondage Starter Kit or try a flogger to tickle and tease your lover into submission. Once you've graduated to an experienced kinkster, throw some spreaders into the mix and don't forget the lube.

11. Try rough sex If scratching, slapping, pinching and spitting turns you on, then you might be ready to try rough sex. Rough sex sits under the BDSM umbrella (this stands for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism) and incorporates everything from a bit of slap and tickle to a full on spanking and strangulation. But the onus is always on being Safe, Sane and Consensual, so do your homework before you proceed so there are no nasty surprises.

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12. Enjoy exhibitionism Do you love to be the centre of attention and get turned on by the concept of being seen? Exhibitionism is a sexual kink in which the person feels sexual arousal at the idea (or in some cases reality) of being seen engaged in sexual activities by others, and it can be seriously fun to play. Either at home with your lover or via webcam with the world, exhibitionists and kink go hand in hand and this stage was made for you.

13. Try your hand at voyeurism Conversely, voyeurism is all about the erotic joy of watching, so if you like to sit in the shadows and quietly observe the world (or watch the above mentioned exhibitionists take centre stage) then chances are you're a voyeur. This kink can have a seedy underbelly as not everyone likes being watched, so make sure you ask first as no one likes a peeping Tom.

14. Impact play Impact play involving spanking, flogging, whipping or paddling is a great entry point for BDSM play and features highly on the kink hot list. If you've never enjoyed a good spanking you'll be reassured to hear that if you target the fleshy bits, it doesn't have to hurt and the vibrations can elicit a tantalising range of physical and emotional responses to boot. Bend over baby.

15. Try cuckolding Traditionally used as a way to cast major shade, a cuckold is the (often long suffering) husband of an adulterous wife. However, the kink community have made this word their own and these days cuckolding is all part of the fun. Turned on by the idea of seeing your wife getting slammed by another man? Or perhaps you want her to cheat and then relay the encounter to you in exquisite detail? You my friend are a cuckold and if it gets you off, all power to you! It works both ways and if you're a woman who finds the humiliation of adultery rather alluring, you can call yourself a cuckquean. You'll need to be pretty committed to cuckoldry if you're prepared to put your marriage at risk, but proponents of cuckolding seem to love it. If you're on the fence, try pretending and see how that feels. Sometimes simply talking about your sexual fantasies is enough. 16. Pump your pussy This kinky little game requires the correct accessories, but once you've invested in a vagina pump you're all set. Pussy and clit pumps work by creating a vacuum over the labia and/or clitoris. Increasing blood flow makes the area become (temporarily) engorged and consequently more sensitive and ergo more pleasurable; perfect for a good pounding.

17. Temperature play A classic party trick on the kink scene, using hot or cold temperatures to stimulate the skin can provoke a sensual reaction and turn the heat up in the bedroom. Temperature play is often combined with sensory deprivation to increase sensation, so throw a blindfold and some handcuffs into the mix, but it does come with risks so play safely. Don't leave ice on the skin for too long to prevent frostbite and invest in purpose built BDSM Wax Play candles to avoid injury. And if you really must play with fire, keep an extinguisher close to hand. 18. Talk dirty If you're a newbie or your sex life needs a leg up, talking dirty is a surefire way to get you in the mood. Sexual arousal starts in the brain so whispering what you'd like to do to your lover (or have done to you) is a great way to kick off proceedings. To prolong foreplay start early in the day by calling home (or texting) on your lunch break to talk about the sexy plans you have for later. If you're new to kink and can't find the words, try listening to erotic stories together. You'll be amazed at just how sexy listening to a story and using your imagination can be.

19. Pegging The pros of pegging (switching places and shagging your man-friend up the bum with a strap-on dildo) go beyond tickling his G-spot. Pegging proponents report enjoying the power play that comes with switching places. For women it's a great opportunity to subvert gender roles and show him who's boss, while some men enjoy experimenting with their submissive side. Bend over boys! But don't forget the lube.

20. Sex furniture Did you know there's an entire section on Amazon dedicated exclusively to sex furniture? Thats's right folks, you can purchase ramps, cushions, wedges and stools designed specifically to boost your sex life and make your kinky encounters considerably more comfortable in the process. Just make sure you wipe your sex wedge down before Auntie Margaret pops round and needs to rest her bad knee.

21. Period sex Period sex is still considered wildly taboo even though it's perfectly commonplace and we've all done it either accidentally or on purpose at least once before. If you're preparing to shag someone who is bleeding, just think of it as extra red hot lube and dive right in. Contrary to popular belief period sex is not unhygienic and nothing bad will happen to you (aside from ruining your sheets if you don't put a towel down). And for the bleeder? Prepare for relief from cramps, an increased libido, a shorter period and some seriously steamy messy play. Some people really like it, so don't be shy. 22. Anal sex Up to 90 per cent of gay men and about a third of heterosexual couples enjoy anal sex from time to time, so it's not all that taboo. If you're on the fence, the anal area is equipped with a truckload of sensitive nerve endings in both men and women which can provide exquisite feelings of pleasure as a result, so it is worth investigating your back end. Just make sure you have bucketloads of water-based lubricants at hand and a well-placed pillow to bite. 23. Power play Power play exists in every relationship even if you aren't engaging in kinky sex, but it can really ramp things up in the bedroom. In BDSM circles power play refers to the practice of dominance and submission and requires advanced levels of communication, trust and intimacy to succeed, so think of it as the ultimate sex game starting in the mind. A good place to start is the good old fashioned servant and master routine, so surrender completely to your lover (or vice versa) and pander to their every whim for an incredibly intimate, powerful and sexy time.

24. Fetish The term fetish is often used interchangeably with kink to refer to any sexual activity that falls outside the mainstream appetite. But fetish is actually a subset of kinky sex, and technically refers to the fixation of an inanimate object that’s not typically sexual such as body parts - notably feet!

Fetishists tend to require the object of their attraction at hand to become sexually aroused. 'Kinky sex involves something that you enjoy adding to your experiences, as opposed to a fetish, which suggests you are dependent on that idea/experience for your sexual arousal and enjoyment and cannot experience sexual satisfaction without it,' says Sheppard.

Having said that, anyone can experiment with fetish play. To get started try toe sucking, have hot sex in front of the mirror (katoptronphilia) or try peeing on your lover (urophilia) but if you're keen on cannibal-influenced sex (vorarephilia) please stick to role play.

25. Humiliation play Erotic humiliation is the consensual use of psychological humiliation to get your rocks off, so it requires serious commitment and you need to know what you've signed up to before you get involved. If the mixed and powerful emotions of being humiliated by your lover leaves you weak at the knees, this could be the kink for you, but map out some clear boundaries before you get started and don't forget the all important safe word.

26. Switching While most kinksters have a very clear idea of where they sit on the kinky spectrum and are either dominant or submissive, some people like to switch, which means they enjoy both dominant and submissive play. Studies have found that switching can have remarkable results, as BDSM play reduces anxiety by bringing the mind to an altered “flow” state of consciousness. Where do we sign up?

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[lgbt-teenager-support]

books about bisexuality?

(books and captions from barnesandnoble.com) 

Not Otherwise Specified - Hannah Moskowitz

Etta is black, bisexual, and in recovery from an eating disorder, and that combination of things doesn’t mesh with being a ballerina living in Nebraska. It certainly doesn’t help her stay friends with her old lesbian besties who consider her tainted. But Etta refuses to be put in anyone’s neat little boxes, and as she finds the right people to surround herself with to help her love who she is, she also discovers they may be her key to getting out of town and finding her best life in the future. Putting this book at the top of the list is a Bi Visibility Day no-brainer; if you’ve ever wanted to feel the literal urge to fist pump from the bi pride in a YA novel, put a copy of this in your cart, plus one for everyone you know.

Far From You - Tess Sharpe

Mina and Sophie were best friends, even through a car accident that changed their lives. But now Mina’s dead, and Sophie’s determined to find out who killed her. Along for the ride is Mina’s brother, Trevor, who not only wants justice for his sister, but wants Sophie as well. But as the two get closer, Trevor learns Mina and Sophie were more than just BFFs; they were in love. For many YA readers, Sharpe’s debut is the first time they saw the word “bisexual” in a novel. For still others—present company included—it’s the first time we saw an on-page sex scene between two girls in a YA. Whether it was a first for you—or will be—there’s no question this is one of the most important bi YAs the category has to offer.

Coda - Emma Trevayne

Anthem has a passion for music, but as a conduit for he Corp, most of what he listens to is work, powering the grid through him while shortening his life span. All he has to live for are the twin siblings he takes care of, the girl he’s smitten over, and his friends, including his ex-boyfriend. Sexuality is a non-issue in Trevayne’s dystopian society, but passion for music and rebellion? Is everything.

The Art of Wishing - Lindsay Ribar

You know the drill—girl finds genie, girl gets three wishes…girl falls for genie, who happens to be in the form of a high school boy, and learns the villain gunning for them both is her new guy’s ex-boyfriend… totally run of the mill, naturally. While I loved the first book in this duology a lot, I managed to like the sequel even better—it’s in The Fourth Wish that Margo and Oliver discuss not only what it means for him and for them that he’s bisexual, but the gender fluidity inherent in his continuously taking the bodies that would be most pleasing to his new masters.

Otherbound - Corinne Duyvis

If the fact that this debut has a bisexual protagonist doesn’t sell it to you on its own, consider this: 1) it’s a super-rare standalone fantasy, 2) that also has disability and racially diverse representation, and 3) is the closest thing to Sense8 in YA form. Amara is a mute slave girl, charged with protecting a princess. Nolan lives in an entirely different world, but when he blinks, he is transported into seeing through Amara’s eyes. As dangers grow for Amara, and the control dynamic between her and Nolan changes, the two of them will need to work together to keep themselves, and the princess for whom Amara has begun to develop feelings, safe.

Under the Lights - Dahlia Adler

Actress Vanessa Park may be new to realizing she likes girls, but Brianna Harris, the publicist’s intern sparking that discovery, has been an out-and-proud bi girl for years. While Vanessa works to process what it would mean for her friendships, family, and career to come out, especially with her being Korean American already putting her in a precarious place on the Hollywood food chain, Bri’s experience with bi erasure tie in to her own hesitations about moving forward with someone who’s not ready. As its author, I’m probably a little too biased to tell you if this book’s any good, but there sure is a lot of making out (and then some).

Trust Me, I’m Trouble - Mary Elizabeth Summer

When you read this book’s predecessor, Trust Me, I’m Lying, you don’t know the main character, teen con artist Julep Dupree, is bisexual; frankly, neither does she. She falls for a guy, things happen, and…well, that’s all I’ll spoil about that. But she also meets Dani, a 19-year-old Russian mob boss who’s back with a vengeance in the sequel, resulting in my personal favorite girl-girl couple in YA this year.

About a Girl - Sarah McCarry

There’s no missing from that cover that there’s a relationship between girls in this book, the third and final of the Metamorphosis trilogy. But as the book opens, main character Tally actually has feelings for her best friend, Shane, which he seems to reciprocate, resulting in a fan-yourself-level sex scene. The emotional aftermath isn’t quite as fun or romantic, though, and when she sets out on a quest to find her maybe-father, she’s free and clear to fall for the mysterious and alluring Maddy.

Over You - Amy Reed

Max is the calm, responsible girl to her best friend Sadie’s wild child, but when they go away together for a summer to a farm commune and Sadie gets mono, Max finally gets to emerge from her shadow and be her own person. Newly independent, she finds herself drawn to Dylan, the very same guy who piqued Sadie’s interest before she got sick, and an unusual choice for Max, since she usually prefers girls. I loved this book for being a great novel about toxic friendship, and it’s a great pick if you’re looking for a novel with a bisexual main character that doesn’t revolve around a romantic relationship.

Empress of the World - Sara Ryan

This was my personal first read with a bisexual main character, and I suspect I’m not alone there. When Nic goes to spend the summer at a program for gifted youth, she certainly doesn’t expect to fall for a girl; after all, she likes guys. But when she falls for the beautiful and talented Battle, she falls hard, and the girls’ mutual and confusing feelings give way to a sweet romance that transcends labels or expectations.

Grasshopper Jungle - Andrew Smith

It’s hard to put Smith’s neon-covered apocalyptic opus into a genre, but it’s here for its rare bi male character in YA, caught in the confusion of having feelings for both his best friend, Robby, and his girlfriend, Shann, while also fighting to survive an infestation of human-size praying mantises that have descended upon their Iowa town.

Pantomime - Laura Lam

Gene is the daughter of a noble family, but she doesn’t feel at all at home in female trappings. Micah’s a runaway, who joins the magical circus of Ellada as an aerialist’s apprentice. As he becomes a bigger star in the show, he also finds himself drawn to two other performers—female aerialist Aenea and male clown Drystan. But Pantomime isn’t about a character who falls in love; it’s about a character’s evolution and understanding of identity. Winner of the 2014 Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction, the story continues with Shadowplay.

Cut Both Ways - Carrie Mesrobian

Will’s finally had his first kiss, but he didn’t expect it to be with his gay best friend, Angus. Determined to put it behind him, he starts to date Brandy, but it doesn’t stop him from gravitating back to Angus over and over again. The thing is, Brandy’s no beard; he genuinely likes her, too, and he has no idea how to balance them both and make a choice. Though Will doesn’t consider bisexuality or use the word (which is addressed in the author’s note), to the best of my knowledge, this is the first realistic contemporary YA from a major house to be narrated entirely by a male character engaging in sexual activity with both a male and female character, and that’s no small thing.

Adaptation - Malinda Lo

When birds start flying into planes all over the country, it’s impossible to call that many collisions a coincidence. Then Reese and her crush, David, get in a crash of their own, and when she wakes up a month later, she has no recollection of what she missed. Her life only gets more confusing when she meets the beautiful Amber, and realizes she’s confused about more than just what’s going on outside; apparently her sexuality isn’t quite what she thought it was, either. As she works to solve the mystery of what happened to her during the month she was unconscious, she also must confront her feelings for both David and Amber, an issue which continues in sequel Inheritance.

Love in the Time of Global Warming - Francesca Lia Block

It’s the end of the world as Pen knows it, and with her family disappeared after natural disasters rock Los Angeles, there’s nothing for her to do but search for what comes next. As she embarks on her Odyssey-mirroring quest, while thinking about her parents, her little brother, and her best girlfriends—one of whom had been on her mind in a new, kissing-related way for a while now—she finds a new band of friends to join her, which includes the alluring and mysterious Hex, taking her sexuality in yet another turn as they fall in love against the backdrop of a world falling apart.

you can find more bisexual books here, here, here, here, here, and here

hope this helped!

-Mod Charlie

[billdecker]

2018.

 Here we are with the films list again. Bold = watched first time. 

Films.

The English Patient

The BFG

Anna Karenina [1967]

King Kong [2005]

54

Henry VIII and his Six Wives [1972]

The Disaster Artist

Napoleon Dynamite

The Addams Family

Kong: Skull Island

Justice League

The Addams Family Values

Johnny English

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Wayne’s World

Lady Bird

Westworld

Carol

Green Lantern 

England is Mine

Rush Hour

Pride and Prejudice [2005]

Call Me By Your Name

The Greatest Showman

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Dante’s Peak

Only Lovers Left Alive

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Blade Runner

Moonrise Kingdom

Clue

Get Smart

Darkest Hour

Blade Runner 2049

Lost in Translation

The Talented Mr. Ripley

The Lego Movie

Anchorman

The Shape of Water

Get Out

San Andreas

The Beguiled

Lady Chatterley’s Lover [1981]

Interview With a Vampire

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Song to Song

Atonement

La La Land

Drop Dead Fred

Attack the Block

Another Mother’s Son

I, Tonya

The Sense of an Ending

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Cold Mountain

Step Up

The Founder

The Fugitive

The Promise

Papadopoulos and Sons

Rob Roy

The Florida Project

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

Head in the Clouds

Crooked House

Miami Vice [2006]

Miss Sloane

Molly’s Game

Battle of the Sexes

Half of a Yellow Sun

A Quiet Passion

Lady Jane

Anne of a Thousand Days

Mars Attacks!

Zoolander

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Nina

Pele: Birth of a Legend

2001: A Space Odyssey

A Futile and Stupid Gesture 

The Mask

Phantom Thread

Black Panther

Eyes Wide Shut

The Death of Stalin

Baywatch

Paddington 2

Wonder Woman

Star Trek [2009]

Star Trek Into Darkness

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Star Trek Beyond

Denial

Chariots of Fire

Captain America: The First Avenger

Iron Man

The Incredible Hulk

Borg vs McEnroe

Iron Man 2

Thor

Avengers Assemble

Iron Man 3

Thor: The Dark World

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2

Ant-Man

Captain America: Civil War 

Doctor Strange

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Thor: Ragnarok

War Horse

God’s Own Country

In Bruges

The Big Sick

The Towering Inferno

Magnolia

Our Souls at Night 

Dog Day Afternoon

Willow

Roman Holiday

Sabrina

Annihilation 

North by Northwest

The Emoji Movie

Coco

Grease

Dirty Dancing

Captain Fantastic

The Wicker Man

This is Spinal Tap

Magic Mike XXL

Come Sunday

The Dark Tower

Bill

Avengers: Infinity War

Loving Vincent

Mansfield Park

Three Men and a Little Lady

Oliver!

Rough Night

Avatar

One Last Dance

Girls Trip

Alex and the List

The Dambusters

The Mummy [2017]

London

The Damned United

The Wedding Video

Deadpool

Enter the Dragon

Atomic Blonde

The Red Shoes

The Great Gatsby [2013]

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut

Morris: A Life With Bells On

Boss Baby

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Kenny

All About Eve

Lethal Weapon

Lethal Weapon 2

Final Portrait

The Little Mermaid

The Huntsman: Winter’s War

Men in Black 3

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

Tomb Raider [2018]

Crocodile Dundee

Jabberwocky

Legend

Lethal Weapon 3

The Witches

Down With Love

Clash of the Titans [1981]

Clash of the Titans [2010]

I Give it a Year

Terminal

Where the Wild Things Are

The Handmaiden

The Muppet Movie [1979]

Brakes

Ready Player One

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

A Wrinkle in Time

Breathe

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Eagle vs Shark

Farenheit 451 [2018]

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible II

Mission Impossible III

The Saint [2017]

JFK

Ocean’s 8

Deadpool 2

Falling Down

Duck Butter

Peter Rabbit

44 Inch Chest

You Instead

The Deep Blue Sea

Not Another Happy Ending

Punch Drunk Love

The Fast and The Furious

2 Fast 2 Furious

The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift

Fast & Furious

Fast Five

Fast & Furious 6

Furious 7

The Fate of the Furious

Geostorm

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Escape to Victory

Porcupine Lake

The Snowman

The Incredibles

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Daphne

Ingrid Goes West

One Day

My Neighbor Totoro

There Will Be Blood

Rampage

Goodbye Christopher Robin

Incredibles 2

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Belle de Jour

Mission Impossible - Fallout

The Spy Who Dumped Me 

The Meg

Little Ashes

Meet Joe Black

The King of Comedy

Jason and the Argonauts

Flash Gordon

Odette

Strictly Ballroom

Into the Woods

Cars 3

The Book of Life

Murder on the Orient Express [2017]

Kath & Kimderella

Madame Bovary

X-Men: First Class

X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Apocalypse

All the Money in the World

Quincy

The Post

Becoming Bond

Early Man

Little Women [1994]

Dangerous Liaisons

The Party

Operation Finale 

Nappily Ever After

What’s New Pussycat?

Saved!

A Star is Born [1976]

Modern Life is Rubbish

Jaws

The Mercy

Swept from the Sea

Permission

Venom

A Star is Born [2018]

Far and Away

Heat

Jane Eyre

Braveheart

Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Juliet, Naked

First Man

Christopher Robin

Vincent and Theo

Pollock

Bohemian Rhapsody

One More Time With Feeling

Interlude in Prague

The Mask of Zorro

The Legend of Zorro 

You, Me, and Him

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms 

Crazy Rich Asians

Bobby [2016]

Outlaw King

Space Jam

They Shall Not Grow Old

The Grinch [2018]

The Big Lebowski 

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Mulan

The Battle of the River Plate

They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead

My Generation

Batman Begins

Being John Malkovich

Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part One

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part Two

Widows

Immortal Beloved

Basquiat 

Goya’s Ghosts

The Madness of King George

Charade

Star Wars: A New Hope

Stars Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Stars Wars: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: Rogue One

The Polar Express

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Dr. No

From Russia With Love 

Goldfinger

Thunderball

You Only Live Twice

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Diamonds Are Forever

Live and Let Die

The Man With the Golden Gun

The Spy Who Loved Me

Moonraker

For Your Eyes Only

Octopussy

A View to a Kill

The Living Daylights

Licence to Kill

Goldeneye

Tomorrow Never Dies

The World is Not Enough 

Die Another Day 

Casino Royale

Quantum of Solace

Skyfall

Spectre

Superbob

Greenfingers

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

A Christmas Prince

Aquaman

Love, Cecil

A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Copying Beethoven

The Party’s Just Beginning 

Point Break

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

The Sound of Music

The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Muppets

Cars 2

The Holiday

A Bad Moms Christmas

The Holiday Calendar

The Christmas Chronicles

Nativity

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger

Arthur Christmas

Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager

Zootropolis

Mary Poppins

The Good Dinosaur

Trolls

Rise of the Guardians

Bros: After the Screaming Stops

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years

Get Carter [1971]

Bottle Rocket

Turbo

Closer

Nothing Like a Dame

Bolt

Make Us Dream

Die Hard

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Porridge

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Books.

A Book For Her - Bridget Christie

Hickory Dickory Dock - Agatha Christie

Bright Star - John Keats

The Oberon Book of Comic Monologues for Women - Katy Wix

The Oberon Book of Comic Monologues for Women: Volume 2 - Katy Wix

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

Division Street - Helen Mort

The Victorian Guide to Sex - Fern Riddell

A Woman’s Work - Harriet Harman

Help - Simon Amstell

The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher

Selected Poems - Sylvia Plath

Ariel - Sylvia Plath

The ‘If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask For One’ EP - Stewart Lee

The Rachel Papers - Martin Amis

Parker Pyne Investigates - Agatha Christie

Bone - Yrsa Daley-Ward

Pages For You - Sylvia Brownrigg

The Sun and Her Flowers - Rupi Kaur

Different for Girls: A Girl’s Own True-Life Adventures in Pop - Louise Wener

A Single Man - Christopher Isherwood

A Room of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf

Repeal the 8th - Una Mullally

Why Not Socialism? - G.A. Cohen

The Chaos of Longing - K.Y. Robinson

High-Rise - J.G. Ballard

Animal Farm - George Orwell

Fully Coherent Plan - David Shrigley

The Lesser Bohemians - Eimear McBride

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4 - Sue Townsend

Hera Lindsay Bird - Hera Lindsay Bird

Submarine - Joe Dunthorne

In the Penal Colony - Franz Kafka

Babette’s Feast - Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) 

The Expelled - Samuel Beckett

Youth - Joseph Conrad

The Life of Rylan - Rylan Clark-Neal

Autumn - Ali Smith

The Cornet-Player Who Betrayed Ireland - Frank O’Connor

Two Gallants - James Joyce

Teaching my Mother How to Give Birth - Warsan Shire

Selected Poems - Edgar Allan Poe

Casino Royale - Ian Fleming

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

The Door in the Wall - H.G Wells

Terra Incognita - Vladimir Nabokov

Dirty Pretty Things - Michael Faudet

Women  & Power: A Manifesto - Mary Beard

Dear Illusion - Kingsley Amis

Bitter Sweet Love - Michael Faudet

Smoke & Mirrors - Michael Faudet

Girl Meets Boy - Ali Smith

Pre-Raphaelites - Heather Birchall

Conspiracy - Charlotte Greig

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

Sex and Rage - Eve Babitz

Scoop - Evelyn Waugh

The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh - edited by Mark Roskill

Role Models - John Waters

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

How Not To Be a Boy - Robert Webb

Animal - Sara Pascoe

Absolute Pandemonium - Brian Blessed

Eileen - Ottessa Moshfegh

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness

A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

Normal People - Sally Rooney

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink - Scarlet Curtis and Others. 

Parsnips, Buttered - Joe Lycett

The Humans - Matt Haig

The Machine Stops - E.M. Forster

Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott

Poems for a World Gone to Shit - Various

[vixenfur]

I hate to be a pain, but have you got a list of owari no seraph or specifically mikayuu story recommendations anywhere? I love your stories and trust that you have good taste lol :) Thanks!!

OH YES! Now it’s time for me to shamelessly advertise for my favorite fics! ;D Thank you for asking, and thank you for the compliment on my fics! /)///(\ you’re too kind!

In no particular order…

Cherry Boy by EtherealBeing

Summary: As if being dragged into a sex shop by Shinoa wasn’t bad enough, now Yuu also has to deal with the store’s uncomfortably attractive attendant.

Status: Ongoing

This is biased because Anna is one of my closest friends in the fandom, BUT SHE IS SO DAMN TALENTED. You will laugh, you will blush, you will be mindblown by the complexity in these character’s thoughts, it’s honestly a wild ride and I can’t wait to see the grand finale of it all that is coming to us soon. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s a must.

Corner of a Birdcage by oxeh

Summary: “So, to sum it up, you’re like Superman without the spandex… And without the laser eyes, X-Ray vision, and ice breath. Also, you kill vampires and Horsemen instead of dealing with—“

“Basically, I’m not like Superman at all.” 

or

Yuu is a university student that tends to live for the moment. Mika is a cynical superhero that’s more super than a hero. Fate is a bit aggressive with intertwining their lives.

Status: Ongoing

THIS FIC IS BRILLIANT. If you have not read it yet, I swear go do it! It’s funny, it’s exciting, it flows and it’s just a lovely, enjoyable read. Oxy is a sweetheart as well and she’s got some incredible ideas in that head of hers, lemme tell you! Go check it out!!! You won’t regret it :D

Diamond in the Rough by Hannaadi88, Sarah737

Summary: Mikaela had been the captain of the Seraph for over seven years, yet he’d never come across another ship carrying such riches. The prospect of boarding the Opal and stealing all she had made a rare smile play on his lips. 

If he did this well, he would finally make a name for himself. The Opal might just be what he’d always wanted- a chance to prove how fearsome he could be. 

Mikaela Shindo will be a name to revere among all pirates to sail the seven seas.

Status: Ongoing

THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. Hanna and Sarah are some of the most talented people I know, and together, they are unstoppable and unrelenting!! From the descriptives to the dialogue to the intriguing plot, this story makes pirates sexy, let me tell you. LOL, seriously you will not regret it… if you want a good time, I invite you to read this masterpiece right here!

Garden of Hades by 6lilystrings9

Summary: A stubborn, annoying, and repulsive human is captured by the Vampire forces, and to his dismay, Mika is assigned as his handler.

How irritating.

(The AU where human Yuu-chan and vampire Mika meet for the first time as captive and keeper)

Status: Ongoing

I remember when Lily first talked about her fic in our Skype chat room and how when I read it, I was stunned! I didn’t realize how amazing it was, how well put-together, how structured. It’s enticing and exciting and full of vivid descriptives and intense, heart-pounding scenes. Another must-read, if you ask me, and I also cannot wait to see how it ends.

Scented by Hannaadi88

Summary: In a world ruled by beta neutrality, alphas and omegas are controlled by suppressants which modify their natural inclinations. Under constant surveillance, unproductive members of society are removed in the name of efficiency. Yuichiro Hyakuya is deemed infertile by the Board and is sentenced to certain death. In an act of defiance Yuichiro steals enough suppressants to hide his scent and joins the military under the guise of a beta. 

It would be his luck to find himself under the command of his assigned mate, Mikaela Shindo.

Status: Ongoing

Hanna is not only a friend of mine, but she is sO DAMN TALENTED! I recommend all of her fics, so please check out her page while you’re at it, but she is well known for her big multi chapter fic, Scented. This story takes the concept of omegaverse and gives it almost a Mulan-like feel to it, with Yuu being in disguise and all. It’s really fantastic and another thrilling story I highly suggest!

Afire love by stirkedawn

Summary: After Nagoya’s failed mission, an unsteady truce is formed between Shinoa’s squad and Mikaela Hyakuya, making Yuu feel conflicted inside. On one hand, he’s got Mika back, his friends are alive, and they seem to be trying to be civil with each other, even if it’s just for his sake. On the other hand, Guren is being held captive by the vampires, Shinya has just given them a mission Yuu doesn’t like, and Mika… Yuu doesn’t really know what Mika is feeling.

Maybe not even Mikaela knows what he’s truly feeling, after all.

Status: Completed

You will commonly see the fandom preach that if all goes wrong, Afire love is our accepted canon. This fic immerses itself into the canon universe of Owari no Seraph and gives us an epic climax and end to the series that it probably one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever read. I also agree that if the manga plummets to total disaster, Afire love is what I will think of for a happy ending.

Somebody to Lean On by TrashPanda

Summary: Yuichiro needs a partner to help him with vampire hunting. His only option is to seek out somebody in the slave auctions. He comes upon a discounted slave, as beautiful as he is unwanted, and Yuu claims him for himself. Little did he know, this slave would change everything he ever knew about him himself, and in the process Yuu discovers he cannot live without this man, now that he has him in his life.

Status: Ongoing

This story is fantastic! It’s got an interesting plot that’s brilliantly written, a romance beautifully described and a story that interests the reader endlessly. I can picture this fic animated like it was its own anime show. It’s really, really good and I suggest it! I can’t wait for another update! I also suggest the author in general, they have some really good stuff. 

My Inner Beast by Northernreign

Summary: Yuuichirou is a young werewolf who finds himself awake one evening in a human orphanage.

To avoid being executed, he desperately tries to conceal his true identity from the “monstrous” humans who- along with the vampires, have been responsible for his kind’s slow decline into extinction. But over time, he comes to know one particular human boy who will help him learn to embrace his humanity, not resent it. Together they will overcome countless fated tragedies with the sheer power of will and love alone. Each event will bring him closer to the answer he has been seeking for almost a lifetime.

 Just who really are the true monsters in this world? 

The vampires? 

The humans?

The werewolves?

Or himself?

Status: Ongoing

A truly underrated story!! Nathalie is an incredible writer and artist and she combines those skills to bring you this lovely story that doesn’t get enough attention- ESPECIALLY since it’s her first fic. You would never guess; she writes like a pro. This story takes you all over, from the eyes of so many of our beloved characters to shape the story and relationships in the best possible way. You can really feel everything she describes and it really stimulates the senses. Check it out if you haven’t, it’s a journey and I’m eager to see where it goes.

Rise of the Dragon by Crazyloststar, Sarah737, somnicordia (hihazuki)

Summary: Water… Earth… Fire… Air… In eras bygone, four nations coexisted in harmony. However, a series of tragedies began to befall the world, And none was left unscathed. The equilibrium of power has been tilted to a great imbalance, Its people fallen to temptation. The end is fast approaching, and all souls are fated to meet oblivion. Rumors whisper of the Avatar, the master of all four elements, holding the key to mankind’s only hope of salvation. Families pray under his guiding light, Enemies vow to divide and conquer. But the glimmer of hope is sometimes found in the darkest of places, somewhere people would least expect.

Status: Ongoing

As someone who is only just now watching Avatar for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I’m still not 100% caught up, but this is a goddamn masterpiece and I can tell that from the first 3 chapters that I’ve read. This is an amazing project put together by some of the most talented authors and writers in the fandom that are all lovely, passionate friends of mine. They deserve all the love in the world. If you haven’t read it yet- especially if you don’t know anything about Avatar- READ IT ANYWAYS. You don’t need to understand Avatar or the original series at all to enjoy this fic. It’s magnificent; please check it out!

And, a little shameless advertising for my own stories, for those who are curious ;o

Unwritten by Vixenfur

Summary: While being forcefully dragged to KFC by Lacus- a man who had a black pit of a stomach- Mika had a once-in-a-lifetime, Snapchat-worthy experience. The guy in the left lane had no shame. He was unintimidated by a stranger with a phone and he continued to sing the song Unwritten confidently. Lacus found the experience hysterical

…. Little did they know they would run into each other again hardly an hour later- Yuu was in desperate need of a haircut, according to Shinoa.

He was dropped off at Sanguinem Salon, and was a little mortified to find out that the hot guy he just sang horribly to was Mika, the one holding hair-trimming scissors behind the chair.

Status: Completed

This fic was a blast to work on and an absolute time, from start to finish. A huge thank you to all the support and love I’ve gotten for it over the months I wrote it. I treasure every comment!

Tale as Old As Time by Vixenfur, Sarah737

Summary: An arrogant young prince named Mikaela and his castle’s servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village boy Yuuichirou enters the Beast’s castle after he imprisons Yuuichirou’s father, Guren. With the help of his enchanted servants, Yuuichirou begins to draw the cold-hearted Mikaela out of his isolation.

Status: Completed

I’m so proud of story! Sarah is my dear cowriter and friend, I’m always honored to collaborate with her and I’m so ecstatic over the love this fic has gotten. Thank you all for the love and we hope you enjoy our future projects!

Hiiragi Cirque Ave. Freakshow by Vixenfur, BlueberryApple

Summary: Yuuichirou is a Siren who cannot sing, and so he is taken captive by the Hiiragi Cirque Ave. Freakshow. He is expected to perform and earn the show money under the instruction of ringmaster Kureto Hiiragi. Naturally, Yuuichirou is opposed to his new life, but he slowly gets to know his new family and accept his situation.

Meanwhile, the ignored Nosferatu Mikaela finds himself incredibly attracted to the new Siren, and Yuuichirou can’t help but to be curious about the ghostly vampire himself.

Status: Completed

This story was so much fun to write. Destiny and I became great friends and made many memories. The sheer amount of fanart we got was OUTSTANDING and we couldn’t be more grateful for the love. Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed this story!

Thank you for asking! Feel free to reblog and share this list around. Everything on here is something I really enjoyed reading and think everyone should experience. As for my own fics, I shared the ones I’m most proud of (excluding my current ongoing works) and I hope you can enjoy them as well!

[secretlyatargaryen]

"I read an article that said that Sansa’s type of femininity isn’t rewarded in Westeros". Isn't the article about GoT? Sansa's femininity is not rewarded there. Many show!only fans think her "peak moment" was not, say, being a good diplomat (they didn't even let her have that in 6x07), it was killing Ramsay, an action that isn't traditionally feminine. That's why some show!only fans think she's a "better character" than Arya, she was "weak" and became "strong", while Arya was always "strong".

http://www.assemblyofgeeks.com/blog/why-sansa-stark-is-the-game-of-thrones-hero-we-need

It’s possible that Game of Thrones’ Sansa Stark has suffered more than any other character on television. The eldest Stark daughter has been a glorified hostage, forced to deny her own identity and profess loyalty to the people torturing her. She’s had to watch almost everyone she’s ever loved die – from her direwolf to her septa to her own father. She’s been married off to men she doesn’t love; she’s been beaten and raped and threatened with death repeatedly.She’s been left largely on her own, with no one to trust, in a world that doesn’t respect or reward her particular type of personality and brand of femininity.

The article is saying that Westeros doesn’t reward Sansa’s traditional femininity, and that is very much not true. This is a separate idea from whether the show or the books reward her femininity. I think many fans get confused about this because they have this idea that women who “act like boys” get rewarded in media or in the modern world. Which isn’t really true anyway because the “rewarding” is often shallow and the character still has to be sexually available to men and is still subject to misogyny and is never actually respected as a woman. And women in the real world who have masculine coded interests often get told that they are fake, that they are just doing it to attract men, how dare you have interests which are different than the ones you are supposed to have, you slut. And if you’re not pretty or sexy while you have masculine interests you DEFINITELY do not get rewarded.

And it’s definitely not true in a medieval world with very strict gender roles. Arya doesn’t get rewarded in any way by Westerosi society. I mean, it’s not a huge win for Sansa that she gets the shallow rewards of being feminine. Like, woohoo, you get to be treated like a piece of meat! But the article implies that Arya is getting rewards for going against enforced femininity and that is just not true at all.

The world Sansa lives in actually does reward girls for adhering to compulsory femininity. It’s a double-edged sword, because it also punishes her for it, but to say that she doesn’t get rewarded in an article that also praises her for being unlike her sister is really misguided. And the thing is, as I’ve already said, this double edged sword of misogyny also applies to unfeminine women in the real world. The articles that talk about how Sansa is better than Arya because Arya is too angry, too wild, too impulsive, those things are also said about women in the real world. The backlash against angry women in fandom doesn’t do women any favors because angry women are already punished. And the fact that this article says that Sansa suffers “the most” is really insulting. I think we are getting into very slippery territory when we try to quantify victimhood, and that’s largely what my problem with asoiaf fandom is about. People keep telling me that Sansa suffers the most, that Sansa gets the most hate, that Sansa deserves love more than any other character. No, sorry, no. Love Sansa the most, by all means, but don’t tell other people they can’t love their fave because Sansa “deserves it more”. No.

I think it’s true that many fans praise Sansa for “becoming strong” on the show just because she killed Ramsay and I hate that. I also hate that many fans said that killing Ramsay somehow made her “less feminine”, or that it was somehow a traditional move for a heroine to get violent revenge and still retain her goodness and kindness. The fact that people who supposedly loved Sansa for her goodness and kindness were questioning that goodness and kindness because she got revenge against someone who deserved it gives me serious pause. It’s not that you can’t like Sansa for being good and kind, it’s that people think that in order for her kindness to count she has to be kind all the time, she has to be a martyr, she has to be a noble victim. And this is one of the most toxic things that patriarchy teaches about women. The good and kind woman whose kindness never fails no matter how she is abused is a very old archetype, and one that adds to making this character appealing to the male viewer. See: Cinderella. It’s just as oppressive as the “strong female character” who is boxed into being sassy and badass and sexy for male objectification. And it’s a harmful archetype to promote especially for young girls, the idea that they need to be endlessly forgiving and never fight back against abusers.

But a lot of the articles and fan posts that praise Sansa for being different than Arya? They are doing the same thing you are complaining about. A lot of them (and most of the ones I looked at were written long before the Ramsay - Sansa plotline), follow a line of thought like “people think that Sansa is weak but really she is just biding her time and becoming a political mastermind, and I can’t wait until she SLAYYYYS!!!!” These people don’t value Sansa for who she is, either. They want her to become Sarah Connor, but they want her to wear a dress and be courteous while doing it. They want her to be some kind of super woman, perfect in every way. I don’t think that kind of thing is doing women any favors.

Sansa should be treated as worthy of praise not because she has some “crouching femininity, hidden badass” thing going on (and that goes for people who praise her for “becoming a political mastermind” as well). She should be praised because she’s worthy, all by herself, of love.

Also, I’m not sure what your argument about show fans thinking she’s a better character than Arya for bad reasons is supposed to make me think. Are you trying to prove that I shouldn’t defend Arya? Because it sounds to me like you are saying that both Sansa and Arya get hated for bad reasons. It sounds like what you are talking about is the false and often repeated idea that Arya never grows or changes during her arc and that Sansa is a more dynamic character. I’ve often said that it’s shitty to only love Sansa after she’s changed a bit, but it’s equally shitty to claim that Arya has never changed or grown in any way. And untrue.

Back to the original point, though, the thing about that article is that it was trying to make the claim that Sansa isn’t rewarded for her femininity in order to claim that she has it worse than any other character. Which is not true, offensive oppression olympics that props up patriarchy conforming women at the expense of marginalized women, and a super weird and kinda fetish-y reason to love a character to begin with. How do you even begin to quantify suffering, especially in a series like this? The thing about this series is that so much of the things that happen to the characters can be compared to real world suffering and abuse, so saying that any character suffers the most or in a more realistic way is automatically gonna turn me off.

[maddieziegler-news]

Hey, I hope this is not weird...was just curious if you have some book recommendations :)

Hey, of course it’s not weird, I’m happy to help, especially when it comes to books! ;) So I don’t know which genre you’re looking for, so I’ll just recommend some books and if you need more you can tell me more details like genre etc. I’ll also link all books to their goodreads page, so you can quickly look at the description, author etc. :)Ok, so if you’re into fantasy and like reading series, I recommend the following: 1) the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas (there are currently 5 books out, the sixth to come this September). It’s a really easy read, like you don’t have to focus much and it’s very entertaining, with really great characters, it gets better and better with each book and is super exciting, funny and just a joy to read. One of my all time favourite series everrrrr!2) Another series I love is  The Paper Magican by Charlie N. Holmberg, three books, but really short ones, so a quick read and what I loved about those books was the magic system. Like it’s really different to the way magic is usually potrayed (you can do magic with paper, glass etc) and it has a really sweet love story and I usually hate love stories, but this one was really cute.3) Game of Thrones of course! But I don’t know how old you are and how much into reading. This series is honestly up there with Lord of the Rings, George R.R. Martin is a genius, but it’s A LOT to read and really really complex, with sooo many characters, so you really have to be up for that, otherwise I wouldn’t recommend it since it’s anything but an easy read.4) The Selection series. At first I didn’t think it would be something for me, since it looked really girly and all and that’s not so my style, but they were sooo good. It kinda reminded me of the show the Bachelor lol? I hate the Bachelor, so it’s not like this, don’t worry. The concept just reminded me of it. :D Like there is a prince who is supposed to marry and girls all over the country can sign up for it and then they “draw lots” and 35 of them get chosen and get to the palace and then he has to eliminate one by one, but that’s just one of the story lines, like there are rebel movements involved (it’s kinda a dystopian society) and it just all gets bigger and bigger, so yeah.5) An Ember in the Ashes by @sabaatahir, it was really hyped, so I was reluctant at first, but just a few pages in and I was hooked! Such a great series, I certainly recommend it! It’s a really brutal world, kinda inspired by Ancient Rome (?), but also by real events from our world today and you have two main characters from whose point of view the story is told, both on different “sides” of the political system portrayed in that world, but I don’t want to say more, just read what goodreads says lol, I’m so bad at explaining without giving anything away.6) Red Queen, loved it! It kinda reminded me of the Selection Series and it had this dystopian vibe about it again, but also this “palace atmosphere” (sorry, don’t know how to describe it, but some parts take place in a palace), I liked the main character a lot (also she’s a POC), there are currently two books out, but the third one will come out February 7th (the day I’m done with exams, what a great coincidence!).

7) If you’re into mythology, I recommend reading anything by Rick Riordan! He’s amazing, I loved the Percy Jackson series, you’ll learn a lot about Greek mythology, but in a super fun way, Percy is honestly hilarious, the entire series is and it’s super diverse, which is great and a super easy read, not complicated at all and I know so many who loved this series, no matter what age, so yeah!8) The Song of the Lioness Quartet! I stumbled across it when I was about 11 I think, total coincidence, someone had lost it in school and we never found the owner, so I read it and then went to get all the other books of the series. It’s about a young girl and her twin brother. He is supposed to become a knight and train at the palace of the king, she’s supposed to become a “lady”. But he’s much more into magic and she loves fighting, so they switch roles and she pretends to be a boy and goes to the palace and trains to become a knight and it’s honestly such an empowering story, especially for young girls to read, but also for grown women. He’s trainging to become a powerful magician and kinda gets on a bad path, but I won’t say more. It’s super fun to read!9) If you’re more into daker material, the Abhorsen series might be something for you! It’s quite dark and scary if I remember it correctly (i read it about 7 or more years ago), but sooo good! Really different from other fantasy in my opinion!

If you’re looking for a good biography and are into dance (which you probably are if you follow me), I can recommend Michaela De Prince’s biography, Taking Flight! It’s told beautifully and she talks not only about her hard childhood being a war orphan and all, but also about racism in the ballet world.Another biography I can recommend is about Sasha Cohen (if you’re into figure skating), she’s my favourite figure skater and her biography was super interesting to read!I don’t know many love stories and stand alones (i read so many series omg), but I can recommend The Siren, it’s a love story, really different from many books I’ve read. It took me some time to get into it, but when it did, I cried and laughed and just had so many feelings. It’s about a girl who became a siren and wasn’t allowed to use her voice in front of real people anymore, who lost her family to the see and had to “sing” ships into ruin about every 6 months killing all the people on it to feed the sea. It’s kinda a double love story, to a man and to the sea (strange, I know!). It’s really sweet and sad and different and a stand alone (not to big), so it’s certainly worth a try too! Oh and it’s by the same author as the Selection Series I recommended above, so if you like her style, she writes a lot!If you’re looking for good classics, I can recommend anything by Jane Austen honestly, her books are easy to read and super sweet love stories! Also Oscar Wilde if you’re a bit older and like a challenge and a good laugh (and are like me way to cynical in life).Okay so I could go on and on, but I probably already bored you to death and spammed all my followers, so sorry for that! If you need more, feel free to send another ask, it’s also easier for me if you tell me your favourite genre and what you like to read. I’ve mainly recommended fantasy now since that’s my favourite genre, but I’ve also read tons of other stuff, so I can certainly recommend more! ;)

[one-of-us-blog]

Home Again, Rose: Parts 1-2 (TGG, Season 7, Episodes 23-24)

Today Eli is forced to watch and recap Home Again, Rose: Parts 1 and 2, the penultimate story arc of the final season of The Golden Girls.  When a fun evening out lands Rose in the hospital, the girls are forced to pull together and demonstrate the true meaning of family.  As the series prepares to wrap up its run, will we be saying goodbye to a pal and a confidant?  Keep reading to find out…

Drew, despite the fact that I have neglected my recapping duties here for far too long, let me assure you that you did an amazing job with your take on For Your Eyes Only!  This has never really been one of my favorites, but you made me feel some genuine emotions regarding Melina Havelock.  Octopussy is next on your list, though you still have to wait for another recap from yours truly first, and while I’m not sure it will be an All Time High, I hope you have a good time.  I’m not even going to share an update right now on Drew’s current favorites in the Bond franchise, I’m just going to get down to business.  Once again, let’s head to Miami!

Buttocks tight!

Episodes written by Gail Parent and Jim Vallely, directed by Peter D. Beyt

We open with Dorothy complaining about her mother leaving the toilet seat up for some reason, while Blanche is excited that her daughter, Janet, and her granddaughter, Sarah, are coming to visit.  She asks for help coming up with ideas for bonding experiences that don’t involve a visit to the docks, but Sophia doesn’t care enough to contribute, and Blanche doesn’t actually want any input from Dorothy.  Rose eventually enters the scene with a letter she received, and is depressed to learn that she missed her 40th high school reunion.  Dorothy reminds her that she wasn’t feeling well at the time, but refused to see a doctor, and we then learn that the residents of St. Olaf are basically anti-vaxxers who refuse to seek medical treatment.  The girls point out that she’s looking pale and even call her crazy for refusing help, and it turns out Rose is part of the anti-psychiatry movement as well.

Blanche has been scanning the personal ads, and has stumbled across an announcement for a 40th reunion at a nearby high school.  She thinks it would be a good idea for the gals to crash the party to make up for Rose’s lost opportunity.  Rose agrees that it sounds fun, and Dorothy gets on board with the wacky plan as well.  Heck, they even agree to take Sophia along on their adventure (though it may have something to do with the fact that she can no longer be trusted with a sitter, or most members of polite society).  It’s time for some pre-reunion research to get ready for the big night!

We soon find the squad all dressed up for their evening of shenanigans, and Dorothy is hungry to live this fantasy.  Blanche is still drilling Rose on facts about the school they’re pretending to be from, but Rose is having second thoughts about the whole idea.  After all, it almost seems like they’ll be lying, and Rose is committed to total honesty.  The girls then ask her about her natural hair color, and this gives Rose the push she needs to assume a false identity.

At the reunion, Rose quickly snags some nametags from the no-show table, and there is some disagreement as to whether these alternate personas are going to work.  Rose (now a former Korean exchange student) begins to feel a little faint, but Dorothy quickly bonds with a random tar salesman, and Sophia poses as Spanish teacher Mrs. Gonzalez to seduce an old student.  Blanche, inhabiting the role of Susan Armstrong, gets called out by a man Susan once publicly shamed for being gay, and then by the father of a lovechild she abandoned.  Susan sounds like a real winner!  Eventually, the Senior Class President announces that the class Prom King and Queen should take the stage, and Dorothy just happens to be posing as Prom Queen Cindy Lou.  Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this!  She seizes the opportunity, but is recognized as a fraud and the whole group is quickly exposed.  In all the commotion, Rose collapses in a heap on the floor while Dorothy/Cindy Lou screams for medical assistance.

We next cut to the hospital, where Blanche is pacing nervously, worried that her friend has died, or perhaps has suffered a stroke.  Dorothy assures her that if Rose has suffered a stroke, they will simply bring her home and take care of her; after all, they’re family!  Sophia shoots some icy daggers at her daughter, forcing Dorothy to at least entertain the option of sticking a post-stroke Rose in a Shady Pines-like facility.  Blanche blames herself for making Rose crash the reunion, and is urged by Sophia to pray.  Blanche isn’t so sure that God will listen to her, but she gives it a try anyway.  In exchange for Rose’s well-being, Blanche promises to be a better person, and not to continue having casual sex (unless the dude really, reeeally needs it).  A doctor enters to announce that Rose is doing fine after a minor cardiac episode, and the girls go to see her.  But first, the doctor tries to pick up Blanche, and she is forced to turn him down considering her recent commitment.  In the distance, a vengeful God takes delight.

The gals all talk to Rose about her scare, and begin evaluating their own lives.  Rose mentions that she isn’t afraid to die because she is planning to use the power of cryogenics to freeze her head for future recovery (despite the aforementioned St. Olaf science denial).  She gives the girls a good laugh at the mention of preserving her brain, but eventually forces her friends to promise to be cryogenically frozen as well.  I can’t wait for Golden Girls 2049!

While Rose is spending some additional time in the hospital for observation, Janet and Sarah show up at the house.  Blanche is in a great mood, and suggests they take a trip to church.  Janet isn’t crazy about this new interest in religion, but Blanche is committed to spreading the Good News, and even has some Bibles to distribute.  Sarah misses her “sexy grandma.”

Back at the hospital, we find Sophia pursuing her hobby of petty theft when a nurse enters to tell the girls that apparently Rose has gone into cardiac arrest and is being prepped for major surgery.

Gasp!  To be continued…

We can’t leave Rose hanging, we have to continue this recap STAT!  After a summary of events thus far, the girls are desperate to see their friend, but they are not allowed as they aren’t family members.  Dorothy makes an impassioned plea to the nurse, Sophia tries out another false identity, and Blanche employs “scripture,” but no dice.  Blanche begins another group prayer instead.

Hours pass, and the gals receive no news.  Sophia shares a story about the time that Dorothy’s father way dying in the hospital, and somehow the trio ends up singing a beer jingle to raise their spirits.  Unfortunately, Rose’s daughter Kirsten shows up at this moment and thinks the gals are having a great time instead of feeling sorry for their friend.  She goes off alone to get some answers.  The girls share some fond memories of Rose, including a musical she wrote, and Dorothy is in the midst of another song when Kirsten returns.  Kirsten tells the girls that she is confused about their lives with her mother, and thinks that all the wild escapades they are constantly having might be killing Rose.  Despite what they might feel, they are not her family.  A doctor finally arrives to tell everyone that Rose has to have triple bypass heart surgery, but Kirsten points out that the girls aren’t family members so that only she can see Rose.  It’s a total dick move, but I’m not sure it was premeditated.

Kirsten talks to her mother, and Rose is happy to see her but really wants to see the girls…”her” girls.  Rose says that if anything happens to her, she wants Kirsten to take care of Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia.  She also performs an SNL intro, visits the Tonight Show, and mentions her cryogenic schemes.  Eventually she says goodbye as she is wheeled into surgery.

The girls continue to wait, and Blanche says that she is envious of Dorothy and Sophia’s relationship as she didn’t get to say goodbye to her own mother.  Janet and Sarah show up at the hospital as well, because we’re supposed to remember that they’re in the episode for some reason.  More time passes, and Kirsten emerges to tell everyone that Rose is out of surgery but doesn’t look so good.  The next few hours will be very crucial, and Rose will likely need lots of care that the insurance just won’t cover.  The girls point out that they have already made a pact to care for one another no matter what the personal or financial cost, and Kirsten finally realizes how special their relationship is.  She goes to talk to the doctor so that Rose can see her “family.”  The trio eventually sees their friend, but Rose is in midst of a dream…

In this strange vision, Rose, Dorothy, and Blanche all have their heads severed and resting in ice on the kitchen table.  All perfectly normal so far, but they are also all perfectly aware of their predicament.  Sophia happens to be living her #BestLife with the body of a much younger woman, and we learn that Blanche died at age 92 in yet another sexual adventure, while Dorothy suffered death by gorilla.  Realizing the cryogenic approach might not have been the best strategy, Rose begins to apologize…

Rose finally wakes up in the hospital with her friends surrounding her.  It is clear that their bond is stronger than ever, and she asks them all to stay by her side.

We end with the gals throwing a “Welcome Home” party for Rose, even if they simply whisper the “Surprise!” moment for obvious safety reasons.  Rose goes to the kitchen to see Sophia, who is crouched on the floor after dropping a knife (or perhaps disposing of a murder weapon…that’s right, I’ve still got my eye on the old broad), giving the impression that her severed head is resting on the table just as in Rose’s dream.  Surprise indeed!  The entire squad embraces as the episode concludes, and we draw just a bit closer to the end of the series.

The End.

This was a pretty good episode, and I like that they raised the stakes as the series was coming to an end.  I knew that Rose would survive, but I can imagine viewers at the time having just a shred of doubt (assuming they knew the show was in its final season, but I’m not sure about that).  I think that Janet and Sarah were completely wasted here, and I’m not sure what purpose they served apart from briefly commenting on Blanche’s religious transformation.  Speaking of which, I enjoyed the subplot with Blanche finding faith, however clumsily it was practiced.  I also really enjoyed seeing the gang crash the reunion, and there were some genuinely touching moments as they worried for their friend.  The frozen head dream sequence was kind of lame in my opinion, but overall I came away with a favorable reaction to this two-part tale of the true meaning of family.  I would give Home Again, Rose a rating of 3.5 poofy hairdos out of 5!

Drew still has a bit more time before he has to recap Octopussy, but I will be back as soon as I can with my VERY LAST Golden Girls episode recap, this time of the series finale, One Flew Out of the Cuckoo’s Nest!  What a long, strange trip it has been.  Until then, as always, thank you for being a friend, and for being One of Us!

[meganrosereads-blog]

2018 New Releases

I love finding new releases. There’s something just so satisfying (and smug) about being one of the first to read an amazing book before everyone else. I often like to trawl the web and find out about the new books and debuts that pique my interest and note them down, because who doesn’t love a good list right???

So here are the first 10 books to be released in 2018 that I have my eye on.

Glass Town by Steven Savile - UK release 13 January 2018 (Fantasy) - St Martin’s Press

“ In 1926, two brothers both loved Eleanor Raines, a promising young actress from the East End of London. But, along with Seth Lockwood, she disappeared, never to be seen again. Isaiah, Seth’s younger brother, refused to accept that she was just gone. It has been seventy years since and the brothers are long dead. But now their dark, twisted secret, threatens to tear the city apart. Seth made a bargain with Damiola, an illusionist, to make a life size version of his most famous trick, and hide away part of London to act as a prison out of sync with our time, where one year passes as one hundred. That illusion is Glass Town. And now its walls are failing. Reminiscent of Clive Barker’s Weaveworld and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, Savile brings out the magic in the everyday. Glass Town is full of gritty urban landscapes, realistic characters, conflict, secrets, betrayals, magic, and mystery.”

Swan Song by Kerry Andrew - UK release 25 January 2018 (Literary Fiction) - Jonathan Cape

“ In this stunningly assured, immersive and vividly atmospheric first novel, a young woman comes face-to-face with the volatile, haunted wilderness of the Scottish Highlands. Polly Vaughan is trying to escape the ravaging guilt of a disturbing incident in London by heading north to the Scottish Highlands. As soon as she arrives, this spirited, funny, alert young woman goes looking for drink, drugs and sex – finding them all quickly, and unsatisfactorily, with the barman in the only pub. She also finds a fresh kind of fear, alone in this eerie, myth-drenched landscape. Increasingly prone to visions or visitations – floating white shapes in the waters of the loch or in the woods – she is terrified and fascinated by a man she came across in the forest on her first evening, apparently tearing apart a bird. Who is this strange loner? And what is his sinister secret? Kerry Andrew is a fresh new voice in British fiction; one that comes from a deep understanding of the folk songs, mythologies and oral traditions of these islands. Her powerful metaphoric language gives Swansong a charged, hallucinatory quality that is unique, uncanny and deeply disquieting,”

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar - UK release 25 January 2018 (Historical Fiction/Magical Realism) - Harvill Secker

“One September evening in 1785, the merchant Jonah Hancock hears urgent knocking on his front door. One of his captains is waiting eagerly on the step. He has sold Jonah’s ship for what appears to be a mermaid. As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlours and brothels, everyone wants to see Mr Hancock’s marvel. Its arrival spins him out of his ordinary existence and through the doors of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on… and a courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting will steer both their lives onto a dangerous new course, on which they will learn that priceless things come at the greatest cost. Where will their ambitions lead? And will they be able to escape the destructive power mermaids are said to possess? In this spell-binding story of curiosity and obsession, Imogen Hermes Gowar has created an unforgettable jewel of a novel, filled to the brim with intelligence, heart and wit.”

The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin - UK release 1 February 2018 (Historical Fiction) - Hodder & Stoughton

“ The year is 1831 Down the murky alleyways of London, acts of unspeakable wickedness are taking place and no one is willing to speak out on behalf of the city’s vulnerable poor as they disappear from the streets. Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a bright young woman who is desperate to escape the slums by any means possible. When Hester is thrust into the world of the aristocratic Brock family, she leaps at the chance to improve her station in life under the tutelage of the fiercely intelligent and mysterious Rebekah Brock. But whispers from her past slowly begin to poison her new life and both she and Rebekah are lured into the most sinister of investigations. Hester and Rebekah find themselves crossing every boundary they’ve ever known in pursuit of truth, redemption and passion. But their trust in each other will be tested as a web of deceit begins to unspool, dragging them into the blackest heart of a city where something more depraved than either of them could ever imagine is lurking … “

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - UK release 8 February 2018 (Mystery) - Raven Books

“A brilliantly original high concept murder mystery from a fantastic new talent: Gosford Park meets Inception, by way of Agatha Christie ‘Somebody’s going to be murdered at the ball tonight. It won’t appear to be a murder and so the murderer won’t be caught. Rectify that injustice and I’ll show you the way out.’ It is meant to be a celebration but it ends in tragedy. As fireworks explode overhead, Evelyn Hardcastle, the young and beautiful daughter of the house, is killed. But Evelyn will not die just once. Until Aiden – one of the guests summoned to Blackheath for the party – can solve her murder, the day will repeat itself, over and over again. Every time ending with the fateful pistol shot. The only way to break this cycle is to identify the killer. But each time the day begins again, Aiden wakes in the body of a different guest. And someone is determined to prevent him ever escaping Blackheath…”

The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements - UK release 8 February 2018 (Gothic/Horror) - Headline Review 

“ The Coffin Path by Katherine Clements is an eerie and compelling seventeenth-century ghost story set on the dark wilds of the Yorkshire moors. For fans of Michelle Paver and Sarah Waters, this gothic tale will weave its way into your imagination and chill you to the bone. ‘The vibrant new voice of historical fiction’ - Suzannah Dunn. Mercy Booth has lived at Scarcross, the old hall just off the coffin path, for all her life. The moors and the house are in her blood - and her soul. Ellis Ferreby is a mysterious, unpredictable outsider who arrives there unexpectedly and finds himself increasingly drawn into her world. But the house holds a tainted history. And the moor top hides something far darker…”

The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson - UK release 8 February 2018 (Historical Fiction) - Two Roads

“ In 1627 Barbary pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted some 400 of its people, including 250 from a tiny island off the mainland. Among the captives sold into slavery in Algiers were the island pastor, his wife and their three children. Although the raid itself is well documented, little is known about what happened to the women and children afterwards. It was a time when women everywhere were largely silent. In this brilliant reimagining, Sally Magnusson gives a voice to Ásta, the pastor’s wife. Enslaved in an alien Arab culture Ásta meets the loss of both her freedom and her children with the one thing she has brought from home: the stories in her head. Steeped in the sagas and folk tales of her northern homeland, she finds herself experiencing not just the separations and agonies of captivity, but the reassessments that come in any age when intelligent eyes are opened to other lives, other cultures and other kinds of loving. The Sealwoman’s Gift is about the eternal power of storytelling to help us survive. The novel is full of stories - Icelandic ones told to fend off a slave-owner’s advances, Arabian ones to help an old man die. And there are others, too: the stories we tell ourselves to protect our minds from what cannot otherwise be borne, the stories we need to make us happy.”

Folk by Zoe Gilbert - UK release 8 February 2018 (Fantasy/Literary Fiction) - Bloomsbury

“ Every year they gather, while the girls shoot their arrows and the boys hunt them out. The air is riddled with spiteful shadows - the wounds and fears and furies of a village year. On a remote and unforgiving island lies a village unlike any other: Neverness. A girl is snatched by a water bull and dragged to its lair, a babe is born with a wing for an arm and children ask their fortunes of an oracle ox. While the villagers live out their own tales, enchantment always lurks, blighting and blessing in equal measure. Folk is a dark and sinuous debut circling the lives of one generation. In this world far from our time and place, the stories of the islanders interweave and overlap, their own folklore twisting fates and changing lives. A captivating, magical and haunting debut novel of breathtaking imagination, from the winner of the 2014 Costa Short Story Award.”

The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale - UK release 8 February 2018 (Fantasy/Historical Fiction) - Del Rey

“Do you remember when you believed in magic? The Emporium opens with the first frost of winter. It is the same every year. Across the city, when children wake to see ferns of white stretched across their windows, or walk to school to hear ice crackling underfoot, the whispers begin: the Emporium is open! It is 1917, and London has spent years in the shadow of the First World War. In the heart of Mayfair, though, there is a place of hope. A place where children’s dreams can come true, where the impossible becomes possible – that place is Papa Jack’s Toy Emporium. For years Papa Jack has created and sold his famous magical toys: hobby horses, patchwork dogs and bears that seem alive, toy boxes bigger on the inside than out, ‘instant trees’ that sprout from boxes, tin soldiers that can fight battles on their own. Now his sons, Kaspar and Emil, are just old enough to join the family trade. Into this family comes a young Cathy Wray – homeless and vulnerable. The Emporium takes her in, makes her one of its own. But Cathy is about to discover that while all toy shops are places of wonder, only one is truly magical… “

The Philosopher’s Flight by Tom Miller - UK release 13 February 2018 (Fantasy) - Simon & Schuster

“ A thrilling debut from ER doctor turned novelist Tom Miller, The Philosopher’s Flight is an epic historical fantasy set in a World-War-I-era America where magic and science have blended into a single extraordinary art. “Like his characters, Tom Miller casts a spell.” (Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club and The Last Bookaneer) Eighteen-year-old Robert Weekes is a practitioner of empirical philosophy—an arcane, female-dominated branch of science used to summon the wind, shape clouds of smoke, heal the injured, and even fly. Though he dreams of fighting in the Great War as the first male in the elite US Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service—a team of flying medics—Robert is resigned to mixing batches of philosophical chemicals and keeping the books for the family business in rural Montana, where his mother, a former soldier and vigilante, aids the locals. When a deadly accident puts his philosophical abilities to the test, Robert rises to the occasion and wins a scholarship to study at Radcliffe College, an all-women’s school. At Radcliffe, Robert hones his skills and strives to win the respect of his classmates, a host of formidable, unruly women. Robert falls hard for Danielle Hardin, a disillusioned young war hero turned political radical. However, Danielle’s activism and Robert’s recklessness attract the attention of the same fanatical anti-philosophical group that Robert’s mother fought years before. With their lives in mounting danger, Robert and Danielle band together with a team of unlikely heroes to fight for Robert’s place among the next generation of empirical philosophers—and for philosophy’s very survival against the men who would destroy it. In the tradition of Lev Grossman and Deborah Harkness, Tom Miller writes with unrivaled imagination, ambition, and humor. The Philosopher’s Flight is both a fantastical reimagining of American history and a beautifully composed coming-of-age tale for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.”

[elizabethleslie7654]

Alt Right Jesus

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A preliminary reply to Matthew Schmitz’s ‘Christianity is for Cucks’

by Gaius Marcius

The trend of embracing pejorative nicknames is getting out of hand. First the Tea Party considered adopting the tea bagger moniker, then the Alt Right began to own the accusations of racism and White supremacy, and now highbrow Catholics are jumping on the bandwagon. The religious right has often disavowed the Alt Right and occasionally affirmed their own cuckservatism, but Matthew Schmitz goes far beyond merely appropriating an insult in his First Things essay. On the rather slender evidence of a few Evelyn Waugh quotations, Mr. Schmitz elevates being cuckolded, both on the racial-civilizational level and in private life, to the level of Christian virtue.

I will only briefly address the fantasy of African Christians replacing Europeans as the guardians of the Latin Mass, pastoral England, and Scholastic philosophy. The differing aptitudes of the races have been dealt with exhaustively by numerous race realist and human biodiversity writers. Mr. Schmitz sets the words and deeds of a few Black outliers like Cardinal Sarah, acting within a White institution within a White society, against the whole record of African and European history. Waugh likely intended the image of an ignorant White flock and a black priest to act as a rhetorical goad to rekindle some pride in Europe’s Christian heritage, just as Victor Hugo’s Notre–Dame de Paris revived the flagging reputation of a great cathedral in the minds of French readers. Waugh was counting on the implicit racism of his readers to recoil from the notion of ceding Christian culture to Africans, but he has the misfortune of being taken at face value by 21st century readers.

Mr. Schmitz hedges his bets a little when he admits that perhaps Blacks will not bear forth the culture abandoned by Whites. It may be a purely temperamental difference between us, but I would change “perhaps not” to, “almost certainly not.” Careful observers of Africa have noticed Christianity often loses out to Islam, as Alan Moorehead described in 1960:

“It was not only paganism [the missionaries] were attempting to displace, but the Moslem faith as well, and Islam was entrenched in Central Africa by this time. It had strong attractions for the primitive tribesmen, since it could be understood and practised by the simplest mind. There was no complicated initiation, no elaborate ritual, not even priest or a church were required… Already the Africans comprehended in a vague way the concept of God, and Islam merely demanded of them that they should acknowledge the authority of his prophet Mohammed. It was enough to declare ‘There is no God but God and Mohammed is his prophet’, and the pagan illiterate was accepted into a faith that offered him all kinds of advantages…The status accorded to women by Islam also suited the Africans very well, since they were accustomed to polygamy; Mohammed allowed a man four wives who were all inferior to him, and divorce was easy. Best of all, perhaps, was Mohammed’s paradise, for it contained just those sensual delights that preoccupied the Africans here upon earth: a cool water-garden inhabited by beautiful women, the gratification of every physical want, and, by night, four houris to attend him in his square tent… As for the slavery itself (which the Africans had always practiced), it was condoned by Islam… Compared to these easy-going doctrines, Christianity presented a hard, uncompromising front. Its emphasis upon original sin and its dogma were difficult for a sluggish mind to master, and its prohibition of slavery and polygamy seemed to the tribesmen to be flying in the face of nature. The ethereal Christian heaven had very little appeal when contrasted with the sensuous Moslem paradise, and even the outward forms of Christianity were somewhat incongruous in this hot climate: the mosque had its graceful minarets, its great cool space beneath the rounded dome, its pleasant carpets to kneel on, and it harmonized with the landscape. But the severe lines of Christian architecture were alien to Africa.”

The White Nile , ch.16

Mr. Schmitz also glosses over the rather significant point that none of this displacement is necessary if Whites do not abandon Christianity. Many churches ill equipped to evangelize post-modern post-Christians turn in despair to the seemingly fruitful mission fields of Africa, mistaking great improvements in material culture and standard of living for successful conversion. These missions are the Christian equivalent of economic aid, and there is no more evidence that African churches could endure without constant subsidies, let alone sustain the culture that produced the Missa solemnis and novelists like Waugh, than that Africa could feed itself without foreign aid. Weighing the relative merits of Waugh’s fiction and Moorehead’s observations, I remain much more sanguine about the possibility of reconverting Europeans to Christianity, perhaps after a neo-Pagan interlude, than about the prospect of transferring Christianity to the global south.

Though I disagree with Mr. Schmitz’s conclusions, I do not mean to denigrate his use of novels to illustrate a philosophical point, because literature is one of the glories of Western Civilization closest to my own heart. Literature is both an intrinsically beautiful expression of the image of God in mankind, and an important tool for shaping culture. I notice that Mr. Schmitz draws his monumental conclusion that Christianity is for cucks from one story by one author from the last century; a century arguably already stepping into the post-Christian era when Waugh wrote. This hardly seems fair to the grand literary tradition of Christendom, so let us see if we can broaden the perspective a bit. I propose a trio of authors who span the genres of medieval poetry, Elizabethan drama, and 19th century novels. Few readers will be surprised to learn that these disparate writers are all in agreement about cuckoldry, and none of them agree with Mr. Schmitz.

In that most Catholic of epics, The Divine Comedy, Dante places traitors in the deepest circle of Hell. Traitors to kin, country, and guests (that’s invited guests only, not illegal immigrants) are frozen in an icy lake where their extremities drop off from frostbite and they cannot even weep without their eyes freezing shut (Canto XXXII). Traitors to masters, like Judas, Brutus, and Cassius, are perpetually chewed up by Satan at the very center of the earth. Even the scourge of medieval Christendom, Muhammad, sliced in two with his entrails dragging on the ground, is not placed so low as traitors (Canto XXVIII).

The Alt Right’s use of cuckold as an insult is a recognition that the entire false complex of outgroup altruism that is the summum bonum of modern morality is actually a betrayal of kin, country, guests, and masters all in one. The adulterous, lustful wife who brings in an alien child is not so guilty as the man who abdicates all his responsibilities by accepting it. Everyone who has a legitimate claim on a family is betrayed when an interloper is accepted by the very person who is responsible for defending the family and that extension of the family known as the nation. This might not seem very important to people raised in an era when family and nation are arguably valued less than at any other time in history, but mass familial disintegration is integral to the general decline of Western societies even if no one can see it. In monarchical times the stakes were more obvious because the stability of a single family could determine the fate of the entire nation.

Shakespeare illustrates the defensive attitude toward the sanctity of the family in his Winter’s Tale, where the action is initiated because Leontes, king of Sicilia, fears that he has been cuckolded by Polixenes, king of Bohemia.

“There have been, Or I am much deceived, cuckolds ere now; And many a man there is, even at this present, Now while I speak this, holds his wife by th’ arm, That little thinks she has been sluiced in ’s absence, And his pond fished by his next neighbor, by Sir Smile, his neighbor. Nay, there’s comfort in ’t Whiles other men have gates and those gates opened, As mine, against their will. Should all despair That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind Would hang themselves.”

Winter’s Tale, 1.2.240

Leontes imprisons his wife and orders the daughter she bears in prison to be carried into the wild and left to die. Critically, though advisors challenge the king’s decision, they do so only by protesting that they believe him to be wrong about the facts of the case. Every character accepts the legitimacy of the king’s anger and the righteousness of his harsh judgments if the queen has in fact been unfaithful. The queen herself tells her followers that wrongful imprisonment is preferable to actually being an unfaithful wife:

“Do not weep, good fools; There is no cause. When you shall know your mistress Has deserved prison, then abound in tears As I come out. This action I now go on Is for my better grace.”

Winter’s Tale, 2.1.142

Dante and Shakespeare implicitly address the individual cuckold when they explore betrayal and royal responsibility, but Waugh writes at a much more personal and relatable level, so perhaps Anthony Trollope’s Doctor Thorne is the story best juxtaposed with Sword of Honor.  Doctor Thorne concerns the upbringing of a young bastard named Mary.  Mary’s mother, Miss Mary Scatcherd, was seduced by Henry Thorne, brother of the titular doctor. Miss Scatcherd’s brother finds out about her disgrace and kills Henry in a drunken rage, leaving Miss Scatcherd and her newborn destitute. Doctor Thorne seeks some means to help the unfortunate woman and his brother’s illegitimate child:

“At twilight, one evening, Thorne was surprised by a visit from a demure Barchester hardware dealer, whom he did not remember ever to have addressed before. This was the former lover of poor Mary Scatcherd. He had a proposal to make, and it was this:–if Mary would consent to leave the country at once, to leave it without notice from her brother, or talk or éclat on the matter, he would sell all that he had, marry her, and emigrate.”

So far we are traversing the same territory that Mr. Schmitz does with Waugh, but here the revolution in morals that separates the Christian civilization of the 1800’s from the mortally wounded Europe of 1933 begins to tell. Miss Scatcherd’s former lover is no cuckold pushover:

“There was but one condition; she must leave her baby behind her. The hardware-man could find it in his heart to be generous, to be generous and true to his love; but he could not be generous enough to father the seducer’s child.

‘I could never abide it, sir, if I took it,’ said he; ‘and she,–why of course she would always love it the best.’ “

Trollope next adds an editorial comment that shows that despite his formidable imagination even he could not foresee the reduced morals of the 20th century, let alone the utterly inverted moral universe of the 21st century:

“In praising his generosity, who can mingle any censure for such manifest prudence? He would still make her the wife of his bosom, defiled in the eyes of the world as she had been; but she must be to him the mother of his own children, not the mother of another’s child.”

Doctor Thorne raises his bastard niece himself, the hardware man lives happily with Miss Scatcherd as his wife, and both men exhibit Christian charity without condoning immorality or compromising their principles. Waugh’s Sword of Honor also extolls commendable selflessness and mercy, but the ambiguity of the story allows Mr. Schmitz to take the sin and tragedy that Christians must endure in the fallen world and makes positive virtues out of them. Protestant readers, particularly American evangelicals used to exegetical preaching, may be put off by all this reference to non-Biblical literature, so let us compare Mr. Schmitz’s contentions to The Book. Mr. Schmitz could have dispensed with Waugh altogether and gone straight to Hosea, the Old Testament prophet ordained as a cuckold by God Himself.

“When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her…The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.”

Hosea 1.2 and 3.1

Hosea’s marriage is intended to be a picture of the relationship between God and the children of Israel, who repeatedly betray the Lord and seek after false gods. The ultimate message of the book is one of hope, because God forgives and accepts the people once they repent and abandon their sinful lifestyle. The awkward part, from the forgiving cuckold point of view, is the biblical prescription for the unrepentant wife, which falls decisively in the Dante-Shakespeare-Trollope tradition:

“Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts.  Otherwise I will strip her naked and make her as bare as on the day she was born; I will make her like a desert, turn her into a parched land, and slay her with thirst.  I will not show my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery.  Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace…. Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.  She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them.  Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’… So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers; no one will take her out of my hands. I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals, her New Moons, her Sabbath days—all her appointed festivals.  I will ruin her vines and her fig trees which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them.”

Hosea 2:2-12

Do you detect the slight change in tone and emphasis when we move from God’s wrath toward an unfaithful wife to Matthew Schmitz’s description of Christian virtue?

“[Christianity] requires us to accept defeat in this life so we might enjoy triumph in the next. A Catholic cannot be certain that his line will continue or his country thrive. He only knows that the gates of hell will not prevail against Christ’s Church.”

There is an unwarranted leap from “cannot be certain” to ” requires us to accept defeat,” that revels in tribulation and is the inverse of the prosperity gospel. The biblical injunction of James is necessary because the world is fallen and sinful, but the world was not made sinful in order to promote faith:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James 1:2

Sin is used by God to bringing about faith and virtue, which is part of the mystery of redemption, but Saint Paul specifically writes against the error of considering the sins themselves to be inherently valuable:

“But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!”

Romans 5:20-6:2

Christianity offers eternal hope even to cuckolds, but the mission of the Church is not to promote cuckoldry as a pathway to virtue. The Church as a spiritual institution has a body of knowledge unobtainable by any means besides revelation, but as a social institution the Church has a choice in every age to either lead or follow the culture. Leading the culture means preaching the message that the world needs to hear but does not want to hear, while following the culture means preaching whatever message the world wants to hear but does not need. Exhortations to mercy would be appropriate for a bloody age like the 10th century; our permissive and emotive generation needs to be called to uncompromising rigidity in the face of sin and degeneracy. I am afraid that when Matthew Schmitz pressed the legitimate themes of Waugh’s story to absurd extremes, he was mainly concerned with joining the popular chorus of opposition to the Alt Right. The Christian acceptance of absurdity and the relegation of formerly uncontested truths to obscure reactionary and Alt Right circles is partly responsible for the declining social relevance of the religious right. By elevating the perennially unpopular and correctly despised moral failing of cuckoldry to the level of Christian virtue, Mr. Schmitz is, perhaps unwittingly, contributing to the very decline that he purports to oppose.

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