#they look like an opus family i cant

[loonaserena]

The state of my Legacy… thoughts and prayers please and thank you

[papirouge]

sorry for the Tekken sperging

if you want to have an idea of how much japanese game developer hate women, just look into Tekken tbh

there is no female character beyond 25 years old

since there's been a 15 years old gap between Tekken 2 and Tekken 3, and while ALL the male characters who were in Tekken were allowed to get old (Heihachi, Lei, the Laws (father & son), Kazuya, etc.) AND still got included in the next games, the female ones didn't 🙃

Michelle Chang? she got a replaced by her "daughter" Julia in Tekken 3. The William sisters got cryogenized for all this time so they biologically didn't age. And now they're basically doing the same for the next opus by bringing back Kunimitsu....through her lookalike daughter (same mask and all) ??? wtf is this?? that daughter doesn't even have the same swag as Kuni. That Kunimitsu #2 looks like a cute anime girl, when Kunimitsu was that mysterious morally ambiguous ninja thief, like- HELLO??

glo down of the millenium tbh. rEAL KUNI WHOULD NEVER SHOW HER FACE!!!! Tekken hasnt got a decent/original character since Tekken 6 anyway.

Oh and they killed Jun after Tekken 2 (that may or may not be back from the dead somehow, but ofc won't be old cause she DIED AT A YOUNG AGE WHEN JIN WAS STILL A CHILD !!!! so probably her reincarnation, ghost or some random nonsensical shit like that)

And let's not talk about Julia tragic makeover between Tekken 6 and 7 and became a whole different person : she went from a caring, environment defender Native American to....a hyperconnected bimbo'ish geek?? ...all of this was to cater to scrotes ofc bc OG Julia wasn't really sexy to begin with (kinda horse girl'ish - she was the -less sexy- equivalent of Hitomi in the DOA franchise imo). Her character was more serious and had so much substance than she does now...

I also HATE how there's a gag overkill in the serie (esp the Mishima e.g their endings in Tekken Tag 2 aaaaaand IDC if the TTT games are not canon, stop trying to make this dysfunctional family where everyone wants to kill each other look like a comedy skit EVERYTIME, it's getting old)

CANT WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS RELEVANT CHARACTERS WHO ACTUALLY MAKE THE PLOT MOVE FORWARD??

Tekken story plot went down the toilet after Tekken 5 anyway, and the overall chara design tanked big time after Tekken 4 (exception for Dragunov who was truly a novelty I'm always a sucker for mute characters and Lars who's my haafu husbando). My biggest Tekken crush has always been Hwoarang and they made him unrecognizable lately (he was perfect in Tekken 5)

But yeah, Tekken hates women, has become shit, and it bums me out so bad bc that's basically my first video game, and the storyline/lore used to be so good (Tekken 3 had the best plot!!! Heihachi shooting Jin -his own grandson- with a bullet in the head in his ending got 9 years old me SHOOK. Ogre was sooo creepy, his Tekken Tag Tournament 2 ending is legit nightmare fuel)

I mean, even Dead or Alive that is infamous for catering to scrotes has a more attractive male roaster at this point (Hayate <3). They also did a brilliant chara design overhaul for DOA6 that made the characters so much prettier and is actually consistent and done tastefully.

Because yeah, what shocks me the most is how SHITTY Tekken chara design has become. It peaked with Tekken 4 (Jin Kazama tracksuit will forever be iconic dont @ me) but it's now such a convoluted tacky mess. Characters don't even have their own style anymore. Lars has the same tacky outfits as King (who's a luchador!!!). Also : WHY HAS HE BECOME SO BUFF??? Did he take the same steroids as Chris Redfield?? He was so hot in Tekken 6... WASTE!

They should take a few pages from Team Ninja who knows how to make shit done when it comes to rework characters aesthetic. Look at this work of art

[hellerism]

☕️ The idea of spn ‘eras’ -what’s ur favourite and do u think they can be deconstructed from usual kripke, dab etc.

i am 100% a kripke era supremacist, partly bc that’s where i am on my rewatch, but mostly bc i know the show never tops this. like eric has problems disorder and a lot of what was good about his era was sheer luck, but the writing is solid for the most part and i genuinely enjoy each episode and the psychological damage they all deal me. i don’t love how desaturated it is, but i much prefer the ugly grimy aesthetic over the sitcom lighting of dabb era. and i love how purposeful the directing is in kripke era. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: kim manners did! what! he! had! to! rip king.

why eric gave the reins to sera gamble of all people afterwards and why she tried to run the show into the ground is a mystery to me, but whatever. i can’t comment on her era much bc i hardly remember any of it. all i know is my bestie bedlund foiled her plans to vilify cas with his magnum opus the man who would be king.

from what ive heard, carver era can be divided into two sub-eras: carver-edlund (ha) with season 8, and carver alone with seasons 9-11. again i cant say much bc 9 and 10 are basically blank spots in my memory. obviously i know that 8 is one of the best seasons in the show, presumably from my bestie bedlunds influence on the story. and i do remember enjoying 11 but i think that enjoyment was partly just bc i thought amara was hot (and then it took me 3 years after that to realize i was bi. wow. sorry tangent but that just occurred to me wow i am dense)

and finally dabb era. dabb era is not really an actual era, of course. its really just a big sandbox that everyone is rolling around in and eating fistfuls of sand except for yockey bobo glynn and perez who are building sandcastles and doing the reading. i think it’s best to disregard the background and overarching plots of “dabb era,” bc they suck, and instead focus on individual episodes and moments. the s12 yockey hat trick. thee future. thee trap. cas having a little baby boy and raising him with dean. dean teaching jack how to drive. scoobynatural. the deconstruction of mary and her psychologically damaging relationship with dean. you know the little things. i of course view dabb era through the lens of yockeynatural, as god intended.

i honestly don’t mind the sitcomification (other than the horrendous lighting and coloring choices of course), i loooove the little domestic family they have, but it’s done in such a way and in such direct contrast to kripke era that you can’t help but feel like you could rip away the curtain and reveal the wizard at any given moment. we are clearly looking at a set. hell is a hallway and a throne room. the outside world does not exist. it’s fascinating! compels me, for completely opposite reasons that kripke era compels me! season 15 is fascinating to me personally bc the god as the villain, death of the author sandbox is my favorite one to play in and affords endless possibilities to fix the finale in my head. bad era. but endlessly compelling.

send me a ☕️ and a topic and i’ll talk about how i feel about it!

[jackredfieldwasmyjacob]

AY PENA PENITA PENA - LOLA FLORES

Today I’m gonna show you the true and eternal Queen of Spain, Lola Flores. I realised that, even though I’ve shown you a lot of modern songs, I’ve never shown you the genre Spain’s most known for, flamenco. 

I personally never really cared for it, though since Rosalía I’ve been getting into it, and I deeply respect cantaores (flamenco singers) and bailaores (flamenco dancers), especially after reading my favorite poet, Federico García Lorca’s, magnus opus, “El Romancero Gitano” and “El Poema del Cante Jondo”. Really, if you want to get into flamenco, just read them, because they are amazing. 

And, amongst all of the cantaores, there was one that shines through all of them; this legend, Lola Flores, also called “La Faraona” (”The Pharaoh”) because of her looks. Story time, last year while we were in History of Egypt the professor told us than there has only been one female pharaoh, and that was Lola Flores (bc for Egyptians the pharaoh title was only masculine, even if the pharaoh was female). 

So, before starting, let’s talk a bit about flamenco. As I said, I’m not an expert, and all I know is either from Rosalía’s explanations of her songs, Lorca’s work, or just common knowledge.

So, first of all, flamenco started and it’s most popular in Andalucía / Andalusia

In fact, everybody knows that the best cantaores and bailaores are Andalusian (that’s why Rosalía is so controversial, being Catalonian). Even more, the best cantaores and bailaores are Andalusian gypsies (just like Lola Flores). Andalusian gypsies are a different kind of the gypsy race that evolved in Andalusia and adopted Flamenco culture as their own. I once went to a gypsy baptism of the grandson of my grandparent’s friends and they went to a tablao (the place where they perform) and sung flamenco songs all night.

Here is how a tablao looks btw:

Flamenco is much more complex that it seems, as it contains numerous “palos” or subgenres than span all of Andalucía and even Latin America. Rosalía alone did a 6 year degree specializing in Flamenco. Here is a diagram with all the palos:

Some of them you mind find familiar, like fandangos, rumbas, bulerías, tangos, coplas, or sevillanas, the most popular palo. So yeah, it is really complex. But, at is core, it consists on three basic instruments, the Spanish guitar, the “cajón” (box) and the “palmas” (claps). Some palos use additional instruments like “castañuelas” (castanets), or “tacones” (shoe heels), but the three I mentioned before are the core of flamenco.

The dances differ from palo to palo, here is the most widespread and typical one, the sevillanas (fun fact, I had to learn how to dance this in PE at high school):

About the dresses, those are the sevillanas one, but they are really similar in other palos too. Here is how a show in the streets with all the elements of flamenco:

About the lyrics, again, depends in the lyrics, but they are deeply rooted in andalusian symbolism and mysticism (really, go read Lorca’s work, all of his themes are the same in flamenco). There’s a tendency to sing with an andalusian accent, even Rosalía does it, but it makes sense being an Andalusian art form. That means it also has a lot of Andalusian expressions and words, so it’s not always easy to understand.

Okay, let’s start with La Faraona!

So, Lola Flores. She was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz (the best cantaores and bailaores are usually from Cádiz) in 1923, and died in Madrid in 1995. Words can’t describe how much of a legend she is. I’m pretty sure most modern cantaores and bailores pray to her as she was a godess, the flamenco godess or something like that. Her family is really tied with flamenco, and her daughters Lolita and Rosario, as well as her late son Antonio, are perpetuating her legacy. As I said, she’s probably the greatest flamenco cantaora ever, and she is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Spanish singer ever. She was like Lady Di in the Flamenco world, that’s how big she was and still is. Along with Rocío Dúrcal and Rocío Jurado, she is in the Hall of Fame of the greatest flamenco singers ever.

“Ay, Pena, Penita, Pena” ( “Ay, Sorrow, Little Sorrow, Sorrow”) is her most known song, and also in my opinion, the greatest flamenco song ever. Before bringing in the lyrics, let me say that Spanish, and specifically Andalusian and vulgar Spanish uses a lot of diminutives (here the “Pen -ita”) as an intensifier, it’s not meant to use literally. In the translation I’ll put the “little” before, but yeah, it’s not literal. 

So, here we go with the lyrics (I’ll try my best, but it’ll be hard to translate):

Si en el firmamento poder yo tuviera,

If I had power in the firmament, esta noche negra lo mismo que un pozo,

This night, black as a well, con un cuchillito de luna lunera,

With a moony moon (1) knife, cortaría los hierros de tu calabozo.

I would cut the irons of your dungeon. Si yo fuera reina de la luz del día,

If I was queen of the light of day del viento y del mar,

of the wind and of the sea, cordeles de esclava yo me ceñiría

I would girth myself with ropes of slavery por tu libertad.

For your freedom.

¡Ay, pena, penita, pena -pena-,

Ay, sorrow, little sorrow, sorrow, - sorrow-, pena de mi corazón,

sorrow of my heart, que me corre por las venas -pena-

that flows through my veins - sorrow- con la fuerza de un ciclón!

with the strength of a cyclone! Es lo mismo que un nublado

It is the same as an overcast de tiniebla y pedernal.

Of darkness and flint. Es un potro desbocado

It is a runaway colt que no sabe dónde va.

that doesn’t know where it’s going. Es un desierto de arena -pena-,

It is a desert of sand - sorrow-, es mi gloria en un penal.

it is my glory in a penitentiary. ¡Ay, penal! ¡Ay, penal!

Ay, sorrow! Ay, sorrow! ¡Ay, pena, penita, pena!

Ay, sorrow, little sorrow, sorrow!

Yo no quiero flores, dinero, ni palmas,

I don’t want flowers, money or claps, quiero que me dejen llorar tus pesares

I want them to let me cry your woes, y estar a tu vera, cariño del alma,

and to be by your side, love of the soul, bebiéndome el llanto de tus soleares.

drinking the crying of your loneliness (2). Me duelen los ojos de mirar sin verte,

My eyes hurt from looking at you without seeing you. reniego de mí,

I renounce from myself, que tienen la culpa de tu mala suerte

that they are to blame for your bad luck, mis rosas de abril.

my April roses.

¡Ay, pena, penita, pena -pena-,

Ay, sorrow, little sorrow, sorrow, - sorrow-, pena de mi corazón,

sorrow of my heart, que me corre por las venas -pena-

that flows through my veins - sorrow- con la fuerza de un ciclón!

with the strength of a cyclone! Es lo mismo que un nublado

It is the same as an overcast de tiniebla y pedernal.

Of darkness and flint. Es un potro desbocado

It is a runaway colt que no sabe dónde va.

that doesn’t know where it’s going. Es un desierto de arena -pena-,

It is a desert of sand - sorrow-, es mi gloria en un penal.

it is my glory in a penitentiary. ¡Ay, penal! ¡Ay, penal!

Ay, sorrow! Ay, sorrow! ¡Ay, pena, penita, pena!

Ay, sorrow, little sorrow, sorrow!

1. “luna lunera” is an expression, it doesn’t really mean nothing, just a way of calling the moon. It comes from a popular lullaby, and it can be found in a lot of Andalusian folklore. For some reason they have a fascination with the moon. 

2. I think it would translate to “loneliness”, although I don’t know if it means that. the word for loneliness would be soledades, not soleares, but in an Andalusian accent “soledades” kinda sounds like “soleares”. 

I hope you liked it! If you want to listen to more flamenco, I recommend to you early Rosalía, Rocío Jurado, Rocío Durcal, Isabel Pantoja, Camarón de la Isla, and Paco de Lucía :)

Also let me know if you would want me to make more Flamenco posts in future weeks!!

[sayitwithbullets]

If you get this, answer with 3 random facts about yourself and send it to the last 7 blogs in your notifications, anonymously or not! Let’s get to know the person behind the blog ❤️

1. i absolutely hate watching horror movies and it takes away immensely from my goth credibility but i cant help it. i used to pretend to enjoy them for friends and partners who wanted to watch them with me but i was so uncomfortable i wouldnt even look at the screen most of the time. honestly im glad if i never have to watch another horror movie ever again. i do however enjoy reading horror stories. i think not having to Hear bad stuff is what makes the difference.

2. when i was 12 i used to steal tons of cheap jewelry from stores like H&M with my best friend. we had boxes full of the stuff and had a fucking blast until we got caught one time. my parents are super anti-punishment tho and decided that the best way to make sure i wouldn’t do it again would be to make fun of it, giving me these long ass lists of stuff i could steal for them.

3. my magnum opus is getting everyone in my family to love cats. they were always my fav animals but apart from my grandma no one else liked them. idk exactly how i did it but i guess i just couldnt shut up about them and now we’re all cat people. we have two cats at home and my older brother just got his second.

also i LOVE doing stuff like this so thx for sending <3<3

[arplis]

Arplis - News: 50 of the Best Kindle Unlimited Books You Can Read in 2020

Are you ready for the best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020? Last year I gave you the worlds best advice when offering up 50 of the best Kindle Unlimited books to read in 2019. This year Im going to totally blow your mind by offering up another 50 of the best Kindle Unlimited Books for you to check out in the ding-dong new year.

If you werent privy to last years post and you dont want to waste time reading about books that are so last-decade, you can check this out to find out how Kindle Unlimited works. You can finally get the facts about Prime Reading vs Kindle Unlimited. Hell, Ill even pop in a handy-dandy guide to the difference between Kindle Unlimited and Audible.

If youre still not 100% pumped for Kindle Unlimited then why dont you check out this free 30-day trial and find out for your dang selfand this list of the best Kindle Unlimited books for 2020 will help get you started.

Descriptions have been pulled from Amazon.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Romance

Love Unsolicited by Alexandra Warren

Everything in this world is for sale to the people who can afford it Joella Mason knows the difference between what she needs and what she wants. But when the line between the two becomes especially thin, she finds herself on a quest for something missing, not expecting that to come in the package of a sexy stranger with an even sexier proposition. They share a night. Desires are fulfilled. But at what price?

A Taste of Her Own Medicine by Tasha L. Harrison

Sonja Watts needs to re-enter the workforce after divorcing her husband of thirteen years. Taking the advice of her sister Birdie and her best friend Estelle, she signs up for a six-week course for entrepreneurs; hoping that she will learn everything she needs to know to build a business to support herself and her kids. On the first night of class, Sonja is able to ignore the fact that most of the students were younger than her by ten years or more. It was what she expected. But when the instructor walks in, she debates packing up her new twelve hundred dollar laptop and walking out. Sonja couldnt remember the last time she looked at a man with little more interest than she give a sturdy dining room table. She was just disinterested. But wow, did Atlas James grab her interest.

Christmas in the City by Bria Felicien

Zoe is trying to survive the holiday season without succumbing to winter gloom. By chance, she meets DeAndre, who approaches her with an offer she cant refuse.

Falling for a Knight by T Russ

While vacationing in Trinidad, world-renowned photographer Roman Knight unexpectedly acquires a new muse, Cynthia Tremaine. Their chemistry is off the charts and they cant resist giving into a night of passion together. Neither of them expected to see each other again after they parted waysbut fate seemed to have other plans.

With Your Permission by Stephanie Nicole Norris

As the CEO of Building Bridges LLC, Bri is driven by determination for success. However, while planning the wedding of one of Chicagos hottest couples, Bris focus is shifted when the strum of a nocturnal voice captures her attention. Being an empath has empowered her sense of compassion for others, so shes not only drawn to him because of his broken heart but also from a fierce attraction that sparks her interest and tap dances on a groove on her heart. Getting involved with someone whos not open to love may prove to be the most difficult road Bri has ever journeyed, but shes unable to stop herself from falling into an irresistible tango of love.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Cookbooks

Instant Pot Cookbook @2020: 600 Foolproof Recipes For Beginners and Advanced Users by Matilda Armstrong

Do you want quick & easy solutions in the kitchen mastering your Instant Pot? Are you willing to have more free time while cooking delicious meals? Well, if the answer is yes, then thats why Im here for. To help you with achieving this, I focused on creating the one and only Instant Pot cookbook, for excellent results, with easy and effortless to cook recipes for anyone.

Meal Prep for Two: 8 Weekly Plans & 75 Recipes to Get Healthier Together by Casey Seiden

Convenience doesnt have to come with a cost to your wallet, health, or sanity! Now you can prepare delicious, nourishing dishes for two ahead of timeand savor them throughout the week, stress-free. Whether youre prepping food with a partner, family member, or roommate, Meal Prep for Two will help you build simple and balanced meals together.

#ISeafoodDifferently: 11 Of My Most Popular Recipes and The Stories Behind Them by Chef Kendric Smith

This recipe book is the first of many to come. Its my pleasure to share my cooking secrets with you!!

Bread Baking for Beginners: The Essential Guide to Baking Kneaded Breads, No-Knead Breads, and Enriched Breads by Bonnie Ohara

Baking a perfect loaf of bread is part science and part magic. Created from four simple ingredients of flour, yeast, water, and salt, breadmaking is one of the most difficult (and delicious) baking endeavors. Bread Baking for Beginners is a rare bread cookbook for true beginners to keep their bread baking on the rise.

The Baking Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

The latest and most comprehensive baking book yet from best-selling author and diva of desserts Rose Levy Beranbaum and winner of the 2015 IACP Cookbook Award for Baking. Legendary baker Rose Levy Beranbaum is back with her most extensive bible yet. With all-new recipes for the best cakes, pies, tarts, cookies, candies, pastries, breads, and more, this magnum opus draws from Roses passion and expertise in every category of baking. As is to be expected from the woman whos been called the most meticulous cook who ever lived, each sumptuous recipe is truly foolproofwith detail-oriented instructions that eliminate guesswork, plan-aheads, ingenious tips, and highlights for success. From simple everyday crowd-pleasers (Coffee Crumb Cake Muffins, Gingersnaps, Gooseberry Crisp) to show-stopping stunners (Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Tart, Mango Bango Cheesecake, White Christmas Peppermint Cake) to bakery-style pastries developed for the home kitchen (the famous French Kouign Amann), every recipe proves that delicious perfection is within reach for any baker.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: YA

True to Me by Kay Bratt

Quinn Maguire has a stable life, a fianc, and what she thinks is a clear vision for her future. All of that comes undone by her mothers deathbed confessionthe absentee father Quinn spent thirty years resenting is not her real father at all. With that one revealing whisper, Quinn embarks on a journey to Maui, her mothers childhood home, a storied paradise that holds the truth about her mothers past and all its secrets Quinn is determined to uncover.

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesnt want to follow in her mothers footsteps. Her predictable mother doesnt have a spontaneous bone in her body. With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is ChrisMorgans husband, Claras father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg

Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own. Maekalluss help isnt free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Ennas kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. Its a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.

Not My Type of Stranger by Prachi Gupta

Lakshya is living the playboy life and he LOVES it. He doesnt believe in love and has never failed to get a girl in his lifeuntil he meets Ridhima, the new girl next door. He prefers easy hook-ups, and shes definitely not his type. Shes totally uninterested in him and he cant stand it. Hell stop at nothing to win her. But Ridhima has a secret of her own which will make it remarkably more difficult for him to get close to her. What happens when Lakshya gets to know about the secret? Will they end up falling for one another? or Will she be the one to break his heart? A story about a bad boy falling for the good girl and not just any good girl, a hot sexy good girl with a big secret.

Girl at Heart by Kelly Oram

As the daughter of a successful Major League pitcher, Charlie Hastings has baseball in her blood. Unfortunately, being the only girl on her high school baseball team, Charlie has always been just one of the guys. When her best friend, and secret love of her life, asks another girl to the prom, Charlie is devastated. Shes tired of being overlooked by boys because shes not like other girls. Suffering a massive identity crisis, she decides to hang up her cleats and finally learn how to be a girl. But with only two weeks until the state championships, the Roosevelt High Ravens cant afford to lose their star catcher. Team captain Jace King makes her a deal: Dont quit the team, and hell help her become the girl shes so desperate to be. After all, hes got four sisters, one of whom happens to be a cheerleader. He knows a thing or two about girls. (And if he can win her heart in the process, all the better.)

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Science Fiction/Fantasy

The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaids Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.

1984 by George Orwell

In 1984, London is a grim city in the totalitarian state of Oceania where Big Brother is always watching you and the Thought Police can practically read your mind. Winston Smith is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

When young Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away home, family, possessions, even her name. For she is now Arha, the Eaten One, guardian of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. While she is learning her way through the dark labyrinth, a young wizard, Ged, comes to steal the Tombs greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. But Ged also brings with him the light of magic, and together, he and Tenar escape from the darkness that has become her domain.

The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith

For centuries, the vineyards at Chteau Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcire Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.

Wastelands: The New Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams featuring Carmen Maria Machado, Ken Liu & many more

In WASTELANDS: THE NEW APOCALYPSE, veteran anthology editor John Joseph Adams is once again our guide through the wastelands using his genre and editorial expertise to curate his finest collection of post-apocalyptic short fiction yet. Whether the end comes via nuclear war, pandemic, climate change, or cosmological disaster, these stories explore the extraordinary trials and tribulations of those who survive. Featuring never-before-published tales by: Veronica Roth, Hugh Howey, Jonathan Maberry, Seanan McGuire, Tananarive Due, Richard Kadrey, Scott Sigler, Elizabeth Bear, Tobias S. Buckell, Meg Elison, Greg van Eekhout, Wendy N. Wagner, Jeremiah Tolbert, and Violet Allenplus, recent reprints by: Carmen Maria Machado, Carrie Vaughn, Ken Liu, Paolo Bacigalupi, Kami Garcia, Charlie Jane Anders, Catherynne M. Valente, Jack Skillingstead, Sofia Samatar, Maureen F. McHugh, Nisi Shawl, Adam-Troy Castro, Dale Bailey, Susan Jane Bigelow, Corinne Duyvis, Shaenon K. Garrity, Nicole Kornher-Stace, Darcie Little Badger, Timothy Mudie, and Emma Osborne.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: General Fiction/Literary Fiction

Where the Story Starts by Imogen Clark

As single mother Leah struggles to get her children ready one morning, the doorbell rings. Standing on the doorstep of their terraced house in Whitley Bay is a well-dressed stranger, Clio, who feels an emotional tie to the house that she cant explain. The story should end there, but a long-buried secret is already on its way to the surface

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City. Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, andwith a little encouragement from her friendsa few blind dates. When one man in particular makes quick work of Amys heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life, or return to the life she left behind.

The Murmur of Bees by Sofa Segovia

From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else canvisions of all thats yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threatsboth human and those of natureSimonopios purpose in Linares will, in time, be divined.

One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow: A Novel by Olivia Hawker

Wyoming, 1876. For as long as they have lived on the frontier, the Bemis and Webber families have relied on each other. With no other settlers for miles, it is a matter of survival. But when Ernest Bemis finds his wife, Cora, in a compromising situation with their neighbor, he doesnt think of survival. In one impulsive moment, a man is dead, Ernest is off to prison, and the women left behind are divided by rage and remorse. Losing her husband to Coras indiscretion is another hardship for stoic Nettie Mae. But as a brutal Wyoming winter bears down, Cora and Nettie Mae have no choice but to come together as one familyto share the duties of working the land and raising their children. Theres Nettie Maes son, Clydeno longer a boy, but not yet a manwho must navigate the road to adulthood without a father to guide him, and Coras daughter, Beulah, who is as wild and untamable as her prairie home.

Halsey Street by Naima Coster

Penelope Grand has scrapped her failed career as an artist in Pittsburgh and moved back to Brooklyn to keep an eye on her ailing father. Shes accepted that her future wont be what shed dreamed, but now, as gentrification has completely reshaped her old neighborhood, even her past is unrecognizable. Old haunts have been razed, and wealthy white strangers have replaced every familiar face in Bed-Stuy. Even her mother, Mirella, has abandoned the family to reclaim her roots in the Dominican Republic. That took courage. Its also unforgivable.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Biography and Memoir

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen

After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagles talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now. For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mothers dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders.

The Boy Between Worlds: A Biography by Annejet van der Zijl

When they fell in love in 1928, Rika and Waldemar could not have been more different. She was a thirty-seven-year-old Dutch-born mother, estranged from her husband. He was her immigrant boarder, not yet twenty, and a wealthy Surinamese descendant of slaves. The child they have together, brown skinned and blue eyed, brings the couple great joy yet raises some eyebrows. Until the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands explodes their promising life. What unfolds is more than the astonishing story of a love that prevailed over convention. Its also the quest of a young boy. Through the cruelty of World War II, he will fight for a connection between his fathers South American birthplace and his mothers European traditions. Lost and displaced for much of his life, but with a legacy of resilience in his blood, he will struggle to find his place in the world.

The Pale-Faced Lie: A True Story by David Crow

Growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation, David Crow and his three siblings idolized their dad. Tall, strong, smart, and brave, the self-taught Cherokee regaled his family with stories of his World War II feats. But as time passed, David discovered the other side of Thurston Crow, the ex-con with his own code of ethics that justified cruelty, violence, lieseven murder.

Prognosis: A Memoir of My Brain by Sarah Vallance

When Sarah Vallance is thrown from a horse and suffers a jarring blow to the head, she believes shes walked away unscathed. The next morning, things take a sharp turn as shes led from work to the emergency room. By the end of the week, a neurologist delivers a devastating prognosis: Sarah suffered a traumatic brain injury that has caused her IQ to plummet, with no hope of recovery. Her brain has irrevocably changed.

Born Survivors: Three Young Mothers and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage, Defiance, and Hope by Wendy Holden

The Nazis murdered their husbands but concentration camp prisoners Priska, Rachel, and Anka would not let evil take their unborn children tooa remarkable true story that will appeal to readers of The Lost and The Nazi Officers Wife, Born Survivors celebrates three mothers who defied death to give their children life.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Business/Money

Girl On Fire: How to Choose Yourself, Burn the Rule Book, and Blaze Your Own Trail in Life and Business by Cara Alwill Leyba

Who would you be if you stopped following *their* rules? What would you create if you create if you had nothing holding you back? Now that women entrepreneurs are banding together in sisterhood and realizing the importance of collaboration over competition, its time to take things to the next level. Its time to rise up, together, and challenge the status quo. Its time to question the way things have been done in the past, to write our own rules, and do life and business OUR way.

Understanding Your Clients through Human Design: The Breakthrough Technology by Robin Winn MFT

Human Design is the next evolution after Myers-Briggs, the Enneagram, and other innovative profiling systems. Whether your field is psychotherapy, recovery, coaching, or healing arts, and whether your clients are individuals, couples, families, or business teams, Understanding Your Clients through Human Design will empower your work and call you to reconsider how you approach people.

The 60 Minute Startup: A Proven System to Start Your Business in 1 Hour a Day and Get Your First Paying Customers in 30 Days (or Less) by Ramesh Dontha

Over 543,000 new businesses are started every month. Most fail. Many never get a paying customer. Why? Because new entrepreneurs are told to start with why, take internet marketing courses, and spend hours doing market research. Do these time-intensive activities attract customers? Make sales? Create profit? No! If youre ready to finally start a profitable business and dump the bad business advice that keeps you confused, overwhelmed, and broke, The 60 Minute Startup is for you. This book gives you a proven system on how to start a business online in just one hour a day and get your first paying customers in one month (or less).

Buy Hold Sell: The Street SmartWay to Real Estate Wealthby Lou Brown

At the turn of the 19th century, billionaire Andrew Carnegie famously said that 90% of millionaires got their wealth by investing in real estate. And guess what? Most millionaires, and even the ultra-rich, would tell you that is still true. Spend a few minutes Googling the phrase should I invest in real estate and it will quickly become clear that real estate investing is a great idea. What isnt so clear, though, is how to get started! Thats what this book will show you. Lou Brown bought his first piece of real estate in 1976 and never stopped. Over the years hes experienced more lessons from the school of hard knocks than he can count and has built a tremendously profitable real estate portfolio. Along the way, Lou discovered that he had a knack for structuring win-win deals, plus creating contracts and paperwork that gave him a competitive edge over other investors. In 1987 he began teaching others his proprietary method of investing, including the unique, proven Buy-Hold-Sell system he created the subject of this book.

A Beginners Guide to the Stock Market: Everything You Need to Start Making Money Today by Matthew R. Kratter

This book will teach you everything that you need to know to start making money in the stock market today. Dont gamble with your hard-earned money. If you are going to make a lot of money, you need to know how the stock market really works. You need to avoid the pitfalls and costly mistakes that beginners make. And you need time-tested trading and investing strategies that actually work. This book gives you everything that you will need. Its a simple road map that anyone can follow.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Graphic Novels

Akai Chapter 0 How To Become Strong by Anfernee Robinson

Akai is a young child with high hopes; bound in a society full of undiscovered powers; raised by Grandma in the Jex helps him develop a strong will. He will one day, begin a trial to Heavens Gate. The journey is a troubled one. The Black Orlov chain opens unparalleled events. Will Akai reach his Ultimate goal? Or will Akai bend fate forever?

Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes 30th Anniversary Edition by Neil Gaiman

New York Times best-selling author Neil Gaimans transcendent series THE SANDMAN is often hailed as the definitive Vertigo title and one of the finest achievements in graphic storytelling. Gaiman created an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision. In PRELUDES & NOCTURNES, an occultist attempting to capture Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his 70 year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power. On his arduous journey Morpheus encounters Lucifer, John Constantine, and an all-powerful madman.

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill Watterson

Bill Wattersons Calvin and Hobbes has been a worldwide favorite since its introduction in 1985. The strip follows the richly imaginative adventures of Calvin and his trusty tiger, Hobbes. Whether a poignant look at serious family issues or a round of time-travel (with the aid of a well-labeled cardboard box), Calvin and Hobbes will astound and delight you.

Fire Force Vol. 1 by Atsushi Ohkubo

The city of Tokyo is plagued by a deadly phenomenon: spontaneous human combustion! Luckily, a special team is there to quench the inferno: The Fire Force! The fire soldiers at Special Fire Cathedral 8 are about to get a unique addition. Enter Shinra, a boy who possesses the power to run at the speed of a rocket, leaving behind the famous devils footprints (and destroying his shoes in the process). Can Shinra and his cooleagues discover the source of this strange epidemic before the city burns to ashes?

Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden

The magic of L.M. Montgomerys treasured classic is reimagined in a whimsically-illustrated graphic novel adaptation perfect for newcomers and kindred spirits alike. When Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert decide to adopt an orphan who can help manage their family farm, they have no idea what delightful trouble awaits them. With flame-red hair and an unstoppable imagination, 11-year-old Anne Shirley takes Green Gables by storm. Annes misadventures bring a little romance to the lives of everyone she meets: her bosom friend, Diana Barry; the town gossip, Mrs. Lynde; and that infuriating tease, Gilbert Blythe. From triumphs and thrills to the depths of despair, Anne turns each everyday moment into something extraordinary.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara ONeal

Her sister has been dead for fifteen years when she sees her on the TV news Josie Bianci was killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. Gone forever. Its what her sister, Kit, an ER doctor in Santa Cruz, has always believed. Yet all it takes is a few heart-wrenching seconds to upend Kits world. Live coverage of a club fire in Auckland has captured the image of a woman stumbling through the smoke and debris. Her resemblance to Josie is unbelievable. And unmistakable. With it comes a flood of emotionsgrief, loss, and angerthat Kit finally has a chance to put to rest: by finding the sister whos been living a lie.

Uptown Thief by Aya de Len

Marisol Rivera barely survived being abused with nowhere to turn. So theres nothing she wont do to keep her Lower East Side womens health clinic open and give disadvantaged women new lives. Running an exclusive escort service for New York Citys rich and powerful 1 percent is the perfect way to bankroll her businessnot to mention the perfect cover for robbing corrupt CEOs. And when times get even tougher, pulling a heist on a mega-billionaire will secure the clinics futureand her gorgeous crewsfor good. . . Theres just one problem: Marisol didnt anticipate bad news even more dangerous than her curves.

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey

Cassie McDowells life in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. She lives on a farm, loves school, and has a crush on the nicest boy in class. Yes, there are her parents strange parties and their parade of deviant guests, but shes grown accustomed to them. All that changes when someone comes hunting in Lilydale. One by one, local boys go missing. One by one, they return changedviolent, moody, and withdrawn.

We Were Mothers: A Novel by Katie Sise

A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate and the neighborhoods are tightly knit. Devoted mother Cora OConnell has found the journal of her friend Laurels daughtera beautiful college student who lives next doorrevealing an illicit encounter. Hours later, Laurel makes a shattering discovery of her own: her daughter has vanished without a trace. Over the course of one weekend, the crises of two close families are about to trigger a chain reaction that will expose a far more disturbing web of secrets. Now everything is at stake as theyre forced to confront the lies they have told in order to survive.

In the Dark by Loreth Anne White

The promise of a luxury vacation at a secluded wilderness spa has brought together eight lucky guests. But nothing is what they were led to believe. As a fierce storm barrels down and all contact with the outside is cut off, the guests fear that its not a getaway. Its a trap. Each one has a secret. Each one has something to hide. And now, as darkness closes in, they all have something to fearincluding one another.

Best Kindle Unlimited Books 2020: Politics/Social Science

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee dazzled readers with his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies in 2010. That achievement was evidently just a warm-up for his virtuoso performance in The Gene: An Intimate History, in which he braids science, history, and memoir into an epic with all the range and biblical thunder of Paradise Lost (The New York Times). In this biography Mukherjee brings to life the quest to understand human heredity and its surprising influence on our lives, personalities, identities, fates, and choices.

A River in Darkness: One Mans Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian. In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignityand indomitable natureof the human spirit.

The Mueller Report by The Washington Post

Read the findings of the Special Counsels investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, complete with accompanying analysis by the Post reporters whove covered the story from the beginning.

War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence by Ronan Farrow

US foreign policy is undergoing a dire transformation, forever changing Americas place in the world. Institutions of diplomacy and development are bleeding out after deep budget cuts; the diplomats who make Americas deals and protect its citizens around the world are walking out in droves. Offices across the State Department sit empty, while abroad the military-industrial complex has assumed the work once undertaken by peacemakers. Were becoming a nation that shoots first and asks questions later. In an astonishing journey from the corridors of power in Washington, DC, to some of the most remote and dangerous places on earthAfghanistan, Somalia, and North Korea among themacclaimed investigative journalist Ronan Farrow illuminates one of the most consequential and poorly understood changes in American history. His firsthand experience as a former State Department official affords a personal look at some of the last standard bearers of traditional statecraft, including Richard Holbrooke, who made peace in Bosnia and died while trying to do so in Afghanistan.

Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service by Michael Bar-Zohar

For decades, Israels renowned security arm, the Mossad, has been widely recognized as the best intelligence service in the world. In Mossad, authors Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal take us behind the closed curtain with riveting, eye-opening, boots-on-the-ground accounts of the most dangerous, most crucial missions in the agencys 60-year history. These are real Mission: Impossible true stories brimming with high-octane actionfrom the breathtaking capture of Nazi executioner Adolph Eichmann to the recent elimination of key Iranian nuclear scientists. Anyone who is fascinated by the world of international espionage, intelligence, and covert Black-Ops warfare will find Mossad electrifying reading.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/50-of-the-best-kindle-unlimited-books-you-can-read-in-2020

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replied to your post

“someone come ask me why i cant stand taylor swift”

Why don't you like Taylor Swift? :0

This took forever because I was visiting my grandpa, sorry.

Alright so it’s a bit personal bias and a bit “I cant stand her, what a snake”

For some background info my whole family is musically inclined and my uncle came very close to making it into the music industry in the early 2000s (the record label actually picked Maroon 5 over his band)

Lemme tell you a thing about T Swift: She’s from a well off Pennsylvania family, and her whole family moved to Nashville so that she could a) get a modeling contract and b) so her dad could bump elbows with some music industry execs.  She tried just submitting demos.  It didn’t work, so her parents kissed ass until she got in.  This bothers me because I know that had her parents not been able to just move the whole family to Nashville? She wouldn’t have made it.

Additionally, her early stuff is so stale and samey.  Girl who’s probably never seen a tractor or cleaned out a chicken coop sings about a boy who’s already in a relationship with someone else while acompanied by whimsical twangy banjos.  Stunning.  She did write the songs herself, so kudos, Taylor.  Now though?  Her most stunning song to date is “Look what you made me do” which, ew.  She sampled “im too sexy”, so those guys get songwriting credit, but there’s some other dude, Jack Antonoff also listed.  In fact, not a single song on Reputation is written by TSwift alone.  Whatever, she’s a pop star, she can get away with it, I guess, right?

Here’s where my personal bias comes in, my friends, as I know her bassist, Amos Heller.  Look him up, he played in the band Oval Opus (which my uncle just so happened to be the frontman/primary songwriter for) before leaving for Nashville and working for Taylor.  I’m not sure if he still works with her or if he’s moved on to better things, but I’m a bit concerned if he is.  He is an absolutely phenomenal bassist.  Like, I aspire to reach his level some day.  If he’s stuck on stage playing “I’m a Snake: The Musical” for the better part of a year?  That’s a waste of talent.  And time.

So that’s my beef with her music, now here’s why i cant stand her as a person, in convinient bullet form:

Is friends with Lena Dunham, who is a known child molestor.

Starts beef with Kim and Kanye (who I also dont like) for no reason other than she can, and tries to backpedal HARD when Kim’s got receipts

Literally wrote a song about how “your girlfriend isn’t me, date ME instead” (which reminds me a bit of the “im a nice guy, pls date me” shtick) (also Amos is in the video, he’s the trombone player who’s like, jumping? i’d have a specific timestamp but the video’s acting weird for me so)

Started beef with Katy Perry over what, some dancers leaving her tour? And now both parties are in an endless loop of throwing shade and pettiness

Dates dudes like a revolving door but then also writes songs moments after they break up?  And has been doing this for the majority of her career? Not trying to slut shame, do what u want girl but at some point everyone knows exactly wtff you’re doing and it gets old

twerking in shake it off

being extra af about the bad blood mv release, and featuring lena dunham in it (ew)

made an entire album bitching about people calling her out on her shit (i assume, I cant be fucked to listen to it)