#unselect

[katatty]

This was soooo hellish to play... I think if it weren't for the fact toddlers can't actually die of starvation in the game, Yahya would not have survived to childhood. Luckily the Sims 2 is merciful on the little ones :')

[frankencanon]

my cat almost just sent this photo of rui to bunch of random people ( ´_ゝ`)

[keeps-ache]

buttons i've made !! :D

[monkeykilogram]

hey all... I am sick with covid at a very bad time. I am hanging on but isn't much I can do. This is very bad financially bcus my inrl job was already cutting my hours. shares and help would be really meaningful right now

[fictionadventurer]

"My true love is the evening walk, that last hour of daylight that has its way with sunlight, shadow, and soul."

-The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 1, by Beth Brower

[bewitchingbloom]

A little lore dump to go along with my post from last night...

Technically with her INT score Ariadne should know several languages, but I decided to override that and have her only bonus language be Elven. The primary reason is even though she's very smart, Ari doesn't really have the attention span to learn a whole other language (yes, this is something of a projection on my part.) The reason she knows Elven is because her stepfather, Elvandir, is a Forlorn elf originally from Kyonin, and he taught it to her. In fact, he was adamant about speaking to her in Elven and making sure he passed down the language to her. She's his child too, after all, and while he might have forsaken his homeland he still carried parts of his culture with him and wanted to see it passed on.

[theinfernalqueens]

I have fallen in LOVE with The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion! Finishing up 8 this week and I just have been ENRAPTURED! If you have yet to start these, I highly suggest you do!

You can purchase them on Amazon or find them for free on KU!

[lululawrence]

Okay who else out there has read or at least heard of the unselected journals of Emma M Lion by Beth Brower?

I just might be obsessed and I want all the things and to talk to all the people about them, but because the books are almost impossible to get ahold of without purchasing them, there’s just not much content out there.

[picknmixsims]

Unselectable Careers

Unselectable Careers

A patch to the Job Finder to permit careers to be marked as "unselectable". Unselectable careers will not appear when checking today's jobs in the Newspaper or via the Computer

Out of the box, this mod does nothing, the user will need to mark each desired career as "unselectable". Full instructions on how to do this (requires basic SimPe knowledge) are given on the mod's web page.

Also includes a patch to the Job Data globals to disable the "Sim X has the day/night off" notification for unselectable careers.

Please do not ask for the Xyz career to be marked as unselectable, I will delete such comments.

[thepackdogs]

Being small with a big or tall F/O. Just simply the size difference between your F/O and you.

You're just standing around minding your own business, suddenly your F/O comes and just kneels by you and wraps their hands around your waist, legs or/and torso in general. Just nuzzling into you in a good hug, they're face still either on your neck, chest, stomach or upper/middle back depending on what side they're on.

The sheer size difference. . . Feeling their hands on your body.. :c mm...

[daonedaonlysk]

DOES ANYOEN KNOW OF THE UNSELECTED JOURNALS EMMA M LION BY BETH BROWER??? IM DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIND FANART BC THEY’RE MY GF’S FAVORITE! IF ANYONE KNOWS OF ANY PLS PLS PLS LMK!!!!!!

[snek-of-eden]

my english teacher is in my google doc and has been hovering menacingly over my work for at least twenty five minutes now i feel like i should be concerned

[cultivating-wildflowers]

2024 Reading - September

Another productive month. Which I know would rub some readers the wrong way, and sometimes that mindset isn't great for me either, but as a girlie who likes her lists? I'm happy getting to check off stuff.

The biggest accomplishment this month was FINALLY finishing The Disorderly Knights. It took me so long that by the end of the story, I'd already forgotten what happened at the beginning. But it's done, and I have the next book on my shelf. For next year. Maybe.

Total books: 10  |  New reads: 9  |   2024 TBR completed: 2 (1 DNF) / 29/36 total   |   2024 Reading Goal: 63/100

August | October

potential reading list from September 1st

#1 - The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown - 5/5 stars

After hearing people rave about the movie and then the book, I snagged a cheap copy from my local used bookstore and decided to check it out.

It was so so worth it. Absolutely breathtaking. All of the assorted narratives--the different characters, the historical background, the technical details--came together so perfectly and resulted in a captivating story. I love every bit of it. I cried.

#2 - In the Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip - 5/5 stars ('24 TBR)

This is exactly the sort of story I was craving. Absolutely spellbinding.

More like this: I had the sense this story reminded me of something else I've read, but I'm blanking on it just now. If I remember, I'll come back here. It might have been a fairy tale kind of story. It's a bit like the first Earthsea book. Perhaps Robin McKinley, Patricia C. Wrede, Madeleine L'Engel, Shannon Hale.... Diana Wynne Jones. It feels like a Ghibli movie.

#3 - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol 2 by Beth Brower - 4/5 stars

A fun installment! I am quickly losing track of the cast, but I can totally see the author's vision of this being a delightful period drama.

#4 - The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett - 4/5 stars

Note to anyone I've recommended this series to: I unfortunately have to retract that hearty recommendation and replace it with...several caveats.

I finished! Honestly, I don't know why it took so long, because once I made myself sit still and read it was easy-ish going; I just had trouble sitting still.

Ok, so "easy" is not the right word. With this series, the first half of each book tends to be a slow build-up, while the end careens rapidly downhill to the conclusion and the ever-brilliant (and painful) reveal.

And, uh.... This got much darker and more intense than I was prepared for. (If I made a habit of reading more in this line, I might have seen that coming, but epics aren't my usual fare.) Narratively, it all worked very well, but it was right on the edge of what I can tolerate.

Still, with 200 pages left to go, I absolutely planned to keep reading the series, well aware that it would be...an experience. Then I saw a blurb for both Book Four and Book Five, skimmed some super vague reviews for Book Four ("Five Stars. owowowowowowowowowowww") and freaked out. And, against all my usual inclinations, hunted for spoilers. And now I'm scared. (But, weirdly, less stressed about the conclusion? Which is an odd experience.)

#5 - Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip - 3/5 stars (audio)

This confirms my suspicion that McKillip is one of those hit-or-miss authors for me. The first book of hers that I read was The Changeling Sea, six years ago, and I remember absolutely nothing about it. Then In the Forests of Serre blew me away. Od Magic? Another middling story.

Don't get me wrong; McKillip's writing is gorgeous. It immediately draws you in, connects you to living, breathing characters, and paints the most vivid pictures. But the story here just kind of...wanders along. It's a pleasant journey, but not very exciting.

Note: I didn't dive into "Od Magic" because of how much I loved "In the Forests of Serre". I needed an "O" title, and realized McKillip had a few. 😅

#6 - Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - 5/5 stars (reread, audio)

We all know I love this. 'Nuff said.

#7 - Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls - 4/5 stars

Another Tumblr rec! And a read that had the unfortunate pressure of me getting to it on the heels of 1) a so-so fantasy and 2) a historical fiction adventure that wrung me out. I did my best not to go into it with any expectations outside of being pleasantly charmed, and charmed I was. 90% of it was a fun, light read with just a touch of drama, but my stars, the end had me rolling. There's something so fun about epistolary novels when it comes to twists and big reveals.

#8 - Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher - 5/5 stars (audio)

A gorgeous little story.

#9 - Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher - 4/5 stars (audio)

Largely enjoyable, but the ending felt rushed.

#10 - The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke - 4/5 stars

An impulse pick from the library. I wanted something short and sweet and discovered this after finishing Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. As is becoming a habit with Clarke's writing, I enjoyed this book. I loved the variety of styles and tones within the collection.

DNF*

The Element of Fire by Martha Wells - Not a bad story, but by the 15% mark I remained bored and vaguely confused and unable to pay attention, so I gave up. I like Wells's writing style (obviously), but this was evidently her debut and is a bit dull around the edges. For some reason it reminded me vaguely of The Curse of Chalion, which I love, so might be worth checking out if you enjoy Lois McMaster Bujold. Goodreads also shows that fans of T. Kingfisher might enjoy this one as well. (Note: Paladin's Grace [below] also had the same general feel as The Element of Fire and The Curse of Chalion)

The Anthropology of Turquoise: Reflections on Desert, Sea, Stone, and Sky by Ellen Meloy ('24 TBR) - I was hoping for a more scientific exploration of color. Instead, this book is a collection of (in my and my friends' opinions) weirdly stuffy, stilted essays. I don't usually mind slow, descriptive/lyrical writing, but this is something else. If you don't mind a deeply personal and conversational writing style and a book you can sit with for several months, definitely check this one out, because it has merit; it's just not for me.

Zao's Tales by J.A. Sommer - I'm still vaguely unclear on how this book arrived on my shelf (it was a gift from my mother and she bought it to support someone?). Decidedly not for me. Also...now I don't have a "Z" title for my alphabet challenge lol.

just kidding, I found another one that was kind of on my radar and ordered it from the library, whoo

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher - I'm learning that Kingfisher really straddles the line on what I'm willing to tolerate content-wise. This one was a "no" based on that.

The Sea at the End of Everything by Emily McCosh - The writing style was not for me. Sorry, Ruby.

*I'm starting to wonder if I should bother recording books I DNF.... They make up fully a third of the books I've picked up this year.

Currently Reading:

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks - just started

[clarythericebot]

On the friendships in Emma M. Lion

The way Emma M. Lion deals with friends is so delightful and makes me so happy. My thoughts are running around, so let me try to concretize it:

I appreciate that she has friends from her past. Her existence doesn't start at the beginning of the novel, and while portraying the growth of a relationship from conception is a valid writer choice to do to get readers very invested, I appreciate that Emma has vibrant friendships that spring from the rich life she's already lived before our own acquaintance with her begins.

She's friends with family. She's affectionate towards her older cousin, Arabella, and while there doesn't seem to be Affection with her aunt, it's pretty clear that her aunt is looking out for her. (I appreciate this because I feel like there is a strict divide between friends and family in many of the stories I read, and this one highlights that you can have fun relationships with your kin.)

The friends from her past aren't introduced all at once. Definitely keeps things from being overwhelming. But more than that--we can see how, even in their absence, her friends affect Emma. She loves and thinks fondly of them. So, by the time they're officially introduced, you love and are fond of them too.

Her past relationships grow and change. For example, Emma enters an event and encounters her childhood nemesis, who she remembers hating and who hated her. But he's grown up, and after a little bit of reluctance, Emma accepts the fact and rejoices in it.

It's very refreshing that the chemistry that Emma has with multiple male friends doesn't mean her swooning over them or the narrative pushing a romantic arc. I mean, I love romantic arcs, and I believe that we'll probably get one for Emma in the future. But it's impressive to me that whichever potential love interest actually comes forward (and it's impressive to me that I can't say with certainty which one will--as of the beginning of the third book, there's no one male character that is marked out as Emma's One True Love), nothing supercedes that they're all interesting characters that have genuine and interesting relationships with Emma, and bring out different sides of her. In other words, I love that the writer doesn't skimp on the friends part of friends to lovers.

Emma doesn't have 'a group of friends'. She has friends from different contexts in her life. Can I just say how marvelous and lovely this is? I don't know, I think modern stories romanticize One True Group of Friends almost as much as One True Love. Emma doesn't have a specific pack of people that all have relationships to one another. She's friends with her maid, her cousins, childhood people she interacted with, someone she's met in a ball, her tenant, her vicar, her schoolmates, and the people she's encountered in St Crispian's. Sometimes these people intersect. Sometimes they don't. Emma doesn't feel the need to get them together in one place and she sometimes outright states she doesn't want them to, considering how markedly different those characters are. But the fact that Emma can be friends with this fun diversity of people is very cool.

She makes friends with her friends' friends and it introduces interesting new dynamics. Like, I just said that it's cool that Emma has disparate friendships, but it is also interesting when a new friend provides insight to aspects of an old one's life Emma didn't know. (Spoiler Alert: I'm talking about Mary and Jack. The pair are fascinating, and his hints that there's something going on with Mary intrigue me.)

[fictionadventurer]

If you're still taking them: 7 & 14-16 for Emma M. Lion; 3, 10, & 20 for The Hunger Games; and 3, 4, and 7-10 for the Victorian (Edwardian?) novel about the sisters who get jobs whose title I cannot remember, please?

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

7. how does the story compare to your initial impressions of it? has it surprised you yet? how?

I was surprised that it lived up to the hype. When reading The Q, a large chunk of the reviews were like, "I love Emma M. Lion so I started reading this." I expected to find something fun and frothy but ultimately forgettable. I didn't expect such a sprawling and detailed cast and world, or to love exploring it that much.

14. how likely do you think this story is to break a reader's heart? If you're not done with the story, just guess.

Already answered. Pretty likely to get mildly broken in several ways.

15. what time are you most likely to be found reading/watching this story? (time of year, time of day, season of life, whatever makes sense to you)

July through September, because that's when I first discovered this author's books.

16. do you think this story has broad appeal, or is it meant for a very specific audience? if it's more "niche", what kind of person would most enjoy this story?

Broad appeal within a very specific niche? That niche being people who like vintage light fiction. If you like Austen, Wodehouse, Jean Webster, Oscar Wilde, etc., love novels-in-diary form, slice-of-life, and humor, or are in to the late Victorian era, there's a pretty good chance that you'll like these stories.

The Hunger Games

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

The pro-life message, the family bonds, the love story

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

Something from the soundtrack?

20. what's the WORST thing about this story, in your opinion? (feel free to be positive, e.g. "it's not longer", if you want!)

That scene in Catching Fire when the force field stops Peeta's heart, Finnick does CPR for like, two minutes, and Peeta gets up and walks away and is totally fine like nothing has happened.

The Romance of a Shop (I assume that's what you're talking about?)

3. quickly list 3 things you like about the story!

The sisterly relationship, all the details about the photography business in the 1880s, how fun and easy it was to read

4. assign this story a hyper-specific genre name

Victorian slice-of-life domestic drama social commentary romance

7. how does the story compare to your initial impressions of it? has it surprised you yet? how?

I did not expect such a light, humorous family atmosphere (these girls were much more modern than expected), and there was a plot twist in the end that (coming with Austen expectations) shocked me with the direction it took.

8. what questions are or were you most excited to learn the answers to while experiencing the story for the first time?

I liked learning about the characters of the various love interests and getting the resolution to the romances, but honestly, I just liked learning all the daily-life details of running a photography studio.

9. give the most UNHELPFUL and/or SILLY summary possible.

Climbing down the social ladder works out pretty well if you're in a Levy novel.

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

I'm sorry, my brain just doesn't work in that direction.

[babushka-of-chaossss]

When Babygirl is a 27-year-old Anglican vicar who can take down men twice his size and quote poetry like a siren