#Brian Lowry

[veryslowreader]

The Truth Is Out There by Brian Lowry

Goodnight Sweetheart: "Careless Talk"

[randomfoggytiger]

DD and GA Knew Mulder and Scully Were 'End Game' from Day One

After diving deep into Chris Carter's past statements, and resurfacing with the (predictable) report that he'd planned Mulder and Scully's romantic relationship from the start (post here), I began wondering at what point David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were aware of this plan-- and to what degree.

My suspicions became peaked while listening to a random David and Gillian interview-- the Kumail podcast, perhaps?-- where he revealed they were directed to look into each other's eyes often and keep in close physical proximity from day one. And while that could be an unsubstantiated claim (GA didn't remember it... but that's also not surprising), it intrigued me further.

From there, I found interviews in Season 9, then Season 8, then Season 7, then Season 6 of David eagerly discussing his thoughts, hopes, and contributions to the show-- particularly with Mulder's family and his relationship with Scully.

Gillian, however, was harder to pin down: she rarely engaged in-depth with interviews, and mostly dodged a declarative answer on the Mulder and Scully intrigue. The most I knew was her comment that it had been (loosely quoted) smart of CC to keep the romance apart as long as he did. But what about earlier?

Well. I'm not finished reading through some chonky behind-the-scenes books yet, but I do have enough to substantially prove (as much as I can at this stage) that David and Gillian knew Mulder and Scully were end game to some degree. Further, that they had fun and felt freedom in not having to explore that side of the characters' relationship... but would have had more fun if their characters had been given anything else to explore, regardless.

1996

In Brian Lowry's The Official Third Season Guide to The X-Files, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson both slip up, just a little.

DD wants to explore more of Mulder and Scully's relationship--

Never one to settle for success, Duchovny-- who continues to play an active role in the series's creative direction, working in concert with Carter and co-executive producer Howard Gordon on certain episodes-- is pleased with the third season but looks forward to expanding the shows emotional range even further. Referring to one of the early second-season episodes, he notes, "I think when we did 'Duane Barry' the show became a really great show, and we maintained that level for a while, but we haven't gone beyond it. I'm waiting to go beyond it. We don't go beyond it technically, but we will go beyond it in terms of character, introducing a personal life of some kind. I think it's inevitable. You have to do it."

--yet dodges away from definitives when the interviewer begins to grill him on specifics--

When it's pointed out that the show's most fervent loyalists, as well as Carter himself, have been especially vocal about not wanting to see Mulder and Scully romantically involved with anyone but each other, Duchovny simply shrugs and says the nuances he refers to don't necessarily have to involve romance. "Give Mulder a friend. Give him a squash partner," he suggests. "It's got to happen. I really don't care what anybody thinks we should or shouldn't do."

GA interests lay in the same direction as her costar's--

Anderson remains more sanguine regarding such matters, though she indicates some interest as well in stretching the characters while understanding that such an evolution must occur within the show's parameters....

"I think it would be an interesting challenge as an actor to see how they react in certain situations-- how they act on a personal level ... maybe have her go on a date, or someone she's attracted to just so see how it affects her relationship with Mulder," Anderson concurs, while adding that she understands the show's parameters dictate that they "not take it to any great detail, or take it any further. Just that sideline would be interesting. It can't just be about extracurricular relationships," she continues. "The show's not about that. That would ruin it."

--but her answer is, unfortunately, never expounded on further.

1997

Vince Gilligan stated in a 1998 interview:

“I had a good time writing that [Small Potatoes] scene at the end where Scully almost kisses Mulder. Of course, it’s not really Mulder, it’s Eddie Van Blundht. Both David and Gillian really enjoyed doing the episode, because it was a change of pace for them, and they have fun doing comedy. But as I recall, Gillian was a little reluctant about the kiss, because she was fearful for the franchise. In other words, she worried that we were taking the show too far...." 

1998

During the press interviews promoting Fight the Future, DD and GA were finally "allowed" to be forthright on their perspectives-- ones they'd held close to the chest since 1996, at least.

July

WILL MULDER AND SCULLY EVER KISS? “I think so,” says Duchovny, who almost smooches with his costar in the movie. “If you tease the audience too long they get frustrated.” Good luck convincing Anderson. “It’s not appropriate,” she says. “The series isn’t about our relationship. If it happens, we should wait until the very last episode.”

November

And here we have absolute proof: Gillian stating that the actors and writers had discussed "from day one" what the show would and wouldn't focus on--

The direction of Mulder and Scully’s relationship is a topic of hot debate. “From day one we’ve been talking about the fact that it just wouldn’t work in the series,” remarks Anderson, “but I’m curious as to how, after the movie and the extra zing that’s in the film and whether it should or shouldn’t influence how we are with each other in the series. If it does, how will it influence the work that we do? I don’t know.”

Duchovny is equally unsure of what’s right for the show. “It’s hard to say what would ruin the show, or what would make it good, without actually doing it. But [a relationship] could be interesting. If we had someone come in who wrote beautifully in that direction I’m sure it would work, but I don’t see that happening.”

CONCLUSION

With that in mind... I can't wait to continue reading the official guidebooks. Many more secrets to uncover.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[thecraggus]

Brian And Charles (2022) Review

Brian and Charles explores and entirely unconventional and utterly beguiling friendship. #Review

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Val Kilmer, film star known for ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Batman Forever’ and ‘Tombstone,’ dead at 65

By Alli Rosenbloom and Brian Lowry, CNN

2 April 2025

Kilmer identified as a Christian Scientist, opening up in interviews about his faith and beliefs.

In a 2020 interview with Men’s Health, the actor spoke about illness through the lens of his faith.

“Well, something that was reaffirmed to me – on such a level, it was almost shocking – was a sense of universal love, a kind of power and a different sense of love.

It was coming into my consciousness and my body while I was at the hospital,” he said, going on to add that he didn’t “believe in death.”

Kilmer is survived by his two adult children, Jack and Mercedes, from his marriage to “Willow” co-star Joanne Whalley (born 25 August 1961).

—

Val Edward Kilmer

(31 December 1959 – 1 April 2025)

🖤����️🖤

[albatris]

here are the books I'm getting rid of

please let me know if you'd like any :3 most of them I haven't read but some are double ups or just things I've inherited from others..... they are free to a good home!

I will have to ship them and I don't wanna ship a whole crate though so you can't just say "I'll take all of them"! just take the ones you'd like please

I'm in australia so depending on where you are I might ask you to toss me some dollars for shipping but then again I might not. I'm a mystery wrapped in an enigma

any that no one wants will be donated or going in my little free library, so no loss either way, I just thought some folks might want dibs haha

and yes I'm finally getting rid of Horrorstör my beloathed. you can take it but be warned. it's one of my least favourite books in the world

hey @albatris! you can reblog this post but no one else can

full list under the cut!

• Uprooted by Naomi Novik

• The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

• All The Rage by Courtney Summerd

• Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

• Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

• The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

• Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

• Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

• Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

• The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

• The Imaginary by A F Harold

• Terrier by Tamora Pierce

• The Magic in the Weaving by Tamora Pierce

• Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

• The Giver by Lois Lowry

• Samurai Champloo Vol 1 by Masaru Gotsubo

• Ouran High School Host Club Vol 1 by Bisco Hatori

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

• Valiant by Holly Black

• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

• Wool by Hugh Howey

• Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami

• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

• Next by Michael Crichton

• Wildwood by Colin Meloy

• The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly

• The Three Secret Cities by Matthew Reilly

• The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly

• There Will Be Lies by Nick Lake

• A Small Madness by Dianne Touchell

• Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

• The Underdog by Markus Zusak

[books-coffee-and-the-woods]

June Reading Wrap-Up

I read 14 books in June! Most of them were novellas or short novels, but a couple were highly-anticipated new releases!

Read:

She's a Lamb! - Meredith Hambrock ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Silver in the Wood - Emily Tesh (reread) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Serpentine - Phillip Pullman ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Listeners - Maggie Stiefvater ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Butcher in the Forest - Premee Mohamed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Drowned Country - Emily Tesh (reread) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Strange, Spooky, and Supernatural - Mike Browne ⭐⭐⭐

Sky Daddy - Kate Folk ⭐⭐⭐.5

Green Fuse Burning - Tiffany Morris ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Senior Year - Anne Emery ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Pepsi-Cola Addict - June-Alison Gibbons ⭐⭐⭐.5

Some of the Kinder Planets - Time Wynne-Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finna - Nino Cipri ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summerhouse - Yigit Karaahmet ⭐⭐⭐⭐

DNF'd

Intermezzo - Sally Rooney

Currently Reading

nothing yet!

Acquisitions

I bought a LOT of books this month, which makes sense because it's my birthday month and I always use that as an excuse to overspend 🤣 In total I bought 16 books and acquired one from the little free library (not pictured because I forgot to add it). Many of them were new to me, but I made a bit of progress in buying books I'd previously borrowed from the library and wanted my own copy of.

From the indie bookstore near my office:

Homesick for Another World - Ottessa Moshfegh

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk

The Archive Undying - Emma Meiko Candon

All the Lovers in the Night - Meiko Kawakami

Summerhouse - Yigit Karaahmet

Between Two Fires - Christopher Buehlman

Prairie Fairies - Valerie J. Korinek

Pass Me By vol 3 - Kat Simmers & Ryan Danny Owen

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil - V. E. Schwab

Vacation book haul from Four Points Books in Invermere

The Annual Migration of Clouds - Premee Mohamed

On the Calculation of Volume 1 - Solvej Balle

The Word for World is Forest - Ursula K. Le Guin

The Unworthy - Agustina Bazterrica

The River Has Roots - Amal El-Mohtar

The Starving Saints - Caitlin Starling

The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook - ConcernedApe & Ryan Novak

From the little free library near my parents' house:

I Want to Believe: The Official Guide to the X-Files - Brian Lowry

Goals

In June I made a list of a handful of specific goals for the summer: to read 2 books from each genre on my TBR (16 total), reread 16 childhood favourites, reread Death Note, finally finish reading Sailor Moon (need to get books 7+ from the library), and read Witch Hat Atelier: Kitchen. These are progressing smoothly, though since I've been buying so many books I've been focussing on the TBR goals and not the rereads or manga.

Some goals for July, specifically:

Read at least 5 of the "childhood favourites" I wanted to reread. This should be easy since they're all relatively short

Complete at least 1 manga goal (probably rereading Death Note since I own all the books - the others I have to get from the library)

Read some of the books that have been on the TBR shelf for a while instead of just the shiny new ones

And some goals for the latter half of the year:

No more buying TBR books (unless they're part of a series I've already started - this caveat added bc I know I won't be able to resist buying Thief of Night or Among the Burning Flowers). Need to request any new books I want from the library instead.

I can buy books that I've already read, but I'm also cracking down on my general budgeting for a while since I need to replenish my savings, so ideally I won't be doing any more big book hauls (at least for a few months lol)

I have ~110 books on my TBR and I'd like to get that down to <75 by the end of the year.

[tsunflowers]

In middle school i was obsessed with this disney channel sitcom, lab rats, it was during this weird time wherr they were trying to make sitcoms aimed at boys so they were like. half silly laugh track and half action hero show

the main kid leo's mom marries. essentially elon musk, narcissism and all, and finds out that he has been secretly raising three bionic teenagers in his basement laboratory (he hid this from his new wife. she only found out because the kid got down there.) and he was not giving them holidays or birthdays he was just training them to be secret soldiers

uh and then leo's like WELL THEY SHOULD GO TO HIGH SCHOOL. so they go to high school

anyways at one point I think the props department got lazy because in one episode elon musk (I forget his character's actual name. but seriously it's just elon musk) pulls out a device from a box and it's the KUUGA ARCLE?

It's only shown for a second and I don't think this was meant to be an easter egg. but yeah kuuga arcle in my high stakes disney sitcom was unexpected

I have to say this show has a killer premise. love the idea of a guy keeping some superpowered teens in the basement and his stepson is like no they have to go to high school

brian lowry seems like a real buzzkill

love that it's specifically bionics and they use the word bionic? I thought we left that behind in the 70s

and I love that the arcle was there randomly

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@thealmightyemprex

"Fox TV and Marvel Comics decided. By summer of 1993, the show had been a runaway No. 1 hit for six months and we had completed writing the second season of scripts, bringing the total stories to 26. At that point, Fox committed to three more seasons (39 more episodes), and I, executive Sidney Iwanter, producer Scott Thomas, and director Larry Houston visited Marvel’s New York offices to brainstorm and discuss various characters and bits of storyline we would all like to see in the next 39 half-hours.

“Phoenix” and “Dark Phoenix” were at the top of Marvel’s list.

The only direct adaptation we had made so far was “Days of Future Past,” which we had suggested, and it and the two Phoenixes were the only direct adaptations we ever committed to. Every other story used bits and pieces from the books, but these were the “big three.” 

Primarily we focused on Jean Grey (who was going through the Phoenix transformation) and on those people who cared most about her. Secondarily, we focused on Xavier, whose connection to Lilandra brought the worlds beyond Earth into our stories for the first time.

When we looked at the many subplots in the books, we trimmed them away or bolstered them, depending on how they helped support these two central through-lines.

We were excited to do it because we had felt that we had underused her in the first two seasons and this gave us a chance to give her more screen time. Second, by now we had established that she was a kind of emotional center for the team–someone who could talk honestly with any of the others, who understood them–so we knew she would sustain a good story focus for our team of X-Men.

As a “children’s show for Saturday morning TV,” we were always aware of the tight limits we had on sex and violence–limits far tighter than the comics had.

Luckily, since we were focused on Jean/Phoenix and Xavier and Lilandra, adjusting secondary characters wasn’t a big worry for us. Also, we believe we got the intensity of Jean’s Black-Queen sensuality across in her dialogue and in Catherine Disher’s performance. Jean-as-Phoenix is so much bigger, more dramatic, in animation than Jean-as-Black-Queen that we never felt the loss.

First, we knew from the beginning we couldn’t have Dark Phoenix destroy an inhabited planet, so we worked with that disappointing limitation from day one. We hope we got across how deadly she could be. Second, we very much believe that killing Jean off would have been the proper heroic sacrifice for the story.

We didn’t for two reasons. First, we needed her for the remaining 20 stories–a problem in all comics and serialized TV.

And second, we’d had a convincing seeming-death in “Phoenix,” which was then revealed to not be Jean’s end after all. We didn’t want to repeat that.

We thought up the shared sacrifice of the rest of the team (10% of their lives–a handy cheat) as a way around it.

I wish I knew (and that they had asked us to help). Animated TV comics-adaptations and live-action feature comics-adaptations are similar but not the same.

The great TV critic Brian Lowry thinks animation suits super-hero-comics adaptations better than live action–something about suspension of disbelief. Mutants with super-powers are hard enough–then in these cases you add space aliens. You can get lost in the spectacle.

I believe that the recent Spider-Man animated feature was better than any of the live-action movies, most of which I enjoyed a great deal. When in doubt, keep the story simple and trust in the characters to propel the story (the movie Logan is a good example).

She asserted herself. As writer Mark Edens and I laid out the first, then the second season of stories, we kept coming back to needing to use her in scenes, often to reveal depths of other characters.

She was an emotional center, trusted, a glue that helped keep the disparate team together. Luckily, she was a true legacy character, so no one ever felt we were being intrusive by featuring her."

(Eric Lewald)

[goalhofer]

2024 olympics Ireland roster

Athletics

Mark English (Letterkenny)

Andrew Coscoran (Balbriggan)

Cathal Doyle (Bettystown)

Luke McCann (Dublin)

Brian Fay (Dublin)

Thomas Barr (Waterford)

Christopher O'Donnell (Loughborough, U.K.)

Eric Favors (Haverstraw, New York)

Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport)

Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght)

Sophie Becker (Ballykelly)

Ciara Mageean (Portaferry)

Sophie Bideau-O'Sullivan (Melbourne, Australia)

Sarah Healey (Monkstown)

Jodie McCann (Dublin)

Sarah Lavin (Lisnagry)

Fionnuala McCormick (Wicklow)

Philippa Healy (Ballineen)

Kelly McGrory (Laghy)

Nicola Tuthill (Kilbrittain)

Kate O'Connor (Dundalk)

Badminton

Nguyen Nhat (Dublin)

Rachael Darragh (Letterkenny)

Boxing

Jude Gallagher (Newton Stewart, U.K.)

Dean Clancy (Sligo)

Aidan Walsh (Belfast, U.K.)

Jack Marley (Dublin)

Daina Moorehouse (Dublin)

Jenny Lehane (Ashbourne)

Michaela Walsh (Belfast, U.K.)

Kellie Harrington (Dublin)

Gráinne Walsh (Tullamore)

Aoife O'Rourke (Castlerea)

Canoeing

Liam Jegou (Huningue, France)

Noel Hendrick (Dunadea)

Michaela Corcoran (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Madison Corcoran (Montgomery County, Maryland)

Cycling

Ben Healy (Kingswinford, U.K.)

Ryan Mullen (Colwyn Bay, U.K.)

Megan Armitage (Tullamore)

Erin Creighton (Belfast, U.K.)

Mia Griffin (Glenmore)

Alice Sharpe (Cambridge, U.K.)

Kelly Murphy (London, U.K.)

Lara Gillespie (Dublin)

Diving

Jake Passmore (Leeds, U.K.)

Ciara McGing (London, U.K.)

Equestrian

Austin O'Connor (Mallow)

Cian O'Connor (Dublin)

Shane Sweetnam (Cork)

Daniel Coyle (Ardmore, U.K.)

Abigail Lyle (Bangor, U.K.)

Susie Berry (Dromore)

Sarah Ennis (Howth)

Aoife Clark (Dublin)

Field hockey

Kyle Marshall (Markethill)

Peter McKibbin (Belfast, U.K.)

Jonny Lynch (Lisburn)

Peter Brown (Banbridge)

Nick Page (London, U.K.)

David Harte (Ballinspittle)

Tim Cross (Melbourne, Australia)

John McKee (Banbridge, U.K.)

Matthew Nelson (Belfast, U.K.)

Daragh Walsh (Dublin)

Shane O'Donoghue (Dublin)

Sean Murray (Lisburn, U.K.)

Jeremy Duncan (Kilkenny)

Michael Robson (Belfast, U.K.)

Ben Walker (Glenageary)

Lee Cole (Shankill)

Ben Johnson (Waterford)

Golf

Rory McIlroy (Jupiter, Florida)

Shane Lowry (Dublin)

Stephanie Kallan (Phoenix, Arizona)

Leona Maguire (Cavan)

Gymnastics

Rhys McClenaghan (Dublin)

Rowing

Daire Lynch (Clonmel)

Philip Doyle (Banbridge, U.K.)

Fintan McCarthy (Skibbereen)

Paul O'Donovan (Lisheen)

Ross Corrigan (Enniskillen, U.K.)

Nathan Timoney (Enniskillen, U.K.)

Holly Davis (Bollincollig)

Alison Bergin (Cork)

Zoe Hyde (Killorglin)

Margaret Cremen (Rochestown)

Aofie Casey (Skibbereen)

Aifric Keogh (Furbo)

Fiona Murtagh (Galway)

Emily Hegarty (Skibbereen)

Natalie Long (Cobh)

Eimear Lambe (Dublin)

Imogen Magner (Ely, U.K.)

Rugby

Jack Kelly (Dublin)

Andrew Smith (Dublin)

Harry McNulty (Cashel)

Mark Roche (Glenageary)

Zac Ward (Downpatrick)

Chay Mullins (Bristol, U.K.)

Jordan Conroy (Tullamore)

Hugo Keenan (Dublin)

Hugo Lennox (Skerries)

Terry Kennedy (Dublin)

Gavin Mullin (Blackrock)

Niall Comerford (Dublin)

Sean Cribbin (Dublin)

Bryan Mollen (Glasthule)

Kathy Baker (Navan)

Megan Burns (Tullamore)

Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe (Dublin)

Alanna Fitzpatrick (Portarlington)

Stacey Flood (Dublin)

Eve Higgins (Kilcock)

Erin King (Wicklow)

Vicky Elmes-Kinlan (Rathnew)

Emily Lane (Cork)

Ashleigh Orchard (Belfast, U.K.)

Beibhinn Parsons (Ballinasloe)

Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow)

Sailing

Finn Lynch (Bennekerry)

Robert Dickson (Sutton)

Sean Waddilove (Howth)

Eve McMahon (Howth)

Swimming

Max McCusker (Harlow, U.K.)

Thomas Fannon (Torquay, U.K.)

Shane Ryan (Haverford Township, Pennsylvania)

Daniel Wiffen (Magheralin, U.K.)

Darragh Greene (Longford)

Conor Ferguson (Belfast, U.K.)

Grace Davison (Bangor, U.K.)

Victoria Catterson (Belfast, U.K.)

Erin Riordan (Whitegate)

Danielle Hill (Newtonabbey, U.K.)

Mona McSharry (Grange)

Ellen Walshe (Dublin)

Taekwondo

Jack Woolley (Dublin)

[annemariewrites]

List of all the books I’ve read

just wanted to keep a list of what I’ve read throughout my life (that I can remember)

Fiction:

“Where the Red Fern Grows,” Wilson Rawls

“The Midnight Fox,” Betsy Byars

“Vulpes: The Red Fox,” Jean Craighead George

“The Outsiders,” S. E. Hinton

“The Weirdo,” Theodore Taylor

“The Devil’s Arithmetic,” Jane Yolen

“Julie of the Wolves series,” Jean Craighead George

“Soft Rain: a Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears,” Cornelia Cornelissen

“Island of the Blue Dolphins,” Scott O’Dell

“The Twilight series,” Stephanie Mayer

“The Old Willis Place,” Mary Downing Hahn

“To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee

“Gamer Girl,” Mari Mancusi

“Redwall / Mossflower / Mattimeo / Mariel of Redwall,” Brian Jacques

“1984,” and  “Animal Farm,” George Orwell

“Killing Mr. Griffin,” Lois Duncan

“Huckleberry Finn,” Mark Twain

“Rainbow’s End,” Irene Hannon

“Cold Mountain,” Charles Frazier

“Between Shades of Gray,” Ruta Sepetys

“Great Short Works of Edgar Allan Poe,” Edgar Allan Poe

“Lord of the Flies,” William Golding

“The Great Gatsby,” F Scott Fitzgerald

“The Harry Potter series,” JK Rowling

“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Looking for Alaska,” and “Paper Towns,” John Green

“Thirteen Reasons Why,” Jay Asher

“Tiger Lily,” Jodi Lynn Anderson

“The Hunger Games series,” Suzanne Collins

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Stephen Chbosky

“Fifty Shades of Grey,” EL James

“Speak,” and “Wintergirls,” Laurie Halse Anderson

“Divergent / Insurgent,” Veronica Roth

“The Handmaid’s Tale,” Margaret Atwood

“Mama Day,” Gloria Naylor

“Jane Eyre,” Charlotte Bronte

“Wide Sargasso Sea,” Jean Rhys

“The Haunting of Hill House,” Shirley Jackson

“The Chosen,” Chaim Potok

“Leaves of Grass,” Walt Whitman

“Till We Have Faces,” CS Lewis

“One Foot in Eden,” Ron Rash

“Jim the Boy,” Tony Earley

“The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox,” Maggie O’Farrell

“A Land More Kind Than Home,” Wiley Cash

“A Parchment of Leaves,” Silas House

“Beowulf,” Seamus Heaney

“The Silence of the Lambs / Red Dragon / Hannibal / Hannibal Rinsing,” Thomas Harris

“Cry, the Beloved Country,” Alan Paton

“Moby Dick,” Herman Melville

“The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings trilogy / The Silmarillion,” JRR Tolkien

“Beren and Luthien,” JRR Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien

“Children of Blood and Bone / Children of Virtue and Vengeance,” Tomi Adeyemi

“Soundless,” Richelle Mead

“The Life She Was Given,” Ellen Marie Wiseman

“The Girl with the Louding Voice,” Abi Dare

“A Song of Ice and Fire series / Fire and Blood,” GRR Martin

“A Separate Peace,” John Knowles

“The Bluest Eye,” and “Beloved,” Toni Morrison

“Brave New World,” Aldous Huxley

“The Giver / Gathering Blue / Messenger / Son,” Lois Lowry

“The Ivory Carver trilogy,” Sue Harrison

“The Grapes of Wrath,” and “Of Mice and Men,” John Steinbeck

“The God of Small Things,” Arundhati Roy

“Fahrenheit 451,” Ray Bradbury

“The Night Circus,” Erin Morgenstern

“Sunflower Dog,” Kevin Winchester

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” Betty Smith

“The Catcher in the Rye,” JD Salinger

“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” Sherman Alexie

“Bridge to Terabithia,” Katherine Paterson

“The Good Girl,” Mary Kubica 

“The Last Unicorn,” Peter S Beagle

“Slaughterhouse Five,” Kurt Vonnegut Jr

“The Joy Luck Club,” Amy Tan

“The Sworn Virgin,” Kristopher Dukes

“The Color Purple,” Alice Walker

“Their Eyes Were Watching God,” Zora Neale Hurston

“The Light Between Oceans,” ML Stedman

“Yellowface,” RF Kuang

“A Flicker in the Dark,” Stacy Willingham

“One Piece Novel: Ace’s Story,” Sho Hinata

“Where the Wild Things Are,” Maurice Sendak

“Black Beauty,” Anna Seawell

“The Weight of Blood,” Tiffany D. Jackson

“Mulberry and Peach: Two Women of China,” Hualing Nieh, Sau-ling Wong

“The Weight of Blood,” Laura McHugh

“Rip Van Winkle; The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and other tales,” Washington Irving

“Everybody’s Gotta Eat: and Other Short Stories,” Kevin Winchester

“That Was Then, This is Now,” / “Rumble Fish,” / “Tex,” / “Taming the Star Runner,” S. E. Hinton

“Beneath the Moon: Fairy Tales, Myths, and Divine Stories from Around the World,” Yoshi Yoshitani

“Memoirs of a Geisha,” Arthur Golden

“Carrie,” Stephen King

“The Best Awful,” Carrie Fisher

Non-fiction:

“Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl,” Anne Frank

“Night,” Elie Wiesel

“Invisible Sisters,” Jessica Handler

“I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban,” Malala Yousafzai

“The Interesting Narrative,” Olaudah Equiano

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” Rebecca Skloot

“Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” Harriet Jacobs

“The Princess Diarist,” Carrie Fisher

“Adulting: How to Become a Grown Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps,” Kelly Williams Brown

“How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie

“Carrie Fisher: a Life on the Edge,” Sheila Weller

“Make ‘Em Laugh,” Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway

“How to be an Anti-Racist,” Ibram X Kendi

“Maus,” Art Spiegelman

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou

“Wise Gals: the Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage,” Nathalia Holt

“The Hobbit Companion,” David Day

“Persepolis,” and “Persepolis II,” Marjane Satrapi

“Foundations of Library and Information Science,” Richard E. Rubin and Rachel G. Rubin

“How to Write a Novel,” Manuel Komroff

“Reference and Information Services,” Melissa A. Wong and Laura Saunders

“Library and Information Center Management,” Barbara B. Moran and Claudia J. Morner

“The Nazi Genocide of the Roma,” Anton Weiss-Wendt

“Children of the Flames: Dr. Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz,” Lucette Matalon Lagnado and Sheila Cohn Dekel

“The Twin Children of the Holocaust: Stolen Childhood and the Will to Survive,” Nancy L. Segal

“The Organization of Information,” Daniel N. Joudrey and Arlene G. Taylor

“Two Watches,” Anita Tarlton

“The Ages of the Justice League: Essays on America’s Greatest Superheroes in Changing Times,” edited by Joseph J. Darowski

“Shockaholic,” Carrie Fisher

“Archives: Principles and Practices,” Laura A. Millar

“Managing Records: a Handbook of Principles and Practice,” Elizabeth Shepherd and Geoffrey Yeo

“Breaking Loose Together: the Regulator Rebellion in Pre-Revolutionary North Carolina,” Marjoleine Kars

“How to be Ace: a Memoir of Growing Up Asexual,” Rebecca Burgess

“Witness: Voices from the Holocaust,” edited by Joshua M. Greene and Shiva Kumar

“Low Country: A Southern Memoir,” J. Nicole Jones

[ididsomethingbadly]

The fact that you're reading Brian Sanderson + two other people I talked to this month are also reading Sanderson books is probably a sign I need to read one soon. Also love pride & prejudice 1995!

Do you have any recommendations for shorter "easy read" sci fi / fantasy books? I've been in a long book slump and am trying to find something to pull me out.

Sanderson is a fantastic author! I read his Mistborn trilogy last year and I loved it so much! The ending of the second book is incredible and it's one of my all time favorites! His books are really long but they keep my attention through them all (except the first battle/fight scene of each book is always a little boring to me, but once I get past that I'm hooked, lol).

I'm not sure if you'd consider all of these short or not, but they're on the shorter end compared to like the 1000+ pages that some fantasy books can be, lol.

For shorter/easier fantasy or sci-fi books I'd recommend:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (one of my top 10 favorites of all time)

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Farhenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

The Giver by Lois Lowry

And this last one is a little weird because I'd only recommend part of it, but The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. It's a collection of short stories that all fit together to form an overarching story but can be read individually as well. I don't think I've ever actually read all of the stories because they kind of get less interesting as the book goes on, but I would recommend the first few stories (through April 2000: The Third Expedition) as I love those so much! The other stories aren't bad, they just don't have the same feel as the first ones, I don't think.

Book slumps are so hard! I hope you're able to find a good book to get you out of it!!

[gray-ace-space]

What's the last book you read and why did you (dis)like it?

i said in a previous ask that it was killing for company by brian masters and that i liked it a lot but frankly think it's cringe that it was the last one. so i'll go one book back, which, not counting my 100000 good omens re-reads, was the giver by lois lowry. i only read it cause a youtuber i like (big joel) made a video abt how dumb its movie adaptation is and i was like that actually sounds like a book i would love. and i did! it's what i would describe as hauntingly beautiful, it's so simple and poetic and i really like utopian dystopias so. would recommend

[randomfoggytiger]

Continuing on:

DD and GA Knew Mulder and Scully Were 'End Game' from Day One

The X-Files: a Family Affair

The Truth Is Out There: the First Official Guidebook, and Analyses (All Parts)

Lowry's first entry to The X-Files's official guidebooks is enlightening. Highly recommend you pick up Book 1 and 2 (which I'm halfway through), at least-- it really contextualizes what was going on behind the scenes, in a good way.

The Truth Is Out There: Dispelling the Lingering Mysteries behind Chris Carter

The X-Files: A Day-in-the-Life On-Set

The Truth Is Out There: Gillian Anderson, a Resilient Rising Star

The Truth Is Out There: David Duchovny, Collaborator and Vancouver Captive

The Truth Is Out There: The Villains and Morally Gray

The Truth Is Out There: the Lone Gunmen

The X-Files (In-Depth): Scully's Pregnancy, Mulder's Abduction, and the Truth Behind Requiem and Season 8

[denimbex1986]

'Cillian Murphy delivers a powerhouse performance in Christopher Nolan‘s acclaimed biopic “Oppenheimer.” As J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, Murphy cuts a striking figure in his suit and hat with his piercing blue eyes staring out through IMAX screens and into the souls of cinema-goers.

The movie is Nolan’s first-ever biopic and explores how Oppenheimer went from a troubled, homesick student at Cambridge University to the leader of the Manhattan Project and the creator of the atomic bomb, which was later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Murphy’s Oppenheimer is a supremely intelligent man with political leanings and a brain that could consume anyone in the room with him. But he’s also a troubled man, burdened by the weight of what he is trying to achieve and aware that his creation will change the world — and not necessarily for the better. It’s a complex role and Murphy soars in it.

As such, Murphy finds himself at the top of our list of predicted Best Actor Oscar nominees for next year’s Academy Awards. We think that he will be nominated alongside Leonardo DiCaprio (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Colman Domingo (“Rustin”), and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”). This would be Murphy’s first-ever Oscar bid but we think he will go one better than a simple nomination. We think he’ll win on his first try. Here are five reasons why that could happen.

1. Murphy has the support of critics

It’s important to have the support of critics. Sometimes, actors have the support of critics for their performance but not necessarily for the film itself (think Brendan Fraser and “The Whale” or Rami Malek and “Bohemian Rhapsody”). But critics love both Murphy’s performance and Nolan’s movie itself.

Brian Lowry (CNN) wrote: “A Nolan favorite featured in several of his films, Murphy delivers a career-topping performance. Oppenheimer became haunted by the morality of what he had midwifed, and his messy personal life and affairs coexisted with his beautiful mind – a duality the actor conveys in a way that overshadows the bigger names in supporting roles.”

Christian Holub (Entertainment Weekly) explained: “Cillian Murphy rises to the challenge with an absolutely absorbing performance… The actor has proved his leading-man bona fides elsewhere (most recently in the long-running Netflix crime series ‘Peaky Blinders’) and finally brings that side of his skillset home to Nolan. No question, the close-ups on Murphy’s face as Oppenheimer thinks through the 20th century’s thorniest problems are as compelling as the film’s atomic explosions, and as deserving of the biggest screen possible.”

And Dan Jolin (Empire) observed: “At the film’s pulsing nucleus is Murphy as Oppenheimer, and he is compelling throughout. Given the movie’s hefty import, you’d have expected him to infuse every ounce of his talent into this performance, and that is certainly evident from his every moment on screen.”

2. Murphy stars in a biopic

This is the obvious one. Academy voters LOVE biopics. Six out of the last 10 Best Actor winners have won for playing real-life people in biopics, including Will Smith for “King Richard” in 2022, Rami Malek for “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2019, and DiCaprio for “The Revenant” in 2016. Moreover, voters particularly love actors who take on major historical figures who left a great impact on the world. Daniel Day-Lewis won for playing Abraham Lincoln in 2013 for “Lincoln.” Eddie Redmayne won for playing Stephen Hawking in 2015 for “The Theory of Everything.” And Gary Oldman won for playing Winston Churchill in 2018 for “Darkest Hour.” These are titanic historical figures who shaped the world we live in today. Murphy as Oppenheimer would fit in right alongside that crowd.

3. Murphy fully committed to the role

Murphy’s silhouette in the role of Oppenheimer is one of the most striking cinematic images of the year — and his co-stars have recently revealed that his behind-the-scenes efforts helped to contribute to that. Emily Blunt, who plays his on-screen wife Kitty, claimed that Murphy ate only one almond a day in preparation for the role. While Murphy’s exact diet hasn’t yet been disclosed, Murphy did say this to The New York Times: “I love acting with my body, and Oppenheimer had a very distinct physicality and silhouette, which I wanted to get right. I had to lose quite a bit of weight, and we worked with the costume and tailoring; he was very slim, almost emaciated, existed on martinis and cigarettes.” That shows a clear dedication to the role. Murphy also explained that he learned 3000 words of Dutch over one weekend for the role, too: “You break it down and say, ‘Alright, we need to work on this today.’ I used to set aside, ‘I’ll work on this for a week and I’ll work on that for a week.'”

Voters will appreciate this level of commitment to the role, as they have done before with past roles. They nominated Cooper in 2019 for learning how to sing and play guitar for his role in “A Star is Born.” They nominated Day-Lewis the year before that for learning how to sew and make dresses for “Phantom Thread.” They gave DiCaprio the win in 2016 for his extreme physical efforts for “The Revenant” and Matthew McConaughey won in 2014 for his weight loss for “Dallas Buyers Club.” And that’s not to mention Murphy’s accent for the role. There are too many performances to list that have included a stunning accent that has helped to lead to an Oscar nomination. Murphy could be next.

4. Murphy fits the bill of past stars who have won on their first try

Winning on your first try isn’t an easy achievement but it has been done before. Malek did it for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Casey Affleck did it for “Manchester by the Sea.” Redmayne did it for “The Theory of Everything.” Murphy fits in with those guys — he’s a respected actor who has been around the block more than most realize and who audiences admire (this is particularly true of Murphy — he is cherished by “Peaky Blinders” fans). Then, all of those performers made a splash in dramatic roles that feel like their first lead roles in major movies and they steal the entire show. People came away talking about Malek when they watched “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Redmayne was the talk of the town after his performance in “The Theory of Everything.” And Murphy is the same. This wouldn’t be a gesture nomination. It’s a major piece of work that the academy might not be able to look away from.

5. It’s an easy way to reward a film they love

...Given the strength of competition this year, it feels like we could be in for one of those years where three, four, or five films are handed one, two, or three Oscars each rather than one picture winning seven, eight, or nine awards. That means that some films will be snubbed in certain areas. Now, “Oppenheimer” will likely garner a hell of a lot of Oscar nominations, including bids for Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Murphy, Best Supporting Actress for Blunt, Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr, Best Adapted Screenplay, and a bunch of below-the-line nominations, too.

It remains to be seen how other films will be received but voters might want to give Best Picture to something else...

So, suddenly, 10, 11, 12, or 13 nominations could actually turn into zero wins.

But voters will want to reward “Oppenheimer” in some capacity and the obvious way to do that looks like Best Actor. It’s a powerful performance from a beloved actor breaking out in his first major leading role, it’s a film that is built entirely around Murphy’s central performance, and Murphy is the biggest takeaway from the film. In this early stage, it looks like “Oppenheimer” could be this year’s “Lincoln.” “Lincoln” was well-respected by the academy, earning the most Oscar nominations that year (12), including bids for Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg. However, the movie only won two Oscars — Best Actor for Day-Lewis and Best Production Design...'

[newssphere0]

See how players qualified for the British Open at Royal Portrush

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Players who are exempt or have qualified for the 153rd British Open at Royal Portrush on July 17-20. Players listed only in the first category for which they are eligible (a-amateur): British Open champions 60 or under on July 20 Xander Schauffele, Brian Harman, Cameron Smith, Collin Morikawa, Shane Lowry, Francesco Molinari, Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Zach…

[brodersensportspicks]

2025 U.S. Open - Results

US Open Champion is JJ Spaun at -1 Winner selected based on lowest total score to par

Andy (+32) (Winner)

Scottie Scheffler: +4

Ludvig Aberg: CUT(+8)

Tommy Fleetwood: CUT (+9)

Viktor Hovland: +2

Keegan Bradley: +9

Tyler (+40)

Rory McIlroy: +7

Joaquin Niemann: CUT (+10)

Sepp Straka: CUT (+11)

Tyrell Hatton: +4

Jordan Spieth: +8

Brent (+41)

Bryson DeChambeau: CUT (+10)

Xander Schauffele: +6

Brooks Koepka: +6

Patrick Cantlay: CUT (+8)

Matt Fitzpatrick: +11

Brian (+51) 

Jon Rahm: +4

Collin Morikawa: +8

Shane Lowry: CUT (+17)

Sam Burns: +4

Harris English: +18