#Five for Freedom Audiobook
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lightthewaybackhome · 3 months ago
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Watership Down by Richard Adams My rating: 5 of 5 stars 2024: I completely missed that last year was my 30th anniversary of when I first read this wonderful book. I will say that reading it yet again this year, I continue to have the same reaction: tears and loneliness when I finish. This book is like getting to go home and then having to leave over and over and over. A couple of new things this year: First, I decided that I'm going to alternate each year between the audiobook and the paperback. The years I read HP I'm going to use the audio book. Second, I somehow missed that Adams served in WW2 in the past, but always felt like he must have based on the way he wrote the rabbits. Lo and behold, it's in the introduction and I feel like an idiot. He did serve in WW2. You can really feel it in the book. Third, I was struck by the end when they listened to the doe tell a story about El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle and it's Hazel and Fiver's story. They had been woven into El-ahrairah's myth. For some reason that really stood out to me as something exquisitely beautiful. I'll miss my friends until next September. 2023: my goal was to read this book as quickly as possible, just really focus and soak it in. Man, I love this book. Every time I read it, I love it even more. The warrior story, Hobbit, Englishness of it all. It's just so good. 2022: Much like Lord of the Rings and Band of Brothers, this book feels like coming home. It's turned into one of my coziest reads and feels like very old friends. Each time I read it now, I'm struck by the WW2/Hobbit feel of it. The free rabbits stand up to the power-hungry tyrant and succeeding. Then, making life better for everyone. I love this book. 2021 re-read: finishing this on a cold, wet, lat November evening was perfect. This is the first time in years that I've read the book instead of doing an audio book. It took me a while to read it not in the narrators's voice, which made the reading slow going. Once I adjusted, I was fine. I love this book more every time I read it. It's such a perfect blend of fairy-tale, horror, nature documentary, and English warriors. I don't know why I'm always surprised by how hobbitish it is. The whole book is a bunch of Hobbits. Also, this time I was able to translate Bigwig's insult of Woundwart almost subconsciously. I just started laughing. I had to look one word up, but yeah, I just translated the Lapine into English. Again, just like reading Harry Potter, I don't understand how anyone who has read this book is buying into the idea that we can give up freedoms for safety without it becoming tyranny. It's never for the greater good. Love this book. Love it. ----- Third read through, so probably 4th or 5th time I've read this book. There were beautiful scenes that really stood out sharply, and I giggled at the creative cussing. But really, I just love everything about this book. ---- I just finished this book again as part of my Annual Autumn Reading. I love this book so much. I think I love it cause it's like reading a whole book just about hobbits. This is one of those books I love because I hate finishing it. I hate it. It just, I just cry and cry because it's like all my friends have kept running without me. ---- A beautiful story. probably one of my top five favorite books. Parts of it remind me of Lord of the Rings while others remind me of Band of Brothers. It has that very British Country feel that I love along with the mixture of happy and sadness, youth and old age, and then Just a hint of war. Beautifully done. View all my reviews
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kingsbridgelibraryteens · 8 months ago
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If this recent segment from Last Week Tonight With John Oliver about public libraries inspired any questions about libraries, banned and challenged books, unusual items that can be checked out from libraries, and library budgets, we're here to give you some answers!
You can learn more about libraries and what they have to offer, both in-person and digitally, by visiting their websites. Here in New York City we've got three different systems: 
New York Public Library (includes Bronx / Manhattan / Staten Island)
Brooklyn Public Library
Queens Public Library
You should definitely visit your local library system's website, but you can also expand your scope and look outside of your neighborhood. For example, did you know that you can get a New York Public Library card if you live, work, or go to school anywhere in New York State? And did you also know that you can access material from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled if you're a resident of the United States or even an American citizen living abroad?
Banned and challenged books have been a hot topic for years. Unfortunately, the topic is getting hotter all the time as the number of challenges is increasing! The American Library Association keeps track of books that are banned and/or challenged, and which ones are challenged most frequently. Dealing with book challenges is part of librarians' jobs year-round, but we give banned and challenged books extra attention once a year during Banned Books Week. The more time you spend visiting libraries and library websites, the more you'll discover book displays as well as book clubs and other events bringing more attention to the topic of banned and challenged books.
Okay, let's take a minute to talk about unusual things that you can check out with your library card. As you might expect, a library is a place where you can check out books (about the BERENSTAIN BEARS and many other topics), CDs, DVDs, and magazines. While we don't have any taxidermied animals to offer (!!!), at different branches in our system, patrons can check out things like seeds, launchpads, or even STEAM Discovery Kits which contain educational objects like games and telescopes. I'd like to make sure that you ALSO know that many libraries offer lots of digital resources like ebooks, audiobooks, & video as well as databases, so you can even have library access without leaving the house. And finally, you should know that some libraries have Take-Home Kits available for kids and/or teens, and those don't require a library card at all!
If you'd like to help restore budget cuts to your library, you can reach out to your local politicians directly, or sign letters of support virtually or in-person through your library. For example, right now at NYPL we're facing a new round of budget cuts which could reduce our library service from six days a week down to five days a week. We're asking people to show support for us by:
Signing a letter in person
Signing a virtual letter
or even filling out a virtual sticky note saying why libraries are important to you!
If you live outside of the New York City / New York State area, then please visit your local library's website and see how YOU can help keep libraries open and help protect your community's freedom to read!
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mommasaystoread · 1 year ago
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🏍️ 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 🏍️ Found family is one of my favorite romance tropes, and the Reynolds Restorations crew is a perfect example of found family. I've loved each couple in the series as well as the way the characters have grown through each book. I think Chase may very well be the "family member" who has grown the most. He is just the sweetest, and I'm so glad he finally got his turn at love. He and Hannah have crazy good chemistry, and they're both so darned lovable that you can't help but root for them - even when one or the other is being difficult. They're roommates, so we get a bit of forced proximity, which is as fun as it is frustrating with these two. As I mentioned, this is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone. That said, I'd still recommend reading from the beginning because once you've met any of these characters, you're gonna want to know more about them. Regardless of trope or even reading order, this whole series is just one more reason I can't get enough of Melanie Moreland and her characters that are like old friends I can visit from time to time. What can make an already five star read even better? Stellar narration, which we always get from John Lane and Maxine Mitchell. From the mutual, while secret, attraction to the vulnerability of these characters to steamy goodness, it all comes through in the performance by Lane and Mitchell. Whether you read the book or listen to it (or both), you can't go wrong with Under the Radar. Amazon #Kindle Unlimited https://geni.us/UnderTheRadar
Also available Audiobook & Paperback 🏍️ ABOUT THE BOOK One of the Donner boys. Troublemakers.
That was the reputation that followed Chase his whole life. Until he grew up and realized he could do better. Be better.
But that choice cost him. His freedom, his family, his chance at love.
By making amends, he found a different path. A new set of friends. A new family.
Life was good. He thought he’d finally found everything he needed.
Then she answered his ad.
Now the roommate he needs is the woman he wants.
Desperately.
How long can he keep his feelings under the radar?
Or is Hannah Gallagher the one to help him break free of his past once and for all?
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audiofictionuk · 1 year ago
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New Fiction Podcasts - 7th September
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The BEAM Chronicles New Audio Drama! There are no "superheroes." We don't even use that word: we call them Anomalies. And to us normal people, not blessed with the gifts of flight, or strength, or hyper-powered mech-suits, these Anomalies, regardless of their intentions, are a threat. They must be dealt with--they must be equalized. We are the Bureau for the Equalization of Anomalistic Metahumans, BEAM for short. We will solve the Anomaly problem, by whatever means necessary. The BEAM Chronicles is a sci-fi/super-hero fiction podcast hosted, written, and performed by storyteller MJ Dooney. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2007911 https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2007911.rss
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Of The Sword New Audio Book! A daily sword-based, micro-fiction anthology that will run in September 2023. The episodes each feature a different, unique sword and the story surrounding it. https://ofthesword.crd.co/ https://feeds.megaphone.fm/ofthesword
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Adventures in Aliandras's Podcast New Audio RPG! A new adventure set in a world full of political intrigue and ancient magic. https://adventuresinaliandras.buzzsprout.com https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2239506.rss
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Wind Walker New Audio Book! A thief with golden blood. Her sister, dreaming of freedom. And a mysterious lord offering them everything...if the last Wind Walker will steal from the tyrant who wants her dead. Wind Walker is a free, episodic audiobook podcast, following a fantasy novel bursting with vibrant characters, atmospheric settings, and countless twists and turns. http://nataliecrown.com https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2230955.rss
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Did We Level Up? New Audio RPG! In the midst of Dungeons and Dragons, Levelers come together to craft fun and succinct campaigns, just to go throwing beautiful natty 1’s.. From getting drowned by tentacles in Cthulhu Mythos, to futuristic robots C4ing themselves… while mysterious disappearances in detective noir fashion, on top of jumping and punching our way through anime styled destruction.. and of course, all the way down to the natural fantasy of D&D itself...The Goal?...To ENJOY the story, make stupid decisions, and to see how far we can keep a story running. Welcome to.. "Did We Level Up?" https://shows.acast.com/did-we-level-up https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/did-we-level-up
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Audio Drama Sunday Theatre New Audio Drama! Starting Labor Day weekend 2023, the Audio Drama Sunday Theatre brings the trending topic to life by celebrating and showcasing the modern-day audio drama. This show not only presents a platform for completed audio dramas everywhere, but it also allows the chance to interview cast and crew members. https://audiodramasundaytheatre.captivate.fm https://feeds.captivate.fm/audiodramasundaytheatre/
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The Low Budget Ghost Squad New Audio Drama! Ghosts?  No problem.  Murder mysteries?  Love them.  Cheap?  Of course.  Enter - The Low Budget Ghost Squad.  A mom and her two kids solve mysteries at haunted hotels.  A great podcast for parents and older kids/teens. In Season One – We find out what happened to Delilah Carrington who fell to her death in 1934 at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Her ghost has been seen for decades.  Was it murder?  Maybe more than one?  And there are more spirits to meet as well.  Did we mention that the Crescent is nicknamed “America’s Most Haunted Hotel?” https://www.buzzsprout.com/2242244 https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2242244.rss
When the Stars Fell New Audio RPG! A Dungeons and Dragons podcast about five adventurers on a quest to find long-lost artifacts that could bring order to a chaotic post-war continent. They will have crazy adventures on the way, and meet incredible friends and formidable foes. They will see all the beauty that Sha'Col has to offer and also its horrors. Join us every first and third Monday of the month for an incredible and funny adventure as we discover what happens When the Stars Fell! https://shows.acast.com/when-the-stars-fell https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/64ebfbc5565c27001225c83c
BadFiction New Audio Book! Creepy short stories and unsettling tales. https://www.olliefrancis.co.uk https://anchor.fm/s/e87d97e8/podcast/rss
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performanceaudio-blog · 1 year ago
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Time to forget Airpods! Try these true wireless earbuds alternatives
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When it comes to investing in a pair of good true wireless earbuds, the Apple AirPods are usually the first to come to mind. But are they really that impressive? there have to be better options on the market...
Luckily, there are quite a few worthy options on the market, and we take a look at a few of them.
But first, what should you be looking for in a pair of true wireless earbuds?
The first feature is noise-cancelling technology to prevent distraction, and the second is the impressive battery life that lasts as long as you need it.
Adding to the appeal of choosing to use true wireless Bluetooth earbuds is that they are small enough to fit in your pocket and give you the ability to listen to your favorite tunes wherever you go.
Moving back to the topic of noise-cancelling headphones, the concept is simple, they pick up background noise from the world around you and spin the sound waves around to cancel it out. On top of that, the design of the headphones also provides a degree of noise cancellation.
Additional things to look out for include:
1. Freedom
These days, most good wireless earbud manufacturers produce devices that will last at least five hours. We suggest that anything less than that may not be worth paying through the nose for.
2. Noise cancellation and other modes
Most true wireless Bluetooth earbuds these days offer noise-cancelling functions that can help reduce the chatter of the office and the noise of the morning train ride. However, it is also important that good wireless noise-cancelling headphones can sometimes let in external noise.
3. Support
Is there anywhere we don't take our wireless earbuds these days? Whether we are at home listening to audiobooks, on the train listening to podcasts, in the gym warming up to our favorite music, or connected to our laptop for a conference call, your headphones can be an extension of yourself.
That is why it is important to make sure that the headphones you choose will be able to support you every day, no matter what life throws at you.
4. Design and fit
This is one of the most important things when it comes to your wireless headphones. There is nothing more frustrating than having your buds fall out all the time, or worse, causing you discomfort. Silicone ear tips that are too big or too small will not be able to create a perfect seal in your ears, which means that you will not get good quality.
So, what are true wireless earbuds really?
True wireless earbuds are Bluetooth earbuds or IEMs that work without cables or wires between the earbuds.
A typical pair of earphones has a cable that connects the left and right earbuds whereas true wireless earbuds connect wirelessly to the audio source. Each earbud has its Bluetooth chip and antenna that allows them to connect, eliminating the need for wires between them.
The benefits of true wireless earbuds
Absolute freedom
Since they are completely cord-free, you can walk around without worrying about the cords getting tangled or pulling too much. 
Support for an active lifestyle
If you are always on the go, TWS is perfect for you. Additionally, some TWS come with an IP rating for sweat and water resistance, so you can wear them even when you're sweating or in the water. 
Sounds good
Good wireless headphones often have built-in buttons or touch sensors, allowing you to control playback or answer calls without taking out your phone.
Compact
Due to their small size, it is also easier to put a pair of TWS in your pocket or bag compared to headphones. And there are no cords to take up space either.
6 of the best Apple AirPod alternatives in 2023
Now, we can go on and on about the different true wireless earbuds currently on the market. Instead, we will save you time and list the best to make your life easier.
1. Ally Plus II
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Ref https://cleeraudio.com/earbuds/ally-plus-ii-true-wireless-noise-cancelling-earbuds-headphone/
These impressive headphones offer long-lasting battery life, great sound, and noise-cancelling technology.
• Up to 22 hours of battery life on a single charge
• 5-minute charge gives 1 hour of playtime
• Active noise cancellation
• IPX4 sweat and water resistant
• 10mm graphene driver
• Settings can be configured using the Cleer+ app
• Compatible with your phone's voice assistant
2. JBL Flow
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Ref https://www.jbl.com/wireless-headphones/JBL+REFLECT+FLOW-.html
These headphones are comfortable and great for enthusiasts. They have long-lasting batteries with great sounds that help you stay motivated while you work. • Up to 30 hours of battery life.
• Noise-cancelling technology
• Powerful bass
3. Earfun Air Pro
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 Ref https://www.myearfun.com/headphones/earfun-air-pro-anc-true-wireless-earbuds-black
For budget options, Earfun delivers. Not only are they easy to use and manage, but they are durable enough to survive rigorous training.
• Up to 18 hours of battery life
• Noise-cancelling technology
• Impressive sound and strong bass
• Water and sweat resistant
• Built-in microphone
• Easy control
4. Cleer GOAL
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Ref: https://cleeraudio.com/earbuds/goal-true-wireless-sport-earbuds-headphone/
When it comes to good headphones designed for active lifestyles, they are designed to fit perfectly while delivering clean sound.
• Up to 20 hours of battery life
• IPX4 sweat and water resistant
• 14mm power drivers
• Settings can be configured using the Cleer+ app
• Compatible with your phone's voice assistant
5. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro
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 Ref https://www.samsung.com/za/audio-sound/galaxy-buds/galaxy-buds-pro-violet-sm-r190nzvaxfa/
These headphones have unique features for next-level comfort. Fortunately, it won't fall off, even when you're working.
• Up to 8 hours of battery life
• IPX7 water resistance level
• Noise-cancelling technology
6. Master and Dynamics MW08
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Ref https://www.masterdynamic.eu/products/mw08-active-noise-cancelling-true-wireless-earphones
Although this is one of the more expensive options, they are 100% worth it. Made from ceramic and featuring powerful and rich bass, it has been carefully designed to deliver a premium listening experience.
• Battery life: 40 hours with charging box, 10 hours on a single charge with ANC
• Noise cancellation technology: active noise cancellation
• Sensing mode: yes, surround listening mode
• Waterproof: IPX5 rating which means it is sweat and water resistant
Conclusion
True wireless noise-cancelling headphones are designed to provide a pleasant escape from the chaotic world outside. By investing in a pair that offers excellent battery life, you can listen to your favorite podcasts and playlists without the world around you bothering you. If you find the idea appealing, we recommend picking up a pair today to enjoy a next-level audio experience.
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vreugd-madelon · 2 years ago
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Among Thieves Review
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Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn is a 339 page Young Adult Fantasy novel, the 1st in the Thieves series.
WHO NEEDS FRIENDS WHEN YOU HAVE AXES? Ryia ‘the Butcher’ Cautella has earned her reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the city – not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name. A deadly secret has kept Ryia in hiding, running from city to city, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster – sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms. But even the most powerful men can be defeated. One last impossible job is all that stands between Ryia and her freedom – but even the Butcher can’t do it alone. She teams up with the Saints, a crew of uniquely skilled miscreants, smugglers and thieves, to carry off a death-defying heist into the most tightly guarded island in the kingdoms – the Guildmaster’s stronghold. Unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own...
I rate this book 4.5/5 Stars.
I really enjoyed my time reading this book, also with a little help of the audiobook version, it made it an especially quick read. The setting of this book and the overall world is really interesting and creative. The soft magic system is really interesting and I wish we learned a little more about it. The characters were all very different, yet their voices were a lot alike, which meant that it took me a little while to understand who’s POV we were in. And with 5 rotating POV’s it at times felt like a lot for my mind. It was roughly at 50% that I finally understood who was who and what their own motives were.
I do recommend this book to others, especially if you like fantasy of heist novels.
Do you have any questions? Or maybe some recommendations? Send me an ask here on Tumblr or tweet me.  If you wish to support me, you can buy me a coffee! Or even buy my debut fantasy novel, The Mending Road.
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bisexualbaker · 1 year ago
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[Image one: @/letsgo-emxos says, "oh my god pls drop the female isekai protags title list these all sound so good." Image two: A screencap of a list of Otome/Princess Isekai (OI) Rec Chart. Under "Entry-level, light-hearted, 'if you liked HameFura…' are: Beware the Villainess!, I'll Be the Matriarch in this Life!, For Better or For Worse, and Middle-Aged Man's Noble Daughter's Reincarnation. Under "GirlBosses humiliated and murdered, reverse time to return the favor tenfold" are The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass, Untouchable Lady, Shadow Queen, and Angelic Lady. Under "Roughhousing Brawler Princesses" are The Lady and the Beast, A Royal Princess with Black Hair, My Secretly Hot Husband, and This Girl is a Little Wild. Under "OI but let's talk about systemic oppression" are Blinded by the Setting Sun, Lady Evony, Her Tale of Shim Chong, and The Princess Imprints Upon the Traitor. Under "Focus on the mental toll of abuse in a way that makes you feel like the author Gets It" are The Antagonist's Pet, What It Means to Be You, The Monstrous Duke's Adopted Daughter, and Just Leave Me Be. Under "Bonus! Extremely Problematic Women (perfect)" are The Villainess and the Woman Who Would Do Anything for the Sake of Love, and Protecting the Female Lead's Older Brother. End ID.]
More notes!
Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More is actually based on the light novel series Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start with Magical Tools; it's eight volumes of extremely slow burn and counting, and it's very easy to read Dahlia as aro-spec. The light novels also have a spin-off series called Lucia and the Loom, the first volume of which is best read between volumes 6 and 7 of Dahlia in Bloom.
The first season of the I'm in Love With the Villainess anime has completed and is available to watch for free, subbed and dubbed, on Crunchyroll! Go request a second season so we can see it get even more queer!
The first three volumes of the light novel series are also available as audiobooks now, just saying.
If you want another book with the same premise as ILTV, but more lighthearted, try A Lily Blooms in Another World! (Oneshot.)
Following My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom, "reincarnated as the villainess of an otome game" is now an incredibly popular girl!isekai trope. I'm personally fond of: The Weakest Manga Villainess Wants Her Freedom (oneshot) I Refuse to be Your Enemy (six volumes, complete) As the Villainess, I Reject These Happy-Bad Endings (oneshot) Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie (five-plus volumes, ongoing) Saint? No! I'm Just a Passing Beast Tamer (three volumes, ongoing) The Most Heretical Last Boss Queen (five volumes, ongoing?) I'd Rather Have a Cat Than a Harem (two volumes, complete) Deathbound Duke's Daughter (two volumes, ongoing online in Japan but the publisher unfairly cut it off at only two books; I recommend it even though we may never see an official ending, it is such a fantastic adventure story with deep and intriguing worldbuilding. Also there's a manga that, IIRC, hasn't been licensed in the US and may get published farther in the storyline than the novels did?)
There are a lot more though
Speaking of huge successes, how about The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent? Nine volumes and ongoing, with a manga, an anime, audiobooks, and a spin-off manga called The Other Saint.
I may be slightly addicted to light novels. Ask me for more info about any of these!
Isekai with male protags: "I was a loser on earth but now I'm super fucking strong and gettin mad bitches"
Isekai with female protags:
Reincarnated princess uses earth knowledge to make magitech a thing and romances sad girl
Girl romantically pursues her video game waifu
Girl is tasked to teach actual fucking gods to be more empathetic to humans
Woman reincarnated as the daughter of a magic item crafter uses earth knowledge to advance her trade
"Straight" girl is sucked into a world with zero men and lesbians everywhere and finds out she's sapphic (there's like actual plot but the gay is what matters.... to me)
A ghibli film. Need I say more
Woman reincarnated in video game as doomed villainess desperately tries to change her story
Girl reincarnated as a tiny baby spider kills monsters to level up
Like the male protag one but the lame guy's mom got isekaid with him and she's the op one.
Two normal girls fight urban legends in terrifying danger dimension
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mikerickson · 3 years ago
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When you get this, you have to answer five things you like about yourself, publicly. Then send this to ten of your favorite followers. (non-negotiable, positivity is cool ✨)
I love that Tumblr doesn't let you use regular formatting like numbered lists and bullets for answers. Super cool website.
1) I like the way I walk. I'm told I have a very distinct gait. When I'm not slowing down to keep pace with other people I zoom around all over the place and have gotten comments on it before.
2) I like my hobbies. I'm rarely bored and most nights I'm more inundated with choices and have to prioritize if I'm gonna read a book or practice an instrument or write or study something.
3) I like how I look. Not just my body (getting a home gym has been one of the best decisions ever because I'm way more consistent now and don't have to deal with strangers), but also the way I dress. Winter is mostly flannels that has me looking like a wannabe lumberjack and summer is just a parade of high shorts and tight-fitting shirts (top buttons undone, obviously). I've just really honed in on my personal idea of what masculinity looks like and it feels good to present myself that way.
4) I like that I still like learning. I was a pretty bad student in college (finished my first semester with a 1.4 GPA!) and just kind of went through the motions until I got a degree. But now that I'm not obliged to do it, I find that I enjoy researching new things in my free time. It's definitely a "mile wide, inch deep" kind of knowledge, but I do enjoy listening to audiobooks or reading nonfiction books I get from the library about stuff I feel like I didn't know about before.
5) I like being gay. Ten years ago that's definitely not something I thought I'd ever say, but it's true now. Being gay has brought me a wonderful partner, the vast majority of my current friends, newfound confidence and freedom from expectations, and many good memories.
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unimportant-ramblings · 3 years ago
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1-20
Anon said go crazy we stan
1. Book you've reread the most times?
I should be cool and arty here but the answer is Twilight <3
2. Top five books of all time?
Good question man fuck okay as of this moment, knowing this definitely has some recency bias as well as some cringe
a) Pride and Prejudice
b) Finishing The Hat by Stephen Sondheim
c) Little Women
d) The Sleeping Dictionary by Sujata Massey (what if memoirs from a geisha was good?)
e) fucking ...... Midnight Sun tbqh like yeah maybe I'm cringe but!
3. Favorite genre?
I'll read anything but I read a lot of sci fi, historical romance, and performing arts history
4. What sections of the bookstore do you browse?
Sale 😎😎😎
5. Where do you buy books?
Tbh I don't buy many books? I use the library for almost everything I read, both physically and digitally. I like being able to read as much as I want without having to budget, or picking up a book and having the freedom of just taking it back without the feeling of "but you paid $25 dollars for this :///"
When I do buy books, I shop at the local children's book store for my niblings, I use Libro.fm for any audiobooks I want to own that they have (use libro whenever you can! Support local book stores and you own the book outright!) and I use the Canadian chain Indigo because that's where people get me gift cards from
6. What books have you read in the last month.
These are my books for May thus far
A Load of Hooey by Bob Odenkirk (audiobook, short humor stories!)
The Break by Katherena Vermette (audiobook; intergenerational trauma of indigenous Canadian women ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare (paperback, second major publication of Reylo fanfiction ⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Just like Heaven by Julia Quinn (audiobook Bridgerton sidequest ⭐⭐⭐)
There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura ( audiobook women experienced burnout, goes job hunting ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Pride and Prejudice and other Spices by Sonali Dev (audiobook finally a good modern p&p ⭐⭐⭐⭐)
Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (graphic novel about female werewolves!)
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (reread, audio, regrettably ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)
7. Is there a series/book that got you into reading?
Probably a series of unfortunate events
8. What is the first book you remember reading to yourself?
I really have no clear idea, must have been a comic of some kind!
9. When do you tend to read most?
Because I do most of my reading through audiobooks, almost perpetually. I read a lot when I'm on walks!
10. Do you have a guilty fav?
Like I joke that Twilight is a guilty pleasure and it definitely was at one point, but when something brings you as much joy as Twilight and the surrounding fandom gives to me, it can no longer be classified as a guilty pleasure. I think the crown of thorns and roses books are at a similar level for me now, like not only will i read the next book Sarah j Maas writes in the series but I find myself kind of craving the next one like a sugar fix, even if it doesn't give me any sustenance. I spend a large amount of time frustrated with the book and then I'll cry over the ending. I guess I'm not that guilty about any of the books I read anymore Life's too short for finding guilt and things that genuinely make you happy?
11. Nonfiction books do you like if any?
Fucking love me some nonfiction books! One of the best nonfiction books I read last year was called A Mad Love: An Introduction to Opera by Vivien Schweitzer, cannot recommend it enough if you'd like to get into opera. Stephen sondheim's incredible books on lyrics Finishing The Hat and Look I Made A Hat are both perfect. Last year I read Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad, highly recommend, it's about cancer and being terminally/chronically ill, beautifully written. Oh and Catch And Kill by Ronan Farrow, and the audiobook is narrated by him as well. Nonfiction is good!
12. You enjoy any compulsory high school reading?
Well! I really enjoyed all the plays we had to read, and for the most part I don't think they were bad, but I also did not read them when I was supposed to. So it's a mixed bag
13. Do you have a goodreads?
You think I could read all these books and remember them without a goodreads?
14. Do you ever mark/slash dog ear books you own?
Sometimes! But I'm much more likely to take a picture of something I read.
15. Recommend and review a book.
In addition to the non fiction books above and the children's lit in my other post, the best thriller I read recently was The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz. I like thrillers in theory but I often don't end up actually liking them much as I want to. Either they are way too intense for my tastes, verging on horror (and I cannot deal with reading the death of a child so that greatly limits the titles I read) or they are tame, like all this mystery and I guessed the end immediately, and it's boring! With The Plot it was the perfect balance. I did guessed the ending early on, but watching it play out was, frankly, thrilling. It was almost a Greek tragedy, the way the end was inevitable. I also really enjoyed the focus on the publishing industry and the nature of story. Really good and a fairly quick read!
16. How many books have you read this year?
I've read 50 books as of this moment!
17. Top five children's books?
Answered!
18. Like historical books? Which time period?
Yes I like historical books!! I prefer my romances to be sent in Regency and I usually don't enjoy books centered around either world war but I'm not overly picky!
19. Most disliked popular book?
I no longer know if these are popular with the youths but they were popular when I read every single one of the Red Queen young adult books and hated every single minute of it I don't understand why they were so popular, they were billed as these young adult game of thrones and they were as shallow as a puddle
20. What are things you look for in books?
Answered!
Thanks for the ask!!!!!
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elennemigo · 4 years ago
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Benedict Cumberbatch will narrate the audiobook of ‘Patrick Melrose’ author’s new novel.
Benedict Cumberbatch is teaming up with Edwin St. Aubyn once more. The Patrick Melrose star will narrate the audiobook of St. Aubyn’s new novel, Double Blind, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively announce.
Set between London, Cap d'Antibes, Big Sur, and a rewilded corner of Sussex, Aubyn’s novel centers on three friends Olivia, Lucy and Francis and their inner circle and follows them through a year of transformation.
Publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux describes Double Blind as an “expansive, playful, and compassionate” novel that “investigates themes of inheritance, determinism, freedom, consciousness, and the stories we tell about ourselves.” “St. Aubyn’s major new novel is as compelling about ecology, psychoanalysis, genetics, and neuroscience as it is about love, fear, and courage,” the publisher continues. “Most of all, it is a perfect expression of the interconnections it sets out to examine, and a moving evocation of an imagined world that is deeply intelligent, often tender, curious, and very much alive.”
St. Aubyn has penned nine novels, having written the five acclaimed Patrick Melrose series of novels which were adapted into a five part-series on Showtime that starred Cumberbatch in the lead role. His work Mother’s Milk was shortlisted for the 2006 Man Booker Prize and won the 2007 Prix Femina Etranger and 2007 South Bank Show award for literature. Of Cumberbatch narrating his work Aubyn states, “I was thrilled when Benedict Cumberbatch offered to record the audiobook of Double Blind. To have such a brilliant actor reading my new novel is an immense privilege. It also means a lot to me, after his astonishing performance in the. television series of the Patrick Melrose novels, to be collaborating again with someone who has become a great friend.”
St. Aubyn added, “He brings the same deep intelligence and mimetic genius to his reading and characterization within a novel as he does to acting on screen or stage.” The audiobook and hardcover edition of Double Blind will be available on June 1.
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breynekai-tfc · 3 years ago
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This week, I’m reading…
Fiction - 🐌
Nonfiction - ◦ The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry (audiobook) ◦  Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain:  Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta Lynn Hammond ◦  How People Learn II:  Learners, Contexts, and Cultures (2018) ◦  Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement:  A Radical Democratic Vision by Barbara Ransby
Fanfiction - Local Barista Danny Fenton by ectolemonades (Danny Phantom)
THIS answered prompt by five-rivers (Danny Phantom)
Mr. Lancer: Reflection by floralflowerpower (Danny Phantom)
Grave Error I and II by imekitty (Danny Phantom)
Comics - 🐞
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Goodreads Annual Reading Challenge: 35 Books
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
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UC 51.07 - Durham vs Trinity, Cam
I am mildly obsessed with Audibooks. I listen to them on the way to and from work, and when I’m shopping, or doing the dishes, or if I’m going on a nice long bike ride. An average of an hour a day, which might not seem like all that much, and there will be people who listen far more than I do, but if a day is missed then you have to do two the next to catch up (because that’s how averages work, if I wasn’t already being facetious enough). Anyway, the other day I checked my listening statistics (if there’s something I love more than audiobooks its statistics) and saw that last Wednesday I supposedly listened to 36 hours of Stephen King’s Wolves of the Calla.
Now, setting aside the fact that the book itself isn’t that long, there is something wrong with that number isn’t there? It’d be good if there were 36 hours in a day, because sometimes it feels like I get home from work and only have to blink before its bedtime. There are so many things I want to be doing with that time and it disappears while I’m trying to choose one of them, and then if I do manage to get around to doing something, I feel annoyed that I haven’t been able to do all of the other things.
Its likely that if there were 36 hours in a day then I’d feel the same way. Procrastination, like the tasks it avoids, grows to fill the time available. So what can we do? There’s never going to be enough time to do everything, no matter how few (or many) episodes of the Americans we binge upon getting back from work. I guess you just have to prioritise, and make a grand plan which hopefully gets you to a place where you have the freedom to be able to do as many of the things you want to do as is possible, but of course that is a lot more difficult than it sounds, and it sounds pretty damn difficult.
This blog is one of the things I choose to prioritise, even if I did have a massive nap on Monday (and have waited until Sunday to actually post it) and watched four episodes of The Americans back to back yesterday, because if I want to be a writer, of any sort, and I do, then I have to write, and this is one of the things I have to write. So here we are.
Durham and Trinity, Cambridge are two of the few teams to have won a University Challenge trophy both sides of the Bamber Gascoigne/Jeremy Paxman ITV/BBC divide, with Durham the victors in 1977 and 2000, and Trinity the champions in 1974 and 1995, as well as 2014. In recent years the pair were defeated semi-finalists in 2020, losing out to Corpus Christi and eventual winners Imperial.
The first starter went to Trinity, with Neogi quickest to identify a series of words which shared the middle letter V. They get three out of three on the bonuses, before Kim chips in with his first (of many) ten pointer as well. He looks delighted to have got it, and Trinity miss their first question on the third bonus, guessing Pride and Prejudice as a Steven Spielberg film on the basis that the Keira Knightley film was released in 2005, which, as someone who has a bizarre memory for movie release years, was a tactic I respected immensely, even if it turned out to be wrong.
Durham get off the mark with the next starter, and also claim a hat-trick of five pointers, which prompts some more childlike glee from their captain Mitchell. One of the most wholesome things on television is quiz contestants' nervous pleasure when they get a question they didn’t think they knew right.
Unfortunately for Durham there would be no innocent wonder on their part for quite some time. A couple more from Kim, with a few from Brekke thrown in as well, allowed Trinity to open up a handsome lead before their Northern rivals could get going again. When they did get a foot in the door, through Hetherington, it must have been a fairly small shoe size (maybe a two or a three), because Trinity were able to slam the door shut again pretty easily.
The door-slamming answer, from Kim again, was probably the most impressive buzz of the evening, with his confident 1780s coming very soon after the first of what would surely have been many clues pertaining to that decade. Paxman says to Durham that there’s plenty of time to catch up. There is, but they don’t.
The Cambridge quartet extend their lead even further with the next two starters. Neogi admits to tuning out of one of the bonuses, but this doesn’t matter. They’ve got it in the bag anyway. Durham manage to give themselves an air of respectability, but don’t come anywhere close to a high-scoring loser total.
Final Score: Durham 90 - 190 Trinity, Cam
Paxman says that Trinity’s score is really quite good, and its not like, bad, but its not exactly incredible. Anything less than 190, especially when their opponents are kept to double digits. Anyway, Paxo seems to be much more easily impressed than he was a few years ago, so this is hardly all that surprising.
As always, thanks for reading, and if you’d like any more UC content, I’ve done exclusive reviews of the 2015/16 series over on Patreon. I’ll be publishing the review of the final over there later this week. See you next week.
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bibliophilicwitch · 5 years ago
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B O O K W Y R M    R E A D A T H O N
Would a readathon have been perfect during March and/or April? Yes, but I was still working and didn’t have the chance to plan one. There’s a lot going on that is more important than a readathon right now, but also maybe we could use this as an excuse? An excuse to take a break for our mental health or an excuse to devour a couple of topical books? All I know is that I hope you will join me for the second round of the Bookwrym Readathon running from Monday, June 15 through Sunday, June 21.
The Bookwyrm Readathon includes daily prompts to encourage community interaction. The Daily Prompts include two questions (mostly) to allow more freedom in case a single question does not inspire participants. Participants can respond to as much or as little as they wish for each Daily Prompt. Participants are also encouraged to respond to the Daily Prompts in whatever format they are most comfortable with.
The Dragon’s Challenges are for those that like an extra challenge added to their readathon experience. Go ahead and challenge yourself to strike off as many challenges as you can over the course of the Bookwyrm Readathon.
D A I L Y   P R O M P T S
Day Zero: To-Be-Read | Before the readathon starts, share what you are hoping to read. Don’t be afraid to be adventurous - you’re a dragon now.
Day One: Dragon’s Fangs | What is a book you devoured in one sitting? Oh, you’re not one to gorge yourself? What is an overused trope that makes you bare your fangs in anger?
Day Two: Dragon’s Claws | Sharpen those claws and get ready for a fight. Share an unpopular opinion. Or talk about a book or series that you didn’t like that everyone else does.
Day Three: Dragon’s Wisdom | Some dragons are known for being bloodthirsty and terrifying. Other dragons are known for the wisdom they have to share. Share a book, author, or booklr recommendation.
Day Four: Dragon’s Scales | Scales are a dragon’s natural defense, what ship(s) would you defend to your last breath? Not into shipping characters? What is a book theme that defends and builds that you strongly support? (Examples could include gun violence with The Hate U Give or LGBTQ+ stories such as Let’s Talk About Love)
Day Five: Dragon’s Wings | Take flight into the heights of imagination and share a book that took you to a fantastical world. Or share a book that has inspired you to reach for your dreams.
Day Six: Dragon’s Hoard | All dragons hoard things though many hoard vastly different things. What is the genre that makes up the majority of your personal library and that you would call your favorite? Or share some of your favorite bookish items such as a bookmark collection, bookish Funko Pops, fanart prints, or other paraphernalia from your favorite books and series that you have collected.
Day Seven: Dragon’s Magic | Ah yes, the magic of a lazy Sunday. That’s right, time for Tomes and Tea! Share a picture of your current read and reading treat. Not one for book photography? Take a moment to share a favorite quote, gush about a favorite character or scene, or rant about your least favorite read.
Day Eight: Wrap-Up | The mundane has returned and our fun is over. Wrap-up your whirlwind reading week with what you were able complete and your general opinion on what you read.
D R A G O N ’ S   C H A L L E N G E S
Read a book under 150 pages.
Read a book over 450 pages.
Read an audiobook. (Or read physical if you usually read audio!)
Read a book that has been on your backlist for over a year.
Read a diverse book. (Might we suggest Black voices?)
Read a genre that is outside of your usual preferences. (Nonfiction on racism would be a great choice.)
BONUS: Read a book with dragons (or “monsters” if that isn’t your thing)
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with-a-martyr-complex · 4 years ago
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With A Martyr Complex: Reading List 2020
Adapted from the annual list from @balioc​, a list of books (primarily audiobooks) consumed this year. This list excludes several podcasts, but includes dramatizations and college lecture series from The Great Courses, which I consume like a disgusting fiend. Rereads of things I haven’t read since my youth are marked with an asterisk (*)
1. Strategy: A History by Lawrence Freedman (begun 2019)
2. The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker
3. A World in Disarray by Richard Hass
4. Making the Unipolar Moment: US Foreign Policy and The Rise of the Post-Cold War Order by Hal Brands
5. The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
6. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
7. The Wise Men: Six Friends and The World They Made by Evan Thomas and  Walter Isaacson
8. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris 
9. The Silence of The Lambs by Thomas Harris
10. So You’ve Been Publically Shamed by Jon Ronson
11. Turning Points in Middle Eastern History by Eamonn Gearon (from The Great Courses)
12. The Soldier and The State: The Theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations by Samuel P. Huntington
13. A History of Eastern Europe by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicus
14. Whore Carn(iv)al by Shannon Bell
15. Redeployment by Phil Clay
16. The Fall of Carthage: The Punic Wars 265-146 BC by Adrian Goldsworthy
17. Great World Religions: Judaism by Isaiah M. Gafni  (from The Great Courses)
18. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (Translated by Christine Donougher)
19. Why Honor Matters by Tamler Sommers
20. The Surveillance State: Big Data, Freedom, and You by Paul Rosenzweig (from The Great Courses)
21. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien* (read first 2 stories in High School)
22. Too Like The Lightning by Ada Palmer
23. The Making of The Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
24. Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer
25. The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order by Sean McFate
26. The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
27. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
28. The Will To Battle by Ada Palmer
29. Genghis Khan and The Making of The Modern World by Jack Weatherford
30. Nixonland: The Rise of a President and The Fracturing of America by Rick Perlstein
31. Reaganland: America’s Right Turn 1976-1980 by Rick Perlstein
32. Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut
33. The Renaissance, The Reformation, and The Rise of Nations by Andrew C. Fix  (from The Great Courses)
34. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
35. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
36. What It Is Like To Go To War by Karl Marlantes
37. The Rescuer by Dara Horn
38. Faust: Parts I and II by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Part I translated by Charles T. Brooks, Part II translated by Albert G. Latham)
39. The Machiavellians, defenders of freedom: A doctrine of political truth against wishful thinking by James Burnham
40. Animal Farm by George Orwell
41. The Storm Before The Storm: The Beginning of The End of The Roman Republic by Mike Duncan
42. The Complete Book of Five Rings by Miyomoto Musashi (edited and translated by Kenji Tokitsu) 
43. A History of Russia: From Peter The Great to Gorbachev by Mark Steinberg  (from The Great Courses)
44. Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism by Anne Applebaum
45. If This Isn’t Nice, What is? Advice for The Young by Kurt Vonnegut (assembled by Dan Wakefield)
46. [Redacted]
47. The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
48. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
49. The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis
Incomplete (not counting those from the 2019 list):
International Relations: Brief Sixth Edition by Joshua S. Goldstein and Jon C. Pevehouse
Several study guides for various government exams.
--
Great Courses consumed: 5
Non-Great Courses nonfiction consumed: 26
Fiction: 17
Remainder: Don’t ask me to categorize The Things They Carried
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Works consumed in 2020 by men: 42
Works consumed in 2020 by women: 7
Works consumed in 2019 by both men and women: 0 (1 work of a woman translating a work by a man)
Works that can plausibly be considered of real relevance to Foreign Policy: 13 (including several histories)
--
With A Martyr Complex’s Choice Award, fiction division:  Too Like The Lightning
>>>> Honorable mention: Redeployment, [Redacted], The Golem and The Jinni
With A Martyr Complex’s Choice Award, nonfiction division: Nixonland: The Rise of a President and The Fracturing of America
>>>> Honorable mention: The Fifth Risk
>>>> Great Courses Division:  A History of Russia: From Peter The Great to Gorbachev
The Annual “An Essential Work of Surpassing Beauty that Isn’t Fair to Compare To Everything Else” Award: Les Miserables (but just the good parts)
>>>> Honorable mention: Mother Night
The “Reading This Book Will Give You Great Insight Into The Way I See The World” Award:  What It Is Like To Go To War
>>>> Honorable mention: The Fifth Risk
The “I’m Sorry That The Acknowledgements Page of Your Book Was Better Than The Book Itself, Because Your Book Was Quite Good” Award: Seven Surrenders
The “Nice Try At Stabbing Me, But I’ve Grown As A Person and You Are Only Dealing Glancing Blows” Award: Notes from Underground
The “Please Stop Talking About Internecine Drama Between Obscure Feminist Organizations of the 1980s and 90s and Go Back To The Really Insightful Stuff” Award: Whore Carn(iv)al
The “I Need To Go Through This In a Different Format and with a Different Translation Because this Did Not Work for Me” award: Faust: Parts I and II (especially part I)
--
I originally thought I’d hit 50, but my math was off by one. I think all of us can agree that this was a disruptive year. A lack of work messed with my reading a good deal. I hit quite a few things that have been on my list for a while, used these books to both get a boyfriend and a fandom, and used a lot of these during many bouts of exercise. 
My foreign policy focus for the year strayed after the first few months, but a focus on history kept being useful and relevant. 
Goals for 2021: Actually hit 52, more books on the nature of war, more philosophy.
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theastrophilearchitect · 4 years ago
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February 2021 wrap-up.
Every book, audiobook, tv show and movie I consumed in February.
The phrase ‘wrap-up’ is so boring. I want to talk about books, TV shows and movies, so I can’t even call it a ‘reading wrap-up’, however pleasingly alliterative that sounds despite the fact that ‘wrap’ actually begins with a W. One of my favourite YouTubers, polandbananasBOOKS (that capitalisation is loud) calls her wrap-ups ‘Stories I Ate This Month’ which I love, but using exactly that seems wrong. I genuinely debated calling this ‘My Media Diet’, but the word ‘diet’ has so many negative connotations to me, so I dropped that. Besides ‘wrap-up’ all in lowercase followed by a full stop is aesthetically pleasing.
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The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (audiobook) I’ve read this series countless times. I read the series first time through six years ago, and, after finishing it, I just kept rereading it during silent reading time at school, so God only knows how many times I’ve read it at this point. This is actually the second time I’ve listened to this audiobook, and I still, of course, love it. When I first read it, this book stuck with me. It was the first teen book I ever read and, most unfortunately, put me into a dystopian phase. However, we got over that. I’m good now. I promise.
You know what this is about, but here it is anyway: in a dystopian future (of literally just North America, it never mentions what’s happening anywhere else), a country called Panem (literally the whole of North America) is divided into the luxurious, utopian Capitol, and thirteen districts, all of which gather or produce something for the Capitol. Some of the districts live in poverty, while others are afforded some luxuries but nowhere near those of the Capitol. It never really explains how this system came to be, but then there was a rebellion against the Capitol in which District Thirteen was destroyed, and every year two teenagers from each district are chosen to compete in the Hunger Games, where twenty-four tributes are put in an arena together to fight to the death, and the last person standing emerges victorious. It feels so strange to talk about the basic premise of this book without going into the rest of the trilogy, but I’ll leave it here.
I hate how the media washes this book out and plays it off as just another love triangle, which it barely even is. It has such an important message about society, and the fact that the media does that just proves how accurate it is. I can’t believe when I first read it I was actually Team Gale, but in truth I think that was just because I liked Liam Hemsworth better than Josh Hutcherson, which I still do, but not the point. Anyway, the narrator is excellent.
I’m not giving these booksa rating, both because it’s a reread and I like to base ratings off my initial opinion, and because the first time I read this book I was literally a small child, and part of my love is the nostalgia.
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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab
This was the first book I read with my eyes this month, and I ended up getting the ebook because it was just so much cheaper than getting a physical copy - I may have invested if I loved the UK cover as much as the US, I’m ashamed to say (above is UK). It was not what I was expecting.
This book was much more contemplation-heavy than I was expecting and actually very light on plot. In 1714, Adeline LaRue runs away from her wedding and prays to Gods, wishing to be free, and is answered by the darkness, who makes her a deal: he grants her immortality, and she promises him her soul when she doesn’t want it anymore. He, wanting her soul, twistedly grants her freedom by cursing her to be forgotten by everyone she ever meets. Three hundred years later, she meets someone who remembers her.
It’s really about life, freedom and time - there’s no direct message or moral, at least not that I picked up on, but it really makes you think. I do enjoy that in a book, but not as much as one where i just love the story. I generally prefer books where I’m rooting for the characters, and it’s full of ships - the kind of stories you would write fanfiction about, but this is the kind of book that I think will stick with me. I take issue with how cliché the ending was, though.
Anyway, I’m not actually sure how I want to rate this. As a British teenager, I’m not actually that familiar with lettered ratings, and I don’t really want to use stars, but I think I’m going to suck it up. Maybe I’ll think of something else eventually.
Rating: 4.5 stars - books that get five stars from me are generally based on the enjoyment factor, but this book deserved more than four.
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Arrow Season 1
I’ve been semi-interested in the Arrowverse/DC TV universe for a while, and finally took the opportunity to delve in. This show is so insanely CW - everyone has that look, it has that tone and it takes itself way too seriously. By the 23rd time you’re hearing it, the recap becomes painful to listen to.
This was the first show in DC’s saga - the show picks up as Oliver Queen returns home from being stranded on an island for five years after a cruise ship sank. When the ship went down, his billionaire father sacrificed himself to save Oliver, and left him with a list of ‘the people poisoning [his] city’. Upon returning home, Oliver becomes the vigilante who will eventually become known as ‘Arrow’ or ‘Green Arrow’ (currently unclear; I’m not a comic book person) but is currently dubbed just ‘the Hood’ or ‘the vigilante’, with the goal of taking down the people on the list. It’s very intense.
It took me about ten episodes to actually get invested - which is nearly seven hours watch time - but, ultimately, I’m glad that I did. Aside from the excessive CW-ness of this show, I love the characters and I want to see what happens.
Still, why is everyone so obsesses with Laurel? What’s so great about Laurel? I don’t get it. Felicity is 10000% the best character - she’s relatable, cute, and I high-key ship her with Oliver.
This little rant of mine was unintelligible.
Rating: 4 stars
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Guardians of the Galaxy
I’m not explaining what this movie is about. Honestly. This was just a rewatch: I’m currently rewatching every MCU movie in chronological order (as in, starting with Captain America: The First Avenger instead of Iron Man). For every TV season I finish, I watch a a movie, and I alternate between movie series, one of which is, at the moment, MCU films. It’s hard for me to briefly explain my weird watching patterns.
I love this movie so much. It was the first really upbeat MCU movie, and I love the characters.
I don’t really have much to say about this, but if you haven’t watched MCU movies, please watch them. Even if you don’t want to, this movie is absolutely worth watching and you don’t need to watch any other MCU movies for context.
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I Am Not Okay With This Season 1
I’m reeling from this show. I literally can’t tell whether or not this is getting a second season; it seems like it was meant to, but then got cancelled, and now I can’t tell.
This show follows a high school student named Sydney. She’s your typical outcast, and isn’t interested in getting ‘in’ - she’s best friends with a girl named Dina; they both came to their school around the same time and ended up friends, though Dina is your typical pretty girl. Then Syd discovers she has powers that operate based on her emotions, and I really don’t want to say anything else. But it does star Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff, who you likely know as two of the kids in IT (the clown movie, not like computing).
Honestly, episodes 1-6 were very chill, more focused on teenage life than her powers, then episode 7 brought it. Up until the end of episode 7, I enjoyed the show and would be happy to watch a second season, but I wasn’t particularly invested or excited by it. Then episode 7. I would love a second season of this show. I have to at least know where the writers were going with it.
This show came out last year, and I only just got to it, but I can’t believe I haven’t heard anybody talking about it. It’s intense, it’s entertaining, and the first season will only take up about two and a half hours of your time (it’s seven 19-28 minute episodes).
Rating: 4 stars
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Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
I listened to The Raven Cycle audiobooks in 2019, and I’m not sure why because I didn’t even enjoy them that much. I did, however, decide I wanted to read Call Down the Hawk, the first book in the spin-off series, and that meant I had to reread The Raven Cycle since I had paid so little attention to the audiobooks, which I started in January and I love this series. Not what I expected from a reread of a series I paid virtually no attention to, but here we are.
This is book 3 in The Raven Cycle series, book 1 being The Raven Boys, which is a paranormal book in which the protagonist Blue, is the only non-psychic in a family of psychics, and has been told her whole life that if she kisses her true love, she will kill him. Then, on St Somebody’s Eve (Mark’s? I want to say Mark’s but I’m not sure), when she goes with her aunt to see the spirits of the people who will die in the next year, she sees one of the spirits, a boy from Aglionby Academy, the local private school, meaning he is either her true love, or she is the one who kills him, which in her case, could very much be both. Then that boy schedules a reading with her psychic family to help him find an old Welsh king, and there is so much more than that to this glorious series, but I’ll stop here.
I think my main thing in books and general media is the characters. They have to follow some kind of sensible plot, but if I’m not invested in the characters, I can’t get invested in the story. I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever been so in love with a cast of characters, not even in Six of Crows - this story is so character-driven, and I can’t get enough. This was an excellent continuation, and so much happened, but it did feel like its purpose was just to set up the final book, so I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the previous two.
Rating: 4 stars
As for The Raven King - this was the last book I read this month, finishing it on the morning of the 27th because I knew I would have very little reading time from mid-afternoon until twenty-four hours later.
In complete honesty, I found the climax of this book to be a little rushed - we spend the whole series aware that Gansey’s looking for Glendower, but it never seems to be more prevalent than just their general investigations as to what the hell is happening. As a result, when it came to that in this book, it felt a little out of the blue (no pun intended).
Regardless, this series so well balances strong characters and strong plot where so many others fail, and I love it.
Rating: 5 stars
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Fate: The Winx Saga Season 1
This show is a live-action rated-15 Netflix adaptation of one of my favourite childhood shows, Winx Club. And, honestly, you can tell.
I tried to watch this objectively, instead of complaining about how they cut some of my favourite characters and changed so many (Tecna, Riven, Beatrix, Stella, Brandon etc.). While I was upset about some of the cuts, I can agree that they were best for the story. Where in the original, every fairy had their own unique powers, this adaptation splits it into five elements: fire (Bloom), water (Aisha - on another note, screw Aisha, honestly), air (Beatrix), earth (Terra) and mind (Musa), though Stella still has light powers? Which is never explained?
Anyway, this follows teenage Bloom as she discovers she’s a fairy and goes through her first year at a fairy school called Alfea.
I’m not going to go too deep into this because I have so much to say about this show that i think I’m going to make a whole separate review rather than bore you with it now. 
Quality-wise, this show was mediocre, but enjoyment and nostalgia raise its rating for me because I’m biased.
Rating: 4 stars
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Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
This is both Bardugo’s first adult novel and her first novel not set in the Grishaverse. I read the Grisha trilogy for the first time years ago and didn’t like it that much, but followed that right up with the Six of Crows duology which I loved. I read King of Scars in 2019 when it came out, and started listening to the King of Scars audiobook just before I started reading this in preparation for Rule of Wolves at the end of March.
I loved this. I don’t think I have anything to criticise quality-wise - the characters had depth, there were plot twists and strong subplots, the world was incredibly well built, and the only thing that got me to put this book down was taking a week to start working on my own writing project (post coming soon). Because I took that week completely off reading, this book took me about two weeks total from start to finish, but it was so worth it.
This novel follows Alex Stern, a twenty-year-old whose friends have all been murdered. She was found beside one of them who died of a overdose, with the same drug in her system. But Alex can see ghosts, and, soon after her friends’ deaths, is consequently offered a scholarship to Yale University, on the condition that she works for the ninth House of the Veil to monitor the activities of Yale’s secret societies.
In complete candour, I found this book somewhat convoluted, though most of that was probably mainly my own poor reading comprehension. Regardless, I loved the plot, and am very highly anticipating the eventual release of its as-of-yet unnamed sequel.
Rating: 4.5 stars
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Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
So I actually finished this audiobook briefly after finishing Blue Lily, Lily Blue, but I’m tacking it on here because I forgot to add it to the list and already explained my Grishaverse experience in my Ninth House comments.
So, yes, I love this duology, and it really opened a new compartment in my writing brain, even though I haven’t really taken advantage of that writing brain until now (again, post coming soon).
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King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
I am realising I’ve read eight books this month, and nearly half of them were by Leigh Bardugo. Which makes sense, considering how much I enjoy her books.
This book is slower-paced than most of hers, but it does follow two (one of which splits again) completely separate storylines, and is still excellent and entertaining.
I listened to this for a recap before Rule of Wolves is released on March 30th.
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vaenire · 4 years ago
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3 and 12 for the book meme? I finally have the time (and freedom due to unemployment) to read...
thanks Jordan!! 
3. What were your top five books of the year?
Asegi Stories: Cherokee Queer and Two-Spirit Memory by Qwo-Li Driskill
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Real Queer America: LGBT Stories From Red States by Samantha Leigh Allen
The Bioarchaeology of Violence edited by Ryan P. Harrod and Debra L. Martin
and i’m struggling to choose a fifth so... i’m opting out lskdjlfd
these four were really good ones and really started paradigm-shifts for me in several different directions. I would say Real Queer America and Braiding Sweetgrass had the greatest impact with the easiest reading (or listening, since I think those were both audiobooks I listened to). I really suggest them! (Bioarchaeology was probably more impactful to me as someone planning to go into that field...) 
12. Any books that disappointed you?
Tomlinson Hill: Sons of Slaves, Sons of Slaveholders by Chris Tomlinson. 
Ummm there was some good gems and interesting moments, but overall it could be summed up in about 1/10 of the length. reading a good summary of it is probably just as impactful as the overall book. I’d suggest reading the foreword if you can find it somewhere, written by LaDainian Tomlinson whose family were enslaved on Tomlinson Hill
(end of year book ask meme)
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