#I'm so glad the book goes more into the fact that he makes soap

[ryanhavethsnapped]

Side note, 20 DOLLARS? PER BAR? IN 1996?

Gurl, Tyler was getting that PAPER

[litsnobconfessions]

The Women or Why is Everything a Soap Opera?

Books completed in 2025: 9

Books started in 2024: 2

Mystery: 4

Fantasy: 3

Coming of Age: 1

Historical Fiction: 3

Romance: 1

Young Adult: 1

Nonfiction: 1

Horror: 1

Most Recently Read Book: The Women by Kristen Hannah

The following review contains spoilers. Also, content warnings for death, war, and child loss.

I have an alternate title for Kristen Hannah's The Women: "A Woman Goes to Vietnam and Gets invovled with Married Men." More specifically, she gets invovled with married men who are presumed dead, but later turn up alive (she has a type.) When Jamie showed up, I was annoyed. The romance between the two of them felt forced, cliched, and overly dramatic. I think my problem was that it escalated very quickly. Now, I'm not a Vietnam vet. I have never worked in a MASH unit, so I could be totally off base here. Maybe that context makes everything different (it's genuinely possible.) But from my perspective, once Frankie found out he was married, the book's focus became about how much she loved him, but how she had to refrain from acting on their feelings to protect their honor, and it felt like a lot of tell, don't show. And then he got mortally wounded (on his way to see his wife) and written off page, and the story turned to what it seemed to be about in the first place--the experience of nurses in Vietnam.

When she met up with Rye again, I actually enjoyed it. It felt like a romantic subplot which was balanced with the rest of the story. From there, the book depicted the experience of tending to wounded soldiers, sometimes while under attack or with no electricity, the atrocities visited upon Vietnamese civilians, and trying to stay sane in the middle of it all. And her relationship with Rye was a part of that. They supported each other through everything, but there was more to the book than romance.

Then she went home and the book shifted focus to what it was like for returning veterans, who were spit on and yelled at by anti-war protestors, and especially for women, who couldn't get services from the VA because "there were no women in Vietnam." And holy crap, this made me mad! (Not at the book, at the people in it.) I don't know a lot about the experiences of Vietnam vets, but the idea of people who know just how traumatic that experience could be denying people access to mental health services because they were women?! This made me glad to be reading the book--to be learning these things about history--to know this happened. And then Rye came back. And not in a good way.

When Rye was shot down, but no body was found, I expected him to show up again, especially after one of the soldier's wives said something to Frankie about how her husband had been shot down and presumed dead for a year, until word got out that he was being held prisoner. What I did not expect (but in retrospect, probably should have) was for Rye to turn out to not only be married, but have been married all this time, and have lied to Frankie. And because that wasn't dramatic enough, Hannah decided to have all of this come out on the eve of Frankie's own wedding to another man, while she's pregnant with a baby. Which means the next big chunk of book is all about her pining after Rye and then deciding to have an affair with him and believing that he'll eventually leave his wife, only (surprise, surprise) he doesn't! Really, nothing else happens during this part of the book except for Frankie sinking deeper and deeper into depression and substance abuse.

And here's the thing. I have no problem with depression and substance abuse being part of the narrative. This is something a lot women vets experienced after Vietnam, which is why it's in the story. It feels both purposeful and thematic. The affair didn't. She's experiencing PTSD. She's also, at this point, had a miscarriage and decided not to marry her husband (both of which happened before the affair.) In fact, the book all but states later that the affair is irrelevent. Essentially, Hannah decided to write in multiple extra chapters of unhealthy relationship for the drama. And honestly? It kind of disgusts me. It digusts me that she couldn't trust her audience enough to appreciate a book about the experience of Vietnam vets without turning it into a soap opera. That she wasted so much time on this distraction, rather than focus on the larger themes at play. 

And maybe I'm overreacting. But you know what, y'all? I'm tired. After The Keeper of Stars, Listen of the Lie, and The Echo of Old Books, I'm tired. I'm tired of unhealthy romances in my books. I'm tired of subplots that add nothing but extra drama. And quite frankly, I'm tired of reading about men who are a*holes. I'm. Tired. And I feel like I just can't trust authors anymore. Can anyone recommend me a good fantasy with an aro-ace protagonist? That sounds perfect right about now.

@tsundere-isopods

[the-fandom-newsletter]

Fandom Newsletter #4

Today is Friday, the 26th of October, and Welcome back to another Fandom Newsletter! 

Writers: Atlas, Blackpurrl, Fyne, YoursTruly Editors: Fyne and YoursTruly 

“Oh my God, Karen! You can’t just ask people why they’re white.” ~Mean Girls

Let’s get started! 

First to YoursTruly with the Horror, Hannibal, Tim Burton, Animation, and Gaming fandoms--

Horror: Horror fans love the new Halloween movie! The movie has been a massive success among fans young and old! The movie gives off a nostalgic vibe, even referencing the older movies several times throughout the film. However, if you’re going to see this movie, stay until after the credits, there’s a little surprise at the end. 

Hannibal: The Fannibals have began trying to bargain with show runner and producer Bryan Fuller for another season. The show left off on a not so satisfying conclusion, and many fans want more. Bryan Fuller has even teased the idea himself quite a few times. Will we get another season one day? Guess we’ll have to wait and see. 

Tim Burton: Disney is offering, throughout the month of October, Halloween themed cruises. They even offer an onboard show featuring Jack Skellington and Sally. And you can even meet these characters for pictures! Now that’s a cruise! Also- The Nightmare Before Christmas celebrates its 25th anniversary this year! 

YouTube: YouTube recently crashed worldwide for two hours. YouTube hasn’t said much about the incident, but problems like this are becoming more and more common on YouTube. Many people are wondering what the causes of these issues are. 

Animation: Goretober is in full swing! Many animators have been uploading their daily Goretober art. 

Gaming: The season of scary game releases is upon us! October is the month where many creators on platforms like Steam and Gamejolt are releasing their horror games in anticipation for Halloween. 

Now to Blackpurrl with the Harry Potter and Bands fandoms, along with World News--

Harry Potter: Countdown to Fantastic Beasts: 27 days!

Bands: Did you know, about twelve hours of songs are uploaded to SoundCloud every minute? Insane!

World News: Denmark Shooting for the Digital Stars

Next to Fyne with the Sherlock, Supernatural, and Spooptober fandoms, as well as the weekly positive news--

Sherlock - Ever wonder how our beloved show even came to be? Apparently, for years, writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss took a train to and from Cardiff while working on Doctor Who, and discussed various projects they were interested in doing. One that kept coming up repeatedly was a modern-day adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. This reportedly went on for some time (with neither man making any particular effort to get it up and going) until Moffat’s wife, Sue, invited both men out for lunch. Her place of choice just so happened to be the Criterion, a watering hole and eatery in London’s Piccadilly Circus. It just so happens to be the same place where the fictional John Watson (Sherlock’s best friend) first hears of the famed detective. The two men got the hint and began working on the series, bringing us our show that we have today. I think we all owe Sue a little bit of a thank you, don’t you?

Supernatural - Did you notice that (according to Archangel Michael in the episode The Song Remains the Same) Dean and Sam come from the bloodline of Cain and Abel? So is this important? Or is this just another coincidence?

Spooptober - This year is the year that Halloween movie Hocus Pocus reaches its 25th anniversary. The premise of the movie is this: After moving to Salem, Massachusetts, teenager Max Dennison explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani and their new friend, Allison. After dismissing a story Allison says is superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches' book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.A family favorite movie that almost everyone has seen and that is playing on at least one channel nearly every night of October. If you haven’t seen this iconic movie, you definitely should go channel surfing at some point this month.

Positive News - The words we use to talk about mental health can perpetuate stigmas. A new portrait project featuring people who have mental health issues aims to make us think again about the language we choose.

Lastly to Atlas with the Voltron, Musicals, and Movie fandoms--

Voltron: This fandom is a ticking time bomb set for December 14th. We are all going to die.

Musicals: George Salazar ships Boyf-riends! 

Movies: Who else wants a live action Corpse Bride?

Now back to Blackpurrl with the weekly movie review--

Movie Review: Hannibal Rising

This movie relays the story of Hannibal Lecter’s childhood. Although most of the especially gory parts are not on camera, the viewer eventually knows exactly what became of the victim. It provides an interesting plot, and explains why the famous cannibal does what he does. I would not recommend this movie to anyone under thirteen or anyone who cannot handle tragic stories. Overall, I’d give it a 10/10.

And back to Fyne with the weekly trivia fact and quiz--

Trivia Fact - Did you know that the inventor of liquid soap became paralyzed after he slipped in the shower?

Are you an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist?

1. You fail a test. What is your reaction?

A. I'm stupid. I’m going to fail my exams.

B. This was just a blip. I’ll do better next time. 

C. The questions were too hard. This is where my abilities stand.

2. You have quit smoking, but you accidentally have a cigarette. Which of the following is your reaction?

A. You have been set back, so you just go right back into the addiction.

B. You have been set back, but you believe you can quit again.

C. You have been set back, so you come up with ways to avoid similar circumstances that led you to the set back.

3. You are shown a picture of a man who isn’t smiling. What do you think this man is feeling/doing?

A. The man is plotting, rude, or experiencing something unpleasant.

B. The man is relaxing, thinking, or did not have enough time to smile. 

C. The man is posing for the picture.

4. A close friend of yours sets you up on a blind date. How do you feel about this?

A. You have no clue what your date is like and you are afraid they’re going to set you up with a complete loser.

B. You have faith in their opinion and want to see for yourself what your date is going to be like. 

C. You decide to see what your date is like and decide for yourself how well your friend did. 

5. You’re a business owner who goes bankrupt. How do you proceed?

A. You see this failure as a sign that you are not meant to be in this business and pursue other options.

B. You see this failure as a lesson and use it to help you further your business in future reference.

C. You see this failure as a sign and choose to make plans to pull yourself out of bankruptcy.

6. You get a raise. How do you feel about it?

A. You don’t understand why you got the raise and you wonder if there is an ulterior motive.

B. You accept the raise happily, glad that your hard work has finally been recognized.

C. Yay! More money!

7. You’re an accountant and today you made a mistake with a number. What is your reaction?

A. You figure out where you went wrong, and then feel horrible about it for a long time afterward, questioning your abilities and worthiness as an accountant.

B. You figure out where you went wrong, fix it, and move forward.

C. You recognize the mistake and move on. 

8. You have a bad day. Which of these is you after the day is over?

A. You believe that your life has been full of hardship and negative experiences.

B. You see the bad days as part of your life that help you grow or benefit you in some way.

C. Recognize that you had a bad day, and resolve to try again tomorrow. 

9. You are struggling with groceries and someone comes to help you. How do you respond? 

A. You become suspicious, tell them that you have nothing to give them, and maybe even yell at them to leave you alone.

B. You thank them and talk about their day or ask them about themselves.

C. You politely say thank you and either accept or decline their help. 

10. You go on a vacation. Which of these is you?

A. Complain about everything you do and could potentially do, and eventually wind up not wanting to do anything at all but watch TV in the hotel room.

B. You want to experience as much as the location has to offer, even though you had no plans about what to do.

C. You enjoy the vacation and plan extensively about what you want to do and when.

Mostly A’s: You appear to be a pessimist. Always seeing the bad and negative in everything probably isn’t helping you be any happier or lead a happier life. Try and maybe appreciate things more often.

Mostly B’s: You appear to be an optimist. Always seeing the good and positive is probably helping you be fairly happy, and even leading to a happier life style. Though try not to be too optimistic all the time because it may end up hurting you in the long run.

Mostly C’s: You appear to be a realist. I guess you’re sort of a neutral character. Good for you.

(This isn’t physiologically proven, its literally just a test I made up in my free time so don’t take the results to heart and please do not be offended)

And finally, back to YoursTruly with the weekly book review--

Book Review- The Life Of P.T. Barnum is a fantastic book for anyone who loves a good biography. The book is a wildly entertaining autobiography by P.T. Barnum about his own life, starting from his childhood and following him through all his adventures. All in all, a fantastic book. 10/10 

Wish our illustrator and writer Blackpurrl a happy birthday today! Comic is brought to you by our very talented artist, Blackpurrl. That’s all for this week, we’ll see you next week with another Fandom Newsletter! 

Signing off, 

Atlas, Blackpurrl, Fyne, and YoursTruly