#Kiersten Hall

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Giantess Battle Attack 2022

[dapurinthos]

lucasfilm. lucasfilm we need to talk. again. your timeline does not work with the implications in the novels. you have these two pages in timelines:

thus we have:

42bby: dooku leaves order; mandalorian clan wars begin

41bby: padawan: obi-wan's 'first' mission. lenahra visit. and dooku visiting temple, disparaging banquet hall:

40bby: master & apprentice: mission to pijal. however. H O W E V E R this part of the novel exists:

making the implication that dooku has not even been talking to the order, let alone visiting since leaving two years prior.

(not to mention the mandalorian clan wars/civil war placement is also wrong, as it has to take place after the trip to lenahra because kiersten white wrote it that way but that's allowed leeway from me because they at least used a circa)

publishing order is: master & apprentice —> dooku: jedi lost —> padawan, with claudia grey & cavan scott coordinating the events in their novels, so i'm more inclined to take the 2-year silence as accurate over dooku visiting in the year after his departure.

which is a long way to say that i'm excising that scene from padawan (thus leaving obi-wan to discover orla's map to lenahra as one of his regular visits to that dining hall) and kidnapping it to a couple years later for galaxies.

[bookshelvesandtealeaves]

✨ SEPTEMBER WRAPUP ✨

Come chat about your fave September reads with me!

Mine was The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian.

I’m trying a new layout for my wrapup posts because I was hating the way my previous ones were looking. I think I like this? I’m unsure 😂

I also accidentally left off the stats for A Pirate’s Life for Tea which makes 17 total LGBT+, 8 lesbian and 6 FF

Total books finished: 25

DNF’s: 4

Pages read: 9,398

Hours listened: 86.55

Currently reading:

📖 Januaries by Olivie Blake (54%)

🎧 Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson (75%)

[instagram]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

-Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (reread) 🎧

-The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee (reread) 🎧

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

-Prince of Fortune by Lisa Tirreno*

-The Sound of Storms by Anya Keeler*

-Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

-Avatar The Last Airbender: The Promise by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante Dimartini and Gene Lueng Yang

-Landovel by Emily Rodda*

-A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Sucker Punch: Out of the Blue by Kayla Faber*

-Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince volume 2 by VE Schwab

-Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince volume 3 by VE Schwab

-Lucy Undying by Kiersten White*

-The Order of Masks by Alina Bellchambers*

-Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

-How to Belong With a Billionaire by Alexis Hall

-Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy*

-A Pirate’s Life for Tea by Rebecca Thorne*

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

-How to Blow it With a Billionaire by Alexis Hall

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

-Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince volume 1 by VE Schwab

-How to Bang a Billionaire by Alexis Hall

⭐️⭐️⭐️

-D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C Higgins

-Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee*

-The Magnificent Sons by Justin Myer

DNF

-Superficial by Diane Billas* (16%)

-HappyHead by Josh Silver* (62%)

-All The Hearts You Eat by Hailey Piper (47%)

-Showmance by Chad Beguelin* (26%)

*indicates AD/PR product

[ladywaffles]

i was tagged by @twinkboimler mwah

last song: Greased Lightnin' from Grease Live!

favorite color: green is very soothing

currently watching: thirteen (plus?) years after i first found it, i am revisiting the bbc's merlin in all of its 2008 family adventure show CGI budget glory because i have been on an arthuriana kick lately (see below)

last movie: phantom of the opera 25th anniversary live at the royal albert hall (2011). ironically, this had nothing to do with the news of kenny ortega's coming adaptation for disney and everything to do with me getting hadley fraser's line delivery of "chrisTINE dAAE whHERE is your RED SCAAARF" stuck in my head earlier this week, so the only solution was to watch the whole thing

sweet/spicy/savory: i've been on a mad sweet kick recently (i am currently baking cookies!)

relationship status: single

current obsession: the camelot rising trilogy by kiersten white. i finished the first book, then read books two and three both the next day/night. i got an amount of sleep my smart watch did not recognize as "sleep" because it got me That Good

last thing you googled: i just want to hear those three little words meme template, so i could make this

i'm tagging: @sluttyhenley @redbelles @starrybouquet <333

[kazz-brekker]

Mid-Year Book Freakout 2023

Tagged by @libraryleopard, thanks Lulu!

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year

Ah, that’s tough, I’ve read a lot of good books this year. I really loved The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, it was so fun and well-researched and the 12th century Indian ocean setting full of pirates and demons was so cool. Plus, I was reading it at a really stressful point in the semester and it was a great distraction.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross was an amazingggg conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology, definitely cemented the series as all-time favorite. Bards! Scottish folklore! Sneaky faeries! Couples that are deeply devoted to working together as a team! Some light murder!

3. New release you haven’t read yet

My copy of Painted Devils by Margaret Owen is currently sitting next to my bed judging me for not having read it yet…

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Definitely A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, I loved their first two books and a spooky dark academia novel inspired by Welsh mythology is right up my alley.

5. Biggest disappointment

Probably Hide by Kiersten White, I was hoping for a plain old thriller and didn’t really enjoy when the supernatural elements kicked in. Also, I felt a little suspect about the general premise, but anyone in my vicinity when I was reading Solomon’s Crown by Natasha Siegel had to listen to me complain about it and how inaccurate it was to real history.

6. Biggest surprise

I checked out Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne mostly on a whim, but it turned out to be a wonderfully creepy and atmospheric Southern Gothic story I ended up totally glued to the book even while traveling for college graduation.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

GennaRose Nethercott’s debut, Thistlefoot, absolutely knocked me over the head with emotions about complicated families and Jewish history and the Baba Yaga myth, and I also got to see her perform part of it as a puppet show, so I’m excited to see what she writes next.

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character

Listen…demon Darlington in Hell Bent trying to control his murderous urges but also knowing that he’s fundamentally changed himself in order to survive hell and will never be the good person he once was…I am not immune to the drama…

9. Book that made you cry

Not generally a big crier but oof, Tess of the Road made me really emotional with the careful way that it explored trauma and sexual assault and learning to heal and move on.

10. Book that made you happy

A Lady of a Duke by Alexis Hall made me smile SO hard at the ending, especially the declarations of love and the epilogue was pitch-perfect. Just a really great Regency romance starring a trans heroine and Viola and Gracewood coming together and falling in love was lovely.

For people to tag…hmmm, off the top off my head, @hauntedmoors @wizardysseus @allcountersarehipheight and any other bookish mutuals I’m forgetting off the top of my head

[booksnmagic]

books read in 2024: october

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison — 4★ (oct 1 - oct 3)

Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley — 5★ (oct 3 - oct 6)

Graveyard Shift by M. L. Rio — 4.75★ (oct 7)

La Petite Mort by Olivie Blake — 3.75★ (oct 8 - oct 9)

The Daughter of Doctor Moureau by Silvia Moreno-García — 3.25★ (oct 10 - oct 12)

Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang — 5★ (oct 13 - oct 14)

Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne — 4.5★ (oct 15 - oct 18)

What the Hex by Alexis Daria — 4★ (oct 19)

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White — 3.5★ (oct 21 - oct 25)

In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology by Various Authors — 3.75★ (oct 27 - oct 29)

“1000 ships” by Author — 2.5★

“Phytia” by Olivie Blake — 5★

“Sabbatical” by James Tate Hill — 2★

“The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew — 5★

“X House” by J.T. Ellison — 5★

“The Ravages” by Layne Fargo — 3.5★

“Four Funerals” by David Bell — 2★

“The Unknowable Pleasures” by Susie Yang — 3★

“Weekend at Bertie’s” by M.L. Rio — 3.5★

“The Professor of Ontography” by Helen Grant — 5★

“Phobos” by Tori Bovalino — 5★

“Playing” by Phoebe Wynne — 3★

october 2024 book count: 10 2024 count: 67/20 (335%)

[cocktailsfairytales]

⌞═══════════════════════⌝

Your presence is requested at BITTER HOUSE by Kiersten Modglin

House Rules:

✉️Trust no one.

✉️Don't let your guard down.

✉️Everything could be a clue!

⌞══════════════════════⌝

Vera Bitter is dead, but her secrets have yet to be buried.

After the tragic death of Bridget’s parents, her grandmother took her in. Vera Bitter raised her from behind a closed door—cold and uncaring from the moment she arrived at Bitter House. After Bridget’s high school graduation, Vera kicked her out without so much as a goodbye, and Bridget never heard from her again. Which is why, when she receives word of Vera’s passing and discovers she’s inherited the family manor, she’s immediately filled with dread.

Those worries are amplified when she arrives at Bitter House after years away to find an enigmatic piece of her past waiting for her. Growing up, there was only one person Bridget distrusted more than her grandmother, and that was Cole Warner—the son of Vera’s house manager and the bane of her childhood existence. Now, he’s her new housemate.

Owning the house she was once forced to leave with a man she’s always despised forces Bridget to confront feelings and questions she’s been running from since the day she was driven away from Bitter House.

Then the first letter arrives.

And with it, a world of secrets, darkness, and deception is unlocked. Years ago, Bridget tried and failed to find sanctuary inside the shadowy halls of Bitter House, and as she struggles to imagine a future there now, she discovers a terrifying truth: behind the iron gate and stone walls of the old estate, nothing is quite what it seems. Bitter House has secrets and, if she can’t decide whom to trust, danger lies in wait.

Links to Purchase:

https://www.amazon.com/Bitter-House-Kiersten-Modglin-ebook/dp/B0CW1M5PKG/

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bitter-house

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bitter-house-kiersten-modglin/1145557960

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=oCkGEQAAQBAJ

https://books.apple.com/us/book/bitter-house/id6502300813

#thriller #domesticthriller #psychologicalthriller #newbookrelease #newrelease #BitterHouse #mustreadbooks #newbooks

[byronlc]

“Her birthday is coming up? When is it? Will you help me get her a present?” A sweet boyish, almost innocent smile appeared on his face, and he was totally ignoring the fact that he hadn’t even been invited to Kate’s birthday party – or that Kiersten's remark was kind of spiteful.

While they were walking side by side along the school corridors, he again and again looked sideways to her. He couldn’t yet name it, but it was something unusual he sensed in her presence. Like the sensation when the back of your neck suddenly prickles and you turn and see someone looking at you from across the room. Only that it wasn’t just the back of his neck that was tingling. It felt like his whole body was buzzing with some energy in her presence. Almost similar to when he was close to Caleb and the boys, but different – and stronger.

He chuckled at her bluntness. “You got me. I thought I was being smooth. But yeah, it would be nice seeing you tonight.” Another of his trademark grins.

“This town really has no other place to hang out, huh?” Not that he cared. He was just making conversation. He wasn't bound to this place. If he wanted to have a fun night out and party, he’d just jump to a club in New York City or L.A. – or London. Being him was awesome. He didn’t even need a private jet for club hopping, but he could get one. Should he get one? Engrossed in his own thoughts, he didn't miss her comment though – and her tone.

“It is. How did you guess? But unlike you I’m a total history nerd.” That much was true. His charming smile disguised the fact that it bugged him that she was getting suspicious. So soon. He needed to up the flirting. That always worked. “Well, I'm happy to save you from being bored to death – and just bored.” He added with a chuckle.

Chase was prepared to hold the door open for her, like the gentleman he was, but it already was open. So he followed her into the classroom, it was a smaller seminar room with chairs and not such a big lecture hall. He sat down on the chair next to Kiersten.

Chase noticed a certain dark blond boy walk into the room shortly afterwards. The boy gave him a confused look, then took a seat in the front row. Little Tyler Simms. The weakest of the Ipswich Boys, the baby – and the one who was most suspicious of him. Good thing, Tyler seemed to be too focused on his best friend – or were they more than just friends? – to really care about anyone else.

Chase brought his chair closer to Kiersten, leaning over a bit as he spoke in a hushed voice when the class started. “So, Kate’s birthday. Will you help me buy a present? This afternoon maybe? See, I'm totally helpless when it comes to getting a girl things they like. Also, I'm lost in this town. Help the new boy and I’ll make it up to you. Say yes?” His most charming smile and his puppy eyes should do the trick.

⠀ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀"⠀yes… that’s you. oh, so you’re guilty, huh? well, that makes two of us then,⠀"ㅤthe witch replied, her voice laced with amusement.ㅤ"⠀you know, to be honest, we weren’t really talking about you, only kate thought aloud if she should invite you to her birthday party or not, just by courtesy.⠀"ㅤkiersten shrugged slightly, indicating that whether it was so or not⠀—⠀she didn’t care.ㅤ"⠀and i think she’ll probably just invite the whole pack of us anyway.⠀"ㅤ

as they walked side by side, kiersten couldn’t help but feel a slight spark of fascination toward this newcomer. there was more to him than met the eye, and she had a sneaking suspicion that their paths were destined to intertwine in ways they couldn’t even fathom. or could.

⠀ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀"⠀why should i not be going to nicky’s tonight? is that your way of inviting me to go out with you? is that it?⠀"ㅤoh yeah, it was an invitation⠀—⠀and she accepted it immediately, without any hesitation. her thoughts had returned to the idea of going to the pub tonight. not because of the guy. well, or because of someone else, to be precise.ㅤ"⠀of course, what else? kate’s going to be there too, and… well, other guys… i don’t know, maybe even the whole college town.⠀"ㅤ

maybe kiers is too distrustful of people, and the most ordinary friendliness is an unfamiliar thing for her, but she really thinks she’s definitely not wrong when she decides to play along with chase, not letting him get closer. because it’s very suspicious that the use of power has increased with the arrival of a new student. no, it’s not about her at all, with her great love for small tricks, which she honestly admits to⠀—⠀not only because she has enough patience to listen to lectures, but also because she can’t lie to caleb. and she wouldn’t send him darkling force; could have, because she loved to brag, but didn’t, because it would have been so rude. she denied reid’s possible involvement in all this⠀—⠀besides her special love for blondes, kiersten had plenty of other reasons to believe him.

⠀ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀kiersten paused for a moment, pretending to think about her next class.ㅤ"⠀actually, my next class is art history. it’s not really my thing, but i have to take it for my major.⠀"ㅤshe said, shrugging her shoulders.ㅤ"⠀i guess it’s yours too, huh? aww, how unexpeeeected.⠀"ㅤshe drawled lazily. yes, she clings to such little things that it makes her laugh. in despair. she was terrified by the thought that her suspicions were just something she had made up for her own amusement. and she assured herself otherwise, of course. but who the hell uses power when all the heirs of the five existing families know each other by sight? who the hell uses power when she’s the fifth and last?ㅤ"⠀i’m glad. at least this time it won’t be deadly boring. it’s more likely to be just boring.⠀"ㅤ

[don-lichterman]

GIANTESS BATTLE ATTACK Trailer (2022) Full Moon Sci-Fi Comedy

GIANTESS BATTLE ATTACK Trailer (2022) Full Moon Sci-Fi Comedy

GIANTESS BATTLE ATTACK Trailer (2022) Full Moon Sci-Fi Comedy PLOT: The beautiful, beastly Beverly from ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT CAMGIRL returns and faces a new gaggle of gargantuan gals, hell bent on achieving deluxe diva domination. RELEASE DATE: October 2022 (TBD) CAST: Ivy Smith, Kira Noir, Lauren Nicole Smith, Kiersten Hall, Masuimi Max DIRECTOR: Jim Wynorski SUBSCRIBE for more all the LATEST…

[metamorphesque]

books to read while Autumn is reigning

a warm cuppa in your hands, sitting near the window, enjoying the rain

with a sprinkle of amour

The Girl at the Lion d'Or by Sebastian Faulks

The Collector by John Fowles

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

The Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

with a dash of existential crisis

South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Fish in Exile by Vi Khi Nao

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

with a pinch of dark academia

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Maurice by E. M. Forster

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

with a side of je ne sais quoi

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Death with Interruptions by José Saramago

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa

The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura

If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura

under the covers, with a flashlight in your hands, in the middle of the night

Carmilla by Sheridan le Fanu

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

The Metamorphosis & Other Stories by Franz Kafka

[gffa]

One of my favorite projects is Taking a Closer Look at the Jedi Order in Star Wars: What They Actually Say And Do In Canon (and word of god commentary) to provide a set of references for what’s actually canon and what’s not, to illustrate and celebrate the Jedi ways that I really love, and to make it easier to write worldbuilding in your fic without you having to read a dozen different books, because I’ve already read them for fun!  Though, I always encourage reading them anyway, get context for yourself, see what you think of it yourself, etc.  But if you want a quicker cheat sheet, then this aims to help! One of the best books for worldbuilding recently was PADAWAN by Kiersten White, a book that I absolutely recommend, not just for the worldbuilding stuff (though, that’s fun, too) but because it was a satisfying, sparkling, delightful story that really gave me a ton of feelings about Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Jedi ways. These snippets will eventually be folded into my bigger meta project (and thus are organized in the same categories), but as a way to promote that I think more people should pick this book up, I’m collating these together for this book specifically and I hope that you find it useful for getting a better picture of what Jedi Padawans were like in the prequels era! (Spoiler alert: They are adorable kidlets but also adorable hellions I LOVE THEM SO MUCH, I want an entire novel about Bolla Ropal and Prie and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Siri Tachi as Padawans now!!) Topics Covered In This Post: Section 1 - How the Force Works Section 2 - Jedi Culture & Philosophy & Teachings Section 3 - Jedi As a People (aka Jedi younglings are CHAOS GREMLINS) Section 4 - Psychic Space Wizards Doing Psychic Space Wizard Things Section 5 - Jedi Temple (Living Quarters and Dining Halls!) Section 6 - Jedi Outreach and the Bigger Galaxy Now enjoy almost 7k words of Jedi Worldbuilding you can use for your fic writing, if you want!  Write me fiiiiiiiic about the chaos gremlin Padawans, fandom, I’m begging you!

SECTION 1 - HOW THE FORCE WORKS: JEDI EMOTIONS ARE ABOUT CONTROL NOT SUPPRESSION - PREQUELS:

The Padawans expression emotion all along the gamut just fine:      Obi-Wan gleefully made his way down to the Padawan dining hall. If Padawans weren't busy, they could almost always be found eating. Sure enough, Bolla, Prie, and a few other Padawans he'd known and trained alongside his entire life were gathered around a table. But rather than eating, they were all leaning intently toward Siri Tachi, talking.      Obi-Wan could barely contain his smile as he sat down next to Prie.      "Oh, you're here," Siri said, and her expression re-formed into a worried frown.      "Don't be so excited to see me," Obi-Wan said with a laugh. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Obi-Wan isn’t just passively out of balance in the Padawan novel, he is extremely aware that he’s out of balance, his connection to the Force is wonky because of it, that’s how the Force works, it manifests in a Jedi’s Force abilities when they’re emotionally unbalanced:     Just like Lenahra, he wasn't in balance. Not with himself, not with the Force. For so long he had been afraid of being afraid. Closing himself off to his feelings because of what they might mean, what they might lead to. But closing himself off was doing the opposite of what he hoped. It wasn't about not feeling fear or ambition or anything else he didn't think was right for a Jedi. It was about whether or not he gave those feelings power. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     He could almost laugh. His fear that he wouldn't be able to use the Force to help others was making him close like a fist, tighter and tighter around himself. He didn't trust himself, and because of that, he also didn't trust the Force. If he didn't believe he deserved the Force, then he didn't trust that the Force had chosen him, or that this path was the one he should be on, or that the losses he would go through along the way were natural. Necessary, even. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     With the fear in front of him, honestly acknowledged, Obi-Wan felt himself lightening. At last, all Qui-Gon's admonishments to exist in the present made sense. All Obi-Wan's worries were tied to his past and future, and he couldn't control either of those. Obi-Wan set his fears aside the same way he had moved through this clearing. Respectfully, but purposefully. His fears would always be there, but by looking right at them, he could put them where they belonged instead of constantly hiding from them. He could move toward the trust he needed in himself and in the Force.       It wasn't a destination he could reach with one try. He knew that. Learning this trust would be a journey he'd be on for the rest of his life. But he was ready to start.      For the first time since becoming a Padawan, Obi-Wan let go. He opened his hands, and his heart, and his mind, and he reached out. His shock almost brought him out of the meditation, but he tried to stay present as the waves of connection rushed in. His fears had been like a dam, blocking the flow, and now that they were out of the way, the life of this planet was everywhere.      [....] he was aware of everything. He was floating in a vast current of the Force, connected to it, and through his connection to it, to everything else on Lenahra. That was what had tried to fling his senses further and further out the night before—he had inadvertently been close to connecting with the planet because he hadn't been trying to do it. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Basic Jedi training is to feel things, not control them:      Obi-Wan laughed. "If I knew, I wouldn't be here. Not being calm or focused is exactly why I left." He tried to think of how Qui-Gon instructed him, or how their meditation classes as younglings had gone, back before meditation had become so fraught and aggravating. Back before the things that had felt easy became impossible because he stopped feeling them and started trying to understand them, to control them. [Star Wars: Padawan]

THE JEDI AND "ATTACHMENT" AND THE ART OF LETTING GO - PREQUELS:

The theme of letting go is one of the intrinsic themes of Star Wars as a whole and specifically to the Force, the entire plot of Padawan hinges on Obi-Wan’s inability to let go, his clinging to the Force (this is what attachment is) and once he resolves that, he is able to connect with the Force again, it’s not just Jedi philosophy (though it is that as well) but literally how the Force works:       That had been Obi-Wan's problem, hadn't it? He had been reaching for the Force to grab hold of it, to cling to it, to try to wring his own destiny from it. Not unlike the way the Lenahrans used the Power. In their minds, it was a tool to be wielded, not a cycle to join. Obi-Wan had been treating the Force in a similar way. He wanted things from it, wanted it to do things for him. Centering himself, always. He was so focused on his own desires and, most destructively, his desperate fear of failure.       Fear of loss, too. The Lenahrans were afraid of losing the Power, of losing the life their parents had chosen for them. And he was afraid of losing his Jedi friends as they drifted apart into the galaxy. Afraid of losing his place in the Temple, in the Force. Afraid of letting go of the familiarity of his past and embracing the unknown future, whatever it would bring to him. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     But it didn't have to be like this. The people here didn't have to be parasites, sucking life from Lenahra and giving nothing back. If they could let go, if they could give up consuming the Power, the planet would sustain them as it sustained everything else. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan wanted to know more about the past. Maybe it would help him decide his future. And it wasn't against his own beliefs [like it was the Lenahrans’]. He was supposed to let go of the past, yes, but also learn from it. That was why the Jedi had such extensive archives, after all. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan understood. Loss was part of growing up. It changed you, but it also stayed with you, shaping you. But he could control how it shaped him. He could stop fearing it, stop resisting it, and instead let it become part of his journey. [Star Wars: Padawan]

UNTRAINED FORCE ADEPTS - PREQUELS:

     If Force adepts weren't identified and trained young, their connection was haphazard, chaotic. Dangerous even, at times. And in a lot of them it faded, becoming a hum in the background of their lives. Not vital or active. [Star Wars: Padawan]

SECTION 2 - JEDI CULTURE & PHILOSOPHY & TEACHINGS: JEDI CULTURE - PREQUELS:

Jedi do not forbid personal possessions, most of them seem to not really need more (contrasted against Anakin’s room full of them), but they have them      So instead Obi-Wan trudged to his room. It was small and austere, but a shelf above his bed held a few treasures he had gathered. A rock from Ilum. A flower Siri had once tucked behind his ear as a joke. A shell Prie had given him that was probably from an unspeakably terrifying creature she adored. The spoon from their initiate days that Bolla had for some reason decided was his favorite, so they all made a game of stealing it. Obi-Wan had won, he supposed, since they were no longer younglings.  [Star Wars: Padawan]

    Qui-Gon sat on the simple gray cushion he kept in place of more elaborate seating. He had never added furniture for hosting guests. Obi-Wan always felt like he was somehow intruding, like there really was no place for him in Qui-Gon's life. He knew Siri's master had a table for two in her living quarters where they took most meals together. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Or going back and finding Qui-Gon wasn't there at all, his name already added to the Lost, the Temple Guard ready to arrest Obi-Wan for theft of Temple property and betrayal of the entire Order. He knew they wouldn't do that—it wasn't the Jedi way. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI PHILOSOPHY + TEACHINGS - PREQUELS:

     Meditation was the last thing Obi-Wan wanted to do, soaked and still caught somewhere between panic and fury. But given that it was the last thing he wanted to do, it was probably the best thing for him. Many things in the Jedi Order were like that: the less he wanted to do them, the better they were for him. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Meditation is about facing yourself:      Now, with Qui-Gon, [meditation] seemed to be the bulk of [his training]. Obi-Wan couldn't rely on his other skills to compensate. Maybe that was what he hated: meditation laid his weaknesses bare in front of him. There was nothing else to think about, nothing to do but face them.  [Star Wars: Padawan]

     He had found the balance he had been sent here for, and he was ready to go back. To face his fears of failure, of loss, of inadequacy, and to accept them so he could move forward. "I know. And I'm grateful. But my place is at the Temple. Assuming I'm still welcome there." [Star Wars: Padawan]

     "Well, what are the good leaders like there?"      Obi-Wan thought of Master Yoda. The way he taught by prompting them to find their own answers, never giving them information when they could gain experience for themselves. "They see the best in people, and help them get there." [Star Wars: Padawan]

Jedi are very aware of the physical power they have over people and make a point not to rule because of it, how they could really hurt people if they didn’t guard themselves:      “I didn't have to find the Force. It found me. But that's why Jedi move through the galaxy and don't stay in one place for long. Why we don't rule. Because we do have access to power. And we have to be on constant guard to make certain it doesn't corrupt us. We have rules—so many rules—and structure, and guidance, and still we have to always be alert to ourselves. And the Jedi around us." Obi-Wan thought of Orla Jareni dropping her own studies to help another Jedi. And on the other end of the scale, of Master Dooku walking away from the Order and abandoning his path as a Jedi in favor of ruling on his home planet. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     "The right way isn't always easy," Obi-Wan said, thinking about the Jedi path. How he wanted it to come easily to him as proof that it was right and that he belonged on it. But so often the right thing to do was the most difficult. If he had the chance, he would follow the path the Force put him on for the rest of his life, no matter how hard it was. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Obi-Wan’s goal, as is implied a Jedi ultimate goal, is to be an extension of the Force rather than the other way around:      But when it came to the other aspects of the Force—communing with it, not using it as an extension of himself, like a lightsaber to be wielded, but getting to the point where he was an extension of the Force—well, maybe that was why Qui-Gon didn't bother with him. [Star Wars: Padawan]

The Jedi’s goal is not to be competitive, but even when they are, it’s never punished or yelled at, just that the bigger goal is to be the best Jedi you can uniquely be:      Obi-Wan laughed. "We're not supposed to be competitive. Everyone uses the Force as best suits their abilities." [Star Wars: Padawan]

Which is given context with Obi-Wan’s thoughts of how he’d been competitive and it was something that was looked on positively, that Bolla was trying to help him return to, that Obi-Wan values and doesn’t think should be bad:      Now that he thought about it, though, he'd had fun with Bolla, hadn't he? They had played jokes on each other all the time. Once, Obi-Wan had swapped Bolla's wash cream for Naboo glitterpaste. Bolla had shimmered for days. He almost laughed out loud, remembering it. Bolla was right—Obi-Wan had been competitive. So maybe when Bolla said he was trying to help Obi-Wan lighten up again, he had meant it. Obi-Wan had been so miserable lately, he could only assume miserable intentions from others. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Jedi do not consume the Force, they’re not stealing it, they’re not hurting the Force:      “But I think this whole planet is connected, symbiotic even, and that those things, your so-called Power, are a physical manifestation of its life. You aren't using the Power like Jedi use the Force. You're stealing it. You're consuming it. You're hurting Lenahra and everything on it." [Star Wars: Padawan]

     "I think I can explain it better now. The Power isn't like the Force. The Force isn't something I consume and burn up. It's so much more than just power. It's life. It's connection. It's—it's this." Obi-Wan gestured around the clearing. "It's trying to find the balance, that place between life and death where peace can exist. Being a small part of a great whole." [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan knew that death was simply returning to the Force, but still. He didn't want that for them. Not yet. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan laughed. "Well, then, we merry band of attractive adventurers, let's go see a man about a mine. And may the Force be with us."      "What does that mean?" Audj asked.      "It's something we say to each other, when we're embarking into the unknown. It's what we hope for, always." [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI AND THEIR LOVE OF RIDDLES IN TEACHING - PREQUELS:

     What would Qui-Gon Jinn do if he were here? Obi-Wan closed his eyes. Qui-Gon was maddening and puzzling, but Obi-Wan could almost hear his voice. [Star Wars: Padawan]

EARLY JEDI  TEACHINGS - PREQUELS:

Youngling training is pretty broad in scope, not just one thing or another:      Meditation. Obi-Wan had to figure it out. He had never been bad at it before his trials, but then again, it had been only one small part of his training. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Though, they do have meditation classes as younglings, it’s just not all they do:      He tried to think of how Qui-Gon instructed him, or how their meditation classes as younglings had gone, back before meditation had become so fraught and aggravating. [Star Wars: Padawan]

MIDDLE JEDI TEACHINGS - PREQUELS:

     Reach for the Force with open hands, Qui-Gon told him in his memory of their very first meditation together. Not to grasp or to grab, but to touch. To connect. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Exist in the present, Qui-Gon had said many times, trying to ground Obi-Wan when it was clear Obi-Wan couldn't settle into meditation. Move through the present as the Force moves through you, connecting you to everything. You are one small part of an infinite whole. Find peace and purpose in that.      Obi-Wan certainly couldn't meditate right now, and he doubted there was much peace to be found. He could, however, follow the advice to move through this moment like the Force, connected to everything around him. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     There were many avenues to becoming a Knight that Obi-Wan was sure involved almost no meditation whatsoever. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI YOUNGLINGS CULTURE - PREQUELS:

     He almost laughed as he remembered a game they had played often as initiates: hide-and-sense. They would scatter throughout their clan and training quarters, and one youngling would have to try to sense where they all were—blindfolded. They had thought it was merely a game, but in reality it was careful, crucial training.      Everything had been easier when he was an initiate, when using the Force was the same as playing. As easy as reaching out and expecting to find something, and finding it there simply because he expected it to be.      [....] Trying to remember what playing a game had felt like, Obi-Wan closed his eyes to quiet his mind and focus. It wasn't as easy or as fun as when he had been young, but—there, like warm spots in a chilled room. They were scattered through the ship: three clustered on the far end, one closer, a couple above him somewhere. Six total, seven with the one outside, and— [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI KNIGHT CULTURE - PREQUELS:

Sometimes he wondered why Qui-Gon ever took him on as a Padawan. It wasn't required of Jedi Knights. When they did choose an initiate after the Trials, they were always guided by the Force. [Star Wars: Padawan]

SECTION 3 - JEDI AS A PEOPLE: JEDI VIEWS OF THEMSELVES AS FAMILY AND CARE FOR THEIR YOUNG - PREQUELS:

     The Jedi were his only family, the Temple his only home. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Obi-Wan parallels the Lenahra younglings’ connection to family with his own in the Jedi Order, to be with others who understand you:      "We talked about it. We want another planet filled with nature, with lots of water for Shush, Trill, and Whistle. One where we can connect and grow alongside the planet, not in spite of it. Dex thinks he can figure out where the other families ended up settling; it would be nice to be among people who understand where we're coming from. Maybe even find some relatives. Hopefully better ones than Loegrib." She tried to smile, but it didn't quite work. Obi-Wan didn't blame her. It was a loss on top of a devastating betrayal.      As much as Obi-Wan would miss them, he couldn't fault them for wanting to reconnect with others who knew what they had grown up with. The idea of never being among Jedi, not having other Padawans to talk with—and complain to and about—was terribly lonely. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Even though no one here had parents, it was clear they were a family. It made Obi-Wan miss the closeness of his own youngling initiate clan. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI PADAWANS - PREQUELS:

     They would continue on as they always had, whether he returned or not. After all, Padawan deaths were rare but not unheard of.  [Star Wars: Padawan]

If a Jedi teacher is no longer available, they’re simply assigned to another Master:      "If Qui-Gon leaves, you'll simply be assigned to another Jedi Master." [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Almost every Padawan made it through to Knighthood, but there were rare exceptions. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI ROLES + CAREERS - PREQUELS:

There are a variety of roles within the Jedi Order and a Padawan’s area of study reflects that as well:      Prie's master worked extensively with animals, was known for it across the galaxy. If a planet was having issues with fauna, they requested him. Prie was a great fit as his Padawan. She had an intuitive way with creatures and an endless thirst for knowledge.      Their friend Jape had a brilliant grasp of astrophysics, which paired him perfectly with his more scholarly Jedi Master. Even Bolla, who had often struggled as an initiate, seemed thrilled with his new duties as a Padawan. He and his master spent much of their time in the Archives, researching. Bolla was never happier than when he had a holocron in his hands. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI SCHOOLING - PREQUELS:

Obi-Wan, in addition to the other languages he learns, is learning binary:      Obi-Wan was still getting the gist of binary, but from what he could tell, the droid was ready to go. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI AND COMMUNITY - PREQUELS:

     When he arrived, he skirted the edges of the extensive [Archives] rooms. He didn't want to attract the attention of Jocasta Nu or any of the other librarians. They'd all be more than eager and willing to help him, but he wanted to do this on his own. And he definitely didn't want to see Bolla.      Fortunately, there was no sign of the other Padawan, and all the librarians were occupied with a group of younglings. The younglings watched, rapt, as Jocasta Nu taught them how to navigate the labyrinthine shelves. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     He'd never been alone. The entire Temple was filled with mentors, teachers, helpers. There had been one time as a youngling when he had gotten sick. He still remembered the comfort of the Temple nurses, gently caring for him and bossing the droids around. It had felt nice to have nothing to do but get better, and to have capable, patient, caring adults there to make sure it happened. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     "Don't talk about it as if you understand! You have no idea what it's been like for us. You've been taken care of your whole life."      "You're right," Obi-Wan said. "I have. And I didn't have to find the Force. It found me.” [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI YOUNGLINGS AND PADAWANS ARE ADORABLE HELLIONS - PREQUELS:

     The same liquid Obi-Wan was soaked in flew out of Bolla's mouth, streaming down his scaled green chin as he laughed so hard he couldn't contain it. His fingertips were still suctioned to his own bowl of steaming—and decidedly demon-squid-free—supper.      "Ow," Bolla said, trying not to spill his bowl as he wiped under his mouth. "The spices in this soup hurt my skin!"      Obi-Wan's hands clenched into fists. Pain spiked through his raw and throbbing wrist. "Hot soup also hurts when it splashes all over you while a demon squid tries to inject you with poison!" [Star Wars: Padawan]

     He used the forms to move himself through the waiting creatures. It was hard not to get distracted by success as the creatures around them shifted aside without a noise or a threat, but Obi-Wan had plenty of practice doing his forms when things were chaotic. Though usually that chaos came in the form of other Padawan learners, as opposed to lots of animals with lots of teeth.      Then again, Padawans had teeth, too. They just didn't go to them as their first line of attack and defense. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Siri nodded. She and Obi-Wan had been close growing up, and he missed that closeness now. He missed all of them, really. They had been a merry band of brats, as Yaddle had once muttered under her breath during a particularly raucous lesson. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Obi-Wan does not miss a beat when trolling younglings, he absolutely has done this on a regular basis all his life:       "Oh, it absolutely is. Your horns will rot, and rockmites will burrow in and set up a nest. Isn't that right, Obi-Wan?"      Obi-Wan blinked in surprise. "Oh, yes. It's a hopeless situation for a warrior like yourself, once rockmites settle in. All you are then is living quarters, and they're terrible tenants. Always making too much noise and keeping you up at night, never cleaning up after themselves. Not to mention the noise of them chewing, chewing, chewing away on your horns." [Star Wars: Padawan]

Obi-Wan acts like this all the time, just casually “yah holding a live bomb helps negotations”:      "The impact might set [this bomb] off and hurt some animals. When we get on the other ship, we can figure out how to disarm it, or find someone who knows. Besides, if all else fails, nothing like holding a bomb to help speed along negotiations." [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Once, his creche had snuck into the lower sections of the Temple where the more aquatically inclined Jedi and younglings spent their time in vast pools. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Even Bolla would be welcome. Obi-Wan wouldn't ask a gobbler to eat him. Maybe he'd ask one to scare him, though. Just a little. [Star Wars: Padawan]

      Mem actually laughed aloud at that, and it cut right through the tension, like a lightsaber through a block of cheese. Bolla had done that once to see if it would toast the cheese. All it had done was make a mess. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan answered, distracted as he watched the younglings finish eating and then begin an elaborate game of keep-away with the last piece of fruit. Was he imagining things, or did they all seem to be more coordinated than normal, leaping and twisting and flipping through the air in ways he had seen only among Temple younglings? [Star Wars: Padawan]

     He could treat this like a game, though the potential bomb in his pouch did make the stakes rather higher than they had been at the Temple, when all he faced was Siri's teasing and Prie's transparent attempts to cheat. She hated games so much.      Now that he thought about it, though, he'd had fun with Bolla, hadn't he? They had played jokes on each other all the time. Once, Obi-Wan had swapped Bolla's wash cream for Naboo glitterpaste. Bolla had shimmered for days. He almost laughed out loud, remembering it. Bolla was right—Obi-Wan had been competitive. [Star Wars: Padawan]

    His confidence that everything was going to be okay was disappearing faster than dessert in an initiate dining hall. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI LEAVING THE JEDI ORDER - PREQUELS:

     "We keep our door open to my old master Dooku. Sometimes paths diverge, and he is walking a different one than the rest of us. But he is still welcome. If we cut off everyone whose choices differ from our own, we would stagnate and cease to learn, cease to grow. We must let people choose their path, and let them go as they see fit, but always leave a door open for them to return. Despite what others may call them, no one is ever truly lost. There is always hope in the Force.” [Star Wars: Padawan]

     If anything, Qui-Gon spoke of his old master with respect and admiration.      "He's here often enough," Siri said, folding her arms. "He still meets with the Council on occasion. Just because he's no longer on it—"      "No longer a Jedi," Bolla interjected.      "—doesn't mean he's not welcome here. [Star Wars: Padawan]

SECTION 4 - PSYCHIC SPACE WIZARDS DOING PSYCHIC SPACE WIZARD THINGS: JEDI CARRYING A PSYCHIC WEIGHT/FEELING OTHERS’ WEIGHT ON THEM - PREQUELS:

     Now that Obi-Wan wasn't braced for attack, he realized he didn't sense any threat from the gobbler. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Anger surrounded that wound and that ship. Anger and fear, two things Lenahra had never had to feel before sentient life landed here.      That anger and fear pulsed up with roiling darkness from the wound. It broke Obi-Wan's heart, tracing that pain as it spread out into the land around it, poisoning the trees, corrupting the gobblers, agitating the avalanches. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     His stomach roiled, head spinning. He took a staggering step away from them and the ship. That sense of wrongness had picked up, thrumming through him, setting every nerve on edge. "Can you feel that?" he asked.      Audj ripped the cloth away from her head tendrils. "Do you sense her?" [Star Wars: Padawan]

Jedi can sense other (likely active) Force-users:       And why, with so many Force users around him, could Obi-Wan not sense them the way he could sense Master Qui-Gon or the other Padawans? And what was that terrible low humming just outside his hearing that he could feel in his teeth? [Star Wars: Padawan]

Obi-Wan is confused why they can’t sense things empathically/psychically if they’re using the Force, and it’s a running theme, showing that Force use pretty much almost always automatically comes with being psychic:      Zae-Brii settled next to Obi-Wan again, turning to look at him. "You seem conflicted," they said softly.      "Can you sense that?" Obi-Wan propped himself up on an elbow, excited. "You can feel my emotional state? So you are using the Force in more than just—" [Star Wars: Padawan]

    "The Force is more than just physically sensing things. It can help you sense moods, calm emotions, connect with—well, almost anything." Obi-Wan was struggling to explain. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan smashed his hands over his ears, but he could still hear the screaming. He could feel it, like needles in his entire body. "Stop!" he shouted. "Something's wrong!"      [....] Obi-Wan could barely think straight. It was a wonder he was still standing. How were any of them functioning? And how could they not feel that whatever was happening was bad?      [....] Whatever his friends had done, it had hurt...the cave? The water? The roots? The planet? Obi-Wan had no idea. But it was hurting, and Obi-Wan was hurting, too. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI AND KYBER CRYSTALS + LIGHTSABERS - PREQUELS:

     He changed out of his dirty clothes, trying and failing not to mentally curse Bolla. Then he washed and wrapped his wrist. All the initiates and Padawan learners had tidy little burn kits, designed to soothe minor burns from lightsaber learning errors. He hadn't used his in so long, but he was glad to have it now. The gel instantly soothed his inflamed skin. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Apparently lightsaber practice with Padawans can get pretty chaotic:      Obi-Wan had plenty of practice doing his forms when things were chaotic. Though usually that chaos came in the form of other Padawan learners, as opposed to lots of animals with lots of teeth. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI BONDS - PREQUELS:

     He had lost his clan, his Padawan friends were all busy, and the most important bond he had was supposed to be with a Jedi who couldn't even bother to show up when he promised he would. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Jedi younglings have strong bonds with each other, such that Obi-Wan mentally compares them to the family on Lenahra.  He misses that connection multiple times over the course of the novel and not once says he shouldn’t, it’s always with the context that he should feel more connected to people as a Jedi:      Being a Padawan was so unexpectedly lonely. He wasn't connected to Qui-Gon, and he didn't feel connected to the Force, and all his friends were tied to other people more than they'd ever be tied to him again. Becoming a Padawan had always been his goal—the most important step toward his final destiny as a Jedi Knight—so why did it feel so much like a loss?      Maybe that was why he was dreading leaving Lenahra. He wasn't part of this crew the same way he had been part of his youngling clan, but for a while it had almost felt like he was. [Star Wars: Padawan]

SECTION 5 - JEDI TEMPLES: JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT - MAIN ZIGGURAT - PREQUELS:

     He loved the Temple, now that he was away from it and might not ever get to go back. He loved the pools, the underground rooms, the secret passageways he and his creche mates found, only to realize later they weren't secret at all. He loved the training rooms, loved sparring, loved the exhilaration triggered by the hum of the little droids that shot him until he learned to deflect with his lightsaber. He loved the Archives, loved visiting them and seeing the galaxy spread out, contained, knowable. Right there for them to learn about, right there for them to know how to help. An answer to every question. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan gleefully made his way down to the Padawan dining hall. If Padawans weren't busy, they could almost always be found eating. [Star Wars: Padawan]

    Once, his creche had snuck into the lower sections of the Temple where the more aquatically inclined Jedi and younglings spent their time in vast pools. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     Obi-Wan followed Qui-Gon out of the Padawan dining hall. They left the lower sections with their vast training rooms and various living areas, then wound their way up toward the gardens Qui-Gon favored. Obi-Wan liked them, as well. Or at least he used to, before they became the location of his most consistent training failures. Now even the fresh scent of a green space triggered a spike of anxiety.      In a quiet corner of the luscious and sprawling gardens, surrounded by vivid orange blossoms and the sound of unseen water, Qui-Gon sat on the floor. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT - LIVING ARRANGEMENTS - PREQUELS:

     Qui-Gon sat on the simple gray cushion he kept in place of more elaborate seating. He had never added furniture for hosting guests. Obi-Wan always felt like he was somehow intruding, like there really was no place for him in Qui-Gon's life. He knew Siri's master had a table for two in her living quarters where they took most meals together, and Prie's had insisted on a Padawan room right next to his own so they could have easier access to each other when studying together. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     All around him were the small noises of other bodies sleeping. It wasn't that keeping him awake—if anything, it was comforting, a reminder of his days bunking with creche mates instead of sleeping alone in his Padawan quarters. [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI TEMPLE ON CORUSCANT - KITCHENS - PREQUELS:

     "They don't post guards in the kitchen," Prie snapped. She continued, her voice kind in the most horrifying way as she tried to be supportive. [Star Wars: Padawan]

The Jedi Temple has a variety of foods and spices, there’s always something unusual to try:      Obi-Wan looked in the container. Did they really eat only this? The fruit wasn't terrible, but it was stringy and fibrous. Too much longer here and he'd even be willing to risk tentacles to get some variety. With so many different species living at the Temple, there was always something unusual to try. "Have you ever had anything to eat besides this fruit?"      "It's food," Mem said, scowling at him from behind the container. She always kept something between them.      "Yes, I know, but there are other types of food. Varieties. Textures and flavors and spices and a million ways to prepare them all." [Star Wars: Padawan]

     His confidence that everything was going to be okay was disappearing faster than dessert in an initiate dining hall. [Star Wars: Padawan]

SECTION 6 - JEDI AND THE BIGGER GALAXY: JEDI MAKE FRIENDS WHEREVER THEY GO - PREQUELS:

     Now that Obi-Wan wasn't braced for attack, he realized he didn't sense any threat from the gobbler. He deactivated his saber and hooked it onto his belt, then put one tentative hand on the gobbler's exposed belly. It kicked three legs in the air, twitching them, and made a low rumbling sound that was all satisfaction and no anger. [Star Wars: Padawan]

     "Hello, friends," he said, reaching out a hand. Several little avalanche creatures rolled up, popping out of their tight rolls and nuzzling his extended palm. A gobbler settled on the ground next to him with a sigh, closing its eyes in peaceful rest. The pitcher plants' antennae danced in the air, and even the worms seemed to sway in a rhythm that was, once again, either extremely cute or deeply unnerving. Several flying creatures, small and fragile, broke free from their hiding places among the trees and landed in the clearing, rubbing themselves on the outsides of the pitcher plants and gathering spores they would carry to the trees.      One even settled on Obi-Wan's shoulder, singing high notes in his ear. Obi-Wan whistled back. The gobbler opened one eye, giving a surly huff of air.      "Oh, sorry, were you trying to sleep?" Obi-Wan laughed, patting it on its scaled head. [Star Wars: Padawan]

Obi-Wan makes friends with a whole ass planet:      A piece of the cliff rock beneath the droid shot upward, launching the droid in the most beautiful arc Obi-Wan had ever seen, straight over his head and down into oblivion.      The Force really had been guiding him exactly where he needed to be for Lenahra to use its terrifying power. "Just a reminder," Obi-Wan said, kneeling and patting the rocks beneath him, "that I am your friend." [Star Wars: Padawan]

     "Before I helped you, everything here was ambivalent toward me. Friendly, even. Because I wasn't stealing from the planet, or harming it. It only ever tried to attack me when I was with one of you." [Star Wars: Padawan]

JEDI OUTREACH - PREQUELS:

     He peered around the corner and caught sight of a tall black-cloaked frame and a head of elegant silver hair disappearing through a doorway. Whoever he was, that man knew a lot of the Temple's history. Maybe he was a senator. Politicians weren't common sights in the Temple but weren't unheard of. [Star Wars: Padawan]

[the-forest-library]

January 2022 Reads

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake - Alexis Hall

The Heart Principle - Helen Hang

The Holiday Swap - Maggie Knox

Eight Perfect Hours - Lia Louis

Here’s to Us - Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

The Siren of Sussex - Mimi Matthews

30 Things I Love About Myself - Radhika Sanghani

If the Fates Allow - Rainbow Rowell

When You Get the Chance - Emma Lord

Love & Other Disasters - Anita Kelly

Spin Me Right Round - David Valdes

A Season for Second Chances - Jenny Bayliss

Fault Lines - Emily Itami

Subtle Blood - K.J. Charles

Hither, Page - Cat Sebastian

Mort - Terry Pratchett

The Excalibur Curse - Kiersten White

The Bone Spindle - Leslie Vedder

I Love You So... - Marianne Richmond

Tree - Britta Teckentrup

Let’s Be Weird Together - Brooke Barker

You Can’t Be Serious - Kal Penn

Clean-ish - Gin Stephens

Sex Cult Nun - Faith Jones

The Self-Care Solution - Jennifer Ashton

Rebel Homemaker - Drew Barrymore

Don’t Overthink It - Anne Bogel

Bold = Highly Recommend Italics = Worth It Crossed out = Nope

Thoughts: The Heart Principle and Here’s to Us were eagerly awaited and did not disappoint. Overall, there were a lot of decent reads this month - not a bad way to start off my reading year. 

Goodreads Goal: 27/200

2017 Reads | 2018 Reads | 2019 Reads | 2020 Reads | 2021 Reads

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

July Wrap-Up

Forging Silver Into Stars (Brigid Kemmerer) ★★★★★

Every Summer After (Carley Fortune) ★★★★

We’ll Always Have Summer (Jenny Han) (audio) ★★★

The Blood Traitor (Lynette Noni) ★★★★

The Fine Print (Lauren Asher) ★★★

The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea (Maggie Tokuda-Hall) ★★★★

Hide (Kiersten White) ★★★1/2

Book of Night (Holly Black) ★★★

Rez Dogs (Joseph Bruchac) ★★★★★

Lore Olympus: Volume 1 (Rachel Smythe) (reread) ★★★★★

Lore Olympus: Volume 2 (Rachel Smythe) ★★★★★

The Night She Disappeared (Lisa Jewell) (audio) ★★★★

Love & Other Words (Christina Lauren) ★★★★★

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches (Kate Scelsa) ★★★1/2

Looking at it now, I read SO MUCH this month! Find me over on Goodreads for more detailed reviews. I’d love to be friends.

[godzilla-reads]

For the book recs ask:

3, 15, 20, 23, 37! ^_^

Thank you thank you!

3. A stand-alone that you wish was part of a series.

Oof, this is a tough one because I love stand-alone books. I’d have to say Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle. I’d love to see what happens after the events in the book.

15. A book rec you really enjoyed.

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi, recommended to me by @boyblud

20. A book that got you out of a reading slump.

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

23. A book that is currently on your TBR.

Hide by Kiersten White

37. Your favorite heist book.

Idk if this one counts, but Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by @xiranjayzhao has an excellent heist.

[whereistheonepiece]

2021 Books

Have decided to record the books I've read in 2021 on here. Just because.

Read:

Annihilation by James VanderMeer

Authority by James VanderMeer

Acceptance by James VanderMeer

Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun

The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon

Dorohedoro by Hayashida Q

The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White

The From-Aways by CJ Hauser

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Nothing is Okay by Rachel Wiley

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Gotoge Koyoharu

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White

Langston Hughes Poems Selected by David Roessel

What I Learned From The Trees by L.E. Bowman

You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson

Ongoing:

One Piece

Dai Dark by Hayashida Q

Favorite Books in 2021:

Annihilation and Authority and Acceptance, aka the Area X Trilogy by James VanderMeer - Where lies the strangling fruit that came from the hand of the sinner I shall bring forth the seeds of the dead to share with the worms that gather in the darkness and surround the world with the power of their lives while from the dimlit halls of other places forms that never were and never could be writhe for the impatience of the few who never saw what could have been. In the black water with the sun shining at midnight, those fruit shall come ripe and in the darkness of that which is golden shall split open to reveal the revelation of the fatal softness in the earth. The shadows of the abyss are like the petals of a monstrous flower that shall blossom within the skull and expand the mind beyond what any man can bear, but whether it decays under the earth or above on green fields, or out to sea or in the very air, all shall come to revelation, and to revel, in the knowledge of the strangling fruit—and the hand of the sinner shall rejoice, for there is no sin in shadow or in light that the seeds of the dead cannot forgive. And there shall be in the planting in the shadows a grace and a mercy from which shall blossom dark flowers, and their teeth shall devour and sustain and herald the passing of an age. That which dies shall still know life in death for all that decays is not forgotten and reanimated it shall walk the world in the bliss of not-knowing. And then there shall be a fire that knows the naming of you, and in the presence of the strangling fruit, its dark flame shall acquire every part of you that remains.

Dorohedoro by Hayashida Q - I decided to count manga series as one book, what of it? Read almost the entirety of this in February during a snowstorm. If you've followed me long enough you probably know how in love I am with this series. HashtagJusticeForDorohedoroAnime.

The Camelot Betrayal and The Excalbur Curse by Kiersten White - Hats off to White for always making me reassess my opinions of characters and where I thought certain plot lines were going. I really adore this YA series for its female characters and its reworking of the King Arthur legend. That and the writing style is just very good.

The From-Aways by CJ Hauser - Good synopses are important, and this book deserves a better one. The summary for this book makes it sound like a simple beach read, which isn't to my taste, so I wouldn't have given this book a chance if I hadn't already read and liked the author's second book. Anyway this book is about gentrification and ya wouldn't know it from the summary!

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova - Intriguing book about magical realism and a gripping mystery that forced me to keep reading until I read most of the book in one night.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Gotoge Koyoharu - I was going through a hard time while I read this manga. Gotoge and their story's kindness helped me a lot. The ending made me cry.

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers - A sumptuous book about good food and cannibalism! Wink.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh - An honestly hypnotizing book about depression, grief, and an awful person as our narrator.

What I Learned From The Trees by L.E. Bowman - Impactful poetry about longing and nature.

[booksociety]

Hi, can you recommend some books with royalty (kings and queens)? Thank you so much!

Hello! We apologize for the delay, but here are some royalty recs for you. 😊 We also had a Kings and Queens event last year - you can check out the recs we curated for it here.

A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals #1) by Alyssa Cole (Vee)

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers #1) by Brigid Kemmer (Denali)

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic) by V.E. Schwab (Claire, Megan, Scarlett, Sari & Mels)

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #1) by Roseanne A. Brown (Scarlett, Nickie & Franzi)

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicels #1) by Marissa Meyer (Sage, Vee, Hazel & Mels)

Crier's War (Crier's War #1) by Nina Valera (Scarlett, Lu, Franzi & Aashna)

Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King #1) by Tricia Levenseller

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He (Franzi)

Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1) by Melina Marchetta (Camille)

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (Franzi & Kat)

Girls Made of Snow and Glass (Rise of the Empress #1) by Melissa Bashardoust (Marisa & Kat)

Girls of Paper and Fire (Girls of Paper and Fire #1) by Natasha Ngan (Hazel)

Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore (Megan & Mels)

Macbeth by William Shakespeare (Sari)

Pawn of Prophecy (The Belgariad #1) by David Eddings (Mels)

Promise of Darkness (Dark Court Rising #1) by Bec McMaster (Vee, Nickie & Isabel)

Seven Endless Forests by April Genevieve Tulchokle (Denali)

The Bird and the Sword (The Bird and the Sword Chronicles #1) by Amy Harmon (Vee & Isabel)

The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen (Franzi & Kate)

The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1) by S.A. Chakraborty (Rina)

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (Anniek)

The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White (Sari & Franzi)

The Once & Future King by T.H. White (Denali)

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (Sari)

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller (Franzi)

The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow #1) by Kalyn Josephson (Scarlett & Sage)

The Traitor's Kiss (The Traitor's Circle #1) by Erin Beaty (Denali)

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) Marie Lu (Anniek, Sage & Scarlett)

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (Scarlett & Mels)

When Christ and His Saints Slept (The Plantagenets Series #1) by Sharon Kay Penman (Tejal)

Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell Trilogy #1) by Hilary Mantel (Nana)

- Nickie