#amina franklin

[kationella]

All of Bruce's canon exes should unionize. Benefits include:

Medical coverage in case of torture at the hands of villains

List of safe channels where they can sell all that expensive jewelry he gave them (guess who ends up stealing them from the buyers and the first two guesses don't count)

Discounts for the sooner flight out of Gotham, cause you're cursed now for some reason. Speaking of...

Paid funerary services in case of your death

[every1sno1fangirl]

Extremely belated Civilization VII posting!

I've been really out of it dealing with some terrible stuff these past few weeks so I've been slacking on doing this. I am going to be doing a gigantic masterpost about the leaders Amina, Ibn Battuta, Harriet Tubman, and Benjamin Franklin. As well as Exploration Age civilizations Hawai'i and Songhai, the Modern Age civilizations Mexico and America. After that, the Developer Diary they released about the Narrative Events system and then finally, some of the cooler parts of the recent Modern Age livestream that I happened to really like! So with that out of the way...

Leader: Amina

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/leaders/amina/

The warrior queen Amina rose to power when the trade routes of the Sahara began to provide access to a larger and larger world. A callous and single-minded conqueror, she led the Hausa people on a campaign of expansion across the precolonial Sahel, and she was said to take a lover in every city she vanquished, only to kill him in the morning. In uniting the lands, Amina conquered according to her own fashion – with a sword, not a man, at her side.

Amina is an Economic & Militaristic leader that comes with the Unique Ability Warrior-Queen of Zazzau. Not only do all of her cities receive +1 extra Resource Capacity (Which is a big deal!) but she also receives +1 Gold per Age for each one, which can really add up! And fittingly enough with her militaristic ways, all of her Military untis receive +5 Combat Strength whenever they're on Plains or Desert tiles!

So if you piss her off enough because of her agenda, Desert of the Warrior Queen by having more Settlements on those kinds of tiles...beware her sword! They recommend you pair her with Songhai in the Exploration Age, and I'm inclined to agree though I think she could also pair very well with Mongolia. As for the Antiquity Age, Aksum or Persia seem like good fits in my eyes.

I don't have much more to say about her since I don't know a lot about her, but it's still cool to see a figure like her make a nice showing.

Leader: Ibn Battuta

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/leaders/ibn-battuta/

Ibn Battuta, a scholar and chronicler born of a Moroccan and Berber family, traveled down the trade routes of Africa, Asia, and Europe starting in 1325. After performing the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, he went on to explore the Dar al-Islam (the known Muslim world). Through his travelogue, the Rihla, Ibn Battuta's insights into his world, and the lives of those he shared it with, continue to inspire like-minded travelers.

Ibn Battuta was an extremely interesting guy in real life who explored more of the world than anybody else before the modern world; 117,000 kilometers of it compared to Zheng He and Marco Polo who did 50,000 and 24,000 respectively. I feel like he's kind of unsung here in the West despite that so seeing him here now in Civilization VII is really great.

And surprisingly enough, he is also the first leader so far to be considered a 'Wildcard' which is fitting...because holy shit is this guy really good! His Unique Ability The Marvels of Traveling (Which is part of the formal title of The Rihla, his travelogue!) gives him +2 Wildcard Attribute Points after the first Civic in every single Age! They haven't gone too into detail about the Leader Attributes and how to get points into them I don't think, but that is insane. That's 6 of them across the entire game completely for free that you can put into any category when as far as I can tell, the other guaranteed sources of it are from Age transitions. And as if that wasn't enough, all of his units receive +1 Sight which is a big deal because of how much more limited Movement is in this title. And on top of that he has access the Unique Endeavor Trade Maps that lets you gradually see other Leaders' exposed areas.

Fittingly enough, his Agenda Far and Wide makes him like you a lot more if you've uncovered the most Fog of War and dislike you if you have uncovered the least.

I think he is a fantastic addition to the game and much like Benjamin Franklin, Confucius, Harriet Tubman, and Machiavelli, he is a really good choice for a leader who wasn't necessarily a head of state which is something they've wanted to branch out and include for Civilization VII. He is also probably going to be the leader I recommend most to new players or people who haven't been buildcrafting or anything like that too much; A lot of them are still going to be new-player friendly but he is so flexible and can go in literally any direction you want with any civilization you want that he's hard to 'mess up'.

Leader: Benjamin Franklin

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/leaders/benjamin-franklin/

In colonial America, few individuals shone as brightly as Benjamin Franklin. Beginning as a humble printer, he soon established himself as a prominent newspaper publisher. In 1747, he moved into politics and became one of the Founding Fathers, participating in the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. A restless polymath, Franklin also made many contributions to science in fields as diverse as electricity and oceanography.

We've known this guy would be in since forever, so it's nice to finally get the details about him now! He's a Diplomatic & Scientific minded leader who uses his Unique Ability The First American to gain +1 Science per Age on Production Buildings in all Cities as well as an extra +50% Production towards building them in the first place. He also gets a similar Science bonus on every Endeavor he starts and supports and he is allowed to have two Endeavors of the same type active at the same time which is pretty great! In this game Science and Production buildings go hand in hand in regards to being constructed next to Resources so having extra bonuses to that will really help him with the Science Legacy Path, and he does interesting things with the diplomacy side of things too.

His Agenda, Civic Virtue was always really annoying in Civilization VII and I expect it to remains o; He likes other players who share his type of Government and dislikes those who don't. Which has interesting repercussions if that goes further with differing Ideology. However, since he's able to have two of the same kind of Endeavor active, he's able to keep peace and good relationships with a lot more people too; There's a limited number of Endeavors after all, and if you can only have one of each type at a time, it's a very real possibility that you can't build a positive relationship with every player as a result.....

The game recommends playing him with America in the Modern Age, of course. Though he'd also do a very good job as Qing China (Which has not had its details revealed yet, but we do know Han and Ming's already and it will follow suit). In fact, besides the obvious path of the Mississippians or Greece into the Shawnee into America or something just going hard into Han -> Ming -> Qing would work out really well for him.

Leader: Harriet Tubman

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/leaders/harriet-tubman/

Born Araminta "Minty" Ross to enslaved parents on a Maryland plantation, Harriet Tubman escaped slavery, then helped others do the same via the Underground Railroad, a network of safehouses that led to the free North. She led the Union Army in a raid on Combahee Ferry, rescuing over 700 people, and later became involved in the suffrage movement and other causes. Few have embodied the fight for freedom and equal rights as well as Harriet Tubman.

Harriet Tubman is a Diplomatic & Militaristic leader, though she's 'diplomatic' in a very different way than Benjamin Franklin and other Diplomatic leaders have been. Namely because her Unique Ability Combahee Raid gives her 50% extra Influence towards Espionage Actions and 5 War Support for every war declared against her. Espionage in general is now way better and less micromanage-y (thank god) because it is now separate, 'secret' Diplomatic options you engage in against other Civilizations. And all of her units get to ignore the movement penalties from Vegetated tiles, which can be really helpful for fighting near forests and in jungles, if I remember how the new tile system works right!

Because of her Agenda Veracity she likes other players who have declared Formal Wars and dislikes those who have declared Surprise Wars. Which is...interesting? I feel like that is the 'normal' relationship modifier in previous titles; So will that be an extra influence on top, or do other AIs no longer care if a war was Formal or Surprise if they don't have a relationship with one of the other parties?

She of course, is a good pick for America for America and any other diplomatic Civilizations, but she would also be an interesting one for more militaristic ones too, considering her bonuses towards that.

I'm going to elaborate more here since there are a lot of disgusting racists but this was a surprise pick they pulled out just for the Modern Age stream and I have to say I really like it actually. She is an interesting figure in American history and is someone I'd personally consider to be an archetypal 'American Hero' in a way that makes a lot of people upset. (I do not recommend looking at the YouTube comments section) One of my favorite quotes has always been "I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.”

I think her bonuses are also a really good fit considering her role as a spymaster and (posthumously recognized as one) brigadier general in the Union army. And they also offer an interesting contrast to Benjamin Franklin's, who is also a 'diplomatic' leader but engages with it in an entirely different way. By making her a more militaristic, clandestine leader it offers that interesting contrast. I know some people were hoping for Frederick Douglass or even John Brown, but I think she best suits that contrast as separate pillars of the American identity; One, the open-armed and high-minded idealist working to build the better tomorrow and the other, the embittered radical who does whatever it takes to realize and make it worthwhile. And in that regard, I can think of no other to better represent the latter in that time period than her, who was one of many to sow the seeds that would bloom into the civil rights activism of the future. And quite frankly, she's going to be on the $20 bill—it does not get much more prominent than "They're literally on the money."

We're finally moving on to the civilizations, and I have four to talk about here! Just as a refresher, EVERY single civilization has the following:

1 Unique Ability (UA)

1 Unique Civilian Unit (UCU) that can be anything from Scouts, to Merchants, to Missionaries to to Commanders, to having Great People which are no longer in the game otherwise!

1 Unique Military Unit (UMU)

1 Associated Wonder (AW) that are essentially an 'alternate unlock' for where they would normally be in the Tech/Civic trees, so you can get access to and build them faster!

3 Unique Social Policies (Traditions) that you can keep and slot in in any Age.

Unique Civics that give unique and persistent bonuses.

A Unique Art Style for ALL of their units and infrastructure. And of course, a soundtrack to go with!

And finally, 1 Unique Infrastructure that consists of either 1 Unique Improvement (UI) OR 2 Unique Buildings (UB) that if built in the same tile, combine to create a Unique Quarter (UQ) with its own special bonus!

I will not be going into too much detail about specific leader/civilization combinations with these new ones, simply because it would be even longer and more detailed than it already is and because we only know of two of the Modern Age civilizations so far.

Exploration Age Civilization: Hawai'i

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/civilizations/hawaii/

With their double-hulled canoes and crab-clawed sails, Polynesian settlers reached across the vastness of the Pacific. Hawai'i, settled around 1000 CE, was at first a series of rival kingdoms until the advent of Kamehameha in 1795. But just a short while later, European and American missionaries, settlers, and planters invaded Hawai'i until the kingdom fell to a coup.

Hawai'i is a Cultural & Expansionist civilization whose inclusion in the base game I feel is a little rough; They seem to occupy a similar space Mongolia does of not really having a satisfying Antiquity Age civilization to have turned into historically, and unlike Mongolia, they don't seem to in terms of gameplay either since there aren't really any civilizations/leaders who specialize so much in the marine/coastal starting biases either. That being said, I do like seeing them and their bonuses are pretty cool and I imagine those previous concerns will eventually be patched up with DLC.

Their UA Moananuiākea lets them gain Culture every time a Settlement of theirs expands into a Marine tile and all of their Fishing Boats gain increased Happiness. This is pretty good for what they want to do, especially since as far as I can tell, every coastal tile can be a Fishing Boat now instead of just Sea Resources like it was in Civilization VI. (Though if I'm wrong about that and the Coastal improvements that can actually be spammed everywhere is something different, that's okay too!)

Their three Civics are as follows:

Mana

Tier 1: Adds Culture for every time an Environmental Event has provided Fertility this Age.

Tier 2: Leiomano Unique Infantry Unit receives Culture when defeating enemy Units. Unlocks 'Kapa' Tradition. 

Tradition - Kapa: Increased Production towards Culture Buildings. 

Ohana

Tier 1: Unlocks the Lo'i Kalo Unique Building and 'Ahupuaʻa' Tradition.

Tradition - Ahupuaʻa: Food Buildings receive increased Culture.

Tier 2: Increased Culture for Lo'i Kalo Unique Improvements in Settlements with a Pavilion.

Heʻe nalu

Tier 1: Receive a set number of Relics. Increased Settlement Limit. Unlocks 'Ho'okupu' Tradition.

Tradition - Ho'okupu: Increased Culture on Marine tiles.

Tier 2: Marine Rural tiles in Settlements following your Religion provide increased Culture. The Kahuna Unique Missionary Unit Receives an additional charge for the Heal action. Unlocks the Hale o Keawe Wonder.

Their Unique Improvement is a UI called the Lo'i Kalo which provides Food and Production as well as giving adjacent Farms extra Culture, but it can only be placed on Grassland and Tropical tiles.

Their UCU is the Kahuna which is a Missionary that has a Heal action that doesn't delete if when used; I don't know how to interpret if ALL missionaries have that ability and it normally deletes them after, or if this is entirely unique to Hawai'i.

Their UMU is the Leiomano which is an Infantry unit that has extra Combat Strength against both other Infantry and Cavalry Units! That actually seems like it will be pretty strong and help them a lot with their expansion.

Their AW is the Hale o Keawe which provides Culture and makes it so whenver you finish a Building on a Marine tile you receive more Culture equal to a percentage of its cost as well as providing Great Work slots. (Which I don't think they've talked much about besides it being part of the Codex/Relics/Artifacts system.) It can only be built on a Marine tile adjacent to land that is not the Tundra.

With all of this put together, I think a good Antiquity Age civilization for them would be the Aksum, with Hawai'i itself occupying an interesting space in the paradigm the Legacy Paths establish in the Exploration Age; They are incentivized to expand and proselytize in the Distant Lands and receive quite a few bonuses to make that easier and better support the Settlements you establish there so they can grow and prosper which helps them achieve both the Cultural, Domination, AND Economic paths!

Exploration Age Civilization: Songhai

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/civilizations/songhai/

As the Empire of Mali faltered, their Songhai vassals rose up to form one of the largest states in Africa. Songhai revitalized Islam in the region, renewed the academic community in Timbuktu, and controlled the trans-Saharan trade. But the empire’s days were numbered when the Moroccans invaded, armed with gunpowder and seeking new routes for their own prosperity.

Befitting Amina's rulership, Songhai too is a civilization focused on the Economic & Militaristic side of gameplay. They are a fitting successor to the previous Antiquity Age civilization Aksum, though Persia would also make for a fantastic origin point for them.

Their UA Tarikh al-Sudan gives them even more Resource Capacity in Cities on Navigable Rivers and your Trade Ships can never be Plundered on them. This means you can really support your cities and spread out all of the resources you're going to be getting while being able to focus on protecting the ones you trade more proactively because they'll all be save on Navigable Rivers.

Their three Civics are as follows:

Ships of the Desert

Tier 1: Unlocks the Caravanserai Unique Improvement, the 'Timbuktu' Tradition, and the Tomb of Askia Wonder.

Tradition - Timbuktu: Increased Gold on Mines if there is a Gold Building in that City. 

Tier 2: Increased Gold on the Caravanserai Unique Improvement in Settlements with a Bazaar. Unlocks 'Mud Brick' Tradition.

Tradition - Mud Brick: Increased Production towards Gold Buildings.

Hi-Koi

Tier 1: Increased Combat Strength to all Military Units on Navigable Rivers.

Tier 2: Rivers do not end Unit movement. Unlocks 'Isa' Tradition.

Tradition - Isa: Increased Movement to all Units on Navigable Rivers.

Kanta

Tier 1: Tajiro Unique Merchant Unit gains increased Gold. Increased Settlement Limit. Cities in Homelands on Navigable Rivers generate Treasure Fleets worth one Victory Point each.

Their Unique Improvement is a UI called the Caravanserai which provides Gold and even more of it when adjacent to Rivers and Resources but can only be built on the Desert or Plains.

Their UCU is the Tajiro which is a merchant that gives you Gold when you create a Trade Route that includes at least one Navigable River!

Their UMU is the Gold Bangles Infantry which is, you guessed it, an Infantry Unit that has extra Combat Strength on tiles with Resources on them and provides extra yields when you Plunder a Trade Route with them.

And finally, their AW is the Tomb of Askia which provides Gold and increases the Resource Capacity in the Settlement in which it was built while providing extra gold and Production for every Resource assigned to it. It can only be built in the Desert!

Put all together, Songhai fits pretty cleanly into the Domination and Economic Legacy Paths, even if it is in more indirect ways than some other civilizations do. Their ability to take advantage of resources is really helpful in the Distant Lands and conquering them is easier; Even moreso if you can exploit Navigable Rivers to do so.

Modern Age Civilization: Mexico

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/civilizations/mexico/

For centuries, Spain extracted from the New World natural resources and the wealth of past empires. But following Napoleon's conquest of Spain, many saw an opportunity to create a new, free society in Mexico. Mexicans succeeded in their struggle for freedom, and a new state emerged – a cultural powerhouse primed to navigate challenges of governance, relationships between indigenous peoples and white Spaniards, and the operation of the Mexican economy relative to its northern neighbor.

Mexico is the first civilization in the Modern age they've announced, which lasts from 1750 into (roughly) the 1950's. And I must say they captured it in a really interesting way that I wish was more well-known. Mexico went through a tumultuous time that doesn't get talked about much from what I've seen here as an American. Maybe that is a personal bias that isn't reflected by others, but I feel like I never heard much about the Mexican Revolution in school despite how important it was to the US; While the 'formal' revolution lasted only 10 years, Mexico was dealing with coups and revolutions for a hundred years prior. I think it's interesting that they're being considered a Cultural & Diplomatic Civilization since I think they're quite a bit more Militaristic than the latter.

Fittingly enough, their UA is Revolución which is a unique Government type they are forced into, which is...also called Revolución! It has a single Celebration effect which gives them a large Culture boost. As they explore their Civics they unlock additional Celebration types they can select, and since they are restricted to the single Government type theirs will be stronger and more flexible since they have more options than the normal Governments do!

Their four unique Civics are as follows:

Planes Políticos

Tier 1: Unlocks the Catedral Unique Building, the Portal de Mercaderes Unique Building, and the 'Corridos' Tradition.

Tradition - Corridos: Increased Happiness in Settlements for every Tradition slotted into the Government.

Tier 2: Increased Policy slot for Revolución Unique Ability. Unlocks the Palacio de Bellas Artes Wonder.

Plan of Iguala

Tier 1: Unlock an additional Celebration effect, granting a large amount of Production towards Military Units for a set number of turns. Unlocks the 'Cry of Dolores' Tradition.

Tradition - Cry of Dolores: Increased Combat Strength for Units in Friendly territory for every Tradition slotted into the Government.

Plan of Ayutla

Tier 1: Unlock an additional Celebration effect, granting a large amount of Influence towards initiating Diplomatic Actions for a set number of turns. Unlocks the 'La Reforma' Tradition.

Tradition - La Reforma: Increased Culture in Towns for every Tradition slotted into the Government.

Plan of Tuxtepec

Tier 1: Unlock an additional Celebration effect, granting a large amount of Science for a set number of turns. Unlocks the 'Order and Progress' Tradition.

Tradition - Order and Progress: Increased Science in Cities for every Tradition slotted into the Government.

Their Unique Improvement is two UBs and a UQ. The Catedral is a UB that provides Culture and receives Happiness when adjacent to other Culture Buildings, such as the Portal de Mercaderes their other UB, which provides culture as well as receiving Gold from adjacent Gold Buildings. When both of these occupy the same tile they create a Zócalo UQ which gives extra Culture for every Unique Tradition slotted into their Government! (So all of their Traditions from their civilization+previous ones, as well as any they might have picked up from Independent Peoples.)

Their UCU is the Revolucionario which is essentially a 'Great Person' from previous Civilization titles. They can only be built in a City with a Zócalo Quarter and each one is random and can only be received ones. Each one also increases the cost to make the next. They are:

Amelio Robles Ávila: Activated on a Zócalo Unique Quarter to grant a set number of free Soldaderas Unique Infantry Units with increased Combat Strength.

Vicente Guerrero: Activated on the Palace to immediately trigger a Celebration.

Petra Herrera: Activated on a Commander Unit. All Soldaderas Unique Infantry Units within its Command Radius gain increased Combat Strength.

Miguel Hidalgo: Activated in a Town's District to summon a free Infantry Unit on every land District in that Town.

Ángela Jiménez: Activated on a Commander Unit to grant Culture for every Promotion it has (effect scales based on game speed).

Benito Juárez: Activated on a Zócalo Unique Quarter to grant an additional Tradition slot.

José María Morelos: Activated on a Commander Unit to heal all Units in its Command Radius to full health.

Antonio López de Santa Anna: Activated on a Commander Unit to grant it enough experience for a set number of Promotions.

Pancho Villa: Activated on a Commander Unit. When a Unit within this Commander’s Command Radius defeats an enemy Unit, gain Gold equal to a percentage of its Combat Strength.

Emiliano Zapata: Activated on a City Center to grant increased Culture to all Farms in the Settlement.

Their UMU is the Soldaderas, an Infantry Unit that can heal Adjacent Units by a certain amount that doesn't stack, so they are a battlefield medic of sorts!

Rounding it off is their AW, the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It provides Culture and Happiness as well as extra Happiness from Great Works while coming with some slots for them itself. It can only be built adjacent to an Urban District!

All together, Mexico seems to be an incredibly interesting civilization. Again, the 'Diplomatic' tag seems to be really fuzzy and vague but they seem to be fantastic for any kind of gameplay you desire. I honestly couldn't recommend any single one since it seems to be versatile enough to fit into any of them. I think their any of their historical paths are also very flexible; Your choice of either Greece or Rome into Spain as a history means you have a lot of different flexibility on what Legacy Paths you've been traveling down and the same is equally true if you instead went from the Maya to the Inca (Who I assume are the other path to Mexico—every civilization seems to unlock two possible in the next Age by default so far and this seems to be the reason why the current multiplayer cap is so low in the Antiquity and Exploration Ages while it is expanded again in the Modern.) So while they don't necessarily have any strong bonuses to any of the four in particular, their flexibility and ability to continue off from where you came from is top notch! If you like messing around with the 'Great People' though I'd recommend that Greece into Spain path however, since both have their own.

I do assume playing as either Spain or the Inca will be the only way to turn into them besides whatever alternate unlock they might have though(The developers have not shown off any of them except what Mongolia's might be.) because three of the people that would have been really good picks for leaders (The alternate way to unlock a later-Age civilization as a choice is if you are playing as the Leader of one) are instead Revolucionarios instead, which I feel like is a hard de-confirm for one showing up as a leader. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised? It remains to be seen. Also the team at Firaxis was incredibly based for including Amelio!

Modern Age Civilization: America

[The Civilization VII has not dropped a video for what their in-game theme will be yet, so I'll update this post to include it when it does!]

https://civilization.2k.com/civ-vii/game-guide/civilizations/america/

America was a new nation, one founded on Enlightenment ideals of progress and rationality, industry and progress, and ever-expanding horizons. The American Revolution ignited from this demand for expansion: to expand trade independently to the Caribbean, to extend the colonies’ borders westward (into land held by indigenous nations), and freedom from British tariffs and taxes.

America is the second revealed Modern Age civilization, and perhaps the one people most expected considering where the game is being made. I think more than perhaps any other civilization, they are receiving the biggest benefit from the new Age structure and making sure each one is interesting to play and has their own civilizations entirely; They've always been kind of whelming since IV. They weren't exceptionally weak then by any means, but they just didn't offer anything unique. In Civilization V this didn't change much. Their main bonuses of 50% cheaper tile purchases and +1 Sight weren't bad by any means, but they were nothing special either. And their UBs and UUs always came online way too late. And quite frankly, it was extremely middling in Civilization VI at launch too; It took DLC to make America itself better and Theodore Roosevelt was only ever just Alright until he got his Personas and it too suffering from UBs and UUs that only ever became usable in the late game. So much of the 'modern' civilization gameplay has consisted of twiddling your thumbs while you wait for their actually unique thing to finally come online and being kind of generic while it wasn't. Earlier civilizations also had that problem in reverse, but it felt better because snowballing in the early game was better. By focusing on making each Age a distinct thing with their own civilizations, this problem is entirely averted and now America (And other civilizations of course!) can truly shine. So with that mini-rant out of the way...

America is an Economic & Expansionist civilization who seems to pull most thematically from the 1800's with Manifest Destiny and all that entails in mind. Their UA is Frontier Expansion which gives them Gold every time they Improve a Resource.

Their three unique Civics are as follows:

Yankee Ingenuity

Tier 1: Unlocks the Steel Mill Unique Building and the 'Gold Rush' Tradition.

Tradition - Gold Rush: Increased Gold for every assigned Resource.

Tier 2: Prospector Unique Merchant Units receive a Gold discount.

Captains of Industry

Tier 1: Unlocks the Railyard Unique Building and the 'Robber Baron' Tradition.

Tradition - Robber Baron: Increased Influence for every assigned Resource.

Tier 2: Increased Production on Resources. Increased Settlement Limit.

Wartime Manufacturing

Tier 1: Units receive increased Combat Strength for having more than one adjacent enemy Unit. Unlocks the Statue of Liberty Wonder.

Tier 2: Increased Production towards Military Units when fighting a war in which your Support is higher than your opponent. Unlocks the 'Lend-Lease' Tradition.

Tradition - Lend-Lease: Increased Gold and Influence per Trade Route.

Their Unique Improvement is two UBs and a UQ again, this time being the Steel Mill and Railyard respectively that combine together to create the Industrial Park UQ. They both synergize really well; The former is a Production Building that gains extra Gold for adjacent Resources and the latter is a Gold Building that gives extra Production for adjacent Quarters. When combined together the Industrial Park increases the amount of Food in a City for every Resource assigned to it, which America is already heavily incentivized to get!

America's UCU is the Prospector, which is is a unique Merchant that can be activated on unowned Land Resources within a certain range of all of your Settlements...where it will automatically claim a path of tiles to and Improve that Resource! This is very very strong and as you can see, really does a lot to feed into the rest of their gameplay.

Their UMU is the Marine, which is a unique Infantry unit that requires less Production to build and has the Amphibous keyword, making it so they have no Combat penalties when attacking from Embarkation. It still costs them Movement to Embark and Disembark though, which is kind of funny so they're always chilling in their DUKW's anyway. They just pull their awnings up when they're Embarked!

And finally, the AW for them is of course the Statue of Liberty, which provides Happiness and a certain number of 'Migrant Units', which are Civilian Units that can be used to trigger Growth Events in any of your Settlements. It also increases the Resource Capacity in a Settlement, as well as provide Gold and Production for each one assigned to that city. It can only be built on the Coast adjacent to land!

All together, America is really really really well suited for completing the Economic Legacy Path which is very fitting, considering its emphasis on being a Robber baron. Just like the previous Ages, there is a big emphasis made on collecting Resources, though I'll go into the specific details about that later on. I think the way they expand and why are also interesting; They don't have a lot of direct military bonuses, but are still capable of holding their own in that regard while they secure resources. It straddles that period of time in America history where barring the Civil War it was only ever really a means to an end to acquire more resources and they were otherwise uninvolved and isolated from the rest of the world and their much more vigorous turmoil (That America itself contributed to of course, in regards to the Indigenous peoples of the continent.) and the slow lead-up where that would very much change with WW2. Focusing so much on the Robber barons makes sense in that context.

As for the historical paths to America? It's one of the squickier aspects of the new system, but the Mississippian civilization into the Shawnee provide a really strong ground when it comes to gathering and taking advantage of Resources. It is what I would personally recommend in all likelihood.

Developer Diary #4: Emergency Narrative

This is the section I'm going to talk the least about, mostly because it speaks for itself. I think everything discussed here, like the previous developer diaries, is incredibly interesting and very much what I like to see though. It is a continuing trend of introspection and thoughtfulness that I really appreciate, and seeing how some of the examples in the post itself have come to fruition in the streams themselves is a nice thing to see. I especially like seeing the wide variety and extensiveness of this new system; It is one of the things that reminds me of Civilization: Beyond Earth which I really liked and seeing it further refined and less 'jank' for lack of a better word is great.

The Modern Age Stream

This section from me is going to be a highlight summary for the most part and some of my own thoughts; The full stream is around an hour and thirty minutes long for those who want to see the whole thing though!

To start off with, the Leader count was fully confirmed for the first time; There will be 26 leaders (5 of which are Personas—essentially, a different flavor for a leader) complimenting 31 civilizations at launch. With Benjamin Franklin and Harriet Tubman officially revealed today that is 14, which means there are 7 left! Which is coincidentally, how many weeks away we are from launch. So you can expect seven more posts about the leaders from me and eight about the rest of the Modern Age civilizations (Or maybe I'll combine each one together into the same post?) For other leaders and civilizations that have been soft-confirmed even if there bonuses aren't revealed yet I believe we have:

Himiko for Japan (And Japan in the Modern Age as a result—I really hope they get representation in the Antiquity and Exploration Ages later too.)

Bugunda

France

Mughal India

Qing China

Siam

Napoleon Bonaparte (And his Persona!)

I have no clue in what order they will be released in and who else is on the list but I eagerly await to see who gets in!

Dark Age policies are back! I don't know if they were showed off earlier, but I think it's nice to see them included. IIRC you fall into a Dark Age for a given Legacy Path if you failed to meet even the basic Milestone for it in the previous Age? It feels less like an intentional tactical failure you can game like in Civilization VI and more like a pity feature though, since you really want to get those Legacy Points to spend on actually good things. Especially since choosing one consumes ALL of your other points in every category. It seems like something you should only do if you are falling behind on a certain path I'm honestly not quite sure how or why you would this honestly; Maybe you know of another player who is insanely well-positioned to get a certain Legacy Path victory and you want to try and take it out from under them in the next Age? It feels like something you can't know until it's too late to intentionally throw like that though, and that you'd do better just fighting for it normally in that Age and into the next. Maybe it's for those who didn't do particularly well in achieving any of the Legacy Paths?

The Modern age officially starts at the year 1750 with things such as the invention of the steam engine!

And...it ends in roughly 1960, with the discovery of Rocketry.

This is going to be controversial. I already see a lot of complaints about it and how the game (for now—they also teased how an expansion might go beyond it later.) is 'incomplete' because of a lack of a Contemporary/Information Age but personally...

I really don't mind? It feels kind of superficial and knee-jerk, even.

Civilization IV, V, AND VI have all desperately suffered from that part of the game being boring and flawed and half-baked every single time on launch. Even more than the previously mentioned problems with the more modern civilizations, the systems themselves just feel undercooked and less engaging and had to be fixed with DLC much later, with Beyond the Sword and Brave New World and Gathering Storm respectively. It has always been the weakest part of the experience so far whether it be because the AI doesn't engage with it properly or because there just isn't enough to do that feels 'right'.

Given the absolutely massive emphasis they have placed on the Ages system making each individual civilization and phase of the game always feel good to play and be involved in I really don't mind if they chopped some years off to make it so the experience that remains is even better. So many games suffer nowadays from being as wide as an ocean and as deep as a puddle. Even games that are still complex or really engaging still suffer from feature creep and stuff that just feels like underbaked padding. It obviously isn't a one-to-one example but I feel like if you cut off like 30% of the map in Elden Ring (Not including Shadow of the Erdtree because I haven't beaten that yet and can't speak for it.) the game would be way better and a stronger experience, compared to how redundant some of those Dungeons and such really get and feel and the actual size of the world map not really taking advantage of said size. By far the strongest and best parts of that game are the Legacy Dungeons that best resemble their previous titles; They are the tighter, stronger experiences that have less padding and provide an interesting, satisfying experience the whole way through them.

So no, I'm not particularly bothered if the three Ages currently in the game are really good and fun to play in if that nebulous fourth Age that has historically always been really lackluster was the expense. Especially since they're focusing so hard on addressing the reasons why it was and purposefully left the door open to expand upon and include it later in an equally as thoughtful and considerate manner. The game has been in development for some time now; I prefer the prioritization being shown here especially since they can see what players end up actually liking about every Age and its systems and what they would like to see in the future before including it with those things in mind in whatever form that ends up taking.

Here are the three types of governments typically available to civilizations in the Modern Age. Remember that whenever you have enough excess Happiness to trigger a Celebration, you choose one of the two bonuses listed there and also expand the amount of Social Policies you can include in your Government.

Natural History is one of the very first Civics you can research in this new Age and it is the most important one for achieving the Cultural victory! I think it's interesting to make it available so early on given the prioritization towards it being based on acquiring 'Great Works' so to speak. With the new Narrative system though I'm quite happy that it will be less annoying to fill those up, even if it means there aren't necessarily as many on the map? That is the implication I'm taking away from it at least since they mentioned sending the Explorer to Universities and Museums to do research on where some could be found; Gone is the "X Civilization or Barbarian Artifact" theming shenanigans on an intrusive tile peppered everywhere it seems. I also like the flavor of them having to scour the archives and do research before finding some; I can see it tying into the Narrative Events in a fun way to include hoax artifacts for example or many of the stories that are told about Ancient Egyptian curses or haunted burial grounds and the like.

This is a random event that can result in giving you an Artifact for example. If you choose the top option 'the story continues' and it can result in you gaining one, regardless of your Explorers. This event was triggered by placing a new building, the Grocer, on a Floodplains! It is referencing this event pretty explicitly by the way, as a historical fun fact.

Much like how the Culture Legacy is an evolution of the previous Age's, a new type of Resource and its acquisition is available in the Modern Age and they become relevant with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Certain Resources are considered 'Factory Resources' and when assigned to a City with a Factory, they provide an Empire-wide bonus. And you also want want to pump as many of those into Factories as you possibly can for the Economic Legacy. I am not going to talk about the specific steps and end goals of each Legacy until later on though, simply so you don't have to skip around too much about what I'm talking about.

They confirmed that Independent Powers are created at the start of every Age; This 'wide open land' was previously unoccupied but now it is populated as you can see here. And of course, since they're playing as America for this stream Manifest Destiny soon happens...

Espionage is a thing again, and it's not as annoying or a pain in the ass as it was in Civilization VI! Instead of having to micromanage a ton of spies it is instead a 'secret' Diplomatic action you are able to do to other civilizations and what they can do against you in turn. That particular one I've highlighted seems like a really good option to pick against anyone you're about to go to war with in a few turns or are even in one currently, lol. If your spies get caught you suffer are a relationship penalty and the opposing civilization gets free Influence however!

Also just above is 'Sanctions' which is another Diplomatic Action type, and I don't imagine that requires a lot of elaboration. In general I really like how the new diplomacy system works now.

Civilization V enjoyers, wake the fuck up IDEOLOGIES ARE BACK!

In this game they are unique Civics that when chosen, you are locked into. These are Democracy's unique Civics that I've taken screenshots of since I really don't want to figure out how I would format it nicely:

So Democracy seems to be focused around a few different things and for the first two Civics at least, they come with downsides to compliment their bonuses. Democracy hurts your Towns a little bit to help your Specialists while Liberalism seems to do the opposite and is reliant on your particular strengths and developments as a Leader. And it's capped off by Progressivism which does neither, instead providing nothing but bonuses that are not directly related to your Settlements at all. I wonder how true that is going to be for Fascism and Communism in regards to their structures?

By the way, if you paid attention to the previously mentioned Governments, you'll notice that they are a separate thing from these ideologies. It's a very 'American' way of looking at it but something they mentioned is how Democracy can be separate from government types though it applies somewhat to the other two Ideologies too. A Bureaucratic Monarchy that follows a Democratic Ideology certainly resembles some civilizations in that early modern era. I'd say that's how the British Empire worked in that time period (And arguably does still now).

Needless to say, civilizations that follow different Ideologies hate each other, which is something directly relevant for the Military Legacy Path, which I will again be talking about a little later all together!

It's a 'smaller' thing but I really appreciate how because of the Age system and the architecture being preserved throughout said ages that you can tell what the exact path this America took was and the lasting mark they've left on their civilization; Even if you couldn't see the city names you'd still be able to tell they came from the Greeks and the Normans from the architectural style alone. In general the way replacing buildings and such works means you get to see really distinct settlements throughout the whole game instead of the previously static ones where you have the same Monument and the same Granary for the entire game. Also there is 50 pops living in Athens and 51 in Rouen, I know the yield porn has been crazy in this game but damn is that a lot! (Also, the player who made this save moved their Capital from Athens to Rouen during the transition to the Exploration Age. He then did the same for Washington D.C for the transition into the Modern Age!)

Speaking of yield porn, I am INCREDIBLY thankful for the fact that new Buildings to place down automatically calculate for what the highest possible one would be with the current Specialists assigned to tiles. Civilization VI sort of had that with the District placements but it's very nice to see this refined further.

In this case, it involves 'Overbuilding' which is essentially replacing a building that became obsolete from the prior age. Unless you selected it as a Golden Age bonus, these always lose their Adjacency (And thus Specialist) bonuses when the next Age rolls around so replacing obsolete buildings is encouraged. There are still reasons to select those traits of course—having three different Science Buildings that still get all of their bonuses is really good for example—but this is still a really nice feature that lets you shore up stuff that traditionally got left behind in previous titles.

Also, those tiles across the river that can be built over and turned into new Urban Districts? Those are Kasbahs. Notably, they are not something you can get from either the Greece or Norman civilizations...they are instead one of the possible bonuses you can select from becoming an Independent People's Suzerain! I think I've mentioned previously that by doing so you can get something unique and powerful from them and in this case, the player chose to get the Kasbah Unique Improvement!

Also again, making that kind of choice at all triggered another Narrative Event. This one can just give you the Artifact directly and it specifically references and makes a callback to the things you have been doing there until now, which I really like!

RAILROADS YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!!

Rail Stations are a Building that occupies an entire Tile by itself; Placing only one down is only half of the equation. The fun comes when you place another one down in a different Settlement; If there exists a path between the two (or more!) that exists already, it will be instantly upgraded into a railroad connecting those two points. This is fantastic, because it is even less annoying micromanagement now! certain resources provide an even greater bonus to Settlements connected by Rail—an example shown was Furs providing +6 Happiness to a Settlement that had a Rail Station and only +3 to one that didn't. Settlements that are connected by a Rail Station also provide a +10% Production bonus to training units on top of its own base yields.

Also, and the really big thing IMO is that ALL units adjacent to or on a Rail Station can instantly move themselves to any other tile adjacent to or on a Rail Station within 20 tiles! They didn't explicitly say so, but it consumes all of that unit's Movement to do so because they mentioned how it can't just take you to the opposite end of the world immediately, but you could chain them across it that way over the span of a few turns instead of the few dozen it would otherwise take and then later moved an Army Commander that way who had no Movement Points left afterwards.

Also, these alongside Factories are mandatory for the Economic Legacy Path.

There is a third type of Commander now, with three different variations and contextual trees as a result! These are for air units. I won't go into too much detail about things like the Group Orders and what the different promotions mean and the like because of an upcoming Developer Diary that is going over it for me, but what you should know is that Squadron Commanders are effectively air bases you can use either as a staging ground for fighters/bombers or to paradrop Land Military Units elsewhere. They can only be stationed on certain types of Land tiles even if they can still be moved elsewhere and they are otherwise stationary.

Aircraft Carriers are focused more on the planes themselves and increase their capacity to carry them as well as their actual effectiveness in battle, and Aerodrome Commanders are a lesser version that lacks the bonuses of either but can be built in a static location which is more than fine.

You no longer deploy Air Units on specific Missions; Fighters will just patrol wherever they are and you can use Group Orders to direct all of your bombers to attack a single target for example.

Though, speaking of bombers...

Dive Bombers are a thing for the first time ever! While Heavy Bombers seem to be specialized for taking down Fortifications (I'll talk about Light vs. Heavy which only becomes relevant in the Modern Age when the new Developer Diary comes out) these are focused primarily on taking out other Military units instead.

Also god damn is even just the Fighter's range absolutely ginormous! I'm really glad the AI is finally engaging in Naval and Aerial combat; It's been about damn time and I can't wait to see how it does.

Finally, with that all out of the way, it's time for me to talk about the Legacy Paths and how they culminate into a Victory in this era. An important thing to mention is that much like Science Victory has in the past, this time every single Victory comes with its own 'big moment' and a capstone project to complete before it's completed. Gone is winning a Diplomatic or Cultural victory entirely by accident; Not only do you have to accumulate the right amount of points but you have to be the first to complete the special project associated with each path. I also like how even if each path remains the same at their cores they evolve in interesting ways that remain faithful to how you were engaging with every Age so you're never left with a feeling of "Now I have to do something completely different for no reason?"

Since I talked about it so much already, I'll start off with the Economic Legacy Path. Besides being a cheeky reference to Railroad Tycoon, a game Sid Meier once made, it is centered very firmly on the Resource acquisition of the previous Ages taken to new heights. The playstyle here is really focused on going wide and getting as many Factories with Rail Station (Or Ports, but they didn't talk about those at all on the stream) connections in your empire as possible; Because each Factory with an assigned Factory Resource that is connected like that contributes a point every turn towards this victory type. You need to get 500 total to unlock the final project of establishing the World Bank. If you managed to establish 10 connections like that you would be done with it within 50 turns. So it's a little slow-going but that's fine; All of these seem to be save for perhaps the Military Legacy which still seems to require a good bit of research.

Remember what I mentioned about Ideology before? In the Exploration Age you received points towards this Legacy for having & conquering Settlements in Distant Lands that have your religion. This time, you want to be conquering the Settlements of your ideological rivals since doing so gives you the most points possible of 3 for each individual one. Notably, this also counts if you are reclaiming your own conquered Settlements from them and you need 20 total.

It all culminates in Operation Ivy, also known as the very first thermonuclear bomb. This hydrogen bomb marks the end of the Military path and provides you some limited access to more 'conventional' nuclear bombs prior to that to aid you in your warmongering.

It's the Science path, you know it well from previous titles. In this case the scale of it is smaller though, being confined to completing projects (Which require highly developed infrastructure to make any headway on, which is what you wanted for all previous Ages on the Science path anyway. Namely, because after the first series of projects it culminates in completing the First Staffed Space Flight which was historically accomplished by the Soviet Union in 1961.

Finally, there is the Culture path. Much like in the previous Ages, you are doing your best to accumulate as many fanciful collections of different glamorous, awe-inspiring things as possible. In this case, it is archeological artifacts that enshrine your civilization's history forever. It's special project is creating the World's Fair to show it all off which is...interesting?

Admittedly this is part of why I have hope that there will be further expansions to a Contemporary/Information Age. Because not only is 'Age Progression' still a thing for these (Even if it functions kind of like the 'Score Victory' previously did for games that last only a single Age or in this Modern Age when nobody completes these projects.) but because these are all fitting 'capstones' to build off from in my opinion, even if they are scattered a little all over the place. The World Bank was established IRL in 1944, Ivy Mike was tested in 1952, Yuri Gagarin was in space in 1961...and the World's Fair as we recognize it was technically first celebrated in 1851. Though I think this one in particular is meant to be more evocative of the 1939 New York World's Fair with its focus on cultural themes and societal progress rather than strictly technology. Honestly I've always wanted to go to one of those one day; Maybe by some miracle I will be able to attend the 2025 one in Japan, though almost certainly not. Maybe one day...

And now, finally...I'm done. Until the new Developer Diary comes out today. I'm done. I hope if anybody actually reads this that it gave them some ideas or insights into this game I'm really looking forward to releasing. Have a great rest of your day/night!

[thoughtfulfangirling]

2023 Reads

A new year means a new book list! I don't think I can top my 2022 count, but that's okay! I'm not totally sure what my reading goals this year will actually be, but I guess I'll sort it out on the way! XD For future reads, here's my 2024 list!

Four Treasures of the Sky - Jenny Tinghui Zhang

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass+

The Bear and the Nightengale - of the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden

The Secrets We Keep - Mia Hayes

Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal - Patty Loew+

The First Sister - Linden A. Lewis^

The House of the Seven Gables - Nathaniel Hawthorne

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

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury~

Fin Mac Cool - Morgan Llewlyn^

How Long 'til Black Future Month by N. K. Jemisin

Lavinia - Ursula K Le Guin^

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin*

Black Cowboys of the Old West: True, Sensational, and Littke-Known Stories form History - Tricia Martineau Wagner+

The Mysteries of Thorn Manor - Margaret Roberson%

Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space - Amanda Leduc+

Her Majesty's Royal Coven - Juno Dawson^

She Who Became the Sun~ - Shelley Parker-Chan*

The Witch King - H.E. Edgmon^

Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree*

Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin^

The Adventures of Amina El-Serafi - S.A. Chakraborty

Humankind: A Hopeful History - Rutger Bregman+

The Folk Keeper - Frannie Billingsly*%

Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens - (Suzy) Eddie Izzard+

Juniper & Thorn - Ava Reid

Upright Women Wanted - Sarah Gailey%

I Await the Devil's Coming - Mary MacLane+

Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut~

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights - Molly Smith & Juno Mac+

The Woman in White - Wilke Collins^

King of Battle and Blood - Scarlett St. Clair

Sarah - J.T. LeRoy^

The City Beautiful - Aden Polydoros^

Freshwater - Akwaeke Emezi

Always the Almost - Edward Underhill

All Systems Red - Martha Wells%

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

Nevada - Imogen Binnie

A Dowry of Blood - S. T. Gibson

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

The Second Rebel - Linden A Lewis

Get a Life Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert

The Hero and the Crown* - Robin McKinley

What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing - Bruce D Perry & Oprah Winfrey+^

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorne

The Eye of the Heron - Ursula K Leguin

Artificial Condition -Martha Wells%

The Kraken's Sacrifice - Katee Robert%

Crown Duel - Sherwood Smith*

Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells%

Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self Involved Parents - Lindsay C Gibson+

Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, the Wild West's Most Notorious Woman Bandit - John Boessenecker+

The History of Wales - History Nerds+%

Ander & Santi Were Here - Jonny Garza Villa

The Glass Castle - Jeanette Walls^

Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire^

The Gilda Stories - Jewelle Gomez

Irish Fairy and Folk Tails - Various+

The Dead and the Dark - Courtney Gould

Haunted Wisconsin - Michael Norman and Beth Scott+

The Other Black Girl - Zakiya Dalila Harris

The Ruins - Scott Smith

He Who Drowned the World - Shelley Parker-Chan

Fledgling - Octavia Butler

Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend - Mark Collins Jenkins+

The Vampyre - John Polidori%

This is Halloween - James A Moore

Sorrowland - Rivers Soloman

The Lamb will Slaughter the Lion - Margaret Killjoy%

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Love Her or Lose Her - Tessa Bailey^

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston*

The Last Hero - Linden A. Lewis

Lovelight Farms - B. K. Borison

Reindeer Falls Collection: Volume One - Jana Aston

Currently reading: One Last Stop (Audiobook to help me sleep XD)

Nonfiction is annotated by + A Re-read is annotated by * A book completed from the list below is annotated by ^ A Read with Empty will be annotated by ~ A Novella %

My current, loose and not that interesting goal for this year is to really work on the books I have current access to right now... at the start of this year. Because it's a lot XD This means books currently favorite in Scribd, on my StoryGraph 'to read' pile, or a book I currently own on my shelves. Main goal is at least one of these a month.

For my own personal reference, I'm putting a list of such books below to hold myself accountable.

Edit: Now the end of 2023, and here's a breakdown of my goal to read books I already had access to at the start of 2023:

I didn't read one a month per se, but I got more than 12 done, so I call this a win. These books are:

-Can't Spell Treason Without Tea - Rebecca Thorn -The City Beautiful - Aden Polydoros -Finn Mac Cool - Morgan Llewlyn -The First Sister by Linden A Lewis (proceeded by the other two in the series) -Get a Life, Chloe Brown - Talia Hibbert -The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls -Haunted Wisconsin - Michael Norman & Beth Scott -Her Majesty's Royal Coven - Juno Dawson -I Await the Devil's Coming - Mary McClane -The Kraken's Sacrifice - Katee Robert -Lavinia - Ursula K Le Guin -Love Her or Lose Her - Tessa Bailey -Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin -Nevada - Imogen Binnie -The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli -Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire -The Ruins - Scott Smith -The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller -Sarah - J.T. LeRoy -Vampire Forensics - Mark Collins Jenkins -What Happened to You? - Oprah Winfrey -The Witch King - H. E. Edgmon -The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

The books I did not get around to reading from this list are as follows: Black Water Sister by Zen Cho; Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye (o); The Book of M by Peng Shepard (o); Charity and Sylvia by Rachel Hope Cleves (o); The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (a); The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (s); Fallen by Lauren Kate (o); Fanny Hill by John Cleland (o); Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (s); The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea (s); The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham-Smith (o); Helping Her Get Free by Susan Brewster (o); The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang (s); Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (o); The Merry Spinster by Daniel Lavery (o); On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (o); The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang (s); Radiance by Grace Draven (a); Watching the Tree by Adeline Yen Mah (o); The Willows by Algernon Blackwood (s); Wings of Fire (o); Witches Steeped in Gold by Clannon Smart (o); The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid (s)

23/46 Whoa! That's exactly 50% of the books I had on my list! That's pretty cool! All in all, I consider this 2023 goal successfully done!

[snackerdoodle]

books I read in 2023

I had a huge reading year this year because of my gruelingly long commute. The list below the cut is mostly for my own edification, but I’m a nosy person who supports other nosy people, so if you want to know what I’ve been up to, have at it. Almost everything I read this year was from the library.

1/12 A Charmed Life, Diana Wynne Jones

1/18 The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School, Sonora Reyes

1/24 The Life-Changing Magic of 

Tidying Up, Marie Kondo

1/25 Hotel Magnifique, Emily J. Taylor

1/30 Spark Joy, Marie Kondo 

2/2 The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune

2/8 The Golden Enclaves, Naomi Novik

2/8 Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, Ashley Herring Blake

2/15 The Nile, Toby Wilkinson

2/23 The Painted Queen, Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess

2/28 Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine

3/5 Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters

3/12 Lord of the Silent, Elizabeth Peters

3/16 Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home, Marie Kondo 

3/20 Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, Ruth Franklin

3/20 The Art of Simple Living, Shunmyo Masuno

3/26 The Bird’s Nest, Shirley Jackson

4/11 Life Among the Savages, Shirley Jackson

4/12 A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn

4/18 The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories, Charlotte Perkins Gilman

4/21 Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto, Tricia  Hersey

5/1 Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Malinda Lo

5/3 Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, Ashley Herring Blake

5/10 Fight Like Hell: The Untold Story of American Labor, Kim Kelly

5/11 Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, Joy Harjo 

5/12 Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge

5/15 The Lottery and Other Stories, Shirley Jackson

5/18 The Lives of Christopher Chant, Diana Wynne Jones

5/29 A Little Devil in America, Hanif Abdurraqib

6/3 A Marvellous Light, Freya Marske

6/6 Ducks, Kate Beaton 

6/8 Wild and Wicked Things, Francesca May (awful. Every character was an idiot. Why did I finish this)

6/10 Breathing Lessons: A Doctor’s Guide to Lung Health, Meilan K. Han, MD

6/19 The Three Body Problem, Cixin Liu

6/19 A Fortune for Your Disaster, Hanif Abdurraqib (I liked this even more than the last one I read. Maybe because it was an audiobook read by the author.)

6/22 Disjointed, Diana Jovin (ed) (skipped parts that were totally unrelated to me and some things that were also too technical)

6/22 The Lavender Scare, David K. Johnson

6/26 Enquête au collège, Jean-Phillipe Arrou-Vignod 

6/28 The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner

7/3 Last Call, Elon Green

7/12 Cache Cache Petit Fantôme

7/13 Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-

Exupéry

7/13 La fille qui navigua autour de féérie dans un bateau construit de ses propres mains, Catherynne M Valente

7/14 Lost in the Moment and Found, Seanan McGuire

7/14 Ich mag dich gesund sagte der Bär, Janosch

7/25 The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch

7/31 The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty

8/10 A Restless Truth, Freya Marske 

8/16 Camp Damascus, Chuck Tingle

9/6 The Body in the Garden, Katherine Schellman

9/11 Silence in the Library, Katherine Schellman

9/13 When Things Get Dark, various 

9/19 Death at the Manor, Katherine Schellman

9/25 Sorcery and Cecelia, Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

10/3 The Grand Tour, Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer 

10/6 Murder at Midnight, Katharine Schellman

10/12 The Mislaid Magician, Patricia C Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

10/18 Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies, Elizabeth Winkler

10/18 Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen, JK Rowling

10/25 Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA search for Mind Control, Stephen Kinzer

11/1 Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date, Ashley Herring Blake

11/3 Nothing But Blackened Teeth, Cassandra Shaw

11/9 Unfuck Your Habitat, Rachel Hoffman

11/11 Safe and Sound, Mercury Stardust 

11/12 Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD (revised and updated), Susan C. Pinskey

11/18 Red Seas under Red Skies, Scott Lynch

11/20 In With the Old: Classic Decor A to Z,  Jennifer Boles 

11/23 Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating, Lauren Liess

11/24 Vermeer: The Complete Paintings, Norbert Schneider 

11/29 The Conscious Closet, Elizabeth L. Cline

12/4 Leech, Hiron Ennes

12/6 The Star that Always Stays, Anna Rose Johnson 

P12/14 The Republic of Thieves, Scott Lynch

12/15 An American Sunrise, Joy Harjo

12/20 The Wife Upstairs, Rachel Hawkins

12/22 How to Keep House While Drowning, KC Davis

12/30 The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, Margareta Magnusson 

Gave up on: The Woman Who Would Be King, Kara Cooney (too speculative/fictionalized)

A Scatter of Light, Malinda Lo (nothing really wrong, it just wasn’t holding my attention at all)

14 histoires pour avoir peur mais pas trop quand même (turned into full cast audio and the music between stories was really annoying)

Manhunt, Gretchen Felker-Martin (not in the right headspace maybe, maybe just not for me)

American Cozy, Stephanie Pedersen (got annoyed at how much of the information hinged on living in a huge suburban home with 18 closets and a husband and multiple children you can make do your chores for you)

The Curated Closet, Anuschka Rees (not bad just not what I was looking for)

[xxsimschallengesxx]

100 Not So Berry Baby Challenge Masterlist - Pt. 2

Pink Generation

Founder

Baby 1: Sarah

Babies 2 - 6: Sean, Ken, Mark, Leah, and Alexander

Baby 7: Jeremy

Baby 8: Dorothy

Babies 9 & 10: Keenan and Taylor

Babies 11-13: Howard, Kendall, and Rose

Babies 14 - 17: Rylie, Bryanna, Ryan, and Mandy

Baby 18: Abigail

Baby 19: Cleo

Babies 20 & 21: Eden

Babies 22 & 23: Oliver and Amina

Babies 24 & 25: Shaelynn and Doug

Babies 26 & 27: Roger and Emerson

Babies 28 & 29: Gem and Theo

Baby 30: Charley

Baby 31: Misael

Baby 32: Ross

Babies 33 - 36: Neal and Marlene

Baby 37: Chasity

Babies 38 & 39: Jimena and Sienna

Baby 40: Chelsie

Babies 41 & 42: Murphy and Karter

Babies 43 & 44: Janelle and Charlee

Babies 45 & 46: Minkz and Judy

Babies 47 & 48: Patrice and Maliyah

Babies 49 & 50: Halle and Hassan

Babies 51 & 52: Tianna and Haeju

Babies 53 & 54: Kasandra and Adelaide

Babies 55 - 59: Genesis, Cherish, and Mila

Babies 60 & 61: Mae and Floyd

Babies 62 & 63: Yusun and Zara

Babies 64 - 66: Cohen, Lucia, and Cale

Babies 67 & 68: Jairo and Estevan

Babies 69 & 70: Poppy and Sonja

Babies 71 & 72: Aleah and Kinsley

Babies 73 & 74: Noe and Terri

Babies 75 & 76: Bradford and Santos

Babies 77 - 79: Frances and Anahi

Babies 80 & 81: Neal and Adrien

Babies 82 - 84: Rowan, Esther, Gabrielle

Babies 85 & 86: Russell and Iris

Babies 87 - 90: Mariela and Rosemary

Babies 91 & 92: Caiphus and Kolby

Babies 93 - 96: Rita, Blaine, Thaddeus, and Chester

Baby 97: Mayra

Babies 98 - 100: Robin, Wanda, and McKenna

Peach Generation

Founder

Babies 1 & 2: Beaux and Clarissa

Babies 3 - 7: Kingston, Leroy, and Mabel

Baby 8: Mason

Babies 9 & 10: Emily and Fernanda

Babies 11 - 14: Dustin, Ellie, Franklin, and Graham

Baby 15: Thiago

Babies 16 - 19: Jane, Kyrie, Lailah, and Max

Babies 20 - 22: Keira, Louis, and Mavise

Babies 23 - 28: Dillon, Efrain, and Frank

Babies 29 - 31: Allen, Brynlee, and Chandler

Babies 32 - 34: Giovanni, Hayden, and Isaiah

Babies 35 & 36: Cierra and Duane

Baby 37: Jamie

Baby 38: Myles

Babies 39 & 40: Kai and Laura

Baby 41: Tate

Babies 42 - 44: Latoya, Mack, and Natalie

Babies 45 & 46: Tariq and Ursule

Baby 47: Julian

Babies 48 & 49: Andre and Bentley

Babies 50 & 51: Niall and Onyx

Babies 52 & 53: Ansel and Bryce

Babies 54 & 55: Daniel and Eli

Babies 56 & 57: Iker and Jameson

Babies 58 & 59: Taffy and Ulysses

Babies 60 - 65: Jaxon, Kobe, and Liam

Babies 66 & 67: Victoria and Winnie

Babies 68 & 69: Eldis and Freya

Babies 70 - 72: Bethany, Cecelia, and Dahlia

Babies 73 & 74: Presley and Quade

Babies 75 - 77: Kylo, Louise, and Mindy

Babies 78 - 80: Florence, Grace, and Harry

Babies 81 - 85: Venus, Winnee, Ximena, Yuna, and Zain

Babies 86 & 87: Chauncey and Diego

Babies 88 - 90: Lincoln, Maxwell, and Natalia

Babies 91 & 92: Cooper and Danielle

Babies 93 & 94: Radley and Sasha

Babies 95 & 96: Amelia and Alexa

Babies 97 - 100: Kat, Melody, Cheyenne, and Gail

[girlsofcomics]

Amina Franklin

-Real name: Amina Franklin

-A.k.a.: -

-Publisher: DC Comics

-Type: Human

-Afilliations: -

-Powers: Intellect

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

BFCD Masterlist: Black Female Cartoon Characters

A

Abbiejean Archer Archer | Agura Ibaden Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 | Aisha The Winx Club  | Alex Magical Girl Friendship Squad | Allura Voltron |  Amber Bennett Invincible | Amina Ramsey Star Trek: Lower Decks | Ana Spanakopita Bojack Horseman | Andra Master of the Universe |  Andrea Star VS The Forces of Evil | Angel Dynamite Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated | April O’Neil Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |  Ashley Boulet Recess |

B

Babs Pinky Malinky | Beckett Mariner Star Trek: Lowerdecks | Bismuth Steven Universe | Bree James Fancy Nancy | Briar Beauty Ever After High | Bumblebee DC Comics |

C

Candy Dave the Barbarian | Carol Freeman Star Trek: Lower Decks | Casta Fierce Monster High | Catalina Leone (Lioness) Alpha Teens on Machines | Catty Noir Monster High | Cedar Wood Ever After High | Cherie Punkie Brewster | Claire Motorcity | Claudia Grant Robotech | Clawdia Wolf Monster High | Clawdeen Wolf Monster High | Cleo De Nile Monster High | Cobra Big Hero 6 Series | Connie, The Hormone Monstress Big Mouth | Connie Rock and Riot |

D

Daria Roselyn Rainbow High | Diana the Acrobat Dungeons and Dragons | Dijonay Jones The Proud Family | Doc McStuffins Doc McStuffins |

E

Elise Abadeer Adventure Time | Enid OK KO! Let’s Be Heroes |  Erica Wang Captain Underpants |  Esther Hopkins Twelve Forever |

F

Felicia Bratz |  Foxxy Love Drawn Together | Francine Frye Marvel’s Spider Man | Francine “Frankie” Greene Transformers: Rescue Bots | Frida Hilda |

G

Gaia Captain Planet and the Planeteers | Garnet Steven Universe | Gigi Thompson Inside Job | Ginger Breadhouse Ever After High | Goo Goo Gaga Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends | Grace Monroe Infinity Train |

H

Helena Troy Spy Groove | Holly Phineas and Ferb | HoneyBee Black Dynamite Animated Series | Honeybee Shaw-Tobin The Great North |  Honey Swamp Monster High |  Howleen Wolf Monster High

I

Indigo Rainbow Brite |  Iridessa Disney Fairies |

J

Jackie Cyberchase | Janai The Dragon Prince | Jane Amphibia | Jane Boolittle Monster High | Janet Dragon Ball Super | Jasmine Total Drama | Jasper Steven Universe | Jenny Pizza Steven Universe | Jessica Gordon Captain Underpants | Jessica Williams Craig of the Creek | Jillian Beanstalk Ever After High | Jo Kid Cosmic | Jodie Landon Daria | Jojo Williams Craig of the Creek | Jupiter Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls | Justine Dancer Ever After High |

K

Kala Mer'ri Monster High | Kat Elliot Wendall & Wild | Keesha Franklin The Magic Schoolbus | Kelly Star VS The Forces of Evil | Khessa, The Sunfire Queen The Dragon Prince | Kiki Pizza Steven Universe | Kipo Oak Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | Koala Princess OK Let’s Be Heroes | Koki Wild Kratts |  Krystal Bailey Rainbow High |

L

Labarbara Conrad Futurama | Lagoona Blue Monster High | Lana Kane Archer |  Leshawna Total Drama | Libby Folfax Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | Luna The Hex Girls, Scooby Doo | Lunella Lafayette Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur | Luz Noceda The Owl House

M

Mae Turner Jurassic World: Camp Cretacious | Maureen Parker The Proud Family | Maxine Gibson Batman Beyond | Maya Craig of the Creek | Megan Gandlym Star VS The Forces of Evil | Mel Medarda Arcane League of Legends | Mia Abara Duncanville | Miranda Killgallen As Told By Ginger | Molly Blyndeff Epithet Erased | Molly Tillerman Central Park | Mona Big Mouth |  Monie Hey Monie | Muses Greek Mythology |

N

Nefera De Nile Monster High | Nella Nella the Princess Knight | Nessa Pokemon | Netossa Shera and the Princesses of Power | Nichole Daniels South Park | Nina Thumbell Ever After High | Numbah 5 Code Name Kids Next Door |

O

Obsidian Steven Universe | Olivia Pokemon | Orange Blossom Strawberry Shortcake | Ororo Munroe X-Men

P

Penny Proud The Proud Family | Piper Storm Hawks | Princess Ariel Thundarr the Barbarian

Q

Quinn Ergon Final Space | Quinta Foreman Big Mouth

R

Rae Sloane Star Wars Rebels | Rashida Remington Big City Greens | Rhonda Vega Children of Ether | Robecca Steam Monster High | Roberta Tubbs The Cleveland Show | Ruby Steven Universe

S

S.A.M. Cannon Busters | Samantha Monster Buster Club | Sara Over the Garden Wall | Sasha Bratz | Saturn Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls | Shana Elmsford Jem | Shanelle Spencer Beverly Hills Teens | Simone Maxie’s World | Sister Helley Wendall & Wild | Skara The Owl House | Sparkle Cadet COTC | Storm Goddess Courage the Cowardly Dog | The Sun Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls | Sunny Madison Rainbow High | Susie Carmichael Rugrats |

T

Tam Ryvora Star Wars: Resistance |  Tamiya Diop Code Lyoko |  Taranee Cook W.I.T.C.H. |  Tiana The Princess and the Frog |  Tip Tucci Home | Trixie Carter American Dragon Jake Long | 

U

Uhura Star Trek the Animated Series

V

Valerie Brown Josie and the Pussycats | Valerie Gray Danny Phantom | Venus McFlytrap Monster High

W

Wilhamena Mettle OK Let’s Be Heroes | Wolf Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts | Wydowna Spider Monster High

X

Y

Yvette Hey Monie |

Z

[incorrectbatfam]

Can you try naming ALL of Bruce's lovers

(I might've taken a few creative liberties)

Selina Kyle

Clark Kent

Talia al Ghul

Alfred's cookies

Julie Madison

The Batmobile

Vicki Vale

His secret Justice League LEGO collection

Amina Franklin

The mannequin at Nordstrom

Bekka

The Batcomputer

April Clarkson

Gordon Ramsay

Dinah Lance

His reflection

Charlotte Rivers

A free lotion sample from Lush

Dawn Golden

His third vacation home

Jaina Hudson

Superburgers

Harley Quinn

Tony Stark

Jezebel Jet

A full night's sleep

Jillian Maxwell

Thin Mints

Kathy Kane

A big ol' wad of cash

Julia Pennyworth

A t-shirt that says "Beef"

Linda Page

The euphoric high of a short line at the DMV

Lois Lane

Some pen he found on the ground

Lorna Shore

A keychain with his name on it

Mallory Moxen

Ma Kent's apple pie

Natalia Knight

His childhood teddy bear

Natalya Trusevich

A Batman action figure that Dick bought as a joke

Pamela Isley

Adblock

Rachel Caspian

Medium rare steaks

Sasha Bordeaux

Having a family-sized KFC bucket to himself

Silver St. Cloud

Farting in the pool and blaming it on Damian

Shondra Kinsolving

Expensive wedding stationery

Vesper Fairchild

2% milk

Diana Prince

Lucius Fox

Zatanna

The Snapchat dog filter

Andrea Beaumont

Just a really really good book

Chase Meridian

Watermelon LaCroix

Rachel Dawes

Telling people what to do

Bethany Ravencroft

Sliding perfectly into a parking spot

[steph-the-4th-robin]

Bruce Wayne's canonical love interests

Selina Kyle/Catwoman

Julie Madison

Linda Page

Silver St. Cloud

Talia al Ghul

Vicki Vale

Kathy Kane, the first Batwoman until she was reconned into being his cousin

Natalia Knight/Nocturna

Julia Pennyworth (yeah Alfreds daughter)

Amina Franklin

April Clarkson/Midnight

Bekka

Charlotte Rivers

Dinah Laurel Lance/Black Canary

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman

Dawn Golden

Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn

Jaina Hudson/White Rabbit

Jezebel Jet

Shondra Kinsolving

Jillian Maxwell

Lois Lane

Lorna Shore

Vesper Fairchild

Mallory Moxon

Natalya Trusevich

Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy

Rachel Caspian

Sasha Bordeaux

Zatanna Zatara

Bethanie Ravencroft

Andrea Beaumont/The Phantasm

Barbara Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle

Chase Meridian

Rachel Dawes

[storiesbyjes2g]

Hey y’all!

If you don’t mind—and even if you do lol—we’re gonna take a brief detour from the Piersons, Franklins, Rodney and them. I have a lot on my plate right now, but when I get moments to get in the game, I’ve been playing a new save! I am SO excited to share it with you. Allow me to introduce, or reintroduce to some of you, Amina Pope! She will be “starring” in my new, casual gameplay story called...

Yes...you pronounce it adulting lol. ISBI stands for I’m Surrounded By Idiots 😄. The goal of this challenge is to make it through 10 generations only controlling ONE sim! I’m sure you can imagine where the idiots part comes in, tee hee hee. I tried this challenge once, waaaay back in the dark ages of my vanilla life. It was fun to a point, but without mods I get bored very easily as many of you do too. 

I created Ms. Pope last year, and I felt like she was really special for some reason. I didn’t want to just throw her in the Pierson’s save and let MCCC have its way with her. I wanted her to have her own thing, and it’s taken all this time to think of something lol. Well, thinking of something wasn’t really the problem. I was making sure I didn’t overload myself as I have in the past. Anyway, I saw someone on Twitter doing this challenge, and talk about throwback?? I hadn’t seen this challenge in ages! Then it hit me. This is what Amina will do! She’s perfect for it! Who is she? Well, I’ll let her introduce herself when we get started. But, I will say she is a blogger, and some of her “episodes” will be her blog posts just so you’re not confused.

So, just to recap, this is a casual gameplay based on the ISBI challenge. Amina will be the only playable sim until her child of my choosing becomes a young adult. I think I’m supposed to go with the firstborn, but I rarely stick to the rules in these things anyway. There are certain situations where I can control other sims, but let me worry about that. You guys just sit back and enjoy the fun! Also, I’m playing on modified normal life, so we’re gonna go a little fast and see how far we get; I’m not committing to 10 generations lol.

Oh! Also here are the mods that control my sims’ behavior the most. I want you to know about them in case they do/say something you don’t recognize.

MC Command Center

Contextual Social Interaction by lumpinou

The Life Decider by kawaiistacie

No Strings Attached  by lumpinou

Open Love Life  by lumpinou

Road to Romance  by lumpinou

Woohoo Wellness & Pregnancy Overhaul  by lumpinou

Wicked Whims

Improved Relationships - Cheating by Zero

[ecreads]

Title: Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices

Editors: S. K. Ali, Aisha Saeed

Authors: Randa Abdel-Fattah, Huda Al-Marashi, Sara Alfageeh, S. K. Ali, Hanna Alkaf, Ashley Franklin, Asmaa Hussein, Hena Khan, Rukhsana Khan, Ayesha Mattu, Candice Montgomery, Aisha Saeed, N. H. Senzai, Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, G. Willow Wilson

Published: May 5th, 2020 by Amulet Books

Genre & Format: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Verse & Poetry, Folklore/Folktale & Religion, Chapter Book, Graphic Novel

Key Themes: Community, Family, Food, Friendship, History, Holidays & Religious Celebrations, Multicultural, Multigenerational, Muslim Stories, Refugees

Reading Level: Third Grade, Grades 4-7

Language: English

ISBN: 9781419740831

Content Warnings:

Death

Islamophobia

Publisher’s Synopsis:

“A joyous short story collection by and about Muslims, edited by New York Times bestselling author Aisha Saeed and Morris finalist S. K. Ali

Once Upon an Eid is a collection of short stories that showcases the most brilliant Muslim voices writing today, all about the most joyful holiday of the year: Eid! Eid: The short, single-syllable word conjures up a variety of feelings and memories for Muslims. Maybe it’s waking up to the sound of frying samosas or the comfort of bean pie, maybe it’s the pleasure of putting on a new outfit for Eid prayers, or maybe it’s the gift giving and holiday parties to come that day. Whatever it may be, for those who cherish this day of celebration, the emotional responses may be summed up in another short and sweet word: joy. The anthology will also include a poem, graphic-novel chapter, and spot illustrations.

The full list of Once Upon an Eid contributors include: G. Willow Wilson (Alif the Unseen, Ms. Marvel), Hena Khan (Amina's Voice, Under My Hijab), N. H. Senzai (Shooting Kabul, Escape from Aleppo), Hanna Alkaf (The Weight of Our Sky), Rukhsana Khan (Big Red Lollipop), Randa Abdel-Fattah (Does My Head Look Big in This?), Ashley Franklin (Not Quite Snow White), Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (Mommy's Khimar), Candice Montgomery (Home and Away, By Any Means Necessary), Huda Al-Marashi (First Comes Marriage), Ayesha Mattu, Asmaa Hussein, and Sara Alfageeh.”

Review: Hijabi Librarians

“For Muslims around the world, the two Eids (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha), conjure images of joy and community and include celebrations which vary by region and consist of different traditions.

Common traditions for the observance of both Eids often include new clothing, congregational prayers, special foods, and most importantly, time with family and community. Through prose, verse, and imagery, including the vibrant cover art, and a comic selection, authored by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Sara Alfageeh, the stories in Once Upon an Eid capture all of those traditions and so much more.

Consisting of stories by 15 Muslim authors of diverse backgrounds, each selection explores an aspect of human experience with incredible complexity and sensitivity. Characters are relatable, and reflect a range of Islamic practice and identity. Stories are set in a variety of locations, with many taking place in non-Muslim majority countries and communities. Readers are given the opportunity to explore many Eids not just reflecting different cultural ties characters might have but the joys, sorrows, feelings of grief, and love that take place when set against a much beloved and significant holiday.

In Jamilah Thompkins-Bigleow’s “Perfect,” readers meet twelve-year-old Hawa on her way to celebrate Eid with her father’s side of the family in the Bronx. Though she would rather be celebrating with her friends, she is forced to confront a complicated relationship with her cousin, and the comparisons between them, that are tied to expression of identity and authenticity, body image and style, and family structure. In Hanna Alkaf’s “Taste,” set in Malaysia, the protagonist Alia feels alienated because of her mother’s absence and her sense of guilt surrounding that absence. In N.H. Senzai’s “Searching For Blue”, Syrian refugees make a home for themselves and carve a place for celebration in Greece. Thompkins-Bigelow’s poem “Eid Pictures” connects the joy and imagery of Eid in the African American community, the history of how that community was built in the United States, and the first Eid of stolen ancestors longing for their homelands, community, and faith.

The subtleties of each story offer readers familiar with particular communities the opportunity to see themselves, some for the first time in print. Readers unfamiliar with the diversity within the Muslim community are given an intimate look into different communities, challenging the false idea that Muslims are monolithic. On a deeper level, this book gives Muslim readers the opportunity to look at, consider, be in conversation with, and understand complex feelings and how we can improve understanding of each other on a fundamental human level with empathy and compassion. Stories are inclusive of different family structures, socioeconomic backgrounds, relationships between Shia and Sunni Muslims, and recent converts to Islam.

The core of the narratives are examining these familial relationships, expression of cultural, racial, religious identities, self-exploration and self-acceptance and are incredibly intersectional. While Once Upon an Eid centers Eid narratives, its stories are important to share in a library or classroom collection year round and hold universal appeal.”

Additional Resources:

Purchase

Additional Review: Kirkus Reviews

[ucflibrary]

Each December, the UCF Libraries’ Featured Bookshelf celebrates the favorite books of employees of the UCF Libraries. And you know a major thing about librarians and library staff? They love talking about their favorite books. The books listed below are some of the favorite books we read in 2020.

Click on the link below to see the full list, descriptions, and catalog links for our favorite 2020 titles. These 20 books plus favorites from previous years are also on display in the 4th floor Reading Room of the John C. Hitt Library.

And if you find someone has checked the one you’re interested in out before you had a chance, did you know you can place an interlibrary loan and have another copy sent here for you? Click here for instructions on placing an interlibrary loan.

 A Furious Sky: the five-hundred-year history of America's hurricanes by Eric Jay Dolin From the moment European colonists laid violent claim to this land, hurricanes have had a profound and visceral impact on American history-yet, no one has attempted to write the definitive account of America's entanglement with these meteorological behemoths. Eric Jay Dolin presents the five-hundred-year story of American hurricanes, from the nameless storms that threatened Columbus' New World voyages, to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the escalation of hurricane season as a result of global warming. Populating his narrative with unlikely heroes such as Benito Vines, the nineteenth-century Jesuit priest whose revelatory methods for predicting hurricanes saved countless lives, and journalist Dan Rather, whose coverage of a 1961 hurricane would change broadcasting history, Dolin uncovers the often surprising ways we respond to natural crises. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Children of the Land by Marcelo Hernandez Castillo With beauty, grace, and honesty, Castillo recounts his and his family’s encounters with a system that treats them as criminals for seeking safe, ordinary lives. He writes of the Sunday afternoon when he opened the door to an ICE officer who had one hand on his holster, of the hours he spent making a fake social security card so that he could work to support his family, of his father’s deportation and the decade that he spent waiting to return to his wife and children only to be denied reentry Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Dark Matter: a novel by Blake Crouch A mind-bending, relentlessly paced science-fiction thriller, in which an ordinary man is kidnapped, knocked unconscious--and awakens in a world inexplicably different from the reality he thought he knew. "Are you happy with your life?" Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. He awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before him, a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend." In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible. Suggested by Katy Miller, Student Learning & Engagement

 Do Nothing: how to break away from overworking, overdoing, and underliving by Celeste Headlee We work feverishly to make ourselves happy. So why are we so miserable? Despite our constant search for new ways to "hack" our bodies and minds for peak performance, human beings are working more instead of less, living harder not smarter, and becoming more lonely and anxious. This manifesto helps us break free of our unhealthy devotion to efficiency and shows us how to reclaim our time and humanity with a little more leisure Suggested by Katy Miller, Student Learning & Engagement

 Eleanor Roosevelt by Blanche Wiesen Cook A study of the complex and political figure of Eleanor Roosevelt begins with her harrowing childhood, describes the difficulties of her marriage, and explains how she persuaded Franklin to make the reforms that would make him famous. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 From Here to Eternity: traveling the world to find the good death by Caitlin Doughty Fascinated by our pervasive fear of dead bodies, mortician Caitlin Doughty set out to discover how other cultures care for the dead. In rural Indonesia, she watches a man clean and dress his grandfather's mummified body, which has resided in the family home for two years. In La Paz, she meets Bolivian natitas (cigarette-smoking, wish-granting human skulls), and in Tokyo she encounters the Japanese kotsuage ceremony, in which relatives use chopsticks to pluck their loved-ones' bones from cremation ashes. She introduces deathcare innovators researching body composting and green burial, and examines how varied traditions, from Mexico's Dias de los Muertos to Zoroastrian sky burial help us see our own death customs in a new light. She argues that our expensive, impersonal system fosters a corrosive fear of death that hinders our ability to cope and mourn. By comparing customs, she demonstrates that mourners everywhere respond best when they help care for the deceased and have space to participate in the process.  Suggested by Katy Miller, Student Learning & Engagement

 Indelicacy by Amina Cain A cleaning woman at a museum of art nurtures aspirations to do more than simply dust the paintings around her. She dreams of having the liberty to explore them in writing, and so must find a way to win herself the time and security to use her mind. She escapes her lot by marrying a rich man, but having gained a husband, a house, high society, and a maid, she finds that her new life of privilege is no less constrained. Not only has she taken up different forms of time-consuming labor - social and erotic - but she is now, however passively, forcing other women to clean up after her. Perhaps another and more drastic solution is necessary Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu Every day Willis Wu leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where Black and White, a procedural cop show, is in perpetual production. He's a bit player here too, but he dreams of being Kung Fu Guy-- and he sees his life as a script. After stumbling into the spotlight, Willis finds himself launched into a wider world than he has ever known, discovering not only the secret history of Chinatown, but the buried legacy of his own family, and what that means for him in today's America. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Scottish Highlands, 1945. Claire Randall, a former British combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743. Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of a world that threatens her life, and may shatter her heart. Marooned amid danger, passion, and violence, Claire learns her only chance of safety lies in Jamie Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior. What begins in compulsion becomes urgent need, and Claire finds herself torn between two very different men, in two irreconcilable lives. Suggested by Katie Kirwan, Acquisitions & Collections

 Paradise Lost: a life of F. Scott Fitzgerald by David S. Brown In this comprehensive biography, Brown reexamines Fitzgerald’s childhood, first loves, and difficult marriage to Zelda Sayre. He looks at Fitzgerald’s friendship with Hemingway, the golden years that culminated with Gatsby, and his increasing alcohol abuse and declining fortunes which coincided with Zelda’s institutionalization and the nation’s economic collapse. Suggested by Andrew Hackler, Circulation

 Recursion by Blake Crouch Reality is broken. At first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shock wave, unleashed by a stunning discovery—and what’s in jeopardy is not our minds but the very fabric of time itself. Suggested by Mary Rubin, Special Collections & University Archives

 Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh Brosh’s second book includes humorous stories from her childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 Spillover: animal infections and the next human pandemic by David Quammen This work examines the emergence and causes of new diseases all over the world, describing a process called "spillover" where illness originates in wild animals before being passed to humans and discusses the potential for the next huge pandemic. The emergence of strange new diseases is a frightening problem that seems to be getting worse. In this age of speedy travel, it threatens a worldwide pandemic. We hear news reports of Ebola, SARS, AIDS, and something called Hendra killing horses and people in Australia; but those reports miss the big truth that such phenomena are part of a single pattern. The bugs that transmit these diseases share one thing: they originate in wild animals and pass to humans by a process called spillover. As globalization spreads and as we destroy the ancient ecosystems, penetrating ever deeper into the furthest reaches of the planet, we encounter strange and dangerous infections that originate in animals but can be transmitted to humans. The author tracks this subject around the world. He recounts adventures in the field, netting bats in China, trapping monkeys in Bangladesh, stalking gorillas in the Congo, with the world's leading disease scientists. He takes the reader along on this quest to learn how, where from, and why these diseases emerge, and he asks the terrifying question: What might the next big one be? Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen It's the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season: for every disease or cause, there's a reason for the local luminaries to eat (minimally), drink (maximally), and be seen. But when a prominent high-society dowager suddenly vanishes during a swank gala, and is later found dead in a concrete grave, panic and chaos erupt. Kiki Pew was notable not just for her wealth and her jewels--she was an ardent fan of the Winter White House resident just down the road, and a founding member of the POTUSSIES, a group of women dedicated to supporting their President. Never one to miss an opportunity to play to his base, the President immediately declares that Kiki was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee A year after a whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind: avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. But the administrators see men as the sole guardians of science. When a doctor she idolizes marries a friend of hers in Germany, Felicity believes he could change her future. A mysterious young woman will pay Felicity's way, if Felicity will let her travel along-- as her maid. Soon they're on a perilous quest that leads them across the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 The Power of Now: a guide to spiritual enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle Much more than simple principles and platitudes, this book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 The Scarlet Sisters: sex, suffrage, and scandal in the gilded age by Myra MacPherson A fresh look at the life and times of Victoria Woodhull and Tennie Claflin, two sisters whose radical views on sex, love, politics, and business threatened the white male power structure of the nineteenth century and shocked the world. Here award-winning author Myra MacPherson deconstructs and lays bare the manners and mores of Victorian America, remarkably illuminating the struggle for equality that women are still fighting today. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick: selected literary and philosophical writings by Philip K. Dick Philip K. Dick has established himself as a major figure in American literature. The landscape of his imagination features a wealth of concepts and fictional worlds: Nazi-rule in a postwar nightmare; androids and the unification of man and machine; and an existence that no longer follows the logic of reality. This first-time collection assembles his nonfiction writings essays, journals, speeches, and interviews. In these writings he explores issues ranging from the merging of physics and metaphysics to the potential influences of "virtual" reality and its consequences to a plot-scenario for a potential episode of "Mission: Impossible," to the challenge that fundamental "human" values face in the age of technology and spiritual decline.". Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 The Wild Heart of Florida: Florida writers on Florida's wildlands selected and edited by Jeff Ripple and Susan Cerulean Coming from a variety of backgrounds--fiction, journalism, poetry, and environmental writing--the writers turn their talent to one thing they have in common--a love for Florida’s natural beauty and a commitment to preserve it. Their essays--some old favorites, most appearing here for the first time--are both a celebration and a pointed reminder of what we stand to lose. Suggested by Rebecca Hawk, Circulation

 There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool The Age of Darkness approaches. Who will stop it... or unleash it? For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations-- until they disappeared a hundred years ago. All they left behind was one final prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world's salvation-- or the cause of its destruction. Will it be a prince exiled from his kingdom? A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand? A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart? A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone? Or a dying girl on the verge of giving up? Suggested by Pam Jaggernauth, Curriculum Materials Center

[wikitopx]

Here are the top 500 baby name meaning!

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1. Top 500 baby name meaning

Rank Male name Female name 1 Liam Emma 2 Noah Olivia 3 William Ava 4 James Isabella 5 Oliver Sophia 6 Benjamin Charlotte 7 Elijah Mia 8 Lucas Amelia 9 Mason Harper 10 Logan Evelyn 11 Alexander Abigail 12 Ethan Emily 13 Jacob Elizabeth 14 Michael Mila 15 Daniel Ella 16 Henry Avery 17 Jackson Sofia 18 Sebastian Camila 19 Aiden Aria 20 Matthew Scarlett 21 Samuel Victoria 22 David Madison 23 Joseph Luna 24 Carter Grace 25 Owen Chloe 26 Wyatt Penelope 27 John Layla 28 Jack Riley 29 Luke Zoey 30 Jayden Nora 31 Dylan Lily 32 Grayson Eleanor 33 Levi Hannah 34 Isaac Lillian 35 Gabriel Addison 36 Julian Aubrey 37 Mateo Ellie 38 Anthony Stella 39 Jaxon Natalie 40 Lincoln Zoe 41 Joshua Leah 42 Christopher Hazel 43 Andrew Violet 44 Theodore Aurora 45 Caleb Savannah 46 Ryan Audrey 47 Asher Brooklyn 48 Nathan Bella 49 Thomas Claire 50 Leo Skylar 51 Isaiah Lucy 52 Charles Paisley 53 Josiah Everly 54 Hudson Anna 55 Christian Caroline 56 Hunter Nova 57 Connor Genesis 58 Eli Emilia 59 Ezra Kennedy 60 Aaron Samantha 61 Landon Maya 62 Adrian Willow 63 Jonathan Kinsley 64 Nolan Naomi 65 Jeremiah Aaliyah 66 Easton Elena 67 Elias Sarah 68 Colton Ariana 69 Cameron Allison 70 Carson Gabriella 71 Robert Alice 72 Angel Madelyn 73 Maverick Cora 74 Nicholas Ruby 75 Dominic Eva 76 Jaxson Serenity 77 Greyson Autumn 78 Adam Adeline 79 Ian Hailey 80 Austin Gianna 81 Santiago Valentina 82 Jordan Isla 83 Cooper Eliana 84 Brayden Quinn 85 Roman Nevaeh 86 Evan Ivy 87 Ezekiel Sadie 88 Xavier Piper 89 Jose Lydia 90 Jace Alexa 91 Jameson Josephine 92 Leonardo Emery 93 Bryson Julia 94 Axel Delilah 95 Everett Arianna 96 Parker Vivian 97 Kayden Kaylee 98 Miles Sophie 99 Sawyer Brielle 100 Jason Madeline 101 Declan Peyton 102 Weston Rylee 103 Micah Clara 104 Ayden Hadley 105 Wesley Melanie 106 Luca Mackenzie 107 Vincent Reagan 108 Damian Adalynn 109 Zachary Liliana 110 Silas Aubree 111 Gavin Jade 112 Chase Katherine 113 Kai Isabelle 114 Emmett Natalia 115 Harrison Raelynn 116 Nathaniel Maria 117 Kingston Athena 118 Cole Ximena 119 Tyler Arya 120 Bennett Leilani 121 Bentley Taylor 122 Ryker Faith 123 Tristan Rose 124 Brandon Kylie 125 Kevin Alexandra 126 Luis Mary 127 George Margaret 128 Ashton Lyla 129 Rowan Ashley 130 Braxton Amaya 131 Ryder Eliza 132 Gael Brianna 133 Ivan Bailey 134 Diego Andrea 135 Maxwell Khloe 136 Max Jasmine 137 Carlos Melody 138 Kaiden Iris 139 Juan Isabel 140 Maddox Norah 141 Justin Annabelle 142 Waylon Valeria 143 Calvin Emerson 144 Giovanni Adalyn 145 Jonah Ryleigh 146 Abel Eden 147 Jayce Emersyn 148 Jesus Anastasia 149 Amir Kayla 150 King Alyssa 151 Beau Juliana 152 Camden Charlie 153 Alex Esther 154 Jasper Ariel 155 Malachi Cecilia 156 Brody Valerie 157 Jude Alina 158 Blake Molly 159 Emmanuel Reese 160 Eric Aliyah 161 Brooks Lilly 162 Elliot Parker 163 Antonio Finley 164 Abraham Morgan 165 Timothy Sydney 166 Finn Jordyn 167 Rhett Eloise 168 Elliott Trinity 169 Edward Daisy 170 August Kimberly 171 Xander Lauren 172 Alan Genevieve 173 Dean Sara 174 Lorenzo Arabella 175 Bryce Harmony 176 Karter Elise 177 Victor Remi 178 Milo Teagan 179 Miguel Alexis 180 Hayden London 181 Graham Sloane 182 Grant Laila 183 Zion Lucia 184 Tucker Diana 185 Jesse Juliette 186 Zayden Sienna 187 Joel Elliana 188 Richard Londyn 189 Patrick Ayla 190 Emiliano Callie 191 Avery Gracie 192 Nicolas Josie 193 Brantley Amara 194 Dawson Jocelyn 195 Myles Daniela 196 Matteo Everleigh 197 River Mya 198 Steven Rachel 199 Thiago Summer 200 Zane Alana 201 Matias Brooke 202 Judah Alaina 203 Messiah Mckenzie 204 Jeremy Catherine 205 Preston Amy 206 Oscar Presley 207 Kaleb Journee 208 Alejandro Rosalie 209 Marcus Ember 210 Mark Brynlee 211 Peter Rowan 212 Maximus Joanna 213 Barrett Paige 214 Jax Rebecca 215 Andres Ana 216 Holden Sawyer 217 Legend Mariah 218 Charlie Nicole 219 Knox Brooklynn 220 Kaden Payton 221 Paxton Marley 222 Kyrie Fiona 223 Kyle Georgia 224 Griffin Lila 225 Josue Harley 226 Kenneth Adelyn 227 Beckett Alivia 228 Enzo Noelle 229 Adriel Gemma 230 Arthur Vanessa 231 Felix Journey 232 Bryan Makayla 233 Lukas Angelina 234 Paul Adaline 235 Brian Catalina 236 Colt Alayna 237 Caden Julianna 238 Leon Leila 239 Archer Lola 240 Omar Adriana 241 Israel June 242 Aidan Juliet 243 Theo Jayla 244 Javier River 245 Remington Tessa 246 Jaden Lia 247 Bradley Dakota 248 Emilio Delaney 249 Colin Selena 250 Riley Blakely 251 Cayden Ada 252 Phoenix Camille 253 Clayton Zara 254 Simon Malia 255 Ace Hope 256 Nash Samara 257 Derek Vera 258 Rafael Mckenna 259 Zander Briella 260 Brady Izabella 261 Jorge Hayden 262 Jake Raegan 263 Louis Michelle 264 Damien Angela 265 Karson Ruth 266 Walker Freya 267 Maximiliano Kamila 268 Amari Vivienne 269 Sean Aspen 270 Chance Olive 271 Walter Kendall 272 Martin Elaina 273 Finley Thea 274 Andre Kali 275 Tobias Destiny 276 Cash Amiyah 277 Corbin Evangeline 278 Arlo Cali 279 Iker Blake 280 Erick Elsie 281 Emerson Juniper 282 Gunner Alexandria 283 Cody Myla 284 Stephen Ariella 285 Francisco Kate 286 Killian Mariana 287 Dallas Lilah 288 Reid Charlee 289 Manuel Daleyza 290 Lane Nyla 291 Atlas Jane 292 Rylan Maggie 293 Jensen Zuri 294 Ronan Aniyah 295 Beckham Lucille 296 Daxton Leia 297 Anderson Melissa 298 Kameron Adelaide 299 Raymond Amina 300 Orion Giselle 301 Cristian Lena 302 Tanner Camilla 303 Kyler Miriam 304 Jett Millie 305 Cohen Brynn 306 Ricardo Gabrielle 307 Spencer Sage 308 Gideon Annie 309 Ali Logan 310 Fernando Lilliana 311 Jaiden Haven 312 Titus Jessica 313 Travis Kaia 314 Bodhi Magnolia 315 Eduardo Amira 316 Dante Adelynn 317 Ellis Makenzie 318 Prince Stephanie 319 Kane Nina 320 Luka Phoebe 321 Kash Arielle 322 Hendrix Evie 323 Desmond Lyric 324 Donovan Alessandra 325 Mario Gabriela 326 Atticus Paislee 327 Cruz Raelyn 328 Garrett Madilyn 329 Hector Paris 330 Angelo Makenna 331 Jeffrey Kinley 332 Edwin Gracelyn 333 Cesar Talia 334 Zayn Maeve 335 Devin Rylie 336 Conor Kiara 337 Warren Evelynn 338 Odin Brinley 339 Jayceon Jacqueline 340 Romeo Laura 341 Julius Gracelynn 342 Jaylen Lexi 343 Hayes Ariah 344 Kayson Fatima 345 Muhammad Jennifer 346 Jaxton Kehlani 347 Joaquin Alani 348 Caiden Ariyah 349 Dakota Luciana 350 Major Allie 351 Keegan Heidi 352 Sergio Maci 353 Marshall Phoenix 354 Johnny Felicity 355 Kade Joy 356 Edgar Kenzie 357 Leonel Veronica 358 Ismael Margot 359 Marco Addilyn 360 Tyson Lana 361 Wade Cassidy 362 Collin Remington 363 Troy Saylor 364 Nasir Ryan 365 Conner Keira 366 Adonis Harlow 367 Jared Miranda 368 Rory Angel 369 Andy Amanda 370 Jase Daniella 371 Lennox Royalty 372 Shane Gwendolyn 373 Malik Ophelia 374 Ari Heaven 375 Reed Jordan 376 Seth Madeleine 377 Clark Esmeralda 378 Erik Kira 379 Lawson Miracle 380 Trevor Elle 381 Gage Amari 382 Nico Danielle 383 Malakai Daphne 384 Quinn Willa 385 Cade Haley 386 Johnathan Gia 387 Sullivan Kaitlyn 388 Solomon Oakley 389 Cyrus Kailani 390 Fabian Winter 391 Pedro Alicia 392 Frank Serena 393 Shawn Nadia 394 Malcolm Aviana 395 Khalil Demi 396 Nehemiah Jada 397 Dalton Braelynn 398 Mathias Dylan 399 Jay Ainsley 400 Ibrahim Alison 401 Peyton Camryn 402 Winston Avianna 403 Kason Bianca 404 Zayne Skyler 405 Noel Scarlet 406 Princeton Maddison 407 Matthias Nylah 408 Gregory Sarai 409 Sterling Regina 410 Dominick Dahlia 411 Elian Nayeli 412 Grady Raven 413 Russell Helen 414 Finnegan Adrianna 415 Ruben Averie 416 Gianni Skye 417 Porter Kelsey 418 Kendrick Tatum 419 Leland Kensley 420 Pablo Maliyah 421 Allen Erin 422 Hugo Viviana 423 Raiden Jenna 424 Kolton Anaya 425 Remy Carolina 426 Ezequiel Shelby 427 Damon Sabrina 428 Emanuel Mikayla 429 Zaiden Annalise 430 Otto Octavia 431 Bowen Lennon 432 Marcos Blair 433 Abram Carmen 434 Kasen Yaretzi 435 Franklin Kennedi 436 Royce Mabel 437 Jonas Zariah 438 Sage Kyla 439 Philip Christina 440 Esteban Selah 441 Drake Celeste 442 Kashton Eve 443 Roberto Mckinley 444 Harvey Milani 445 Alexis Frances 446 Kian Jimena 447 Jamison Kylee 448 Maximilian Leighton 449 Adan Katie 450 Milan Aitana 451 Phillip Kayleigh 452 Albert Sierra 453 Dax Kathryn 454 Mohamed Rosemary 455 Ronin Jolene 456 Kamden Alondra 457 Hank Elisa 458 Memphis Helena 459 Oakley Charleigh 460 Augustus Hallie 461 Drew Lainey 462 Moises Avah 463 Armani Jazlyn 464 Rhys Kamryn 465 Benson Mira 466 Jayson Cheyenne 467 Kyson Francesca 468 Braylen Antonella 469 Corey Wren 470 Gunnar Chelsea 471 Omari Amber 472 Alonzo Emory 473 Landen Lorelei 474 Armando Nia 475 Derrick Abby 476 Dexter April 477 Enrique Emelia 478 Bruce Carter 479 Nikolai Aylin 480 Francis Cataleya 481 Rocco Bethany 482 Kairo Marlee 483 Royal Carly 484 Zachariah Kaylani 485 Arjun Emely 486 Deacon Liana 487 Skyler Madelynn 488 Eden Cadence 489 Alijah Matilda 490 Rowen Sylvia 491 Pierce Myra 492 Uriel Fernanda 493 Ronald Oaklyn 494 Luciano Elianna 495 Tate Hattie 496 Frederick Dayana 497 Kieran Kendra 498 Lawrence Maisie 499 Moses Malaysia 500 Rodrigo Kara

2. Meaning of name "Liam" and "Emma"

Liam:

Liam's name is the name of a boy of Irish origin meaning "resolute protection".

Liam originated as the nickname of Uilliam, the Irish variant of William. William is an English name from German origin brought to Ireland when the British fled England after the conquest of Norman.

The Irish began to use English names, including William, which led to the development of Uilliam and its short form, Liam.

Liam is the top US boy's name for 2018, joining the elite group of names to top the list. Liam started out as a short form of William but has long stood on his own and for several years has become one of the most popular baby names for boys.

Now it is the fastest-growing Irish name in the United States, first entering the Top 10 in 2012 and before climbing to No. 1, holding No. 2 for four consecutive years.

Emma:

Initially, a short form of the German name beginning with the ermen element meaning "whole" or "universal". It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confession) and later King Canute.

After the Norman conquest, this name became popular in England. It was revived in the 18th century, perhaps in part because of a poem by Henry Prior Henry and Emma (1709). In the United States, it ranked third in 1880 (after Mary and Anna were omnipresent).

It declined steadily over the next century, beginning another rise in the 1980s and eventually becoming the most popular name for girls in 2008.

At this time it also experienced similar levels of popularity elsewhere, including the United Kingdom (where it began rising a decade earlier), Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands.

More ideals for you: Top 500 Arabic Names

From : https://wikitopx.com/name-meanings/top-500-baby-name-meaning-711994.html

[teatitty]

SO ABOUT BRUCE’S LOVE-INTERESTS

First of all I think we need to address why he has so many compared to other DC characters. Well, my good people, this is very simple: his writers are bad. A lot of his love-interests simply existed for the sake of a story and most of the time the reason they don’t work out is because, and I’m not bullshitting here, it’s part of Batman’s nature to be so obssessed with solving crime that he can’t maintain a serious relationship with women. And Bruce Wayne’s relationships fail because of his constant absences and secrets.

That being said, sometimes his relationships fail for other reasons. So let’s get this started shall we?

Category One: His Major Relationships

These are his relationships that have consistently shown up in many continuities and were, in fact, attempts on giving him some kind of serious girlfriend, regardless of how the writers failed.

1: Julie Madison. Julie’s character has changed a lot in the different continuities but originally she was an actress who broke up with Bruce because he refused to stop his “playboy ways” even when she confronted him about them. In one version she goes on to marry a man in Europe. In New Earth her hair was changed from black to auburn and, instead of being an actress, she was the daughter of an entrepeneur. 

She broke up with Bruce when she learned he was Batman and that her father had been killed as a result of Batman’s action. She moved to Africa and became a missionary. In current continuity, Julie is an artist and her father is an arms dealer who sold the gun that was used to kill Bruce’s parents. They first dated as teens but met again when Bruce lost his memories (amnesia stories yaaay). Bruce was so passionately in love with her, that he was even ready to settle down and marry her. Unfortunately, in his absence, Gotham’s crime had skyrocketed and Alfred and Julie had to, regretfully, give him his memories back so he could be Batman once more. This also erased his memory of being with Julie.

In The New Batman Adventures comics, Bruce and Julie dated right up until Bruce found out she was only after his fortune. That’s just how it be in comics sometimes. She also appeared in the Batman And Robin movie but her character added little to the plot and most of her scenes ended up being edited out in the final cut.

2: Victoria/Vicki Vale. Vicki Vale was created to be Bruce’s version of Lois Lane (yeah it’s no wonder this never worked). They got involved because she made it her life’s mission to expose Batman’s identity and ended up dating Bruce in the process (it’s also worth noting she was already suspicious of him being Batman). Her character hasn’t had a lot of changed over the years and, surprisingly, has managed to keep most of her original characterization. 

She disappeared from the comics when Julius Schwartz took over the editorial office in 1964. She was re-introduced in the early 1980′s by Gerry Conway but idea was ill-advised as her character had very little development and was instead the same old concept of someone finding out Bruce’s identity. Doug Moench was mainly responsible for slowly removing her as Bruce’s love-interest, though she has since returned to that role. In Batman: The Road Home, Vicki finally got proof that Bruce was Batman but decided to keep it to herself and instead became a confidante and ally of the batfamily, rather then Bruce’s girlfriend.

She appeared in Tim Burton’s Batman as well, but was a damsel in distress throughout the film and only learned his identity through happenstance rather then because she was seeking it out.

In various other continuities, she’s been shown as an occasional date for Bruce Wayne.

3: Selina Kyle needs to introduction but her influence in his life is so long and extensive she’d need a post of her own to cover it all. You’ll be pleased to know that there have been quite a few stories where they’ve managed to sustain a relationship and be happy together.

4: Talia Al Ghul. Obviously we all know her for being Damian’s mother, whoever Ra’s himself has encouraged her relationship with Bruce, because he wants to try and recruit Batman into the League of Assassin’s.

Originally, Talia was very devoted to Bruce and loved him as much as she loved her own father, even saving his life on multiple occasion’s, though she always returned to her father’s side afterwards. They had a sexual encounter that lead to the birth of Damian, as we all know, but over time Talia became more antagonistic towards Bruce, seeking to fulfill her father’s goals and rule with Batman by her side instead. However, he rejected her proposal and she declared war on him (yikes.)

In Batman: The Animated Series, her character was practically the same as her comic iteration. She returned in Batman Beyond where Bruce was horrified to learn that she’d given up her body for her father (yeah. That’s a thing).

In Batman: Arkham City, Talia and Bruce had a romantic background and cared very deeply for eachother, even willing to risk their lived to save the other’s.

On Earth-16, Bruce broke all ties with Talia due to her conflicting morals; her love for Bruce vs her loyalty to Ra’s. 

In the Dark Knight Rises film, Talia is an executive member of Wayne Enterprises who becomes romantically involved with Bruce. She eventually takes over the company and tries to destroy Gotham per her father’s mad design.

Category Two: Minor Relationships

These are his love-interests who have only appeared sporadically as options for him over the years, rather then being a consistent thing.

1: Amina Franklin. Originally someone who worked as a nurse at Leslie Thompkins’ clinic, Amina met Bruce at a party and they started dating shortly after. Her brother, Wayne Franklin (I know), was the villain called Grotesk (original name there buddy) and Amina was killed during a confrontation between him and Bruce.

2: April Clarkson (Midnight). If the name Midnight strikes any familiarity to you, then you’ll know who April is. She was a GCPD officer who briefly dated Bruce and helped Batman track down the gruesome murderer Midnight (yeah his track record is great isn’t it? In her defense April only killed the corrupt dudes but like. Still). Bruce was pretty torn up when he learned this because he had very strong feelings for her! Alas what can ya do, right?

3: Bekka. Bekka saved Batman’s life from Darkseid’s forces on the planet Tartarus and the two shared a mutual attraction (Bekka is also Orion’s wife. Yikes.) She was later murdered (in my mother’s own words “another one bites the dust”).

4: Black Canary. Yes seriously. Despite her long-standing romance with Green Arrow, Dinah has shown attraction to Bruce on numerous occasion’s and the two have even shared kisses before (Batman: Brave and Bold #166 and Birds of Prey #90). On Earth’s 31 and 37 this attraction is way stronger.

5: Charlotte Rivers. A news reporter in Gotham, Charlotte wanted to leave the city which put a rift between her and Bruce. After her twin sister, Jill, made an attempt on her life, Charlotte dumped Bruce and took a job offer in Paris. Ouch.

6: Dawn Golden. Dawn was the daughter of cult leader Aleister Golden, who practiced Dark Magic. Dawn was a childhood friend of Bruce’s who dated him in college and apparently broke his heart (lmao). She became a socialite and then her dad murdered her as part of a dark ritual to give himself eternal life. Yeah.

7: Harley Quinn. YEP HERE’S ANOTHER ONE. Harley has had occasional romantic encounters with Batman over the years, specifically in the Animated Series when she kissed him in the episode Harley’s Holiday. In recent N52 canon, there’s been a couple of stories where Harley has ended up infatuated with Batman or Bruce Wayne. They’re all one-sided feelings as far as we know, however.

8: Jaina Hudson (White Rabbit). Another name that might be familiar to those who know Bruce’s villains. Jaina was a socialite of Indian descent who met Bruce at a charity fundraiser. Later Bruce found out she could duplicate herself into two beings: herself and the scantily clad (its comics what do we expect?) criminal White Rabbit, who had, more than once, lured him to other villains like Joker and Bane.

9: Jezebel Jet. A wealthy woman of African descent, Jezebel was a model who owned an African province and secretly worked for Black Glove. She gained Bruce’s love as a ploy to destroy him during Batman R.I.P and was later killed on Talia’s orders. 

10: Jillian Maxwell. Jillian met Bruce at a costume party in Batman: Legends of The Dark Knight Halloween Special #1 (wow thats long). It turned out, however, that she was actually a woman who used many different personas to seduce wealthy men before orchestrating events that led to their deaths so she could take their wealth. Wild. When Alfred told him this, Bruce was heartbroken. Jillian used the name Aubrey Marguerite in Brazil and Bruce, as Batman, tracked her down and left a note ordering her to confess her sins. 

11: Julia Pennyworth. Daughter of Alfred and French Resistance fighter Mademoiselle Marie, Julia was introduced to the comics in by Doug Moench in the early 1980′s. Efforts to make her a romantic partner for Bruce proved difficult with the presence of Noctura and Vicki Vale (guess why he writ her out of comics lol).

12: Kathy Kane (Batwoman). Strap in lads this one gets Weird. Kathy was made in the Silver Age to be Batman’s female counterpart and romantic partner. Many stories showing the two getting married were published though in the main canon at the time her feelings for him were one-sided. On Earth-Two, Kathy resigned herself to live without his love and on Earth One she was murdered by the League of Assassins. Grant Morrison wrote stories featuring her in New Earth canon bc he liked using Silver Age comics for inspiration. She was eventually replaced by Katherine “Kate” Kane, a lesbian who got discharged from the military for homosexual conduct (in New Earth as well). In Prime Earth canon, Kate Kane is Bruce’s cousin. So yeah. There’s that.

13: Linda Page. Adapted from Batman serial (1943), Linda came into the comics during the Golden Age and was a former socialite who worked as a nurse for the elderly, disproving the idea that rich women were lazy and spoiled. She dated Bruce for a few issues but fell through the cracks and disappeared.

14: Lorna Shore. Lorna is a Museum Curator from the Lovers and Madmen story in Batman Confidential. Her relationship with Bruce was love at first sight and he was able to find peace with her for the first time since his parents’ murder (look. I know). However, after his first encounter with Joker, Bruce broke off their relationship to keep her safe and Lorna left Gotham soon after feeling that the city was no longer safe bc of Batman and Joker.

15: Mallory Moxon. Daughter of mob boss Lew Moxon, Mallory was a childhood friend of Bruce’s who dated him for a short time when they were kids (I know) before they drifted apart. They dated again as adults even while Bruce suspected her of continuing her father’s criminal operation. He never found conclusive proof.

16: Natalia Knight (Noctura). Another character created by Doug Moench in the early 1980′s, Natalia was the most remarkable of Batman’s love-interest’s at the time. A jewel thief who briefly adopted Jason Todd and knew Bruce’s identity, Natalia had a rare light sensitivity disease that bleached her skin white. She used a special narcotic perfume that caused men to fall in love with her and Bruce was no exception (yeah...). They started dating because they were both “equally fascinated” by eachother (Y E A H). Bruce realized his love for her was because of the perfume and struggled to stop thinking about her. Nocturna was stabbed by her brother during Crisis on Infinte Earths and floated into the sky on her balloon, presumed to be dead. Other versions of her character have appeared since but none of them are the same as the original pre-Crisis version. 

17: Natalya Trusevich. A Ukranian pianist, Natalya grew frustrated with Bruce’s closed-off demeanour until Alfred had him reveal his secret to her. Abducted by Mad Hatter soon after, Natalya was tortured in an attempt to get her to spill Batman’s identity. When she refused, Mad Hatter threw her off the helicopter to her death.

18: Pamela Isley (Poison Ivy). Here we go again lads. Ivy, as we all know, uses seduction and pheromones to get men to fall for her and obey her commands. This is no different with Batman, who initially confused the lust caused by her methods for love. Ivy has a love/hate relationship with him: sometimes she claims to love him and desires his affection and other times she has no problem wanting him dead. They had a brief but genuine relationship when Bruce cured her condition but this ended when Pamela seemingly died trying to turn herself back into Poison Ivy. Yikes. 

19: Rachel Caspian. In Batman: Year Two, Bruce fell in love with Rachel. Unfortunately her dad moonlighted as a murderous vigilante who committed suicide. Bruce was prepared to end his crime-fighting career to marry her but Rachel broke off their engagement and enrolled into a nunnery to pay her father’s penance after learning of his evil deeds.

20: Sasha Bordeaux. Assigned as his bodyguard, Sasha deduced Bruce’s identity as Batman and briefly fought at his side. Framed for the murder of Bruce’s girlfriend, Vesper Fairchild, Sasha later joined Maxwell Lord’s Checkmate Organization. She was turned into a Cyborg during The OMAC Project but this was resolved later. Though she did kiss Bruce near the end of OMAC Project their relationship passed on.

21: Silver St. Cloud. Appearing in the late 1970′s in the story Strange Apparitions, Silver was a socialite who, despite deducing Bruce was Batman, couldn’t handle dating someone with such a dangerous life-style (fair enough actually). She left Gotham but returned years later in Batman: Dark Detective where she and Bruce tried to make a serious romance work. This fell apart after she was kidnapped by Joker and later on Silver was murdered by the criminal Onomatopeia.

22: Shondra Kinsolving. A psychic and half-sister of Benedict Asp, Shondra had a brief romance with Bruce when she helped heal him after Bane broke his back. Before they could fully commit to eachother, Benedict kidnapped her and turned her abilities to evil use. Batman defeated him but the damage to Shondra’s mind was too great and, after healing Bruce’s injuries, her psyche regressed back to childhood. Bruce paid for her to have the best intensive care for the rest of her life in a psychiatric institution.

23: Vesper Fairchild. A popular radio host in Gotham, Doug Moench (jeez dude chill) established her romance with Bruce during his second run of Batman in the 1990′s. During the No Man’s Land Crisis, Vesper left Gotham and was killed by David Cain on Lex’s orders. This started the Bruce Wayne: Fugitive storyline.

24: Diana Prince (Wonder Woman). Briefly dating in the comics, nothing actually came of their romance and they both decided to simply stay good friends. They did, however, still care deeply for one another and it was this love that allowed Diana to become a Star Sapphire during the Blackest Night storyline. They were also paired together in Justice League Animated. 

25: Zatanna Zatara. Bet you weren’t expecting this one huh? The first time they had romantic interest was in Batman: The Animated Series where they met in their youth. Bruce gave priority to pursuing his training to becoming Batman and they met again as adults but nothing came of their interest. This was later introduced in the comics. They had a major falling out when Bruce discovered Zatanna had windwiped him after he’d caught her mindwiping Doctor Light at the JL’s instruction. Bruce made it clear he didn’t trust her anymore but they later resolved the issue and became close friends again.

Category Three: Other Media

These are still minor relationships but as a whole they didn’t really happen during main continuities. Basically these are romances specifically from films, crossovers and the DCAU.

1: Andrea Beaumont. In Batman: Mask of The Phantasm, Andrea was engaged to Bruce before he became Batman but she broke off said engagement when she fled the country with her father to escape the mob. She then became the title villain of the film.

2: Barbara Gordon (Batgirl). Probably the most infamous for making everyone go “wtf”, Barbara had a heavily implied past relationship with Bruce in Batman Beyond and had sex with Bruce on a rooftop in the animated Killing Joke adaptation.

3: Lois Lane. In a crossover between The New Batman Adventures and Superman: The Animated Series, Bruce and Lois dated eachother to Superman’s annoyance but Lois broke up with him after learning his identity as Batman. During a 3-4 issue long amnesia storyline in the Batman/Superman teamup comic, they also shared romantic feelings for eachother and kissed right before Bruce restored his own memories (dont. Ask).

4: Rachel Dawes. She was his childhood friend and love-interest in the Dark Knight Trilogy. Like. That’s it. 

And there you have it! All of Bruce’s gf’s aired out for everyone to screw their noses over! This wasn’t worth any of my attention but fuck it! It’s done!

[hangingfire]

“Proposed Magnetic Expedition to the North Pole”

I’ve gone down a deep, deep hole of the HathiTrust archives of Punch, or the London Charivari, and have been rewarded with much, including some contemporary texts related to the Franklin Expedition. One of the better ones I’ve seen so far is from Punch vol. 24, from 1853: “Proposed Magnetic Expedition to the North Pole”, in which one of the cranks purporting to find Franklin via clairvoyant means is skewered.

Because I’ve apparently got nothing better to do with my time, here’s a transcript.

PROPOSED MAGNETIC EXPEDITION TO THE NORTH POLE.

Under the Patronage of the Mesmeric Exclusive Circles

Somnambulists are very bold. They do things in their sleep which they would have never dreamt of doing in their waking moments. Since we last saw Amina walk the plank in the Opera, however, we have not known an instance of greater daring exhibited by a Somnambulist, than the following, addressed lately to the Morning Post: whether when the writer was asleep or awake, he does not say. The Post heads it “Mesmeric Divination:”—

“Sir,—Fully aware of the impartiality of your Journal, and of the encouragement which you extend to all who desire to avail themselves of the means your widely-circulated paper affords fro the promulgation of useful ideas, I feel confident that you will accord to this letter a place in your columns.

“Up to the present moment, all the attempts made to find the whereabouts of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN have been fruitless, and his family and all are interested in the fortune of himself and companions in danger are still left in painful doubt respecting their fate. Every possible means have been adopted—the experienced have been by times consulted. Everything has been tried, with the exception of a Clairvoyant possessing in a high degree magnetic lucidity.

“Thirteen years of my life have been devoted to Mesmerism, and my proofs of the fact of lucidity at a distance have been cosntant, having myself been the subject of experiments always successful. I am convinced that, by being identified with SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, I shall be enabled to afford valuable information to those who are now anxiously searching for him. In the prosecution of this object, I shall neither regard trouble nor fatigue. Actuated by disinterested motives alone, I am above criticism and beyond the influence of prejudice. To arrive at ths result so much desired would afford me the highest satisfaction, as I shall advance by another step the progress of science.

“I am, Sir, your humble servant,

“ADOLPHE DIDIER” 16, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square

Now this is indeed a most courageous offer. It beats any instance of bravery recorded of the DUKE OF WELLINGTON. It beats, indeed, any conceivable act of heroism except one: that of fearlessly declaring to the British public, outright, at once, without preamble or equivocation, where SIR JOHN FRANKLIN is.

The reward of the valour exerted in a declaration so venturesome would be very great. Could a generous nation be too grateful to the seer who had proved the means of rescuing and liberating our brave navigator and his companions from the “thrilling regions of thick-ribbed ice?”

All that MR. DIDIER would have to do—according to mesmeric authorities—would be to procure a specimen of SIR JOH FRANKLIN’S handwriting, or a lock of his hair, or some other personal chattel or appurtenance of his, and thereby, having had himself mesmerised into the lucid state, communicate with the missing officer, and ascertain his wherabouts. To take such little trouble for so great an object would be worth his while; if only for the sake of the pleasure which attends a benevolent act.

Perhaps MR. DIDIER’s letter in the Post was an intimation to the friends of SIR JOHN  FRANKLIN that he wished to be furnished with the wherewithal to be placed n “rapport” with him. He means, may be, to say that on receipt of the requisite lock of hair, letter, or pocket-handkerchief, he will set out at once on his mesmerical Arctic voyage of discovery; and publish the results of his expedtion as soon as he returns.

But MR. DIDIER is mistaken, in spite of his clairvoyance, in supposing that for the exploration which he proposes to undertake, no trial has been made “of a clairvoyant possessing in a high degree magnetic lucidity.” DR. HADDOCK’s celebrated clairvoyante, “E.,” went after SIR JOHN FRANKLIN everal times, and found him; though she has not enabled anyone else to find him. MR. DIDIER may convince himself of his fact by shutting his eyes, and applying DR. GREGORY’s book upon animal magnetism, at page 410 and the following pages, to the nape of his neck, or whatever other part of his person than the regular organs of sight, he is in the habit of reading with.

If any expense is involved in fitting out the mesmeric expedition into which MR. DIDIER offers to resolve himself, and some difficulty should be occasioned by that circumstance, we are quite sure that, provided MR. DIDIER will, in the presence of competent witnesses, accurately describe what LORD BROUGHAM is about and where he is, at any particular time, in his Lordship’s absence, the noble Lord will readily, in his zeal for science, verify the statement: on the strength whereof, the successful somnambulist may confidently appeal to public liberality.

MR. DIDIER is convinced that by being identified with SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, he will be enabled to affor dvaluable information to those who are looking for him. We should rather think so. But his conviction is too modest, it has reason to extend very considerably beyond that. If MR. DIDIER can be identified with SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, then SIR JOHN FRANKLIN, alias MR. ADOLPHE DIDIER, will be found at 16, Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square.

[problemsandsituations]

Who We Introducin'?

Ralph and I have been seeing a lot of each other over the past few weeks. With patience and consistency, he’s managed to win me over. We’re not an official couple yet, but he definitely has my attention.

Amina and I were invited to the Conner family’s annual end-of-spring reunion. I’m really looking forward to it; poor Amina is a ball of nerves. All morning long she’s been pacing the floor and coming up with every possible worst case scenario.

“What if they don’t know Farren’s out yet and they completely disown her when they see us together?” she asks, still in a panic.

“You were the one who told me she’s been out for two years; why wouldn’t they know? Even if they don’t, who’s gonna step to Farren with her brothers around? They’ll get swung like a ragdoll, family or not,” I tell her.

“Okay, but what if they don’t like me? What if her cousins corner me and try to fight me?” she asks.

“Farren would never put you in danger like that, come on now.” Amina’s meltdown is interrupted by the sound of a horn honking outside.

“That must be them,” I say, getting up from the couch. I open the door and see Franklin behind the wheel of a green van. Farren, Frederick and Ralph climb out of the side door with smiles on their faces.

“Ya like our family van?” Frederick asks me. He says that they use it to pick up any family members who need a ride to the reunion, or anywhere else during the year. Ralph walks up to me, hugs me and kisses me softly on the lips.

“Oh we kissin’ now? Aight bro, I see you!” Frederick says, slapping Ralph on the back. We all climb into the van, and as we pull off, Ralph reminds Franklin that they have to stop at the store to get soda. When we get there, he asks me to come in with him.

“I’ve got a question for you,” I tell Ralph as we walk through the aisles.

“Ask away sweetheart,” he replies.

“How come all of your sibling’s names start with an F, but yours starts with an R?” I ask.

“Well as you know, I’m the youngest of the Conner clan. I came as a surprise to my Mama and Daddy and they had trouble comin’ up with another name that starts with F. My granddaddy’s name is Ralph, so they just named me after him,” he answers. “When people ask me why I’m so carefree, I tell ‘em it’s because I wasn’t given an F at birth. It’s the truth, and it’s funny. At least to me it is.” Ralph’s joke is funny to me too. His carefree spirit is one of the many things I love...I mean really like about him.

We find the soda aisle and Ralph grabs several different 12 packs. As he’s putting them in the cart, I look up and catch a glimpse of Rasul walking by. He sees me with Ralph and turns down the aisle we’re in. As he walks past, Ralph greets him having no idea who he is. Rasul doesn’t respond. He just looks at me and keeps walking. 

“What was that about?” Ralph asks me. I remind him of our conversation that night at the club nad tell him that that’s who I was referring to. Ralph smiles, wraps his arm around my neck and says, “ay bruh, thanks for messin’ up” with a smile.

“What was that?” Rasul asks, walking back towards us.

“I was just thankin’ you for messin’ up your opportunity with this lovely lady here. Because of you, I get to show her how a real man should treat her,” Ralph replies proudly. “You walked by tryin’ to be seen and we saw ya. Now if you’ll excuse us, me and my lady have somewhere to be.” Rasul shakes his head as he walks away in the same direction he came from. Once he’s out of sight, Ralph and I go to the self checkout. When we get back in the van, he asks me if I’m okay.

“What happened?” Amina asks.

“We ran into Rasul,” I tell her, rolling my eyes.

“Who’s Rasul?” Frederick asks.

“Old news,” Ralph answers. “And you already know I handled mine.”

“Already,” Frrederick responds, dapping his brother.

Franklin turns on some music to lighten the mood. We all spend the rest of the ride happily singing along.

The Conner family really knows how to throw a reunion! There’s music, games, a small petting zoo, and an abundance of food. As we get out of the van, we’re approached by four young people: two males and two females around the same age as us. Ralph tells me that these are their favorite cousins. One of their female cousins asks Franklin & Frederick where their dates are.

“We ain’t got time for all that! We wanna be free men,” Frederick says.

“That means they ain’t found nobody,” the other female cousin replies playfully.

“Oh God, here come Uncle Gerald,” one of their male cousins says. The cousins start walking away one by one until it’s just me, Amina, Farren and her brothers. 

“Well well well, look who it is!” their uncle says, waddling towards us. He’s an angry-looking old man: potbellied, walking on a cane, glasses hanging on the bridge of his nose. His brown skin is covered in freckles just like the rest of the conner family.

“Hey Unc, how you feelin’ today?” Franklin asks him.

“I’m good, I could just use a couple dollas,” Uncle Gerald answers.

“We ain’t givin’ you no money, man,” Frederick replies. Uncle Gerald ignores his nephews and turns his attention to Farren.

“I see you still likin’ them girls Farren. You done brought one witcha!” He says loudly. A few nearby family members turn around and look at us. Farren looks away, embarrassed.

“Gerald! Leave them children alone!” we hear a woman yell from behind us. I turn around and see an elderly woman standing in the doorway of the house. She’s a beauty. The only wrinkle in her skin is her currently furrowed brow. Her long silver hair blows in the breeze as she steps onto the porch.

“Grandmama!” Ralph says happily. He grabs my hand and leads me in her direction; the rest of the group follows. She’s all smiles at the sight of her grandchildren.

“Y’all come on in here and get out the sun for a little bit,” she tells us. We sit down at the table and she brings out a large pitcher of homemade lemonade.

“Did he ask y’all for money again?” she asks.

“Yes ma’am,” Frederick replies.

“I thought he kicked the habit,” Franklin adds.

“Addictions don’t just go away, baby. It’s a process. A long, tiring process,” their grandmother replies with a sigh. “By the way, I’m Grandma Betty,” she says to me and Amina.

“Grandmama, this is my lady. The one I been tellin’ you ‘bout,” Ralph says with a smile.

“Oh, she’s gorgeous!” Grandma Betty looks at me, beaming with pride. Farren nervously introduces Amina as her “friend”. Grandma Betty walks over to Farren and wraps her arms around her.

“Don’t let your Uncle get to you baby. Remember what I told ya, everybody won’t understand,” she assures Farren. The four cousins who greeted us when we first arrived come inside and join us at the table.

“Thanks for leavin’ us like that,” Ralph says to them. “Ya dipped so fast I didn’t get to introduce ya proper!” The two female cousins’ names are LaTanya and LaToya. They’re identical twins and also the oldest, just like Franklin & Frederick. Next is Lyle; after him is Luke. Their family has some really strong genes. They all look more like siblings than cousins to me.

“We don’t deal with Uncle Gerald no more! Ever since he showed his tail at the funeral we ain’t want nothin’ to do wit’ him; y’all shouldn’t either,” Latoya responds. Grandma Betty quickly shushes her. Farren, Franklin, Frederick and Ralph all suddenly look sad. What did I just miss? I look around waiting for someone to explain, but no one speaks up. Grandma Betty silently goes around the table pouring everyone a glass of lemonade. At first the silence is awkward, but once everyone takes a sip of Grandma Betty’s lemonade, the awkwardness turns peaceful. It’s the little things Grandmothers do that can always lift your spirits.

The rest of the day goes off without a hitch. I find out that all the guys are extremely competitive. They establish some kind of bet or wager before every game and they play like their lives depend on it. The petting zoo is my favorite part. I’m such a sucker for animals. I see a baby goat and consider for a moment if anyone would notice if I took it home.

As the sun is about to set, Ralph tells me he has something to show me. I follow him to the backyard of Grandma Betty’s house. In the middle of the yard is a large tree with a small white fence around it. As we get closer to the tree, I see two portraits: one of a man, the other of a woman. The portraits are surrounded by small white candles.

“Sweetheart, I’d like for you to meet my parents: Woodrow and Irma-Jean Conner,” Ralph says to me with his hand stretched towards the portraits. I bend down to take a good look at them and see the resemblance of Ralph, his brothers and his sister. They’re all a perfect blend of these two individuals.

“That funeral Latoya was talkin’ about was theirs,” Ralph informs me. “Right here is where they fell in love, had their first kiss and got married. Under this tree.”

“Wow, that’s beautiful,” I reply.

“They were such good people; you woulda loved ‘em. And I know they woulda loved you,” he says with a smile. I hear the grass rustle behind us and turn around. There’s an older, dark skinned man slowly walking towards us. Ralph turns around and says, “hey granddaddy”. He tells me that this is his Grandpa Ralph, the one he’s named after. When Ralph introduces me to him, he nods his head at me and smiles. Ralph explains to me that his grandfather is mute. He can hear very well, he just can’t speak. Grandpa Ralph walks over to the portraits of his son and daughter-in-law and lights the candles in front of them. He kisses his hand then gently touches both portraits. Ralph tells me that his grandfather does this every evening at sunset. He lights the candles and lets them burn until morning. It’s his way of keeping their memory alive. Ralph and I stand aside while his grandfather has his moment at the tree. When he’s done, he walks over to me and Ralph and gives each of us a hug. Before returning to the house, he pats Ralph’s shoulder and winks at him. I think I’ve just gotten his approval.

Ralph and I return to the front of the house with everyone else and his cousins can’t resist teasing us.

“Did you two have yourselves a good time?” LaToya asks playfully.

“Stop it! You know good & well why they went back there,” LaTanya replies seriously.

“Oh my god Tanya, it’s a joke! You ain’t always gotta be so serious,” LaToya says, rolling her eyes.

“Right! You ain’t always gotta be so uptight,” Luke adds. Everyone laughs except for LaTanya.

“You all have no respect. Shame on you. All of you!” LaTanya gets up from the table and storms off towards the house.

“Is she alright?” I ask.

“She’s fine, it’s just that my parent's death is still a sore subject for her. She was close to ‘em; she took it really hard,” Ralph explains to me.

“We were all close to your parents, Ralph,” LaToya replies.

“But you know how bad Tanya’s been goin’ through it lately,” Farren reminds her. Ralph says he’s gonna check on LaTanya and asks me if I want to go with him. I decide to stay outside with everyone else.

“So, how’s ol’ Ralph been treatin’ ya?” Lyle asks me.

“He’s been great. He’s a perfect gentleman,” I tell him with a smile.

“My man!” Lyle responds proudly. “You know I taught him everything he knows, right?”

“Boy shut up! You know ya game is weak!” Luke responds. While the two of them go back & forth the ladies and I start our own conversation.

“So what’s the deal with your Uncle Gerald?” I ask. LaToya volunteers to tell me the story. Grandma Betty and Grandpa Ralph had three sons: Gerald, Woodrow and William. Gerald is the oldest; Woodrow & William were twins. Growing up, Woodrow and William stayed on the straight & narrow; Gerald was the one who took a different path in life. He spent most of his time in the streets. He became addicted to drugs, and later, gambling. His condition got so bad that he started stealing from his own family to support his habit. When he couldn’t get to his family, he turned to robbing strangers. Woodrow did his best to help Gerald get clean every time he relapsed. He couldn’t stand to see his brother in that state. The rest of the family had completely cut Gerald off. Even Grandma Betty, as sweet as she is, removed him from her will. She said she didn’t want everything she worked so hard for going to waste. Her entire estate was split evenly between Woodrow and William. When Woodrow died, she decided to split his half evenly between his children instead of leaving it to Gerald. Gerald’s addiction took a turn for the worst when he learned of his brother’s passing. Woodrow and Irma-Jean had a joint funeral service. Gerald showed up as high as a kite. In the middle of the eulogy he stormed the pulpit, took the mic from the pastor and began ranting about how terrible his family is. He said he hated them all for turning their backs on him. He told Grandma Betty that he deserved to be in her will instead of her spoiled grandchildren; he said that one way or another, he was going to take what belonged to him. William tried to get him to sit down, but Gerald pushed him out of the way and proceeded to Woodrow’s casket where he tried to remove his and Irma-Jean’s jewelry. The family ultimately had to call the police on Gerald and have him escorted out of the service.

“That day was crazy,” Farren says, shaking her head.

“Now do you understand why I said what I said?” LaToya asks me. “The only reason Grandma still lets him come around is ‘cause she knows that’s what Uncle Woody woulda wanted.”

“And she’s right. Our daddy never stopped lovin’ him, so we won’t either. He would always tell us that he deserved just as much love as everyone else in this family,” Farren adds. Just then, Ralph returns to the table we’re all sitting at. He sits behind me on the bench, grabs me by the waist and asks us what we’ve been talking about.

“We told her ‘bout Uncle Gerald,” Farren tells him.

“Lawd,” Ralph replies, shaking his head. “Unc is a work in progress. Daddy was never the type to throw people away so we won’t be either.”

“Speak for yourself,” LaToya chimes in. Luke and Lyle both nudge her forcefully. LaToya is definitely the most outspoken out of the whole group. It’s starting to get dark, so we make our way inside. I see LaTanya sitting on the couch in the living room; she’s still visibly upset. While everyone else files into the kitchen, I decide to check on her.

“Hey LaTanya. Are you okay?” I ask carefully.

“I will be,” she replies. “I’m sorry for stormin’ off, it’s just my sibling’s humor isn’t funny to me. At least when it comes to my late auntie and uncle.”

“Everybody handles grief differently. Your brothers and sister may not show it, but I’m sure they’re just as hurt as you are,” I assure her.

“Ya know, I’m glad you and Ralphie found each other. You’re alright in my book,” LaTanya tells me with a smile. Suddenly I feel the room start to spin and I lean on the arm of the couch for balance.

“What’s wrong?” LaTanya asks me. I can hear the panic in her voice.

“Nothing, I’m okay. I just need to sit down,” I tell her. LaTanya helps me onto the couch and tells me to stay put while she gets me a glass of water. She must have said something to Ralph, because he comes rushing around the corner frantically asking me if I’m okay.

“I’m fine babe, I just had a dizzy spell,” I tell him.

“Babe? You’ve never called me that before. How dizzy are you?” he jokes. LaTanya returns with the glass of water. She and Ralph watch me carefully as I drink it. Ralph suggests that we leave so I can go home and rest. I try to convince him that I’m fine but his mind is already made up. He gathers his siblings and Amina, we say our goodbyes then head out. We’re about fifteen minutes into our commute when a strong wave of nausea hits me. I ask Frederick to pull over and in a matter of seconds I’m blowing chunks on the side of the road. Ralph is right next to me holding my hair and rubbing my back. He asks me if I want to go to the hospital; I tell him I just want to go home. For the rest of the ride he holds me close and tries his best to soothe me.

When I get home I’m still feeling queasy so I clean myself up, then climb into bed. Amina promises Ralph she’ll look after me and keep him updated. I spend the rest of the night buried in my blanket watching tv until I fall asleep.