#and I've got so many cool books checked out from the library

[charlyritter]

I had such a shitty week but now I'm having such a good day 😭😍😍❤️

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Floyd Leech - Room Relaxation Vignette

"Happy Birthday"

[Interior Hallway]

Floyd: Oh, it's Sea Slug-senpai. Fancy runnin' into you here.

Floyd: So, hey, how 'bout you hear me out?

Malleus: I'll admit I was not expecting that to be the first thing out of your mouth during this encounter… Fascinating, is there some request you have of me?

Malleus: I suppose I'll allow it, Leech. Tell me what you desire.

Floyd: I mean, it ain't nothing that crazy.

Floyd: Tomorrow's my birthday, see? Soooo… Can'tcha get me a present?

Malleus: A present?

Malleus: Unfortunately, I know nothing of your hobbies or preferences. Even if I were to gift you with something, I'm sure it would be lacking.

Floyd: So what you're sayin' is… You'd do it if I tell you what I like 'n stuff?

Floyd: Recently, I've been real into the fashion here on land. Specifically, I'm all about shoes, but…

Floyd: I bet you'd come up with somethin' real interesting, though. Can'tcha think of anything? I like weird or unique things.

Malleus: Hm… So you're looking for something unique. Understood, I'll keep it in mind.

Floyd: Seriously? Now I'm super lookin' forward to it. See you tomorrow, Sea Slug-senpai

[Octavinelle Dorm – Floyd's Room]

Floyd: I hate doin' all the closing clean-up. It's not like I have to be the one to clean up the kitchen, right?

Floyd: Guess I'll just go hop in the shower. I bet it's completely empty in there, since I slipped out while everyone else was workin'.

Floyd: I'll bring this and this and this… And uhhhh, where'd I put that one top?

[toss, toss, toss]

Floyd: Huh? Can't find it anywhere. The heck?

Floyd: Things shouldn't be just disappearin' on their own! Ugh, I'm tired of lookin' for it, so I guess I'll just go with just my pants on～ …Hm?

Floyd: Found it. Totally thought it was a textbook or somethin', since it was folded all neat and stuff.

Floyd: Bet it was Jade… Wait, no, I think I actually got in the mood to start putting up my clothes the other day.

Floyd: Though, I still got bored of it halfway through. Anyway, shower time, shower time!

Floyd: Whew, toasty. My hair'll dry if I just leave it, so... I think I'll skip using a dryer today.

[Octavinelle Dorm – Floyd's Room]

Floyd: Now that I'm outta the shower, I think I'll just lay around a bit. Guess I'll clear off my bed first…

[thud, thud, thud]

Floyd: Eh? What's this crumpled up piece of paper? "Return Date Notice"…?

Floyd: Ohh, right, there was that time I just randomly checked out a book from the library. Ack, looks like it's overdue already.

Floyd: I think the book should be around… Here it is. I read about half of it, yeah. I think it was about…

[door opens]

Floyd: Hey, Jade. Welcome back～

[Jade speaks]

Floyd: Eh? The kitchen was in disarray just 'cause I left early?

Floyd: No waaay. Even you made it back to the room earlier than usual.

[Jade speaks]

Floyd: …You "kindly spoke with them"? Aha, niiice. I can totally picture all those little minnows shakin' in their boots.

Floyd: …'Kay, and there goes Jade to take his shower. Guess I'll read that book from earlier.

Floyd: I wonder if I got any snacks I can munch on while I read. I think I threw some in my bag earlier… Hm? What's this paper?

「Survey on Quality of Life Improvements for the Student Body」

Floyd: Ugh, surveys are a paaaain. 'Sides, I got way too many things I'd like to see changed.

Floyd: Like for example, if we had more floorspace, I wouldn't need to keep things on my bed.

Floyd: 'Cause it's not like we can just leave it wherever and it'll float like it does when I'm undersea… The floor's the only place to put anythin'.

Floyd: Oh, yeah. Guess I'll add in there that sometimes my roommate can get  annoyin' when things get thrown everywhere, too. 'Kay, no more survey.

Floyd: Found my snacks, and as for what to drink… I guess this is fine. Cool, ready to go. Time to read on my bed.

Floyd: Pretty sure I read up to the line "And so the adventurer was approaching the verge of starvation. Then…" on page 127.

Floyd: …Here it is. 'Kay, let's see what's next…

Floyd: Maan. That's enough of the caramel flavor. It was tasty at first, but I got bored of it in just 3 bites.

Floyd: I still got some of that curry-flavored snack and cheese-flavored snack… But I'm not feelin' like either of 'em～

Floyd: Guess I'll just bust open a new back of sea salt-flavored ones!

Floyd: Delish! Salty snacks are the best～! Ah. But now I'm starting to crave something chocolate.

Floyd: Oh, and looks like the book's about to change tracks so...

Floyd: …Hm? Wait, I don't think I saw that coming…!

Floyd: …......

Floyd: Aaaaah～ That was great. I remember when I read it last time, I started wanting to eat the food that came up in the book…

Floyd: I went to the kitchens to make it, and just completely forgot about it after that. They should say something at the beginning if it's that good of a read.

Floyd: I totally wasn't expecting that minor character from the beginning of the book to make a comeback right when it counted. I wonder if this book has a sequel or somethin'.

Floyd: Hey, Jade… Oh what, he's sleeping? I was so into it, I didn't even notice.

Floyd: Guess a ton of time passed without me realizin' it. It ain't even just the middle of the night, it's basically dawn already.

Floyd: I'm feelin' like I'm not gonna wanna wake up tomorrow… But hey, if I sleep in, I'll deal with it then.

[Octavinelle Dorm – Floyd's Room]

[brrrrrrinnnnnggggg…]

Floyd: …Nnnrgn～～ Yaaaawn～

Floyd: What time's it? Jade…? Oh, he's gone already.

Floyd: Man, that guy's always been a morning person. As soon as he opens his eyes, he's on the move…

Floyd: Mmm～ I wanna go back to sleep… But since it's my birthday, I kinda feel like gettin' "that" out.

[rustle, rustle]

Floyd: Here it isss. I'm gonna polish these shoes today. First, I just gotta lightly brush it all over…

Floyd: Then, I'll use the cleaner to wipe off the cream I applied first. …Nice, that looks good.

Floyd: Next I'll gently apply some shoe cream to the toe and heel.

Floyd: When I first bought shoes like this, I had no idea I'd have to take care of 'em like this…

Floyd: It'd get these weird wrinkles, or cracks all over the surface and just bummed me way out.

Floyd: There's been times I've thought that it's a pain to take care of 'em every time I wanna wear 'em…

Floyd: But I guess it's actually kinda fun to remember where each scratch came from, or notice how certain parts get worn down while I clean 'em

Floyd: …Mm, it's lookin' good. I'll let 'em sit for about 5 minutes, then apply some cream 2 or 3 more times.

Floyd: I guess that's the shoes ready, then. I'm feelin' more awake, so I guess I'll go wash my hands and finish getting ready in the washroom.

[Octavinelle Dorm – Washroom]

Floyd: I'll just use a bit of wax on my hair… Done. The tips of my hair should look… There we go, that's good.

Floyd: The eye makeup's annoying to think about, so I'll just do whatever～ I think I'll use this six-color palette today.

Floyd: I'll take the color in the top left and apply it all the way around my eyes, then add the middle color to it and blend it a bit…

Floyd: Then, I'll take this darker color and apply it to the crease above my eyes… Huh? Why's it feelin' kinda boring?

Floyd: Naaah, time to do it all over again～ This purple one is lookin' way cooler.

Floyd: Mmm～ …Nah, I'm feeling meh about this one too… Should I maybe add lame to the corners?

Floyd: Nothin's really popping at all! I'm starting to get tired of applying this stuff, so I think I'll just skip the eye stuff.

[wipe, wipe]

Floyd: This'll work. If I jump into my uniform now and head towards campus… I should probably make it on time for class.

[Main Street]

Malleus: I finally found you, Leech.

Floyd: Oh hey, Sea Slug-senpai. Whatcha doin'?

Malleus: After our classes end, I will be taking you to some ruins I know of.

Malleus: It is located in such an inaccessible place that you would be incapable of reaching it without my bringing you. What do you think, is that unique enough for you?

Floyd: Some ruins? Unique enough? …Ah, my present! Riiight, I did ask for something yesterday, yeah.

Malleus: Had you forgotten? You had requested for something unique, so I thought you were testing me to see the extent of my abilities…

Floyd: Yup, completely forgot about it. But those ruins sound like they'd be super thrilling and fun.

Floyd: Thanks, Sea Slug-senpai～ Can't wait for school to let out now.

Requested by @thelonepearl and @sakurakudo.

[bsd-bibliophile]

Survey Dates: 11/15/2024 - 12/15/2024

Number of Participants: 362

Tumblr will not allow me to post pictures of all the survey results, so only part of them are included in this post. You can download and view the complete results here or view them in the BSD-Bibliophile Online Library.

Thank you to everyone who participated! If you are interested in viewing the results from past surveys, here are the results from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

View the complete survey results here or on the BSD-Bibliophile Online Library.

Comments:

:)

:p

always looking forward to ur survey :)) i love data and it motivates me to read more japanese authors

Another year, another survey! Thank you so much for all the information you provide, it's really some great work you're doing! It's been a while since I had the time to just sit down and read for a while, but I did recently buy The Setting Sun and I read Kokoro this year, which was such a masterpiece I loved it! Again many thanks and love <3

As always, thank you for your lovely work Anne <33

been a fan of this website since i got into bsd (2020) you’re doing god’s work fr!!

BYE BYE BESTIES FROM ME IN THE WESTIES

compiling all these resources is a really awesome endeavor, thanks for all that you do :)

cool asf

Cool survey ^_^

even though i haven't used the library yet, i really appreciate you keeping it up and maintaining it as a resource! thank you!

freaky kunikida 😛😛😛

haiiii

Hey hope everything is going well for you I love seeing your posts and analyses you’ve really done a lot for bsd and Japanese literature fans thanks for everything <33

heyo!! i appreciate all the work you guys do, and while i've had this tab open on my phone for a while, i've not used the website that much. i plan to in the future!!

I cannot choose between Dazai, Ranpo, and Chuuya as favorite characters.

I don't always have time to read or use the library, but I'm very happy it exists and I want to find the time to use it and read more!! You are one of my favorite blogs on tumblr and have done wonderful things for both the BSD and literature community.

i dotn know why i m filling this out

I have not read a lot of Japanese literature but I intend on reading at least 1 work from each author in BSD as a goal

I have not read much, as I would rather read physical copies. Many of the authors' works cannot be found in my country, so I would wait for a bit to read, or just give in and read online translated version. At the moment I can find Ayatsuji, Tsujimura, Natsume Soseki, Dazai Osamu, Yokomizo Seishi...I intend to read more mysteries, so I would focuse on Yokomizo Seishi's at the moment.

I haven't had the time to check out your tumblr, but I have used your website a bunch! I really appreciate the effort you put into all of it, and it made reading Bungou (and other Japanese authors) a lot more accessible and understandable. Without reading some of your descriptions on the authors, I most definitely wouldn't have even picked up their books in the first place. So, thank you very much!

I honestly don’t have one single favorite bsd character, but Atsushi is definitely in my top few, I love his character and his development, and someone very very dear to me is a lot like him <3 ALSO READ STORMBRINGER 💥

I hope you have a great day ahead! This was a lovely survey.

i love dazai

I love entering Tumblr and seeing your posts on my tl, specially if they're from my favorite authors/characters ❤️ I feel like they're always there for me in a way thanks to your posts. I also appreciate the resources, even if I usually read physical books.

I love the BSD-Bibliophile site, it's so helpful when my BSD phase strikes again.

I love the online library even though I haven't used it in awhile. It's a great resource to direct new jp lit readers to

I love the tumble quotes as it inspires my own writing. Thank you and keep it up! x

I love the work that your community/company is putting in. Good luck on everything.

I love this website, thanks for this!

I love your blog! Love from Spain!

I love your online library, and I love how passionate you are about it. If there's any way that we can help add to your collection or just help in general, please let me know!

I loved Bungou Stray Dogs the moment I watched the Anime and started reading the Manga. With this Blog, it was the same: The moment I found it, I loved it! There are so many books written by authors from BSD, that I can't get a hand on in Germany, so that Posts here are my only source. I hope it makes sense... my active english isn't good. Thank you very much for the hard work over all these years!

I originally accessed this website only to search for digital copies of Dazai Osamu's works, but I ended up developing a genuine obsession with classic Japanese literature and reading dozens of books, short stories, and essays from various authors and of different genres. Thank you so much for your hard work!

I prefer reading the Slavic authors at the moment so I haven't read much by the Japanese authors. (I am also learning Russian personally so this is my preference.)

"I really enjoy your blog! It is very fun, informative, and helpful <3 

I haven't read much of the authors featured in BSD but I plan to change that next year! Your blog will be very helpful then! Thank you for all your work!"

I really love how you have made all the translated books available online. It has helped me expand my choice of literature actually. Thank you so much for your hard work! This is a place return to every once in a while because it brings me so much joy!

I really love the BSD Bibliophile Online Library. It comes in handy when I want to read books or search for more information on the authors. Bless you for such a wonderful resource!

I started learning Japanese for a light novel series that I was following (not BSD), but BSD is directly responsible for my seeking out more general Japanese literature, rather than just light novels or anime. Would not have read half of that stuff otherwise, so I am quite happy I picked up the series.

I think BSD-bibliophile is an awesome website! Thank you:)

I use the BSD-Bibliophile often! Thank you for making this website.

I want to start reading

I wish I had more time to explore the real works of the authors

I'm glad that such a page exists. I find it important and useful. Just congratulations to the ones (or one) who came up with the idea and followed through with it!

In the future I’d recommend either including modern Japanese authors (Murakami etc) in the survey, or specifying that the focus is classic (largely 20th/early 21st century) authors. But regardless I love what y'all do and the resources you provide!

in truth i haven’t used the site as i’ve wished due to time but i always have this site in mind when i’m looking for japanese authors to read :) i wholeheartedly love this site and have used it to read shorter parts of writings i can read… thank you for all you do! i can’t wait to open up the treasure trove that is this website and dive deep into japanese authors

Is there a list for BSD writers’ literary significance + how they influenced each other in chronological order? I’m relatively new to JP lit and I’d love to learn more

I've already asked for this correction last year, but I will say it again; please change the wording for "Who is your favorite BSD Japanese author" and "What is your favorite literary work by a Japanese BSD author" questions. The authors don't have anything to do with BSD, and now the questions make it sound like you're asking if people like Asagiri or someone else who has worked on BSD, as THEY are the authors of BSD. Not Dazai and others. Please change the wording to "Japanese authors who appear as characters in BSD" or something like that, and don't call them BSD authors. They aren't such. Also, I would like to point out that you've got Hirotsu's name order wrong in all questions. It's Hirotsu Ryuurou (JP order like for others), not Ryuurou Hirotsu (which is the Western name order). Thank you for the survey as always.

I've been meaning to start reading the works on the Online Library, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I've used your list once!! I haven't had time to read many new things with how busy I've been, but there's a few I've been meaning to get around to for a while.

Just wanted to say how much I appreciate the work you do :) it made Japanese lit way more accessible when I started getting into it

Just wanted to say thank you for all you do!

Just wanted to say thanks for all the work you've put into the blog! It's how I ended up reading Nakahara's poems :)

Keep up the great work!

Love the analyses page! please add more and make it easier to find on the page

Love this blog!!!

love ur website

Love your work 💜

Maybe you should also do a survey to figure out what other Japanese authors are popular. I read mainly translated Japanese, and I'm curious to see just how popular authors like Kawabata, Mishima and Shiga are. Loved this survey btw, can't wait to see the results <3

my interest in Japanese literature was cultivated through the comprehensive list and resources available in bsd bibliophile site even though I started watching bsd much before I found the site for which I'll always be grateful because a lot of my favourite works are from Japanese literature. so thank you!!!

N/A - have a lovely day! :)

One of the Agatha Christie quotes was censored (specifically, the Ten Little Indians poem). I don't think that serves any pedagogical purpose, and it erases the harmful aspects of that story that are worth discussing and acknowledging. Similar to censoring mentions of women in Dazai quotes, it only serves to gloss over and obscure relevant details in the authors' legacies and meaningful context from their works.

"One of the best curated pages. Thanks to you i’ve been able to delve further into the magical world of BSD and some of the greatest authors in literature. 

Thank you. You’re a blessing to the BSD community. 

Love from Vietnam."

"Please help the Brazilian Portuguese speakers to make a way of doing some kind of the same thing (a place with translations) 

It would be great lots of languages on the library"

scurrying here to read tanizaki's works because the games i like reference them is the most brainrot thing i did

stay hydrated!

thank you

Thank you

thank you for all your hard work in organising the online library ♥️

Thank you for all your hard work with the website and the gorgeous posts. I have read many works after seeing them featured on your blog first

Thank you for all your work!

"Thank you for doing these every year, it is always interesting to see the results! If it's okay, I'd like to recommend two books from Japanese authors (altough they aren't related to bsd). First: The Tatami Galaxy by Tomihiko Morimi. It's a funny and surprisingly deep book with a great time loop (and there's an anime based on it that's just as great!) Second: The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda, a gripping mystery that I couldn't put out of my hands.

Have a great year reading, everyone!"

Thank you for everything! I've learned and read a lot about Japanese authors, and even Western ones.

"Thank you for making people more familiar with Japanese literature! Good luck.

Thank you for running this blog! I'm currently working on my masters degree and the blog is going to be a valuable resource for me in the coming months.

Thank you for the google site and everything you've done for the community all these years :-) !!!

Thank you for the survey

Thank you for the survey! : ) I really want to read more books by Japanese authors but there aren't many translations of the ones i want in stores.

Thank you for the work you do!

Thank you for your blog and the website! It really helped me, because it can be hard to find even an electronic version of the book

"Thank you for your continued maintenance and work on the website - I'm incredibly grateful for all of the PDFs, lists, and information on such a broad array of authors. In time, I plan to read every work on the list.

A question - outside of the authors included in the bibliography, who else do you enjoy reading? I am fond of Kenzaburo Oe, Haruki Murakami, Keigo Higashino, Karen Horney, Irvin Yalom, Nietzsche, and Carl Jung (amongst a few others here and there)"

Thank you for your contribution to the BSD fandom!

thank you for your hard work in promoting and providing Japanese books

Thank you for your hard work!

thank you for your hard work! your site has helped me both in terms of enjoyment and providing useful resources for writing my papers and understanding literature better.

Thank you for your hard work!!

Thank you for your hard work, BSD-Bibliophile Online Library is a huge source of information for the community

Thank you for your website and hard work. I'm genuinely grateful.

Thank you for your work!

Thank you so much for making your site. It's one of the main ways I get literature, and it's really helpful because I'm a kid without a steady stream of income aside from an $8 a week allowance, which is not enough to get books at the speed I read them and my family does not go to the library often enough nor does my library have enough to suit my interests. Your online library is truly incredible and I could not be more grateful that you're kind enough to put it out for the world.

Thank you so much for running BSD-Bibliophile! It's such a lovely account, I love seeing the quotes, and also introduced me to new works too — for example, a quote from Dazai Osamu's 'The Villon's Wife' made me realize I hadn't read his whole library yet. 'm inspired by the quotes I read, and it always makes me want to read new stories too! So truly, thank you so so much for running this account.^^

thank you so much for your amazing work!!!!

Thank you!

Thanks for all the work you do!

Thanks for all you do! This is a great resource and an incredibly helpful one!!

thanks for everything, you made it easier for me to read and access Japanese literature

Thanks for your work!!!!:)

The Bibliophile has helped so much thank you!!!! :DDDDD

The website had been very useful, I'm enjoying myself with it a lot :)

The work you do (translating and compiling the works) has given me so much joy when I was obsessing about BSD and looking to read works from the original authors!! The quality of the translations seems pretty great (I'm not fluent in Japanese to know for sure but I've certainly read worse translations) and without BSD Bibliophile, I wouldn't have found a *lot* of works I love dearly. Thanks for putting this together! It's made an impact in my life and brought me closer to works I wouldn't have gotten to know otherwise :)

This survey is really including and cool! Props to the creator

This was fun to take

ur blog is such a wonderful insight into japanese literature through the lens of bsd ^^ i’d like to get more into actually reading the original works esp next year and ur blog is such a great lil sneak peak into them? lovely wotk keep it up (also hopefully gonna start w hell screen cus i read a bit 👍 but idk i like how bsd has such a wide range of authors id never heard of before ^^ literature is such a wide spectrum love it)

Ur posts put a smile on my face! I love ur dedication to the fandom and japanese literature 🫡🫡 you must have been posting daily for more than 5 years? Impressive 😊😌😌

w series literally

What about Fyodor Dostoevsy? (Crime and Punishment is a rather nice book)

Your posts made me buy and read the books. Thank you! 🖤

your website is very nice! it's where i found the english translations for some of the light novels. ive only read 3 so far but hope to read more in the future. thank you for your service 🙇‍♂️

your work is so vast and underappreciated! i really need to take more time to look through your library. thank you for all the work you've put into it!

С:

"こんにちは、翻訳の努力を本当に感謝しています。あなたにはとても感謝しています。正直なところ、お気に入りを選ぶのは難しかったですが、中也の詩が好きなので、結局太宰をクリックしました。とにかく、本当にありがとうございます。良い一日をお過ごしください！"

今年、お疲れ様でした！Thank you for your work. Having access to more of the authors I was curious about led to me conducting a successful research project on Japanese literary fiction last year. This year, I've moved abroad to Japan to learn Japanese at university. I hope that I can contribute to the effort to kindle others' inspiration through translation and storytelling. Please have a happy new year!

[the-ghost-of-jason-todd]

Hello MotA and other WWII fandoms (based on real people or not)! I have a fun piece of history for you that you may or may not be aware of.

I just finished my last day working at a pretty cool place. It's a branch of the public library in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. What does this have to do with WWII? Let me tell you!

I just so happened to work at the Ernie Pyle branch, named so because it was the only house that the WWII war correspondent Ernie Pyle and his wife Jerry ever owned. Ernie Pyle, if you have never heard of him:

went overseas with the soldiers to document the second world war

pioneered human-interest style journalism for war reporting, specifically focusing on the lives of the soldiers and conditions on the front lines

wrote MANY MANY articles about the soldiers and their daily lives

won some awards, including a Pulitzer Prize

and was killed in action in Japan in 1945, at the age of 44

Here he is, looking a lot more serious than a lot of the pictures of him in his home, as well as a shot of him, his wife, and their dog, named Cheetah:

And, if you've never seen it, the house-turned-library looks like this:

The Indiana University has a few of his articles free to read, so check those out if you want to get an idea of the kind of journalism I'm talking about here: https://erniepyle.iu.edu/wartime-columns/index.html

For the MotA fans specifically, one cool fact about Ernie Pyle is that he had not one, but TWO separate B-29 "superfortresses" named after him. One was just called the Ernie Pyle, while the other was called Ernie Pyle's Milk Wagon (in reference to a quote of his calling the bombings of Japan "milk runs"). The library has a picture of the Ernie Pyle up on top of one of the windows:

And here it is in flight:

So, why a library? Why not, say, a museum? Well, there IS a museum--in his hometown of Dana, Indiana. After his death in 1945, and before his wife's passing that same year, Jerry Pyle (said wife) decided to give their house to the City of Albuquerque in order to honor his memory. There was a lot of back and forth, but one thing stood out above all else: Ernie was a private guy, and this was his home. According to an interview he once gave, he'd said that he built a house because he "needed a place to store his books"--and so what better way to commemorate his work than to fill his house with books?

The house was built in 1940, and as a library it has been in near-continuous use since 1948. It's now a national historic landmark, as well, and celebrates National Ernie Pyle Day every year. It is the second oldest library of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Library System--the oldest being our Special Collections library--which makes it the very first satellite of the ABQ library system. The ABQ library system now boasts 19 locations. The Ernie Pyle branch is, still, the smallest.

It also has an Ernie Pyle G.I.Joe action figure on display, which is clearly the most important thing to note here:

I don't know how Ernie would feel about the fact that people come from all over the country to visit his home, but at just over 1000 square feet, it's the coziest library I've ever been in. I think it's really neat how history ties us together, and it seems pretty profound to me that Ernie Pyle was so dedicated to immortalizing the men who risked life and limb to fight a war that spanned the entire globe.

Not to mention the fact that I got to put up a lot of staff picks and displays, which was hella fun. Here I am with Moby Dyke and Chainsaw Man (top) and some pictures of one of my favorite silly displays (bottom):

(when is the best time to come out of the closet? ...when the coast is queer!)

I also got to make our holiday card this year! So, to all you WWII nerds, fandom or otherwise...

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1133 - Initial Thoughts

And we're back again

Grateful the scans came out today this time around, if it were tomorrow I'd have to wait till Sunday evening since I've got relatives to visit and such, it is that time of year

But today is One Piece day, so it's time to check what the chapter has to offer now that we've properly set down in Elbaf

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release too

And the big reveal for the sword thief in Yamato's cover story is...Holdem...the guy Luffy could beat with ease

Tama is captured again and Speed was caught by a fire attack by Kamijiro (the lion head with the same name as the MHA ship that I like ¬_¬)

Seems like Speed always seems to catch strays in Wano too, and where tf is Shinobu? Not like Yamato should struggle with him, in fact Tama should be showing the fruits of her training by not getting caught

The actual chapter begins with a flashback of Ohara, the evacuation ship exploding

But the narration is a forgery, Spandine speaking to the media to pin it on young Robin

A cruel montage follows to remind us that Robin's childhood was rife with cruelty and sadness, being called so many things that were the opposite of who she truly was

Also a reminder how media controls the court of public opinion, random people wishing death upon a child

The reason for this flashback though also reminds us of the things Saul told her - as if we could forget - which is also present

We also see a scene of Robin checking a book of the world, with Ohara no longer marked in position, she writes it in herself but gets grabbed

Back in the present, anchors drop on the Great Eirik as the crew - likely the ones who never went to Skypeia - marvel at the sea of clouds

As they anchor on the western port they have a heart welcome waiting for them

Lilith and Bonney having the same happy pose is cute

Luffy and Co also sail down, with a unique longboat of their own

The ship uses island clouds on its paddles to row through the air, which is quite ingenious

It's called the Svalr which means 'cool' in ancient Norse, in terms of temperature, but may also be a nod to Svalinn, the legendary Norse Shield that blocks the sun enough to protect the realms form its intense heat

Seems Elbaf also has consistently perfect climate, which it seems Vegapunk was probably working on with their temperature regulation in Egghead

Lilith also marvels at the coexistence of technology, which does make me feel like she may stay here

Nami makes a note of Robin's haircut, having expected her to do something like it

Luffy also reunites with Hajrudin - who also still calls Usopp 'Usoland' XD - as he's introduced properly to the New Giant Warrior Pirates

Rodo is at the back chained and crucified, as even Hajrudin omits him from the numbers

Luffy does remind them that he didn't want subordinates, but Hajrudin reminds him back that it's their choice to make

He also praises Luffy for making emperor, noting that news of Big Mom's defeat reached here too

Nami seems curious about singling out Big Mom - especially since Luffy didn't actually beat her, wonder if Kid is indeed here if that'd give him brownie points - as Gerd gives her the short rundown of their familiarity

Yeah cannibalism would be something the overwhelming majority of nations would deem unforgivable...

The rest of the giants are ready to feast though, and Luffy is happy to oblige

Before they rush off however Robin asks Luffy, which snaps them back on the Svalr

Robin wanted to go meet Saul and was happy to go alone, but Luffy is insistent and the crew want to come too

With Gerd steering, she tells the crew that Saul did want to show Robin the library

Luffy's reasonings are pure, feeling honour bound to meet someone who looked after a member of his Nakama - Robin does wonder where he got that sentiment but it's more a matter of Luffy's character

Also Bonney's along for the ride, Robin's taken over the paternal warmth figure for her in the meantime

Hajrudin and Broggy agree to prep and delay the feast for their return, as they intend to bring Saul back with them

Usopp asks about how learned the giants are, as Gerd reveals that Saul is their history teacher but also teaches them about certain books

Interesting to think that upon his debut he regarded Elbaf giants as savages

The group arrive at 'Warrior Springs' another marvelous landscape with waterfalls, near it is the 'Owl Library'

The springs was formed from broken parts of Treasure Tree Adam, which means that the tree does break off naturally, wonder if that's the parts that make up the Sunny?

Luffy is ready to charge in, but Nami holds him back, noting that this is Robin's thing

Alas, she hears what we heard two chapters ago, Saul's fallen and won't get up

Luffy, Sanji and Usopp are annoyed by the twist of fate, while Chopper goes straight into doctor mode

Saul's body is seen by the beach, but Robin only laughs to herself and says she'll go to him alone

It's just like how they first met, cowboy hat and all beached up

Once again he screams upon her approach, failing to scare her once more

It's still surreal this guy is alive after 22 years, very noticeable scars on his face

Saul was playing, unsure of how to break the ice so choosing this way

Robin notes he has the same funny laugh too

Saul joins the group of peg-legs with Aokiji, Shiki, Inuarashi and Zeff, probably snapped off from the ice

Saul pulls Robin up close to get a good look at her, noting that she looks like Olvia - prompting Robin to remember her mother

Saul asks if she heard Vegapunk's broadcast, she heard bits but confirmed the rest via newspapers, since she was kinda in the thick of it

Saul notes that Vegapunk spoke of Ohara's legacy, the voices that were intended to be silenced, and commends their sacrifice for doing so

Robin however notes his scars, reminding him of his own sacrifices

Seems Saul survived by the fires of Ohara melting his ice and sweeping him into the water

We've seen Aokiji freeze parts of an ocean that stay frozen for a month, honestly I doubt that Saul just happened to defrost and fall into the water

He goes on a little rant about the negative press Robin got, but Robin stops him and asks if he's gonna praise her for being alive

Pressed against him in a big hug, Saul does just that, praising her for staying alive for 22 years, for being a survivor and being glad they could meet again

Robin breaks down in the hug, and from afar so does the crew barring Luffy, Jinbe and Zoro

and we end the chapter on a smiling Luffy, but also a break

Not much you can say about that chapter other than it being nice and sweet. There were of course hesitations that Saul's survival would slightly undermine Robin's struggle but having someone who was there from her past tell her that they're proud of her for enduring is quite the catharsis.

There has to be more to come with Saul since he's yet to meet the friends he foretold would be there for Robin, it's also quite symbolic that this rings true even for meeting up with Saul, they didn't let her go alone - Luffy, low on energy and hungry, delayed a feast with giants so that Robin didn't have to go alone! That's how big a deal it is to them. Also this will be another D. for Luffy to meet.

We're getting small bits here and there of Elbaf's worldbuilding too, there are some loose threads to deal with in Elbaf and with the crew - such as Kuma, what to do with Bonney and Lilith, Vivi's secret message etc. - but for now we can let things be nice until shit hits the fan.

To think, almost a year ago we were bawling about Kuma's backstory, now we're tearing up for Saul and Robin's reunion.

[our-aroace-experience]

ok so here's my ace/arospec story

ace:

i learned about being ace

oh i don't know

12 years old maybe

i searched it up after reading about it online

"aroace definition"

it went something like

"being both aromantic and asexual"

i searched up

"aromantic"

"asexual"

at first i thought it was a bit strange

i hadn't learned yet

to distinguish

between romantic attraction and sexual attraction

because i didn't know

people actually wanted sex

people actually saw someone and went

"wow"

"i want to fuck them"

i had a crush on a childhood friend of mine

at the time

(a guy. i am a girl.)

i'd always assumed i was cishet

grew up in a conservative christian household

slightly offtopic but honestly my parents were great

not stereotypical conservative christians

both allies

they had friends who were trans and gay

i'd checked out queer media from the library

and they were fine with it

anyway

back to the story

so since i had a crush on the opposite gender

i assumed ofc

i was cishet

well ofc i wasn't into sex, i was just a kid

but at age 13

almost 14

i was alone

in a hotel room, no parents, on instagram

that's the only time i could get that

late night phone time

when i didn't have parents around

i found @i.put.the.ace.in.disgrace on instagram

scrolled through every fucking post

on their account

and on the #asexual tag

i related to those posts

like

a lot

a suspicious amount for someone supposedly allo

even though i was just a kid

yeah maybe i'd grow into it

maybe i'd feel attraction one day

but not now

and who the hell was going to tell me

what i could or couldn't identify as

so i tried out the ace label

spent hours and hours

wondering if it was right

if i was really ace

if i wasn't too young

but going back to being allo felt wrong

so i decided to keep the label

the first person i came out to

was an online friend

they were so amazing and supportive of it

i love them so much for that

they said i'd been on their gaydar for a while

(a message i still think about

when wondering if i'm really ace)

felt sick the next day

i'd always been an ally

supported my queer friends

arospec aspec trans homosexual i supported them all

but it made me sick

to think about me

myself

being queer

it was sort of rough

but i got through it

later

came out to my friend and her mom

they were cool about it

i knew i'd be safe

they weren't ecstatic or super happy

but they accepted me

"cool"

that's what they said i remember it

i was a hot mess that day too

stuttered over all my words when trying to come out

and they still accepted me

i love them

later

i decided to hint at my identity to my mom

talked about not liking sex

i checked out a few ace books

from the library

my mom took me aside

i don't remember her exact words

it went something like

"it's natural to be curious

but you can't be ace at 14

you're not trying to be

are you?"

ofc

i managed to convince her i was allo

had to be more careful then

arospec:

i'd only had one crush.

one crush who i'd liked as a friend first.

you see where this is going, don't you?

well

i didn't

i'd heard that aces had not very many crushes

so i assumed i was just Really Really Asexual

and i couldn't be aro hahahaha

i'd been in love before!

aros cannot be in love!

oh by golly i was wrong

i started questioning

(only one crush?

my friends are all over their crushes

plural

and i've only had one??

maybe i'm not as allo as i thought)

i debated over gray-aro and demi-aro

picked demi

it described my experience more accurately

came out to aforementioned friend

then aforementioned online friend

they were chill about it

(fucking love them)

then i 3d printed a black ring

and a white ring

ace

and aro

and this is maybe the best part of the whole experience

i had friends who were stereotypical conservative christian

queerphobic

they complimented my aro and ace rings

and so did my mom

and that made me really happy for some reason

shit that was a long ask im sorry

thank you for sharing! i hope your mum comes around to you being aroace one day

also side note: this reads like a poem it’s so well written!

[meetmyothersouls]

Back to u 4 tonight ?

I have worked my ass off on this so I really hope you guys love it!

Back To You

Jonah Hauer-King x reader

Warnings: memory loss, being drunk, throwing up, not proof read

Chapter 4

Jonah's POV

I sit in the library, leaning against my desk. I'm lost in thought, many of them. One of which is the information Jorge just threw at me. I scoff out loud even though no one is around to hear it. The idea of him taking y/n from me is so disgusting to me, it makes me sick to my stomach. I let him walk away unscathed only because I don't want y/n's new opinion of me to turn into a negative one.

Y/n. Then my thoughts go to her. I'm suddenly overwhelmed with a mixture of sadness, longing and love for her. I want our old life back so badly it hurts. I look around the library. It was her favorite room. One, because of all the books. I used to joke that she loved the books in this room more than me. Two, because of all the times we made love in here. I believe there's not one surface left untouched by-

A soft tap on the door brings me out of my daydream. I stand up straight, no longer leaning on my desk. It's Haven.

"Sorry, I was just looking for y/n."

"She's not with you?" I ask, immediately worried.

"No...I thought she was with you."

"Shit," I mutter under my breath. "Well, she's gotta be somewhere in the house. She doesn't know how to get anywhere else," I say, mostly to calm myself down.

Haven and I make our way down the hall, she's not too familiar with the layout of our house either, so she checks the downstairs amongst the guests Val invited, while I check the other two floors of our house. I wait and save my panic for when I'm totally out of sight. I check her room first, then the nursery; the two rooms I know y/n has seen with her own eyes. When those turn up empty, I scour the rest of the house. By the end of my search, I'm flying down the stairs and practically knock Haven over when I reach the bottom floor.

"No luck?" I ask breathless.

"No, but someone mentioned they saw her heading out with Val. Any thoughts on where they could be?"

I groan out loud, "I have an idea or two."

Y/n's POV

I'm downing my fifth shot, Val, Jorge, and several other people I don't know are chanting my name. I've never been much of a drinker, but according to Val, her and I go out and have drinks all the time. She shows me my favorite shots and drinks that we used to get together all the time and, to my surprise, I really like them. I apparently, lean towards the fruity ones with pineapple and strawberry purees. The shots are very bitter and nasty, but they burn going down which I kind of like.

"Okayyyy," I half yell/half slur. "Okay! I think I'm done."

Jorge and Val are talking, deep in conversation with one another and all of a sudden everyone is way too fucking close to me. The room is spinning and my heart is racing. It's too hot, my clothes are too tight, and I'm in England. I run out of the pub and the cool, now almost evening air hits me.

"I'mjustgonnagoonawalk," I call out to Val as the door to the pub swings shut. I wave to her as I turn the corner. I have no idea where I'm going and it's clear to me in my mind, but it doesn't stop me from walking on. The last...how many days has it been? Has been a whirlwind of emotions and information. I'm married, I was pregnant, I live in England and write for an apparently very prestigious magazine according to Val. For some reason the married thing and the pregnant thing have me laughing. I poke at my stomach. It's a little flabby and the tiniest bit sore, it's evident that something was there. That's when I notice that I'm not even wearing a wedding ring. I immediately feel kind of bad because of it. Jonah really is a nice guy and he clearly cares about me. And...I mean...he's very easy on the eyes. He's got the prettiest slightly curly hair, the bluest eyes I've ever seen. His skin is like this permanent sun kissed color that just occurs naturally. I start to wonder what his hands would feel like on my body and I'm reminded about how he grabbed the small of my back on the stairs today. I giggle out loud and have to grab a streetlamp post to steady myself. I look up and I laugh even harder, because I see him walking right toward me. I point to him and wave. Then he sees me, and he starts running. I'm almost on my knees by the time he gets to me. Jonah grabs me and pulls me against him.

"Thank god," he says breathlessly.

"You are real!" I giggle.

"What?"

"Wot?" I imitate his adorable British accent.

"My god, y/n are you drunk?!"

"Yes, Jonah, it appears thatIam. Val and Jorge introduced me to some verygood drinks."

"Jorge?"

"Mhmm. Jorge." I start to walk and Jonah follows. I feel a bit better about walking now, since he at least knows where we're going.

"He didn't...try anything did he?"

"Pffft."

"Y/n, I'm serious."

"Me too. I wouldn't have let him anyway. You're way hotter than he is." I'm a few steps ahead of him and I start to cross the street.

"Whoa!" Jonah yells as he pulls my wrist. My back is against him now and I'm very aware of how his body feels pressed up against mine. I make an effort to press harder against him, and if he notices he doesn't let on, but I wish he did. "Y/n, you can't just walk into oncoming traffic, Darling."

"Darling?" I look up at him, but he's looking forward, his eyes focused on the crosswalk, but he's got the slightest smile on his face.

Jonah's hand is resting on my lower abdomen, holding me protectively. It gives me a flutter in my stomach that I'd normally try to push away, but don't have the mental capacity to right now. He waits for the cross walk to change and when it does, he moves his hand. That's when I grab it and run across the street. We bump into a couple that's walking our direction and I accidentally knock the woman's coffee out of her hands.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry!" Jonah calls over his shoulder as I pull him along.

I'm doubled over in laughter as we make it to the sidewalk while Jonah stands next to me, his hands on his hips in disbelief. His mouth hangs open adorably, as he looks at me like he's seeing me for the first time. Then he's laughing. Hard. It's the happiest I've seen him look since I woke up in that hospital room a few weeks ago.

"You're really a piece of work, you know that?" Jonah says.

"Oooooh, is that a park? Come on!" I take off again, dodging couples and dog walkers and people on mopeds and bikes. Then, I'm on grass it's slightly damp and I feel it through my canvas shoes. It reminds me of the parks in New York. In the distance there's a pond with a fountain in the middle and several swans swimming against a sunset. It looks like a painting.

Jonah finally catches up, his hands on his knees as he catches his breath. "Where is everyone?" I ask.

"Huh?"

"There's not a lot of people here."

"Ah, yes. They're all at home, most likely."

I'm so focused on the scenery in front of me I don't even look at Jonah. "But it's so beautiful."

"Yes. You are."

"What?"

Jonah's staring right at me when I whip my head around. He clears his throat and looks off into the distance. "Yes it is. You know it's funny you came here."

"Why's that?"

"Well," Jonah says, as he begins to walk, "this is where you like to come when you need inspiration for writing. Sometimes I'll find you here laid out on a blanket with a book or a laptop. One time, ahh maybe two years ago, I couldn't find you anywhere. You left your cell at home, I checked every bookstore in London and you were nowhere to be found. I was about to call the police, when I drove past the park and saw a tiiiiny figure way out in the middle of the field."

"Was it me?"

"Mhm. It was. You came out here to read and guess what you did?"

"What?"

"You fell asleep!"

"No way!"

"Yes! You had me worried sick," Jonah laughs. He's still looking out into the distance like he can see the memory in the skyline. And suddenly I feel terrible. I feel dizzy and lightheaded and sick to my stomach. Maybe it's all the alcohol or maybe it's because he clearly loves me so much and I can't recall all those feelings myself.

"You okay?" Jonah asks when he finally looks at me.

"Y-yeah, just need to sit down."

Jonah grabs my hand and leads me to one of the park benches. We sit down and my nausea calms down slightly.

"Jonah?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry." I turn to face him and my breath hitches in my throat. His face is close to mine, much like when we were on the staircase today. He's so beautiful up close I just want to touch his face.

"What for?" Jonah whispers.

"For not being what I was before."

"You're still my y/n, memories or not. You're mine and I'm yours."

"But...but how could you still like me the same knowing I don't have the memories you do or..."

"Y/n, you are my wife. I love you. I'm sorry if that overwhelms you. You don't have to say it. I know you don't love me. Why would you? You don't know me. But I've got a month to make you fall in love with me again and I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. And even if you never love me again," he swallows hard, and I can feel his breath on my lips as he sighs. His face is so close to mine. He licks his lips and I can't help but lean in. I press my lips against his. He kisses me back softly then pulls away, just as I expect him to.

"Y/n, I'm sorry I just...I want you to be in the right state of mind before I kiss you and-"

Jonah doesn't finish his sentence before I'm throwing up on the ground in front of us.

"Your shoes!"

"It's okay, don't worry about them," Jonah says as he's pulling my hair back. I throw up again and again until my vision goes out and I lose everything around me.

I wake up and it's daylight, but it must be early. I'm wearing new clothes, which is just and oversized t-shirt, and my shoes are off. I'm in the same bed that I slept in the night before. The room is filled with that early morning bluish hue. It's making the room feel cozy and soft and cool.

I sit up in the bed, still no memories...other than kissing Jonah, him rejecting me and then throwing up all over his shoes. I groan and run my hand down my face just as the bathroom door opens and Jonah walks out wearing only a towel around his waist, his hair and body are wet from the shower he must have just taken.

And suddenly I'm filled with even more regret than before.

Tags: @danielabetancourth @luna2034 @wandamaximoffbae @twinkledinkleg-blog @anonyymoouussssss @nonsensical-nonsence @paramorelvrr @thedonswife13 @miniemonie2001 @jonahhauer-kingg

✨ If you want to be added to my Jonah taglist or I missed you on the tag list please comment here!✨

[pouroverpaloma]

(putting this in your ask box instead of messages bc i'm sure this could be helpful to other people!!!)

how does one decide where to go for grad school? like for my program specifically but also in general??? i was thinking about my MLIS earlier today and looking thru the ALA database adn i got overwhelmed. thanks <3

Hi!! I've finally reached a conclusion, after thinking a lot, making it overly complex for myself, and throwing all that out.

First thing, APPLY FOR FAFSA. It's a pain but it's vital if you want to do any kind of work study or take out government loans. Similarly, make sure you check out the ALA website and see what scholarships you can apply for.

Then what I did, personally, was pick ten highly-ranked programs (according to US News and World Report) that appealed to me and make a spreadsheet with:

Price. The full price of what it would cost to complete a degree. Library school is very light on what you need to actually purchase (unsurprisingly), but you need to know ahead of time what the lump sum would be without financial aid or fellowships.

Program type. Do they offer in-person, online, or hybrid? If online, are classes synchronous (live zoom meetings) or asynchronous (video lectures and assignments)? I personally think synchronous programs are a LOT better for many reasons but hey, these all get you degrees

Interesting features. Do they have a specialization you think is cool? Do they have an on-campus museum or rare books library you could intern with?

Have you applied yet? I just make this a yes/no tick box to keep on top of what I've already done.

Are your letters of rec in yet? Same thing, just a tick box to keep track.

Then apply and see what comes your way! I got my MLIS from University of Illinois online, and I went to classes at night so I could keep working. It took me three years instead of two, because I was going part-time and taking summers off, but that didn't matter at all. I had a really great experience and I highly recommend that program. There are many other excellent ones, though!

[gnomebud]

6 and 19 for the book asks

6. was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

oh man a bunch. i was supposed to read hangsaman for the shirleyjacksonmemes book club and never did; i also still have not finished in the serpent's wake by rachel hartman. i also still need to read ancillary justice and the traitor baru cormorant but i am unsure if i will be able to by the end of the year 😭

19. did you use your library?

YES!!! and i got another library card for a different regional library system <3 i've checked out so many books since being graduating in may; i reread the hunger games trilogy and the raven cycle primarily through hard copy/digital library checkouts <3 i'm very excited abt my new library card though bc they have switch games you can check out which is SO cool.

(from the book asks!)

[nancypullen]

Monday

Ugh, Monday. I knew it was going to be an exceptionally busy day at work and I was right. Normally I enjoy being right, today...not so much. I got up and got myself ready, choosing comfortable and cool clothing. I fortified myself with caffeine, and headed in to do battle. We're in full blown summer programming at the library and my first task of the day was to teach 25 kids how to build a bee hotel. Most of them did a fabulous job (*cough*the girls*cough*) and left with a home for mason bees that was beautifully decorated and even named. My favorite was The Buzz On Inn.

There were a handful (*cough*theboys*cough) who had no intention of following any sort of directions and built everything from rockets to cowbells. I think their moms made them attend. Still, they were well-behaved and they all left happy. They learned a lot about mason bees whether they wanted to or not. I'm not sure why the library scheduled this program at the end of June when those particular bees are not looking for homes, but we've flooded the bee hotel market with properties and all are welcome. I was able to clean up pretty quickly after the program, and once I'd tucked some things back in their boxes up in the haunted attic, I realized I actually had some...*gasp* unscheduled time. That never happens. I grabbed my book list for July's displays and started pulling from the shelves. Once I had a full cart I slapped up the pitiful decor that I'd made and called it done. In honor of the 4th...

Not my best work, but an appropriate place to display books about Revolutionary War spies, pirates, and women -a little something more than the stuff we learned in history class. George agreed with me.

I designed those silly posters and then printed them at Walgreens. There's almost always a 50% coupon on their website so you can do it for just a couple bucks. Comes in handy if you ever need a poster or a protest sign- I've used it for both.

The second display is awful, so I need to jazz it up a bit. They've taken my bookcase to use for summer reading prize and t-shirt storage, so I'm stuck with this dumb rolling cart.

I think I should add snowflakes or icicles... or just leave it alone because I'm the only one who cares. Actually I'm caring less and less because I PUT IN MY NOTICE. Ohmygosh, I just said it out loud. I have mixed feelings, but it all comes back to the fact that I originally just wanted a volunteer gig, or at most a part-time job. I was not looking for a career or the many, many, many hours of programming, planning, and after-hours work just to keep the place afloat. I really, really didn't want to be a quitter. When people around me were resigning left and right I became more determined to stick it out. But honestly, at this stage of my life my time and my health are precious and this job was sapping both. They've been very kind and have asked what they might be able to change that would make me stay - my kneejerk reaction was, everything. I don't want to leave on a sour note, so I'm just thanking them for the opportunity. I may even propose to them that now that they know my work ethic and I've already been through the background checks and all that - perhaps they'd like me to volunteer now. I could pop in and do the never-ending shelving and even continue the monthly displays. I'd love to do that. Do I expect them to be smart and take advantage of capable and free help? No. I suppose it's time to just put it all in my rearview mirror and appreciate what I've learned. Besides, I just *might* have something even better on the horizon - something that would be on my own time, from my own house, and involve tapping away on this keyboard while my brain spills out ideas. I suppose I've cursed the whole thing by even mentioning it, so I'll stop there and just hope for the best. So that's it. My big news on a Monday is that I won't have to worry about Mondays much longer. This Friday we'll collect the grandgirl for a couple of days, then Matt will fly in on July 1st and we'll all gather to celebrate the 4th. Matt leaves on the 7th (our 40th wedding anniversary!) and Mickey leaves on the 8th for Atlanta to see his mother. She's having a little medical procedure and he's going to be stepping and fetching for her. As of the 8th I'll be home alone, enjoying the silence, and I'll start painting my desk and hutch. Just me, a can of paint, and a true crime podcast...sounds heavenly. I'm finding my groove again. I hope that you're all surviving this awful heat. There's just no reason for it. What good is it? I think the National Weather Service should issue a no brassiere advisory. It's torture. Anywho, things are changing for the better around here, maybe the weather will too. Ever the optimist. Take care of yourselves. Sending out love, take what you need and pass it on. Stay safe, stay well, keep cool. XOXO, Nancy

[virgobingo]

i love ur stsg takes so i was wondering if u have any fave fics of them that you would rec?

i don't read as many fanfics as i used to bc i got out of the habit when i worked at a library up til recently? (been reading books) so i only have a few suggestions unfortunately. nothing too crazy.

i think the common thread between all the ones i like are gojo being pretty vocal about his feelings..

anyways remember to mind the tags on ao3:

rating: teen and up

• river of light (that brings me to you)

one-shot

it's hard for ppl to not have heard of this fic? but i'll include it bc it scratched an itch. i always hc'd geto as a shoegaze fan. gojo as more of a pop guy that would listen to hikaru utada. so it was cool to read a fic by someone that also shared these thoughts.

gojo takes the "lead" here — romantically, btw. and it's also essentially a character study. +the fic author is japanese so they're writing from their own experiences which makes for a lovely story that's rooted in their culture

rating: mature

• (when facing) the things we turn away from

complete, chapter fic

in contrast, it's stsg in an american setting? the author makes it work really well. and i've actually been meaning to re-read it because i remember feeling so many things from it because geto's troubles were really relatable to me and gojo was soo charming.

**both fics also have fantastic playlists btw, if you're the type of person that also lives for music.

the lovely @thequeenofsarcaasm gifted me a fic recently too so check it out haha currently in progress: love is in the hands it's also rated mature and it's about geto and gojo reconnecting + found family ♡

rating: explicit 🌶

• head under water [goge]

can be read as a standalone

trans suguru ♡ very special to me. geto calls gojo while he's trying to raise money for his cult. gojo swoops in and they go to his apartment. from then on.. it really just has all the things i like. there's also a lot of emotions involved it made tear up from everything i was feeling.

• soon as the light [gego]

one-shot

featuring public exhibition/geto's cult. yeah it's steamy but i also just really liked gojo's characterization here. this is one of the few bottom gojo fics that i remember was really appealing to me.

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

EVERY WEEK I WILL POST VARIOUS REVIEWS I’VE WRITTEN SO FAR IN 2024. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE REVIEWS HERE.

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42. Identity by Nora Roberts--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the best things I did for myself with this book was going into the story without reading the synopsis. I legitimately knew absolutely nothing about this book and man, when that first twist happened I was HOOKED.

The familial relationships in this book were everything and I loved that there weren't any of the usual tropes in this one when it came to the romance. It was a thriller first and a romance/familial story second. I did love how all of the characters communicated and worked together, even if their dialogue was sometimes a little awkward--especially when discussing intimate things. I know all families are different, but I wouldn't confess to my mom and grandma that I just came back from a night of pure sex LOL. But hey, to each their own.

The love interest was interesting. I really liked him and his blunt delivery, but sometimes he DID push that line of like "Alright, I guess we're just going with this." It was funny watching these two come together and I'll be honest, when he was a certain way (which I know is just his personality), I thought "wow, our standards are flat against the floor." While the relationship sometimes felt stilted, it didn't detract too much from the story for me.

Now the villain was something else. He was creepy and horrendous. I actually pictured his face changing from when he first meets the MC to when he sees her sick friend. It's horrendous and he was so well written--especially when we get to see his steady decline into even more madness.

Overall, this was FUN and had some very disturbing moments. Roberts is a little too good at writing someone who thinks so horrendously and does some horrible things to his victims. I recommend this for the sweetness of the family and a character who loves her job, but also for the creepy POV of the serial killer.

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43. The Unknown by Katherine Applegate--⭐️⭐️

It's been a few weeks since I've read an Animorphs book because the library holds time is sometimes brutal. Why am I mentioning this? Because this was one of the rare books in this series that I didn't feel any urgency to read. I'll be super honest: This one felt like a weird dream. Half the time I was confused about how the characters got to certain points in the story.

I'll still be reading the rest of the series, of course, but this one was just okay. I do love these adventures, but this felt almost like a filler book?

Anyway, onto the next one!

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44. The Titan's Bride Vol. 1 by ITKZ--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I will admit that while this storyline was actually sweet and pretty intriguing, this book is...nearly all porn. Had me blushing through the whole thing. I'm intrigued by where the story is going and I'm kicking myself for not having ordered the rest of the books yet, but yeah, this was basically porn with a sprinkling of a sweet and fantastical storyline.

I will say that the artwork is stunning!

Sigh. LOL.

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45. Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef--⭐️⭐️⭐️

ONCE THERE WAS would have been better as an adult fantasy book. Why? Because so many things in this book felt like an adult fantasy book--there weren't any adult themes, but a lot of the circumstances were a bit of a stretch. I think I, as a reader, wouldn't have had to suspend my disbelief so much if this had simply been an adult.

I mean, a fifteen year-old inherits her dad's Vet practice and and lives alone?

By the end of the book, I had forgotten this was YA.

Moving on from that, this book had a really cool concept. I loved the idea that there's a vet out there destined to take care of mythological monsters. I also loved that it was such a diverse set of characters too, including the MC. We get to see more about her culture and her father and what happens when Western society stamps out that aspect of an identity. For example: food, language barriers, and culture.

While the book felt a little all over the place, I really liked seeing the MC in action when it came to these magical beings. I also really liked how Monsef explored the concept of grief and how important it can be to just feel the emotions.

Overall, this book was OKAY. There were points where I was a little bored and a little confused as to why this was YA, but I can also see why so many people might love it. This was like Dr. Doolittle for mythological creatures.

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46. Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura-- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn't know what to expect from RAIDERS OF THE LOST HEART, but I had a pretty good time with what Segura gave us. From the badass FMC to the stuttering and himbo of a MMC.

I think with books like this one, I need to not take the storylines too seriously so I can fully enjoy it (which I did). The romance, tension, and spice were great. The adventuring was fun (even though I would have loved to see a bit more). I think reading the author's note also helped in realizing how much leeway was given to the characters' adventuring, since it isn't really like this in real life.

This really felt like I was watching a movie. It was a quick and addicting read and had me hooked from the very beginning.

There is one character, however, who is clearly Pansexual and I do wish they had said that instead of having the FMC confused as to how one person could like more than one gender. I do like that this character explains it, but I do wish Segura had gone the extra step of saying the term.

Anyway, I enjoyed this for what it was and I'm glad I didn't pay attention to the rating!

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47. Olive Harvest in Palestine by Wafa Shami & Shaima Farouki (Illustrator)--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't normally rate or talk a lot about the storybooks I come across. But I came across OLIVE HARVEST IN PALESTINE while scrolling Instagram and I knew I immediately wanted it on my shelves. It's beautifully illustrated and the story it tells of an event that was a yearly tradition of harvesting and pressing olives in such a beautiful place like Palestine was both eye-opening and heartbreaking.

It breaks my heart to know that all of that beauty is now only on pages of storybooks, memories, photographs, and videos taken in passing. My heart ached while reading this important book. My heart cries for those olive trees that were hundreds of years old.

If there is a storybook you pick up this year, let it be this one.

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48. Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan--⭐️⭐️

When I read the first book in this series, I was hooked. I thought it was powerful, heartbreaking, and incredibly addicting.

And I don't know if it's because I spent yesterday sick in bed, but BLOCK SHOT was the last thing I wanted to finish (even though I only had like 4 hours left in the audiobook). I finally finished it earlier today but because I knew I wanted to finish it so I could get to the third book. Normally, I tell friends to DNF books but sue me, I wanted to give this book a shot.

All of that being said, I WAS intrigued at the beginning. I loved how these two knew each other from way back when and how, even years later, they still couldn't fight the chemistry between them. Call me wild, but I personally don't know how I would have reacted if I the FMC and the events of the first part of the book happened. On one hand, I get it because being a fat girl has always been my identity. Being the butt of fat girl jokes? Been there, done that. But on the other hand, I found that this FMC had a massive chip on her shoulder that she carried for the majority of the book, which she then moulded into a slightly unhealthy thing.

I'll admit, I found the portrayal of her body and how even the MMC referred to it (like being fat is a horrendous thing) really icky. I know that this was written a few years ago, but it made me so uncomfortable that the fat girl's humiliation was one of the big motivations for the FMC to "better" herself, as if her intelligence and already existent beauty wasn't enough. Don't get me wrong: wanting to feel a certain way and looking a certain way isn't a bad thing, I think the phrasing of it was just not it.

Which leads me to saying that...the FMC was one of those characters who supposedly had a powerful presence and was touted as this saint, but LOL, let's be real. She wasn't. Sure, she could put her business face on, but man, she was someone who was so easily manipulated. There were so many instances where I wanted to shake some sense into her. Like, we KNOW the MMC was an asshole, but at least he admits it? He was honest about who he was, while she was the one play acting.

I won't even touch on the fact that there's cheating in this and it's not like in the first book, where it felt like a glimmer of hope and fear. Here it was all pure selfishness. And I don't think we should always like the main characters in books, but like...at least make them consistent. I don't know, the FMC annoyed me and again, while I didn't like the MMC, at least he was honest.

Also, that twist. I saw it coming, but it added a whole other level of ick to everything and the FMC.

I'm disappointed with this book, but I'll still be picking up book 3.

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49. My Love Mix-Up! Vol. 1 by Wataru Hinekure (writer), Aruko(illustrator), & Jan Cash (Translator)--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved MY LOVE MIX-UP! and how much fun it was. The storyline was entertaining and while I think things happened a little too quickly in this first volume, I did love the antics and honesty the MC had for his situation. I can never tire of these kinds of stories where kids are just casually living their lives and falling in love with the unexpected person.

This reminded me a lot of BLUE FLAG, which was one of my favourite reads a couple of years ago. I loved the friendship aspect and how, even though things have the potential to be messy, that friendship perseveres.

I also laughed quite a bit at that twist at the end. Will definitely be aiming to get this entire series!

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50. Happy Place by Emily Henry--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think I always kind of know what to expect from an Emily Henry novel, so while I went into HAPPY PLACE with a bit of nerves, I also knew I would probably enjoy it. I didn't read the synopsis, as per usual, and I was (unsurprisingly) hooked from the beginning. This book was a shot of melancholy, heartbreak, and that magic feeling that summer sometimes brings out in us that anything is possible.

At first, I was put off by the going back and forth with the past and present. Mainly, I've always found these kinds of stories feel a little abrupt when they have a flashback chapter every so often and I become impatient for the present day story. But as the story progressed, I realized it was impatience mingling with anxiety. I was afraid to see what broke these two up; what had the power to come in between these proclamations of forever I-love-you's and soulmate-y kind of love stories. I was worried and while I had to force myself to face it, I'm glad I did. I obviously won't say what it was, but I will say that it felt like a very real reason, even though these two would heavily benefit from couple's therapy.

I also appreciated the friendships and how this book isn't just about the romance that broke, but the relationship between friends. There are different kinds of happy places in this book and many of them include these amazing friends who are guilty of a huge crime: growing up. I find that I related a lot to the one friend who spent her time chasing that high of youth caught in a summer breeze. I remember summers long past full of memories that will never be replicated, but growing up means knowing that those memories exist, even if life and time changes everything.

Much like many other Henry books, this delves into deeper topics as well, like familial trauma, grief, mental health, and abandonment issues. Those were palpable on the pages as the characters faced these very real parts of themselves.

I'm not giving this a full five stars because of the flashbacks and how messy the MC and her love interest were. Communication is a golden rule I wish more romances adopted, but I also can understand that in order to have diverse characters, we need to be mindful of the ones who genuinely have a hard time communicating--usually because of mental health and traumatic responses. All of that being said, I still stand by this couple being chaotic--even if they were probably my second or third favourite couple in the Henryverse.

ALSO, DID EVERYONE PEEP THE BEACH READ EASTER EGG?? Hell yeah.

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Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts?

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Happy reading!

[gurokichi]

I could never become bored of you, not that easily, at least! You are my Bon, you can't get rid of me that easily <3

Yeah, I got 2 kitties! Both of them are boys, and their names are Pickle and Bean! Maybe one day you'll get to see pictures of them! I also have a dog, snails, isopod, beetles, chickens, and hermit crabs! Got a bit of a zoo around here!

I'll definitely watch some of your suggestions, and I will be sure to tell you my thoughts! Just another excuse to talk to you!

I will hopefully be posting on my blog again soon, and I am so excited to now that I know you will be watching my blog (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

I mainly read fiction, distopian, and horror/gore. But also, like when books have lgbt+ characters, and have read a few Manga! I just borrowed a book from a friend called "The Corpse Queen" by Heather M. Herrman, I strongly suggest it, I've also just started reading a GL Manga series called "Whisper Me a Love Song" and so far have been really enjoying it!!! I like plants in many ways, I learn about plants, I grow both indoor and outdoor plants, and I have a fascination with all living or once living things,,, and they happen to fit in that category too!!! I don't think I could pick just one flower as my favorite, but I do enjoy Asters a lot! Bleeding hearts? awe, it makes sense that a sweetie like you would love a poisonous flower!

What video games do you like to play? I'd love to hear all about your current favorite game! What part of history do you like so much? Oh and you collect things too! I would love to hear all about your little hoards 💕

-Dolly

I’M YOUR BON?? ASJHFSHBHKHGSGHFHJKSHLJS (＞＜)

Okay. Anyways. Sorry, got a lil excited there... I’m your Bon, and you’re my Doll!! All mine!!! I’m glad to hear that you wouldn’t get bored and leave. I’d do anything to make sure my precious doll stays with me!

AWH, they sound so darling. You have so many… how do you keep up with all of them??That’s really cool, though! You definitely have some uncommon pets.

I’m excited to hear your thoughts (๑>◡<๑)

I will definitely be watching my doll’s blog! How could I not? Anyone would find it hard to take their eyes off you. Besides, I’d love to see more of your posts when you decide to go back to it.

Ah, those are all good genres! Thank you for the recommendation, and I’ll check out the manga you mentioned later. Asters are gorgeous; my doll has great taste in flowers!!

I usually prefer games with long stories. I like RPGs and visual novels the most! I find pixel art really nice to look at, so a lot of my favorite games feature that. I’ve been playing through a farming sim called Fields of Mistria lately; it’s been really enjoyable so far! The best way I could describe it is as a mix of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. As for my current favorite games, they’re probably… Minecraft, Danganronpa, Persona 5 Royal, and Identity V. I’m not finished playing through P5R, but I like it so far. I’m currently replaying and trying to get all achievements in every Danganronpa game! I’ve finished Trigger Happy Havoc, and I’m now working on Goodbye Despair. Having a bit of trouble though, because I have a friend I’m sharing my Steam library with who is ALSO playing through the Danganronpa games. I can’t play the games until they get off, bleh. AH, I also started a playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2. I suck ass at it. I ended up punching my horse when trying to get on it. I also drew my gun on it multiple times. So sorry to my horse, it did not deserve that. It took me like 10 minutes and frantic googling to figure out how to get back on my horse after I accidentally got off (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

Do you play any videogames? If you do, I’d love to hear about what you like to play.

Ah, I just like history in general. I love to learn about things. Some things that caught my interest for awhile in the past though are torture/execution methods, the Chernobyl disaster, the Carrington event, WW2, old medical treatments, and Greek mythology. I haven’t been into history as much lately.. so I probably couldn’t explain anything here well.

I do collect stuff! I have a collection of various plushies, figurines, keychains, and knickknacks stored in my room. I think my favorite things that I own are probably my jar of uranium glass and this stunning piece of bismuth I got just a couple weeks ago. I’d like to start a full on collection of uranium glass, but that’s expensive, and I have no idea where I’d put it. Uranium glass is absolutely gorgeous, though! I hope to at least get a couple more pieces in the future.

[roversrovers]

Hey man, I've reached your page as I was looking for some interesting astronomy photos. I'm a high school space enthusiast and wanna become an astronomer, any tips for me to get started to learn about this topic...? That'd help me a lot... :)

Hey there! Thanks so much for the question, I'm thrilled to hear you wanna become an astronomer!

I answered a similar question here before and just wanna say, the disclaimer is still very much relevant: Everything I talk about on this blog I pursue as a hobby, I have no formal education in astronomy or a related subject so I'm just talking to you space enthusiast to space enthusiast. Now I don't know how deep you already got into the topic so I'll just give you the basic rundown of how I got into it:

A great starting point are always books, it was how I got into it. Unfortunately a lot of books I have personal experience with aren't available in English but if you go to your local library and check out some astronomy books that's definitely a start. And don't worry if you have to put it down because you feel it's too advanced- you'll get it eventually, just try something different! Books with titles like Astronomy for Beginners and such are what you wanna look for, they should give a great general overview of everything and then you can always go deeper into research if something interests you in particular or you maybe need more information to fully understand something. If possible stick to the most recent publications. And if an astronomy for beginners book feels to general, pick up more specific books!

Also magazines (that you can often read or borrow at libraries as well) are a great way to get into it- read an article until you get stuck on something you don't understand research the term online or in books. In general that's just a good way to learn organically, no matter what you're reading or watching.

CrashCourse Astronomy is also great if you just wanna get a first overview and see what you wanna dive into deeper:

You should check if there's any local clubs or meetups for astronomy enthusiasts, maybe your school has a club or you'll find something through local facebook groups. Talking to people with the same interests is a great way to learn!

If finding people irl is difficult for whatever reason, finding communities online is also a great way to connect! Follow professional astronomers and institutions to stay up to date and get familiar with topics, people, technologies etc that come up often. Post about your interest online and try to connect with people so you can learn together or learn from them. And don't be afraid to ask! I asked a mutual who worked at an observatory to give me advice on what telescope to buy and how to learn more about how they work and asked an engineer who works at JPL things I wanted to know about the rovers and couldn't find answers to online. People LOVE answering questions about the things they're passionate about, so don't hesitate! (And if someone is a dick to you for asking, block and ignore them, there's too many cool and helpful people online to be wasting time on them!)

And I definitely recommend connecting with professionals in the field- they're gonna be eager to give you advice on how to get into the field and what books to read or courses to take to prepare you if you want to become an astronomer (or even if you stick with being a hobby astronomer).

There's plenty of opportunities for students interested in astronomy and interested in a career in astronomy, like internships or other programs and events for example through NASA so try finding out if there's any local offers you or your high school could participate in. Also taking online courses is great! Coursera for example offers courses (most free) and certificates and there's entire college courses on YouTube and all over the internet. You can take basic introduction courses and go from there- usually they have lists of books to accompany the course or follow-up courses to pursue.

This got a little longer than I anticipated but the most important thing is: There is no one way to get into a topic or even into a career. The most important thing is that you follow your gut, look for the things that you enjoy and that are fun to you and let that feeling lead you. If reading doesn't work for you, try watching things. If talking to people doesn't work for you, try reading more. Figure out what works for you. And don't worry if you ever feel like it's too much or you're not enjoying it anymore; there's no shame in taking a break or following your bliss in an entirely different direction! As long as you feel passionately, you can learn and achieve anything. Or as a friend at JPL put it: Keep your eyes looking up!

I hope some of this could help you! I think you're already on a great path :)

[bloodgulchblog]

I got distracted and remembered @ladyknightskye did a tag thing that I felt like responding to, so here's that. (You can also do it if you want?)

Your name: Zita. Just call me Zita.

Your first fandom(s): Uhhhhhh I guess the first one I really went online for was Pokemon? I was into the end of Pokemon fandom where people did crossovers with everything and had absolutely wild OC adventures set in America for no reason. That kind of thing.

Your current fandom(s): Mostly Halo. I have other things I like, but Halo's kept me pretty busy. RvB if you talk me into it. Tabletop rpgs too. (And I mean "tabletop rpgs," I have some favorites but I'm really into watching the whole field.)

How did you first get into fandom?: I was real young back in the 90s during the Pokemon craze and, at that point in Internet history, you could go to the library and check out a book that was JUST a listing of Pokemon fan websites. A literal book. That a someone sold for actual money. That's how I first ran into personal sites belonging to pokemon nerds, and webrings, and fanfiction, and all that other stuff.

How long have you been engaging in fandom spaces?: I was active on fanfiction.net when I was like 8 years old. I didn't have an account, though. I was just really insufferable in peoples' review sections, but that was pretty normal. There were a lot of kids doing that. I am often not really active in "fandom" spaces but over the years I've generally had people to hang out with and talk to even if I wasn't posting fanfiction or w/e.

How often do you read fanfics?: Rarely. Like, to the point where I feel bad about not engaging with other fans' work as much as I'd like to. As I've gotten older, I've had less and less free time and more and more difficulty focusing. I count myself lucky when I successfully get through something. There's a lot of excellent work out there that I just am not able to stick my eyes to for long enough.

Top three characters from your current fandom(s):

DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE????

We all know Chief's the top of the Halo pile for me but the competition for spot #2 is so ferocious I can't even do it.

I love so many of them. ;_;

Anyway I guess because we're on this blog: Grif is the best RvB. Followed very closely by Carolina. And then the third spot falls too hard into tossup territory.

Have you ever written fic for a fandom?: Oh yeah bro I got a link on this blog.

Have you ever drawn fanart for a fandom?: I don't draw as much as I used to, like once or twice a year anymore, but boy did I used to. I still draw tabletop characters sometimes, because I tend to gravitate to nonhuman characters that require some effort on my part to make a token for.

Share a personal headcanon that you feel very strongly about:

…I feel like I do that on my blog constantly and nothing I could say would be a surprise to anyone.

And finally, what does fandom mean to you?: Something fun to think about because so many other things I have to think about are… not fun at all. Even better because you get to do it with people and some of them turn out to be really cool to talk with.

[ms-demeanor]

Professors who use Canvas or any other canvas/blackboard/whatever online tool to post assignment sheets and accept work come to rely on the tool instead of writing a syllabus.

"Well it's in the modules"

Cool do you have visibility on for all of the modules from the start of the semester? That is definitely worse than just having one schedule to write things down from but I can work with it.

Or do you only reveal the modules a few days before they start, so the first week you have week one and two available? Because that means that I can only plan out one week in advance, which is not enough time for me to know whether I'll be okay to go to my hobby meetup on the first friday of next month or if I'll have a major assignment due at midnight that day. Was I planning on using a weekend six weeks into the semester to go visit my sister? Too bad because after I've paid for plane tickets I found out that you scheduled a project that I need specific equipment for to be due on that Sunday.

Also: you are a college professor. You shouldn't keep your modules hidden because you should allow your students to work ahead.

"But they might do things poorly, or in a way that I don't want them to." Well warn them about that and then let them fall on their face if they have to. They ARE adults and they can figure out whether they'll be able to work ahead successfully or will cope with the results if they fuck up. But if you hide the assignments and they just experience your class as something that happens to them, not something they can plan for and anticipate and prepare for, everyone is going to have a bad time.

When I was getting my bachelor's degree there was some kind of administrative screwup and I ended up not taking a 200-level critical theory class until my last semester of undergrad. It was a prereq for a lot of classes and mandatory to graduate but it just slipped under the radar.

The professor assigned us a $300 literary theory textbook and said "you're going to need this for the rest of your time in college, so it's important to invest in this book" (for the record, it was not - I almost never referenced foundational literary theory papers in my college career, and after 200 level was never instructed to write any paper through a specific critical lens) but the rest of my time in college was the ten weeks of that class. I did not need to buy a $300 ($200 used) book on literary theory.

But the professor had given us a syllabus. And the syllabus included a VERY complete assignment schedule, including the page numbers of all the readings for the semester, which included lots of standalone essays that we had institutional access to AND the 70 or so pages assigned from the $300 textbook.

So I packed up my nice camera and I reserved a room in the library and I took the reference copy of the book that the library had and I took photos of every page that was assigned; when I got home I assembled the readings into PDFs that I labelled with the date that the reading was due.

That quarter I was taking five classes and planning my wedding. I got married a week after graduation. Five classes on a quarter system schedule meant that I was taking 21 units. I was working full time, and I had recently fractured two vertebrae and occasionally missed class because I couldn't stand upright and walk on campus.

The ONLY way I survived that quarter was by sitting down after the first week of classes and taking four hours to write out every single assignment, reading, group project, and exam date in a schedule that I carried with me constantly and referenced obsessively.

If I had had just one professor that quarter who hadn't provided me with a schedule of assignments it could have very well tanked my performance in all of my classes and delayed graduation.

I hear plenty of professors complaining online about students these days, but I can hardly blame students these days being checked out when so many professors these days are checked out as well.

Sometimes college professors like to hop on my posts lamenting the sorry state of syllabi these days and joke about how they haven't thought that far ahead in the course themselves, or talk about how they struggle to complete a schedule for their students.

With all due respect, that's your job. If you can't do your job, you should have a different job. If you need help, ask your colleagues or your department chair or *someone* because I know that professors aren't given a hell of a lot of education on how to educate, so you probably *need* help.

But every single time I make one of those posts I get anywhere from ten to thirty messages, replies, reblogs, and asks say "oh man, that's exactly why I had to drop out of school; I couldn't keep up with the assignments because I didn't know when they were due until the week they were due."

I have been a college student in three separate decades, and "not having a schedule of assignments in the syllabus" is new to my experience. That shit didn't fly in the 2000s or 2010s and I think it likely has to do with professors being overly reliant on apps.

AT A MINIMUM your syllabus should have:

Contact information (including preferred method of contact) for the professor

Office Hours

Grading Policy

Assignment schedule.

Your assignment schedule doesn't necessarily need to have the exact page numbers of every reading or a full assignment sheet for each project, but it should have things like:

December 1st - Major Project 3 second draft due December 9th - Quiz 10 December 12th - Major Project 3 final draft due December 15th - Final Exam

If you end up presenting a more thorough schedule with readings and homework later, that is acceptable to present a week or two into the semester but it is absolutely insane to me that students these days don't know what homework they're going to have to get done over Thanksgiving break during the first couple weeks of class.

If I had three professors at once who didn't give me a schedule, how on earth would I know if I was going to have to read three chapters of a novel, take a midterm and turn in two stats homework assignments, and complete a history research paper the same week that I'm planning to travel to see family? If I'm aware of this from the beginning of the semester I can make sure not to pick up extra shifts, or I can plan to leave a day later to accommodate the midterm, or I can start working on the paper early to complete it before the due date but if I don't know what's going to be due when, I'm going to have a big problem.

If you don't give your students a schedule you are communicating that you don't care about their schedule, and that you think it's their responsibility to contort their life (and their job, and their other classes) around your class, and honestly my advice to students in that situation is "drop in the first week and pick up another class". That's actually part of why I recommend signing up for one more class than you can really manage - if you get a professor whose class looks like it's going to be a disaster because they don't have a schedule, you can bail before the withdrawal period and get a refund for the class.

I'm only in one class this semester but the professor's response has fully dropped me into "Fuck it, I guess I'll fail" mode and I don't even know if I can pull myself out of my current D grade because I don't know how many assignments we have left in the semester.

This is a shitty way to run a class. If you can't do better than this, you shouldn't be running a class.