#and in audiobooks that's rarely the case

[mysticmiav]

The reason I can never get into audiobooks is cuz the narrator's voice is hardly ever how I imagine the character' voice but also wdym different characters aren't voiced by different people???

[unintentional-sad-wizard]

I don’t usually comsume caffeine (my body just doesn’t handle it well) but given that I am starting work again and extremely fatigued as a result I fear I must begin experimenting with it again. Anyway. Time to see what 100mg of caffeine does to my (extremely exhausted, zero caffeine tolerance) body today.

[vandme12]

our serials (kc) with a reader with glasses? :3

Reader who is always forgetting to wear their glasses, making CONSTANT typos in the server, or the characters catching them squinting. Just curious to how that would go ^~^'

V

At first, he assumes your typos are some kind of code. He spends an embarrassing amount of time trying to decipher the nonsense until you admit you just... forgot your glasses.

“You should be more careful. Words matter.” He says this like you’re committing war crimes every time you accidentally call him “Vurghilante.”

Eventually, he starts proofreading your messages. If you send something particularly chaotic, expect him to correct it with the same energy as a disappointed English teacher.

He absolutely notices when you’re squinting at something. If you resist putting your glasses on, he will silently place them on your face like you’re a stubborn child. No words. Just the weight of his judgment.

The one time you squint at him, he deadpans, “I’m not blurry.” But there’s a hint of amusement when you still refuse to wear your glasses.

Once, you mistyped his name so badly it resembled a rare plant species. He spent the next 24 hours sending you obscure botany facts as punishment.

Misaki

Oh, she thinks it’s hilarious. Your typos? Screenshot folder. Your squinting? Material for endless teasing. They calls you “Mole-ey” and won’t stop.

If you try to defend yourself, they just leans in uncomfortably close to your face like, “You sure you can see me, sweetheart? Or am I just a mysterious blur?”

Constantly quizzes you on random distant objects. "What does that sign say? No, no, don't squint. Use your powers."

Steals your glasses when she’s bored and wears them, claiming they're smarter now. He calls himself “Professor Misaki” while pushing them up the bridge of their nose.

If you lose your glasses, prepare for them to find the worst replacements. He once handed you pink heart-shaped sunglasses and insisted it was an upgrade.

If you squint at them, they wiggles his eyebrows and says, “Careful, if you keep looking at me like that, I might start thinking you have a crush.”

Angel

She immediately appoints herself your “Seeing Eye Babe.” If you squint for more than a second, she takes your hand and narrates the world around you like you’re in a dramatic audiobook.

When you make typos, she just rolls with them. Whatever weird word salad you send becomes canon. You once typed “I need a hug pls” as “I need a hog pls,” and now she periodically sends you piglet pictures.

If you’re squinting in her direction, she just tilts her head and teases, “Sweetheart, if you wanted to check me out, all you had to do was ask.”

If you lose your glasses, she will find them immediately. She has a sixth sense for misplaced items and is smug about it every time.

When she catches you struggling, she pulls your glasses from your bag and slides them onto your face with a fond smile. “I like your eyes better when you aren’t torturing them.”

She once bedazzled your glasses case without telling you. You open your bag and suddenly it’s glitter city. “Now you’ll never lose them again,” she winks.

Ronin

Oh, he lives for your mistakes. Every typo is ammo for his endless mockery. He purposefully misreads them to make things worse.

“What do you mean, 'I’d like to grab a dork'? Bold move. Keep talking.”

If you squint at him, he just smirks and leans in too close. “Better? Or do you need me even closer, baby?”

Constantly calls you “Blind Bat,” but somehow it sounds weirdly affectionate. Like you’re his favorite helpless disaster.

If you lose your glasses, he will absolutely hold them hostage until you grovel for them back. And, oh, he will make you grovel.

When he sees you straining at your screen, he dramatically sighs and tugs you onto his lap. “If you won’t fix your eyesight, I guess I’ll just have to keep you close so you don’t wander off and die.”

Despite all the teasing, he memorizes where you usually leave your glasses. He never admits it, but when you panic because you can’t find them, he always knows exactly where to look.

[mostlyghostie]

What I read in July!

Being on holiday for a couple weeks helped here.

Loved The Burgess Boys, Strout is unbelievable at creating real people, her books are just so compelling. This was more just sad rather than the hopefulness of some of her others, but loved it.

Don’t Look Now was enjoyable, but a rare case of the film being better. Some other good stories in here too,

Powering through Narnia with my 5 year old, we both thought The Silver Chair was really weird, but there was some good stuff in it, primarily the giant castle and the collapsing underworld. Alan was more than usually unhelpful in this one.

Listened to the audiobook of The Witches while driving through Alberta on hols, it’s a bit less fun once the mouse transformation happens, but such a sweet ending

I’m sure I’ve read Animal Farm before at school, but that was a loong time ago. It’s fucking great! Obviously. Found an 80s Folio Society edition very cheap in a local shop with Quentin Blake illustrations.

Hot Milk was great and weird and funny, following a slightly aimless young woman who is accompanying her mother to Spain for a cure to an illness that she’s patently making up for some reason. I bought this in 2016 and only just read it.

The Hole was also v weird, reminiscent of Murakami, liked it a lot. I’m fond of the detached, quiet style of a lot of Japanese fiction.

Didn’t like this Pratchett very much. I never read the Tiffany Aching books when I was deep in my Discworld phase (96-06?), liked the first one a lot but this didn’t connect with me

Shop/Instagram

[enbysiriusblack]

modern marauders phone hcs

james:

has the newest samsung phone. gets a new phone every year

his phone case is a personalised picture one of him & all the marauders. he has a few diff backgrounds; lily, hari, group photo of all the marauders, sirius, him and lily and hari, him & both his parents

he uses his phone mostly to facetime his parents or sirius if sirius isn't with him, & to post thirst traps on social media

his most used apps is whatsapp & tiktok

he also has an iphone but it's basically the exact same set up as his samsung. he got it after lily & sirius argued over which was better, to keep a neutral ground & please them both

sirius:

has a few years old samsung phone. only replaced it when it breaks & is unfixable

his phone case is just one of those black practical ones with the built in stands but he added a small paw print sticker to it

also has a few diff backgrounds; same group photo of the marauders as sirius has, his motorbike, his pets, him & james

he mostly uses his phone to facetime james' parents or james if james isn't with him, & to take pictures of his babies (his motorbike, his pets, and hari)

his most used apps is whatsapp & letterboxd

doesn't have much social media at all

remus:

has a super old nokia. he doesnt have a phone case

his background is some scenic hills

he mostly uses it to call people, literally that's it

always forgets he has it & never charges it

has instagram but peter set it up & posts on it for him and remus only uses it on other people's phones on rare occasions

his most used app is his local library's audiobook app but he uses it on his computer

peter:

has a few years old iphone. would get a new one but doesn't have the money

his phone case is blue with the superman logo on

his lockscreen photo is that same group photo of him & all the marauders, and his background is topless james

he mostly uses his phone to stalk random people (he's great at is & is the go to person when his friends want to find stuff out about someone, & to watch james' thirst traps)

his most used app is internet search & tiktok

lily:

has a few years old iphone

her phone case is brown with a pattern of books on a shelf

her lockscreen is a picture of her & james, and her background is hari playing with their cat

she mostly uses her phone to rate books on goodreads and rate films on letterboxd & ramble about her thoughts on tumblr

her most used app is tumblr

she has james blocked on tiktok (did it years back seriously but left him blocked as a joke), however she borrows her friends phones a lot to watch james' thirst traps

[pomodoriyum]

terror mutineer guys take a roadtrip!! ranked by who gets carsick the most

10. Harry goodsir’s senses are made of steel. hes gotten carsick maybe once in his life or soemthing. he spares NO pity for the mutineers who get roadsick, though. hes mad about being forced to take them on his research trip

9. Thomas Armitage- hes fine. never ever gets carsick. he can like scroll on his phone ans read and everything. is the designated passenger up front because of this

8. Tozer- rarely gets carsick. sometimes mountain roads/twisting routes get to him if he’s not the one driving

7. billy gibson— mountains and twisting roads will get his ass. otherwise he’s pretty good. he usually has saltines or bread product in the car to deal with any rare bouts of nausea

6. magnus manson— gets nauseous occasionally. not super bad but will low grade feel yucky the whole ride

5. chef diggle— gets carsick on mountains and when there’s lots of sudden stops/starts. is sensitive about any strong smells that might permeate the car (fast food, a fart, whatever)

4. charles des voeux— he talks a big game and teases the others mercilessly whenever they have to stop to get rid of their nausea, but he’s secretly glad because he was carsick himself and about to lose it. also hes brought about five pillows and seven blankets. no, you may not borrow them. unless it’s you, pilkington. (or hodge)

3. pilkington— regularly asks for them to pull over, but only cause he insists on reading / playing games on his DS. otherwise he’d be fine. he would listen to music instead, but des voeux stole his earbuds ala usual.

2. robert golding— sorry i just think his tummy hurts frequently and hes so brave about it. he brings paper bags just in case but rarely has to use them. when des voeux doesnt have pilks headphones robert borrows them to listen to audiobooks until he falls asleep.

1. cornelius hickey— usually insists on driving to prevent any issues but he can’t do mountains or hilly areas. when he’s not driving he’s retching miserably in the back of the van. one time when he fell asleep (he took a xanax) on a REALLY long drive he nearly aspirated on his own puke. very embarrassed about that one and gets mean as fuck if someone brings it up

bonus: Hodgson doesnt get roadsick easily but he’s got gastro problems so he gets food poisoning almost every time he travels. hes very miserable about it :(. he brings a ds also and lets des voeux play some pokemons on it

[saveahorserideaneddie]

What are you headcanons for buddie when they travel? I personally think eddie hates the process (flying, driving etc) but is fine once theyve reached destination, and buck loves or doesn’t mind it because he did so much in his 20s

hi anon!! (so sorry it took me a bit to see this i had to drive and get food)

but i LOVE imagining travel hc’s for the buckley-diaz clan

one of my favorites is that eddie hates flying specifically, and prefers car rides (as passenger princess to buck ofc) but in the rare occasions they do fly, he has to sit in between buck and chris, holding buck’s hand through takeoff and landing

i also think buck is one of those travelers who will have a flight scheduled in the afternoon but will insist on getting there at least 4-5 hours early because “you never know what night go wrong in the security line, eds!”

i think christopher loves flying and watching the ground below out the window so they indulge him whenever they can, but when they don’t, christopher and buck are big fans of car games

when they are on a long car ride, eddie brings a small pillow and blanket with him in the front passenger seat to sleep on the road

in the few times eddie does drive for long car rides, he likes to listen to either old country music or film scores (don’t ask why i have this hc i couldn’t explain it to you) and he has to constantly tell buck and chris to stop complaining bc it calms his nerves

i think buck gets carsick when he’s in the passenger seat for long rides, and he has to keep a plastic bag up front with him at all times just in case- because of this he doesn’t look at his phone or read books, instead opting for audiobooks through his airpods

eddie 100% reads on his phone when he’s not sleeping during a car ride when buck is driving

chris can go a long way before needing to stop for the bathroom, but buck has the bladder of a 6 year old and they find themselves stopping constantly

eddie prefers paper maps and gets into arguments with siri over directions (both when he drives and when buck drives)

eddie has gotten into arguments with tsa over chris’s crutches before since they usually insist on him using a wheelchair even though he doesn’t need one (this is something i’ve seen in airports when i’ve traveled so idk if it is the same everywhere else, but anyway)- buck is always the one to calm him down and chris doesn’t mind if it’s what they require, but it hurts eddie to see them treating chris as if he can’t move in his own

eddie gets so stressed on flights that even watching movies on the plane doesn’t help so he often uses a sleep mask to cover his eyes and will rest his head on buck’s shoulder even if he isn’t asleep

buck will watch something on the seatback tv, but usually opts for reading or an audiobook- he and chris have also been known to discuss plane facts with each other (one of the few things that does sooth eddie)

eddie squeezes buck’s hand with every tremor of the plane and buck will always kiss the back of eddie’s hand in these instances to try and calm him

thank you so much for the ask, anon! I loved getting to talk about this 💕💕 (again apologies for how long it took me to get to this one: i am back home now so please send me more asks!!!)

[permettez-moi]

More ruins of gorlan audiobook thinkies:

Arald asking Will not to tell Halt that he told Will it was hid master leading the cavalry, as he didn’t want Halt to get angry with him. I like how this indicates they have butted heads before, as most characters in the series are shown to be cool headed, or, if they aren't, they rarely actually argue. So in a way I like how this request indicates it has happened before, getting rid of a bit of the feeling of 'they all magically get along'

Halt including Will in his message to the baron 'tell the baron that Halt and his apprentice Will are tracking the boar' just the fact that Halt not only adds that his apprentice is coming, but that he is called Will feels so important? It's like Halt is showing how much Will matters to him, and that, even though he is a mere apprentice, he is important

'Halt reigned in for a few seconds to explain, and Will brought tug to a stop beside him' the way I died because Flanny boy obviously had to say 'to a stop' instead of 'to a halt' kills me

I am absolutely obsessed with the image of Horace, absolutely beaten up, a black eye and bleeding lip, holding a wooden sword, standing there ready to protect will (I am thinking of a specific image, but can't pinpoint it, like, slightly hunched, maybe leaning against something, in any case, a real power stance)

When Will got scared because Gil dissapeared out if sight on the planes (when hunting kalkara) Halt says that it's alright, and he rather Will warn him too often, then too little, and then, I quote 'Halt knew only all too well, that having called a false alarm once, Will might be reluctant to react one time, and that might be fatal for all of them' ALL THE POSSIBLE THINGS THIS COULD RELATE TO??? Did Halt once feel foolish like this, and didn't warn crowley or the group or something, causing terrible things?? Is this somehow related to ferris, where, after the first attack, he told his thoughts to someone who reacted badly, not doing it the next time and then nearly getting drowned??

I FORGOT ABOUT THE WILLYS KISS OMG THE KUSS THE KIDS I SCREAMED OUT LOUD

Both Rodney and Arald being happy that Will chose Halt, you cannot tell me that that isn't because they saw Halt was happier with Will in his life

HALT SMILING BECAUSE WILL CHOSE HIMMMMMM I AM NOT NORMAL ABOUT THIS MAN

WAIT THE CONFESSION ABOUT WILL'S FATHER IS IN THE FIRST BOOK??? In my head it came way later! Also got teary eyed by this btw

Brb I am crying now

[sad-boys-book-club]

"&" Ampersand - A Literary Companion: Eve & Paradise Lost

Hey everyone!

Let’s continue feeding my unhealthy obsession with Bastille by diving into the literary companion I created for “&”. Today, we’re talking about the second track: Eve & Paradise Lost. (Now that the album is out, I can finally follow the tracklist properly!)

In case you missed it, here’s my post about Intros & Narrators.

Before we jump into the book picks for this song, I want to apologize for the delay in writing this. I’ve had some family stuff going on, moved houses and also wanted to make sure I had read both books before recommending them.

Actually, I plan to take some time to go over the whole list of stories I’ve picked—I want to read them all thoroughly so I know exactly what I’m recommending to you all (some of them, I've already read, but I want to revisit them as well).

Now, let’s talk about the song. I find it fascinating to see a male songwriter like Dan taking on a woman’s perspective for a project that explores different stories. The official statement about the song stood out to me: “This song is about the burdens of loving women cruelly made to feel blame and shame from the dawn of time.” It’s clear Dan’s an artist who engages with feminist writings, and that’s something I truly appreciate—especially given how rare it is in the music industry, particularly for someone who presents as a straight, white male.

Cat Bohannon — Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution

The title character from the song. Probably the most cited figure from the Bible. A staple in paintings and literature for the past two thousand years. The first sinner. Eve remains a pillar of the Western collective imagination, her meaning changing a lot throughout the decades. From the representation of female sexual desire, scapegoating her for condemning the entire human race to death by eating the forbidden fruit (can you tell I went to Catholic school?), to being seen as the first example of female rage in the face of oppression. She embodies the complexities of womanhood—temptation, sin, and defiance—all wrapped into a single character.

Cat Bohannon’s book couldn’t be further from this. With a PhD from Columbia in the evolution of narrative, Bohannon explores why, in an age when we often see medical and science knowledge as some sort of truth, we still somehow have a very male-centric view of the human body.

By reexamining all the different potential Eves we have in the history of human evolution—that’s how she chooses to call all the ‘hypothetical female ancestors’ in our shared Homo sapiens lineage—, Bohannon urges us to reconsider and reshape our understanding of how our knowledge of the human body has often ignored half the world’s population.

As someone who enjoys reading non-fiction books (happy to share a few of my all-time favorites in the comments to whoever is interested), I found this book a really insightful, at times infuriating, eye-opening view into how sad it is that, for much of documented history, women have been seen as just men with breasts and wombs bolted on. The author is especially conscious of how sex (influenced by chromosomes, physiology, and hormones) and gender (how we identify, behave in our environment, and interact with one another) are not the same thing. She often adds notes to point out how science ignoring the female body and all its narratives has even worse consequences for trans and nonbinary folks, which I found really well-done and necessary in today’s age.

I picked this book as a companion to the song mainly because of the “rolled your eyes at pain you'll never comprehend” line, but I think it is a solid read on its own. I certainly learned a lot about my own body during the 15 hours I listened to the audiobook.

John Milton — Paradise Lost

So, Paradise Lost—the epic poem that pops up on pretty much every English Lit syllabus. Quick and snappy plot summary before we dive in: It’s a 12-part epic that covers Satan’s dramatic fall from Heaven, the creation of Adam and Eve, their blissful (but short-lived) days in Eden, the infamous temptation, and their ultimate eviction from paradise. Along the way, there’s a war in Heaven (didn’t exactly keep me on the edge of my seat), plus some deep philosophical chats between Raphael and Adam about creation, God, and, well, everything. It’s basically theological fanfiction (I mean it in the most neutral way possible).

Milton, being the good Puritan he was, used these stories to dig into free will, predestination, and conscience. It’s hard not to see Satan as a rebel leader and God as the authority figure, especially when you remember Milton was writing during the English Civil War. 

The poem was widely known but highly controversial and criticized during Milton’s lifetime, however, during the Romantic period, poets like Shelley and Byron “reclaimed” Milton’s Satan as a tragic antihero figure.

Anyway, I had to dig out my old uni notes (and hit up some audiobooks) to brush up on Eve’s role in this whole mess. And let me tell you, there’s a lot to unpack. Mainly because: a) as is often the case with old poetry, there’s a lot to read between the lines; b) classics come with a million different interpretations, and c) there are a few different versions, depending on the edition you read, so it’s easy to get lost in the variations of text, footnotes, and commentaries. (And also d) I won’t lie, it’s a slow, heavy read. At times, I had to resort to the audiobook just to get through some of the passages!)

Here’s what stood out this time around: Eve’s role is seriously hard to pin down, as Milton's relation to gender politics has been scrutinized since, well, pretty much since it was published in the 17th century. (Yeah, I had to pull out good old Google Scholar, watch some lectures on YouTube, and, of course, dive into Muses: An Ampersand Podcast—thanks, Dan and, mostly, Emma.)

What I really enjoyed was reading some modern articles that analyze Eve’s character through the lens of feminism which ties into the song’s exploration of blame and shame—no Wild World pun intended.

First of all, when Eve is introduced to Adam in Paradise Lost, Milton has her momentarily distracted by her own reflection in a pool of water, a subtle but significant parallel to the myth of Narcissus (hint hint). It’s an early indication of how susceptible to being misled she will be later on. But it also plays into this idea that her curiosity and desire—whether for knowledge or just, you know, herself—are somehow “dangerous.”

Now, Eve gets the blame for the Fall because she’s tempted by Satan to snack on the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Sure, she’s tricked, but let’s not pretend it’s all the serpent’s fault—once the idea is planted, it’s Eve who talks herself (and Adam) into it. That shows some sense of agency on her part, right? She wasn’t just a passive, helpless victim; she wanted to prove herself, to be tested, and she took action.

Milton is giving her a bit of credit for having a mind of her own, even if it’s wrapped up in this narrative of downfall. Eve’s curiosity and independence—qualities we might admire today—become her so-called "fatal flaws" here. So, yes, the story punishes female agency, but it’s undeniably there. And in a world where women were (and still are) often written as powerless, it’s refreshing to see Eve at least take some control, even if the outcome is a bit... unfortunate.

Now, let’s be real, this whole negative portrayal of Eve isn’t shocking. Milton was writing in a time where misogyny was baked into pretty much everything (which, sadly, isn’t all that different from now). Eve’s agency and sexuality are framed as the ultimate cautionary tale: women’s sexuality and agency are seen as inherently dangerous and something that inevitably leads to moral fallings.

But despite it all, towards the later part of Paradise Lost, Eve does get a kind of redemption arc. I came across one scholar who referred to the concept of felix culpa, a phrase in Catholic tradition meaning "happy fault" or "blessed fall." Eve might be responsible for humanity’s downfall, but her actions also set the stage for the coming of Christ, making her "mistake" a necessary part of the larger divine plan. It’s a bit of a paradox—how can something so disastrous lead to something so positive?—but the idea is that certain misfortunes can eventually lead to greater good.

Milton leans into this in Book 12, where Adam says:

"O goodness infinite, Goodness immense! That all this good of evil shall produce, And evil turn to good; more wonderful Than that which creation first brought forth, Light out of Darkness!"

So, in a roundabout way, Eve’s fall isn’t all doom and gloom—she’s the necessary catalyst that sets God's plan into motion. In fact, scholars have started to reframe Eve’s role in Paradise Lost as something more empowering than it initially appears. Traditionally, Eve’s been seen as the ultimate cautionary tale, blamed for humanity’s fall and cast as a symbol of female weakness and danger. But if you look closely, there’s something subversive in the way she’s actually the mover of the entire plot.

Eve isn’t just sitting around passively following orders—she actively makes the decision to eat the fruit, which, yes, brings about the fall, but it’s also what triggers the eventual coming of Christ and the possibility of redemption. Without her action, we’d all be hanging out in Eden, stuck in a static, sheltered existence. In a way, this is Eve taking control of her fate, making a choice, even if it’s framed as "wrong."

Plus, while Milton definitely punishes Eve, her agency is undeniable. Adam is kind of an afterthought in the whole thing—Eve is the one who steps outside the box, embraces curiosity, and disrupts the status quo. To modern feminist readers, that kind of defiance (even if it’s punished) reflects the strength of a woman asserting her independence. Raphael even calls her "the mother of humankind," acknowledging her dual role. She is both chaos and creation—a symbol of disruption but also the source of life. So, in a way, Eve’s choice is what makes humanity... well, human.

I like how in the song, there’s also a sense of Eve having an agency and a mind of her own. The chorus highlights Eve’s struggle with the idea of being “made for” Adam—“When they say I was made for you... made from you”—and the frustration of biting her tongue, which relates to how her love for Adam intertwines with her need for independence.

That’s it for this post! I’ll be back soon with more book picks for the next track. Let me know if you’ve read these or if you have any thoughts!

Feel free to share your thoughts and any other book suggestions as well!

With love,

Cat

[pixelgrotto]

Monkey Nationalism

For the last month and a half my gaming life has revolved around Black Myth: Wukong. I have covered it extensively in my day job, and I urge everyone to check out our exhaustive walkthroughs, which are darn good if I say so myself. Job aside, playing Black Myth has been something of a thought exercise in how I feel about my Chineseness. This is a big, sexy Soulslike and China's first AAA game to win international acclaim, not just from the niche audiences who know what "wuxia" means, but from white people who probably assumed that this was another Japanese game at first. Put another way, mainstream YouTubers are now making lore videos for Black Myth that are explanations of Journey to the West references, and it's wild seeing them talk about Bodhisattva Lingji and why Nezha needs to be in the DLC.

This phenomenon makes me realize that Black Myth: Wukong is one of those rare products that incites pride in my Chinese heritage, despite the fact that in almost all circumstances, I identify as half-Taiwanese instead of Chinese. That's a choice (and a political one), but in spite of these feelings I still wrote a goofy Steam review of this game after my first few hours, exclaiming that it made me "adopt a Beijing accent, speak in 4-character proverbs and sip tea under chrysanthemum trees while composing poetry about the glory of ZHONGGUO."

I was probably inspired to write this review thanks to the excellent Chinese dub, which is indeed full of Mainland accents. (The English dub, for what it's worth, is also very good and full of British accents, which I prefer over American ones for something like this.) Honestly, I found myself surprised that I was so enamored, as I haven't fully read Journey to the West. My one attempt to consume the Arthur Waley translation as a kid failed, and when I listened to the Julia Lovell version via audiobook a few months ago, I found it a bit lacking. (Turns out audio isn't the best way to consume a 16th-century collection of Monster of the Week tales where the moral often boils down to "Buddhism is the best!")

I'm not alone in this regard, though, as most Chinese folks - especially those in the diaspora - probably also experienced Journey to the West via alternate media. In my case, Dragonball was the big property that brought Wukong into my consciouness (albeit via his Japanese name of Goku), and I will perish upon the hill that the first arc of Akira Toriyama's manga is actually a solid interpretation of the story. I was also oddly obsessed with the PS1 games Monkey Magic and Saiyuki: Journey West, and at one point, I attempted to make a game in Klik & Play where I edited a sprite from Conquest of the Crystal Palace into wannabe Wukong. I never made more than this sprite and a makeshift title screen, but my heart was certainly into it for that brief period.

Frankly, you don't need to be familiar with Journey to the West to enjoy Black Myth: Wukong, though some knowledge of the subject matter does help to comprehend the game's plot, which is communicated in the usual Soulslike way. By the time of the game's release, more players were probably attuned to Black Myth's controversies instead of its inspiration, to be honest. There were the mysognistic comments the devs had made, the report by IGN translating these remarks, the limitations on streamers, and the culture war that resulted when chuds decided that legitimate criticism of this game was too "woke." Amidst all of this was the fact that as one of the few Chinese games to obtain global appeal, Black Myth: Wukong naturally became a cornerstone of nationalism. "This game is China's pride and joy! It wasn't made for Westerners with DEI requirements! Blah blah!"

The discourse was deeply disheartening. Frankly, it made me not want to like Black Myth: Wukong. I'd rather support something that isn't embroiled in woman-disparaging rhetoric or tankie apologism, and when it comes to made-in-China games, I'm more partial to anything made-in-Taiwan, like Detention or any of the other great projects made by Red Candle Games.

But those games don't have the big budget and glitz of Black Myth: Wukong. They don't have a hidden ending where the Destined One transforms into a gigantic Stone Monkey and punches Erlang Shen in the face. And they don't quite have this phenomenon that's motivated consumers into mentioning Chinese mythology and culture in the same sentences where they're namedropping Elden Ring. That's something special that makes my heart shine, and once again, we return to the fact that I normally identify as half-Taiwanese.

To identify as Taiwanese is to forever be in the shadow of Mainland China, a nation that forces the name "Chinese Taipei" upon an island that it says it will claim by force if necessary. To be Taiwanese American, in my case, is to constantly be assaulted by US media harping on about cross-strait relations, and rolling my eyes at "China Watchers" who play wargames where they move pieces around a board to simulate a hostile takeover of Formosa.

Yet, political pain aside, Taiwan does have a connected lineage with its larger neighbor. And Journey to the West is one of those shared mythologies, with Wukong not only capturing the imaginations of the denizens of China and Greater China, but also the mind of just about everyone in East and Southeast Asia. There's something about a Monkey King springing from a rock that makes people temporarily unite, and I admit that at the end of 105 hours, I am one of those persons.

I had to devote a lot of time to Black Myth: Wukong because of work. But even if I hadn't been paid to play it, I'd still consider it very good. It's embroiled in kaka almost as bitter as the vehemence that spans the Taiwan Strait, but it's a fine game, say what you will about separating art from the artist - or in this case, politics from the monkey and his quest to recover Buddhist scriptures. I hope that the discourse doesn't repeat itself in time for the inevitable sequel, and I hope the devs learn from their errors and stop being shits to women.

Nezha can also show up in the DLC too, if they like.

[televinita]

Mega Library Sale: The Stories Behind the Scores

OK, I'm ready to talk about them! 2nd photo of additional books later on.

1-2. Accent on April + Passport to Romance - Betty Cavanna

I should perhaps be more discerning with my Cavanna purchases at this point, because suddenly I'm finding her more often, plus she wrote DOZENS of books and I really prefer her animal-focused ones over general teen romance, but…I have never disliked one, so I keep taking whatever I can find. Have not read these but Passport to Romance is about a girl doing a year at school in Switzerland, giving echoes of Madeline L'Engle's And Both Were Young.

3. A Highland Collie - Albert Payson Terhune: I own twice as many books of his as I've read (secretly I fear they may not hold up to the esteem in which I held them from age 10-22, the last time I read one), so this is just another one to throw on the pile -- but I LOVE that this one's dust jacket is basically perfect, protected by the mylar case; the only library stickers are the ones on its spine. Most of the books I have of his in this edition are jacketless.

4-5. Capture of the Golden Stallion + The Golden Stallion's Victory - Rutherford G. Montgomery: 2 books in a series about the title character, haven't yet worked out the exact order. I have both read & own a handful of his books, one of the great prolific midcentury animal-book writers, but none of these.

6. Dark Sunshine - Dorothy Lyons: One of my all-time favorite authors, most of her books are rare & decently expensive and this is 1 of 2-3 that aren't, BUT it's still uncommon and I'm THRILLED to have a hardcover now in such good condition. I've had a paperback of this 1951 release for 20 years (5-star fave) but I will be upgrading.

7. Bright Spurs - Armine von Tempski: New title & author for me, which is always fun! I love how old fashioned it looks (I guessed thirties, it's actually 1946). What if dude ranch, but in Hawaii!

Next...(and there are STILL some books that I didn't include here, stay tuned to the end)

8. A Seal Called Andre - Harry Goodridge & Lew Dietz: I bought a mass market copy last year (still unread), but I think I'm replacing it with this easier-to-read version, even though the MM cover is cuter. Andre is on Wikipedia, read about him here! You may also remember the 90s kids' movie of the same title he inspired.

9. Born Free - Joy Adamson: Speaking of friendly hand-raised wildlife, I read this in high school and really loved it then. I don't remember it well, so I thought this would be fun to grab. It's a newer reprint and rather heavy for a paperback...but for now I want it. (do I already have at least a couple dozen unread books about wildlife? irrelevant)

10. Wild Magic - Tamora Pierce: it is my solemn vow that I will collect the complete quartets of both Alanna & Daine in both the mass market paperbacks I originally read, and this beautiful and more easily readable newer paperback edition. The former was easier and is now done, but I'm making decent progress on the latter goal, surprisingly.

11. Wayside School is Falling Down - Louis Sachar: 2/3rds of the way now to owning the trilogy of this wacky and highly beloved childhood favorite that remains evergreen in my heart. I have just at this very minute finished listening to the audiobook of the complete collection for the THIRD time in as many years on Libby -- I should probably just buy it at this point -- because it is such a good bedtime story. But I also love the illustrations at the start of each chapter in the print version!

12. Mythology - Edith Hamilton: LISTEN. I had to read this damn book (500 pages, this exact edition) OVER THE SUMMER for A.P. Lit, and because I didn't wanna read BORING books during my Unlimited Reading Time part of the year, I put it off until like the last 2 weeks and did not do amazingly on the test we had on day 2 or 3. BUT, I did begrudgingly admit that this was a really accessible overview of Greek & Roman mythology, and told myself if I ever found a cheap copy in good shape, I would buy it, at least for a while. So here it is.

13. Mystery at Saddle Creek - Shelley Peterson: this was my one non-vintage splurge in terms of books, because horses! I am always down for a young teen horse book. Seems like kind of a drastic genre turn given that it's a sequel to this book but sure! okay! I'm curious!! (I have not read the above book, Sundancer, but I remember it being among my Goodreads recs for horse books back when said recs were still good).

14. Briar Rose - Jane Yolen: assigned reading in 8th grade that made a huge impact on me at the time, though I only remember a few bits and pieces. I think this cover is bland, but I've been wanting to reread it for a while and it's no longer at local libraries.

15. What Happened to Lani Garver - Carol Plum-Ucci: speaking of books I bought last year...this one at this exact sale even... BUT, that was a smaller-than-average paperback and I decided that I love this book enough I would rather have it in hardcover, because the font size is more pinched than I'd like in the other one.

NOT PICTURED (2 because I misplaced them already, the other i just forgot to include w/ the other old books and I'm not renumbering now):

16. Furiously Happy - Jenny Lawson: I don't like this as much as her first memoir, but I still like it a lot and now I actually have them in a matching paperback-edition set.

17. Winona's Pony Cart - Maud Hart Lovelace: this is a rather beat-up ex-library copy from the 50s, spine repaired with tape so that the title & details are rewritten by hand, but I simply could not say no to famous author I loved as a kid AND a pony book! This is definitely for younger readers and heavily illustrated; I may not keep it now that I see it's been reprinted as recently as the 2000s, but it was fun to grab in the moment.

18. Miss Gail (aka our poor hella warped book) - Helen Markley Miller: I read Beloved Monster a couple of years ago, instant 5-star favorite, and when I looked at her backlist all I remember is that everything sounded good, so I didn't stop for a second to even look up what this was about. But apparently it's about a "pampered, cared-for city girl" who has nowhere to go when her parents die, except to a "newly booming gold-mining town in Idaho," where she starts off working in a boarding house and ends up becoming the first appointed teacher in the town?

P.S. I have a bonus story, which is about the little boy of 5 or 6 who was intently looking at an insect book full of photos, and stopped to announce to his mom, "Look at the cute spider!" After she agreed it was cute, he immediately turned to me and showed it off to me as well. He just had to spread the arachnid joy, lol.

I was going to go to my 2nd book sale today, but sadly, I stayed up too late excitedly getting the first photo post out, and between that and my cumulative exhaustion of the week, 8 hours of sleep was not enough. I didn't actually wake up until 11, and then I had a headache, and still had to wash my hair before I could go out, so ultimately I just stayed in and read all day (not any of my new books. but it was still super fun).

But that's okay. Still plenty of sales to try and get to later in the month. :) Mostly ones I won't have to drive quite so far to, too.

[aileenmurphy]

Aileen Murphy

°˖✧Lovingly penned by Alicia✧˖°

Name: Aileen Siriwanan Murphy Character's Nicknames: Leni, Leen Pronouns: she/her Age: 30 Birthdate: June 23rd, 1994 Occupation: : Pre-K/Kindergarten teacher at Blue Harbor Elementary School Residence: A two bedroom apartment in Cardinal Hill she shares with her roommate Dahlia Young. Length of time in Blue Harbor: 15 years

✧Connections✧Full bio✧Visage✧Musings✧

PHISIOLOGY

Faceclaim: Davika Hoorne Ethnicity: Thai/White Height: 1.62 m Dominant Hand: Left Hair: she wears it very long, loves doing all sorts of braids and coronets in it. Pin straight Hair Color: A very dark brown, almost black Eye Colour: Light brown/Hazel General Health: Healthy, other than the yearly winter cold, and subsequent voice loss Allergies:  None Chronic Illnesses: Diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 10, never truly went away. Managed through healthy habits, and anti-inflammatory medication and braces when a flare-up happens Distinguishing Marks (tattoos, piercings, scars): She rarely leaves the house without her ring splints

PERSONALITY

Likes: Long walks in nature, Danish pastries, braiding hair, baths, romantic novels, cats Dislikes: Coffee, flying, scary movies, audiobooks, heels Bad habits: she sometimes forgets to take off her ring splints before going to bed, or, during bad days, swap them for night splints, so her hands get irritated Nervous tics: Her fingers are always fiddling with the ends of her hair. She doesn’t even realise she’s doing it half of the time Secret talent: she has a remarkable green thumb. She’s been able to bring back from the dead even the most dire of cases Hobbies: Painting, playing guitar, reading, stressbaking, gardening Fears: heights, physical pain,being boring Positive traits: Compassionate, gentle, creative, resilient, responsible, generous Negative traits: Complacent, fearful, insecure, passive, overly self-reliant

LIFESTYLE

Pets: Two ragdoll cats named Chai and Mocha Education level: Bachelor’s degree in early childhood development by Blue Harbor University Languages: English, Thai, some basic French Religion: Agnostic Beliefs: She believes in paying it forward, a kindness for a stranger is something she always tries to make time for Sexual orientation: Heterosexual Marital status: Single Misdemeanours: None Tickets and/or violations: She doesn’t have a drivers license, bikes around everywhere. Drugs/Alcohol: Social drinker, maybe a glass of wine with a book in the bathtub

FAMILY

Mother: Sunisa Phanthavong Father: Richard Murphy Siblings: three younger sisters, Mali Murphy, Nuan Murphy, Amara Murphy

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

What were your thoughts on how the Saitns were revealed to be real in the Nikolai series? Considering that, before then, the powers of grisha were called "small science", the supernatural seemed odd to me.

Hi, thanks for you question!

This is definitely an interesting one, I'm afraid I don't have the King of Scars duology on audiobook so it's a while since I read them (I usually do my rereads with audio rather than physical) however I do remember thinking about this at the time. I think that a big aspect of this is that Grisha found the need to rationalise and try to explain their power to otkazats'ya people to reduce persecution; look at the difference between Fjerda, where Grisha power is seen as demonic magic, and Ravka, where it's seen as a form progression. Our easy go-to inbetween is Kerch, a country caught between a strong cultural superstition and a very desperate desire to remain at the forefront of global development and cement its position in the global economy (I have lots of worldbuilding thoughts here but that's probably for another time); here, grisha power is not seen as magic or as evil, and they look on Fjerda as backwards for this view, but it isn't seen as something progressive either - it's seen as an exploitable resource, at the price of those how carry it. If this is the situation of the three most powerful countries in the world when Grisha power has been rationalised and presented in terms that otkazats'ya should be able to comprehend and accept, then Grisha would be even worse off in a world where there was no understanding whatsoever of their ability as anything other than magic.

I hope I'm making sense. I'm trying to say that ideally Grisha power would never have been labelled as 'small science', but embraced instead as what it was in ancient times. This concept didn't come from nowhere; early Grisha are rarely specified in orders and are described with many different capabilities (such as the Saints when Nina says some people in Ravka have stopped thinking of them as miracle workers and started thinking of them as acts of Grisha), and some characters (such as Jesper's mother Aditi) never have their order revealed to us. Although in Aditi's case we can assume she was an Alkemi from the descriptions of her power, she also makes "bread rise just by looking at it" which doesn't necessarily fit any order's typical description and only ever called herself "zowa". If it weren't for the need to define power as something scientific and palpable instead of an almost ineffable force is the only reason that Grisha power was ever called "the small science" instead of magic. If it were magic and Grisha weren't capable of channelling the kind of power that the Saints had or that Zoya learns, then they would be even weaker than they already are; because of the state of their world, it's only safe to have 'magic' when you can use it to protect yourself.

I hope this made sense, thanks for your question and sorry it took so long to answer it. A note for everyone else with asks in my inbox right now, I promise I am slowly working through them and please don't hesitate to end me more I love getting them

[springs-hurts]

oh I'm trying, I'm trying so so hard to read a book that contains romance, even little but damn you author for hardening my resolve against it with your story where this person was so worried about his love(for right reasons, I must admit, quite caring and endearing as well) that he and his partner got caught and even in prision he was thinking bout her( again, so caring, quite lovely just not for me).

Like objectively I recognize when the story is well written and this one is, that's not a problem, I'm just so averse to romance these days that I'm unable to even read good ones. And bloody ficking sadly, every book has romance, legit every single one. Atp I'm gonna stop reading I'm telling y'all.

okay no, very rarely I like to read about some couple, there are so few that sometimes even I'm astounded. And mostly they're just old ships( or new in Ned and Cat's case lol) even I don't understand why I don't like it, especially good ones. I want to like it, and objectively I do, I recognize that this ship is good, I don't have any problem reading about them, but I'm not seeking them constantly. Remain in bg please.

One day, one day I'd like to read books where there's romance and my first reaction isn't, "oh Gods, not again!"

Reading this one, I had to force myself to not hit stop button(audiobook) cause the book is good, even the couple is good, I like both of the characters quite mature and good, perfect in every way, just not for me like fucking why? Bish if you know they're perfect the why so much aversion, I'd never get this😭

[canvaswolfdoll]

with the first season's completion, i can now say that spice and wolf is the very rare case of the remake being a viable replacement (as far as the dub goes, anyways)

the last test being, of course, how book 5's adaption goes next season.

i found the changes between the two anime negligible enough (just some visual changes and a few different script adjustments) that the 2024 anime gets victory solely by virtue of adapting the fourth book.

so for the present, i think the best experience is watching the op and ep for the original anime, then watch the remake, then the last arc of the original anime. then the audiobooks if you can get them.

(the translation of the print books have an issue where it's easy to lose track of what dialogue belongs to which character)

once season two arrives, my recommendation will probably change to watching the original's openings and closings before their respective arcs, then watching the remake, then listen to all the audiobooks.

(but also just watching both anime is a great idea, provided you have the time)

[agallimaufryofoddments]

I had an excellent night at The Irish Inn. Arrived in time to hear two songs, then later another song—watched five different people dancing (a young person with two elderly gentlemen, with whom I am familiar, and a familiar waitress with another young woman). There was a group of about a dozen or thirteen other young people there, which is very rare; one of them was old friends with one of the young musicians, which might explain why he was able to sing a song of his own (and had harmony from an older gentleman, no less!)

(Typically the sessions at TII are closed sessions, something that only really sunk in for me after too many visits).

When I dropped a tenner into the tips bucket, one of the regular staple musicians asked if I had a song as well (this never happens. Perhaps he recognized me from my past visits & tips, but even then, I think he only asked since another outsider had just sang). I did. I've never sung the song accompanied before, but the musicians adjusted (obviously, as they always do; it helps that the song I sang was a well-known song, but also proper musicians are just that capable).

It worked out?! People applauded and complimented my voice. I was busy talking with the young people in an attempt to figure out how and why they ended up at the TII (you simply don't see such a large group of young people there). The fellow who was friends with the musician fellow was (I think) a roommate with so-and-so(s), and the woman I spoke with said she brought along her roommates, so it was a whole shindig where circles of roommates and friends coincided, I think. Wow!

Incidentally, totally unrelated, but Baccano! Vol. 1 seems to be slated for an audiobook on May 14, 2024 ($25.99)?! I feel obligated to buy it to demonstrate my support. Yen Press has certainly been dipping into audiobooks with the likes of popular titles like SAO, but I never thought YP would bother with Baccano! I don't want to hope that this means Baccano! has sold better than I thought it did—really, I haven't paid much attention to which titles YP has afforded audiobooks, maybe this is YP trying to milk more money out of an underperforming series—in any case, I do want to publicize this so that people are aware in advance.