#brian malloy

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Once again Cat Sebastian took characters I actively disliked/didn't care about from a previous novel and made me love them. This one was lovely and the twist totally took me by surprise, even though it shouldn't have. A+ Cat Sebastian please write more books (I have totally already preordered her next book).

Who would think a book about living through the AIDS epidemic in NYC in the 80s would be as funny as this book is? It will also tear your heart out and stomp on it. Highly recommended. This was a 5 star read. Also takes place partly in Minneapolis (and is by a Minnesotan author) so it gets bonus stars for that.

Another delightful entry into Roan Parrish's Garnet Run series. This one was the most lighthearted. My only problem with this series is that I kind of don't want the old characters showing up as much as they do. I never like them as much when they're just side characters.

Neal Stephenson...you might want to consider taking a break from writing. Parts 1 and 2 were pretty good - typical Stephenson, though I wouldn't say he's at his best in this one. The science is super interesting (I have no idea if it's realistic) and it's an interesting doomsday scenario. Part 3, on the other hand, was unnecessary and simplistic (Cold War in space! Noble Savage! White Savior!). It was such poor payoff for the first 2/3 of the book that I repeatedly wished he hadn't bothered at all—and that I hadn't bothered reading the book.

Also it was almost 900 pages long.

I didn't LOVE love the first book in this series, but you know, it was good enough for me to pick up the sequel. I was actually enjoying this one more, but it fell apart for me during The Break Up. One of the main characters is basically allowed to get away with his bullshit because...I don't know, he's just Like That. It irritated me.

Despite the printing error, I was able to read this book. I love this series and am sad it's over. If you want a good space opera with a friends to lovers to enemies to lovers again, I highly recommend this one. It's also Very Gay! Plus great female characters.

This is a queer military series so if that's not your thing, you won't like this book haha. So far it's followed two guys serving on a submarine. It's pretty typical Annabeth Albert, and tbh the military stuff is pretty secondary (and in this one there is 0 time spent on a sub). This one has a single dad as the love interest, and while I'm always pretty eh about romances involving children, Albert does it pretty well.

Man was this one heavier than I thought it was going to be. Milo and Marcus both come from very conservative families and meet at Bible camp, where they room together and fall for each other, though neither of them acts on it. Milo decides he's going to tell Marcus how he feels, only for Marcus to disappear from camp. Three years later...Marcus moves to Daytona Beach and starts at Milo's high school! There is a lot of internalized homophobia in this one and a lot of Milo struggling with what he's been taught in church and by his parents, and at times it got hard to read. It was really good, though.

This is one that I kept almost buying because it's pretty, but then I'd read the summary (again) and think, eh. I ended up picking up a used copy at my local indie bookstore, and...eh. Definitely not a bad book. I loved the world, and I really like Lexos. Rhea was...not great. I realized after reading this that I really don't care for the current popular trope of the Unhinged Woman Who Doesn't Know What She Stands For. Like, she's got this thing that's ostensibly driving her, but that thing gets taken away, and now she's empty. I don't know that I've ever seen it pulled off in a way where I didn't go at the end, "Oh, so she actually was just a super flat character all along?" I was trying to think of examples of male characters who fit this trope. I'm sure they're out there but I couldn't think of any. Anyway, I'll probably read the sequel, because the world really was cool, and Lexos is poor little meow meow material (spent his whole life trying to earn his father's love and respect, never could).

Oh man this book was great. The first one had some horror elements, but this one was straight up horror for large portions of the book. Like, action-horror—think Army of Darkness. I love all the characters so much. The bond between Rune and Brand is *chef's kiss*. Male friendship done beautifully.

KJ Charles is like Cat Sebastian in that no one does historical romance like she does. I confirmed once more that I love the interwar period, especially when one of the mains is a Wounded Veteran of WWI. This book actually reminded me of Cat Sebastian's Hither, Page (which is post WWII) which I love, so I was pretty primed to also love this. I'd love to see the further adventures of Archie and Daniel, but considering it was written in 2015, I'm not sure that's going to happen.

I liked this book, but also the dialogue got very annoying at times. Is this how The Kids talk these days? Also rolled my eyes hard at the section devoted to the author getting up on his soapbox to share how he feels Call Me By Your Name is really problematic. But overall I enjoyed it, and the bi rep was top tier, as was the yearning.

Okay so while I enjoyed this book well enough, it would have been half the length if Pons had cut out all of the 'I've never felt so connected to another person in my life' paragraphs. I swear, the main character was constantly connecting with his boyfriend in a way he never had with anyone else ever. The book was very much about Will, but there was some heavy stuff introduced about Graham that I didn't think was really given the due it deserved. But it was a sweet love story, and a story about healing. Also I didn't see the twist coming.

So coincidentally, Call Me By Your Name was right there in my TBR pile as I was reading This is Why They Hate Us. I liked it a lot, though the weird racist interlude really threw me and I can't figure out what the metaphor was or what Acimen was trying to say.

Fam, I am finally reading Dark Rise. It is not gay yet, but I'm only up to page 100. I really didn't know what it was about and only picked it up because Pacat wrote it, so the plot has surprised me so far. Very different from Captive Prince.

[percocet]

finished after francesco by brian malloy. it broke my heart (lost track of the times i cried?), but it also gave me a whole list of things to look up about the 80s/90s. feeling a little more connected to queer history in general, which i suppose is the point.

there's this one quote from the book that particularly stuck out to me, when the main character finally understands that the government is attempting genocide of the lgbtq+ community after his aunt likens the aids epidemic to the irish potato famine (a blight only made a famine because of the english):

“You listen to this. These are the very words of that son of a bitch, Charles Trevelyan, the filthy Brit in charge of famine relief in Ireland. Bastard’s second only to Cromwell. You just listen.” [Aunt Nora] catches her breath before she reads: “‘The judgment of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson, that calamity must not be too much mitigated . . . The real evil with which we have to contend is not the physical evil of the Famine but the moral evil of the selfish, perverse and turbulent character of the people.’ ” She slams the book shut. “You see now? This has all happened before, it’s happening right now. You used to be handy with your fists. Why aren’t you fighting?”

i like stories like this one, where there isn't so much a concrete conflict, a big baddie that the protagonists have to conquer--just people trying to be better people and move forward in their lives, how they deal with their pain and get better for it, the different forms healing can take. idk, it gives me hope. would rec to people looking for stories about the aids epidemic, or just anybody looking for a story about things getting better.

[fidjiefidjie]

Bon Soir 💙🎙💃💙

Brian Auger & the Trinity 🎶 Black Cat

With Molly Malloy Dancers

(Live Beat Club)

[nerds-yearbook]

The last episode of the Mask cartoon aired on November 26, 1986. The series ran for 2 seasons and 75 episodes. ("Cliff Hanger", Mask, TV Event)

[mitjalovse]

Many musicians who prefer to take the wild turns tend to have a basis for that in their previous popularity. Scott Walker remains a great case of this, he is another one who used the shock as his tactic to confront those that made him popular. Still, I have to be honest as a fan of his, i.e. he did find his late style from Tilt on. True, The Drift and Bisch Bosch were tough listens, yet this only happened in the case one wasn't familiar with Tilt. The latter album established a pattern of sorts for Mr. Walker, since he moved within the soundscapes one cannot be certain how to call. Well, I would suggest seeing them as the soundtrack for nightmares without an easy way out. Yes, he still puts some hope in them, yet the latter has to be earned.

[deathclassic]

[click for better quality]

happy noel-vember everyone <3

in celebration of this holiday i've decided to draw all my personal favourite noel fisher roles!

@gallavich-fic-club

L - R

Toad - Xmen Evolution (Voice) [2000-2003] Troy McGilty - Max Keeble's Big Move [2001] Brian Gibbons - Final Destination 2 [2003] Cael Malloy - The Riches [2007] Todd McCray - A Dog Named Christmas [2009] Mickey Milkovich - Shameless US [2011-2021] Vladmir - The Twilight Saga [2011-2012] Cotton Top Mounts - Hatfield & McCoys [2012] Michaelangelo - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Motion Capture) [2014, 2016]

[zeddfrost]

#whiteQueenWed

Emma does but the whole thing is quickly reset as the godforsaken Matt Malloy arc mercifully ends.

From Uncanny X-Men # 30 and 31 by Brian Michael Bendis and Chris Bachalo.

[impostores0o]

Warwick,The wrath of zaun League of legends/Riot games All credits to: • Victor Maury •, Gabriel Yeganyan, Brian Kim, Mitchell Malloy Warwick rework development

"The chains are broken... the beast is free." The Howler

Warwick hyena Rework/Old All credits to: Izzy Medrano Skin development

"Oh, what a day. What a bloody day." the Hyena

[jonesbrianshining]

Besides Barry David/Simon, Brian Jones fathered three more sons - Julian Mark Andrews, Julian Brian Lawrence/Leitch and Paul Andrew Malloy/John Maynard. Some sources state that Brian Jones fathered two more daughters, but there is confusion around this - at least some photos of the mothers, health information or registry entries are missing. Additionally, after Brian's death, Brian's parents were inundated with letters from girls claiming to have a child with Brian. And that was probably also one of the reasons why Brian's parents didn't communicate with any of Brian's ex-girlfriends, focusing their parental attention primarily on Brian's sister Barbara.

From Bill Wyman's memoir, we can learn that Brian socialized with his two sons, from Pat Andrews (Mark) and Linda Lawrence (Julian). However, at the behest of Stones management, this had to be kept a secret. It is therefore strange that we can read that Brian was completely indifferent to his sons.

[1morey]

Every known Rainbow operator past and present (and NIGHTHAVEN operators)

GIS

Adriano “Maestro” Martello (2018-Present)

Antonio Maldini (1999-2012)

Aria “Alibi” de Luca (2018-Present)

GIGN

Alain DuBarry (1999-2012)

Emmanuelle “Twitch” Pichon (2015-Present)

Gilles “Montagne” Touré (2015-Present)

Gustav “Doc” Kateb (2015-Present)

Julian “Rook” Nizan (2015-Present)

Olivier “Lion” Flament (2018-Present)

1º Batalhão de Forças Especiais

Alejandro Noronha (1999-2012)

Spetzgruppa “A”

Aleksandr “Tachanka” Senaviev (2015-Present)

Genedy Filatov (1999-2012)

Lera “Finka” Melnikova (2018-2022 (defected to NIGHTHAVEN), rejoined in or before 2025)

Maxim “Kapkan” Basuda (2015-Present)

Shuhrat “Fuze” Kessikbayev (2015-Present)

Timur “Glaz” Glazkov (2015-Present)

AFEAU

Ana “Solis” Valentina Díaz (2022-Present) 

Special Air Service

Andrew Burke (1999-2012)

Eddie Price (1999-2012)

Geoff Bates (1999-2012)

James “Smoke” Porter (2015-2022) (Defected to NIGHTHAVEN)

Mark R. “Mute” Chandar (2015-Present)

Michael Walter (2008-2012)

Mike “Thatcher” Baker (2015-Present)

Paddy Connelly (1999-2012)

Peter Covington (1999-2012)

Scotty McTyler (1999-2012)

Seamus “Sledge” Cowden (2015-Present)

Steve Lincoln (1999-2012)

National Task Force

Annika Lofquist (1999-2012) (Under ONI)

NIGHTHAVEN

Anja Katarina “Osa” Janković (2021-2022)

Apha “Aruni” Tawanroong (2020-2022)

Charlie Tho Keng “Grim” Boon (2022-Present) (NIGHTHAVEN only)

Håvard “Ace” Haugland (2020-2022)

Jaimini Kalimohan “Kali” Shah (2019-2022)

Ngũgĩ Muchoki “Wamai” Furaha (2019-Present)

Belarusian Ground Forces

Arkadi Novikov (2001-2012)

Mossad

Ayana Yacoby (1999-2012)

David Peled (1999-2012)

Sharon Judd (2010-2012)

APCA

Azucena Rocío “Amaru” Quispe (2019-Present)

United States Army Rangers

“Bishop” (Unknown-2012)

United States Navy SEALs

Brian Armstrong (Unknown-2012)

Craig “Blackbeard” Jensen (2016-Present)

Meghan J. “Valkyrie” Castellano (2016-Present)

Miguel “Mike” Chin (1999-2012)

Garda Emergency Response Unit

Brianna “Thorn” Skehan (2021-Present)

FES

César Ruiz “Goyo” Hernández (2019-Present)

707th Special Mission Group

Choi Byoung-Ryang (2003-2012)

Choi Jae-Hoon (2003-2012)

Choi Youn-Suk (2003-2012)

Chul “Vigil” Kyung Hwa (2017-Present)

Grace “Dokkaebi” Nam (2017-Present)

Hong Min-Hyun (2003-2012)

Jung Park (2009-2012)

Jung Sang-Yub (2003-2012)

Kim Jae-Ho (2003-2012)

Kim Sung-Gun (2003-2012)

Kim Yu-Jin (2003-2012)

Lee Won-Ho (2003-2012)

Lee Youn-Jung (2003-2012)

Pak Suo-Won (2001-2012)

Seo Young-Lan (2003-2012)

United States Secret Service

Collinn “Warden” McKinley (2019-Present)

FBI Hostage Rescue Team

Daniel Bogart (1999-2012)

United States Marine Corps

Daniel "Bear" Malloy (1999-2012)

GSG 9

Dieter Weber (2001-2012)

Dominic “Bandit” Brunsmeier (2015-Present)

Elias “Blitz” Kötz (2015-Present)

Jorg Walther (1999-2012)

Marius “Jäger” Streicher (2015-Present)

Monika “IQ” Weiss (2015-2022) (Defected to NIGHTHAVEN)

CIA

Domingo “Ding” Chavez (1999-2012)

John Clark (1999-2000 (as operator))

Beredskapstroppen

Einar Petersen (2001-2012)

GEO

Elena María “Mira” Álvarez (2017-Present)

Ryad Ramírez “Jackal” Al-Hassar (2017-Present)

FBI SWAT

Eliza “Ash” Cohen (2015-Present)

Jack “Pulse” Estrada (2015-2022) (Defected to NIGHTHAVEN)

Jordan “Thermite” Trace (2015-Present)

Miles “Castle” Campbell (2015-Present)

JW GROM

Elżbieta "Ela" Bosak (2017-2022)  (Defected to NIGHTHAVEN)

Kazimiera Rakuzanka (1999-2012)

Zofia Bosak (2017-Present)

Delta Force

Erik “Maverick” Thorn (2018-Present)

George Tomlison (1999-2012)

Hank Patterson (1999-2012)

Homer Johnston (1999-2012)

Julio “Oso” Vega (1999-2012)

Logan Keller (2005-2012)

Mike Pierce (1999-2012)

Renee Raymond (1999-2012)

United States Army

Fred “Freddy” Franklin (1999-2012)

Mortimer “Sam” Houston (1999-2012)

Royal New Zealand Air Force

Gary Kenyon (2010-2012)

BATF International Response Team

Gerald Morris (1999-2012)

1st Special Operations Wing

Harrison (1999-2012)

Royal Air Force

Jack Nance (1999-2012)

GSIGR

Jalal “Kaid” El Fassi (2018-Present)

Sanaa “Nomad” El Maktoub (2018-Present)

Unit 777

Jamal Murad (2001-2012)

CSIS

Joanna Torres (2010-2012)

Jaeger Corps

Karina “Nøkk” Gaarddhøje (2019-Present)

EKO Cobra

Karl Haider (1999-2012) (under GEK Cobra)

MI5

Kevin Sweeney (1999-2012)

ELDYK

Kure Galanos (2001-2012)

Pyrotechno GmbH

Lars Breckenbauer (1999-2012)

Special Duties Unit

Liu “Lesion” Tze Long (2017-Present)

Siu “Ying” Mei Ling (2017-Present)

DGSE

Louis Loiselle (2001-2012)

Special Assault Team

Masaru “Echo” Enatsu (2016-Present)

Yumiko “Hibana” Imagawa (2016-Present)

STAR-NET Aviation

Mina “Thunderbird” Sky (2021-Present)

Metropolitan Police Service

Morowa “Clash” Evans (2018-Present)

COT

Nayara “Brava” Cardoso (2023-Present)

REU

Neinke Meijer (2020-Present)

Special Forces Group (Belgium)

Néon “Sens” Ngoma Mutombo (2022-Present)

Joint Task Force 2

Roger McAllen (1999-2012)

Sébastien “Buck” Côté (2016-Present)

Tina “Frost” Lin Tsang (2016-Present)

NSA

Sam Bennett (1999-2012)

Fourth Echelon

Samuel Leo “Sam” Fisher (2020-Present)

UEI

Santiago Arnavisca (1999-2012)

40 Commando

Shawn Rivers (2010) (KIA)

BOPE

Taina “Caveira” Pereira (2016-Present)

Vicente “Capitão” Souza (2016-Present)

Inkaba Task Force

Thandiwe “Melusi” Ndlovu (2020-Present)

FBI

Tim Noonan (1999-2012)

Paul Bellow (1999-2012)

SASR

Max “Mozzie” Goose (2019-Present)

Timothy Hanley (1999-2012)

Tori Tallyo “Gridlock” Fairous (2019-Present)

LAPD SWAT

Tracy Woo (1999-2012)

MI6

William “Billy” Tawney (1999-2012)

Unaffiliated

Kana “Azami” Fujiwara (2022-Present)

Saif “Oryx” Al Hadid (2020-Present)

Santiago Miguel “Flores” Lucero (2021-Present)

Unspecified

Brody Lukin (2010-2012)

“Deimos” (Unknown-On or Before 2012)

Emilio Narino (2001-2012)

Gabriel Nowak (2005-2010) (Defected/KIA)

Harry (1999-2012)

Kan Akahashi (2010) (KIA)

Monroe (2005) (KIA)

Directors

John Clark (1999-2010)

Domingo “Ding” Chavez (2010-2012)

Aurelia Arnot (2015-2019)

Harishva “Harry” Pandey (2019-2023) (KIA)

Unknown (2023-)

[leahsfiction]

ENVOY: a game of Like Skyscrapers Blotting Out the Sun - bandcamp playlist

An interdimensional portal has connected Demesne Cuzorn of the Five Rivers continent with Spindleshim Station in Sequential space, opening up new opportunities for trade, advances in science and sorcery, and cultural exchange. This last has brought literatus Funeste Étoile-Filante to Spindleshim, with station citizen Valeur True-Signal Mercy-of-Harmony assigned as an attaché.

full listing (w/ additional YT tracks):

War Begins - Brian Tyler (Children of Dune but REALLY someone's fanmix for Sabriel i found on? LJ? forever ago) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dS_14mbXUk

Just Give It Some Thought - Jack de Quidt (Twilight Mirage) https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/track/just-give-it-some-thought

Entering - Anna von Hausswolff (All Thoughts Fly) https://annavonhausswolffsl.bandcamp.com/track/entering

Fallen - Cinder Well (No Summer) https://cinderwell.bandcamp.com/track/fallen-2

Quinta del Sordo - Dear Laika (Pluperfect Mind) https://dearlaika.bandcamp.com/track/quinta-del-sordo

Dave Malloy, Original Broadway Cast - Prologue (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STzIIYf3iS0

Marrow in the Bone - Jack de Quidt (Sangfielle) https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/track/marrow-in-the-bone

Arrakis - Dave Matthews (Dune) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnrWNdCQwQY

Adagio - Jack de Quidt (PALISADE) https://notquitereal.bandcamp.com/track/adagio

Petit Piano - Flore Laurentienne https://florelaurentienne.bandcamp.com/track/petit-piano

(as our game is not yet finished, i'm not sure this playlist is either. but i wanted to post it lol)

[aurorawest]

2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Is it February of 2024? Yes! Am I still going to post my favorite books that I read in 2023? Also yes!

Ginn Hale's Cadeleonian Series, the second half of which I read in 2023: Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book Two; Master of Restless Shadows, Book One; and Master of Restless Shadows, Book Two

This series begins with Lord of the White Hell and continues with Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, then concludes with Master of Restless Shadows. Each duology follows a different set of characters, but it's a true series so you need to read them in order. It's a toss-up for me whether I preferred Champion of the Scarlet Wolf or Master of Restless Shadows. Both are fantastic duologies. I particularly loved getting Atreau's story in Master because he's sort of an unlikable playboy-esque character in the preceding books...but wait! Turns out there's more to him after all.

After Francesco by Brian Malloy

Who would think a book about living through the AIDS epidemic in NYC in the 80s would be as funny as this book is? It will also tear your heart out and stomp on it. Also takes place partly in Minneapolis (and is by a Minnesotan author).

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Folklorist meets the Green Man and they fall in love. This is the first half of a duology, the second being Drowned Country, which I just finished today so can't included it on my 2023 wrap-up. All the dark and violent whimsy of the mythic past and the most brutal versions of fairy tales, plus a lovely romance.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in (the author has cited Ender's Game as a huge influence). I don't want to say anything more than that, because I feel strongly that you need to go into this book knowing nothing. The twists and turns are so good, the main trio are wonderful, complicated characters, and the world is super cool.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

In some ways the most heartbreaking of Pulley's novels. Also probably her most dreamy and magical. It's my least favorite of her books, but my least favorite Natasha Pulley book still ended up on my best of 2023 reading list.

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

This book awakened in me a latent love of Soviet queers. You'll see this book filed under sci-fi by booksellers, but it isn't really—it's historical fiction about a very real nuclear disaster in the USSR that was covered up for decades. Like all of Pulley's books, the characters are deeply complicated and flawed. The pleasure is really in reading the way she tells a story and her beautiful use of language, so even if you're not interested in Soviet nuclear disasters, I absolutely recommend you read this. Also, you'll probably be interested in Soviet nuclear disasters when you're done.

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

Haha, you thought The Watchmaker of Filigree Street punched you in the chest with feels? Get ready for the sequel, which will have you Curled Into A Sobbing Ball On The Floor™. Join Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, and their adopted Waifish Victorian Orphan, Six, as they go to Japan, where things are weird, there are ghosts, and Thaniel and Mori still somehow don't understand what they mean to each other.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

"What if France won the Napoleonic Wars because of time travelers" shouldn't have shattered me the way this book did, but of course it's a Natasha Pulley novel so it absolutely did. Missouri Kite is the most Gay Little Man™. And Joe, poor Joe. The PINING. The YEARNING. When the reveal happens, I had to go back and read prior sections of the book and good god do they hit different. Different and SADDER. This book is my favorite of Natasha Pulley's novels.

Tommy Cabot Was Here and Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian

The first two books in Cat Sebastian's The Cabots series. The books are historical fiction that follow various queer men in the Cabot family. The Cabots are one of those old money, liberal New England families—think Kennedys. Both books are about Sad Gay Men™ finding love in soft, tiptoeing Cat Sebastian fashion. Peter Cabot is a road trip romance and a bit longer, so the characters have some time to breathe.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

This was probably a Stucky fic at one point, right? I mean. No shade though, truly! This was my favorite romcom that I read in 2023. It was also a comp for Strangers to Husbands, haha. I love the setting—hiking the Pacific Crest Trail—and I love the main characters, Alexei and Ben. Alexei came out to his family recently and got rejected, while Ben is from a big, accepting Portuguese family. Funny, touching, and an excellent love story.

Cattle Stop by Kit Oliver

Looks like a romcom but will stab you in the heart repeatedly. Kit Oliver has a gorgeous way with words and captures the dynamic between two people who have no idea how to talk to each other so well. I'm also a sucker for farm settings.

The Sugared Game and Subtle Blood by KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures)

I've read almost all of KJ Charles's books at this point, but the Will Darling Adventures are my favorites (I read the first book in the series in 2022). I love the combination of romance and action/adventure. I've never met a m/m book set in the interwar period that I haven't loved. Will and Kim are wonderful characters, and sometimes I think about what other adventures they had after book three ended.

Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray

An FBI agent and a GRU agent get assigned to work a case together in 1959 and they fall in looooove. There's a road trip, a family dinner, and FEELS. I'm not sure I've ever had a time skip hit me in the gut so hard. Remember how I said I love Soviet queers? Here's another example.

Wranglestone and Timberdark by Darren Charlton

What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life? I don't know if I've ever read a YA series that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I know I've never read a zombie book that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I don't think these books have even been published in the US (only in the UK), but if you can get your hands on them, they're worth it. Really beautifully written in a style that evokes the emptiness of the great national parks of the American west.

Honorable mentions:

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

[kwebtv]

Richard Marvin Butkus (December 9, 1942 – October 5, 2023) Football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973.

After his career as a player, Butkus became a celebrity endorser, broadcaster, and actor. He appeared in films and as a regular character on TV shows such as Blue Thunder, My Two Dads, MacGyver, and Hang Time, as well as in a guest role on Murder, She Wrote. He portrayed himself in both the critically acclaimed TV movie Brian's Song (1971) and the 2002 comedy Teddy Bears' Picnic. Butkus portrayed Officer Alvin Dimsky in Cass Malloy, the 1982 CBS pilot for what later became the syndicated situation comedy She's the Sheriff, and also made cameo appearances in episodes of several television shows

Butkus endorsed Prestone in a commercial during Super Bowl IV in 1970, stating the tagline, "Because plugging holes is my business." The ad marked the first highly successful celebrity endorsement in Super Bowl advertising. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Butkus appeared alongside fellow former NFL star (and later Blue Thunder co-star) Bubba Smith in a series of ads for Miller Lite, which were released to high acclaim. In 1985, he was a pitchman for Echo Tools. In the 1990s, Butkus promoted the "Qwik-Cook Grill", a grill utilizing newspaper as its main fuel. (Wikipedia)

IMDb Listing

[callmebrycelee]

9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, fifteenth episode "Donors" which originally aired on May 2, 2023. The episode was written by Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson and directed by Brenna Malloy. Spoilers ahead!

The 126 arrive on the scene of a car accident and find one of the vehicles on fire. The driver of the other vehicle reports that the other driver fled the scene and that there's someone trapped inside the burning car. Marjan puts out the fire and Mateo extracts the passenger from the backseat. Tommy, Nancy, and TK load the victim into the ambulance and rush him to the nearest hospital.

In the ambulance, Tommy examines the comatose victim and realizes his injuries were not sustained in the crash. She finds a scar on his belly and yells for Nancy to notify the hospital to have their transplant unit on standby. This man has recently undergone a kidney transplant and the reason he is unconscious is because he is still under anesthesia. They arrive at the hospital but the doctor with the transplant unit is at lunch. Tommy sends Nancy inside to locate the doctor on-call. Meanwhile, there's a clatter coming from inside the ambulance. Tommy goes to investigate and finds TK knocked out. Poor TK. It's a miracle this man doesn't have permanent brain damage based on the number of traumas he's endured over the last several seasons. Thankfully he's okay but he does have a black eye and a bruised ego to match.

Tommy talks to a detective regarding the missing kidney-transplant patient. Detective McGregor (Adam Baldwin) tells her that none of the hospitals in the area have performed a kidney transplant surgery. He suggests that the victim procured his kidney via a less than legal way. Tommy tells him that he needs to stop whatever underground organ harvesting operation is behind this. Detective McGregor says he doesn't have the resources or manpower to investigate something so large, especially for one patient. Tommy says she's less worried about the transplant patient and more concerned about whoever the kidney was taken from. 

I should point out that this is a reunion of sorts for Gina Torres and Adam Baldwin. The two of them along with Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass played on the much beloved series Firefly and its film sequel, Serenity. Now I don't know all that much about Mr. Baldwin but based on some things I read on his Wikipedia page, he had a LOT in common with the character he is playing in this episode. P.S., Detective McGregor was a huge dick the entire episode and I love how he got humbled at the end. More on that later.

A young woman named Lexi (Mychala Lee) regains consciousness in a tub filled with ice. She sees a phone and uses it to dial 9-1-1. She gets Grace on the line and Grace instructs her to get out of the tub. Lexi freaks out when she notices a scar on his stomach. She suspects someone has taken her kidney and starts to lose consciousness due to severe bloodlost. Thankfully the paramedics arrive at the hotel room just in the nick of time. Grace goes to visit Lexi in the hospital and learns that the only family she has left is her stepfather who she does not have a relationship with. Lexi blames herself for what's happened to her but Grace assures her that she is not to blame. Grace presses her for information and Lexi tells her she met a guy via a dating app called Bash. Lexi says the guy travels a lot for business and the two of them met at a bar near the airport. The guy's name is Mike. Lexi thinks she's going to jail because the officers who questioned her believe she sold her own kidney. Grace is horrified by this information. 

Grace talks to Detective McGregor and tells him that the officers who interrogated Lexi treated her more like a suspect than a victim. Detective McGregor says she can be both. He tells Grace that it's likely she got involved with some shady people and got in over her head. Grace tells him about the man Lexi met on the dating app and he is super dismissive. It's so obvious he doesn't care about helping Lexi and one can't help but think it has everything to do with her being a young black woman. Detective McGregor tells Grace to leave the police work to him and to stick to answering the phone. What an asshole! Perfectly played, Mr. Baldwin!

Grace can't let this situation with Lexi go and stays up all night trying to find the guy Lexi met up with via the dating app. Judd finds her and tells her he's concerned she's using her real picture to lure a potential black market organ harvester. Judd reminds her about Charlie and tells her that he doesn't like that she's putting herself at risk. Grace reminds Judd that if Lexi was a white girl, her face would be plastered all over every news outlet which is so true. She tells Judd that she's doing this for Charlie because one day Charlie is going to become a young black woman and no one ever seems to be looking out for black and brown girls when bad stuff happens to them. I love that the show went there. I love how both 9-1-1 shows are very candid when it comes to the realities that black and brown people face in real life. Judd understands her motives but still doesn't like that she is putting herself in danger. Grace asks him what else choice does she have and Judd suggests she finds someone who cares just as much about Lexi as she does.

Grace meets up with Carlos and he introduces her to Detective Sarina Washington (Tamala Jones). Grace hands over the research she's done and Detective Washington reminds her that she handles missing person cases and Lexi is not missing. Carlos points out that Lexi's kidney is missing. I cracked up when Detective Washington told him that she typically doesn't look for people piece by piece. Grace reminds her that the guy who received Lexi's kidney is missing. Detective Washington seems invested in Lexi's case but tells Grace that she cannot help her because it's not her case. She then says that she and Carlos will need to talk to the detective who is in charge of the case. 

The three of them meet with Detective McGregor and he is just as smug as ever. He hands over the case to Detective Washington and tells her he's too busy anyway. He then casually mentions that Lexi has died which devastates Grace.My heart broke for Grace at this moment because all she wanted to do was protect Lexi and help find the people responsible for what happened to her. 

Grace, Carlos and Detective Washington go through a list of people on the kidney transplant waiting list in hopes of finding the patient who received Lexi's kidney. They enlist the help of Tommy and TK and both paramedics are able to ID the man who they rescued from the car accident. Carlos, Detective Washington, Tommy, and TK arrive at the home of a man named Clint (Peter Oldring). His wife lies and says he is out of town on business but Carlos doesn't buy it. Tommy tells the woman that her husband was the recent recipient of an illegal kidney transplant and that there's a strong chance his body is rejecting the kidney. If he doesn't get medical attention ASAP he will die. The wife lets them all in and they find Clint half-dead. 

Carlos and Detective Washington go to see Clint in the hospital. He tells them he would rather face a few years in prison than provide the names of the individuals who gave him his new kidney. He says they will kill him. Detective Washington tells him it will be more than a few years but Clint has done his research. He says he knows the punishment for buying an organ which is a $50,000 fine and maximum five years in prison. Carlos asks him if he knows the punishment for being an accessory to murder. Clint is shocked to hear this. Carlos informs him about his donor Lexi. Clint is horrified by this news because he was assured that all donors were on the same page with those who were receiving the organs. He assumed everyone was safe. Carlos tells him that Lexi woke up in a hotel room with her kidney missing and $15,000 on the nightstand. He shows Clint a photo of Lexi and Clint says he never would have gone through with any of this if he knew what was really happening to the donors. Detective Washington tells him to prove it by giving them the names of the people running the operation.

Grace gets a call from Carlos and is told that Clint cracked and gave the names of the individuals running the trafficking ring. Carlos tells her they are waiting on a warrant so they can bust the people behind all of this. Grace is delighted to hear this news because it means Lexi's death will not have been in vain. 

Carlos and Detective Washington are posted up outside of a dentist office where the trafficking ring is being ran. Detective Washington gets a text letting her know the warrant has been secured so she and Carlos exit their vehicle and go inside and bust the doctors transplanting the organs. They see that the doctors are preparing for another transplant but there's no victim.

Grace gets a message on Bash from a guy named Mike and she agrees to meet him at a bar near the airport. Grace reaches out to Carlos but his phone is not on him at the time of the call. She leaves a voicemail letting him know the guy who met up with Lexi has reached out to her. She then calls Detective McGregor and tells him to let Carlos and Detective Washington know she is meeting up with the guy who lured Lexi. McGregor tells her he strongly advises she doesn't go but Grace is worried that Lexi's killer is going to get away. She tells him to relay the message and please be at the bar.

Grace meets Mike at the bar and he smooth-talks her. The two share some witty banter and when Grace turns her back, he puts something in her drink. We see Grace sip her drink. Mike tries to get her to go somewhere else and Grace excuses herself to use the restroom. Grace goes into a stall and calls Carlos. She hears someone come into the restroom and lock the door. Mike attempts to get inside her stall and kicks the door in. Just as he is about to get at her, he passes out and hits the floor. Then Detective McGregor arrives and he is quite surprised to see Grace alive and Mike unconscious on the ground. 

We learn that when Mike put something in Grace's drink, she took his drink instead which means he got the drink with drugs in it. Grace is a queen! The 126 paramedics show up and Nancy and TK tend to  Mike who is throwing up profusely. Tommy tends to Grace who is alright. Not a scratch on her. Detective Washington and Carlos applaud her for breaking up an organ trafficking ring. Grace says she didn't do it alone.

Judd shows up and he is so happy to see his wife is alive and well. Judd sees Detective McGregor and tells him the next time Grace tells him something he needs to listen to her. McGregor eats a giant slice of humble pie and Judd continues to lay into him. Grace says that she listens for a living and that she believes listening is a skill that can be learned. I'm so proud of Grace. She truly kicked ass in this episode. 

There's one minor plot I want to mention and it involves Owen Strand and his brother, Robert (Chad Lowe). Last season we got more of Owen's backstory and we learn his dad left after Owen's younger brother drowned. His dad went on to remarry and start a new family which includes Robert. Owen and Robert met the previous year and since TK is getting married, Owen thought it would be great to bring Robert into the fold. Robert seems very kind and brings items from their father to give to Owen and TK. Owen notices something's off about Robert when they are drinking wine later that evening and Robert tells him that he has Huntington's disease which is something that's hereditary. Oh, great! As if the Strand men haven't been through enough these last few years!

So, that was the episode. I really, really enjoyed this episode. I love how we got an emergency at the start of the episode which evolved into an even bigger emergency. I love that we got another team-up of Grace and Carlos. I like their relationship and I wish we got to see more of it. I love getting to see Carlos do things independent of TK because sometimes it feels like Carlos solely exists to be TK's partner. I also like that we got a frank discussion about something that was brought up in season 3 and seemingly never followed up on which is Carlos becoming a detective. Carlos admits he hasn't taken steps to become a detective because he believes he makes more of an impact patrolling. Detective Washington reminds him that not all bad guys can be caught from patrolling. There is a glimmer of hope that Carlos may pursue being a detective in the future but only time will tell.

I loved Grace especially in this episode because it reminded us of who she really is. She is someone who cares endlessly about people and who can be really stubborn when she has her mind set on something. I love that Judd never gets in her way even when he thinks she is doing something dangerous. I love that the only outcome she wanted was for the person who killed Lexi to be brought to justice. She never, not once, settled for anything less. She is a good person and it's clear why she is a good 9-1-1 dispatch.

Lastly, the scenes with Owen and Robert were truly heartbreaking. Owen has endured so much in his life. First he lost a brother and his dad only to gain a brother in his adult years. Now he is facing the prospect of losing Robert and there's a chance he and TK may suffer the same fate. It's really a lot to deal with so close to the Tarlos nuptials. It looks like next episode we will see him and TK dealing with this latest revelation. Until next time ...

[ulkaralakbarova]

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