#c m alongi

[tigger8900]

The Books I Didn't Review

I dropped the ball on book reviews in 2023. I'm not surprised. It was a rougher year than 2022, and I also dropped that particular ball then as well. It's hard for me to stay motivated, especially since when I get stressed out I simultaneously read more and want to write(including blogs) less. But this is a new year(I have realized, more than two weeks into it) and I can wipe this slate clean. Start with a book I'm very excited to review, and then...nothing! Empty pile!

So I'm going to do a very brief overview of some of the books I read in the last few months of 2023. Some stuff I read completely fell through the cracks, because it had to go back to the library and I just wasn't able to write up anything about it. Most of these are ones I'd tried to save though, because I was excited to make a record of them in the blog. So I'm disappointed in myself that I couldn't do as well as I'd hoped, but at the same time I recognize that I did as well as I could. Haven't ragequit my job. Still meeting the important bills. Am reading, and writing, and having weird-ass dreams about what if Beauty and the Beast were mutual beards. So it could be a lot worse. Let's see what happens when I give myself permission to start fresh.

Golden Boys, by Phil Stamper

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Young adult gen fic. This is Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but with less 00s-era weirdness. Brotherhood of the super gay boys, as I deemed it in a work e-mail. I didn't expect to like this one, but I actually found myself incredibly invested in these boys' lives. I especially appreciated how their friendships were centered above all else, even in the cases where romance was also taking place. I intend to read the sequel if I can find time, because y'all I have *got* to know where these boys go next.

The Darkness Outside Us, by Eliot Schrefer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Young adult science fiction. This is a love story, but not a traditional romance(even though it starts out looking like a straightforward enemies to lovers in space). High appeal to people who enjoy brainfucky sci-fi as well as gay romance, though if you come solely for the romance you're probably going to walk away disappointed, confused, and possibly vaguely traumatized. I'm so glad my coworker insisted I pick it up, because I never would have read this based on the cover.

Horse Barbie, by Geena Rocero

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adult memoir. This is about a Filipino trans woman's experience in the pageant circuit in the Philippines as well as her time modeling in the US. I wasn't really into the performance-oriented segments, but I found it illuminating how she contrasted the US's legal acceptance(but social hostility) of trans identity with the Philippines' social acceptance(but legal hostility). Someone who's more into glamour/fashion might get more out of it than I did, but it's still a solid trans memoir even if you're not into that stuff.

Never Whistle at Night, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult short stories. This is an anthology of "dark fiction," horror-adjacent, centering North American indigenous voices. Almost all of the two dozen~ stories were good or great, hitting a diverse selection of tones and content. I loved too many of them to list favorites. The stories might not be the type to make you check under the bed, but come prepared to be unsettled and disturbed.

Citadel, by C. M. Alongi

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult science fiction. Featuring a nonverbal autistic protagonist, who seems to have been researched very thoroughly, this is a story about uncovering the truth about what happened long ago. My main gripe is that it ends rather suddenly, leaving me feeling like there's meant to be a sequel, but as far as I can tell there's no plans for that. But the story it told was fantastic, I just wish I knew where some of the loose ends and teased bits were going. Probably has strong crossover appeal to an older YA audience.

Blackouts, by Justin Torres

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adult general fiction. Won the national book award this past year. Three and a half stars for the novel, bumped up to four for the excellent use of blackout poetry on found text throughout. It's about an inter-generational friendship between two gay men, one of whom is on his deathbed and gifts the other a selectively blacked-out copy of Sex Variants, a real publication from the 40s, as well as a selection of other photographs and artifacts. This is all characters and no plot. Highly recommend reading this in the print edition, as the best parts seem like they won't translate to audio.

Out There Screaming, edited by Jordan Peele

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Adult short stories. Horror-adjacent "dark fiction"(to borrow a phrase from a previous book) centering Black voices working in a variety of formats and genres. Picked this up for the names included(Nnedi Okorafor, Tananarive Due, N.K. Jemisin, Rebecca Roanhorse, P. Djèlí Clark, Tochi Onyebuchi, and of course Jordan Peele himself), but was happy to enjoy some of the other stories as well. My favorite story by an anticipated author was Clark's Hide & Seek(though it had stiff competition), and my favorite story by a new-to-me author was Nicole D. Sconiers's A Bird Sings by the Etching Tree.

The Possibilities, by Yael Goldstein-Love

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult speculative fiction. A new mom struggles with contradictory memories of whether or not her child survived the birth. Then he disappears, as if he'd never been, and she has to go find him. I haven't read/seen Everything Everywhere All At Once, but people keep bringing it up when I describe this book to them, so it must be similar! Heavy content warning for baby-related trauma. This is not the book for you if you're going through an anxious time with a pregnancy or young child!

The Future, by Naomi Alderman

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult speculative fiction. In the near-future, tech bro CEOs have a plan for the end of the world. In the lead-up and as the plan deploys, we follow a survivalist blogger and a cult survivor who muses about the end of the world seen through the lens of god's wrath. A surprisingly hopeful pre-apocalyptic(the event itself happens roughly 3/4 of the way through) novel, with some sapphic shenanigans in the background. Funny coincidence: I finished this and handed it to my mom at the same time as she tried to hand me The Power by the same author. 😂

Us, by Sara Soler, translated by Silvia Perea Labayen

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Adult graphic novel memoir. Originally published in Spain, this is the story of Sara Soler's experience when her partner comes out as a trans woman. I read this hoping for more insight to their particular experience, especially when Soler mentioned early on that she discovered she was demisexual, but ultimately it reads as more of a primer to trans issues in general. No hate for that, it's just not what I was expecting. While this is marketed to adults, I think there's cross-appeal to teens who are interested in the subject matter. There was nothing that struck me as particularly scandalous, mostly a lot of swearing.

[shapeshiftershenan1gans]

Just finished reading The Horned Guardian by C. M. Alongi and totally normal about it

[allyekatdraws]

Some Cafae Latte fanart!

If you haven’t seen the series by C. M. Alongi on TikTok or YouTube, you should def go check it out. It��s so good and she’s writing a book!!

[chrislovescreepyshit]

im gonna count the fandoms im in bc why not (also i have nothing better to do lol)

-creepypasta

-harry potter

-the breakfast club

-IT

-the black phone

-class of '09

-helluva boss

-frostbite

-john doe fandom or hause haunted fandom idk what it's called

-your boyfriend fandom

-broken colors

-little misfortune

-south park

-dead plate

-suicide boy

-castle swimmer

-mythed up

-kindergarten

-the owl house

-gravity falls

-miss kobayashi's dragon maid

-himouto umaru chan

-r.o.h. (not elaborating)

-y.n.s. (also not elaborating)

-breaking bad

-demon slayer

-modern mogal

-eldritch darling

-the amazing digital circus

-that's not my neighbor

-the coffin of andy and leyley

-Lucky☆Star

-panty and stocking

-pirates of the caribbean

-kid vampire (if ykyk)

-Hazbin Hotel

-The Disastrous Life Of Saiki K.

-Cult of The Lamb

-Happy Tree Friends

-Metal Family (i had completely forgot about it for some reason:') )

-Doki Doki Literature Club (i will sell my soul for Sayori's happiness.)

-Rick and Morty (no idea how i forgot about it)

-I re-installed Brawl Stars does that count

-Free Fire lmao

- CaFae Latte (it's a TikTok series by C. M. Alongi, Im adding it cuz it has deep lore and it's fucking awesome)

- Penni Painkiller

- Rot in Paradise

i will keep adding when i join new fandoms or when i remember more (i have the memory of a goldfish)

[biblionerdreflections]

Guest Post - Favorite SFF Books with Queer Rep by C. M. Alongi

Queer characters have gotten more and more visibility in media, and it’s about time, too. But they can still be hard to find, especially if you’re in a relatively unknown part of the rainbow like nonbinary or aromantic/asexual. So, these are my favorite sci-fi/fantasy books with queer rep to make that search just a little bit easier. This list is very incomplete, as they are simply books that I…

[kdinjenzen]

If you'd like a book recommendation, I'd recommend Citadel, by C. M. Alongi! I just finished it and wow it was good

Adddddded to my list~

[meret118]

Week One (June 6)

The Endless Vessel — Charles Soule (Harper Perennial)

A few years from now, in a world similar to ours, there exists a sort of “depression plague” that people refer to simply as “The Grey.” No one can predict whom it will afflict, or how, but once infected, there’s no coming back. A young Hong Kong based scientist, Lily Barnes, is trying to maintain her inner light in an increasingly dark world. The human race is dwindling, and people fighting to push forward are increasingly rare.

One day, Lily comes across something that seems to be addressing her directly, calling to her, asking her to follow a path to whatever lies at its end. Is this the Endless Vessel to happiness? She leaves her life behind and sets out through time and space to find out.

From its opening heart-stopping scene in the present day at the Louvre in Paris, through the earthly meetings between Lily and her loved ones past and present, to a shocking and satisfying conclusion in a truly enchanted forest, Charles Soule has channeled history, science and drama to create a story for the ages—a story of hope and love and possibility. This is a novel you will not soon forget.

Translation State (Imperial Radch) — Ann Leckie (Orbit)

Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn’t “optimal behavior”. I’s the type of behavior that results in elimination.

But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots—or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.

As a Conclave of the various species approaches—and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line—the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.

Week Three (June 20)

Citadel — C. M. Alongi (Blackstone)

Citadel, the only city on the planet Edalide, has a holy mission: exterminate the demons from the Flooded Forest. The unholy, vicious animals were a mistake made by their god that must be corrected. Or at least, that’s what everyone’s been told. When Olivia, a nonverbal autistic nineteen-year-old, has a chance run-in with a “demon,” she realizes that these beings are not vicious, animals, or unholy, but sentient people.

Forever scarred by her mother’s legally sanctioned murder, and determined to prevent either side from losing more loved ones, Olivia embarks on a hazardous journey into the Flooded Forest where she faces flesh-eating predators, telekinetic zealot-warriors, and the demons of her own past. Olivia’s quest for answers forces her to decide to either seek justice for both sides, or continue the cycle of war, revenge, and death.

The Infinite Miles — Hannah Fergesen (Blackstone)

To save the future, she must return to the beginning. Three years after her best friend Peggy went missing, Harper Starling is lost. Lost in her dead-end job, lost in her grief. All she has are regrets and reruns of her favorite science fiction show, Infinite Voyage. Then Peggy returns and demands to be taken to the Argonaut, the fictional main character of Infinite Voyage. But the Argonaut is just that… fictional.

Until the TV hero himself appears and spirits Harper away from her former best friend. Traveling through time, he explains that Peggy used to travel with him but is now under the thrall of an alien enemy known as the Incarnate—one that has destroyed countless solar systems. Then he leaves Harper in 1971. Stranded in the past, Harper must find a way to end the Incarnate’s thrall…. without the help of the Argonaut.

But the cosmos are nothing like the technicolor stars of the TV show she loves, and if Harper can’t find it in herself to believe—in the Argonaut, in Peggy, and most of all, in herself—she’ll be the Incarnate’s next casualty, along with the rest of the universe.

Week Four (June 27)

The Road to Roswell — Connie Willis (Del Rey)

When level-headed Francie arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, for her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding—complete with a true-believer bridegroom—she can’t help but roll her eyes at all the wide-eyed talk of aliens, which obviously don’t exist. Imagine her surprise, then, when she is abducted by one. Odder still, her abductor is far from what the popular media have led her to expect, with a body like a tumbleweed and a mass of lightning-fast tentacles.

Nor is Francie the only victim of the alien’s abduction spree. Before long, he has acquired a charming con man named Wade, a sweet little old lady with a casino addiction, a retiree with a huge RV and a love for old Westerns, and a UFO-chasing nutjob who is thoroughly convinced the alien intends to probe them and/or take over the planet.

But the more Francie gets to know the alien, the more convinced she becomes that he’s not an invader. That he’s in trouble and she has to help him. Only she doesn’t know how—or even what the trouble is.

The Archive Undying (Downworld #1) — Emma Mieko Candon (Tordotcom Publishing)

When the robotic god of Khuon Mo went mad, it destroyed everything it touched. It killed its priests, its city, and all its wondrous works. But in its final death throes, the god brought one thing back to life: its favorite child, Sunai.

For the seventeen years since, Sunai has walked the land like a ghost, unable to die, unable to age, and unable to forget the horrors he’s seen. He’s run as far as he can from the wreckage of his faith, drowning himself in drink, drugs, and men. But when Sunai wakes up in the bed of the one man he never should have slept with, he finds himself on a path straight back into the world of gods and machines.

More at the link.

[oaresearchpaper]

Carbon Storage and Biomass of Mangrove Forests in Samar, Philippines

Abstract

Samar is one of the provinces in the Philippines with the most extensive remaining mangrove forest. However, information on ecology and carbon sequestration capacity is limited. Thus, this study aims to assess the species diversity, community structure, and carbon stock in the natural and planted mangrove stands in Zumarraga, Samar. The transect-line method was used to collect vegetation analysis and diversity data, while biomass estimation used an allometric equation. Fifteen sampling plots of 10 m x 10 m  were established in each sampling site, representing the seaward, middleward, and landward zones. The species composition of these areas consists of 11 species belonging to 5 families. Biodiversity indices indicated very low species diversity for both types of mangrove forests. Avicennia marina was the most important species, with an importance value (IVI) of 168.55% (natural stand) and 75.61% (planted stand). The total carbon stock was 71.97 t C ha⁻¹ in the natural stand and 391.44 t C ha-1 in the planted stand. Overall, even if both mangrove stands have very low species diversity, their ability to store and sequester carbon cannot be undermined, as evident in the biomass and carbon stock values. Thus, sustainable management strategies and efforts should be made to protect this naturally grown and planted mangrove ecosystem.

Introduction

Mangrove forests are coastal wetland ecosystems considered one of Earth's most highly productive ecosystems, contributing various functions and services to surrounding coastal areas (Van Oudenhoven et al., 2015). It provides many useful human products, such as charcoal, medicines, and building materials (Barbier et al., 2011). Moreover, mangroves aid in regulating floods, erosion, and saltwater intrusion (Camacho et al., 2020) and as a buffer for coastal communities against storms and typhoons (Polidoro et al., 2010). Aside from that, this habitat also provides food and livelihood for coastal residents (Gevaña et al., 2018). Furthermore, mangroves play an important role in the health of coastal ecosystems. Their intricate root network stabilizes sediments and enhances water clarity, providing a perfect home for many marine organisms (Arceo-Carranza et al., 2021).

Recently, blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves have received international attention as a valuable tool for mitigating the impacts of climate change. This coastal ecosystem is rich in biodiversity and one of the world's most significant carbon sinks, trapping and storing a remarkable amount of carbon within its dense root systems and forest soils (Alongi, 2014; Howard et al., 2014). Since the carbon trapped in the soil is difficult to decompose, this allows the stored carbon to stay in the soil for a long time, further emphasizing its vital importance in moderating the global climate (Castillo and Breva, 2012). Mangroves can hold up to 1023 t C ha-1 and five times more organic carbon than rainforests (Donato et al., 2011; Kaufman et al., 2018). Previous studies have emphasized that the bulk of this carbon is stored belowground, particularly in soil and roots (Donato et al., 2011).

Despite their importance, mangrove forests face numerous threats and challenges. Anthropogenic activities such as urbanization (Marchio et al., 2016), aquaculture (Primavera, 2006; Garcia et al., 2014), and overexploitation (McLeod and Sam, 2006) have led to the widespread degradation of mangrove habitats. Climate change also poses a significant risk to mangroves with rising sea levels and increased frequency and intensity of storms (Gilman et al., 2008; Abino et al., 2014a). Globally, it is estimated that mangrove forests lost at a rate of 2.74% in 1996- 2007 and 1.58% in 2007-2016 (Hagger et al., 2022). Brander et al. (2012) forecast a decline from 6,042 to 2,082 ha for the mangrove forests in Southeast Asia between 2000 to 2050. According to Gevaña et al. (2018), the country's mangrove forest cover is estimated at 356,000 ha with a decadal deforestation rate of 0.5%. The main drivers of this huge loss are various anthropogenic activities, including deforestation, land conversion for agriculture, aquaculture, and coastal development (Primavera et al., 2004; Garcia et al., 2014).

The western part of Samar has a relatively long coastline, extending over 300 km (Abino et al., 2014a). Its mangrove forests constitute 7% of the total mangrove area of the country (FMB, 2011). As one of the provinces in the Philippines with the most extensive remaining mangroves, its biomass carbon sequestration and storage potential is also expected to be huge. However, there is limited information on Samar's natural and planted mangrove stands' composition, structure, and carbon storage potential. Hence, this study provides information on the diversity, structural complexity, and carbon storage potential of mangroves in the province. The objectives of the present study were to (i) identify mangrove species composition and diversity, (ii) determine the mangrove community structure, and (iii) evaluate the biomass and carbon stock concentration. The data collected from this study provides more comprehensive information for properly implementing mangrove conservation programs and developing local-specific climate change mitigation strategies.

Source : Diversity, stand structure, biomass and carbon storage potential of natural and planted Mangrove Forests in Samar, Philippines

[tigger8900]

Got my holiday reading, aka the book that I've renewed the maximum number of times and the two that have people waiting in the holds queue and can't be renewed. I know people talk about mood reading, but I can't usually hear them over the sound of "oh shit I have five books in my pile that can't be renewed and I haven't read them yet!"

[romelialungusblog]

Author interview 212 - Christina Alongi

United States Age 27 C. M. Alongi graduated from Hamline University with a double Bachelor’s in history and social justice. She lives in an apartment in the Twin Cities area where she protects her furniture from her roommates’ two evil cats. Her first full-length novel Citadel comes out June 2023, and her epic fantasy series Blackwing debuts with To Kill a Necromancer in February…

[lil-space-king]

It's even easier to watch on YouTube! C. M. Alongi has a playlist with compilations of all the tik toks divided into seasons!

hi hello i am a sane person but if you have 400 tiktoks worth of time you could look at cafae latte on tiktok. please. its got gay people and fae and vampires and werewolves and unicorns and witches and dragons and coffee and autism and more. please watch the entire thing if only for jennifer charles. i may only be on the 230th video but its worth your hours

[lucaavadiary]

Agenzia: M&C Saatchi Executive Creative Director e Partner: Luca Scotto di Carlo e Vincenzo Gasbarro Creative Director: Daniele Dionisi, Paolo Perrone Strategy: Irene Papa Creative Team: Claudia Alongi, Alessandro Pomè, Stefania Sangiorgio, Federica Scalona Head of UX/UI Design: Leopoldo Schutz Account Director: Alberto Pinto Account: Eleonora Guidolin Digital Production Director: Stefania Sabbatini Digital Producer: Alessia Serino Production Director: Federico Fornasari

Cdp Utopia Director: Piero Messina Dop: Marco Bassano Executive Producer: Francesco di Trani Producer: Luigi Dalena Production Manager: Giovanni La Monaca Photographer: Luca Ava Editor: Marcello Saurino Colorist: Lorenzo Ameri All pictures taken by Luca Ava ©